Immortality Starts With Investment

As the master of the array, An Miaoli could pass through it unhindered—a rare advantage for the besieged Divine Will Sect. She scanned the attackers and targeted an early-Nascent Soul cultivator from one of Heavenly Nether Sect’s vassal sects. Bursting through the array, she unleashed a mystical technique in the instant she emerged.

The enemy, seeing An Miaoli leave the protective array, lit up with glee. Divine Will Sect’s powerhouses had been thoroughly scouted, and An Miaoli, a recent Nascent Soul breakthrough, was deemed insignificant. Her daring exit was seen as suicidal.

Confident in crushing her and earning merit, he unleashed a killing move, his body surging like a ferocious beast cloaked in raging flames. He shattered her technique with a single palm, pressing forward with overwhelming momentum to suppress her.

An Miaoli remained calm. Her lips parted, and a phoenix cry pierced the heavens. Terrifying soundwaves, laced with star-like divine light, erupted. Caught off guard, the Nascent Soul cultivator couldn’t dodge. Half his body was obliterated by the phoenix cry, leaving no trace of blood mist.

Panicked, he tried to flee with his remaining half, but it was too late. An Miaoli formed hand seals, summoning a divine furnace radiating an aura of annihilation and refinement. Locked onto by the furnace, the cultivator’s fear intensified, but escape was impossible. The furnace enveloped him, and in a blink, he was silenced, as if refined into nothingness.

The surrounding Nascent Soul cultivators, poised to charge, froze in shock.

An Miaoli had no intention of fighting multiple foes. She prepared to retreat but glanced aside, frowning. The Ancestor, tasked with delaying a nearby enemy, was being thoroughly dominated. Other Nascent Souls were closing in, and Tian Mingzi, atop the skyship, opened his eyes, studying her with interest, exuding immense pressure.

Reluctant to reveal her full strength, An Miaoli sighed. Without her intervention, the Ancestor wouldn’t make it back. The furnace that had just refined a Nascent Soul soared again, casting divine flames to block the Ancestor’s foe. With a thought, she summoned her Wind-Thunder Wings. Once black, they had turned snow-white after her refinement, crackling with lightning and wind blades, exuding a holy aura. Paired with her, they made her seem even more immortal-like.

With the wings active, An Miaoli’s speed was blinding. In an instant, she appeared behind the Ancestor, pulling him with a surge of mana. They darted toward the array just as countless spells rained down.

At the last moment, the late-Nascent Soul cultivator who had previously fought three-on-one arrived, unleashing a terrifying nether qi cage. Tornadoes swirled within, exuding extreme suction, while nether qi tendrils grasped at the Ancestor’s body.

Under An Miaoli’s forceful tug, the Ancestor was dragged into the array, narrowly escaping disaster.

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The sudden turn of events stunned the besieging Nascent Soul cultivators. The old man was negligible, but this woman’s combat power was terrifying—refining a Nascent Soul powerhouse in an instant? Such a feat was heart-stopping. The phoenix cry and divine furnace were overwhelmingly powerful, instilling fear. What kind of legacy was this?

A knowledgeable Heavenly Nether Sect elder spoke up. ”That’s the phoenix cry of the True Phoenix Treasure Technique! And that furnace—doesn’t it resemble the legendary Cosmic Furnace of Eternal Cosmos True Immortal? Does she possess the Cosmic Furnace? Is she a descendant of the Jiang family?”

The words sparked intrigue. The lineage of Eternal Cosmos True Immortal was nearly extinct, and the Cosmic Furnace had vanished with them. If An Miaoli wielded it, it would drive countless cultivators mad with desire.

But another voice countered, ”It’s not the true Cosmic Furnace. If it were, a single wisp of its aura would kill us all. It’s merely a phantom conjured by the Eternal Cosmos Sutra. Even so, it’s terrifying. Could she have inherited the Eternal Cosmos Sutra?”

Eyes gleamed with anticipation and envy. The Eternal Cosmos Sutra was an immortal scripture—acquiring it would bring immense benefits.

Someone else shook their head. ”It’s not the complete scripture. A few years ago, Heavenly Evolution Holy Land auctioned fragments of the Eternal Cosmos Sutra’s Golden Core chapter, one of which was sold in Divine Will City. She likely bought it and somehow comprehended a method to manifest the Cosmic Furnace phantom from a mere fragment. Her talent is astonishing. A late-Nascent Soul friend of mine bought a copy but gained nothing, claiming Heavenly Evolution Holy Land swindled him.”

As Nascent Soul cultivators, their insights were sharp, and their guesses were close to the truth. Though not the full scripture, the revelation still shocked and envious them. No wonder she was so strong—her techniques stemmed from an immortal scripture.

Even the two mid-Nascent Soul cultivators grew cautious, no longer daring to attack too close to the array, determined to deny An Miaoli another ambush opportunity.

Back within the array, Divine Will Sect’s elders gazed at An Miaoli with heightened reverence. The Ancestor, once again tainted by nether qi and turning green, was silent. An Miaoli conjured a divine flame, scorching him. The fire seemed to burn through bone and blood, causing the Nascent Soul Ancestor to grimace in pain. Yet its effect was remarkable, swiftly purging the nether poison. Highly effective, if excruciating.

”The Ancestor’s injuries from the last battle haven’t fully healed,” An Miaoli said tactfully. ”Please don’t push yourself. I’ll find another chance to strike.”

The Ancestor seized the face-saving excuse. ”Indeed. I’ll focus on recovering. I’ll have to trouble you, Miaoli.”

The former Magic Peak Master, now Ancestor Liu, was completely overlooked. Liu sighed inwardly. Having just broken through to Nascent Soul and become an Ancestor, he should’ve been basking in authority and awe. Even if he couldn’t beat other Nascent Souls, he was still leagues above Golden Core cultivators, deserving respect.

Yet, with Heavenly Nether Sect’s invasion and their horde of Nascent Souls, he felt like a mere placeholder. Worse, despite his extended lifespan, Divine Will Sect’s imminent fall meant he’d likely perish too. His breakthrough seemed pointless.

”As if I never broke through!”

...

In the days that followed, An Miaoli struck repeatedly. With the blazing speed of her Wind-Thunder Wings, the profound techniques of the Eternal Cosmos Sutra, and a trace of phoenix flame gleaned from the True Phoenix Treasure Technique, her combat power far exceeded expectations.