Chapter 1113: Has the Ancestor Taken Dao Companions?
Nangong Wan was startled by the news. How had the Ancestor suddenly brought back so many female disciples?
Her junior sister continued indignantly, "The most important thing is that their relationship with the Ancestor doesn't seem ordinary at all. They might all be his Dao companions! The one with the grand aura smiled so gently whenever she looked at him, like a proper first wife. The one who looks like a moon goddess even frowned when an elder got too close to the Ancestor, as if she was jealous. And those five seductive ones looked like they wanted to stick to him at all times. Their relationship with the Ancestor is definitely not simple."
"The previous rumors might have been true after all. The Ancestor really is obsessed with women. He's only at the True Immortal realm and already has so many Dao companions. What will happen when he gets stronger?"
Nangong Wan's expression shifted slightly. She recalled Ye Chen's handsome face, his meticulous care, and his gentle smile. A faint bitterness rose in her heart, but she did not show it. She shook her head lightly. "That is the Ancestor's own business. It has nothing to do with us juniors. Don't overthink it."
Her junior sister wanted to say more. "How can the Ancestor do this? He already has so many Dao companions, yet he was still so gentle with you, Senior Sister…"
Nangong Wan waved her hand. "Fourth Ancestor is an elder. His kindness toward me is purely out of public spirit. Don't imagine things."
She suddenly lost interest in chatting. With a smile, she told her junior sister that she needed to cultivate. Understanding that Nangong Wan's cultivation was the most important matter, her junior sister stopped bothering her and left.
Nangong Wan returned to her cave residence. She sat down cross-legged, a trace of loneliness appearing on her face. Deep down, she could sense that Fourth Ancestor treated her differently. It was not purely out of public spirit as she had claimed. She had even felt a faint stirring in her heart, especially while she had been at her lowest point.
But in the cultivation world, unless a female cultivator was truly useless, she would never share her Dao companion with others. Only those without ambition would do such a thing. The Ancestor was excellent, but he already had so many Dao companions.
Nangong Wan pondered silently and firmly suppressed the fluttering feeling that had been growing in her heart recently. Fourth Ancestor was simply Fourth Ancestor. A favor was a favor. In the future, she would repay his kindness as one would repay an elder. As for Transcendence Peak, it would be best if she never went there again, to avoid any misunderstandings with his Dao companions.
She closed her eyes and resumed her cultivation. However, without the pill's support, the laws she comprehended each day were far from enough to offset what the devouring force consumed. A wave of bitterness rose in her heart once more. Was she truly powerless to change her fate?
…
Ye Chen held tremendous authority within the Jade Pool Immortal Sect. When he brought his Dao companions back to the sect, he did not even need to visit any elders. He simply gave the order, and the elders came to handle all the formalities themselves. This was the privilege of an Ancestor.
This shocked An Miaoli, Yi Qingwu, and the others. They had guessed that with Ye Chen's talent, strength, and resources, he would not be doing poorly in the Immortal Realm. They had even thought he might have joined a top-tier force. Yet when they actually arrived, they realized they had still underestimated him.
Their man had skipped straight past being a disciple or direct disciple and had become an Ancestor of a top sect. He even had an Immortal Monarch as his senior sister. It was simply outrageous. His rise in status could no longer be described as merely fast.
After learning that the Jade Pool Immortal Sect was an all-female sect, the group of Dao companions showed complicated expressions for a moment. Still, this was indeed their man's style.
Transcendence Peak now housed many female cultivators, yet everything remained harmonious. For one thing, the peak was truly vast. Though it was only one mountain, the combined area of its midsection and summit was comparable to an entire mortal empire. Secondly, although An Miaoli never fought for attention, she possessed a natural grace. Simply standing there was enough to calm everyone's hearts and prevent any thoughts of jealousy or rivalry.
An Miaoli's cave residence was close to Ye Chen's, and she shared it with An Yuyi. Yi Qingwu stayed on the other side at an equal distance. Lin Qingtan and the little phoenix lived together, as did the five members of the Heavenly Desire Sect.
Senior Sister Yao Xi did not compete for favor either. She chose a cave residence at a moderate distance and focused earnestly on her cultivation. Her goal was to reach the peak of the Quasi-Immortal realm as soon as possible so she could awaken a powerful Divine Ability for Ye Chen or one of his Dao companions.
Alkaid Holy Maiden and the other maids, including Sun Ruoxin, were also brought up and granted ordinary disciple status. They occasionally had the honor of serving Ye Chen.
Luo Bingling and Lu Jing returned to Ye Chen's small world. Luo Bingling had chosen to stay inside voluntarily. The environment there was even better than the Immortal Realm, and she was already close to the peak of the Quasi-Immortal realm.
