ISWI Chapter 748-750

Chapter 748: The Formidable Little Green Tea

The Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan held an exalted status among the myriad races. It stemmed not merely from their profound heritage, teeming with powerhouses and prodigies beyond count. But from their unique place in history.

In ancient days, they had reigned supreme, lording over all clans. Even after countless years had passed, many races still pledged fealty to the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan.

Moreover, Celestial Prince was the direct son of the Undying Celestial Emperor, founder of their imperial dynasty. Such lineage and backing elevated him to a singular pedestal, revered in every facet of life. Few dared provoke him outright. Let alone mock him.

Though Celestial Prince had suffered defeat back then, many cultivators truly believed: could losing to the Heavenly Emperor count as a loss at all? The Emperor had been a singular enigma—potent in every realm, yet never the absolute strongest. He evoked that tantalizing sense: with a bit of luck, one might just prevail.

Yet the Emperor always triumphed over the odds, forging impossibilities and suppressing all challengers. Countless true immortals had shattered against him, perishing body and soul. An existence so utterly unique. To clash with him and survive? That alone conferred glory.

...

Under such circumstances, for someone to openly mock the Celestial Prince came as a thunderclap, stunning the crowd into stunned silence. Instinctively, heads craned upward, gazes sweeping the field—only to arch brows in surprise.

The figure who had just stepped into the arena was a woman of graceful, swaying poise. She wore a gown of verdant silk, her slender form bending like willows in the breeze, exuding a fragile air. As if a mere touch might snap her in two, stirring pity in the beholder.

Her features, too, proved breathtaking—rivaling Feng Youhuang in sheer loveliness. Yet unlike Feng Youhuang's icy detachment, she evoked the warmth of a girl-next-door, drawing instant fondness with a single glance. Especially those exquisite willow-leaf brows, fine and gently arched, as if brimming with boundless tenderness—utterly heart-melting. The instant they spotted her, the crowd recognized Yao Yuezhi.

By now, outsiders had pieced together the full tale.

Yao Yuezhi's talent had shone brightly too, catching the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan's eye; they had sought to assign her as the Celestial Prince's handmaiden. But she had refused, deliberately drawing close to the Heavenly Emperor's heir instead.

This had irked the clan. What followed was the infamous swindle and slaughter of three peak Half-Saints by the heir, who had rescued her. No wonder she dared mock the Celestial Prince. They had already forged enmity—she had nearly perished at their hands. She feared nothing now.

Yet the spectators' confusion and curiosity only deepened. What standing did Yao Yuezhi hold? How could she possibly face Feng Youhuang?

Yet here she stood, ascending the arena platform. What had befallen the Heavenly Emperor's heir? With his temperament, even if his legs had shattered, he would have crawled there. He would never let his woman shoulder the burden!

Amid the crowd's bewilderment, Feng Youhuang's icy gaze lifted slightly toward Yao Yuezhi. A flicker of surprise crossed her cool features as her voice rang out, frosted and sharp. "Shouldn't your cave heaven have shattered beyond repair? Not even the core could have survived! Yet your cultivation has returned to its peak. No—it's stronger than before."

The outside world had known nothing of Yao Yuezhi's domain's destruction. But Feng Youhuang knew. After shattering Yao Yuezhi's cave heaven and driving her back to the secret realm, the three had reported it to the clan. They had boasted confidently: wait just a moment, and news of Ye Chen's death would follow. Instead, the clan waited in vain—until the three's life plaques shattered...

Feng Youhuang still recalled the long, heavy silence that had gripped the clan then. Only the wind had howled ceaselessly...

...

Feng Youhuang's words stunned the onlookers. They learned of this hidden truth at last. Expressions twisted in shock as curiosity burned: how had Yao Yuezhi recovered when even her core had crumbled?

Everyone knew a minor domain issue could be mended with effort. But a shattered core? That spelled certain doom. Unless... the Qiankun Cauldron!

The thought drew every eye toward a distant spot. There, the Divine Silkworm Clan's patriarch and his cadre of powerhouses watched the proceedings. Caught in the collective stare, the patriarch's mouth twitched, his face darkening. He pieced it together in an instant: why Ye Chen had paid such an exorbitant price for the Qiankun Cauldron. It had all been for Yao Yuezhi. He had suspected a woman lay behind it, yes—but not her.

