Immortality Starts With Investment

High above the firmament, Ye Chen raised an eyebrow at the incoming Great Saint, a faint smile playing on his lips. He felt no fear. Yet he had no intention of engaging personally. A Great Saint was already at the Seventh Heaven. Three full major realms above his Fourth Heaven cultivation. With his current foundation, he could certainly give it a try—but there was no need.

Thus, Ye Chen ignored the crushing pressure entirely. In the Great Saint’s line of sight, he leisurely opened the entrance to his cave heaven and prepared to step inside. The one currently attacking him was none other than the Great Saint from the Devouring lineage.

Seeing Ye Chen’s actions, he narrowed his eyes. He—a Great Saint—had unleashed his aura, enough to make even Saint Kings tremble. For Saints or Half-Saints, merely standing under such pressure would render their Qi nearly impossible to circulate. Yet Ye Chen remained utterly unaffected. Truly worthy of being a supreme prodigy. But fleeing into a cave heaven—what good would that do?

He knew Ye Chen’s cave heaven must be protected by peerless killing formations. Even if it housed an emperor-grade array, how long could a mere Half-Saint like Ye Chen possibly sustain it against him? Death was inevitable! Thus, he paid it no mind.

Just as Ye Chen stepped toward the cave heaven entrance, a voice of extreme allure drifted through the air—seductive enough to melt bones at the mere sound.

”Heavenly Emperor’s heir, I have come to save you…”

Ye Chen immediately turned to look. His eyes widened. Not because of her figure, which unmistakably belonged to the Heavenly Desire Divine Maiden lineage. But because of her cultivation.

Saint King. The Heavenly Desire Sect actually had such a hidden powerhouse?

Ye Chen was intimately familiar with the Heart-Seed Demon Nirvana Scripture. He sensed the familiar aura emanating from her. Clearly, an elder of the Heavenly Desire Sect. And one at the peak of Saint King, no less. This was an unexpected delight for Ye Chen.

After all, even with Fan Qinghe, her master, and grandmaster combined, they had only absorbed about a third of his reserves. Honestly, their endurance was rather disappointing. By the time he reached the Sixth Heaven, they might only need a tenth before all three flashed victory signs together…

Now, another had arrived. And judging from her aura, she had been empty for who-knew-how-many years. Such a being would truly understand the rarity of drawing from him. She would surely be like that grandmaster—refusing to retreat until she passed out completely.

Ye Chen silently resolved: When this was over, he would have to give Fan Qinghe a little scolding. The Heavenly Desire Sect had a Saint King elder, yet she had never introduced him? Truly too much.

Through his Heavy Pupils, Ye Chen saw clearly. Whether her appearance, figure, or skin condition, everything about this elder was flawless. But it was clearly the effect of her cultivation technique. Her lifespan was nearly exhausted. His Heavy Pupils could sense the faint, flickering thread of her vitality. She likely would not survive until the next nirvana.

But to Ye Chen, this was no issue. A single fruit casually picked from his cave heaven would extend her life until he reached the peak of the Sixth Heaven. Everything was a minor problem.

Ye Chen’s already good mood soared even higher with the arrival of the Heavenly Desire ancestral master. Even his steps toward the cave heaven entrance became noticeably lighter.

Above the firmament, the Great Saint had already arrived in a thunderous rush. Hearing the words of the ancestral master, he sneered disdainfully.

A mere second-rate sect—even if it hid a Saint King, what of it? Did someone like her have any right to interfere in a battle of this level? Once this was over, he would bring people to wipe the Heavenly Desire Sect from existence.

The Great Saint could not be bothered with her. His body transformed into divine light and plunged straight through the entrance of Ye Chen’s cave heaven.

As a Great Saint, entering the cave heaven of a mere Half-Saint required no caution whatsoever. He was utterly confident. Once inside, he would make Ye Chen wish for death—or even burst the cave heaven apart from the inside.

…

Boom…

The two figures flashed forward one after another, vanishing from their original spots within mere heartbeats. All that remained at the scene was a single glowing portal leading into Ye Chen’s cave heaven.

