Immortality Starts With Investment Chapter 687: The Holy Prince Arrives!
Previously on Immortality Starts With Investment...
Initially, Ye Chen felt a touch of impatience waiting for the Holy Prince. However, upon discovering the latter was actively searching for one of the Nine Secrets on his behalf, understanding immediately replaced his annoyance. The Holy Prince wasn't evading the delivery of a gift; he was simply preoccupied. Such busyness was a positive sign!
Ye Chen had consistently placed immense value on the Nine Secrets. The Healing Secret, the Battle Secret, the Movement Secret, and the Armament Secret had all yielded substantial advantages. The Armament Secret, in particular, granted him complete mastery over any Extreme Dao Weapon upon mere contact.
As for the Healing Secret, that miraculous art of mending, its necessity for him was infrequent. His robust constitution and astonishing recovery rate meant injuries were rare, often healed before the Secret even needed activation. Nevertheless, the potency of the Healing Secret was undeniable, underscoring the profound worth of the Nine Secrets. Coupled with the legend that complete comprehension and unification of all nine would bestow unimaginable power.
This fueled Ye Chen's intense desire to acquire the remaining four secrets. With the multipliers from those around him significantly amplified, gifting the fragment of the Stasis Secret now could potentially trigger feedback for two or three other Nine Secrets simultaneously. The potential gains were colossal.
Consequently, Ye Chen's anticipation for the Holy Prince's arrival escalated dramatically. Simultaneously, he resolved to grant the Holy Prince the experience of a prolonged engagement, eschewing a swift, decisive blow. He intended to offer a measure of combat enjoyment, a token of gratitude for the Stasis Secret fragment and a potent origin source!
...
While Ye Chen contemplated the transmission talisman, Luo Bingling, upon learning of the Holy Prince's imminent arrival, remained unfazed. She was confident in Ye Chen's ability to prevail. Yet, should he falter, her own opportunity to intervene would arise, a prospect she welcomed. Her cave-heaven, vast and potent, had long awaited a worthy opponent for a true test of skill.
However, these were secondary concerns. Closing the gap with Ye Chen remained her primary objective. Luo Bingling commenced her formal imitation of An Miaoli's earlier techniques, beginning her spear practice.
Observing Ye Chen's favorable reaction, she suppressed her inner aversion, her brow furrowed deeply as she narrowed her eyes and slowly lowered her head.
Ye Chen watched the unfolding scene, drawing a sharp breath, his eyebrows raised. Luo Bingling's eagerness for improvement was palpable! Yet, he did not outright refuse her. He allowed her to continue.
An hour later, Luo Bingling lay retching violently to the side.
Witnessing this, Ye Chen chuckled, gently patting her slender waist.
"It's alright. If you cannot endure it, do not push yourself. I will be cultivating next anyway. We can try again another time!"
Sometime later, Luo Bingling departed Ye Chen's cave abode, a sense of defeat lingering. She realized she had underestimated her visceral revulsion towards humans, finding it difficult to overcome. Nevertheless, a fighting spirit blazed in her eyes; this attempt marked significant progress.
With a few more efforts, gradually increasing her intake each time, she would eventually succeed. Her standing would then surpass Yi Qingwu's. With further effort, she could overtake An Miaoli, finally earning Ye Chen's complete trust and securing access to the Dao Cauldron.
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In essence, despite Ye Chen proving more challenging to conquer than anticipated, this incremental strategy, steadily elevating her position, exhilarated Luo Bingling. It instilled in her a soaring determination, making the acquisition of the Dao Cauldron seem merely a matter of time.
...
In the ensuing days, Ye Chen remained within the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land, dedicating himself to tranquil and consistent cultivation. His progress was evident almost daily.
This spurred Luo Bingling's determination, her own advancements accelerating in tandem. From initially spitting out even a single drop, she progressed to managing half, and then nearly consuming the entire amount...
