Chapter 2492: Hua Shan Emperor's Essence

That night, starlight and moonlight poured down, making Huashan dazzlingly bright.

The night seemed peaceful and serene, but beneath the surface, undercurrents surged. All this was for a single Huashan Dao Jing, drawing even more people—great immortals from the upper realms and powerful demons from the lower realms. What was once a worldly immortal mountain had now become a hotbed of conflict, its ethereal immortal aura tainted with shadows.

At the summit of Huashan, the Huashan Xianzi stood quietly, with many hidden figures lurking nearby. Even she couldn't detect them all—not because her vision was lacking, but because those immortals and demons were extraordinarily powerful.

Not far away, Huashan Zhenren remained remarkably composed, sitting at a stone table and leisurely brewing tea. As the lord of Huashan, he possessed great resolve. Those who came only dared to lurk outside the mountain, not daring to enter, which clearly showed one thing—they feared Huashan, a colossal force.

Compared to the outside world, he was more focused on Ye Chen. Breaking through four major realms in a single day was unprecedented in history. The little disciple he had taken in was even more extraordinary than he had imagined.

The moonlit night was tranquil, and the swirling immortal mist veiled Huashan even more.

At the base of Huashan, Ye Chen had already risen, stretching lazily. Advancing from Lingxu Realm all the way to Saint Realm felt wonderfully exhilarating, like ascending from the depths of Jiu You to the heights of Jiu Xiao.

He didn't want to leave just yet. Carrying his wine flask, he ventured deeper.

This Chaos Sea was truly vast and boundless, with no end in sight, symbolizing the boundless nature of the Dao. Without comprehending the true essence of the Dao, one could never find its endpoint.

As he walked, he slowly closed his eyes, and the wine flask slipped unintentionally from his hand. He sank into the realm of the Dao, letting his mind wander and contemplate the great Dao.

His form changed constantly as he walked—one step, one sign of aging. Starting from his youthful appearance, he gradually transformed into an elderly man, with white hair fluttering and a white beard swaying. Then, he reversed the process, returning to infancy from old age.

This became a cycle, like a wheel of reincarnation.

If anyone were there, they would be astonished. This little stone was truly strange—his body shifted between illusion and solidity with every step, each one treading on the essence of the Dao. The forms of old and young alternated, and though he was clearly a person, he seemed not of this world, giving off an ethereal aura.

That day, he never opened his eyes, just kept walking, step by step, with no destination or end, wandering through the Chaos Sea like a traveler on the river of time, dusted with the passage of ages.

Only later did he come to a stop, a smile spreading across his lips.

It wasn't surprising, for he had found a treasure—and a great one at that. It was the Di Yun, hidden within the chaos, a mass of purple Dao essence that constantly shifted forms. Sometimes it manifested all things, other times it merged back into the chaos. The heavenly sounds of the great Dao it emitted were profoundly mysterious, far surpassing any Dao Jing, and flickers of the supreme emperor's might appeared frequently.

"I've found you."

Ye Chen laughed, his form changing once more as he transformed into the Dao itself and entered the chaos. Di Yun was rare, and having stumbled upon it, he had no intention of letting it go.

The Chaos Sea roiled with energy, and the sounds of the Dao echoed grandly.

By dawn, someone arrived—it was Huashan Zhenren, more precisely, a manifestation of him. He descended gracefully, coming specifically to check on Ye Chen.

However, standing at the edge of the chaos, he looked around but couldn't spot Ye Chen.

When the true form learned of this, he descended in person, stroking his beard and gazing intently, his old eyes filled with surprise. Even he couldn't find Ye Chen—there was no trace of him at all.

"Has he run off?" Huashan Xianzi asked in astonishment.

"Would he really run?" Huashan Zhenren chuckled, not believing it for a moment. This place was no ordinary spot—it was the source that nurtured the Dao Jing, the very foundation of Huashan's essence, a divine concentration of the Dao's aura, an immortal land for enlightenment. Meditating here for a day was equivalent to a hundred years outside.

