Immortality Starts With Investment

Chapter 820: The Heart of the World Tree!

Although Fan Qingheʼs grandmaster and master shared certain inherited ”tea” tendencies, they genuinely cared deeply for Fan Qinghe. Moreover, she was Ye Chenʼs official divine maiden, boasting the highest conversion rate, and she always achieved perfect transformations.

Among the three, her aptitude stood supreme. Thus, several days after reaching the peak of the Third Heaven, Fan Qinghe could no longer hold on. Sweat glistened across her amber skin, catching the divine light overhead and making it seem as though she had been coated in fresh honey.

Her lovely face flushed crimson, eyes half-lidded and struggling to stay open. She radiated breathtaking allure. Most shocking of all was the way her body trembled uncontrollably.

”The law power I have absorbed is already sufficient for a perfect transformation! Grandmaster, itʼs your turn!”

Fan Qinghe tried to yield her position. Her master, whose conversion rate was only a tenth of hers, progressed far more slowly. She remained within tolerable limits for now.

The grandmaster had been bustling about for half a day, her emotions already fully stirred, eagerly awaiting her chance. Yet seeing Fan Qingheʼs lack of endurance, she could not help frowning. ”Hold on a little longer. Do you know what hardships the divine maidens of past generations endured? They only ever complained that their Protectors were too weak, forever unable to experience the might of a perfect transformation. Youʼve finally met one with truly vast reserves. Any other divine maiden would cling to him and refuse to let go—yet here you are, unwilling to persevere. Young people these days really cannot endure hardship...”

Listening to her grandmasterʼs nagging, Fan Qinghe felt as though she could hardly breathe. The words sounded far too familiar. Last time, her master had said exactly the same thing. And what had happened? Her master had soon collapsed beside her.

Finally, after forcing herself to endure a little longer and absorbing another surge of law power, Fan Qinghe reached her absolute limit. Her entire body went limp as she fell backward. Her mind clouded into chaos.

The grandmaster watched Fan Qinghe roll her eyes back and shook her head helplessly. When conditions were too favorable, willpower suffered. Today, she would set a proper example for Qinghe.

Though advanced in years, the grandmaster carried no trace of age. Her bewitching charm blended with the dignified bearing of an elder, paired with a figure rarely seen even in the cultivation world—she was a lethal weapon. She resembled a jar of aged fine wine: merely catching her scent was enough to intoxicate. She regarded Ye Chen with the indulgent gaze one might give a child. Without needing him to speak, she took the initiative, attending to everything herself and sparing him any concern!

Soon, as the torrential law power surged into her and her long-dormant Nirvana Scripture began to circulate once more, delight bloomed across the grandmasterʼs face.

She truly seemed capable of breaking through. This was wonderful beyond words. In her joy, she became even more proactive, tenderly caring for Ye Chenʼs every need. She even directed her disciple—the sect master—beside her. Through their coordinated efforts, the transmission of law power flowed smoother and more naturally than ever!

...

Ten days later.

The grandmasterʼs heart swelled with mounting delight. Even with a ninety percent loss in conversion, she had already accumulated enough law power to complete a basic transformation. This time, she could truly break through to Half-Saint. The realization nearly brought tears of joy. Yet she also felt a touch of embarrassment. She had taken far too much.

”I have already gathered enough for one basic transformation. I dare not ask for more. Fellow Daoist Ye, allow me to withdraw now.”

With perfect restraint, the grandmaster prepared to rise. But Ye Chen quickly pulled her back. ”I already promised Qinghe I would help her grandmaster transform. Naturally, I will give it my all. There is still plenty of law power left here. Since you have come, Grandmaster, stay a while longer. My talent is extraordinary—recovery will be swift!”

Joy and embarrassment warred within the grandmaster. Of course she wanted to continue. In all her years, she had never even touched the threshold of a perfect transformation. Who would refuse such an opportunity?

Yet hesitation lingered. She feared appearing too greedy—if her appetite proved unseemly, Ye Chen might exclude her next time. With his heaven-defying talent, he was bound to become a Quasi-Immortal in this life. Two more transformations awaited in the future, perhaps even a direct path to true immortality. Between a single feast and steady meals, the grandmaster could still distinguish clearly.

But Ye Chenʼs tone was resolute. ”As I said, all my law power belongs to Qinghe. Whoever she chooses to share it with is her decision. Since it has been given to you, Grandmaster, do not hold back. Unless... you look down on me?”

The grandmaster immediately shook her head. How could she possibly look down on him? In her eyes, Ye Chen was simply irresistible—utterly delectable. Seeing that his insistence was genuine, and once again marveling at his devotion to Qinghe, the grandmaster no longer restrained herself. She unleashed her full power...

