Chapter 2491: Breaking Through Four Realms in a Day

The Huashan Lun Dao had concluded, and the immortals returned to their respective homes.

Outside the mountains, the lingering crowds of lesser demons were still immersed in the event, feeling a pang of sadness as the grand gathering ended. To hear those ethereal Dao sounds again, they would have to wait another hundred years.

Sighing, the lesser demons dispersed one by one.

At that moment, beams of immortal light shot out from Huashan, each one precisely aimed and entering a person's body. It was a divine sense carrying a single message: Come into the mountains.

Those selected were momentarily stunned, then overwhelmed with joy. Being invited into the mountains was a tremendous honor! This was all thanks to their talents, which had been secretly noted by the Huashan elders. With the Lun Dao finished, it was time to recruit talents, and no one would refuse.

As for those not selected, they wore expressions of regret and envy. In this world, good opportunities always seemed to pass them by, while misfortunes never missed a chance.

Once the hustle and bustle faded, the various mountain peaks fell quiet and empty.

News of the Huashan Lun Dao spread rapidly: The Dao Jing had chosen its own master, and surprisingly, it was a young stone spirit.

This caused an uproar across the realms. Ye Chen's name instantly spread through both the upper and lower worlds, with sighs, exclamations of surprise, and murmurs of doubt echoing everywhere.

Yet, outside the moonlit mountain ranges, shadowy figures occasionally flitted by, each cloaked in black robes with eyes glowing eerily, like ghosts of the night drifting aimlessly.

As Ye Chen had predicted, there were many with intentions of murder and robbery. Seizing the Dao Jing and studying it would lead to significant cultivation advancements, allowing one to dominate the scattered immortal realms. Who wouldn't be tempted?

However, after waiting for a long time without Ye Chen emerging, these individuals remained persistent. They wouldn't give up until he appeared, determined to snatch the Dao Jing.

In the heavenly realm, in the Eighth Prince's palace,

Yin Ming raged like a mad dog, smashing everything in sight and howling incessantly.

"Kill! Kill that stone spirit for me and seize back the Dao Jing!"

"My prince, the Dao Jing has recognized him as its master, and he will likely be taken as a Huashan disciple. Acting against him could provoke Huashan's wrath," said an elder in purple robes. "If Yu Di learns of this, it will be difficult to explain. I suggest seeking his approval first."

"Father is in seclusion—how can I seek his command?" Yin Ming snorted coldly.

"Then wait until Yu Di emerges from seclusion."

"I can't wait!" Yin Ming roared. "Send people immediately to watch outside Huashan and seize the Dao Jing for me. Make sure not to reveal our identities—who will know?"

"And Yu Di?"

"Father dotes on me the most. Even if he finds out, he won't punish me."

The night on Huashan was peaceful and serene.

Ye Chen followed the Huashan Daoist, taking in the full splendor of Huashan. It was truly a realm of immortals on earth, enveloped in immortal mist, shrouded in rain and fog, brimming with spiritual energy that nourished all life. Exotic flowers and rare herbs abounded, some of which were unique to this place and not found in the other heavens.

Beyond that, there were array patterns etched in hidden spots—emperor-level arrays concealing powerful immortal formations. Even Ye Chen was deeply impressed; the one who set them up must have been an unparalleled master.

After some time, the Huashan Daoist came to a stop.

They had reached the depths of Huashan, where a vast inner world existed—a sea of chaos. Standing before it, people seemed as insignificant as grains of sand. This chaotic sea was what supported the entire Huashan.

"Emperor essence."

Ye Chen murmured to himself, finally tracing the source. Seeing this sea of chaos confirmed his suspicion: The legendary great emperor who had attained enlightenment on Huashan was Daozu Hongjun. As a chaos body, this sea was a manifestation of the emperor's divine essence.

"You know about emperor essence—impressive," said Huashan Zhenren, stroking his beard.

"I've heard it from my predecessors," Ye Chen replied with a smile.

"You have three days to meditate here." Huashan Zhenren waved his hand, sending Ye Chen into the sea of chaos.

"Thank you, senior." Ye Chen smiled and sat down cross-legged. This was a rare opportunity; he might even gain a strand or two of emperor essence, which would be a heaven-defying fortune.

Huashan Zhenren glanced at him one last time before quietly leaving.

This elder truly valued Ye Chen. Only the successors of Huashan's leader were allowed to meditate here—not just a fortune, but the highest honor.

