Immortality Starts With Investment

Chapter 242: Critical Hit!

An Miaoliʼs ethereal face showed a flicker of hesitation at Ye Chenʼs request. The earrings were indeed exquisite. Crafted from silver moon gold threads, they were intricately linked to mutton-fat white jade gold. Despite being metallic, the jade gold had the luster of fine jade, deep green like a tranquil pool. Paired with the silver moon gold threads, they complemented each other perfectly.

By all accounts, she shouldnʼt try them on. Testing earrings with a male cultivator felt… odd. But Ye Chen had said it was for Yuyi, which made sense. What if they didnʼt suit her?

At 40,000 high-grade spirit stones, a price An Miaoli could only earn in a year as Divine Will Sectʼs Grand Elder—far more than an ordinary late-stage Golden Core cultivatorʼs annual income of 10,000—it would be a waste if they werenʼt suitable.

So, she nodded. ”Alright, Iʼll try them for Yuyi.”

The steward, recognizing Ye Chen as a valued customer, had no objections.

An Miaoliʼs slender, jade-like hand delicately lifted the earrings. With a graceful tilt of her head, she slowly placed them on her earlobes. The simple act, performed by her, radiated elegance and charm.

”How do they look?” she asked, turning to Ye Chen with poised confidence.

Stunning, of course. The deep green earrings, like tranquil pools, made her flawless face appear even more radiant, like polished porcelain. Her immortal aura grew even more ethereal.

Ye Chen commented, ”Your hairʼs covering them a bit.”

An Miaoli nodded slightly, tucking her hair behind her ear with a gentle motion. Her small, lustrous ears, almost translucent, were revealed—more jade-like than the Fairyʼs Tears themselves.

”Theyʼre perfect,” Ye Chen said, at a loss for better words.

An Miaoli smiled softly, carefully removing the earrings and placing them back in the jade box.

Ye Chen turned to the steward. ”Iʼll take them.” He pulled out the spirit stones.

The steward nodded, smiling as he counted the stones, though his sidelong glances lingered on the pair. Their demeanor made him wonder: Are they really buying these for a junior? Or is this ʼjuniorʼ just part of their fun?

”Please pass it on to her, Senior.”

Leaving Heavenly Evolution Pavilion, Ye Chen handed the jade box to An Miaoli.

An Miaoli accepted it with a calm expression, nodding. ”Iʼll give it to Yuyi as soon as I return.”

With that, she gave Ye Chen a slight nod and drifted away.

Ye Chen watched her misty, ethereal figure fade into the distance, his expression thoughtful. Previously, An Miaoli never came to see him alone—An Yuyi always dragged her along. She rarely spoke to him directly, and though she offered return gifts, she seemed to hold some reservations about him.

But after he gifted her the remnant immortal scripture, things changed. First, she visited Green Cloud Sect alone. Now, she sought him out by herself and even walked the streets with him. When trying on the earrings just now, she was remarkably cooperative, especially that moment when she tucked her hair behind her ear to show them off—a gesture both immortal-like and subtly captivating.

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For someone as untouchably divine as An Miaoli to make such a move was enough to unsettle anyone. Her unusual behavior made Ye Chen suspicious. Had the remnant immortal scripture won her over?

That didnʼt seem right. From his experience, An Miaoli wasnʼt the type to be swayed by spirit stones or treasures. She might not even care much about them. Moreover, sheʼd come under the pretense of delivering a gift on An Yuyiʼs behalf, mentioning her niece constantly. It didnʼt seem like she had ulterior motives.

Was he overthinking it?

Unable to puzzle it out, Ye Chen decided to let it go. Whatever her reasons, if using An Yuyiʼs name allowed him to keep gifting her, heʼd stick with that approach. As he mused, the systemʼs prompt sounded in his mind:

”Congratulations, host, gift successfully bestowed…”

”Feedback in progress…”

”200x feedback activated…”

”Detected significant emotional fluctuation in the gift recipient… Critical hit reward triggered!”