Heavenly Desire Ancestor, who had charged forward with teeth clenched, now stood frozen in bewilderment. Yet she desperately needed to advance. Ye Chen could not be allowed to meet with any accident. If he did, the Age of Dharma’s End would arrive far too soon. And her Heavenly Desire Sect would be finished—utterly severed.

Without the slightest hesitation, she moved to rush straight into Ye Chen’s cave heaven portal. But right at that moment, Feng Baiyu’s calm voice drifted over: ”Fellow Daoist, there is no need to enter Ye Chen’s cave heaven… Just lend us a hand from here. Your direct participation would disrupt the balance of the battle. Once we’ve suppressed this group of enemies, we can immediately go support Ye Chen.”

Feng Baiyu had also noticed the Heavenly Desire Ancestor. Though he didn’t understand why this long-hidden Saint King, upon finally emerging from seclusion, placed such extraordinary importance on Ye Chen—almost excessively grateful—he still recognized her as an ally. Who knew what kinds of bizarre trump cards Ye Chen might be hiding inside his cave heaven? If this Saint King rushed in and saw them, Ye Chen would probably find it very difficult to silence her afterward. That would only create more problems.

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Hearing this, Heavenly Desire Ancestor swept a glance toward Feng Baiyu. She remembered this young man. Before she had feigned death and entered deep slumber, Feng Baiyu had already been making waves across the Great Yan Continent—causing chaos, leaving complaints in his wake, and earning himself quite the infamous reputation.

Now, somehow, he had reached such a terrifying height. After a brief hesitation, she recalled the rumors about Feng Baiyu back then, and more importantly, just how crucial Ye Chen was to the future of the Heavenly Desire Sect. In the end, she chose to follow his suggestion. Since she was already doing him a favor, there was no need to be overly cautious.

With graceful steps, Heavenly Desire Ancestor drifted forward. She did not directly join the fray. Instead, she extended her hand, releasing strands of incomparably profound and mystical power. Around her, dazzling pink radiance bloomed—like countless drifting petals of flower pollen—filling and subtly permeating the entire battlefield.

The Heavenly Desire Sect had never been known for direct combat prowess. But when it came to enchantment and bewitchment, no one could compare.

Among the ambushers who were currently locked in fierce combat, everyone except the Great Saint inside the thunder domain suddenly found their minds affected. They couldn’t help but steal glances toward the Heavenly Desire Ancestor from time to time—each stolen look costing them a split second of focus.

In a battle among peak powerhouses, even an instant of distraction could be fatal. Two Saints were caught staring blankly for a heartbeat too long. The next moment, half their bodies were blasted apart.

The sudden change sent a wave of shock through the surrounding experts. Everyone knew the Heavenly Desire Sect was weak in head-on fights. In single combat, their cultivators almost never won against peers of the same realm. Yet in a chaotic, multi-sided battle…

The sect’s bewitching arts displayed horrifying effectiveness. They could reverse the tide of battle in the blink of an eye.

Feng Baiyu moved swiftly across the battlefield, constantly scanning the surroundings, only to shake his head with faint disappointment each time. That seemed to be all of them. No more reinforcements were coming.

Honestly, the lineup they were facing was already terrifying. A Great Saint taking personal action against any other prodigy, that would have meant certain death.

But who was Ye Chen? The biological son of the Heavenly Emperor. Though his cultivation stood at Half-Saint, no one could truly treat him as an ordinary Half-Saint. Some wouldn’t even dare classify him as a mere Saint.

Of course, the enemy had already shown sufficient caution—deploying a Great Saint for the assassination was already top-tier treatment. Yet even so… it still wouldn’t be that easy.

Feng Baiyu silently counted down in his heart. If no more reinforcements appeared, then there was no need to wait any longer. The outer grand formation had already been set.

Today, not a single one of these attackers—not even the Great Saint—would escape. In the cultivation world, it had been countless ages since a Great Saint-level existence had fallen…

No matter which faction they belonged to, the loss would cause devastating damage. And most importantly, he would personally lead people straight to their doorstep to demand compensation.

