Chapter 21: The Phantom of Heavenly Medicine Becomes Fish Bait

Since it was only a phantom of the Celestial Elixir, Ning Peachblossom would never risk turning against Ye Chen. It simply wasn’t worth it. With a silent sigh, Ning Peachblossom felt unsettled, even faintly relieved—was she so accustomed to yielding before Ye Chen? No, absolutely not. It was merely a matter of lacking the advantage in strength. Without absolute certainty, she couldn’t take on unnecessary risks. Now, spared such dangers, it was surely for the best. In haste, Ning Peachblossom found herself excuses—she refused to be cornered by Ye Chen.

“Is this Celestial Elixir phantom truly only for display, never to be consumed?”

Ye Chen was unwilling to accept this. To be honest, though it was but a phantom, it was in some ways preferable. If it had been the true Celestial Elixir, Ye Chen couldn’t imagine what measure of fortune would be required for someone of his meager strength to acquire, by chance, that which others might spend a lifetime seeking in vain.

Such an elixir would arouse the envy of peerless powers, the spark for a cataclysm, leaving corpses strewn across the land, mountains of blood and bone.

As for the phantom, its weight was far lighter. A counterfeit was, after all, a counterfeit—not on the same level. Still, even at this lesser level, it was an extraordinary opportunity. But fortune comes with tribulation; whether he could obtain the phantom unscathed was far from certain.

“Our strength is too insignificant—we dare not draw near.”

Ning Peachblossom was now utterly calm. Disappointed, yes, but not dejected—the phantom would not change her fate. However rare the opportunity, it could not make her lose composure.

At that moment, Ning Peachblossom’s gaze lingered on Ye Chen’s white lotus, then shifted to the Celestial Elixir, comparing the two with care. At length, she mused, “Have you noticed that your white lotus and the Celestial Elixir bear a certain resemblance?”

“According to reason, when a new path is forged, a seed of the Way is born. Its manifestation is not predetermined—it might appear as a white lotus, but it could as easily take another form.”

Ye Chen was perplexed. “What of it? The form of the seed matters little; ultimate achievement depends on fortune, wisdom, and talent. If one is destined for mediocrity, even if the seed took the shape of the highest immortal root, it would be for naught.”

“What I mean is, your white lotus may have been influenced by the Celestial Elixir.”

Ye Chen’s heart stirred. “That’s plausible—the location is close, and the elixir’s nature is unfathomable. It’s not strange that it would affect the seed. With such a connection, perhaps I can use the white lotus to seize the elixir for myself.”

Within the rift in the void, the Celestial Elixir floated and sank, radiating crystalline brilliance. Its medicinal power surged like a vast river suspended at the edge of the heavens.

A white lotus, no bigger than a palm, crept forward, drawing the surrounding currents of energy toward itself.

Baptized by this power, the white lotus grew rapidly. At the same time, a mighty force surged around Ye Chen.

Though the white lotus seemed apart from Ye Chen, in truth, they were one.

As the white lotus underwent its transformation, Ye Chen gained greatly as well—his energy soared, and flashes of insight illuminated his mind.

In a trance, Ye Chen glimpsed the formation of the Celestial Elixir—a sky ablaze with thunder, wind and rain in concert, black light terrifying the world. The power of destruction raged like a thunder dragon spitting wrath and unbinding the might to shatter an era.

Beneath the endless lightning, a stalk of Celestial Elixir swayed in the storm, unfolding its leaves and blooming delicate buds. Then, a golden hook descended, piercing the thunderclouds, ensnaring the elixir, and whisking it away—gone in a heartbeat, leaving only the fury of thunder, helpless and unavailing.

“How is this possible?”

Ye Chen was shaken, then gripped by terror. He had witnessed a vision of the past, a page from ancient history—a privilege fraught with dread and chilling to the bone.

“Ning Peachblossom once said the Dao Ancestor fished for all beings—might this be linked to fishing for the Celestial Elixir? Or is this very scene the account of the Dao Ancestor obtaining the elixir?”

“And my white lotus, symbolizing a new path—was it perhaps a trap set for me?”

“If my seed’s transformation is entwined with the elixir phantom, then is there a thread connecting all these events? The Dao Ancestor once fished for the Celestial Elixir, perhaps tampered with it, leaving the phantom at the edge of the Sea of Law, waiting for me to stumble upon it. Of course, I’d be loath to let such a treasure go. Yet, by my own strength, I could never claim it.”

“In that case, only the white lotus might seize the elixir’s phantom. But in the game of hunter and prey, nothing is certain. Man may harm the tiger, and the tiger may harm man.”

“But this hardly adds up. The Dao Ancestor fled long ago—could a stratagem laid then still be in effect now? For me to encounter the elixir phantom, would the Dao Ancestor have foreseen so far ahead? My new path has only just sprouted—whether it holds promise is unknown. Is this a fishing of the dried pond, killing the small fry before they have grown? How unreasonable.”

All these thoughts spun through Ye Chen’s mind, yet his actions betrayed no hesitation. The white lotus began to withdraw, but at that instant, a golden hook shot from the phantom.

A surge of incense and wish power was spent, transforming the white lotus into a streak of light, its speed suddenly soaring. Even so, it could not escape. The golden hook remained unfooled, closing in swiftly.

A chill stabbed Ye Chen’s heart. Without time for deliberation, he used the white lotus to reach for a portal.

Beyond the portal lay his own illusory realm.

Run—think of nothing else. This really was a trap, a world without honor, where even the mightiest would strike so mercilessly at the fledgling. Ye Chen shivered, intent on fleeing with the white lotus.

But as the golden hook struck, it cast a great net, ensnaring all within its reach. In an instant, the hook seized the white lotus, intent on carrying it away.

But then, from the illusory realm, a tremendous power surged forth, halting the hook and freezing the very flow of time.

Ye Chen could only be grateful that he had drawn some medicinal power from the elixir phantom, undergoing a transformation that allowed him to summon power from the illusory realm even within the Sea of Law—granting him a slender chance at survival.

Such is fate. The phantom was but bait, yet it brought hope.

“Such a method exists?” Ning Peachblossom was surprised, her estimation of Ye Chen’s strength rising anew. Although the golden hook was not as formidable as imagined, to withstand it was a feat indeed.

“Of course—the Dao Ancestor wished not to draw attention. Now, dwelling beyond the heavens, he cannot oversee the great world’s affairs at every moment. Fearing the small fish might slip the hook, he took action before the sapling could grow, determined to destroy it. Otherwise, by his nature, he would not act so hastily.”