ISWI Chapter 166-167 (Patreon)

Chapter 166: The Two-Hundred-Fold Master!

In the early morning, Ye Chen opened his eyes. The Bodhi Seed from the system feedback had been fully assimilated. Ye Chen felt as if his entire being was somewhat different.

Spiritual root quality isn't directly related to combat power. Thus, there wasn't a feeling of being overwhelmingly powerful. However, subtle changes had already quietly taken place.

Ye Chen immediately tried to cultivate. Soon, his eyes widened in astonishment. If previously, cultivating with a third-grade spiritual root was like stirring a water tank with a small straw, struggling to draw spirit Qi from the environment, using all his might but barely drawing much, now with a Heavenly Spiritual Root, it was as if the small straw had been replaced with a large industrial pump with powerful suction.

The spirit Qi from the environment was now rushing into Ye Chen's body eagerly. The sensation made Ye Chen want to exclaim: "I feel like I'm overflowing..."

Besides the speed of absorbing spirit Qi, the rate of energy conversion had also drastically increased. Previously, the efficiency of converting spirit Qi could only be likened to a small family workshop. Now, it was comparable to a super factory, and the quality of the converted spiritual energy was exceptionally pure.

Just these changes alone made Ye Chen's cultivation speed tens of times faster than before. But the benefits of a Heavenly Spiritual Root were clearly not limited to these. There were many more capabilities yet to be discovered and comprehended.

Moreover, after assimilating the Bodhi Seed, not only did Ye Chen obtain a Heavenly Spiritual Root, but his comprehension also greatly improved. He gained a new understanding of the cultivation world here.

Ye Chen, who already possessed top-notch comprehension due to his Exquisite Heart, had his abilities enhanced even further. With a top-tier Heavenly Spiritual Root coupled with extreme comprehension,

Ye Chen could now proudly declare in the face of any prodigy: "Who isn't a genius?"

Today, Ye Chen completed his cultivation in only half the usual time. Yet, the gains were comparable to what he used to achieve in a month, and the spiritual energy was even purer. This made Ye Chen increasingly appreciate the advantages of being a genius.

Less time spent cultivating, yet reaping greater rewards. No wonder geniuses are formidable; they have more time to learn other things.

Carrying a third-grade spiritual root previously, he really had been moving forward with a burden. Reflecting on this, Ye Chen's thoughts drifted to his master. He wondered if his master had consumed the Blood Sea Golden Lotus Seed and whether she had attained an Earth spiritual root.

Ye Chen chose not to disturb her. Instead, he flew out of his courtyard to visit Elder Li at the Formation Peak, bringing several top-tier healing pills.

...

In the following days, Ye Chen finally had time to comfort his maids...

Thanks to the pills Ye Chen had left them, all the maids had now reached the peak of Qi Refining. Ye Chen also bestowed upon them top-tier Foundation Establishment pills.

However, Ye Chen's enthusiasm for dual cultivation had cooled. After all, the disparity in their cultivation levels was becoming too great. The benefits dual cultivation brought him were now minimal.

But after obtaining the Heavenly Spiritual Root, Ye Chen was surprised to find that even the effects of dual cultivation could be enhanced. This renewed his interest in it. He could now "work" until dawn.

A week later, when Ye Chen planned to visit his master and then return to the Middle Mountain residence, his master came to him instead.

Gu Yunyun, still stunning in her red dress, was as graceful and beautiful as ever. She came to Ye Chen's courtyard and spoke with a nod, "The gift was very effective. My spiritual root has now advanced to an Earth spiritual root..."

Gu Yunyun had come to tell Ye Chen. She had not wasted the Blood Sea Golden Lotus Seed.

Seeing his master's curvaceous figure, Ye Chen's face lit up with ecstatic joy. Not only because...

For the first time, Ye Chen noticed that the system's feedback multiplier for a recognized subject could change.

"Gu Yunyun: Two Hundred Times!"

Indeed, the multiplier is linked to the quality of the spiritual root. The higher the spiritual root, the higher the multiplier. Now, his master had the same multiplier as An Miaoli from the Divine Will Sect.

