Chapter 2586: Prison Break

Boom! Rumble!

The Upper Immortal Realm was in an uproar. Streaks of divine light cut across the sky, their immense power causing the heavens and earth to tremble. Among them were numerous Xianjun and Xianzun, all peak Zhundi experts, their eyes gleaming with a bright light as they scanned the world, seemingly searching for someone.

Who they were searching for was, of course, Yechen.

Yechen himself wasn't the primary target, but the Emperor Dao Divine Pill that Yechen had consumed was priceless. Whoever captured him would effectively claim the pill, and as peak Zhundi cultivators, they were just a half-step away from becoming emperors, all yearning for that extraordinary opportunity.

Besides them, there were countless immortals filling the sky.

These immortals were quite enthusiastic, forming groups of three or five, swarming everywhere like a massive tide, following behind the Xianjun and Xianzun, eager to witness the unfolding spectacle.

Some of them, not particularly sharp, had even taken a detour to the Ziwei Daofu on their way, hoping to see if Yechen had returned home.

Obviously, he wasn't there—only someone kicked by a donkey would go back home at a time like this.

Boom! Rumble!

The rumbling sounds in the sky were like thunderclaps, growing even more intense.

"What's going on here?"

Ignorant immortals emerged from their caves, and even many elders in seclusion were startled, staring blankly at the void. Such chaos and immense commotion must indicate some significant event or battle had erupted.

"It's a major incident at the Danshen Hall."

A passing immortal hurriedly left these words behind and streaked away.

"Danshen Hall?"

"See for yourself."

A kind-hearted person transmitted a divine sense, imprinting the recent events at the Danshen Hall for everyone to witness.

Upon seeing it, the world was stunned.

"Catch Yechen, and you'll be rewarded with a Nine-Pattern Pill."

Right on cue, Danshen's roar echoed across the heavens, carrying the full weight of a peak Zhundi's pressure, cold and desolate.

"Did he really swallow Danjun? Has Danshen gone mad?"

"After thousands of years of hard work, only to have it become someone else's gain—who wouldn't lose their mind?"

"He certainly hid it well all this time."

"But Yechen is the real mastermind! He gambled with his life and completely outmaneuvered Danshen."

"Who's to blame? Danshen was the one who schemed against him first."

Discussions erupted like a tidal wave across the land.

Wherever cultivators gathered, such as in daofu, ancient cities, or streets, there was a cacophony of sighs and exclamations. If they hadn't heard about it, no one would dare believe it was real—it was quite the grand drama.

Since it was a drama, how could anyone resist watching?

More and more immortals joined the search for Yechen, not necessarily expecting to catch him, but just to be part of the excitement.

The once peaceful Upper Immortal Realm had become extraordinarily lively because of this turmoil.

While the upper realm was chaotic, the lower realm was just as bustling.

Spies planted by various sects in the Tiancourt had relayed the news, causing an uproar.

"To save Yechen, they wanted to turn him into a Danling."

"What a case of knowing the face but not the heart! Danshen was hiding a knife behind his smile."

"I hear the upper realm is in total disarray, with everyone searching for Yechen."

"The future Huashan sect leader did an impressive job—truly inspiring!"

The discussions in the lower realm were no less intense than in the upper one.

"Find an opportunity to kill Yechen—capture him alive if possible."

The sect leaders of the Four Peaks spoke in chilling tones, and their sect elders had already headed to the Upper Immortal Realm. They wanted to eliminate Yechen, but also to devour him—after all, that was the Emperor Dao Divine Pill!

Not just them, but ancestors from many hidden sects and peak-level rogue cultivators were flocking in waves. With such excitement, how could they stay away?

"He really refined a Nine-Pattern Pill."

At the Kunlun sect, the old Kunlun Daoist stood on the mountaintop, sighing in amazement, but he didn't move. The Upper Immortal Realm had become a hotbed of trouble—going there recklessly might mean he couldn't leave.

"The most anxious ones should be Huashan."

The Kunlun sect leader stroked his beard, and the Kunlun True Immortal beside him nodded in agreement.

Indeed, Huashan was the most anxious.

At that moment, Huashan Zhenren had already donned his armor, and all the Huashan Zhundi experts had done the same. Clearly, they were preparing to ascend to save Yechen. Even before deploying, the tense atmosphere had spread, thick with gunpowder.

"Shibo."

The Huashan Goddess burst in, handing over a sachet.

"What is this?"

Huashan Zhenren instinctively took it.

"It's something left by Yechen's clone when it dissipated. It can only be opened during the Tiancourt's chaos," the Huashan Goddess explained. "I'm the only one who knows about this—I kept it from the other shibo."

Huashan Zhenren said nothing and opened the sachet. Inside was a piece of white paper with just eight characters: Guard Huashan firmly, do not mobilize.

"Guard Huashan firmly, do not mobilize?"

The elders read it and raised their eyebrows in unison, exchanging glances before looking back at Huashan Zhenren.

"You sly Yechen, did you foresee all of this?"

Huashan Zhenren chuckled with a sigh and burned the paper with a snap of his fingers.

"Then, are we still going to save him?"

"Guard Huashan firmly, do not mobilize."

"Are we really not saving him?"

"Even Danshen's schemes failed against Yechen. His plans are far beyond what we can match," Huashan Zhenren said with a laugh. "If he dares to say that, he must have his own strategy. If Huashan goes to the Tiancourt, we'd just be getting in his way."

The elders stroked their beards, deep in thought.

Huashan might not be moving, but that didn't mean others weren't.

