Immortality Starts With Investment

"Junior Brother, save me…"

"Mmm…"

Splash…

That final cry for help carried a faint tremble in her voice.

Ye Chen swiftly shifted to the side, narrowly avoiding a sudden rush of water. The stream ran clear and carried the bright, unmistakable fragrance of citrus.

Because it was fresh, the scent felt even richer—exactly like the first burst of aroma when peeling open a ripe orange. Sweet yet refreshing, laced with just the perfect touch of tartness.

Ye Chen didn't linger on the observation. He frowned and turned his gaze toward Dantai Xuan. That second voice had sounded far more human.

Had her true self really awakened? Or was the "AI" simply cleverer now—still deceiving him, trying to lure him into her sea of consciousness so she could turn the tables and suppress him?

Everyone in the cultivation world knew one rule: never carelessly enter another person's sea of consciousness. It was their home ground. A single misstep could lead to an ambush. Unless your divine sense completely overpowered theirs.

Ye Chen rubbed the bridge of his nose and furrowed his brows in thought. Another voice drifted into his ears. The Supreme Dantai Xuan seemed to anticipate his hesitation and deliberately raised the stakes, hoping to make him doubt and keep him from entering.

But the corners of Ye Chen's mouth curved upward. That caution about entering another's sea of consciousness applied to ordinary cultivators. His own divine sense, tempered by years of Van Qinghe's top-grade feedback, had long since grown far beyond what the outside world could imagine.

Forget Saint Kings—even Great Saints might not have a divine sense strong enough to compare with his. He didn't dare claim more than that simply because he had no idea how a Great Emperor's divine sense measured up.

In any case, entering the mere cave heaven of someone like Dantai Xuan posed no real threat—even if she practiced the bizarre Supreme Emotionless Scripture.

Ye Chen turned to face her. Ignoring the dazed, misty look in her eyes, he sent his spirit shooting straight toward the center of her brow.

The gate to Dantai Xuan's sea of consciousness opened willingly to receive him. Then it snapped shut again, as though rejecting him. The portal opened and closed repeatedly—clear proof that her true self and the Supreme were fighting for control.

Yet none of it affected Ye Chen. The moment he reached her brow, he gently tapped with his divine sense. Dantai Xuan's sea of consciousness couldn't resist. It was forced open.

Without the slightest hindrance, Ye Chen surged inside and plunged straight to the deepest core.

…

Passing through the gate, Ye Chen arrived at the heart of her sea of consciousness and swept his gaze forward. His eyebrow immediately lifted.

Two identical Dantai Xuans stood before him. They looked exactly the same on the surface. But their auras were night and day.

One radiated cold indifference. Even with flushed cheeks, she still felt utterly frigid—as though she possessed no emotions at all.

The other showed far more expression. When she looked at him, her face carried a trace of shyness, but mostly relief and eager anticipation, as though she had finally seen her savior. Her eyes also held that bone-deep, contented laziness. And when she gazed at him, there was even a faint, poorly hidden hunger lurking beneath the surface…

From those small details alone, Ye Chen instantly knew which one was the true self. He didn't even need to ask. Seeing that she had genuinely awakened, a soft smile touched Ye Chen's lips.

Although he wasn't close with his senior sister, he felt a strong sense of belonging to the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land. As a fellow disciple, he was sincerely glad to see her recover. He was sure his senior brother would feel the same.

Still, Ye Chen didn't let his guard down. The Supreme Emotionless Scripture was strange and powerful. Who could say whether both of these were actually the Supreme, and everything was just an act? So he looked at Dantai Xuan's true self and asked, "Senior Sister, have you really awakened?"

Dantai Xuan's true self nodded at once. "I really have awakened… The path of human desire inside the Divine Maiden Furnace is the complete opposite of the Supreme's rules. I borrowed the power of human desire to strengthen myself, gradually awakened, and eventually grew strong enough to break free of the chains and stand against her as an equal. All of this is thanks to you, Junior Brother! Now, please help me…"

Ye Chen raised a hand to stop her. "How can I be sure you're really you—and not a trap she set for me?"

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Dantai Xuan froze. She thought for a moment, opened her mouth to speak—only for her body to tremble violently. A soft hum escaped her lips, and it took her a long while to find her voice again.

Ye Chen felt a little awkward looking at her. He spoke up quickly. "Should I quiet the Divine Maiden Furnace first?"

Dantai Xuan's true self shook her head frantically. "No—absolutely not! If the Divine Maiden Furnace stops, once the path of human desire in my body runs out, her influence will return. I'll weaken again, fall back into slumber… So it cannot stop. Not under any circumstances."

She racked her brain, trying to think of a way to prove she was truly herself. But she barely knew Ye Chen. They shared almost no memories. There was nothing she could use to convince him.

Dantai Xuan felt a wave of helplessness. Still, she understood why Ye Chen was being so cautious. If he were tricked and ended up helping erase her true self, he would only be doing her harm. The problem was—she had no way to prove it.

Dantai Xuan's true self spread her hands helplessly. "Junior Brother, I really have no way to prove it!"

Ye Chen lifted his gaze to her and spoke softly. "Senior Sister, I have a way."

Her eyes lit up at once. "What way?"

Ye Chen asked seriously, "Senior Sister, tell me—what is the one thing you want most right now, deep in your heart?"