”Reward: Top-grade spiritual artifact set: Nine Heavens Hat, Nine Heavens Robe, Nine Heavens Shoes, Nine Heavens Sword, Nine Heavens Ring, Nine Heavens Necklace…”

”Nine Heavens Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact Set: Crafted by an ancient master refiner, considered the premier spiritual artifact set, once owned by the Chaotic Ancient True Immortal. This set is a 1:1 replica…”

”Delivered to hostʼs storage space.”

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow at the systemʼs description. The cultivation worldʼs top-ranked spiritual artifact set?

Impressive. Even among top-grade spiritual artifacts, there were distinctions, and in the vast cultivation world, for the Nine Heavens Set to be called the best spoke volumes about its power and value. Not to mention, it was the same set used by the Chaotic Ancient True Immortal during his Golden Core stage.

With this set, Ye Chen wouldnʼt need to worry about spiritual artifacts for the entire Golden Core stage. His small bell, forged from Black Yellow Primordial Essence, was formidable but easily attracted the attention of powerful cultivators when used, inviting unwanted scrutiny. In crowded settings, the Nine Heavens Sword would be a perfect substitute.

He hadnʼt expected gifting a pendant to trigger a critical hit, which was a pleasant surprise. This was great news, especially since Li Feihuang seemed to have grown cocky, while An Miaoliʼs critical hit rate was remarkably high. Naturally, heʼd focus on currying favor with An Miaoli next, while perhaps stirring some competitive pressure in Li Feihuang to boost her critical hit chances.

In high spirits, Ye Chen left with a smile.

...

Back at Quiet Wonder Peak, An Miaoli sat in the pavilion at the summit. She slowly opened the jade box, retrieving the emerald Fairyʼs Tears earrings and placing them on her ears.

Though Ye Chen claimed they were for Yuyi, and sheʼd said she was trying them for her niece, An Miaoli knew the truth—these earrings were meant for her. The awe in Ye Chenʼs eyes had been unmistakable, only veiled by his excuse of gifting them to Yuyi to avoid her refusal.

She put the earrings on again and cast a water mirror spell. In the reflection, her misty aura grew even more ethereal, her breathtaking beauty accentuated by the faint green glow of the earrings, creating a mesmerizing effect. They suited her perfectly.

Clearly, encountering these earrings at Heavenly Evolution Pavilion wasnʼt a coincidence. Ye Chen had prepared them for her all along.

A flicker of hesitation crossed An Miaoliʼs face. Ye Chenʼs gesture was clear—he wanted her to keep the earrings. But accepting them… would that betray her niece?

Caught in mild distress, she heard a rustle of wind behind her. An Yuyi arrived, brimming with joy. ”Auntie, Iʼve mastered the Star Thunder Instant Kill Technique!” Her eyes caught the earrings. ”Oh, Auntie, where did you get those? Theyʼre gorgeous!”

An Miaoliʼs lips parted, hesitating before she said, ”I bought them.”

Perhaps out of guilt, fearing further questions, she smoothly changed the subject.

”Ye Chen sent me a message saying heʼs interested in the scripture pavilionʼs collection. But the books are restricted from leaving the sect. However, Quiet Wonder Peak has an open guest elder position. If Ye Chen joins as a guest elder, he could access the library. What do you think, Yuyi?”

An Yuyiʼs eyes lit up. Ye Chen as a guest elder on Quiet Wonder Peak? That meant they could live together daily. It was perfect. She was certain her aunt was doing this for her—Quiet Wonder Peak had always been exclusively female, from elders to disciples. For her aunt to make an exception, who else could it be for but her?

Grateful, An Yuyi hugged her auntʼs arm, playfully shaking it. ”Auntie, youʼre so good to me!”

An Miaoli nodded calmly. ”In that case, Iʼll contact Ye Chen later to ask his opinion. If he agrees, Iʼll inform the Internal Affairs Hall.”

But as she spoke, her gaze subtly shifted elsewhere, betraying a hint of unease.