Immortality Starts With Investment

The corners of Alkaid Holy Son’s mouth always carried a faint smile. He was refined and gentle, exuding an effortless warmth that made him immensely likable. Among the prodigies of the cultivation world, his status had always been exceptionally high. Only his defeat at Ye Chen’s hands back then had slightly dimmed his brilliance.

Even now, with his transcendent bearing, Alkaid faced Ye Chen not as an enemy, but almost like a guide—calm and unruffled as he continued speaking. ”This technique is right here. In the battle to come, should I fall, you may take it for yourself. With your talent, perhaps you could even perfect it—surpassing immortal scriptures entirely and truly breaking the restrictions of the Indestructible Heavenly Art…”

”If that day comes, even in death, I would be gratified. And if you are the one to fall, then in the future, I will seek out the Heavenly Intention Holy Maiden Yi Qingwu and devour her. A perfected Chaos Body will surely bring me tremendous inspiration. As for the Innate Chaos Body ahead of us—I will pay her a visit in due time as well.”

Alkaid made no effort to conceal his intentions. He treated this battle as the final confrontation between himself and Ye Chen. And his demeanor was truly grand and open—every bit the bearing that belonged to a supreme prodigy.

Even Ling Yu, who had been rejected earlier and now stood at a distance, felt a surge of admiration. Though this man clearly cultivated some sinister art, he carried himself with genuine magnanimity. His talent was staggering—he had actually modified an immortal scripture in an attempt to shatter its limits. The cultivation world truly overflowed with prodigies. His own Extreme Martial Realm could not even compare.

Yan Qingcheng raised an eyebrow at Alkaid’s words but paid him little further attention. Instead, she furrowed her brows and pressed her assault toward Dantai Xuan.

Dantai Xuan fought in a very strange manner—cold, emotionless, as though embodying the ruthlessness of the Great Dao itself. Though Yan Qingcheng held the upper hand and was steadily suppressing her, she still found it difficult to fully pin her down in the short term.

…

On Ye Chen’s side, his conviction only deepened. A man like Alkaid—who had repeatedly schemed against him in the shadows, slandered him, orchestrated ambushes, launched sneak attacks, and even targeted the people around him—could never truly be this magnanimous.

To now act so generously, even offering up a technique he had painstakingly researched and refined… There could only be a larger scheme at play. And what was it?

Most likely, Ye Chen’s current dominance and the clear hostility he harbored toward Alkaid had made the other man anxious. He wanted to fake his death and slip away, then bide his time to rebuild his strength. Ye Chen had no intention of hunting down Alkaid’s true body. The real Alkaid was surely still hiding somewhere in the fifth realm of the Immortal Path—impossible to locate.

But that was fine. No matter what Alkaid’s true goal was, as long as Ye Chen could obtain the technique he claimed to carry, the gain would be massive. As for the main body—once the opportunity arose, Ye Chen would naturally not let him escape.

”Ever since you first encountered me, you have schemed against me in the dark—slandering me, surrounding me with ambushes, launching sneak attacks, even going after the people close to me… And now you speak so nobly and righteously. Enough words. Let me send you on your way!”

Ye Chen pretended ignorance, saving the surprise for later. In the next instant, he stepped forward with the Movement Secret. His speed reached its absolute limit in a single breath—his figure blurring into near-invisibility as he charged straight toward Alkaid Holy Son.

Alkaid gave a faint smile. The array patterns beneath him flared, channeling terrifying power into his body. His black hair danced lightly; divine light radiated from him in all directions. In that moment, he resembled an immortal god descended to the mortal world.

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An oppressive, bone-chilling aura emanated from him. The divine light around his body suddenly exploded outward. Endless radiance surged like a gale-driven tidal wave, crashing toward Ye Chen. Wherever it passed, the void twisted and shattered into countless fragments.

This was one of Alkaid Holy Land’s supreme immortal scriptures: the Chaos Holy Light Technique. Alkaid had already mastered it to the point of perfection. Once the holy light emerged, it could sweep away all enemies under heaven, dissolving nearly anything in its path. Yet divine radiance flowed across Ye Chen’s body. He didn’t even need to actively resist—the light parted effortlessly around him, unable to hinder his advance as he drew steadily closer to Alkaid’s main body.

