Chapter 2488: The Daoist Scripture

"Looks like the negotiation failed," Taiyi said, glancing at Yin Ming.

Taibai saw it clearly too. Having served in the Heavenly Court for so long, he knew Yin Ming inside and out—no exaggeration, he could read even the slightest expression.

As they spoke, Hua Shan Xianzi's qin music faded, and she rose gracefully from the stage.

"Xianzi, if you're not married, how about coming with this old Niu?" A booming laugh erupted, like thunder, from Niu Mo Wang's side, as the old bull chuckled heartily.

"Old Niu Mo, you should take a good look at yourself in a puddle. You're covered in cow lice—it's making me itch just looking at you." Jiao Long Wang spoke, his words dripping with bold defiance.

"You little worm, are you tired of living?"

"Anyone who didn't know better might think you could actually beat this king! Hua Shan's Xianzi, if she's with anyone, it's me. When it comes to seniority, it's not your turn. Go cool off wherever you like."

"Hey."

The bull and the dragon bantered back and forth like a comedy duo, turning the grand gathering into quite the spectacle. If not for the fact that this was Hua Shan, those two great demons might have actually thrown down.

The immortals shook their heads with smiles, long accustomed to it. These two always ended up arguing whenever they came—one craved beef, the other dreamed of snake soup, both quite eager about it.

"Dear fellow daoists, I've recorded what you just said. One day, I'll share it with your wives." Hua Shan Xianzi smiled with a clear, ethereal charm, like a beautiful immortal melody.

The Xianzi was magnanimous, not angry in the least—or rather, she was used to it. Every visit brought teasing, and Jiao Long Wang and Niu Mo Wang were always part of it.

However, her words made Niu Mo and Jiao Long both tremble. They stopped their quarrel at once, scrambling to their feet and hurrying after Hua Shan Xianzi.

The scene had all the immortals fighting back laughter.

Everyone in the Heavenly Realm knew that these two great demons acted tough outside but were henpecked at home. This time out was fine, but normally, they showed up with bruises and swollen faces.

"That's what love is."

Ye Chen wore a meaningful expression. He could easily imagine how comfortable those two great demons must be at home. It was just like his own days on Heng Yue's Jade Maiden Peak, where he got beaten every few days and kicked every so often—not to mention any fooling around outside.

So, he kept a sharp record of all those accounts, just waiting for the heavenly tribulation to pass.

Once that minor interlude ended, the Hua Shan Dao Discussion truly began.

Hua Shan Zhenren formed a seal with one hand, and suddenly, a profound beam of light shot straight into the vast heavens, outlining visions of the Dao. The Dao manifestations were myriad, shifting endlessly, accompanied by the ethereal sounds of the Great Dao, weaving illusions.

At the center of these visions, a faint, illusory book could be seen, appearing and disappearing.

That was the Dao Jing, nurtured by Hua Shan.

Upon seeing it, Ba Taizi Yin Ming's eyes lit up instantly, burning with desire. His father, the emperor, wanted the Dao Jing to merge into his body—how could he not be excited?

"Is that the Dao Jing?"

"What a mysterious sound of the Great Dao—truly a treasure of the immortals."

"It's even more profound than last time."

The gathering reached its true peak, with comments flying back and forth. First-timers were full of wonder, while veterans among the immortals gazed with shining eyes, quietly listening.

Many rose from their seats, stepping lightly into the sky, ascending to the clouds' heights, all to get closer to the Dao Jing and comprehend the Dao.

Yet, the Dao Jing was too profound. Though it hung in the void, it was ethereally distant, more elusive than a dream—visible but unattainable, no matter the divine power.

"Quick, quick, grab a good spot." Taiyi and Taibai moved as well, shooting upward like immortal light, straight into the heavens. It was their first time, so they wouldn't miss this chance.

Like them, many others surged up, a whole crowd.

