Immortality Starts With Investment

Chapter 853: Strike First and Gain the Advantage!

The moment Yan Qingcheng saw Ye Chen, all thoughts of competing for the treasure vanished from her mind.

Dantai Xuan still planned to gauge his attitude first before deciding her next move. So both women rose calmly, showing no intention of taking action.

Ling Yu noticed their restraint but paid it no mind. He was quite pleased with the two women and already envisioned them as future dao companions—partners who would support each other on the path to immortality. When he eventually became an immortal and returned to the Extreme Martial Realm for a visit, bringing back two peerless female prodigies from the cultivation world would give him tremendous face among the elders. His own ancestor loved nothing more than boasting to old fellow daoists about such things.

This was the perfect chance to shine in front of them. He had sensed earlier that the two women treated him with a certain indifference—likely because he came from a lesser realm. It was only natural for cultivation-world prodigies to look down on outsiders like him. But he would make them take him seriously with raw strength.

In the next instant, Ling Yuʼs bloodline ignited. Golden vital energy soared skyward in a terrifying surge. An overwhelming aura rolled outward, causing the surrounding space to collapse and reform again and again.

Standing high above the canyon, Ling Yu resembled a war god descended from ancient times, his battle intent blazing like wildfire. Ye Chen arrived in the blink of an eye. He appeared above the canyon.

Ling Yu fixed his gaze on the newcomer—a handsome man clad in a yin-yang fish robe. Sensing the terrifying power concealed beneath that calm exterior, he spoke loudly: ”Ling Yu of the Extreme Martial Realm! Are you also here for the Dao-Entrust Treasure, fellow daoist? If you intend to compete, then come—let us fight!”

Ling Yu had never liked long-winded speeches before a battle. In the Extreme Martial Realm, he had always relied on one overwhelming force to shatter all techniques. Throw the first punch, and everything else would resolve itself. Countless prodigies there had crumbled under his fists, suffering crushing defeats. He had grown all the way without a single loss. Even now, in the cultivation world, he refused to taste defeat!

Ye Chen had barely registered the man in front of him. His eyes lit up the moment they landed on the hazy figure shrouded in Chaos Qi.

Yan Qingcheng was indeed here. The Heavenly Emperor War Chariot had been repaired for so long—finally, he could deliver it to her.

Looking at Yan Qingcheng, Ye Chen couldnʼt help but smile. Yan Qingcheng caught the unguarded joy in his expression the instant he saw her. She smiled back instinctively. But the guilt in her heart deepened at once.

Ye Chen really was a good person. The immense pressure of bearing the false heir identity, the endless slander her father had spread to tarnish his name—none of it had bred even a trace of resentment toward her. A man like that truly did not deserve such treatment.

After flashing her that warm smile, a system prompt chimed in Ye Chenʼs mind at just the right moment.

”Detected change in gift target multiplier. Updating…”

”Dantai Xuan: Multiplier increased from 2,000× to 7,000×!”

Seven thousand times?

Ye Chen wasnʼt overly shocked by the number. He had seen far greater extremes by now. It simply matched the level of Yan Qingchengʼs Chaos Body. Still, he couldnʼt help raising an eyebrow as he glanced toward Dantai Xuan.

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How had his senior sisterʼs multiplier surged so dramatically? Could that sinister immortal scripture, the Supreme Emotionless Scripture, really be this outrageous? Merely by cultivating it, her aptitude had leaped forward so massively? Even the Heavenly Emperor Scripture couldnʼt produce such an effect.

The more Ye Chen thought about it, the more convinced he became: there had to be something seriously wrong with the Supreme Emotionless Scripture. There was definitely a trap hidden behind it!

Still, gazing into Dantai Xuanʼs indifferent eyes, recalling what his senior brother had said about her having severed all familial ties completely, and remembering his senior brotherʼs sticky, almost bootlicking attitude toward her, Ye Chen felt no real ripple of emotion.

