Immortality Starts With Investment

Chapter 945: Opening Battle for the Immortal Qi!

After hearing that Ye Chen was coming to kill him, the Exiled Immortal was first stunned, then burst into laughter from sheer anger!

He had originally planned to wait until he reached the Quasi-Immortal realm. Then he could ignore Ye Chenʼs protectors, use his supreme formation skills to isolate everything, and slaughter Ye Chen to eliminate any future threat. Yet barely a year had passed. He had not even broken through to Quasi-Immortal yet, and Ye Chen was already coming to kill him?

Even though Ye Chen had now reached the peak of the Great Saint realm, he was still only a Great Saint. Without black holes, the difference between them was like that between heaven and earth.

He, a dignified Exiled Immortal who had once been a True Immortal, was actually being looked down upon so contemptuously by a mere lower-realm native. It was nothing short of humiliation.

But after the humiliation came dark, bone-chilling killing intent. He was no fool. Ye Chen had stepped into the Great Saint realm and immediately reached its peak. His combat strength was bound to be world-shaking, likely enough to rival a peak Great Emperor.

Moreover, Ye Chen was not stupid. For him to dare come and kill him, he must possess powerful trump cards. This visit was probably an attempt to strike early and nip him in the bud before he could break through to the Quasi-Immortal realm…

However, a cold smile appeared on the Exiled Immortalʼs face. His talent in formations was astonishing. If he prepared and set up arrays in advance on his own ground, his combat strength would be at least thirty percent higher than if he had to hastily draw upon the power of heaven and earth while attacking someone else.

As for his own cultivation? He had long surpassed the Great Emperor realm. The path for a Great Emperor to advance to Quasi-Immortal was to completely fuse their black holes with their internal world, thereby making the internal world truly whole.

The most difficult part was the initial fusion. After all, black holes were violent. One careless mistake and they could destroy the world. He had already completed the initial fusion long ago. He had simply been deliberately slowing the fusion process because the destructive power within his World-Destroying Black Hole was too terrifying. If the fusion progressed too quickly, the destructive force would spread and damage the foundation of his world.

So he had been taking his time, aiming for perfection. But as long as he wished, he could break through to Quasi-Immortal at any moment. His strength had also been constantly rising during the fusion between the black hole and his world. Although he was not yet a Quasi-Immortal, he was no longer a mere Great Emperor either. Calling himself a half-step Quasi-Immortal was no exaggeration!

All of this had given him immense confidence. As long as Ye Chen dared to come, he would die without a doubt!

Yet when it came to whether he should actually kill Ye Chen, the Exiled Immortal hesitated. Ye Chenʼs talent was truly astonishing. He had already been confirmed as the child of destiny for this generation in the cultivation world and undoubtedly possessed the potential to become an Immortal King. If he could plant a brand and turn him into a slave, it would bring countless benefits once he himself became an immortal.

Moreover, since Ye Chen was a native of this realm and recognized by the Heavenly Dao, he might be able to use Ye Chenʼs hands to obtain countless opportunities. In the future, once he became an Immortal King, he could let Ye Chen break through as well…

With the power of two Immortal Kings, his status in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths would rise dramatically. He might even surpass his own elder brother!

In short, enslaving a child of destiny would bring endless benefits. In the Other Domain, there had once been an existence who had done exactly that—enslaved a child of destiny and reaped immeasurable rewards.

Thinking of this, the Exiled Immortal quickly made his decision. A pitch-black lotus seed that looked like solidified demonic energy floated up from his palm, radiating an extremely violent aura.

The World-Destroying Black Lotus was the immortal root seed of other lesser worlds. Unlike the cultivation world, the immortal roots in those lesser worlds varied greatly in quality and number. Some worlds had only one, while others had two or three.

This World-Destroying Black Lotus had the effect of helping cultivators condense variant cave heavens. When the Exiled Immortal had been at the peak of the Great Saint realm, he had killed a heavenly prodigy who had just arrived from a lesser world and obtained two lotus seeds.

