Immortality Starts With Investment

”This…”

Yan Qingcheng was stunned. The gold-robed elder was equally stunned. Cosmic Origin Crystals were treasures of unimaginable value—items that could allow a Saint to break through without years of hard cultivation. Yet Ye Chen had just handed over three of them.

In an instant, both understood. Ye Chen must have returned this time out of concern that Qingcheng might fail to break through, so he had come specifically to deliver them. He had gained an opportunity and immediately thought of her. The depth of his consideration was truly profound.

Yan Qingcheng quickly waved her hand. ”Fellow Daoist Ye, I don’t need so many…”

She wasn’t refusing outright—she simply meant she couldn’t use that many. That was simply her character. She was fully aware of every kindness Ye Chen had shown her. She would repay him in the future, no matter what. If Ye Chen wished for something, even if she felt reluctant, gratitude alone would compel her not to refuse…

Ye Chen smiled, ignoring her gesture, and gently placed the crystals before her. To him, these were merely a tiny fraction—one in hundreds of millions—of the Origin Sea. They truly meant nothing. The faster Yan Qingcheng advanced and caught up to his cultivation level, the greater the benefits she could bring him in return.

So he spoke calmly. ”I’ve already reached peak Saint. These are useless to me now… In that case, if Fairy Yan doesn’t accept them, should I just sell them? I’ve inherited the Heavenly Emperor’s fortune and already consider the Heavenly Emperor Hall my own home. If Fairy Yan can’t use them all, you can leave the rest for the future descendants of the Heavenly Emperor Hall. In the coming Age of Dharma’s End, gathering cosmic origin power will only grow more difficult. With these, the Hall can nurture far more powerhouses in the generations to come and stand more securely…”

At those words, Yan Qingcheng found herself speechless. In the end, she could only nod. ”Thank you, Fellow Daoist Ye.”

The gold-robed elder listened and felt his appreciation for Ye Chen deepen even further. Earlier, when Ye Chen had given him half a catty of Enlightenment Tea, it had allowed him to hold his head high among his old friends—none of them could boast about their sons-in-law anymore. Now the young man was already thinking of the Heavenly Emperor Hall’s future. Truly a youth who knew gratitude and repaid kindness.

The gold-robed elder coughed a couple of times heavily. ”Good son-in-law, you truly have a kind heart… It was worth my trip to the Land of Fallen Immortals to obtain this for you. Now that you’ve reached peak Saint, with this you can take another step forward…

”Actually, while I was in the Land of Fallen Immortals, I also discovered a sealing art that might have been left behind by a great complete sacred physique. It would greatly enhance the physical body… Unfortunately, I was pursued by a Quasi-Immortal at the time. Gravely wounded and near death, I could only flee in disgrace and failed to bring it back for you.

”But don’t worry, son-in-law. Once I recover for half a year, I’ll make another trip. I will absolutely ensure you condense the most suitable divine-grade Heavenly Heart Imprint…”

With that, he offered up the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal and placed it before Ye Chen. Then he coughed several more times heavily. The flawless, perfect Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal shimmered with captivating brilliance.

Ye Chen looked at it and felt a slight surprise. Though he could tell the old man was exaggerating his weakness a little—he wasn’t truly that frail—he could also see the elder had genuinely been injured. As for this intact Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal, it was an unexpected delight.

Although Ye Chen already possessed Heavenly Will Sand, if bestowing a perfect Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal could trigger an even better feedback, that would be ideal. But with Yan Qingcheng, he had already given and re-given in the same cycle too many times. The same pattern might not produce a perfect crit again.

So he decided to gift this to his Senior Sister, who was still cultivating inside the Divine Maiden Furnace. She too had received seven-thousandfold feedback and carried a heart full of gratitude. Perhaps she would bring a different surprise.

As for Yan Qingcheng? This woman truly possessed profound gratitude. Her talent was exceptional, her disposition generous and open. Moreover, though the old man had once been rather unworthy, he had now demonstrated real value. Thus, she was worth further investment.

Ye Chen immediately accepted the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal and bowed sincerely to the gold-robed elder. ”Many thanks, Senior. As for that sealing art, there’s no need. I’ve already obtained one perfectly suited to me.”

With those words, Ye Chen calmly stored the crystal away.

Seeing how readily Ye Chen accepted it—without even a flicker of surprise or delight on his face—The gold-robed elder felt his performance had fallen flat; the emotional payoff was lacking. Why hadn’t Ye Chen passed it on to his daughter this time?

He had already prepared himself: if Ye Chen tried to give it to Qingcheng, he would insist she refuse no matter what. For him—an old father-in-law—to risk his life obtaining such a treasure, only to give it to his son-in-law and declare his own daughter fit only for the damaged version.

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The best must go to the son-in-law. Such blatant favoritism would surely move Ye Chen to tears. How could a future Immortal Realm slot possibly exclude his daughter after that? But why had Ye Chen broken the pattern this time? And why was he so indifferent to a flawless Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal? What was going on?

The gold-robed elder felt utterly confused. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. He even wanted to emphasize once more: This is a perfect Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal! And… shouldn’t you at least show some concern for my injuries…?

Yan Qingcheng, meanwhile, harbored no particular thoughts. Though her father’s words had been rather blunt, Ye Chen’s talent was indeed superior—he truly deserved the best. Besides, she was willing to repay the favor this way.

