Chapter 2345: The First Case in All Heavens

Chapter 2345: Zhutian Shoui

Under the moon, Lingdan Ge was bathed in bright moonlight, with the fragrance of pills wafting everywhere.

Ye Chen and Xu Fu stood on either side of the refining furnace, fully dedicated to their work.

If any other alchemist saw this, they would surely curse out loud. One was the great Chu Dan Sheng, the other the chief elder of Dancheng, an eighth-tier alchemist and a seventh-tier alchemist respectively. What the hell were they doing, refining a yi wen dan in the middle of the night? Had they lost their minds?

"Eight out of ten, it's because they were stimulated."

Pang Dacuan had arrived at some point, with Zhou Dafu at his side. One stroked his chin, the other twirled his beard, both looking meaningfully at the scene.

Ye Chen ignored them completely, while Xu Fu simply dismissed them outright.

Finding it uninteresting, Pang Dacuan and Zhou Dafu tucked their hands into their sleeves and headed into the inner hall.

Bang! Clang! Crash!

Sounds like that soon echoed from inside, as if robbers had broken in and were ransacking the place—teapots, wine cups, pots, bowls, and basins all shattered across the floor.

These were the handiwork of Pang Dacuan and Zhou Dafu. They dropped by every few days, always acting as if they wouldn't leave without snatching some treasures.

"They're really my two good junior brothers." Xu Fu took a deep breath but didn't stop them. He quietly continued refining pills. Even if the sky fell, it wouldn't shake his resolve now. As for those two scoundrels, he'd deal with them later—when he had time, he'd head to Lingqi Ge and Wanbao Ge and smash them to pieces.

"I'll join you." Ye Chen, who was also refining pills, chimed in, as if reading Xu Fu's thoughts. Come to think of it, he hadn't caused trouble at Wanbao Ge and Lingqi Ge in years. Those two old fellows had been living too comfortably; it was time to stir things up for them.

Before long, Pang Dacuan and Zhou Dafu emerged, each carrying a large sack, looking just like a pair of bandits. They took everything they could carry, leaving nothing behind.

As they left, they shot Xu Fu a charming glance, as if saying: We'll be back in a few days.

Xu Fu watched them go, already pondering in his mind whether to smash Wanbao Ge first or Lingqi Ge, or maybe use a clone to hit both at once.

"Smashing them together sounds good."

"Heroes think alike." Xu Fu finally lowered his gaze.

Not far away, Qi Yue rubbed her forehead as she listened. She was a witness to all this—her uncles and elders were all born troublemakers, unable to sit still without causing chaos.

At that moment, she felt a bit worried for her two uncles. They were likely to get thoroughly thrashed by Xu Fu.

After this little interlude, Lingdan Ge fell back into silence.

Ye Chen and Xu Fu worked diligently, producing one yi wen dan after another.

Unlike before, these yi wen dans now carried an extra layer of Dao essence, far superior to ordinary ones. They had elevated the lowest-tier yi wen dan to the pinnacle of its grade.

Qi Yue was equally dedicated. Every night, she would bring out the Baolian Lamp, and as soon as a hint of red dawn appeared in the east, she would put it away, carefully nurturing Nian Wei's soul.

And so, three days passed quietly.

Over those three days, Ye Chen and Xu Fu didn't stop for a moment. They showed no signs of tiring, as if they planned to refine yi wen dans until the end of time.

On the fourth day, a familiar face arrived, making Ye Chen raise an eyebrow.

The visitor was the Zaohua Shenwang—or rather, Lin Xing, who had returned to normal. He no longer knew about the matters of Zaohua, and it was unclear which scoundrel from Tianxuan Men had let him out.

Ye Chen's gaze toward him was a bit dark.

Recalling the past, when Zaohua Shenwang had been possessed by Hua Tian Mo, he had been incredibly ferocious, nearly wiping Ye Chen out. Every time Ye Chen saw Lin Xing's face, it irked him immensely, making him want to drag him to some remote mountain and beat him senseless.

Though annoyed, Ye Chen was still curious.

The current Lin Xing was just an ordinary person. Ye Chen couldn't detect any Zaohua power from him. Restoring his identity as Zaohua Shenwang seemed unlikely.

Ye Chen had asked Di Huang about this before and only got five words in response: Everything depends on Zaohua.

"You two must be sick! Refining a yi wen dan?"

Lin Xing approached and peered into the furnace. Though not an alchemist, he had some knowledge of pill grades.

"Go cool off somewhere else."

"Old man, don't get cocky with me. I have a short temper."

Lin Xing scratched his ear and cracked his knuckles, then headed straight for Qi Yue. It was a fine night with a full moon—perfect for flirting.

But then, he got taken down. He had come to flirt, but awkwardly, he couldn't beat Qi Yue. She wasn't from a special bloodline, but her cultivation was high—she was a genuine great saint.

As for Lin Xing, after being sealed for who knows how long, he was still at the saint king level, so of course he got beaten. And notably, the beating was thorough.