Yao Yuezhi now topped the clan's death list. By supplying the cauldron, his own clan had effectively opposed the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan. If word spread, trouble would follow in droves. The patriarch's features soured further.

"What's it to you?"

Yao Yuezhi sneered, eyeing the woman's breathtaking, frosted beauty. And that vulgar figure. She looked even finer than memory served. The notion of suppressing her to serve as Brother's handmaiden suddenly felt less appealing...

Perhaps Brother didn't need so many servants after all?

Feng Youhuang's cool eyes swept dismissively over Yao Yuezhi. "A mere Heavenly Demon Body. Whether betraying the Celestial Prince before or slandering him now, it's all a capital offense. Since you court death so eagerly, I'll grant your wish! Once you're gone, I'll hang your head before the Heavenly Demon outpost—see how long that Ye Chen hides then!"

Before her words could fade, Feng Youhuang's jade hand unfurled abruptly. In that instant, endless fire phoenixes erupted like a torrent of blazing flames from her palm. They carried divine fire far more terrifying than what those three Half-Saints had unleashed before, hurtling toward Yao Yuezhi with world-shattering momentum.

Yao Yuezhi watched it all unfold, her expression serene. She stood motionless, unmoving until the fiery phoenixes roared upon her—then, unhurried, she extended a palm. One strike per phoenix, shattering them effortlessly.

The sight drew gasps from the entire crowd. When had Yao Yuezhi grown so formidable?

Feng Youhuang's narrowed eyes flickered at the display. Her left hand conjured the True Phoenix, her right the True Dragon. She unleashed both in unison, their powers fusing in flawless harmony, surging toward Yao Yuezhi amid thunderous roars.

Yao Yuezhi arched a brow. Feng Youhuang's insight truly bordered on the divine. She had honed both the True Dragon Treasure Technique and True Phoenix Technique to their pinnacles. Fused as they were now, the result looked the part—devastating in potency.

But Yao Yuezhi held nothing back any longer. Terror-inducing cave heaven power exploded from her body, her form blazing like a radiant sun at the arena's heart. The battlefield quaked violently, as if gripped by a savage earthquake.

In the next breath, Yao Yuezhi drifted like a feather-light willow leaf, weaving through the onslaught of divine abilities and spells at speeds beyond comprehension. She closed in on Feng Youhuang with ease, unleashing a punch. Her petite fist, carved as if from flawless jade—adorably delicate—harbored force enough to sunder mountains and cleave seas.

Feng Youhuang's eyes tightened; her left foot stepped upon the True Dragon, her right the True Phoenix, propelling her instant retreat. At the same time, she countered with her strongest divine ability, aiming to obliterate Yao Yuezhi. In a flash, the arena erupted in brilliant divine light, blooming like fireworks—radiance exploding in all directions.

The spectacle left every onlooker slack-jawed in disbelief.

Chapter 749: Who Can't Transform?

The crowd's astonishment centered, naturally, on Yao Yuezhi. They had never truly anticipated that Yao Yuezhi—merely at the early stage of the fourth heaven—could unleash such formidable might. To clash evenly with Feng Youhuang, a peak fourth-heaven powerhouse, bordered on the inconceivable.

The scene defied all reason. Most crucially, Yao Yuezhi's cave heaven core had shattered before. How had she recovered at all? And why did she seem not just restored, but stronger than ever?

The mere thought of the Qiankun Cauldron's stringent requirements for domain mending stirred faint suspicions in the spectators' hearts. Some drew sharp, involuntary breaths, a startling conjecture blooming within: had Yao Yuezhi truly drained the Heavenly Emperor's heir dry?

They recalled how, since that day, the heir had vanished like mist in the wind, never to reappear.

Many grew all the more convinced—this must be the truth. After all, no ordinary man would allow such a drawing. But the Heavenly Emperor's heir? A notorious womanizer. Who could say for sure!

The Divine Silkworm Clan's patriarch felt certain of it, down to his bones. Outsiders knew nothing of the staggering price Ye Chen had paid for the Qiankun Cauldron. To yield so much for the vessel alone. How much more for saving his woman?

