Immortality Starts With Investment

”The secret realm has ended. I have obtained the Earth-Dao Foundation Establishment method! The formation in the secret realm malfunctioned, and it is unlikely to open on its own again. The disciples of the Green Cloud Sect may come out now. I will take you all with me. Do not waste time!”

Ye Chen stood at the front of the hall, his voice echoing across the entire massive peak.

Not long after, seven disciples from the Green Cloud Sect cautiously approached, their faces filled with wariness. Clearly, the internal strife from a few days ago had left a significant impact on everyone.

Leading the group was Fa Zhen. They gazed at Ye Chen with a mixture of awe and envy. After all, it was the Earth-Dao Foundation Establishment method.

Cultivation was difficult, with one hurdle after another. Obtaining the Earth-Dao Foundation Establishment method greatly increased the chances of breaking through to the Golden Core stage. Who wouldn’t envy that?

But no one felt greedy, not even Fa Zhen. Self-awareness was important. Ye Chen had acquired the Foundation Establishment method and was still willing to take them out of the secret realm. That alone was already a stroke of luck.

”Is this everyone?” Ye Chen asked, his gaze sweeping over the seven of them. He couldn’t help but feel a little sentimental.

The Green Cloud Sect had nearly a hundred disciples when they first arrived, yet only this few remained after a few days. As for the disciples of the Misty Sect, almost all of them had perished. The cruelty of the cultivation world was made all too apparent in this moment.

Ye Chen raised his hand and cast a top-grade Break-Seal Talisman. The once tranquil space of the secret realm rippled like the surface of a lake. The next moment, a fissure appeared.

Ye Chen and Fa Zhen, along with the others, stepped through one by one and left.

Meanwhile, Su Yuxuan stood deep within the hall, watching Ye Chen and the others leave, letting out a deep sigh of relief. Finally... she could break through... The Earth-Dao Foundation Establishment method was now hers.

Most importantly, Ye Chen was willing to take the blame. Now, no one would know that she was using the Earth-Dao Foundation Establishment method. In the future, she would give her master a huge surprise.

As she thought about this, a murderous intent surged in Su Yuxuan’s beautiful eyes. However, not long after, she felt her feet becoming uncomfortable again. She raised her hand and cast another cleansing spell. Then, she lifted her foot and brought it to her nose to sniff.

Su Yuxuan’s body was incredibly flexible, easily allowing her to perform such a move. But for some reason, even though her feet carried a delicate fragrance, she still felt an odd, strange smell.

As Ye Chen and his group emerged, the elder from the Misty Sect, who was at the later stages of Foundation Establishment, wore a particularly dark expression.

”Did you obtain the Earth-Dao Foundation Establishment method?”

The elder’s gaze was murderous.

At the same time, the Magic Peak Master floated in the air. He summoned a flying boat, beckoning the others to board, a faint smile on his lips as he looked at the elder from Misty Peak. ”What’s the matter? Are you planning to make a move?”

The elder from the Misty Sect hesitated for a moment, then decided against it. While the Magic Peak Master wasn’t weak, the elder was confident that he still had a chance to seize the method.

However, Ye Chen was the disciple of Gu Yunyun. If he killed her disciple, he would likely face unimaginable retaliation in the future. The elder still had forty or fifty years left to live and had no children of his own. Even if he managed to seize the Foundation Establishment method, it wouldn’t be very useful to him. He would receive some reward if he handed it over to the sect.

But that reward paled in comparison to the consequences of becoming a target of Gu Yunyun. He sighed inwardly and gave up on the idea.

The elder silently watched as Fa Zhen piloted the flying boat, leading Ye Chen and the others away. He then furrowed his brow and looked toward the direction of the secret realm, feeling a bit of a headache.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

While the Demon Sect didn’t care much about casualties, he had gained nothing, and all his disciples had perished. Even Su Yuxuan had disappeared without a trace. It seemed like he had truly lost out this time.

With a frown, the elder decided to wait three more days. If no more disciples came out by then, he would leave.

...

On the flying boat, Ye Chen sat cross-legged with his eyes closed. He was reviewing the system’s notifications. Although he had already checked them yesterday, reading them again still filled him with uncontrollable excitement.

As for why Ye Chen appeared so relaxed and unconcerned about being ambushed, it was because, after leaving the secret realm, he had heard his master’s voice echoing in his mind, reassuring him not to be afraid—she was there!

