Chapter 1949 to Chapter 1956

Chapter 1949: Divine Kasyapa

The first thing Huang'er's maternal grandfather did upon his freedom was to seek revenge on Eternal Divine Nation. Since the original perpetrator, House Xiahou, had already been eradicated, he had nowhere to vent his anger. House Yan had served as an outlet for his fury – hence the unfortunate massacre.

The truth was finally out in the open.

"Brother Chen…" Huang'er's longing for her parents could not be controlled. She grew increasingly anxious.

Jiang Chen instinctively understood what his beloved felt. A single exchanged glance or movement was enough to tell him what was on her mind.

"I'll go with you," he affirmed without hesitation.

Yan Wanjun's mouth trembled. He wanted to say that he would come too, but couldn't.

First Wind's master – in other words, his son's father-in-law – didn't have a good opinion of him. It was doubtful whether his presence was wanted at all. If he went anyway, he would only be making things more awkward for all involved.

Repressing his desire to see his son again, he turned to Huang'er.

"Just as well that you go for a visit. I let them down in the past, just as I did you. It's good that you and your parents should reunite with one another. House Yan's fate… was the result of karma. I'm in no position to speak further. Go on."

First Wind snickered. In his opinion, Yan Wanjun was only putting on an act to garner sympathy from his granddaughter.

Huang'er had a different perspective. She'd already reconciled with her grandfather and could understand his adversities and hardships. Moreover, she knew her grandfather had always lamented his past choices.

"Grandfather, you couldn't do much by yourself back then. It's been so many years… I think father would understand. You're father and son at the end of the day…"

Yan Wanjun let out a long sigh. He waved gloomily, but said nothing more.

"Qingsang, Elder Shun, go back to the sacred land with Elder Wanjun. I shall accompany Huang'er on this trip," Jiang Chen instructed.

"Alright. Take care of Huang'er and yourself too." Elder Shun nodded readily. As an outsider – a past subordinate at most – he wasn't qualified to comment here.

This was a family affair.

First Wind and his companions didn't oppose Jiang Chen's presence. "The master has heard about his newfound grandson-in-law, who is supposed to be a legendary genius. He wants to see whether the praise is overblown or not. It's most ideal that you come, young master Chen."

His tone was drastically different from his formerly proud self. Evidently, Jiang Chen's methods and abilities had won his respect and the right to speak.

"Come, lead the way." Jiang Chen remained impassive in the face of his new treatment.

His coolness won him an even better appraisal from the four cloaks. It was rare to find someone in the younger generation who was First Wind's equal in battle, but his temperate and stoic nature was rarer still.

This young man was destined for greatness. An appropriate match for the young miss. The master was sure to be pleased.

Along the way, Huang'er found out from the cloaks that her maternal grandfather's name was An Jiashe. In the Boundless Prison, he was known as Divine Kasyapa.

Her mother's name was An Yu'er.

Huang'er wasn't usually much of a conversationalist, which made her incessant badgering of the four cloaks along their journey uncommon. She continually asked after her parents.

The place that Divine Kasyapa lived in was very remote. Even by airboat, it took several days to get to what looked like a deserted island.

"Here?" Huang'er was a little surprised. "I remember this place being one of the forbidden lands in Myriad Abyss. The Ten Divine Nations usually don't let others trespass here."

"Haha, no place in Myriad Abyss is forbidden to the master," First Wind declared easily.

"Let us land."

The airboat descended upon an island.

Jiang Chen was fascinated by the route they'd taken. The island had been rather hard to get to, requiring several dimensional jumps. In other words, it didn't ordinarily exist to the rest of the world.

This was a bona fide secret realm.

Divine cultivators were elusive indeed. Without guidance, it was essentially impossible to find a secret realm like this, short of it opening voluntarily.

Jiang Chen marveled at the flora and scenery he saw as he moved along. These wouldn't be out of place at all in the heart of the ten sacred lands. Myriad Abyss had its own fair share of wondrous locales after all.

Though clearly no one had found this place before, this Divine Kasyapa had plucked it trivially from the aether. Because of this, the man piqued Jiang Chen's curiosity. What he had done was quite admirable in his own right.

Coming to an engraved obelisk, First Wind made several hand seals as he transmitted, "Honored Master, we four elements of nature have brought Miss Huang'er back home."

Piercing light flared from the obelisk in the next instant, conjuring a number of wavy runes that opened up like a series of gates.

"Go ahead."

The space past the entrance was completely different.

Rather than magnificent buildings and architecture, there was only a wild landscape, accentuated with splendid flowers and trees that embodied the very soul of nature.

At the end of the narrow path was a tower – more accurately, a pagoda.

A sacred light emanated from it, imparting to the viewer a dignified feeling. Before even entering, Jiang Chen could already feel the power the light possessed. It gave off the impression that it was completely inviolate.

"You've returned." A voice echoed from the direction of the pagoda.

Far from being harsh, the voice was actually quite endearing. Without knowledge of the House Yan slaughter, Jiang Chen would perhaps suspect the owner of this voice to be a very kind senior of some sort.

Suddenly, the pagoda grew even more brilliant for a few moments. After this radiance subsided, an almost illusory figure appeared outside.

Man and pagoda seemed one with each other, and both carried a sense of ancient history.

"Master." All four cloaks saluted their master with due respect.

Seeing that Huang'er was entranced by the pagoda, Jiang Chen didn't disturb her. Instead, he cupped his fist in his own salute. "This junior offers sincere greetings, Divine Kapasya."

"Jiang Chen!" the voice of the divine came once more from the direction of the pagoda. "So you're the one they're talking about everywhere? In the Eternal Sacred Land and beyond?"

