Chapter 2580: The Spirit of the Divine Pill

"What? Dan Shen personally went to receive Ye Chen?"

"It's true."

"I knew it! Dan Shen is someone who cherishes talent. Even he stepped in personally, so the Tian Ting ruler had to give some face. Still, to convince Yin Ming to release Ye Chen, Dan Shen must have paid a significant price."

"Now, no one will dare touch Ye Chen again."

That statement was spot on.

Ye Chen's release from the heavenly prison was the clearest proof that the Tian Ting ruler had tacitly approved it.

With Yin Ming nodding his agreement, who would risk provoking trouble?

The Tian Ting at night was quite lively, with news spreading far and wide. Crowds gathered, discussing fervently, sighing in amazement. First, the Tian Ting ruler had invited Ye Chen for drinks and chess, and now Dan Shen, the hall master, had gone to receive him personally—it showed just how much influence Ye Chen commanded.

Or rather, it wasn't Ye Chen's influence, but Dan Shen's.

It wasn't just the upper immortal realm; even the scattered immortals' realm was buzzing. Spies from various sects had reported back, causing a massive uproar.

Who was Dan Shen? The highest-ranking alchemist in the heavens, commanding the Dan Shen Hall, someone even the Jade Emperor approached with caution. For him to personally receive Ye Chen was an immense honor.

"With Dan Shen's protection, Ye Chen is safe now."

"Yin Ming actually agreed—looks like Dan Shen offered him quite the benefits."

"That doesn't matter. What's important is that Ye Chen has risen to prominence."

Discussions echoed through both the upper and lower realms, with endless sighs of admiration.

"Well done."

Si Ming Xing Jun chuckled happily, and Tai Yi, Tai Bai, and the others breathed a huge sigh of relief. Yue Xin was the most excited, tears streaming down her face once again.

"Damn it."

Where there was joy, there was also worry.

For someone like Dan Jun, upon hearing the report from his subordinates, he was grinding his teeth in frustration. He was Dan Shen's true disciple, yet now his master had personally gone to receive Ye Chen, completely disregarding his feelings. His heart was filled with imbalance, and resentment surged within him.

As for those who had gone to the heavenly prison to curse Ye Chen, they were wiping away cold sweat.

What a mess—they had kicked someone when he was down too early. This sudden reversal was truly unexpected.

For Dan Shen to go personally, that showed how highly he valued Ye Chen. Ye Chen would likely join the Dan Shen Hall, and with his alchemy skills, he might even inherit Dan Shen's legacy. In the future, he could become the hall master of Dan Shen Hall.

That identity was downright intimidating.

"Why was he released?"

Equally puzzled was Zi Yang Xian Jun, standing outside the pavilion, watching Yin Ming leisurely brewing tea, but not daring to ask more.

They captured him but didn't kill him, and now they've let him go. Has the Tian Ting ruler turned over a new leaf? Or is it just letting bygones be bygones?

Yin Ming smiled faintly, looking quite at ease. Casually, he glanced toward the Dan Shen Hall, his expression playful and mocking.

Meanwhile, Dan Shen had already entered the Dan Shen Hall, silently.

Yet, the news had spread everywhere. Figures dotted every mountain peak, all gazing toward Dan Shen's immortal mountain. Some were puzzled, some sighed, some clicked their tongues—various expressions played across their faces.

Like the outside world, they were all caught off guard.

"Uncle Master truly has foresight."

Dan Feng laughed.

"Personally going to receive him—tsk, tsk, tsk."

Dan Zong had his hands behind his back, clicking his tongue repeatedly. In all of Tian Ting, perhaps only Ye Chen had such an honor.

"Dan Jun must be feeling awful."

As Dan Feng spoke, he looked toward the opposite mountain peak. Through the misty clouds, he could see Dan Jun's ferocious face, his eyes bloodshot and crimson, like a demon of the night, staring fixedly at Dan Shen's immortal mountain. His killing intent toward Ye Chen was uncontrollable, and his resentment toward Dan Shen was equally hard to suppress.

"Compared to him, Ye Chen is more qualified to inherit the Dan Shen Hall master position."

"Will Uncle Master pass the hall master position to Ye Chen?"

"Receiving him personally makes the intention clear."

Dan Zong spoke leisurely, believing he understood Dan Shen well. Unless something unexpected happened, Ye Chen would be the next hall master of Dan Shen Hall.

Unfortunately, this time he was destined to miscalculate.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, a beam of light shot into the sky, forming a massive barrier that enveloped the entire Dan Shen immortal mountain. It was Dan Shen who had acted, signaling that without his command, no one was allowed to enter the mountain.

Within the immortal mountain lay a vast inner world, a realm shrouded in mist. There stood a massive altar, and atop it hung a golden bronze furnace—it was an alchemy furnace and also a magical artifact, at the peak quasi-emperor level.

"What a great place."

Ye Chen looked around. Dan Shen's alchemy spot was truly exceptional, covered in spirit-attracting formations. The entire Dan Shen Hall occupied a dominant position, and this spot was the most profound part of it. Refining pills here, drawing essence from the heavens above and earth's sources below, would surely yield twice the results with half the effort.

"Are you afraid?"

Dan Shen smiled at Ye Chen.

"I say I'm afraid, but Senior wouldn't let me go, right?"

Ye Chen withdrew his gaze and smiled back at Dan Shen.

"Of course not."

Dan Shen chuckled, setting up formations as he spoke leisurely, "Your mental fortitude is surprisingly strong, which surprises me. In my memory, I can't find anyone who compares to you. Your alchemy skills are extraordinary, and your talent is heaven-defying. A talent like yours is one in a million ages. If not for using you as a dan ling, I truly wouldn't bear to kill you."

