Immortality Starts With Investment

”Thank you, Holy Maiden, for the lesson. As they say, enemies should reconcile, not feud. I offer this gift to resolve our misunderstandings.”

With matters settled, it was time to give the gift. The Moon Palace from Yi Qingwu was already a massive gain. Gifting it back next time could yield an immortal artifact—or, even without a critical hit, 2,500 Extreme Dao Weapons. That wouldn’t be a loss, though Ye Chen doubted the cultivation world had enough Mahayana cultivators to wield them. Still, Yi Qingwu’s value warranted saving her face for their next encounter.

Yi Qingwu raised her graceful neck, glancing at Ye Chen with proud eyes, a flicker of surprise within. Honestly, she’d feared he’d ruin her reputation by revealing the branding in her primordial spirit’s core. Yet, he not only stayed silent but lowered himself, offering a gift.

Initially puzzled, she saw the familiar Moon Laurel Tree fragment floating from his hand and recalled past events. Ye Chen had snatched her auction item only to return it, and now he offered the fragment again. What did this mean?

Her sharp mind pieced it together. Everything Ye Chen did was to catch her attention. Rumors in White Emperor City compared her to the Heavenly Desire enchantress, so he entangled himself with the latter, letting people think he was drained. In truth, his spirit sense was robust, outrageously strong, and he’d never been her protector—clearly uninterested in the enchantress, his sights set on Yi Qingwu.

At the auction, he outbid her, leaving her empty-handed, even forcing her to pool spirit stones with elders to settle her debt. She’d thought it was targeted humiliation.

Now, it seemed he was just vying for her notice. That explained why, despite her schemes to suppress and kill him, he held no grudge. Even after gaining the upper hand, taking the Moon Palace, and offering the Diamond Ring, he let her go and now gifted her again.

Of course, he might still intend some humiliation—the kind men fantasize about, not public disgrace. It suggested he’d long admired her, unnoticed by her lofty self.

Realizing this, Yi Qingwu’s emotions grew complex. She preferred dominance, floating high above, gazing down at Ye Chen. Her dark hair danced as her exquisite face remained cold.

”I’ll accept this,” she said calmly, nodding. ”But our enmity won’t end easily. Don’t think a gift will sway me. Next time, I’ll show no mercy and crush you.”

Despite accepting the gift, her arrogance was palpable, laced with threats. Grandmother nodded approvingly. Ye Chen, with his Heavy Pupils and the Heavenly Emperor’s Supreme Heart, was understandably unkillable. That Yi Qingwu still harbored fighting spirit against such a foe pleased her greatly.

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Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. Yi Qingwu was insufferable—give her an inch, and she’d take a mile. If not for his anticipation of getting the Battle Secret tablet from her fiancé, he’d brand another ”||||\” on her right now, in front of everyone.

Smirking, he said, ”Holy Maiden, your words fill me with anticipation. I look forward to our next meeting!”

Yi Qingwu swept her hair back, floating upward with a cold expression. ”We’ll meet again soon.”

Their exchange crackled with battle intent, neither willing to yield. The protectors on both sides found this unsurprising—young prodigies were naturally competitive, and their fighting spirit was admirable.

But the three from the Heavenly Intention Holy Land glared at Ye Chen with darker eyes. His Heavy Pupils and Supreme Heart made him a monstrous talent, capable of crushing the young generation’s top three. He couldn’t be allowed to grow. If he reached the Mahayana Stage, who could stand against him? Another Heavenly Emperor might rise. When the Holy Son emerged from seclusion, he’d need to eliminate Ye Chen before he matured.

”Qingwu, let’s go,” Grandmother sighed, shooting a venomous glance at Elder He. She summoned a tower ship, and they boarded.

Yi Qingwu glanced at Ye Chen, taking the Moon Laurel Tree fragment into her hand, then turned and boarded the ship without hesitation, vanishing as it tore through the void.

On the ship, the middle-aged and elderly Unity Stage cultivators retreated to heal, grumbling about Elder Mo’s ruthless attacks. Grandmother approached Yi Qingwu, asking what happened in the array.

Standing at the ship’s bow, hair fluttering in the breeze, Yi Qingwu smiled. ”Ye Chen has a Supreme Heart. His Hand of Heaven was unstoppable. I pulled him into the Broad Cold Divine Realm, where his spirit sense wasn’t strong, but he had a strange defense that ambushed me. It became a stalemate. I didn’t defeat him, but I learned his secrets. Next time, I’ll crush him.”

Grandmother nodded. The Hand of Heaven’s terror was no surprise—legends of the Heavenly Emperor still lingered. She’d been puzzled why the Broad Cold Divine Realm failed, but learning Ye Chen used special means, not raw spirit sense, eased her doubts. Whether he was the Heavenly Emperor’s heir was unclear, but his status as a successor was certain, and special spirit sense protections were expected.

”What about the Moon Palace?” Grandmother asked. ”It’s almost time for the Holy Son to borrow it. It can refine his Lunar Dao Charm, advancing his cultivation.”

Yi Qingwu’s eyes flashed coldly, but her face showed apology as she bowed. ”The Moon Palace was suppressed and taken by Ye Chen’s Extreme Dao Weapon, which outranks it. He seized it when my primordial spirit was weakened.”

Grandmother’s eyes widened, nearly turning the ship back in a panic. ”Why didn’t you say this earlier? That’s our clan’s Moon Palace, an Extreme Dao Weapon!”

Yi Qingwu raised an eyebrow. ”Saying it wouldn’t help. You couldn’t beat them, Grandmother, or it wouldn’t have taken two days to break the array. I stayed silent to keep you from risking injury.”

Grandmother’s face stiffened, hit by a second blow. Yi Qingwu fell silent, fingering the Moon Laurel Tree fragment with a faint smile.

On the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land’s ship, Ye Chen’s eyes lit up at the system’s prompt. He’d truly misunderstood the fiancée.