Immortality Starts With Investment

Yan Ruyu’s renown for beauty was matched only by her fearsome combat power. Born with the supreme ancestral peacock bloodline, she possessed the complete Seven-Colored Divine Feathers from the moment of her birth.

Her Seven-Colored Divine Light could brush away anything without exception, its momentum in no way inferior to that of the ancient Peacock Progenitor, Kong Xuan. Some even believed she had the potential to surpass him. In such circumstances, joining forces with Ye Chen gave them a real chance to stand against the Celestial Prince.

The thought deepened the golden-robed elder’s sense of Ye Chen’s profound affection for his daughter. Ye Chen knew full well how dangerous it was, yet he was willing to ally with others to confront the Celestial Prince—while still refusing to let Qingcheng suffer even the slightest risk.

It was a pity that Ye Chen had so many women by his side. As a man himself, the elder could understand Ye Chen’s position. But as a father, he could never accept his daughter taking someone like Ye Chen as her Dao companion... Still, once everything was over, he would share a portion of the Heavenly Emperor Hall’s resources with Ye Chen as compensation!

With that resolve, the golden-robed elder joined the many powerful figures who had gathered from across the Heavenly Emperor Hall. Together they escorted Ye Chen onto the teleportation array hidden deep in the starry void, bound for Immortal City…

…

At the same moment, the immortal ship of the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan had already arrived at Immortal City.

Under countless watchful eyes, the white-haired Celestial Prince slowly stepped out from within the vessel. Amid waves of awe-struck gazes, he entered Immortal City.

The city was crowded—many of the oldest and most venerable human powerhouses had come as well, all staring at the Celestial Prince.

After all, this was an ancient monster from the same era as the Heavenly Emperor. From him, one could still glimpse the radiant splendor of that legendary age.

As the crowd sensed the terrifying aura radiating from the Celestial Prince, gasps of amazement rippled through them. Merely a wisp of divine sense—and yet it carried such overwhelming might. When his true body finally emerged, perhaps only a handful of people in the world would even qualify to stand against him.

The human powerhouses watched with deep wariness in their eyes. Yet no one acted. After all, it was only a strand of divine sense; killing it would accomplish nothing.

The Celestial Prince stood with a divine wheel hovering above his head, his demeanor gentle and refined. Behind him followed a host of powerful figures, their collective presence majestic and imposing.

Pausing before the teleportation array to the Immortal Path, the Celestial Prince shook his head with a sigh.

”The cultivation world used to be so perfect—everyone had the chance to ascend. But the Heavenly Emperor ruined it all, even forcing the world into an early Age of Dharma’s End. What a calamity he was!”

He shook his head again, overwhelmed with emotion.

The onlookers who heard him felt a complicated mix of feelings. The Heavenly Emperor had rendered immeasurable service to the rise of humanity and the retreat of the myriad races. Yet he had also destroyed countless immortal roots—even felling the Jianmu Tree itself.

The path of cultivation in this world had grown increasingly difficult because of him. That, too, was an undeniable fact. Even among humans, the Heavenly Emperor’s legacy was one of both glory and infamy.

From the center of the crowd, the Celestial Prince spoke once more with a sigh.

”I only hope the Heavenly Emperor is still alive so I can take my revenge with my own hands. Otherwise, the meaning of my million-year slumber would be greatly diminished…”

His words sparked another uproar. The Celestial Prince still intended to seek vengeance against the Heavenly Emperor?

A million years had passed. With the Heavenly Emperor’s talent, he must have long since broken through to True Immortal and become an Immortal King. How could the Celestial Prince be so confident? What exactly had he gained during his million years of slumber?

In an instant, the powerhouses of the major human factions watched him with even greater caution. Divine light flickered in their eyes as they tried to discern something—anything—from the incarnation. Yet the five-colored divine wheel behind the Celestial Prince’s head veiled all probing attempts. Even if a Great Emperor were present, none could see through it.

The Celestial Prince silently noted every person who dared to investigate him. For now, with his true body yet to emerge, he would merely remember their faces. Once his true form appeared, he would visit each and every one of them personally. He would make them understand the price of disrespecting him.

