One week later.

Ye Chen slowly emerged from his cave heaven, exhaling a long, contented breath with a pleased expression. Luo Bingling had proven utterly defenseless. Lu Jing, by contrast, was gentle as water yet possessed remarkable endurance.

At one point, Luo Bingling had even called Lu Jing "sister," which had made the whole affair especially amusing. The agreed-upon week had passed. It was time to formally present the gift. And the gift in question needed no further explanation.

Striding out of the meditation chamber with confidence, he found Yan Qingcheng and the golden-robed elder already waiting. Seeing that Ye Chen's aura was steady and fully restored, both of them let out relieved sighs.

"I've recovered completely. Moreover, that battle withthe Celestial Prince brought me enormous gains—my Heavenly Emperor Fist has advanced by leaps and bounds… So please, Qingcheng, Senior—don't look so concerned anymore. I don't want either of you to feel any pressure because of me."

Ye Chen spoke gently, comforting them both. His words touched them deeply.

The golden-robed elder no longer hesitated. Having resolved to invest in Ye Chen and secure an Immortal Realm spot for his daughter, he would not drag his feet for even a moment.

"Ye Chen, since you've already recovered fully, come with us to the Origin Pool. For a Saint, it offers truly unparalleled cultivation speed. The cosmic origin there has already been purified and can be absorbed and refined with ease, rapidly boosting your cultivation. Our Heavenly Emperor Hall possesses many such resources. Come with Qingcheng and me now to take a look!"

The elder extended the invitation directly, while subtly emphasizing the depth of the Heavenly Emperor Hall's foundations. That way, when the time came to formally propose making Ye Chen the true Heir, their sincerity would carry even greater weight.

Ye Chen nodded with genuine anticipation. Although he already possessed the Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron, which allowed him to cultivate at extreme speed in the Saint realm, who would ever complain about going even faster? He agreed without the slightest reservation.

Under the golden-robed elder's guidance, he and Yan Qingcheng headed deeper into the Heavenly Emperor Hall. The palace was vast beyond measure, containing numerous cave heavens and blessed lands within.

Before long, the elder led them to a teleportation array and activated the portal. The three stepped inside and vanished from the spot in an instant.

The next moment, they appeared inside another cave heaven. Before their eyes stretched a vast silver divine pool. The pool was enormous—hundreds of li in both length and width.

What flowed within it was none other than the origin energy of this universe. This was the accumulation of many years by the Heavenly Emperor Hall, precisely enough to allow one top-tier prodigy to break through to the peak of the Saint realm.

Standing in midair, Ye Chen merely gazed upon it and already felt refreshed and invigorated. Deep within his body, something trembled with eagerness, yearning to devour every last drop of origin energy in the pool below. This was truly the kind of heritage only a great power could possess. For an ordinary cultivator, acquiring so much cosmic origin energy would take an entire lifetime.

Yet after a single glance, Ye Chen already understood. This much origin energy might be sufficient for Yan Qingcheng to reach the peak of a Saint. For him, however, it fell far short. His overwhelming strength stemmed fundamentally from his physique, his immortal spiritual root, and his heaven-defying Divine Ability.

He could contain far more power than an ordinary cultivator, which naturally meant he required vastly more cosmic origin to break through. This amount would probably only carry him to mid-stage Saint at best. Reaching the late stage would be difficult, let alone the peak.

Even so, Ye Chen felt not the slightest anxiety. After all, with such a massive volume of origin energy right in front of him, even if he simply handed it all to Yan Qingcheng, the 7,000x feedback—without even needing a critical hit—would surely be more than enough, likely far exceeding what he needed for his own breakthrough. With that, he could advance to Saint King at an even more astonishing pace.

Noticing the flash of delight in Ye Chen's eyes, the golden-robed elder smiled and spoke.

"This Origin Pool has been accumulating for a very long time. It was originally prepared for Qingcheng, perfectly sufficient for her to reach the peak of Saint. If the two of you split it equally, you might each only reach the late stage, or approach it at best. But you have already formed a deadly enmity with the Celestial Prince. He could emerge at any moment. You must raise your cultivation as quickly as possible.

"Qingcheng was deeply worried for you, so she made the decision. She will give you the entire Origin Pool to help you reach the peak of Saint at the fastest possible speed. And while you cultivate here, our Heavenly Emperor Hall will spare no effort to search for the supreme sealing techniques you require!

This tale has been pilfered from Freewebnovel. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"We have already located one, though it is only suitable for the Chaos Body. But rest assured—whatever you need in the future, the Heavenly Emperor Hall will do everything in its power to help you obtain it."

As the elder spoke grandly, he simultaneously built up goodwill on his daughter's behalf. He knew she harbored pride in her heart and was unwilling to share a man with others. But she was still too young. What use was pride when compared to cultivation and eternal life?

Most importantly, Ye Chen was loyal and righteous. No matter how many women he had, he never forgot the old ones for the new. A man like that was genuinely well-suited for his daughter.

Hearing her father's words, Yan Qingcheng's cheeks flushed faintly… Though she did indeed care for Ye Chen and was willing to give him the entire Origin Pool, it was purely out of gratitude. Yet when her father phrased it this way, the meaning shifted entirely.