Once Huashan Zhenren was gone, Ye Chen, who had been sitting, opened his eyes and stood up. He looked around carefully and headed deeper.

The so-called sea of chaos wasn't a real sea but a misty expanse of chaotic clouds, formed from Dao essence and infused with supreme divine power from the emperor's essence.

Along the way, he witnessed many visions.

Chaos was evolving into all things, and all things were returning to chaos—a wondrous cycle, much like reincarnation, illustrating the true essence of the Dao. Daozu's Dao was a creation that defied the heavens, a level Ye Chen admitted he hadn't reached.

Only when he reached the depths did he stop. The Dao Jing within him resonated with his own Dao principles and also with the chaotic Dao essence here, for the Dao Jing was the refined essence born from chaos, inherently connected—or perhaps, they were one and the same.

Once again, he sat down cross-legged, his mind clear and serene, his demeanor dignified. Accompanied by the sounds of the great Dao, he entered a profound state of enlightenment.

The night passed quietly.

In the morning, the warm sunlight bathed Huashan, making it gleam radiantly.

"I heard that during the Lun Dao, the Dao Jing chose its master on its own."

"The elders confirmed it—it's no rumor. It was a stone spirit in the Ling Xu Jing, and the sect leader has already taken him as a Huashan disciple."

"We haven't seen him yet—I'd love to get a look."

The diligent Huashan disciples were already out and about, some meditating on mountain peaks, others sitting on jade stones, or wandering the paths, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth. Their conversations were full of curiosity and amazement. As Huashan disciples, they hadn't been qualified to attend the event at the highest peak, so they only learned about it later, finding it hard to believe.

"This is the Daoist immortal abode—you can come here to meditate in the future."

"That's the Huashan Immortal Pool, infused with heavenly spiritual medicines to refine the body."

"Keep up at the back."

One could see a Huashan elder leading a group of disciples on a tour. These were all new recruits, each with exceptional potential. It was their first time in Huashan, and everything felt novel. They walked and gazed in wonder, still feeling like it was all a dream—they had become Huashan disciples, with boundless futures ahead.

At the highest peak of Huashan, Huashan Zhenren sat leisurely, quietly brewing tea.

Huashan Xianzi was there too, occasionally glancing toward the mountains. She could spot those hiding in the shadows, and their cultivation levels were quite high, as if they were waiting for someone.

Who were they waiting for? Obviously Ye Chen—they were clearly planning murder and robbery.

"Don't bother looking—it's expected," Huashan Zhenren said with a smile. "It's just that the Dao Jing is too precious. Anyone with greed in their heart would covet it. That's the way of the world."

"Still, we should keep an eye on him," Huashan Xianzi said, taking a sip of tea.

No sooner had she spoken than a beam of light shot up from the mountain base, piercing the clouds and forming visions that drew the attention of all Huashan disciples and elders. They knew it was the light of a breakthrough.

"He's finally chosen to advance," Huashan Xianzi said with a smile. Without even looking, she knew Ye Chen had reached Kong Ming Jing.

Then, as soon as she finished, a second beam of breakthrough light soared into the sky.

Before anyone could react, a third one followed.

And then a fourth, each one indicating an advancement.

"This..."

Not just Huashan Xianzi, but even Huashan Zhenren was stunned. Four consecutive beams of breakthrough light meant advancing from Ling Xu Jing all the way to Sheng Ren Jing! In his over three thousand years of cultivation, he had never seen anything so bizarre.

If even he was like this, the other elders and disciples were no different, gazing upward with expressions of sheer astonishment.

"Breaking through four major realms in a row— is this some kind of cheat code?"

"When did advancing in cultivation become so casual? Even with immortal pills, it wouldn't be this fast!"

"What kind of prodigy is this? Beyond just a genius—it's downright heaven-defying."

The morning on Huashan turned lively. The ten thousand peaks were crowded with figures, looking up at the sky and scanning around, searching for the one who had broken through—but they couldn't find him.

"Extraordinary."

Huashan Zhenren took a deep breath, and Huashan Xianzi did the same. Amid their shock, they couldn't hide their delight. Huashan had snagged quite a talent—he was truly heaven-defying.

At the mountain base, Ye Chen remained seated in meditation, as still as an ancient monk.

He had stabilized his Dao essence and solidified his foundation. Advancing through the Dao meant no bottlenecks. If he wanted, he could even break into Da Sheng Jing. Someone with a god-tier cheat like him could be this bold.