Immortality Starts With Investment

Only after seeing his daughter agree did the golden-robed elder finally nod in satisfaction. If not for the fact that his own cultivation technique had reached a critical juncture, he would have had no choice but to send someone else to guard her on this trip. He would have preferred to accompany her personally.

"In short, obtain the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade and return as soon as possible. After your breakthrough, head straight to the Origin Pool for cultivation. Push your cave heaven to its absolute peak and reach the pinnacle of the Saint realm. From there, advancing to Saint King and Great Saint will be smooth sailing.

"In any case, I have already laid out the entire path ahead for you, Qingcheng. Before you ascend to immortality, do not get involved in any nonsense. Once you enter the Immortal Realm, do whatever you wish—I won't interfere anymore…"

The golden-robed elder went on and on.

Logically speaking, with her Chaos Body, venturing into the Fourth Realm should allow her to sweep through everything without issue. But this era had produced Ye Chen—a man notorious for his insatiable lust for women—and that alone made the elder uneasy. He worried that his daughter, who possessed the potential to ascend, might be led astray by this boy.

"Mhm, mhm…"

Yan Qingcheng responded helplessly, nodding quickly before stepping onto the teleportation array and drifting away. She left the golden-robed elder standing alone, his mind restless. He couldn't shake the fear that without him there, someone might deceive his daughter. But soon enough, another figure floated over.

"Ye Chen has already returned to Heavenly Evolution Holy Land. There has been no news of the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade within Heavenly Evolution Holy Land either… So Ye Chen most likely will not show up."

At those words, the golden-robed elder let out a long breath of relief.

Good—as long as Ye Chen stayed away…

...

In the Fourth Realm of the Immortal Path.

Deep within an extremely remote grand canyon, untouched by ordinary footsteps. Mists of dense spiritual qi rose like clouds, continuously billowing upward. Any cultivator who stepped inside would instinctively feel a surge of awe and reverence.

A grand formation had already been laid here, guarded by several peak Half-Saints. All of them belonged to Violet Radiance Holy Land.

In the Central Continent, the Violet Radiance Holy Land ranked among the top-tier holy lands. It was no weaker than Alkaid, Jade Pool, or the others.

At this moment, anticipation filled every heart: "In another half year, the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade will officially emerge. The Holy Son can use it to achieve perfect sainthood. His combat power will surge dramatically. If he can further comprehend the Violet Radiance Immortal Scripture and grasp the Violet Radiance Vast Surge, he may even contend with those outside the Heavenly Emperor's heirs. Even if immortality remains out of reach, the Holy Son's future attainment of Quasi-Immortal status would be enough to safeguard Violet Radiance Holy Land's lineage through eight thousand years of the Age of Dharma's End!"

The Violet Radiance cultivators sat in meditation, conserving their energy.

Suddenly, a masculine figure arrived with explosive momentum.

In an instant, every Violet Radiance Half-Saint narrowed their eyes.

The newcomer stood tall and straight, like an ancient pine defying the heavens. He measured over eight chi in height. Jet-black hair spilled freely across his shoulders. An untamed, rebellious aura radiated from him, while golden blood qi soared skyward from his physique.

At first glance, he gave the Violet Radiance cultivators the exact same oppressive feeling they had once experienced when facing the Holy Prince.

"This place has already been claimed by Violet Radiance Holy Land! The Violet Radiance Seven Glories Formation has been deployed—even ordinary Saints would struggle to break through! Our Holy Son is currently in secluded cultivation deeper within! Fellow Daoist, please leave!"

Though the Violet Radiance cultivators felt no fear toward the intruder, they could sense his extraordinary presence. Unwilling to stir up unnecessary trouble, they spoke to persuade him to depart. At those words, lightning flashed through the newcomer's cold, sword-sharp eyes—eyes as deep and dark as ink.

"I can already sense the aura of the Dao-Entrust Treasure right here. Natural treasures of heaven and earth are born of the world and belong to no one. If your strength is insufficient, then step aside voluntarily."

The man's voice boomed like rolling thunder. His words left the Violet Radiance Half-Saints staring in disbelief. This felt utterly absurd.

Violet Radiance Holy Land enjoyed resounding prestige. Their Holy Son possessed talent no inferior to the Holy Prince, Alkaid, or any of the others.

Aside from the Heavenly Emperor's heir and a scant few others, who dared claim they could steadily suppress their Holy Son? Was this unknown Half-Saint insane?

Immediately, one peak Half-Saint could endure it no longer. He roared in fury: "Fellow Daoist, you've gone too far! Let me test your methods…"

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As the words fell, he sacrificed a violet-gold purifying vase. The vase erupted with vast Extreme Dao might. It soared out of the formation. The mouth of the vase became a black hole, unleashing terrifying suction that began devouring even the surrounding space…

Within the body of the vase surged endless divine water, capable of refining anything. This was an extremely fearsome high-grade Extreme Dao weapon—one the man had spent over a thousand years accumulating resources to forge.

Most opponents of the same realm could do nothing but avoid its edge. Yet the unfamiliar man who had suddenly appeared merely curved his lips in a faint smile. He offered no Extreme Dao weapon in response. Hands clasped behind his back, he watched calmly.

The suction force—strong enough to tear the world apart—failed to move him even half a step. His physique stood like an eternal divine mountain, rooted unshakably in place.

The sight left every cultivator inside the formation staring wide-eyed. The one who had attacked turned ashen. Without hesitation, he formed hand seals. The purifying vase swelled dramatically and slammed toward the man, intent on swallowing him whole.

The newcomer didn't dodge or evade. In an instant, he was engulfed.