"It is I. I would think any such rumors of my prowess are far too exaggerated, however. I'm less than a fraction of what they make me out to be." Jiang Chen laughed.

Chapter 1950: A Divine's Dejection

Divine Kasyapa looked quite real, but also oddly illusory.

His aura of mystery reminded Jiang Chen of many gods he'd seen in the heavenly planes of his previous life. They uniformly enjoyed making an entrance like this.

Divine cultivators really are something else!

In truth, the god was far more astonished than Jiang Chen in this moment. His godly appearance hadn't exerted any pressure on his guest whatsoever. The young man looked perfectly at ease.

Most importantly, a well-hidden ray of his consciousness sent to probe Jiang Chen's own had completely disappeared, much like a rock thrown into an ocean.

After attaining divinity, he had always investigated the consciousnesses of others with nothing more than nonchalant ease. However, he'd totally failed here!

"This young man is just as sharp and accomplished as the rumors say!" First impressions were very important, and Jiang Chen had successfully made a very good one upon Divine Kasyapa.

Huang'er raised her head to examine the Divine Kasyapa with crystalline eyes. "Are you the master of First Wind and the others?" she murmured. "They told me you saved my parents. And, you're my grandfather…?"

"Foolish girl. Do you still doubt this truth?" Divine Kasyapa's heart melted into warmth and affection. The girl's features were nearly identical to his late dao partner's. He suddenly felt like he'd returned to his youth.

Huang'er pressed her lips together, somewhat unsure of how to reply.

"Before I call you grandfather, could I see my parents first?" she inquired seriously.

The divine's heart was moved once more. He would've considered such behavior from anyone else to be unbecoming, but this was his very own granddaughter. He couldn't refuse one of the only family members he had left in the world.

"Come on in," he sighed softly.

Huang'er had initially been worried that the grandfather she'd never met would be a fake. She had wondered whether her parents were truly here. Her grandfather was much kindlier than she'd imagined and didn't refuse her request. This gave her greater faith in him.

Yan Qianfan and An Yu'er weren't in great shape, but they were decently well off.

Divine Kasyapa had completed his renewal of their constitutions, wiping away the latent injuries they'd incurred in the Boundless Prison.

They were certainly many times better than when they'd first entered it. Before being locked away, they'd suffered tremendously at the hands of Houses Yan and Xiahou.

Nevertheless, they were still meditating for recuperation. The god wouldn't allow them to be disturbed.

"They'll need one week more to awaken, Huang'er. You'll have plenty of time to spend with your parents then." Divine Kasyapa liked the young girl the more he looked at her. He knew of the existence of this granddaughter long before he'd set eyes on her, and thus placed a great deal of value on this only blood tie.

That was why he had left four of his most trusted servants near House Yan, to await Huang'er's appearance. He was grateful he didn't have to wait too long.

He nodded when he noticed Huang'er's initial empyrean cultivation.

"Not bad. You've done quite well for yourself as my granddaughter. Your parents' best time for cultivation is past. It is likely impossible for them to inherit my divine inheritance. You're different though. You are young and flourishing. I will absolutely help you grow into a divine cultivator in your own right."

Huang'er only smiled faintly when she heard these words. She didn't care about cultivation as much as others might expect.

Divine Kasyapa was even happier at her lukewarm reaction.

"Very good! You have moderation and restraint, traits that will help you go far in the world of martial dao. I have high hopes for you, Huang'er."

"Thank you, grandfather." Having seen her parents here, Huang'er no longer refused to call the god by her relation to him.

The thought that her grandfather had killed so many from House Yan made her unable to immediately be close with him though. She didn't distaste, fear, or hate him; they merely needed to be more familiar with each other.

Kasyapa noticed that his granddaughter was still distant from him. She looked at her dao partner with not necessarily overt passion, but much more intimacy. He was mildly sorrowful over this. His very own flesh and blood should've been inseparable from her grandfather!

Truly, life was full of interesting twists and turns.

The divine sighed softly, then glanced at Jiang Chen again. "I can see that Huang'er cares and cherishes you a great deal. I hear that you've reciprocated her love well. The fact that you managed to remove an ancient and esoteric curse like the Generation Binding Curse marks how extraordinary you are."

Jiang Chen smiled faintly. He wasn't as cold as Huang'er towards the old man. "That was merely luck. Huang'er and I have been through thick and thin together regardless. I believe that the heavens will bless our union."

"The heavens…" Kasyapa chuckled. "The will of heaven is hard to predict. Even we gods cannot claim to know its whims."

Jiang Chen smiled again. You might not know, but I can claim the contrary. He had been the son of a Celestial Emperor in his previous life, and his father had administered to a great universe among the heavenly planes.

Thus, he had some authority as to what the opinion of heaven was – not that he could divulge this without raising further questions.

Divine Kasyapa looked thoughtfully toward Jiang Chen. "First Wind told me of your exceptional abilities despite your youth. He suffered a more than minor loss at your hands, hmm? But you should take care not to become too full of yourself.

"Once upon a time, I too had similar talent. Perhaps not as phenomenal as you are now, but I wasn't far off. Alas, heaven envied my achievement and doomed my fate… the passage of time has taken my wife and daughter from me, casting me out of daylight into the Boundless Prison.

"Yes, I've become a god now, but so what? My love will never come back to me. I cannot reverse time to erase the ordeals that my daughter has suffered. My granddaughter is far from me still. Do you think my life has been a successful one?" The god's tone was very conflicted. His wistfulness and misery rang true.

Chapter 1951: Stunning News

Divine Kasyapa clearly doted on Huang'er, which had led to him taking a shine to Jiang Chen as well. He had an extended private conversation with the young lord to get to know the young man.