Plainly, the Heavenly Emperor's heir had been emptied. His strength plummeted. Hence, Yao Yuezhi had stepped forward in his stead.

At the thought, a sly glint flickered in the patriarch's eyes, his mind wandering far. After all, the heir held more than just the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod. There was also the Heavenly Emperor Sword—a supreme Extreme Dao Weapon!

Not only did the Divine Silkworm patriarch grasp this with such acuity, but powerhouses from myriad other clans did too. Many clan elites shared the insight. Some bore grudges against the Heavenly Emperor's heir.

Others, against the Emperor himself. Still others simply spied opportunity. In all cases, once that probable truth dawned, greed stirred restlessly in their hearts. For the Heavenly Emperor's heir's renown rested not solely on talent and women. But on his staggering wealth...

Though many spectators had already grown distracted, their minds churning with schemes, the battle in the arena raged on like a storm of shifting winds and clouds.

Countless onlookers drew sharp breaths once more. For as the fight wore on, Yao Yuezhi gradually gained the upper hand. Her fleshly body proved terrifying in its might. She appeared fragile as springtime willows, seemingly breakable at a touch—yet her resilience bordered on the absurd.

No matter what potent dao or law Feng Youhuang unleashed, Yao Yuezhi needed only a casual wave to shatter it utterly. Even Feng Youhuang's mutated, devastating Nirvana Divine Fire failed to impede her.

By contrast, Yao Yuezhi's every strike forced Feng Youhuang into hasty evasion. She yielded ground steadily, on the verge of being driven to the arena's edge. The display left the crowd gaping, questioning their very senses. When had Yao Yuezhi become this fierce?

Feng Youhuang herself hadn't foreseen it. Before even clashing with the Heavenly Emperor's heir himself, she found herself hounded to such desperation by his woman. Her phoenix eyes narrowed at once, her small mouth parting as she drew the endless Nirvana Divine Fire into herself.

Feng Youhuang's skin gleamed crystalline and translucent. Her form surged upward in an instant, transforming into a three-meter-tall fire phoenix, wreathed in ceaseless divine flames that boiled like a sky-scorching inferno. Boundless fire spread, turning every corner of the battlefield into a searing domain.

Immersed within it, Feng Youhuang gained uncanny augmentation. When Yao Yuezhi's petite fists hammered toward her, they met barriers forged of the divine fire—unyielding walls that absorbed every ounce of force, dissolving it into nothingness.

In that moment, the tide turned once more.

"This is Feng Youhuang's Undying Mark and Endless Fire Domain!"

"Rumor has it her bloodline mutated, granting her this singular divine ability. In this state, she repels all arts—any external force crumbles harmlessly. And that Endless Fire Domain? Utterly tyrannical. It turns the entire field into a blazing hell, scorching foes without respite. Divine abilities unleashed within amplify several times over!"

"Yao Yuezhi actually forced Feng Youhuang to this extent—astonishing. But now she's fallen behind. Looks like she can't win after all."

"Where's the Heavenly Emperor's heir? If he doesn't show soon, Yao Yuezhi won't last much longer before she's refined away."

The murmurs swelled, the crowd increasingly convinced something grave had befallen the Heavenly Emperor's heir. Yet facing Feng Youhuang's true form and her strongest divine ability,

Yao Yuezhi showed not a trace of panic. In the next instant, Yao Yuezhi's dark tresses whipped wildly as a portal to her cave heaven yawned open behind her, radiating enigmatic light. Endless, peculiar essence poured forth like a raging torrent, flooding into her body in an unceasing stream.

Feng Youhuang's eyes narrowed slightly at the ferocious cave heaven power surging from Yao Yuezhi—a force that even stirred unease in her own heart. Her own domain spanned thirty thousand miles, a feat in itself.

Yet Yao Yuezhi's felt deeper, more profound in its foundation. The portal gaped wide enough for Feng Youhuang to fly straight through. But memories of her three Half-Saints' shattered life plaques stayed her hand. Who knew if Ye Chen had woven another peerless killing array within? To charge in blindly would be suicide.

