Immortality Starts With Investment

The golden-robed elder's imagination ran wild: himself in secluded cultivation while that yellow-haired brat sneaked in, sweet-talked his daughter with worthless trinkets and honeyed words, and lured her away.

His blood pressure spiked instantly. But… His daughter had already agreed. What could he do?

She already seemed to harbor some misunderstandings toward him because of Ye Chen. If he kept opposing so stubbornly, he would only hurt her more.

In the end, the helpless father could only nod in resignation. "Fine. Let him come for a quick visit. Once he's seen enough, I'll personally hand him the fragment and escort him straight back to the Great Yan Continent. You won't need to worry about his safety, Daughter."

Yan Qingcheng shook her head inwardly.

They hadn't even left yet, and her father was already planning how to send Ye Chen away. Judging from the way he kept slandering and framing Ye Chen—even after Ye Chen had treated her so generously—her father still held nothing but hostility. If her father were the one escorting Ye Chen back, she would actually worry more.

Still, she had her own plans. She nodded. "All right. Let's head to the Heavenly Emperor Hall first!"

The mere thought of bringing that yellow-haired pest to the Heavenly Emperor Hall made the elder feel as miserable as if he were visiting his wife's grave. He immediately summoned his flying vessel. "Then call that yellow… call Ye Chen over. We won't use the teleportation array—we'll fly straight back…"

He had already decided: on the journey, he would isolate the vessel from the outside world so Ye Chen could never pinpoint the palace's location. If worst came to worst, he would simply relocate the Heavenly Emperor Hall again. Back when the Heavenly Emperor departed, the hall had been targeted relentlessly and moved multiple times. Relocating once more to keep Ye Chen away was no big deal.

Yet Yan Qingcheng's beautiful face broke into a smile. She nodded.

"Father, I was just thinking the same—we won't use the teleportation array. But Ye Chen has his war chariot. I'll ride with him. We'll meet you at the Heavenly Emperor Hall!"

Before the golden-robed elder could react, she had already turned and walked toward Ye Chen, who was waiting just outside Immortal City.

Seeing that she had finished speaking with her father, Ye Chen gave the elder a polite smile. Then, under countless watchful eyes, he summoned the war chariot. He climbed aboard first, and Yan Qingcheng naturally settled in right behind him.

The space between them was almost nonexistent. Once she pointed out the direction, Ye Chen thoughtfully reminded her, "I'm about to accelerate. During takeoff, you'd better hold onto my waist."

Yan Qingcheng nodded without the slightest hesitation. Among cultivators, who would fuss over such a trivial thing?

And so, under the golden-robed elder's incredulous stare, his daughter placed both hands on the yellow-haired Ye Chen's waist.

In the next instant, the chariot erupted with seven-colored divine light. It shot forward with a deafening boom…

In the blink of an eye, it vanished from the elder's line of sight.

His daughter… was gone? Just like that—with Ye Chen? Leaving her old father standing here alone?

The golden-robed elder's hands trembled. He barely registered the surrounding chatter:

"That's the Western Empress Divine Carriage! The Heavenly Emperor even hid something like that? Who knows how Jade Pool Holy Land will react…"

"Where is the Heavenly Emperor's heir taking the Chaos Body girl…?"

He immediately wanted to give chase. He could not tolerate Ye Chen being alone with his daughter. But when he tried to pursue, he realized he couldn't catch up. That war chariot was simply too fast—it had already left the range of his divine sense.

He had no choice. He would have to take the teleportation array back. Otherwise, who knew what Ye Chen might do to his daughter once they reached the Heavenly Emperor Hall?

The image of his daughter happily riding in the chariot only deepened the ache in his chest. The moment Ye Chen arrived, he would shove the immortal artifact fragment into the boy's hands, settle the debt once and for all, then kick him straight back to Great Yan Continent. And tonight—while everyone slept—he would move the entire Heavenly Emperor Hall to a new location.