His expression changed when he heard that Jiang Chen had been trying to fight the demons.

"When I was young, I used to wish that I'd been born two hundred thousand years earlier," lamented the divine master. "If I could fight in the demonic war of the ancient times, my life would be quite a saga for the ages."

"The demons will rise again. History repeats itself. If you want to be part of the war, the opportunity will come one day."

Divine Kasyapa chuckled. "I'm afraid Myriad Abyss is going to fall into chaos long before then. Besides, that was a thought of youthful ignorance. The times have changed. I no longer have the same wish."

"Oh?" Jiang Chen was surprised. "Myriad Abyss will fall into chaos? Why is that?"

"First, a tremendous amount of security flaws have emerged in the Boundless Prison. According to this seat's investigation, it's not the result of a lack of maintenance, but intentional sabotage. In other words, the ten sacred lands' rule is no longer as absolute as it was before.

"Second, the offworld battles aren't looking good. The ten sacred lands have been weakened greatly and can no longer bear the high casualties and resources."

Jiang Chen gaped. "You know about the offworld battlefield as well, senior?"

"Hmph, the Boundless Prison is a treasure trove of information," the divine master declared haughtily. "There are not only inmates from Myriad Abyss, but also powerful invaders from outside this plane. This seat knows a great deal about what even the ten sacred lands aren't aware of."

Jiang Chen cursed under his breath. The demonic invasion couldn't be stopped and the offworld enemies threatened to break through their defenses. Would the world fall into chaos like in the ancient times? Was the Divine Abyss Continent doomed to enter another dark age?

"The heavenly axis has deviated, revealing the coordinates of the continent. An age of senseless conflicts is coming. You may have reached a decent height with your cultivation, Jiang Chen, but if the Eternal Sacred Land sends you to the offworld battlefield, all your glory may come to an end." Divine Kasyapa chuckled, his eyes boring into Jiang Chen's soul.

"The venerated forefather said he wouldn't send me to the offworld battlefield, not until I come to my full power."

"Times are different now. Things may not have been as bad when he made that promise to you, and you weren't as strong as you are now. You came out neck and neck with First Wind. That's enough to make some contributions to the war."

Jiang Chen fell silent, at a loss of what to say.

He wasn't afraid of going to war. At changing times like these, a man had to prove his worth in battles. Moreover, he'd never been the kind of person to sit and wait for things to happen to him.

"Leave the Eternal Sacred Land and follow me," Divine Kasyapa intoned lonely, his eyes focused on Jiang Chen. "I'll find a way to help both you and Huang'er ascend to divinity. Once you do, you'll be my most trusted allies. Even when the world falls into chaos, we'll be able to protect ourselves. If things get too bad, we can even leave the plane of Divine Abyss Continent and enter a bigger stage."

The invitation came out of nowhere.

Jiang Chen frowned but shook his head without hesitation. "I may be young, senior, but I know one should finish what they started. The human domain considers me their leader. They depend on me. I cannot abandon them. The Eternal Sacred Land may not have made me who I am today, but we've been through hardships together. Moreover, I have a deal with the venerated forefather. It's against my principles to go back on my words."

He spoke only the truth.

The god's offer was in his best interests and it also made perfect sense. However, one couldn't think only about their own interests when making decisions. There were lines one shouldn't cross and principles one should adhere to.

Divine Kasyapa seemed to have foreseen Jiang Chen's response. He smiled slightly. "You're a stubborn one. Aren't you afraid that you won't be able to give Huang'er lifelong happiness?"

"With all due respect, divine master, do you know what kind of life she wants?" Jiang Chen responded bluntly. There was no need to be coy in a conversation between two men.

Divine Kasyapa didn't have an answer to that.

"If I run for my own safety when danger strikes, that will disappoint Huang'er. I don't want her to think that the man she chose is one without a sense of duty or responsibility." His attitude was clear.

Divine Kasyapa closed his eyes without a word. Finally, he sighed softly. "Some people are born to achieve greatness. Perhaps you're one of them, Jiang Chen. Fine, my offer still stands. If one day you change your mind, you may seek me out then."

"Senior, didn't you say you once wished you'd been born two hundred thousand years earlier so that you could fight in the ancient demonic war?" Jiang Chen couldn't help but ask. "A storm is coming, and you're a powerful man. Why have you lost your will to fight? Why do you think of nothing but running away?"

Divine Kasyapa's eyes narrowed and flashed. He looked at Jiang Chen with a hint of anger.

Jiang Chen met his gaze without fear.

"Young men are often hotheaded," Divine Kasyapa said faintly. "If you stay in the Boundless Prison for a few decades or centuries, you might think differently."

"No matter how terrifying a place it is, it shouldn't have dulled your ambition. Real power comes from the mind. Challenges and hardships make a true hero stronger and braver. They don't turn the hero into a coward who runs away from danger."

Jiang Chen was growing frustrated. Someone as powerful as the divine master shouldn't have been so pessimistic.

Surprisingly, Kasyapa gave Jiang Chen a cool glance instead of defending himself.

"Do you know how many powerful cultivators have escaped the prison, young man?"

"How many?" asked Jiang Chen.

"There were as many divine cultivators among them as the ones in Myriad Abyss, or even more so. And some of them are more powerful than I am. If they stir up trouble in Myriad Abyss, they might destroy it. If they collude with the offworld enemies, their combined destructive power will be unimaginable. Under the circumstances, what good will our meager power do? What are the odds of us turning things around?" He scoffed, staring at Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen was shocked. He hadn't expected the Boundless Prison to have deteriorated to this point. Myriad Abyss Island would be plagued with threats from all fronts in the future. Evils of all kinds were entering the stage.

