ISWI Chapter 1383-1384 (Patreon)

Chapter 1383: To Whom Should the Bones Be Given?

When Shen Qinghuan heard He Yu's words, Ye Chen's figure floated into her mind.

Truthfully, she did not want Ye Chen to die. What she wanted even more was for Ye Chen to become her devoted admirer, to fawn over her the same way he fawned over Shen Qingge.

No, she wanted him to do so even more intensely, more thoroughly, leaving not the slightest gap uncovered.

He Yu was the most gifted prodigy of the He family's current generation. He possessed an immortal spiritual root and the Chaotic Divine Wings. Even if his talent was not far from Ye Chen's, the background and realm behind him far surpassed Ye Chen's. He was certain to be stronger than Ye Chen. Therefore, she could not allow He Yu to kill Ye Chen.

On the contrary, the one she hated most was still Shen Qingge. She had disliked Shen Qingge for a long time and, deep down, had always feared her, as though afraid Shen Qingge would snatch everything away.

In recent times, Shen Qingge, relying on Ye Chen, had grown arrogant after a little success and finally bared her fangs at her. Just as expected, she was no good thing.

Under these circumstances, what Shen Qinghuan wanted most was to cripple Shen Qingge completely, so that this lowly bastard could only look up to her for the rest of her life.

"Ye Chen is not important. Suppressing him is enough. He still has his uses for me. It is my elder sister who truly chills my heart.

"Yet she is still my blood relative. I cannot watch her die. If she merely lost all her cultivation, I doubt even my father would say much about it."

Shen Qinghuan did not spell it out, yet her meaning was perfectly clear.

He Yu's lips curved upward at her words. He did not answer directly and only nodded. "Then Fairy Qinghuan should focus on cultivation for now. Once this auction ends, I should also be ready. The two of us may well break through to the Origin Immortal realm at the same time."

"At that point, we will both be qualified to compete for the quotas to the arena of the two realms. If in the future we can enter the First Realm together, both of our families will surely rejoice."

The First Realm had prepared astonishing rewards for the victors of the two-realm prodigy arena, including the chance to cultivate within the First Realm itself. Such an opportunity was something even prodigies from great clans like the He family would never willingly miss.

Hearing that He Yu had not refused, Shen Qinghuan understood he had tacitly agreed and allowed a faint smile to appear. Yet when He Yu spoke of entering the First Realm together, her heart remained completely unmoved.

The First Realm stood high above all others, and the quotas to enter it were extremely rare. If she ever had the chance to go, she would still be a stranger in a strange land. In that situation, only if Ye Chen accompanied her and devoted himself entirely to her care would she truly feel at ease.

Regarding the auction He Yu had mentioned, however, Shen Qinghuan did smile. Her flesh and blood had been stuck just short of the King rank for a long time without any chance of a complete breakthrough. Yet at the auction held by the War God Academy half a year later, a Cycle Blood Renewal Pill would appear.

It was a divine pill refined by a mighty figure of the First Realm at great cost, using all manner of inconceivable Daos and methods together with divine materials gathered from countless conquered worlds.

It was a divine pill unique to the First Realm.

Upon consumption, an extremely rare Life Divine Thunder would arise within one's flesh and blood, continuously cleansing and nourishing the body while increasing a cultivator's chances of breaking through to King-rank flesh.

Such pills appeared only rarely, one at a time. Her father had originally said that more than a decade from now he would travel to the First Realm and exchange meritorious service for one on her behalf.

She had never expected one to appear at the auction only half a year later. An opportunity like this could not be missed.

On this return, her parents had prepared a full ten million top-grade immortal crystals for her, more than enough to secure it and help her flesh and blood successfully break through to the King rank.

The two of them exchanged a few more polite words before He Yu took his leave.

He Yu flew through the sky, his gentle eyes turning sharp while a cold smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Not kill Ye Chen? How could he possibly not kill him?

His own He family had suffered considerable censure after their previous failed campaign against the Immortal Realm. They had even drawn the displeasure of the First Realm.

In the several great tribulations that followed, they had become a key target for special attention.

Without Immortal King He Wushuang, the entire clan might well have been wiped out. Even so, they had paid a heavy price before suppressing the matter.

