Chapter 986: A Conundrum

"It's not a problem with the Dan Fang," Ye Chen said softly, wiping the fresh blood from the corner of his mouth. "The problem is with us."

"What do you mean?" Not only Dan Chen, but Dan Yi and the others also turned to him with puzzled looks.

"Our Yin Yang is not in balance," Ye Chen stated slowly.

"Not in balance?" Dan Yi and the others were taken aback.

"I see," Dan Chen said, a furrow appearing on his brow as if he had figured something out. "It's because my alchemy skills are a step below yours, so from the beginning, the Yin Yang wasn't in a balanced state. With the Yin Yang out of balance, the Si Xiang Ba Gua is also disrupted."

"Precisely, senior," Ye Chen replied, taking a deep breath.

"So, does that mean we need to find someone with alchemy skills equal to Ye Chen's to replace Dan Chen?" Dan Yi asked tentatively.

"Or, find someone equal to Dan Chen to replace Ye Chen," a white-haired elder mused aloud. "In any case, the two people occupying the Yin Yang positions must have evenly matched alchemy skills."

"That won't be easy to find!" Dan Yi scratched his head. "All of us here have alchemy skills inferior to Dan Chen's, and Dan Chen's are inferior to Ye Chen's. Both of them are at the peak level in Da Chu, and looking across the entire Da Chu today, it's impossible to find another alchemist on par with them."

"There's still one person," Ye Chen said.

"Who?" Dan Chen and the others all looked at Ye Chen.

"Your grandmaster-uncle: Dan Mo."

"Dan Mo?" At the mention of that name, everyone's eyes briefly lit up, then darkened with resentment. The old grudges were still fresh in their minds—the bloody catastrophe that nearly toppled Dan Cheng, dragging so many alchemists into that disaster, all because of Dan Mo.

"Setting aside the grudges, your grandmaster-uncle's alchemy skills are indeed on par with Ye Chen's," Dan Chen said after a long pause, taking a deep breath and breaking the silence.

"I don't acknowledge him as my grandmaster-uncle," a white-haired elder scoffed coldly.

"Without him, we can still refine the Tian Ji Dan," Dan Yi and the others said, their expressions filled with righteous indignation.

Seeing this, Dan Chen turned to Ye Chen. "You once said that the Tian Ji Dan auctioned by Tian Xuan Men was refined by one person alone, without any other alchemists helping. Is it possible that you could do the same on your own?"

"Hold on," Dan Yi interrupted as Dan Chen finished speaking, looking at Ye Chen in surprise. "You know who refined that Tian Ji Dan?"

"I do," Ye Chen replied, pulling out his wine flask and taking a big gulp.

"Really?" Dan Yi and the others stared at Ye Chen in disbelief. "Have you seen the Tian Ji Dan?"

"Of course," Ye Chen said, waving his hand and producing the half of the Tian Ji Dan.

"Damn!" At the sight of that half pill glowing with a purple halo, Dan Yi and the old folks collectively swore. If Ye Chen hadn't shown it, they would still be in the dark.

Compared to them, Dan Chen remained composed. Ye Chen had told him about this three years ago, though he hadn't shared it with Dan Yi and the others.

Dan Yi and their expressions turned strange as they looked Ye Chen up and down. Who would have thought that half of the Tian Ji Dan auctioned by Tian Xuan Men would end up in Ye Chen's hands?

Thinking back, at that time, Ye Chen was only at the Ning Qi realm. A massive brawl involving Kong Ming realm and Zhun Tian realm experts hadn't secured the Tian Ji Dan, yet he had gotten it. Was his luck just off the charts?

"Never imagined, truly never imagined!" After their astonishment, the old folks sighed and clicked their tongues.

"Even at the Ning Qi realm, your luck was that good. No wonder you've been on a roll ever since."

"Who knows, if the Shixue Yan Luo found out, he might crawl out of his coffin and kick you to death."

"Alright, back to the point," Dan Chen said, stopping their sighing and turning to Ye Chen again. "Since that person could refine the Tian Ji Dan without any other alchemists' help, maybe you can too."

"Exactly, you're the Dan Sheng."

"You're all giving me too much credit, seniors," Ye Chen said with a smile. "That Tian Ji Dan was indeed refined by one person alone, without any other alchemists' assistance, but the reason that person could do it is because they were inherently superior to us."

"Superior to us?" Everyone frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The alchemist who refined the Tian Ji Dan possesses not a Ling Hun, but a Yuan Shen," Ye Chen revealed the secret. "In other words, the prerequisite for refining the Tian Ji Dan alone is to have a Yuan Shen. Although my Ling Hun has reached the Tian Jie perfection level, it hasn't yet transformed into a Yuan Shen. Because of that, I can't refine a six-mark Tian Ji Dan on my own. That's why we need your help, seniors."

"In that case, let's help you transform your Ling Hun into a Yuan Shen," Dan Yi said immediately. "I'd rather go that route than seek out Dan Mo."

"You're underestimating the gap between Ling Hun and Yuan Shen, senior," Ye Chen laughed and shook his head. "Transforming a Tian Jie perfection Ling Hun into a Yuan Shen is like a Zhun Tian perfection cultivator advancing to the Tian Jing realm. It's just one step, but it's an incredibly difficult chasm to cross—it depends on fate and opportunity."

