Immortality Starts With Investment

The golden-robed elder noticed the dark look that had settled over Ye Chen’s face. He immediately understood: Ye Chen clearly found this Celestial Prince troublesome. In terms of talent, the elder believed Ye Chen was in no way inferior to the Celestial Prince. His only real drawback was his cultivation level—it was simply too low. He had only just broken through to the Saint realm.

Meanwhile, the Celestial Prince, who had slumbered for a million years, remained overwhelmingly powerful. Even if only a wisp of divine sense had descended, it far surpassed ordinary Saint Kings and rivaled Great Saints.

Under such circumstances, it was perfectly normal for Ye Chen to feel pressure. Yet the elder’s heart ached for his daughter, and in the end, he could only send Ye Chen to face the threat.

The golden-robed elder spoke gravely: ”Young Friend Ye, the Celestial Prince used a Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal to anchor his divine sense, creating an incarnation of terrifying strength… Against such a formidable enemy, you and Qingcheng should ideally have fought side by side.

”But Qingcheng has not yet emerged from seclusion. If I forcibly awaken her now, it could very well ruin all her previous progress. Therefore, I can only trouble Young Fellow Daoist Ye to face him alone. Still, I know this is unfair to you. Whatever you need—anything at all—speak freely. The Heavenly Emperor Hall will spare no effort to satisfy your request…”

In truth, Yan Qingcheng was merely stabilizing her cultivation. But the golden-robed elder had no intention of letting her know what was happening, so of course, he would not tell the whole truth.

Hearing those words, the corners of Ye Chen’s mouth curved upward. A moment ago, he treated me like some insignificant pest; now suddenly I’m ”Young Friend.” This old man changes faces faster than anyone.

Ye Chen naturally understood the elder’s true intentions. Yan Qingcheng was actually very strong, but against the Celestial Prince’s incarnation, she would still face grave danger. So the old man wanted Ye Chen to handle it alone—and his attitude had instantly become far more respectful.

In reality, even if the elder had not asked, Ye Chen would still have acted. Yan Qingcheng’s future was boundless, and her heart overflowed with gratitude. She was truly a priceless treasure. How could Ye Chen possibly allow her to throw her life away?

And then there was Yan Ruyu—the foremost female cultivator of the myriad races, unmatched in both strength and beauty. She made Ye Chen’s anticipation burn even hotter. Under these circumstances, there was no way Ye Chen would let the Celestial Prince harm either of them.

Moreover, to think the Celestial Prince had actually used a Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal as the vessel for his incarnation?

Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystals were exceedingly rare. They could assist Saints in condensing the Heavenly Heart Imprint and comprehending Heavenly Position Laws—the supreme treasure for breaking through from Saint to Saint King. Their value was in no way inferior to the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade; some even considered them slightly superior.

Ye Chen had previously wondered whether the Heavenly Emperor Hall possessed one. If they did, would Yan Qingcheng offer it to him? Then he could turn around and gift it back to her, delivering an ultimate emotional critical hit. Instead, the Celestial Prince had come delivering the treasure straight to him.

At present, Ye Chen was only in the early Saint stage. To reach perfection in the Saint realm, the amount of cosmic origin energy he required was more than a hundred times what an ordinary Saint needed—and then some.

Fortunately, he possessed the immortal artifact Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron. Reaching the peak of the Saint realm would take him only a year or two at most. And now, if he could seize this Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal along the way, he would directly break through to Saint King and step into the sixth level of the Mahayana realm.

Thinking of this, Ye Chen felt a trace of helplessness. For other cultivators, progress grew slower and slower the higher they climbed. Yet for him, the further he went, the faster he advanced.

Sigh. He truly envied those ordinary immortal cultivators—the quiet joy they felt from advancing bit by bit through painstaking effort. Unfortunately, that kind of happiness was something he would never experience.

Though Ye Chen saw through the golden-robed elder’s intentions with perfect clarity, he had no intention of taking advantage of the situation. Instead, his expression turned solemn as he spoke.

