Immortality Starts With Investment

The onlookers did not dare approach. Though they were all Half-Saints, and the combatants ahead were also Half-Saints, the gap between Half-Saints had already become clearer to them than the difference between humans and dogs.

If they drew too close, even the residual shockwaves from the battle might kill them outright. Right now, they only wanted to know who possessed such terrifying power that they could fight the heir of the Heavenly Emperor on equal footing.

…

At the center of the battlefield, Ye Chen swept his gaze around and looked calmly ahead. In the void before him, a jade stone shimmered. Within it, a single drop of blood slowly circulated.

In the next instant, the blood began to change. In the blink of an eye, Alkaid Holy Son reappeared before him—flesh and blood fully restored.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. Alkaid’s comprehension really was astonishing. The fact that he possessed the Healing Secret came as no surprise.

After all, Ye Chen had obtained the Healing Secret from Ying Tiansheng. And Ying Tiansheng had been one of the great medicines cultivated by Alkaid.

The Healing Secret was miraculous—it could heal hidden injuries to body and soul during daily cultivation, and in battle, it allowed instantaneous regeneration of flesh and recovery from wounds. But rebirth from a single drop of blood required profound mastery of the secret, reaching its absolute peak.

When combined with the realization that Alkaid’s Acquired Chaos Body had truly broken through the restrictions of the Indestructible Heavenly Art, his level of insight was frankly absurd.

Yet the revived Alkaid made no move to attack. Rebirth through the Healing Secret came at a cost. His aura had clearly weakened considerably. With the quasi-immortal remnant array now shattered and its power no longer bolstering him, he stood no chance against Ye Chen.

Defeated, Alkaid grew strangely calm instead. A faint regret lingered in his eyes as he spoke with quiet emotion.

”My parents were both Holy Masters, each possessing extraordinary talent. Yet I, their third son, was born with extremely poor aptitude. After several examinations in my infancy, I was found to possess only low-grade spiritual roots. From that moment on, my parents never spared me another glance. They simply handed me off to others and left me to fend for myself…

”When I grew older, the elders still gave me the status of an outer disciple—out of respect for my parents’ faces. I had parents of peerless talent. I had an elder brother with heavenly spiritual roots and the Holy Light Divine Body. Yet my own aptitude was so wretched. That brother once came to me personally and told me to end my own life—to stop disgracing them.

”Then later, I seized the opportunity and became a candidate for the true heir of the Devouring lineage… In the trial secret realm, I rose above the rest and became the true heir. The very first great medicine the Demon-Exterminating Great Saint sent me… was my own brother.

”I knew it was a test of loyalty—to cut off any path of retreat and probe my character at the same time. But in truth, no test was needed. I wanted nothing more than to devour that brother of mine. Not just him. The parents who birthed me yet abandoned me because of my poor aptitude—I wanted to devour them too. I possessed the potential to become an immortal. Yet in the end, you took everything from me…

”In my eyes, neither the Eight-Crowned King nor the Heavenly Emperor’s Son could compare to even a fraction of you… My only regret is that when I first sensed you as a threat, I did not immediately ask a great saint to kill you… One misstep led to every mistake that followed!”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Alkaid Holy Son knew his Destiny was sealed. Memories flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern. He hid nothing of his secrets. His voice echoed clearly across the surroundings. The onlookers stared at that still-smiling, radiant figure, their eyes filled with shock…

The one who had just fought such a terrifying battle was the long-silent Alkaid Holy Son? Alkaid Holy Son actually possessed such strength? Most shocking of all—the man known far and wide for his gentle elegance, his kindness to others, the one they called ”Timely Rain”—was actually the true heir of the Devouring lineage? And the brother who had vanished years ago… had been personally devoured and sent away by him?

The revelation was earth-shattering. Everyone could already imagine the tremor that would sweep the entire cultivation world once this news spread.

After he finished speaking, Alkaid gazed calmly at Ye Chen.

”Make your move.”

Ye Chen did not rush to strike. Nor did Alkaid’s words stir even the slightest ripple in his emotions. Instead, he simply extended his hand.

”Where is the technique you mentioned—the one that breaks the restrictions of the Indestructible Heavenly Art?”

Alkaid gave a carefree laugh.

”Fellow Daoist Ye, you really do care deeply for your dao companion. A peerless genius like you will never understand the bitterness I felt back then—lying in the dust, looking up at the prodigies above me. Fine. I know Fellow Daoist Ye has no patience for men, so I won’t waste words.”

”This is the technique I created. It can preliminarily surpass the restrictions of the Indestructible Heavenly Art, though it cannot yet fully transform into an Innate Chaos Body! With your unparalleled talent, please—take it.”

With those words, he tossed a jade slip forward.

With those words, a jade slip flew out from Alkaid and streaked through the air like a comet, landing directly in front of Ye Chen. Ye Chen accepted it without the slightest hesitation or suspicion.

As for Alkaid’s earlier remarks? He didn’t take them to heart at all. He didn’t understand low-born cultivators?

Heh.

Alkaid’s starting point had been far higher than his own back in the marketplace—when Lin Ke’er treated him like a fool, and he had trembled with fear just watching a Foundation Establishment battle.

But Ye Chen had no interest in comparing whose early life had been more miserable. Besides, he had already seen through the performance. He was certain they would meet again before long.

So without another word, Ye Chen threw another punch from afar. This time, with no remnant quasi-immortal array to protect him, Alkaid had no chance of survival.

Yet Alkaid showed no panic. He simply lifted his head and gazed at the sky, his eyes filled with reminiscence and peaceful acceptance.

Just like that, before the eyes of everyone watching, Alkaid met his end calmly. His body exploded apart in a burst of light.

…

The onlookers wore complicated expressions. The true heir of the Devouring lineage of this generation had never been exposed—until today. And the moment his identity came to light, he fell. Even though they reviled him for being the Devouring heir, after hearing the life story Alkaid had just recounted, they couldn’t help feeling a surge of mixed emotions.

Alkaid’s will and character were truly astonishing—even among all the true heirs of the Devouring lineage throughout history, he ranked at the very top. If he hadn’t encountered an absolute monster like this generation’s heir of the Heavenly Emperor, he might very well have had a real chance at immortality. Yet such a monster had died here.

Everyone turned their gazes toward Ye Chen, who stood calmly in the void. The awe in their eyes deepened. The truth behind today’s battle would inevitably shock the entire cultivation world. And Alkaid’s final words—declaring that Ye Chen far surpassed both the Eight-Crowned King and the Heavenly Emperor’s Son—were bound to stir up enormous waves.

As for Ye Chen himself, of course he understood that Alkaid had deliberately said those things to stir up trouble and make more enemies for him. But he didn’t care in the slightest. His gaze shifted toward the battlefield where Yan Qingcheng and Dantai Xuan were still clashing.

For some reason, even though Ye Chen had already freed himself and could intervene at any moment, Yan Qingcheng fought with even greater ferocity. Meanwhile, Dantai Xuan—who had started on even footing but gradually fallen into a disadvantage—showed no trace of anger or humiliation.

Her mind remained perfectly calm and rational. Her opponent possessed a complete Innate Chaos Body. That was a constitution bordering on an immortal level. Whereas she herself had only an incomplete immortal physique—far too deficient in comparison.

Moreover, in this cultivation world, she could not commune with the Supreme, leaving many of her techniques incomplete. Losing was only natural.

Dantai Xuan had never cared about victory or defeat. She simply understood that with Ye Chen’s overwhelming dominance, the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade was now completely out of reach.

In that case, why keep fighting?

Without hesitation, Dantai Xuan drifted backward and withdrew gracefully!