Chapter 2623: Hook, Line, and Sinker!

After leaving the Huashan grand hall, Ye Chen did not return to Chiyan Peak. Instead, he put on a black robe and slipped out of Huashan quietly, intent on carrying out a earth-shattering deed.

That deed was, quite simply, theft.

What was he stealing? It was the Di Yu from the other four sacred mountains, though not all of it—just a trace. With his current level of cultivation, he could only separate a trace, which he would then fuse and integrate into the Huashan Dao Jing for nurturing.

The Di Yu of a Dao Zu was an invaluable treasure, capable of giving birth to a Dao Jing brimming with supreme Dao essence. Comprehending the Dao of an emperor would likely bring heaven-defying opportunities.

When he stepped out of the domain gate, he found himself in a mountainous area, with a gently flowing river whose sounds were quite pleasant. Bathed in the starlight and moonlight, the scene exuded a peaceful and serene tranquility.

Ye Chen stood still, gazing quietly in one direction.

There, an old man sat cross-legged, wearing a hood and a rain cape, holding a bamboo fishing rod. He was fishing in complete silence.

As Ye Chen approached slowly, the old man lifted his rod. Upon closer inspection, the hook had no bait, yet he fished with utmost calm and composure.

Ye Chen said nothing. He pulled out a wine flask and sat down on a smooth stone. The old man fished quietly, and Ye Chen watched just as quietly, though he occasionally glanced sideways at the old man, his eyes full of deeper meaning.

This old man was no ordinary figure. He appeared plain and unassuming, but in reality, he was a Zhun Di at the peak level, an absolute master of great powers. He had returned to a state of simplicity, with supreme essence hidden within his body, and every gesture bore the traces of the Dao. Those with weaker cultivation would never see through him.

The heavenly realm truly hid dragons and crouching tigers!

Ye Chen sighed in admiration. He couldn't see through the old man and only knew that he was incredibly strong. Just from his essence alone, he surpassed the four immortal venerables by a margin, and his combat power must be heaven-defying.

"Little guy, why don't you ask?"

After a long while, the old man chuckled, his laugh warm and kind.

"Ask what?" Ye Chen replied with a smile.

"Ask why I'm fishing without bait."

"Let the willing take the bait!"

"You're not following the script."

The old man coughed dryly. He had been waiting for Ye Chen to ask, so he could share the profound insights he had prepared.

Over the years, he had always done this—whenever he met a junior who looked up to him with admiration, he felt quite gratified and enjoyed maintaining that air of superiority.

However, today's visitor seemed different from the others. He had waited so long that he grew anxious, and unwittingly, he had become the one on the defensive.

"Old man, that wine gourd of yours is quite nice. Sell it to me!"

Ye Chen said with a grin, subtly glancing at the gourd hanging from the old man's waist. It glowed with a purple-gold hue and was clearly extraordinary.

Ye Chen had similar small gourds himself—and more than one at that. They were exactly Zijin Xiao Hulu. He hadn't expected to find one in the heavenly realm.

He had sensed the fluctuations from the Zijin Xiao Hulu earlier, which was why he had come to watch the old man fish. Otherwise, who would bother coming here for idle chat?

"You're no fool," the old man said with a laugh.

"Will you sell it?"

"No."

"Then I'll just rob you."

Ye Chen pulled out his iron staff, blew on it, and wiped it with his sleeve. He didn't make a habit of hitting the elderly, but it depended on who it was—especially tough old coots like this, whom he always struck without mercy.

As the saying went, for treasures, one could set aside pride.

The old man looked rather embarrassed, chuckling awkwardly. This was the first time in years he had felt so awkward.

Everyone who came to find him was humble and seeking guidance, but this one had thrown off the rhythm from the start. No humility, and now he even wanted to rob his treasure. It was utterly unprecedented.

Buzz!

While the old man was caught off guard, Ye Chen's staff came swinging down. He was after the treasure, not the man's life.

