Chapter 2495: One Flash

Before the Zangjing Ge, more and more disciples rushed over upon hearing the news. The main reason was that Ye Chen's reputation was too prominent, and Hua Yang's name was equally renowned. One was a true successor of Huashan, and the other was the recognized master of the Dao Jing. The two were about to fight, and just hearing about it was exciting. After all, their daily cultivation and enlightenment were monotonous and tedious, so a rare spectacle like this was not to be missed.

As a result, the usually quiet Zangjing Ge was bustling today. Not only the open spaces, but even the nearby hilltops were crowded with people, all craning their necks and standing on tiptoes to watch.

In the Zangjing Ge, the Diyuan clone crossed his arms, acting as a loyal spectator. He couldn't help but glance at the original body and said,"Big brother, in your opinion, who's the stronger fighter?"

The Diyuan original body didn't open his eyes, but his expression said it all. Hua Yang appeared as a Sheng Ren on the surface but was actually a Zhun Di. Even with the suppression of cultivation realms in this Sanxian Jie, that fact couldn't be erased. A newly advanced Sheng Ren fighting against a Zhun Di suppressed to the Sheng Ren level—the outcome was predictable.

If even he thought that way, the disciples outside felt the same.

A Sheng Ren and a Zhun Di suppressed to Sheng Ren were not comparable. Among those at the Sheng Ren level, anyone could tell who was weaker and who was stronger, yet they still gathered to watch. They wanted to see just how powerful this person, recognized by the Dao Jing and having broken through four realms in a single day, truly was.

"I bet it'll be over in one move—Ye Chen will be completely defeated."

"No way! He's the one recognized by the Dao Jing; he can't be that weak, right?"

"But Hua Yang Shixiong is a real Zhun Di."

The disciples chattered away, deciding the result before the fight even began. Few favored Ye Chen. His talent was undeniable, but as a newly advanced Sheng Ren, his combat strength was limited.

Amid the noise, Hua Yang slightly raised his hand and extended one finger.

He wasn't boasting—Ye Chen wasn't even in his sights. His gaze was truly arrogant and dazzling. Extending one finger meant one thing: he could defeat Ye Chen in a single move.

Ye Chen understood and responded by extending one finger as well.

The disciples raised their eyebrows, unsure what his finger signified.

"No need to waste time," Hua Yang said indifferently. In an instant, he vanished and reappeared in front of Ye Chen, striking with a towering palm blade engraved with ancient seal scripts. Its power was incredibly domineering, capable of splitting Ye Chen in half. Few cultivators or immortals at the same level could withstand it.

Ye Chen just smiled and didn't move, but in that moment, his body turned illusory.

"You..." Hua Yang's expression changed abruptly. His palm missed, and he hadn't expected Ye Chen to possess such a heaven-defying Xian Fa—clearly a spatial immortal technique that could turn the solid into the ethereal.

Hua Yang's attack missed, but Ye Chen's struck true. He used the finger he had extended, bending it into a hook, and flicked it at Hua Yang's forehead in a Tan Yi Shan.

Then, the disciples all looked up in unison, their eyes darting left and right as they watched Hua Yang soar away like a streak of light. He shot across thousands of mountains and rivers, crossing the yin and yang of the universe, and crashed into the distance. That one Tan Yi Shan was refreshingly satisfying.

After a long while, a thunderous boom echoed. No need to look—they knew the flying Hua Yang had smashed into a mountain, causing a towering peak to collapse with a roar.

For a long time, the area in front of the Zangjing Ge was eerily silent.

Including Diyuan Zhenren, everyone's mouths hung open, their entire bodies frozen in shock. Hua Yang, the top true successor of Huashan and a genuine Zhun Di, had been flicked away by a newly advanced Sheng Ren with a single finger. It was utterly lawless.

A few seconds later, the disciples snapped out of it and turned to Ye Chen in unison. Their eyes were filled with indescribable shock.

"This guy must be cheating!" someone muttered, swallowing hard.

"How terrifying must he be to flick a Zhun Di with one finger?"

"Carrying the Dao Jing and breaking through four realms in a day—he's truly a heaven-defying monster." The discussions erupted again, one after another, blending exclamations, sighs, and sounds of astonishment into a wave like the tide. In their eyes, the little stone spirit had become a full-fledged monster.

Only then did they realize what Ye Chen's extended finger meant: to defeat his opponent with one finger in a single move.

And the facts proved it—his finger worked perfectly. With one Tan Yi Shan, he had flicked Huashan's top true successor away in just one move.

Ye Chen blew on his finger and strode off toward the peak of Huashan Zhenren. As fellow Huashan disciples, he held back. If he wanted to finish off Hua Yang, one move would have sufficed.

Watching Ye Chen's retreating figure, the crowd's expressions turned to reverence. They had seen the strong before, but never anyone this strong; they had seen geniuses, but never one this monstrous.

In the Zangjing Ge, Diyuan Zhenren's expression grew even more amusing, as he still hadn't fully recovered. He knew Hua Yang's combat strength well—it had the potential to fight above its level.

Yet, he had been flicked away by a newly advanced Sheng Ren with one finger.

"Big brother, even you can be wrong sometimes."

The Diyuan clone chuckled, enjoying the moment of rebellion. Seeing the original body's priceless reaction was oddly satisfying. He had been so certain earlier, only to be proven wrong.

Diyuan Zhenren said nothing. He couldn't deny that he had misjudged.

And it wasn't just him—the Huashan Zhenren watching in secret was also stunned for a long time. He knew Ye Chen wouldn't be weak as the master of the Dao Jing, but he hadn't expected him to be this strong.

