Immortality Starts With Investment

”Greetings, Holy Son!”

”Holy Son, you’re finally back!”

”In our Heavenly Intention Holy Land, there has always been only one Holy Son—and that is Holy Son Ye.”

”Holy Son, I’ve missed you so much!”

A throng of female cultivators descended, especially those whom Ye Chen had personally welcomed into the Divine Maiden Peak. They swarmed toward him with unrestrained enthusiasm, as if they might throw themselves into his arms at any moment.

The male disciples, by contrast, kept their distance, watching from afar. Yet none dared show any displeasure.

In the past, they had deeply resented this outsider who dared establish a harem peak within Heavenly Intention Holy Land. They had all speculated that their own Heavenly Intention Holy Son must have been ambushed and slain by Ye Chen’s insidious methods.

They grumbled in secret, lamenting their Holy Son’s fall. Had he survived and grown to this point, he surely wouldn’t have been inferior to Ye Chen. Nor would his fiancée have been stolen away.

But now, such thoughts had vanished. Ye Chen had proven his supreme talent time and again amid countless great battles. He stood among the highest geniuses of the cultivation world.

Moreover, the current Ye Chen had reached the peak of the fourth layer of Half-Saint—a being far beyond the level of ordinary cultivators. Even in major holy lands, he could be addressed as an ”ancestor.” So even if they harbored resentment, they could only mutter ”Ye the Fourth ” under their breath.

A considerable number of Heavenly Intention Holy Land’s higher-ups had also come to greet him. Though the two sects had once clashed fiercely, killing one another left and right, the times had changed. Thanks to the sudden arrival of this heaven-sent powerhouse Ye Chen, the two sides had become as close as family.

Ye Chen exchanged pleasantries with the crowd. Then his gaze began sweeping the surroundings. He scanned the area but saw no sign of his fiancée. Clearly, his aloof fiancée hadn’t joined the others in welcoming him.

”Missing Qingwu? Then go to her.”

Heavenly Intention Holy Master noticed Ye Chen’s expression and smiled understandingly. The entire upper echelon of Heavenly Intention Holy Land approved wholeheartedly of Ye Chen and Yi Qingwu’s relationship.

After all, Ye Chen truly possessed the potential to ascend—there was no exaggeration. Growing close to him brought only benefits to Heavenly Intention Holy Land. They hoped he would marry Yi Qingwu sooner rather than later. As Ye Chen continued to rise, Heavenly Intention would reap endless rewards.

Even if they had no share in the ascension quota itself, should Ye Chen become the final True Immortal, Heavenly Intention Holy Land could still rely on this connection to secure the foundation needed to survive the Age of Dharma Decline.

Ye Chen nodded. He prepared to leave but was called back by the Holy Master.

”Your union with Qingwu as Dao companions should be put on the agenda as well. We’ve mentioned it to her several times. Though she hasn’t agreed, she hasn’t refused either. You know her temperament—stubborn and tsundere. What she says often doesn’t match what she truly feels. So Holy Son, when you see her this time, persuade her properly.”

Ye Chen smiled at that. His fiancée was indeed like that—mouth saying one thing, body honest. With a Dao companion status, she probably wouldn’t perform as freely. Most likely, that was why she resisted. There was no real need for it anyway. He and his fiancée had already done everything except the final step. Whether they formalized it or not made little difference.

Ye Chen nodded to the Holy Master in acknowledgment. Then he flew straight toward the peak of the Divine Maiden Peak. Upon reaching Yi Qingwu’s cave abode, he found the area serene and still. Though restrictions barred entry, Ye Chen had long held the authority to pass freely. He pushed open the doors and stepped inside.

There sat his fiancée in a flowing white dress. Behind her head hovered a massive moon, from which chaotic moon-hua cascaded like mist, draping downward. It accentuated her porcelain-smooth, flawless skin to an even greater perfection. Her exquisite, peerlessly beautiful features radiated the proud grace of a swan. No one could harbor even the slightest profane thought.

At that moment, her eyes remained tightly shut, her features taut as she breathed in spirit qi, immersed in cultivation. She seemed utterly unaware of his arrival. Ye Chen gazed at the scene and chuckled.

No matter how deeply one cultivated, a cultivator could never completely drop their guard against the outside world. Yet he had entered without her so much as twitching an eyebrow.

What did that mean?

His fiancée wasn’t being obedient—she was pretending to cultivate…

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What kind of new play was this?

Time-stop series?

Though Ye Chen didn’t quite understand the game, he had to admit it was rather thrilling. He had originally planned to present his gift the moment they met—pouring out all the origin he had accumulated over this period.

But since his fiancée greeted him with such enthusiastic hospitality, the gifting could wait a little longer. He stepped closer quietly, reached out with a large hand, grasped firmly, and refined in an instant…

Only then did his fiancée seem to ”wake up.” Her clear, limpid eyes widened in feigned outrage. Her face flushed with shame and anger, yet her body remained perfectly still.

”Ye Chen, how dare you?”

”I am cultivating a profound technique right now and cannot move an inch!”

”Do not touch me. Today is the death anniversary of my fiancé…”

”Stop at once, or I swear I will turn this entire realm upside down!”

”No…”

”Stop…”

”Mmm…”

…

Two hours later, Ye Chen let out a long, contented breath. He gently wiped his fiancée’s cheek, his mood exceptionally bright as he paused.