Gritting his teeth, the golden-robed elder departed for the hidden teleportation array in the Central Continent that led to the Hall…

…

Though Ye Chen and Yan Qingcheng had already departed, the entire cultivation world had erupted into fervent discussion.

The emergence of the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade. The appearance of a Chaos Body. Either one alone would have been monumental news.

Yet none of it drew as much attention as the Heavenly Emperor's heir himself. Because he had given the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade to a Chaos Body.

People marveled more and more at his magnanimity. To hand over such a treasure for the sake of a woman…

Combined with the earlier rumors of his Saint-grade spiritual root, it was simply outrageous. Some even speculated half-jokingly: if the Heavenly Emperor's heir were fortunate enough to obtain immortal qi in the future, would he gift that away to a woman, too?

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Most dismissed the idea outright. Once a female cultivator became an immortal, who could predict her attitude?

What if, after ascending, she severed ties with her beloved and left the Heavenly Emperor's heir behind in the mortal realm? That would be an irreparable loss. He would never gamble his path to immortality on such uncertainty. So, immortal qi, at least, would never be given away.

Meanwhile, word had also spread that the Western Empress Divine Carriage—the sacred treasure of Jade Pool—had fallen into Ye Chen's hands. He hadn't bothered to conceal it that day.

Normally, when such a holy relic resurfaced, major powers would never allow it to remain in outsider hands. Just as the Holy Prince had once sought to reclaim the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod. Most would spare no effort to retrieve it.

Yet Jade Pool Holy Land's response had been remarkably ambiguous. First, they claimed it might not even be genuine. Then they said they would "discuss the matter" with the Heavenly Emperor's heir. Not a hint of aggression.

Surprisingly, the outside world wasn't shocked by this stance. After all, Jade Pool's current generation lacked any standout prodigies. The Heavenly Emperor's heir, on the other hand, had a real chance of becoming an immortal. Even if he failed, as long as he survived, quasi-immortal status was practically guaranteed. Under those circumstances, Jade Pool naturally had no desire to offend him over an old relic.

…

And so, amid endless waves of speculation and debate, five days passed in the blink of an eye…

Deep in the starry void, a streak of light tore across the darkness. A voice emerged from within the radiance: "You can slow down now. Just behind that massive star ahead—there's a concealed array. You'll only see it once we get closer…"

With Yan Qingcheng guiding the way, the two streaked through the cosmos like lightning, traversing rivers of stars, until at last they reached the Heavenly Emperor Hall.

Ye Chen brought the war chariot to a halt before its gates. He looked up, genuinely surprised.

The Heavenly Emperor Hall wasn't the vast hidden realm he had imagined. It was a colossal edifice, rivaling the size of a giant star itself.

Majestic and imposing, its spire soared skyward as though piercing the very firmament. While Ye Chen was still taking it in, the palace gates swung open.

The golden-robed elder strode out hurriedly, his eyes fixed anxiously on his daughter. "Qingcheng, are you all right?"

Yan Qingcheng stepped down from the chariot, smoothed her long hair, and shook her head gently. "I'm fine."

Ye Chen rose as well, polite and composed. During the journey, he had already learned the elder's identity. Yan Qingcheng's father.

Sensing the terrifying aura rolling off the man—at least Great Saint realm, perhaps even higher—Ye Chen naturally showed the utmost respect.

"Greetings, Senior."

He offered a proper cultivator's salute.

The golden-robed elder suppressed the irritation seething inside him and gave Ye Chen a curt nod. If not for his daughter standing right there, he would have slapped the boy straight back to the Great Yan Continent already.

Utterly infuriating.

"Come in! You gave Qingcheng the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade, so I've prepared a thank-you gift for you as well. Come inside and take a look. Afterward, I'll personally escort you back—wouldn't want any accidents along the way."

The golden-robed elder raised his hand and beckoned the two inside.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. He could sense the man's lack of warmth. Was it simply paternal protectiveness, seeing him as the yellow-haired lecher eyeing his precious daughter? Or was there another reason? Could this old man be the one who had been secretly sabotaging him all along?

