A full nineteen years had passed. Back then, Ye Chen had thought he would complete his accumulation within ten years, charge through the Heavenly King barrier, and also believed the great upheaval of heaven and earth would begin within the next decade.
Everything had ultimately been miscalculated. Nineteen years had passed, and the Sacred Domain had been established for a full twelve years. The great upheaval of heaven and earth had not yet begun, but Ye Chen could see that the fortune of the Age of Gods, hidden deep within the Ancient Emperor Continent, was rising. The shackles of national fortune binding the thirty-six empires and seventy-two ancient kingdoms—the one hundred and eight great nations—were also weakening.
Similarly, over these twelve years, his thoughts had connected with heaven and attained spiritual awareness. He also sensed the power of the Ancient Emperor Continent's rules beginning to weaken. Everything was proceeding as anticipated. He deduced it would erupt within the next few decades.
He could not be wrong about this, for he had already deduced it and, by borrowing the power of faith, had even briefly touched the origin of the Ancient Emperor Realm, obtaining such information.
The great upheaval of heaven and earth was slowly approaching. It would not be long now.
Another point worth mentioning was that those he had searched for in the past had basically all vanished without a trace. Their whereabouts seemed truly not to be on the Ancient Emperor Continent, causing Ye Chen to frown.
Boom—
On this day, a dazzling stream of light flashed, streaking across the sky, passing over the Imperial City, and striking directly at the Central Heavenly Palace.
"Who goes there?"
Powerful experts within the Sacred Domain's hall shouted loudly. Several powerful Saint-level experts rushed out—all guards stationed at the Central Heavenly Palace. Only Ye Chen had the qualification to have Saints willingly stand guard.
But the stream of light flashed, erupting with vast divine energy that sent the several Saints flying backward, though they were not injured.
Clearly, the visitor also did not wish to offend the current Sacred Domain.
Within the Sacred Domain's hall, a Saint Lord-level figure was alerted and made a move, but similarly failed to intercept it.
In the end, the stream of light materialized into a letter, entwined with vast sword energy so formidable it would startle even the mightiest of experts. It shot from the outside into the Central Heavenly Palace, unstoppable.
The Heavenly King of the Divine Dynasty, who was the Sacred Domain's Divine King, was about to act, but Ye Chen stopped him. Sitting motionless on the Divine Throne, he calmly caught the letter between his index and middle fingers, signaling the many Sacred Domain experts not to panic.
Vast sword energy erupted from the letter, like ten thousand swords ringing in unison, clanging and clashing. That patch of void was directly annihilated by the sword energy, making even Samsara-level supreme experts shudder with fear.
The person who sent this letter was undoubtedly a peerless master, perhaps even surpassing Samsara-level supreme experts. Could it be a Heavenly King?
Ye Chen's fingers and palm were solid and indestructible, flowing with golden light. With absolute power, he smoothed out the sword energy and revealed a faint smile.
This was a letter sent by Ye Gucheng. He sensed the familiarity of the sword energy and also sensed its power—it had already reached such a level. It was evident that Ye Gucheng and those other Immortal True Kings had reached a remarkably powerful stage over the past nineteen years.
He believed these Immortal True Kings might all have perfected their Supreme Laws, becoming stronger than Samsara-level supreme experts. Perhaps they were all about to undergo tribulation, achieve the Tenth Heaven, and become Heavenly Kings.
However, his expression remained unchanged throughout. Even if the Immortal True Kings became Tenth Heaven Supreme Heavenly Prides and became Heavenly Kings, he had no fear, possessing sufficient strength to deal with them. This was his powerful confidence.
Opening the letter, he learned some content that put his mind at ease.
First was Ye Gucheng's simple greeting, followed by mention that the Ye Family's clan competition had been postponed. Due to some important reasons, it had not yet been decided, so Ye Chen need not worry.
Ye Chen revealed a slight smile. Because he was trapped in the Ancient Emperor Realm and unable to leave, he was destined to be unable to participate in the Ye Family's clan competition. He also could not see his parents and clansmen; he would need to go to the Ninefold Emperor's Pass before he could meet them.
Now that the Ye Family's clan competition was postponed, it indicated he need not go to the Ninefold Emperor's Pass afterward.
Moreover, the letter stated that the masters of the Ye Family from Tian Du Continent were all within the imperial clan Ye Family. As long as Ye Chen went, he could see them.
Ye Chen's palm spewed forth glazed golden flames, burning the letter. He considered this as owing Ye Gucheng a favor, which he would repay in the future.