After discovering how powerful the World-Destroying Black Lotus was, he had unhesitatingly used one to break through to the Great Emperor realm and gestate his World-Destroying Black Hole.

As for the remaining seed… The Exiled Immortal decided to grant it to Ye Chen after enslaving him. Once Ye Chen became his slave, the stronger he grew, the better.

The Celestial Prince was not worth mentioning. The Exiled Immortal had studied him. The man possessed talent but lacked an invincible will and the momentum to press forward without hesitation.

In his life, he had actually had several opportunities to kill the Heavenly Emperor. Yet each time, because of fear and hesitation, he had missed those chances, allowing the Heavenly Emperor to grow. He was nothing but trash. No matter how strong such an enemyʼs combat power was, it was useless.

In the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, there were also people like this—astonishing talent, shocking background, but lacking an invincible will. In the end, they faded into mediocrity.

Therefore, the only two people in this realm who truly made the Exiled Immortal wary.

First, Ye Chen. But since Ye Chen was taking the initiative to deliver himself, he was no longer a threat.

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Second, the Eight-Crowned King. A divine object like the World Tree would be fought over madly even in the Immortal Realm.

Aside from serving as a second spirit root, it was also a supreme offensive treasure with terrifying combat power. The fact that the Eight-Crowned King had deliberately waited until his final life to collect the last wisp of Immortal Qi clearly showed he had come for the opportunities that would appear when the Immortal Path closed.

Such an enemy possessed talent, treasures, and a top-tier mentality. He was undoubtedly a great foe. In the future, he and Ye Chen could attack this person together.

With Ye Chenʼs powerful physique, he could have Ye Chen block the front while he used endless formation techniques to attempt suppression. Only then would he have a higher chance of shaking and killing the Eight-Crowned King to obtain the World Tree sapling.

…

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through the Exiled Immortalʼs mind. He performed endless calculations. Finally, a smile appeared on his face.

Previously, he had still been worried about how to deal with both Ye Chen and the Eight-Crowned King. But now that Ye Chen had grown arrogant and come courting death, all problems would be solved effortlessly. He put away the World-Destroying Black Lotus seed.

High above the firmament, the Exiled Immortal raised his hands. Formation divine arts circulated as endless laws surged, and the power of heaven and earth boiled. Countless divine materials were thrown into the void by him.

For a time, the entire Eighth Realm seemed to turn upside down.

The terrifying commotion affected almost everyone. The mighty aura swept across the whole Eighth Realm, causing countless people to tremble in fear.

The powerhouses of the Eighth Realm all looked up. Watching the Exiled Immortal seemingly remake heaven and earth and transform the entire Eighth Realm, their eyes were filled with dread and sighs.

The Exiled Immortal was too terrifying. Although he was still a Great Emperor, his methods were simply beyond what any Great Emperor could imagine. And the Heavenly Emperorʼs heir was far too arrogant. He actually dared to take the initiative to kill a formation grandmaster whose realm was unimaginable.

Once the opponent finished his preparations and set up numerous grand arrays in advance, the boost to his strength would be almost doubled. Facing a fully prepared formation master, even in a one-on-one fight, it would feel as if one were being besieged. This time, the Heavenly Emperorʼs heir had truly acted unwisely.

Many cultivators who had rushed to the Eighth Realm to watch the battle held the same view. A formation grandmaster who had made thorough preparations was simply too terrifying. No matter how peerless the Heavenly Emperorʼs heirʼs talent was, he had been far too conceited this time.

…

Finally, the flying ship from Heavenly Evolution Holy Land arrived outside Immortal City. Ye Chen and the elders descended and strode forward. Under the gaze of countless eyes, they entered Immortal City with bold steps.

In the past, Heavenly Evolution Holy Land had some reputation in the Central Continent, but it could only be considered average. Among the Central Continentʼs holy lands, Heavenly Evolution Holy Landʼs strength had been negligible.

But now, because of Ye Chenʼs existence and Feng Baiyuʼs combination of threats and incentives, Heavenly Evolution Holy Land had become one of the most prosperous holy lands in the current cultivation world. It might even nurture an immortal and lay groundwork in advance for the end of the Dharma era. Only Dao One Holy Land, which possessed the Eight-Crowned King, could compare. Among the myriad races, only the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan still had a chance.

