Immortality Starts With Investment

Chapter 384: I Have a Friend…

Ye Chen stood in the void, calmly inspecting his arms. The punch from Yao Gu's Heaven and Earth Manifestation had felt formidable, carrying the force of void severance with devastating power. Yet, it left not a single mark on his body.

A satisfied smile spread across Ye Chen's face. The Indestructible Scripture was indeed a technique surpassing even immortal scriptures. Even at the introductory level, its effects were already this potent.

Beyond that, Ye Chen was equally pleased with his mastery of the Ten Vicious Treasure Techniques. Cultivating beneath the Enlightenment Tea Tree had allowed him to refine his skills and address his weaknesses.

As expected, his command of the Ten Vicious Treasure Techniques had advanced significantly. This sparring session had served its purpose.

Ye Chen glanced at Yao Gu, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. Yao Gu was clearly rattled, back to calling him "brother-in-law." But Ye Chen could tell his eyes lacked genuine sincerity. So, in an instant, he surged forward…

"Brother-in-law, no!"

"Brother-in-law, not there!"

"Brother-in-law, please, not the face!"

"Brother-in-law, I swear I know I was wrong—stop hitting me!"

In a flash, the Heaven and Earth Manifestation shattered with a boom. All that remained was Yao Gu's voice, pleading for mercy as he took a beating.

…

Not far from the courtyard, in a hidden pocket of the void, Yao Gu's protector shook his head as he listened.

"I told him not to provoke him, but he just had to court trouble. Now look—he's getting thrashed."

The protector had no intention of intervening. Ye Chen wasn't radiating killing intent; this was clearly just a lesson. If Ye Chen meant to kill, Yao Gu would already be dead. So, the protector wasn't worried. Instead, he marveled with a hint of admiration, "Our Holy Son is truly impressive!"

Elder Mo rolled his eyes, correcting the shameless old man. "That's our Heavenly Evolution Holy Land's Holy Son."

Yao Gu's protector shook his head. "You're mistaken! The Fourth Holy Son and our Holy Maiden are practically family. Our Holy Maiden has awakened her Primordial Spirit Body. The clan is sparing no expense to boost her cultivation, teaching her immortal scriptures and even opening a special secret realm just for her. All to help her grow. In a few years, when she emerges from seclusion, they'll marry, and the Fourth Holy Son will belong to both our families."

Elder Mo smirked, a touch of schadenfreude in his voice. "No one in your Yao family's been giving the new Holy Maiden a hard time, right? Let me tell you, Ye Chen's incredibly petty when it comes to his women. Here's something outsiders don't know.

"Back at the Sword Sect, a male cultivator pursued Ye Chen's master, right? Ye Chen thanked him to his face but then gifted treasures to the guy's junior sister right in front of him. When he left, he even took the junior sister back to the Holy Land.

"Word is, that male cultivator couldn't handle it and turned gray overnight. Our Holy Son's vindictiveness is unmatched. He doesn't just kill—he destroys hearts. If anyone in your Yao family dares bully the new Holy Maiden, he'll storm your gates. Your son-in-law might just turn into your enemy."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Yao Gu's protector was stunned. That happened? The Fourth Holy Son's methods were ruthless indeed. He seemed decent in other respects, not particularly petty. But when it came to women, he held grudges like no other.

Watching Yao Gu take a beating now, the protector was even more convinced of Ye Chen's vengeful streak. If they wanted to stay on his good side, they'd better handle things properly. When he returned, he'd have to check—make sure no one in the clan was secretly mistreating the Holy Maiden.

…

Seeing Yao Gu's eyes finally clear with sincerity, Ye Chen stopped his assault.

The chaos qi dissipated, and the pure land dissolved into nothingness.

With a faint smile, Ye Chen looked at Yao Gu and said calmly, "Feeling clear-headed now? Still want me to compensate for the chariot?"

At the mention of compensation, Yao Gu—who looked barely human after the beating but had startlingly lucid eyes—shuddered. He immediately gazed at Ye Chen with gratitude. "Brother-in-law, I'm wide awake! After my breakthrough, I was swayed by inner demons. I thought I was invincible and did a lot of foolish things.

"Thankfully, I ran into you here in White Emperor City, and you personally beat some sense into me, banishing those demons. If it weren't for you, I'd have surely perished in the future. Brother-in-law, you've practically saved my life. This debt of gratitude is hard to repay. In my next life, I'll turn into a woman and serve you!"

Ye Chen's mouth twitched.

You've got some wild dreams, huh? Turning into a woman to mooch gifts off me?

Still, Yao Gu's quick change of tune was impressive. As a scion of a great clan, he knew how to bend when needed. Even when acting cocky, he never burned bridges completely, always leaving room to backpedal. No wonder he'd survived two thrashings from Ye Chen. If Ying Tianjing had half this awareness, he wouldn't have ended up dead by Ye Chen's hand.

Ye Chen sat cross-legged on his soft couch, looking at Yao Gu calmly. "How's Yao Xi doing?"

As Ye Chen settled down, Yao Gu hurriedly crouched and answered earnestly. "The Holy Maiden is doing well. She's awakened her Primordial Spirit Body, thanks to consuming the Glazed Pure Water. The results were remarkable. Her cultivation is progressing rapidly. She's already reached early Nascent Soul.

"Don't worry, brother-in-law. Our clan's closely guarded methods ensure her rapid progress won't harm her foundation. Before I left, an elder took her to a secret realm overseas owned by our Yao family to acquire some inheritances. She'll stay there until she breaks through to Deity Transformation."

Ye Chen smiled at the news. Yao Xi was already at early Nascent Soul? As expected of an ancient immortal clan like the Yao family—their resources were profound. Still, her being in an overseas secret realm was a bit disappointing. He'd planned to visit his senior sister after wrapping things up in White Emperor City.

Yao Gu's attitude, though, pleased Ye Chen greatly. As expected, a good beating made him talk sense.

"The Heavenly Desire Sect's divine maiden will appear in three days?"

Ye Chen shifted to another topic that piqued his interest.

Yao Gu nodded immediately, a flicker of excitement in his eyes. "Indeed, three days from now, this generation's divine maiden will officially begin her worldly cultivation by the Pure Moon River. I have a friend who… well, not exactly sneaked in, but was fortunate enough to be invited to the Heavenly Desire Sect to discuss the Dao with one of their elite female disciples.

"On his way out, he caught a fleeting glimpse of this generation's divine maiden. Though he didn't see her face clearly, it still left… my friend utterly stunned. He said she's the most perfect being in the world. All the other Heavenly Desire Sect disciples combined couldn't compare. Even the sect leader, the previous divine maiden, pales in comparison! Her amber… Uh, anyway, my friend thinks she's flawless. In terms of appearance, she's on par with Yi Qingwu, each with their own unique charm."

Yao Gu spoke with conviction.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow.

Your friend? Yeah, right. It's obviously you.

No wonder Yao Gu had been hyped about the divine maiden's debut years ago. And the moment he arrived in White Emperor City, he'd come straight to Ye Chen to borrow his chariot. But Yao Gu, as a member of an ancient immortal clan, must have seen countless female cultivators. To be this awestruck without even seeing her face?

That made Ye Chen even more curious about this Heavenly Desire Sect divine maiden. He asked casually, "Has the name of this divine maiden spread yet?"

Without hesitation, Yao Gu replied, "Fan Qinghe!"