A faint smile curved the Celestial Prince’s lips. Without lingering further, he took a single step forward. Together with several Saint Kings of the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan, he strode directly into the Immortal Path. Only after his figure vanished did ordinary cultivators finally recover from the suffocating pressure of his aura. Exclamations and heated discussions erupted at once.

”It’s hard to believe that was only an incarnation. I’m already at the peak of Saint King, yet when his gaze swept over me, my entire body froze…”

”The Celestial Prince chose to slumber for a million years—he must have gained something enormous. Perhaps when his true body awakens, he really will become the number one figure of our era!”

”Fairy Yan Ruyu is in grave danger!”

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”Why don’t the major holy lands and great sects band together to attack the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan? Shatter their divine source ahead of time!”

”It’s not that simple. The Celestial Prince is slumbering in the ancestral land of the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan—deep in the Northern Region, the lair of the myriad races. How many people would it take to breach it?”

”Sigh… Yan Ruyu is probably no match for him. I wonder if the Heavenly Emperor’s heir can stop him!”

”If the Heavenly Emperor’s heir were already at the peak of the Saint realm, he might not fear this incarnation. But right now he’s likely only in the early Saint stage—it’s going to be tough…”

”If I were the Heavenly Emperor’s heir, I wouldn’t even respond. Some million-year-old relic forms an incarnation and immediately challenges the current generation’s prodigies? Utterly shameless.”

”Exactly. He probably suffered a crushing defeat at the Heavenly Emperor’s hands back then and carries that shadow to this day. Seeing the Heavenly Emperor’s heir now makes him nervous—he wants to nip the threat in the bud.”

”…”

The human cultivators felt a mix of wariness and quiet sighs. Few held much optimism for Ye Chen’s chances. Even so, they were far from despairing.

The myriad races had the Celestial Prince, but humanity boasted the Eight-Crowned King, who had seized eight strands of immortal qi, as well as the Exiled Immortal, who was likely human as well. There was even a Sacred Spiritual Root in the mix! The Celestial Prince might not truly be invincible.

Everyone was deeply invested in which race the final immortal of this era would belong to. After ascending, an immortal could remain in the cultivation world for three full days.

With the power of a True Immortal, that brief window was enough to reshape the entire landscape of the Dharma-Ending Age. Amid the heated discussions—speculating whether Yan Ruyu would clash head-on with the Celestial Prince or simply surrender and become his maidservant, and whether the Heavenly Emperor’s heir would even respond—A sudden commotion erupted at the city gates of Immortal City.

Curious eyes turned toward the sound, and then widened in shock. Because striding through the gates was none other than Ye Chen, the Heavenly Emperor’s heir. He moved with purposeful strides straight toward the teleportation array to the Immortal Path.

The Heavenly Emperor’s heir had come here?

That was everyone’s first thought. In the next instant, realization struck, and pupils shrank.

He was coming for the Celestial Prince? Instead of waiting for the enemy to arrive, he had charged straight in?

This was boldness on another level. Wasn’t the Heavenly Emperor’s heir known for his laziness—always letting his enemies come to him? The Celestial Prince and others before had all been forced to seek him out. Unless…

A single name rose in everyone’s minds at once.

Yan Ruyu…

The Celestial Prince intended to take Yan Ruyu as his maidservant first. And who didn’t know that the Heavenly Emperor’s heir was utterly addicted to beautiful women? How could he possibly ignore Yan Ruyu?

Back when he was in the Myriad Races Immortal City, rumors said he had camped daily at the entrance to the Peacock Clan’s territory, waiting for her return. When she failed to appear for too long, and impatience got the better of him, he had even chosen a Peacock Clan female cultivator who bore a passing resemblance to Yan Ruyu for dual cultivation—never mind that she was already a widow…

Clearly, in his heart, the Heavenly Emperor’s heir had long marked Yan Ruyu as his exclusive possession. There was no way he would tolerate the Celestial Prince claiming her. That explained his frantic rush.

