Chapter 2609: Trading the Wordless Celestial Book

Chapter 2609: *Wuzi Tianshu* Troubles

"This younger generation is quite something; I'm genuinely pleased."

The Xuan Di phantom wiped his face, which was dripping with saliva, completely bewildered by that sudden roar. His gaze towards Ye Chen was rather askance.

You scoundrel, you certainly know a lot of tricks!

It's all thanks to the seniors' excellent guidance.

Ye Chen's eyes were also askance.

Look at you, pretending to be so proper, yet you keep pulling off these shocking stunts. Not to mention you're just a phantom; even if the real emperor showed up, I'd still tell him off without hesitation.

As they say, a good howl brings people together. After that roar, Ye Chen felt invigorated. He took a step forward and moved in closer.

The Xuan Di phantom didn't shoo him away; he just sat there steadily, looking quite elegant, holding a fishing rod and completely at ease, with the hook already dipped into the book.

Who knows, he might actually catch a fish.

Looking at the *Wuzi Tianshu*, its flipping pages carried a supreme Dao essence.

"The book has no words, but the heart has words; the book is the universe, and the words are all things. When the book has no words, that means the Dao has transcended the heavens and earth."

Yao Chi's words still echoed in his ears; that was her insight into the *Wuzi Tianshu*.

Ye Chen withdrew his gaze and glanced at the Xuan Di phantom.

Out of curiosity, he couldn't help but reach out, pinch the fishing line, and gently tug it outward. Only then did he see that the hook was completely empty—no bait at all. So much for fishing; even if there were fish, would they bite?

However, given the Xuan Di phantom's quirky nature, Ye Chen was already used to it. Fishing in a book was something he'd never seen before in his life.

"Young man, you're too impatient."

The Xuan Di phantom said leisurely, stroking his beard with a meaningful expression.

Ye Chen didn't respond; his eyes slanted again.

Don't be fooled by this old fellow's calm demeanor; when he howls like a wolf, even the gods would be terrified. The main thing is, those howls come out of nowhere and always startle you to your core.

"Old man, I have a book too. Let's swap."

As Ye Chen spoke, he pulled out a treasured edition from his pocket, intending to take the *Wuzi Tianshu* and replace it with his own book.

After all, fishing is fishing, no matter what you catch.

To his surprise, what seemed like a solid *Wuzi Tianshu* turned out to be illusory. He grabbed at it with his hand and came up empty.

"Young man, you're too impatient."

The Xuan Di phantom spoke again, casually taking Ye Chen's treasured edition, flipping it open for a look, and then smoothly tucking it into his robe.

The whole motion was seamless.

Ye Chen stroked his chin and started circling around the Xuan Di phantom, eyeing him from head to toe and back again.

From what he could tell, this guy was just as much of a joker as the Ming Di.

What puzzled him was where this old man had stashed his treasured edition.

Clearly, he was just a phantom, his entire body illusory, yet he had a trace of consciousness, and that book had vanished into his robe.

"Do you have more?"

The Xuan Di phantom suddenly spoke, as composed as ever, though his words made him seem anything but serious.

"Exchange for the *Wuzi Tianshu*."

Ye Chen replied, still sizing up the Xuan Di phantom.

This fellow's body flickered in and out, looking eerie no matter how you saw it—like a soul, but not quite; like a *yuan Shen*, but without any *yuan Shen* power. It was all sustained by that sliver of spiritual intelligence.

He wondered if whacking him with a stick would feel satisfying.

Ye Chen mused to himself, seriously considering it.

After circling for a while with no response from the Xuan Di phantom, he figured the old man was probably debating whether to make the swap.

"Do you know about the Taigu Honghuang?"

Ye Chen found a rock, sat down with his legs dangling, and asked.

"Which emperor doesn't know about it?"

"Let's chat about it!"

"No chat."

"Don't be so rigid; spill some details."

"No chat."

"I'll give you the treasured edition."

"Ah."

The atmosphere had been perfectly fine, but it quickly soured. The Xuan Di phantom let out a wail louder than a pig being slaughtered, making Ye Chen's ears ring.

If you don't want to chat, then don't; why make such a fuss?

Ye Chen shook his head, and for a moment, he felt like grabbing his weapon.

He was genuinely curious how someone as mischievous as the Xuan Di phantom could have lived long enough to achieve Dao and become an emperor—it was a miracle!

If this were in Da Chu, he'd have been kicked to death hundreds of times over.

"Do you know about the Ancestor?"

Ye Chen suppressed his urge to lash out and asked again.

"He doesn't think much of me."

"Honestly, I don't think much of you either." Ye Chen tucked his hands into his sleeves and said casually, "The battle at Buzhou Mountain back in the day must have been brutal!"

That remark made the Xuan Di phantom's aged form tremble involuntarily. A hint of hatred and weariness appeared in his turbid old eyes. Though he was just a phantom, those ancient memories remained.

That world-shaking battle was more than brutal—it was apocalyptic.

He didn't answer Ye Chen's question directly, but from his expression, Ye Chen already understood.

Buzhou Mountain was indeed a battlefield. In the ancient era, the Ancient Heavenly Court had clashed fiercely with the first type of Saint Body, likely resulting in the death of emperors.

And the Xuan Di might have been one of them.

This phantom was probably left from that great war back then. After endless ages and countless changes, it had developed a trace of spiritual intelligence.

"The opponent—was it the first type of Saint Body?" Ye Chen probed.

That question surprised the Xuan Di phantom.

He thought to himself that this young Quasi-Emperor knew far more than he'd imagined—not only about Hong Jun but also about the first type of Saint Body, and even the emperor-level demonic aura within him, which seemed to be from more than one source.