Lu Jing, on the other hand, had volunteered to take care of An Miaoli after learning she was pregnant. She wanted to ensure the safe birth of her young master's first child. However, Luo Bingling stopped her. An Miaoli did not need such care yet—the child was still tens of thousands of years away from being born. Besides, Luo Bingling had grown used to pushing Lu Jing to work harder. Staying alone in the small world could get rather lonely.
In any case, the arrival of these women brought life and vitality to Transcendence Peak. It was no longer just Ye Chen living there alone.
However, their arrival also worsened Ye Chen's reputation within the Jade Pool Immortal Sect even further.
A male Ancestor had already caused significant internal resistance. Many believed he would inevitably stir up trouble. They had even heard rumors that the Ancestor was selecting his prey and seducing female disciples. Now, in the blink of an eye, he had brought so many Dao companions into the sect.
This was essentially treating the Jade Pool Immortal Sect as his personal harem and abusing his power. According to the elders, many of these women did not even qualify to become outer disciples of the sect. Yet at the Ancestor's request, they had all been accepted.
This left many female cultivators gnashing their teeth in anger. The male Ancestor truly marked the beginning of the Jade Pool Immortal Sect's downfall. As a result, the female disciples began to avoid Transcendence Peak like the plague. They steered clear of it entirely, terrified of being dragged inside and becoming another one of Fourth Ancestor Ye's Dao companions.
…
With all his Dao companions now by his side, Ye Chen did not remain idle. Life on Transcendence Peak was quite pleasant. In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed.
After one of their group sessions, the five members of the Heavenly Desire Sect asked Ye Chen to help inquire about the whereabouts of Heavenly Desire Ancestor. They were not referring to their own generational ancestor, but the founding ancestor of their sect. They were preparing to become immortals, and since the founding ancestor had been exceptionally talented, she might have created subsequent chapters of the Nirvana Scripture. If they could find it, it would be the most suitable technique for them.
Meanwhile, after wiping her long hair dry one day, Alkaid Holy Maiden suddenly remembered something and reported it to Ye Chen. A cultivator named Demon-Exterminating Great Saint had once visited the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land. He said he had a gift for the Holy Son as a congratulatory present for his ascension and claimed that the Holy Son would definitely like it and be satisfied.
Chapter 1114: I Don't Believe You're Only Acting Out of Public Spirit!
Ye Chen finally remembered the Demon-Exterminating Great Saint. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. He had completely forgotten about this man who had once come to see him carrying his head as tribute. Still, the man wanted to give him a gift? Although Demon-Exterminating had never been particularly competent, he was still one of his old subordinates. The next time Ye Chen returned to the lower realm, he could drop by and bestow a few strands of Immortal Qi.
…
After calculating the time, Ye Chen realized it had been a while since he last saw Nangong Wan. She was currently the female cultivator with the highest multiplier after Jade Moon Immortal Monarch, and the most suitable candidate for gifting. He could not simply neglect her.
Ye Chen left Transcendence Peak and flew toward Hundred Flowers Peak.
When he arrived, the female cultivators on Hundred Flowers Peak froze for a moment before avoiding him like a venomous snake. Those farther away pretended not to see him and quickly slipped away. Those closer offered polite greetings and then hurriedly left.
Soon, an elder arrived with a smiling face. "Ancestor, what instructions do you have? Our Hundred Flowers Peak will certainly not refuse. Next time, you can simply summon an elder from Transcendence Peak. There is no need for you to come in person."
The corner of Ye Chen's mouth twitched. This woman was politely telling him not to come to Hundred Flowers Peak, wasn't she? Heh, he hoped she could maintain this attitude in the future and not beg him to visit.
With a steady mind, Ye Chen paid it no mind. He waved his hand and said, "I heard about Nangong Wan's situation and felt some sympathy. I came today to see whether her condition has improved. Please take me to her cave residence."
The elder was stunned. Had Fourth Ancestor Ye set his sights on one of their disciples? However, given Ye Chen's status, this was not an unreasonable request. She could only comply.
Secretly, she transmitted messages instructing the disciples to stay away so none of them would catch his eye. When the female disciples learned that Ye Chen had come specifically for Nangong Wan, they frowned. They all felt deep sympathy for Nangong Wan's situation and did not want to see her fall into his grasp.
By the time Ye Chen reached the entrance of Nangong Wan's cave residence, a large group of female disciples had already gathered. They were determined that if Fourth Ancestor Ye showed any improper intentions or tried to force anything, they would make the matter public and protect Nangong Wan. They would not let him do as he pleased.
They had heard that the newly emerged Punishment Elder held great hostility toward Ye Chen and had even declared that if he dared to act recklessly in the Jade Pool Immortal Sect, she would drive him out. As the second strongest expert in the sect, her support gave them confidence that Ye Chen would not dare to behave outrageously.
