Chapter 2564: True Fire Commission

In the dead of night at Dan Shen Dian, Dan Jun was like a madman, finally back in his own territory, rampaging and smashing everything in sight to vent his fury.

The once pristine Dao residence was now a total mess.

In the alchemy duel, he had been utterly defeated, and as the esteemed Dan Jun, he had lost to a mere minor Xing Jun, even wagering away his Wan Mie Xian Yan. It was a profound humiliation, not just for him, but it also dragged his master, Dan Shen, and the entire Dan Shen Dian into the ridicule of the heavenly realm. In all his years of cultivation, he had never faced such embarrassment.

"Kill him! Kill him for me and take back the Wan Mie Xian Yan."

Dan Jun roared in rage, no longer just acting like a madman—his overwhelming anger had clouded his mind, leaving only savagery and bloodlust, like a demon.

"Enough."

A deep voice echoed as a white-robed elder entered, exuding an aura of profound Dao essence.

This elder was no ordinary figure; his honorific title was Dan Zong, a member of Dan Shen Dian. In terms of seniority, he was Dan Jun's martial uncle, from the same generation as Dan Shen.

Upon seeing Dan Zong, Dan Jun's anger subsided somewhat. With Dan Shen in seclusion, he couldn't afford to act out in front of Dan Zong.

"If you're outmatched, don't throw a tantrum here."

Dan Zong snorted coldly, his authority as a senior evident. He had just emerged from seclusion and was stunned by news of the alchemy duel—how could the Dan Jun of Dan Shen Dian lose to a minor Xing Jun? It was hard to believe. If not for the late hour, he might have gone straight to Zi Wei Dao Fu to see what kind of extraordinary being this Ye Chen was.

"Martial uncle, my Wan Mie Xian Yan..."

Dan Jun trailed off, his bloodshot eyes still holding a glimmer of hope. With Dan Shen absent, he pinned his expectations on his martial uncle to intervene and reclaim the flame. Time was of the essence, and as for Ye Chen, he was determined to kill him.

"I have it under control. Just wait patiently."

Dan Zong replied calmly.

Dan Jun took a deep breath, though he wasn't shouting anymore, his heart was roaring with killing intent toward Ye Chen.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen was no less furious. After leaving Yu Di's palace, he cursed all the way, lashing out at Yin Ming, Yu Di, and even their ancestors for eighteen generations. All that effort, and he had still been played.

As Ye Chen cursed, Yu Di's expression was equally sour. He felt like berating Dan Jun as a useless fool—after all, he was the alchemy master of the heavenly court, yet he had lost to Ye Chen, making Yu Di lose face too, and even subjecting him to mockery from those lowly beings below.

This night was anything but ordinary: Dan Jun cursed Ye Chen, Ye Chen cursed Yu Di, and Yu Di cursed Dan Jun.

It was a good thing they weren't all together, or it would have been even more chaotic.

By now, Ye Chen had returned to Zi Wei Dao Fu, his face dark with anger.

In the purple bamboo grove, three figures were already waiting—Si Ming, Tai Yi, and Tai Bai. Each looked more dejected than the last. In the alchemy duel between Dan Jun and Ye Chen, they had also gone all in, betting everything they had and ending up wiped out.

As Ye Chen entered, Tai Bai sighed.

"Looking at that face, I can tell you didn't get the Long Xian Cao."

Ye Chen suppressed his anger and plopped down on a seat.

"I hear you made a killing," Tai Yi said with a grin, rubbing his hands. He had known Ye Chen would win; given his temperament, not betting would be out of character, and he must have bet big.

"We're cleaned out—share some with us," Si Ming said bluntly. They had waited half the night for him, and without a few Tian Shi in hand, they were too embarrassed to go out.

Ye Chen glanced at Tai Yi, then Tai Bai, and finally Si Ming. These three old-timers sure knew how to freeload. Where were you all when I needed support? Not believing in me—serves you right for going broke.

The three coughed awkwardly, staring expectantly. You have to give us something.

Ye Chen waved his hand and tossed them three storage bags. He didn't specify how many Tian Shi were inside, but they were heavy—probably a few million each.

"Perfect!"

The three beamed with joy, pocketed the storage bags, and happily left.

After they departed, Ye Chen sealed off the purple bamboo grove.

The events of the night had motivated him greatly. He needed to push hard and break through to Zhundi level. If Yu Di tried to play games again, he'd have to settle it with force.

Sitting cross-legged, he looked inward at his Danhai. The purple Xianhuo and Wan Mie Xian Yan were still in the process of fusing, as a flame of Wan Mie Xian Yan's caliber had its own pride, and the purple Xianhuo was no slouch either, having merged with countless flames before.

The fusion of the two Xianhuo was slow, like two people who couldn't stand each other—avoiding a fight was already an achievement.

So, Ye Chen switched to his persuasion mode.

He kept at it all night, and by dawn, the two flames finally set aside their differences and truly merged. The fusion was still gradual but proceeding smoothly—it was just a matter of time now.

In the early morning, before the sky was fully bright, a visitor arrived—an old man, a genuine second-rank official, known to the world as Hao Tian Xian Jun.

"Kid, busy?" the old man asked, hands tucked in his sleeves, ignoring the barrier as he strolled in with a sleazy grin.

"Old Xian Jun, if you have something to say, spit it out."

Ye Chen stood up and stretched.

