Immortality Starts With Investment

The bid landed, and bewildered cultivators throughout the hall gasped once more. Was this how one raised the price?

Those in the know from the myriad races smiled faintly. The plan to harvest Ye Chen had officially begun. They had agreed beforehand to form a pricing alliance—nothing less than a tenfold premium. They would wring him dry.

Ye Chen, unfazed, even amused, called out, "Forty million!"

"Fifty million!"

"Sixty million!"

…

"One hundred million!"

The bids flew back and forth, each increment ten million. When Ye Chen reached the astronomical one hundred million, the hall plunged into dead silence. Uninformed cultivators gaped at the Spiritual Qi Origin Essence, minds racing with confusion.

Had some new function been discovered? Or was a dragon egg sealed inside? Why else command a hundred million top-grade spirit stones? Who was this madman? Surely a shill planted by the auction house—to inflate the final price and hype later items?

Amid the crowd's bewilderment, the three War God Clan Half-Saints rejoiced inwardly. Jackpot—this was a massive windfall!

A hundred million top-grade spirit stones were a fortune even for their clan. And the Spiritual Qi Origin Essence would return intact afterward. Once activated, it couldn't be stopped. They might even keep it for themselves.

Pure profit—absolute profit! They'd struck gold!

…

In his box, Ye Chen watched the auctioneer hammer down excitedly, confirming the item was his. A deeply satisfied smile spread across his face.

Spiritual Qi Origin Essence was normally unobtainable—even with spirit stones in hand. Buying it at tenfold price, even gifting to non-critical Luo Bingling, yielded an eight-thousand-fold return. Not to mention harvesting their origin later.

Pure profit—absolute profit. He'd struck gold this time!

…

Beside him, Yao Yuezhi—though long aware of the auction's truth—winced at seeing him spend a hundred million on mere Spiritual Qi Origin Essence. Far too costly. Yet she knew his cave heaven origin languished, desperately needing nourishment. Even knowing the tenfold markup, he had to have it.

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"Brother, they're too much…"

Her emerald eyes reddened with guilt and self-reproach, voice choking. "If I hadn't taken so much from you…"

Ye Chen reached out, gently stroking her head, gaze tender and resolute. "It's not your fault. I gave willingly. Your well-being matters more than anything."

The simple words flowed like a warm current into her heart, deepening her emotion. Just then, the auction manager entered respectfully, bearing the Spiritual Qi Origin Essence.

After Ye Chen inspected it thoroughly and nodded approval, the manager smiled obsequiously. "How does the Heavenly Emperor heir intend to settle the payment?"

Without reply, Ye Chen casually plucked a handful of spiritual plants from his cave heaven and tossed them onto the tray.

"Enough?"

The manager froze, then scanned the plants. His eyes widened. A rough estimate confirmed it more than covered. Minor discrepancies aside, the War God Clan would be ecstatic. No need to consult further.

And indeed, when the manager delivered the payment to the War God Clan box, seeing over twenty spiritual plants, their eyes lit like beacons. One even opened his vertical pupil in excitement, startling the manager.

"The Heavenly Emperor heir must have emptied his hidden stock of spiritual plants."

"Tsk tsk. Slip the manager one later—have him bump our other items forward. Otherwise, at tenfold each time, I worry we'll drain him dry too soon."

"We've struck gold. He's losing everything this round."

"And it's not just his foundations—he'll lose his life too!"

The War God Clan members brimmed with glee. Other watchful clans, receiving the news, brightened as well. Spiritual plants were precious—and inheritable. Some, nurtured centuries or millennia, could even spawn offspring. For great clans, this held the greatest value.

"Harvest him. Keep harvesting. Bleed him dry today…"

They resolved inwardly, sharpening their blades for the next round.

…

In the auction hall, the next item was prepared to take the stage.

Ye Chen toyed briefly with the Spiritual Qi Origin Essence before presenting it to Yao Yuezhi.

"Yuezhi, this is for you. Place it in your cave heaven."

Yao Yuezhi, still steeped in distress, had ached watching him suffer such exploitation—though not her spirit stones, her gratitude for him ran deep. Seeing him bled at tenfold premium felt like knives to her heart. Now, hearing this, her eyes widened in shock.

Brother bid at such markup—only to gift it to her? This…

She waved frantically, even rising to step back, voice urgent and firm. "Brother, your cave heaven origin is depleted. You need this! My Demon Spirit cave heaven is fine—I don't require it."

She truly refused. She only wished his recovery.

Ye Chen merely smiled. "Your Demon Spirit Cave Heaven formed recently—its spiritual density remains low! You've planted many top-tier spiritual plants lately. Without sufficient density, how can they thrive safely?"

Yao Yuezhi's heart swelled further, emotions tangled. Brother's own realm teetered on exhaustion, yet he considered her realm so meticulously—even her plants' growth. He truly loved her deeply. But precisely because of that, she refused harder. She couldn't let him sacrifice more.

"Brother, I've scattered top-grade spirit stone dust across the soil—it's manageable."

Ye Chen chuckled. "Top-grade spirit stones pale beside Spiritual Qi Origin Essence. It vastly boosts survival rates and growth—elevating your realm's charm and your cultivation speed! Spirit stones can't compare. No refusing—or leave now and never return…"

His gentle yet unyielding tone misted Yao Yuezhi's eyes, tears threatening to spill.

Seeing her relent, Ye Chen smiled in satisfaction. He gently wiped her eye corners. "There, there—no crying! This is good. I'll place it myself…"

"Mm, open the entrance a little…"

"Don't tense up—I'm coming in!"