Chapter 2556: Dragon Immortal Grass

Dong! Dong! Dong!

The bells of Tian Jie rang out, long and drawn out, signaling the start of the morning court in Tian Ting.

Ye Chen had changed into a fresh dao robe and emerged from the Purple Bamboo Forest. After today's seclusion, his dao essence had become even more profound and enigmatic, yet unfortunately, he still hadn't grasped the key to breaking through.

Today was the morning court, which he hadn't attended in half a year. He needed to check on the demonic aura of Yu Di. Bi Xia Xianzi still hadn't provided any information about Yu Di, clearly unwilling to challenge his authority. Without that intel, Ye Chen had no choice but to investigate himself.

In front of Ling Xiao Bao Dian, the immortals were all present, as always. They yawned lazily, looking utterly listless, with some even dozing on the stone steps. For instance, the giant spirit god resembled a small tower from afar.

"Oh, so you finally remembered to attend court."

Seeing Ye Chen approach, Tai Yi couldn't help but sigh. When it came to being willful, no one topped Ye Chen. He had taken half a year off, something no other Xing Jun in Tian Ting would dare to do.

Tai Bai clicked his tongue, wishing he could take a leave too, but Yu Di wouldn't allow it.

Only Si Ming Xing Jun knew the truth: Yu Di wasn't giving face to Ye Chen, but to Hua Shan. As the future leader of Hua Shan, Ye Chen had some leeway—he could skip court if he wanted, it wasn't a big deal.

Bi Xia Xianzi had also arrived, attracting all sorts of glances.

Those old lechers were probably wondering what color undergarments she was wearing, their eyes glazed over. But Bi Xia Xianzi was used to it by now.

"Yu Di will soon enter seclusion, and the Eighth Prince will take charge."

Bi Xia Xianzi stood gracefully, ignoring the others as she transmitted her message to Ye Chen. Her meaning was clear: while Yu Di's influence still held, it was time to plan an escape route. Otherwise, Yin Ming might use some fabricated charge to eliminate him—that guy was certainly capable of it.

"Thank you for the reminder, senior."

Ye Chen smiled but said nothing more. He already knew about this and understood Yin Ming better than Bi Xia Xianzi did. Killing him was inevitable, and Yin Ming even planned to wipe out Hua Shan along with him. The Eighth Prince's ambition was to unify Tian Jie.

However, this didn't concern Ye Chen much. Once he found the reincarnated person, he would defect from Tian Ting. Before leaving, he planned to take the Bull Demon King and Shura Tian Zun with him. If anyone tried to destroy Hua Shan, it would depend on whether the heavenly soldiers could handle the fight.

Bi Xia Xianzi fell silent, quietly glancing at Ye Chen.

She didn't know when it started, but this little stone had changed. Ever since his hair turned white, he had become much quieter. She could even sense a deep sorrow from him, though she couldn't fathom its source.

"If you ever come to Hua Shan, you're welcome anytime."

Ye Chen suddenly spoke up.

Bi Xia Xianzi furrowed her brows slightly. She understood what he meant, and he likely grasped her earlier words too. If Tian Ting's ruler changed from Yu Di to Yin Ming, things would be different.

Yu Di's favorite son was vengeful and warlike. If he became the ruler of Tian Ting, he would eliminate all dissenters and ignite widespread conflict. She could already envision mountains of corpses and rivers of blood.

Ye Chen's words reached not only Bi Xia Xianzi but also Si Ming, Tai Yi, and Tai Bai. He didn't want them to suffer under Yin Ming's ruthless schemes.

The group exchanged glances, all furrowing their brows in silence.

At that moment, the morning bells rang again.

The immortals lined up neatly in two rows and filed into the hall.

Inside, Yu Di was already seated, his demeanor dignified and majestic.

Ye Chen's gaze was profound; he could see the black demonic aura at Yu Di's brow. Though Yu Di had tried his best to conceal it, Ye Chen could still detect it, and it was thicker than before. This upcoming seclusion was likely related to that demonic aura.

"Dao Zu, what kind of person did you choose?"

Ye Chen murmured to himself. Yu Di carried demonic aura, and Dao Zu must have known about it. Yet, he still allowed him to rule Tian Ting, implying something profound. And Yu Di's origins must be quite intriguing.

As he murmured, he suddenly sensed a flash of cold light.

It was Yin Ming, the Eighth Prince, spying on him from beside Yu Di. The way Yin Ming looked at him was full of mockery and amusement, with a slight curl to his lips and glints of menace in his eyes, like a wolf eyeing its prey.

Besides Yin Ming, there was Dan Jun. Though he stood at the front of the line, his divine sense had scanned Ye Chen more than once. Unlike Yin Ming, the killing intent and chill in his eyes were blatant.

Ye Chen stood quietly, his expression calm and unchanging, like a still ancient well.

This court session appeared peaceful on the surface, but beneath it, undercurrents surged. It was a battlefield where one could be killed invisibly—who knew when someone might accuse you or set a trap? The invisible warfare was the most terrifying.

Today's morning court was more grand than usual.

Sure enough, a young man soon entered Ling Xiao Bao Dian. His eyes shone like stars, his black hair cascaded like a waterfall, and he wore purple-gold battle armor with a fluttering cloak. He looked every bit the great general, exuding a thick aura of ferocity that made the immortals' hearts tremble.

"He is Tian Ting's Third Prince, Yin Ming's elder brother, Yin Yang."

Tai Yi tugged at Ye Chen's sleeve. "He just returned from campaigning in the northern border, crushing the barbarians and scattering their forces. They no longer dare to rebel and have fully submitted to Tian Ting."

