Chapter 2546: Dan Lord

In Bi Xia Gong, within the Cui Zhu Lin bamboo grove, Ye Chen and the reincarnated Yue Xin finally parted ways. Tears lingered in the corners of their eyes as they remained lost in thoughts of their homeland, seemingly yearning for another embrace.

Bi Xia Xian Zi's light cough brought them back to their senses, making them realize there was someone else present—the master of Bi Xia Gong. Their prolonged hug had left her standing awkwardly aside, a sight that would make anyone feel embarrassed.

Bi Xia Xian Zi took a seat, the pure and elegant immortal performing an unrefined gesture by crossing her legs. She glanced at Ye Chen, then at the reincarnated Yue Xin. "What exactly is the relationship between you two?"

"Family." Both replied with a smile, speaking in unison.

Bi Xia Xian Zi raised an eyebrow, particularly focused on Yue Xin. Her disciple was someone she had picked up in the mortal world during wartime, an orphan with no known relatives. And here was an immortal, no less—a stone spirit, not a human cultivator—with no blood ties to Yue Xin whatsoever. She simply didn't believe they could be family.

"Master, it's true; we're family, the closest kind." Yue Xin smiled through her tears.

Bi Xia Xian Zi said nothing. She knew her disciple well, and the sincere look in Yue Xin's eyes confirmed she wasn't lying. Yet, that only deepened her confusion. An orphan from the mortal world and a stone spirit with no blood connection—two people with no relation at all—could they really be what people called "family"?

"So, what does the term 'Sheng Zhu' mean?"

After a long pause, Bi Xia Xian Zi spoke again, glancing at Ye Chen before turning to Yue Xin. Her meaning was clear: she trusted her disciple more than Ye Chen's unreliable claims. How had this "Sheng Zhu" suddenly appeared out of nowhere?

"Sheng Zhu is my nickname."

Ye Chen took a deep breath and answered for Yue Xin, his tone heavy with gravity.

Bi Xia Xian Zi was amused and gave Ye Chen a sidelong glance, her expression far from friendly. You're quite the storyteller; I almost believed you.

Ye Chen looked around casually, his demeanor perfectly capturing four willful words: believe it or not.

"Master, I'll explain later."

The reincarnated Yue Xin smiled quickly, not waiting for Bi Xia Xian Zi to respond. She grabbed Ye Chen and left. It wasn't that she didn't want to explain; it was just too complicated. Even if she tried, Bi Xia Xian Zi might not believe it, as it involved reincarnation—a deeply mysterious matter.

In the blink of an eye, the two were gone, heading to a separate pavilion.

Behind them, Bi Xia Xian Zi stood motionless for a long time, gazing in the direction they had gone, lost in thought. She was puzzled by their relationship and even more shocked by the strength Ye Chen had displayed that day—he had escaped her restraints.

As a Quasi-Emperor at the peak, she couldn't even capture a Great Saint. It wasn't that she was weak; Ye Chen was just too enigmatic.

"With such formidable combat power, the Kong Dong Seal is likely in his possession."

Bi Xia Xian Zi's eyes narrowed slightly. As someone in intelligence, she was aware of the Kong Dong Seal's disappearance. Zi Yang Xian Jun had asked for her help in tracking it. Now, it seemed the dozen or so Quasi-Emperors who had ambushed the Yang family were probably killed by Ye Chen.

"What kind of monster has the Hua Shan lineage nurtured?"

Bi Xia Xian Zi murmured to herself, beginning to doubt Ye Chen's true intentions for ascending to the Heavenly Court. It wasn't as simple as taking an official position; he must have some ulterior motive. For that, he had even contributed the Hua Shan Dao Jing to save the Yang family.

As she thought this, she flicked her finger, sending out a beam of immortal light.

Immediately, a figure in black appeared, his body flickering between illusion and solidity, like a ghost hovering in and out of visibility.

"Investigate Ye Chen for me. I want all his information."

Bi Xia Xian Zi said calmly.

The black-clad figure nodded and vanished in a single step.

After he left, Bi Xia Xian Zi turned her gaze again, peering through the misty clouds toward Yue Xin's pavilion. The two were chatting in a gazebo.

It was clear that her disciple was quite emotional, laughing and crying with tears she couldn't wipe away. When talking to Ye Chen, she seemed slightly restrained—or more precisely, filled with a certain reverence. She didn't dare act too casually, as if she were truly just one of Ye Chen's subordinates, speaking carefully to avoid offending her master.

This scene made Bi Xia Xian Zi furrow her brow, only heightening her curiosity about Ye Chen's true identity. A small stone spirit, shrouded in so much mystery.

The atmosphere in the gazebo was especially warm.

Yue Xin felt genuinely restrained inside. In her past life, her status had been too lowly, while Ye Chen, as the Heavenly Court Sheng Zhu, stood far above, leaving her only worthy of looking up to him. This was her first time being so close to him across one cycle of reincarnation and rebirth.

Yet, her feelings were purely of reverence, without any romantic involvement. She saw Ye Chen as her Sheng Zhu and as family, sharing a common homeland: Da Chu.

"Sheng Zhu, I want to go home."

Yue Xin's words came out choked with emotion, tears welling up in her eyes once more, blurring her vision no matter how she tried to stop them.