"Since we're here, let's skip the pleasantries. It might make people think Dan Shen is just putting on a righteous act."

Ye Chen brushed off the dust from his shoulder. "If I weren't so heaven-defying, Senior wouldn't have chosen me as the dan ling."

"So, any last words?"

"I'm all alone, no last words."

As Ye Chen spoke, he casually took out his storage bag, including the Dinghai Shen Zhen, Emperor Dao Yu Men, and golden immortal fire, placing them all aside.

Besides that, he also sealed off his borrowed powers.

Dan Shen smiled and gently waved his hand.

Ye Chen felt a blur before his eyes, and when he reappeared, he was inside the dan furnace.

At that moment, he couldn't help but sigh.

Back in the day, when Dan Gui captured him for alchemy, he had Shangguan Yuer with him, and that was twice in total—he'd certainly had his fill of eye candy.

Later, it was Dan Huang, and Lin Xing was captured too—well, that's the God of Creation. The two of them even compared their... in the dan furnace.

The fourth time was even more ridiculous, in the Huo Yu, caught by an unnamed alchemist, with a bunch of beasts for company.

This was the fifth time he'd been thrown into a dan furnace for alchemy, but this time, no one to keep him company.

As the great emperor of Da Chu, he truly lived up to the title of Dan Sheng, forever tied to dan furnaces.

Shaking his head with a smile, Ye Chen sat down cross-legged and subconsciously scanned his surroundings. The dan furnace had its own inner world, with a vast starry sky above and ancient divine patterns faintly visible in the void.

Buzz!

As he looked, the dan furnace hummed, and black flames ignited.

"Gong De Shen Huo."

Ye Chen murmured lightly, recognizing this flame as a type of divine fire.

In terms of ranking, it was on par with Tai Chu Shen Huo—either third or fourth, far superior to Dan Jun's Wan Mie Xian Yan.

After the divine fire nurtured the dan furnace, one immortal herb after another was thrown in, each incredibly precious.

As an alchemist, Ye Chen recognized them all—they were indeed rare, with a few extinct even across the heavens.

"What I'm refining is an Emperor Dao Shen Dan, a nine-pattern pill."

"I've been searching for the materials for a full three thousand years."

"Once this pill is complete, it'll be my chance to prove the dao and become an emperor."

Dan Shen controlled the flames and added materials while speaking casually, his words as calm as an old grandfather telling stories to his grandson.

His clear, aged eyes flickered with a sharp light. After endless years of waiting, this day had finally come. Whether he could cross the emperor dao chasm depended on this single pill.

Ye Chen stood with his hands clasped, listening and wanting to laugh.

Did he really think becoming an emperor was that simple?

Did he think taking a pill would let him prove the dao?

Old man, you're underestimating the great emperors. Maybe in the human realm someone could, but in this era, neither the Ming Realm nor the Tian Realm will see anyone prove the dao.

Or rather, as long as Dao Zu and Ming Di exist, these two realms won't have a second emperor.

It's been ten thousand years since Xian Wu Di Zun fell, and his emperor dao suppression has weakened, yet still no one has become an emperor. Let alone with two living emperors suppressing things.

Under these conditions, who could defy the heavens to prove the dao?

Not even one Emperor Dao Shen Dan—if you had a cartload and ate them every day—you still couldn't cross that threshold.

Proving the dao requires enlightenment, not pills.

The word "proving" isn't just for show.

Thinking of this, he glanced outside at Dan Shen.

That old man's eyes were full of intense light—a mix of hope and obsession. He wanted to become an emperor so badly, but couldn't. Hope shattered time and again, turning to despair, until he pinned all his hopes on a single pill.

A peak quasi-emperor like him was deceiving himself.

Ye Chen shook his head with a smile and closed his eyes.

The pitiful have their hateful sides.

That saying worked both ways, and it fit Dan Shen perfectly right now.

He was hateful, yet pitiful. Once, he must have been full of vigor, with heaven-defying potential, striding forward, believing he could become an emperor.

But alas, that was a heaven-defying and desperate immortal path. Reaching peak quasi-emperor, he was just half a step from the emperor position, yet couldn't cross it.

Through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, countless seas turned to mulberry fields. Defeated time and again, his once steadfast dao heart eroded bit by bit. His hair whitened, his back bent, and his spirit aged. By the time of his death, he might never cross that emperor gulf.

He was pitiful, and in the three realms, there were countless like him.

Like the various heaven gods, like the emperor's divine generals, like the great emperor of Da Chu—they were probably the same, just half a step away, yet more distant than life and death.

Perhaps one day, the divine generals and others would fall into obsession like Dan Shen on the path to emperorship, where nothing else mattered. Family, homeland, kin—all could be abandoned for it.

"Once I become an emperor, I'll erect a monument for you, protect your Hua Shan, and ensure it lasts for eternity."

Dan Shen was still speaking, as if making a promise.

"Who doesn't want to become an emperor? No need to feel guilty."

Ye Chen laughed.

With that simple exchange, Dan Shen fell silent, continuing to add alchemy materials to the dan furnace, burning them into essence that merged into Ye Chen's body.

Once again, Ye Chen's clothes turned to ashes.

Fortunately, no one was watching, or even he would feel embarrassed.

The essence flowed in like clear springs, permeating his limbs, organs, and meridians. Ye Chen felt invigorated—these materials were all heaven-defying immortal ingredients.

"Not bad."

Ye Chen looked content, thoroughly enjoying it, feeling as if he were floating on air. Vaguely, he seemed to glimpse the quasi-emperor gate.

But he knew full well that just absorbing the herb essence wouldn't get him there—what he needed was enlightenment.