Immortality Starts With Investment

In the distance, the onlookers all wore expressions of "as expected."

See? The Heavenly Emperor's heir took it back and gave it to the woman again.

What a scoundrel. Always dragging us passersby into his drama.

You two are playing with emotions, but you're gambling with our lives. Are our lives not worth anything?

Yet amid the grumbling, everyone was filled with the same mix of awe, admiration, envy, and astonishment. That was a Dao-Entrust Treasure, after all.

From the first generation of the Immortal Path until now, only a handful had ever appeared—five at most. Even the Heavenly Emperor's treasury probably didn't have another one. And the Heavenly Emperor's heir had really just… given it away?

This level of generosity was almost absurd. Did he truly not need it? Had the Heavenly Emperor's heir already grown so powerful that even the enhancement from a Dao-Entrust Treasure meant nothing to him?

Amid the crowd's swirling curiosity, shock, envy, and jealousy, Ye Chen was quietly reviewing the system prompt. To be honest, he was extremely curious about what the feedback would be.

From their earlier conversation, Yan Qingcheng had said the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade was essentially the pinnacle of Dao-Entrust Treasures. Even in the Immortal Realm, treasures better than it were exceedingly rare. So… what exactly would the system give him in return?

If the feedback was merely slightly superior to the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade, then the quantity should be considerable. Enough to equip his master, his fiancée, and the others—each with one.

Severing dao carried risks. Throughout the history of the cultivation world, countless top-tier prodigies had fallen at this step. With a Dao-Entrust Treasure, the success rate would be significantly higher, making the process far safer.

"Congratulations to the host for successfully presenting the gift…"

"The gift presented: Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade!"

"Seven-thousandfold feedback in progress…"

"Detected that the gift presented holds extreme importance to the recipient, triggering intense emotional fluctuations…"

"Triggered maximum critical hit feedback!"

"Feedback: Chaos Destiny Stone!"

"Feedback: Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade × 100!"

Still, Ye Chen's attention quickly shifted to the Chaos Destiny Stone. The name alone—Chaos and Destiny combined—sounded extraordinarily impressive. He immediately focused on the details.

"Chaos Destiny Stone: Can serve as a Dao-Entrust Treasure, allowing the cultivator to achieve even higher fusion with heaven and earth after transcending the Great Dao, granting stronger combat power and easier…"

"The Chaos Destiny Stone carries a trace of the power of destiny…"

"When fused with oneself, it can give birth to a Destiny Seed within the body. In the future, the cultivator may use this to grasp their own destiny and truly transcend all constraints…"

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Reading the detailed description, Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. The Dao-entrust effect of the Chaos Destiny Stone was indeed superior to the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade. But not by an overwhelming margin. It felt roughly twice as effective, no more. So the true value of this feedback undoubtedly lay in that single trace of Destiny power.

Giving birth to a Destiny Seed? With the potential in the future to use it to master one's own destiny and achieve true transcendence?

Ye Chen frowned slightly, puzzled. What exactly did "mastering one's own destiny" mean? Right now, he went wherever he wanted, obtained whatever he desired, and made every decision freely.

Was that not already controlling his own destiny? And transcendence… transcending what, exactly? Did it mean achieving true immortality—never aging, never dying?

Ye Chen was a little puzzled. But if it didn't seem like a bad thing, then there was no need to worry. Whatever it meant could wait until the future.

After handling the system feedback, Ye Chen turned his head to look at Yan Qingcheng. She really was his treasure. Her aptitude was astonishingly high, yet her temperament remained flawless—without the slightest trace of arrogance. Every time he gifted her something, the feedback she triggered was enormous.

Yan Qingcheng felt Ye Chen's gaze and couldn't help but feel a faint, strange warmth stir in her heart. She had already explained everything so clearly. Even if she accepted the gift, she would never become his dao companion. Yet Ye Chen showed not a hint of resentment.

After she accepted the treasure, his eyes still shone with such eager heat—as though the one about to refine the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade and gain immense power wasn't her, but him. Ye Chen's heart was truly too pure. For the people he loved, he was willing to give everything.

"With so many people now knowing the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade is in my hands. I cannot bring it out of the Immortal Path. It would only invite greed and malice. So I must refine it right here and now. It will probably take a full day to achieve initial fusion. I ask Fellow Daoist Ye to stand guard for me. Once I have refined it, please accompany me to the Heavenly Emperor Hall. The palace lies deep within the cosmos, close to the origin of the universe. Severing the Dao and becoming a saint there will yield far superior results!"

Yan Qingcheng spoke calmly.

Ye Chen, of course, had not the slightest intention of refusing. This was the perfect chance to see exactly which old schemer had come up with such a shameless plan—making him the false successor without even asking. He would definitely deal with that bastard later.

Seeing Ye Chen agree without a single question, warmth bloomed even deeper in Yan Qingcheng's heart. Cultivators were always cautious about following outsiders to unfamiliar places. They feared falling into traps. Yet Ye Chen showed zero suspicion. He truly trusted her completely. But she was worthy of that trust. This trip to the Heavenly Emperor Hall would definitely give Ye Chen a pleasant surprise!

Without another word, Yan Qingcheng sat cross-legged in full view of the crowd. Endless Chaos Qi flowed from around her body, enveloping her flawless figure. She then summoned the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade and began circulating her Dao-severing method, attempting to refine it.

The onlookers watched in awe, though disappointment flickered in their eyes. The treasure had been claimed. They truly had no chance now. Still, the aura radiating from that unfamiliar woman was terrifying—her presence even more imposing than Alkaid Holy Son had been.

Chaos Qi swirled naturally around her body, and as she cultivated, heavenly phenomena spontaneously manifested—pure, harmonious, and perfectly aligned with the natural order. Could she actually be a genuine Chaos Body? Which sect's prodigy was she? Why had no one seen her before?

And the Heavenly Emperor's heir really did have a viciously sharp eye. Every woman he favored was exceptional—peerless in both beauty and talent. Truly enviable.

While the crowd discussed among themselves, news of what had happened here quickly spread outside. It ignited yet another wave of shock and discussion.

The Heavenly Emperor's heir had arrived, and sure enough, a supreme treasure had appeared.

From the fragments that leaked out, everyone was certain: it was the pinnacle Dao-Entrust Treasure—the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade. The Heavenly Emperor's heir truly carried tremendous fortune.

Many peerless prodigies possessed formidable strength yet always missed out on truly unique treasures. That was the mark of slightly inferior luck. But what shocked people even more was that the Heavenly Emperor's heir had once again—again—given away such an invaluable treasure.

Without the slightest hesitation, he had bestowed it upon a female cultivator. And that woman's physique was extraordinary—suspected to be a genuine Chaos Body. The sight left everyone sighing in amazement.

Meanwhile, the golden-robed elder—who had been clenching his fists in constant worry for his daughter—heard the news and his mouth twitched violently…