Chapter 2476: The Needle That Stabilizes the Sea

Boom!

The vast sky collapsed under the old man's palm strike, unable to withstand its pressure. He was no ordinary Kong Ming Jing cultivator; he had profound Dao cultivation, giving him the capital to be arrogant. His methods of killing and robbing were extremely skilled.

Ye Chen remained composed, stepping forward to shatter the heavens and thrusting out a punch. Though he lacked a powerful bloodline or domineering physical body, he possessed deep insights into the Dao, with mysterious seal scripts etched between his fingers.

Thud!

Their fist and palm collided, blood spraying instantly. Ye Chen stood firm, unmoved, while the hunchbacked old man fared poorly—his palm bones exploded with a bang, sending him flying like a kite with its string cut.

Following that came rumbling crashes as he smashed into over a dozen mountains, causing them to collapse.

Amid the flying rocks, the hunchbacked old man barely steadied himself, his earlier air of superiority gone. His eyes were filled with disbelief, even fear.

He was a Kong Ming Jing expert, no ordinary immortal. In past battles at the same level, he rarely lost, and even against a Tian Jing immortal, he had confidence to face them head-on. But today, he had been utterly defeated in one move by a Ling Xu Jing cultivator. It was utterly unjust!

"Hand over the treasure, and I'll spare your life."

Ye Chen advanced through the sky, his words ethereal and desolate. His steps were slow, yet each one brimmed with Dao essence, treading on the pulse of the great Dao itself.

"You?" The hunchbacked old man snorted coldly, his eyes suddenly glowing with golden light.

Immediately, divine radiance burst from his eyes, forming a Yuan Shen killing sword aimed at the true self. As a Kong Ming Jing cultivator, he could unleash the full potential of that realm, such as this absolute Yuan Shen strike.

Unfortunately, he had underestimated Ye Chen. The opponent was no ordinary Ling Xu Jing cultivator. Even before reaching Kong Ming Jing, Ye Chen had already opened his Danhai and Shenhai, with a Yuan Shen guarding his divine platform. Such a Yuan Shen strike might work on typical Ling Xu Jing experts, but it was useless against Ye Chen.

Indeed, Ye Chen didn't even dodge; he took the Yuan Shen sword head-on.

After enduring the strike, Young Master Ye saw no reason not to retaliate. He unleashed a Great Falling Monument Hand, swinging it with overwhelming dominance. The hunchbacked old man was sent flying again, injured even more severely than before—his withered, wrinkled body nearly fell apart, with blood and bones scattering everywhere.

"How is this possible?" The hunchbacked old man spat blood, staggering unsteadily. That punch and palm strike had shattered his ideals, making him doubt reality. It felt as if he were the Ling Xu Jing cultivator, and Ye Chen the Kong Ming Jing one. How could this stone-like figure be so incredibly strong?

Buzz!

Ye Chen arrived, his sky-covering palm already descending, making the void tremble.

"This is bad."

The hunchbacked old man's expression changed drastically. He muttered an incantation, and four golden lights shot from his body—four radiant ancient characters that encircled him, weaving a mysterious force. In the moment before being suppressed, he escaped that stretch of heaven and earth.

In an instant, he had fled thousands of zhang away, his speed astonishingly fast.

Oh? Dunjia Tianzi.

Ye Chen's eyes lit up. He had truly underestimated this old man. Not only did he have immortal iron, but he also hid such a secret treasure. These four Dunjia Tianzi formed a set, capable of aiding escape.

"You damn stone spirit, one day I'll settle this with you."

From the distant horizon, the hunchbacked old man's vicious words echoed back, his wrinkled face twisted into a grotesque snarl under the moonlight, his eyes blood-red and gleaming menacingly. From any angle, he looked like a demon incarnate, embodying pure evil.

At that moment, if anyone from the Zhutian were present, they would surely find it amusing. If you didn't spout threats, Ye Chen might let you go, but this blatant provocation was just asking for it.

Indeed, Ye Chen pursued him. Without treasures, he'd still rob you—so much more with two sects' worth. Newly arrived in Tian Jie, he lacked everything and needed someone to target.

Seeing Ye Chen in pursuit, the hunchbacked old man's heart skipped a beat, and he fled even faster. From afar, the four Dunjia Tianzi orbiting him shone brilliantly.

As Ye Chen had thought, they formed a complete set, arranging and rotating along a certain trajectory, generating a strange power that was profoundly mysterious. It was this power that had allowed the hunchbacked old man to escape the suppression earlier, and now it boosted his speed.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The two raced on, one chasing and one fleeing, creating quite a commotion with continuous explosions.

The once peaceful night turned chaotic. Many towering peaks collapsed because of them, waking numerous dreamers, including immortals who rushed out to check, but the figures were already gone.

The hunchbacked old man was drenched in cold sweat, constantly sacrificing his essence to enhance his speed.

