Immortality Starts With Investment

This prodigy was extraordinarily powerful. Unfortunately, in this generation's Immortal Path, heavenly prodigies sprouted like weeds—far too numerous. His brilliance, though striking, had not echoed loudly enough.

He soared forward. First, he bowed respectfully to Ye Chen, the Heavenly Emperor's heir. "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Ye."

Only then did he address Lan Nuo politely. "I have long heard of Fairy Lan's astonishing Heavy Pupils. Now, with the addition of a Sacred Spiritual Root, I humbly request Fairy Lan's guidance and instruction…"

His challenge carried the intent of the great sect behind him—to test Lan Nuo's Sacred Spiritual Root. He himself harbored some confidence. Even against Heavy Pupils and a Sacred Spiritual Root, he believed he might still hold his own.

The moment he spoke, every gaze locked intently.

Lan Nuo offered no words, merely regarding him calmly. The instant her eyes swept over him, terrifying pressure crashed down.

His face drained of color in a flash. His figure, suspended in the void, plummeted several meters. Clearly peers in the realm, yet it felt as though a saint gazed upon him. His physique erupted in that moment, desperately resisting the pressure.

Yet Lan Nuo merely lifted her chin slightly. The power of heaven and earth converged around them, bearing down upon him.

"Pfft…"

Before the shocked eyes of the crowd, he spewed a mouthful of blood, staring at Lan Nuo in disbelief. No spell or divine ability employed. Merely a glance, mobilizing the forces of heaven and earth, enough to force a top prodigy of the same realm to cough blood?

Was a Sacred Spiritual Root truly this horrifying? Did Lan Nuo's strength now rival the Heavenly Emperor's heir? Could she, too, suppress peak quasi-saints across major realms?

In the next moment, an early-stage quasi-saint stepped forward. He remained courteous, clearly distinguishing priority. He first bowed respectfully to Ye Chen before requesting Lan Nuo's guidance.

She still uttered no word. Merely raising her hand faintly, sacred power surged—Dao manifesting naturally. Her fair hand patted lightly. Even though her opponent had prepared defensive divine arts in advance, he was still sent flying instantly. The dao artifact-grade immortal robe on his body exploded, his face ashen without a trace of blood.

The crowd erupted in uproar once more. Soon after: mid-stage quasi-saint, late-stage, peak quasi-saint…

Only against a peak quasi-saint did Lan Nuo employ her Heavy Pupils, trapping him within the Heavy Pupil Pure Land. She drifted gracefully into it.

Moments later, the Pure Land dispersed. The peak quasi-saint, face deathly pale as though his Dao heart had suffered a blow, bowed to Lan Nuo and departed immediately.

Throughout, Lan Nuo retained her ethereal, immortal bearing.

In that moment, words became unnecessary. All understood the might of a Sacred Spiritual Root. Spanning an entire great realm, she suppressed opponents with ease. A Sacred Spiritual Root truly inspired such terror. And with Heavy Pupils besides, she appeared even more fearsome.

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On this day, the cultivation world gained yet another heaven-defying existence. The onlookers seethed with envy and resentment. The Lan family, however, overflowed with ecstasy.

Lan Nuo often spoke at home of restoring the clan's glory—"It is our generation's duty; I will surpass the ancestors." Now, she truly had.

Countless powers currently watched Immortal City.

A million miles away in a distant void, a man in golden robes stood—chaos qi flowing around him, his form rounded and natural, like a deity incarnate. His gaze remained calm. Beside him stood several terrifyingly powerful beings.

One could not contain his killing intent and spoke. "Whether Lan Nuo or the Heavenly Emperor's heir, both possess astonishing talent—the true great medicines. The potential of a Sacred Spiritual Root seems no weaker than an Innate Chaos Body. This era truly teems with monsters. Both will be formidable rivals on your Immortal Path, Holy Son. If you do not act soon, once even your cultivation advantage vanishes, suppressing and slaying them will grow far harder."

At his words, the strikingly handsome man shook his head. "I will act only after shedding this demonic shell and achieving complete perfection!"

The man was none other than the long-absent Alkaid Holy Son. This generation teemed with too many heavenly prodigies. In past eras, only one or two apex geniuses emerged. Now they appeared in heaps. Even he, inheritor of the Devouring lineage, had reaped the benefits of this golden age. Previous devourers rarely perfected their path to Quasi-Immortal, let alone attained an Acquired Chaos Body.

Yet Alkaid had succeeded early. Each devouring of origin also elevated his cultivation. This had propelled him to profound realms long ago. Even so, he remained deeply wary. He had watched Ye Chen closely, seeking opportunities to strike several times—yet always restrained himself, slipping away quietly.

The great powers beside him grew dissatisfied with his caution.

"The path of cultivation demands fearless advance. With your Acquired Chaos Body now complete, it falls a little short of an innate one. If you wait for absolute certainty before every move, immortality will forever elude you! You were once merely an obscure disciple of the Alkaid Holy Land—born with a mortal physique and a trifling third-grade spiritual root, overlooked by all.

"Our Devouring lineage selected ten thousand mortal bodies. You fought with ruthless decisiveness, emerging victorious amid slaughter—over a thousand perished by your hand. I still remember the unyielding fire in your eyes then, as though it could incinerate heaven and earth!

"Thus, our lineage bestowed upon you the Indestructible Heavenly Art, rare treasures to elevate your root to a supreme heavenly grade, and countless inherited divine abilities for your study. We do not wish to see you—now blessed with talent and strength—lose that burning unwillingness! Without that drive, even an Innate Chaos Body would never ascend!"

Alkaid smiled at their words—strikingly handsome, like a banished immortal. "I will not disappoint the seniors, of course. In this era, I will surely lead you all into the immortal realm. Yet the Heavenly Emperor's heir truly differs. Outsiders see only his obsession with women. I believe he likely possessed a Sacred Spiritual Root long ago. His gifts are precious, yet he always retains something better for himself. Not absolute, but from my observations, largely true…

"With Heavy Pupils, Supreme Heart, Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo—and if a Sacred Spiritual Root besides—what terror would that breed? In any case, I have observed him in close-quarters battles multiple times. Never once has he fought at full strength! If I strike rashly and suffer crushing defeat, it would ruin the Devouring lineage's painstaking efforts across the years. Thus, once I shed this demonic fetus and achieve true perfection, I will act at once—suppressing him with the superior realm and slaying him outright!"

At this, the gathered powers furrowed their brows. The Heavenly Emperor's heir also possessed a Sacred Spiritual Root?

Truth be told, it strained belief. How could the Heavenly Dao favor one person so extravagantly? Bestowing every supreme aptitude upon a single body? And if true, would his scheming not run too deep?

Yet recalling recent rumors—of his elaborate plots that nearly wiped out an entire generation of myriad race prodigies. And the fresh news of deliberately tossing the Nirvana Sacred Liquid to lure and kill.

They fell silent. This generation's Heavenly Emperor's heir truly might pull such a feat.

Still, doubt lingered in their hearts. Could the world birth a prodigy this monstrous? What difference would there be from one ordained by heaven itself?