Chapter 2630: Haggling

"Release the person."

The roar from Tai Dang Shan echoed through the heavens and earth, shaking the entire mountain range. Everyone's faces turned grim, and their eyes were bloodshot.

Their mission was still extremely challenging. Not only did they have to ransom back their Zhang Jiao, but they also had to guard against their own talented members from rival factions, who were all scheming to kill the Zhang Jiao.

On top of that, there were onlookers from all sides.

The San Xian Jie was full of talents, and any one of them might stir up chaos, potentially striking suddenly to eliminate the Zhang Jiao.

As they suspected, more than half of those present were there just to watch the spectacle, and over fifty percent were intent on causing trouble, such as killing the Tai Shan Zhang Jiao.

The collective sense of honor among independent cultivators was strong. With Hua Shan at war with the Tian Ting, for Tai Shan to act as their lapdogs, they needed to be taught a lesson. The Zhang Jiao had been captured, and they actually thought they could ransom him back? Not a chance.

Glancing at the hazy sky, the space twisted continuously, with faint, obscure auras flickering in and out. One look revealed that it hid many powerful figures. If not for Tai Shan deploying a barrier to shield Tai Dang Shan, they would likely have already attacked.

Ye Chen's clone remained quite composed, still puffing on his cigarette. He could confidently tell Tai Shan that their Zhang Jiao would not be returning. Even if others didn't kill him, Ye Chen would. He had used a special immortal technique to link his life with the Tai Shan Zhang Jiao's—it would take just one thought to send him to the underworld.

Most importantly, this was not Tai Shan's home base. Ye Chen's true body was already safe, so what was there to fear? Tai Shan's army had marched on Hua Shan, so it was only fair to return the favor.

However, Ye Chen's clone was very relaxed, with plenty of time to negotiate with Tai Shan. The goal was to buy time—the longer it dragged on, the more chaotic Tai Shan's internal politics would become, leaving them no leisure to deal with Hua Shan.

"I told you so! It has to be a clone." The onlookers from all sides stood on nearby mountain peaks, standing on tiptoe and craning their necks to peer at the top of Tai Dang Shan. "Only a fool would send their true body to collect the ransom."

"An old-timer like me did a quick divination, and Ye Chen has already headed toward the other three sacred mountains." An elderly mystic stroked his beard, speaking meaningfully.

"Sounds reliable. He managed to raid Tai Shan's lair and kidnap their Zhang Jiao, so he could do the same to the other three mountains' headquarters and abduct their Zhang Jiao."

"Not so fast." A great demon pondered and shook his head. "This time, by kidnapping the Tai Shan Zhang Jiao and making such a big fuss over the ransom, the entire San Xian Jie knows about it. The other three mountains must be aware too—it's like stirring up a hornet's nest. They'll be on high alert, making it as hard as ascending to heaven to try it again."

"Don't underestimate Ye Chen." More elders chuckled with a sigh. "That guy is incredibly capable. Back in the day, the Tian Ting mobilized hundreds of Xian Zun, tens of thousands of Xian Jun, and millions of heavenly soldiers, yet they couldn't kill him. That shows how defiantly heaven-defying he is."

Discussions erupted everywhere, making the whole area noisy. Everyone was calculating with their divine senses, like seasoned mystics, speaking as if they had it all figured out.

"Release the person."

Amid the clamor, the Tai Shan Grand Elder roared again, infusing his Yuan Shen power into it, causing the sky to collapse. His bloodshot eyes fixed deadly on Ye Chen's clone. "You bastard, I've been here this long—say something! What's with smoking that pipe?"

His shout was so powerful that it shook Ye Chen's clone, making him spit blood. The Tai Shan Zhang Jiao, who had just regained consciousness, also vomited a mouthful of blood in a dramatic spray before passing out again.

The Tai Shan Grand Elder narrowed his eyes, no longer daring to shout recklessly. He could see that Ye Chen's clone was connected to their Zhang Jiao through some secret technique. If Ye Chen's clone was injured, their Zhang Jiao would be too. Destroying this clone might not matter, but it would take the Zhang Jiao with it.

"Come on, take a look at the ransom first, then we can talk about the release."

Ye Chen's clone stuffed more tobacco into his pipe and took another puff, casually tossing out a piece of paper. It was covered in messy, scrawled writing listing heavenly stones, magical artifacts, secret scrolls, and more.

In short, there was nothing he didn't want, and the quantities were enormous. This wasn't a ransom—it was outright robbery.

The Tai Shan Grand Elder staggered at the sight, nearly falling over. He choked on his breath, almost spitting blood himself. What a lion's demand! He couldn't believe his Zhang Jiao was worth so much—it would bankrupt them entirely!

The rival factions leaned in for a closer look, stroking their beards with deep expressions. Their earlier excuses suddenly seemed perfectly justified.

Such a hefty ransom would drag Tai Shan back to square one! Why bother ransoming? Just kill him! Tai Shan was poor anyway!

"Ye Chen, are you toying with Tai Shan?"

The Tai Shan Grand Elder was furious, grinding his teeth. He'd seen kidnappings before, but demanding ransom like this was a first. If you want this much, you might as well take our Zhang Jiao and stew him!

"I didn't say you couldn't bargain." Ye Chen's clone took a drag from his pipe. "Maybe I'll give you an eighty percent discount if I'm in a good mood. It's negotiable."

That line amused the onlookers from all sides. This clone was quite entertaining, carrying some of his true body's cheeky style. Demanding ransom and making it sound so casually elegant—it was quite the performance.

