Immortality Starts With Investment

Chapter 624: Is Ye Chen Harboring Ulterior Motives?

Atop Holy Maiden Peak, every cultivator listening to the lecture buzzed with excitement, their initial reservations about Ye Chen's identity long forgotten. They eagerly raised their hands, vying for a chance to ask questions and receive his guidance.

Ye Chen selected fairly and randomly. The first two female cultivators, after receiving his advice, sat down flushed and satisfied. When it came to the final question slot, Lan Feifei brimmed with confidence. Surely, the Fourth Holy Son would choose her. Hadn't he singled her out before, gifting her such precious treasures?

But her confidence faltered. Ye Chen's gaze skipped her, landing on a captivating female cultivator. "What would you like to ask?" he said.

Lan Feifei was stunned. Why hadn't he chosen her? After all those gifts, didn't he hold her in special regard? The enchanting female cultivator, delighted, blushed as she posed her cultivation question. Ye Chen answered effortlessly, his detailed response leaving her eyes sparkling.

Then, to her greater surprise—and Lan Feifei's dismay—Ye Chen looked at the woman with clear appreciation. "You have great insight," he said. "This is an Ancient Charm Pill. It will sharpen your sensitivity to the Charm of the Dao, helping you reach the peak of the Unity Stage sooner."

The crowd gasped as he presented the divine pill. Ancient Charm Pills, made from the extinct Enlightenment Tea Tree leaves, had been lost for ages. They could drastically shorten a Unity Stage cultivator's training time, their value far exceeding a million top-grade spirit stones. And Ye Chen was giving it away?

All eyes turned to the enchanting cultivator with envy. Trembling, her voice soft and sweet, she stammered, "Holy Son, this is too precious…"

Ye Chen smiled, stepping closer. He gently took her smooth hand, placing the pill box in her palm. "No need for formalities. If you truly wish to thank me, join Holy Maiden Peak."

She didn't mind him holding her hand—in fact, she offered her other hand eagerly. Joining Holy Maiden Peak? No issue at all. She agreed instantly. In the past, the Holy Maiden's aloofness and lack of resources deterred others from joining. But now? Joining meant proximity to the Holy Son, whose generosity at Ascension Peak was legendary. Surely, Holy Maiden Peak's benefits would be just as lavish.

As the enchanting cultivator agreed, other disciples—male and female—raised their hands.

"Holy Son, I want to join too!"

"Holy Son, I have a dream!"

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"Holy Son, please let me join Holy Maiden Peak!"

Ye Chen smiled faintly, waving them off, selecting only female cultivators with potential exceeding a thousandfold. His standards were high—only those above this threshold were worth his attention. Six female disciples were confirmed to join, each receiving an Enlightenment Tea Tree leaf as a welcome gift, sparking another wave of envy.

Undoubtedly, Holy Maiden Peak was poised to become one of the most sought-after peaks in Heavenly Intention Holy Land.

With the gifting complete, the system's maxed-out critical hit notifications rang in Ye Chen's mind. He was deeply satisfied. Next lecture, even more female cultivators would surely attend. Filling Holy Maiden Peak with high-potential disciples would ensure that, once he and the fiancée became Dao companions, he'd have options if she were unavailable. After carefully explaining the divine pill's usage, Ye Chen released the enchanting cultivator's hand without lingering and returned to Yi Qingwu's cave abode.

The enchanting cultivator looked crestfallen. The Holy Son had held her hand so intently—she'd hoped for a private lecture.

…

When word of the Fourth Holy Son's first lecture spread, Heavenly Intention Holy Land was stunned. Charm Pills, Enlightenment Tea Tree leaves—each priceless, yet Ye Chen gave them away. Disciples who had dismissed the lecture and stayed away now regretted missing a fortune. Even those once hostile toward Ye Chen began to question: could someone so generous truly be the villain rumors painted? More and more resolved to attend the next lecture, hoping to catch the Holy Son's eye.

For a week, Ye Chen's actions dominated the Holy Land's discussions.

…

The higher-ups of Heavenly Intention Holy Land also caught wind of Ye Chen's spectacle. The Holy Master and several elders sat together, their expressions varied. Initially, they'd viewed the marriage alliance as a mere transaction. They hadn't expected Ye Chen to not only join their Holy Land but also lecture and give extravagant gifts—treasures that even supreme elders coveted.

"Could Qingwu have tamed Ye Chen, making him genuinely want to integrate into our Holy Land?" one elder speculated.

The Holy Master frowned, puzzled. But a mature female elder, her cold phoenix eyes glinting with suspicion and hostility, sneered. "Impossible. I wager Ye Chen harbors ill intentions. He might be using these lectures to spread flawed teachings, undermining our prodigies' foundations. We can't underestimate him. Next lecture, I'll personally observe. If there's an issue, we'll seize him and cripple his cultivation as a warning."

The Holy Master and others couldn't agree to such drastic measures. They stayed silent, knowing this elder's close friend had died at the hands of Heavenly Evolution Holy Land, fueling her deep animosity toward Ye Chen and the marriage alliance. Crippling him was out of the question.

The Holy Master spoke calmly. "Elder Ling, please attend the next lecture discreetly and assess if Ye Chen has ulterior motives. If you find anything, report to us, and we'll handle him."

Elder Ling nodded, her eyes burning with resolve to expose Ye Chen's true nature.

A week later, the next lecture began. The crowd was massive—over five thousand disciples. Though numerous, the quality had dipped. Aside from those already recruited to Holy Maiden Peak, only two had thousandfold potential. But Ye Chen's eyes soon sparkled. In the void, he spotted a mature, aloof female cultivator. Her cultivation was at the Third Heaven of Mahayana Stage, with a staggering two-thousandfold potential.

She'd arrived at the perfect moment.