As a result, the He family was far less domineering internally than the outside world believed. They simply could not support so many prodigies in their future bids for Immortal King. His own parents were only mid-tier members of the He family with no high status.

It would be difficult for him to claim critical resources in the future. Shen Qinghuan was different. She was the only daughter of Immortal Monarch Shen Wanshan and the niece of Shi Jian of the Shi family.

She was deeply favored in both clans. If he could become her Dao companion, he would gain vast conveniences. More than that, it would elevate his own background and give him a greater advantage in the internal struggles of the Shen family.

Therefore, Shen Qinghuan was extremely important to him. Yet the more important she was, the less he could afford to let her have her way or truly listen to her.

Take Ye Chen, for example. Although Shen Qinghuan spoke of him with nothing but disdain, He Yu already understood the full story. The man who should have been his fiancée's intended had been picked up by someone else. That affected one's state of mind far too much.

Once a woman's emotions were influenced by a man, she might fall for him. The current Shen Qinghuan already showed signs of that. Under these circumstances, he naturally had to crush Ye Chen completely so that no future trouble remained.

As for how to deal with Shen Qingge?

Although Shen Qinghuan's mother, and just now Shen Qinghuan herself, had both hinted that he should make a move against Shen Qingge, only a madman would actually do so. If he truly did, would Shen Wanshan not be enraged?

Once Shen Wanshan was angry, even if he did not eliminate He Yu, he would never allow him to become a son-in-law. Offending a being who was certain to become an Immortal King in the future for no reason? Was he insane?

Therefore, he would definitely not act against her.

In short, He Yu had considered everything clearly. Ye Chen had to die, but he would not touch Shen Qingge himself. Of course, even killing Ye Chen required preparation.

Ye Chen had been able to suppress every genius of the War God Academy across both the Golden Immortal and Great Luo realms. That alone showed how extraordinary he was. Acting alone would still be unreliable.

Next, he would seek out his elder brother He Guangkuan, who ranked among the top ten in the Ancestral Immortal sequence. Together with him, suppressing Ye Chen would be almost certain. He could also inquire further about intelligence on Ye Chen.

Meanwhile, atop Shi Hu's divine peak, Shi Hu received two clan brothers and showed a look of surprise.

They were Shi Yi and Shi Er.

Shi Yi was the third-ranked existence in the current Ancestral Immortal sequence of the War God Academy. Shi Er was the clan head's own grandson. His talent was outstanding, and he had been cultivated within the Shi family, already at the peak of the Ancestral Immortal realm.

Why had the two of them come together?

"Greetings, elder brothers!"

Shi Hu immediately saluted and invited them inside, curious about their purpose.

The moment they spoke, Shi Hu raised an eyebrow. They were asking for information about Ye Chen. Because he had come into contact with Ye Chen several times, they had come to question him.

Shi Hu understood at once. These two were also targeting Ye Chen. Remembering the terror he had sensed from Ye Chen that day, Shi Hu felt that even if Ye Chen lacked the Ancestral Spirit Blessed Land and his cultivation advanced more slowly, remaining only at the early Ancestral Immortal stage, these two elder brothers of his still could not afford to provoke him. Going after him would most likely mean death.

Yet Shi Hu offered no persuasion. Instead, he spoke with a smiling face. "Ye Chen is indeed very strong. I am no match for him. But the battle he fought against Shen Qingge on the arena stage was nowhere near as terrifying as the outside rumors claim, and certainly not at the level of a peak Ancestral Immortal.

"Still, his combat strength cannot be denied. I am certain that if he has now broken through to the early Ancestral Immortal stage, he should be able to fight most peak Ancestral Immortal opponents without showing any sign of defeat."

At those words, both Shi Yi and Shi Er raised their eyebrows. It was certainly impressive.

Yet to the two of them it truly did not amount to much. They themselves could achieve what Shi Hu had described.

Moreover, both of them were already at the peak of the Ancestral Immortal realm. Suppressing a Ye Chen whose cultivation was inferior to theirs would be effortless.

They cast a disdainful glance at Shi Hu and spoke coldly. "You fled without fighting twice. The clan is very dissatisfied with you. When you next return to the clan, go receive your punishment yourself. If you still show no progress, the clan may even cancel the resource support given to you."