For Ye Chen, this was an exceptionally favorable development. In the past, Ye Chen had experimented and found that cultivation levels did not affect the multiplier. When his senior sister broke through, there was no increase in multiplier.

The maids' cultivation levels rose steadily, but their multipliers did not increase. Ye Chen had speculated whether reaching true Foundation Establishment or similar milestones might affect the multiplier.

However, when the little demoness Su Yuxuan achieved true Foundation Establishment, her multiplier remained at fifty times. This proved that cultivation milestones were not influential. Now it seemed that only changes in the spiritual root could enhance the multiplier.

This discovery led Ye Chen to a decision. Although he now possessed a Heavenly Spiritual Root and typical treasures for enhancing spiritual roots were no longer useful to him, If there was a chance to acquire similar treasures, he intended to secure them. He could give them to the little demoness to enhance her spiritual root.

The more powerful effects reflected from such an upgrade could then be used on his senior sister Yao Xi, for even greater improvement.

Aside from a few maids, his senior sister, with a ninth-grade spiritual root, actually had the poorest talent. Even with continuous gifts from him, her cultivation was increasingly unable to keep up with his.

If he could enhance his senior sister's spiritual root, not only would it increase her multiplier, but it would also prevent her cultivation from lagging too far behind his. After all, the cultivation level is also linked to lifespan.

Although the senior sister was not yet his woman, she was almost there. Among the women Ye Chen had been involved with, she provided one of the top experiences and feelings. Naturally, Ye Chen did not want to one day see Yao Xi turn into a skeletal remnant...

...

Seeing the joy on Ye Chen's face, Gu Yunyun couldn't help but smile wryly. She had just advanced to an Earth spiritual root, and yet Ye Chen seemed even happier than she was.

"This treasure was originally yours," she thought. "This disciple is truly hopeless."

"Remember not to speak of this matter outside. If the Divine Will Sect discovers any clue, it could easily lead to retribution..." Gu Yunyun spoke seriously.

Stealing a treasure coveted by direct disciples of the Divine Will Sect, and even killing two, was no small matter. The Divine Will Sect also had its people planted in various sects.

Ye Chen nodded and responded with a smile, "Of course, I won't mention it to anyone. Congratulations, Master! If you hadn't come today, I was planning to visit you. I'll be heading back to the Middle Mountain this afternoon... This is some medicinal pills I've prepared for you, Master."

Gu Yunyun accepted the pills without any pretense. Having already accepted the Blood Sea Golden Lotus Seed, it would be affectation to refuse anything else now.

Ye Chen, listening to the system's 200x feedback in his mind, smiled joyfully again. The medicinal pills, worth five top-grade spirit stones, were instantly worth ten top-grade spirit stones in his hands.

Perhaps even the Divine Will Sect couldn't earn spirit stones as efficiently as he could. Now that his master's multiplier had reached 200, his days of becoming the wealthiest in the cultivation world seemed even closer.

Gu Yunyun then spoke calmly, "You don't need to return to the Middle Mountain this time. The Golden Core demonic beast issue there hasn't been resolved yet. Neither our Green Cloud Sect nor the Misty Sect will make a move, fearing a sneak attack from the other.

"So, there's no need to go to the Boundless Demon Sect ruins for now. For the next three months, just stay at the Green Cloud Sect and focus on your cultivation. After three months, you will go to Divine Will City to attend the Divine Will Assembly!"

Hearing this, Ye Chen's eyes lit up. Staying by his master's side, not having to go back to Middle Mountain, was certainly preferable. Especially now that her multiplier was 200 times, much higher than before.

Ye Chen wished he could share a pond with his master! But what was this Divine Will Assembly? What benefits did it offer?

Now that his master was at a 200x multiplier, not inferior to An Miaoli, and moreover, always accessible unlike An Miaoli whom he couldn't readily "approach," the allure of Divine Will City was significantly diminished for Ye Chen. Thus, he was somewhat reluctant to go.

No matter how beneficial the Divine Will Assembly could be, it didn't compare to the profits of staying close to his master. There seemed no point in wasting time going there.

Chapter 167: Divine Will Assembly

Seeing Ye Chen's displeased expression, Gu Yunyun immediately shook her head, "You must go."

