Immortality Starts With Investment

Sensing Yao Yuezhi’s aura plummeting wildly, the three Undying Celestial Phoenix Semi-Saints outside the secret realm sneered. Undying Phoenix Fire could incinerate everything in existence. For Yao Yuezhi to dare trap one of them inside her cave-heaven was suicide. The divine flames raged within, no longer merely damaging it, but turning the entire thing into ruins.

Losing her cave-heaven also meant Yao Yuezhi’s path to immortality was forever severed. But in the trio’s eyes, she was already dead. Whether she had a future or not no longer mattered. The fact that she and the others had even managed to retreat into the secret realm was only because the three had held back. If not for needing to lure Ye Chen, Yao Yuezhi would never have escaped.

…

Inside the secret realm, Yao Yuezhi’s face was deathly pale. Her cave-heaven had spanned ten thousand li—an extraordinary scale, top-tier even among geniuses. Yet now even its core was shattered beyond recognition. This was no longer a simple breakage.

Yao Yuekong’s eyes were bloodshot. ”Yuezhi, don’t panic. Even if a cave-heaven is damaged, it’s not incurable. The Divine Silkworm Clan possesses a high-grade Extreme Dao weapon, the Qiankun Cauldron. It’s said to have been forged from Creation Spirit Liquid. The Qiankun Cauldron can absorb origin essence from other cave-heavens to repair its own. This time, when we get back, we’ll go to the Divine Silkworm Clan. No matter the cost, we’ll borrow it once and restore you. You can absorb my cave-heaven. My talent is ordinary anyway. Becoming a Saint is already my limit. Stalling my cultivation is no loss.”

Yao Yuekong truly cherished his sister. But Yao Yuezhi looked inward, her face still bloodless, yet her voice carried a strange calm. ”It’s useless. Even the core of my cave-heaven is destroyed. This isn’t something that can be repaired anymore. It can only be reforged. To reforge a cave-heaven requires Creation Spirit Liquid, but that has long vanished from the cultivation world. The only way is to use the Qiankun Cauldron as the new core. But how tightly does the Divine Silkworm Clan guard it? Even offering a supreme Extreme Dao Weapon, they wouldn’t trade. So forget it. This is fine. Besides, our clan’s Semi-Saints are nearly all dead. Who would come to save us? Whether we even survive this is unknown.”

Hearing her words, Yao Yuekong’s spirits sank as well. The Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan truly was terrifying. Few dared provoke them. In the Ancient Desolate Era, the Undying Celestial Emperor had suppressed true immortals of every race and founded the Celestial Emperor Divine Dynasty. That had been their most glorious age. Even after the human race rose and the dynasty collapsed, their foundation remained horrifying. And with the Undying Celestial Emperor’s own son still alive, no one dared cross them. Thus, it was almost impossible for any more Semi-Saints to come to the Fourth Realm for a rescue.

Yet Yao Yuekong refused to give up. Hope shone in his eyes. ”There’s always a chance. Like… that brother-in-law. He once gifted you something as precious as the Stasis Secret. If he learns you’re trapped, he might come to save you. If we can hold out until he arrives, we might be saved. Once we escape, I’ll beg the ancestor. We’ll offer any amount of resources to the Divine Silkworm Clan to borrow the Qiankun Cauldron. Your immortal path isn’t necessarily over.”

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Hearing this, Yao Yuezhi helplessly shook her head. She had already guessed why the three Semi-Saints outside weren’t attacking the secret realm. They were most likely waiting for Ye Chen. But as long as Ye Chen wasn’t stupid, he would see it was a trap. And the opponents were three apex Undying Celestial Phoenix Semi-Saints. Most importantly, she and Ye Chen had only met once. Would he really come to save her? She held no hope.

On the other side, the Little Peacock King, bathed in five-colored divine light as he healed, curled his lip in a cold sneer.

”That Ye Chen definitely won’t dare come. And even if he did—so what? When I last saw him, he was only late Second Heaven. Who knows if he’s even reached the peak yet? He’s strong, sure—he can leap realms to kill. But leaping two full heavens against peak Fourth Heaven opponents? Even if the Heavenly Emperor himself revived, he’d die if he came. So stop dreaming. Better hope my Peacock Clan sends reinforcements. I’m their once-in-a-generation genius. The patriarch won’t abandon me. Yao Yuekong, you’re really pathetic—’brother-in-law’ rolls off your tongue so easily. Shameful.”

After arrogantly finishing, the Little Peacock King returned to seriously adjusting his condition. He was different from Yao Yuekong. Back then he had only done it to survive—forced by circumstances. He had never accepted Ye Chen, never submitted. So he could still look down on Yao Yuekong for instantly crying ”brother-in-law” at the first sign of trouble.

…

News of the Little Peacock King and the others being trapped spread rapidly. The Peacock Clan was shaken. But the patriarch and several clan elders ruthlessly suppressed all voices.

”The Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan must not be provoked. And that Celestial Prince may have already awakened. The coming Final Law Era—no one knows how long it will last. We must preserve our living strength and steadily accumulate power, not wage war against the Undying Celestial Emperor’s clan. So, for the survival of our race. We abandon the Little Peacock King if we must. He didn’t listen to advice.”

The elders all nodded. To the myriad races, the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan was the one to fear most. Without the threat of clan extermination, no one wanted conflict with them. But one elder worried, ”What if Saint Yan returns and is unhappy about this?”

The patriarch waved a grand hand. ”This is for the clan. I will speak with her when the time comes!”

Thus, the Peacock Clan decisively abandoned their generation’s supreme genius, the Little Peacock King.

…

When the Heavenly Demon Clan received the news, they panicked even more. Yao Yuezhi’s cave-heaven was suspected to be severely damaged. Yao Yuekong was useless. Most critically, the clan no longer had a single Semi-Saint left. Even if they did, it would be pointless. They couldn’t keep sending people to die.

As for begging for aid? No one would offend the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan for the Heavenly Demon Clan’s sake. Thus, the Heavenly Demon Clan could do nothing. Only a crowd of experts waited anxiously at the transmitted entrance, praying for a miracle.

…

In short, the immortal city was abuzz. The area around the Immortal Path was packed with onlookers. They were all waiting for one person.

Ye Chen.

Everyone knew the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan’s style best. If they wanted to settle scores and punish, they wouldn’t target only Yao Yuezhi. The Heir of the Heavenly Emperor was surely on the list too. But the question was—would he come?

And so, under the hopeful gazes of the few from the Heavenly Demon and Peacock Clans, a majestic bronze ancient war chariot, wreathed in divine flames, came to a halt outside the immortal city. A tall, dashing figure—domineering and extraordinary—stepped down from the chariot, a tiny-waisted war goddess at his side.

In that instant, the entire immortal city shook. The Heir of the Heavenly Emperor had actually come…