"It's nothing major. I just wanted to ask you to refine a furnace of pills for me. I have the materials, and we can negotiate the fee."

Hao Tian Xian Jun smiled. "I've prepared the Tian Shi and tools. You can name your price."

"I don't want Tian Shi or tools—just Zhenhuo."

Ye Chen smiled.

"Would beast fire work?"

"Go wherever you like, old man."

"Hey, you brat."

"As long as it's Zhenhuo."

"I..."

Hao Tian Xian Jun was about to explode but thought better of it and said, "I'll come back another day."

With that, he tucked his hands away and left, pondering where to find Zhenhuo. Zhenhuo was precious but abundant in the heavenly realm. Though his fee wasn't cheap, it was still a bargain compared to those from Dan Shen Dian, who were shamelessly demanding.

Ye Chen also tucked his hands behind his back and sat steadily on the stone chair, confident that more people would come seeking his alchemy services. After all, he had beaten Dan Jun, and in the eyes of the immortals, he was more approachable and charged less.

Sure enough, more visitors arrived—from seventh-rank officials to first-rank ones, including powerful old Xian Jun, all wanting Ye Chen to refine pills for them.

Early that morning, Zi Wei Dao Fu was bustling like a marketplace.

However, they came in batches and left in batches. The problem was that this minor Xing Jun didn't play by the rules—he wanted nothing but Zhenhuo. As a result, many Xian Jun who were halfway there turned back upon hearing the news and went off to search for Zhenhuo across the realm.

Ye Chen didn't lack Tian Shi, tools, or secret techniques; what he needed was Zhenhuo, and the more, the better. That way, once he returned, he could fuse them into Chaos Fire and then gather the materials to refine the Nine Revolutions Soul-Returning Pill.

It wasn't until nightfall that the crowds at Zi Wei Dao Fu thinned out.

Ye Chen sat in meditation, one hand holding a carving knife and the other a wooden sculpture, using it to gain insights into the Dao since he couldn't find a breakthrough.

Accompanied by a faint fragrance, a graceful figure crossed the barrier and appeared in the bamboo grove. She was enveloped in immortal light, with a elegant and holy demeanor—upon closer look, it was Bi Xia Xian Zi.

"With flowers in full bloom and a full moon, why aren't you whispering sweet nothings with the Third Prince? What brings you here?"

Ye Chen asked while carving the wooden sculpture.

"I'm here for alchemy, of course."

Bi Xia Xian Zi rolled her eyes at Ye Chen.

"Do you have Zhenhuo?"

"No Zhenhuo."

"Then I can see you out."

"What about Xianhuo?"

"Come, sister, have a seat."

Ye Chen quickly got up, grabbed Bi Xia Xian Zi's hand, set aside the wooden sculpture and his Dao insights, and rubbed his hands with a grin. His expression changed in an instant—Zhenhuo was fine, let alone Xianhuo.

Bi Xia Xian Zi was amused and gave Ye Chen a sideways glance.

This guy looked proper enough, but he was just a clown.

When she composed herself, she waved her hand, and a green flame hovered in her palm. It was quite peculiar—as a flame, it constantly shifted forms, sometimes into a fire lotus, sometimes into an immortal herb.

"Wan Xiang Xian Yan."

Ye Chen narrowed his eyes, recognizing it at once. It was a type of Xianhuo that could transform into anything with a name in the world, hence its title.

However, this Wan Xiang Xian Yan wasn't complete; it was damaged, retaining the name of Xianhuo but lacking its source. In terms of rank, it fell between Zhenhuo and Xianhuo.

"It's a flawed Xianhuo, but it should suffice," Bi Xia Xian Zi said, handing over a storage bag containing the pill formula and refining materials.

"It's enough, of course," Ye Chen replied, taking the bag and glancing inside. "Looking at the quantity, it's not just one type—all at eight-pattern peak. Throw in a little extra fee, eh?"

"You better get this straight—this is Xianhuo. Don't act like you're losing out."

Bi Xia Xian Zi huffed and stood up to leave, her voice lingering behind. "I'll come for the pills in nine days."

After she left, Ye Chen added another barrier.

Late at night brought a surprise—a flawed Xianhuo as the fee. Refining three pills would be a profit; even five would be a steal. Xianhuo was rare, and even a damaged one was far superior to Zhenhuo.

Soon, he placed the Wan Xiang Xian Yan into his Danhai. The fused purple Xianhuo and Wan Mie Xian Yan eagerly approached, circling it as if ready to devour it on the spot.

This fusion went smoothly, thanks to the Wan Xiang Xian Yan's damaged state and weakened spirit—no need for Ye Chen's persuasion.

The resulting Xianhuo remained purple, burning fiercely and distorting the very fabric of space. It was perfect for alchemy, yielding twice the results with half the effort, and devastating in battle—few could withstand it.

With a hum, Ye Chen summoned his Dan furnace. Refining three pills didn't require nine days; three would do. He couldn't slack off, as more Zhenhuo and visitors were surely coming, keeping him busy.

He needed more Zhenhuo—perhaps the fusion of flames would be his breakthrough key, just like when he merged the Taichu Shenhuo before.

That night, the aroma of pills wafted through the entire Dao residence. Passing immortals often paused, the rich scent invigorating their cultivation, and they couldn't help but sigh. The future head of Huashan was truly extraordinary, having even defeated Dan Jun in a duel.