”Qingcheng is at a critical moment in seclusion. She absolutely cannot be disturbed. She’s a wonderful girl. I’ve received so many favors from her. It was clearly me who took her opportunity, yet she always feels indebted to me and wants to make it up to me…

”When I accepted her Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade, she insisted I promise to come to the Heavenly Emperor Hall before she would accept it in return. Only after I arrived did I learn how many opportunities she wanted to share with me. How could I bear to let such a kind-hearted girl fight the Celestial Prince?

”So,o Senior, please don’t worry. I will take action.”

The golden-robed elder, who had already braced himself to be extorted, felt his eyelid twitch. He stared at Ye Chen in disbelief.

Ye Chen had just… agreed? Without asking for any conditions at all? And moreover, he hadn’t even come to the Heavenly Emperor Hall of his own volition; it was his daughter who had forced him to come?

This…

Thinking back on his daughter’s usual style, it actually seemed entirely plausible. No wonder Ye Chen hadn’t asked for any immortal artifact fragments.

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Looking again at the resolute expression on Ye Chen’s face, for the sake of his daughter, even against an enemy as terrifying as the Celestial Prince’s incarnation, Ye Chen was willing to act without the slightest hesitation.

This Ye Chen… he really did love Qingcheng deeply. All those deliberate approaches he had made before—could it be they weren’t hiding some ulterior motive after all? Could it be that Ye Chen had truly let go of the past and simply admired his daughter with pure sincerity?

For a moment, astonishment filled the golden-robed elder’s heart. Deep down, a faint trace of guilt even rose within him. But as a mighty powerhouse, his mind was firm. A few words alone could not shake him. He quickly seized the moment and said, ”In that case, I must trouble Young Friend.

”The Celestial Prince is now approaching the Immortal Path. It will still take some time before he reaches the Heavenly Emperor Hall. You may as well enter seclusion here for a few days first. I can open the Origin Pool to you. If you can reach the mid-Saint stage before the Celestial Prince arrives, you might stand a better chance of fighting him to a draw…”

What he hoped for most was that Ye Chen could at least stalemate the Celestial Prince. That way, the Heavenly Emperor Hall would preserve its dignity, and the Celestial Prince would retreat upon realizing the difficulty. Once his own daughter fully matured, she might one day contend with the Celestial Prince’s true body.

Yet upon hearing this, Ye Chen shook his head without hesitation.

”I cannot wait here. I must also head to the Immortal Path…”

Of course, he could not stay behind. If Yan Ruyu were captured by the Celestial Prince—or worse, if her qualification for the feedback ritual were ruined—Then he would suffer an enormous loss. To have the chance to act ahead of time and control the situation, yet deliberately wait in place and hand the initiative to the enemy—that was sheer foolishness, and Ye Chen would never do it.

Seeing the elder’s confusion, Ye Chen gave a faint smile.

”Qingcheng is in seclusion. If a battle erupts in this star region, what if it disturbs her?”

The golden-robed elder thought Ye Chen was overthinking it. The Heavenly Emperor Hall was protected by top-tier quasi-immortal arrays. Only if the Celestial Prince’s true body fought at full power could the palace be damaged and those inside affected. He immediately tried to persuade Ye Chen that it was unnecessary.

But Ye Chen remained exceptionally resolute.

”Severing the Dao is extremely perilous. I refuse to let Qingcheng face even the slightest risk. Not to mention—if I were battling the Celestial Prince and Qingcheng happened to emerge from seclusion at that exact moment, she would surely see the battlefield and choose to join the fight… The Celestial Prince’s incarnation is likely the most terrifying enemy I have faced in this life so far. I do not have great confidence of victory, so I absolutely cannot allow Qingcheng to get involved…”

At these words, the golden-robed elder fell completely silent. He had never imagined Ye Chen would consider Qingcheng’s safety to such an extent. When facing an enemy one had little certainty of defeating, who wouldn’t want an extra ally?

Yet Ye Chen was afraid of dragging Qingcheng into the conflict. He had voluntarily chosen to move the battlefield far away from the Heavenly Emperor Hall and onto the Immortal Path.

This truly…

The golden-robed elder gazed at Ye Chen with complicated eyes. The faint threads of guilt that had stirred in his heart could no longer be suppressed. Though Ye Chen was unworthy of his daughter in status, the sincerity of Ye Chen’s feelings toward her was undeniable. Just as his daughter had said, Ye Chen truly was a person of pure kindness.