Yet Ye Chen had given her so much already. Even this Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal could only repay a portion. For the remaining debt of gratitude, she could only let him do as he wished.

Under the gold-robed elder’s hesitant gaze, Ye Chen spoke gravely.

”Senior, Fairy Qingcheng—please follow me deeper into the Heavenly Emperor Hall to a place no one can possibly probe. There is something I wish to show you both.”

The gold-robed elder felt a flicker of curiosity mixed with faint dismissal. The Heavenly Emperor Hall was a supreme power. What could possibly require such secrecy? Even if others learned of it, who would dare march against the palace because of it?

Yet Yan Qingcheng had already turned to lead the way. The gold-robed elder glanced helplessly at his daughter and could only follow.

Soon, the three entered a sealed chamber.

Yan Qingcheng explained, ”This place is protected by arrays that disrupt heavenly secrets and block all perception. Even if a True Immortal still existed in this world, they would be unable to spy on anything said here.”

Ye Chen nodded. In the next moment, he retrieved an object from his cave heaven and placed it in the air before them. The instant they saw it, both their pupils contracted sharply.

Floating in midair was a mass of flowing sand. An invisible force held it together, preventing it from scattering. Yet its shape shifted constantly. With every change came a strange, profound rhythm. Its surface shimmered with divine light—cold silver-gray, brilliant gold, deep azure…

Colors intertwined in dazzling splendor. Though neither had seen it before, both could sense the extraordinary power radiating from the sand. This was a sealing treasure far surpassing the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal.

Where had Ye Chen obtained such a thing? Another stroke of fortune from this recent opportunity?

The gold-robed elder stared at Ye Chen in utter shock.

Ye Chen nodded calmly. ”This too came from an opportunity left by an ancient predecessor. It is called Heavenly Will Sand. Unlike the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal, this is said to have been refined by a supreme being who intercepted and captured strands of heavenly will itself. It likely dates back to before the Heavenly Era, passed down from the Immortal Realm. Condensing a Heavenly Heart Imprint with this will yield an Immortal-grade result—countless times superior to divine-grade.”

Immortal-grade?

The words struck like thunder. Yan Qingcheng and the gold-robed elder were completely dumbfounded. Divine-grade Heavenly Heart Imprints already represented the absolute limit of the current cultivation world. Yet Ye Chen had produced something capable of producing Immortal-grade? It was simply too astonishing.

He didn’t need to explain further; both already understood the item’s unimaginable value. Their gazes toward it changed entirely. The gold-robed elder’s earlier nonchalance vanished without a trace. A treasure of this caliber was no less precious than Nirvanic Saint Liquid. It truly could provoke joint assaults from various powers against the Heavenly Emperor Hall.

Caution was absolutely necessary. For Ye Chen to obtain such a thing in the cultivation world left both father and daughter marveling at his fortune once again. In just two and a half years, he had broken through to peak Saint, acquired a sealing art perfectly suited to him, and now held a treasure far exceeding the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal. His luck was terrifyingly strong.

But after the initial shock, both realized something else. Why had Ye Chen brought out this inconceivably precious Heavenly Will Sand? Could it be…?

Yan Qingcheng’s pupils shrank. She watched as Ye Chen gently pushed the sand through the air toward her.

”Fairy Yan will soon reach peak Saint. With this, your future path will surely rise even higher.”

Hearing that he truly intended to give it to her, Yan Qingcheng’s entire body tensed. Beside her, the gold-robed elder’s eyes filled with shame and guilt… He had risked his life to obtain a Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal for Ye Chen, even exaggerating his injuries to deepen the debt of gratitude.

Yet Ye Chen—upon acquiring such a supreme treasure—had offered it so calmly and quietly. Compared to Ye Chen, he truly paled in comparison. No wonder Ye Chen had shown no surprise at the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal. The gold-robed elder wanted to slap himself.

Yan Qingcheng immediately waved her hand. ”No, Fellow Daoist Ye’s talent is far superior. This item suits you much better… If I were to use it, I might only reach parity with the Celestial Prince, the Eight-Crowned King, and others in the future. But with it, Fellow Daoist Ye could crush them outright. So please, Fellow Daoist Ye, take it back…”

Yet Ye Chen gave a faint smile. ”Fairy once kept the damaged Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal for herself and gave me the perfect one… Why then can I not give you something even better? Since I have brought it out, there is no question of taking it back. Even if Fairy refuses, I will never use this to condense my Heavenly Heart Imprint or break through to Saint King…”

His words were firm and resolute.

Yan Qingcheng found herself at a loss for words. Her deep, beautiful eyes fixed on him, filled with complex emotion. She could see his determination. Given Ye Chen’s character, even if she refused, he would truly discard it rather than use it himself. When she thought of how he had come straight to the Heavenly Emperor Hall with such an extraordinary fortune, the gratitude in her heart surged uncontrollably…

After a long silence, she spoke softly. ”I will not refuse Fellow Daoist Ye’s kindness. But I ask that Fellow Daoist Ye not refuse mine in the days to come… Fellow Daoist Ye possesses unparalleled talent and the Innate Supreme Heart. You are the Heavenly Emperor’s true heir. I will make a public announcement, formally bestowing upon you the status of the Heavenly Emperor’s true inheritor. From this day forward, you will be the rightful heir of the Heavenly Emperor!”