Ye Chen said nothing. He already knew Yu Di had eight sons, with the other seven guarding the borders. The upper immortal realm had chaos, with various warlords causing unrest every so often, which was why the seven princes were stationed at the frontiers.

In essence, this was Yu Di's strategy as an emperor. From the day he sent the seven princes to the borders, he had decided on his successor: the Eighth Prince.

"Compared to Yin Ming, I find Yin Yang more agreeable."

Tai Bai remarked.

It wasn't just him; many immortals present felt the same. At least Yin Yang wasn't malicious and wouldn't kill innocents indiscriminately.

Unfortunately, Yin Yang was suited to be a general, not an emperor, because he lacked ruthlessness. He was an indestructible sword in battle, but far inferior to Yin Ming in political scheming. This alone doomed him from ruling Tian Ting.

"Just wait. If Yin Ming takes control of Tian Ting, he'll suppress his seven royal brothers."

Si Ming Xing Jun stroked his beard, speaking with certainty.

Ye Chen saw it clearly from Yin Ming's eyes. On the surface, he was cordial to Yin Yang, but deep down, there was hostility. The two weren't from the same mother, so if Yin Ming became ruler, he wouldn't hesitate—stripping military power was a given.

On the other side, Yin Yang had already bowed in respect.

At the same instant, Ye Chen glanced at Yu Di. As a father, there was still some affection in his eyes, along with a hidden trace of hesitation. He was likely still undecided between his third and eighth sons. One was a skilled warrior but lacked governing skills; the other had the schemes but a flawed character. Both had strengths and weaknesses, making the choice difficult.

"Having too many sons can be awkward sometimes."

Tai Yi stroked his beard, stating a truth. He saw through Tian Ting's affairs clearly—who would rule was a headache for Yu Di, pondered for centuries.

Ye Chen deeply empathized with this.

In his second life, he had been an emperor and knew the intricacies involved.

It was mainly the environment. In this realm of immortals, they still operated like a mortal dynasty. Here, it wasn't just about enlightenment; there was also supreme power at stake. Like in his second life, he had fought his siblings for the throne, staining the court with blood until only he remained, alone and isolated. That was the ruthlessness of imperial families.

"Heavens! Long Xian Cao."

As Ye Chen was lost in thought, a cry of surprise rang out, prompting him to look up. He saw Third Prince Yin Yang holding a stalk of immortal grass in his hands. It resembled a dragon in shape, with dragon breath swirling around it, and upon closer inspection, dragon illusions manifested.

"It's really Long Xian Cao."

Tai Yi licked his lips, well aware of its value. This herb was probably unique across the upper and lower realms.

"This third son is truly filial."

Si Ming sighed, quite fond of the Long Xian Cao. It was likely something Yin Yang obtained in the northern border. Even while at war, he brought treasures for his father, far surpassing Yin Ming.

"Kid, aren't you looking for Long Xian Cao?"

Tai Bai nudged Ye Chen.

Ye Chen didn't respond, but his eyes on the Long Xian Cao sparkled with intensity.

He was indeed searching for it, having sought it for centuries. It was a material for refining the Nine Turns Soul-Returning Pill, as precious as the Qilin Fruit. With the materials from Kunlun Lao Dao, he only lacked Long Xian Cao and the Phoenix Flower. Seeing it now, how could he not be excited?

He wasn't the only one excited in the court. Dan Jun's eyes burned with fervor; as an alchemist, he coveted such treasures even more than the Qilin Fruit and was already plotting how to obtain the Long Xian Cao.

Yin Ming also desired it, but his greed wasn't as strong.

As Zi Yang Xian Jun had said, he had higher pursuits now and wasn't fixated on a single item. Once he ruled Tian Ting, what treasures couldn't he acquire? A mere Long Xian Cao was nothing compared to supreme power.

This morning court became more lively than usual due to the Third Prince's return and the Long Xian Cao. Yu Di was overjoyed, and for a moment, he nearly considered changing his successor to his third son—that kid was just so thoughtful.

After the court session came the victory celebration banquet. Only immortals of third rank and above were invited, giving full honor to the Third Prince.

As for Ye Chen, he was a bit shameless about it—a mere sixth-rank Xing Jun squeezing his way in. He wasn't there for the wine or fruit; his eyes were fixed on the Long Xian Cao in Yu Di's hands. He couldn't let someone else snatch it away, like Dan Jun, whose eyes were practically popping out in greed. He feared others might beat him to it.

Many old-timers were also eyeing it, waiting for the banquet to end so they could discuss it with Yu Di.

"This is a Pan Tao, which extends life. Won't you have one?"

Perhaps because his mind was entirely on the Long Xian Cao, Ye Chen hadn't noticed someone sitting beside him—it was Bi Xia Xianzi. Maybe from having a few too many drinks, her cheeks had a flush of red, making her look quite alluring.

Ye Chen didn't shift his gaze; he kept watching Yu Di while grabbing peaches. He didn't eat them himself; he just stuffed one after another into his sleeve. After clearing his own table, he casually swept Bi Xia Xianzi's side clean too, all in one smooth motion.

Of course, as the emperor of Da Chu, how could he not recognize Pan Tao? It was even purer than the fruits from Yao Chi Sheng Di, as if this were the authentic version.

He strongly suspected that the former Yao Chi empress had visited Tian Jie and smuggled away a cartload of Pan Tao trees, later planting them in Yao Chi Sheng Di.

Bi Xia Xianzi's face darkened a shade. The way she looked at Ye Chen was now askew. Good going, you little Xing Jun—totally shameless! Did I sit next to you just to go hungry? Not a single peach for me.