ISWI Chapter 753-754

Chapter 753: Me? Kill Ye Chen?

Seeing that Ye Chen truly held no blame toward her—and hadn't even noticed it was intentional—Yao Yuezhi finally exhaled in profound relief.

She took the initiative to wrap her arms around his neck, tilting her head up slightly, eyes brimming with earnest plea. "Brother, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to. I promise—next time I'll definitely find you an even prettier maidservant! You have to believe me! And if there's any female cultivator among the myriad races you fancy, just tell me. I have many friends there—I can help persuade her!"

Ye Chen's lips curved upward.

Believe you?

He feared that even after ascending to immortality, he'd still be waiting for the maidservant she promised! As for telling her who he fancied? He genuinely worried that any woman he named—who couldn't defeat her—might quietly vanish without a trace.

He gently patted Yao Yuezhi's head and smiled faintly. "Enough about maidservants. Having you by my side is more than enough."

Pausing, curiosity flickered in his eyes as he asked, "But what was that form you took earlier?"

Yao Yuezhi's delicate face stiffened instantly. Her heart clenched. Fearing he disliked that appearance, she explained cautiously, "That should be the Heavenly Demon Ancestral Form—a change brought by my cave heaven's sublimation. I pored through ancient records for ages before finding similar descriptions. But that's not my true self. This is. I've never deceived you, truly…"

She bit her lower lip, as though steeling herself for a great resolve, and added, "And I promise—I'll never let Brother see that form again."

Ye Chen shook his head at once. "No—that won't do. The moment we're back, you're showing me…"

Yao Yuezhi opened her mouth to protest. But Ye Chen continued, "I love you no matter how you look! The you now—I love. The Heavenly Demon Ancestral Form—I love too. And right now, it's that Form I want!"

Yao Yuezhi: "…"

Though something felt oddly off. Brother loved every version of her! The thought of his deep affection filled her with irrepressible joy.

Under countless shocked, speculative, and restless gazes, she and Ye Chen rose together, flying side by side toward the Heavenly Demon clan's encampment.

As they walked, Ye Chen sensed numerous appraising stares laced with eager intent. He grew puzzled. Before, strolling the streets, no one had dared look at him this way. Many prodigies wouldn't even meet his eyes. Now, why did it feel like so many wanted to burst his coins?

Confused, he transmitted a question to Yao Yuezhi. She quickly explained that Feng Youhuang had revealed her shattered cave heaven before dying—news that had already spread. The outside world had likely guessed. Her restored paradise and explosive combat strength came from draining Ye Chen dry.

At this, Yao Yuezhi overflowed with self-reproach. She had been too flamboyant. Instead, it exposed Ye Chen's supposed weakness, inviting trouble. After all, as the Heavenly Emperor heir, he drew endless attention. A tiger fallen to the plains would attract countless challengers.

Yet Ye Chen's eyes lit up upon hearing it. He had labored painstakingly to feign weakness before—to no avail; no one believed him. Now Yao Yuezhi had grown ferocious, and everyone assumed he'd weakened—growing restless. This was simply perfect. A heaven-sent opportunity. A major reason for coming to Central Province was to gather origin for his fiancée, thereby elevating his own Body once more. Feng Youhuang's physical origin had suffered heavy losses. He could recoup it from these people.

Thus, beneath countless watchful eyes, Ye Chen's figure trembled faintly—as though suddenly assailed by weakness. But it vanished in a blink, and he resumed his normal poise. Unobtrusively, he continued alongside Yao Yuezhi toward the Heavenly Demon clan encampment. Once back, he intended to study it thoroughly. To see just what this so-called Heavenly Demon Ancestral Form entailed, and exactly how her body changed after transforming.

…

As the two finally departed, the scene erupted in a heated discussion. Everyone debated the battle they had just witnessed, marveling at Yao Yuezhi's ferocity. They casually speculated that the Heavenly Emperor heir's women were all this strong. Just how monstrous must the Heavenly Emperor heir himself be? Could he already contend with the Saints?

Yet the seasoned patriarchs of great clans—who had guessed the reason for Yao Yuezhi's recovery—did not share this view. The Heavenly Emperor heir had only appeared at the very end. His aura was steady, showing no abnormality—even breaking through to mid-third heaven. As though proclaiming to the world that he remained unharmed.

