Immortality Starts With Investment

Hua Yunfei had once enjoyed considerable fame across the Central Continent. After all, inheriting the legacy of the Moral Heavenly Venerable was no small matter. Yet he had only ever displayed the talent of a top-tier heavenly prodigy—appearing slightly inferior even to overlords like Alkaid Holy Son. He seemed merely on par with possessors of the Solar Divine Body, the Feather Transformation Divine Body, and other such supreme physiques. His avatar had even been hunted down and slain in public.

Although some had long suspected that his true body possessed far greater strength, as the Heavenly Emperor’s heir grew increasingly dazzling and countless ancient monsters emerged into the world, Hua Yunfei was gradually forgotten by the cultivation world. Many even believed he had already fallen.

No one expected that he would reappear today. Not only had his cultivation reached the peak of the Quasi-Immortal realm, but his aura was so terrifying that it defied description, feeling no weaker than that of the Heavenly Emperor’s heir.

How was this possible? What virtue or ability did the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land possess to produce two peak contenders for immortality in a single generation?

Countless cultivators in the Immortal City were instantly thrown into an uproar, their hearts filled with disbelief. They had never imagined that someone could cultivate in complete silence, advancing unnoticed all the way to the peak of the Quasi-Immortal realm, only to suddenly emerge and astonish the entire world.

Yet Hua Yunfei’s appearance undoubtedly reshaped the landscape of the Quasi-Immortal path once more. The outside world had already concluded that the Eight-Crowned King was unlikely to be a match for the Heavenly Emperor’s heir. With Hua Yunfei now added to the equation, the Eight-Crowned King seemed to have even less hope.

Could the struggle for immortality in this era ultimately end in a battle between fellow disciples? Such a thing had never occurred in the entire history of the cultivation world.

Amid waves of shock and amazement, Hua Yunfei descended upon the Immortal City.

”Fellow Daoist Hua, you…”

An old acquaintance of Hua Yunfei could not help but speak, his voice laced with awe and respect.

Hua Yunfei smiled gently and returned the greeting with a cupped fist. Although these people had only ever interacted with his avatar, Hua Yunfei showed no trace of coldness.

Sensing his approachable demeanor, the crowd felt even greater admiration.

Someone gathered the courage to ask, ”Fellow Daoist Hua, do you plan to join the Heavenly Emperor’s heir in first dealing with the Eight-Crowned King, before competing for the Immortal Qi?”

This was precisely what everyone was curious about. The cultivators of the Dao One Holy Land felt their hearts tighten, growing increasingly regretful that their ancestor had been too arrogant. They should have eliminated the Heavenly Emperor’s heir earlier instead of stubbornly guarding the Ninth Realm. If the two supreme figures joined forces now, their ancestor would stand no chance at all.

However, Hua Yunfei merely smiled and replied, ”There is no need for my junior brother to act. I will personally challenge the Senior Eight-Crowned King alone! As for the Immortal Qi, there is no need to fight over it either. As the senior brother, I will naturally leave it for my junior brother!”

The moment these words left his mouth, another wave of commotion swept through the crowd.

Hua Yunfei intended to fight the Eight-Crowned King alone. Clearly, that was the very purpose of his arrival. This was monumental news. Even more astonishing was that he had no intention of competing for the Immortal Qi, choosing instead to let his junior brother achieve immortality.

While the cultivation world had seen cases of one person attaining immortality and bringing another into the immortal realm, such outcomes carried far too many uncertainties.

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Yet Hua Yunfei spoke with complete calm and sincerity. His character and bearing were truly unmatched, earning widespread admiration.

Seeing the stunned reactions around him, Hua Yunfei cupped his hands lightly and prepared to step onto the teleportation array. But at that moment, he raised an eyebrow and frowned as he looked toward the direction of the Northern Domain. His figure came to a sudden halt.

The crowd watched in confusion. After all, in the current cultivation world, someone of Hua Yunfei’s level had essentially reached the pinnacle. Aside from the Eight-Crowned King and the Heavenly Emperor’s heir, who else could possibly move him?

