Chapter 2489: Claiming Ownership

Huashan Zhenren was stunned. "This..." The sudden turn of events left everyone completely unprepared. The Dao Jing had been nurtured so many times before, only to return to the universe and utterly vanish from the world, but now it was behaving strangely, as if it had a spirit, actually burrowing into a human body.

The people who had been comprehending the Dao in the void all stood up together, turning their gazes downward in unison.

Every pair of eyes focused without exception on Ye Chen. What kind of twist was this? They were in the middle of enlightenment, and suddenly the Dao Jing slipped away. Fine, it slipped away, but why did it dart into the body of a Lingxu Realm stone spirit? What was that supposed to mean?

Everyone was dumbfounded, except for Yin Ming, who gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. "Damn it."

The Eighth Prince of the Heavenly Court, who had been pretending to be refined and elegant, finally revealed his true nature. His face twisted into something hideous and terrifying. He had come down to the mortal realm specifically for the Huashan Dao Jing. His father, the Jade Emperor, had even offered immortal treasures in exchange, all because he doted on him and wanted to fuse the Dao Jing into his body.

So, naturally, the Dao Jing was meant to be his.

But who would have thought it would enter the body of a stone spirit—and one in the Lingxu Realm at that? It felt like his bride had been snatched away on their wedding night, and not just that, but her purity had been lost to a lowly little stone spirit, already defiling his Dao Jing.

Kill! Kill! Kill!

Yin Ming's heart roared with fury, his killing intent toward Ye Chen impossible to suppress. His bright silver eyes were streaked with blood vessels, turning a deep crimson, making him look like a demon.

Behind him, the reincarnated Shangguan Yu frowned, sensing Yin Ming's murderous aura.

Huashan Zhenren, having calmed his thoughts, had a flicker of profound light in his eyes. He realized it was the Dao Jing choosing its master on its own. Naturally, this was also deeply connected to Ye Chen, whose profound comprehension of the Dao had evidently caught the Dao Jing's approval, prompting it to enter his body eagerly.

The Dao Jing selecting a master was unprecedented, utterly surprising.

Ye Chen had set down his wine cup and was examining his own body internally. He could see a faint immortal book manifesting within, half-hidden and half-visible—that was the Dao Jing, resonating with his Dao principles.

From the outside, mysterious scriptures were transforming into illusions, intertwining with the Dao principles and swirling around him, making his entire body glow with immortal light, like a divine being, accompanied by the echoes of the Great Dao.

What the hell?

After a brief moment of silence, the entire Huashan Mountain erupted in chaos.

The immortals in the void sky rushed down in a massive wave, like a vast cloud cover pressing from the heavens. This was especially true for the immortals from the Heavenly Court and the great demons from the mortal realm—they were the most baffled. They had attended the Huashan Dao Debates so many times and never seen anything like this. A perfectly fine Dao Jing had just slipped away on its own, leaving everyone hanging in the void.

"Move aside."

The Niu Mo Wang was the most furious. He shoved through the crowd, his massive bull eyes gleaming with divine light. With his enormous bull hands, he grabbed Ye Chen's small shoulders and looked him up and down. "You little stone spirit, what have you done with the Huashan Dao Jing? Hand it over right now."

"It came in on its own," Ye Chen shrugged.

"Don't anyone move—I'll handle this." The Jiao Long Wang stepped forward, pushing the Niu Mo Wang aside. He rolled up his sleeves and reached a hand into Ye Chen's body, rummaging around as if searching for something.

Well, he actually found it. When he pulled his hand back, the Dao Jing was hovering in his palm.

"Naughty thing." The Jiao Long Wang chuckled and poked the Dao Jing with his finger.

But as he laughed, the Dao Jing darted back into Ye Chen's body like smoke.

"Hey!" The Niu Mo Wang wasn't having it. He rolled up his sleeves too and thrust his hand into Ye Chen's body, yanking the Dao Jing out again. "We're all here for you—what's the big idea hiding like that?"

Once again, the Dao Jing was pulled out—well, more like grabbed out.

Just like the first time, it didn't stay outside for even a moment before returning to Ye Chen's body. This time, it had learned its lesson and hid in a secret spot.

"Does the Dao Jing want to recognize a master on its own?" the Jiao Long Wang and Niu Mo Wang asked, exchanging glances before both turning to Ye Chen. One great demon and one great fiend—one stroking his chin, the other with hands on his hips—began circling Ye Chen, examining him from head to toe, inside and out. They scrutinized every detail, not exaggerating when they said they could even see what color underwear he was wearing.

Like them, the immortals from the upper realms and the demons from the lower realms crowded around in waves, forming inner and outer circles that completely surrounded Ye Chen.

"The Huashan region is full of outstanding talents and spiritual energy—perhaps the Dao Jing has developed its own intelligence," Kunlun Zhenxian pondered.

"It seems likely," Bixia Xianzi said with a smile, remaining quite composed.

"The Dao Jing of the immortals goes to those with affinity; it can't be forced," Daode Zhenjun said with a laugh, now viewing Ye Chen, the little stone spirit, in a new light. Clearly, he had a connection with the Dao Jing.

"Old official, what's the real story behind this kid?" Taibai asked.

"Very mysterious," Taiyi said, taking a deep breath. He knew Ye Chen was a prodigy, but he never imagined he'd be prodigious enough to make the Huashan Dao Jing recognize him willingly. In his memory, nothing like this had ever happened—it wasn't that the Dao Jing had gained intelligence; it was that Ye Chen was just that terrifying.

"Why didn't such a great thing pick me?"

"We went through hell and high water to get an invitation, and now this happens—I feel like cursing."