Yao Yuezhi noted Feng Youhuang's inaction and felt a twinge of disappointment. Her domain lacked such arrays, true—but its resilience was staggering; Feng Youhuang couldn't dent it. Luring her inside would have made suppression all the easier. Still, it hardly mattered if she stayed out. For under this boundless cave heaven essence's fierce empowerment,

Yao Yuezhi's body underwent a seismic shift. Her once-slender, fragile form ballooned like bamboo shoots after rain, swelling visibly in the span of a breath. In a blink, her height rocketed from five feet seven to over seven feet six. Her figure morphed from lithe delicacy to a powerful, voluptuous fullness.

Those legs, once like the delicate stem of a wine goblet—elegant and breakable—now plumped with ideal heft, like jade pillars lovingly tended, their sleek muscle lines rippling with the slightest flex. And longer too—their proportions were breathtaking. Her arms, previously so frail they seemed one gust from snapping, followed suit.

Even her pert little mounds swelled, nearly matching her shoulders in breadth. But the changes didn't stop there. Her upper body, once modestly cute, now curved with jaw-dropping drama—full and commanding, radiating pressure. Had Ye Chen seen it, delight would have lit his face.

Yet those signature willow-leaf brows remained, framing a smile laced with chill menace as Yao Yuezhi fixed on Feng Youhuang. "Transformed, are we? Impressive. But who can't do that?"

Chapter 750: The Stronger Yuezhi, the Weaker Ye Chen!

But the changes in Yao Yuezhi went far beyond mere height and figure. In that moment, she radiated a heart-stopping aura of raw power. A slight flex, and the surrounding void cracked relentlessly, spiderweb fissures spidering outward in a frenzy. Purple blood energy erupted skyward, leaving the onlookers gaping in horror.

If the Yao Yuezhi of before had been the girl-next-door, now she embodied the domineering female war god. From her physique to her bearing, and every ounce of strength she wielded, it all pressed with overwhelming force. Even a glance from those emerald eyes sent chills racing down spines. When had the Heavenly Demon Clan ever birthed such a divine ability?

Feng Youhuang, in her fire phoenix form, tensed with acute wariness too. This Yao Yuezhi emanated a profound sense of peril, as if one misstep might spell her doom.

"What is this?"

Feng Youhuang ignored Yao Yuezhi's taunt, her voice laced with bewilderment. Yet even as she asked, the heavens full of divine fire she unleashed blazed fiercer, intent on incinerating Yao Yuezhi.

Yao Yuezhi neither dodged nor flinched; her mere purple blood qi alone warded off the flames, keeping them at bay. As Yao Yuezhi felt the transformations ripple through her, she furrowed her brow. This was the new function she had stumbled upon in her domain—self-empowerment. It further sublimated her Heavenly Demon bloodline, propelling her into a novel, unprecedented state of might. In this form, her fleshly body elevated across the board, her battle prowess nothing short of staggering.

Yet sensing the shifts in her frame—especially how the slightest tension drew forth muscle lines—she felt a surge of distaste. "Why have my arms and legs grown so thick? And so tall? Even muscles? If Brother saw me like this, he'd surely turn away. So..."

Yao Yuezhi withdrew her self-appraising gaze, fixing Feng Youhuang with a cold smile—her eyes betraying a hint of alarm. "I need to finish you before Brother lays eyes on me!"

Her words had scarcely landed when Yao Yuezhi's form shuddered, her aura erupting in a cataclysmic wave. She shot toward Feng Youhuang like a cannonball loosed from its barrel. Wherever she passed, the endless divine fire parted automatically, carving a path before her. The Yao Yuezhi of now bore no trace of her prior fragility. Paired with this towering, voluptuous frame—brimming with power and pressure—only the word "domineering" fit.

She moved like a war deity descended, any oncoming divine ability or spell mere paper in her eyes. A casual palm sufficed to pulverize them to nothing.

Yao Yuezhi's speed proved blinding. Feng Youhuang's face twisted in dismay; she sought to evade the onslaught, retreating in haste. But just as her form shifted, Yao Yuezhi's lush red lips parted slightly, exhaling two crisp syllables: "Stasis Secret!"

In an instant, Feng Youhuang sensed Yao Yuezhi speeding up. But she knew it wasn't Yao Yuezhi growing faster—it was herself slowing down. This force felt too otherworldly, impossible to resist.