Such a sacred place was off-limits to outsiders—who would be foolish enough to leave?

Sure enough, deep in the chaos, he found Ye Chen, formless and shapeless, not in human form but as the Dao itself, merged completely with the Chaos Sea.

"You little stone," Huashan Zhenren murmured softly, his eyes revealing a hint of shock. He had still underestimated Ye Chen. In comprehending the Dao, even he fell short.

"Found him?" Huashan Xianzi was still searching but couldn't see him.

Huashan Zhenren smiled and gently waved his hand, parting the layers of chaotic mist and pointing to a distant spot. It was a wisp of ethereal Dao essence—that was Ye Chen transformed.

Huashan Xianzi focused her gaze, her expression turning to shock. "Transformed into the Dao?"

"This boy is stealing something!" Huashan Zhenren laughed.

Outsiders might not understand, but Huashan Xianzi knew exactly what he meant.

The "something" was Huashan's supreme treasure—the Di Yun. Ye Chen had found it and was trying to separate a wisp to merge it into his own Dao Jing.

Once Di Yun entered the Dao Jing, it was like planting a seed in soil. The seed could grow into a towering tree, and the Di Yun, nourished by the Dao Jing, could return to its primal state, becoming a source of power.

Huashan Zhenren understood Ye Chen's intent, and so did Huashan Xianzi. He wanted to use the Dao Jing to cultivate the Di Yun, with the Dao Jing as its nourishment. Given enough time, it would be like that seed growing into an ancient tree—a heaven-defying opportunity.

The key was whether he could separate that wisp of Di Yun.

"Separating Di Yun—something even you couldn't do back in the day, Senior Brother. I wonder if this little stone can pull it off." Huashan Xianzi smiled, her beautiful eyes gleaming with immortal light as she watched intently.

Huashan Zhenren said nothing, a touch of awkwardness showing on his face as he recalled those ancient events.

Back then, he had tried just like Ye Chen to separate a wisp of Di Yun, but his opportunity hadn't been right—or perhaps his comprehension of the Dao hadn't been deep enough. He had never succeeded.

As the lord of Huashan, it was embarrassing that he didn't possess the Huashan Di Yun.

Now, Ye Chen seemed to surpass him in this regard.

At the very least, Ye Chen carried a Dao Jing that had recognized him as its master—an unprecedented event in Huashan's history. No previous lord had ever had such a fortune.

So, Ye Chen might just succeed. He had the innate conditions—namely, the Dao Jing, which had fused with him. The Dao Jing was him, and he was the Dao Jing.

If Di Yun was the seed, then the Dao Jing was the soil, and Ye Chen, merged with the Dao Jing, was nutrient-rich earth. The Dao Jing would nourish the Di Yun, and so would he.

Deep in the chaos, Ye Chen, now transformed into Dao essence, was still wandering about like a thief, scheming to steal something—namely, the Huashan Di Yun.

Unfortunately, this wasn't ordinary Di Yun. At least, it differed from the thunder Di Yun of Kui Niu, because Hong Jun was still alive. The Di Yun of a Dao Ancestor had an innate spirituality, making it incredibly difficult to separate a wisp with such life.

Still, he had the Dao Jing as his secret weapon—a tempting lure to attract the Di Yun. He didn't need much, just a single wisp. Then, he could use the Dao Jing to nurture it. Over time, the Di Yun's spirituality would assimilate with the Dao Jing and become his to command.

"Come on! Big brother will take you to see the colorful world."

"Don't be so shy, look—I've got the Dao Jing. I'll take care of you!"

"Get out here quick, or I'll lose my temper!"

Ye Chen chattered away, fully displaying his wit and resorting to his verbal tactics. Like a shady uncle tempting a little girl with candy, or a robber making threats, he was skilled in every trick, all to get the Di Yun.

But no matter what he said, the Di Yun ignored him completely.

With its own spirituality, the Di Yun was no ordinary thing—neither coaxing nor intimidating worked. It showed no reaction from start to finish. What was this stone spirit doing? Not very powerful, yet full of big ambitions.