Immortality Starts With Investment

”Gu Yunyun’s multiplier updated! Gu Yunyun: 1,700x!”

Ye Chen’s eyes widened. His master, previously at 800x, had soared to 1,700x after seclusion? This was the second-highest multiplier he’d seen among female cultivators, surpassed only by Dantai Xuan.

But Dantai Xuan’s unresolved technique issues—her obsession with suppressing her true self—made critical hits nearly impossible. That made his master, capable of triggering critical hits, the undisputed top choice.

Ye Chen pondered why her multiplier was 1,700x. Perhaps her Earth Spirit Root was holding her back. If it could ascend to a Heavenly Spirit Root, it might add 300x, matching Dantai Xuan’s 2,000x. Now, Ye Chen was reluctant to leave. Should he persuade his master to reconsider? What was so great about being the Sword Sect’s leader? They should return to the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land together.

Gazing at his master, Ye Chen’s eyes gleamed with excitement. Emerging from seclusion, Gu Yunyun’s first sight was Ye Chen, and a smile softened her aloof face. His gaze quickened her heartbeat. She’d faced countless men’s stares—greedy, adoring, self-conscious, or feigning generosity—but Ye Chen’s was unique. He looked at her as if she were the world’s most precious treasure. It was why she could never resist him. Such a gaze melted her heart, making refusal impossible.

”Did Master awaken the Undefeated Sword Body?” Ye Chen asked, flying to her side and naturally taking her hand.

Gu Yunyun, as if accustomed to this, nodded gently, her voice mingling with the chime of wind bells. ”Yes, my physique has ascended. But the process was perilous—I nearly failed. It was the wooden sword that aided me at the critical moment, allowing me to succeed.”

She didn’t finish, but her tender gaze conveyed the rest: her attainment of the Undefeated Sword Body was entirely thanks to Ye Chen. Beyond that, her cultivation had also advanced. With the wooden sword’s help, she’d accelerated the refinement of her sealed sword intent, breaking through to mid-Nascent Soul.

Before Ye Chen could say more, several streaks of light rushed toward them. Alongside the Sword Sect’s Supreme Elders and ancestors was Hua Yunfei, who nodded politely to Gu Yunyun.

…

”Yunyun, you’ve attained the Undefeated Sword Body?” an ancestor exclaimed with excitement.

Gu Yunyun nodded gently, bowing. ”I haven’t disgraced my mission.”

Confirmation sent the ancestor into hearty laughter, and the gathered Sword Sect leaders beamed. For years, the sect had languished, its prodigies always falling short of the true elite.

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Now, with the Undefeated Sword Body rekindled, they’d finally risen. Their prodigies would no longer be mere backdrops in the era’s contests, filling them with uncontainable joy. Gu Yunyun’s priority within the sect would surely soar, with resources funneled to her cultivation.

Ye Chen had planned to gift the Enlightenment Tea Leaf immediately, eager to test the might of a 1,700x multiplier with a critical hit. But with Hua Yunfei present, regifting his senior brother’s treasure in front of him felt awkward, even if Hua Yunfei wouldn’t mind. He decided to wait for a private moment with his master.

As Gu Yunyun conversed with the ancestors about the Undefeated Sword Body’s significance and related matters, she noticed Ye Chen’s distraction. Smiling, she addressed the ancestor, ”I’ve just broken through and sense some insights. May I visit you in a few days?”

The ancestors, in high spirits, agreed readily and departed, elated at their sect’s emergence of a top prodigy, whose disciple and dao companion was Heavenly Evolution Holy Land’s Fourth Holy Son. If the immortal path’s opening delayed, Gu Yunyun might reach its end and seize immortal qi.

Hua Yunfei smiled at the pair and left with the Sword Sect leaders, giving them space. With the crowd gone, Ye Chen and Gu Yunyun said nothing, simply holding hands as they descended from above Sword Valley to her cave abode.

Once inside, Ye Chen sealed the entrance and dimmed the illuminating pearls, plunging the cave into darkness. ”Master, let me show you a treasure!”

Gu Yunyun’s face flushed. His directness caught her off guard. Having attained the Undefeated Sword Body, her control over her sealed sword intent had reached ninety percent, reducing risks even if her body was compromised. Sensing Ye Chen’s long-held anticipation, she couldn’t refuse. True to her nature, she didn’t agree outright either, merely closing her eyes, signaling acquiescence.

Ye Chen flicked his wrist, revealing a box. As it opened, golden light and a profound Dao charm erupted, transforming the cave into a sacred ground for enlightenment. ”Master, look!”

Gu Yunyun, slightly startled, opened her stunning eyes. Seeing the golden leaf etched with a mountain-and-river pattern and mystic runes, she relaxed, her blush hidden by the radiant glow. Recognizing it, her pupils contracted. ”An Enlightenment Tea Leaf?”

The Enlightenment Tea Tree, famed for its leaves that aided multiple cultivators, was legendary, unlike most immortal roots that bore single-use fruits. Ye Chen grinned. ”Exactly! Master, as you comprehend the wooden sword’s insights, this leaf will double your progress. But I’m keeping the box—it’s useful for another gift!”

The box, a top-tier treasure, could be regifted for another critical hit. Gu Yunyun, ignoring the box, gazed at Ye Chen with deep emotion. The Enlightenment Tea Tree, destroyed by the Heavenly Emperor, was a known legend, its leaves priceless relics. Yet Ye Chen gifted it to her without hesitation, following the Dugu wooden sword. How had she earned such a disciple?

Recalling their first meeting in Qingyun City, when she urged Ye Chen to live as a wealthy mortal under her protection, she marveled at how swiftly roles reversed. Now, Ye Chen sheltered her. The thought of facing the immortal path with him warmed her heart, her gaze softening. She spoke softly, ”With the Undefeated Sword Body, I now control ninety percent of my seal…”

Though she mentioned only the seal, her words hinted at more.

…