In the next breath, Yao Yuezhi's enlarged yet still adorable jade hand clamped onto Feng Youhuang's slender phoenix neck. "Submit to me, become my brother's handmaiden, and I'll spare your life!"

The phoenix clan had always prided itself on haughty arrogance—how could they bend the knee so easily? Especially Feng Youhuang, a top prodigy of her line, her status unmatched. Even with her life gripped in Yao Yuezhi's grasp, she managed to speak.

"Celestial Prince is the Undying Celestial Emperor's own son—his bloodline noble beyond measure. He slumbered a million years in a single dream, his talent eclipsing even his father's in its day. Naturally, he deserves my service. As for the Heavenly Emperor's heir? Even if he's the Emperor's son, what of it? How dare he think himself worthy of..."

Feng Youhuang's words dripped with utter contempt.

Yao Yuezhi's eyes flashed at the slander, her restraint shattering. She clenched her fingers fiercely, unleashing a torrent of terrifying force like floodwaters bursting a dam.

With a resounding "boom," Feng Youhuang's true form exploded in a spray of countless fire sparks, scattering like fireworks in bloom. Yet Yao Yuezhi pressed on undeterred. Her emerald eyes swept the field, locking onto a flickering divine flame where a phoenix shadow lurked within.

At the sight, Yao Yuezhi's lips curled in a cold smirk. She exploded forward once more, lunging toward that flame. Sure enough, it reformed into Feng Youhuang's shape in a flash—though her face now twisted in ugly strain, her earlier arrogance vanished.

"Revive as many times as you like—I'll slay you each time."

Yao Yuezhi's killing intent boiled over as she bore down again. The battlefield's spectacle plunged the crowd into stunned silence. Had Yao Yuezhi always been this terrifying?

Yao Yuezhi's parents stood nearby, watching their daughter's transformed state with eyes wide in awe. Clearly, this was a new talent born from her domain's sublimation. Ye Chen's boundless sacrifices had forged Yuezhi's utter rebirth.

The Divine Silkworm patriarch and a few others who grasped the truth marveled at Yao Yuezhi's might, too. They knew it all stemmed from the Heavenly Emperor's heir, Ye Chen. Yet the stronger Yao Yuezhi grew now, the weaker Ye Chen must have become. After all, power conserved itself.

Ye Chen had undoubtedly poured everything into remaking her domain, catapulting her to these heights. Without question, the Heavenly Emperor's heir now languished at his most vulnerable. Seize the chance, and the rewards would flow endlessly...

...

Within the Heavenly Demon Clan's outpost, Ye Chen sat immersed in the illusory shadow of a divine furnace, surrounded by endless divine flames that roared and churned. They left his aura steaming, terrifying power coursing through the blaze to scourge and refine him.

After a long while, everything finally settled. The shadow of the Nine Transformations Heavenly Furnace faded slowly into nothingness.

Ye Chen cracked his eyes open slightly, assessing his state, a faint smile of satisfaction curving his lips. "The Nine Transformations Heavenly Furnace still holds some use for me, after all. This breakthrough to the next minor realm brought massive gains. Though it probably ties to acquiring the Primordial Cave Heaven too. And that's not all. My cultivation speed has risen faster than I expected—perhaps no need for three years; two and a half should suffice to reach Half-Saint."

Ye Chen felt nothing but contentment with this pace. His foundation ran profoundly deep, demanding vast accumulations for each step. To advance in two and a half years was counted as exceptional.

With that thought, Ye Chen glanced at the system interface, noting the cooldown had ended—perfect timing for another gift.

Yao Yuezhi at six thousandfold proved too tempting. No need to scout tails outside anymore. As for Luo Bingling? Ye Chen had all but forgotten her. But when Ye Chen emerged from his cave mansion in search of Yao Yuezhi, he found not only her absent, but her parents and brother gone from the grounds too. Where had they wandered off to?

Just as puzzlement gripped him, a handmaiden hurried over, bearing a message from Yao Yuezhi. Ye Chen's brow furrowed slightly as he heard the full account. The Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan's strongest female prodigy of this generation sought to challenge him? And Yao Yuezhi had stepped in to face her instead?