Chapter 2521: Materials, Collected

The night in Kunlun was quite tranquil, with starlight illuminating the dusk, shining brightly.

The Kunlun Zhangjiao sat steadily on the mountain peak, leisurely brewing tea. Occasionally, he would look up and glance at a distant peak, where Ye Chen and his group were located.

That night, that mountain peak was extraordinarily lively, with figures constantly coming and going—mostly the sect leaders of various factions. When they arrived, their faces were already dark; when they left, their faces were even darker.

He knew what was happening. The divine tools of the Shenzi and Shennü had been lost, and they had to be retrieved. Without even looking, he knew that Ye Chen had made a huge profit.

The Kunlun Zhangjiao sighed. "Such a talent, how could our Kunlun not have encountered him?"

The Kunlun Zhenxian was also present, speaking with a light laugh. "The Dao Jing recognizes him as its master, and that is no coincidence."

Laughter rang out as another figure ascended the peak—it was the Kunlun Laodao, the highest-ranking alchemist in the Kunlun lineage.

His words carried deep meaning, prompting both the Kunlun Zhangjiao and the Kunlun Zhenxian to stroke their beards thoughtfully. They naturally assumed that the person behind Ye Chen was a great master with immense power.

In particular, the Kunlun Laodao had recognized the materials for the Jiuzhuan Huan Hun Dan, making it easy to deduce that Ye Chen also possessed the pill formula. Anyone with such a formula was no ordinary being.

As the three were speaking, a sudden anomaly appeared, originating from the mountain peak where Ye Chen was located.

The anomaly was that of a weapon. He had used the Refining Artifact Immortal Art, integrating three pieces of divine iron into the iron staff, causing the Dinghai Shen Zhen to evolve and its grade to steadily rise.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Even from a distance, the deep buzzing could be heard, emanating from the Dinghai Shen Zhen. It hovered in mid-air, radiating brilliant golden light, etched with escapist heavenly characters that shimmered brightly. Though it was clearly an iron staff, the sounds of the Great Dao could be heard from it, immensely heavy and causing the surrounding space to crack under the pressure.

Crack! Crack!

The sounds of metal shattering echoed endlessly as chunks of divine iron were broken apart, their essence refined and fused into the Dinghai Shen Zhen. The already extraordinary iron staff became even more dominant.

It wasn't until late into the night that all the pieces of immortal divine iron were fully integrated.

Ye Chen finally sat down, pulling out a flask of wine and watching with interest as the iron staff floated in the air. After repeated evolutions, it had achieved nirvana, and the process was not yet complete.

With the divine weapon now formed, the next step was to cultivate his own abilities. Once he broke through to the Great Saint level, he could head to the Heavenly Court for some adventure, seek an official position from the Yudi, and when the barriers between the two realms dissolved, explore the various heavens.

Ah!

The quiet night was not truly quiet, as harsh roars could be heard from the two mountain peaks—it was the Songshan Shenzi and Taishan Shenzi, finally awake and howling in fury.

Compared to them, the Huashan Shenzi was much more subdued. Taking advantage of the night, he had stealthily left the mountain to contact the people of the Ba Taizi. As soon as Ye Chen left the Fengshan Xian Di, they would strike and kill him, ensuring that the Huashan Zhenren and Huashan Xianzi, along with the others, never returned to Huashan.

As dawn approached, Ye Chen quietly left Kunlun.

The Fengshan Xian Di was still bustling with activity, as people awaited the delayed Wuyue Doulfa. More outsiders had arrived, many seeking remote places to undergo their heavenly tribulations, filling the seas with thunderous booms.

In the void, Ye Chen traveled through the sky.

Behind him, quite a few people followed in secret, all because he had been marked with a tracking seal. If not for being in the Fengshan Xian Di, they would have already attacked and eliminated him.

Ye Chen went to a remote small city, where the reincarnated individuals he had previously found were picked up one by one.

By the time day fully broke, he returned to Kunlun, heading straight for the mountain peak of the Kunlun Zhangjiao.

The Kunlun Zhangjiao smiled. "Feel free to speak your mind."

He casually glanced at the several reincarnated individuals, none of whom he recognized—they were all ordinary cultivators, far inferior to Ye Chen.

Ye Chen bowed with his hands clasped. "I hope the senior will take them in."

The Kunlun Zhangjiao looked at Ye Chen with a smile. "Helping you look after old acquaintances—will there be any benefits?"