Since Ye Chen started chasing, he hadn't cursed again or had the chance to—he didn't even dare look back. That man was locked onto him like a predator, with no intention of stopping until he was dead.

Behind him, Ye Chen's movements were elusive as he pursued relentlessly.

After his tribulation, Ye Chen's body wasn't at its peak and hadn't fully adapted, and as a Ling Xu Jing cultivator, many speed-based immortal techniques were less effective. Otherwise, he would have caught up long ago.

Ahead, it was no longer land; massive waves surged, rolling like towering tsunamis—it was a vast ocean, glittering under the starlight and moonlight.

The hunchbacked old man stepped in with a splash, diving straight into the sea.

"Not so fast." Ye Chen followed suit, plunging in with a dive.

Once underwater, however, he couldn't see the hunchbacked old man anywhere.

Ye Chen steadied himself slowly, listening in all directions and scanning the eight wastelands.

The sea bottom was quite dim, dotted with underwater rock formations, coral reefs, and native sea plants. Fish darted about energetically, swishing their agile tails. As they passed Ye Chen, their fish eyes rolled curiously, as if wondering: Where did this stone spirit come from?

"Keep staring, and I'll stew you all." Ye Chen shouted.

Well, that worked wonders. The darting fish scattered in a flash.

Ye Chen summoned an illuminating pearl and proceeded, observing as he went.

As he looked around, a smile crept onto his lips. The sea bottom hid a whole world, concealed by formations. Those rock formations and corals weren't just for show—they were inscribed with array patterns. In fact, he could clearly detect the hidden array markings; his vision was sharp enough.

"Die!"

A sudden shout rang out as the hunchbacked old man appeared.

Immediately, the rock formations quaked, and a killing array activated, trapping Ye Chen. Dark immortal lights crisscrossed, with lightning flashing and thunder roaring, carrying lethal force that could make even a Kong Ming Jing expert kneel.

Ye Chen didn't even bother to look; he stomped the ground hard, sending a wave of annihilating light outward. Everywhere it passed, rock formations crumbled, array patterns shattered, and the newly awakened killing array was destroyed on the spot.

Thud!

The hunchbacked old man spat blood from the backlash, stumbling backward with even greater horror on his face. He fled instantly, shooting into the deep sea like a streak of light.

"Can you escape?" Ye Chen sneered, following at a steady pace. He had locked onto the old man with his Yuan Shen—no matter heaven or earth, there was no escape. Robbing him would come at a price.

Not long after, an underwater palace emerged.

It seemed to be a residence, more precisely the hunchbacked old man's cultivation cave. It wasn't vast but had yin-yang arrangements. He zipped inside in a flash.

Ye Chen strolled in, homing in unerringly.

The palace gates were shut, array patterns flowing with a protective barrier. Two stone lions guarded the entrance, fierce and menacing, not living beings but inscribed with restrictions that shot out lightning.

Sadly, their attacks were too weak; the lightning only sparked off Ye Chen, failing to breach his defense. He swatted them into dust with a single palm.

"I'm a guest, at least, so won't you invite me in?"

Ye Chen stood at the door, smiling at the palace. Through the gates, he could see the hunchbacked old man inside, glaring viciously with even redder eyes.

"Come in if you dare." The hunchbacked old man gritted his teeth.

"Very well." Ye Chen was straightforward, stepping inside. The so-called protective barrier was meaningless to him; with his ethereal, illusory emperor body, he entered effortlessly.

"You..." The hunchbacked old man retreated in shock, nearly tripping over.

"In your next life, don't provoke those you shouldn't." Ye Chen said indifferently. His nine divine afflictions merged into a single Yuan Shen sword, radiating brilliant divine light with absolute destructive power.

Thud!

The hunchbacked old man was slain on the spot, his wide eyes filled with fear and disbelief, along with deep regret. He had gone out for once and encountered a grim reaper.

After killing the old man, Ye Chen casually picked up the dragon-headed staff.

Though this divine iron wasn't as exceptional as Daluo Shen Tie, it was still top-grade. He held it in one hand and summoned his Yuan Shen fire to envelop the staff. Using immortal refining techniques, he continuously tempered it, extracting its essence until the dull iron glowed brilliantly with golden light.

"This place is quite nice."

As he refined the divine iron, Ye Chen also wandered around, observing.

The hunchbacked old man's cultivation cave was its own world, with mist-shrouded rains and hazy vapors. Its layout resembled Hengyue's Ling Dan Pavilion—there was a vast pavilion with a massive alchemy furnace squatting in front, and a few spirit fruit trees planted in the courtyard.

Besides that, there were spiritual flowers and exotic herbs, and an elegant gazebo.

Ye Chen smiled. Newly arrived in Tian Jie, settling here would be ideal.

As he spoke, the weapon forged from the divine iron was complete.

However, intending to make a sword, he ended up accidentally crafting an iron staff instead. It was entirely golden and radiant, rivaling the Little Yuan Huang's Wujin iron rod.

