Ye Chen's mouth twitched as he heard Yao Yuezhi call him her destined one. This nickname wouldn't do. Monkeys always rushed headlong into peril—like that Holy Prince.

"Mwah..."

"Mmm..."

Odd sounds of their lip-locked tussle drifted through the air.

Luo Bingling's face darkened beside them. This green tea vixen dared kiss him in front of everyone? And with strings of saliva forming! Worst of all, she was right there! Did they see her as a person at all? She'd drench her later for sure.

Yao Yuekong had accepted this brother-in-law. But watching his sister throw herself at another man up close, kissing with utter abandon, still twisted something inside him. Especially with Ye Chen's hand at her lower back, nearly brushing those small peaches. It stirred an old father's pang in Yao Yuekong. He turned away, eyeing the bewildered Little Peacock King, who glanced about in confusion. He probably wanted to interrupt his sister. Remind them to continue once alone.

Yao Yuekong smiled at the Little Peacock King. "Little Peacock, didn't you say before that if Ye Chen won, you'd call him dad...? Well, he's here now. Go on—call him!"

The Little Peacock King's face soured. Yao Yuekong was just asking for a beating. Ye Chen and Yao Yuezhi parted at the words, their connection lingering like a thread. But spotting the silken strand between them, Yao Yuezhi leaned in again, wiping Ye Chen's lip corner clean with tender care before pulling back satisfied, spotless. She remained sweetly perched on Ye Chen's lap, shielding him considerately.

Ye Chen marveled inwardly at Yao Yuezhi's little ploys, his mood lifting. No wonder everyone adored green tea girls. Sweet and attentive. Truly top-tier. But soon his gaze shifted to the Little Peacock King—this fool had wagered a "dad" bet?

Recalling the boy's mother earlier, desperate for her son's return and offering anything, Ye Chen's lip twitched again. He had no desire to father the Little Peacock King. He only wanted to be his uncle.

The Little Peacock King, of course, refused the title, his expression rigid. "That doesn't count—Ye Chen used a supreme kill array to finish them, not his true power... so it doesn't count!"

Yao Yuekong chuckled at once. "Tsk tsk tsk..."

Luo Bingling, of the War God Clan, prized oaths above all and despised oath-breakers. She shot the Little Peacock King a contemptuous glance.

Ye Chen merely smiled faintly, unconcerned. He paid the Little Peacock King himself little mind. Without Yan Ruyu's existence, the boy's grave grass would match Lu Ya's height.

The crowd's scornful stares and Ye Chen's indifference left the Little Peacock King inwardly twisted...

Yao Yuekong noticed the Little Peacock King's displeasure and immediately slung an arm around his shoulders. "Brother, just a joke to lighten the mood—not seriously expecting you to call! On the contrary, for rushing to Yuezhi's rescue at the first sign of trouble, my clan and I are endlessly grateful. I've got an ancient pill that might hasten your fusion with the divine feather—I'll have it sent over later! You're my best brother from now on. Once we're back in the Myriad Races Immortal City, let's hit up that Immortal Pavilion run by the Charm Demon Clan—my treat!" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Yao Yuekong's gratitude toward the Little Peacock King ran deep and genuine. But the Little Peacock King, hearing this, found no solace. His mind lingered on the "dad" wager. He hesitated over whether to honor it.

...

Only now did Ye Chen have a moment to truly appraise Yao Yuezhi. He noted her pallid lips, the wilted, heart-tugging pallor of her cheeks. And the aura that clashed so jarringly with her former poise. His brows furrowed. "What happened to you?"

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Yao Yuezhi offered a gentle smile, but paired with her fragile, ashen features, it only tugged at the heartstrings more fiercely.

"It's nothing, Brother Ye—just a cave heaven shattered in the battle before. Meeting you is my greatest fortune. For that, even a lifetime stuck at Second Heaven holds no regret! What's done is done, Brother Ye—don't worry over me!"

As she spoke, the ever-inspiring Yao Yuezhi—reached out instead, her small hand lightly tracing Ye Chen's furrowed brow, seeking to smooth it away.

"Cave heaven shattered? There should be ways to mend it—not some insurmountable calamity."

Though grave, cave heaven rupture wasn't hopeless—not a barrier to lifelong stagnation.

Yao Yuezhi shook her head, falling silent.