Yi Qingwu’s eyes brimmed with indignant fury.

”That was all you had. Once I perfect my Chaos Body, I will make you pay dearly. Even if you use such despicable means to claim my body, you will never have my heart. My heart belongs forever to Ying Tiansheng. Everything you just did—I was thinking of Ying Tiansheng the entire time. All your efforts were in vain! You will never truly possess me.”

Ye Chen wasn’t angry in the slightest. Instead, he laughed with genuine delight. Each woman around him had her own unique way of acting coy, shaped by her personality.

The little demoness needed no words—she would simply stretch out her foot and toy with him on her own.

Senior An would ask softly if he was still uncomfortable and whether he needed another ”detoxification.”

His master would push him half-heartedly and scold, ”You disobedient disciple who bullies his master—haven’t you finished yet?”

Yao Yuezhi would say, ”It’s all right, big brother. I know you’re just too tired. Don’t force yourself. Next time, okay? Should I have my mother brew you some tonic?”

Luo Bingling was an exception. By this point, she usually had no strength left and could only lie sprawled on the ground, wearing a silly, blissful grin.

And his fiancée, of course, had her own signature style. Whenever she wanted him to speed up, she would deliberately bring up Ying Tiansheng.

So Ye Chen felt no anger—only indulgent affection. He gently wiped the osmanthus nectar from the corner of his lips and spoke softly: ”I came today specifically to help you achieve the perfect Chaos Body.”

Along the entire journey, he had been showering gifts on Luo Bingling. As his Dao companion, her cooldown was only one day. He had finished gifting her yesterday.

It didn’t conflict with presenting today’s gift to his fiancée. And the nature of that gift needed no explanation. The origin he had gathered during his trip to Central Continent was truly staggering. It would absolutely overwhelm her and help her forge the Acquired Chaos Body.

A flicker of brilliance flashed through Yi Qingwu’s beautiful eyes. Then she lifted her snow-white, slender neck in proud defiance.

”When someone offers kindness without cause, they are either plotting treason or theft. I do not nee—Mmm…”

His dramatic fiancée was certainly entertaining, but Ye Chen had only just finished and was now eager to bestow his gift. So without waiting for her line to end, he interrupted directly and began the transfer.

Yi Qingwu glared at him furiously, her mouth blocked, pounding weakly against his chest.

Ye Chen’s eyes, however, shone only with amusement. She was clearly playing hard to get. After all, who would truly be unwilling and still extend their tongue…?

Soon enough, her eyes widened in genuine shock. The sheer volume of origin was terrifying. Even her Indestructible Heavenly Art struggled to absorb it all at once.

Just how many prodigies had Ye Chen slain on this trip? How else could he have gathered so much origin?

Thinking back to recent days, many had gossiped that the Heavenly Emperor’s heir was too bloodthirsty—always baiting traps, too ruthless, practically slaughtering an entire generation of the myriad races. They claimed he would surely face backlash in the future and meet a grim end.

How could Yi Qingwu not understand by now?

Everything Ye Chen did was for her. She had known him far too long and understood him far too well. Ye Chen had always preferred staying quietly within the holy lands. He was too lazy to leave even for opportunities, let alone attend grand events. He cared nothing for the honor or disgrace of the human race, nor ancient grudges with the myriad races.

So for him to bait and slaughter an entire generation of the myriad races, to become mortal enemies with the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan, even to offend the Holy Spirits—to make countless enemies—It was all for her. Only so she could obtain the Acquired Chaos Body.

Realizing this, the stubbornly tsundere Yi Qingwu finally softened completely. She no longer pretended her technique restricted movement. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Ye Chen’s neck of her own accord. As for that mischievous hand of his that had developed a mind of its own, she simply ignored it entirely.

…

The origin Ye Chen had gathered on this journey was truly staggering in volume. Even after the Heaven-Devouring Demon Jar had refined and purified it countless times, the transfer could not be completed in a short while.

A full day passed.

Only when a soft ”pop” sounded did the gifting finally conclude. The sheer amount caused Yi Qingwu to tremble uncontrollably. Her gaze turned dazed, the whites of her eyes showing prominently. If not for Ye Chen’s steady support, she might have already collapsed.

”Now go and refine all of it. I believe this time, it will definitely be enough for you to achieve the Acquired Chaos Body. I won’t leave. I’ll wait here until you come out of seclusion.”

Ye Chen spoke gently. This time, he truly intended to wait for Yi Qingwu’s emergence. He was deeply curious to see how dramatically her multiplier would change after obtaining the Acquired Chaos Body. By his estimation, it should reach around six thousand times.

At the same time, he also wanted to confirm whether she would still have room for further improvement afterward. Whether she would still need more origin. His own Primordial Chaos Supreme Body obviously couldn’t be completed so easily.

So he would need to continue collecting and gifting origins of various types. If his fiancée no longer required any after this, then he would have to ask his other women whether they wanted to cultivate it.

He had once asked his master. She refused outright—she disliked using other people’s origin for cultivation and devoted herself entirely to the way of the sword… As for Senior An, Lan Nuo, and the others—some didn’t need it, others simply didn’t want it.

So the question of who to gift origin to in the future had become something of a problem. But there was no hurry. The moment the system prompt sounded, Ye Chen immediately turned his attention inward to the system interface…