Ye Chen's arrival, even if it was just an incarnation, caused a sensation throughout the entire Lan Kingdom, drawing the attention of the entire world.
It was him, the invincible Qian, acknowledged as the current number one powerhouse of the Ancient Emperor Continent. His descent upon Lan Kingdom, one of the thirty-six empires, naturally raised questions about his purpose.
Not just others, even the entire Lan Kingdom was bewildered, unclear of the reason. They felt tense, but not particularly afraid.
Because Xia Miao'er had also come. Bringing her along proved it wasn't a major issue.
Furthermore, in the Hundred Battles Mountain Range, everyone knew Qian had bestowed two blood pearls to the two princesses of Lan Kingdom, and Lan Kingdom had never targeted Qian.
"Welcome, Sir Qian, to our humble Lan Kingdom. Your presence brings us immense honor."
In the imperial capital of Lan Kingdom, the Lan Guo Sovereign, clad in dragon robes and a crown, hurried forward to greet him. Though a peerless sovereign of the thirty-six empires, standing at the pinnacle of worldly power, he felt nothing but restraint facing Ye Chen.
Following behind him were all the important members of the Lan Kingdom's royal family, almost the entire direct lineage had turned out. Even several ancient recluses who usually secluded themselves in cultivation, ignoring worldly affairs, had emerged, their attitude extremely respectful.
"Sovereign, you are too courteous. My purpose in coming this time is twofold. First, Miao'er missed you all, so I brought her back." Ye Chen was very amiable, not releasing any pressure, acting like an ordinary person. Yet, even so, it made many people nervous, not daring to truly relax.
After all, a person's reputation precedes them, and Qian's every move was watched by the world. Who would dare be careless and treat him casually?
Xia Miao'er stepped out from behind Ye Chen. Having long since regained her cute and innocent demeanor, she first threw herself into the Sovereign's embrace, hugging her father tightly.
"Father, I missed you."
Generally, as a princess, she should follow etiquette on such an important occasion and not act so. But today, no one blamed her. On one hand, most royal family members showed a tolerant attitude towards Xia Miao'er. On the other hand, it was clear Ye Chen had a good relationship with her. So, some senior royals who might have objected kept silent, instead happily witnessing this scene.
On the other side, Xia Bing'er hurriedly stepped out and pulled Xia Miao'er over; they were sisters with a very deep bond.
Ye Chen watched this scene warmly, not in a hurry. He said to Xia Miao'er, "Miao'er, go back with your sister. I have matters to discuss with your father."
Xia Miao'er nodded, her voice crisp and clear, "Goodbye, Big Brother."
With that, the two sisters left, leaving him with the group of senior royals. However, the originally somewhat warm atmosphere became tense again.
The Lan Guo Sovereign was also an extraordinary figure. Knowing Ye Chen harbored no ill intent, he took the initiative to speak, "May I ask Sir Qian's purpose? As long as it is something our Lan Kingdom can accomplish, we will certainly not refuse."
Ye Chen said something that shook the entire senior echelon of the Lan Kingdom royal family: "I hope to peruse all of Lan Kingdom's ancient relics and texts, everything concerning the Age of Gods, even from the Primordial era to the present. I also hope to meet Lan Kingdom's Heavenly King ancestor."
The part about ancient materials from the Primordial era to the present was one thing, but the Heavenly King ancestor was the figure guarding the empire's fortune, the most important. They had not ascended, just like the Heavenly Kings of the nine great imperial dynasties on the Ancient Divine Continent. They sealed themselves, becoming the empire's heritage, used to deter enemies at critical moments.
Moreover, Qian was an invincible figure capable of slaying Heavenly Kings. The risk was great, and the Heavenly King ancestor could not be awakened lightly.
Seeing their hesitation, Ye Chen said, "It's fine, don't worry. I bear no hostility towards Lan Kingdom. I merely wish to learn some things from the mouth of Lan Kingdom's Heavenly King ancestor."
The Lan Guo Sovereign was also a man of great courage. He nodded gravely, "Sir Qian, please follow me."
In the end, led by the Lan Guo Sovereign, the slumbering Heavenly King ancestor of Lan Kingdom was awakened...
All news of this was sealed. Royal family members did not mention it to outsiders. No one knew Qian's main purpose for coming to Lan Kingdom. Some even believed he was just returning Xia Miao'er.
But some always felt Qian's arrival was unusual.
He stayed for three days.
Three days later, Ye Chen left Lan Kingdom, not taking Xia Miao'er with him, but letting her stay in Lan Kingdom temporarily.
Immediately after, contrary to many people's expectations, Ye Chen did not immediately return to the Imperial City. Instead, he went to another of the thirty-six empires: Xiang Kingdom. Moreover, they had some enmity from the Hundred Battles Mountain Range. Therefore, Qian's arrival made the senior echelons of Xiang Kingdom worried.
However, after understanding Ye Chen's purpose, Xiang Kingdom readily agreed because they knew refusal was not an option, and this was a chance to resolve their enmity.
He stayed for another three days, then Ye Chen left again.
In the following time, Ye Chen's incarnation traveled to every single one of the thirty-six empires in the human race's domain, staying three days in each. His purpose was the same: to read the ancient relics collected by the empires and converse with their Heavenly King ancestors.
Unexpectedly, only twelve empires truly had Heavenly King ancestors suppressing their fortune. The other twenty-four did not, as they had basically entered the Divine Realm.
Even among them, the Heavenly King ancestors of five empires had already passed away. Self-sealing was not enough; they ultimately could not withstand the erosion of time and passed away in the mortal world.
Some empires were not as powerful as they appeared on the surface. Even their Dao weapons were incomplete, lacking the empire's strongest heritage. But they hid it well; the outside world never knew. Otherwise, they might have been forced to withdraw from the thirty-six empires and face threats from other forces.
These empires almost begged Ye Chen not to spread this to the world, which he naturally promised.
Three months later, he had basically learned about all the ancient relics of the thirty-six empires and had conversed with the twelve great Heavenly King ancestors.
The news eventually leaked, shaking the world and astonishing many. They did not understand Ye Chen's true purpose.
Why study ancient relics? Why converse with the Heavenly King ancestors of the thirty-six empires? What unknown intention lay behind all this? Countless people in the world speculated about Ye Chen's motives but could not grasp the key.
Ye Chen paid no heed. After leaving the thirty-six empires, he obtained an accurate map of the Ancient Emperor Continent, quite detailed, even clearly marking some forbidden lands. It covered the human race's domain, the thirty-six empires and seventy-two Ancient Kingdoms.
He hadn't paid much attention before. Now, after studying it seriously for half a day, he soared into the starry sky, looking down upon the entire human race's domain from a commanding height. His expression became very strange.
Finally, he did not visit the seventy-two Ancient Kingdoms himself. Instead, he had the Saint Lords and overlords from the Ancient Divine Continent who followed him represent him in visiting the seventy-two Ancient Kingdoms to gather information.