Immortality Starts With Investment

Deep in the Northern Domain, atop the divine mountain monopolized by the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan, the transparent divine source still stood unchanged.

Yet compared to before, the divine flames burning within it now blazed even more fiercely, as though they could melt and assimilate every living thing in the world. A figure knelt before the divine source, quietly reporting every major event related to the Immortal Path and the Central Continent.

”Ye Chen slew the Supreme Elder of the Dao One Holy Land, yet the Eight-Crowned King showed no reaction upon hearing the news. That existence suspected to be a banished immortal has now reached the peak of Great Emperor.

”The Holy Spirit Race is suspected to have a perfected Holy Spirit about to emerge, though we have been unable to determine what divine material is nurturing it. Its true body should be in the Ninth Realm of the Immortal Path!

”Ye Chen grows ever more monstrous. In a same-realm battle against this generation’s Devouring True Successor—the Alkaid Holy Son—even with the latter bolstered by a quasi-immortal remnant array, Ye Chen suppressed him with ease…

”Ye Chen has gifted away the Nirvana Sacred Liquid and the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade. The clan’s powerhouses now suspect that he does not possess a Heavenly Spiritual Root, but a Sacred Spiritual Root instead!

”At the same time, it is possible the Heavenly Emperor left behind a Dao-Entrust Treasure even more precious than the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade! Recently, word has spread from the Heavenly Emperor Hall that Ye Chen is not the true Heir. The Chaos Body’s emergence marks this generation’s genuine Heavenly Emperor heir!”

”…”

The Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan powerhouse kneeling before the divine source delivered his report in calm, measured tones. He did not know whether their Celestial Prince could hear him. But this had been the Celestial Prince’s instruction during his last appearance: one report per month.

Just as the powerhouse finished his monthly duty, bowed respectfully, and prepared to withdraw, the flames within the divine source suddenly surged higher.

A terrifying aura rose. A figure slowly emerged from within the divine source.

Clad in golden robes embroidered with countless true phoenixes, his hair was pure white, and behind that white hair shone colorless divine radiance. The light framed a face of supreme sanctity and nobility, as though a true divinity had awakened.

Merely a wisp of that aura descended, and the Saint-realm powerhouse of the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan immediately dropped to his knees on the ground. It was both reverence and awe—and also the simple inability to withstand the pressure.

”The Heavenly Emperor’s heir… Has Ye Chen already grown to such a level? I remember the last time I heard his name, he was merely a minor King. And now he may even possess a Sacred Spiritual Root, combined with an Innate Chaos Body, and has reversed the severing of the Great Dao to become a Saint! Back then… even the Heavenly Emperor himself was probably no match for him at the same realm!”

The voice of the Celestial Prince within the divine source rang like divine music—ancient, profound, and tinged with endless nostalgia.

The kneeling Saint hurriedly spoke up.

”The Heavenly Emperor’s heir is indeed extraordinarily powerful. Moreover, he is constantly protected by great experts, and within the Immortal Path, no one at the same realm is his match. That is why we have never been able to deal with him. But once you, Celestial Prince, complete your cultivation and emerge, whether it is Ye Chen, the Eight-Crowned King, the banished immortal—everything will be as fleeting clouds…

”Celestial Prince, you have slumbered for a million years. Upon awakening, you will possess both a Sacred Spiritual Root and the True Phoenix Immortal Body! In this era, no one will be your opponent.”

Only the Saint-realm and higher existences of the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan truly understood how terrifying the method their Celestial Prince cultivated truly was. Many outsiders questioned it. They called him mad. To slumber for a million years, wasting endless time—no cultivation method could possibly be worth it.

But outsiders could never comprehend what the Celestial Prince would gain. A Sacred Spiritual Root paired with the True Phoenix Immortal Body. Even in the Immortal Realm, such qualifications stood at the absolute pinnacle. They were the makings of one who could break through to True Immortal and achieve Immortal King.

Immortal Kings—according to legend—were so few in the Immortal Realm that they could be counted on one’s fingers. Countless True Immortals, no matter how brilliant and peerless, could only watch the position of Immortal King slip away across the long river of time, sighing helplessly as they turned to dust.

For the Celestial Prince to spend a million years and emerge with qualifications sufficient to become an Immortal King—if word of this ever leaked, it would be enough to shake the entire Immortal Realm. The fools of the outside world dared to speak recklessly?

And precisely because of this certainty, the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan had suffered repeated humiliations at the hands of Ye Chen and Yao Yuezhi, losing powerhouses along the way, yet they had never sought revenge or issued any threats.

Because every powerhouse in the clan was convinced: once their Celestial Prince emerged in perfection, everything else would be nothing. Ye Chen, the Eight-Crowned King—none of them could withstand even a single move from the Celestial Prince. To those already doomed, there was no need for threats.

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The Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan Saint was stunned. Yet the ethereal figure of the Celestial Prince within the divine source merely shook his head.

”Back then, I actually had many chances to kill the Heavenly Emperor. But because of arrogance, I never truly regarded him as a threat. I only ever sent subordinates to strike at him again and again. By the time I realized something was wrong, I was already no match for him—and so I suffered a crushing defeat!

”Now, hearing of Ye Chen’s deeds and seeing your dismissive attitude… I feel an uncanny sense of déjà vu. As though Ye Chen is the Heavenly Emperor of that era reborn… Only this time, he walks an even smoother path, with even more monstrous talent, and seemingly even greater battle power. That is why I fear the rise of a strengthened version of the Heavenly Emperor. So—send him on his way early.”

