Futile Devices Scans

“Martial Uncle!”

“That’s the Palace Master…”

In the marketplace of the immortal city near the Jade Cauldron Sect, the chance of encountering its disciples was extremely high. Given Chen Yixin’s former popularity within the sect, it was not surprising that he was recognized.

“Palace Master!” A young man and woman suddenly dropped to their knees before Chen Yixin and Wenren Li. They were Wen Yun and Wen Xue, the two attendants Lin An had once mentioned—those who had served Chen Yixin during his time in the Jade Cauldron Sect.

“It’s you two. Get up.” Chen Yixin did not refuse to acknowledge them, but people’s hearts change. Whether those once-loyal attendants were still the same after so many years, he could not be certain.

“Palace Master, you’ve returned. I knew you would come back…”

Wen Xue burst into tears, while Wen Yun remained more composed, though his eyes were red as well.

“I have returned—but to seek vengeance.”

Chen Yixin’s tone was calm and indifferent, yet to Wen Yun and Wen Xue, it carried a bitter weight. Only someone who had truly let go of the Jade Cauldron Sect could speak of it so calmly.

“Come with me. Since you’ve knelt before me, you won’t be able to stay in the Jade Cauldron Sect anymore.”

After saying this, Chen Yixin turned away, holding Wenren Li. Wen Yun and Wen Xue quickly got up and followed, but Nan Ke and the others blocked them. Until they passed the Demon Palace’s trials, they were not allowed to approach Chen Yixin and Wenren Li too closely.

Wen Yun and Wen Xue had average aptitude. Though diligent, they were not outstanding among the disciples. Their departure would not greatly trouble the Jade Cauldron Sect, but such an act was still a violation of taboo.

When Yun Zhenzi heard of it, he flew into another rage. Yet confronting Chen Yixin in the immortal city over just two disciples seemed excessive. Instead, the disciples who had returned together with Wen Yun and Wen Xue were punished.

Outside the courtyard where Chen Yixin and Wenren Li temporarily stayed, a crowd gathered—ordinary cultivators, Jade Cauldron Sect disciples, and passing rogue cultivators. With a thousand demon guards stationed there, however, few dared even whisper. Everyone simply widened their eyes, waiting to watch the spectacle.

But for the next three days, Chen Yixin did exactly what he had done on the first—he simply carried Wenren Li around, strolling through every corner of the city. Only after that did they board the red sedan chair again and head toward the Jade Cauldron Sect’s mountain gate.

Chen Yixin did not disperse the onlookers, so they followed along the entire way. What had begun as a procession of a thousand soon felt like one of ten thousand.

At the mountain gate, Chen Yixin alone flew out of the sedan chair. A bolt of heavenly lightning struck down—it was another breakthrough, timed deliberately so that his tribulation would occur right before the Jade Cauldron Sect’s entrance.

This was the real reason he had lingered in the city—this “gift” upon arrival was indeed quite special.

Thunderclouds gathered above the Jade Cauldron Sect. Even cultivators of Yun Yazi and Yun Zhenzi’s level retreated far away. Chen Yixin’s tribulations grew more terrifying each time, even surpassing what Yun Zhenzi had experienced at the Burning Heaven Nether Palace.

And this time, they dared not interfere. This was the Jade Cauldron Sect—everything within the tribulation was under public scrutiny. As a righteous sect, how could they resort to such despicable methods? They even had to guard against others interfering, lest the blame fall on them.

Yet the clearer they understood this, the more stifled they felt. Chen Yixin’s tribulation was terrifying, and so was his talent. They had abandoned such a genius and instead chosen a “Divine Son” who could not even reach the Golden Core stage—was that truly the right decision?

Thunder roared as bolts fell one after another. Yet Chen Yixin did not resist much—he endured them with his body alone. Even Yun Zhenzi might not have such courage.

“After all these trials, Yixin has truly grown,” Yun Yazi said with a nod, his expression a mix of satisfaction and reflection. He raised a hand to halt any plans to act after Chen Yixin’s tribulation.