While everyone remained puzzled, several Quasi-Immortals soon raised their heads and gazed into the distance. Shock appeared in their eyes.

”What a terrifying aura…”

”How is this possible? This aura definitely doesn’t belong to the Heavenly Emperor’s heir!”

”This is unbelievable. In the past million years, no one except the Eight-Crowned King has ever reached such near-peak combat strength in this world. How can so many appear in this single era?”

”Who is this person? She came from the direction of the Northern Domain. Could she be an unparalleled prodigy from the myriad races who has finally decided to emerge now that the Immortal Qi has appeared?”

”…”

While the crowd was still reeling in shock, a graceful figure descended with overwhelming momentum. Her aura was unmatched and completely unrestrained.

She landed directly in the center of the Immortal City.

She swept her gaze across the surroundings with cold indifference. Only when her eyes fell on Hua Yunfei did she pause slightly, a trace of surprise flashing across her face.

”A lower realm prodigy who can achieve such perfect combat strength at the Quasi-Immortal realm… This exceeds my expectations. If you were in the immortal realm, you would qualify as an elite in any major force and would be worth nurturing with care.”

Her voice was clear yet sharp, carrying an implicit arrogance. Although her words held no overt disdain, they carried the tone of a woman from a great city returning to a small town and casually praising a local youth for having a promising future.

This woman was none other than Wang Xuanji from the lower realm. The moment she spoke, the entire Immortal City fell silent.

The immortal realm? This woman came from the immortal realm? How was that possible?

Everyone’s pupils contracted sharply, their eyes filled with disbelief. The immortal realm had been cut off from the cultivation world for a million years. How could someone from there have descended?

It was almost impossible to believe. Yet her aura was indeed terrifying. Only someone from the immortal realm could possess such power.

Hua Yunfei was also somewhat surprised, but he paid no mind to her condescending evaluation. He smiled and nodded slightly. ”Thank you for the praise, fellow daoist… Since you have descended from the immortal realm, did you not bring a few strands of Immortal Qi with you?”

Upon hearing this, Wang Xuanji shook her head without offering an explanation. Descending to the lower realm came at an extremely high cost. For the Wang family to send her down had already required immense effort and resources, nearly draining them dry.

Bringing along even a wisp of Immortal Qi or any other immortal weapon would have emptied the family completely. Besides, Immortal Qi existed in the lower realm and was within easy reach. Why would she need to bring her own?

”Are you the strongest expert in this realm?” Wang Xuanji asked seriously. She increasingly felt that the mixed-blood cultivator with the phoenix aura had been talking nonsense and trying to use her as a weapon.

After all, it was already inconceivable for someone in the mere lower realm to reach the level of the man before her. How could there be anyone stronger?

Although she was too lazy to search personally, since she had encountered him, she did not mind taking action early to clear away obstacles.

Sensing her fighting intent, Hua Yunfei smiled and shook his head. ”I would not dare claim to be the number one in this realm—that would be too exaggerated. But I am not weak, either…”

Wang Xuanji had no interest in exchanging pleasantries with lower realm cultivators. Seeing that he was still being modest, she grew impatient and raised her hand indifferently. ”Make your move. Rest assured, I will not kill you. I only want you to understand the gap between us.”

An uproar erupted throughout the Immortal City. An immortal realm prodigy was indeed arrogant beyond measure.

Yet Hua Yunfei showed no anger at being challenged in such a manner. He simply smiled and nodded. ”In that case, please be careful, fellow daoist…”

Although Wang Xuanji’s appearance was unexpected and her identity as a descender from the immortal realm was shocking, what of it?

He had chosen to cultivate in a low-key manner all this time, but that did not mean he lacked an invincible will. He had simply wished to avoid any accidents on the path of growth that might lead to a tragic end. Now that he had reached perfection, he remained confident even when facing a prodigy from the immortal realm.

With a flick of his sleeve, Hua Yunfei soared into the air. Endless purple qi surged upward, billowing across thirty thousand miles.

As he smiled, Hua Yunfei raised his hand and pressed down with a palm strike that blotted out the sky and sun, nearly engulfing the entire Immortal City.