Chapter 2561: Dan Saint vs. Dan Lord

Chapter 2561: Dan Sheng VS Dan Jun

Buzz! Buzz!

The vast heavens and earth echoed with the incessant hum of the dan furnaces.

On the eastern cloud platform, Dan Jun stood tall and composed, controlling the Wan Mie Xian Yan with impeccable precision. He added materials one by one, extracting their essence and fusing them together. Every gesture exuded profound dao mysteries, his movements smooth and methodical.

On the western cloud platform, Ye Chen maintained a calm expression, manipulating the flames with his mind. He handled the precious alchemy materials steadily, one after another, without haste or rush. Even before the pill was complete, a rich medicinal fragrance filled the air, and just a light sniff brought a sense of refreshment and joy.

The surroundings fell silent, with the spectators showing consideration. There were still murmurs of discussion, but nothing like the earlier uproar. Alchemy was a technical art that demanded focus; any disturbance could lead to a furnace explosion, a wasteful disaster.

"Dan Jun's alchemy skills are truly heaven-defying."

"My disciple has mastered the true essence of it—it's not just talk."

"A mere great saint can't compare."

The alchemists from Dan Shen Dian had fallen back into their self-admiration, each adopting a superior attitude. In their words, they praised Dan Jun to the skies while belittling Ye Chen as worthless, holding absolute confidence in Dan Jun.

"Dan Jun is strong, but that little stone isn't bad either."

"I still favor Hua Shan Ye Chen. I can't stand those brats from Dan Shen Dian."

"Each one acting so high and mighty."

The alchemists from the scattered immortal realm were discussing as well, speaking these words while cursing Dan Shen Dian a thousand times in their hearts.

On the eastern and western cloud platforms, Ye Chen and Dan Jun faced off.

Below, Dan Shen Dian from the upper realm and the alchemists from the lower realm engaged in their own silent standoff. If not for this being Tian Ting and Yu Di being present, they might have already rolled up their sleeves for a fight. The invisible tension and gunpowder-like atmosphere grew thick.

"I hear they're betting on Yu Di's Long Xian Cao."

"Yu Di's imperial tactics are still as slick as ever. He offends no one, using this alchemy duel to balance Hua Shan and Dan Shen Dian, then just sits back and watches the tigers fight."

"It's become a habit."

The old-timers stroked their beards, especially the leaders of the Five Peaks, who fully understood Yu Di's intentions. As figures of authority themselves, they all knew the ways of imperial rule. Not to mention Yu Di—they used similar tactics in their own sects to maintain balance.

In Ling Xiao Dian, Yu Di sat calmly, commanding the grand scene. As the ruler of Tian Ting, he viewed everyone in his gaze as mere rabble.

Beside him, Yin Ming shared the same demeanor. Having spent much time with Yu Di, he had adopted that lofty air in his eyes. Whether looking at the immortal lords of Tian Ting or the great demons of the lower realm, his gaze carried a king's contempt.

"In the future, all of you will kneel at this king's feet." Yin Ming's inner smile was full of amusement, laced with a hidden hint of tyranny that occasionally surfaced. He would be a warmongering tyrant, turning the heavenly realm into a mountain of corpses and a river of blood.

Buzz! Buzz!

The dan furnaces continued their relentless hum, glowing with brilliant light.

Dan Jun glanced up more than once, eyeing his opponent with a cold smile on his lips. He still looked down on Ye Chen, firmly believing that in the realm of alchemy, no one below Dan Shen could rival him. A minor Xing Jun was beneath his notice.

"In your view, who has the upper hand?"

Hua Shan Xian Zi spoke softly, addressing Kun Lun Lao Dao.

"I favor Dan Jun more." Kun Lun Lao Dao stroked his beard and said straightforwardly, offering no particular judgment on Ye Chen.

Hua Shan Xian Zi smiled but said no more.

The long wait was tedious. In this vast expanse, the crowd of spectators was a dense sea of people from all walks of life—some drinking, some flirting, some chatting idly—just to pass the boring time.