"No looks, no cultivation—why him?"

More people gathered, their discussions rising like waves—filled with astonishment, sighs, tuts of admiration, resentment, and envy, blending into a roaring tide.

The scene was quite a spectacle. Those in the know realized it was about Ye Chen; those who didn't might have thought it was a monkey show. The attendees of the Huashan Dao Debates had all turned into spectators.

Surrounded in the middle, Ye Chen felt increasingly uncomfortable. Those pairs of eyes made his whole body shiver, as if he might be ganged up on any second.

On the distant immortal platform, Yin Ming forcibly suppressed his anger, then turned and bowed to Huashan Zhenren, forcing a smile. "I hope, Zhenren, you can retrieve the Dao Jing for the Heavenly Court."

His words were carefully chosen—it wasn't for him, but for the Heavenly Court, clearly using his influence to pressure. His intent was obvious: the Dao Jing was destined for the Heavenly Court, whether willingly or not.

Huashan Zhenren smiled, a hint of displeasure in his eyes. He understood the implication in Yin Ming's words, but unfortunately, the Eighth Prince had picked the wrong target. As the master of Huashan, even the great demons of the Scattered Immortal Realm feared Huashan to some degree, so he certainly wasn't afraid of the Heavenly Court.

"Zhenren?" Seeing Huashan Zhenren remain silent, Yin Ming prompted him again.

"I'm afraid that will disappoint the prince," Huashan Zhenren said lightly. "The Dao Jing has recognized its master on its own—I'm powerless to change that. Even if I could take it out, it wouldn't go with you."

"You..." Yin Ming was furious, at a loss for words. The ferocity he had just suppressed resurfaced, even stronger than before. The cold glint in his eyes was unmistakable. As the lofty Eighth Prince and future lord of the Heavenly Court, when had he ever faced such defiance?

"Prince, this is the Scattered Immortal Realm, not your Heavenly Court."

Huashan Zhenren's tone turned colder. Time and again, you've shown killing intent toward me—do you really think I'm easygoing? Not even the Jade Emperor would dare treat me this way. Just for your words and that killing intent, even if I could hand it over, I wouldn't. In short: I just don't like you.

"Good, very good." Yin Ming ground his teeth and flung his robes, soaring into the sky.

Before leaving, he couldn't help but glance back, fixing a vicious glare on Ye Chen, like a wolf eyeing its prey, ready to tear it to pieces. Behind him, Shangguan Yu also looked back, his eyes full of worry. A Lingxu Realm cultivator had provoked the Heavenly Court's Eighth Prince—the consequences were unimaginable, and his fate would likely be even more miserable than his own.

"Rejecting the Jade Emperor's face like this might bring disaster," Huashan Xianzi frowned.

"Huashan fears no Heavenly Court. If they want war, let them come," Huashan Zhenren declared firmly.

"What about that little stone spirit?"

"Recruiting him into Huashan would be ideal," Huashan Zhenren said with a smile, looking at Ye Chen again. The more he observed, the more favorably he viewed him. His comprehension of the Dao was exceptional, and at least the kid was sensible—far better in temperament than the Eighth Prince Yin Ming.

Such talent was exactly what Huashan needed.

Most importantly, the Dao Jing had chosen him, which was proof enough that this little stone spirit embodied the Great Dao of heaven and earth—that was precisely what Huashan sought.

"I busted my ass for an invitation and almost sold my wife."

"Quick, get that Dao Jing out. So many people came for it—you can't play it like this."

"Little guy, is your Dao Jing for sale? I'd be willing to buy it; we can negotiate the price."

"Back off—if anyone's buying, it's me."

Around Ye Chen, the scene was incredibly lively. Whether immortals from the upper realms or great demons from the lower realms, they were all shouting and carrying on—some threatening, some trying to get chummy, some complaining, some sweet-talking. The atmosphere was even more chaotic than the event's peak.

Some oddballs even offered to buy the Dao Jing, which made Huashan Zhenren want to laugh. The Huashan Dao Jing was a priceless treasure—could it really be measured in money?

Despite the immortals' chatter, Ye Chen remained unfazed, simply gazing at the horizon.

He was watching the Eighth Prince leave. He had clearly seen the vicious look in Yin Ming's eyes before he departed, but what he truly cared about was the reincarnated Shangguan Yu.

He didn't chase after them—it would be pointless.

As before, saving Shangguan Yu was easy, but saving the Yang family was not. Without knowing the Yang family's situation, he couldn't act rashly, or he might doom the entire clan.

Fortunately, he had divined it earlier—Shangguan Yu and the Yang family were safe for the short term. That gave him enough time to do many things, like advancing his cultivation.

The upper immortal realms were nothing like the Scattered Immortal Realm; there were no cultivation suppressions there. A Quasi-Emperor was just one, not scary, but a group of them was like an army. That kind of massive force was beyond him. Not only would saving people be impossible, but he'd struggle to protect himself.

In this period, he needed to raise his cultivation level. Then, he would wait.

Wait for what? For an invitation from the Heavenly Court, of course. He would go, but not on his own initiative—it would be the Jade Emperor inviting him. With the Dao Jing in his possession, there was no reason not to invite him.

Once there, he only needed to visit the heavenly prison, rescue the Yang family, and take Shangguan Yu with him—that would complete his mission. Afterward, everything else could be handled casually. He had no interest in Heavenly Court positions and could always return to the Scattered Immortal Realm, where the cultivation suppression made numbers meaningless.

His plan was solid. The Huashan Dao Jing was his leverage, whether for negotiations or even trading for Shangguan Yu.