Chapter 1952: An Empyrean Relic

The information Divine Kasyapa shared was so surprising to Jiang Chen that he didn't recover from the shock until a while later.

The Boundless Prison had taken in many powerful cultivators since the ancient times, but he didn't know there were that many. So many divine cultivators, and beings who were mightier than Divine Kasyapa??

Jiang Chen didn't know exactly how powerful Divine Kasyapa was, but instinct told him the man was on the level of the Eternal Sacred Land's forefather. Anyone more powerful than Kasyapa was a serious threat.

Chaos was going to descend on Myriad Abyss, or even the entire Divine Abyss Continent.

Once the island could no longer satisfy the escaped cultivators, they would go inland and visit the different domains. Things would become even more chaotic and unstable then.

It'd be different from how it had been in the ancient times, when each domain and race was at least united in their stand against the demons. Back then, although many had chosen to run rather than fight, at least they'd never caused any trouble or intentionally harmed the continent.

There were a few who defected to the demons' side, but not many. A majority of them had simply fallen victim to the demons and were forced into helping them.

The more Jiang Chen thought about it, the more his head hurt.

Nevertheless, it wasn't the first time he faced a seemingly hopeless situation. Since the beginning of his pursuit of dao, he'd often been the underdog, starting from the Eastern Kingdom and Skylaurel Kingdom. The same was true of his time in the Precious Tree Sect, the Regal Pill Palace, and even the Veluriyam Capital.

Now, at least, he had a lot more options. The odds weren't good, but this new challenge wasn't necessarily more difficult than the ones he'd encountered before.

Noting the turbulence in Jiang Chen's eyes, Divine Kasyapa realized that the thought of backing down hadn't even crossed the young man's mind. He sighed softly. "If my granddaughter weren't deeply in love with you, Jiang Chen, this seat wouldn't have tried to persuade you. Good luck with your own decisions."

Jiang Chen smiled easily. "We'll wait and see, senior. You tried to change my mind today. Maybe you'll end up being turned to my side in the future."

Divine Kasyapa paused and broke into hearty laughter. "That wouldn't be such a bad thing. This seat wishes as well that I might one day become the hotblooded youth I once was, who can set aside all other considerations and focus only on fighting for his dreams."

Neither of them was going to convince the other.

Of course, someone at Divine Kasyapa's level wasn't going to make things difficult for Jiang Chen just because they disagreed. In fact, he had a lot of respect for the young man.

Jiang Chen rose to leave. Divine Kapyasha smiled slightly at Jiang Chen with appreciation in his eyes. He saw his younger self in the young man.

"Please excuse me, senior." Jiang Chen bowed to him.

"There's no rush." Divine Kasyapa gave him an open smile. "This seat harbored a lot of fury during my tenure in the Boundless Prison, but most of it dissipated after destroying House Yan. Are you worried that I'm going to hurt you?"

"Of course not." Jiang Chen smiled. He knew the divine master wouldn't. The old man was a man of integrity. Moreover, Huang'er's existence meant Kasyapa would never hurt him, not unless they got into a feud so serious that death was the only possible resolution.

"This seat is fair. Our paths have never crossed before, but you saved Huang'er's life. I owe you a favor. In return, I'll give you a fortuitous occurrence. I know you're meant for greatness and that regular treasures won't catch your eyes. Thus, I will gift you an empyrean relic. It'll help you ascend to advanced empyrean in half a month."

An empyrean relic.

That contained the concentrated life essence of a powerful cultivator! Jiang Chen had once refined a great emperor relic back when he was a great emperor. He'd never even thought it was possible to get his hands on an empyrean relic.

After all, there weren't that many empyrean experts, and even fewer who would willingly release their life essence just before death so a relic could be created.

Just like the Crowning Empyrean Pill, the relic could unconditionally boost an empyrean cultivator's power. In fact, its effect was even more profound.

Jiang Chen considered the newly displayed relic with wonder. The life essence contained in this particular one belonged to a ninth level peak empyrean expert!

"Haha, the relic was created with the life essence of a dear friend of mine. We met in the Boundless Prison. Can you believe it? We went through hell together there. Before he died, he let me have the only opportunity to ascend to divinity. And he..."

Divine Kasyapa's voice was tinted with sorrow. Remembering what happened dampened his mood.

"He chose what was right over his life," Jiang Chen said, also touched. "Having a friend like him is the blessings of three lifetimes."

"His reasoning was simple: I have a dao partner, while he was all alone with no strings attached," lamented Divine Kasyapa. "One couldn't ask for a better friend."

Jiang Chen felt a newfound respect for the man. Some things were much easier said than done. It was remarkable that the divine master's friend could be so generous.

How many brothers had turned on each other or father and son become bitter enemies for the chance to be a god? Even husband and wife could betray or scheme against the other. It was more than admirable that the man had given the opportunity to a friend and done what was right at the cost of his life.

"Take it. It's his dying wish that I refine his life essence into an empyrean relic, allowing him to live on in another form."

Without hesitation, Jiang Chen respectfully took a step forward and bowed to the relic thrice before accepting it.

"Remember him - His name is Yun Zhan."

Yun Zhan!

Jiang Chen engraved the name on his heart.

"I don't know what I've done to deserve a friend like Yun Zhan. He was a mirror for my soul, Jiang Chen. Whenever I'm lost, the thought of him is enough to clear my head and restore my will. He was also the only person I met in the Boundless Prison who faced the situation with grace and without any complaints."

Jiang Chen straightened his back. His respect for the noble and dignified senior grew even greater.

Chapter 1953: Breakthrough, Seventh Level Empyrean Realm

Receiving the empyrean relic was a pleasant surprise. Jiang Chen didn't make a show out of turning it down as he knew how valuable it was. Used properly, it would be a great boon.

