Immortality Starts With Investment

Ye Chen really wanted to roll his eyes. Li Feihuang’s self-assurance was on another level, wasn’t it? But since she’d already come up with an excuse for him, and the opportunities in the Great Chu Empire could accelerate his cultivation—maybe even let him cross paths with Su Yuxuan and turn his Golden Core into the nine-colored dream of ancient true immortals—he just hummed in agreement.

Seeing him acquiesce, Li Feihuang nodded, satisfied. Truth be told, she was also annoyed by Wang Lun’s meddling. Ye Chen’s lesson was quite to her liking.

”I’m heading into seclusion to break through to mid-Golden Core,” she said. ”When the time comes, I’ll notify you to depart together. As for your guest elder position at the Divine Will Sect, resign early. Once this is over, everything I promised you will be fulfilled.”

Li Feihuang radiated confidence, her demeanor vibrant.

Ye Chen: ”Mhm, mhm…”

But he’d already planned to part ways after this. Why stay with her when Senior An at the Divine Will Sect offered critical hits and toxin-purging services? After breaking through to Nascent Soul, he’d head straight to the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land to woo Holy Maidens. The Great Chu Empire? What kind of backwater was that? He’d have to be crazy to stick around.

Oblivious to his thoughts, Li Feihuang turned to leave, but not before transmitting a message: ”I won’t pursue your unauthorized actions this time, but the Wang Clan is still useful to me. In the future, prioritize the bigger picture. Consult me before doing something like this. The Great Chu Empire isn’t like the Divine Will Sect—remember that.”

Ye Chen’s lips curled into a cold smirk. He couldn’t be bothered to respond. Instead, he flew toward An Miaoli’s cave abode, not too far away, to check if she’d emerged from seclusion.

…

At An Miaoli’s cave abode, Ye Chen sent a transmission talisman, but there was no response. He frowned slightly. Refining the Wind-Thunder Wings was taking this long? He’d been enjoying his Kunpeng Wings for days already.

Then it hit him—the system had given him pre-refined wings.

Oh, makes sense.

Just as he was about to leave, debating whether to gift something to An Yuyi or pay Li Feihuang a visit with some ”warmth” before her breakthrough, he sensed something and glanced back.

An ethereal, immortal-like figure descended into a nearby pavilion.

Ye Chen flew over with a grin. ”Senior An, I take it you’ve successfully refined them?”

An Miaoli’s dreamy, luminous eyes met his as she nodded calmly. ”I have.”

Then she added, ”But protective arrays above fourth-grade can record a cultivator’s spiritual sense fluctuations. Next time you conceal your identity, remember to alter your spiritual sense as well, or you’ll be exposed.”

Ye Chen: ”???”

Ye Chen was about to present the meticulously crafted top-grade spiritual artifact when An Miaoli’s words hit him. His face darkened slightly.

Though she hadn’t said it outright, it was clear she knew he was the one who’d dealt with Wang Lun that night. Most array masters, through systematic study, would grasp such principles by the first grade.

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But Ye Chen’s array knowledge came entirely from the system—third-grade knowledge was exactly that, with not a shred of fourth-grade insight provided. It was maddeningly precise.

So, he genuinely hadn’t known that fourth-grade defensive arrays could record spiritual sense fluctuations. He couldn’t help but feel exasperated. Is it really this hard to do something sneaky while hiding my identity?

Back when he’d just transmigrated, he’d smashed a market courtyard to get the Mo Clan’s attention, only to be exposed almost immediately—awkward. Now, his night raid on Wang Lun had barely been satisfying for two days before it was found out. Being a bad guy is too tough.

Noticing his expression, An Miaoli gave a faint smile. ”The Array Peak Master realized it was you but, since you’re our sect’s guest elder, only informed the Sect Master. The Sect Master notified me. The final decision is a three-year deduction of your stipend and the cancellation of your half-off discount on Divine Will City shop rent. That settles the matter. As for Wang Lun, there’s no need to worry. A mere cultivator from the Great Chu Empire has no standing to demand answers from our Divine Will Sect.”

Ye Chen wasn’t particularly worried about consequences, and the punishment was akin to a slap on the wrist, as it were. Still, it left him a bit deflated, questioning his own abilities.

He resolved that his next gift would prioritize stealth skills. He couldn’t bear another scenario where he thought he’d hidden his tracks for life, only for someone to pat his shoulder the next day and say, ”Nice try, but you botched it. Don’t worry, I’ve cleaned up your mess.” That was just too humiliating.

…

”Senior An, this is the top-grade spiritual artifact I crafted. Please pass it to Yuyi,” Ye Chen said, eager to change the subject from Wang Lun.

He handed over a translucent white silk ribbon, adorned with intricate patterns that exuded a unique, captivating charm.

An Miaoli was slightly taken aback. This must be the top-grade spiritual artifact he’d mentioned last time. But… how was it supposed to be used?

”Senior An, you can wrap it around your wrist, neck, or anywhere else!” Ye Chen explained enthusiastically. ”Once activated, it generates spirit silk gloves and… This artifact is crafted by fusing twelve top-grade spirit silks, including Heavenly Silkworm Silk, Azure Bamboo Silkworm Silk, and Lunar Silkworm Silk. I optimized the material’s properties to harmonize with the heavens and earth, boosting the wearer’s spell power by at least thirty percent.

”Additionally, I inscribed seventeen auxiliary spells on it. When activated, it accelerates spiritual energy recovery, calms the mind, grants immunity to all poisons, nourishes the body, and enhances the silk’s defensive strength, capable of withstanding even Nascent Soul-level attacks. It also has self-repairing capabilities; as long as it’s not completely destroyed, it’ll fully restore itself within a day. After hundreds of refinements, the fused material is weightless, ensuring no discomfort when worn!”

Ye Chen detailed his meticulously crafted creation with pride.

An Miaoli raised an eyebrow. Each of those materials was exorbitantly rare, some impossible to acquire even with spirit stones. They were more than sufficient for forging higher-grade spirit treasures, yet Ye Chen had used them to craft a spiritual artifact for her. Calling it a waste of heavenly resources wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Still, its functions were undeniably impressive, rivaling most spirit treasures. Ye Chen’s willingness to spend so extravagantly on her was touching. Sighing inwardly, she maintained her calm exterior and said softly, ”Thank you, Fellow Daoist Ye. I’ll pass this to Yuyi.”

Ye Chen nodded with a smile. ”Thank you, Senior! But since this is freshly made and untested, perhaps you could try it out for Yuyi? If there’s any issue, I can make adjustments.”

An Miaoli found his suggestion reasonable. She gently wrapped the silk ribbon around her wrist and infused it with spiritual energy to activate it.

Instantly, the ribbon glowed, transforming into spirit silk that enveloped her entire body. From her neck down to her arms, hands, legs, and feet, every inch was covered. Though weightless, the sensation was still noticeable.

An Miaoli’s expression turned peculiar as she looked at Ye Chen. ”This covers the entire body?”

Ye Chen nodded earnestly. ”That ensures the best defensive effect.”

An Miaoli frowned slightly but didn’t comment further. The feeling was odd, though his reasoning seemed sound.

Ye Chen, gazing at An Miaoli in her white dress now adorned with translucent spirit silk, felt his eyes light up. The silk added a unique charm, enhancing her ethereal aura. He couldn’t help but add, ”Senior, it also has a color-changing function. Why not give it a try?”

An Miaoli’s frown deepened. Covering the whole body was one thing, but changing colors? What was the point? This function felt… suspiciously off!