Alkaid’s true form showed no hesitation. With the array patterns supporting him, he too executed the Movement Secret and retreated. He left behind only afterimages in his wake, making it nearly impossible for outsiders to track his true position. Even as he withdrew, Alkaid swept his hand outward. His fingers flickered as he began channeling techniques.

Under the enhancement of the quasi-immortal remnant array, every movement he made became terrifyingly amplified. One after another, devastating secret arts were unleashed with casual gestures. Some came from Alkaid Holy Land’s immortal scriptures. Others were divine techniques from the Indestructible Heavenly Art. Still more belonged to the Heaven-Devouring Demon Art…

And that wasn’t all. Alkaid had also mastered secret arts from numerous other mysterious ancient scriptures—including several of the Nine Secrets. He had brought nearly all of them to the peak of mastery. Every strike carried heaven-shaking, earth-shattering power.

Under the array’s amplification, almost every single attack he unleashed possessed the might to slay a saint. Several of those techniques crashed directly into Ye Chen. Though Ye Chen remained completely unharmed, the entire fourth realm trembled violently from the impacts. It was more than enough proof of just how terrifying Alkaid had become.

Yet Ye Chen paid no mind to any of it. Ten thousand techniques slid off him without touching. Executing the same Movement Secret, he moved even faster than Alkaid.

In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance and threw a punch without the slightest hesitation. That single fist carried such terrifying power that it seemed ready to tear open the sky of the fourth realm itself.

Alkaid knew full well how monstrous Ye Chen’s physique was—he had no intention of meeting it head-on. The remnant quasi-immortal array patterns beneath his feet flared brightly.

Power from the array rose up, condensing into a divine mirror that tried to block the strike. But Ye Chen’s physical body was simply too overwhelming. One punch shattered the mirror into fragments.

Alkaid was sent flying backward in an explosive retreat. Yet thanks to the array’s mitigation, only half his body detonated into bloody mist. Chaos Qi flickered a few times, and the damage healed in an instant.

Still, Alkaid’s expression could no longer maintain its previous composure. Gone was the calm elegance. Endless Chaos Qi surged outward, wrapping around him in a strange, unique manner that further bolstered his strength.

At the same time, an ancient, powerful secret art began to circulate within him, carrying an aura that felt impossibly old. Alkaid grew even more cautious, maintaining distance from Ye Chen. The techniques he unleashed grew sharper and more ferocious with every exchange. Each strike seemed capable of ripping half the firmament apart.

Alkaid spared no cost, determined to obliterate Ye Chen completely. In that moment, the entire world seemed to shrink until only the two of them remained. Only flashing divine light and the ceaseless rumbling of destruction filled the heavens and earth.

Yet Ye Chen’s physique was despair-inducingly strong. From afar, Ling Yu watched in utter shock. Even techniques of such terrifying caliber could not harm Ye Chen in the slightest. This was true supreme physique—untouched by myriad laws. Compared to it, his own Martial Dao Sacred Embryo seemed almost ordinary.

…

On Ye Chen’s side, he seemed to have grown bored. A Kun Peng cry echoed. Its divine shadow flashed into existence. The Small Spatial Technique was layered on top. Ye Chen’s figure vanished from his original spot in an instant. The next moment, he reappeared directly behind Alkaid Holy Son.

Under Alkaid’s stunned gaze, Ye Chen’s fist smashed downward. Beneath that single punch, Alkaid’s body—and the remnant array beneath his feet—both exploded apart in unison.

The shockwave rolled outward, tearing away half the sky. Far-off cultivators who had finally hurried over, drawn by the commotion and intending to watch the battle, stared with wide, horrified eyes at the scene.

Who was the heir of the Heavenly Emperor fighting? Who possessed such horrifying strength? Were they about to destroy the entire fourth realm?

Countless people speculated wildly. And soon, they received their answer!