Chapter 2481: I Understand the Logic

"Xiao Shitou, are you selling this Shen Tie?" Just as Ye Chen was in high spirits, an old Daoist approached, quite stout and benevolent-looking. "The price is negotiable."

Not only him, but every immortal with real power present, including Taiyi, was ready to speak up. Xuan Tian Shen Tie was a rare treasure, an unparalleled divine artifact!

"Not selling." Ye Chen smiled and shook his head.

He was joking—of course he wouldn't sell the Xuan Tian Shen Tie. If it weren't for the fact that the stone had to be cut on the spot, he wouldn't even be making a scene here. The Shen Tie was meant to be integrated into the Dinghai Shen Zhen, and the iron staff he took back was for the Hun Dun Da Ding. Could something like this be measured by money?

As he spoke, Ye Chen turned and walked away—or more accurately, he was pulled away by Taiyi.

Nezha's master was reliable in critical moments. The Shen Tie wasn't an ordinary item, and if someone targeted it, the consequences would be unpleasant. Better to leave early.

Just as he expected, more than one or two people were watching Ye Chen—all terrifying old figures. Their murky eyes flashed with a cold light; they were determined to get the Shen Tie.

"What a clever Xiao Shitou." The stone workshop owner stroked his beard.

"Such a large piece of immortal iron, just taken away like that." The skinny old man said with heartache, full of regret. He had guarded it for so many years, and this surprise caught him completely off guard.

"Investigate his background." The stone workshop owner left those words and vanished in an instant.

Ye Chen and Taiyi left, and many others followed out of the stone workshop—mostly people planning to kill and rob. They didn't dare act in Chentang Guan, so they waited for Ye Chen to leave the city.

Many stayed in the stone workshop, gathering in the corners to rush and buy stones. Who knows, they might uncover another piece of Shen Tie. Opportunities like this were unpredictable.

What a pity! Wishes were beautiful, but reality was harsh. Countless people had gambled on stones and lost everything, yet never unearthed a decent treasure.

On the street side, Taiyi cast an invisibility spell, vanishing into the crowd.

Ye Chen smiled; he remembered the old man's kindness.

Unfortunately, masters of Dao techniques weren't limited to Taiyi alone. Even with the invisibility spell, many people were still watching them from the shadows—impossible to shake off.

"A man without crime invites guilt by possessing a treasure." Taiyi said leisurely.

"I understand the principle." Ye Chen replied with a laugh.

"Since you understand, give the Shen Tie to this old man! I'll keep it safe for you." Taiyi Zhenren stroked his beard, speaking with great righteousness and an air of authority, perfectly embodying the saying: If I don't enter hell, who will?

"Are you stronger than me?" Ye Chen looked at Taiyi with a smile.

With that, Taiyi Zhenren's imposing presence shattered completely. He had overthought it—this Xiao Shitou was incredibly capable, so it was safer with him.

As they spoke, the two entered the residence one after the other.

Little Nezha didn't know what trouble he had caused, but he was locked up with at least a dozen layers of barriers, all set by Taiyi. His disciple was too wild and unruly; he had even killed the Third Prince of the Dragon King. He couldn't be let out, or it would cause real chaos.

"I knew you'd come for me." The little guy said with a bright smile.

In truth, he wasn't that young. Ye Chen could sense something off about his cultivation technique, which was why he hadn't grown. Though short in stature, he was fiercely strong in a fight.

Taiyi left, seeking a quiet place to figure out how to revive the Third Prince.

The remaining two set up a large pot again.

As night fell, Ye Chen didn't leave and stayed in the residence.

That night, he closed his door and pulled out the broken golden knife. It hummed incessantly; it had once been a Quasi-Emperor weapon, but due to its damage, it had fallen to the level of a Great Saint weapon.

Ye Chen closed his eyes and connected with the lingering intent of the broken knife.

In the haze, he seemed to see a majestic figure standing at the end of time, clad in ancient armor and wielding a golden divine knife, like a war god cleaving the heavens and earth.

Once he entered this state of enlightenment, three days passed without him stirring.

During that time, Taiyi came by. Seeing Ye Chen in deep meditation, he didn't disturb him, only stood outside the door, quietly observing. In his eyes, this Xiao Shitou seemed even more extraordinary.