Not only could it push him to seventh level empyrean in a short period of time, it might halve the effort needed to ascend to eighth or even ninth level empyrean.

After all, the relic had been refined with the life essence of a ninth level empyrean expert.

"I hope I'm not too bold for accepting the relic, senior. Thank you for the generous gift."

"I said it's to repay your favor," said Divine Kasyapa, waving a dismissive hand. "This seat also believes that you'll make the most out of the relic. I don't know any other young men who deserve it more than you.

"I hear that you've been collecting spirit stones?" A storage ring shot out as he spoke. "Consider this my contribution. It's not much, but it's something."

Jiang Chen took the ring and a peek. Inside was a vast sum of high-ranking spirit stones. He was ecstatic. This would account for ten percent of what was needed for the Great Formation of Heavenly Soul Confinement!

Combined with the stones already in his possession, he had now collected eighty to eighty-five percent of the stones. Another twenty percent meant reaching his goal.

He was going to prepare a little more than the number needed in case of emergencies.

"The senior is most generous whenever he makes a move. I couldn't be more grateful."

"Haha, no need for thanks. It's only right for me to contribute towards your sense of duty, if not anything else." Divine Kasyapa smiled nonchalantly, then suddenly slapped his forehead with a chuckle. "I've just remembered something. I hear that you have two divine creatures as your companions - a vermilion bird and a true dragon. Is that true?"

That was no secret to many in Myriad Abyss. Jiang Chen wouldn't be able to hide it from the divine master, so he didn't try. He nodded in affirmation.

"The bloodlines of the four ancient divine beasts are the oldest of them all. It's said that they were the foremost bloodlines even in the heavenly planes. It's remarkable that such beings have graced the Divine Abyss Continent with their presence. May I shamelessly ask for two drops of their blood essence?"

Jiang Chen did have the essence of both the true dragon and the vermilion bird, but not a lot. However, he saw no reason to deny the divine master's request.

He presented Kasyapa with two drops of blood. "It's extremely difficult to come by, but since you asked for it, senior, naturally I'll give them to you."

The divine master had given him a lot of valuable things. Jiang Chen had to repay him for the generosity.

"Haha, in that case, this seat will accept your gifts with gratitude. Rest assured that I will repay you for them. I owe you a favor. If you need my help, seek me out and I'll honor my words!" Acquiring the blood essence put Divine Kasyapa in a wonderful mood.

Jiang Chen smiled and nodded without another word.

...

Over the next few days, Jiang Chen stayed on the island with Huang'er. In a few days, her parents would emerge from closed door cultivation. Naturally he would keep his beloved company.

He made the best use of time by refining the empyrean relic.

It proved to be very impressive. It wasn't the first time Jiang Chen refined a relic, but still it took him a great deal of effort to refine this one. He eventually succeeded in the end.

Once refined, Yun Zhan's overpowering life essence rushed into Jiang Chen's body like an endless stream. This was his opportunity to ascend to advanced empyrean!

Though he was in Divine Kasyapa's territory, there were few places safer for ascension than the island. Jiang Chen told Kasyapa what would happen and settled down in a relatively quiet location before focusing on cultivating.

The Vermilion Bird and Long Xiaoxuan had been hiding on Jiang Chen. They transformed into their human forms to protect him while he broke through.

Jiang Chen hadn't introduced the two spirits to Divine Kasyapa. They knew that the divine master had asked for their blood essence, but they didn't care. They'd given the essence to Jiang Chen. It was his to do with it as he would.

Besides, given how active their bloodline was, it was no matter to extract a drop or two essence every now and then. What others hailed as the true bloodline energy, holiest of holy, was nothing but essence extracted from their own blood. It wasn't that big a deal.

"Brother Dragon, young master Chen has acquired an empyrean relic and might ascend to seventh level empyrean over the next couple of days, entering advanced empyrean like you," said the Vermilion Bird with a smile. "Isn't it unbelievable that a human cultivator can rival a true dragon like you in cultivation speed?"

Long Xiaoxuan rolled his eyes. "Nothing about him surprises me anymore."

The Vermilion Bird echoed his sentiment. "True. I fancy myself a being with great experience and knew a fair share of the ancient heavyweights. However, none of them was as unfathomable as the young master. Every time I think I understand him, he proves me wrong and surprises us."

Long Xiaoxuan sighed. "When I met him, he was just an origin realm cultivator. Now, he holds his composure before a god like they're equals."

The more time the two spent with Jiang Chen, the more impressed they were by the human and the closer their relationship to him became.

The Vermilion Bird never forgot that its life would've come to an end in the ruins of the Primosanct Sect if not for Jiang Chen. It would've never had the chance for rebirth.

Long Xiaoxuan knew that he'd still be stuck in the cave, paralyzed by fear, without Jiang Chen, let alone grow to this point.

Jiang Chen didn't let the two sacred beasts wait for long. Three days later, unusual natural phenomena loomed over the island and lingered. Even Divine Kasyapa was drawn to the tremendous sight.

Jiang Chen had thought it'd take him much longer to ascend to seventh level empyrean, but coming to visit Huang'er's parents with her had yielded unexpected benefits.

Once ascended to advanced empyrean, him could feel his power and cultivation taking a substantial step further. Every cell and pore of his body danced with energy.

The chain seal in his consciousness was now more visible to him. He seemed to be one step closer to the truth. Jiang Chen was elated. He had a feeling that he would soon discover the secret of the seal!

Chapter 1954: Parents Emerge From Closed Door Cultivation

Jiang Chen didn't rest after breaking through to seventh level empyrean. He enhanced all of his abilities, methods, and treasures once more.