The great demons and devils of the Scattered Immortal Realm, like the Niu Mowang and Jiaolong Wang, were already rushing toward the upper realm.

With the Tiancourt in turmoil, how could they miss out on stirring things up? They were all masters of chaos, itching for disorder.

"This intellect, this boldness—tsk, tsk, tsk."

Niu Mowang kept sighing along the way, still wrapping his head around it.

The other great demons and devils felt the same.

Back in the day, so many had tried to dissuade Yechen from going to the upper realm, insisting he'd meet his end in the Tiancourt.

Now, it was clear they had underestimated him. Not only had he survived, but he'd turned the tables on Danshen and was still thriving.

Because of him, the entire Tiancourt was in upheaval.

And Yechen's survival wasn't luck—every step could have led to the gates of hell, yet he'd pulled through. His schemes were unparalleled, and his courage was immense.

In just these two aspects, he left them all in the dust.

"Rebel or not?"

"Rebel!"

The group of great demons and devils shouted excitedly, deciding on their plan to cause havoc in the Tiancourt. Each one was full of energy.

Meanwhile, Yechen had already stopped in a deep mountain outside the Heavenly Prison.

He was alone, stepping out and changing his appearance in an instant to that of Ying Jie Tianqing, altering his bloodline, origin, and cultivation with the Zhoutian Rewrite technique.

Now, he was famous throughout the celestial realm, with too many people hunting him. To break someone out of the Heavenly Prison, he needed to use his brain—at least not his real identity.

Otherwise, he wouldn't even get through the door, mainly to avoid exposure.

"Danshen turning dark is quite the novelty."

"He's already gone mad, searching the entire Tiancourt for Yechen, looking like a vicious demon."

"Ziwei Xingjun is really something else."

The heavenly soldiers and generals guarding the Heavenly Prison were discussing it.

The Tiancourt's news spread quickly, and they were all on tiptoe, peering in all directions, able to see figures streaking through the void, with rumbling sounds from every side.

"If I weren't on duty, I'd go check it out too."

The heavenly soldiers and generals looked regretful, stuck watching the prison even as the Tiancourt descended into chaos—they couldn't leave their posts.

As they spoke, Yechen had arrived, descending from the sky.

"Halt."

A heavenly general raised his hand, his voice full of authority as he sized up Yechen—a mere ninth-rank official, since Yechen was using Tianqing's identity.

"I'm here to visit family. I hope the general can make an exception."

Yechen smiled and handed over a storage bag containing 100,000 Tian Stones.

Well, the heavenly general's stern expression turned cheerful in an instant, his eyes lighting up with a smile.

A ninth-rank official handing out such a generous bribe was a first.

As expected, anyone serving in the Tiancourt knew how things worked—rank didn't matter as long as you played by the rules.

"No duties holding you back, and you're not even going to watch the show? How interesting."

The heavenly general pocketed the bribe and waved him through casually, opening the Heavenly Prison gates.

Yechen smiled and stepped inside.

Sensing his arrival, the comatose Shura Tianzun suddenly sat up, his dim eyes bursting with brilliant light. Others might not see through Yechen's disguise, but he could—Yechen was now a Zhundi, and his visit to the Heavenly Prison wasn't for a simple visit; it was to rob prisoners.

"Kid, you've done well."

Shura Tianzun laughed, wide awake now.

"Just wait patiently."

Yechen winked and moved quickly, hurrying to the cell holding the Kui King.

"Halt."

The guard was still that purple-haired divine general, a stern figure, his shout booming with authority—who could blame him for outranking Yechen? If it were a Xianjun, he'd be all smiles.

"Visiting family."

Yechen handed over another storage bag, also with 100,000 Tian Stones.

"Little Xingjun, you're quite savvy!"

The purple-haired heavenly general accepted it without hesitation, grinning as he opened the cell door.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Yechen didn't respond, darting in and out in a flash, so fast that the purple-haired divine general raised an eyebrow, giving him a strange look.

Weren't you here to visit? Done in the blink of an eye?

Out of curiosity, he glanced into the cell.

Damn! Where's the prisoner?

"How dare you rob a prisoner? Seize him!"

The purple-haired heavenly general roared.

Then, a staff struck from above, sending him into a dreamless sleep.

The guy was innocent, so Yechen didn't kill him—no grudges there.

"Someone's robbing a prisoner!"

Heavenly soldiers shouted from all sides, and patrolling troops rushed in, squads of soldiers and generals charging forward, weapons in hand—soldiers with war spears, generals with immortal swords, all looking fierce.

Yechen moved like a bolt of lightning, using the Shifting Heavens and Earth technique to swap positions with the soldiers and generals, heading straight for the divine tower where Shura Tianzun was imprisoned.

"You, a mere Xingjun, dare to cause trouble?"

The Xianjun guarding the tower thundered, slamming down a palm from the sky.

"Get lost!"

Yechen snorted coldly, swinging his staff to knock him flying, leaving the Xianjun utterly stunned.

Was I, a dignified Zhundi, just beaten by a ninth-rank Xingjun?

"You have some nerve—take him down!"

The heavens shook as hundreds of heavenly generals swarmed from all directions, all Zhundi level, with many at the peak, an enormous force. Even through the void, they launched attacks—sword beams, palm strikes, magical weapons—blanketing the sky.

Yechen ignored it, instantly deploying the Emperor Dao Ethereal technique.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

Accompanied by rumbling, that section of the sky was shattered by the onslaught from all sides.

But not a single attack hit Yechen.

In that brief moment, Yechen had already soared to the ninth heavens, raising his iron staff overhead and smashing it down on the divine tower.