Immortality Starts With Investment

”This late Golden Core cauldron, brimming with virgin aura, vibrant blood qi, and perfect spiritual power—what a harvest! This is the greatest treasure of my trip!” The man’s lecherous gaze roamed over An Yuyi, his voice dripping with satisfaction.

An Yuyi’s expression grew colder.

Elder Lin, who had retreated half a step behind An Yuyi when the man appeared, trembled with indignation. Am I invisible? Is this cultivation world even fair anymore?

Before the man could continue, An Yuyi’s flying sword slashed out, crackling with starlight divine thunder, moving with blinding speed. In an instant, it aimed for his neck.

The man’s face shifted slightly. Blue flames erupted from his body, his aura surging. As the sword struck, his figure vanished, reappearing a hundred meters away, his eyes gleaming with interest. ”A mere Nascent Soul sect like Divine Will Sect has an elder as capable as you? That’s unexpected.”

”Listen well,” he declared. ”I am Han Feng, Young Master of Heavenly Nether Sect! Submit to me, and I’ll grant you the position of concubine. When I harvest you, I’ll spare your essence. If you perform well, I’ll bestow upon you Heavenly Nether Sect’s supreme heart-refining technique, giving you a chance to form an Immortal Nascent Soul. But if you resist, I’ll annihilate the entire Divine Will Sect!”

His smile remained, but his eyes turned chillingly sinister with his final words.

Elder Lin’s face paled at his identity. Heavenly Nether Sect was a major power in Great Yan Continent, half-righteous, half-demonic, with a Deity Transformation ancestor at its helm. Known for their vindictive nature and penchant for wiping out entire clans, the sect’s name struck fear into cultivators’ hearts.

Yet, Heavenly Nether Sect was far from Divine Will Sect, even beyond the Great Chu Empire, at the very edge of Great Yan Continent. The two had no dealings. Why was their Young Master here?

An Yuyi’s eyes, however, burned with even greater killing intent. His high status only meant he had to die—and his body destroyed to erase all traces. Her hands formed seals, unleashing a barrage of terrifying starlight divine thunder, chaining together like locks from all directions, leaving Han Feng no room to escape.

Han Feng’s gaze turned icy. The blue flames around him roared, their eerie, nether-infused heat seeming to burn through anything. As the thunder struck, the flames met it head-on, colliding with a deafening boom. The shockwave rippled outward, uprooting countless trees with its gusts.

Bathed in blue fire, Han Feng strode through the chaotic energy, reaching for An Yuyi with a palm strike. She countered, her feet sparking with divine thunder as she dodged, retaliating with another torrent of thunder.

The two clashed fiercely, locked in a deadlock.

Elder Lin, a spiritual plant cultivator unsuited for combat, retreated far back. Watching the battle’s shockwaves, her eyes widened in awe. The power was staggering—a single graze would leave her gravely injured. But what shocked her most was An Yuyi’s strength.

Once a middling direct disciple, how had she grown so formidable in just a few years? To hold her own against Heavenly Nether Sect’s Young Master? It was unthinkable. Her strength was nearly on par with her aunt’s—absurdly impressive.

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On the battlefield, An Yuyi’s eyes blazed with fighting spirit. Her heart swelled with gratitude toward Ye Chen. Her current strength was entirely thanks to him. The powerful techniques her aunt had taught her? Gifts from Ye Chen. The Azure Hill Jade Bamboo Core that perfectly balanced her star and thunder spiritual roots? From Ye Chen. The treasures that boosted her power and tempered her foundation, the top-grade spiritual artifact she wielded, even her late Golden Core cultivation—all were his doing. He had propelled her into the ranks of geniuses, enabling her to hold her own against the Young Master of Heavenly Nether Sect, perhaps even overpower and kill him.

She hadn’t yet unleashed her trump card: the True Phoenix Treasure Technique.

As Han Feng charged again, wreathed in nether flames and moving with blinding speed, An Yuyi seemed unable to dodge, prompting a cold smirk from him. But at the critical moment, she opened her mouth, unleashing a terrifying phoenix cry laced with radiant light, blasting toward him.

The attack was too close for Han Feng to evade, striking him head-on. The sonic wave was devastating, capable of shattering flesh and blood, trembling the very void. His robes disintegrated, but at the last second, his blue flames deepened, boosting his aura and speed. He retreated dozens of miles in a flash, barely surviving the blow, though his clothes were tattered and his neat hair now a mess.

His face darkened as he glared at An Yuyi. ”True Phoenix Treasure Technique?”

An Yuyi remained silent, inwardly shocked. Even her phoenix cry hadn’t killed him. This Heavenly Nether Sect Young Master was stronger than she’d anticipated.

”Excellent. The Heavens truly favor me!” Han Feng sneered. ”Your True Phoenix Treasure Technique is powerful, and soon it’ll be mine!”

His blue flames surged, shifting to an inky black, their intensity multiplying. Enveloped in dark nether fire, he resembled a nether god, with eerie shadows writhing behind him, evoking the underworld itself. His aura was several times stronger than before.

Elder Lin, now dozens of miles away after crushing a distress talisman, trembled at the sight. She recognized this as Heavenly Nether Sect’s infamous Nether Flame Triad Transformation.

By harnessing three types of nether flames, a cultivator could undergo three transformations, each stronger than the last. With high-quality flames, the third transformation could amplify strength exponentially, enabling short bursts of overwhelming power to crush any opponent.

An Yuyi appeared stunned, her eyes wide with panic, seemingly overwhelmed.

Han Feng smirked, launching a massive nether flame hand toward her. But in that instant, a talisman appeared in her hand, activated in a flash. A terrifying divine thunder, so powerful it seemed to crush the void, erupted from her, targeting Han Feng. His expression shifted. The nether flames faltered, locked down by the thunder, and for the first time, he felt the specter of death.

An Yuyi’s lips curved into a graceful smile. This talisman, another gift from Senior Brother Ye, could harm Nascent Soul cultivators. Han Feng, despite his strength, was only late Golden Core—he was doomed.

But at that moment, a massive hand emerged from the void, seizing the divine thunder. The lightning writhed like a serpent, unleashing torrents of electric light as if to destroy the heavens, but it couldn’t break free. Moments later, it dissipated.

Han Feng’s lips curled into a triumphant smile.

An Yuyi’s face paled, her pupils constricting as she stared at the black-robed elder in the void. His calm presence and billowing robes exuded an aura that instilled fear just by looking at him.

”A protector…” she realized. ”A Nascent Soul protector, at least mid-stage!”

His ability to nullify the divine thunder confirmed his strength. Without hesitation, she turned to fly toward Elder Lin, transmitting a message for her to close the distance.

But Elder Lin, paralyzed by the sudden appearance of a Nascent Soul powerhouse, panicked. Seeing An Yuyi approach, she turned and fled, unwilling to risk being caught in the crossfire.

An Yuyi sighed, halting her movement. Instead, she activated the array disk Ye Chen had given her before she left, pouring spiritual energy into it to trigger its defenses.