Chapter 2356: Trading Between Holy Bodies

The night in Da Chu was far from peaceful, with noisy sounds coming from the south city wall.

Looking into the distance, the newly built south city wall was bustling with activity, shadows darting about in a chaotic flurry. Listening closely, it was clear that Xiao Yuan Huang and Kui Niu were the loudest of the bunch.

Upon getting closer, it turned out that all the emperor-level figures had set up table after table of feasts, the aroma of wine filling the air. After several years, these heavenly emperor-level experts were reuniting, and the scene was quite pleasing to the eye.

If anything stood out the most, it was Ye Da Shao.

That's right, he had woken up—or more accurately, been kicked awake by some people.

Under the moonlight, the face of Da Chu's tenth emperor was as black as charcoal, his eyes blazing with anger as he glared at those in front of him. They had promised a simple spar, a one-on-one fight, but it had turned into a group beating. Especially his face—it stung terribly, as if he'd been slapped countless times.

"Lao Qi, heaven and earth can vouch for me, bro really didn't hit you," Kui Niu said earnestly.

"I didn't hit you either, we're sworn brothers after all," Xiao Yuan Huang said with utmost seriousness.

"Listen to me, those two hit the hardest," Ri Yue Shen Zi said, tugging at Ye Chen's sleeve. His eyes clearly conveyed one message: Be careful who you swear brotherhood with.

Ye Chen said nothing, just let his eyes dart left and right, sizing up everyone there, men and women alike. He mentally noted each one. When he had some free time, he'd settle scores with them one by one. This beating couldn't go unanswered—he had to pay it back.

It wasn't until late at night that the banquet finally broke up, and the emperor-level figures went their separate ways—some to travel the starry skies, others to train in the borderlands, or to find a secluded spot for closed-door cultivation to further comprehend the vast Great Dao.

In this era of rest and recuperation, without the disturbance of war, everyone was bored out of their minds.

Bathed in starlight, Ye Chen returned to Heng Yue Sect.

Following behind him was a woman, bathed in moonlight and radiating pure holiness. Upon closer inspection, it was Bei Sheng, looking quite leisurely as she trailed Ye Chen, glancing around at everything.

"Are you missing some Da Chu specialties?" Ye Chen asked Bei Sheng with a smile.

In response, she threw a small mirror at him. Her bright, clear eyes sparkled with irritation. What should have been a romantic moment under the celestial scenery had turned into something so crude.

Ye Chen didn't mind. With a few swift steps, he landed on Jade Maiden Peak.

Jade Maiden Peak was peaceful and serene, with all the women in closed-door cultivation. Yang Lan and Ye Fan had already been taken away by Tian Xuan Gate. The only living presence—or rather, person—was the female Sheng Ti, Hong Yan.

That little one was still hard at work even in the dead of night, meticulously carving wood and diligently picking spirit fruits, then carrying basket after basket back to her room to avoid going hungry if she woke up.

Ye Chen was already used to this.

Bei Sheng, however, looked at her with a strange expression. Knowing she was a female Sheng Ti, her small appearance was indeed adorable, but Bei Sheng couldn't figure out why she was picking spirit fruits in the middle of the night.

"Make yourself at home," Ye Chen said as he approached a boudoir.

It was Ji Ning Shuang's room. Through the window, he could see her sitting in meditation, enveloped in immortal mist, beautiful like a dream, untouched by the mundane world and free from earthly dust.

At that moment, she showed no strange form, and her cultivation remained stable.

Ye Chen extended his divine sense but couldn't detect Ji Ning Shuang's mind—it was likely still wandering in the dream realm, comprehending the profound mysteries of the Dao of Dreams, which made her delicate body faintly illusory at times.

Withdrawing his gaze, he checked on Chu Xuan and the others, but none of them showed signs of waking.

However, apart from Shangguan Yu Er, the rest seemed on the verge of a breakthrough.

Chu Xuan Er's aura was the strongest, as if she had found an opportunity and was close to breaking through. The talent of the Tai Shang Xian Ti was truly terrifying, something he'd known since the old days.

Boom! Rumbling thunder!

The quiet night was shattered by thunderous booms from outside Heng Yue Sect.

Looking up, dark clouds gathered, with lightning flashing and thunder roaring.

"A one-pattern Dan Lei?" Bei Sheng exclaimed in surprise. Though not a master of alchemy, she knew her pills well. In all her years of cultivation, this was her first time seeing a one-pattern pill produce Dan Lei—in her memory, only pills of six patterns or higher triggered such phenomena.

"Heng Yue Sect truly has talents emerging everywhere," Bei Sheng sighed.

Compared to her, Ye Chen was completely unfazed, knowing full well it was Xu Fu refining the pill.

"Find a spot to rest," Ye Chen said as he stepped out of Jade Maiden Peak.

"Not tired," Bei Sheng replied casually, following along with him.

Behind them, Hong Yan suddenly stopped, staring blankly at the retreating figures—more precisely, at Bei Sheng's back. That face resembled someone from her memories so closely, not just in appearance but also in bloodline, which was strikingly similar.

