ISWI Chapter 185-186 (Patreon)

Chapter 185: Glazed Purification Water

"Gift successfully given!"

"The gift is the Divine Will Pool spot."

"Returning rewards..."

"200x feedback in progress..."

"Detected that the gift given by the host is extremely important to the recipient, far exceeding their expectations, and causing a significant shift in their state of mind, triggering a critical hit reward!"

"Reward: Ten bottles of Glazed Purification Water."

"Glazed Purification Water: A sacred water from the Buddhist sect. Drinking it can purify the body and mind, enhance cultivation, and strengthen spirit sense. Consuming it at the peak of Foundation Establishment can purify everything, bringing one to their optimal state, increasing the success rate of foundation establishment, and enhancing the grade of the Golden Core upon formation..."

Reading the description, Ye Chen's eyes brightened.

Not only was An Miaoli a person of refinement, but she also insisted on giving a return gift. And she had triggered a critical hit reward twice. She was definitely a great woman! And this Glazed Purification Water was undoubtedly worth many times more than the Divine Will Pool spot. There were no downsides to it; it could directly enhance Foundation Establishment cultivation. But it didn't just enhance cultivation; it could also increase spirit sense strength.

However, these weren't even the most important aspects. After all, cultivation could be improved over time, and spirit sense could be gradually enhanced. But increasing the chances of forming the Golden Core and raising its grade was something that could only be obtained by rare opportunity.

This Glazed Purification Water was truly one of the top-tier auxiliary elixirs for Foundation Establishment cultivators. Its value was immeasurable, but what made it most valuable was its rarity. Not to mention the Divine Will Sect's direct disciples, even direct disciples from the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land would struggle to acquire a single bottle of Glazed Purification Water. And even disciples from the Buddhist sect had only a few people who were qualified to receive it.

Yet, Ye Chen had received ten bottles all at once. Not only could he use them himself, but his Master could also use them to enhance their chances of forming the Golden Core and raise its grade. It was truly perfect.

Ye Chen's face was filled with a smile. His trip to Divine Will City had definitely been worthwhile. The direct disciple spot had traded for a position as the Holy Son of the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land. And the Divine Will Pool spot had traded for ten bottles of Glazed Purification Water. The rewards were unbelievably great.

Now that Ye Chen had the Glazed Purification Water in hand, he couldn't wait any longer. He immediately used an array to call for a servant and booked the small courtyard for another month, instructing that he not be disturbed. Once everything was arranged, he activated the courtyard's protective array and made sure all was secure.

After all preparations were complete, Ye Chen sat cross-legged in the quiet room. From his storage ring, he took out a bottle of Glazed Purification Water. The jade bottle was crystal-clear, with a delicate blue lotus drawn on its surface. He gently opened the cap, and a unique fragrance instantly filled the entire quiet room.

Just inhaling the scent, Ye Chen felt his spirit surge with vitality. Looking at the liquid inside the bottle, it appeared as pure as mountain spring water.

Yet, through his spirit sense, Ye Chen could clearly perceive a unique power within the liquid. Without further hesitation, he drank it in one gulp. In an instant, an incredibly gentle flow of spirit Qi surged through Ye Chen's body, quickly converting into spiritual power at an astonishing rate.

At the same time, a peculiar force entered Ye Chen's sea of consciousness. A faint, holy glow emanated from his body, giving him an otherworldly, sanctified aura.

Ye Chen immediately began to circulate his cultivation technique, the "Western Empress Scripture," and began his focused meditation and practice.

…

Ye Chen entered seclusion from that moment on. The second day, Caidie and Yun Qianyue came together, wanting to serve their senior.

The seventh day, An Miaoli arrived, bringing An Yuyi, who was about to enter the Divine Will Pool, to thank Ye Chen.

The tenth day, Li Feihuang, who had already become a direct disciple, planned to visit and pay her respects to the future Golden Dragon King, hoping to foster a relationship.

