Immortality Starts With Investment

Yao Gu had harbored some resentment toward Ye Chen. With Yao Xi as the connection, he figured he was at least the little brother-in-law. Yet last time, Ye Chen hadn’t held back at all, thrashing him without mercy. And now he was competing for the divine maiden? This was strength without righteousness—utterly shameless.

But now, staring at the blood mist scattering across the sky, tingeing even the moonlight in Fan Qinghe’s hands with red, Yao Gu realized he’d been too harsh. His brother-in-law had clearly gone easy on him. He’d never even mentioned the fight, obviously to spare Yao Gu’s pride. His brother-in-law had quietly done so much for him, yet Yao Gu had grumbled in his heart. That was truly uncalled for.

As for the divine maiden? Yao Gu cast a reluctant glance at Fan Qinghe. Forget it. His brother-in-law had done so much for him. How could he shamelessly pretend otherwise? Fan Qinghe could go to his brother-in-law!

Yao Gu chose to step back. He only hoped they could share a meal together someday.

…

No one noticed Yao Gu’s whirlwind of thoughts. Even if they had, no one would’ve cared. All eyes were fixed on the Fourth Holy Son standing on the water’s surface.

Their gazes brimmed with shock, awe, and deep apprehension. The Fourth Holy Son was too fast! Yet, despite his speed, he’d displayed so much that inspired reverence.

Beyond his Heavy Pupils, his physical body was invincible. He’d blocked that sword with sheer flesh, without budging an inch. Only the boat beneath him and the river water had crumbled under the pressure, exploding outward. And that final punch—terrifying. His True Dragon Treasure Technique had clearly reached a new realm. Its offensive power was staggering.

This spoke to the Holy Son’s astounding comprehension. The Ten Vicious Treasure Techniques was formidable but notoriously difficult. Even grasping it was no small feat. Advancing further demanded extraordinary talent.

Yet, in just a few years, the Holy Son had improved so much since slaying the Heavenly Intention Holy Son’s avatar. It was downright terrifying. The more they thought about it, the more their awe of Ye Chen surged.

Some even felt that, aside from his younger age, shorter cultivation time, and lower realm, Ye Chen was in no way inferior to the Yao, Hua, and Ying titans. In terms of talent, he might even surpass them.

The water’s surface returned to calm. The prodigies, who’d been itching to join the fray for Fan Qinghe, now sat obediently. Their bravado was gone, replaced by clear, subdued gazes. If speaking weren’t inappropriate, they might’ve exclaimed, ”The divine maiden rightfully belongs to the Fourth Holy Son!”

…

All eyes turned to the two Heavenly Intention legacy disciples hovering in the sky. The other prodigies were clearly out of the fight. Even Yao Gu had stopped sneaking glances. Only the two legacy disciples above seemed qualified to challenge the Fourth Holy Son.

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The earlier battle had ended too abruptly, too swiftly. The crowd hadn’t had their fill. They wanted to see the Heavenly Intention legacy disciples force Ye Chen to reveal more of his arsenal.

Though the legacy disciples, at mid-Deity Transformation, were far stronger than Zhang Pengfei, the consensus was that neither could defeat the Fourth Holy Son alone. But together? They might stand a chance.

The crowd yearned for a hard-fought, evenly matched clash.

Yet the two legacy disciples in the sky no longer wore the calm indifference they’d shown when sizing up Ye Chen’s tricks. Their faces were ashen, their eyes grave. Deep down, they were already wavering.

Zhang Pengfei’s strength was negligible to them—neither his realm nor talent came close. They could defeat him, even kill him. But to crush him as effortlessly as Ye Chen had? Impossible. Ye Chen’s power far surpassed either of them individually. Their high insight and strength made them even more uneasy than the crowd’s speculations.

As the saying goes: A weakling sees me as a frog at the bottom of a well gazing at the moon. But a strong one sees me as a mayfly glimpsing the vast blue sky.

Ye Chen wielded the True Dragon Treasure Technique, a supreme offensive art. Now he’d revealed an unimaginable physical body, possibly harboring a hidden divine physique. Offense and defense, both perfected to the extreme. And yet, he also possessed Heavy Pupils, versatile and nearly limitless in power. Even his spiritual power was absurdly vast, capable of shattering Zhang Pengfei’s Heaven and Earth Manifestation outright.

Such overwhelming spiritual power meant Ye Chen could unleash countless Treasure Techniques without ever running dry. No matter how long or grueling the battle, he’d show no signs of weakening. Any one of these advantages could forge a top-tier prodigy. Ye Chen had them all. Such an opponent was terrifying. Without absolute dominance, no one would willingly face him.

As for teaming up? They might win, but it’d be a pyrrhic victory. They couldn’t cripple Ye Chen. Despite their higher realms, a hard-fought win against one opponent would earn them no glory.

Instead, they’d become a backdrop to Ye Chen’s legend. A hundred harms, no benefits. Only a fool would do it.

So, the thought of suppressing Ye Chen had long vanished from their minds. As for the Heavenly Desire divine maiden, Fan Qinghe? She was undeniably captivating, enough to make them want to trade their legacy disciple titles for her.

But Ye Chen’s strength made her seem… less essential. Amber skin was rare, but not impossible to find. And someone as… alluring as her? Rare, sure, but with effort, they could find a substitute in their lifetime. So, it wasn’t worth it. Truly not worth it.

Under the crowd’s expectant gazes, the two legacy disciples, who’d been positioned between Ye Chen and the jade boat, drifted ethereally to the side. They stopped a hundred meters away, no longer blocking Ye Chen’s path to the boat.

Though they said nothing and showed no overt fear, their graceful retreat spoke volumes. In an instant, everyone understood. The lofty Heavenly Intention legacy disciples had backed down! They didn’t dare compete with the Fourth Holy Son for the divine maiden.

The outcome disappointed the crowd. This generation’s divine maiden was enchanting beyond measure. The prodigy lineup for her debut was unprecedentedly strong.

Yet the battle’s intensity fell far short of past spectacles. A pity. But it only deepened the crowd’s awe of Ye Chen. A mere late Nascent Soul cultivator had forced two mid-Deity Transformation legacy disciples to retreat, to avoid battle. He’d silenced the entire Pure Moon River.

Such dominance surpassed even the young Yao, Hua, and Ying titans at the Nascent Soul stage. Truly terrifying.

Many believed that given enough time, the Fourth Holy Son had the potential to ascend to immortality!