For a moment, she almost thought it was that old acquaintance.

Once she snapped out of it, she hugged her basket of spirit fruits and approached Chu Xuan and Chu Ling's door.

Perhaps no one knew that every quiet night, she would secretly peek at Chu Xuan and Chu Ling, seeing right through the door's barrier with a complex expression on her face.

"You must recognize them," a faint voice echoed, breaking her thoughts.

Turning around, she saw a figure materialize—Di Huang, already seated under an old tree.

Hong Yan furrowed her brows slightly and finally set down the fruit basket.

"In terms of seniority, this junior should address you as senior," Di Huang said with a smile, picking up a carving knife and a block of wood, carving away methodically without a hint of menace, like a gentle spring breeze.

"If you have something to say, speak plainly," Hong Yan said, sitting on a small stool and casually picking up a spirit fruit. She held it with both little hands and munched away delightfully, looking utterly adorable.

"Does the Sheng Ti lineage hide some secrets?" Di Huang asked.

"The origin of this lineage is something you'd never guess," the female Sheng Ti replied, though her mouth was full, making her words muffled and hard to understand.

This time, it was Di Huang's turn to frown, sensing that the Sheng Ti was no simple matter.

"Perhaps we can make a transaction," Hong Yan said, munching on the fruit and smiling at Di Huang.

"This junior is all ears."

"Find the entrance to the ancient Hong Huang, and I'll answer one of your questions," Hong Yan said with a laugh. "But on the condition that in the future, you help me undo the Zhu Xian prohibition curse. What do you think?"

"Agreed," Di Huang said with a smile, continuing his carving without any intention of leaving.

"Take your time carving," Hong Yan said, biting into the fruit as she picked up her basket and headed back to her room.

Once she closed the door, she subconsciously patted her chest, her heart pounding. She was a senior, true, but the one outside was a Dacheng Sheng Ti, after all.

As she climbed into bed, she glanced outside again. That Sheng Ti named Di Huang hadn't left; he seemed idle, coming all the way to Heng Yue Sect just to carve wood?

It wasn't until another person arrived that she understood why. Di Huang was waiting for someone.

The newcomer wore plain clothes and was a mortal—or more precisely, a cultivator who had returned to simplicity, with no trace of cultivation aura about him, which was incredibly formidable.

He was actually a Yong Sheng Ti, a male one at that.

Accompanying him was a bald man—Long Yi, who glared at the male Yong Sheng Ti with clear hostility. It was this guy who had imposed the Yong Sheng contract on Dongfang Yu Ling.

What happened next, the female Sheng Ti couldn't hear.

Ye Chen was unaware of all this, already in the Spirit Pill Pavilion, retrieving a alchemy furnace.

"That Dan Lei just now, did you see it?" Xu Fu asked, chuckling as he refined his own pills.

"I saw it," Ye Chen replied casually, tossing immortal herbs into the furnace.

Xu Fu coughed awkwardly, not sure how to continue the conversation—it was too dismissive.

Nearby, Qi Yue was still guarding the Bao Lian Lamp, as she had been for the past year. Under the moonlight, she looked quite serene, like a gentle mother carefully nurturing her child.

If anyone was the most relaxed, it was Bei Sheng. Since arriving at the Spirit Pill Pavilion, she'd been wandering around, occasionally glancing at Ye Chen. With two beauties here, both stunningly attractive, how could he still focus on refining pills? And not just any pills—a two-pattern one at that.

Do people with so many wives act this way?

That's what Bei Sheng was thinking, feeling a bit disappointed. At least say something to me.

Qi Yue smiled lightly. As a woman herself, she could tell Bei Sheng's state of mind with one look—eyes don't lie, and a woman's heart only blooms for her love.

Soon enough, another Dan Lei appeared—it was for a two-pattern pill.

The one who produced it was Ye Chen. Not only were his pills of high grade, but his refining speed was impressive too. In this regard, Xu Fu couldn't compare—or rather, he'd been utterly outclassed from the start.

Bei Sheng looked up, her jade lips slightly parted. After seeing a one-pattern Dan Lei, now there was a two-pattern one. Ye Chen's combat prowess was domineering, and his alchemy skills were equally terrifying.

The night passed without incident, and dawn broke in the blink of an eye.

In the early morning, before the sky was fully light, thunder boomed again—this time, heavenly tribulations.

Someone had triggered the Quasi-Emperor Tribulation, and not just one person, but two: Da Chu Huang Yan, the daughter of the Chu Emperor, and her husband, Ning Cai Chen, who had also found an opportunity.

No wonder they were a couple—they were crossing their tribulations together.

Da Chu Huang Yan was handling it well; in this life, she wasn't human but a nine-tailed fox of royal blood, with an incredibly dominant lineage. Ning Cai Chen, on the other hand, had ordinary blood, yet his cultivation was on par with Da Chu Huang Yan's, and his talent even surpassed his wife's.

As Ye Chen refined pills, he could vaguely see their figures through the haze.