“Since he dares to undergo tribulation here, how could he not have made preparations? He must not stain his hands with the blood of our Jade Cauldron Sect disciples.”

In other words, they could not give Chen Yixin a reason to unleash a massacre.

But once Chen Yixin adapted to the continuous lightning strikes, he did not remain standing at the gate. Instead, he looked at the long stairway ahead and began to walk upward step by step.

Back then, he had ascended the Jade Cauldron Sect this same way. Now that he had returned, he would walk it again.

“The Thousand Cloud Ladder was left behind by the founding ancestor. He’s trying to destroy it!”

The Thousand Cloud Ladder was a treasured artifact used to select disciples—the higher one climbed, the greater their aptitude. Since the sect’s founding, very few had passed even halfway. Back then, Chen Yixin had only reached two-thirds before Yun Yazi, impatient, took him away as a disciple.

His true potential had never been fully tested. As for Jing Zhihua, he had been brought back by Chen Yixin and accepted directly as a personal disciple by Yun Zhenzi, without ever needing to climb the ladder.

“Remove the seal on the artifact,” Yun Yazi suddenly ordered. Since Chen Yixin wished to climb it again, Yun Yazi also wanted to see how far he could truly go—and what exactly he was dissatisfied with.

The elder tasked with the order hesitated briefly. Seeing Yun Zhenzi nod, he turned and removed the formation restrictions on the Thousand Cloud Ladder.

With a flash of light, the ladder was fully activated.

A faint smile appeared on Chen Yixin’s lips. The blue flame in his hand vanished as he lowered his head and began to climb seriously—one step, two steps… ten steps, a hundred steps. In the blink of an eye, he had already crossed a hundred steps.

The heavenly tribulation continued to strike. Chen Yixin continued to ascend.

“The last time I came, it was to seek cultivation as a disciple. This time, I’ve come to seek justice for myself.”

After five hundred steps, Yun Yazi and the others all held their breath. Under the heavenly tribulation, Chen Yixin could not possibly spare any extra spiritual power to tamper with the Thousand Cloud Ladder, and given his temperament, he would not bother to do so anyway.

Yet the ease with which he advanced only made their past decision seem more erroneous. No matter how rare a Divine Son was, they should never have turned against such a genius disciple.

Chen Yixin continued upward, his expression still showing no strain. His steps suddenly paused—this was the very place where Yun Yazi had appeared and taken him away.

“I am the Grand Elder of the Jade Cauldron Sect. I will take you as my disciple. Are you willing?”

“An elder even greater than the Sect Master?”

“Yes.”

“Then… alright.”

That child, clearly overjoyed yet deliberately trying to appear reserved, had left a deep impression on Yun Yazi—both the scene and that exchange were unforgettable to him.

But Chen Yixin only paused briefly before continuing upward. Step by step, slightly slower than before, though mostly due to the interference of the heavenly tribulation. Nine hundred steps—he had reached nine hundred steps!

The highest record so far had been the founding ancestor’s eight hundred seventy-nine steps. Since then, no one had surpassed it.

Yet Chen Yixin’s previously interrupted aptitude test had now exceeded nine hundred. In this Lower Realm, where the Heavenly Dao was incomplete, how could there appear an immortal seedling of nine-grade aptitude?

Chen Yixin stopped and looked up at the roaring thunderclouds. With a wave of his hand, a mass of blue flame rose into the sky to withstand the tribulation in his place, while he suddenly accelerated, charging upward even faster than at the beginning.

Yun Yazi and the others, already too stunned to speak, felt their heartbeats quicken along with Chen Yixin’s ascent. What did the Heaven’s Secret Sect’s tests matter? What did their sensing with fragments of an immortal artifact amount to? With talent like Chen Yixin’s, even if he were not a Divine Son, he would one day ascend to become an immortal lord of the Upper Realm.

Nine hundred ninety-nine steps—Chen Yixin paused again. Looking at the final step, a faint smile appeared on his lips. Then he stepped forward.

