Chapter 1155: Another Imprint!
"How could you be inside my body?"
At that moment, Long Wu lost her composure. She roared in shock and fury.
She had been furious that An Miaoli dared to get pregnant and tarnish her pure, unblemished body. She had already planned that the next time they met, she would erase both Ye Chen and that vile spawn, shatter An Miaoli into pieces, purify her countless times, and then fuse with her—lest she be defiled.
But why? Why hadn't the child left with An Miaoli? Why was it still inside her?
For the first time, Long Wu felt completely at a loss. She felt nothing but disgust toward the embryo inside her.
She immediately unleashed her full power to destroy it. Yet the force that could shatter heaven and earth had no effect once it reached her abdomen. The embryo was like a legendary innate spiritual treasure born to a genius—completely immune to any attack. Instead, it even absorbed the many laws within her power.
Its incredible resilience left the usually cold and ruthless Long Wu feeling powerless for the first time.
"How could the bloodline of a mere native ant be so strong?"
"I am the incarnation of the Seven Extremes Heavenly Maiden, destined to stand at the pinnacle and achieve transcendence. How can I carry the bloodline of a lowly native and let it pollute me?"
"Once I return, I will enter secluded cultivation immediately and eradicate you completely!"
"As for Ye Chen, do you think you'll still have that dead Heavenly Emperor's protection the next time we meet?"
Long Wu's gaze was ice-cold, overflowing with killing intent.
Yet at that moment, the embryo inside her released a gentle aura of closeness toward its mother. Her entire bloodline trembled in response, as if the child were acting coquettishly toward her.
However, Long Wu remained expressionless and unmoved.
This lowly native spawn had to die...
No one was worthy of making the Seven Extremes Heavenly Maiden bear their child!
With a thunderous surge, Long Wu shot into the distance. Advancing to half-step Immortal King no longer mattered. She had to destroy it first. Otherwise, having Ye Chen's remnant inside her body would leave her unable to eat or sleep in peace...
...
Jade Pool Immortal Sect.
The commotion from that day had shaken the heavens and earth. Almost everyone in the sect knew something major had occurred—especially since even the incarnation of their own Jade Moon Immortal Monarch had appeared. However, most ordinary disciples and elders had no idea of the truth. They could only discuss the matter in private.
In the blink of an eye, nearly four months passed.
Although Ye Chen was waiting for the Great Sun Origin Core to emerge, he did not waste any time. He trained harder than ever, cultivating the Immortal King Scripture and refining his divine abilities.
Senior An's spirit had gradually calmed, but she still missed her child. She looked somewhat haggard and needed time to recuperate. Moreover, Ye Chen remained uneasy about the Jade Pool Immortal Sect's mountain protection array. He feared that Long Wu might sneak in again while he was away. So he opened his inner world and let Senior An enter it.
Luo Bingling and Lu Jing were both stunned. After learning what had happened, Luo Bingling looked at An Miaoli with added pity. Lu Jing, however, felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
Although she enjoyed Ye Chen's favor, she had always regarded herself as his maidservant. Ever since she learned that her young master was going to have a child, she had been preparing in secret—planting spiritual silk cotton in his inner world, raising fluffy little spirit beasts, and even studying artifact refining so she could craft comfortable clothes for the baby.
She had even planned to boldly offer herself: if Ye Chen and Elder An were too busy, she could raise the child herself. She could handle everything except feeding.
Because of this, Lu Jing found it especially hard to accept that her young master had lost his child... She busied herself around An Miaoli, caring for her with heartfelt devotion.
Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit still residing within the Seven-Colored Nirvana Jade had not seen Ye Chen for some time. She had always felt a natural closeness to him, especially after receiving so many heavenly treasures from him. In her heart, she had long regarded Ye Chen as her father...
When she finally saw him again, she had wanted to communicate spiritually and express her gratitude. But upon learning that Ye Chen's child had been taken, Caiyu burned with rage...
She developed an instinctive hatred for the Seven Extremes Heavenly Maiden and secretly vowed that once she was born perfectly into the world, she would slaughter the Seven Extremes Heavenly Maiden, reclaim the child for Ye Chen, and vent his fury.
After settling Senior An, Ye Chen prepared to leave.
The usually quiet Senior An finally spoke. "Fellow Daoist Ye, do not be too anxious... The child is important, but your safety matters just as much!"
Ye Chen smiled and nodded.
With a casual wave, an exit appeared before him. He glanced once at the Divine Maiden Furnace, then stepped out gracefully.
...
"Fourth Ancestor, please don't be too sad... With your exceptional talent, you will definitely be able to suppress the Seven Extremes Heavenly Maiden easily in the future. I believe in you."
