Immortality Starts With Investment

The golden-robed elder had been deeply worried ever since learning that Ye Chen had also entered the Fourth Realm. Even though he hated to admit it, Ye Chen’s combat strength was genuinely terrifying. His daughter was very likely no match for him.

When he later heard that Ye Chen had casually wiped out Alkaid—who had been bolstered by a damaged quasi-immortal array—his despair became complete. His daughter stood no chance against Ye Chen whatsoever.

A Dao-Entrust Treasure was something even the Heavenly Emperor Hall did not possess. Yet given his daughter’s temperament, she was destined to walk the path of defying and severing the Great Dao. Without a Dao-Entrust Treasure, that journey would be far too perilous. The thought had gnawed at his heart.

Now, however, the latest news left him with mixed feelings of joy and dread. The good news: his daughter had obtained a Dao-Entrust Treasure. She should now be able to sever her Dao steadily and surely. The bad news: the treasure had been given to her by Ye Chen. He remembered how he had solemnly instructed her not to hand the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade over to Ye Chen. Yet in the blink of an eye, it was Ye Chen who had given it to her instead.

The realization stung his pride. But wounded pride was the least of his concerns. What truly alarmed him was the implication. Ye Chen was definitely no good person. To so casually part with such a priceless gift could only mean one thing—he harbored improper intentions toward his daughter. He knew better than anyone how peerlessly beautiful she was.

Ye Chen already had a harem full of women—and all sorts of bizarre creatures besides. He fell for anyone he saw, utterly shameless and indiscriminate. Faced with his daughter’s beauty and bearing, how could someone like that possibly hold back?

The mere thought of his daughter being targeted by such a man sent blood rushing backward through his veins; his face flushed crimson with fury.

No. Absolutely not.

His daughter was destined to become an immortal in the future. If she were ever to take a Dao companion, only the foremost young paragons walking the paths of the great immortal sects would be worthy.

Ye Chen was merely one of the top heavenly prodigies of the cultivation world. In the Immortal Realm, he would be respectable but hardly exceptional—how could he compare to the true apex geniuses of the immortal domain? He would never allow his daughter to be led astray!

Yes, receiving the Dao-Entrust Treasure was an immense fortune. Still, he would have her offer Ye Chen appropriate compensation to sever this thread of karma once and for all.

Moreover, there was no longer any need for Ye Chen to continue acting as the false heir. He would send word at once to clarify the matter and put an end to the deception. From now on, he would watch over his daughter every single moment. Never again would he allow Ye Chen the slightest chance to approach her.

In short, the golden-robed elder genuinely regretted his earlier decision. If he had known things would turn out this way, he never would have chosen Ye Chen to play the role of fake heir. Had he not done so, his daughter would never have paid special attention to Ye Chen, nor would she have felt any guilt toward him.

…

In the Fourth Realm of the Immortal Path, boundless chaotic qi surged into Yan Qingcheng’s body. When she slowly opened her beautiful eyes, a strange, oppressive aura instantly spread across a hundred li in every direction.

At that moment, Yan Qingcheng seemed to carry a trace of the Heavenly Dao itself, inspiring instinctive awe and reverence from the depths of one’s soul.

Of course, Ye Chen remained completely unaffected. Still, he watched her transformation closely—after all, when his future master and the others reached sainthood and used the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade, he would be able to offer them guidance.

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Noticing his thoughtful gaze, Yan Qingcheng shook her head lightly.

”The Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade has only just been refined, so I still can’t perfectly control my aura. Once I sever my Dao and become a saint, this will no longer happen.”

Seeing Ye Chen nod in understanding, she continued, ”Fellow Daoist Ye, do you have any pressing matters to attend to next? If not, why not come to the Heavenly Emperor Hall as my guest? You can cultivate there as well.”

Ye Chen naturally had no objections. He agreed readily.

Without hesitation, Yan Qingcheng raised her hand and summoned the Heavenly Emperor War Chariot. Though the chariot had been a gift from Ye Chen, she accepted it with calm grace—no coyness, no embarrassment. She simply invited him to ride together.

