Immortality Starts With Investment Chapter 684: Stasis Secret!

At this crucial moment, Luo Bingling was utterly dumbfounded. The immense joy she had experienced from her flawless breakthrough to the third heaven and attaining the King realm had largely evaporated. This was due to Ye Chen's astonishingly rapid cultivation speed. She had initiated her own secluded cultivation first.

Ye Chen, on the other hand, had likely spent an indeterminate amount of time indulging with women before commencing his own seclusion. Yet, upon her emergence, he had already ascended to the mid-stage of the second heaven!

However, in the very next instant, her emotions transformed from shock into elation. Such a swift cultivation pace could only be a consequence of possessing the Dao Cauldron. Therefore, the Dao Cauldron was undoubtedly in Ye Chen's possession—a confirmed fact. Furthermore, Ye Chen had demonstrated the ability to produce multiple Dao Charm Pills. These potent pills necessitate leaves from the Enlightenment Tea Tree as their primary ingredient.

What did this imply? The Enlightenment Tea Tree was most likely also under Ye Chen's control. With both of these divine artifacts capable of accelerating cultivation, his extraordinary speed no longer seemed inexplicable. If she could acquire both of them, she would possess no discernible weaknesses. This would empower her to subjugate the divine sons within her clan and vie for the opportunity to achieve immortality in this current era.

"Did the Minor Space Technique and the Space Divine Stones offer assistance?"

Ye Chen inquired, his curiosity piqued about any potential synergistic effects between the two. After all, he possessed a considerable quantity of four thousand Space Divine Stones.

Upon hearing his question, Luo Bingling offered a smile and nodded. Her violet hair billowed gracefully as she responded.

"The Minor Space Technique is inherently profound. While incorporating Space Divine Stones does yield some advantage, the benefit is marginal—the enhancement is quite minimal. My cave-heaven now extends ten thousand li in both length and width. This remarkable expansion is almost entirely attributable to the Minor Space Technique."

As she elaborated on the immense scale of her cave-heaven, a look of pride surfaced on Luo Bingling's countenance. The size of a cultivator's cave-heaven was a factor of paramount importance. A cave-heaven possessed the capacity to absorb and expel the world's spiritual Qi, thereby facilitating a cultivator's accelerated progress. It also served as a sanctuary for all manner of spiritual flora and precious treasures. The greater the concentration of spiritual Qi within, the more effectively it could nourish its owner and further expedite cultivation.

In the heat of battle, cultivators could unleash the formidable power of their cave-heaven to overwhelm adversaries. This vastly amplified what would otherwise be mere domain effects, enhancing them across every conceivable aspect. However, once a cave-heaven was formed, its dimensions could never be expanded. Consequently, the larger the cave-heaven upon its initial formation, the more significant the long-term advantages would be. A cave-heaven spanning ten thousand li in all directions was already an almost inconceivable achievement, promising Luo Bingling substantial benefits in her future cultivation endeavors.

Ye Chen listened attentively and nodded. As long as the Space Divine Stones proved useful, that was sufficient. The fact that their effect was negligible or somewhat wasteful was not a concern in the slightest. He possessed an excessive quantity of Space Divine Stones.

...

Now safely ensconced within the holy land, Ye Chen found himself with waning interest in Luo Bingling. After all, a four-thousand-fold critical strike that failed to trigger was far less valuable than a one-thousand-fold strike that succeeded. On his own Ascension Peak, there were even female cultivators who offered multipliers of one thousand five hundred times.

Thus, following a brief exchange, Ye Chen extended his congratulations and retreated once more into seclusion.

Luo Bingling, who had been subtly shifting her posture in the hope of drawing Ye Chen's attention, remained frozen in place.

What was transpuring? How could Ye Chen suddenly exhibit no interest in her alluring posture?

This unexpected development caused Luo Bingling—who intensely desired the Dao Cauldron and the Enlightenment Tea Tree—to knit her brows in deep contemplation. Could it be due to her failure to reciprocate his favor as Yi Qingwu had? Yet, on the previous occasion, she had virtually presented herself to him willingly. It was he who had declined to partake!

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Luo Bingling pondered this matter with a pronounced frown. Nevertheless, having just achieved her breakthrough, she still required a period to stabilize her cultivation. Moreover, now that she had attained the King realm, her clan would dispatch a contingent of top-tier spiritual herbs and exotic flowers to be cultivated within her cave-heaven, thereby enriching its spiritual essence. Consequently, she resolved to address these matters first before meticulously formulating a strategy to captivate Ye Chen. With her inherent capabilities and alluring charm, she was confident it would not prove to be a difficult undertaking.

