Immortality Starts With Investment

The location of the Myriad Races Immortal City lay at the northernmost edge of the Central Continent. Ever since learning of Yao Yuezhi’s shattered cave heaven, her parents had pushed their speed to the absolute limit, yet it still took them a full week to near their destination.

The Myriad Races Immortal City had its own rules, enforced by a grand prohibition array that banned flight. At least those below the Great Saint realm could not soar directly into the city; they had to enter through the gates. The city’s inhabitants numbered in the millions, and the gates buzzed with throngs of diverse beings. Though most appeared in humanoid form, a single glance revealed they were no humans.

As Ye Chen stepped down from the loft ship, he drew countless stares. As the heir to the Heavenly Emperor, his image from recording stones had spread like wildfire across the cultivation world.

Coupled with his suppression of the Golden Crow Crown Prince and the Holy Prince, his fame echoed loudly among the myriad races. Add to that the rumors filtering in from the immortal city itself.

In the instant he disembarked, his identity was recognized. At once, hostile gazes converged upon him. Some even belonged to Half-Saints or Saints. For an ordinary human arrival—no matter their strength—the weight of this atmosphere might have stirred dread and caution.

Yet Ye Chen remained utterly unperturbed, exuding calm indifference. He even found the leisure to scan his surroundings, searching for any high-multiplier myriad race female cultivators.

Once inside the city, perhaps due to differing races and cultures, most of the architecture diverged sharply from human styles, vast in its differences. Each bore the unique flair and essence of its own race, leaving Ye Chen’s eyes wide with wonder.

The myriad races within the immortal city weren’t all humanoid either. Many prowled in their true forms, shapes bizarre and varied, prompting Ye Chen to nod in approval now and then or furrow his brow in distaste.

Ye Chen even felt that certain myriad races resembled haphazard patchwork creations. But as he strolled along, his eyes suddenly lit up. For there, at last, stood the long-awaited cat-eared maidens and fox-tailed vixens. And in decent numbers, too—though even the prettier ones offered meager multipliers. Ye Chen even turned to Yao Yuekong at his side, inquiring about the race of these cat-eared maidens.

Yao Yuekong shook his head. ”These fall under ordinary demon clans, with middling aptitudes at best—many even plainer than humans. They’re basically at the bottom rung of the myriad races. In status, they’re just a notch above slaves, mostly serving as attendants...”

Ye Chen arched a brow at that, but he didn’t give up. If he encountered a high-multiplier one later, taking her back as a handmaiden wouldn’t be amiss. After all, which man from Earth—who had crossed over to this world—wouldn’t dream of a servant with fluffy ears or a tail? Having both, naturally, would be even better.

Soon, Ye Chen and his group reached a spot near the core district of the Myriad Races Immortal City. The Heavenly Demon Clan’s outpost lay right there. Its scale was impressive, resembling a small city in its own right—proof enough that the Heavenly Demon Clan’s standing among the myriad races was far from lowly.

The Little Peacock King and his mother prepared to return to their own clan as well. After all, they had deeply offended the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan this time around, courting endless troubles. The Peacock Clan’s grounds sat even farther ahead.

The Little Peacock King clapped Yao Yuekong on the shoulder and murmured a few consoling words to Yao Yuezhi. Then, with a hesitant glance at Ye Chen, he spoke up anyway. ”Thanks so much for everything this time. If you need anything later, I can show you around the immortal city and stand guard for you. I carry real weight here in the city. With me by your side, no one will dare mess with you!”

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

Ye Chen gazed at this loyal, promise-keeping ”nephew” and nodded with a warm smile. Meanwhile, the Little Peacock King’s mother observed her typically aloof son displaying such uncharacteristic enthusiasm toward Ye Chen.

In that instant, a faint blush colored her cheeks as she offered Ye Chen her thanks. But as she bent low in farewell—her voluptuous curves surging forward—a private voice transmission from her resonated in Ye Chen’s mind.

