Immortality Starts With Investment

Chapter 226: I Absolutely Canʼt Accept It!

”This Thunderbane Bamboo Core is indeed something Yuyi desperately needs,” An Miaoli said, her voice firm. ”But as her aunt, how could I let Fellow Daoist Ye bear such an expense? Here is the Spirit Infant Grass and 60,000 high-grade spirit stones. Please, Fellow Daoist Ye, take them.”

Ye Chenʼs heartfelt gesture stirred a whirlwind of emotions in An Miaoli, but she couldnʼt accept it so easily. His intentions were clear—he was doing this for her. If she took the Thunderbane Bamboo Core, would it mean she was reciprocating his feelings?

That was impossible. Setting aside everything else, she could never be with someone her niece admired. And to accept the gift while ignoring his intentions? That wasnʼt her way either.

More importantly, her cultivation technique was tied to karma. Owing too great a debt without repayment could cloud her heart and hinder her progress, perhaps even preventing a breakthrough. So, without hesitation, she offered the Spirit Infant Grass and 60,000 high-grade spirit stones.

Ye Chen glanced at the items and chuckled. ”Senior An, when I give a gift, itʼs from the heart, and Iʼve never taken one back. If you donʼt want it, then throw it away.” He turned to An Yuyi. ”Yuyi, escort me out of your sect.”

With that, Ye Chen rose, hovering lightly in the air. An Yuyi hurriedly followed, trailing him through the sea of clouds toward the sectʼs gates.

An Miaoli stood rooted in place, her white robes fluttering, her misty eyes fixed on Ye Chenʼs retreating figure, dreamlike and surreal. In the end, she didnʼt move, only letting out a soft sigh.

At that moment, a system prompt echoed in Ye Chenʼs mind.

”Gift successful!”

”Gift: Thunderbane Bamboo Core!”

”Two-hundredfold return in progress…”

”Detected significant emotional fluctuations in the recipient, triggering a critical hit reward…”

”Reward: 50 Azure Hill Jade Bamboo Cores!”

”Azure Hill Jade Bamboo Core: A spiritual bamboo unique to the Azure Hill Holy Land, cultivated for ten thousand years to produce a Jade Bamboo Core. It can enhance a cultivatorʼs spiritual root aptitude. Reusable. Maximum potential: upgrading to an Earth Spirit Root!”

Ye Chenʼs smile widened. The Thunderbane Bamboo Core was only effective for those below an Earth Spirit Root, but the Azure Hill Jade Bamboo Core could elevate a cultivatorʼs aptitude all the way to an Earth Spirit Root.

The difference in value was at least a hundredfold, and with fifty Jade Thunderbane Bamboo Cores rewarded, the return was a staggering five thousand times the initial investment. A two-hundredfold return had ballooned into five thousand. This critical hit was exhilarating.

The extra hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones heʼd spent in the bidding war? Absolutely worth it. Without that fierce competition, gifting a Thunderbane Bamboo Core bought for a mere 50,000 or 60,000 might not have triggered the critical hit.

An Miaoli couldʼve afforded it herself, after all. But because heʼd played the fool, splashing out 190,000, it had touched her deeply, sparking the massive reward. Five thousand times the value—whether he sold the Jade Thunderbane Bamboo Cores or used them to boost the aptitude of the female cultivators around him, the impact would be immense.

His grin grew brighter at the thought.

An Yuyi, seeing Ye Chenʼs joy, couldnʼt help but feel a spark of happiness herself. Look at that—heʼd even let her escort him out alone. If she kept at it, surely one day sheʼd win his heart.

...

”Aunt, Iʼm back!” An Yuyi returned, practically bouncing with excitement.

An Miaoli, still standing gracefully in place, her presence ethereal, spoke calmly. ”What took you so long?”

An Yuyi gave a sheepish smile. ”I escorted him a bit far!” If Ye Chen hadnʼt stopped her, she mightʼve followed him all the way to the Ye Boutique.

An Miaoli glanced at her niece and shook her head, handing over the Thunderbane Bamboo Core. ”Go refine it. Once youʼre done, you can break through to the Golden Core stage.”

An Yuyi nodded eagerly, taking the treasure with a delighted grin. In her heart, she made a plan: after refining it, sheʼd visit Ye Chen again under the guise of gratitude. Next time, sheʼd go alone, without her aunt. If he refused to see her, well, sheʼd bring her aunt along then. With that, she hurried off to refine the Thunderbane Bamboo Core.

An Miaoli sat in the pavilion, gazing at the sea of clouds, now ablaze with the fiery hues of sunset. Her thoughts drifted. She had to repay Ye Chen for his gift, but if she treated it like a transaction, heʼd never accept it. Only a return gift would do, but what should its value be?

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The Thunderbane Bamboo Core was worth 50,000 or 60,000 high-grade spirit stones—something she could afford. The problem was, Ye Chen had spent 190,000. What kind of gift could match that?

Her flawless brow furrowed slightly as she pondered.

Returning to the Ye Boutique, Ye Chen didnʼt immediately head back to Green Cloud City. He planned to stay another week. In a few days, heʼd deliver the incomplete Eternal Cosmos Sutra. Once he received the full Golden Core chapter as a reward, heʼd return to Green Cloud Sect to meet his master and senior sister, then begin secluded cultivation.

Three days later, An Yuyi arrived—alone, without An Miaoli. The systemʼs cooldown hadnʼt ended yet, so Ye Chen wasnʼt bothered by An Miaoliʼs absence. As for An Yuyi, he welcomed her warmly. Her role in his recent successful gift-giving had been indispensable.

