Chapter 2578: You've Got This Too

Ye Chen was finally taken to the heavenly prison and locked in a divine pagoda.

The heavenly soldiers and generals guarding the prison held their battle halberds, whispering and pointing at the divine tower. Ye Chen was a frequent visitor to the heavenly prison, often coming to inspect it. But this time, he wasn't here to look around; he was a captive, now a prisoner of the heavenly prison.

"I heard he offended His Majesty."

"Such a talented person, they can't possibly execute him! He's not a bad sort."

"That depends on Huashan, whether they can pull some strings."

In the night, the heavenly prison was filled with discussions and sighs of regret.

Ah!

The purple-haired heavenly general guarding the prison of the Underworld King sighed. Although stationed in the heavenly prison, he was well aware of outside affairs. The grudge between Ye Chen and Yin Ming ran deep, all because of the Huashan Daojing.

Inside the divine tower was a separate realm, dim and lightless.

On the altar, Ye Chen sat quietly, devoid of any energy, blood continuously spilling from the corner of his mouth. No one spoke, and he remained silent. There was no anger or hatred in his eyes; he was calmer than expected, like a stone statue, motionless. Only his messy white hair stirred without wind, repeatedly brushing against his face.

"I thought you would break through and get me out."

A voice echoed from the void. It was Asura Tianzun, who had been sound asleep in the dead of night but was woken up by the commotion. He had witnessed Ye Chen being brought in, and his condition was not good; he could barely stand and looked frail and weak.

"Don't rush; the road is still long."

Ye Chen cradled the back of his head and lay down on the altar, gazing into the haze with a meaningful laugh.

"We are truly brothers in misfortune now."

Asura Tianzun clicked his tongue.

That phrase struck Ye Chen deeply.

Thinking back to his time in the Underworld, he and Zhao Yun had been brothers in misfortune, both suppressed in the eighteen levels of hell.

Now, in the heavenly realm, he and Asura Tianzun were both imprisoned in the heavenly prison.

From the past to the present, it was indeed dramatic. He and someone from another universe seemed forever entangled by fate.

If Zhao Yun knew this, he would surely sigh with regret.

"With your strength, you wouldn't be captured so easily. Were you ambushed?"

Asura Tianzun asked again. In the middle of the night, he finally had someone to chat with, wide awake and ready to talk all night with Ye Chen.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is, I'll turn the heavenly palace upside down."

Ye Chen chuckled leisurely. Alone in the divine tower, he no longer needed to hide, his laugh carrying both depth and a hint of coldness.

His words excited Asura Tianzun. He was the type who reveled in chaos. Back then, he had been ganged up on without any allies. If they broke out of the heavenly prison now, he would team up with Ye Chen for some real havoc, not just flipping the heavenly palace but punching a massive hole in the heavens.

"When the time comes, take me along."

Asura Tianzun laughed.

"Easy enough."

Ye Chen smiled, then gently closed his eyes. Blood still trickled from his mouth, but he didn't care. The heavenly generals outside watched in amazement; imprisoned in the heavenly prison, yet he acted as if nothing had happened, sleeping so soundly.

Asura Tianzun said no more and lay down to sleep. With Ye Chen in the heavenly prison, things had become much more interesting. The two of them would eventually break out, stir up the heavenly court, turn it upside down, and settle scores with the Jade Emperor.

The night fell silent.

In another cell, the Underworld King had no heart for meditation. He paced by the cell door, gazing toward the divine tower where Ye Chen was held, his expression grim and full of worry.

The night passed without incident, and dawn arrived in the blink of an eye.

In the early morning, before the first hint of red appeared in the east, Yue Xin arrived. Her face was pale; she had been confined by Si Ming all night and had paid a heavy price to break through the seal and sneak to the heavenly prison. Seeing Ye Chen, she burst into tears. The two most important people in her life were now locked in the heavenly prison, and she was powerless to help.

"Stay calm; it's nothing serious."

Ye Chen's smile was as gentle as ever.

His words only made her cry harder. If Si Ming hadn't arrived in time, she might have tried to free the prisoner.

Si Ming came quickly and left even faster, resealing Yue Xin. As he departed, he sighed, unable to save Ye Chen but determined to keep a close eye on Yue Xin. Ye Chen was already in, and he didn't want her joining him in that dreadful place.

"She is mine."

Asura Tianzun said leisurely.

"No one's stealing her from you."

Ye Chen sat cross-legged, one hand propping up his face and the other holding a stick, tapping it idly. He looked completely at ease, bored out of his mind, lost in thought. Since entering the heavenly prison, he had spent most of his time in this calm state.