Once the message concluded, perhaps from a touch of embarrassment, the Little Peacock King’s mother swiftly ushered her son away in a hurried retreat...

Leaving Ye Chen with a faint twitch at the corner of his mouth. He truly entertained no such notions. The female cultivators surrounding Ye Chen had multiplied in number. So, for any existence lacking feedback potential—no matter her beauty—he held zero interest.

At the same time, one Saintess Yan Ruyu lingered in his thoughts, her appeal intensifying with each passing moment and stoking his growing anticipation. After all, the Little Peacock King’s mother was already so breathtaking, arguably the finest mature beauty Ye Chen had ever laid eyes on. Yet even amid such temptation, the Little Peacock King fixated obsessively on his own aunt. It stood to reason, then, that this Saintess Yan Ruyu must eclipse her entirely. Under those circumstances, Ye Chen could never allow things to blur unclearly with her relatives. On issues of such fundamental righteousness, Ye Chen had always proven utterly steadfast.

With the Little Peacock King and the others gone, Ye Chen’s group soon entered the grand hall of the Heavenly Demon Clan’s outpost. Before, when they couldn’t risk detection by outsiders, nothing much had been said. Now, though, Yao Yuezhi’s parents wore darkened expressions, their eyes brimming with worry as furrowed brows betrayed their tension.

”I’ve already sent someone to plead with the ancestor,” her father began, his voice heavy. ”For the cave heaven’s damage alone, our clan might still manage a fix. But with the core origin shattered... I’m afraid the only path is to use the Qiankun Cauldron as the new heart and rebuild the cave heaven entirely. Yet the Divine Silkworm Clan would never hand over the Qiankun Cauldron lightly! Though it’s merely a high-grade Extreme Dao Weapon, its unique functions make it worth no less than a supreme Extreme Dao Weapon. And supreme Extreme Dao Weapons? They’re priceless—practically the cornerstone treasures of any clan. Even our Heavenly Demon Clan possesses just one.”

Yao Yuezhi’s father rubbed his temples in frustration as he spoke. His own Heavenly Demon Clan did hold a supreme Extreme Dao Weapon. It had originally been earmarked for Yao Yuezhi herself. But after the mess she’d stirred up—antagonizing the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan and dragging the whole clan into enmity—the ancestors would likely harbor deep dissatisfaction. For a great clan like theirs, after all, supreme Extreme Dao Weapons formed the bedrock of their survival across generations.

Geniuses, by contrast, mattered far less. Great clans had endured to this day by churning out talents generation after generation, as plentiful as carp crossing a river. But Extreme Dao Weapons? There was always just that one. No need to guess—the clan elders would never approve trading a supreme Extreme Dao Weapon to salvage their daughter’s cave heaven. Worse still, even if the clan relented, the Divine Silkworm Clan might refuse the exchange anyway. So, this truly bred despair.

Yao Yuezhi harbored no illusions either, shaking her head as she spoke. ”Even if we paid a steep price for the Qiankun Cauldron, it wouldn’t mean much in the end. Because no top prodigy would consent to letting me draw from their cave heaven’s power—and if we forced it, they’d just self-destruct. Even if everything went smoothly, I’d end up with a cave heaven barely over a thousand li across—only a smidge larger than the worst ones out there. I’d still lose my prodigy-level combat strength and potential. Without a cave heaven spanning at least ten thousand li, it can’t evolve into a minor world. I could never break through the seventh heaven! My ceiling’s sealed shut. No matter how you crunch the numbers, it’s a loss. So, let’s just drop it.”

Yao Yuezhi remained clear-headed; she’d long abandoned any hope of recovery. Right now, she only wanted to stay by Ye Chen’s side. Compared to restoring herself to perfection, she believed Ye Chen’s odds of ascending to immortality ran far higher. Sticking with him promised a brighter future.

...

And just as despair gripped the group, Ye Chen broke the silence. ”I have a supreme Extreme Dao Weapon! So, no matter what, I have to give this a shot...”

His words hung in the air, and every soul in the hall turned to him in stunned disbelief.