"Not bad."

Ye Chen swung it, and the buzzing sound was quite pleasing. The divine iron was extraordinary, heavy and solid—using it to bash someone would turn them into a pulp.

An iron staff it was; he didn't mind. In the Yin Cao Underworld, he used a sword; in the Zhutian Wanyu, a cauldron; now in Tian Jie, he'd wield a staff. The feeling of sweeping through the eight directions with it should be excellent.

After circling around, he stopped and casually took the Dunjia Tianzi.

"Ding... Hai... Shen... Zhen."

Ye Chen murmured lightly, enunciating each word.

They were truly intriguing, seemingly alive, arranging themselves and weaving strange powers. Unfortunately, the hunchbacked old man didn't understand the mysteries of Dunjia and couldn't unleash their full might. Such Tianzi needed external objects to display their wonders fully.

With that in mind, he inscribed the four Dunjia Tianzi onto the iron staff one by one. The already impressive staff now shone even brighter, humming intensely.

Afterward, he claimed it as his own, dripping fresh blood to bind it. This iron staff forged from immortal iron deserved careful nurturing. Once he returned to Zhutian, he planned to fuse it with the Chaos Cauldron—the cauldron would surely be delighted.

"Since you have the Dunjia Tianzi, I'll name you Dinghai Shen Zhen."

"From now on, you'll join me in dominating the nine heavens."

Ye Chen laughed, planting the iron staff in the ground before taking the hunchbacked old man's storage bag.

A Kong Ming Jing expert's treasures were plentiful. The old man was an alchemist, so pills and formulas were abundant, along with many high-grade alchemy materials. Unfortunately, there were none for refining a Return Soul Pill. The rest were ancient scrolls, mostly recording secrets.

"This should be Tian Jie's common currency."

Ye Chen picked up a glowing stone, shaped like a small brick and containing heavenly essence. He had seen it described in ancient scrolls—it was called Tian Shi, equivalent to silver in the mortal world. It would be useful for wandering around later.

Regrettably, after searching, he found no trace of the old man's true fire—likely because he was a mediocre alchemist, or perhaps used Yuan Shen fire for alchemy.

After collecting the treasures, Ye Chen took a swig of strong wine, then stood up and sealed the palace gates. He began inscribing new array patterns and setting up fresh formations. This would be his home in Tian Jie, so it had to be well-protected to avoid being raided.

His mastery of formations far surpassed the hunchbacked old man's. Whether defensive arrays, barriers, or offensive ones, they were all at the pinnacle—including the Emperor Dao Fuxi Array and the Twelve Tianzi Great Ming Array, which he handled effortlessly.

It took him three full days to finish. The palace was now covered in array patterns everywhere, with multiple interconnected formations for both attack and defense—truly impregnable.

Bathed in dim light, he stood at the palace entrance, removed the old plaque, and replaced it with a new one, carving two bold characters: Long Gong.

"Perfect."

Night had quietly fallen, making the sea bottom dark and serene.

In Long Gong, Ye Chen sat cross-legged, quietly meditating and consolidating his realm.

In the days to come, he would diligently cultivate and then diligently cause chaos. Having come to Tian Jie once, he needed to deliver a grand gift to the Dao Zu.

For now, he decided that gift would be Tian Gong. When he had time, he'd overturn it and invite the Yu Di to roam the Scatter Immortal Realm for a while. As for the Yu Di's throne, he was the most suitable to take it. Without making a big scene, the Dao Zu wouldn't even notice him.

At the ethereal peak, the Dao Zu watched him, but to meet a great emperor, one had to ascend themselves. Without that ability, they'd stay below.

As for Ye Chen's plans, the Dao Zu was unaware and couldn't have predicted that this tribulation survivor, this mere Ling Xu Jing expert, was plotting to storm Tian Gong. If he knew, he'd likely be gratified and might even come to greet him personally—otherwise, who knows how many disciples and grandsons would be crippled.

"Master, why not bring him here?"

At the Dao Zu's side, the Chaos Body asked.

"One tribulation, one cultivation; he needs to temper his nature. His tribulation will require a long period."

The Dao Zu smiled, knowing the Chaos Body wanted to fight Ye Chen, but the time wasn't right yet.

"Old Daoist, show me."

The Ming Di's words arrived; he hadn't seen Ye Chen in days and missed the young master greatly.

However, Tian Jie wasn't like the human realm; the barrier between heaven and underworld was special. In all of Tian Jie, he could only see the Dao Zu and not where Ye Chen was hiding.

The Dao Zu didn't respond, simply closing his eyes in feigned slumber.

The Ming Di took a deep breath—not out of anger, but with anticipation, waiting for Ye Chen to cause trouble. Back in the Ming Realm, he had stirred up chaos everywhere; in Tian Jie, he should do the same.

In this, the Ming Di had full confidence in the Great Chu's Tenth Emperor. That lawless rascal, once he made a move, even great emperors would be appalled.