Immortality Starts With Investment

"Why are you doing so much for me?"

Yan Qingcheng's voice carried a tangle of emotions as she gazed earnestly at Ye Chen. Her eyes, veiled in faint chaos qi, shimmered with both mist and clarity.

Ye Chen understood at once that he had to give her an answer—one that would not arouse suspicion.

Just as with the Chaos Golden Radiance Severing Dao Technique earlier, he could have simply handed it over to her the moment he obtained it and let her cultivate it as well. But how would he explain that?

He clearly possessed far superior methods. If he was willing to give, why hadn't he offered the better one right away? Why settle for something inferior?

Sometimes, Ye Chen's restraint wasn't stinginess—it was necessity. An ill-timed gift would only raise questions and breed doubt. And Yan Qingcheng's gratitude ran so deep that she had finally voiced the question burning inside her.

He needed to provide a reasonable explanation. Otherwise, he risked not only failing to deepen her feelings but possibly straining the good rapport they had built. Under these circumstances, what could he say?

Looking into her breathtakingly beautiful face, Ye Chen spoke softly: "I know my reputation in the cultivation world is poor… I also know there are already many female cultivators by my side. Everyone assumes I fall for every woman I meet—that I'm lustful, fickle, insincere. If I don't act this way, how would you ever know the depth of affection I hold for you?"

The moment those words left his lips, Yan Qingcheng involuntarily stepped back several paces. His final sentence echoed relentlessly in her mind, reverberating again and again. If I don't act this way, how would you ever know the depth of affection I hold for you?

Her eyes quickly reddened. So that was it—Ye Chen had always minded his tarnished reputation. He feared she would look down on him. But all of that… it stemmed from her father. As for Ye Chen's true character, outsiders might not understand, but how could she not?

Yet deep down, he must have carried a sense of inferiority all along, never daring to speak plainly. Instead, he poured out priceless gifts and selfless acts, bit by bit conveying the love he harbored. He was undoubtedly the most supreme prodigy of this cultivation realm. And yet the love he bore her was so humble, so self-deprecating…

Her heart ached—truly ached—for him. In that instant, the gratitude within Yan Qingcheng could no longer be contained. It erupted like a flood. She stepped forward until she stood right before him, then reached out with her slender, flawless arms and wrapped them around him of her own accord.

"Fellow Daoist Ye… there is no need for this. You are wonderful. You deserve everything the world has to offer. No female cultivator is worth you lowering yourself like this—not even me. As for the many women around you… It only shows that you are broad-minded and deeply affectionate, not indiscriminate. And as for the words of outsiders—why should they matter? Those who truly care for you will never judge you by your reputation. They care about the person you are."

She held him tightly, her voice gentle as she comforted him. Behind them, the golden-robed elder's expression was complicated—relieved yet faintly frowning. He did approve of Ye Chen. He believed in the sincerity of Ye Chen's feelings toward his daughter.

But seeing Ye Chen adopt such a humble, almost pitiful demeanor… he still found it hard to fully accept. No one understood men better than another man. Watching his proud daughter fall so completely for just a few carefully chosen words—watching her willingly step into Ye Chen's embrace—left him with a stifling sensation in his chest. His own daughter… truly about to be taken in by this "yellow-haired" youth.

Yet at the same time, he was glad. Ye Chen truly was worthy of entrusting her future to. And there was still that slot into the Immortal Realm waiting for her. Caught between heartache and quiet approval, the golden-robed elder no longer wished to watch. He quietly turned and slipped away from the cave heaven.

But the moment he stepped out, confusion flickered across his face once more. Wait... wasn't this Origin Pool originally ours? How had it ended up with Ye Chen using it to play the generous benefactor? And his daughter, moved to tears, and throwing herself into the boy's arms… all because of something that had belonged to her in the first place?

Something wasn't right. Something was seriously off…

While the golden-robed elder wrestled with his bewildered thoughts, Yan Qingcheng noticed her father had slipped away. Emboldened, she leaned in more actively, tilting her peerlessly beautiful face toward Ye Chen.

But halfway there, she paused. A faint sigh of disappointment escaped Ye Chen before he could stop it. He opened his mouth to tell her there was no need to force herself— A single slender finger pressed gently against his lips, silencing him.

Then, in a soft yet resolute voice, she said: "I do not dislike you, Fellow Daoist. Yet I have no desire to become merely one among your many dao companions. My heart remains wholly devoted to the Dao; romantic matters hold no appeal for me. Still… your actions have stirred my gratitude so deeply that I cannot remain unmoved. So whatever happens next is simply my way of expressing thanks. Please, do not read more into it."

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The next moment, as if to prove her words, she withdrew her finger and pressed her lips to his. A thread of clear, sweet purity flowed between them.

As he savored it, Ye Chen gazed at her with tender eyes. He knew her gratitude better than anyone—every previous instance had struck him with maximum force, never once letting him down. But he hadn't expected her to use gratitude as the reason to offer her first kiss so willingly… It carried the same unburdened sincerity as Senior An's heart of absolute clarity.

