Immortality Starts With Investment

The Netherwater Pool was no place for cultivators. Even someone as powerful as An Miaoli would be corroded by its Nether Toxin if she entered. The risk far outweighed the reward. Fighting the Wind-Thunder Jiao underwater was tantamount to seeking suffering—it was the beast’s domain. Even a cultivator a full realm higher would likely meet defeat.

So, An Miaoli merely sighed, her expression calm, and prepared to call Ye Chen to leave.

As she saw Ye Chen approaching, her luminous eyes flickered, and she opened her mouth to speak. But then she noticed him heading straight for the pool entrance the Wind-Thunder Jiao had blasted open.

Thinking he was checking for another opportunity, An Miaoli quickly called out, ”Don’t get close to the pool! The beast is cunning and might still be lurking near the entrance. The Netherwater Pool blocks aura and spiritual sense, making it impossible to guard against. If it drags you in, even a Nascent Soul cultivator couldn’t save you!”

But Ye Chen, mid-flight, shook his head. ”The Wind-Thunder Jiao is already heavily injured. Letting it escape like this is too much of a waste. If I can act as bait to lure it out, that’s a win!”

Hearing this bold plan, An Miaoli rushed toward him. ”It’s too dangerous! Stay back!”

She knew Ye Chen cared deeply for her interests, and the Wind-Thunder Jiao’s wings were indeed valuable to her. But no matter how important they were, they weren’t worth Ye Chen taking such a risk.

By now, Ye Chen was hovering just ten meters above the pool entrance, lingering briefly. The Netherwater Pool had returned to stillness, with no sign of movement.

An Miaoli, catching up, let out a sigh of relief. It seemed the Wind-Thunder Jiao was too wary to strike, likely suspecting a trap even with Ye Chen so close.

Deeply touched by Ye Chen’s willingness to act as bait, An Miaoli’s serene face softened with a faint smile. ”Let’s go. In this world, what we gain is fortune, and what we lose is fate. Since we failed this time, the Wind-Thunder Jiao has likely fled elsewhere. There’s no need to linger.”

She spoke with grace and detachment.

But Ye Chen’s face showed reluctance. ”The immortal path is about fighting for every chance. One step behind, and you’re behind forever. Senior An clearly needs this, and I’m not ready to give up.”

His words warmed An Miaoli’s gaze. ”Fellow Daoist Ye has already done more than enough. The beast was cunning, and there’s no need to force it. The mistake was mine for being careless. Your task is still considered complete, so you won’t be assigned another by the Divine Will Sect for the next three years.”

She had lost the chance at the Wind-Thunder Wings, yet Ye Chen seemed more anxious than she was. His heartfelt dedication was evident, and it drew her closer to him.

But in the next moment, Ye Chen suddenly dove downward at an astonishing speed. Before An Miaoli could react, his body plunged into the Netherwater Pool. His voice reached her only after he vanished: ”I’m not satisfied. I have a technique that might briefly resist the Nether Toxin’s corrosion…”

An Miaoli’s pupils contracted. For the first time, her face, which had remained composed even during the battle with the Wind-Thunder Jiao, showed panic. She dove after him without hesitation, but the pool’s surface was calm, with no trace of Ye Chen. Her spiritual sense couldn’t penetrate the water. There was nothing to find.

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”Come out! The Wind-Thunder Wings aren’t worth this…”

An Miaoli’s lips paled with dread.

Ye Chen had plunged into the Netherwater Pool. And for what? Just because she needed the Wind-Thunder Wings to cultivate a technique?

The pool was saturated with pervasive Nether Toxin. Lingering too long would corrode even a genius into a husk, even if they survived. Worse, the injured Wind-Thunder Jiao was still inside. If it found a human in its domain, it would undoubtedly unleash its fury in retaliation.

In that moment, panic gripped An Miaoli’s heart, her eyes brimming with regret.

She knew Ye Chen admired her, that he valued her needs above all else, sparing no cost to fulfill them. Why hadn’t she foreseen that he might dive into the Netherwater Pool? If she had, she could have stopped him.

Her fists clenched so tightly that blood trickled from her porcelain-white palms, unnoticed. She stared at the pool, hoping against hope that Ye Chen’s luck would hold—that the Wind-Thunder Jiao had fled, and he could emerge safely.

But the dark waters remained still, without a ripple. After what felt like an eternity, the pool trembled violently. An Miaoli’s eyes widened with hope, expecting Ye Chen to surface.

Yet the water soon settled again, silent. Ye Chen’s figure never appeared. The black water now seemed tinged with an eerie, bloody hue.

An Miaoli’s face turned ashen, white as paper. Her eyes, once filled with regret, now burned with a dark, murderous intent. In this life, even if she had to sit in vigil in the Divine Will Mountains for a lifetime, she would slay that Jiao.

The outcome seemed sealed, yet An Miaoli refused to leave. Her gaze remained fixed on the Netherwater Pool, unwilling to give up. She prayed, she hoped, clinging to the chance that Ye Chen might return unharmed.

If he did, she vowed to cast aside the constraints of their aunt-nephew dynamic and be bolder. Ye Chen liked looking at her ears, didn’t he? If he returned, she’d pin up her hair every time they met, letting him look his fill. Even more, if he wished.

Ye Chen, please come back!

As Ye Chen plunged into the Netherwater Pool, a chilling force immediately seeped into his body. His vision was pitch black, and his spiritual sense was completely blocked.

No wonder cultivators avoided this place. Even without the Nether Toxin, the inability to see or sense anything left one utterly vulnerable.

The Nether Toxin surged into Ye Chen from all directions, invading his limbs and body. But in the next moment, his Primordial Supreme Heart pulsed. A torrent of vital blood energy erupted, expelling the toxin, dreaded by cultivators as if it were a bone-gnawing parasite, without a trace left behind.

Simultaneously, his Myriad Star Body activated. Myriad Star Fire enveloped him, vaporizing the surrounding Nether Toxin. The purified toxin transformed into exceptionally pure spiritual energy, which his body absorbed. This spiritual energy was vast and unique, accelerating his cultivation faster than usual.

A smile crept onto Ye Chen’s face as he realized this. He hadn’t rushed into the pool to become the Wind-Thunder Jiao’s meal. His physical body, bolstered by the Primordial Supreme Heart, Ancestral Dragon Blood, and Myriad Star Body, was absurdly resilient—virtually immune to any toxin. Add to that his seventh-grade spiritual flame, Myriad Star Fire. If he couldn’t withstand mere Nether Toxin, he’d be far too pathetic.

As expected, not only did the toxin fail to harm him, but its purification brought unexpected benefits. Ye Chen’s mood brightened further. He’d been worried about finding a way to gift something to An Miaoli. Now, there was no need to fret. This daring act would surely touch her heart. A critical reward was practically guaranteed!

Using the Wind-Thunder Wings as a gift—what kind of reward might that trigger? Ye Chen’s heart swelled with anticipation.

”Well done running, Wind-Thunder Jiao,” he murmured. ”But where are you hiding?”

Divine patterns flickered in Ye Chen’s eyes as his Heavy Pupil activated. Eagerly, he scanned the Netherwater Pool for the beast’s trace.

Soon, he spotted it. A thousand meters below, the Wind-Thunder Jiao’s massive body coiled, its black, bell-like eyes glaring up at him, brimming with murderous intent and overwhelming pressure.

A grin spread across Ye Chen’s face. ”Found you.”