Chapter 2576: They Will Come Eventually

Ye Chen set down the wine flask and replied with a smile, "My master is Hongjun." He held a cup of light wine, as if reluctant to drink it, sniffing it repeatedly near his nose with a contented expression. He was both capturing the Dao intent within the wine and trying to bluff Dan Shen.

If you know about Hongjun, that's fine, but go ahead and inquire.

If not, then continue the bluffing.

Dan Shen stroked his beard, his expression turning more profound as he searched his memories. He found no one named Hongjun. The Heavenly Realm was full of hidden experts, so Hongjun was likely a recluse of great skill.

Anyone who could teach a disciple like Ye Chen must be no ordinary master.

As he spoke, Ye Chen drank another cup. The light wine now felt somewhat choking, like swallowing a handful of earth. The next cup sparked with thunder and lightning. He drank two more in succession—one like raging flames, the other like a block of ice—truly making him experience the extremes of ice and fire.

After that, each cup had a different flavor, some strong, some mild, each carrying unique wine intent and profound Dao meanings.

"Senior, what is the origin of this wine?" Ye Chen finally asked. Such strange wine was unheard of; he couldn't fathom how it was brewed. It must involve a secret recipe, much like a pill formula for refining pills.

"It is called Dao Wine," Dan Shen said with a smile.

"What a fitting name."

Ye Chen drained another cup in one go, but afterward, his face didn't look quite right. It was clearly wine, yet it tasted like vinegar, or rather, it was vinegar itself, sour enough to twist his guts.

"Indeed, it is the Chaos Dao," Dan Shen murmured to himself, his old eyes narrowing slightly.

Ye Chen kept drinking. The wine flask was a special artifact, holding an endless supply, and he was thorough about it. Since sitting down, he had said little, focusing all his effort on drinking as if he wouldn't stop until the end of time. Only occasionally did he glance at Dan Shen.

This old man's wine is very strange, and the old man himself is even stranger.

In the dead of night, he had been summoned here, but Dan Shen hadn't mentioned anything about Dan Jun or the Dan Zong Immortal Fire, nor about the pill-refining duel. He just sat there watching Ye Chen drink, his only action being to stroke his beard. All his emotions—doubt, surprise, confusion, sigh, astonishment, and emotion—were hidden in his eyes, as varied as the wine's intents.

"As fellow pill refiners, we must be fated. I give this to you." Dan Shen smiled and handed over a jade slip. "You can open it when you get back."

"Thank you, senior." Ye Chen hurriedly accepted it.

It wasn't until some time later that Ye Chen stood up. He had drunk what felt like a whole vat, without getting drunk at all. Yet, Dan Shen still hadn't brought up the main matter, like inviting him to join Dan Shen Hall.

It seemed as if he had only been called here to drink.

Not long after Ye Chen left, Dan Zong entered the lakeside pavilion and looked at Dan Shen with a furrowed brow. "Senior brother, why didn't you invite him to join Dan Shen Hall?"

"He will come eventually," Dan Shen said, stroking his beard with a smile.

"What about the Immortal Fire of me and Jun?"

"He will come eventually."

Dan Shen repeated the same phrase, making Dan Zong cough awkwardly.

You're not the one who lost the Immortal Fire, so you're not in a hurry. It's just a simple request, but you won't even ask for it back! If that kid has an accident and can't return to the lower realm alive, getting it back would mean negotiating with Hua Shan.

Seeing Dan Shen's confident demeanor, he didn't ask further and turned to leave.

After Dan Zong departed, Dan Shen took a deep breath, his clear old eyes flickering with an undisguised glint.

Once out of Dan Shen Immortal Mountain, Ye Chen walked through the sky.

"See? The grandmaster didn't harm him."

"The grandmaster cherishes talent. Ye Chen is so exceptional; there must be an intention to recruit him into Dan Shen Hall."

"I wonder if the Immortal Fire of Dan Zong and Dan Jun has been returned."

People stood on various peaks, discussing animatedly. They watched Ye Chen leave and didn't dare act rashly. Without Dan Shen's order, who would dare make a move? Not even Dan Jun would, let alone others.

As for Dan Jun, after Ye Chen emerged, he went to the lakeside pavilion. He arrived full of joy but left disappointed. He had thought his master would reclaim his Immortal Fire, but upon seeing Dan Shen, he realized he had been naive. He truly couldn't understand what Dan Shen was thinking.

Back at the Purple Bamboo Grove, Ye Chen took out the jade slip given by Dan Shen and crushed it.

Immediately, a vast divine sense surged into his sea of consciousness, transforming into profound insights.

"The mysteries of pill refining?" Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, recognizing it at a glance. It was indeed the mysteries of pill refining, and extremely profound, straight from Dan Shen's hand.

In that moment, he felt puzzled. Dan Shen Hall had lost face because of him and had several pill refiners defeated. Dan Zong and Dan Jun's Immortal Fire was still with him, yet Dan Shen not only didn't question it but also gifted him his lifelong insights on pill refining. Even with Ye Chen's wisdom, he couldn't figure out the reason.

Even if it was a gesture of goodwill or an olive branch, you should say it outright! Invite me to Dan Shen Hall, and I wouldn't refuse.

But none of that happened.

He didn't dwell on it much and sat down cross-legged right away. Since it was a gift from Dan Shen, how could he not comprehend it? It would be a great opportunity. By grasping its true essence, his pill-refining skills would surely advance, giving him more confidence in refining the Nine Revolutions Soul-Returning Pill.

From this insight into pill refining, it was clear that Dan Shen's skills surpassed his own, and his understanding of pills was even deeper.

In a true pill-refining duel, he wouldn't be a match for Dan Shen.

He sat in meditation for an entire month.