The large commotion outside naturally alerted Nangong Wan. With a trace of melancholy in her eyes, she opened the cave residence door and forced herself to perk up. Just as she was about to smile and speak, she saw Fourth Ancestor arriving alongside the elder. Her expression immediately became complicated, but she still bowed promptly. "Greetings, Fourth Ancestor."
Ye Chen ignored the onlookers and frowned as he looked at Nangong Wan. "One top-grade True Origin Return One Pill only raised your cultivation to the mid-stage of the True Immortal realm? Is your comprehension lacking, or has your condition become this severe?"
Everyone present, including the elder, widened their eyes in shock. What had they just heard? A top-grade True Origin Return One Pill? Were they hallucinating? How could Nangong Wan possibly possess such a treasure? Moreover, her cultivation had actually reached the mid-stage of the True Immortal realm?
Nangong Wan's eyes grew even dimmer, filled with guilt. "This disciple has failed to live up to the Fourth Ancestor's great kindness. The top-grade True Origin Return One Pill allowed me to reach the late stage of the True Immortal realm. However, just before I could break through to the peak, its effects faded. Since then, my cultivation has been regressing. In just over a month, I have already fallen back to the mid-stage."
Her voice was low and heavy.
Yet Ye Chen smiled. "Doesn't this show that it worked quite well? Why didn't you come to Transcendence Peak to find me? With two more top-grade True Origin Return One Pills, you could have broken through to the Celestial Immortal realm in one go."
Ye Chen still needed some time to consolidate his foundation before breaking through to the Celestial Immortal realm. Although he had already stayed at the peak of the True Immortal realm for a while, he was in no hurry. Nangong Wan, however, had been stuck for far too long and did not need any further consolidation.
When Nangong Wan heard his words, her expression changed. Although she had guessed from Ye Chen's casual attitude that day that he still had more pills, a top-grade True Origin Return One Pill was incredibly precious. How could she have the face to ask for more?
The surrounding onlookers widened their eyes in shock. Fourth Ancestor Ye possessed top-grade True Origin Return One Pills—and more than one? He had even given one to Nangong Wan? Was this real? Could Nangong Wan, who came from a small family, have been deceived by him?
But their doubts vanished in the next instant.
Ye Chen raised his hand, and two golden pills flew toward Nangong Wan. Under her extremely complicated gaze, he spoke calmly, "I am an Ancestor of the Jade Pool Immortal Sect, and you are a talented disciple. Helping you break through would benefit the future of our sect. You do not need to feel any psychological burden."
The female cultivators of Hundred Flowers Peak watching from the sidelines could not help but draw in sharp breaths. He was really giving them to her?
Nangong Wan bit her lip lightly. These treasures were far too valuable. How could she accept them with peace of mind? Moreover, the way the Ancestor looked at her was so gentle. How could it possibly be purely out of public spirit?
But the Ancestor already had so many Dao companions. If she became one of them, how would she explain it to her family? How could she face her parents' eyes?
Nangong Wan's heart fell into chaos.
At that moment, Ye Chen spoke again and took out a low-grade immortal robe. The robe had an elegant, understated color with restrained divine patterns. Faint immortal light flowed within it, making it look exceptionally refined. It was the kind of low-key luxury that stood out at first glance. In the Immortal Realm, robes of the same grade were several times more valuable than ordinary immortal weapons.
"This robe not only possesses astonishing defensive power, but it can also enhance one's control over space, increase flight speed, and help focus the mind to accelerate cultivation. I believe it may be useful in helping you break through your current predicament. As the Ancestor, I gift it to you. Do not feel pressured. Simply cultivate well, remember this kindness, and repay the sect in the future."
The moment Ye Chen finished speaking, the expressions of all the Jade Pool female cultivators changed dramatically.
Two top-grade True Origin Return One Pills were already shocking enough, yet he had also given her a low-grade immortal robe!
Was their male Ancestor not being too generous?
However, none of them believed a single word he said about acting for the good of the Jade Pool Immortal Sect. It sounded far too grand and empty. The Ancestor was clearly lusting after Nangong Wan's body. Otherwise, how could he possibly be willing to give away so much?
Many female disciples looked at Nangong Wan with open envy. The Ancestor was not using force. He was directly smashing her with heavy gifts. If that was the case, they too wished to be favored by him. If they had known earlier, they would not have avoided him so much and would have tried to appear before him more often.
At this moment, they also finally understood why so many outstanding female cultivators were willing to become Dao companions with their Ancestor. Either he came from a supremely powerful family, or he had obtained the treasury of some great figure before joining the Jade Pool Immortal Sect. His wealth and generosity were truly astonishing.
Faced with such lavish gifts, which female cultivator could remain unmoved?