Immortality Starts With Investment

The Wind-Thunder Jiao coiled at the bottom of the pool, its massive, pitch-black body spiraling upward like a small mountain. Its serpentine head glared at Ye Chen, its gaze icy and bloodthirsty, as if it might lunge and swallow him whole at any moment.

Staring at such a creature lurking in the shadows was unsettling, to say the least.

Ye Chen figured the Wind-Thunder Jiao hadn’t attacked yet because it suspected he was bait. Though Golden Core demon beasts couldn’t yet take human form, their intelligence rivaled that of humans. Having been burned once, it was naturally wary.

If you won’t come to me, I’ll come to you.

Ye Chen began sinking deeper into the pool, but he didn’t head straight for the beast. Instead, he veered in another direction, pretending to search for it, occasionally firing off a spell to illuminate small patches of the dark water.

As he descended further, the Wind-Thunder Jiao’s blood-red eyes tracked him. Its massive body glided closer, silent despite its size, not stirring a single ripple in the water. It closed the distance until it was just ten meters from Ye Chen.

Ye Chen maintained his oblivious act.

With cold intent, the Wind-Thunder Jiao struck, its claw crackling with boundless lightning, slashing toward him. But in the next moment, its enormous pupils contracted sharply.

Ye Chen’s Heavy Pupil saw through everything, even the murky Netherwater.

Sensing the Wind-Thunder Jiao had taken the bait, a grin spread across his face. He had countless cards to play, more than enough ways to deal with the beast. But since breaking through, he hadn’t yet tested the True Dragon Treasure Technique inherited from the Ancestral Dragon Blood. This was the perfect chance to try it out.

As the Wind-Thunder Jiao’s claw descended, Ye Chen’s body erupted in golden light. Even the dark Netherwater couldn’t dim its radiance, which blazed like a sun. His aura transformed, surging with overwhelming power and an unassailable majesty, his strength unfathomable.

The beast’s claw, capable of shredding any Golden Core cultivator and even daunting to a Nascent Soul, stopped a mere meter from Ye Chen, blocked by an invisible force. It couldn’t advance an inch further. The raging lightning couldn’t harm him in the slightest.

The Wind-Thunder Jiao trembled, gripped by a primal fear rooted in its bloodline.

What kind of technique was this? What kind of power?

With only a trace of dragon blood, it lacked the capacity to recognize the True Dragon Treasure Technique.

At that moment, Ye Chen turned to face the beast. In his hands, the principles of the Dao and the Law took form. He unleashed one of the True Dragon Treasure Technique’s basic techniques, the True Dragon Claw.

Before the True Dragon Claw, the Wind-Thunder Jiao trembled, its instincts screaming to flee. But in the next instant…

A sharp pain tore through its abdomen. The claw nearly ripped its massive body in two, tearing off its underbelly, including both abdominal claws, with raw force. The beast’s formidable scales and hide offered no resistance against the True Dragon Claw.

The sheer terror of the technique was evident. And this was merely one of the True Dragon Treasure Technique’s introductory moves.

Ye Chen marveled inwardly at the power of the True Dragon Treasure Technique. It wasn’t just its devastating force; it amplified his own strength, boosting his combat power exponentially. If he could fully master it in the future, he might even manifest the form of a true dragon, wielding supreme majesty and power.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

As the premier attack technique among the Ten Vicious Treasure Techniques, the True Dragon Treasure Technique lived up to its reputation.

Ye Chen pressed on, diving deeper into its mysteries. He threw out several punches, each one a manifestation of another basic technique: the Dragon Fist.

With every punch, a gaping, bloody hole exploded in the Wind-Thunder Jiao’s massive body. In mere moments, the beast was riddled with wounds, its tail blasted apart.

Most terrifying of all, with each punch, Ye Chen’s aura surged, as if he were gathering momentum, growing ever more formidable.

Not only was the Wind-Thunder Jiao increasingly terrified, but even Ye Chen was struck anew by the True Dragon Treasure Technique’s might. The True Dragon Claw and Dragon Fist were just beginner techniques, yet they were already this fearsome. What about the core techniques, like the True Dragon Heaven-Binding Art or the True Dragon Sky-Severing Art? Wouldn’t they be capable of shattering heaven and earth?

