Chapter 2486: Gathering of the Immortals

As soon as he stepped through the gate of light, he was greeted by a burst of dazzling colors, swirling clouds, and a hazy mist.

The world before Ye Chen's eyes was truly enchanting, with exotic flowers and strange grasses thriving and glistening, and stone tables and chairs scattered about, laden with exquisite nectars and immortal fruits.

Many guests had arrived, gathering in groups of three or five for casual conversations. First-timers among them were full of wonder, gazing around in awe, each holding a memory crystal stone to capture the Hua Shan immortal scenery—such images could fetch a good price back home. Whenever they spotted some mysterious phenomenon, they couldn't help but exclaim loudly, looking just like country bumpkins, which drew sideways glances and looks of disdain from all around.

Others were already seated, their expressions calm and composed as they savored fine wine. These individuals were no strangers to the place; the sights of Hua Shan held no novelty for them anymore. In the Heavenly Realm, their statuses were exceedingly noble.

One could figure it out without much thought—those who attended every time must have received invitations repeatedly, either due to their profound cultivation levels or their backing from major powers, with backgrounds more intimidating than the last.

Ye Chen strolled along, taking in the sights as he went, spotting numerous phenomena that seemed to flicker in and out of the void. They were still some distance from the peak of Hua Shan, and the faint sounds of the Great Dao echoed from the summit, as if reciting immortal scriptures, even making him sigh in admiration.

There was also the essence of the Emperor's Dao, which he could sense clearly due to his deep insights into the Dao—it was even more elusive than the Great Dao's sounds, appearing and disappearing unpredictably.

His arrival once again drew attention from all sides. After all, everyone here was no ordinary figure, with cultivations far surpassing his and backgrounds renowned across domains. Yet, here was this little stone spirit, merely at the Lingxu Jing level.

As he walked, the gazes of others were filled with doubt or outright contempt; many great immortals who were feigning sleep barely opened their eyes, their looks slanted in judgment. Consequently, no one bothered to speak to him—or rather, no one thought him worth their time.

Ye Chen paid it no mind—who could blame his cultivation for standing out so much?

After scanning the area, a hint of disappointment showed in his hopeful eyes. He had thought that among the crowds, he might find a reincarnated soul or two, but to his surprise, there wasn't a single one.

With a quiet sigh, he chose a corner to sit in, pouring himself a drink and sipping alone. Within a thousand zhang around him, not a soul was in sight—no one wanted to sit in the corner.

Thus, his presence felt completely out of place at this grand Dao discussion gathering.

It wasn't long before someone approached and plopped down beside him—a plump old Daoist, who turned out to be none other than Taiyi Zhenren. At his side was Taibai Jinxing.

"Lingxu Jing?" Taibai Jinxing was the one taken aback at the sight of Ye Chen, his expression full of astonishment, as if to say, How could someone at this level get in?

"You've got quick feet—I chased you all the way and still couldn't catch up." Unlike Taibai Jinxing, Taiyi Zhenren was all smiles, pouring wine for Ye Chen with a very obliging manner, as if treating him like a senior.

This scene left Taibai Jinxing utterly baffled. He glanced at Ye Chen, then back at Taiyi Zhenren—after all, Taiyi Zhenren was a quasi emperor and a high official in the Heavenly Court, so why was he being so deferential to this little stone spirit?

Little did he know how formidable Ye Chen truly was. Taiyi Zhenren knew full well that despite Ye Chen's low cultivation, his comprehension of the Dao was heaven-defying, and his combat prowess was overwhelmingly fierce.

In fact, if Ye Chen wanted, he could cripple over half the people here, whether they were great immortals from the upper realms or great demons from the lower realms—none could stand against him alone.

"See that one over there? That bull—he's a great demon from the lower realms, known as Niu Mowang, at the peak Zhundi level." As Taiyi Zhenren poured the wine, he pointed discreetly to one side, where the arrogant Niu Mowang was devouring food with gusto.

Ye Chen glanced over casually—he had already noticed him earlier, and he was indeed impressively formidable.

"He's got a terrible temper, so don't mess with him for no reason." Taiyi Zhenren whispered, "And his wife, the Rakshasi, is fiercely tough too—the whole family is quite wild."

Then, he pointed toward the east, to a very prominent spot, where a white-haired, white-robed old Daoist sat with eyes closed, his hair fluttering in the wind and his Dao essence perfectly harmonious.

"He's Kunlun Zhenxian, a great immortal from the Kunlun lineage in the scattered immortal realms." Taiyi Zhenren explained, "He holds an official position in the Heavenly Court, but he rarely attends court sessions."

Ye Chen observed quietly—all who came here were extraordinary, and Kunlun Zhenxian stood out among them, with impressive cultivation and deep Dao insights.

As he watched, Kunlun Zhenxian's brows furrowed slightly. He slowly opened his eyes, aware that many were looking at him, but one pair of eyes in particular was exceptionally subtle, belonging to a true master of the Dao.

However, when he traced it to the source, his brows furrowed even deeper—it was just someone at the Lingxu Jing level.

"That one is Bixia Xianzi from the upper immortal realms." Taiyi Zhenren then pointed to a third person—a veiled woman, radiantly pure and stunningly elegant.

Ye Chen swept his gaze over her and could see through the veil to her peerless beauty. What intrigued him slightly was that Bixia Xianzi possessed a Dao spirit body; her Dao principles were not openly displayed, yet faint immortal sounds lingered, marking her as a great achiever in the Dao.

