Immortality Starts With Investment

Yan Qingcheng could sense that Ye Chen harbored a trace of special fondness toward her. Though she had no such inclinations herself, she did not find it distasteful. Because Ye Chen was not promiscuous—he was simply affectionate. Promiscuity meant loving lightly, forgetting one person the moment another appeared, discarding even those once cherished like worn-out shoes. Affection, however, meant cherishing every single one deeply. Being liked by someone so genuinely affectionate did not repulse her.

Without another word, Yan Qingcheng accepted the jade slip from Ye Chen and immersed herself in studying it. The follow-up method Alkaid Holy Son had created for the Indestructible Heavenly Art actually held real substance.

"I originally thought that attempting to extend an immortal scripture at his level would be nothing more than a clumsy continuation—like slapping a dog's tail on a leopard. I never expected him to possess genuine insight. One can clearly see how astonishing his talent truly was. The method he devised is quite interesting. As long as one continues cultivating and replenishing origins, it really can bring one infinitely close to an Innate Chaos Body."

"But the Chaos Body he deduced differs in many ways from a true Chaos Body. This part should be revised. Moreover, the origins devoured must be utterly pure and natural. Otherwise, no matter what, one will never achieve a true Innate Chaos Body—after all, it is also known as the Flawless Chaos Body…"

"…"

As someone who possessed a genuine Innate Chaos Body, Yan Qingcheng naturally had her own authoritative perspective. She quickly identified numerous flaws and offered a great many suggestions and improvements. The two of them discussed and refined it together in this way.

Ye Chen was naturally overjoyed. The more perfect the technique became, the higher the grade of feedback he would receive when he eventually gifted it to his fiancée. Right now, the method could only approach an Innate Chaos Body indefinitely. But perhaps after the feedback came through… It might lead straight to the Chaos Immortal Body.

The gap between an Acquired Chaos Body and a Chaos Immortal Body was enormous. After all, a fully matured Innate Chaos Body was already no weaker than most immortal physiques. A Chaos Immortal Body, on the other hand…

It could likely crush the vast majority of immortal physiques outright. If his fiancée obtained it, her multiplier would skyrocket instantly. So Ye Chen made no effort to hide his beaming smile.

Yet when Yan Qingcheng saw how genuinely delighted he was, a complicated feeling stirred in her heart. Ye Chen truly cared deeply for Yi Qingwu.

Still, even as she pondered these things, Yan Qingcheng held nothing back. She felt no fear that perfecting the method might allow Yi Qingwu to attain an Innate Chaos Body and surpass her.

Yan Qingcheng was supremely confident. Physique mattered greatly, but it was not everything. Even among identical physiques, there were still differences in strength.

…

Several days passed in this manner.

Through the joint discussion between Yan Qingcheng and Ye Chen, the technique was further refined.

If one could continue supplementing it with vast quantities of origins along the way, there was genuine hope of achieving a complete Innate Chaos Body.

"However, transforming from acquired to innate will require several times more origins than it took to go from nothing to acquired in the first place. Fellow Daoist Ye would be best served by allowing only Yi Qingwu to cultivate this scripture. Otherwise, even all the prodigies in the entire cultivation world might not be enough to supply the demand."

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Yan Qingcheng sighed with genuine feeling. If too many people cultivated this method, the cultivation world's pool of prodigies really would run dry. Given how seriously Ye Chen took his women's cultivation… She worried he might slaughter his way through entire generations of the cultivation world just to elevate their aptitudes.

That path would lead straight into demonic ways. It would do far more harm than good for his future ascension to immortality. So she offered the reminder ahead of time.

Ye Chen nodded with a smile.

"Thank you for the warning, Fairy Yan!"

He was about to say more. But in that instant, both of their gazes sharpened at once. They looked toward the bottom of the canyon. Right now, the entire valley resembled an erupting volcano. Pillars of tangible divine light shot skyward without cease.

An invisible, terrifying aura swept outward in all directions. This pressure was not mere energy—it carried a soul-level deterrence.

Far away, cultivators had lingered at a distance, curious what treasure the Heavenly Emperor's heir had been waiting for.

Now, as the aura washed over them, every face changed color. It felt as though the heavens themselves were coldly watching them. As though the Great Dao was passing judgment.

Every single thought, every hidden intention, seemed laid bare and seen through completely. Their heads throbbed with splitting pain, as though millions of steel needles had simultaneously pierced into their minds. They all endured the splitting pain, forcing their gazes toward the direction of the Heavenly Emperor's heir.

There, a stone roughly the size of an infant's fist rose slowly into the air. Its shape was an irregular oval. The stone possessed a warm, jade-like luster yet carried the texture of metal. Across its surface drifted faint, elusive rays of light. Upon closer inspection, one could see intricate, interlocking patterns etched into it.

These patterns were not static; they moved like living things, winding and shifting ceaselessly. And though the movements seemed random, they somehow resonated with the natural order of the heavens—each subtle change granting faint insights to those who watched.

Nearly everyone present was at the half-saint realm. Many of them realized at once what they were seeing. This was none other than a rare Dao-Entrust Treasure. It carried within it a lingering breath of the Heavenly Dao.

In an instant, every eye turned bloodshot with greed. Using a Dao-Entrust Treasure to achieve sainthood brought enormous benefits—nearly twice the strength of ordinary ascension. It also vastly expanded one's future potential, opening the immortal path far wider.

To any half-saint, this was an unparalleled supreme treasure. Seeing it now, they felt an overwhelming impulse: to hear the Dao in the morning and die content in the evening. They wanted to charge forward without regard for anything.

But the moment they felt the Heavenly Emperor's heir's smiling gaze sweep over them, that impulse vanished—like cold water poured over a flame. Especially when they recalled the widespread rumor that Ye Chen loved to "fish" for prey.

Not only did they dare not take another step forward—they all retreated instinctively. They were perfectly clear-headed.

Alkaid Holy Son had self-severed from the saint realm and arrived carrying a fragment of a quasi-immortal array, yet he had still been casually suppressed by the Heavenly Emperor's heir. That proved one undeniable fact. In the fourth realm, no one could snatch anything from the hands of the Heavenly Emperor's heir.

…

Ye Chen glanced at the distant cultivators who remained so calm and rational, and shook his head with faint disappointment. According to the perfected method he and Yan Qingcheng had refined, his fiancée would still need vast amounts of origins in the future. He had already collected the portion from Alkaid Holy Son's clone. But it was far from enough—he needed to keep harvesting more. Yet so few people dared to provoke him now.

None of the half-saints would try. It would have to be saints or saint kings. Still, when he turned back to gaze at the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade, a smile spread across Ye Chen's face. The timing of its appearance could not have been more perfect. He already possessed the Chaos Golden Radiance Dao-Severing Technique!

Now the Dao-Entrust Treasure had arrived as well—he could present it as a gift. Sainthood was practically guaranteed. The further he progressed in cultivation, the faster his breakthroughs came. It had been less than two years since he broke through to the fourth heaven. And now he was on the verge of becoming a saint…

Ridiculous. Truly ridiculous.

…

Sensing the extraordinary aura emanating from the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade, Ye Chen could no longer hold back his eagerness to see what kind of feedback he would receive after gifting it. With that thought, he extended his hand toward the treasure.

The Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade possessed spirituality. It trembled violently, releasing a strange and terrifying force. Even an ordinary half-saint's primordial spirit might have shattered under such pressure.

Yet against Ye Chen, it had no effect whatsoever. In the next moment, the treasure fell firmly into his grasp.