...

Soon enough, even the sect master reached her limit.

”No more... truly, no more...”

She had known hunger before and understood the rarity of this chance, so she had endured as long as possible. But human limits had bounds. Like Fan Qinghe before her, she collapsed limply beside her disciple.

Yet the ritual did not halt. Fan Qinghe and her master remained linked through the technique; their divine souls still hovered above, steadily expanding both womenʼs limits bit by bit.

Seeing her own disciple falter as well, the grandmaster shook her head in disappointment. Truly, each generation grew weaker than the last. As their grandmaster, she would set the proper example today. She would show the younger ones that cultivation demanded not only talent, but iron will.

From the day she began practicing the Nirvana Scripture until now, she had never once been truly full. Today, she had finally met someone generous. She would devour every last drop.

...

And so the stage belonged solely to the grandmaster. Yet she remained deeply grateful to Ye Chen. Drawing on every skill she had mastered over the centuries, she attended to him with tireless care, delivering immense emotional satisfaction in return for his selfless generosity.

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Days passed again.

The grandmasterʼs expression began to shift.

Why had he not run dry yet? And why did the transmission intensity continue to climb, as though reshaping her very limits, steadily raising her capacity?

The sect master, sensing she too was nearing fullness—enough law power for a perfect transformation—watched from the side. Her disciple and grand-disciple still gazed up at her in sleepy-eyed admiration. She had starved for fifteen hundred years.

Gritting her teeth, the grandmaster pressed on.

Three more days.

She no longer had the strength to bustle about. Yet like a parched wanderer finally finding sweet rain, or a starving soul beholding meat after endless famine, neither pride nor psychology would allow her to call a halt.

She believed that even a heaven-defying genius like Ye Chen—after pushing both Qinghe and her master from the First Heaven straight to the peak of the Third, satisfying perfect transformations for each, and now fulfilling her own—must be approaching his limit.

If she pushed just a little harder, she could drain him completely. She would set the ultimate example for her juniors, showing them the true meaning of an elderʼs willpower. So she endured one more day. Yet far from showing signs of depletion, Ye Chen continued to probe her limits further.

This discovery sent a flicker of panic through the grandmaster. But with her disciple and grand-disciple still watching in dazed reverence, and Ye Chen himself regarding her with open admiration, how could she retreat now?

Just a little longer...

One more day at most, and he would surely falter.

Another day passed.

The light had faded from the grandmasterʼs eyes...

Another day passed...

Her speech grew slurred and indistinct...

Yet another day passed.

Her body began to tremble uncontrollably...

Still, the grandmaster uttered no word of surrender.

How could she be the first to admit defeat? If she did, how would she ever face her juniors again?

Everything she had just lectured them would become a boomerang, striking her own face. Thus, even when words failed her completely...

The grandmaster still wanted to endure. She believed success lay just ahead—Ye Chen would surely run dry any moment now.

Ye Chen, meanwhile, felt genuine astonishment. Truly worthy of the grandmaster—she was formidable. The scale of this gift had already exceeded his expectations. Just as he decided to push her limits further and help her break through once more, he subtly raised the transmission ceiling by a fraction. On the grandmasterʼs side, her eyes rolled back cleanly, and she collapsed.

Ye Chen chuckled inwardly, though he knew all three had reached their absolute limits. He sent one final gentle surge of law power to each before slowly withdrawing his power.

Satisfied, yet not entirely so. His foundation ran far too deep. The three of them had only drawn away roughly a third. It felt somewhat lacking. But there was no helping it—only inheritors of the Nirvana Scripture could absorb law power transformed through the divine seed. Most disciples and elders of the Heavenly Desire Sect lacked this capability.

Ye Chen gazed at the three women—eyes dazed and distant, pupils rolled back to show mostly white, as though their souls had wandered far away—and asked with concern, ”Are you all right?”

At his voice, they struggled to open their eyes. None could speak. Yet they did not wish to worry him. And the grandmaster refused to admit defeat. So, in perfect unison, the three weakly raised a single hand and flashed victory signs at Ye Chen. A silent signal that they were fine.

Ye Chenʼs expression grew complicated at the sight. At first, it had been only Fan Qinghe making the gesture. Then two. Now three. Was this some tradition of the Heavenly Desire Sect?

Still, he did not dwell on it. After confirming they were unharmed, he gently withdrew his gaze from the breathtaking trio, allowing them to rest quietly. And in his mind, a notification chimed...

”Congratulations, Host—gift successfully bestowed...”

