Immortality Starts With Investment

Chapter 963: The Proud Eight-Crowned King!

"Fellow Daoist, there is no need to worry. I come with good intentions."

Sensing the extraordinary nature of the Chaos Azure Lotus, a faint smile appeared on the Celestial Prince's face.

As soon as he finished speaking, the True Phoenix Divine Fire flew out and floated before him.

"I am willing to help Fellow Daoist achieve a perfect birth ahead of schedule!"

Hearing this, the azure lotus showed no excitement. The voice within remained calm and indifferent. "Why?"

Celestial Prince smiled slightly. "I wish to join forces with Fellow Daoist. We will swear a Heavenly Dao oath to work together to eliminate the Heavenly Emperor's heir and the Eight-Crowned King. Once we have cleared away all obstacles and the immortal qi appears, we can compete fairly for the chance at immortality. No matter who wins or loses, the one who becomes an immortal must bring the other into the immortal realm as well.

"Existences like us are restricted only by the limitations of this world, not by our own aptitude. As long as we enter the immortal realm, immortal qi will flow endlessly, and achieving true immortality will be effortless."

The azure lotus swayed once more, as if pondering the proposal.

After a moment, the voice sounded again. "Why do you want to join forces with me?"

Celestial Prince's expression darkened. Could he admit that he lacked the confidence to defeat the Heavenly Emperor's heir, let alone the Eight-Crowned King? This holy spirit truly did not know what was good for him.

Cold light flashed in Celestial Prince's eyes. "In the competition for the immortal path, one naturally chooses the route with the highest chance of success. If Fellow Daoist is unwilling, you may refuse. I will simply turn and leave."

His tone was crisp and decisive.

Yet everyone present knew he was lying. If the holy spirit inside the Chaos Azure Lotus refused, the Celestial Prince would undoubtedly interrupt its nurturing and leave it imperfect.

After all, Celestial Prince already felt deep apprehension toward the Heavenly Emperor's heir and the Eight-Crowned King. How could he possibly allow another powerful rival to appear?

For a moment, the secret realm fell into complete silence.

The faces of the two imperfect holy spirits were filled with grief, anger, and humiliation. Before a holy spirit was born, it truly had no control over its fate.

The flower bud of the Chaos Azure Lotus trembled. An icy chill spread throughout the entire secret realm as chaotic qi boiled violently.

Clearly, the holy spirit within had grown furious.

Celestial Prince, however, remained calm and said nothing. He lightly tapped his fingers, as if counting the passing seconds.

After a long while, the holy spirit inside the Chaos Azure Lotus finally spoke:

"I, the Chaos Azure Lotus, swear a Heavenly Dao oath today. After I am born, I will join forces with you to eliminate the Heavenly Emperor's heir and the Eight-Crowned King. If I ultimately obtain the immortal qi and achieve true immortality, I will bring you into the immortal realm with me…"

As the Chaos Azure Lotus made its vow, invisible rules stirred within the secret realm. Anyone who broke the oath would pay a heavy price.

Celestial Prince smiled upon hearing this. He did not press too aggressively, since he had come seeking an ally. Raising his hand, he replied: "Before the Heavenly Emperor's heir and the Eight-Crowned King fall, I will never make a move against you. If I ultimately become an immortal, I will grant you a spot to enter the immortal realm and help you achieve true immortality."

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Once both parties had sworn their Heavenly Dao oaths and confirmed their alliance, the tense atmosphere inside the secret realm finally eased.

Celestial Prince pointed a finger, and the Phoenix Fire Seed landed before the azure lotus.

Inside the flower bud, the figure's form shimmered with divine light as it formed hand seals. The Phoenix Fire Seed was gradually broken down into threads of flame that flew into the bud.

Moments later, one could faintly sense that the Chaos Azure Lotus had become noticeably more complete.

Celestial Prince watched quietly. Only after a long time did he speak again. "With this fire, when will Fellow Daoist be able to achieve a perfect birth?"

The flower bud swayed gently as the voice replied, "Ten days from now, once I have fully refined the origin within this fire, I will be born perfectly."

