Immortality Starts With Investment

The sudden turn of events stunned everyone present, including Ling Yu, who had already turned to leave. Yet Ye Chen, encircled by the Emotionless Sword Array and locked onto by that pillar of divine light—dense as condensed energy, resembling a heavenly column—remained perfectly calm.

No wonder Dantai Xuan had struck so abruptly. He wasn’t sure whether she had prior dealings with Alkaid Holy Son or had simply transmitted a message just now. Either way, it didn’t matter.

Alkaid’s arrival was exactly what he wanted. True dragon and true phoenix coiled protectively around Ye Chen, effortlessly erasing every incoming sword beam. Facing the terrifying pillar of divine light—hurtling down like a meteor, powerful enough to slay most saints in a single strike—Ye Chen simply raised his hand with tranquil composure and circulated the Myriad Transformations Holy Art. The heavenly pillar instantly dissolved into pure, refined energy. With a casual flick of his finger, Ye Chen redirected it, transforming the energy back into blinding divine light that blasted upward toward Alkaid Holy Son, who stood within the array.

Alkaid Holy Son furrowed his brow slightly and narrowed his eyes. The array patterns beneath his feet flared with divine radiance as he raised his hand and unleashed another strike. The two forces collided in an earth-shattering explosion. Violent chaotic currents threatened to tear the very fabric of this realm apart. Their combat power had reached a level that nearly exceeded what the fourth realm could contain.

…

Yan Qingcheng frowned as she looked toward Alkaid. She knew his true identity clearly. The true heir of the Devouring lineage. Though lately, it seemed he had been cast aside.

She didn’t dwell on it. Her gaze locked onto Dantai Xuan instead. She hadn’t expected Dantai Xuan to attack Ye Chen after being rejected. This woman truly had no shame.

”Fellow Daoist Ye, allow me to assist you!”

Without hesitation, Yan Qingcheng flicked her jade hand. Endless Chaos Qi surged forth, manifesting into the forms of the Vicious Ten that roared toward Dantai Xuan in suppression.

Dantai Xuan narrowed her beautiful eyes. She was inwardly shocked by Ye Chen’s strength. But she showed no fear toward the arriving Yan Qingcheng.

The Emotionless Sword Array that had surrounded Ye Chen abruptly shifted direction. Countless beams streaked like meteors toward Yan Qingcheng.

Yet Yan Qingcheng remained utterly fearless. Vast saintly qi erupted around her. She punched outward in all directions with terrifying momentum, preventing even a single sword beam from approaching within half an inch. She pressed straight toward Dantai Xuan.

In Dantai Xuan’s hand appeared a supreme Extreme Dao divine sword at some point. With a single sweeping slash, she shattered the Chaos Qi manifestations of the Vicious Ten. The two women immediately clashed in fierce combat. The shockwaves from their battle were equally horrifying.

Ling Yu, who had paused mid-departure, watched with visible shock in his eyes. As expected of the cultivation world, even its female cultivators possessed strength no inferior to his own. And the newly arrived man was even more terrifying. They were all still Half-Saints, yet the fight had already escalated to the point of deploying a quasi-immortal array?

Even if it was only a fragment—and a damaged one at that, this was simply outrageous. The more he witnessed, the more acutely Ling Yu felt the sheer terror of these two. He glanced at Ye Chen and transmitted a message, asking if assistance was needed.

In the Extreme Martial Realm, the culture of the strong humiliating the weak was deeply ingrained. He had always disliked that atmosphere. Yet Ye Chen—this overwhelmingly powerful figure—had never once looked down on or belittled him. That alone made Ling Yu genuinely willing to befriend him.

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Ye Chen watched as the two women clashed fiercely. The words ”no need” that had been on the tip of his tongue were quietly swallowed back. Even if they joined forces, even with Alkaid bolstering himself with a fragment of a damaged quasi-immortal array, it meant nothing to him. But since Yan Qingcheng had already stepped in, there was no point refusing.

Besides, accepting her help would give him all the more reason to present her with gifts later. As for Ling Yu’s earnest voice transmission in his mind, Ye Chen couldn’t help but smile. This fellow really was warm-hearted. Still, he waved a hand lightly in refusal.

