Immortality Starts With Investment

Amid the Exiled Immortal's cold sneer as he closed in, Ye Chen's face showed not the slightest fear. Compared to before, only a touch more solemnity appeared. The appearance of the immortal artifact had indeed caught him by surprise. He had not expected the Exiled Immortal to hide so deeply. When he had broken through to the peak of the Great Saint realm, he had already tried. Even with the Armament Secret, he still could not control an immortal artifact.

This told Ye Chen that the restriction came from his realm, not from a lack of strength. Even with the Armament Secret, he would need to reach the Quasi-Immortal realm before he could wield one. Yet even without being able to use an immortal artifact, Ye Chen felt no fear. He had no intention of hiding inside his cave heaven either.

Staring at the approaching Exiled Immortal and the Heavenly Tribulation Thunder Halberd in his hand, Ye Chen truly felt an unprecedented sense of crisis. But what surged even stronger was his rising battle intent. It had been a very long time since he had felt any real sense of danger.

At this moment, Ye Chen completely removed all his restraints. The most important one was his physique. The Primordial Chaos Supreme Body. Ever since he had obtained it, he had never fully activated it. It had only ever taken effect passively. The reason was simple: none of the enemies he had encountered so far were worth him using his full power.

Today, for the first time, Ye Chen activated it completely. When the 0.1% Primordial Chaos Supreme Body was pushed to its absolute limit, Ye Chen's aura changed! It was no longer soaring and majestic. Instead, it became restrained and profound. He stood there quietly. His long hair floated without the wind. Deep in his brow, mysterious purple Dao patterns emerged, permeated with strands of purple qi. It was as if the laws of the entire universe were being engraved upon him.

Ye Chen's gaze was cold, yet it seemed vast enough to contain the cosmos.

The onlookers felt that something had changed about Ye Chen, but when they looked closely, they could not pinpoint what it was. This left them extremely puzzled.

But the Exiled Immortal, now a Quasi-Immortal, was already charging over with the immortal artifact in hand. No matter what changes the Heavenly Emperor's heir displayed, what could it matter? The outcome was already decided!

…

In the next instant, everyone's eyes widened in horror. Because, facing the preliminarily awakened immortal artifact slashing toward him,

Ye Chen did not retreat even half a step. Instead, he stepped forward. With just one step, it was as if he had crossed endless space and time. In the next moment, he appeared directly in front of the halberd.

The crowd erupted in an uproar.

The Exiled Immortal's pupils shrank sharply as he looked at Ye Chen, who was now almost within arm's reach.

What was the Heavenly Emperor's heir trying to do? Was he courting death?

Under countless shocked and incredulous gazes, facing the halberd that was slashing down with destructive force,

Ye Chen extended his right hand, palm facing upward.

In an instant, endless purple runes emerged in the center of his palm. The runes intertwined, shining with dazzling purple light that seemed to reflect the myriad heavens.

Within that purple light, one could see the opening of heaven and earth, mountains and rivers, suns and moons, as if it contained the supreme truths of world creation and destruction.

Countless people stared with wide eyes. For a brief moment, the entire Eighth Realm seemed to freeze at the instant Ye Chen raised his hand—even the immortal artifact Heavenly Tribulation Thunder Halberd paused!

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But in the next breath, the Eighth Realm returned to normal.

The onlookers fell completely silent. Even the Exiled Immortal himself looked on with disbelief. As a prodigy from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, his vision far surpassed imagination. He could recognize and trace the origin of anything in this realm.

Yet at this moment, he could not see through Ye Chen at all. This filled him with a fear that came from the depths of his soul. Just what kind of monster was this youth?

All living beings fear the unknown.

At this moment, the Exiled Immortal's killing intent blazed to its absolute peak. He smashed the Heavenly Tribulation Thunder Halberd downward with ferocious force, emitting a heart-palpitating black light!

The nearly ten-thousand-li-long purple-gold halberd beam on its edge was peerlessly sharp, capable of cleaving through anything.

Yet Ye Chen's expression remained completely unmoved. He simply extended his hand, purple light rippling around it, and placed it between himself and the halberd.

In that instant, the halberd beam touched Ye Chen's palm. The beam that had been unstoppable since its appearance, capable of slicing through everything, froze the moment it made contact with Ye Chen's palm. Then it silently disintegrated inch by inch, vanishing without a trace as if it had never existed.

Everyone stared in shock, mouths agape, unable to utter a single sound at the bizarre scene before them.

How was this possible?

The Exiled Immortal's eyes widened. Gritting his teeth, he poured even more power into the Heavenly Tribulation Thunder Halberd. Black light flared brighter as he slashed down once more…

When Ye Chen's palm finally collided head-on with the immortal artifact itself, the world regained sound. A terrifying force erupted from the point of impact and blasted outward in all directions.

Space tore, collapsed, and shattered into pieces. Mountains were flattened, great rivers were hurled upside down into the ninth heaven.

The onlookers had already fled frantically the moment the immortal artifact appeared, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the fight. Yet even from so far away, when the shockwave from Ye Chen's clash with the immortal artifact swept over them,

Everyone below the Great Emperor realm suffered heavy injuries. Even the Great Emperors coughed up blood, their bodies covered in wounds.

However, no one cared about their own injuries. They all looked up with eyes full of reverence, as if gazing upon a god.

Because, despite the colossal commotion, the Heavenly Emperor's heir still stood there calmly. His palm was like an immovable divine mountain, bearing the full weight of the immortal artifact without descending even half an inch.

The terrifying power of the immortal artifact could not shake the Heavenly Emperor's heir in the slightest!

None of the onlookers felt the pain of their wounds anymore. They simply stared at Ye Chen in utter disbelief, their eyes filled with the look of people doubting their own sanity.

The Heavenly Emperor's heir had blocked an immortal artifact with one hand. Even if it was only preliminarily awakened, it was still an immortal artifact. From ancient times until now, such a scene had never occurred. Not even the Heavenly Emperor himself, whose Saint Body had been pushed to an unprecedented peak, had ever achieved this. Not to mention that the Heavenly Emperor's heir was still only a Great Saint. This was even more outrageous, even more inconceivable.

Today, all the onlookers felt as if they had witnessed the birth of a myth.

At this moment, the outcome of the battle no longer mattered. With a single hand, the Heavenly Emperor's heir had blocked an awakened immortal artifact. He had surpassed every heavenly prodigy in the history of the cultivation world.

Whether it was the Heavenly Emperor, the Devouring Female Immortal, or any of the prodigies who had left behind unbelievable legends, they all paled in comparison to Ye Chen at this moment. From now on, in the historical records of the cultivation world, Ye Chen would be listed alone, above all other prodigies.

…

In the instant of the explosion, the Exiled Immortal at the Quasi-Immortal realm could not withstand the terrifying backlash. Half of his body was directly shattered as he was sent flying backward.

For the first time, terror appeared on his face. Killing a Quasi-Immortal while still a Great Saint—his monstrous elder brother had done that before. But blocking an immortal artifact bare-handed while still a Great Saint? Even his brother could not do that.

At this moment, the Exiled Immortal only wanted to escape. Gripping the shaft of the Heavenly Tribulation Thunder Halberd tightly, he tried to pull it back with him and flee. He would immediately follow the realm's rejection force and escape to the Ninth Realm. He would hide himself away in some corner, slowly increase his cultivation, and wait for the day Ye Chen weakened before making his move again!

However, Ye Chen, whose palm was still pressed against the halberd, sensed the immortal artifact trying to leave. He let out a cold laugh. In the next instant, his spread fingers clenched tightly. He seized the halberd shaft, refusing to let it escape!