This extraordinariness referred to Ye Chen's profound Dao essence. He didn't know what path Ye Chen cultivated, but it revealed many mysterious visions and the sounds of the Great Dao, even making Taiyi feel dazed.

He began to understand why Ye Chen was so strong—it was because of his Dao, his comprehension far surpassing his own. A junior in the Lingxu Realm had overturned his understanding.

"Master, what are you looking at?" Little Nezha arrived, floating in the air and peering through the window like Taiyi. Seeing the visions around Ye Chen, he couldn't help but be amazed.

"Tell your master honestly, what's his background?" Taiyi asked slowly.

"I met him that night." The little guy replied in his childish voice, straight to the point.

Taiyi took a deep breath and didn't ask more. He turned and left, but after a few steps, he came back, grabbed little Nezha, and took him away. He still needed to be confined for a few days.

"When you reach the Heavenly Court later, don't cause any more trouble."

"I'm not going."

"Hey, you little rascal."

As their voices faded into the distance, the night fell quiet again.

However, this night was full of undercurrents, all because the Xuan Tian Shen Tie was too extraordinary, stirring up even more greed. Outside the residence, countless people were watching, waiting for Ye Chen to leave so they could kill and rob. As for who would get it, that depended on luck.

It wasn't until the fourth night that Ye Chen's body trembled slightly. He manifested the intent and showed a look of realization in his eyes. The Great Dao was infinite, and there were always things he didn't know, like the Dao essence within the knife.

Slowly rising, he held the Dinghai Shen Zhen in one hand and the broken golden knife in the other, performing the refining immortal technique. The golden knife shattered, and the iron staff followed suit. He combined their essences into a mass, enveloped it in primordial spirit fire, and reshaped it into a staff.

The fusion went smoothly, and the radiant golden iron staff looked even more domineering.

"Not bad."

Ye Chen smiled happily; the staff was heavy and would be perfect for smashing enemies.

As he was admiring it, he suddenly sensed a familiar aura.

Without thinking, he stepped out of the room and saw a vague, ethereal figure standing under the lamp and moon, like a ghost. With Ye Chen's eyesight, he couldn't make out the face clearly; it was obscured by chaos. The only thing he could see distinctly was that the figure's eyes were also shrouded in chaos, hiding the pupils.

"Chaos Body." Ye Chen murmured.

Since their parting at the Tian Zun ruins two hundred years ago, he had known the Chaos Body had come to the Heavenly Realm. Seeing him now brought no surprise; they were bound to meet eventually.

Upon seeing the Chaos Body again, he seemed even more formidable.

Among his peers, Ye Chen only dreaded three: one was Zhao Yun, another was Ji Ningfrost, and the third was the Chaos Body. It wasn't about bloodline but about comprehension of the Dao, which was on par with his own. Though they had never fought, Ye Chen knew he had no guarantee of winning.

Ye Chen felt dread, and the Chaos Body felt the same.

The Chaos Body didn't know Zhao Yun; he only recognized that in this era, his true rivals were the Desolate Ancient Holy Body and the Eastern Divine Yao Pond. From their first encounter at the Tian Zun ruins, he had thought this way. He had no confidence in defeating Ye Chen or Ji Ningfrost.

"Tomorrow, I'll seal myself. How about a spar?" The Chaos Body said with a smile.

Ye Chen didn't respond; he looked around, wondering where to escape. He could fly straight up—who knew if this guy had come in the middle of the night to fight or just to beat him? He was in a tribulation body, without cultivation or bloodline; how could he fight?

The Chaos Body had already descended, now right in front of him, still impossible to see clearly. His body was covered in chaos, or perhaps he was chaos itself. Even with Ye Chen's vision, he couldn't penetrate it.

"Let's have a game." The Chaos Body smiled and waved his hand. A stone table and chairs appeared in the courtyard, along with an ancient chessboard and black and white pieces, all gleaming.

"Chess is good; it keeps things friendly." Ye Chen sat down with a chuckle.

Once, an old man had told him a truth: Chess has its depths.

The depth being: If you can't win, you can always flip the table.