Rumble—
In the distant starry sky, immense thunder suddenly exploded, shaking the nine heavens and ten earths. Infinite tribulation light flashed, flooding the starry sky.
Someone was undergoing a tribulation. The power and vastness of the heavenly tribulation were truly earth-shattering, attracting the attention of all factions on the Ancient Emperor Continent.
Was it the Sacred Domain's master, Qian, undergoing tribulation, finally taking the final step to become a supreme Heavenly King?
This was the speculation of the world, for over these years, everyone knew the Sacred Domain's master Qian had reached a critical point. If he wished, he could take the final step at any time, immediately becoming a Heavenly King. It was just unknown why he had delayed entering that realm.
But this did not hinder the world's recognition of his strength, for there were rumors that even if a Heavenly King stood before the Sacred Domain's master, they would feel an intangible and immense pressure, representing that Qian's strength had also reached an indescribable, astonishing level.
His breakthrough was merely a matter of time.
But soon, Sacred Domain experts came out to dispel the rumor. The invincible Qian was still in the Central Heavenly Palace and had not left. He had not undergone tribulation.
This shocked all factions. If it wasn't Qian undergoing tribulation, then who was it, so powerful that it even startled some dormant and slumbering Heavenly Kings? It was even more terrifying than when they underwent their Heavenly King tribulations back in the day.
On the Divine Throne, Ye Chen's eyes opened and closed as he gazed into the depths of the starry sky, seeing ten-thousand-zhang lightning descending there, flooding that patch of the cosmos.
One meteor after another exploded, and even true stars shattered. It could be described as heaven-destroying and earth-extinguishing, annihilating everything.
He saw a terrifying figure charging into the vast heavenly tribulation. His heroic bearing was majestic, very young yet extremely powerful. He had not fully undergone the tribulation, but his aura was no weaker than a Heavenly King's.
He roared, shaking the starry sky as if a true dragon had emerged into the world or a young great emperor had descended to the mortal realm. He continuously attacked, even resonating with the ten suns in the sky, drawing upon their surging solar essence.
An Immortal True King!
Nineteen years had passed. These Immortal True Kings from the myriad realms had finally appeared. As he had predicted, their Supreme Laws had already been perfected. They were beginning to charge, to break into the Mythical Ten Heavens realm, and to fuse their two lifetimes' Dao Fruits, desiring to achieve the Heavenly King realm.
The great tribulation rumbled, vast as an ocean. Infinite tribulation light surged, each streak ten thousand zhang long. The blazing radiance even illuminated the entire starry sky, becoming the only bright spot between heaven and earth, outshining the ten suns.
Many were watching, also shocked, finding it hard to believe such powerful individuals existed in the world.
Only Ye Chen, the Three Immortal Maidens, the Peacock King, and those from the Ancient God Continent knew of the existence of the Immortal True Kings, each an extremely monstrous individual.
A full three days and nights passed before the great tribulation in the starry sky disappeared. That star domain completely darkened, destroyed by the Heavenly King tribulation.
An incomparably powerful and supreme aura of the Great Dao erupted there, surpassing ordinary Heavenly Kings, but it also carried weakness and soon vanished afterward.
This caused concern, but Ye Chen paid it no heed.
Over the next three years, vast Heavenly King tribulations arose not just once.
And each time, they were just as earth-shattering, as if to destroy heaven and earth. The entire starry sky was filled with an aura of destruction.
Those Immortal True Kings had all reached the critical point, perfected their Supreme Laws. In recent years, they had all begun fusing the achievements of their two lifetimes' Great Dao, charging into the realm of the Mythical Ten Heavens, and further using this to step into the Heavenly King realm, undergoing a great leap and transformation to completely strengthen and elevate themselves.
The Immortal True Kings were terrifying. Each one, looking across the myriad realms and throughout ancient and modern times, was a rarely seen, peerless monster.
Otherwise, in this golden great era, the myriad realms would not have only given birth to such a handful of Immortal True Kings.
One must know that among them were some monstrous geniuses sealed away since ancient times. One could imagine how astonishing their aptitudes were.
If nothing unexpected happened, they could at the very least reach the realm of ancient great powers in the future. The outstanding among them could even become a generation's Supreme Human Sovereign, revered throughout ancient, modern, and future times.
Once such individuals chose to break through, it would also shake the ancient and illuminate the present. Absolutely terrifying, world-shaking heavenly punishment tribulations would descend upon this vast heaven and earth, allowing these True Kings to undergo tribulation within them and leap into the Tenth Heaven.