Currently, Luo Bingling was training herself to finish without subsequent retching. Her greatest hurdle remained her profound psychological resistance. As a member of the War God clan, she harbored a deep disdain for the human race, not even deeming them equals. In her perception, the disparity in status between the War God clan and humans was comparable to that between humans and canines.
Meanwhile, Ye Chen's interest only intensified. He was acutely aware of her disdain. Yet, observing her persistent effort despite it filled him with a unique and intoxicating sense of conquest.
And so, another year elapsed.
Ye Chen's cultivation progressed to the late stage of the second heaven in the Mahayana realm. Coincidentally, on this same day, Luo Bingling achieved a monumental breakthrough of her own. Through relentless self-persuasion that it was inconsequential, she finally completed the act entirely for the first time. With evident pride, she then opened her mouth for Ye Chen's inspection. Subsequently, with a subtle twist of her waist and a lift of her chin, she indicated it was his turn next. Ye Chen found the situation rather amusing. Initially, he hadn't particularly desired to engage. However, contemplating her dedicated efforts over the preceding year, he decided she warranted a small reward—a form of encouragement. Otherwise, she might become complacent later on. Thus, Ye Chen lowered his head as well. Shortly thereafter, his brows lifted in mild astonishment. The flavor was unexpectedly reminiscent of the purple cherries from his prior existence. A blend of tartness and sweetness, possessing a rather distinct taste... Luo Bingling commenced with a tense demeanor, her face etched with distaste. But swiftly, her eyes began to gleam. Not only did her strained brows relax, but she even leaned proactively towards Ye Chen... ... On the third realm of the Immortal Path. Astounding news circulated. The remnants of Saint Boyin had been uncovered. A stone tablet fragment, inscribed with the Stasis Secret, materialized, inciting over twenty formidable experts from the zenith of the third heaven in the Mahayana realm into conflict. Among them were past—and even earlier generations of—human prodigies. Prodigies from countless races were also present. In addition to several ancient talents who had awakened from a divine core. The confrontation was extraordinarily intense. The heavens' chosen engaged in a tumultuous free-for-all. The Holy Prince, in particular, found himself surrounded by human geniuses. Consequently, his act of publicly consuming a human had incited the fury of numerous human factions. They were determined to subdue him. Yet, to the utter amazement of all observers, the Holy Prince proved exceptionally ferocious. Wielding his dark staff, he decimated all opposition as if he were a war god. His physical form was virtually impervious to all techniques. Even when afflicted with wounds, he recuperated instantaneously. The longer the engagement, the stronger he became, causing everyone to lament that the Victorious Fighting Ape clan was indeed forged for combat. However, what truly astonished onlookers was the Holy Prince's innate prowess. His eyes emanated a golden luminescence, exhibiting a might no less than that of the Heavy Pupils. In the course of this battle, a total of six human geniuses met their demise. The remaining experts felt their hearts pound erratically and retreated one after another. A faint trickle of blood graced the corner of the Holy Prince's mouth, lending his simian visage an even more formidable appearance. He did not immediately claim the fragmented tablet. Instead, he let out a cold, mocking laugh that echoed around him, his golden irises brimming with martial ardor—as if yearning for another grand confrontation. Spectators were captivated by the intensity of his fighting spirit. Ultimately, the Holy Prince secured the half-tablet bearing the Stasis Secret and casually stowed it away. Then, propelled by surging combat desire, he proclaimed. "Since the Heavenly Emperor's successor declines to appear, I shall seek him out! Human prodigies? Mere insects, nothing more! Long ago, the Heavenly Emperor vanquished my progenitor. Today, I shall defeat his heir." In the subsequent moment, the Holy Prince moved with thunderous speed towards the teleportation array of the third realm. The entire area erupted into a cacophony. It was evident that the Holy Prince intended to depart the Immortal Path in pursuit of the Heavenly Emperor's heir. And once news of the Holy Prince's combat triumphs—and his explicit intention to challenge the Heavenly Emperor's heir—permeated the land, the entirety of the cultivation world was thrown into widespread commotion...