Each increase in his own level gave him new inspiration as to how to improve all he had. The busywork afterwards was indispensable to his continued success.

Divine Kasyapa stood upon a great boulder in an empty section of the island. Three people stood near him. One was Huang'er; beside her was a couple.

If one looked closely, one could see many points of resemblance between the girl and the man and woman.

The husband and wife were Huang'er's parents, of course. Yan Qianfan, and An Yu'er.

Having just come out of closed doors, they were jubilant to discover their daughter waiting outside. They'd been locked away not long after she was born, then cast into the Boundless Prison.

The only impression they had of their daughter was that of a small babe. After all these years, they were delighted to see that she'd grown into an enchanting young lady in her own right.

An Yu'er hugged Huang'er close to her, tears trailing down her cheeks.

Even a man as steely as Yan Qianfan found himself tearing up. Emotions overwhelmed him. Heartache, ruefulness, but exuberance as well.

He and his wife hadn't regretted their decisions one bit at any point, despite being imprisoned in the Boundless Prison. The only person they felt sorry toward was this daughter of theirs.

They knew that the vicious daughter of House Xiahou had cast the Generation Binding Curse upon her, which would fill her days with pain and anguish. Therefore, they despaired whenever they thought of her. They didn't think that she would survive, as young and helpless as she was.

When they escaped from the Boundless Prison at long last, the first thing they did was ask around for information about their daughter.

In actuality, Yan Qianfan hadn't wanted to pursue the matter with his house. He understood its difficulties: the occasion with which he'd brought An Yu'er back had spelled undeniable disaster. If the house wanted to punish him for it, so be it.

Evidently Divine Kasyapa thought differently. If Yan Qianfan hadn't proven his constancy to his daughter, the divine might have even taken his anger out on his son-in-law.

Thus, the older man had taken his four demigod servants to exact revenge without informing the couple at all.

In the process of uprooting House Yan, they caught wind of Huang'er's whereabouts. The fact that she lived in the world still was wonderful. Moreover, the Generation Binding Curse had apparently been cleared by that dao partner of hers.

When the god brought back this news, his daughter and her husband were thrilled.

Only then did they settle down enough to allow Kasyapa to heal their injuries and remedy their cultivation. They had planned to find their daughter as soon as they were fully recovered, but their daughter was already waiting for them when they exited.

After an impossibly lengthy separation, every party involved was beside themselves with joy to be reunited.

They hadn't much time to speak before the phenomena of Jiang Chen's seventh level empyrean breakthrough erupted from a distance, shocking all upon the island.

Huang'er was pleasantly surprised by the display. "Mother, father, Brother Chen has broken through to advanced empyrean realm!"

An Yu'er's eyes lit up. "Is this 'Brother Chen' of yours the boy that removed your curse? The same one that crushed House Xiahou on your behalf, regardless of the cost to himself?"

Huang'er's charming face reddened. She nodded a little.

Though her mother had perhaps exaggerated things, she wasn't far from the truth. If House Xiahou hadn't annoyed Jiang Chen, it wouldn't have found its destruction nearly as quickly.

In fact, its rebellion might have even succeeded.

Sweetness welled up in her heart. She was very proud of the young man she'd fallen in love with.

"Look, Qianfan. I knew our daughter would be blessed by fortune. Remember? I had her physiology studied when she was first born. We knew she would transition from hardship to bliss. That's exactly how things played out, right?"

Yan Qianfan was apologetic to his wife even now. Naturally he wouldn't refute anything she said now.

"Huang'er, I heard your grandfather talk about Jiang Chen for a bit. He's capable, responsible, and values his relationships highly. You've chosen well – just as well as your mother did," he added, chuckling.

"Well someone has thick skin," An Yu'er rolled her eyes. "You were only peak great emperor when I first saw you."

Yan Qianfan grinned. "But our daughter found Jiang Chen even earlier than that, didn't she?"

Huang'er smiled a little as well. When she had first found out about Jiang Chen, it'd been back in the Eastern Kingdom, when he was the lowliest of cultivation levels: only true qi realm.

When they actually met later on upon Eternal Spirit Mountain, Jiang Chen had only reached spirit realm. It could be said that she had accompanied him every step of the way here.

She was absolutely proud of this fact. There was no one like him among the younger generation, whether it came to cultivation speed or accomplishments.

"So, Huang'er, what was his cultivation like when you met him?" An Yu'er asked with some curiosity.

"When I first found him…? Well, I met him as a spirit realm cultivator." Huang'er couldn't help burst out laughing when she said that out loud.

"Huh?" Yan Qianfan and his wife traded a confused glance.

The girl's father began to count back with his fingers. "Empyrean to spirit… one, two, three, four, five, six realms…"

He felt common sense crumble all around him.

He knew exactly how old his daughter was. What portion of her life had she known Jiang Chen for? What kind of miracles had this youth performed to get to empyrean from spirit in so short a period of time?

"Brother Chen isn't just a good martial cultivator. He's even better at pill dao! Many of Divine Abyss' most famous pills come from his hands." Huang'er couldn't resist heaping on as much praise as she was able.

An Yu'er ran her hands through her daughter's hair approvingly. "Qianfan," she sighed, "maybe our time in the Boundless Prison was partially worth it after all. Our daughter has turned out stunningly and she's found an amazing partner to boot. I heard he saved your father and nephew too."

When his father was mentioned, Yan Qianfan's expression turned uncertain. At first, he'd been somewhat frustrated with his father for not supporting him, but reason had told him after the fact of the latter's own troubles.

He no longer blamed his father for anything, but was worried that his wife wouldn't understand. These two sentiments combined made him quite anxious.