"How about we boast a bit?"

Asura Tianzun was bored too, chuckling.

No wonder he and Zhao Yun came from the same universe; lines like this were straight out of Zhao Yun's playbook back in the eighteen levels of hell.

As a result, Zhao Yun was utterly defeated, impressed by a certain quality in Ye Chen. Zhao Yun couldn't boast like that, and in terms of sheer shamelessness, Ye Chen left him in the dust.

Zhao Yun had once said it right: the human world couldn't contain a great figure like Ye Chen.

So, Ye Chen had undergone a tribulation and turned into a stone, becoming a stone spirit, slipping from the human realm into the demon realm.

As for Asura Tianzun's suggestion, Ye Chen took it as just talk. If Zhao Yun couldn't pull it off, you probably couldn't either.

As they spoke, a figure appeared outside the divine tower. It was Dan Jun.

"Ye Chen, you have your day too."

Dan Jun's laugh was sinister and terrifying, his face twisted in malice. He had only just heard about last night's events and rushed straight to the heavenly prison. Seeing Ye Chen imprisoned filled him with wild joy; he wanted to charge in and carve him up piece by piece.

Ye Chen ignored him completely, not even bothering with such a foolish opponent.

But Dan Jun thought differently. Since arriving, he hadn't stopped talking. It was rare to see Ye Chen in trouble, and his pent-up rage finally erupted. At first, it was just mockery, but later, he started howling like a frenzied demon.

The heavenly soldiers and generals coughed awkwardly, many covering their ears. Perhaps Dan Jun's anger was too intense, making his voice thunderous. As a quasi-emperor peak expert, his howls were like booming thunder, shaking ears until they bled, and some soldiers could barely stand.

Ye Chen remained silent throughout.

It wasn't until who-knows-when that the man left, his face clearly spelling out the word "satisfied."

After Dan Jun, the alchemists from the Dan Shen Hall came in waves, all of the same ilk. They surrounded the divine tower, hurling insults and jeers, their faces full of resentment. If you didn't know better, you'd think Ye Chen had stolen their wives.

People from Ziyang Xianjun's side were just as relentless, one after another, all idle and uninterested in cultivation. They specifically ran to the heavenly prison to curse Ye Chen.

That was bad enough, but even some immortals with no connection to him whatsoever—people Ye Chen had never met—showed up in groups, not to visit but to hurl abuse, earning eye rolls from Ye Chen.

The phrase "kicking someone when they're down" fit them perfectly.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!"

Asura Tianzun clicked his tongue. "Your character isn't all that great, huh!"

"If your character was better, people wouldn't bother cursing you."

"You're wrong; they're just scared."

"Nonsense; they just look down on you."

"Idiot."

"Moron."

In the dead of night, the two divine towers—one holding Ye Chen, the other Asura Tianzun—echoed with their banter. They didn't even bother with telepathy; they shouted at the top of their lungs, voices rising higher than the last.

The heavenly soldiers and generals' mouths twitched. They had no idea where Asura Tianzun and Ye Chen got their energy from. Both imprisoned, yet they had the heart to argue like this—it was downright novel just listening to it.

While the heavenly prison had its verbal battles, Huashan was lively too, with arguments of its own.

It wasn't the time for the Huashan Daojing event, but the mountaintop was packed with figures, mostly great demons and devils from the scattered immortal realm. Niu Mo Wang and Jiao Long Wang were there, the noisiest of the bunch. Since arriving at Huashan, they'd been cursing nonstop.

News of Ye Chen's imprisonment had spread through the upper immortal realm and the scattered immortal realm alike, stirring up a storm. Restless individuals jumped out one after another—some to save Ye Chen, others to cause chaos in the heavenly court.

"One word: are we going or not?"

Niu Mo Wang cursed.

The Huashan Zhenren stood with his hands behind his back, sitting steadily and scanning the crowd. He recognized these great demons and devils; they'd been yelling at him all night, questioning why he wasn't saving their future leader.

He wanted to, of course, but Ye Chen had told him not to.

Besides, with just Huashan alone, going would be suicide. These great demons and devils might bark loudly, but in the heavenly court, they wouldn't make a ripple.

The heavenly court dared not easily provoke Huashan, and Huashan dared not easily challenge the heavenly court. If it came to a fight, Huashan wouldn't stand a chance. To oppose the heavenly court, they'd need the full might of the scattered immortal realm.

After a night of noise, nothing was resolved.

It wasn't until Ye Chen's clone made a strong appearance that the argument ended, with one clear message: don't go to the heavenly court.