The atmosphere grew tense.

The Tai Shan Grand Elder's face twisted into something terrifying. He was certain Ye Chen was messing with him. Given the situation, any slip-up could get their Zhang Jiao killed—who had the mood to haggle like buying goods?

Boom! Boom!

As they faced off, thunderous booms echoed from the horizon. The army that had been attacking Hua Shan was retreating, not heading back to their base but straight toward Tai Dang Shan.

Witnessing this, the onlookers sighed in admiration. Ye Chen's move was brilliant—avoid direct confrontation and play it sneaky. Kidnapping one person from Tai Shan had forced their entire army to withdraw.

"This might just be the legendary 'capture the enemy leader to win the war.'"

Another elderly mystic stroked his beard thoughtfully, quoting a human proverb.

"This kind of job isn't for just anyone."

"Only a freak like Ye Chen has the guts and the strength to raid someone's lair and boldly kidnap in broad daylight."

"If it were anyone else, they might not even get through the door. Even if they did, they might not catch the Tai Shan Zhang Jiao, and even if they caught him, they might not escape alive."

"So, that little stone spirit is still pretty formidable. This war between the upper and lower realms might be turned on its head because of him alone."

No one refuted that.

It was the same logic as before: Ye Chen could kidnap the Tai Shan Zhang Jiao, so he could do the same to the other three sacred mountains' Zhang Jiao, not to mention the forces, races, and hidden sects attacking Hua Shan. None of them would escape.

Given Ye Chen's style, if they didn't retreat, he'd go door to door. Those Zhang Jiao, Sheng Zhu, and clan leaders would all be dragged out for a sunbathing session.

"Kill!"

"Fight!"

Shouts of battle erupted from all directions.

While Hua Shan fought the Tian Ting, their external allies were clashing with the Tian Ting's subordinate forces. The conflict spread across the entire San Xian Jie, with bloody warfare raging in nearly every ancient city, mountain range, and vast plain—a massive free-for-all in full swing.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk."

More sighs came from the onlookers. If not for the big show here, most of them would have rushed to the battlefields. Weren't the Tian Ting's subordinate forces worried? Their Tai Shan Zhang Jiao had been kidnapped—did they really want to keep fighting and risk their own leaders being taken too?

In reality, there were still plenty of fools, or rather, the various forces had fought themselves into a frenzy and didn't care anymore. They were fighting with everything they had.

While they battled fiercely, the leaders and Sheng Zhu of those forces couldn't sit still. They were clear-headed and feared Ye Chen might come for them next, dragging them out for some sun.

Unfortunately, they didn't issue retreat orders. They had alliances with the Tian Ting, and pulling out quietly would be a breach of contract. Once the Tian Ting was free, they'd come hunting for payback. Unlike Tai Shan, they didn't have the clout to stand against the Tian Ting.

In their current predicament, the phrase "riding a tiger and unable to dismount" fit perfectly—they were stuck between a rock and a hard place, afraid to offend the heavenly court above but terrified of Ye Chen below.

Speak of the devil, and he appears. No one knew where Ye Chen was hiding, but his booming, domineering shout echoed across the heavens: "Song Shan faction, bring your heavenly stones, pills, magical artifacts, young ladies, and married women to Huang Xuan Shan to ransom your Zhang Jiao. No extensions!"

"Oh wow? He really got one."

"Impressive! It hasn't been long, and he's kidnapped another."

"What a legend!"

As soon as Ye Chen's yell rang out, the chaotic battles halted instantly. Everyone looked up, especially Hua Shan's allies, their expressions full of delight. Capturing the leader to win the war—Ye Chen was pulling it off smoothly!

"But this time, where's the jade slip with the recorded images?"

Soon, someone raised a doubt. When he kidnapped the Tai Shan Zhang Jiao, there had been a jade slip, which was why people believed it.

That doubt spread quickly.

The jade slip existed, of course—one flew into each battlefield and exploded in the void.

Images then appeared, somewhat blurry, but anyone with eyes could tell it was Song Shan's lair. The screen was filled with devastating immortal light, flying debris everywhere, and surging blood mist.

Now, people believed it. Even without the images, they would have—they knew Ye Chen could raid a lair and kidnap the Tai Shan Zhang Jiao, so taking the Song Shan Zhang Jiao was no surprise.

"We haven't received any reports!" On Hua Shan's peak, the Intelligence Pavilion Master frowned. If Ye Chen had really kidnapped the Song Shan Zhang Jiao, there should have been intelligence.

"Most likely, Song Shan has blocked all outside communication." The Hua Shan fairy spoke softly, and her guess seemed plausible.

"Or maybe that kid is just bluffing the world." The Di Yuan elder stroked his beard, feeling a strong intuition.

If Ye Chen were here, he'd definitely give him a thumbs-up and say meaningfully, "You old coot, how'd you guess that so accurately!"

Indeed, Ye Chen was bluffing. He hadn't kidnapped the Song Shan Zhang Jiao—in fact, he hadn't even gotten through the door. He wanted to, but the Di Dao ethereal barrier blocked him, leaving him battered and bloody.

However, his bluff worked on the Song Shan army. The Seventh Hall Master immediately ordered a retreat, and the crowd scattered like a receding tide, no longer daring to fight.

Not long ago, he had mocked Tai Shan as a bunch of useless fools, but now, his own Song Shan people weren't any better—all complete wastes.

Just as the world marvels, and Song Shan retreats, a cold and desolate voice echoed across the San Xian Jie, carrying an air of authority: "My true body is still here, so how could there be any kidnapping?"