"Really making your master proud." Xu Fu chuckled.

Ye Chen, however, was thinking of something else. He was quite curious—why had the female Shengti wanted to obtain Zaohua Shenwang back then? Could Zaohua power cure her hidden injuries?

Under their watchful eyes, Lin Xing was thrown out of Lingdan Ge by Qi Yue. He flew all the way out of Hengyue, crashing through over a dozen mountain peaks before slamming into a rock wall.

What a loser!

Ye Chen silently gave him a thumbs-up. Beating up Zaohua Shenwang would boost Qi Yue's reputation sky-high. If Zaohua Shenwang ever returned, it would be pretty awkward for him.

This night was far from peaceful.

As dawn approached, three figures entered Lingdan Ge. They were Dugu Jian Sheng, Luan Shi Dao Kuang, and Tian Gang Yang Xuan from the mortal realm—these three always traveled as a group.

Seeing them, Ye Chen raised an eyebrow again. They had all advanced to quasi-saint level. It had only been a few years since they left Zhuxian Jian, and their breakthrough speed was ridiculously monstrous.

"Oh, refining pills?" Shangguan Jiu was the first to approach, lifting the furnace lid for a look. His expression was full of surprise—he could recognize a yi wen dan.

"Do people from Hengyue never take the normal path?" Yang Xuan stroked his chin, glancing at Ye Chen and then Xu Fu. High-tier alchemists refining a yi wen dan? Were they out of their minds?

"We want to know how high the sky is." As Ye Chen spoke, he tossed a spirit herb into the furnace.

"Tonight's moon is really round!"

The two of them backed off without warning, clearly thinking that if they said anything else pointless, this Ye Banxian would send them flying into space.

Ling Feng was the most composed, smiling warmly. "We're planning to return to Zhuxian Town for a visit, then go deep into the starry sky for training. We're here to say goodbye."

"Light a stick of incense for our old friends on my behalf." Ye Chen smiled, suddenly recalling Yang Ge Lao and Xia Lan. Their graves were probably overgrown with weeds by now, and that old erhu was likely reduced to dust by the years.

"Until we meet again." Ling Feng cupped his hands in salute.

The unreliable Shangguan Jiu and Yang Xuan also bowed to Ye Chen. It was Ye Chen who had led them into the path of cultivation, so they owed him this respect. Now that they were leaving, who knew when they'd meet again.

Watching their backs, Ye Chen felt a moment of daze.

Even now, he wasn't sure if bringing them into cultivation had been right or wrong.

"Those three are really monstrous." Xu Fu's words snapped Ye Chen out of his thoughts.

Ye Chen smiled and continued refining pills. Reaching quasi-saint in just a few years—who wouldn't call that monstrous? Given enough time, with their talents, they would surely become eternal giants.

Like them, many from Great Chu had left, mostly to train and gain experience in the starry sky.

Others, like Qian Shang Yue, Xingyue Shengnu, and Fuling, had gone to search for reincarnated souls. Having lived through past and present lives, their obsessions remained unchanged—they still believed their loved ones were alive.

In Lingdan Ge, Ye Chen produced another pill, though he had lost count of how many he'd refined. He had no idea how many more years this yi wen dan project would take.

Xu Fu was the same, his initial resolve making his mindset exceptionally calm.

While the two of them were at peace, Lingdan Ge was not. Visitors kept coming.

On the fourth day, Tian Lao and Di Lao arrived, along with a few old troublemakers from Tianxuan Men, all the improper sort, showing up together.

They weren't there for sightseeing—they were specifically looking for Ye Chen, each one grinning ear to ear.

It wasn't surprising; Ye Dasha had way too many rare collectibles.

Ye Chen wouldn't give them any, of course. They were collectibles, after all—can't just hand them out.

On the seventh day, Zixuan came, leaving behind a spirit herb for refining Jiuzhuan Huan Hun Dan. She came quickly and left just as fast, not wanting to deal with Ye Chen.

On the thirteenth day, Xiao Yuan Huang and Kui Niu showed up. Seeing Ye Chen refining a yi wen dan, they cursed him out thoroughly, then got thrown out by him with considerable force.

On the nineteenth day, Chen Yi and Di Jiuxian arrived—not specifically, but on their honeymoon. They passed through Great Chu and stopped by to show off their affection.

On the twenty-second day, Honghuang Qilin came, traveling across mountains and rivers, covered in dust. That night, he let Ye Chen draw some of his blood before leaving.

On the thirty-fifth day, Long Jie arrived. Rumor had it he went to Yunu Peak and lingered outside Ji Ningshuang's door for a while, muttering some useless nonsense.

For that, Ye Dasha stopped refining pills altogether and chased him over eight million li, pinning him down and giving him a thorough beating. The crown prince of the Canglong clan nearly got turned to ash. If you ever think about my wife again, next time I'll send you straight to reincarnation.

It wasn't until the hundredth day that Lingdan Ge finally quieted down, with few visitors.