It was entirely possible. After all, as Yan Qingcheng's father, he had every motive to target Ye Chen for her sake. Still, having finally arrived, Ye Chen had no intention of leaving so easily. Along the journey, Yan Qingcheng had shared plenty about the Heavenly Emperor Hall.

Ye Chen stepped down from the chariot but did not put it away. Instead, he turned to the golden-robed elder.

"Senior, does the Heavenly Emperor Hall ever get visited by unsavory types? Is it safe to leave my car out here?"

The golden-robed elder's mouth twitched. The only unsavory type here is you. And after coming all this way, you still won't store the chariot? Trying to flaunt that you have the Western Empress Divine Carriage in your possession? So what if it's a little faster? What's there to show off?

Yet Yan Qingcheng quickly explained on Ye Chen's behalf. "Father, the Western Empress Divine Carriage absorbs starlight divine power. Leaving it outside actually enhances its speed…"

Seeing his daughter so thoughtfully defending Ye Chen only made the elder's blood pressure climb higher. He waved a hand expressionlessly. "There are unsavory types around the Heavenly Emperor Hall, but not many. If you want to leave it there, go ahead. No one will touch it."

With that, he turned and strode directly into the grand hall.

Ye Chen arched a brow. Though he had not yet reached the Saint realm and could not fully grasp Heavenly Position Laws, his insight was still somewhat limited. But with the Foresight Secret protecting him, he could passively sense fortune and misfortune.

Right now, he clearly felt something. This old man harbored absolutely no goodwill toward him. From the moment they met, he had wanted to drive him away.

Ye Chen grew even more certain: this old man was the one who had been targeting him. With that thought in mind, he walked thoughtfully beside Yan Qingcheng into the depths of the Heavenly Emperor Hall.

The palace was vast. The three of them soon arrived at a grand hall. The hall was extraordinarily magnificent. Through walls of transparent divine jade, one could see countless great stars wheeling outside, rivers of stars surging past—an awe-inspiring vista.

The golden-robed elder, suppressing his irritation for his daughter's sake, personally brewed tea. He planned to observe the bare minimum of courtesy, exchange a few words, and then send Ye Chen on his way. But Ye Chen glanced at the tea and shook his head.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Senior. However, I'm not fond of ordinary tea. The only kind I can drink is Enlightenment Tea—anything else makes me cough and disrupts my cultivation…"

The golden-robed elder's hand froze mid-pour.

Only Enlightenment Tea?

Even the Heavenly Emperor himself had never been so pretentious. Worse still, Ye Chen had subtly implied that his spiritual tea was inferior.

This was intolerable. The elder was on the verge of slamming the table.

But at that moment, Yan Qingcheng spoke up.

"Father, Fellow Daoist Ye gave me the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade and even repaired the Heavenly Emperor War Chariot before gifting it to me… I am deeply grateful to him. Serving ordinary spiritual tea does feel a little perfunctory.

"Father, aren't there still two leaves of Enlightenment Tea in the palace treasury? If we don't use them soon, they'll wither away. Now is the perfect time to brew some. Afterward, Fellow Daoist Ye and I can conveniently enter seclusion here to break through…"

Ye Chen, for his part, showed no trace of politeness.

"Thank you, Fairy Yan, and thank you, Senior. My cultivation has indeed been stirring restlessly. Breaking through soon would be ideal…"

The golden-robed elder's blood surged to his head; his scalp tingled with fury. He had preserved those Enlightenment Tea leaves with the utmost care—how could they possibly wither?

There were only two leaves left. He hadn't even dared to smell them, afraid the spiritual Qi might leak away. He had been saving them for his daughter's path to immortality.

Yet now his daughter was turning her elbow outward, insisting on giving them to Ye Chen. And worst of all, Ye Chen wanted to seclude himself here?

No… Absolutely not!