A smile spread across Celestial Prince's face. "In that case, I shall wait outside the secret realm for the good news."

With those words, Celestial Prince led the three elders and gracefully exited the secret realm, showing ample respect. It was clear that Celestial Prince truly desired immortality.

Ten days later, waves of lotus fragrance drifted out from the secret realm. The power of its rules surged like a tide, producing the sound of crashing waves.

The three Quasi-Immortals waiting outside merely caught a whiff of the scent and immediately felt refreshed, as if their lifespans had lengthened slightly. The rich power of new life moved everyone present.

A murderous intent flickered in Celestial Prince's heart.

Over the years, although he had relied on the methods left behind by his father and the deep slumber provided by the Immortal King Scripture to slow the loss of his lifespan, he had still aged somewhat. If he could refine this holy spirit known as Lotus Emperor in the future, he would become even more complete.

After all, an immortal root that had transformed into a holy spirit would surely produce even better effects.

At that moment, the gates of the secret realm swung open wide, and the lotus pond reappeared.

A tall, heroic middle-aged man with flowing black hair and eyes as sharp as lightning walked out slowly. His bearing was peerless.

Infinite chaotic qi flowed across his body, yet he did not look like a chaotic body. Instead, he carried a vibrant azure power of new life. He appeared completely like a being of flesh and blood.

Celestial Prince could not help but frown.

Holy spirits had no flesh and blood, yet this man looked exactly like a real human.

This reminded him of a certain rumor. It was said that immortal roots were born from the spiritual roots of top experts who had fallen, undergoing mysterious transformations after their deaths.

Could the holy spirit within the Chaos Azure Lotus possess a physical body because of this? If this person became an immortal in the future, would he awaken memories from his previous life?

Any spiritual root capable of evolving into an immortal root could never belong to an ordinary true immortal. It must have come from an even higher existence.

Thinking of this, Celestial Prince's eyes darkened deeply. For some reason, he had the uncomfortable feeling that he was the weakest one here.

"Thank you, Celestial Prince. My name is Lotus Emperor!"

Lotus Emperor thanked him lightly. As he gazed at the Ninth Realm, a trace of emotion appeared in his eyes.

"When I first developed sentience, the Heavenly Emperor was still present in this world. Even the battle in which Fellow Daoist Celestial Prince was defeated by the Heavenly Emperor took place not far from where I had taken root in the void, so I witnessed the entire process clearly.

"I never imagined it would take a full million years before I could finally be born. The holy spirit race possesses unparalleled talent, yet our actual growth speed is far too slow. By now, I fear the Heavenly Emperor has already become an Immortal King, hasn't he?"

Lotus Emperor's words made the Celestial Prince's already poor mood turn even darker.

You're the only one who has lived that long. I'll refine you the moment I get the chance.

Celestial Prince lost all desire to make small talk. He rose gracefully and spoke coldly, "Since Fellow Daoist has already been born, let us take action."

Lotus Emperor nodded and looked toward the depths of the Ninth Realm. "Shall we go find the Eight-Crowned King first? In the previous few eras' paths to immortality, the Eight-Crowned King once discovered me. He said he looked forward to my perfect birth. After taking one of my lotus leaves, he left. The Eight-Crowned King is shielded by the World Tree. I cannot see anything about him, nor can I even sense his aura."

The Eight-Crowned King had actually encountered the still-nurturing Lotus Emperor?

This piece of news made Celestial Prince's expression grow even more gloomy. He felt the gap between them clearly.

The Eight-Crowned King was truly too proud. It seemed as if staying in the lower realm bored him, and he was simply waiting for worthy opponents. Therefore, whenever he met any enemy, he never chose to eliminate them in advance.

Yet here he was—the proud son of a true immortal, a being who carried immortal blood—forced to seek allies just to secure his own Immortal Path, constantly plotting how to kill the Heavenly Emperor's heir.

Celestial Prince clenched his fists tightly. His white hair danced wildly as killing intent surged around him.