To avoid disturbances, Ye Chen set up a barrier, isolating the entire Lingdan Ge from the outside world.

Lingdan Ge was calm, but the starry sky was not.

What started as sparring practice had turned into full-blown fights, with their fierce style spreading across the heavens.

People challenged each other every day, either heading out to fight or on their way to brawls.

Some even got ambushed out of nowhere while walking, and they called it "sparring," turning the starry sky into a mess of curses and howls that never ended.

Another night arrived, with stars filling the sky.

Above Lingdan Ge, dark clouds surged, lightning flashed, and thunder roared—it was a sign of heavenly tribulation.

But this wasn't a tribulation for a person; it was for a pill.

"A yi wen dan can attract dan thunder?" Qi Yue looked up in a daze, watching the pill shoot into the sky and trigger its own tribulation.

Xu Fu did the same, staring blankly with his head raised, so stunned he forgot to refine his pills. The one forming in his furnace ended up burned to ashes. He hadn't realized until now how mind-blowing it was—a yi wen dan with heavenly thunder made his head buzz.

This was truly a first in the history of the heavens.

And this yi wen dan was, of course, Ye Chen's creation. He had managed to refine an ordinary hui ling dan to the point of summoning dan thunder, surpassing the former Dan Zun in this regard.

"That guy must be cheating!"

"A yi wen dan with dan thunder tribulation? Unheard of."

"That's why he's the Dan Sheng."

That night, Hengyue buzzed with excitement because of the dan thunder from a yi wen dan. Many who were asleep woke up, staring blankly at the void. The pill's glow was no weaker than that of an eight-pattern dan.

"How did you do it?"

"That's the tribulation of the pill, and also of the Dao." Ye Chen replied with a smile.

Xu Fu scratched his head, vaguely understanding.

Not just him—Ye Chen himself only vaguely got it. But this interpretation was probably correct.

Perhaps no one would guess that over this year, the Dan Sheng had refined nothing but one type of pill: a yi wen dan. Through refining, he comprehended the pills; through comprehending, he comprehended the Dao. Each pill was filled with Dao essence, and each one brought dan tribulation.

In comparison, Xu Fu was quite awkward. He'd refined countless yi wen dans without a single dan thunder. His vital energy couldn't match Ye Chen's; he'd collapsed from exhaustion several times. And in terms of alchemy skills, he was utterly outclassed again. As a master, how could he not feel embarrassed?

Under the moon, only he was left refining pills.

As for Ye Chen, he sat quietly on the steps, head bowed in thought. Over this year, his understanding of the essence of alchemy had advanced significantly. Refining yi wen dans was coming to an end tonight; next, he'd move on to er wen dans.

"If you're tired, take a break." Qi Yue sat down too, handing him a jug of wine.

"Thanks." Ye Chen's smile showed his fatigue. Glancing at the Baolian Lamp hanging in the air, he realized he'd been refining for a year, while Qi Yue had been guarding the lamp for just as long.

After a year's time, Nian Wei's soul was no longer just a soul; it had taken human form. It wouldn't be long before her primordial spirit reformed, and when she returned, it would be as a reborn Nian Wei.

Boom!

As they spoke, thunder rumbled, shattering the night's tranquility.

Then came Xu Fu's excited voice:"Dan thunder! A yi wen dan has dan thunder!"

Ye Chen glanced over and then looked away.

Qi Yue was more composed than expected. Over the past year, she'd seen heavenly thunder half the time, so she was used to it. Compared to Ye Chen, Xu Fu's display was just small potatoes.

"Look at that, dan thunder!"

Boom! Boom!

Awkward moments happened all the time, and this year was full of them.

The dan thunder of the yi wen dan was drowned out by louder thunder from Beichu. Dark clouds of tribulation gathered there, woven with destructive visions, visible even from Lingdan Ge.

"Quasi-emperor tribulation?" Qi Yue instinctively stood up.

"It's Zhan Wang's son." Ye Chen smiled. Though he couldn't see Xiao Chen, he could sense that fighting spirit. Inheriting Zhan Shen Xing Tian's mantle, Xiao Chen had been advancing steadily.

As he said, the one triggering the quasi-emperor tribulation was indeed Zhan Wang's son. He had already stepped into the void beyond Great Chu. The tribulation's range was too vast; he needed an empty place for it.

Many from Great Chu were stirred and followed him out.

Ye Chen was among them.

By the time he arrived, Xiao Chen was already in the midst of lightning. He cultivated the path of war, his attacks incredibly domineering. Billions of thunderbolts couldn't harm his divine body—he fought his way through.

After the lightning tribulation came what people really wanted to see: the emperor dao law bodies, nine of them, all from the Honghuang clans. In number, they couldn't compare to Ye Chen's.

The battle was brutal. Facing nine against one, Xiao Chen barely survived, nearly getting obliterated several times by the emperor dao bodies. In the end, he defied the heavens and broke through, becoming a true quasi-emperor.

"The golden age is coming."

Ye Chen smiled. He didn't need divination to know more people would break through to quasi-emperor.