As for Jiao Long Wang and Niu Mo Wang, they were busy counting money, waiting for the alchemy duel to end so they could pocket their winnings and flee, happily scamming the immortals of the upper realm.

This wait stretched into a full day. The sky had grown late, yet neither Ye Chen nor Dan Jun showed any sign of completing their pills; they continued adding materials to their furnaces.

The alchemists understood this well—alchemy was a precise craft that couldn't be rushed, especially for an eight-pattern peak-level pill, which might take three to five days. Those who couldn't endure boredom would never master the dao of pills.

Night quietly fell.

The great immortals of Tian Ting were thoughtful enough to summon illuminating spirit pearls, making the area as bright as daylight.

"Why do I feel like Ye Chen might win?" Tai Bai Jin Xing mused, hands clasped behind his back.

"If he wins, I'll be wiped out financially." Tai Yi Zhen Ren coughed dryly. Not to boast, but his storage pouch was nearly empty now, with only a few magical tools and pills left—all wagered on Dan Jun.

"Have you bet too much?" Si Ming Xing Jun stroked his chin, sensing an ominous premonition that all the bets would go to waste, leading to true financial ruin—that would be a real mess.

"Our holy lord will win." Compared to the three of them, Yue Xin's gaze was unwaveringly firm, a deep-seated belief. He was the emperor of her Great Chu, also their Dan Sheng. If he could slay great emperors, he could certainly defeat Dan Jun.

Beside her, Bi Xia Xian Zi chuckled lightly. For some reason, she felt an indefinable confidence in Ye Da Shao. That mysterious young man seemed to carry an innate, irresistible charm.

Time slipped away, and dawn broke once more.

"The pill is complete."

Before the first hint of dawn touched the eastern sky, Dan Jun suddenly shouted and slapped his dan furnace.

Instantly, a silver beam of light shot skyward from the furnace—it was an eight-pattern Shen Hun Dan, radiating silver brilliance with eight distinct dan patterns etched upon it. A thick, fragrant aroma spread across the heavens.

Not just the alchemists, but the spectators from all sides straightened up in attention.

Boom! Boom!

Thunder rumbled as dark clouds gathered in the ethereal void, with lightning flashing and thunder roaring. Even seven-pattern pills had dan lightning, so an eight-pattern Shen Hun Dan certainly would too—and it was fiercely powerful, with snake-like bolts carrying destructive force.

"What terrifying dan lightning."

"Dan Jun's eight-pattern Shen Hun Dan is no joke—really top-grade."

"I'll admit, he has real skill."

Murmurs erupted again, with spectators looking up, including the alchemists from the scattered immortal realm. Though they disliked Dan Jun, they had to acknowledge the authenticity of this Shen Hun Dan. If it were them, they couldn't have refined it.

On the eastern cloud platform, Dan Jun lightly flicked his sleeve and clasped his hands behind his back, standing straight and proud. Under the gaze of thousands, his aura reached its peak. The way he looked at Ye Chen was full of contempt, his slightly upturned lips tinged with mockery and a hint of ferocity.

In that moment, he seemed to envision Ye Chen crawling at his feet like a dog, a sight that thrilled him.

"Nine patterns below, unbeatable."

Another elder from Dan Shen Dian stroked his beard meaningfully, his voice loud and clear, as if afraid others wouldn't hear.

No one refuted this; even the alchemists from the scattered immortal realm believed it. They couldn't refine an eight-pattern Shen Hun Dan, but Dan Jun could, and judging by the pill's quality, it was top-grade among its kind—rightfully the strongest below nine patterns.

"Even if Ye Chen refines a Zao Hua Dan, it won't match the Shen Hun Dan."

Kun Lun Lao Dao took a deep breath.

"That remains to be seen." Hua Shan Xian Zi smiled.

As she spoke, Ye Chen lightly tapped his dan furnace.

Immediately, a golden beam of light soared into the sky—it was his Zao Hua Dan.

