Chapter 2560: Pill Duel Bet

Chapter 2560: Dou Dan Gambling Agreement

Three days passed quietly.

The venue for the Dou Dan competition was set in front of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall. Though called a venue, it was essentially an open-air celestial space shrouded in swirling clouds and mist.

Before dawn fully broke, crowds had already gathered. The Heavenly Court lifted its restrictions, allowing people from the lower realms to attend freely. As far as the eye could see, the area was packed with figures, all sitting cross-legged on clouds without any chairs or tables, quietly awaiting the start of the Dou Dan.

"In your opinion, who will win?"

"What a pointless question. Dan Jun is the disciple of Dan Shen—does he have any reason to lose?"

"That kid from Hua Shan, Xiao Shitou, isn't bad either."

Even before the main participants arrived, the venue was buzzing with excitement, discussions erupting everywhere in a lively hubbub.

In the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, Yu Di had already taken his seat, dressed not in imperial robes but in simple attire. Though he was inside the hall, his presence exuded an aura of overlooking the eight desolate regions. He was not only the ruler of the Heavenly Court but also a peak Quasi-Emperor, one of the top powerhouses in the Heavenly Realm by combat strength.

"Every time I see him, my hands just itch to act."

"His dragon throne looks pretty appealing. Maybe I should sneak in and sit on it sometime."

"Keep it down—he's the type to hold a grudge."

The great demons and devils from the Scattered Immortals Realm had clustered together, hands tucked away, eyeing Yu Di with sidelong glances and faces full of blatant dissatisfaction.

It wasn't just them—the eccentric old immortals of the Heavenly Court were always scheming about this, constantly thinking of teaming up to take on Yu Di.

Yu Di remained composed, maintaining control over the scene. He was accustomed to the unruly bunch from the Scattered Immortals Realm. They might act tough on a normal day, but once in his Heavenly Court, they had to behave. If they truly provoked him, they might not make it back home.

Yin Ming was also present, his smile laced with amusement, his gaze toward the Scattered Immortals Realm folks twinkling with mockery. Just wait, he thought. Once he ascended to the Yu Di position, he would deal with them one by one. Unifying the Heavenly Realm was his grand ambition.

As they spoke, the alchemists from Dan Shen Hall arrived, a mix of young and old, all clad in pristine purple robes. They walked with an air of arrogance, fully justified by their status. Especially when they spotted the alchemists from the lower realms, their eyes were filled with utter disdain, as if looking at country bumpkins.

That kind of look left the lower realm alchemists extremely displeased.

In particular, the great demons and devils felt an urge to stew the Dan Shen Hall alchemists in a pot.

What's so great about them? they thought. If you have the guts, go down to the lower realms for a spin—we'd see if you survive.

Soon after, a divine rainbow streaked down from the sky, landing on a cloud platform. Dan Jun's purple-gold robes billowed dramatically, the prominent "Dan" character on them standing out sharply.

Dan Jun had arrived, his robes fluttering and his body enveloped in divine light, resembling a god. Many fairy maidens gazed at him in a daze, utterly captivated.

A few breaths later, Ye Chen appeared, descending gracefully and landing on the cloud platform opposite Dan Jun. His attire was simple, with no trace of radiance on him. His long white hair swayed in the wind, making him seem utterly ordinary at first glance, almost like a mortal.

But those with keen eyes could tell this was the aura of returning to simplicity—the more unassuming, the more dangerous.

"It's only been this long, and he's already at Great Saint peak." The Hua Shan goddess sighed in admiration.

"What a monster." The Kunlun godson clicked his tongue, completely outclassed by Ye Chen's cultivation speed.

Hua Shan Zhenren smiled warmly, full of benevolence. Ye Chen's heaven-defying talent once again shattered his limits of shock. That little stone from Hua Shan would be the most astonishing sect leader in Hua Shan's history, bar none.

In contrast, the sect leaders of the other four sacred mountains looked quite uncomfortable. Given Ye Chen's rapid rise, who could keep him in check in the future? Their own godchildren and goddesses were far from comparable, and for the four sacred mountains, this was no good news.

"Even with a god-level cheat, it's not this fast!" The Jiaolong Wang grinned repeatedly. He had heard rumors of Ye Chen's cultivation but hadn't believed it until now.

He recalled their first meeting, when Ye Chen was merely at Spirit Void Realm. Less than a year later, he had reached Great Saint peak. If they weren't careful, he might even hit Quasi-Emperor next year.

"There's no sign of the Dao Scripture in his body anymore." The Niugui Wang at his side murmured, glancing at the Eighth Prince. He could see it clearly in Yin Ming's body. As for how Yin Ming obtained it, that would be a question for Yu Di—perhaps it was taken by force.

"Why give up being the Hua Shan sect leader and come serve as Yu Di's subordinate? Must have water on the brain."

"Such a young schemer, obsessed with officialdom."

The great gods of the Scattered Immortals Realm brought up Ye Chen's move to the Heavenly Court again, dissecting it thoroughly. Most were puzzled, and many felt it was a waste for him.

Because of this, Hua Shan Zhenren received quite a few disdainful looks. How could you run your sect so poorly, letting a talent like that slip away? Is your sect leader position really less appealing than a sixth-rank official post in the Heavenly Court? How embarrassing.

Not embarrassing!

That was Hua Shan Zhenren's calm response. He remained composed and unflustered. He hadn't understood before, but recently, as Ye Chen sent batch after batch of relatives to Hua Shan, he started to get it.

That little stone wasn't after the official position; there was a deeper meaning. For that purpose, he was willing to take risks and even offer the Dao Scripture.