Just thinking about the scene made Feng Baiyu feel a rare surge of delight from head to toe. When the countdown finished and he confirmed there would be no further reinforcements, the corners of Feng Baiyu’s lips lifted slightly. In a calm, almost gentle voice, he spoke: ”Nine Heavens Sealing Annihilation Formation… Activate!”

In an instant, a terrifying sealing power erupted from the outskirts of the Heavenly Desire Sect. The grand formation the attackers had painstakingly set up exploded apart with a deafening roar.

At the same time, several figures clad in Yin-Yang fish Daoist robes, each radiating an overwhelming aura, slowly stepped into the shattered array.

The sudden change caused the faces of every attacker to pale. Why had reinforcements from the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land arrived so quickly? This made no sense.

Retreat immediately rose in their hearts, but they had already been teetering on the edge of withdrawal—only waiting for the Heavenly Emperor’s heir to fall before they fled.

Now, with Heavenly Evolution’s reinforcements arriving and the Heavenly Desire Ancestor controlling the field, escape had become far more difficult.

Feng Baiyu turned his head and looked at the Saint who had earlier spoken such vicious threats, now clearly panicked. A faint, mocking smile curved his lips.

”I said I would send your whole family to reunite. I always keep my word. With your strength, it’s obvious your faction is nothing special—just mediocre at best. Even if it is a holy land, it’s clearly a declining one. When I’m done, I’ll bring your corpse straight to their doorstep and watch as your entire lineage is wiped clean…”

For the first time, genuine fear flickered in the Saint’s eyes beneath the black mist.

…

When Ye Chen stepped into his cave heaven, he simply stood still. Calmly, he gazed back toward the entrance. The next moment, a figure shrouded entirely in black mist charged inside with explosive momentum.

The corners of Ye Chen’s mouth lifted. His heavy pupils lit up, curious to see the intruder’s reaction. Truthfully, his cave heaven had grown far too powerful lately. Using it merely as a field for splashing and a cultivation ground felt like wearing royal robes at night—no one appreciated the true splendor. So the moment an enemy entered his cave heaven and witnessed its majesty, their shock and terror had become Ye Chen’s favorite entertainment. He remained motionless, simply watching.

The Great Saint who had stormed in with murderous intent froze the instant he crossed the threshold. His gaze snapped upward toward the sky. Ye Chen clearly sensed the intruder’s body stiffen for a brief moment. Then the Great Saint’s eyes dropped to the peak of the main floating mountain. His entire frame shuddered violently. He had surely seen the vast forest of Immortal Spiritual Roots.

Still, Ye Chen made no move. He merely watched with an amused smile, waiting to see what the man would do next.

Flee in panic? Or charge straight at the cave heaven’s master in a desperate attempt to kill him?

The Great Saint proved surprisingly decisive. After only a single trembling heartbeat, he regained control of himself and acted. The black mist enveloping his body dissipated in an instant. Revealed beneath was a muscular, rugged old man, his entire presence savage and ferocious—like a humanoid ancient ferocious beast.

Seeing the choice the intruder made, Ye Chen’s smile widened. He wasn’t even bothering to hide his face anymore. Clearly, he had come prepared to kill without leaving any witnesses.

Bold.

But just as a silent branch of the Fusang Divine Tree tore through the void and appeared right in front of Ye Chen—Ready to lash down without the slightest ripple of killing intent—The beast-like Great Saint suddenly dropped to his knees. He kowtowed deeply toward Ye Chen, striking the ground three times in sincere prostration.

Then, eyes red-rimmed and voice trembling with emotion, he spoke: ”The true heir of this generation’s Heavenly Emperor… truly the Devouring lineage’s heir! This old servant has not waited in vain!

”Greetings, Young Lord! This old servant is the Demon-Exterminating Great Saint of the Devouring lineage… and the guardian who was meant to protect you on your path! After years of bitter waiting… this old servant has finally met his Young Lord…”

At that final moment, the Demon-Exterminating Great Saint wept tears of overwhelming joy.