Immortality Starts With Investment

For cultivators, an auction brimming with treasures lasting ten days or even half a month was perfectly normal. After all, each item was incomparably precious, and bidders often engaged in prolonged games of brinkmanship, haggling back and forth. This particular auction boasted an even greater quantity and superior quality.

Yet, astonishingly, it raced forward at breakneck speed. In merely two days, it neared its conclusion. Every gaze in the hall fixed upon Ye Chen's private box, filled with awe and naked greed. The Heavenly Emperor's heir was simply too wealthy!

An auction whose true value might have totaled only a few dozen billion top-grade spirit stones had, under Ye Chen's "manic" maneuvers, ballooned to nearly a hundred billion in final sales.

Outrageous. Truly outrageous. By now, nearly everyone was convinced that the historical records were wrong. It appeared the ancient Heavenly Emperor, consumed by vengeance, had seized nothing during the great reckoning—destroying everything in the war. In reality, he had quietly taken it all. That alone explained the confidence with which his heir now swept through the auction house.

Envy. Genuine, burning envy.

Millennia of bitter cultivation truly paled against the Heavenly Emperor's past campaigns of slaughter and plunder. The myriad races' high elders, who had plotted to harvest Ye Chen, tallied their earnings with excitement—yet felt profoundly bewildered.

"Our Nine Nether Lotus was bought by the heir at double the price, only for him to pay with two even finer specimens. What on earth is he thinking?"

"And our low-grade Extreme Dao flying vessel—he purchased it, then sent back two superior craft with better materials, more functions, and greater speed. The move defies all logic."

"Mine was worse. After he took my divine pill, he returned two of even higher potency."

"I don't understand. I truly don't."

"I've seen spendthrifts, but one like the Heavenly Emperor's heir? Unprecedented in history."

"Just how much did the ancient Heavenly Emperor embezzle?"

"I'm starting to think he's doing this deliberately—to muddy the waters. By buying even non-cave heaven items, he makes us doubt whether his cave heaven truly suffered damage."

"Yet in doing so, he's only revealed the staggering depth of the Heavenly Emperor's treasury. It makes my heart race all the more."

"The disciples in my clan can barely contain themselves!"

"One more month. If the heir doesn't leave the city on his own, we'll find a way to force him out."

"The grand feast is about to begin!"

As the final lot was once again forcefully claimed by the Heavenly Emperor's heir at double its value, the myriad races' elders exchanged sinister voice transmissions. In their eyes, the heir was already a dead man. Every treasure he had just acquired—along with the countless riches still hidden in the Heavenly Emperor's vaults—would soon change hands.

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When the final auction item fell into Ye Chen's hands, this utterly absurd auction finally drew to a close. Yet just as everyone assumed the dust had settled and prepared to depart, an unexpected twist arrived. The hostess's fluffy ears twitched faintly, as though catching some message. She gave a helpless nod.

Then, turning to the crowd already rising to leave, she announced gravely, "The fellow daoists who previously acquired the Black Tortoise Realm-Protecting Armor and the Ethereal Jade Marrow Essence have, after careful consideration, decided these items hold no use for them. They have entrusted our auction house to resell them. First up, the Black Tortoise Realm-Protecting Armor. Starting bid: twenty million top-grade spirit stones..."

Her words triggered waves of laughter throughout the hall. Far too many people guessed exactly what had happened.

Inside the War God Clan's box, the three semi-saints' faces darkened. This relisting meant they had already paid the original auction fees in full. And whatever the items sold for now, they would owe fees again. A genuine blood loss.

Still, it beat being stuck with the pieces. Two auction house attendants were present in the box to handle the relisting. One of them, hearing the peals of laughter from outside, couldn't help the slight upward curl of his lips.

Seeing this, a War God semi-saint glared furiously and barked, "Something funny?"

The attendant quickly shook his head, deadpan. "Not funny at all. I just suddenly remembered something joyful..."

The semi-saint narrowed his eyes coldly. "What joyful thing?"

The attendant hurriedly replied, "My wife is about to give birth..."

At that moment, the second attendant lost his composure too; his shoulders shook with suppressed mirth.

The semi-saint's fists clenched tighter. "You remembered something joyful as well? Tell me what."

The second attendant nodded hastily. "My wife is about to give birth too!"

The semi-saint's grip tightened further as he demanded, "Same wife?"

The two attendants exchanged a glance and nodded. "According to the customs of our clan, all female cultivators within the clan are shared. In a sense, yes—the same wife..."

The semi-saint's mouth twitched. This clan did indeed have such a tradition.

...

Back in Ye Chen's box, facing Yao Yuezhi's surprised, hesitant, and heartbroken gaze, even he struggled to keep a straight face. Acquiring so many rare external treasures perfect for gifting had simply overwhelmed him with excitement. It had caused him to lose a bit of perfect bodily control.

Ye Chen explained earnestly, "Yuezhi, I'm really not usually like this. You have to believe me."

Yao Yuezhi nodded understandingly. "I know. Brother, you're just too exhausted... Of course, I won't doubt you. I'll only feel sorry for you!"

Ye Chen's lips twitched again at her words. But when he saw the Black Tortoise Realm-Protecting Armor and Ethereal Jade Marrow Essence relisted, he couldn't help but grin. This was clearly prepared just for him.

Yet this time, getting him to pay ten times the price was absolutely impossible. Thirty million for the Armor. Twenty million for the Marrow Essence. That was his offer—take it or leave it.

His bids turned the War God semi-saints' faces even uglier, green enough to drip bile. But after two prior lessons, bringing the items back again would mean paying yet another round of fees. That would be beyond stupid. So they said nothing and let Ye Chen claim both.

"This Ye Chen bullies us too far—he won't even give us ten times!"

"In a few days, he'll get what's coming."

"When the time comes, with Luo Bingling coordinating from within, our War God Clan will claim the largest share."

"Then I'll blast him a few extra times—let him taste the might of the War God Clan..."

The three gnashed their teeth, spewing venomous threats inside their box. And with that, the auction officially came to an end.

...