Ye Chen was now curious. His master was usually indifferent and rarely concerned herself with minor matters. However, whenever there was a significant benefit involved, she always remembered to remind him. For instance, she had personally taken him to the Five Elements Cave when the spirit Qi was overflowing and to the Middle Mountain secret realm for the spirit fire.

So, what benefits did the Divine Will Assembly hold to warrant such attention from his master?

Seeing that Ye Chen genuinely didn't understand, Gu Yunyun explained, "The Divine Will Assembly is a grand event held once every ten years by the Divine Will Sect. All loose cultivators within the Divine Will Sect's domain, as well as cultivators from major families and sects, can participate in a grand competition.

"There are competitions for both the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages. You're no longer in the Qi Refining stage, so we'll skip that. As for the Foundation Establishment stage, the first-place winner will be granted the status of a direct disciple of the Divine Will Sect...

"Moreover, there's also an entry spot for the Divine Will Pool. The Divine Will Pool is a special treasure site controlled by the Divine Will Sect. Every ten years, it is stimulated by the heavens and earth to produce a burst of Earth Fiend Spirit Spring.

"The Earth Fiend Spirit Spring contains a unique type of spirit energy that is miraculous because it doesn't harm the cultivator's meridians when absorbed. Only eleven spots are available each year. Ten are for inner sect disciples, and only one is given to an outsider. You should understand what this means!"

At this point, Gu Yunyun glanced at Ye Chen.

Ye Chen's eyes immediately widened. Of course, he understood what this meant. Wasn't this to say that one could continuously absorb from the Earth Fiend Spirit Spring without stopping? Being able to cultivate around the clock, wouldn't one's cultivation level surge dramatically?

Seeing Ye Chen's understanding, Gu Yunyun continued, "Because the concentration of spirit Qi inside is extremely high, cultivating there for one day is equivalent to cultivating for a month outside!"

Ye Chen was visibly excited by this revelation. Having just attained a Heavenly Spiritual Root, which already significantly accelerated his cultivation speed, the prospect of cultivating in the Earth Fiend Spirit Spring seemed like an opportunity for an exponential increase.

"Ten days to Golden Core, thirty days to Nascent Soul, a hundred days to Deity Transformation?" he thought optimistically.

Reading Ye Chen's expressions, Gu Yunyun guessed his thoughts and smiled gracefully, "It's not as miraculous as you think. There's always a give and take in the world, and the Earth Fiend Spirit Spring is not without its drawbacks.

"Firstly, the Earth Fiend Spirit Spring is not infinite. There's only enough for about ten or more Foundation Establishment cultivators to use for about ten to twenty days.

"Secondly, the Earth Fiend Spirit Spring inherently contains Earth Fiend Qi. His type of Earth Fiend Qi is extremely difficult to purge and requires various methods to refine. If only a small amount of Earth Fiend Qi enters the body, it's manageable. But if a large amount is absorbed, it can corrode the foundation of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, potentially ruining their cultivation path...

"However, you don't need to worry too much, there are various methods to counteract the Earth Fiend Qi. For instance, spiritual fire can filter out some of the Earth Fiend Qi from the spring.

"Additionally, under non-severe circumstances, items like Clear Meridian Pills can also be used. There are various other techniques as well. You have the Myriad Star Fire, which is a seventh-grade spiritual fire, and top-grade Clear Meridian Pills. As long as you don't overdo it, you should be fine."

Ye Chen appeared contemplative upon hearing this. His Myriad Star Fire was indeed powerful, and coupled with his Heavenly Spiritual Root's top-tier filtration efficiency, he might not need to worry about the Earth Fiend Qi at all. He could potentially absorb it aggressively without concern...

With his master's explanation, Ye Chen's interest in the Divine Will Assembly was indeed piqued. He was always interested in anything that could rapidly enhance his cultivation.

After all, the world of cultivators was perilous; who knew when a powerful being might fight overhead, and a drop of their blood could accidentally kill a bystander like him.

Seeing Ye Chen's renewed interest, Gu Yunyun smiled, "You managed to kill two direct disciples of the Divine Will Sect, one of whom was at the later stage of Foundation Establishment. Your combat power is definitely far beyond your peers. There's a good chance you could take first place."