Yao Yuekong's expression grew heavy too; he sighed. Speaking for his sister, he explained, "Yuezhi's cave heaven didn't just crack—its core collapsed entirely. Core collapse defies mending altogether—recasting is the only path."

Core collapse?

Ye Chen sensed the trouble's true depth now.

"No remedy at all?"

Ye Chen pressed.

This little green tea's critical rate shone high, delivering boundless emotional value. If her cultivation stalled, countless gifts lost their target. And without a cave heaven, how to bestow spirit plants? Ye Chen couldn't bear it.

Yao Yuekong gave a wry smile. "It's difficult—only the immortal realm's supreme treasure, Creation Spirit Liquid, can serve as the core to recast a cave heaven. But Creation Spirit Liquid is said to be scarce even in the immortal realm—countable on one hand during the Heavenly Emperor's era. After the Jianmu Tree fell, it vanished entirely. The Divine Silkworm Clan's Qiankun Cauldron alone, forged primarily from Creation Spirit Liquid, can restore a cave heaven to its original state if used as the core."

Though an upper-grade Extreme Dao Weapon, the Qiankun Cauldron's utility proved boundless—for instance, it mended shattered cave heavens. Rumors even held that using it for a Third Realm breakthrough enlarged the cave heaven by thirty percent.

"In short, its value to the Divine Silkworm Clan rivals a supreme Extreme Dao Weapon. Such a treasure—no price, however lofty, would sway them to trade. Thus, it's essentially unsolvable."

By the end, Yao Yuekong's voice grew heavy.

Ye Chen's eyes lit up at his words. A solution existed—that was enough. As for acquiring the Qiankun Cauldron, Ye Chen needn't fret. He merely asked out of curiosity, "Once obtained, how does one restore the cave heaven with the Qiankun Cauldron?"

Yao Yuekong surmised Ye Chen probed from concern for his sister, so despite deeming it futile, he explained patiently. "Beyond the cauldron itself, one must absorb another cultivator's cave heaven essence as energy for recasting. And it can't draw from many—only one person's, or conflicting cave heaven powers clash. Even then, the yield falls short.

"For example, if the donor's cave heaven spans ten thousand miles, absorbing it fully might recast only a thousand li here. A ten-thousand-li cave heaven marks an absolute prodigy—who would sacrifice for another? Even if some paragon consented, Yuezhi would gain but a thousand li—far too small, with scant room for future growth. Thus, even securing the Qiankun Cauldron leaves riddles aplenty. So Yuezhi's immortal path truly ends here—she must withdraw from the fray."

Though reluctant to voice it, this was the unvarnished truth. By the end, Yao Yuekong let out a long sigh, gazing at his sister with profound pity. Whether securing the Qiankun Cauldron or restoring her original cave heaven, each condition loomed impossibly daunting—virtually unattainable.

As for Yao Yuezhi, her small face stayed pale, yet her willow brows curved gently, her eyes holding a smile as if consoling the others. This only deepened everyone's bitterness, fueling hatred for the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan. But Ye Chen, upon hearing it all, brightened instantly.

The Qiankun Cauldron unsellable? In this world, nothing truly defied sale. It merely required an irresistible price. And in his small world flew four thousand upper-grade Extreme Dao Weapons. Trading them all for the cauldron? Worth every one. After all, Yao Yuezhi brimmed with tea flavor, her arts masterful and refined.

Yet Ye Chen saw through it: tea served as a mere tool for her. A girl who would risk her cave heaven's ruin to save her "useless" brother? She held true heart. Bestow the cauldron, and a max critical hit ignited. Perhaps yielding an immortal artifact like the Dao Cauldron—endless special effects, boundless gains. No loss whatsoever.

Yet the cauldron marked but an appetizer. After all, external treasures held limits, however priceless. The true prize lay in self-advancement. With the Dao Cauldron, Yao Yuezhi still required cave heaven essence to absorb. Whose, then? Mine, naturally. His own essence surged vast. Even at a ten percent conversion, a hundred million kilometers yielded ten million for her. Reshaping her "form" outright.

Of course, not all—core zones stayed preserved. Immortal roots, flying peaks—if absorbed, no feedback. Senior An awaited the full immortal set. They must endure. Even so, ample for Yao Yuezhi's satisfaction. And should she unleash a max critical after absorbing his essence? What scale would his cave heaven balloon to? Carrying a pocket universe, perhaps. Unthinkable—truly so.