Immortality Starts With Investment

”One family doesn’t speak of two families’ affairs—no need to overthink it. Yuezhi’s immortal path is what matters most.”

Ye Chen noticed Yao Yuekong on the verge of saying more. He clapped the man on the shoulder right then.

Yao Yuekong looked at Ye Chen with boundless gratitude. By now, the pair drew ever closer to the Divine Silkworm Clan’s outpost.

Yao Yuekong recalled something and remarked with a sigh, ”The Qiankun Cauldron’s effects are astonishing, no doubt. But what the Divine Silkworm Clan was truly famed for was an immortal artifact they once held—the Nine Transformations Heavenly Furnace!

”After the Divine Silkworm Emperor ascended and completed his ninth metamorphosis, he forged this immortal tool from his shed immortal body as raw material. Though it didn’t shine in raw destructive power, it possessed the ability to enhance aptitudes and raise breakthrough ceilings.

”Long-term cultivation within could subtly boost one’s innate talents, physique, fleshly body, and more—much like the effects of the Nine Transformations of the Divine Silkworm. And if one broke through realms inside the furnace, success would yield even fiercer gains. For instance, a normal breakthrough might double one’s combat strength; within the furnace, it could reach one-point-two times that...

”For the Divine Silkworm Clan themselves, it amplified the transformation effects and success rates of their Nine Transformations even further! One could say the Divine Silkworm Emperor’s era marked the clan’s most radiant peak. With this furnace, powerhouses swarmed like carp in a stream, prodigies numbered beyond count—they could even clash head-on with the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan! But once the Heavenly Emperor rose...”

Yao Yuekong trailed off with a heavy sigh. Ye Chen listened to the furnace’s capabilities and felt a stir of interest. Enhancing aptitudes? Boosting post-breakthrough gains? Such functions absolutely qualified it as a divine artifact.

Aptitude boosts might prove tricky—after all, his own physique already led the pack by a wide margin. Other facets neared their pinnacles, too. A single immortal artifact? Ye Chen doubted it could carry him to new heights.

But elevating combat ceilings after breakthroughs? That sparked real anticipation. Others gained a mere doubling upon advancement. One-point-two times? Already a solid edge. And if every breakthrough stacked such bonuses? Over the long haul, the compounded growth would terrify.

Most crucially, thanks to his cultivation methods, physique, divine abilities, and myriad other factors, his own realm ascensions already delivered absurdly massive leaps. Layer the Nine Transformations Heavenly Furnace atop that? The rest of the cultivation world’s prodigies might as well pack it in.

Upon hearing Yao Yuekong’s final words, Ye Chen asked curiously, ”Did the Heavenly Emperor smash it again?”

Yao Yuekong shook his head at that. ”Not this time. The Heavenly Emperor’s era brimmed with chaos, after all—partly due to the Emperor himself, partly from the rise of human forces, and partly from descending immortal realm powers, not to mention the myriad races’ own feuds. Back then, the Victorious Fighting Ape Clan held strong too. The two clans, bound by ancient grudges, unleashed their true immortals in open war.

”That Divine Silkworm Clan’s true immortal wasn’t weak either. In the end, it seemed they perished together with their foe, and the Nine Transformations Heavenly Furnace vanished without a trace—rumored to have self-detonated at last. From that point, the Divine Silkworm Clan lost the furnace and gradually declined. Were it not for their remaining immortal artifact anchoring the clan, they might not have clung to great clan status even now.”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Yao Yuekong spoke with a sigh.

This time, Ye Chen truly felt his interest piqued. If handing over the Qiankun Cauldron could yield the Nine Transformations Heavenly Furnace, it would be an absolute windfall. Not just for him to use. His female cultivators could benefit too, vastly enhancing their aptitudes. Take Lu Jing, for instance—she could be tossed into the Heavenly Furnace for a good refining.

”Sigh, maybe we should just skip it. Even offering the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod, they might not bite. Besides, even if my sister got the Qiankun Cauldron and rebuilt her cave heaven, her path ahead would still feel constrained.”