Chapter 1955: Letting Go Of Past Wrongs

"What, you won't admit to it?" An Yu'er pretended to be upset, stomping with playful force upon Yan Qianfan's foot.

Her husband smiled wryly. "Yu'er, they're Huang'er's grandfather and cousin no matter what. Qingsang was just a twerpy little child when all that happened. What could he possibly have known or done? Do you hate him too?"

Huang'er looked pleadingly at her mother in response to this. She clung softly to the lady's arm.

"Mom, no matter what House Yan did wrong, my maternal grandfather has repaid them back ten times over for it. My paternal grandfather… hasn't been well these years. He's remorseful and contrite about his choices to this day. He failed to protect his own son and granddaughter, right? But he also ended up breaking with the rest of the house for my sake, just so I could be together with Brother Chen. The house patriarch even made attempts on his life..."

Huang'er felt that there'd been enough retribution. She didn't want her mother to be mired in hatred any longer, nor did she want a gulf between half her family and the rest.

An Yu'er had accumulated considerable anger over the years, but her daughter's helpless gaze caused it to melt away entirely.

Had she suffered more than her daughter?

She had chosen her path alongside Yan Qianfan's, sharing in his every ordeal and plight. But her daughter hadn't had that luxury. She'd been cursed for misfortune from birth.

In a way, Huang'er had endured more severe misery than she. Though An Yu'er suffered a great deal, her husband had always been together with her through thick and thin.

On the other hand, her daughter had been separated from them since birth and had been bullied and tormented besides. If Huang'er could forgive her grandfather despite these circumstances, what did she as a mother have to complain about?

An Yu'er sighed softly, meeting Huang'er in a firm embrace.

"I'm sorry, dear. It was my fault for not letting go. I need to learn from your compassion and willingness to forgive. I promise you that I won't mention it again. I don't want your father to be too troubled over it either."

"That's wonderful, mom." Huang'er was very happy. "I knew you wouldn't be stuck on that for too long. After all, you stayed with dad despite all the difficulties you went through, right?

An Yu'er was in an even better mood when she heard her daughter's praise.

She glanced at her nearby husband, who was glad despite his reddened eyes. Her heart ached slightly, she didn't want him to be stuck in his own predicament.

"That's the end of that, Qianfan. I'll tell my father in a bit, and we can visit your father with our daughter soon, perhaps."

Yan Qianfan rejoiced at his wife's new attitude. He was blessed to have a wife that was so virtuous and a daughter that was so understanding.

In truth, Divine Kasyapa had already perceived all that had happened here.

He wasn't opposed to the resolution of the issues in his daughter's heart. No one consumed by their hatred could possibly be content. It wasn't a bad thing for her to overcome her past grievances in this way. If she did not, they would strain her relationships with both her husband and her daughter.

Moreover, though House Yan had invited punishment upon itself, it was as his granddaughter had said: they had received retribution ten times over. Despite that being the case, the god found her leniency astonishing.

Perhaps her receptivity to new things was what had allowed her to pick out someone like Jiang Chen from the crowd?

Yan Qianfan saw Divine Kasyapa in front of them. "Yu'er," he muttered, "father-in-law is right there. Shall we go speak to him? Why do we stand around blankly here?"

"Sure!" The family of three went to greet Kasyapa together.

The divine was cool as he waved a hand. "We're family. There's no need to be so formal. Yu'er, your daughter is quite remarkable. A child like this may yet render the tribulations of your union worthwhile."

An Yu'er was happier to hear her father compliment her daughter than to hear one herself.

"I'd always thought I had a bad time of it," she replied cheerfully, "but now I see that I have an incredibly accomplished father, a considerate husband, and an excellent daughter – as well as a son-in-law who's every bit her equal."

"Indeed. Your son-in-law is really something else." Divine Kasyapa wasn't stingy with the praise. "Given sufficient time, he could very well surpass me."

"Huh?" In An Yu'er's heart, her father was the strongest in all the world, but that same man had just said that her son-in-law could eclipse him someday. She was incredulous at this claim. She knew Jiang Chen was very competent, but hadn't expected him to be more gifted than her father.

Her father was a powerful divine, after all.

Empyrean experts were rather common in Myriad Abyss in general, and the Boundless Prison specifically. However, godhood was an opportunity that less than one in ten thousand had the chance to take.

It couldn't be sought out, only obtained via happenstance.

She and her husband, for example: Divine Kasyapa had already declared it largely impossible for them after their ordeal. At least, the god admitted that he couldn't offer them such.

However, her father had also said that their daughter – Huang'er – did have the potential and destiny.

"Father, does Huang'er really have it in her fate to achieve godhood?" asked An Yu'er.

"Yes. The probability for her to do so is very large." Having become a god himself, Divine Kasyapa had the rudimentary ability to see into the future. This was the basis for his statement. He could very well use his own strength to guide her onto the path, if nothing else.

Husband and wife were overjoyed. "Huang'er, do you hear what your grandfather has said?" An Yu'er beamed. "You will be a goddess someday!"

Huang'er already knew this. "I just want everything to happen naturally, mom," she smiled and inclined her head. "Right now, I only want our family to remain happily together."

"Of course. We won't ever separate from now on." An Yu'er nodded as much as she could to affirm this.

Chapter 1956: Return to the Sacred Land

Jiang Chen spent close to ten days in closed door cultivation for his breakthrough and consolidation of his martial methods and items afterwards.

When he emerged, Huang'er had been waiting for him for a while, her parents by her side.

"Brother Chen, there you are!" Huang'er threw herself into Jiang Chen's arms like a swallow eagerly returning to its nest. Her face radiated undulated joy. "Brother Chen, I now have a father and mother as well. Just like you."