Shi Hu put on a worried expression and hurriedly nodded. Only after seeing the two of them off did the corners of his mouth curve upward.

The clan had many geniuses, so resources were naturally tight. But once the two of them died, resources would no longer be tight. The share that fell into his hands might even increase.

In any case, Shi Hu would offer no warning. If the two prodigies pressing down on his head died, would that not give him a better chance to rise in the future?

Shi Yi and Shi Er, for their part, also looked more relaxed. Their true target was actually Shen Qingge. The clan head had personally instructed the two of them to find an opportunity inside a secret realm and eliminate Shen Qingge without anyone knowing.

Ye Chen could be crushed along the way as well. They were still cautious. Yet after confirming several times, they discovered there was truly no need for excessive concern. They could suppress them with a single lift of the hand.

The only difficulty lay in getting both targets into a secret realm together. With the information provided by the clan head, however, they had already prepared a plan.

They needed only wait half a year until the Ancient Relic Species Secret Realm opened after the auction, then draw both of them in. After that, they could wipe them out with ease.

Until then, the two of them released no rumors at all. They cultivated quietly and waited patiently. After all, Ye Chen had an Immortal King as his master. If word leaked out, far too many complications would arise.

And so, although killing intent ran thick in the shadows, the surface remained calm and peaceful. Everyone simply waited for the auction that would open half a year later.

In this manner, half a year flashed by in an instant.

Inside the Kunlun Blessed Land, Ye Chen slowly rose to his feet. His aura was perfectly rounded, and his Ancestral Immortal energy complete and harmonious. He had already reached the peak of the Ancestral Immortal realm.

Thinking of the two and a half years of hard work and effort, Ye Chen could not help stretching. With his cultivation now complete, the next step was to elevate his flesh and blood. He would gather enough treasures to give to Shen Qingge, raise his own flesh and blood to the peak, and once divine abilities formed, pass them on to the little witch as well. It was a complete one-stop service. He believed it would not take long to finish the entire chain.

Ye Chen's only worry was whether the little demoness would need the bone essence at that time. If she had no use for it, and his skin and flesh far surpassed his bones, would the bones become a shortcoming and lead to unbalanced development in the future?

Chapter 1384: Loving the Auction Most!

Ye Chen slowly walked out of the great hall. He planned to visit Shen Qingge for a while.

In another month, the secret-realm package prepared for him by Immortal King Tuoba would begin. He would first enter the Ancient Relic Species Secret Realm to collect the flesh-and-blood essence within it.

That was the most precious and highest-value secret realm of all. A single harvest from the Ancient Relic Species Secret Realm was usually enough to push a cultivator's flesh and blood just short of the King rank. The feedback he received would certainly be even more precious. He might not even need to finish every secret realm Immortal King Tuoba had arranged for him before pushing his flesh and blood to the peak.

In short, everything was heading in a good direction.

Ye Chen also felt increasing admiration for the grade of the Immortal Realm. The Five-Transformation Nirvana Lotus truly counted for nothing before the yields of these secret realms. Compared with the War God Academy, the Immortal Realm's Dao Academy could only be called a joke.

When Ye Chen flew to the mountainside, he saw Shen Qingge standing in a daze before the pool in front of her cave dwelling. In her starry eyes there was expectation, doubt, and a good deal of resolve. Overall, she looked as though her mood was quite complicated.

Ye Chen drifted down and startled her.

The moment Shen Qingge saw him, she quickly schooled her expression, yet when she sensed his cultivation, she still could not help widening her eyes.

The last time she had seen him, she already knew he had obtained some other opportunity; otherwise, he could not have broken through so quickly. Even so, she had never expected him to advance this fast. Only two and a half years had passed in total, and Ye Chen had already reached the peak of the Ancestral Immortal realm?

Given his terrifying foundation, this speed of cultivation was truly frightening. The opportunities he had obtained must have been excellent as well.

Shen Qingge finally set her mind completely at ease.

"What is Fairy Qingge thinking about?"

Unlike other men who found female cultivators troublesome, he felt not the slightest distaste. On the contrary, he only wanted to help them with all his strength.

Shen Qingge smiled at his words. "Fellow Daoist Ye may simply call me Qingge by name."

Ye Chen nodded and agreed.

