Immortality Starts With Investment

Chapter 312: Competing to Be a Protector?

The sky ship, resembling a celestial palace, surged to life with unimaginable speed. In an instant, it vanished from the skies above the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land, leaving behind a chorus of gasps from the countless elders and disciples below. Murmurs rippled through the crowd, speculating about the kind of prodigy who could earn the recognition of a Supreme Elder. Could their talent rival that of Senior Brother Hua Yunfei or Senior Sister Dantai Xuan?

Hua Yunfei was absent from the Holy Land, while Dantai Xuan sat in serene cultivation, her exquisite face devoid of emotion. The tolling of the bell elicited no reaction from her, as if she were detached from all worldly concerns, untouched by desire or sentiment.

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The sky ship tore through the void at a dizzying pace, its velocity exerting immense pressure. Lin Qingtan raised a hand, her skin as pale and translucent as porcelain forged in a snow-capped mountain, shielding the pale-faced Li Feihuang from the crushing force.

Li Feihuangʼs heart thrummed with awe. Her masterʼs voice cut through the silence, calm and composed. ”You guessed correctly. Most of the elders here hope to become the new Holy Sonʼs Protector.”

The confirmation left Li Feihuang reeling. She truly couldnʼt fathom it.

Lin Qingtanʼs face, veiled in mist, betrayed no emotion, but her voice carried a faint weight. ”True prodigies are blessed by the heavens, their fates intertwined with astonishing fortune. Despite their already extraordinary talents, they stumble upon inheritances and treasures that ordinary cultivators could only dream of. Itʼs as if the worldʼs greatest boons are laid out just for them.”

She continued, ”The tides of destiny itself seem to shape the stage for their rise. This fortune even extends to those around them. Take the Protector of the Eternal Cosmos True Immortal, for example. A ninth-stage Mahayana cultivator, barred from immortality by a broken Immortal Path, he became the Eternal Cosmos True Immortalʼs Protector out of despair. Yet, while protecting the True Immortal through a dire crisis, he uncovered an impossible opportunity, reforging the Immortal Path. He not only saved Eternal Cosmos True Immortal but ascended to immortality himself.”

”Such stories are not rare,” Lin Qingtan said. ”Many believe the heavens grant these opportunities to Protectors to ensure the prodigies they protect donʼt fall. But itʼs not all blessings. Often, Protectors are dragged down by the very prodigies they serve, perishing alongside them, especially when those prodigies stir up trouble. Others fail to reach the pinnacle of the immortal realm, proving themselves unworthy of the title ʼtrue prodigy.ʼ”

”Yet, despite the risks, those whose paths have stalled are still willing to try.” Her voice grew quieter. ”I am one of them. My path forward is broken, so I seek this chance.”

Around them, the other Heavenly Evolution Holy Land powerhouses listened. Some remained impassive, while others nodded with faint smiles.

Li Feihuangʼs shock mingled with envy. So that was the truth behind Protectors. Perhaps this was the origin of the saying, ”When one rises to the heavens, even their dogs ascend.” True prodigies didnʼt just carve their own path to greatness—they could alter the destinies of those around them, compelling even stalled powerhouses to serve as their Protectors. It was an enviable existence, the mark of a supreme prodigy.

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Having glimpsed the true heights of the cultivation world, Li Feihuangʼs thoughts drifted briefly to Ye Chen. But his image in her mind grew fainter. The more she learned, the clearer it became that Ye Chen, who once awed her, was insignificant. He wasnʼt worthy of being her goal. His shadow quickly faded from her thoughts.

Another question stirred in her mind, tinged with concern. ”Master, youʼre only three hundred years old and already in the early Deity Transformation stage, with seven hundred years of life left. How could your path be broken?”

Lin Qingtan didnʼt answer. A chill emanated from her, spreading through the sky ship, her icy aura reinforcing her resemblance to a frost-clad beauty.

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The grand formation guarding the Divine Will Sectʼs mountain gate shattered with a single grasp. The entire sect trembled as if the heavens had collapsed, the scene resembling an apocalyptic calamity. Yet Tian Mingzi, the one responsible for this devastation, remained utterly indifferent.

Stepping calmly from the sky ship, he walked through the void with unhurried steps. Each stride spanned tens of thousands of meters, and each step sent a tremor through the hearts of those below, as if their very heartbeats were under his control.

When Tian Mingzi finally halted above the Divine Will Sect, the countless cultivators within paled, some coughing up blood under the overwhelming pressure. Even the sectʼs Nascent Soul powerhouses were no exception. Only An Miaoli, wreathed in a faint mist, stood steady.

In that moment, a single thought gripped everyoneʼs minds: the terror of a Deity Transformation powerhouse was beyond comprehension.

Tian Mingzi, the source of this oppressive dread, gazed down calmly at the crowd. Neither Divine Will Ancestor nor Ancestor Liu, despite their Nascent Soul cultivation, drew his attention for even a moment. His deep, fathomless eyes settled on An Miaoli.

”You possess remarkable talent,” he said evenly. ”To comprehend the Eternal Cosmos Furnace from a fragmented scripture and derive the Phoenix Spirit Fire from scattered True Phoenix Treasure Technique… to wield the strength of a mid-stage Nascent Soul while only at the early stage, even holding your own against a late-stage Nascent Soul…”

He paused, his voice growing colder. ”My son is dead. You will bear me another.”

With those words, Tian Mingzi raised a hand. A colossal hand of dark, ghostly energy emerged, stretching forward like a cage capable of seizing anything in existence.

Under its shadow, Divine Will Ancestor and Ancestor Liu trembled, their Nascent Souls quaking within them, rendering them powerless. Golden Core cultivators fared even worse, collapsing under the crushing pressure.

Only An Miaoli remained composed, her poetic and picturesque face serene even in the face of a Deity Transformation strike. With a calm expression, she raised her hand, conjuring the Eternal Cosmos Furnace, its divine light surging toward the ghostly hand.

Tian Mingziʼs expression didnʼt waver. His massive hand moved to crush the furnace. But the moment they clashed, the furnaceʼs divine shadow exploded with a deafening roar. Endless phoenix flames amplified the blast, its power exceeding all expectations. The ghostly hand was half-destroyed, forced to retreat.

An Miaoli, however, paid a steep price. Her face turned deathly pale, the effort of detonating the furnaceʼs shadow clearly immense.

Tian Mingziʼs eyes flickered with a trace of surprise, though his composure remained intact. After all, An Miaoli had only deflected a casual strike. Yet for an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator to block a Deity Transformation attack spoke volumes of her extraordinary talent.

His interest piqued, Tian Mingzi reached for her again. An Miaoli, drained from her earlier feat, could no longer muster such a strike. Her aura surged, her inner power boiling as if preparing for a final stand. She wasnʼt afraid of death, but as her eyes turned toward Quiet Wonder Peak, they filled with regret.

She regretted holding back, restrained by hesitation, never taking that step closer to Ye Chen. Now, after today, there would be no more chances.

As Tian Mingziʼs hand descended, An Miaoliʼs aura flared, ready to detonate herself in defiance. But at that moment, a gentle voice rang out: ”Fellow Daoists, please hold for a moment! Do any of you know where my Junior Brother is?”

The voice carried a strange power. An Miaoliʼs surging Nascent Soul was instantly suppressed, and Tian Mingziʼs terrifying ghostly hand froze, unable to advance an inch further.