At this realization, the expressions on every face grew exceptionally complicated. Say what you will—being one of the Heavenly Emperor’s heir’s women really did come with an extraordinary sense of security. No matter how terrifying the enemy, he would still come charging to their rescue.

The problem was that the Celestial Prince’s incarnation was horrifyingly powerful. Did the Heavenly Emperor’s heir truly have the confidence to win?

At the same time, excitement began to stir in many hearts. The Heavenly Emperor’s heir had appeared in the world for so many years and fought countless battles. Yet the version of him fighting at full power existed only in legends.

No one had ever witnessed him unleash his true strength. Now, facing the Celestial Prince’s incarnation, he could no longer hold back. Everyone would finally see the Heavenly Emperor’s heir laying all his cards on the table—Instead of casually swatting enemies away like flies, as he always had.

Moreover, within the Immortal Path’s sixth realm waited Yan Ruyu, a peak Saint King in her own right. Together, the two of them might not be inferior to the Celestial Prince’s incarnation.

With that thought, anticipation surged through the crowd. A world-shaking battle was destined to erupt in the sixth realm of the Immortal Path…

Ye Chen, however, paid no attention to the stares. The moment he learned the Celestial Prince had already arrived, he did not hesitate for even a second. He stepped directly onto the teleportation array. In the instant divine light flared around him, his figure vanished from Immortal City.

Watching how swiftly Ye Chen departed, the onlookers only sighed more deeply at his legendary obsession with women. He was in such a hurry to rescue Yan Ruyu…

”Where is Yan Ruyu?”

After stepping into the sixth realm of the Immortal Path, the Celestial Prince spoke slowly. In truth, his interest was rather low. A graceful figure lingered in his heart. Collecting maidservants was merely a habit—and a convenient way to strike at Ye Chen’s Dao heart.

Since Ye Chen was so obsessed with women, taking the woman he desired as a servant might just provoke a heart demon in him. That would be far more efficient.

At once, a Saint King stepped forward to lead the way while explaining, ”The last time Fairy Yan Ruyu appeared was near a certain divine mountain… She seemed to be in seclusion… My clan has already located the place of her retreat.”

The Celestial Prince gave a slight, smiling nod and rose gracefully into the air. Each realm of the Immortal Path was vaster than the last. The sixth realm alone was comparable in size to the Central Continent. It took a full three days before the Celestial Prince and his group finally reached the site of Yan Ruyu’s seclusion.

It was a divine mountain. Now reduced to broken walls and shattered ruins. Half the peak had been cleaved apart. The entire land looked as though it had been scoured by divine thunder. Even now, traces of that unique, apocalyptic, destructive power lingered in the air.

And amid the endless devastation, a graceful silhouette sat cross-legged at the center, shrouded in seven-colored divine light that obscured her features. Yet through the radiant veil, one could faintly discern a figure of flawless, transcendent perfection.

Sensing the overwhelming aura of a Great Saint radiating from her—impossible to suppress—the Celestial Prince faintly furrowed his brows.

”This woman has already passed her heavenly tribulation and broken through to Great Saint.”

Their arrival had clearly been noticed. The silhouette slowly rose to her feet. Though the seven-colored divine light still veiled her eyes, everyone present could feel the icy chill in her gaze. Several Saint Kings struggled to withstand it and summoned divine flames just to resist the cold.

The Celestial Prince narrowed his eyes, then let a smile curve his lips.

”Yan Ruyu, your talent is truly remarkable. Having reached the level of your ancestor Kong Xuan, you still seek to go further—to surpass him by elevating his Seven-Colored Divine Feathers into Nine Colors…

”I must admit, I’ve come to admire you somewhat. Come and serve as my maidservant. The Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan possesses countless supreme Dao arts and endless treasures. In the future, I will even grant you a slot to enter the Immortal Realm, helping you complete the ascension of your nine feathers and truly surpass your ancestor!”

His status was exalted, his vision unmatched. With a single glance, he had seen through many things, and genuine interest finally flickered in his eyes. But before he could finish speaking, he raised a brow and looked backward. A terrifying aura was surging toward them with explosive force!