Clearly, the previous approach of first fighting and then giving gifts had suddenly elevated his standing in Shen Qingge's heart. Yet if she wished to become his Dao companion, he would still have to refuse.

The reason was simple: Shen Qingge had not yet reached a millionfold increase. Taking her as a Dao companion at this stage would be far too wasteful. He would wait until she had fully recovered and surpassed the millionfold mark.

"Ye Chen, there has been a rumor circulating inside the War God Academy lately. Some great power has calculated that Nine-Aperture Marrow-Birth Crystals may appear inside the Ancient Relic Species Secret Realm.

"The Nine-Aperture Marrow-Birth Crystal is a top-grade divine object for nourishing the bones. Each single crystal is equivalent to a mobile Saint-grade source spring. Only in places where vast numbers of top-tier powerhouses have fallen is there a one-in-a-billion chance of one being born.

"The Ancient Relic Species Secret Realm itself was refined by a great power of the War God Academy from a land where countless divine beasts perished during the conquest of another world. It is indeed possible for such a divine object to appear."

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow at the news.

This was excellent. The flesh-and-blood essence born inside the Ancient Relic Species Secret Realm could already serve as one gift.

Now an additional top-grade item effective on the bones had appeared. Did that not mean a single secret realm could provide two gifts?

This was pure great fortune.

"This is good news. Why does Fairy Qingge look worried?"

Ye Chen gazed at her in puzzlement. Was she afraid she would be unable to obtain it?

Shen Qingge looked at Ye Chen with a complicated expression upon hearing his words. The rumor was far too coincidental. She had only just begun to improve inside the War God Academy, and everything was developing in a positive direction. Then news of the imminent appearance of the Nine-Aperture Marrow-Birth Crystal suddenly spread.

What she needed most urgently was precisely such a supreme treasure. After all, for her bones to recover, she still required origin energy related to the bones themselves. If the news was true, that would naturally be best. With her and Ye Chen's strength, even though they had only just broken through to the peak of the Ancestral Immortal realm, they need fear no one.

But what if it was false? Only her stepmother and Shi Jian, the clan head of the Shi family, knew that her Longevity Bone had been dug out. If the rumor was false, then those two were unwilling to see her escape their control and intended to suppress her, or else they had begun to suspect her.

That possibility made Shen Qingge's heart sink slightly. There were certain things she was unwilling to explain in detail to Ye Chen. It was not that she distrusted him, but that she feared he would worry too much.

Therefore, she only explained softly, "I am merely a little worried that someone might be targeting me. It is only a guess. So I hope that after the auction ends, you will accompany me into the Ancient Relic Species Secret Realm. If we encounter danger, I may need your help."

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow at her words.

Someone deliberately targeting her?

He sensed that Shen Qingge was hiding secrets. Yet he truly did not mind. On the contrary, he grew even more expectant. If he could obtain treasures while also gathering a batch of origin energy along the way, that would be double happiness.

Therefore, Ye Chen smiled with particular gentleness. "A small matter. I will stay by your side. Anyone who targets you will pay the price."

Warmth filled Shen Qingge's heart at his words.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Ye."

The corners of Ye Chen's mouth curved upward. He was about to say more when he suddenly reacted. "What auction?"

The moment he heard the word "auction," his very DNA seemed to activate.

The main reason was that every time he attended an auction, it felt exactly like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Other people attending auctions might not have enough resources. Even if they did, they still had to consider cost-effectiveness and all sorts of complicated factors, and might not be willing to bid high.

He was different. No matter how high the bidding price climbed, he never needed to blink. He knew that after giving the items away, he would earn even more.

In short, the more he bought at auction, the more he gained.

Yet ever since becoming an immortal, he had never again had the chance to attend one. He had not expected to hear of one today.

Moreover, it was an internal auction of the War God Academy. There would certainly be many fine items. He had to take everything away.

Seeing Ye Chen's puzzled look, Shen Qingge was briefly stunned before she understood.

Ye Chen had spent these two years in closed-door cultivation, so it was normal that he had paid no attention.

She therefore explained softly, "This is an internal auction of the War God Academy. It can be regarded as an investment by the higher-ups to nurture prodigies. Unique treasures of the First Realm often appear inside, bringing enormous benefits to the prodigies.