At once, celestial music resounded across the Thousand Cloud Ladder and above the Jade Cauldron Sect. Immortal flowers, which had never bloomed before around the ladder, burst into full blossom, their fragrance spreading everywhere. All of this proved that Chen Yixin had completed the ladder without any trickery.

His aptitude had been acknowledged by the treasured artifact, the Thousand Cloud Ladder. Setting aside cultivation level, his talent was unmatched throughout history.

“Bring Jing Zhihua here. If he can pass it, then today I will not demand anyone and will leave on my own, never to set foot in the Jade Cauldron Sect again. But if he cannot, then Zhou Yan will be handed over to me for judgment.”

Chen Yixin’s figure vanished and reappeared before the towering stone stele at the Jade Cauldron Sect’s entrance. A lightning bolt as thick as a tree trunk struck down from the sky, cracking the stele slightly and even tearing a small gap in the sect-protecting formation. Chen Yixin did not force his way in, but his voice spread throughout the entire sect.

The formation restored itself. Chen Yixin slowly descended, while Wenren Li, who had followed him step by step along a side path, approached at Chen Yixin’s beckoning and was lifted into his arms. Together, they bathed in the divine light that descended after the breakthrough.

“When Xiao Hua has something good, he thinks of me. Naturally, I think of you too.”

This divine light was beneficial to Wenren Li, so it could not be wasted. As Chen Yixin spoke, he gently rubbed Wenren Li’s hair.

Nan Ke and the others followed up as well, quickly arranging a resting area—chairs, tables, spiritual fruits, and pastries were all prepared.

Chen Yixin sat down with Wenren Li in his arms, waiting for the Jade Cauldron Sect’s response.

“Reporting to the Sect Master—the Master of the Heaven’s Secret Sect has arrived. He wishes to personally verify Jing Zhihua’s identity as the Divine Son.”

This procedure should have taken place ten years ago, but at that time Han Zichuang had been in seclusion, so it was postponed. Now that he had arrived again—and right after Chen Yixin’s declaration—it gave people an uneasy feeling.

“The fragment of the immortal artifact responded to Jing Zhihua. We all witnessed it. His identity as the Divine Son is beyond doubt.”

Yun Zhenzi spoke, cutting off the discussion. Yet regarding Chen Yixin’s proposal, he was somewhat tempted. If Jing Zhihua could pass the Thousand Cloud Ladder, then Chen Yixin would leave on his own—that would be the best outcome.

“With Venerable Luxin’s temperament, he would not deceive us.”

“Why not let the Heaven’s Secret Sect intervene and have them bear witness? Presumably, the Li Kui Demon Palace would not dare to tamper with things in front of them.”

Since the Jade Cauldron Sect did not immediately refuse, Chen Yixin knew there was hope. He leaned back lazily, enjoying Wenren Li’s attentive feeding of fruits and pastries. After taking a bite, he even licked the crumbs from Wenren Li’s fingers.

He licked until Wenren Li’s cheeks flushed red, then pulled the shy little figure into his arms and teased him several more times before finally feeling satisfied.

This did not look like someone waiting to pass judgment—it looked like he had chosen a scenic spot to relax and enjoy himself.

“Xiao Hua is so well-behaved.”

Chen Yixin said as he continued to hold Wenren Li close, rubbing him affectionately as if he adored him beyond measure.

Wenren Li obediently allowed himself to be fussed over, while Nan Ke and the guards stood by without even blinking.

“Our ‘Young Master,’ has been treated like this by our Demon Consort the whole way here, yet he obediently accepts it. Even if we wanted to speak up for him, we can’t find the right moment. Watching it again and again, we’ve simply grown used to it.”

“Want some water?” Wenren Li clung to Chen Yixin with all four limbs. Compared to the beginning when he was being “tormented,” he was now much calmer. Still, he always took meticulous care of Chen Yixin, no matter what form he was in.