Regret began to take root deep within the elder’s heart. If he had known things would turn out this way, he never would have chosen Ye Chen as the false Heir. He certainly never should have targeted Ye Chen repeatedly after his arrival at the Heavenly Emperor Hall. He had even begrudged Ye Chen so much as a single leaf from the Enlightenment Tea Tree to brew a cup.

Worse—he had secretly kicked Ye Chen’s war chariot once. He had truly gone too far… Yet despite all his pettiness, Ye Chen was still willing—without the slightest hesitation—to stand alone against a formidable enemy for his daughter’s sake.

For a moment, the golden-robed elder even wavered, wondering whether he should reveal the truth to Ye Chen and awaken his daughter after all. The Celestial Prince’s combat power was terrifying. But if Qingcheng joined forces with Ye Chen, their chances of victory would rise dramatically.

Still, no matter how deep the guilt now ran, the elder ultimately held back from confessing. He could not bear to let his daughter take such an unknown and perilous risk. In the end, he simply said, ”Ye Chen, you have given far too much for Qingcheng. As her father, I am truly grateful to you. The Celestial Prince’s incarnation has only just reached the vicinity of the Immortal Path. There may still be half a day before he arrives.

”The Heavenly Emperor Hall has a teleportation array that leads directly to a spot a million li outside Immortal City, so there is no need to rush. I will bring out the treasured Enlightenment Tea Tree leaves we have kept sealed away. Let us sit and savor tea together for a while!

”Since you also cultivate the Heavenly Emperor Scripture, if there is anything you do not understand or have yet to master, feel free to ask. I will personally clarify it for you…”

Watching the elder grow increasingly courteous, Ye Chen’s lips curved into a faint smile. Drink tea? He only savored fresh tea.

The Enlightenment Tea of the Heavenly Emperor Hall had likely aged a million years—far too stale for his taste. Better to leave it for later.

As for the Heavenly Emperor Scripture? If there was anything the old man failed to comprehend or fully embody, he could always have his daughter come ask Ye Chen herself.

But Ye Chen refrained from striking at the elder’s pride. He simply gave a light smile and waved his hand.

”Save the Enlightenment Tea for Qingcheng. Since there is a teleportation array, please lead the way, Senior.”

Ye Chen was in a hurry. Mainly because he wanted to seize the chance to catch a glimpse of Yan Ruyu—the foremost beauty of the myriad races. Yan Wenwen’s appearance was already stunning, and Yao Yuezhi’s beauty was likewise peerless. But only Yan Ruyu’s fame echoed across the realms. Ye Chen was genuinely curious just how many times more captivating she truly was.

Seeing Ye Chen insist on leaving even the Enlightenment Tea for Qingcheng, the golden-robed elder felt his heart grow heavier still. He no longer dared meet Ye Chen’s gaze. Lowering his head, he rose to his feet.

”In that case, let us go. Before we enter the Immortal Path at Immortal City, the other great powers of the Heavenly Emperor Hall and I will stand guard over your Dao. You may rest assured.”

Ye Chen gave a slight nod. ”Many thanks, Senior.”

Hearing Ye Chen’s thanks, the golden-robed elder clenched his teeth, guilt surging even deeper. He was sending Ye Chen alone to face a deadly foe and plunge into mortal danger.

Yet Ye Chen still thanked him. The prejudice he had once held against Ye Chen had truly run far too deep. It was utterly unjustified.

But at that very moment, fresh news arrived. The Celestial Prince had already reached Immortal City. He had stepped onto the teleportation array and was now entering the sixth realm of the Immortal Path—searching for Yan Ruyu!

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen immediately lost any interest in letting the elder wallow in guilt. He said nothing more, simply hastening on his way.

The golden-robed elder, seeing Ye Chen’s urgency, instantly guessed his intention. Ye Chen clearly planned to strike the moment the Celestial Prince moved against Yan Ruyu.

Yan Ruyu’s combat strength was no small thing. If the two of them joined forces, they might just be able to hold their own against the Celestial Prince…