His master had secretly arrived, and it was possible that after leaving him behind on the flying sword that day, she had never truly left.

This filled Ye Chen with warmth. Though his master usually appeared distant and uninterested in him as a disciple, she was reliable when it mattered most. Moreover, his master had a knack for being devious. She was fishing.

Ye Chen speculated that, whether it was the elder from the Misty Sect or the Magic Peak Master, whoever dared to make a move against him would meet with his master’s sword the very next moment.

The love his master had for him was something Ye Chen felt he had to repay with filial piety. As long as his master was around, Ye Chen naturally felt at ease as he savored the rewards from the system.

”Gift given successfully!”

”The gift consists of the Earth-Dao Foundation Establishment method and the corresponding Foundation Establishment spiritual materials.”

”Returning rewards...”

”Fifty times feedback in progress...”

”Detected that the gift provided by the host is extremely important to the recipient and exceeds their expectations, causing a significant shift in their mindset. A critical reward has been triggered!”

”Reward: The Great Five Elements Heaven-Dao Foundation Establishment method and corresponding Foundation Establishment spiritual materials...”

”The Great Five Elements Heaven-Dao Foundation Establishment method: Built upon the Foundation Establishment spiritual artifact as its foundation, it forges the Great Five Elements Dao base, improving one’s qualifications and awakening two innate divine abilities!”

What excited Ye Chen the most was the final line of the description. Two innate divine abilities.

It was known that the Earth-Dao Foundation Establishment method only enhanced the quality of the Dao base, universally increasing combat power, but there was no possibility of awakening innate divine abilities.

However, the Heaven-Dao Foundation Establishment not only raised the Dao base quality to its peak but also allowed the awakening of an innate divine ability.

What’s more, from what Ye Chen had read in the books, the Heaven-Dao Foundation Establishment could awaken only one innate divine ability. But the Great Five Elements Foundation Establishment method... it could awaken two. This was unprecedented.

Innate divine abilities were exceptionally mysterious, said to possess all sorts of unimaginable powers. For instance, in the books Ye Chen had read, he came across a record of a powerful individual with an innate divine ability—the Vertical Eye.

In ancient times, there was a powerful being born with a vertical pupil on their forehead. Before reaching the Nascent Soul stage, the ability remained dormant. However, after entering the Nascent Soul stage, the vertical pupil finally awakened.

With the vertical pupil, he could connect to a realm of underworld souls, drawing upon the power of ghosts. It could also imprison enemies within this realm. It was nearly invincible in the Nascent Soul stage. It was even capable of contending with the Deity Transformation stage.

The books also mentioned other innate divine abilities, such as the Heavy Pupil, Supreme Bone, and the Exquisite Heart. Although the books didn’t provide detailed explanations, just the names alone indicated that these were no ordinary abilities. The power of innate divine abilities was truly extraordinary.

Innate divine abilities awakened through the Heaven-Dao Foundation Establishment were said to be slightly weaker than the innate divine abilities of real geniuses. But even so, they were still incredibly valuable.

What’s more, this Great Five Elements Foundation Establishment method could awaken two innate divine abilities. The rarity of this was beyond imagination.

Looking at the golden jade slip and the two crystal-clear Foundation Establishment spiritual materials in his storage ring, Ye Chen couldn’t help but feel gratitude for Su Yuxuan.

With fifty times the feedback and a critical strike, the rewards were so generous that Ye Chen was reluctant to part with them. If it weren’t for the fact that it wasn’t quite appropriate, Ye Chen almost thought about taking Su Yuxuan back and locking her up in the Sword Peak, delivering rewards to her every week.

Ye Chen was certain that all of his actions were purely driven by the rewards. Her little feet had nothing to do with it.

Shaking his head to clear away such distractions, Ye Chen made his decision.

Upon returning, he would focus on cultivating, adjusting his state, and studying the Foundation Establishment method. He would also gather spiritual stones to prepare for exchanging for magic treasures when he entered the Foundation Establishment stage.

The sect’s grand competition was only two months away. After winning the competition and presenting the top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills to Yao Xi, he could finally enter seclusion and attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage...

Just thinking about the Foundation Establishment made Ye Chen’s face light up with excitement. It had been three full years since his transmigration. He had put in countless efforts, but it had all been worth it. Now, he was finally about to enter the Foundation Establishment stage…