Immortality Starts With Investment

”To be honest, I really thought you were going to run just now.”

Ye Chen gazed at the Demon-Exterminating Great Saint with an amused smile. The old man could have pretended to intercept Wen Tailai while actually slipping away. It was a very real possibility. After all, everything he’d said earlier had clearly been nonsense. This entire assassination attempt had been aimed at killing him outright. The only reason it went wrong was that the intruder had entered his cave heaven.

Ye Chen had actually been half-hoping the ”leek” would bolt. That would have spared him the headache of deciding whether he—fake Heavenly Emperor heir—should step into the role of true Devouring heir. But the fact that the old man hadn’t run left Ye Chen both surprised… and once again hesitant.

Hearing those words and witnessing Wen Tailai’s silent, traceless demise, the Demon-Exterminating Great Saint felt overwhelming relief flood his chest. Truthfully, he had considered fleeing. Handing his life and death over to Ye Chen’s whim was far from comforting. Freedom would always feel better. Yet in the end, he had suppressed the urge. And now, it was clear he had made the right choice.

The Demon-Exterminating Great Saint hurriedly shook his head. ”Young Lord, you misunderstand this old servant. My loyalty to you is absolute—there is no second heart. Just now, this old servant was actually thinking… whether I should bring back the wife of the Divine Silkworm Clan Leader for the Holy Master!

”And there’s also the mother of the Alkaid Holy Son—she was the Heavenly Maiden three generations ago, a woman of breathtaking grace and beauty. Not to mention the grandmother of the Great Yang Body you personally slew. She too was exceptionally beautiful. As the Young Lord of our Devouring lineage, of course, you need not choose. You can have them all. Our Devouring lineage has hidden agents planted within all these forces.

”Naturally, these women are all of extraordinary cultivation. So it will require careful planning. Some of our agents may be exposed in the process. But the Devouring lineage exists for no other reason than to serve the Young Lord. What does the sacrifice of a few hidden pieces matter?”

Ye Chen’s mouth twitched at the words. He could feel the old man’s sincerity. But why were all these suggestions mature beauties from the previous generation—or even the one before that? Just what kind of reputation had he built outside? Was there something seriously wrong with this cultivation world?

Feeling a chill run through him, Ye Chen waved a hand at the Demon-Exterminating Great Saint and spoke plainly: ”I still can’t fully trust you. If even a whisper of what’s inside my cave heaven leaked out, the entire cultivation world would tremble. So give me one good reason I can trust you. Otherwise—you die.”

Ye Chen’s tone was blunt and direct, without the slightest attempt at softening the words.

The Demon-Exterminating Great Saint had anticipated this. He answered immediately: ”It is only natural for the Young Lord to be wary. Your talent is heaven-defying; you possess the essence of both supreme lineages. Neither the Celestial Prince nor any Seven-Crowned King can compare to you!

”Back when the Devouring Immortal Maiden created the Indestructible Heavenly Art, she casually devised another technique alongside it—the Desolate Seal Method! By condensing a Desolate Seal and imprinting it deep within a target’s divine sense, you gain complete control over them. If they ever harbor the slightest thought of betrayal, their soul will instantly extinguish, leaving them nothing more than a walking corpse.”

As he spoke, the Demon-Exterminating Great Saint respectfully presented a jade slip with both hands.

Ye Chen couldn’t help but sigh inwardly at how adaptable—and considerate—this Great Saint truly was. Add in the entire Devouring lineage standing behind him… If he could truly trust and use them without reservation, they would be an incredible asset.

Taking the jade slip, Ye Chen scanned the scripture within. By circulating the method, one could condense a Desolate Seal. Even if the target’s cultivation far surpassed his own, they would still fall under its control. Unless they became an Immortal, escape was impossible.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

With a single thought from the one who planted the seal, the victim could be reduced to a mindless husk. And should they ever contemplate betrayal, the Desolate Seal would activate automatically. It was indeed a profoundly mysterious and powerful technique.

Yet after glancing at the Demon-Exterminating Great Saint, Ye Chen still felt uneasy. After all, the technique had come directly from the old man. Who could say whether it contained some hidden backdoor?

Cultivators had countless cunning methods. And this one was an ancient Great Saint who had lived through countless eras, a true old fox. The slightest carelessness, and Ye Chen could be the one who ended up overturned. So even though the Great Saint currently appeared utterly respectful and obedient, Ye Chen still could not bring himself to fully believe him.