But unbeknownst to them, this was precisely the mark of guilt. Had he simply not shown up, doubt might have lingered. Yet letting his woman fight in his stead. Waiting until the battle neared its end before making a face-saving appearance—only highlighted the contradiction.

Thus, the Heavenly Emperor heir's cave heaven origin had likely been drained nearly dry. His strength had far diminished from its peak. This was a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. Whether the Heavenly Emperor Sword or other treasures in the myriad races' vault. All stirred restless greed.

Moreover, the Heavenly Emperor heir had once been overwhelmingly dominant. Even with his origin drained, who knew if he might recover in the future? One need only recall the Heavenly Emperor of old—beaten to near-death, great powers declaring his path severed.

Yet through astonishing fortune, he shattered and reformed, returning as king. So, strike while he was weak—take his life!

In this generation's opening of the Immortal Path, best if a myriad races' prodigy claimed immortality. Thus delivering a crushing blow to the human race, paving the way early for the impending Age of Dharma's End!

After all, in that era, resources would grow scarcer. War inevitable. Suppressing the human race in advance offered boundless future benefits.

…

Within the Divine Silkworm clan's encampment, the clan leader stood before the hall, eyes gleaming with excitement and anticipation. Before him stood a tall, upright young man radiating gentle light.

"Shen Yu, you've reached mid-fourth heaven. Once the Heavenly Emperor heir departs, strike him down! I'll soon grant you the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod. Familiarize yourself with it in the meantime. The Rod excels in slaughter. When Ye Chen falls, it can pierce his cave heaven instantly and harvest his treasures!"

Shen Yu was the Divine Silkworm clan's prodigy of this generation, overpowering many veteran peak Half-Saints. The foremost below Saint in the clan. His combat strength was formidable, having mastered the Seven Transformations of the Divine Silkworm Nine Transformations.

Hearing the clan leader's words, Shen Yu's eyes widened in shock. He pointed at himself in disbelief. "Huh? Me? Fight the Heavenly Emperor heir? Clan Leader, have I done something lately to displease you? I can apologize—or even kowtow if needed. No need to send me to my death! I'm truly loyal to the clan! Though I lack the makings of immortality, I might yet reach Saint King—or even Great Saint—in the future. Dying now as a mere Half-Saint would be a tremendous loss for the clan!"

Chapter 754: The Auction!

"Clan Leader, I really can't! That Heavenly Emperor heir—if he glares at me with Heavy Pupils, I'm afraid I won't hold up! Let me live. In the future, I can guard the clan and safely weather the Age of Dharma's End, wouldn't that be better? After all, Clan Leader, you're getting on in years—with only two or three centuries left. The clan's future still depends on me! If someone absolutely must act, why not you, Clan Leader? That way, even if something goes wrong, the clan's loss won't be too great!"

The Divine Silkworm Clan Leader's mouth twitched violently at those words. His face instantly darkened with fury as he rebuked, "How could a Saint like me strike Ye Chen? That would break the rules, and in the end, it's our myriad races that would suffer!"

The current situation in the cultivation world was delicate. Because of the Immortal Path, humans and myriad races maintained a fragile peace. But contradictions were mounting. If an elder of the myriad races—two full realms higher—attacked a human prodigy and shattered the rules. The human race would seize the chance to ruthlessly slaughter myriad races' prodigies.

Though the myriad races weren't weak, humans currently held dominion. Without rules, the myriad races would suffer far greater losses. Thus, the myriad races benefited most from upholding the rules. They would endure as long as possible rather than break them.

Therefore, even with Ye Chen in the Myriad Races Immortal City, no Saint would lay a hand on him. It was precisely for this reason. The ancestor frowned at Shen Yu, deeply dissatisfied. A Half-Saint fearing a mere King realm cultivator to this extent—truly rare!

But he understood. Ye Chen's heaven-defying combat strength had cast too deep a shadow over this generation's myriad races prodigies. Suppressing his anger, the Divine Silkworm Clan Leader patiently explained the reasons and his deductions based on intelligence from all sides.

Yet even after hearing it all, Shen Yu remained flustered, waving his hands. "Setting aside that Clan Leader's guesses might not be accurate! Even if the Heavenly Emperor heir's strength has truly fallen, I alone might not suffice—and there's still Yao Yuezhi! Feng Youhuang couldn't beat Yao Yuezhi. Am I supposed to headbutt her? Yao Yuezhi even revealed her second form—I'm afraid one punch would kill me."