However, none of them were able to meet Ye Chen. And after the fifteenth day, Ye Chen, still sitting cross-legged in the quiet room, opened his eyes slowly with a faint smile on his face. As he sensed his current condition, he was extremely satisfied.

In just fifteen days, Ye Chen had gone from the middle stage of Foundation Establishment to the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage. Both his magical power and spirit sense had reached their fullest potential. He was just one step away from reaching the Golden Core stage.

In merely half a month, Ye Chen had achieved what would take most cultivators decades of hard work. The potency of the Glazed Purification Water was evident. And Ye Chen still had nine bottles of it remaining.

"I'll keep one for when I break through to Golden Core. I'll give one to my Master. One for Senior Sister. The little demoness, though her multiplier is lower at fifty times, she's still a demonic cultivator and has special needs, so I'll give her one to boost her power, so she doesn't fall too far behind and miss out. As for the maidservants, each of them can have one... But even then, there are still a few bottles left. I'll keep them for now. They may come in handy later."

Ye Chen pondered the distribution of the Glazed Purification Water. If the outside world were to know, they would undoubtedly scold him for wasting such a valuable treasure, calling him a prodigal son. Others measured Glazed Purification Water drop by drop.

Ye Chen already had an absurd number of bottles, and yet he planned to give them away casually. Even his maidservants would receive a share. If this news were to spread, it was likely that even the direct disciples of the holy lands, female disciples no less, would come crying, eager to become Ye Chen's maidservants.

However, Ye Chen's grand plans were not made to flaunt wealth. The primary reason was that he had the gift feedback system in hand. No matter how rare or even extinct the treasures of heaven and earth were, they might just trigger a critical strike. In such a case, a mere bottle of Glazed Purification Water was hardly something Ye Chen would regard as precious.

...

After closing the formation, his attendant immediately arrived to inform him that someone had come to visit during his seclusion.

Upon learning the identity of the visitor, Ye Chen merely nodded. He had no intention of meeting them. Though Li Feihuang and An Miaoli had high rates, he currently had no suitable gifts for them.

As for An Yuyi?

Ye Chen completely ignored her. It had nothing to do with her high-born temper, nor the threats she had made last time. It wasn't even about her remark, "Don't you think you were wrong?"

The main issue was that An Yuyi's rate was only one hundred, and there had been no critical strikes. No critical strike was the greatest flaw.

Now that he had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, Ye Chen planned to visit the Heavenly Evolution Pavilion to see if there were any spiritual objects that could aid cultivators in breaking through to the Core Formation stage, or perhaps top-tier techniques for Core Formation cultivators. It was all part of his preparations.

However, when Ye Chen arrived at the Heavenly Evolution Pavilion and inquired, his face fell with disappointment. Spiritual objects were exceedingly rare. Very few were available for sale. It was all a matter of luck. And high-tier Core Formation techniques were similarly precious and scarce. At least for this period, Heavenly Evolution Pavilion's auction did not have any related items. This undoubtedly left Ye Chen feeling disappointed.

Oh well, he thought, I'll just head back to the Green Cloud Sect. I don't want Master to truly think that I've decided not to return.

Before leaving, Ye Chen asked the attendant if there was an elder with the surname Shangguan in Heavenly Evolution Holy Land. The main reason was that the Holy Son token he had received from Heavenly Evolution Holy Land bore the two words "Shangguan."

Upon hearing this, the attendant appeared thoughtful. "I'm not sure about an elder named Shangguan, but our Heavenly Evolution Holy Land does have a Supreme Elder with the surname Shangguan. However, I've heard that they haven't appeared for nearly a thousand years..."

Ye Chen nodded, beginning to piece together where the token he had received as a system reward might have come from.

After bidding farewell to the attendant, Ye Chen left without a trace of hesitation and flew away from Divine Will City!

Chapter 186: The Pressure is Overwhelming!

"Please pass on the message to Fellow Daoist Ye. Tell him that An Yuyi and her aunt have come to visit!"

A few days later, An Yuyi arrived at the inn. Her face was filled with joy. During her recent trip to the Divine Will Pool, with the help of the spiritual fire and various auxiliary pills prepared by her aunt, her conversion efficiency had increased dramatically.