Lost in awe, Ye Chen continued to channel the True Dragon Treasure Technique, eager to unleash more and deepen his understanding. The dormant Ancestral Dragon Blood within him stirred, amplifying his majestic aura. The Dao and Law emanating from his movements grew ever more terrifying.

But just as he prepared to strike again, he noticed the Wind-Thunder Jiao—battered, broken, and covered in wounds—had gone rigid. Its massive head bowed low. The bloodthirsty glint in its enormous eyes had vanished, replaced by a clear, pleading gaze filled with fear, awe, and desperation.

”Senior, please spare my life!” a strange voice echoed in Ye Chen’s ears.

Ye Chen wasn’t surprised by the voice. Many Golden Core demon beasts could speak human language. After all, in today’s world, humans held sway. Most beasts, however, scorned speaking human tongue, viewing it as beneath them, and refused to do so.

Facing the beast’s plea, Ye Chen’s face showed no trace of mercy. His hands continued to weave the principles of the Dao and Law, growing ever more adept.

It had attacked him with murderous intent moments ago, and now that it couldn’t win, it begged for mercy? No such luck existed in this world.

Seeing Ye Chen unmoved, the Wind-Thunder Jiao, paralyzed by the oppressive aura of his Ancestral Dragon Blood, grew even more terrified. It wanted to live.

In a panic, it pleaded again, ”Senior, whatever you want, I’ll give it to you! Just spare my life…”

Ye Chen’s earlier display of the Dao and Law had already shaken it, making it wary of fighting. Now, the terrifying aura radiating from him, suppressing it through its bloodline, left it not only immobilized but also instinctively yearning to submit. How could it fight?

As Ye Chen honed the True Dragon Treasure Technique with increasing mastery, he casually replied, ”I want your wings and your demon core.”

It was an offhand remark. Both the wings and the demon core were the Wind-Thunder Jiao’s lifeblood, the foundation of its existence. Losing them wouldn’t just drop its realm from Golden Core; it would drain its vital essence, slashing its lifespan to a fraction. No demon beast would agree to such terms.

But in the next moment, Ye Chen was stunned, his True Dragon Treasure Technique faltering mid-execution.

Before his eyes, the Wind-Thunder Jiao let out a pained wail. Blood gushed into the Netherwater as it tore its own wings from its body. Then, with a shudder, it opened its mouth and spat out a demon core shimmering with lightning, severing its connection to it.

With a spray of blood, the beast’s aura plummeted. In an instant, its strength fell from late Golden Core to the Foundation Establishment level.

…

Ye Chen stared at the wings and demon core floating before him, his mouth twitching.

Was this Wind-Thunder Jiao really this decisive?

His original plan was to kill it and gift its entire corpse, hoping for a critical reward—perhaps even a true dragon corpse to aid his True Dragon Treasure Technique cultivation. But this…

For a moment, Ye Chen was at a loss. Losing its demon core would drastically shorten a demon beast’s lifespan, and it could never form another. This was the first time he’d seen a beast willingly surrender its core.

Where’s your pride as a demon beast? Don’t tell me you have a system too?

After a brief hesitation, Ye Chen refrained from striking again. With a wave of his hand, he stored the demon core in his storage bracelet, then dragged the massive wings toward the surface.

The Wind-Thunder Jiao, seeing Ye Chen spare its life, exhaled in relief. But its body stiffened again as Ye Chen paused halfway up.

Was this human cultivator still unwilling to let it go?

In the next moment, the beast was dumbfounded. Ye Chen, the terrifying cultivator exuding an ancestral aura, ignored it entirely. Instead, he retracted all his power, letting the Nether Toxin seep into his body, allowing it to corrode his flesh.

His skin took on the bluish-black hue of toxin poisoning. He lingered in the water, ensuring his entire body was visibly affected, before finally continuing upward, leaving the Netherwater Pool.

The Wind-Thunder Jiao’s eyes brimmed with confusion.

What in the world was this human cultivator doing?