Gu Yunyun had quite a bit of confidence in Ye Chen. After all, direct disciples of the Divine Will Sect were considered prodigies of the heavens, standing at the pinnacle among their peers.

Ye Chen's ability to kill such individuals was a clear testament to his extraordinary combat prowess. But Ye Chen wasn't worried about this. It wasn't boasting on his part...

Even including all the major sacred lands, Ye Chen didn't believe there was any Foundation Establishment cultivator he couldn't defeat. With his Heavy Pupils considered an invincible path, his possession of the Western Empress Scripture, the Myriad Star Body, and being at the Heaven-Dao Foundation Establishment stage...

If it weren't for the presence of stronger cultivators in the realms of Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Deity Transformation, Ye Chen might well have shouted: "Who else?"

...

"Besides, winning first place can make you a direct disciple of the Divine Will Sect! As an upper sect, the Divine Will Sect controls more opportunities and treasures. Training there would bring you greater benefits and a broader stage. If you win first place and gain the position of direct disciple, then you should stay at the Divine Will Sect!"

Hesitating slightly, Gu Yunyun finally voiced this last thought. Ye Chen was momentarily stunned... was his master actually suggesting that he join the Divine Will Sect? Encouraging her disciple to leave his current sect?

Seeing Ye Chen frown, Gu Yunyun looked towards the heavens and said, "This isn't betrayal! A thousand years ago, a genius from the Green Cloud Sect also won first place at the assembly and became a direct disciple of the Divine Will Sect. He stayed there and later advanced to become a Golden Core elder.

"When the Green Cloud Sect faced a crisis later on, thanks to this elder's influence, they quickly received support from the Divine Will Sect and survived the ordeal! The Divine Will Sect is a behemoth; having our own people inside can be beneficial. It allows us to gain more advantages.

"Therefore, our sect does not oppose talented disciples entering the Divine Will Sect; we even actively push for it. After all, everyone understands that forcefully retaining such disciples might breed resentment. It's better to part on good terms and maintain connections within the upper sect. This is a win-win situation. I've already discussed it with the sect leader. If you win first place, you should stay there."

Listening, Ye Chen came to appreciate this line of reasoning. He also couldn't help but admire the prowess of the Divine Will Sect. With just one Divine Will Assembly, they effortlessly harvested top talents from lower sects and families. Those lower sects and families couldn't even object. They even had to actively support it. A blatant strategy, indeed.

Most importantly, attracting a large number of cultivators to Divine Will City would inevitably lead to considerable consumption. This was a clear and profitable setup. No wonder they were the upper sect.

Ye Chen's response was decisive. If it were before his master attained an Earth spiritual root and a 200x multiplier, Ye Chen might have hesitated. But now, his master was readily accessible and more beneficial than An Miaoli could ever be. Even if he became a direct disciple of the Divine Will Sect, he wouldn't have such easy access to An Miaoli.

"Why bother going to the Divine Will Sect when everything I need is right here with my master?" he thought. Unless An Miaoli's multiplier rose to four or five hundred times, it wouldn't be worth considering.

Ye Chen's refusal didn't surprise Gu Yunyun.

Ye Chen, who had unhesitatingly given her such a precious treasure as the Blood Sea Golden Lotus Seed, was unlikely to leave her just for a direct disciple status at the Divine Will Sect.

However, Gu Yunyun still tried to persuade him, "Don't worry, even if you become a direct disciple of the Divine Will Sect, our relationship as master and disciple won't change. In this life, I will only have you as my disciple."

Ye Chen could sense that his master seemed really keen on him staying at the Divine Will Sect. Considering the things she had said when he gave her gifts, he realized she might have misunderstood his intentions. By heaven and earth, his gifts were purely out of filial respect. Was Ye Chen the kind of person to harbor ulterior motives against his own master? To think his master could misunderstand him so deeply was truly heartbreaking.

After a moment of thought, Ye Chen decided not to dwell on this topic with his master. Instead, he sat beside her and smiled, "Master, let me tell you a story about a friend of mine..."

Gu Yunyun was slightly taken aback but didn't refuse.

Ye Chen began slowly, "I've given this story a name—it's called 'The Condor Heroes'."