”Gift: Law Power!”

”Calculating 4,000x feedback...”

”Detected that the gift bestowed holds extreme importance to the recipients...”

”Top-notch critical feedback triggered...”

”Feedback: Heart of the World Tree!”

”Feedback: 10,000x Law Power already bestowed...”

Hearing the rewards, Ye Chenʼs brow arched. Ten thousand times the law power was within expectation. One might even call it a little low. After all, with Fan Qingheʼs four-thousand-fold multiplier and a top-grade critical strike, it should surely exceed a mere ten-thousand-fold return. Thus, the true highlight must be the Heart of the World Tree. What exactly was it?

Ye Chen had naturally heard of the World Tree—a supreme treasure of the highest order. Its caliber far surpassed any immortal root; it stood on the same level as the Jianmu Tree, serving as the foundational pillar of an entire world. Its myriad mysteries exceeded imagination. Yet why would the law power he cultivated and bestowed return to him as the Heart of the World Tree?

A sense of strangeness stirred within Ye Chen. He immediately turned his attention to the detailed description below...

”The Heart of the World Tree”

”Born from a fully matured World Tree sapling…”

”The World Tree can connect with heaven and earth, absorbing the laws of the cosmos, evolving all things, and giving birth to an entire world—profoundly miraculous…”

”The Heart of the World Tree can convert refined law power into law origin force, bringing it infinitely closer to the essence of the Dao…”

”At the same time, the Heart of the World Tree greatly enhances a cultivatorʼs ability to refine spiritual objects and the laws of heaven and earth…”

”The Heart of the World Tree strengthens the life origin. With it, the physical body receives constant nourishment, extending lifespan by up to ten times. It also provides immense enhancement to oneʼs constitution, elevating the essence of life itself…”

”The Heart of the World Tree…”

…

Reading the description, Ye Chen was genuinely stunned this time. Yet amid the shock, he gradually understood why the system had rewarded him with the Heart of the World Tree instead of pure law power.

Most likely, the system feared that feeding him the full amount of law power directly might cause him to burst. Thus, it granted the Heart of the World Tree—a vessel capable of transforming law power into the even more powerful law origin force.

The detailed explanations also clarified the distinction between the World Tree and its Heart. To Ye Chen, the World Tree resembled an enormous antenna. It could draw in endless streams of law power, allowing its owner to cultivate directly within an ocean of laws. The speed of improvement would be unimaginable.

The Heart of the World Tree, meanwhile, served as the perfect complementary device. With it, the ability to refine laws would rise dramatically, and law power could be converted into a far more potent law origin force. Together, the two formed a flawless set. And this was merely a fraction of their effects. Extended lifespan, elevated life tier, strengthened physical origin—any single one of these benefits was already terrifying.

Therefore, after obtaining the Heart of the World Tree, Ye Chen felt even greater anticipation for the day he might trigger a critical hit and obtain the full World Tree, completing the set. Once combined, the advantages would surely be even greater.

In short, after confirming the rewards, Ye Chen gazed at Fan Qinghe with deep satisfaction, his eyes burning with warmth. Though the Nirvana Scripture was undeniably a parasitic cultivation method, similar in nature to the Devouring Heaven Demon Art, its grade fell far short. At least the Devouring Heaven Demon Art allowed self-reliance. This Nirvana Scripture, however, depended entirely on others. To cultivate such a trash technique—one that robbed even the freedom to cultivate—was truly lamentable.

Yet for Ye Chen, it was the ideal method. Every time he came to bestow a gift upon the divine maiden, she brought him fresh surprises. She even proactively brought her master and grandmaster to share the burden. If it were only Fan Qinghe alone, she likely could not have absorbed even a tenth of what he offered.

The only pity was that this lineage seemed to have only these three left. And even three were far from enough—he could not be drained at all. This time, they had taken only about a third.

Next time…? Sigh. If only they had some Saint King ancestor, or even a Quasi-Immortal ancestor…

Ye Chen had no qualms about age. Older women knew how to care for a man, and having endured hardship, their willpower was stronger, allowing them to accommodate far more. One could see that quality clearly in the grandmaster, who never once begged for mercy and ultimately passed out from sheer overload. They had truly known poverty and hunger. Even if it killed them, they would endure.

Still, Ye Chen knew his hopes of a Saint King or Quasi-Immortal ancestor were mere fantasy. A sect like the Heavenly Desire Sect had only one Saint in residence. Not even rumors of a Saint King existed. Quasi-Immortals were even rarer. Even most of the major holy lands in the Central Continent lacked Quasi-Immortal existences.

…