They reached the gates of the Divine Silkworm Clan’s outpost. For all those reasons, Yao Yuekong still wanted to back out. But Ye Chen’s expression hardened with resolve. ”No, this Qiankun Cauldron—I must have it.”

Yao Yuekong gazed at Ye Chen’s earnest demeanor. His heart swelled with even deeper emotion. This brother-in-law truly loved his sister. From here on, even if Ye Chen snuck off in the myriad races to rendezvous with other female cultivators, he’d keep it hushed, cover for him, and ensure his sister never caught wind.

...

Yao Yuekong still carried some renown and face among the myriad races. Coupled with Ye Chen’s presence, their visit announcement soon granted them entry to the welcoming hall. They didn’t wait long before a middle-aged man in a nine-colored robe approached with evident curiosity.

The man stood at the Third Heaven and served as the Divine Silkworm Clan’s patriarch. His status roughly mirrored a holy land’s holy master—mostly a figurehead for handling affairs. The real heavyweights lurked among the clan elders and ancestors behind the scenes.

”Yao Yuekong’s here, along with the Heavenly Emperor’s heir. What brings you two to our doorstep?”

The Divine Silkworm patriarch’s tone toward them hovered neutral, cutting straight to the point. His clan bore no deep grudge against the Heavenly Emperor.

Sure, a few of their prodigies had fallen to the Emperor’s hand. But back then, the Heavenly Emperor had been universally reviled, like a walking taunt physique—everyone who crossed paths wanted a piece of him. Offending him had felt par for the course.

So, compared to those clans later purged and exterminated in the Emperor’s reckonings, the Divine Silkworm Clan’s minor scrapes amounted to nothing. Yet with no major enmity, the patriarch extended no special warmth to Ye Chen as the heir. Especially since Ye Chen had stirred trouble with the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan—best to steer clear.

Ye Chen noted the man’s cool detachment and saw no point in small talk; he cut straight to the chase. ”I’m interested in your clan’s Qiankun Cauldron. I wonder, at what price would your clan be willing to part with it?”

At Ye Chen’s words, the patriarch rose to his feet at once.

”The Qiankun Cauldron is not for sale—it’s a clan heirloom. If that’s all the Heavenly Emperor’s heir has come for, please see yourselves out!”

Inwardly, he sneered all the while. This was the Divine Silkworm Clan’s signature treasure, after all. How could they possibly sell it to an outsider? So, he issued his dismissal with swift finality.

Yao Yuekong let out a sigh. But then Ye Chen’s lips curved into a light chuckle as he spoke. ”What if I offer three high-grade Extreme Dao Weapons of equivalent quality in exchange?”

Three high-grade Extreme Dao Weapons? This Heavenly Emperor’s heir truly brimmed with wealth, and his bid carried real sincerity—not some jest to poke fun. Still, a no meant a no. So the patriarch shook his head firmly. ”The Qiankun Cauldron holds special meaning to our clan; it’s simply not for sale!”

”Five high-grade Extreme Dao Weapons for the Qiankun Cauldron!”

Ye Chen upped the ante without missing a beat. A flicker of surprise crossed the patriarch’s eyes.

Five high-grade Extreme Dao Weapons? Securing those could markedly bolster his clan’s upper echelons in battle. Yet in the end, the patriarch shook his head once more, his tone softening just a touch with courtesy. ”It has nothing to do with how much Fellow Daoist Ye offers. The point is, our clan could never sell the Qiankun Cauldron!”

Ye Chen pressed on without the slightest hesitation. ”Eight high-grade Extreme Dao Weapons!”

At that, the patriarch’s eyes couldn’t help but gleam. But he clenched his jaw and shook his head again. The Qiankun Cauldron’s significance ran deep. It had been forged by their ancestral Divine Silkworm Emperor himself—hardly a supreme Extreme Dao Weapon, yet a sacred relic all the same.

So the patriarch refused once more. ”I feel your sincerity, Fellow Daoist! But this truly won’t do—it’s a creation of our clan’s founding ancestor, something no mere price can measure!”