At those words, Dantai Xuan's true self couldn't help but fix her gaze on him. She stared at his body—not deliberately bulky, yet perfectly proportioned, brimming with restrained power. Her eyes even drifted downward involuntarily. But she quickly caught herself. Her cheeks flushed crimson. "Junior Brother, why are you asking that?"

Ye Chen sensed the direction of her gaze and realized his phrasing had been off. He quickly rephrased. "Senior Sister, what I mean is—if I were to give you a gift right now, what would you want?"

Dantai Xuan reluctantly tore her eyes away. Her body trembled for a moment. Only after her gaze returned to its lazy yet clear state did she begin to think seriously about what she truly desired.

After a brief pause, she spoke. "Right now, I feel like my entire being is on fire. It's been burning like this for three full years. What I want most is something cool and refreshing—something that can douse the heat, and it has to work on the divine soul level…"

The Divine Maiden Furnace's effects were terrifying. It had turned Dantai Xuan's true self into something like a living furnace at the very core of her soul. Three years of unrelenting flames—it was unbearable. With nowhere to vent, even just finding something icy to suppress it would help.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, then said, "Senior Sister, wait just a second."

The next instant—In the near-infinite sea of spirit plants within Ye Chen's cave heaven, one silver stalk rose gracefully into the air. The Divine Maiden Furnace's lid lifted automatically, revealing a narrow gap.

The spirit plant slipped inside and floated above Dantai Xuan's physical body. After Ye Chen opened the gate to her sea of consciousness, the plant drifted in and settled gently into his palm.

The moment it entered, Dantai Xuan's true self brightened visibly. Even from a distance, the plant carried an extremely comfortable chill that soothed her instantly. The inner flames dimmed noticeably, bringing instant relief.

Ye Chen held the plant in both hands and addressed her true self. "Senior Sister, this is the Frost Marrow Ice Soul Grass. It's a supreme spirit plant that can only grow atop ten-thousand-year frost marrow.

"Once refined, it acts directly on the divine soul. Top-tier cultivators use it mainly when refining divine fire or attempting breakthroughs into fire-based divine abilities—to protect both soul and body from the divine flames' damage…

"It's also remarkably effective against opponents who specialize in fire-based divine abilities. Give it a try, Senior Sister."

Dantai Xuan's true self's eyes sparkled at once. Without standing on ceremony, she reached out and took it. With a single thought, she refined it in an instant. In the blink of an eye, icy spiritual Qi spread outward, quickly enveloping her divine soul.

Dantai Xuan let out a long, blissful sigh—nearly collapsing to the ground from sheer relief. After three years of torment, the flames had finally been suppressed, even if just a little. It felt indescribably good.

Ye Chen noticed that on the other side, the ever-silent Supreme Dantai Xuan had also let a trace of comfort show on her face. He raised an eyebrow.

So their sensations were linked? Interesting. But the Frost Marrow Ice Soul Grass only suppressed the flames—it dulled the scorching heat. The inevitable sensations still came.

Soon, Dantai Xuan's true self's eyes glazed over again. She trembled for a while, exhaling a puff of cold breath. She shot an annoyed glance at the Supreme Dantai Xuan. What a free ride for that one.

But she didn't dwell on it. Turning back to Ye Chen, she said, "Thank you, Junior Brother... I feel so much better now. But you still haven't told me—how are you going to prove that I'm really me? I genuinely can't think of anything."

Meanwhile, Ye Chen glanced at his system interface and smiled.

"Congratulations, Host. Gift successfully presented…"

"Gift: Frost Marrow Ice Soul Grass!"

"Seven-thousandfold feedback in progress…"

"Detected: The gift is of extreme importance to the recipient…"

"Critical strike feedback triggered…"

"Feedback…"

A critical strike. Not the absolute maximum, but the presence of emotional fluctuation was enough. It proved that the Dantai Xuan before him was truly her real self. The Supreme one—cold, detached, driven solely by self-interest and willing to sacrifice anything—could never trigger a critical strike.

So, under Dantai Xuan's frustrated gaze, Ye Chen simply smiled. "I already believe you're the real Senior Sister. Now, why don't you tell me how you'd like me to help?"

Dantai Xuan's true self brightened at once. The Supreme Dantai Xuan, however, furrowed her brows.

Soon, Dantai Xuan's true self spoke. "Junior Brother, let's join forces and suppress her first. Then we erase her completely."

Ye Chen nodded noncommittally. He wasn't familiar with the Supreme Emotionless Scripture. So he would follow his senior sister's lead.

But at that moment, the Supreme Dantai Xuan spoke up. "It's useless… You and I are inseparable. Erasing me erases you as well. If I weaken, so do you. This only damages our shared strength. I advise against it… The Supreme, once born, can only coexist. It cannot be destroyed."

Yet Dantai Xuan's true self ignored her completely and prepared to strike.

Ye Chen raised a hand to stop her. "Senior Sister, rest for now. I'll handle this."

Dantai Xuan's true self hesitated. The Supreme Emotionless Scripture specialized in divine soul cultivation. Those who practiced it possessed a divine sense several—or even dozens—of times stronger than others of the same realm.

And this was her own sea of consciousness, where the Supreme also received a boost. If Ye Chen acted alone, it wouldn't be easy. Still, Dantai Xuan's true self didn't refuse. She decided to watch the situation first and step in only if necessary.