While some worried about Huashan's future leader being held in the heavenly prison, others rejoiced—like the people of the Four Peaks, especially the Four Peaks leaders, who were grinning from ear to ear. Ye Chen was too much of a prodigy, frighteningly so. They'd been wondering how to eliminate him, and Yin Ming had done it for them. Once in the heavenly prison, he might never come out.

The upper immortal realm descended into night once more.

Another visitor came to see Ye Chen—not to curse, but to genuinely visit. It was a young child, wearing a red bellyband, the very image of Nezha.

Back in the day, Taiyi had brought his family to the heavenly court, settling in a remote area with a minor official position.

Tonight was the first time the little one had returned. He had traveled a long distance to the heavenly prison and circled the divine tower, trying to find a way to break in—clearly intent on freeing the prisoner.

"Kid, go play somewhere cool."

A heavenly general yawned, seeing through Nezha's plan but not worried at all. With the child's cultivation, he couldn't even get through the door. Any heavenly general here could sneeze and send him flying.

"I've got you marked. When I become a quasi-emperor, I'll be the first to punch you."

Nezha glanced at the heavenly general and circled back to the entrance, staring longingly.

"Head home and wait. We'll drink together another day."

Ye Chen laughed.

"I—"

"You little brat, are you asking for death?"

Before the child could finish, Taiyi arrived, rushing over in a cloud of dust. He casually greeted Ye Chen, then dragged Nezha away, afraid the kid would cause trouble.

"That little one isn't simple."

Watching the direction Taiyi left, Asura Tianzun said thoughtfully, his eyes deep.

Ye Chen didn't respond. He'd known from the first time he saw Nezha that a terrifying power was sealed within him—it just hadn't been awakened yet. Otherwise, he'd be a formidable force.

"When are we getting out?"

Asura Tianzun turned his gaze to Ye Chen.

"Wait."

Ye Chen uttered a single word, then cradled the back of his head and lay down again.

Asura Tianzun was baffled, unsure what Ye Chen was waiting for. Someone to rescue him?

Clearly, the answer was no. Only Ye Chen knew who he was waiting for.

In the days that followed, visitors kept coming.

To Ye Chen's surprise, Niu Mo Wang and Jiao Long Wang showed up, both disguised. Their loyalty warmed his heart—these great demons were true to their word, daring to risk danger and enter the heavenly prison.

"Just hang in there; your big brother will come save you."

Niu Mo Wang thumped his chest.

"Yin Ming put me here as bait. Don't fall for it."

Ye Chen stretched lazily. "Relax, someone will come get me."

The two exchanged puzzled glances, not understanding.

They came quickly and left just as fast. The heavenly prison wasn't safe; in the scattered immortal realm, they were lords, but in the heavenly court, they were small fry. They could handle one-on-one fights, but a group beating was another story.

Since they were there, Huashan's spies in the heavenly court came too, sneaking in and out quietly.

If Huashan had spies, Kunlun couldn't be without them. They visited at night, relaying a message from the Kunlun leader: if Ye Chen joined their sect, the Kunlun leader would personally come to the heavenly court to plead for him.

Many secluded great sects extended olive branches, all eager for talent. Beating Dan Zong was no small feat; such a prodigy had immense potential.

Unfortunately, Ye Chen turned them all down.

Because none of them were the one he was waiting for.

The night sky was profound, with stars like dust.

Accompanied by a faint feminine scent, a slender figure in a black robe gracefully landed outside the divine tower—it was Bixia Xianzi. She stood silently, watching Ye Chen with eyes that held a touch of pity.

She said nothing, and Ye Chen remained quiet, holding a carving knife and etching a wooden figure.

Even now, Bixia Xianzi couldn't fathom Ye Chen.

He had plenty of chances to escape knowing Yin Ming was after him, yet he stayed. The Ye Chen in her memory was wise and should have understood the dangers. Now captured, he was still so serene—what kind of mindset was that?

"Imperial sister-in-law, quite the leisurely mood."

A sudden voice spoke, and a figure appeared—it was Yin Ming, the ruler of the heavenly court.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Yin Ming's arrival stunned the heavenly soldiers and generals. After a moment, they all knelt on one knee. None had realized the heavenly court's ruler would come to the prison, dressed in plain clothes without any majestic aura or visions, like a ghost arriving silently.

Bixia Xianzi frowned slightly. Not just the soldiers—even she hadn't sensed Yin Ming's approach. Perhaps his cultivation had advanced; he had reached quasi-emperor peak, and the royal concealment techniques were beyond her detection.