Just then, Ling Yu spoke up, and Ye Chen smoothly shifted his attention away.

From another world?

Ye Chen had long heard that such people occasionally appeared on the Immortal Path, but most of them remained utterly mediocre, not even qualified to stand before him.

This one, however, was different. He carried the aura of a true top-tier prodigy. His physical body seemed exceptionally strong—perhaps half a step above even the Saint Prince. The constitution had hints of a divine body, yet it wasnʼt quite the same.

Still, his attitude was decent: only battle intent, no killing malice. In the cultivation world, that already counted as polite.

Ye Chen returned a faint smile and nodded. ”Heavenly Evolution Holy Land, Ye Chen! The treasure is naturally worth fighting for. But Iʼve just spotted an old acquaintance. Mind if I exchange a few words with her first before we begin?”

Ling Yu noted that Ye Chen was courteous in return—no trace of the arrogance the Violet Radiance Holy Son had shown him earlier, and no disdain for someone from a lesser realm. His impression of Ye Chen improved considerably, and he had no intention of pressing the issue.

It was only natural for prodigies of the same cultivation world to have some prior connections. So he gestured openly. ”The Dao-Entrust Treasure wonʼt emerge for another half month. Please, go right ahead, fellow daoist!”

Seeing how reasonable the man was, Ye Chen quietly decided he would go easier on him later. With a nod of acknowledgment to Ling Yu, Ye Chen drifted down gracefully and landed before Yan Qingcheng, offering her a light smile. ”Fairy Yan, itʼs been a while!”

The moment Ye Chen approached, Yan Qingcheng raised a hand and dispersed the Chaos Qi that had shrouded her. Her true appearance and figure were revealed at once. A gentle smile curved her lips. ”Greetings, Fellow Daoist Ye!”

Previously, Ye Chen had only seen the ordinary guise she projected. Now, beholding her real face—even after encountering countless peerless beauties—he still felt a flash of genuine amazement.

Yan Qingcheng truly lived up to the name ”Qingcheng”—city-toppling. Her features were ethereally refined and exquisite, with perfectly sculpted bone structure. Deep within her radiant eyes swirled what seemed like endless vortices of chaos.

And her figure was perfection itself. Graceful and perfectly proportioned, especially those impossibly long, snow-white legs that seemed to comprise nearly half her height—the golden ratio embodied. Every subtle movement she made caused Chaos Qi to ripple outward, inspiring both awe and an inability to look away.

”Fairy Yan, you are the true heir of the Heavenly Emperor, yet I have received so much of his legacy. In truth, Iʼve taken opportunities that rightfully belong to you. Merely acting as your false heir, walking the cultivation world in your stead, and drawing all the attention and enmity—that alone still doesnʼt feel like enough to repay the debt.

”This matter has weighed on my conscience for a long time, even affecting my Dao Heart. So some time ago, I finished repairing the Heavenly Emperor War Chariot, restoring it to its original rank as a high-grade Extreme Dao weapon. This chariot once carried the Heavenly Emperor into battle against the myriad races. Its significance is immense. It belongs to you, the true heir!

”Therefore, I must ask you to accept it! If you refuse, my Dao Heart will remain obstructed, my thoughts blocked, and it will hinder my path to sainthood. So, even if only for the sake of my cultivation, please—do not decline!”

With those words, Ye Chen swept his sleeve outward. The fully restored Heavenly Emperor War Chariot appeared directly before them. Ancient yet resplendent, divine radiance flowing across its surface, blazing with sacred flames—the chariotʼs majestic aura made it clear at a glance that this was no ordinary treasure.

Watching the scene unfold, Yan Qingcheng—who had just been about to tell Ye Chen she had decided not to compete—froze in place. Her clear, profound eyes widened in utter disbelief. She had come here full of guilt, intending to make amends to him. Yet Ye Chen felt even more guilty toward her?

This…