"So what?" a white-haired elder stroked his beard. "You're still young, with plenty of time. If one year doesn't work, try two; if two don't, try three; if three don't, try ten or even a hundred years."

"You're mistaken there, senior," Ye Chen smiled. "Fate and opportunity have nothing to do with the length of time. The Mo Wang, Gui Wang, and Yao Wang are prime examples—they've been in seclusion for tens of thousands of years, yet they're still at Zhun Tian perfection."

"Anyway, I just don't believe we need Dan Mo to refine the Tian Ji Dan."

"Besides, even if we set aside our grudges, where would we find Dan Mo? We don't even know where Mo Yu is. And even if we could find him, would he help? It's good enough if he doesn't cause trouble."

"I agree with that," Ye Chen smiled without arguing.

"In that case, let's wait and decide later," Dan Chen pondered. "Unless it's absolutely necessary, we won't seek him out. As Dan Yi said, we have plenty of time—what's the harm in waiting? Maybe one day you'll condense a Yuan Shen."

"You're thinking too highly of me, senior."

"We can't guarantee it for others, but we're confident in you," everyone smiled. The main reason was that Ye Chen had accomplished so many impossible things along the way. Transforming a Ling Hun into a Yuan Shen wasn't out of the question, and they believed in him unconditionally from the start.

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you all, seniors," Ye Chen laughed.

"Even the smallest hope has infinite possibilities in the face of despair—that's something you often say."

"Besides, maybe Tian Xuan Men will auction another Tian Ji Dan someday if they're in the mood."

"That could be," Ye Chen coughed and waved his hand lightly, then headed out of the hall. "I'll take my leave for now. If you seniors change your minds, I can go find Dan Mo for you."

"You're just here to annoy us on purpose!" The old folks all glared at him, stroking their beards in irritation.

Ye Chen stepped out of the grand hall and rubbed his brow hard. He had come full of hope but was leaving disappointed.

What troubled him now wasn't whether to seek out Dan Mo, but where the other half of the Tian Ji Dan that Shixue Yan Luo had taken was hidden.

If he could find that half and combine it with the one in his hand to make a complete Tian Ji Dan, taking it might truly allow his Ling Hun to transform into a Yuan Shen. That would make everything so much easier.

But things were just that absurd. Shixue Dian had been destroyed, Da Chu unified, and yet he still couldn't track down that half of the Tian Ji Dan.

He had considered swallowing the half he had, but its effects were incomplete compared to a full one—it would be a waste.

What a headache!

He rubbed his brow again and stepped into the Xu Tian teleportation array.

The night sky was profound, with stars like scattered dust.

By the time he returned to Heng Yue Zong, it was dawn.

As soon as he emerged from the underground palace, Ye Chen spotted two figures in the distance: a stunningly elegant woman and a dull-eyed young man. They were Chu Ling Yu and Hong Chen.

The two were taking a stroll, with Chu Ling Yu holding Hong Chen's arm and introducing things along the way, like a guide—but more like a gentle wife. She smiled radiantly, with a touch of innocent joy.

Ye Chen smiled slightly and approached slowly. He glanced almost imperceptibly at the dull-eyed Hong Chen before turning to Chu Ling Yu and saying,

"It's rare to see you so gentle."

"You talk like that, and you're asking to get beaten."

"Force of habit," Ye Chen chuckled. "You two should stay at Heng Yue Zong for now. Don't go far."

"I understand," Chu Ling Yu tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, seeming to grasp the meaning behind Ye Chen's words.

Originally, she had wanted to take Hong Chen back to the mortal world, to the small town where they had once married, but because of Hong Chen's special condition and status, strict orders prohibited them from leaving Heng Yue Zong.

She was fully aware of all this, which was why she hadn't yet removed the seals left by Tai Xu Gu Long and Zi Xuan on Hong Chen.

"Everything is for your own good. I hope you understand."

"Of course I do," Chu Ling Yu smiled and glanced at Hong Chen beside her, her eyes full of tender affection. "With him here, whether it's Di Fu or Tian Ting, I'm content."

"Ye Shixiong," as they spoke, a graceful figure descended from the void, with a Qing Luan on her shoulder. It was Lin Shi Hua.

"You went to Bei Chu?" Ye Chen asked with a smile.

"It insisted on going for a visit," Lin Shi Hua said, glancing at the Qing Luan on her shoulder. As she spoke of it, the Qing Luan looked at Ye Chen with a wary gaze. When it noticed Hong Chen, it flew away in a flash, as if frightened.

"Please don't mind, seniors," Lin Shi Hua smiled awkwardly.

"It's fine," Chu Ling Yu said, watching the departing Qing Luan. "Such a divine beast is truly extraordinary."

As for Hong Chen at her side, when he saw Lin Shi Hua, his stiff body trembled slightly. A hint of confusion flashed in his dull expression.

Suddenly, he slowly raised his rigid arm, and his calloused hand reached toward Lin Shi Hua's cheek. In his empty eyes, a glimmer of crystalline tears appeared.