“Xiao Hua, feed me,” Chen Yixin said, finally loosening his hold on Wenren Li a little.

“Alright.”

After they spent more than half an hour eating fruit and feeding each other pastries, the formation of the Jade Cauldron Sect finally dispersed, and Yun Yazi, Yun Zhenzi, and the others arrived together with Jing Zhihua.

Chen Yixin remained seated, holding Wenren Li without moving. After listening to an elder finish speaking, he simply nodded. “Alright.”

From the moment Han Zichuang agreed to sell Jing Zhihua back to the Jade Cauldron Sect, Chen Yixin already knew that Han Zichuang had determined Jing Zhihua was not some Divine Son. He had even sent Wu Fei to investigate the two attendants beside Han Zichuang—given their abilities, uncovering the truth would only be a matter of time. Or perhaps they already knew.

Now that he had regained the inheritance of the Burning Heaven Nether Palace, he was no longer the same as before, and he did not fear others finding out.

It was impossible for Jing Zhihua not to feel uneasy—especially in such a grand setting. What if his Divine Son aptitude was not exceptional? What if he was merely average among Divine Sons of the Upper Realm?

“Zhihua, don’t worry. As a Divine Son, the Thousand Cloud Ladder poses no obstacle to you.”

After Yun Zhenzi said this, his expression faltered slightly, his gaze unconsciously falling on Chen Yixin, who sat lazily nearby. The Thousand Cloud Ladder had posed no obstacle to Chen Yixin either.

The wavering in his eyes was forcibly suppressed. He patted Jing Zhihua’s shoulder and stepped back.

Chen Yixin glanced around but did not see Zhou Yan. He lifted his hand slightly; Nan Ke bowed and went to relay Chen Yixin’s instructions to the Demon Guards behind them.

“Yixin, who is this?” Yun Yazi asked. From the moment he stepped out of the mountain gate, his gaze had been fixed on Wenren Li in Chen Yixin’s arms, his eyes showing surprise—though it was unclear what he had realized.

Chen Yixin looked up at Yun Yazi, still pressing Wenren Li’s head against his chest. His voice was not loud, but it shocked everyone present.

“This is my son—Xiao Hua.”

“My relationship with A-Li is just too good. We accidentally ended up with a son,” Chen Yixin said lightly, but the blatant display of affection in his words left no limits. To be so loving that they “produced a child” out of nowhere—this only made everyone even more curious about the child in his arms.

“You—you gave Wenren Li a son?” Jing Zhihua nearly exploded, his body trembling as if he had suffered a great betrayal.

Chen Yixin showed no anger at all. He gently kissed Wenren Li’s hair and looked directly at Jing Zhihua, nodding seriously.

“Yes. This is the child of A-Li and me—our Xiao Hua.”

It was no secret in the cultivation world that Wenren Li was of tree spirit and ghost king lineage, but no one had imagined he could make a man bear him a child. The crowd was so shocked they were practically stunned speechless, unsure what expressions to wear.

Wenren Li buried his face in Chen Yixin’s arms, blinking quietly. Any spiritual sense or divine sense cast upon him was immediately rebounded. Aside from that, he remained obedient—if Chen Yixin was happy, then Xiao Hua it was.

“Also, let me correct a misunderstanding. Jing Zhihua has never been my former fiancé. My only betrothed Dao companion has always been my A-Li. The one who performed the Heaven-and-Earth marriage rites with me in the Burning Heaven Nether Palace was Wenren Li of the Li Kui Demon Palace!”

Chen Yixin pointed at Yun Yazi, a faint cold smile appearing on his face as he stood up with Wenren Li in his arms.

“It was Yun Yazi! He broke his agreement with A-Li and tampered with my memories. I spent twenty to thirty years raising… something I didn’t even know what it was, and in the end I was accused of humiliating him… Who has time to humiliate you? If I have time, I’d rather spend it with my A-Li and Xiao Hua.”

After finishing his accusation, Chen Yixin still had the mood to show off his affection with Wenren Li.