This left the powerhouses of the Central Continentʼs forces with complicated expressions. Many hoped Ye Chen would fall—such as the experts from Dao One Holy Land. Although they had confidence in their own Eight-Crowned King ancestor, everyone could see how monstrous Ye Chen was. If he could perish and reduce a strong rival for their ancestor, that would naturally be best…

But many other forces had invested in Heavenly Evolution Holy Land, maintained friendly relations, and formed alliances with it.

Immediately, some experts spoke up to remind them. They said the Exiled Immortal had received the news early and had already set up arrays in the Eighth Realm, remaking heaven and earth. Going now would be extremely unwise.

Feng Baiyu and the elders also showed hesitation upon hearing this.

Feng Baiyu said to Ye Chen, ”The Exiled Immortal has many divine arrays to assist him. Fighting there will indeed put you at a disadvantage… Why donʼt we forget it? Setting up so many grand arrays must have consumed a lot. Let him suffer the loss! You can go find your female cultivators and visit once every few months to keep him on edge and disturb his state of mind and cultivation!

”Anyway, with your breakthrough speed, becoming a Great Emperor and then a Quasi-Immortal is already set in stone. Time is on our side. He should be the one feeling anxious!”

Feng Baiyu did not care about face. Benefits were what mattered most. Since they knew going in would mean eating a loss, it was better not to go and instead make the Exiled Immortal suffer. Once divine materials were used in arrays, even if recovered, they would be useless. Making the Exiled Immortal bleed was also a way to weaken his strength. Not to mention that the Exiled Immortal should be trying to break through the Great Emperor realm. Visiting a few more times to anger him might even cause him to suffer qi deviation and die from rage?

If he could not hold back and left the Immortal Path to kill Ye Chen, that would be even better. Without the chance to prepare arrays in advance, it would be the fair fight they wanted.

However, when Ye Chen heard that the Exiled Immortal had made preparations, he simply smiled. Then he shook his head indifferently. He had dared to announce it openly precisely because he was not afraid of the Exiled Immortalʼs preparations.

After all, his strength had already reached a level that no array could compensate for. Physique, origin, world foundation, talent, and divine abilities— in all these aspects, he had already surpassed the imagination of cultivators.

Not to mention a second-rate trash like the Exiled Immortal who had been beaten to death and reincarnated. Even supreme existences like the Heavenly Emperor or the Devouring Female Immortal, who had truly reached transcendent realms, would not be enough if they fought him at the same realm or even one realm higher.

”Thank you for your concern, Holy Master. But killing a mere Exiled Immortal is not troublesome at all. Iʼll go send him on his way and return soon…”

Ye Chenʼs voice was calm, yet his words were extremely domineering. He spoke as if the Exiled Immortal were an ant that could be crushed at will. This level of confidence caused an uproar throughout the crowd.

Everyone looked at Ye Chen with uncertainty, speculating what kind of trump cards he possessed and just how powerful his combat strength had become. Only then would he dare to look down on the Exiled Immortal so lightly.

Some people shook their heads inwardly, thinking Ye Chen had grown too arrogant and inflated. The cultivation world had seen such people before—prodigies who dominated their generation, suppressed their peers, and whose invincible will eventually swelled until they ignored danger and died in a perilous land, cutting short their immortal path.

But many others recalled Ye Chenʼs past battle records. They were shocked to realize that they had never truly seen Ye Chenʼs trump cards. Even in the battle against the Celestial Princeʼs incarnation, the outside world believed Ye Chen had used his full strength to erase it.

Yet no one had witnessed it with their own eyes. Not to mention that Ye Chenʼs possession of the Kun Peng Treasure Technique and the Movement Secret was no secret. These might allow him to handle even the most deadly arrays with ease.

In short, everyone understood one thing clearly. No matter who won or lost this battle, it would undoubtedly be a world-shaking clash. And this might very well be the opening battle that would decide the ownership of the Immortal Qi in this generation.