Her cultivation had risen swiftly. She had forcefully broken through from the mid Foundation Establishment stage to the late Foundation Establishment stage. Now, she was not far from reaching the peak of Foundation Establishment. In just a year's time, she could reach perfection.

An Yuyi had come this time to thank Ye Chen. However, she was still a little afraid that Ye Chen might not see her, so she insisted on bringing her aunt along.

An Miaoli, on the other hand, had a somewhat helpless expression. She really didn't want to come. She was afraid her niece would notice that it was her that Ye Chen liked. If that happened, things would become troublesome. But unable to resist her niece's pleading, she had no choice but to come along. It was also a good opportunity to deliver a return gift and express her thanks.

However, upon hearing the inn attendant's response that Ye Chen had already checked out, An Yuyi immediately furrowed her brows.

"Why didn't he say anything before leaving? I wanted to thank him in person. And I also wanted to ask him why he gave the direct disciple spot to that Li Feihuang. Li Feihuang is obviously after the Phoenix Blood, and she will be my future rival. Isn't Ye Chen's action just helping the enemy?"

An Yuyi couldn't make sense of it. But An Miaoli had guessed why Ye Chen had left quietly. It was obvious that Ye Chen didn't want to accept her return gift. He simply wanted to give without expecting anything in return.

This reminded her of what happened at the auction. If she hadn't forcibly left him the technique, Ye Chen would have never accepted it. With a sigh in her heart, An Miaoli's eyes, shrouded in a mist like water, flickered with complex emotions. It was clear to her that between herself and Ye Chen, there was no possibility.

Cultivation was one factor, but not the main one. After all, Ye Chen was a Heavenly Spirit Root. Perhaps one day, he would catch up to her. As for age, it wasn't that important for cultivators. But the problem was that his niece, An Yuyi, liked Ye Chen. That was the biggest issue.

After all, An Yuyi was the only family An Miaoli had left. So, An Miaoli was more inclined to offer a return gift, seeking peace of mind. But Ye Chen had chosen to leave quietly, refusing to give her the chance to return the gift.

This made An Miaoli particularly troubled. Repaying a debt of gratitude was the hardest thing to do. Let alone the fact that her niece was involved. What would happen in the future if this continued?

An Miaoli felt the pressure mounting!

...

The source of An Miaoli's headaches, Ye Chen, had now returned to Green Cloud Sect. As soon as he entered the mountain gate, the guarding elder immediately widened his eyes and respectfully greeted him, "Fellow Daoist Ye, you've returned?"

Ye Chen smiled. Seeing the elder's reaction, he knew the news of his victory at the Divine Will Assembly had already reached the sect.

Sure enough, just a few hundred breaths after Ye Chen entered the sect, before even reaching the Sword Peak, streaks of light began to shoot out from the various peaks.

They greeted Ye Chen warmly. The last time Ye Chen had seen so many elders was when he broke through to Foundation Establishment. But back then, these elders had carried themselves with the dignity of their seniority.

Now, however, these elders treated him with great respect. After all, the honor of being first in the Divine Will Assembly carried immense weight. In the entire history of Green Cloud Sect, only two people had ever won first place in the Divine Will Assembly. This showed how difficult it was. And it also highlighted Ye Chen's immense strength.

Everyone couldn't help but feel moved. After all, they had heard of Ye Chen during his Qi Refining period. He was once seen as the most useless direct disciple. The one who was considered a simp, with nothing to his name. Who could have imagined that, in just six or seven years, Ye Chen would rise to become the champion of the Divine Will Assembly?

Thanks to the Divine Will Pool, his cultivation had now reached the late Foundation Establishment stage, surpassing most of the elders. He was now also a direct disciple of Divine Will Sect. His future was limitless.

Ye Chen's extraordinary performance had also led everyone to respect Gu Yunyun even more. Who said Gu Yunyun only knew how to cultivate? She casually took on a disciple and crushed countless geniuses. Now that was truly impressive!

