Chapter 1139: Seven-Marked Dual Appearance

Roar! Roar!

On the Doudan Tai, dragon roars echoed endlessly, originating from Ku Yue's Lian Dan Lu. The furnace was extraordinary, radiating golden light and shimmering with colors. Its body was etched with dragon patterns, and faint dragon qi swirled around it. Every wisp of aura it emitted felt incredibly heavy.

Good stuff!

Ye Chen tossed a stalk of ling cao into his own furnace, his eyes gleaming as he stared at Ku Yue's Lian Dan Lu. With his keen insight, he could tell it was an ancient treasure, forged from xian jin and steeped in dragon blood. Using such a furnace for alchemy was a unique advantage.

Ye Chen shifted his gaze to his own Lian Dan Lu. Compared to Ku Yue's, it looked utterly shabby.

All mine!

Ye Chen smirked inwardly. Once he defeated Ku Yue, that Lian Dan Lu would become nourishment for his Chaos Cauldron.

Roar! Roar!

The dragon roars from Ku Yue's furnace continued unabated, the only sound on Ling Dan Shan. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the Doudan Tai. This was a legendary showdown between two peak alchemists of Youdu, a spectacle not to be missed, occurring only once in a millennium.

The Dan Fu master versus Ku Yue the immortal in an alchemy duel?

News of this spread from Ling Dan Shan in an instant, sweeping across the eight layers of Youdu. Suddenly, Youdu's eighth layer buzzed with activity. Shop owners, stall keepers, tavern masters, reclusive elders, and wandering cultivators all emerged, heading toward Ling Dan Shan.

It wasn't just the eighth layer—people from the layers below also rushed up to watch. Ruotian Zhuque had declared a special exception: today, no passage tokens were needed to enter the eighth layer.

This announcement drove the people of Youdu's first through seventh layers into a frenzy, all racing toward the eighth layer. Ruotian Zhuque's decision wasn't to let everyone witness Ye Chen's victory over Ku Yue; rather, after the duel, she intended to punish Ku Yue publicly, in front of all of Youdu, ensuring his death was accepted without question.

Gazing into the distance, the skies were filled with figures. Vast Ling Dan Shan was surrounded by crowds hovering in the air, blotting out the sun like an endless tide, their numbers impossible to count. Many powerful cultivators were among them.

Yet, when everyone saw the so-called Dan Fu master, they froze in shock: Ye Chen?

Expressions all around were a mix of astonishment and disbelief. That night was still fresh in the minds of the peak experts. Ye Chen had fought Yinshi Wang to save Mu Jia's ancestor, then fled Zhuque Star under pursuit. Everyone had assumed he was dead.

Now, seeing Ye Chen alive and well—and as the Dan Fu master—left them utterly stunned.

"Damn, that's impressive, bro." From the crowd, someone marveled in shock. It was Fan Tong.

"You guys are neighbors—how come you're not doing as well?" The eight quasi-emperors glanced Fan Tong up and down.

"How dare you say that? At least I'm in the emperor realm."

"Oh, what a coincidence!" A charming laugh rang out. Hu Xian Er had arrived.

"Xian Er, you're here too." Fan Tong rubbed his hands together, leering as he approached and took a deep sniff. "Wow, still as alluring as ever."

"Get lost."

"What a life-or-death alchemy duel!" As they chatted, sighs of amazement spread through the surrounding heavens.

"Ku Yue is a seventh-tier alchemist. Has Ye Chen lost his mind?"

"I disagree." An elder cultivator stroked his beard. "Do you think Ye Chen is a fool? Challenging Ku Yue to a life-or-death duel means he has his reasons. It's too early to say who will win."

"Husband, one wrong move, and it's eternal doom!" Nearby, Bai Su Su held little Shilin and murmured softly.

"The Heavenly Court Holy Lord, a legend across the world—every story of his is a myth." Li Xiao laughed casually, his eyes full of confidence in Ye Chen, a belief rooted deep in his soul.

"If you believe in him, then so do I." Bai Su Su smiled gently.

On the Doudan Tai, Ye Chen and Ku Yue stood firm, each controlling their flames to refine the essence of the herbs. Ye Chen steadily added stalk after stalk of ling cao to his furnace, occasionally glancing at Ku Yue opposite him.

It had to be said, despite Ku Yue's long list of misdeeds, his alchemy skills were no exaggeration. He was the most advanced alchemist Ye Chen had encountered so far, with the deepest mastery of the craft.

You'll end up miserably!

As Ye Chen watched Ku Yue, Ku Yue lifted his eyes, his gaze bloodshot and filled with greed.

Ye Chen ignored it completely. You do your thing; I'll do mine. You're a seventh-tier alchemist, and so am I. In my divine sea, I have the soul of the Dan Ancestor Dragon—how could I lose to a mere seventh-tier like you?

Time passed quickly, and night fell into darkness, but not a single spectator left. On the high seats, Ruotian Zhuque and Mu Xuan Gong rested with eyes closed, ready to seize Ku Yue at a moment's notice.

The pills are about to emerge!

After some time, Ruotian Zhuque murmured softly.

Boom!

No sooner had she spoken than a thunderous rumble echoed through the skies, with lightning manifesting.

Dan Lei?

The alchemists were all startled, understanding what that thunder signified. For cultivators, heavenly tribulations came from defying the heavens; for pills with their own spirits, it was the same—dan lei was their tribulation.

The pills are emerging!

On the Doudan Tai, Ku Yue shouted lightly.

Immediately, a dark dan rainbow shot into the sky, transforming into a dragon shape that coiled and roared amid the rampaging thunder.

A seven-pattern dan!

The onlookers were thrilled, witnessing the birth of a seven-pattern dan firsthand.

A seven-pattern Jiu You Dan!

People like Yue Shan burst into laughter, their grins sinister, as if they could already see Ye Chen's demise.

Ku Yue smiled the same way, baring his white teeth, his eyes gleaming with greed and ferocity, envisioning Ye Chen's true fire and sacred body bloodline as his own.

Boom!

As Ku Yue and Yue Shan mocked, thunder rumbled again in the misty skies.

From Ye Chen's Lian Dan Lu, a dan rainbow burst forth—a golden xian light that also formed a dragon shape, drawing dan lei. The golden dragon rampaged through the thunder.

"This..." Everyone stood up abruptly, staring in disbelief at the misty skies.

"A seven-pattern dan." Many mouthed the words, their throats dry.

"Ye Chen is also a seventh-tier alchemist."

"Ye Chen can refine a seven-pattern dan too."

"Heavens! Youdu has two seventh-tier alchemists."

"Xian Yu Dan—impossible, this is impossible." Ku Yue staggered back a step, his eyes bulging as he stared at the misty starry skies. The golden thunder burned in his vision.

"Impossible, this can't be." Yue Shan and his group retreated unsteadily, their pupils shrinking to pinpoints.

"A seven-pattern dan, and it's a seven-pattern Xian Yu Dan."

"As expected." Unlike Yue Shan and his companions, Ruotian Zhuque, Mu Xuan Gong, Hu Xian Er, Nian Wei, Bai Su Su, Li Xiao, and the Dan Fu alchemists remained composed—they had seen Ye Chen refine seven-pattern dans before.

Roar! Roar!

Amid the shock, majestic dragon roars echoed through the misty starry skies. The dragon form from Ye Chen's Xian Yu Dan clashed with the one from Ku Yue's Jiu You Dan.

This scene captivated everyone's attention.

What a true alchemy duel!

Ruotian Zhuque rose to her feet, gazing up at the two dragons battling in the stars.

Which is stronger?

Mu Xuan Gong also stood, stroking his beard as he looked upward.