The corners of the Violet Radiance Half-Saint's mouth lifted in a sneer. The divine water inside his vase had been painstakingly gathered from thousands of wondrous waters across the cultivation world, blended with countless exotic poisons and spiritual flames. Even a Saint swallowed inside would suffer grievous wounds.

Yet the next moment, a terrifying impact rang out. Before the Violet Radiance Half-Saint could react, his purifying vase exploded into countless fragments with a deafening boom.

Amid the endless shards, the man stood there completely unruffled. His raised right fist glowed with golden light. Dragon-like blood qi coiled around it, roaring with power.

The crowd was stunned once more. A single punch had shattered a high-grade Extreme Dao weapon?

Though the vase wasn't designed for direct clashes like swords or blades, it was still a high-grade Extreme Dao weapon.

And it had been pulverized with one bare fist? Just how monstrously powerful was this man's physique? He didn't seem the slightest bit inferior to the Holy Prince. When had such a supreme prodigy appeared in the cultivation world?

This was indeed a golden age, but why did top-tier prodigies keep popping up one after another? It almost made them seem cheap.

"Who are you?"

The Violet Radiance Holy Son had finally been alarmed. He emerged from deep within the canyon, his expression grave as he spoke.

Purple qi flowed around him. His eyes resembled violet stars, carrying an incomprehensibly profound aura.

The arriving man met his gaze and answered solemnly: "Ling Yu of the Extreme Martial Realm. Disciple of the Martial Ancestor. Born with a Martial Dao Sacred Embryo—ten thousand laws cannot touch my body! I have come to the Immortal Path for one purpose alone: to achieve immortality! Fellow Daoist, step aside willingly."

At those words, thoughtful looks crossed the faces of the Violet Radiance cultivators. So he wasn't from the cultivation world after all. He came from another realm.

The Immortal Realm stood as the supreme upper realm. Below it, the cultivation world served as the core. Back when the Jianmu Tree still existed, there had been considerable exchange with other worlds.

But the cultivation world had rarely taken them seriously. After all, it was the center: strongest in combat power, deepest in heritage, richest in prodigies, densest in inheritances. Most minor worlds were beneath notice.

After the Jianmu Tree was severed, certain small worlds might have retained a trace of its root fibers. That was why, when the Immortal Path opened in the cultivation world, they too could gain entry.

Unlike the cultivation world's open gateways, however, those small worlds usually had only one or two teleportation arrays. Some were monopolized by dominant powers. Others, lacking such control, held grand tournaments or arena battles to allocate the limited spots.

Still, even the few cultivators from minor worlds who managed to enter the Immortal Path usually fell far short when compared to the cultivation world's prodigies.

In the past million years, aside from three or four immortals of unknown origin, every renowned immortal had come from the cultivation world. Not a single person from a minor world had ever ascended.

"So he's just some cultivator from outside the cultivation world. A mere outsider begging for scraps in our realm, and he dares provoke the Violet Radiance Holy Land? Extreme Martial Realm? Never even heard of such a backwater! A trifling minor world dares speak of achieving immortality?"

The cultivators looked down on outsiders with open contempt. Just as Central Continent cultivators scorned those from other continents, so too did cultivators from other continents look down on those from external realms.

Most outsiders who entered the Immortal Path stayed low-key, aware they lacked the destiny for true ascension. They simply used the opportunity to raise their cultivation. Those bold enough to stir trouble were exceedingly rare.

Ling Yu paid no mind to their reflexive disdain. He had already been warned by his elders before coming: The cultivators of the cultivation world looked down on those from minor worlds the most.

But he was brimming with confidence. No one from a minor world had ascended since the Jianmu Tree was severed? Then he would be the first—and the last. One great advantage of the Immortal Path was that, even alone, he didn't have to worry about elders intervening. So the corners of Ling Yu's mouth curved upward.

"Since you refuse to step aside willingly, then I'll make you."

In the next instant, the heavens darkened. Endless thunder surged from the void and poured toward Ling Yu, instantly coalescing into a suit of battle armor. The terrifying aura caused every face inside the Violet Radiance formation to change color.

Before they could even shout in rebuke, Ling Yu threw a punch.

In a flash, the Violet Radiance Seven Glories Formation—which ordinary Saints could hardly breach—crackled and groaned. Cracks spread across its surface like spiderwebs.

Ling Yu's fist carried blazing thunder-light. Thunder naturally suppressed array patterns.

Every Violet Radiance cultivator stared in shock. One punch—and the grand formation was already on the verge of collapse? This man came from a minor world—how could he be so terrifying? Just what in the world was a Martial Dao Sacred Embryo?

The Violet Radiance Holy Son's expression turned ugly. He already knew he was no match. A head-on clash would mean certain death. Losing to the Heavenly Emperor's heir or the like was one thing—no shame in that. But being suppressed by an outsider? That was utter humiliation. He could barely lift his head.

At that moment, Ling Yu's second fist roared forth. Layers of blood qi fused with boundless thunder, as though determined to annihilate everything in its path.

The Violet Radiance Seven Glories Formation could endure no longer. It exploded apart with a deafening blast.

The Holy Son's face darkened further, but the gap was simply too vast. With a sweep of his sleeve, he gathered the cultivators of his holy land and retreated at once.

Yet rage burned in his heart. If he couldn't have it, then neither could this filthy beggar. He would spread word of the Dao-Entrust Treasure immediately.

The Heavenly Emperor's heir surely needed this item. Once the true heir arrived, let's see whether this outsider could withstand even a single punch!

At the thought of the Heavenly Emperor successor's overwhelming might, even in his current humiliation, the Violet Radiance Holy Son couldn't help but straighten his chest with pride…