The Clan Leader's face grew increasingly grim, dark enough to drip water. Such a cowardly prodigy—his clan had the only one. Yet at this point, below the Saint realm, the only one truly usable in the Divine Silkworm Clan was the man before him. He could only swallow his rage and explain patiently once more. "Rest assured—you won't act alone. Many races have noticed something off about the Heavenly Emperor heir. When the time comes, prodigies from numerous clans will strike together. You can hold back at first, paddling on the sidelines. Only deliver the killing blow when an opening appears—and claim the spoils."

They were all clever people. Far too many had seen through the Heavenly Emperor heir's anomaly. After Feng Youhuang's fall, numerous old foxes had transmitted to him, probing obliquely about the Qiankun Cauldron—asking if it had truly been sold to the Heavenly Emperor heir.

Clearly, they had all pinpointed the key. And slaying the Heavenly Emperor heir promised immense profit. For now, at the third heaven, he possessed his own cave heaven and many treasures carried on his person. Though immortal artifacts were hard to bear, one needed a Quasi-Immortal realm even to shift them.

But the Enlightenment Tea Tree? The outside world had long guessed it lay in Ye Chen's hands. After all, those around him practically bathed in tea daily. And the long-lost Dao Charm Pills had reemerged through the Heavenly Emperor's heir.

If Ye Chen had transplanted that Enlightenment Tea Tree into his cave heaven to deepen its foundation and vastly accelerate cultivation. Wouldn't they have a chance to claim it for themselves? Not to mention Ye Chen's astonishing generosity. Touch a tail—and receive Dragon Blood Spiritual Wood. Such conduct was staggering. Harvesting him would yield colossal gains. Likely surpassing the spoils from annihilating an ancient lineage with deep foundations.

Shen Yu nodded in agreement, feeling the Clan Leader's words made sense. Yet he still refused to go. "Even if I want the Heavenly Emperor heir dead, with so many others stepping up, one more or one less won't matter. Let's just skip it. Besides, if we lose, do you think he'll spare me just because I held back? Impossible! So better not. Why don't we stay far away, wait for them to snatch the spoils, then rob them instead?"

Shen Yu knew his own talent clearly: immortality wasn't a distant dream—it was outright impossible. Even reaching Saint King would depend on sheer luck. In that case, why chase spectacle? Better to cultivate quietly, extend his lifespan, and live in peace.

When the Age of Dharma's End arrived, he could become a carefree ancestor—wouldn't that be wonderful? Why risk death against the Heavenly Emperor heir?

Back when the Heavenly Emperor dominated the cultivation world, he loved playing weak to eat the strong—masterful beyond compare. Countless myriad races prodigies had fallen for it, rushing to their own doom. Who knew if this Heavenly Emperor heir followed the same playbook?

The Divine Silkworm Clan Leader's face turned black. He refused even that? His clan's prodigy was far too cautious! But soon he had another idea. He spoke earnestly. "There's an auction in the Immortal City in one month—featuring rare top-tier items from the Immortal Path. With the Age of Dharma's End approaching, many clans are selling off their most precious yet seldom-used treasures to amass vast resources against future crises. That true immortal ancestor who lost the Nine Transformations Heavenly Furnace—when he reached fourth heaven, he completed the eighth transformation and shed his old husk. After ascending, he refined the remnant into a treasure. Break off a portion and place it in a cave heaven to nourish it, restore some origin, and slightly boost time acceleration.

"Of course, the effect is limited—restoring only a small amount of origin and increasing time flow by roughly one percent. Now only one last small piece remains, ready for auction. If the Heavenly Emperor heir truly had his cave heaven origin drained, this item would still hold some use for him—enough to draw his interest. Then, when he tries to bid, we keep raising the price—straight to ten times its true value. If he still grits his teeth and pays that exorbitant cost! It proves his cave heaven truly was sucked dry. You won't be afraid then, right?"

Shen Yu's eyes lit up. This was a brilliant idea. An item somewhat useful, yet ultimately limited—classic case of high price for middling utility. Only a fool would overpay tenfold. The Heavenly Emperor's heir wasn't stupid. So if he still insisted on winning it, it would confirm his cave heaven was damaged—drained by that Yao Yuezhi.

Facing a weakened Heavenly Emperor heir in a coordinated ambush... Shen Yu felt a genuine spark of confidence.