After a long moment, Ye Chen's hand—almost of its own accord—began to wander. Yan Qingcheng's cheeks flushed crimson. Her tightly closed eyes flew open, chaos qi swirling within them alongside fresh shock and shyness. Yet she did not push him away. Instead, she drew back just enough to meet his gaze and whisper:

"If you wish to go further… I won't refuse. My heart is filled with gratitude, and I am willing…"

Ye Chen had always known she was generous by nature. He simply hadn't realized just how generous. She was already prepared to share such intimacy. But he gently refused. His hand rose to stroke her silken hair as he spoke softly:

"Everything I've done for you was only to prove that I love you. It was never meant to pressure you, nor to force you into anything. Every act was entirely of my own will. I don't want Fairy Yan to do this out of gratitude alone. I only hope that one day… You will truly come to love me."

Hearing his gentle refusal, Yan Qingcheng parted her lips as if to speak, yet the words never came.

In the end, she simply said: "From now on… just call me Qingcheng."

Ye Chen broke into a relaxed, easy smile. He drifted back a step, separating from her with graceful poise.

"Very well, Qingcheng. Stay here and cultivate in peace. Focus on raising your cultivation. As for me, you need not worry. Just as you firmly believe you possess the aptitude to become an immortal, I too am confident that great fortune accompanies me. Even without this Origin Pool, another opportunity to rapidly advance will find its way to me. So cultivate diligently, Qingcheng. Who knows? I might even reach Saint King before you do."

With those parting words, Ye Chen turned and left the cave heaven without hesitation.

Yan Qingcheng remained where she stood, silent for a long time. Gazing at the vast, surging Origin Pool, she let out a soft sigh. She did not chase after him.

There was no point. Ye Chen's love for her was too resolute, too unshakable. Even this entire Origin Pool could not contain the depth of his affection. And yet… how much longer could she keep deceiving herself with the excuse of mere gratitude?

Confusion clouded her beautiful eyes.

…

The instant Ye Chen flew out of the small world, the system's voice finally rang in his mind—right under the golden-robed elder's worried gaze.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully gifting a treasure…"

"Gifted item: Cosmic Origin Energy!"

"Feedback in progress…"

"Applying 7,000× feedback multiplier."

"Detected: The gifted item holds extreme significance to the recipient…"

"Top-notch critical hit feedback triggered!"

"Feedback reward: Origin Sea!"

"Origin Sea: An Immortal King-level powerhouse uses supreme divine abilities to refine the origin energy of an entirely newborn great universe, forming what is known as an Origin Sea…"

"The origin energy of a newborn great universe is purer and more primordial, yielding far superior cultivation results…"

"In the Immortal Realm, only a handful of Immortal King-level factions possess one. It is regarded as a sect-suppressing treasure, capable of nurturing disciples and deepening their foundation…"

"It may also be directly fused into a cave heaven or small world to vastly strengthen its origin foundation. Its uses are myriad—especially for elevating a cave heaven into a true world, dramatically increasing its upper limits…"

"…"

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow.

The Immortal King truly lived up to his reputation. He had actually refined an entire great universe. And Yan Qingcheng's gratitude ran so deep it was almost overwhelming.

How large was a single Origin Pool, after all?

It was barely enough to cultivate one top-tier prodigy to the peak of the Saint realm.

But the Origin Sea, she had given in return?

It contained the primal origin energy of an entire great universe.

What kind of concept was that?

It could easily support millions—or even tens of millions—of Saints in reaching perfection. No matter how much he could absorb or how high his demands were, this would satisfy him effortlessly.

Moreover, compared to the origin energy of a mature universe, this was far purer and more effective. It would even have miraculous effects when he later achieved Great Saint, and his cave heaven advanced into a true world.

With the potency of this Origin Sea, combined with his cultivation inside the cauldron body—where the immortal artifact could assist him in refining the origin energy—his speed of breaking through to Saint King would likely shatter all previous records. And both of these gifts had come from Yan Qingcheng in one devastating burst of generosity.

The more he thought about it, the more precious she became to him. The Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron could condense the origin energy within the Origin Sea into Origin Crystals, making their effects even stronger.

Ye Chen felt it was time to give her a few. To help her strength advance another step. But when the moment came to present them, explaining their origin would be… awkward. So he quickly made up his mind.

He would go out for a stroll, visit Central Continent, and see the little demoness. Then, upon his return, he could claim he had obtained a fortuitous encounter. He would share part of it with Yan Qingcheng and conveniently enter seclusion to break through to the peak of the Saint realm. It had been a long time since he last saw Su Yuxuan, the little demoness, and Ye Chen genuinely missed her.

While he was at it, he could also check on that senior with extreme hatred for men—Manjusaka—and see how she was doing now. Had she recovered her cultivation? Restored her physical body?

With these thoughts, Ye Chen turned to the gold-robed elder and said, "Senior, Qingcheng has already entered seclusion. It's time for me to leave as well…"

The gold-robed elder felt a pang of reluctance; he had hoped to build a deeper connection. But with Qingcheng absent, it didn't feel right to bring up making Ye Chen the true heir. After all, this was meant to be a favor done for his daughter—without her present, what was the point?

Deep down, the elder also felt a wave of emotion. After all, Ye Chen had given the Origin Sea to his daughter and now clearly needed to go seek his own opportunities. At that realization, the gold-robed elder gave a relieved smile.

Truthfully, whenever he thought of his daughter entering the Immortal Realm alone in the future—without him by her side—worry gnawed at him. He had always feared she would suffer out there. But looking at the young man before him now, an instinctive sense of peace settled over him.

In the days to come, Ye Chen would surely take good care of his daughter… That was enough.