Nangong Wan was not speaking out of ignorance; she truly believed in Ye Chen. She had personally witnessed his power and held boundless confidence in him.
Ye Chen smiled faintly and gently patted her head without saying a word.
At that moment, the soft rustle of clothes sliding over skin sounded. Ye Chen looked up in surprise to see Nangong Wan standing before him, completely bare.
"Fourth Ancestor, if you truly want an heir, I am willing... My talent is not bad. The child I bear should also be outstanding."
Nangong Wan had summoned all her courage. For a female cultivator still in her rising phase, delaying her progress to carry a child was a significant loss, not to mention the harm it would cause to her foundation. She had never considered this before, but after learning of Ye Chen's lost child, she took the initiative to offer herself in hopes of comforting him.
Ye Chen looked at her and smiled. She truly was thoughtful.
However, he had no such intention. With the Primordial Chaos Myriad Worlds Tree's origin energy supporting the child, he was not worried about its safety. He simply viewed this as letting Long Wu carry it for a while.
What he could not accept was the feeling of powerlessness he had experienced that day, which had ignited a strong urgency in him to become stronger.
"Wan'er, I appreciate your kindness, but there is no need for now... After breaking through to the late Celestial Immortal realm, I spent some time condensing a new imprint for you. This one is even stronger and will better protect your safety."
As he spoke, Ye Chen took out a new imprint that crackled with thunderous energy. The previous one had already been used. Since he would soon be leaving the sect, no one knew what dangers might arise—especially with Long Wu watching him with deep hatred.
Although Huo Linglong meant well, Ye Chen was not entirely confident in her strength. He still needed to rely on the system to provide powerful guardian imprints.
Nangong Wan was stunned. Her eyes shimmered with tears of emotion.
The Fourth Ancestor truly cared so much about her safety. The moment he advanced in cultivation, he had immediately refined a new imprint for her, fearing even the slightest mishap. Even after the recent upheaval, he had not forgotten her.
Her heart swelled with gratitude.
The Fourth Ancestor... he really loves me so much!
Chapter 1156: Anyone Who Steals from Me Will Pay the Price!
If Nangong Wan had offered to bear Ye Chen's child earlier to comfort his wounded heart, then at this moment, she truly desired to have one with him.
"Fourth Ancestor, I really want to give birth to a child that belongs to both of us..."
However, Ye Chen waved his hand without hesitation. He had not even taken his fiancée yet; there was no way he would agree with Nangong Wan. Until his strength was sufficient to sweep across everything, he would not allow anyone else to carry his seed.
"My strength is still insufficient to protect everything I hold dear. Let's put these matters aside for the future."
Nangong Wan thought of what had happened before and wanted to say it was an exception, but she ultimately kept silent. She accepted the imprint and unhesitatingly drew it into the depths of her brow.
Then, she gently and tenderly comforted Ye Chen with her body.
His body stiffened slightly, but he soon relaxed.
A system notification sounded in his mind: "Congratulations, Host, on successfully gifting a present..."
"Gift: Peak Celestial Immortal Divine Sense Imprint..."
"200,000 times feedback in progress..."
"Detected that the gifted item has a special relationship with the recipient..."
"Triggering maximum critical hit feedback, triggering heart strike feedback..."
"Gifting to a Dao Companion at ten thousand times multiplier or above, enjoying double feedback bonus..."
"Feedback: Early-stage Heavenly Emperor Immortal Monarch Imprint!"
Looking at the result, Ye Chen could not help but shake his head. Why another Heavenly Emperor imprint?
He still preferred something like the Western Empress's or a female immortal's imprint. But recalling the absurd combat power the Heavenly Emperor imprint had displayed last time, he had to admit it gave him a strong sense of security.
A peak Saint Immortal Heavenly Emperor imprint had blocked the peak Immortal Monarch Long Wu. An early Immortal Monarch version should be able to disregard almost anyone below the Immortal King realm.
The Heavenly Emperor truly was powerful. He only seemed less invincible when facing Ye Chen at a similar level of strength. Still, this boosted Ye Chen's confidence even further.
If the Heavenly Emperor was already this formidable, then once Ye Chen became an Immortal Monarch or Immortal King, wouldn't he be truly unmatched?
He needed to accelerate his cultivation.
But a soft hum soon pulled him from his thoughts. Ye Chen cast aside all distractions and quietly enjoyed Nangong Wan's gentle care.
...
Time passed in a flash. Soon, the day arrived.
"Fourth Ancestor Ye, let's go..."
Huo Linglong spoke as she summoned an immortal boat.
Although the previous incident had changed her opinion of Ye Chen, calling a young cultivator who was not even three hundred years old "Ancestor" still felt extremely awkward to her.