To his surprise, the old man's body suddenly turned ethereal in that instant. The staff passed right through him and smashed into the ground. The earth was incredibly hard, making the Dinghai Shen Needle buzz and his hand ache.

The old man had already retracted his fishing rod and vanished in a flash, reappearing not far away. He stroked his beard, still wearing that kindly smile as he watched Ye Chen.

"Old man, you're quite something!" Ye Chen said with a cheerful laugh. He had known the old man was no simple foe and even mastered an immortal technique similar to the elusive Di Dao Miaomiao.

"Young man, your heart is too restless. This old one—"

"Take this!"

Before the old man could finish, Ye Chen dashed forward and swung his staff without another word.

This was a robbery, after all— no need for chit-chat.

Boom!

His strike was fierce but missed entirely, not even grazing the old man. Instead, it shattered a massive boulder with a thunderous crash.

The old man took a deep breath, his usually calm demeanor suddenly stirring with an urge to curse.

I'm a senior expert, and I just wanted to show off in front of a junior. But you're not giving me the chance! And now you want to steal my treasure? What kind of rascal are you?

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The mountains grew lively. Ye Chen swung his staff relentlessly, while the old man evaded step by step, his movements profoundly mystical—Ye Chen couldn't land a hit.

"This old one has calculated that today is not a good day for fighting," the old man said solemnly, still holding his fishing rod as he turned to leave.

His footwork was eerie: one step illusory, the next solid, employing an immortal technique akin to shrinking the ground into inches, faster even than a domain gate.

"I've calculated too—you're trying to run!" Ye Chen shouted, gripping his iron staff and chasing with all his might. The old man's footwork was mystical, but Ye Chen's own steps were a heaven-seizing creation.

Without the treasure, how could he give up the robbery? Especially with a treasure like that Zijin Xiao Hulu—he was utterly hooked.

Ahead, the old man crossed a range of mountains in a single step, one hand clutching his fishing rod and the other performing calculations, trying to divine the background of the pursuer. Where had this person come from, and who did he belong to?

His expression turned quite peculiar after the calculation. "Ziwei Xingjun?"

"Damn, this old man's status is higher than Yu Di's," the old man muttered as he calculated Ye Chen, while Ye Chen was calculating him, his own expression full of surprise.

In the realm of scattered immortals, encountering people from the heavenly court wasn't strange, but meeting someone of even higher status than the Jade Emperor was quite odd.

Ahead, the old man turned around. He was truly exceptional—walking backward now, so he could observe Ye Chen more closely. Even walking in reverse, his footwork remained elusive.

"Interesting." The old man's deep eyes scanned Ye Chen from head to toe, then back again. This little stone spirit was even more extraordinary than he had imagined.

"Your legs must be a family heirloom!" Ye Chen picked up speed. In all his journeys, among those of the same level, few could outrun him, and this old man was one of them. After chasing for tens of thousands of miles, he still couldn't catch up.

"Little guy, I wonder who your master is. Your teacher—this old one probably knows them."

"My master is Hongjun." Ye Chen said casually, pulling out the Dao Zu card whenever such moments arose—who knew the truth anyway?

The old man stroked his beard, his gaze toward Ye Chen turning a bit skeptical. "When did we get another little grand-uncle?"

After muttering to himself, a glow appeared under his feet, forming an immortal river. He turned and stepped onto it, fishing rod in hand, heading into the distance.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Ye Chen's eyes blazed like torches as his vital energy surged and Dao essence overflowed, boosting his speed.

Beneath his feet, a brilliant immortal river also appeared, stretching all the way to the horizon. As the emperor of Da Chu, he refused to believe there was anyone in the scattered immortals' realm he couldn't catch.

In terms of robbery, he was the epitome—highly motivated, determined not to stop until that old man's small gourd was in his pocket.

"Interesting."

The old man glanced back occasionally, his eyes now tinged with appreciation. Among all the people he had met, this little stone spirit was the most entertaining.