During that month, the Heavenly Realm remained peaceful. The ruler, Yin Ming, hadn't openly moved against Ye Chen; instead, he had made significant moves in private, using both favors and threats to strip the military powers of the various Heavenly Realm lords clean.

A new emperor brings new officials; he was still plotting his schemes.

That month, there were no major changes from Dan Shen Hall either.

Everyone knew Dan Shen had emerged from seclusion, and many old figures had visited one after another, making Dan Shen Hall bustling. Dan Shen welcomed all comers and hadn't summoned Ye Chen since that night. Not just Dan Jun, even Dan Zong couldn't understand it and felt that Dan Shen's emergence this time was somehow different, impossible to see through.

That month, people continued to visit the Dao Residence seeking Ye Chen, mostly Immortal Monarchs bringing their true fires, hoping for him to refine pills. Seeing him in meditation, they didn't disturb him and only left storage bags containing true fire remuneration, pill-refining materials, and pill formulas.

It was only in the second month that Ye Chen awoke. As he opened his eyes, two beams of tangible immortal light shot out, piercing through the void.

After a month of seclusion and gaining the true essence of pill refining, his eyes appeared even deeper. What Dan Shen gave was the mysteries of pill refining, but it turned out to be a stroke of fortune. He felt an urge—if he had the materials for the Soul-Returning Pill now, he would likely try refining it. Eight-pattern pills no longer posed a challenge.

That night, a distinguished guest arrived at the Dao Residence.

It was Dan Shen, his movements as elusive as the heavens, without alarming anyone.

Ye Chen was refining pills at the time, while his doppelganger stood with hands behind his back, casually strolling through the bamboo grove. He paid particular attention to the wooden carvings Ye Chen had made, which filled the grove. Each one was lifelike and infused with Dao essence.

"I am quite curious about your origins," Dan Shen said after circling around, then found a cloud to sit on.

His smile was as kind and gentle as an old grandfather's.

"Just a nobody," Ye Chen replied with a smile, still diligently refining pills. After all, he had accepted their true fires; he needed to handle their requests.

As soon as the pill was complete, pill lightning emerged—a genuine eight-pattern pill.

Soon, an old Immortal Monarch arrived. It seemed the pill Ye Chen had refined was for him. Upon entering, he nearly lost his footing and almost fell. He saw Ye Chen, and he also saw Dan Shen.

This was a great figure; appearing in the dead of night could scare someone to death.

However, with Dan Shen's status, he wasn't afraid of Yin Ming. Besides him, there were Si Ming and others—all concealed in black robes. Even the old Immortal Venerables were deliberately keeping a low profile.

After taking the pill, the old Immortal Monarch left and hid outside the bamboo grove, wanting to see what Dan Shen was here for. Perhaps it was to settle scores with Ye Chen. But after watching all night, the two did nothing but drink, play chess, and discuss the Dao.

In the following days, Dan Shen came every day, always choosing the dead of night, to the point that the Immortal Monarchs coming for their pills were startled each time.

Because of this, many old figures often gathered casually, convinced that Ye Chen would join Dan Shen Hall. From Dan Shen's actions, it was clear how much he valued Ye Chen.

Unfortunately, after waiting a month or so, Ye Chen still hadn't joined Dan Shen Hall.

The immortals of the Heavenly Realm were baffled; strange events kept piling up. Yin Ming didn't move against Ye Chen, and Dan Shen didn't invite him. One had become the ruler of the Heavenly Realm, unfathomable; the other had just emerged from seclusion, inscrutable. No one knew what Yin Ming and Dan Shen were really thinking.

That night, Ye Chen produced another batch of pills. He picked up the wine flask and sat down under an old tree, glancing toward the bamboo grove. According to past patterns, Dan Shen should have arrived, but after waiting a long time, he didn't show.

Leaning against the tree trunk, Ye Chen looked up at the stars.

Several months had passed, and the Heavenly Realm barrier had risen again. He still hadn't waited for the Ren Wang's borrowing of laws, missing a good opportunity. Who knew when he could return to his homeland?

Suddenly, a warm stream overflowed from the corner of his mouth.

Instinctively, he wiped it lightly—it was fresh blood.

He sat up straight, looking at the blood on his fingertip, his brow furrowing slightly. He hadn't been injured or suffered backlash, so why was he bleeding?

He didn't wipe it away properly; the more he wiped, the more it flowed. He felt no pain, but the blood at the corner of his mouth wouldn't stop.

He tossed aside the wine flask and stared at the fresh blood on his fingertip, slowly standing up. But his legs felt weak, and he couldn't stand steadily. His whole body had no strength; he had to hold onto the tree trunk to stay upright.

At that moment, a cold wind raged.

More than a dozen figures appeared one after another, all Immortal Monarchs, all quasi-emperors. Leading them was Zi Yang Immortal Monarch, holding a decree, his smile sinister in the night.

Ye Chen ignored them, one hand on the tree trunk, internally examining his body, but finding no issues. This was truly bizarre.

"Zi Wei Star Monarch Ye Chen, for disregarding heavenly laws, stealing the Kong Dong Seal, and wantonly killing immortals, your crimes are unforgivable. You are to be imprisoned in the heavenly jail awaiting judgment."

On the other side, Zi Yang Immortal Monarch had unfurled the decree and was reciting it loudly, his voice both lofty and authoritative. There was no real need to recite it; they could have just taken him, but certain formalities had to be observed, and he quite enjoyed the process.

"Could you explain what's happening to me?" Ye Chen wiped away the fresh blood again and smiled at Zi Yang Immortal Monarch.

"You've committed too many sins and brought retribution upon yourself," Zi Yang Immortal Monarch replied with a sinister laugh.

"Impressively done." Ye Chen sighed in admiration and even gave a thumbs-up.