Ye Chen had trained harder during this period, but had not become a completely different person consumed by hatred. Seeing Huo Linglong, who had changed into a more modest dress that no longer revealed her thighs, he smiled.
The female disciples of Jade Pool Immortal Sect all seemed to follow this pattern—the clothes they wore inside the sect were completely different in style from those they wore outside. Ye Chen was quite satisfied with this. It was good that they only showed their best to their ancestor.
Although Huo Linglong had covered her alluring figure, her feet remained unchanged. Those flame-like toenails were particularly eye-catching.
Unlike the little demoness Su Yuxuan, who embodied both purity and seduction and made Ye Chen want to draw close to her delicate feet, Huo Linglong's mature, domineering aura and superior cultivation gave Ye Chen a different urge...
Damn it, the system seemed to have given him some strange fetishes...
Huo Linglong noticed Ye Chen staring at her feet and felt a wave of discomfort. Her delicate toes curled instinctively as she fought the urge to stomp hard on his face.
Let you look... let you look...
She held back, however, and spoke seriously as she began introducing the Sunset Divine Mountain.
"The secret realm within Sunset Divine Mountain is only open to prodigies under three hundred years old. The quota is extremely strict and cannot be faked. Only fifty people may enter at a time.
"Once inside, the prodigies must compete for the sole Great Sun Origin Core. Its importance needs no elaboration.
"The competition is always brutal. In nearly every instance, fewer than one in ten survives.
"From what I know, perhaps because the Imperial Pass is about to open, the prodigies arriving this time are even more formidable than in previous years.
"Xie Linyuan, the newly accepted personal disciple of the Other Shore Immortal Monarch from the Supreme Hall, will be coming. He is no ordinary talent—the son of the Heaven Immortal Sect's sect master and a descendant of an Immortal King. He possesses the Samsara Immortal Physique and a Sacred Spirit Root. Even during his time in the Heaven Immortal Sect, he was the number one genius of the younger generation.
"A few years ago, he entered the Supreme Hall with a personal disciple token and became the disciple of the Other Shore Immortal Monarch. He cultivated the Other Shore Samsara Scripture, merging it perfectly with his body. His combat strength must have advanced even further."
Ye Chen withdrew his gaze as he listened. The corners of his mouth curved into a cold smile.
Xie Linyuan—Ye Chen naturally knew of him. The news that the Other Shore Immortal Monarch, widely recognized as the strongest below the Immortal King realm, had taken a disciple had spread far and wide.
But only Ye Chen knew that the token had originally belonged to him. He had not expected to encounter him here. Still, this was perfect. It was time to let the other party understand that his things were not so easily taken. If Xie Linyuan could offer satisfactory and tempting compensation, Ye Chen might spare his life after teaching him a lesson. If not, he would show no mercy.
"There are also top prodigies from several major families you should watch out for," Huo Linglong continued. "The Wang Family of Great Void Continent has secured a spot this time and sent one of their brightest young talents.
"It is said that he possesses rich Immortal King bloodline and a Sacred Spirit Root. Most importantly, he was born with a Primordial Spirit Divine Palace in his mind, yet he ruthlessly refined it using the Immortal King Scripture's Soul-Quelling Decree, turning it into a Primordial Spirit Sword Embryo. Once unleashed, it can annihilate an enemy's soul entirely.
"Although the Wang Family's old Immortal King has passed away, their prodigies continue to emerge one after another. Previously, Wang Xuanji displayed an invincible bearing and suppressed prodigies from a hundred Continents. Only later did the outside world learn she possessed an Immortal Spirit Root.
"Unfortunately, it was dug out, crippling her immortal path and causing her to fall from grace. She deserved it. With the Wang Family's way of doing things, their entire clan should have been exterminated.
"Unfortunately, the Heavenly Emperor left too quickly back then for unknown reasons..."
Ye Chen raised an eyebrow as he listened. The Wang Family truly seemed universally disliked. Given Wang Xuanji's behavior, it was hardly surprising. Still, the Wang Family had hidden it well—no one outside knew that Wang Xuanji had already recovered.
Huo Linglong continued sharing what she knew. The more she spoke, however, the less confident she felt about Ye Chen.
There were simply too many terrifying existences this time, and all of them had already reached the peak of the Profound Immortal realm. While Ye Chen's talent was undoubtedly exceptional, he was an entire major realm behind in cultivation. Could he survive inside?
Because her attitude toward him had softened, Huo Linglong could not help but say, "How about the Jade Pool Immortal Sect withdraws this time? After all, people really do die in there."
Ye Chen heard her words and immediately smiled.