"Could it be due to the Di Dao Shen Yun?" Huashan Xianzi murmured.

Huashan Zhenren smiled. "The Di Yun isn't on him."

This revelation shocked Huashan Xianzi. Without the Di Yun, Ye Chen could still flick Hua Yang with one finger. With it, he would be even more heaven-defying—probably finishing Hua Yang in an instant.

The most bewildered was Hua Yang himself, lying among the rubble and unable to get up for a long time. Whether from the flick or the shock of defeat, his mind was a mess. His sea of consciousness buzzed, his head felt like it might explode, and his thoughts were chaotic, blurring reality and illusion.

He had lost, and lost miserably. His pride, bloodline, cultivation, and Dao Yun—all were no match for Ye Chen's single finger.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen, scroll in hand, had already climbed another peak.

This peak was called Qiankun Peak, exclusively for the sect leader and the largest in Huashan besides the main peak. As the sect leader's domain, it was extraordinary—filled with Dao Yun throughout, shrouded in immortal energy, and echoing with ethereal heavenly sounds. The vital energy was incredibly abundant.

Tsk, tsk!

Ascending along the stone steps, Ye Chen clicked his tongue in amazement.

The peak was home to rare spiritual flowers and herbs, with surging vital energy—all top-tier treasures, a natural garden of spiritual plants that would make any Dan Shi drool.

As if anticipating his arrival, Huashan Zhenren was already brewing tea and waiting.

Also present was Huashan Xianzi, who seemed inseparable from him. If anyone claimed there was nothing special between them, no one would believe it—perhaps they even shared a bed at night.

Ye Chen arrived and glanced over, his eyes lighting up brightly.

But what caught his eye wasn't Huashan Zhenren or Huashan Xianzi—it was the misty area behind them, where a legendary immortal plant grew: the Xian Ling Zhi Hua. It formed its own phenomena, with leaves and petals enveloped in immortal energy, crystal clear and brimming with immense essence.

Such an immortal plant was extinct in the various heavens.

Ye Chen's eyes shone because the Xian Ling Zhi Hua was an essential ingredient for refining the Jiuzhuan Huan Hun Dan, and nothing could substitute for it.

Without this flower, he couldn't refine the pill.

"Good stuff," Ye Chen licked his lips, tempted to snatch it on the spot and make a run for it. He was confident no one could catch him—for the sake of treasure, he was ready to throw shame aside.

But he quickly dismissed the idea. Huashan had treated him well, and stealing their treasure would be too unscrupulous. Better to negotiate normally.

"Have you had your fill of looking?" Huashan Zhenren laughed, amused by this little stone spirit. He wasn't foolish—he knew it was a treasure, and indeed it was, nurtured for a thousand years with Dao Yun and essence. Even he treasured it.

Ye Chen chuckled dryly and stepped forward, presenting the scroll he had brought from the Zangjing Ge.

He also pulled out the one he had bought from Chen Tang Guan. Anyone with discernment could tell both paintings were by the same artist, depicted with exquisite detail.

Huashan Zhenren raised an eyebrow slightly. These two paintings were indeed his work—one had been lost long ago, and he never expected to see it in Ye Chen's hands. Was this fate?

"Senior, who is the woman in your paintings?" Ye Chen asked tentatively.

Huashan Zhenren smiled at Ye Chen. "Why are you so interested in her?"

"Just curious," Ye Chen replied with a grin.

Huashan Zhenren didn't buy it. He sipped his ancient tea and said leisurely, "When I painted these, I wasn't yet a Huashan disciple, having only begun cultivation for about a hundred years. That night, strange phenomena appeared in the sky, and vaguely, I saw a woman's graceful figure—like a dream, incredibly beautiful. I picked up my brush and captured her divine form. Calculating the time, it's been over two thousand years, and even now, I still don't know who she is. I've never heard of her in the heavens or the mortal world."

Ye Chen frowned at the story. If even Huashan Zhenren didn't know, the woman's origins were quite mysterious. He'd have to ask the Dao Zu about it.

"You little one, what's your true background? Can you tell me?" Huashan Zhenren suddenly asked, his words laden with meaning, his gaze steady and expectant.

"Just a little stone spirit," Ye Chen said with a chuckle.

Huashan Zhenren smiled but didn't press further. If Ye Chen didn't want to say, he had his reasons.

"Senior, are you willing to sell that Xian Ling Zhi Hua?" Ye Chen rubbed his hands.

The question amused Huashan Zhenren again. A legendary treasure like that couldn't be measured by money. Even if he wanted to sell, could Ye Chen afford it?

"I want to use it to refine a pill and save someone," Ye Chen said, his eyes full of sincerity.

"Refine a pill?" Huashan Xianzi asked in surprise. "Are you a Dan Shi?"

"I have some knowledge of it."

"How many patterns can you refine?" Huashan Xianzi asked with a smile.

"Probably not lower than yours, senior."

Ye Chen smiled. Back during the Huashan Lun Dao, he had learned that Huashan Xianzi not only mastered the Qin Dao but was also a Dan Shi, with a flame that was actually an Xian Huo.

"Don't overestimate yourself, little one," Huashan Xianzi said lightly.

"Don't underestimate me," Ye Chen replied, straightening his collar.

"In that case, why not have a contest?" Huashan Zhenren stroked his beard. "If you win against my Shimei, you can take the Xian Ling Zhi Hua as you like. If you lose, reveal your origins."

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

"Deal!"