As a result, the seats below were nearly empty, the entire void crowded with figures, dimming the light, with people sitting cross-legged on clusters of clouds.

As for Ye Chen, he remained quite composed, as if nothing was happening, sitting steadily and listening to the immortal sounds of the Dao while sipping his wine, showing no intention of going up.

He quite liked the Dao Jing—it was truly profound.

But comprehending the Dao wasn't about getting physically closer to it. True comprehension lay not in the sounds, but within oneself. The transformation of the Dao was the real nirvana.

Compared to the Dao Jing, he was more concerned about Shangguan Yu's reincarnation.

He was multitasking—one part thinking about how to save him, the other quietly pondering the Dao. Within his body, chaotic Dao sounds echoed, actually resonating with the Dao Jing.

In a couple of moments, Ye Chen gained some insight, and the Dao Jing suspended in the void trembled slightly, stirred by him, as rays of heavenly light rain fell, seeming excited.

Every strand of that heavenly light rain was the Dao. All who touched it felt their immortal bodies shudder—many loosened their cultivation, many gained Dao insights, and the blessings spread far and wide.

"This is the first time I've seen the Dao Jing shower immortal rain."

Many of Hua Shan's immortals murmured softly. Even those who had come before showed surprise. They'd seen the Dao Jing many times, but this kind of vision was new.

Not just them, even Hua Shan Zhenren was astonished, having never witnessed such a scene.

After gazing for a while, he finally smiled.

As the master of Hua Shan, he understood that this Dao Jing was more extraordinary than any before, nurtured by Hua Shan. The Dao's gift would be a great opportunity.

Once he withdrew his gaze, he looked toward Ye Chen and said with a smile, "Why don't you go up?"

"The crowd's too big—no space left." Ye Chen's reply amused Hua Shan Zhenren.

This elder probably didn't realize that, on the surface, Ye Chen was the farthest from the Dao Jing, but in reality, he was the closest—not in distance, but in the Dao itself.

"Who is he from?" Hua Shan Zhenren asked the Xianzi beside him.

"I don't know." She shook her head lightly, also quite puzzled. How did a Spirit Void Realm stone spirit get a Hua Shan invitation? Coming to Hua Shan and seeing the Dao Jing, he seemed completely unexcited, as if he wasn't here for the Dao Jing at all—just to drink.

Hua Shan Zhenren said nothing, taking a deep breath, his gaze toward Ye Chen changing. After so many years, he'd met countless immortals, but never one like this.

"Zhenren, could we discuss the Dao Jing matter now?" Ba Taizi Yin Ming retracted his gaze from the void and looked at Hua Shan Zhenren again, his eyes blazing with eagerness, barely contained. He desperately wanted the Dao Jing—it would be his, and no one else could touch it.

"The immortals are still comprehending the Dao—are you in such a hurry?" Hua Shan Zhenren said calmly.

"Of course, we'll wait until the discussion ends." Yin Ming smiled, casually adjusting his sleeve. Within it, a hidden space formed, where a treasure seal floated, engraved with ancient immortal patterns and enveloped in divine light, manifesting its own visions. The faint Dao aura it emitted was extremely profound.

"Kong Dong Seal." Hua Shan Zhenren's eyes narrowed slightly.

"This is a gift from my father to Hua Shan, as an exchange." Yin Ming smiled immediately.

"Yu Di is truly bold." Hua Shan Zhenren sighed. He recognized it as the Kong Dong Seal and knew its ancient origins—it was no ordinary treasure.

"What do you think, Zhenren?" Yin Ming withdrew his sleeve, staring straight ahead, hoping for a clear answer. The eagerness he'd suppressed flared up again, his eyes nearly igniting.

"Old one..." Hua Shan Zhenren hadn't finished speaking when he suddenly looked up to the ethereal sky. That floating Dao Jing had turned into a beam of immortal light, descending from the heavens.

Under his watchful eye, the Dao Jing landed precisely into Ye Chen's body.