But his words resolved many doubts people had held. Back then, Chen Yixin had treated Jing Zhihua so well—if he had fallen out of love or grown to hate him, it should not have resulted in such coldness and disgust.

“Go on. Walk it. Let me see whether I raised an ungrateful wretch—or accidentally raised a ‘Divine Son.’”

After speaking, Chen Yixin sat back down with Wenren Li in his arms. He smoothed Wenren Li’s hair, finally revealing his full face. This time, even Yun Yazi believed it—this child truly looked like a miniature Wenren Li, both in appearance and demeanor.

Wenren Li paid little attention to the gazes directed at him. He picked up fruit and continued feeding Chen Yixin, while his spiritual power flowed into Chen Yixin’s body, helping stabilize his newly advanced cultivation.

Chen Yixin leaned lazily, letting Wenren Li take care of everything while he focused on eating and watching the spectacle—occasionally rewarding Wenren Li with a few kisses.

Jing Zhihua was furious at Chen Yixin’s words, but he also felt that walking the Thousand Cloud Ladder was a good opportunity—to solidify his standing in the cultivation world and within the Jade Cauldron Sect, so that no one would be swayed by Chen Yixin’s words and begin to disrespect him.

Han Zichuang had brought many people this time, including his two attendants with special constitutions, as well as the Heaven’s Secret Sect envoy who had come ten years ago—his senior brother, Peng Jing.

“When I saw him before, he wasn’t this turbid,” Peng Jing said. Though he appeared to be in his twenties, his gaze was steady—clearly not that of a novice cultivator. His eyes swept over Jing Zhihua before settling on Chen Yixin.

“As for Venerable Luxin, he is just as before.”

Han Zichuang followed Peng Jing’s gaze and met Chen Yixin’s eyes. He inclined his head slightly in greeting, but Chen Yixin’s gaze passed over him entirely, ignoring him.

A trace of helpless amusement flickered in Han Zichuang’s eyes before he composed himself and turned to watch Jing Zhihua ascend the Thousand Cloud Ladder.

The first five hundred steps were relatively easy for Jing Zhihua. After all, Chen Yixin had nearly exhausted his resources for his birth—his aptitude was undoubtedly among the best of his generation.

But once past six hundred steps, Jing Zhihua began to struggle. Sweat slid down his forehead as he climbed step by step, growing more and more difficult, until he stopped at the six hundred ninety-ninth step—unable to move forward no matter what.

“So this is the aptitude of a Divine Son…” Chen Yixin remarked at just the right moment.

Jing Zhihua, already in turmoil, spat out a mouthful of blood.

Chen Yixin merely raised an eyebrow and said nothing more.

But the ones truly shaken were Yun Yazi and Yun Zhenzi. They personally oversaw the Thousand Cloud Ladder—if anyone had tampered with it, they would know. Jing Zhihua’s aptitude had clearly reached its limit at six hundred ninety-nine steps. The ladder, which should not hinder a Divine Son, had stopped him right there.

“Fellow Daoists, do you still think it necessary for me to personally test him?” Han Zichuang asked, his words cutting straight to the heart. It was clear he believed further testing unnecessary—Jing Zhihua was plainly a fraud.

“Impossible!” Yun Yazi and Yun Zhenzi exclaimed almost simultaneously.

Yun Zhenzi reached out, dragging Jing Zhihua down from the Thousand Cloud Ladder and pulling him before Han Zichuang.

“Please, Sage, test him. Our sect ancestor once left a decree stating that a Divine Son would appear in this generation.”

“I know. That decree is also recorded in the Heaven’s Secret Sect.” More precisely, the prophecy had been obtained by the Jade Cauldron Sect’s ancestor from the Heaven’s Secret Sect—how could they not keep a record of it?

Jing Zhihua struggled violently, trying to break free from Han Zichuang and Yun Zhenzi’s grasp, but as a late Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had no ability to resist them. In this state, he even appeared somewhat pitiful.

But Chen Yixin felt no such sympathy. He watched with great interest, as if he had long expected this scene.

