Immortality Starts With Investment

Chapter 401: Divine Maiden, I Believe You!

"Divine Maiden, you should store the Enlightenment Tea leaves first. It'd be a pity if their dao charm dissipated!"

Fan Qinghe wasn't shy about accepting gifts, but she was playing a bigger game, aiming to reel in even greater rewards. She didn't want to appear too eager.

Ye Chen's initiative gave her a graceful way to accept without seeming overly eager. Caught off guard but grateful, she thanked him again and carefully stored the five leaves.

Five Enlightenment Tea leaves would greatly aid her future cultivation. The Fourth Holy Son is so considerate, she mused, resuming her explanation of the Heavenly Desire Sect's Nirvana Scripture.

Ye Chen, however, wasn't being particularly considerate. The Enlightenment Tea leaves had a tranquilizing effect, subtly influencing those nearby even without brewing.

Fan Qinghe's every move radiated allure, each gesture like a dance. Ye Chen relished the heat of her charm and didn't want the leaves' calming effect to dampen it. With the leaves stored, he continued to admire her openly.

Fan Qinghe didn't mind his gaze. In fact, she'd "unintentionally" make subtle movements, showcasing her stunning figure and captivating aura.

"The world claims our Heavenly Desire Sect's Heart-Seed Demon Nirvana Scripture is a demonic technique that ruins its practitioners, but that's a misunderstanding. At its core, it benefits both parties.

"The Nirvana Scripture does absorb everything from the recipient, starting with their spiritual sense, across four enlightenments. But this absorption causes no harm. It even leaves behind a seed. As long as the recipient cultivates diligently, they can break through their former limits, achieving greater heights.

"For example, five thousand years ago, one of our divine maidens chose a disciple as her protector. During the first nirvana, she absorbed most of his spiritual sense. The world thought he'd be crippled. But in losing it, he gained deeper insights, recognizing flaws in his prior spiritual sense cultivation. With this understanding, he re-cultivated, and his spiritual sense surpassed its previous limits several times over, achieving Deity Transformation and forging a supreme primordial spirit.

"The same applied to his bloodline, talent, and cultivation later on. As long as that seed remains, loss isn't the end—it's a chance to transcend limits. Take the Heavenly Emperor. His Supreme Heart swept the cosmos. But before he cultivated, he didn't have a supreme heart—only a Supreme Bone. And it was dug out.

"Yet, at the Mahayana stage, he discovered a seed left behind where the bone had been. From it, he forged the mightier Supreme Heart, ascending to immortality and dominating all other true immortals with it…"

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Fan Qinghe earnestly cited examples of breaking and rebuilding to support her claims.

"So, the Heart-Seed Demon Nirvana Scripture is no demonic technique. While our divine maidens gain enhancements and absorb everything from their protectors, we're also paving their path to immortality. In the end, both ascend together as an immortal couple. Sadly, too few understand this, and even fewer can achieve it. This has caused our sect to suffer countless unjust accusations…"

By the end, her large, luminous eyes gazed at Ye Chen with sorrow, heart-wrenching.

Ye Chen nearly laughed. Her explanation almost sounded reasonable. So, the protectors drained by the Heavenly Desire Sect's divine maidens should thank them?

The catch? Not everyone was the Heavenly Emperor, capable of growing a Supreme Heart from a seed after losing a bone.

Most top prodigies couldn't manage it. Using rare exceptions to whitewash the truth—only a Heavenly Desire divine maiden could pull that off.

He smirked inwardly but nodded earnestly. "I see. It's shameful that those too weak to seize the opportunity blame your sect instead. True champions reflect on their own failings. Only cowards point fingers at others."

Fan Qinghe was momentarily stunned, unsure if Ye Chen was being sarcastic. He was too agreeable. Still, she pressed on. "The Holy Son speaks truly. For us Heavenly Desire divine maidens, our protector is our dao companion. After each nirvana, when we absorb from our protector, we pour everything into helping them recover, aiding their continued cultivation.

"Even if their path truly ends, our divine maidens never abandon them. We stay by their side until the end, even dying together. In our entire lives, we never wrong our protectors. Without love, treating them merely as cauldrons, how could we do this?

"Yet the world still slanders us, filled with prejudice. Today, at my debut, I felt so many unkind gazes, especially from men, all doubting me. I fear that if I meet a man I truly love and give my all, he'll always suspect I have ulterior motives. This fear might even birth a heart demon. Holy Son, right now, I wish I could abandon my divine maiden status, become an ordinary female cultivator, and stay by my beloved's side…"

By the end, her luminous eyes shimmered with tears, gazing at Ye Chen as if conveying deep feelings, hinting that her beloved was right before her.

Ye Chen sensed her emotions and mentally applauded. Her acting could've made her a superstar on his old world's screens. Her words were technically true. They did help protectors recover after draining them—but only to drain them again later.

If a protector's cultivation couldn't progress, the divine maiden's subsequent nirvanas would yield poor results, leaving her unfulfilled. As for staying with a crippled protector until death? Also true.

But Ye Chen saw it as a reputation management tactic. Male cultivators weren't fools. If a divine maiden drained you and then ran off with someone else, even the most devoted simp would hesitate.

But a reputation for lifelong devotion offered emotional value. Protectors would be braver, more willing to sacrifice. Even if drained to ruin, the divine maiden would stay by their side—a psychological comfort, a safety net. Like gacha games in his past life: no one played without a pity system.

Though he saw through it, Ye Chen's face showed only heartache and understanding. His eyes locked onto hers with deep affection. "Why should the divine maiden feel this way? Even if you stand against the entire cultivation world, I'll be by your side, never wavering. I'm willing to be your protector, to walk the immortal path with you… Divine maiden, please cast your technique on me!"

His final words sounded like a proposal, his hands tightly grasping hers, conveying unwavering resolve.

Fan Qinghe froze.

Why would I need to stand against the entire cultivation world?