Ye Chen turned to look at her, his gaze bright with emotion. Originally, he had expected only half. Now he would receive it all. Nothing could be better. So he clasped his hands toward the golden-robed elder and offered Yan Qingcheng a warm, gentle smile.

"In that case… many thanks to Fairy Yan and Senior for your generous favor…"

The elder had originally worried that Ye Chen might refuse or insist on sharing the pool with his daughter and leaving her half. He had prepared a whole speech of persuasion. Yet none of it proved necessary. Ye Chen had accepted so readily?

For a moment, the elder felt a flicker of suspicion—could Ye Chen have come here specifically for the Origin Pool? After all, Ye Chen's talent was already sufficient. What he lacked was only a cultivation base.

Yan Qingcheng was mildly surprised as well, but her naturally magnanimous nature made her especially pleased by Ye Chen's straightforward acceptance. She disliked excessive modesty and back-and-forth refusals—she preferred honesty and directness. Ye Chen had given her so much; if she failed to repay him, the guilt would weigh heavily on her heart.

…

Despite the whirlwind of thoughts and lingering doubts in the golden-robed elder's mind, he had already made his decision—and once an action was taken, he would never go back on his word. To retract now would not only erase any favor owed but would also offend the other party.

With a decisive wave of his hand, the golden-robed elder declared, "Very well. Ye Chen, you remain here and cultivate without moving. Qingcheng and I will depart at once. I'll immediately set out to find a method for you to form the seal."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he turned briskly, ready to leave with Yan Qingcheng in tow.

Yan Qingcheng showed no trace of reluctance toward the Origin Pool. She gave Ye Chen a gentle smile, then turned her graceful, statuesque figure and prepared to depart.

Although she had yielded the Origin Pool to him, she had not abandoned her path of cultivation. Next, she would rely on fragments of immortal artifacts to cultivate, while the immortal cultivation world offered other methods to rapidly absorb and condense cosmic origin energy—none, however, as convenient as the Origin Pool.

Just then, Ye Chen spoke.

"Fairy Yan, please wait a moment."

Yan Qingcheng paused, her long, elegant legs halting mid-step. She slowly turned back, a soft smile on her lips as she looked at him, curious what else he had to say.

Ye Chen returned a faint smile and said quietly, "I also have something I wish to give to Fairy Yan."

Yan Qingcheng's expression immediately became complicated. The treasures she had already received from Ye Chen were far too many. Even with her grateful nature, she already felt she could never repay him. How could she possibly accept more?

Moreover, remembering how he had previously turned around and gifted her the immortal artifact fragment right after she received it, she opened her mouth to refuse. But she was too late.

Ye Chen spoke directly and calmly: "Fairy, since you gifted me the Origin Pool, it now belongs to me. I understand very well how difficult it is to gather cosmic origin energy, and I am unwilling to let you waste your time in vain. More importantly, I can see that you still harbor the ambition to contend for the path to immortality. How could I allow you to linger in the Saint realm for decades or even a century? Therefore, I wish to gift the Origin Pool back to you."

His voice remained even and measured, yet both listeners heard every word clearly.

The golden-robed elder's face flushed red. Recalling his earlier suspicions and wild guesses, he wished he could slap himself. Ye Chen's attitude toward his daughter had been nothing but considerate. He accepted the gift only to return it—solely to preserve her dignity.

After all, she was proud and lofty; accepting a gift without giving something in return placed immense pressure on her heart. It had been the same last time, and now again. Ye Chen truly had her best interests at heart. And yet he himself had doubted him. How shameful.

Meanwhile, Yan Qingcheng fell silent. Her beautiful eyes gazed at Ye Chen with complex emotion before she shook her head firmly.

"I won't accept it."

Ye Chen's smile remained gentle.

"Why must Fairy Yan refuse? Please, take it. I could never stand by and watch you squander time in the Saint realm when I possess an opportunity to reach the peak of that realm directly. Nor could I allow my own cultivation to cost you your chance to vie for the immortal path. If I did such a thing, my Dao heart would never find peace. Therefore, Fairy, you must accept the Origin Pool."

At that moment, overwhelming gratitude surged within Yan Qingcheng's chest. Ye Chen was far stronger than she was, yet he had never once looked down on her. Instead, he had continually encouraged her. He had seen through her unyielding spirit, her refusal to give up on the immortal path, her determination to one day compete for immortal qi—and he had never mocked her. He had supported her wholeheartedly.

Now, faced with the one and only opportunity to swiftly advance to the peak of the Saint realm—an opportunity that lay within his easy grasp—he chose without hesitation to give it up for her sake. The weight of such support was almost too much to bear.

For a moment, Yan Qingcheng's heart was in turmoil, and her previously resolute attitude began to waver.

"Ye Chen… let's share it half and half," she said, taking a step back in compromise. She hoped to spend more time together with him. If they each took half, once the Origin Pool was exhausted, they could seek new opportunities side by side and advance together.

But Ye Chen shook his head without the slightest hesitation. "Both of us lingering in the Saint realm serves no purpose. Reaching the peak allows one to naturally break through to the sixth realm, becoming a Saint King and striving for even greater heights. That is the best path."

At those words, Yan Qingcheng's gaze turned completely lost. Finally, she could no longer hold back the question that had long burned in her heart—the one she had never dared to ask.

"Fellow Daoist Ye… Why… why are you doing so much for me?"

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