Immortality Starts With Investment

”The War God Clan’s Divine Son? Is the War God Clan targeting you? That doesn’t add up. The War God Clan’s Divine Son lacks the aptitude for immortality. Though his combat strength is impressive, he can only serve as someone else’s lackey. There must be another mastermind behind this. Perhaps the Celestial Prince.”

Feng Baiyu analyzed the situation on Ye Chen’s behalf.

Ye Chen nodded noncommittally. Who the true culprit was didn’t really matter. Once he entered the Sixth Realm, the truth would reveal itself soon enough.

After departing from the Heavenly Intention Holy Land, the elders piloting the immortal boat pushed its speed to the absolute limit. The Immortal Path was no longer far away. The elders brimmed with battle intent, fully prepared for any potential clash—perhaps even more eager than Ye Chen himself.

Ye Chen could only smile helplessly. When the flying vessel reached Immortal City, it drifted gracefully inside.

In an instant, Ye Chen drew every eye in the city. Ever since news of the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb broke, everyone had been wondering when the Heavenly Emperor’s heir would finally arrive. Now he had. And he had truly broken through to the Saint King realm. His advancement speed was simply outrageous.

Most crucially, back when Ye Chen was still at the Saint realm—even while gravely injured and on the verge of death—he had slaughtered countless Saint Kings in reverse kills, leaving the entire Sixth Realm eerily quiet.

Now that he had officially stepped into Saint King, who in the Sixth Realm could possibly stand against the Heavenly Emperor’s heir? Clearly, the moment the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb appeared, it was destined to fall into his hands. Once he obtained it, the Heavenly Emperor’s heir would grow even more unstoppable, surging toward Great Saint at terrifying speed. At that point, he could truly be considered fully matured.

The thought filled countless cultivators in Immortal City with awe and admiration. Yet many forces whose interests clashed with those of other immortal contenders wore complicated expressions. The Heavenly Emperor’s heir wasn’t merely invincible at the same realm—he remained invincible even against opponents from a small major realm above him…

On top of that, the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land guarded him jealously, surrounding him with far too many protectors for anyone to act. The sensation of helplessly watching another faction’s prodigy rise unchecked was truly agonizing.

…

Meanwhile, deep within the Immortal Path.

The War God Clan’s Divine Son spoke with evident boredom. ”I was already perfectly prepared some time ago. I could have attempted to ascend my world and break through to Great Saint. But for the master’s mission, I’ve kept waiting… Yet the news has spread for so long, and Ye Chen still hasn’t shown up. How much longer must we wait?”

Another person chimed in. ”Could it be that the Heavenly Emperor’s treasury also contains some divine object capable of aiding the fusion of Heavenly Position laws? If that’s the case, we might be wasting our time for nothing!”

A third added, ”I’m honestly envious of the Heavenly Emperor’s heir. Smooth sailing on his cultivation path, endless resources lavished on the women around him—it’s pure waste. If I had the Heavenly Emperor’s treasury, I’d definitely make far better use of it…”

The group discussed animatedly.

The Clan Madam—who had remained mostly silent until now, exuding a mature and commanding aura—finally spoke. ”We follow the master’s orders. That’s all. What does a few years’ delay in your breakthrough matter? Don’t tell me you still harbor delusions of becoming immortal yourselves? Better to focus on doing your job well. When the master ascends to the Immortal Realm in the future, he might just bring you along.”

Her words were blunt and to the point. The others immediately fell silent. But moments later, their eyes lit up. Fresh intelligence had arrived. The Heavenly Emperor’s heir had quietly reached Immortal City and was about to enter the Immortal Path. Excitement surged through the group at once.

The War God Clan’s Divine Son radiated battle intent, his eyes gleaming with thrill. ”Though I no longer have any chance at immortality, sending a human with true immortal potential to his grave still sets my blood ablaze.”

The prospect of destroying a top-tier prodigy with boundless prospects wasn’t limited to the War God Clan’s Divine Son. Every person present felt the same rush. Since they had no path forward, they naturally wanted to drag as many others down with them as possible.

And right now, the Heavenly Emperor’s heir stood at the absolute peak of momentum—having successively wiped out two generations of myriad-race prodigies. Countless human prodigies had also perished at his hands. His dominance was unprecedented. Even the Heavenly Emperor of old, at the same realm as Ye Chen, had been far less overbearing.

In the mouths of many cultivators, Ye Chen was already hailed as the number-one talent in the entire history of the cultivation world. Such a being, so long as he didn’t die, was destined to dominate the ages. Yet now he would fall by their hands. How could that not fill them with exhilaration?

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”The Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Immortal-Locking Array is already in place. Though we cannot fully activate it, we’re confident it could even shake a Great Emperor to death!”

”No matter how monstrous the Heavenly Emperor’s heir may be, he’s only an early Saint King. He might contend with Great Saints, but could he possibly surpass a Great Emperor?

”With the master’s origins, he surely has no interest in the Heavenly Emperor’s treasury. When the time comes, if there’s a Dao Cauldron in his Cave Heaven, it must go to me—it belongs to the War God Clan!”

”I want the Heavenly Emperor Sword! With it, my sword dao will surely reach new heights.”

The Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Immortal-Locking Array had given them boundless confidence. They had already begun dividing up the spoils from Ye Chen’s Cave Heaven. The Clan Madam, however, did not join the discussion. She simply pointed a calm finger toward the seal below.

In an instant, the long-sealed Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb finally emerged into the daylight. Heavenly clouds churned violently as boundless divine light converged, pouring down onto the leaves and petals of the spirit grass.

A mysterious, profound aura rippled outward.

Within millions of miles, every cultivator at the Saint King realm felt their Heavenly Heart imprint stir in response. The Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb had matured. It had come into the world!

At that moment, numerous Saint Kings took to the skies, flying toward the location of its emergence. Yet some, better informed, remained completely unmoved even after witnessing the event. They had already learned the truth.

The Heavenly Emperor’s heir had entered the Immortal Path. With the Heavenly Emperor’s heir present, who would dare claim they could seize the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb? Any blind attempt at contention would likely bring no gain—only death.

The countless Saint Kings who had already fallen served as a stark warning. So they flew at a leisurely pace. When they encountered less-informed fellow cultivators rushing headlong toward the site, they even offered calm reminders. The mere mention of Ye Chen’s name was enough to cool the fervor of almost every Saint King…

They sighed with regret, then gave up entirely. Those who had survived to this day all possessed self-awareness. Their primary goal now was to grow as strong as possible under the still-lenient rules of the world before the Age of Dharma’s End arrived… Not to court death.

Still, no one was completely dispersed. They chose instead to linger and watch the spectacle—curious whether any fool would dare challenge the Heavenly Emperor’s heir.

…

The War God Clan’s Divine Son and the Clan Madam, along with their two companions, had already prepared for battle the moment the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb’s aura erupted. After all, no one knew exactly when the Heavenly Emperor’s heir would arrive. They absolutely could not allow anyone else to claim it first. Otherwise, the heir might simply turn around and leave.

Yet the four of them were supremely confident in holding the ground. All four stood at the absolute peak of Saint King. In the past, a handful of others in the Sixth Realm could perhaps barely match them. But those had all perished at Ye Chen’s hands last time. Together, the four of them were virtually invincible.

When the first Saint King arrived, the four—who had concealed themselves in the void—readied to strike. Yet they watched as the arriving cultivator halted tens of thousands of miles away. More and more Saint Kings followed—over twenty in total. Every single one stopped at a respectful distance, as though by unspoken agreement.

The Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb lay right before their eyes. Yet none dared approach. It was as if the newly emerged treasure already had an owner.

The four stared in stunned silence at the scene. Then realization dawned. The Heavenly Emperor’s heir’s reputation had grown far too terrifying. No one dared make a move.

Jealousy flared in their hearts. They too were cultivators, once celebrated prodigies raised amid endless praise. Yet the gap between them and him was so vast. Why? The realization only deepened their killing intent.

Soon, fresh news arrived. The Heavenly Emperor’s heir had appeared at the Sixth Realm’s teleportation array. It wouldn’t be long before he reached them.

Cold smiles spread across the four faces as they waited eagerly for the moment a supreme prodigy would fall.

…

At the Sixth Realm teleportation array within the Immortal Path.

Ye Chen stepped down gracefully and immediately received word of the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb’s emergence. A faint smile curved his lips. They weren’t even bothering to pretend anymore…

Ye Chen felt no urgency. He advanced slowly, curious what method his enemies would use against him. The War God Clan’s Divine Son had a decent combat record. After all, the War God Body was no weaker than a Sacred Body.

But judging from his own past experiences, even if the Divine Son had several peak Saint King allies, they shouldn’t have the courage to face him head-on. There had to be another trump card.

An supreme Extreme Dao Weapon? He possessed those as well! So it was most likely a grand formation. Lure him with the spirit herb, then trap him inside the array. Yet he had Heavy Pupils, the Kun Peng Treasure Technique, the Movement Secret, and the Array Secret! In truth, no formation in the world could trap him or harm him. This was purely offering themselves up as food.

Unhurried, Ye Chen flew toward the site of the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb’s emergence. At the same time, his divine sense sank into his Cave Heaven. He first glanced at the Divine Maiden Furnace. Inside, his senior sister trembled as she cultivated with utmost effort—she was nearly at peak Saint.

Lu Jing, meanwhile, cultivated with a face full of anguish. As for Luo Bingling, she cultivated with ravenous hunger, her expression only slightly less ecstatic than when she had lain upon the Nirvana Jade. The little seductress truly loved cultivation.

Ye Chen gently roused Luo Bingling. At first, she seemed reluctant. But the moment she realized it was Ye Chen, joy lit her face. She even started toward the pool on her own initiative. Only when she understood it was merely his divine sense did she halt, disappointment washing over her.

Once she fully awoke, Ye Chen spoke. He informed her of the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb’s emergence and the likely ambush by the War God Clan’s Divine Son.

Luo Bingling’s eyes brightened at once. Excitement flooded her voice. ”Husband, the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb is ordinary. Within the War God Clan, there are far more suitable treasures for fusing Heavenly Position laws…

”As for the War God Clan’s Divine Son—he must die! Once he falls, the War God Clan will have no remaining standout prodigies. When I reappear at that moment, the clan’s future will rest entirely on me! Then I will hand those treasures to you, Husband, so you can advance even faster and break through to Great Saint!”