Hua Shan Zhenren was certain that Ye Chen would return to Hua Shan one day. To Ye Chen, the Heavenly Court was just a temporary stop.

As for the Dao Scripture, there was no need to worry. Since it had recognized its master, reclaiming it would be as simple as a thought. If the Dao Scripture could ensure Ye Chen's safety, Hua Shan could offer one or two more—what's the harm? Ye Chen's value far surpassed any scripture.

"Enough chatter."

The lively venue fell silent in an instant due to that shout.

It came from an old immortal lord who had been sipping wine the moment before, but without warning, he let out a roar that startled the immortals beside him and left the crowd dizzy-headed.

The old immortal lord's yell was effective—everyone quieted down considerably. After all, Ye Chen and Dan Jun were the main event. With everyone talking at once, no one could hear a thing.

With the "crowd clearer" in place, Dan Jun smirked slightly, looking at Ye Chen with a playful glint. "How about we add some stakes?"

"Whatever." Ye Chen brushed off his shoulder.

"If I win, you'll be my Dan slave for a hundred years; if you win, I'll do the same for you." Dan Jun chuckled eerily.

The moment he spoke, the venue erupted in an uproar.

This bet was anything but harmonious. Being a Dan slave for a hundred years was no different from selling oneself. That amount of time was enough to torment someone to death. It was essentially a life-or-death gamble, just phrased more elegantly.

"Do you dare?" Dan Jun smiled at Ye Chen.

"I'm not interested in being your slave." Ye Chen grinned. "If I win, hand over your Wan Mie Xian Yan—that's all I want."

"Deal."

"I hope Yu Di can serve as witness." Ye Chen glanced toward the Lingxiao Treasure Hall. He didn't want Dan Jun to back out later, and having someone to hold him accountable was ideal. Yu Di of the Heavenly Court was the perfect choice—Dan Jun might ignore others, but he had to respect Yu Di's face.

"Easy enough."

Yu Di smiled. His presence here wasn't just to watch; he had anticipated this turn of events.

As he spoke, Dan Jun produced a Dan furnace, radiating golden light that dazzled the onlookers. It wasn't just a furnace—it was a genuine artifact, a true Quasi-Emperor weapon forged from divine iron by Dan Shen himself, imbued with the essence of Dan, a priceless treasure in the alchemy domain.

The alchemists present gazed at it with fiery eyes, seeing it as nothing less than a divine artifact.

Ye Chen followed suit, summoning his own Dan furnace with a wave of his hand. It looked utterly plain, nothing remarkable—a Great Saint level weapon, several grades below Dan Jun's. But for him, it didn't matter whether he had one or not. Even without a Dan furnace, he could still produce pills—that was the privilege of a Dan Saint.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Dan Jun summoned his Wan Mie Xian Yan, then methodically added various materials, each a rare treasure of the world, some even extinct.

"Eight-Pattern Shen Hun Dan."

The Kunlun old daoist murmured softly. Just from the materials Dan Jun used, he knew what pill was being refined—the pinnacle among eight-pattern pills, capable of reforging the divine soul, thoroughly tempering the primordial spirit and true form, and even healing injuries to the primordial spirit.

"Refining this for Dou Dan puts him on unbeatable ground." An elder from Dan Shen Hall stroked his beard, having absolute confidence in their Dan Jun.

"That's spot on."

The veteran alchemists from the Scattered Immortals Realm all took a deep breath. They had once tried to refine the Eight-Pattern Shen Hun Dan but lacked the recipe, and even with it, they didn't have the materials. Not every alchemist was as wealthy as Dan Jun.

"Eight-Pattern Zao Hua Dan?"

Some alchemists exclaimed in surprise, drawing all eyes to Ye Chen's side.

Ye Chen had also summoned his immortal fire and gathered his alchemy materials—every immortal herb and flower was of the highest quality, extremely rare in the world.

"It's also a pinnacle-level pill among the eight-pattern ones." The Hua Shan fairy explained to Hua Shan Zhenren.

"It forges the Dao roots and transforms the origin." Hua Shan Zhenren chuckled. Though not an expert in alchemy, he knew about the Eight-Pattern Zao Hua Dan. In terms of rank, it was in no way inferior to the Eight-Pattern Shen Hun Dan.

"You little brat, I wouldn't even dare try this, yet you're going for it." The Kunlun old daoist tugged at his beard, and many veteran alchemists showed expressions of surprise. They wondered where Ye Chen had gotten the recipe and those materials—they weren't easy to find, yet he had managed to gather a full set.

Ye Chen's explanation for this was refreshingly straightforward: someone delivered them.

That word "delivered" was used masterfully. Over the past year, enemies had come for him every few days, one after another, all Quasi-Emperors with rich collections. He had plundered them clean.

After a few rounds, he had everything he needed.

Don't underestimate this guy just because his official rank was low and his cultivation modest—he had real capability. Not to boast, but even if you picked any immortal lord here, none would be as wealthy as him.

This was without him resorting to his old tricks. If he occasionally kidnapped someone or pulled off a heist, he'd make money even faster.

"Putting on a show." The people from Dan Shen Hall sneered. "So what if you have the materials? Refining it successfully is the real skill."

Dan Jun's expression was even more contemptuous. He believed that beneath Dan Shen, he was unbeatable in Dou Dan. Even if Ye Chen could refine his pill, Dan Jun was confident his Shen Hun Dan would still triumph.

Ye Chen glanced back, returning a indifferent look. Was the Eight-Pattern Shen Hun Dan that impressive? If your master Dan Shen were refining it, I might show some caution. As for you—here's two words: heh.