An Yuyi had come to thank him for the Thunderbane Bamboo Core, which had perfectly balanced her dual spirit roots. She also shared that she was about to enter seclusion to break through to the Golden Core stage, with a strong chance of forming a ninth-grade Golden Core.

Ye Chen smiled, offered his congratulations, and saw her off. His master, Li Feihuang, and now An Yuyi were all entering seclusion. His own time was approaching.

Once the systemʼs cooldown ended, Ye Chen leisurely made his way to the Divine Will Sect for another visit. After sending a transmission talisman, he waited patiently at the sectʼs gates.

Soon, a figure in flowing white robes appeared, her black hair swaying lightly as she glided forward, as if stepping through mist. An Miaoliʼs graceful form seemed even more striking in the air, her slender silhouette and subtle curves faintly outlined.

”Fellow Daoist Ye, please follow me,” she said, her voice calm and even.

Ye Chen nodded and followed her toward Quiet Wonder Peak.

”Yuyi has entered seclusion to break through to the Golden Core stage,” An Miaoli said along the way. ”Thanks to your help on multiple occasions, she may achieve a ninth-grade Golden Core.”

Ye Chen nodded. ”I know.”

Silence settled between them. Without An Yuyiʼs chatter to fill the gaps, their rare one-on-one encounters often felt quiet. It wasnʼt until they reached Quiet Wonder Peak and An Miaoli brewed tea that she spoke again, as they sat together.

”Fellow Daoist Ye, your gift of the Thunderbane Bamboo Core was a tremendous help. Such a generous gift—I feel unworthy of it. Please, accept this in return.”

With a gentle wave of her hand, she retrieved an item from her storage ring and placed it before Ye Chen. His eyes lit up as he saw it—a book, its cover inscribed with Guheʼs Alchemy Notes.

Guhe was the Divine Will Sectʼs only third-grade perfected alchemist, renowned throughout the sectʼs domain. Calling him the sectʼs foremost alchemist was no exaggeration. Golden Core cultivators and rogue cultivators alike often sought him out for pill refining, a testament to his lofty status. For An Miaoli to have acquired his personal notes was no small feat.

Seeing Ye Chenʼs eyes light up, An Miaoli felt a wave of relief. A high-tier alchemist held a status no less prestigious than her own as a grand elder. Sheʼd spent a hefty amount of sect contribution points and called in a personal favor to secure Guheʼs notes.

Ye Chenʼs wealth was undeniable, and for her to buy a gift worth over 100,000 high-grade spirit stones was simply too daunting—unless she sold her Spirit Infant Grass, which she needed for her own Nascent Soul breakthrough. So, the fact that these third-grade alchemist notes pleased him was a stroke of luck.

In terms of raw value, Guheʼs notes didnʼt quite match the Thunderbane Bamboo Core. But as the Divine Will Sectʼs foremost alchemist, Guheʼs reputation carried weight, and third-grade alchemist notes were exceedingly rare, almost impossible to find outside the sect. Their value was substantial.

Seeing Ye Chenʼs satisfaction, An Miaoli felt sheʼd repaid some of the karmic debt—at least it wasnʼt as heavy now. Sheʼd find another chance to return the rest with a gift suited to him.

...

For Ye Chen, Guheʼs third-grade alchemist notes were a treasure. Even Sun Ye, his contact, hadnʼt managed to acquire them after months of searching.

With these notes, Ye Chen could gift them to someone and instantly reach the third-grade perfected level himself—a massive gain. His appreciation for An Miaoli grew. Though her demeanor was neither warm nor cold, she always triggered critical hits and never failed to reciprocate his gifts. She was, without a doubt, a principled person.

Smiling, he thanked her warmly. ”Thank you, Senior An! Iʼm deeply interested in all six cultivation arts, as well as the unorthodox paths beyond them. These alchemist notes are incredibly significant to me.”

An Miaoli offered a faint smile in return. ”No need for formalities, Fellow Daoist Ye.”

With the return gift given and her niece absent, An Miaoli planned to exchange a few more pleasantries before seeing him out. She had no desire to deepen her connection with Ye Chen, but for her nieceʼs sake, she had little choice. She hoped Yuyi would either win his heart or, better yet, move on from him entirely, freeing her from this entanglement. For now, with Yuyi in seclusion, there was no reason to linger with Ye Chen alone.

But just as she was about to make an excuse to bid him farewell, Ye Chen spoke up. ”I came today with a gift for you, Senior.” He produced a jade slip.

Another gift? An Miaoliʼs mind reeled. Given Ye Chenʼs lavish spending, how could she possibly repay him if she accepted more? Besides, Yuyi was in seclusion, breaking through to the Golden Core stage—she didnʼt need anything right now.

She shook her head firmly. ”Yuyi is in seclusion. Perhaps Fellow Daoist Ye could return after she emerges.”

But Ye Chen shook his head. ”This is for you, Senior An. It might be useful to you.”

An Miaoli froze, her expression faltering. All his previous gifts had been for Yuyiʼs benefit, something sheʼd grown accustomed to. But this… was for her? Accepting gifts meant for Yuyi was one thing—her niece genuinely needed them, and as her aunt, she couldnʼt stand by and watch her miss out on a brighter future. As long as she repaid the favor, her conscience was clear. But a gift for herself? That was absolutely out of the question. If she accepted, how could she face Ye Chen afterward?

She shook her head more vigorously. ”In three to five years, Iʼll reach Golden Core perfection and begin preparing for the Nascent Soul stage. I have little need for external treasures. I appreciate your kindness, Fellow Daoist Ye, but I must decline. Thank you.” She paused, then added, ”Iʼm afraid I have a sect meeting to attend soon, so I must apologize…”

Her refusal was polite but firm, a clear dismissal.