“The old men of the Heaven’s Secret Sect are always so cryptic—why bother calculating such things at all?”

As for this question, the only one in the present world who could answer Chen Yixin was Wenren Li in his arms. Wenren Li transmitted his voice to explain.

“The Heaven’s Secret Sect records state that Taixuan once produced countless immortals several epochs ago. Cultivators could advance all the way to ascension without issue. But starting from the last epoch, everything suddenly changed. This place became completely cut off from the Upper Realm, and no matter how talented a cultivator is, the highest realm they can reach is only late-stage Soul Transformation.”

It was as if the path to immortality had been abruptly severed. Taixuan even gained another name—the Abandoned Land. The Heaven’s Secret Sect had explored the cause for generations, and it could be said that the arrival of Wenren Li and Chen Yixin carried their immense hopes.

“If we are to return to the Upper Realm, we must reconnect the path of immortality. In doing so, we also give them hope of advancement.”

When Chen Yixin had chosen this place for himself and Wenren Li, it might have been related to Taixuan’s condition. Being cut off from the Upper Realm meant fewer opportunities for interference—or at least limited ones. So far, Wenren Li had lived safely and, through the accumulation of time, had become the undisputed strongest in Taixuan.

“I see,” Chen Yixin nodded. His gaze fell upon Yun Yazi and the others, who were unable to accept the situation, and his eyes carried more coldness and mockery. Yun Yazi might have been clever, but had been undone by his own cleverness—what he should never have schemed against was the human heart, Chen Yixin’s heart.

The test itself was not complicated. Mingyue and Tianyang held their instruments and chanted incantations toward Jing Zhihua. A divine light enveloped him, and everyone’s attention focused on him.

Suddenly, an immortal glow burst forth from Jing Zhihua’s body. A hint of joy appeared on Yun Zhenzi’s face—but before his smile could fully form, the glow vanished. Even the instruments in Mingyue and Tianyang’s hands dimmed.

“He has only worn an object containing immortal energy for a period of time. He is not a true Divine Son.”

As soon as Tianyang spoke, even the wind seemed to still.

Yun Yazi and Yun Zhenzi appeared beside Jing Zhihua almost simultaneously, each grabbing one of his arms. They had their own methods of identifying a Divine Son, methods that had always worked before—but now the result matched Tianyang’s words exactly. Jing Zhihua was not a Divine Son.

“Clap, clap, clap!” Chen Yixin applauded, his expression and actions clearly showing his satisfaction with this spectacle.

“Speaking of which, I should thank you. If you hadn’t been so certain Jing Zhihua was some Divine Son, I might never have suspected he wasn’t my A-Li.”

The twists of fate were always interconnected—Chen Yixin’s “thanks” carried little sincerity.

“Heaven’s Secret Sect’s Han Zichuang pays respects to the Divine Son!”

Before anyone could react, Han Zichuang bowed toward Chen Yixin.

If Jing Zhihua, who failed to pass the Thousand Cloud Ladder, was not the Divine Son—then what about Chen Yixin, who had passed it? If he truly was, the impact on the Jade Cauldron Sect would be even greater than discovering Jing Zhihua was a fake.

“Heaven’s Secret Sect’s Peng Jing pays respects to the Divine Son!”

“Heaven’s Secret Sect’s Mingyue pays respects to the Divine Son!”

“Heaven’s Secret Sect’s Tianyang pays respects to the Divine Son!”

Peng Jing, Mingyue, and Tianyang knelt almost simultaneously with Han Zichuang. Their expressions were respectful, fully adhering to the divine revelations passed down within the Heaven’s Secret Sect.

Their sect had endured for thirty thousand years, and their mission had always been to protect the Divine Son, restore the immortal path, and establish eternal life.

“Well? You haven’t even tested me yet. Aren’t you afraid I might also be a fake?”

Chen Yixin showed no excitement whatsoever. To him, being called Demon Consort was far more pleasing than being called some “Divine Son.”

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