Immortality Starts With Investment

Neither the Cosmic Origin Crystals nor the Heavenly Will Sand triggered any feedback. But since he had plenty to spare and his reasoning was sound, Ye Chen gave freely when it made sense.

The growth of the women around him benefited him as well. That had always been his way. He put himself first. Once his own needs were met, he had no qualms about sharing generously with those close to him.

It might not be selfless, but Ye Chen didn’t consider it selfish either. Hearing Yan Qingcheng’s words, he raised an eyebrow and glanced toward the gold-robed elder.

The elder wore a broad, gratified smile. ”My good son-in-law always thinks of Qingcheng first—saving the best things for her. And Qingcheng, you’ve done well too—knowing gratitude and repaying kindness. I didn’t raise my daughter in vain. Son-in-law, no need to look at me. In my eyes, we’re already one family. I don’t mind at all which of you holds the title of Heavenly Emperor’s true heir!”

Ye Chen laughed at that. The old man really had some sense…

Yan Qingcheng raised her hand and offered a token wreathed in a misty immortal aura. The token was forged from immortal gold. Two grand, majestic words were etched upon it: Heavenly Emperor! A domineering aura that once swept across the world still lingered within.

”This is the token personally refined by the Heavenly Emperor himself. Whoever holds it is recognized as his heir. Fellow Daoist Ye, do not accept it only to return it to me later! If you do, I will be angry. And I will return both the Cosmic Origin Crystals and the Heavenly Will Sand as well!”

”…”

Her tone was resolute. She had cut off any path for him to give it back.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. He had indeed been planning to offer it in return. But she was right—one trick couldn’t be reused forever. Accepting and then returning might work once or twice, but doing it repeatedly would lose its effect. Still, the corner of his mouth curved upward as he reached out and took the token.

”In that case, thank you, Fairy. But…”

Seeing him accept it, Yan Qingcheng felt a surge of joy. Yet at the word ”but,” her expression clouded again. Was he going to find another excuse to refuse?

Ye Chen read her thoughts from her face and shook his head with a smile. ”Fairy Yan, I’m not trying to give it back. The issue is that rumors are already spreading outside—claiming you are the true heir of the Heavenly Emperor. Several holy lands have even come forward to vouch for it.

”If we suddenly declare it’s me now, the whole situation will become a tangled mess and invite even more speculation. The outside world won’t be able to tell truth from falsehood. We can’t very well have holy lands step forward again to ’prove’ it a second time, can we? So why not change our approach?”

The gold-robed elder gave an awkward chuckle. Back then, he really had considered discarding Ye Chen once the use was over. But that was in the past. He had sincerely repented.

Yan Qingcheng looked at him with curiosity, eager to hear what he would say next. Before their widening eyes, Ye Chen gripped the Heavenly Emperor True Heir Token in both hands and snapped it cleanly in two.

A crisp crack echoed through the chamber…

Both their mouths fell open.

Ye Chen looked at the perfectly halved token—one piece in each hand—and nodded in satisfaction. His physical body really had grown stronger.

The gold-robed elder leaned in, heartbroken, as if he wanted to melt the pieces back together. This token had been the spiritual symbol of their lineage for a million years.

Only a few years ago, he had even considered inscribing the character ”Yan” atop the words ”Heavenly Emperor” in immortal gold to stake a clearer claim. And now Ye Chen had simply broken it in half? If you didn’t want it, fine—but why destroy it!

”Son-in-law, what in the world are you doing?”

The elder’s voice was thick with distress. Yet Ye Chen smiled warmly. ”Who says there can only be one Heavenly Emperor heir? If we both are, then there’s no need to fear outside gossip—because both claims will be true. So I will give half of the Heavenly Emperor True Heir Token to Fairy Yan… In the future, all opportunities within the Heavenly Emperor Hall will be available to both of us…”

With those words, he gently placed the right half before Yan Qingcheng. Since giving the whole thing was impossible—she would never accept it— He would give half. That way, she had no room to refuse.

The gold-robed elder finally understood Ye Chen’s intention. His admiration deepened. This young man was truly worth investing in—he would never turn ungrateful. At the same time, though, he felt a pang of heartache. If you wanted to split it, just say so. Couldn’t you have forged a new one? Why ruin a perfectly good treasure?

As for Yan Qingcheng herself, her expression was deeply complex… She was truly moved. But also a little helpless. Ye Chen really cared for her too much. He had seen how firm her resolve was, so he racked his brains and came up with this compromise of splitting it in half.

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And given how highly he valued her, though he spoke of sharing resources equally, in reality, Ye Chen would surely prioritize her first. He would even proactively funnel resources into the Heavenly Emperor Hall. Just like the Cosmic Origin Crystals he had given earlier.

Ye Chen truly loved her so much!

With the token already broken and his words spoken so plainly, she had no choice but to accept.

Yan Qingcheng accepted the right half of the token. Her beautiful eyes held a complex mix of emotions as she looked at Ye Chen.

”In that case… thank you, Fellow Daoist Ye. Once my father leaves shortly, there are some matters I wish to discuss with you in private.”

She had made up her mind. She had to repay the kindness. Otherwise, the overwhelming gratitude in her heart would truly burst forth uncontrollably. Only by repaying him could she find some peace.

The gold-robed elder heard her words and froze for a moment. Then realization dawned. From the look on his daughter’s face, he knew exactly what she intended.