"Has he really refined it?" Voices of surprise echoed everywhere.

But when they saw Ye Chen's Zao Hua Dan, the spectators' expressions turned strangely puzzled.

It wasn't surprising, for Ye Chen's Zao Hua Dan bore only a single dan pattern—more accurately, it was a one-pattern Zao Hua Dan.

"Did I see that right? Just one pattern?" The alchemists from Dan Shen Dian burst into laughter.

"I told you, even with the materials and the recipe, it's not guaranteed to produce an eight-pattern Zao Hua Dan." An elder from Dan Shen Dian sneered. A one-pattern pill couldn't compete with an eight-pattern one—this alchemy duel was Dan Shen Dian's to win.

"This is awkward." The alchemists from the scattered immortal realm grimaced. They had been rooting for Ye Chen, but this outcome was truly embarrassing. It was a Zao Hua Dan, yes, but only one pattern. There was no need for further competition; he had lost decisively.

"Ye Chen, I truly overestimated you." Dan Jun chuckled darkly.

Ye Chen remained silent, his expression as still as an ancient well.

"Hey? It's turning into two patterns."

Someone cried out in astonishment.

The spectators looked up again, seeing the one-pattern Zao Hua Dan suddenly gain another dan pattern, followed by a third, fourth, fifth, and straight up to the eighth before it stabilized. The eight dazzling dan patterns gleamed brightly, the small pill radiating like a blazing sun, its divine light piercing and making everyone's eyes sparkle.

"This..."

The alchemists were dumbfounded, especially the veteran ones, their expressions odd. They had all engraved dan patterns inside their furnaces, but seeing someone like Ye Chen engrave them after the pill emerged was a first—from a one-pattern Zao Hua Dan, it had upgraded all the way to eight patterns.

"What kind of refining method is this?" Kun Lun Lao Dao stared in a daze, instinctively rising to his feet in disbelief.

"Stay calm." Hua Shan Xian Zi reached out and pulled Kun Lun Lao Dao back to his seat.

"The outcome isn't decided yet."

"Not only did he refine it, but its quality is on par with the Shen Hun Dan."

"We really underestimated Ye Chen."

Because of Ye Chen's pill, the heavens erupted in excitement once more, with everyone watching intently, especially the elder alchemists, whose expressions were the most vivid. They hadn't thought much of Ye Chen before, but now, seeing the Zao Hua Dan, they realized how shallow their own insights were.

"How is this possible?" The alchemists from Dan Shen Dian looked grim. Ye Chen refining an eight-pattern Zao Hua Dan was completely unexpected.

Dan Jun's expression darkened as well. As a fellow alchemist, he could tell the Zao Hua Dan's exceptional quality—it was neck and neck with his Shen Hun Dan.

"This is getting interesting." Ba Tai Zi chuckled with amusement.

Yu Di's gaze grew deeper. Not just the others, he too had underestimated Ye Chen. A mere great saint actually producing an eight-pattern peak Zao Hua Dan was astonishing.

"His combat prowess is formidable, and his alchemy skills are at the pinnacle too!"

Niu Mo Wang clicked his tongue in admiration. That little stone was clearly a versatile genius. Jiao Long took a deep breath, dazzled by Ye Chen's aura. He could see Ye Chen's defiance of heaven and his immense value.

Even the leaders of the Four Peaks fell silent, their brows furrowed. Ye Chen was too remarkable, remarkable enough to make them uneasy.

Boom! Boom!

The discussions and thunder resounded again. The Shen Hun Dan had dan lightning, and the Zao Hua Dan wouldn't be without it. The rolling dark clouds thickened, with lightning raging wildly—the dan tribulation's power even surpassing that of the Shen Hun Dan.

Roar! Roar!

Under everyone's watchful eyes, dragon roars echoed. The Shen Hun Dan transformed into a dragon shape, a silver divine dragon. Almost simultaneously, the Zao Hua Dan changed form, becoming a golden divine dragon.

The alchemy duel truly began.