The Saint listened to his Celestial Prince recount the past with the Heavenly Emperor and felt no surprise. Such stories had circulated within the clan since ancient times. The Heavenly Emperor had merely been lucky. Their Celestial Prince had simply been too proud. If given another chance, the Heavenly Emperor would never have been allowed to grow at all.

Yet the Saint was puzzled by his Celestial Prince’s current stance. This level of attention toward Ye Chen seemed excessive. He privately guessed that the crushing defeat at the Heavenly Emperor’s hands had left a shadow in the Celestial Prince’s heart. But he dared not voice it. His expression grew somewhat troubled.

”Celestial Prince… it is not that I wish to shirk responsibility, but the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan truly cannot kill Ye Chen at present. Though Ye Chen is far beneath you, he is still one of the supreme prodigies of this era.

”Within the Immortal Path, almost no one among the myriad races can match him at the same realm. And outside the Immortal Path—even if our entire clan mobilized—we would struggle to take him down.

”The Heavenly Evolution Holy Land is no weak force, and it has many allies. That Heavenly Eye Saint Lord Feng Baiyu is especially cunning; he has repeatedly used Ye Chen as bait to trap and slaughter powerhouses.

”Moreover, this is the era of human dominance. Even if we rally portions of the myriad races, any large-scale movement would not go unnoticed. The other human powers would not stand idly by… they would instead force an early all-out war between the two sides! If we truly tear off all pretenses, it would only work against us!”

The myriad races always weighed gains and losses. The Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan had refrained from acting rashly all this time mainly because they knew they could not win. It was humiliating to admit, but it was the plain truth.

Hearing this, the strange sense of déjà vu in the Celestial Prince’s heart grew even stronger. Back then, he too had begun by underestimating the Heavenly Emperor. Several times he had considered striking decisively, yet always some reason or another had held him back—until it was too late and disaster had already taken root.

One could not fall into the same pit twice. Though he was supremely confident that, once he emerged in perfection, he would be invincible across the entire cultivation world, at his level of existence, inexplicable moods and premonitions did not arise without cause.

Since hearing of Ye Chen kept stirring memories of that past humiliating defeat, Ye Chen must be eliminated ahead of time. He would never allow another Heavenly Emperor to rise and block his path to immortality.

Thus, the godlike face of the Celestial Prince lifted calmly. He spoke with quiet indifference.

”No matter… I will take action personally.”

The moment the words left his mouth, the sky above darkened instantly. Countless thunderclaps exploded, and coiling thunder dragons roared through the heavens.

The Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan Saint’s eyes widened in shock. He hurriedly waved his hands—even forgetting proper deference in his panic.

”Celestial Prince, it is not worth it. You have not yet reached perfection. Ye Chen is utterly unworthy of you expending potential and emerging ahead of schedule! This absolutely cannot be allowed. I will immediately summon the quasi-immortal ancestors of the clan!”

For the Celestial Prince to emerge prematurely would be an earth-shaking event. The entire Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan had pinned all their hopes on this ancient senior awakening to sweep aside every prodigy, seize the immortal qi with ease, and ascend.

And once he stood invincible, he could then purge every enemy in the cultivation world—especially the human race—allowing the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan to reclaim its supreme position, establish an unparalleled divine dynasty, harvest every resource of the cultivation world, and prepare to survive the coming Age of Dharma’s End. Under such grand expectations, no one in the clan wished for the Celestial Prince to awaken early.

Yet the Celestial Prince’s phantom merely raised a hand calmly.

”My perfect emergence is already close at hand. Naturally, I will not abandon completion at the final moment. Have the clan prepare one Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal for me. Only that divine object can bear the weight of a single strand of my will. To kill the current Ye Chen and the Chaos Body, one strand of will is more than enough!

”As for the Heavenly Demon Clan and the Peacock Clan… back then, their ancestors treated me with utmost respect and offered their own daughters as attendants… Too much time has passed. They have forgotten that only the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan is the sole imperial race. I will give them one final chance to prove their loyalty… If they fail to grasp it—when my true body emerges, their clans will be exterminated.”

The Celestial Prince’s voice remained calm, yet carried overwhelming dominance.

The Saint’s eyes widened, but he also breathed a quiet sigh of relief. As long as it was not the true body emerging, it was acceptable. At the same time, he could not help marveling once more at how terrifying his Celestial Prince truly was.

Most beings sealed within the divine source were completely cut off from the outside world. They could only wait passively for revival—or for the source to age and shatter naturally. Yet his Celestial Prince could still communicate normally with the outside.

More than that—he could project a single strand of will. His Celestial Prince had long since reached the peak of quasi-immortal, only one step from true immortality. Even a mere strand of will from such an existence was unimaginably terrifying.

Forget Saints—even Saint Kings would fall before it. And precisely for that reason, only a treasure like the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal could possibly contain that single strand of will!

”The clan possesses only one Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal. It was originally reserved for a certain prodigy on the verge of breaking through to Saint King… That person has not yet entered seclusion. I will retrieve it for you at once, Celestial Prince.”

The Saint was genuinely excited at the prospect of his Celestial Prince personally eliminating Ye Chen. The Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan had lain dormant for far too long. They had suffered an immense loss of face because of Ye Chen. Now, with the Celestial Prince slaying him, their prestige would surely soar once more.

The Celestial Prince replied indifferently.

”No need to rush. I will only require it for a brief moment… After Ye Chen is dead, the junior may use the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal to break through afterward.”

The Saint nodded at once. He hurriedly sent a transmission. Soon, the entire Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan was in motion. They gathered upon the sacred peak…