Clearly, he'd slain more than one emperor, and all from the Tianmo Domain.

Unfortunately, as just a phantom with a mere trace of consciousness, he could only see so much.

As for the mysterious veil surrounding Ye Chen, he couldn't uncover it. He only knew that Ye Chen was extraordinary, likely the reincarnation of a supreme powerhouse.

Once again, the two fell into silence.

The Xuan Di phantom didn't answer Ye Chen's question, but from his demeanor, Ye Chen had figured it out.

That so-called Buzhou Mountain was truly a war zone. In the distant past, the Ancient Heavenly Court had fought a bloody battle with the first type of Saint Body, probably involving an emperor's fall.

And the Xuan Di may have been among them.

"Just how many of the first type of Saint Body were there? Even a force as powerful as the Ancient Heavenly Court, with multiple emperors, ended up severely damaged."

Ye Chen stroked his chin and pondered.

In the Ancient Heavenly Court era, multiple emperors could coexist, but in later times, there was emperor Dao suppression. This was likely connected to that epic battle. The war must have caused massive disruptions to the heavens' order, leading to restrictions on later emperors, making it harder with each generation.

At that moment, Ye Chen wasn't thinking about the emperor Dao imprint but about the first type of Saint Body.

The Ancient Heavenly Court still had its legacy, so the first type couldn't have none. How the second type of Saint Body emerged remained a mystery.

One thing was certain: the first and second types seemed innately opposed.

If not, the first type wouldn't have tried to kill him back then.

"Are you any good at fighting?"

Sometime later, the Xuan Di phantom finally spoke.

"Not bad."

Ye Chen replied casually.

"Go in and wipe him out, or lure him out."

"Him?"

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, glanced at the *Wuzi Tianshu*, and looked at the Xuan Di phantom probingly. "There's someone in the *Wuzi Tianshu*?"

The Xuan Di phantom took a deep breath.

At the same time, Ye Chen's hand instinctively reached into his storage bag.

If that guy on the other side dared to howl again, he'd definitely swing a stick at him.

Fortunately, the Xuan Di phantom didn't howl. He simply uttered two words faintly: "Tianmo."

"Tianmo?"

Ye Chen's eyes lit up at the word, and he jumped down from the rock, more energized than before. His bright eyes gleamed with a cold, sharp light. Whenever he heard about the Tianmo, his fighting spirit soared.

"It's an evil thought from a Tianmo Emperor." The Xuan Di phantom finally revealed the secret. "It hid in the *Wuzi Tianshu* eons ago and stole its essence, leaving the heavenly book with only its form and no inner power."

"Are you saying that the epic battle at Buzhou Mountain eons ago involved the Tianmo?"

Ye Chen frowned at the Xuan Di phantom.

"Do you think the Ancient Heavenly Court's defeat was for no reason?"

"I see."

Ye Chen took a deep breath, feeling a newfound respect for the Ancient Heavenly Court.

Even with the first type of Saint Body and the Tianmo joining forces, they hadn't completely eradicated it. The Ancient Heavenly Court in its prime must have been terrifying.

"What's the relationship between the Tianmo and the first type of Saint Body?"

After a brief pause, Ye Chen asked again.

"Only a great emperor would barely qualify to know."

"You people and your cliffhangers! May none of you meet a good end."

"You're the first one who's dared to speak to me like that and still be standing here alive."

The Xuan Di phantom stroked his beard, speaking with a tone of profound advice.

"Tch."

Ye Chen dismissed it. "There's a Dao Ancestor in the Heavenly Realm; why not ask him for help? You're here fishing for Tianmo yourself—you've got quite the hobby! And besides, if you're so powerful, why not go in and catch it yourself?"

"Hong Jun doesn't know about the changes in the heavenly book; they only happened recently." The Xuan Di phantom said leisurely, "As for me, I can't move, and I can't enter the heavenly book."

"So you're just fishing it out to get beaten?"

"If that Tianmo Emperor's evil thought emerges, Hong Jun might awaken."

"Then I don't get it. The Heavenly Court is full of talents and experts, and plenty have come to Buzhou Mountain. Why pass over all those Quasi-Emperor peaks and pick me, a mere Quasi-Emperor at the second heaven? Is that appropriate?"

Ye Chen chuckled.

"Anyone who couldn't even get this far would just die going in."

"So you're saying I'd come out alive if I go in!"

Ye Chen was amused and tucked his hands away.

Yeah, right—that's an emperor-level evil thought.

Better to wait for the Dao Ancestor to awaken than risk it. He wasn't afraid of death, but he had unfinished missions and couldn't afford to fall here.

"There's no time left." The Xuan Di phantom sighed. "Once that evil thought fully devours the *Wuzi Tianshu*, it'll use the book's cover to escape the Heavenly Realm. Even if Hong Jun awakens then, it might be too late to catch it. You should understand the stakes."

Ye Chen fell silent, realizing this old man was still holding back some things.

The Dao Ancestor must have known about the Xuan Di phantom in Buzhou Mountain but didn't take him away—that was suspicious.

This old fellow must have some undisclosed mission here.

As for why he couldn't move, it was probably not that he couldn't, but that he shouldn't.

"Send me in."

Ye Chen said calmly. He was determined to get this *Wuzi Tianshu* and wouldn't let the Tianmo have it. If it got away, it'd be a real headache.

The Xuan Di phantom smiled, flicked his fishing rod, hooked Ye Chen like bait, and tossed him into the *Wuzi Tianshu*.

That motion was so graceful.

PS: Wishing book friend Zhizun Dadi a happy birthday!!!