As Ye Chen looked at the Heavenly Emperor War Chariot, he suddenly remembered the additional ”extra” he had thrown in when he presented his earlier gift.

A supreme Extreme Dao weapon—The personal mount once ridden by the founder of the former Jade Pool Holy Land, the Western Empress.

The Western Empress Divine Carriage.

With a casual lift of his hand, Ye Chen summoned it as well.

Yan Qingcheng’s beautiful eyes lifted in surprise as she gazed at the divine carriage Ye Chen had summoned.

The body of the vehicle was forged entirely from Nine Heavens Profound Crystal. Above it stretched a starry canopy embedded with countless refined ancient stars, each glowing with a deep, ethereal blue. The seats within the frame looked extraordinarily comfortable.

Having seen her share of treasures, Yan Qingcheng immediately recognized the leather: it was crafted from the hide of a spirit rhinoceros at least ten thousand years old, edged with a layer of soft dragon-scale gold.

The seating area was spacious—several people could lie down together without feeling cramped. Crystalline threads, luminous screens, and all manner of dazzling phenomena shimmered throughout.

At the front, two true immortal deer pulled the carriage. They looked so lifelike that every step they took summoned auspicious clouds beneath their hooves.

The entire vehicle radiated a five-colored glow and was accompanied by faint immortal music. Grand, elegant, and unmistakably feminine in style.

Yan Qingcheng felt a flicker of astonishment—and curiosity. This was clearly a carriage designed for a female cultivator. Did Fellow Daoist Ye actually prefer this aesthetic?

Ye Chen gave a light smile. Of course, he had no particular fondness for an immortal maiden’s style. But the Western Empress Divine Carriage had a second form: its combat mode.

With a shift of his will, the carriage began to transform before their eyes. The entire vehicle contracted sharply. The five-colored glow shifted to a blazing gold, sharp and menacing. Its four wheels merged inward and overlapped until only two remained.

The body and frame shrank accordingly, now barely large enough for two people to sit one behind the other. The gentle immortal deer at the front vanished, replaced by a single white tiger radiating an overwhelming, murderous aura. Gone was the earlier aura of harmony and nobility. In its place surged pure, terrifying killing intent.

Yan Qingcheng had already found the carriage vaguely familiar. Now realization dawned.

”This is… the Western Empress Divine Carriage? It has two forms. The divine carriage form excels at defense; the battle form specializes in offense. Legend says that in battle mode, its speed ranks first among all Extreme Dao weapons. It also possesses various offensive capabilities. Back then, Jade Pool once used this very carriage to ram and kill a true immortal… But it was lost during one of Jade Pool’s great calamities long ago. I never imagined the Heavenly Emperor had secretly acquired it.”

Ye Chen: ”…”

Probably not the Heavenly Emperor’s doing. The true origin was hard to explain, so he simply smiled and said, ”Fairy Yan, why don’t you ride in mine instead?”

Yan Qingcheng’s eyes sparkled with interest. She nodded.

”I’ve long heard of the Western Empress Divine Carriage and its peerless speed. Of course I want to experience it…”

”You drive?” Ye Chen asked, seeing her enthusiasm.

She shook her head.

”You drive. Push it to the absolute limit—let me see just how fast you can go.”

With that, she waited for the golden-haired Ye Chen to climb aboard first. Then, with her long legs, she stepped up and settled directly behind him.

”Ready?” Ye Chen asked. It was his first time as well.

Yan Qingcheng gave a small nod.

In the next instant, Ye Chen’s thoughts moved.

The Nine Heavens Profound Crystal shimmered as runes and divine arrays ignited one after another. Then two scorching, terrifying beams of divine light erupted backward from either side of the carriage. As for the carriage itself—It vanished from its original spot in an incomprehensible blur of speed…

Far off, the onlookers who had been planning to follow them out of the Immortal Path—hoping to witness some grand battle—blinked. In that single moment, the Heavenly Emperor’s heir had disappeared.

Stunned exclamations rose among them.

”The Heavenly Emperor’s heir… is just too fast!”