Immortality Starts With Investment [XIANXIA LITRPG]

Having narrowly escaped death by divine thunder, Han Feng's eyes glinted with a dangerous edge. As the Young Master of Heavenly Nether Sect, an invincible figure in the Golden Core realm, he'd nearly capsized in a ditch.

His gaze locked onto the fleeing Elder Lin. Turning into a black shadow, he pursued her with terrifying speed, catching up in an instant. In front of Han Feng, Elder Lin was powerless. Her head was crushed in a single grip, and with a flash of nether flame, her soul was seized and refined.

Only after killing her did Han Feng's expression soften slightly. He turned to An Yuyi, his voice low and menacing. "When you fall into my hands, I'll make sure you wish for death."

Meanwhile, An Yuyi had activated the array disk. A translucent golden barrier, roughly a few dozen square meters, materialized around her, its edges touching the ground where faint flames flickered.

Ignoring Han Feng's threats, she pulled out her sect token and activated its distress signal. Though far from the sect, they were still within Divine Will Mountain, where the sect had established several outposts. Her message would soon bring reinforcements.

She glanced at the transmission talisman Ye Chen had given her, hesitating briefly before stowing it back in her storage ring without activating it. Her eyes drifted to the black-robed elder in the sky, her mood heavy.

She hadn't expected Han Feng to have a protector. Such figures were rare in the cultivation world—high-level cultivators had their own paths to pursue and little time to babysit juniors, not to mention the loss of face. But as Heavenly Nether Sect's Young Master, it wasn't surprising for Han Feng to have a Nascent Soul guardian.

The elder's ability to nullify her divine thunder indicated at least mid-Nascent Soul strength. Ye Chen was formidable, but facing a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator was too risky. She decided against calling him.

Fortunately, the sect's ancestor had recently emerged from seclusion. Though only early Nascent Soul, the gap of a single minor realm shouldn't be insurmountable. An Yuyi felt a twinge of unease but chose to place her trust in the ancestor.

At Divine Will Sect, the usually tranquil main peak stirred with sudden activity. The Master of the Inner Affairs Hall rushed in, his face grave, reporting to the Sect Master. "Elder Lin from Spiritual Plant Peak sent a distress signal. She and Elder An Yuyi ventured deep into Divine Will Mountain."

The Sect Master, a late Golden Core cultivator, narrowed his eyes and immediately prepared to summon the elders for a rescue mission. But the Inner Affairs Hall Master's expression shifted again. "I just received a transmission… Elder Lin's life tablet has shattered. She's fallen. Elder An Yuyi has also sent a distress signal!"

The Sect Master's face darkened. He'd seen An Yuyi just days ago—already late Golden Core, her cultivation advancing at an astonishing pace. Trained by An Miaoli, her combat prowess was undoubtedly formidable. Yet, a late Golden Core and a mid-Golden Core elder together had lost one in the blink of an eye. What kind of enemy could do this? A demonic beast? A rogue cultivator? Or another sect?

As the Sect Master debated summoning all late-stage elders for the rescue, a robust voice boomed. "I'll handle it! In my Divine Will Mountain, I'd like to see who dares cause trouble on our turf. It's been a while since these old bones got some exercise!"

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The Sect Master breathed a sigh of relief. With the Ancestor personally intervening, there was nothing to worry about. He and the Inner Affairs Hall Master bowed respectfully. The Divine Will Ancestor's hearty laughter echoed, fading as he swiftly departed.

...

Meanwhile, at Quiet Wonder Peak, Ye Chen stretched leisurely after finishing his cultivation. The system's cooldown had just reset, and with An Yuyi away, he planned to randomly select a lucky female disciple to gift a treasure.

But something caught his attention, and he raised an eyebrow. A token in his storage space had been vibrating for who-knows-how-long, unnoticed during his cultivation. Retrieving it, he recognized it immediately: the response token tied to the defensive array disk he'd given An Yuyi. When the array disk was activated, the token would react—a common feature in high-end defensive arrays, some even indicating the approximate location of activation.

This allowed sect elders, busy with their own cultivation, to monitor their prodigies' safety without constant supervision. If the array was deployed, it meant the user was in serious danger.

"Yuyi's multiplier may be lower, but her techniques, spiritual artifacts, and more are top-tier," Ye Chen mused. "Her cultivation method is solid, and she has the True Phoenix Treasure Technique. I even gave her a talisman capable of harming a Nascent Soul cultivator. To be forced to use the array disk under these circumstances?"

Something was seriously wrong.

Ye Chen was surprised. Why hadn't An Yuyi contacted him? He glanced at the communication talisman at his waist, puzzled, then activated it, the talisman glowing softly.

Soon, it connected. "Yuyi, what's going on over there?" he asked, feeling the inconvenience keenly. Having grown accustomed to Earth's omnipresent signal coverage, the cultivation world's cumbersome communication methods were frustrating. No video calls, no instant messaging—just talismans.

On the other end, An Yuyi's voice carried a mix of joy and surprise, but her response was vague, as if she were hesitating to tell him the truth. Ye Chen's brows furrowed.

But then, a boisterous laugh interrupted, transmitted through the talisman. "Let's see who dares cause trouble in my Divine Will Sect!"

An Yuyi's tone brightened. "The Ancestor's here! Senior Brother Ye, don't worry. I ran into some trouble, but with the Ancestor here, it'll be resolved soon."

In the background, Ye Chen could hear the rumble of combat—earth-shaking clashes, likely Nascent Soul-level fighting. With the Divine Will Sect Ancestor on the scene, it should be fine, right?

Just as he was about to ask more, An Yuyi let out a startled cry, followed by a disbelieving shout: "Ancestor…"

Ye Chen: …

That didn't sound good. The Ancestor arrived—and fell?

Before he could press further, An Yuyi's voice returned, unnaturally calm. "Senior Brother, it's fine. The Ancestor handled it! I was wrong about things before, and I'm sorry. When you and Aunt become Dao partners, make sure she has a daughter as cute as me. Even if it's a boy, keep trying until you get a girl. Aunt loves kids; she won't mind. I owe her an apology too. I was too willful, making her do things she didn't want because she spoiled me. When I get back in a few days, I'll apologize to her."

She rambled on, cutting off Ye Chen's chance to respond, and abruptly ended the transmission. The talisman in his hand dimmed, crumbling to ash.

Ye Chen shook his head helplessly and stood up. It was obvious to anyone with half a brain—An Yuyi was in serious danger. But the enemy was likely just a slightly stronger Nascent Soul cultivator. If it were a Deity Transformation powerhouse, she wouldn't have had the chance to sit in her array and deliver a farewell speech.

Even if it was a Deity Transformation cultivator, it didn't matter. Ye Chen's Holy Son token wasn't for show. A Holy Land's authority was absolute—no one dared provoke them. A mere glance could spell doom.

Rising gracefully, Ye Chen's Kun Peng wings unfurled behind him, glowing a brilliant gold. A terrifying aura enveloped the entire Divine Will Sect. His figure shot into the sky, bypassing the sect's gates and tearing through the protective array, speeding toward the direction indicated by the token.