Chapter 438: So Poor!

The Sixth Heaven (Realm).

Ascension Pool!

The moment Lu Ye arrived at the Ascension Pool, his eyes flicked open.

There’s someone here!

Lu Ye’s heart leapt!

*Ahem*, keep your cool. After all, he was a Celestial Lord in his past life—how could he stoop so low over petty gains?

Besides, even if no enemies appeared, he knew of a few secret stashes. He could always seek them out and make a fortune when the time came.

Lu Ye rose from the Ascension Pool, his robes dried in an instant.

His aura erupted, and his cultivation at the peak of the Immortal Realm began to break through at this moment.

The Sixth Heaven comprised just four realms: the Longevity Realm, the Nine Extremes Realm, the Singularity Realm, and the Void Realm.

The Longevity Realm could greatly extend a cultivator’s lifespan, extending their lifespan for eons.

Now, Lu Ye had broken through to this realm. A surge of vitality spread through his body, flooding him with euphoria.

Lu Ye brushed it off, instead lifting his gaze to observe the crowd before him.

Young people!

So many young people—teens and young adults, men and women, demons and cultivators, all kinds.

They bore no hostility, only curiosity, sizing up Lu Ye with interest.

So many brats!

Lu Ye’s first thought upon seeing them was: *If I held all these kids for ransom, wouldn’t that make me insanely rich?*

Truthfully, the idea tempted him.

"Lu Ye?"

A pale, gold-robed youth with rosy lips and pearly teeth spoke up.

Lu Ye hovered in the air, glaring down at the pack of juniors.

"What do you want?"

"We know you are the Celestial Lord’s reincarnation. But even so, you’ve been reborn. Many of us aren't buying that you topped the Eternal Prodigy Leaderboard. So, we’d like to challenge you. You game?" declared Meng Xuan, a disciple of the Observing Dao Academy.

"So, all of you are dissatisfied with me?" Lu Ye’s thoughts spun.

These young cultivators were gathered here, and in the distance, numerous heavy hitters lurked—likely bodyguards babysitting them.

The Fourth Heaven? Solid ground.

The Fifth? Endless cosmos.

And the Sixth Heaven?

Simple—clans!

Not just families, but major factions too.

These aren’t minor factions—each predates the Nine Heavens themselves.

Almost all of them have ancestors who once spawned legends.

Some even have living Emperors—hell, actual Celestial Lords!

Take the Jiang Clan or the Eternal Sect for example.

Here, there are many Jiang Clans, many Eternal Sects.

Many young cultivators nodded—plenty resented Lu Ye’s success.

Everyone present was a prodigy. They figured if they’d started from the First Heaven like him, they could have achieved what Lu Ye had.

Celestial Lord arts? Emperor-level skills? They had those too.

Top cultivation techniques, killer Divine Abilities—check and check.

Besides, this was just sparring—not some death match. They were all under a thousand years old, real peers—what’s wrong with a little friendly competition?

"So, what do you want?" Lu Ye asked with a smile.

These were vibrant young people, and seeing the fighting spirit in their eyes, Lu Ye almost felt nostalgic.

Then again... these kids were basically walking treasure chests.

If only the flames in the miniature world within his dantian had already died out, he could’ve kidnapped the lot and cashed in big.

No pocket dimension? Grabbing them would be way too much hassle.

Lu Ye already knew his play.

"We challenge you!" someone shouted.

"That’s right! We’re all peers—dare you accept?"

"You were a Celestial Lord—you know how we do things in the Sixth Heaven. This fight involves no grudges—just a battle between peers. Do you dare?"

"Friend, you’re mistaken. Lu Ye here acts all invincible—no way he’d back down!"

"A fair fight, Lu Ye. If you defeat us, we’ll give you props."

The crowd buzzed with challenges.

"Alright, I get your point."

Damn... if only his pockets weren’t empty right now.

Otherwise, Lu Ye would have long since ghosted these kids already.

"Honestly, I have no interest in fighting you all. Your ‘challenge’ is a joke."

That one line lit the fuse.

"What do you mean?" someone snapped.

"I mean what I said—you’re all too weak!"

"My time is precious. Battling you won’t advance my cultivation, so why should I waste it on you?" Lu Ye's voice was calm yet laced with disdain.

"Such big talk! You’re underestimating us!"

"Exactly! You’ve only just barely reached the Sixth Heaven, and you’re still stuck in the Longevity Realm at your age. We’re practically the same age, yet I’ve already reached the Nine Extremes Realm. What makes you think you can match me?"

Lu Ye didn’t know whether to laugh or scoff. What age was he even talking about? He wasn’t even 500 years old—since when was he "so old"?

Seeing the crowd’s rising fury, Lu Ye was quite satisfied—this was exactly the effect he wanted.

These young men had been sheltered by their families for years. Though they had lived for decades, excluding their time spent in secluded cultivation, they might as well be twenty-year-olds for all they’ve lived.

Some, having spent their entire lives within their clans, might not even have the maturity of a twenty-year-old!

Coddled prodigies who’d never tasted failure—that described them perfectly.

"Enough, enough. I’m done trading barbs with you. Rather than bickering, I’d be better off grinding out a few Origin Stones. Farewell!"

Lu Ye’s form began to blur.

"Wait!"

"Don’t go!"

A few lunged to stop him, but Lu Ye merely cast a cold glance at those who dared to act. In that instant, they felt as if they were pinned under the gaze of a terrifying primordial horror—a single twitch could cost them their lives.

"Hold on! We’ll pay you in Origin Stones!"

A young man suddenly shouted.

Lu Ye—half-faded—froze.

"What did you say?" Lu Ye asked.

The scion of the Heavenly Vault Bank, Qian Shouxin, wore a confident expression.

If nothing else, hearing Lu Ye mention being busy earning Origin Stones?

Now this was his wheelhouse!

Origin Stones?

He was drowning in them!