Immortality Starts With Investment

Within the living imprint battlefield, Ye Chen, fresh from his breakthrough, brimmed with battle intent, eagerly awaiting his opponents. His aura now radiated the unmistakable presence of a peak Half-Saint of the Fourth Heaven. Most importantly, it was not the early stage. It was the peak!

The Immortal Spiritual Root, combined with the profound foundation of his cave heaven, the ten-thousand-fold feedback from his gifts to the divine maiden, and the transformation via the Heart of the World Tree... had allowed him to directly cross several minor realms.

And this was still Ye Chen deliberately suppressing himself. After Half-Saint came Saint; becoming a Saint was crucial; it could not be rushed carelessly. Otherwise, he might have skipped the Half-Saint realm entirely.

After breaking through to Half-Saint, time laws had appeared within his cave heaven. He could now accelerate time flow within the entire cave heaven by up to a hundredfold—not merely in isolated pockets, but across the whole space. The effect could even extend to other living beings inside.

Ye Chen was extremely pleased with this. If he wished, one year outside could become a hundred years within. Whether spiritual plants or spirit beasts, all would receive immense growth. Even the holy spirits gestating inside would mature a hundred times faster.

As for whether it could affect other people, he had not yet tested it. But given the unique nature of his Primordial cave heaven, Ye Chen believed it should work without issue. If successful, the cultivation fanatic Luo Bingling would soar directly. In the future, she would surely slay her clan’s divine son with her own hands!

…

For the moment, however, Ye Chen’s focus was not on his own changes. It lay with the opponents he would face in the living imprint tribulation. He felt utterly confident that this time he would finally encounter the Heavenly Emperor. At last, he could have a proper fight.

Yet when over twenty figures gradually materialized on the battlefield, Ye Chen stared at the Heavenly Emperor standing at the forefront and froze in confusion. The Heavenly Emperor had brought so many people to deal with him this time?

The Heavenly Emperor himself glanced around at the figures behind him, his own expression tinged with bewilderment. What level was this kid at? He—the Heavenly Emperor in person—actually needed backup just to temper this youngster? Did the Heavenly Dao of this realm look down on him that much? But when his gaze swept over Ye Chen’s current state, his brow arched sharply.

Holy hell…

He had once remarked that the kid’s physique was merely average. Yet now he was looking at an Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo. How much time had passed? How had it changed again? Even he could no longer see through it completely. And this kid’s cave heaven? What the hell was that?

He had long known the boy possessed a great fortune, cultivating various immortal scriptures and Indestructible Heavenly Art. But the boy’s fleshly body had grown far too ferocious—beyond what the Indestructible Heavenly Art alone could account for.

Most Mahayana cultivators still wielded mere law power. Only Quasi-Immortals could convert it into the law origin force. Yet this kid had already done so at Half-Saint? The Heart of the World Tree? That thing was a supreme immortal treasure even in the immortal realm—enough to tempt Immortal Kings. Where had the kid gotten his hands on it?

In a single instant, the Heavenly Emperor’s imprint perceived countless truths. A resolute conviction formed in his mind. He could not win. Truly, he could not win.

At the same realm, he feared he might not even withstand a single punch from this kid. Even at the Saint realm, victory was uncertain. Probably only when he reached Saint King could he be absolutely certain of crushing the boy.

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How had such a true dragon emerged from this forsaken land of immortals? The final child of destiny?

Among the more than twenty figures present, it was not only the Heavenly Emperor’s imprint that stirred. Six or seven others also displayed clear signs of sentience, distinct from mere lifeless imprints.

Beside the Heavenly Emperor stood the imprint of the Devouring Female Immortal. She cast a calm glance at Ye Chen, her expression showing little fluctuation. Her gaze shifted to the Heavenly Emperor, then swept across the others.

Without a word, her imprint quietly dissipated on the spot. The Moral Heavenly Venerable looked at Ye Chen with a faint smile and nodded. Then he turned to the Heavenly Emperor, eyes complex, offered a slight bow of respect, and drifted away into nothingness.

The other sentient imprints similarly glanced over briefly before vanishing one after another. Among them was one figure that carried the aura of an Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo.

The imprints departed so decisively that Ye Chen’s lips twitched. They were just going to leave without fighting? But he quickly guessed the reason. These figures could sense even the thunder tribulation imprints and project a trace of consciousness—they were undoubtedly beings of immense stature.

Though perhaps not quite on the Heavenly Emperor’s level, they were still supreme existences. Since they possessed sentience, they naturally disdained ganging up. Their departure made sense.

Still, Ye Chen did not mind. As long as the Heavenly Emperor remained, that was enough. Today, he was determined to claim the achievement of defeating the Heavenly Emperor at the same realm!

Among the imprints present, aside from the Heavenly Emperor, one other carried clear consciousness. It gazed at the Heavenly Emperor with eyes full of hatred and spoke in an icy tone. ”You’re still alive? Though I suppose even if you live, your mind must already be flashing through memories like a revolving lantern.”

The Heavenly Emperor had just been searching for an excuse to leave. At those words, the corner of his mouth curved upward. ”So it’s you, Wang Jiu. The Nine Dragons of the Wang Clan—I killed eight of them. The only reason I spared you was that the Seven Extremes Heavenly Maiden happened to block my way. I never expected you actually to become an Immortal King. Let me guess how you broke through. Did you devour the origin of your eight brothers? In that case, shouldn’t you be thanking me? After all, I’m the one who killed those eight for you.”

The old man’s expression immediately darkened with fury. But he quickly laughed. ”Who could possibly be more miserable than you, Heavenly Emperor? Everyone around you dead—friends fallen, loved ones, and beauties alike perished… Left utterly alone. No wonder you charged out to die.

”But even after paying such a tragic price, what did it accomplish? Nothing more than delaying the devouring of the immortal realm by a little longer! I’ve already negotiated future benefits with the foreign domain! When the time comes, I will step into an even higher realm—perhaps even truly transcend, forever escaping the Five Signs of Decay. So in a way, I should be the one thanking you!

”Back then, if the foreign domain had swallowed the immortal realm easily, they never would have offered such favorable terms. It was you, Heavenly Emperor, and the people by your side who fought so fiercely that you proved our worth—only then did the foreign domain concede benefits! For that alone, I must thank you!”

The Heavenly Emperor showed no trace of anger. He merely turned back toward Ye Chen and shook his head. ”You are truly remarkable. Your combat power at the Half-Saint realm already rivals mine from back then. I had intended to give it my all and experience the thrill of a true battle at a lower realm. Unfortunately, this brat Wang Jiu is too despicable. I need to go teach him a lesson. When you reach Great Saint, we’ll fight then.”

In the Heavenly Emperor’s view, his own Great Saint realm had brought astonishing opportunities and a massive transformation. By then, he should be able to match this kid. With those words, he gave Ye Chen no chance to reply and strode directly toward the mocking old man.

The old man sneered. ”I’m merely a wisp of thought here. What can you possibly do?”

The Heavenly Emperor smiled and raised his hand lightly, as though grasping an invisible string. With a gentle flick, the old man’s expression changed drastically. ”My true body…”

He stared at the Heavenly Emperor in disbelief before vanishing in an instant. The Heavenly Emperor’s imprint also faded without a trace. Only Ye Chen remained on the spot, utterly dumbfounded…

The Heavenly Emperor had left again… and again… and again? What kind of Half-Saint imprint tribulation was this—like a damn marketplace?

Meanwhile, the remaining imprints had already begun to act.

Ye Chen threw a punch with utter boredom. The first to charge was the Undying Celestial Emperor, who had once died at the Heavenly Emperor’s hands. He exploded on impact…