After a moment of contemplation, the corners of Ye Chen’s mouth curved into a faint smile. He spoke lightly: ”Just stand right here and don’t move. I’ll step out for a bit.”

Seeing that Ye Chen had no intention of condensing the Desolate Seal, the Demon-Exterminating Great Saint understood immediately—Ye Chen still didn’t trust him. Yet he showed not the slightest trace of discontent. He simply nodded quickly in agreement.

The old man had placed no backdoors in the technique. He feared the Heaven-Devouring Demon Jar might contain some lingering remnant method from the lineage. If Ye Chen already knew the Desolate Seal but was deliberately pretending ignorance, then offering him a falsified version would mean certain death. And judging from Ye Chen’s past behavior—profoundly cunning, ruthless in his methods—the slightest misstep could cost him everything. So the Demon-Exterminating Great Saint had been extraordinarily careful, leaving nothing to chance.

…

Ye Chen wasn’t worried that the old man would wander off or try anything funny while he was gone. He had already communicated with the Fusang Divine Tree. If the Demon-Exterminating Great Saint so much as twitched, a single branch would descend. Problem solved, once and for all.

Ye Chen glanced toward the floating peak. His eyes met Luo Bingling’s. With a look that said everything was fine, he turned and left directly.

Luo Bingling had long since awakened from cultivation. She had been startled to see two Great Saints barge in, but one look at the Fusang Divine Tree beside her and she relaxed completely. In fact, she even felt that with the arrangements inside Ye Chen’s cave heaven, a Great Saint might not even be his match here. So she hadn’t gone closer—just watched the excitement from afar.

When she saw Ye Chen preparing to leave, she gave a casual wave. She cast one more glance at the still-living Demon-Exterminating Great Saint, then lost interest and returned to cultivating beneath the Enlightenment Tea Tree…

…

The moment Ye Chen stepped out of the cave heaven, he realized the situation outside had already been resolved—not just on his side. The Heavenly Desire Sect side had been settled as well.

The Great Saint previously exiled by Wen Tailai had returned. Together with the newly arrived reinforcements, They had effortlessly taken control of the entire battlefield.

Now, aside from the few attackers who had already fallen, every survivor had been sealed in one place and was being interrogated one by one.

The instant everyone saw Ye Chen emerge, they froze in shock. Though they had believed his earlier words and assumed he had some hidden card up his sleeve—something extraordinary inside the cave heaven—To deal with two Great Saints in such a short time…

Wasn’t that just a little too terrifying? Just where were the limits of the Heavenly Emperor’s heir?

”Thank you, Elders, for your assistance…”

Ye Chen offered his thanks to the elders who had been hurrying back and forth. Everyone responded with exceptional courtesy. After all, everyone in Heavenly Evolution Holy Land knew their Holy Son was always generous. Even if they simply accompanied him as protectors and nothing happened, they would receive a lavish gift upon return. And if a battle did occur… the rewards would be even greater.

They were all very tactful and asked nothing about what had transpired inside the cave heaven. After exchanging a few words with Feng Baiyu, Ye Chen flew directly toward Fan Qinghe and the other women. Aside from the three generations of the Divine Maiden lineage, whose depths he already knew quite well, the newly appeared Heavenly Desire Ancestor was also standing among them.

Looking at the four women standing together, Ye Chen couldn’t help but notice that starting from Fan Qinghe, each one was… noticeably more impressive than the last. The Heavenly Desire Sect’s cultivation method really did have something special.

But that wasn’t what Ye Chen was focused on right now. After flashing the Heavenly Desire Ancestor a warm, grateful smile, He turned to Fan Qinghe: ”I noticed among the suppressed cultivators, there is a female Saint King. How about we enslave her and make her your personal servant to protect you? That way, I can feel much more at ease.”

Hearing this, Fan Qinghe—who had just thrown herself into Ye Chen’s arms—froze for a second. Then her eyes filled with deep emotion. In the aftermath of a life-and-death crisis, the very first thing Ye Chen worried about upon returning was her safety. Of course, she wanted a Saint King servant. But she still shook her head gently:

”The gap in cultivation is too vast. Any enslavement method carries the risk of backlash. The hidden danger would be too great!”

Fan Qinghe knew her own limits very well.

Ye Chen gave a soft smile and took out a jade slip.

”No need to worry. This is the gift I prepared for you…”