Ye Chen lifted his gaze toward Alkaid, who stood within the array patterns. Chaos Qi steamed from the other man’s body, giving off a sensation strikingly similar to that of his fiancée. Yet Ye Chen could sense that Alkaid’s Acquired Chaos Body had advanced even further. Clearly, the other party had truly grasped a method to push the Chaos Body beyond its previous limits. If he could obtain that technique, it would be quite useful!

…

Ye Chen made no immediate move to attack. Alkaid likewise remained still, merely gazing at Ye Chen with a complicated expression. The very first time he had encountered Ye Chen, an instinctive wariness had risen in his heart. He had sensed that if this young man were allowed to grow unchecked, he would become a formidable enemy on the Immortal Path.

Back then, though, he hadn’t taken Ye Chen too seriously. But in the blink of an eye, Ye Chen had become the most dazzling prodigy on the entire Immortal Path. He now stood shoulder to shoulder with figures like the Heavenly Emperor’s Successor and the Eight-Crowned King.

What shocked Alkaid the most was that Ye Chen had even stolen away his position as the true heir of the Devouring lineage. If not for the fact that he knew far too many secrets of the Devouring lineage—including its internal structure—and if the lineage hadn’t feared him dragging them down in mutual destruction, they likely would have exposed his identity long ago, turning him into a public enemy with nowhere to hide in the cultivation world.

Alkaid Holy Son stared fixedly at Ye Chen and let out a soft sigh.

”If this weren’t the final lifetime on the Immortal Path, upon meeting a prodigy of your caliber, Fellow Daoist Ye, I truly wouldn’t mind becoming friends with you. Once one reaches the quasi-immortal realm, the wiser choice would be to avoid conflict, seal oneself away, and wait patiently for the next opening of the Immortal Path.

”Unfortunately, there will be no next time. So I can only stand on the opposite side from you. Even though I already placed immense importance on you, it seems I still underestimated you by far. If I wait any longer, the gap between us will only grow wider. That is why I have now severed the saint realm cultivation I painstakingly acquired and come to the fourth realm. This is my final, best chance to kill you!”

Endless helplessness flickered in Alkaid’s eyes.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow at the words. He believed half of what Alkaid said. Given the other man’s mastery of the art of survival and caution, if there truly were another lifetime on the Immortal Path, Alkaid might very well avoid him and bide his time for the next cycle.

But only half. Self-severing his cultivation? He might have believed it coming from someone else. But from Alkaid—this man who had provoked him back in the Unity realm, yet managed to survive and even reach sainthood through sheer cunning—Ye Chen didn’t buy it for a second.

Yet from what he could see, Alkaid truly appeared to be the main body, not a clone or incarnation. Still, the demonic body shed by the Indestructible Heavenly Art had once been his very own flesh. It wasn’t some blood-flesh construct—it was an authentic, original body. Its aura was indistinguishable from the true self, so it was only natural that he couldn’t tell the difference.

Though Ye Chen had his suspicions, he showed nothing on his face. He simply raised an eyebrow and asked directly: ”You’ve found a way to break through the limit of the Acquired Chaos Body?”

Alkaid’s divine-king-like, radiant body slowly nodded in response.

”I know that with your talent, you disdain cultivating the Indestructible Heavenly Art and have no need for a Chaos Body. That Heavenly Intention Holy Maiden Yi Qingwu has likely already reached perfection as well, hasn’t she? How enviable for Fairy Yi—she achieved completion without ever leaving her holy land!

”Unlike me, who had to resort to every scheme, every trick, every calculation just to reach this step. I have indeed studied the methods of those who came before and gained some insights. I can continue advancing. In the future, if I can complete it, perhaps not only an Innate Chaos Body—even a Chaos Immortal Body may no longer be out of reach! And that very method… I carry it with me.”

At those words, Ye Chen’s eyebrows lifted sharply. Deep in his heart, his conviction only grew stronger. This guy had definitely turned his demonic body into a true clone and deliberately come here to deliver himself to death!