Jiang Chen was very happy for her. Noticing Yan Qianfan and An Yu'er, he hurriedly greeted them. "This junior is Jiang Chen. It's an honor to meet the two elders."

An Yu'er chuckled. "Oh, we aren't old enough to be called elders. You and Huang'er have promised to spend a lifetime together, but you haven't gotten married yet. Thus, it would be inappropriate for you to call us father and mother. Why don't you call us uncle and aunt?"

Her expression and tone were quite impish, which amused Jiang Chen. He didn't expect Huang'er's personality to be polar opposite to her mother's.

Huang'er was more reserved. She didn't show her more outgoing side when she was with strangers. Her mother, on the other hand, seemed much more lively and extroverted.

In comparison, Yan Qianfan was quiet, which didn't surprise Jiang Chen. No man could retain their youthful recklessness after going through what he'd gone through.

They exchanged some pleasantries, having finally been officially introduced to one another. Both Yan Qianfan and An Yu'er took a shine to Jiang Chen.

The young man was well-mannered and considerate. He wasn't arrogant or spoiled like most young geniuses. His humility impressed the couple the most.

Jiang Chen had broken through because of the empyrean relic. Naturally, he wanted to thank Divine Kasyapa.

"Enough of that. I told you there isn't a need to thank me. That's to repay you for saving my granddaughter."

Jiang Chen smiled in lieu of a response.

An Yu'er hinted to her father that she'd like to return to Eternal Divine Nation with her husband.

She thought her father would sternly object, but to her surprise, Divine Kasyapa nodded without a word of protest. "Go. We all have to move on one day. Only then will happiness be possible."

Divine Kasyapa had failed to make the realization until much later in life. He didn't want her daughter to be as stubborn as he was and end up isolated, going against the whole world as a lone wolf.

Jiang Chen and the others boarded Starfate and soon returned to Eternal Divine Nation.

Yan Wanjun didn't expect his son and daughter-in-law to visit him. Tears streaked wordlessly down his cheeks. Father and son didn't hug each other with anguished wails, but their eyes were watery from the moment they reunited.

They highly treasured their reunion. They knew that if they couldn't resolve the history between them, they'd have to carry the weight of their past until the day they died. Things couldn't have turned out better given the circumstances.

Yan Qingsang's parents had returned to the capital from their remote residence as well. After the destruction of House Yan, it didn't make sense for the subsidiary branches to stay away. There was no longer a restriction stopping them from entering the headquarters.

The main force of House Yan now composed of only the three generations of Yan Wanjun's family. The others were from weaker branches.

House Yan had been destroyed, but its legacy and bloodline persisted.

Yan Wanjun was adamant that the family must be rebuilt. Even if it wouldn't be where it used to be, there had to be a new home base.

Neither Yan Qianfan or his older brother disagreed. The older brother especially, had been living on a knife's edge outside the capital. His sharp edges had been dulled by the hardships of life and he now possessed a timid character. He felt both guilty and delighted to see the younger brother he'd lost to the Boundless Prison.

If the older brother's son, Yan Qingsang, hadn't amounted to something, he'd have almost no voice in the family.

The Eternal Sacred Land didn't oppose to the reconstruction of House Yan. In fact, it gifted House Yan with House Xiahou's old territory as a show of support. That was a pleasant surprise.

To rebuild a family involved many different tasks. Jiang Chen could only offer some help within his abilities. Fortunately, there remained a few former executives of House Yan in the nation.

Some had been exiled, like Elder Shun. Others had left by choice. When Yan Wanjun issued a summons, many of them decided to return to the house and help Yan Wanjun rebuild.

It wasn't a perfect ending for the family, but it was good enough.

Meanwhile, Jiang Chen had been trying to collect more spirit stones. Only roughly twenty percent were left. He had to gather the stones as soon as possible and didn't want to drag things out any longer.

Hearing that Jiang Chen needed a large amount of stones, Ziju Min sighed. "The sacred land is running low in resources as well. The venerated forefather can't afford to give anything away. Be prepared, Jiang Chen. He may take you to the offworld battlefield soon."

"The forefather won't do that until I take care of the defenses of the human domain. We have a deal."

Ziju Min nodded and sighed softly. Myriad Abyss was in real danger. Even a venerated elder like him was fretting.

"What do you know about the Boundless Prison, Elder Ziju?" Jiang Chen asked tentatively.

"The ten sacred lands have been doing all we can to investigate. Evidence suggests that the Boundless Prison was sabotaged. That's why so many inmates have escaped. Myriad Abyss is going to become increasingly chaotic."

Jiang Chen smiled wryly. It seemed that Ziju Min and the others had underestimated the seriousness of the issue.

Noting his expression, Ziju Min asked curiously, "What else have you found out?"

"According to my sources, countless empyrean cultivators have escaped from the prison and the number of divine cultivators escapees rival the ones already present in Myriad Abyss..."

That was what Divine Kasyapa had told him. Jiang Chen believed the old man wouldn't have lied to him.

Ziju Min broke into a cold sweat and hurriedly excused himself. "I must deliver the information to First Prime at once. She must know before they strike."

Jiang Chen wanted to stop him to avoid distracting the forefather, but then he realized that it'd be impossible to stop the news from spreading. In the end, he decided to let the elder go.

He knew it'd be unrealistic to expect the Eternal Sacred Land to provide him with the spirit stones he needed. He had to think of something else.

"Ah, it's been a while. I wonder how Little White is doing? It said it was going to cultivate in the secret realm. It must have made some amazing progress."

Jiang Chen immediately summoned the Vermilion Bird and Long Xiaoxuan. "My friends, the Astral White Tiger should be in a secret mine in Cloud Camel Mountain. It's time that we pay it a visit."