Immortality Starts With Investment

Seeing who had arrived, a faint smile curved Ye Chen’s lips. It was his senior brother, Hua Yunfei, descending from the sky like a radiant sun, exuding warmth.

Hua Yunfei landed before Ye Chen, his eyes flashing with surprise. ”Junior Brother, you’ve already broken through to late Nascent Soul?”

Ye Chen had only been in the Holy Land for five years. Hua Yunfei had personally witnessed Ye Chen endure the Nascent Soul thunder tribulation, and now, in what felt like the blink of an eye, he’d reached late Nascent Soul. Such cultivation speed was astonishing, even to him.

”It’s all thanks to the Enlightenment Tea Tree leaves you gave me,” Ye Chen said truthfully.

Hua Yunfei shook his head. ”A single tea leaf isn’t that rare, even in the Heavenly Emperor era. Holy Sons and Holy Maidens get two or three each year, yet none break through as fast as you. It’s your extraordinary talent, in the end.”

”But your breakthrough to late Nascent Soul is timely,” he continued. ”For some reason, the Holy Lord’s been giving me the cold shoulder lately. He’s tasked me with a mission in the Endless Sea, where a late-stage Unity demon resides. One avatar alone can’t handle it, so I need to go in person. With the grand event in White Emperor City drawing prodigies from all over, our Heavenly Evolution Holy Land needs someone to represent us. I asked Tantai, but she refused. So, Junior Brother, if you’re free, would you be willing to make a trip to White Emperor City?”

Hua Yunfei rubbed his temples, clearly exasperated.

Ye Chen brushed off the comment about the Holy Lord’s displeasure—it surely had nothing to do with him. Instead, he looked at Hua Yunfei with surprise. ”Senior Brother, you can take on a late-stage Unity demon now? That’s incredible.”

He couldn’t help but wonder if the Hua Yunfei standing before him was the real body. He suspected his senior brother was a fellow follower of the ”lay low” path, perhaps hiding his true self somewhere, secretly cultivating while sending avatars to deal with such formidable foes. Two avatars against a late-stage Unity demon? That was outrageously bold. Was Senior Brother aiming for the heavens?

But White Emperor City? What was that? Why were prodigies gathering there? Ye Chen’s face betrayed his confusion.

Hua Yunfei, knowing Ye Chen hailed from a small clan and lacked knowledge of the broader cultivation world, explained, ”White Emperor City is the most prosperous immortal city in Great Yan Continent, backed by several ancient immortal families and Holy Lands from the Central Continent. They play by the rules, though. Our Heavenly Evolution Holy Land, Heavenly Intention Holy Land, and the Yao family all receive a share of treasures each year.

”A month from now, White Emperor City will host an auction with rare treasures, drawing prodigies from far and wide. You might find something useful there—like a visualization chart. If the Holy Land’s charts don’t suit you, the auction could have what you need.”

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Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. An auction? That sounded promising. With the backing of multiple Holy Lands, the items would surely be top-tier. If he could acquire a few and gift them, the system’s rewards would be substantial. Plus, breaking through to the Deity Transformation stage required a visualization chart to forge his primordial spirit and achieve the Law of Heaven and Earth divine ability.

Going to White Emperor City before resuming his low-profile cultivation didn’t seem like a bad idea.

As Ye Chen mulled it over, Hua Yunfei added, ”The Divine Maiden of the Heavenly Desire Sect will also make her debut there. You might find it interesting to join the excitement.”

The news didn’t stir Ye Chen much. The Heavenly Desire Sect, a dual-cultivation faction akin to the Joyous Union Sects of his past life’s novels, had branches of their Heavenly Desire Pavilion everywhere.

To Ye Chen, their so-called Divine Maiden was just a high-class courtesan—perhaps a step above the usual, like a nationwide escort service compared to local ones, but essentially the same. He had no interest.

Hua Yunfei didn’t notice Ye Chen’s initial disinterest and continued, ”The Divine Maiden’s path is quite intriguing. Her dual-cultivation method incorporates elements of Buddhist teachings, called the Nirvana Scripture. It can’t be practiced alone—she needs a male partner. Either she finds a prodigy to serve as her cauldron, using his cultivation, spirit root, or essence to forge her own nirvana, or she immerses herself in the mortal world, relying on sheer numbers to achieve it. The stronger the prodigy, the greater her future potential. Naturally, the first path is ideal. But prodigies aren’t fools—who’d sacrifice themselves for her? Most just watch from afar, keeping their distance.”

He chuckled. ”Some Divine Maidens have been tamed, though. Take the Heavenly Emperor, for instance. Legend has it he took everything from a Divine Maiden—slept with her, grabbed her treasures, and vanished. Those tales still circulate.”

Ye Chen had been indifferent until now, but his eyes widened at this. A Divine Maiden could drain cultivation and essence? What if he offered his own cultivation and essence as a ”gift,” letting her absorb whatever she wanted, however she wanted? With the system’s feedback, wouldn’t he skyrocket in return?

The thought ignited his enthusiasm. He was ready to rush to White Emperor City and volunteer for her to drain him on the spot.

Hua Yunfei, noticing Ye Chen’s expression and recalling his junior brother’s notorious generosity with women, felt a pang of alarm. This reckless simp might actually fall for the Divine Maiden’s charms and become her cauldron. He quickly warned, ”Don’t even think about imitating the Heavenly Emperor. The Heavenly Desire Sect’s methods are formidable and hard to guard against. Over the years, plenty have tried to mimic him—sleep and run, or even tame the Divine Maiden to boost their own cultivation. Most ended up ruined. Thirty thousand years ago, a Divine King Body thought he could subdue one. He was drained dry.

”Every generation has prodigies who think they’re special, immune to the risks. Despite knowing the dangers, they still flock to her. Junior Brother, don’t try it. If you want to join the excitement, just watch from a distance.”

Ye Chen nodded at his senior brother’s caution, knowing Hua Yunfei was worried he’d fall into old habits. ”Don’t worry, Senior Brother. Do I look that foolish?”

Hua Yunfei’s skepticism only deepened. He was starting to think Ye Chen was exactly that foolish. Waving a hand, he said, ”Maybe you shouldn’t go to White Emperor City. Stay in the Holy Land and cultivate. My mission in the Endless Sea can wait. I’ll talk to the Holy Lord and handle it myself.”

He couldn’t risk pushing Ye Chen into a pit of fire.

But Ye Chen panicked, grabbing Hua Yunfei’s hand. ”Senior Brother, in the path of cultivation, one slow step means falling behind forever!”