Chapter 2503: Assassination

The stars shone brightly, and the moonlight was clear and bright.

On Chi Yan Peak, Ye Chen sat quietly, resting his chin in his hands, looking utterly bored.

Across from him, Tai Yi Zhen Ren and Tai Bai Jin Xing stood, each with their hands tucked in their sleeves.

It was a deep, silent night, perfect for enlightenment, especially with the Dao Jing available, but the two of them ignored it. Instead, they just stared at Ye Chen, their old eyes filled with an extremely lecherous anticipation.

"Look at how dirty you are all over. Why not go wash up?" Tai Yi Zhen Ren suggested tentatively.

Tai Bai Jin Xing said with a meaningful smile, "It's the body of a Shen Nü, after all. Don't be so sloppy."

Ye Chen didn't respond. His eyes darted left and right as he glanced sideways at Tai Yi Zhen Ren, then sideways at Tai Bai Jin Xing. He knew exactly what these two old rogues were thinking. If he went to the Xian Pool to bathe, they would follow right after, taking advantage of the beautiful night to peep.

We're all shameless types here. Do you think I don't understand your sneaky schemes?

Their thoughts exposed, Tai Yi Zhen Ren and Tai Bai Jin Xing both coughed awkwardly, stood up, and left. They found hidden spots to conceal themselves, eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of the sensual scene.

Unfortunately, their wishes were wishful thinking, while reality was disappointing. Ye Chen sat there for most of the night, showing no sign of getting up, let alone going to wash.

What a waste!

The two muttered curses in unison. If it were them, they would surely live a much more enjoyable life.

"Dare to touch recklessly, and I'll castrate you."

"And don't bathe."

Words like these echoed every so often, coming from the Hua Shan Shen Nü. They were nothing but threats and warnings. If not for her duties, she would have come to keep an eye on Ye Chen herself.

People like him needed constant watching to feel at ease.

Ye Chen ignored it, still looking bored, lost in his own thoughts.

The night passed without incident, and dawn arrived in the blink of an eye.

In the morning, Chi Yan Peak bustled with activity, like a marketplace. All sorts of people came carrying wine jars—disciples and elders alike, all from Hua Shan. They claimed to be coming to borrow the Dao Jing for enlightenment, but in reality, they were just there to see the Shen Nü's body.

However, before they could reach the summit, someone blocked their way—it was the Hua Shan Xian Zi. Whether disciples or elders, she politely escorted them all down the peak. Hua Shan's precious Shen Nü was pure and untainted; she couldn't let these scoundrels defile her.

Even so, some people still tried to come up.

One Hua Shan Xian Zi wasn't enough; the Hua Shan Zhen Ren also descended, being even more direct.

No one could escape a slap from him.

In short, with these two powerful figures guarding the place, not even a fly could get in.

That night, Ye Chen finally sat cross-legged in meditation.

He was never one to stay still. Despite the Hua Shan Xian Zi's warnings, he delved into the Meng Dao Xian Fa once again, pulling himself into a mysterious realm—the realm of dreams.

No wonder the Shen Nü valued Da Meng Wu Ji so highly, going into seclusion for three years to study it secretly. This dream path immortal law was incredibly profound. Just like yesterday on Feng Tian Terrace, if not for the unexpected body swap, it would have been hard to break the Meng Dao Xian Fa. Such laws were far superior to illusions.

Ye Chen had witnessed Ji Ning Shuang's Meng Dao Xian Fa before. It dragged people into dreams, and if you weren't careful, you'd get lost in them. The dream weaver was the king in the dream, while the one who entered was merely a subject. Without understanding the mysteries of dreams, even the strongest could fall victim.

On the second night, Tai Yi Zhen Ren and Tai Bai Jin Xing arrived.

These two old fellows were truly incorrigible. They circled around, admiring, and even reached out to pinch Ye Chen's body from time to time. The feel was extraordinarily wonderful.

Ye Chen's eyelids twitched slightly as he opened his eyes a bit. He didn't look directly at them but glanced to one side, clearly seeing a pair of eyes in the darkness, staring at him with murderous intent.

In an instant, he closed his eyes and continued his enlightenment.

He wasn't surprised by that killing intent at all. Though he'd only been in Hua Shan a short time, he knew its secrets. This place seemed peaceful on the surface, but underneath, dark undercurrents surged with hidden dangers.

It was just like the factional struggles in his past life at Heng Yue—never-ending conflicts.

After defeating the Shen Zi yesterday, he must have provoked the other faction, disrupting their plans. It was normal for them to hold a grudge. If not for being in Hua Shan, he would have definitely been assassinated.

"So smooth, truly smooth." Tai Yi Zhen Ren touched Ye Chen's face, grinning lecherously.

Ye Chen said nothing. He casually picked up his iron staff and knocked Tai Yi Zhen Ren out cold, then did the same to Tai Bai Jin Xing, sending them both into dreamless slumber. If you're not going to study the Dao Jing, what's wrong with you two?

On the second night, the two old men finally woke up, their heads still dizzy.

Given how harshly Ye Chen had struck, they didn't dare cause more trouble. They glanced at the sky and left together, heading early to the fertile lands. Before going, they returned the Dao Jing.

As soon as the Dao Jing entered his body, Ye Chen trembled.

Then, his brows furrowed, and a look of pain crossed his face, as if he were having a nightmare. In the shadows, a terrifying dream demon seemed to cling to him relentlessly.

For others, this night was just a few hours, but for him, it felt endlessly long. His Yuan Shen was trapped in the Shen Nü's body, and his mind was stuck in the dream realm, unable to escape. He could no longer distinguish reality from illusion, teetering on the edge of complete confusion at any moment.