"It will happen."

Ye Chen smiled.

Though Yue Xin was Bi Xia Xian Zi's disciple, she also held an official divine position, allowing her to borrow the power of laws to visit her homeland first. They would figure out how to return properly once the Dao Ancestor was unsealed—there must be some kind of passage, much like the six paths of reincarnation in the underworld.

As evening fell, Ye Chen finally rose to leave.

When he exited Bi Xia Gong, the guards at the gate looked at him with peculiar eyes. They still remembered how he had shouted that purple phrase earlier and was dragged inside by Bi Xia Xian Zi without any announcement.

Was that a code word?

The guards stroked their chins, guessing as much.

It was indeed a code word, but not just anyone could use it. Not to boast, but if it had been Tai Yi Zhen Ren or Tai Bai Jin Xing, they probably would have been beaten half to death by Bi Xia Xian Zi.

By the time Ye Chen returned to Zi Wei Dao Gong, the stars filled the sky.

Someone was waiting in his residence, and not just anyone—a purple-haired young man sat leisurely in the gazebo, sipping tea. His aura was naturally profound, with faint visions swirling around him, his purple hair drifting with a subtle sheen.

From afar, Ye Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, detecting the scent of immortal fire from the purple-haired youth—extremely domineering.

"Wan Mie Xian Yan."

Ye Chen murmured, recognizing the flame. It was indeed an immortal fire, one of the most terrifying kinds, possessing innate destructive power.

Such immortal fires had vanished from the realms, with legends of only one existing, which had dissipated with its owner's passing. He'd never heard of a second one.

"Undoubtedly an alchemist, and it must be Dan Jun."

Ye Chen approached slowly. Based on the young man's appearance and aura, he had already identified him. He had seen Dan Jun's portrait in the Hua Shan scripture repository.

Dan Jun's background was no simple matter; he belonged to the Heavenly Court Dan Shen Dian.

His master was Dan Shen himself, an even more formidable figure, rumored to have once refined a nine-mark immortal pill, earning the title from that feat.

To be known as the monarch of alchemy spoke volumes of Dan Jun's prowess. Records showed his alchemy skills surpassed even those of the Hua Shan Xian Zi and Kun Lun Lao Dao. As Dan Shen's direct disciple, he couldn't be weak; otherwise, he wouldn't deserve the title of Dan Jun.

This was Ye Chen's first time meeting Dan Jun. He hadn't seen Dan Shen or Dan Jun at the two morning courts, likely because they had some special privileges exempting them from attendance.

"Someday, I'll ask Yu Di for a leave too."

Ye Chen muttered to himself as he walked, thinking it was a solid idea. He didn't want to attend morning court every day just to listen to those old folks ramble.

Dan Jun was aware of Ye Chen's arrival and glanced at him briefly.

Ye Chen's affairs had already reached Dan Jun's ears—the Hua Shan Dao Jing, the separation of emperor essence—he didn't care about any of it. The only thing that interested him was that Ye Chen had refined eight pills in one furnace, each with pill lightning—a feat he couldn't achieve.

As Ye Chen entered the gazebo, he performed the proper courtesies. As Zi Wei Xing Jun, he was only a sixth-rank official, while Dan Jun, as an immortal monarch, was second-rank, four levels above him, so etiquette demanded a bow.

"No need for formalities. Sit."

Dan Jun said indifferently, his expression aloof and his tone emotionless. From the moment Ye Chen entered, he hadn't looked at him directly, exuding an air of superiority—perhaps because his rank was higher, giving him that sense of dominance.

Ye Chen sat down, feeling irritated inside. Get this straight—this is my residence, yet you're acting like it's yours. Is Dan Jun that impressive? I'm still the Dan Sheng myself. Where does this sense of entitlement come from? If you don't watch your tone, I'll throw you out.

Dan Jun had already set down his teacup and waved his hand to produce a treasure box, sealed with some kind of enchantment. It clearly contained a valuable item.

Ye Chen glanced at it and could easily see through to a golden divine pearl inside—an immortal treasure. Absorbing it into one's primordial spirit would aid in merging with the Dao, and it was quite precious.

"What is Dan Jun's intention with this?"

Ye Chen took a sip of tea.

"I know you have the Qi Lin Guo. I want to exchange it for this."

Dan Jun spoke casually, still not looking at Ye Chen, sipping his tea leisurely. His tone was neutral, more like a command than a negotiation.

"Dan Jun must be joking. The Qi Lin Guo is an immortal object; how could a minor immortal like me possess it?"

"Ba Tai Zi already told me. There's no need to hide it."

Dan Jun's face darkened slightly. "Hand over the Qi Lin Guo, and you won't lose out."

"I'm afraid that'll disappoint Dan Jun. Ba Tai Zi did give me the Qi Lin Guo, but he took it back right away."

"You should know Ba Tai Zi's character. Taking something from him is harder than ascending to heaven. As a lowly Xing Jun, how could I dare provoke him?"

"To save my skin, I had no choice but to give it back!"

Ye Chen delivered his lines smoothly, spinning a web of lies with impeccable acting, making it all seem utterly convincing. He couldn't admit it outright; he'd pin the blame on Ba Tai Zi. If you want it, go find him—it's not with me, and even if it were, I wouldn't trade.