This…

The old father felt a pang of heartache—the daughter he had raised so carefully was about to be taken by a pig. Yet this particular pig possessed affection, righteousness, talent, and astonishing fortune. He had a real chance of ascending to immortality in the future.

Once his daughter fully became this man’s woman, a slot to enter the Immortal Realm would be all but guaranteed. Even as her father, he could not stand in the way. He fell silent, rose, and patted Ye Chen’s shoulder.

”Good son-in-law, my daughter was raised with all my care… In the future, you…”

The gold-robed elder trailed off, unable to continue. With a heavy sigh, he turned and walked slowly out of the sealed chamber.

Ye Chen: ”…”

Watching the elder’s desolate retreating figure, Ye Chen immediately understood the old man’s conflicted feelings. He silently vowed: in the future, he would never have a daughter…

…

But Ye Chen did not linger on the sight of the departing elder. Because at that moment, the long-awaited system prompt finally sounded in his mind.

”Congratulations, Host. Gift bestowal successful…”

”Gift bestowed: One-half of the Heavenly Emperor True Heir Token!”

”Feedback in progress…”

”Seven-thousandfold feedback in progress…”

”Detected that the gift is of extreme importance to the recipient, triggering intense emotional fluctuation…”

”Top-notch critical feedback activated…”

”Feedback: Supreme Palace True Disciple Token…”

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow as he read the result, a trace of surprise flickering across his face.

Supreme Palace? What was that?

Tokens granting positions or quotas were not conjured from nothing—the system had provided several before, and each had a clear origin.

For example, his status as true disciple of the Green Cloud Sect stemmed from an ancient favor: someone had once saved his master, Gu Yunyun, and she had left a token in gratitude. Ye Chen had inherited that debt and become her disciple.

Similarly, his position as the fourth holy son of the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land came from a token held by Supreme Elder Nangong. That elder held immense status and seniority, with the authority to designate a holy son.

Ye Chen had inquired about him: a Great Emperor realm existence, an ancient figure of the holy land. Years ago, with only about a century left in his lifespan, he had emerged from seclusion and ventured into the Land of Fallen Immortals in search of opportunity.

In short, the system’s feedback never fabricated origins—it always had a logical basis. So what exactly was this Supreme Palace?

”Supreme Palace: An Immortal King-level force in the Immortal Realm. Holders of the token may proceed there and, upon passing the trial, become its true disciple…”

”In the future, when the Host makes contact with members of the Supreme Palace in the Immortal Realm, simply state that you obtained it in the cultivation world. No further explanation is necessary.”

Ye Chen’s brows lifted higher as he read the description. A major power in the Immortal Realm? And an Immortal King-level one at that? It sounded extraordinarily impressive. With this token, he would directly become the true disciple of an Immortal King-grade force?

And the name—Supreme Palace—carried an air of absolute dominance. A grand Immortal King-level sect like that surely had an abundance of high-multiplier female cultivators, right? Could the sect leader be a female Immortal King?

Even a single Sacred Spirit Root already broke ten thousand in multiplier. The female cultivators inside—wouldn’t their multipliers start at ten thousand and climb even higher, perhaps reaching a hundred thousand?

In any case, Ye Chen’s anticipation surged in an instant. His yearning for the Immortal Realm deepened. It was much like how university students in the mortal world often felt anxious about graduation—worried about finding jobs, about failing to succeed, about being cuckolded by girlfriends…

Yet his situation was entirely different. Before even ”graduating,” he had already signed a top-tier campus recruitment contract with the finest immortal enterprise—stepping out straight into a management position, heir apparent to the CEO. Countless top-tier female cultivators of the Immortal Realm were waiting for him to… bestow gifts upon… How could anyone not look forward to that?

Ye Chen made his decision. Though the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land and the Heavenly Emperor Hall were both excellent, the Supreme Palace represented far greater horizons. He would absolutely bring his unparalleled talent to the Supreme Palace…

His mood soared as he gazed at the feedback. When his eyes met Yan Qingcheng’s once more, they shone with unmistakable tenderness… This girl’s gratitude was truly profound. She must be nurtured vigorously.

Meanwhile, Yan Qingcheng clutched her half of the Heavenly Emperor True Heir Token. Feeling the gentle warmth in Ye Chen’s gaze, her heart felt soft and overflowing, a hidden current surging within…

Her gratitude had accumulated for far too long. She had to repay him. Otherwise, she really wouldn’t be able to hold it back any longer. She glanced toward the entrance—her father had already left.

Carefully storing away her half of the token, she raised her hand and released a wisp of chaotic qi, reinforcing the seal on the entrance once more. To ensure no outsider could accidentally intrude.

Ye Chen watched her actions with mild confusion. ”Fairy Yan, didn’t you say there was something you wished to discuss? Please speak. No matter what it is, as long as it is within my power, I will do everything I can…”

In anyone else’s mouth, such words would only draw a scoff from Yan Qingcheng. Just empty male bravado. But when Ye Chen said them, she knew without doubt that he meant every word. He had been willing to give her the very best. He had even been prepared to risk his life and face the Celestial Prince in battle for her sake… When a man like this said he would give everything, he truly would.

Thinking of this, the complexity in Yan Qingcheng’s beautiful eyes deepened. She spoke softly.

”Fellow Daoist Ye… I know you harbor affection for me… Though I have no intention of taking a Dao companion, out of gratitude, I am willing to grant you any request…”