Immortality Starts With Investment

The heavens trembled.

In the Pure Land, a world-shaking battle raged. Ye Chen was relentlessly overpowering a Kun Peng. Within the Pure Land, the Kun Peng’s peerless speed was stifled, suppressed by mysterious forces, forcing it to face Ye Chen head-on. It was utterly dominated.

Ye Chen’s Heavy Pupils locked onto the Kun Peng’s slowed movements, unleashing True Dragon and True Phoenix Treasure Techniques in a barrage, occasionally firing beams of destructive divine light from his eyes. It was hard to deny a hint of pent-up frustration in his onslaught.

After thousands of breaths, the Kun Peng—formed of imprints and divine lightning—glared at Ye Chen with resentment before dissipating, unable to reform. The sea of thunder above began to fade. Ye Chen’s Nascent Soul tribulation was over.

A white light shot from the thunderclouds, landing before him. Ye Chen frowned slightly.

From a distance, Hua Yunfei’s voice rang out. ”That’s the Kun Peng’s imprint. Comprehend it, and you might gain some of its inheritance. Ancient powerhouses, after surviving their tribulations, sometimes left a trace of their imprint to let their likeness endure, fighting prodigies across time. It’s said the Heavenly Emperor left his imprint during his Immortal Ascension Tribulation. The top prodigies of every era faced him, only to be beaten bloody, their immortal paths severed. He even rigged it so the strongest of the myriad races were more likely to encounter his imprint, ruining countless immortal hopefuls. The races, fed up, called upon a terrifying existence from the Immortal Realm to resolve it. But defeating such an imprint yields its remnant Dao and Laws, which can bring great benefits.”

Ye Chen’s eyes lit up. Tribulations could work like that? The Dao was merciless. True Spirit Tribulations were absurd, pitting you against imprints of prodigies with supreme bloodlines and combat prowess. But victory brought rewards.

He’d just experienced the Kun Peng Treasure Technique’s might. Untouchable, unhittable, it pummeled him mercilessly—a frustrating ordeal. Speed, taken to the extreme, was invincible. The technique’s value was undeniable. Even a fragment from the imprint would be a massive gain.

But Ye Chen aimed higher. This imprint was perfect for gifting. The system might reward him with the full Kun Peng bloodline inheritance. Master the Kun Peng Treasure Technique, pair it with Kun Peng Wings, and his speed would be unimaginable. In future battles, his opponents would be the ones driven to desperation.

As he pondered, Ye Chen gazed at the dissipating tribulation clouds and raised a hand, leaving his own imprint. It vanished with the clouds. The thought of future prodigies facing his imprint during their tribulations amused him.

But a question nagged him. Would the imprint only use the techniques he’d displayed during the tribulation, or could it wield all his talents? He’d unleashed his Heavy Pupils not out of desperation—Ye Chen never got desperate; others did—but to prove his worth to the Holy Land.

He hadn’t even tapped his Primordial Supreme Heart, which had evolved further after his Nascent Soul breakthrough, becoming even more terrifying. He kept it hidden as a trump card. If his future tribulation imprint could use the Supreme Heart’s divine abilities—Heavy pupils Open the Heavens followed by a Heaven’s Calamity Light—Ye Chen chuckled at the thought. No matter who faced it, they’d be done for. Even the Heavenly Emperor, if he reincarnated, might end up disheveled.

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But that was unlikely. Among Nascent Soul imprints, his had to be among the elite. Only top prodigies faced True Spirit Tribulations, and even fewer would encounter his imprint. No big deal.

The tribulation had passed, and the heavens cleared, restoring a pristine calm. The Pure Land forged by Ye Chen’s Heavy Pupils had dissipated. As Ye Chen emerged, silence blanketed the scene. All eyes fixed on him, as if beholding a myth made flesh.

A Nascent Soul tribulation had summoned a Kun Peng, one of the Vicious Ten, and Ye Chen had actually suppressed it in the same realm. It was beyond absurd, a feat that left everyone in awe.

An Miaoli, only at early Nascent Soul, couldn’t see the battlefield clearly and had been gripped by worry. Now, with the ordeal over, her beautiful eyes gazed at Ye Chen standing tall in the sky, his handsome features and robust figure clad in a robe embroidered with golden patterns. Relief washed over her. To withstand such a terrifying tribulation, even facing one of the ancient Vicious Ten, was incredible. He had done it.

A radiant smile bloomed on her ethereal face. Ye Chen, catching sight of her, returned a gentle smile. But as his gaze swept over her, he noticed her injuries and frowned slightly.

”How did you get hurt?” he asked, flying to her side. A beam of restorative light shot from his eyes, instantly healing her wounds.

An Miaoli gazed into his Heavy Pupils. Though Ye Chen stood before her, he felt impossibly distant. She had always known he was exceptional, his Heavenly Spirit Root far surpassing her own. But learning he possessed the legendary Heavy Pupils, known only from ancient texts, left her heart heavy with a sense of separation, as if they belonged to different worlds. Yet his familiar warmth reassured her, and she smiled, shaking her head. ”My injuries came from detonating the Eternal Cosmos Furnace’s divine shadow…”

Before she could finish, Divine Will Ancestor cut in, pointing at the ashen-faced Tian Mingzi in the distance, who seemed to be questioning his entire existence. ”It was him! He injured Miaoli. He lost his son and thought Miaoli’s talent made her a fine candidate to bear him another. If you hadn’t arrived in time, she might have detonated her Nascent Soul.”

At Divine Will Ancestor’s words, Ye Chen turned his attention to the elder, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. The old ancestor certainly knew how to point fingers.

Ye Chen’s gaze shifted to Tian Mingzi in the distance. This man had to die.

As divine light gathered in Ye Chen’s eyes, poised to strike, Hua Yunfei drifted forward, his gaze on Ye Chen tinged with surprise. ”When we last met, I never imagined you’d be my Junior Brother. With such heaven-defying fortune and top-tier heart-refining techniques, I almost feel embarrassed for gifting you the Sword Peng Heart Refining Technique.”

He glanced at An Miaoli, likely noticing she had cultivated the technique he’d given. Ye Chen, seeing Hua Yunfei, eased his stance. Tian Mingzi hadn’t fled earlier, meaning escape was impossible. There was no rush.

Suppressing his Heavy Pupil, Ye Chen bowed respectfully. ”Thank you, Senior Brother. I’ll always remember your kindness.” If not for a touch of restraint, he might’ve jokingly added, Keep the gifts coming, Senior Brother!

He’d already heard how Hua Yunfei’s timely arrival had turned the tide. Hua Yunfei smiled lightly. ”A small matter. As fellow disciples of the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land, we naturally support each other. Have you learned about the Holy Land or the role of a Holy Son? Did Elder Shangguan explain anything?”

Ye Chen shook his head. He didn’t even know who this Elder Shangguan was.

Hua Yunfei, unsurprised, began to explain. ”The Heavenly Evolution Holy Land is the foremost of Great Yan Continent’s three Holy Lands, the legacy of the Heavenly Evolution True Immortal, who ranked among the top hundred human True Immortals of his era.”

His voice carried a note of pride.