Ye Chen couldn't be bothered to put on airs with the elders. So, he merely gave a brief response and flew straight to Sword Peak. The first thing he did upon returning to the sect was, of course, to visit his Master.

When Ye Chen landed at the entrance of his Master's courtyard, the gate was already open. A smile immediately appeared on Ye Chen's face as he entered the courtyard. He saw his Master standing there in a red dress, and when she saw Ye Chen, her face showed a look of approval. "I never expected you to really take first place in the Divine Will Assembly. How long will you be staying this time?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen smiled and immediately replied, "What is Master saying? Green Cloud Sect is my home, of course, I won't leave. As for the direct disciple spot from Divine Will Sect, I've already given it to someone else!"

Gu Yunyun's stunning face showed a look of surprise.

Though Ye Chen had said before leaving that he would never stay in Divine Will Sect, Gu Yunyun still thought Ye Chen would remain. After all, the resources Divine Will Sect could offer its disciples were incomparable to those of Green Cloud Sect.

Ye Chen hadn't understood this before. Once he realized it, he would definitely choose to stay. But what Gu Yunyun didn't expect was that Ye Chen, in order to avoid staying in Divine Will Sect, had directly given away the spot.

Ye Chen's wasteful action caused anger to rise on Gu Yunyun's beautiful face. Gu Yunyun knew that Ye Chen did all this because he wanted to stay by her side. But to give up such a promising future for such a ridiculous reason?

This was simply treating the immortal path as a joke. It was truly infuriating.

Seeing that his Master wasn't happy, Ye Chen quickly smiled and said, "Just like Master promised, I will always be the only one. For me as well, in this life, you are the only one. And to become a direct disciple of Divine Will Sect, one must choose an elder as a teacher. Naturally, I wouldn't want that.

"However, I've heard that becoming the Holy Son of Heavenly Evolution Holy Land doesn't require taking a master. I plan to go to Heavenly Evolution Holy Land in a few years, it's a much more promising path than staying in Divine Will Sect."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yunyun showed a helpless expression. Although she had indeed promised that Ye Chen would be her only disciple, hearing it from Ye Chen's own lips somehow made it feel so strange. As for Ye Chen's remark about going to Heavenly Evolution Holy Land to become the Holy Son, Gu Yunyun merely thought Ye Chen was joking.

Of course, Heavenly Evolution Holy Land had a promising future. After all, Heavenly Evolution Holy Land recruited disciples starting from the attribute spirit roots, and even those with attribute spirit roots might not be selected.

Earth Spirit Roots were numerous within Heavenly Evolution Holy Land. Even those with Heavenly Spirit Roots might not stand out there. One had to have a combination of various physiques and bloodlines to have a chance of rising to the top, becoming the Holy Son or Holy Maiden.

Gu Yunyun didn't want to say any more. Ye Chen's decision to stay had brought her too much pressure. On one hand, Gu Yunyun believed Ye Chen stayed for her. As his Master, she had to provide Ye Chen with top-tier cultivation resources, especially the resources for breaking through to the Core Formation stage. Otherwise, she would be the one to blame for holding him back.

On the other hand, Gu Yunyun clearly understood. Ye Chen was already at the peak of Foundation Establishment. He had reached the same level of cultivation as herself. If Ye Chen had stayed in Divine Will Sect, it would have been fine. They wouldn't meet often, so there wouldn't be much pressure.

But the issue was that Ye Chen had chosen to stay in Green Cloud Sect. Now that both Master and disciple were at the same cultivation level, this wasn't rare in the cultivation world and wasn't impossible to accept. But the problem was, Ye Chen's filial piety wasn't pure.

Being at the same cultivation level as Ye Chen made Gu Yunyun feel somewhat insecure. Only by maintaining a lead in cultivation could she suppress this disobedient disciple of hers…

Therefore, Gu Yunyun had made up her mind today. Tomorrow, she would officially enter seclusion and prepare to break through to the Core Formation stage!