"Therefore, it is always especially lively. The date is not fixed, however. Sometimes it is held once every few decades, sometimes not even once in a century. It can only be said to depend on fate."

After Shen Qingge's explanation, Ye Chen's eyes shone even brighter. According to custom, these fate-dependent auctions always contained the most treasures.

"Are there any good items at the auction?"

Ye Chen asked directly.

Shen Qingge had not expected him to show such great interest in the auction.

After raising her eyebrows slightly, she thought for a moment and said, "I have not paid much attention either. But I do know that a Cycle Blood Renewal Pill will be up for bidding this year."

Having left the Shen family, Shen Qingge's purse was not particularly full. The top batch of prodigies inside the War God Academy all had great clans or supreme sects supporting them from behind, their financial resources far surpassing ordinary cultivators.

Therefore, Shen Qingge had never even considered participating. She knew of the Cycle Blood Renewal Pill only because the pill was truly precious and its effects were of the highest grade. It was the supreme treasure most suitable for Ancestral Immortals to elevate their flesh and blood.

Yet Shen Qingge was also open-minded. Since she lacked the financial strength to obtain it, there was naturally no need to waste energy paying attention.

Ye Chen asked a couple of questions about the effects of the Cycle Blood Renewal Pill, and his eyes grew even brighter. For Ye Chen, seizing treasures inside a secret realm was certainly simple. Especially a secret realm filled with disciples of the same realm; it would be a complete sweep.

Yet the simplest method of all was still to buy them directly. Others had to painstakingly accumulate immortal crystals and treasures, splitting every single crystal in half before spending it. He, on the other hand, truly earned more the more he spent.

Moreover, as the multipliers of the female cultivators around him grew higher, he earned even more. Therefore, the Cycle Blood Renewal Pill had to be obtained.

Not only the Cycle Blood Renewal Pill, but every other useful treasure as well. Even if he had no use for them himself, giving them as gifts to the female cultivators around him so they could improve was perfectly fine.

For example, the little demoness and Manjusaka: one was still only a Profound Immortal, while the other had merely reached the early Golden Immortal stage.

The Cycle Blood Renewal Pill, of course, would be given to Shen Qingge standing before him. He believed the feedback would never disappoint him.

"We will go to the Ancient Species Secret Realm, but I also want to join the fun at this auction!"

Ye Chen spoke with clear interest.

Shen Qingge raised her eyebrows slightly at his words.

She was poor. Ye Chen's situation was most likely not much better than hers. They had known each other for several years, yet he had never mentioned any family from the Nineteenth Realm.

That meant he truly could not present one, or even that he had no clan support at all. Even the strongest families of the Nineteenth Realm could not be called wealthy. Their natural resources had largely been seized during the initial invasions or during the later integration.

The Extreme Tiger, jointly created by the various powers of the Nineteenth Realm, might appear popular, yet in reality it was a thin-profit, high-volume business with pitifully low returns. It simply could not compare with the great clans of other worlds.

Shen Qingge merely assumed Ye Chen had never witnessed an auction of this top tier and wished to broaden his horizons. Therefore, she cooperatively nodded. "In fact, many people attend the auction simply to see what fine items from the First Realm have circulated out. They never actually participate in the bidding. I will accompany you then. It is only a week away."

Ye Chen nodded lightly upon hearing this. Yet something suddenly occurred to him, and he asked, "Can the auction only be conducted with immortal crystals, or is bartering allowed?"

Shen Qingge did not overthink it and explained softly, "Immortal crystals are not mandatory. Items may be used to settle the account, yet immortal crystals remain the basic unit. Items used for settlement must be appraised for their immortal-crystal value, and only ninety percent of that value will be given."

Listening to Shen Qingge's explanation, Ye Chen nodded in satisfaction. In truth, he had few immortal crystals on hand. Over these years since arriving in the Immortal Realm, he had either stayed at the Jade Pool Immortal Trace or inside the War God Academy. He simply had no use for them. Being able to settle directly with items was naturally the most convenient.

As for the ten-percent discount? A trivial matter.

Inside Ye Chen's internal universe, all sorts of unused feedback items had already piled up into dozens of divine mountains. Immortal artifacts floated in the sky like countless stars, too many to count. Forget ninety percent; even eighty percent would not bother him in the slightest.