Elsewhere, the Hua Shan Shen Nü was also sitting in meditation, not focusing on enlightenment but trying her best to adapt to Ye Chen's body. The higher the compatibility, the stronger her combat power. She was determined to lose, but not to lose so badly.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

In the quiet night, these howls suddenly rang out.

It was the Hua Shan Shen Zi, finally awake. His hair was disheveled, roaring like a mad dog. If not for the elders holding him back, he would have charged out of the palace to settle scores with Ye Chen. His painstakingly refined life-bound artifact was destroyed, and he was covered in injuries, utterly humiliated. The once lofty Shen Zi was now blinded by rage, his mind filled only with thoughts of murder.

Though he was the Shen Zi, his temperament was far inferior to the first true successor.

At least, Hua Yang could accept defeat gracefully.

The more he acted like this, the more contempt the Hua Shan Zhen Ren showed. He would never pass the sect leadership to him. With such a disposition, he lacked the vision and breadth for the role.

At the summit of Chi Yan Peak, Ye Chen, who was enlightening, slowly stood up.

But his eyes were closed, his hands hung limply, and his steps were stiff. Having delved into the Meng Dao Xian Fa, he had unwittingly lost himself in the dream realm again. This time, he was sleepwalking, completely unconscious. As he stumbled along, he fell countless times.

Strangely, the heavenly sounds of the Dao Jing echoed around him, the ancient scriptures intertwining with his Dao principles, surrounding his body. Everywhere he walked, the flowers and grass seemed to gain more vitality.

This made the person secretly watching him unable to hold back any longer. They had agreed not to assassinate in Hua Shan, but seeing Ye Chen falter due to his enlightenment was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Most importantly, the Hua Shan Zhen Ren wasn't watching Chi Yan Peak at the moment.

So, a black shadow slipped quietly into Chi Yan Peak, cloaked in dark robes, gliding like a ghost of the night under the moonlight. His face was hidden, revealing only a pair of cold, lifeless eyes.

Ye Chen staggered along, entering the Zi Zhu Forest like a wandering spirit, aimless and directionless, trampling bamboo after bamboo, as if he wouldn't stop until the end of time.

His form grew even more eerie. As he walked, strands of his black hair turned snow white one by one, his appearance aging noticeably, his back slightly hunched.

No one knew what he had endured in the dream, but it seemed as if centuries had passed. Even in the real world, he couldn't escape the erosion of time. Each step marked another year, slowly aging him, as if he might drop dead at any moment.

This sight even stunned the black shadow following in secret. What kind of Dao was he enlightening to? This form was too bizarre—walking along and suddenly aging.

In the next instant, a cold light flashed in the shadow's eyes. He stepped forward in a flash and struck, unleashing a thunderous sword aimed straight at Ye Chen's brow—a fatal blow, leaving no chance for survival.

But to his shock, Ye Chen's body turned illusory in that moment, and his powerful sword thrust missed entirely, not harming Ye Chen in the slightest.

"Underestimated you." The black shadow snorted coldly and struck again with another sword.

This time, Ye Chen's body didn't turn illusory, but as the sword came, he slowly raised his hand, extending two fingers that precisely clamped the sword tip. No matter how hard the attacker pushed, it couldn't advance an inch; the sword's power was completely neutralized.

Only then did Ye Chen open his eyes, his gaze dazzling like solid beams of light shooting out with immense force, piercing two bloody holes in the black-clad figure's body.

Thud!

The black-clad figure vanished in an instant—it wasn't the real body, but an incarnation.

Ye Chen said nothing. With a flick of his fingers, he crushed the killing sword, his expression calm and unruffled. He didn't bother tracking down the true body; he already knew who it was. This person had been a spectator at the Feng Tian Terrace battle. The reason he didn't settle the score was that the time wasn't right yet.

"Since you want to play, I'll play with you to the end." Ye Chen said lightly. Casually, he glanced in a certain direction, seeing through the endless darkness into a pair of fierce eyes still watching him, filled with killing intent and a touch of malice.

"Good, very good." A cold voice echoed faintly from the shadows. They had indeed underestimated Ye Chen; even in his dazed state, he snapped back in an instant and thwarted their killing blow.

People like him were the most dangerous and absolutely couldn't be left alive. They were lucky to have sent only an incarnation and not the true body; otherwise, they would have been captured. In the realm of suppressed cultivation like the San Xian world, both were at the Saint level. Even the Shen Zi couldn't defeat Ye Chen, let alone them.

In the Zi Zhu Forest, Ye Chen had already sat down gracefully and pulled out his wine flask, silent and contemplative.

He had gained some insights from another session of Da Meng Wu Ji, but still hadn't fully grasped its inner mysteries. The only issue was that this Meng Dao Xian Fa was incomplete, requiring personal experimentation to master.

In this regard, he was a step behind Ji Ning Shuang. Yao Chi had walked further on the path of the dream Dao. If she were to study this law, she would likely uncover its true essence.

Hmm?

As he pondered, he suddenly looked up at the vast sky. In the boundless starry expanse, a graceful figure appeared, bathed in starlight and moonlight, dancing elegantly. He couldn't tell how far away it was, only that it seemed dreamlike and illusory, more like a phantom than reality.

Ye Chen narrowed his eyes, confirming it wasn't a mistake. It was indeed a phantom, but it must have existed at some point.

That wasn't the most important part, though. What mattered was that the woman's appearance was identical to Chu Xuan, Chu Ling, and the others, as well as the two paintings manifested by the Hua Shan Zhen Ren. Seeing it now, the Hua Shan Zhen Ren must have witnessed the same kind of phantom back then.

Ye Chen wanted to ascend to the heavens, but the woman's phantom had already vanished.