Even the Chu Emperor felt a sigh of emotion, not for Da Chu Huang Yan, but for Ning Cai Chen. It was he who had set him on the path of cultivation, and his talent for enlightenment was downright scary.

As he watched, a figure manifested in the Dan realm—Di Huang had arrived.

"Greetings, senior," Qi Yue and Bei Sheng said hastily, bowing respectfully. They hadn't expected Di Huang to come, and it was their first time being so close to a Dacheng Sheng Ti. Though he had restrained his aura, it still made their hearts tremble.

Xu Fu was even more dramatic, accidentally causing his furnace to explode on the spot.

"Greetings, senior," Ye Chen said calmly, cupping his hands and bowing.

Di Huang smiled and waved his hand gently, a illusory divine pattern appearing in his palm, glowing with golden light.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow at the sight. It was a contract divine pattern, and he'd seen something like it before—the female Sheng Ti had used this very golden pattern when forming a contract with him.

Thinking of that, he looked at Di Huang questioningly, his eyes saying it all: Senior, are you forming a contract with me?

"Are you willing?" Di Huang asked with a smile.

"Of course I am," Ye Chen replied with a chuckle. Back when the female Sheng Ti formed the contract, he had his guard up, and later used reincarnation to dissolve it. But Di Huang was different—he wouldn't harm him, so there was no wariness.

Seeing Ye Chen nod, Di Huang waved his hand, imprinting the contract divine pattern into Ye Chen's brow. Only if Ye Chen was willing would it take effect.

"What kind of contract is this?" Ye Chen asked curiously.

"You'll know in time," Di Huang said with a laugh, then vanished abruptly.

Ye Chen was left stunned. A Dacheng Sheng Ti had come all this way just to form a contract? What kind of face did he have? If a contract was to be made, shouldn't he be the one going to him?

In that instant, his aura of prestige started shining again.

This scene was witnessed clearly by the Ming Emperor, who knew exactly what kind of contract it was and understood Di Huang's intention: He wanted Ye Chen's memories, specifically those from his first life.

In this era, only Ye Chen's first life knew the entrance to the ancient Hong Huang. To get the answers he sought from the female Sheng Ti, Di Huang had to do this.

It was also Di Huang's mission.

Because he needed to go to the ancient Hong Huang as a Dacheng Sheng Ti to investigate the truth from ten thousand years ago—what exactly had caused it, what kind of mishap had led to the total annihilation of a great emperor and a million peak Quasi-Emperor-level divine generals.

It wasn't until Di Huang had been gone for a while that Xu Fu's state of mind calmed down.

Now, when he looked at Ye Chen, his eyes had changed. You're something else! A Dacheng Sheng Ti specifically came to form a contract with you—this level of supreme honor, who else could claim it?

Not just him, Qi Yue and Bei Sheng were also surprised, curious about what the contract signified. Di Huang's personal visit showed how extraordinary it was.

Ye Chen remained silent, splitting his focus—one part on refining pills, the other on examining the contract. It was identical to the one from the female Sheng Ti years ago. Having formed it, he felt no special sensation, and he had no idea what its abilities were or Di Huang's true purpose.

Slowly collecting his thoughts, he continued refining pills.

That day, two-pattern pills kept emerging, each triggering Dan Lei, leaving Xu Fu on the side feeling nothing but awkward. Ye Chen's every pill had Dan Lei, while he might not get one in ten tries. With such a prodigy beside him, he felt pressure everywhere.

Somehow, the commotion here leaked out.

That evening, alchemists from Dan City arrived, a dark crowd of them, all staring blankly at the sky in disbelief. A round pill was undergoing its tribulation, which wasn't unusual, but the two patterns on it made it a two-pattern pill!

They hadn't realized until now, and seeing it upended their worldview. Every alchemist present felt dizzy and wanted to go in for a closer look, but the Spirit Pill Pavilion had a barrier, and no one could enter.

Fortunately, Xu Fu was kind enough. After finishing his pill, he stepped out with his head held high, his demeanor growing more impressive, and found an open space to give these old-timers a proper lesson, sharing the profound insights of alchemy and the Dao of pills.

After that, the alchemists all went home, moving faster than anyone. In terms of alchemy, this was a stroke of fortune, like a cultivator obtaining a supreme secret technique.

In the following days, no more alchemists were seen wandering around; they were all like possessed individuals, each finding a good spot for closed-door cultivation, striving to trigger a one-pattern Dan Lei.

The night remained as quiet as ever.

The night at the Spirit Pill Pavilion was filled with the fragrance of pills, refreshing to the soul, and always attracted people trying to sneak in for a taste, like Pang Da Chuan and Xu Fu, but they couldn't even get through the door.

On the steps, Bei Sheng sat with her hands propping up her chin, bored out of her mind, no longer caring about propriety as she stared at Ye Chen, her gaze lingering without moving, her beautiful eyes full of tender affection.

Her stare didn't bother him much, but suddenly, Ye Chen spat out blood, staggering back a step and nearly falling. The pill he was refining exploded spectacularly.