Ye Chen replied with a smile. "A favor. Consider it as this junior owing Kunlun a favor."

At these words, the Kunlun Zhangjiao stroked his beard.

The phrase "a favor" might be worthless coming from most people, but from Ye Chen, it held extraordinary significance.

This young upstart was a heaven-defying prodigy. Given enough time, he would undoubtedly become a towering figure shaking the Heavenly Realm. In short, his favor was as weighty as a mountain.

The Kunlun Laodao appeared out of nowhere, manifesting his true form. With a wave of his hand, he sent the reincarnated individuals down the mountain, adding, "Go to the Kunlun Pavilion and get your identity jade plaques."

Ye Chen bowed again. "Thank you, senior."

The Kunlun Laodao sat down, gazing at Ye Chen with a kindly expression, his eyes full of expectation as he asked for a precise answer. "Could you tell this old one who your master is?"

Ye Chen replied without hesitation. "Hongjun."

As expected, both the Kunlun Zhangjiao and Kunlun Laodao had no idea who that was. They exchanged glances and then looked back at Ye Chen, both wearing puzzled expressions.

Ye Chen spoke with a deep tone. "My master dislikes the world's disturbances and prefers a life of idle freedom, like a wandering crane in the wild."

His words were delivered with a profound gravity, completely bamboozling the two elders.

The Kunlun Zhangjiao sighed again. "The Heavenly Realm is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers!"

Meanwhile, the Kunlun Laodao brought out a tattered ancient scroll and handed it to Ye Chen.

Ye Chen took it and glanced at it briefly, his eyes narrowing slightly. The scroll recorded a pill formula—the very one for the Jiuzhuan Huan Hun Dan, though it was incomplete, perhaps only a part of it.

Seeing Ye Chen's reaction, the Kunlun Laodao needed no further confirmation. He knew Ye Chen recognized the formula; otherwise, he wouldn't have been seeking its materials, which verified his suspicions.

The Kunlun Laodao's words carried a deeper intent. "Have you gathered all the materials?"

Ye Chen smiled and returned the formula. "Still quite a few short."

The Kunlun Laodao smiled warmly. "Why not, you and I pool them together?"

As he spoke, the Kunlun Laodao waved his hand and produced another ancient scroll. It was inscribed with rows of text, each line listing a rare material, many of which were extinct.

Ye Chen scanned it quickly and understood the old daoist's implication. The materials listed were ones he had already collected, totaling several hundred kinds, some of which Ye Chen didn't have.

In that moment, Ye Chen's eyes lit up. Combining what he had found with the Kunlun Laodao's, the Jiuzhuan Huan Hun Dan materials were now only three short. How could he not be thrilled?

Ye Chen said hurriedly. "Senior, could you sell me these materials?"

The Kunlun Laodao put away the scroll and looked at Ye Chen with a chuckle. "So, you plan to refine it alone? If that's possible, this old daoist would like to buy yours. I wonder if my young friend would sell?"

Ye Chen replied solemnly. "I intend to use this pill to save someone. I absolutely won't sell it."

The Kunlun Laodao just smiled without responding. He had no intention of selling the Jiuzhuan Huan Hun Dan materials. As an alchemist, refining a nine-pattern pill in his lifetime was the highest honor. At his age, he was clinging to that aspiration.

Besides, those materials were incredibly precious. Even if he wanted to sell, Ye Chen couldn't afford them.

Ye Chen called out tentatively. "Senior?"

The Kunlun Laodao smiled faintly. "Not for sale."

Ye Chen took a deep breath, his expression extremely serious. He bowed again and turned to leave. "In that case, I'll have to ask my master to come and discuss it with you, senior."

His words were carefully chosen. He was determined to get the Kunlun Laodao's alchemy materials. If his own influence wasn't enough, he'd bring in the Dao Ancestor. If that didn't work, he'd resort to force— for the materials, he wouldn't hesitate to cause chaos in Kunlun.

Watching Ye Chen's departing figure, the Kunlun Zhangjiao had a meaningful look in his eyes.

The Kunlun Laodao felt a bit uneasy, sensing that Ye Chen's final words were a threat. It was possible that his master wouldn't come for a chat but to seize the treasures.

His intuition was spot on. He never should have shown those materials to someone like Ye Chen, who would now have him in his sights, ensuring no peace in the future.

Once down the mountain, Ye Chen went to visit the Kunlun Shenzi, offering his most sincere greetings. After all, on some future day, he might need to borrow this person for a while.

Well, in other words, kidnap him.