"That's Jiaolong Wang, a major overlord in the North Sea."

"The one beside him is Huangmei Laozu, a great demon from the lower realms and a ruthless character."

"The old Daoist across from us belongs to the Heavenly Court—he's Daode Zhenjun."

Taiyi Zhenren was quite diligent, chattering away since he sat down, introducing all the prominent figures from the Heavenly Realm, whether immortals from the upper realms or demons and spirits from the scattered immortal realms.

The more he did this, the more bewildered Taibai Jinxing became. In his memory, Taiyi Zhenren was always one to maintain his dignity, yet here he was, being so deferential to someone at the Lingxu Jing level.

"Old official, who exactly is he?" Taibai Jinxing nudged Taiyi Zhenren.

"Whatever you do, don't provoke him." Taiyi Zhenren replied with just that one sentence as a warning—he himself wasn't a match, and neither was Taibai Jinxing; if Ye Chen got angry, the consequences would be dire.

Taibai Jinxing was left scratching his head, stealing a few more glances at Ye Chen but seeing nothing unusual.

"Will Siming Xingjun, Huode Xingjun, and Shuide Xingjun come to this Hua Shan discussion?" Ye Chen took a sip of wine and turned to Taiyi Zhenren.

"Do you know those three scoundrels?" Taiyi Zhenren raised an eyebrow.

"Do you really think I'm that ignorant?" Ye Chen chuckled. As for the three Taiyi Zhenren called scoundrels, he knew them well—from back when Yan Laodao had borrowed the power of the Heavenly Realm, they had crossed paths, and one could even say they were comrades in arms.

Taiyi Zhenren gave a dry laugh. "Siming Xingjun went off to find someone, and as for Huode Xingjun and Shuide Xingjun, they didn't get Hua Shan invitations and were so upset they went into seclusion."

Ye Chen smiled faintly and said no more, simply drinking in silence.

Taibai Jinxing pulled at Taiyi Zhenren and whispered, "Have you heard that the Eighth Prince might come too?"

"He's coming?" Taiyi Zhenren raised his eyebrows.

"I hear he was sent by the order of Yudi to obtain the Dao scriptures nurtured by Hua Shan."

"Hua Shan might not agree to that!"

"Don't underestimate Yudi." Taibai Jinxing stroked his beard. "Whatever treasure he wants, he always gets it—he must have equipped the Eighth Prince with some heaven-defying secret treasures."

"Understood, a private deal." Taiyi Zhenren took a deep breath.

Suddenly, the void sky erupted with brilliant colors as nine dragons pulled a jade carriage through the air, creating a grand and imposing spectacle. Such a display naturally caught the eyes of all the immortals. Taiyi Zhenren and Taibai Jinxing didn't even need to look up to know who it was.

"You little brat, even more arrogant than your old man!" In the distance, Niu Mowang glanced at the sky with a displeased expression, clearly recognizing the arrival.

"Heavens! It's the Eighth Prince." Exclamations arose as more people looked up, all aware of who the Eighth Prince was—the most favored son of Yudi, of noble birth.

Under the watchful eyes of all, the jade carriage came to a halt in the distance.

Then, several figures descended from the sky, with the Eighth Prince at the forefront, clad in purple-gold immortal robes and surrounded by dragon breath. He truly exuded an extraordinary presence, his bright immortal eyes reflecting the essence of the Dao, and visions manifesting around him.

Upon seeing him, over ninety percent of those present rose to their feet, including Taiyi Zhenren and Taibai Jinxing. Though they didn't care for the Eighth Prince, they had to go through the motions—working under the Heavenly Court meant bowing when necessary, especially to a prince.

"Kid, just play along." Taiyi Zhenren nudged Ye Chen, not wanting him to offend the Eighth Prince, who was known to be vicious.

Surprisingly, Ye Chen did stand up, but not to greet the Eighth Prince. Instead, he fixed his gaze on one of the figures behind him—a young man with a indifferent expression, serving as the prince's guard.

Indeed, that young man was a reincarnated soul from Great Chu, formerly of the Shangguan family, named Shangguan Yu. He was of the same generation as Shangguan Yuer and the others. If traced through Shangguan Yuer, even the tenth emperor of Great Chu would have to address Shangguan Yu as "elder brother-in-law."

Ye Chen smiled—in this foreign land, he had finally spotted a familiar face. But he didn't approach right away; the occasion wasn't appropriate and would have to wait until after the Hua Shan discussion.

"Greetings to all esteemed immortals, Yin Ming offers his respects." The Eighth Prince had arrived, bowing and exchanging pleasantries as he went, though his smile didn't reach his eyes, and his gaze held a hint of arrogance.

He seemed to hold a grudge, clearly pleased with those who stood to welcome him.

As for those still seated, like Niu Mowang, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and he mentally noted their disrespect—he would settle scores with them one by one someday.

"What do you think you are?" Niu Mowang shot him a glance, even more annoyed.

Many others shared his irritation—mostly great demons from the scattered immortal realms, who were used to their free ways and had ignored multiple invitations from the Heavenly Court.

Who are you kidding? In the scattered immortal realms, they were overlords in their own right—what made them want to become subordinates, bound by heavenly rules and restrictions? No one wanted that.

Even among those from the upper immortal realms, over eighty percent hadn't stood up voluntarily.

For all his polished appearance, the Eighth Prince hid an exceedingly wicked heart beneath it all—a fact well-known to those serving in the Heavenly Court.

Better to provoke an immortal king than the Eighth Prince—that's what they said about him.