...

On the third realm of the Immortal Path.

The Holy Prince of the Victorious Fighting Ape clan remained seated serenely atop the divine peak. At this juncture, the monkey who had recently encountered Ye Chen arrived in haste. It lowered its head in a gesture of profound reverence and reported.

"Holy Prince, that Ye Chen adamantly refuses to return our clan's sacred weapon. Furthermore, he declared that he would await your arrival at his location. His demeanor was utterly unyielding and fearless!"

The monkey didn't exaggerate; it knew its Holy Prince possessed a volatile temper. The previous Holy Prince had only shown a flicker of annoyance when the Quasi-Immortal's son was resurrected and pilfered all the resources. He hadn't dared voice a protest, merely allowing his expression to darken. As a consequence, the Quasi-Immortal's son had obliterated his head with a single palm strike, scattering monkey brains everywhere. The monkey had barely survived and lived in terror that the Holy Prince's fury might result in a staff blow to its face.

Upon receiving the report, the Holy Prince's severe countenance remained impassive. He simply gave a serene nod.

"Since he squanders the opportunity, I shall visit him personally later. This individual is unquestionably the paramount genius of the human race in this epoch. He warrants my direct attention! By vanquishing him, I shall diminish the human race's prestige.

"In this existence, I am determined to attain immortality. Once achieved, I will annihilate every human holy land and aristocratic lineage. Any human whose cultivation surpasses the Mahayana stage shall perish! This epoch will not only see me become an immortal—I will also compel the human race back to the subservient status it held historically."

The Holy Prince articulated these words with a level tone. Nevertheless, the monkey below him listened, its eyes immediately igniting with fervor. A significant portion of the myriad races harbored long-standing resentment and yearned for a resurgence. If this vision were realized—if the human race were once again reduced to servitude—it would be exceedingly gratifying.

...

However, at that precise moment, the divine peak quaked, unleashing a surge of golden radiance. Amidst the burgeoning, formidable aura, vestiges of an ancient ruin began to surface. Such a significant disturbance instantly attracted numerous Kings from the third heaven, their gazes alight with fervent anticipation.

"Those glyphs—they must originate from the ruin of Saint Boyin!"

"Legend has it that Saint Boyin once acquired half of the Stasis Secret. His command over the laws of time reached an unparalleled zenith. Rumor suggests the temporal flow within his celestial cave could be accelerated by a factor of a thousand!"

"The Stasis Secret ranks as the most arcane among the Nine Secrets. Similar to the Foresight Secret and the Movement Secret, it pertains to time—yet the Movement Secret governs velocity, the Foresight Secret bestows prescience, while only the Stasis Secret truly manipulates and commands temporal progression!"

"It is said that the complete Stasis Secret can decelerate or accelerate an opponent's actions, even contorting their personal timeline, ensnaring them indefinitely in a state of grievous injury, impervious to healing."

"Furthermore, should all Nine Secrets be unified, they can ascend into techniques transcending immortal arts. With each secret layered upon the others, one could even traverse the void directly. Alas, not even the Heavenly Emperor succeeded in amassing them all..."

"A cataclysmic conflict is virtually assured!"

The gathered spectators engaged in animated discussion, their voices laden with veneration. Among the Nine Secrets, the Stasis Secret was indeed the most profound enigma. Its acquisition would confer immense advantages for advancing to the fourth heaven of the Mahayana realm. Many cultivators at the pinnacle of the third heaven felt an overwhelming temptation and drew nearer, awaiting the opening of the ruin.

But just then, a commanding voice reverberated through the air.

"All of you, depart. None amongst you are worthy to lay claim to this Dao lineage..."

The Holy Prince, who had long been apprised of the situation and was already present, calmly rose to his feet. His movement was simple, yet the surrounding void warped and fractured in cascading ripples, demonstrably showcasing the terrifying might of his physical form. His declaration was even more audacious—he intended to monopolize the entire ruin. Nonetheless, on the Immortal Path, who present wasn't a chosen prodigy? A mere ape presumed to exhibit such overweening arrogance.

Instantly, a former human prodigy, situated within the third heaven of the Mahayana realm, grasped an Extreme Dao Weapon and surged forward with a deafening roar.

"A mere Victorious Fighting Ape—your progenitor race was nearly annihilated by the Heavenly Emperor of yore. And now you dare display such haughtiness?"

In the subsequent moment, the man struck with ferocious intent, aiming to subdue the Holy Prince.

The Holy Prince coldly raised his gaze, a malevolent smirk ghosting across the corner of his lips...