However, these Immortal True Kings were all very clever, choosing places far from the territories of the three races to undergo tribulation—either at the edges of the Ancient Emperor Continent or in the starry sky, all desolate and uninhabited. Otherwise, the fluctuations from the tribulation would be too intense, beyond imagination.
But they were still just as earth-shattering, attracting the attention of the world.
Within the Central Heavenly Palace, Ye Chen's eyes opened and closed, infinitely profound as if containing a starry sky, with terrifying scenes appearing within.
That was an undying immortal phoenix, its wings spanning the ancient starry lands, struggling through the crossing within a boundless sea of tribulation light and thunder. Ten thousand layers of fearsome great tribulation descended, each thick as a mountain range. Ten thousand layers descending was simply like slaying immortals and killing gods, unstoppable.
The phoenix cried out, five-colored divine flames surging. Its body was stained with misty blood as it continuously struggled through the crossing. Faintly, one could see a graceful and charming, enchanting figure appearing within, letting out a light shout.
Though a woman, her divine might was also peerless in the world. The phoenix divine wings spread and immediately severed the infinite great tribulation, instantly tearing the boundless sea of tribulation light and thunder in two.
Looking again at another star domain, a heroic and awe-inspiring, majestic man appeared. In his hand was a priceless immortal spear forged from Eternal Sun Crimson Gold. His body was wreathed in an infinite sun, shining for billions of zhang, more eye-catching than the ten suns in the sky, completely illuminating that dark star domain.
He operated the Solar Saint Art, charging against ninety-nine layers of vast great tribulation, continuously struggling through the crossing, always brave and peerless in the world, cutting through all obstacles.
Far beyond the Ancient Emperor Continent, near the sea region of the Chaotic Sea, a terrifying great tribulation covering hundreds of thousands of li also descended, as if the entire ocean would evaporate within the tribulation sea.
There was a terrifying figure there, like a god or a demon. Behind him, he bore a blood-colored Dao Diagram world. In his hand was a square heaven great halberd. With a roar, he destroyed everything in the world, slaughtering the various fearsome divine forms that appeared within the great tribulation.
At the edge of the Ancient Emperor Continent, within a desolate, uninhabited forbidden zone of life, a handsome man wreathed in flawless holy light, with sacred wings growing from his back, his splendid golden hair loose, spread his divine feathers and unleashed countless holy light slashes, confronting the vast heavenly tribulation, instantly shaking a region of a million li.
Elsewhere, vast sword energy crisscrossed heaven and earth, reversing to slash through the nine heavens!
...
The great tribulations these Immortal True Kings struggled through were all extremely fearsome, each hailed as rare throughout ancient and modern times. But in their tribulations, such things were common, even appearing some terrifying great tribulations considered by the world to be certain death once they appeared.
They were all striving hard to struggle through the crossing, erupting with divine energy at full power, stepping forward and advancing toward the Mythical Ten Heavens realm, charging upward against the current, their entire bodies emitting piercing divine radiance.
Once they crossed that step, they could achieve the supreme position. The future would become even broader, truly possessing the potential to become an Emperor.
Throughout ancient and modern times, the most invincible are only the Emperors and Sovereigns!
To become an invincible figure of that level, only by perfecting the Tenth Heaven could one truly achieve it.
Otherwise, the Great Dao would be lacking, not perfected. How could one prove the Dao and become an Emperor? How could one immediately become a Sovereign!
Naturally, their Supreme tribulations could not compare to Ye Chen's, because Ye Chen was the first to break through to the Tenth Heaven after the Mythical Era, thus suffering the appearance of ten Heavenly Avatars. Others would not have this; it only targeted the first person.
The Immortal True Kings undergoing tribulation affected the Great Dao of heaven and earth on the Ancient Emperor Continent and almost caused Ye Chen's own Dao to touch it and erupt, nearly causing his Heavenly King tribulation to descend completely.
But Ye Chen shook his Chaos True Blood Cauldron, calming his own Dao so it remained unaffected.
The True Kings undergoing tribulation one after another was naturally sensed by the three races. Secretly, supreme experts appeared, heading to the tribulation sites, even wanting to strike when they succeeded in their tribulation, to completely knock these individuals about to achieve the Heavenly King fruit from their divine pedestals, or even slay them on the spot, plotting to seize their Dao Fruits.
Unfortunately, the Immortal True Kings were absolutely terrifying. Even though pursued and intercepted by some peerless experts secretly in the Ancient Emperor Continent, in the end, they still successfully completed their tribulation, though bearing severe wounds.
This was the fearsome difficulty of the Supreme Law tribulation. Powerful as they were, prepared exceedingly thoroughly to charge toward Heavenly King, in the end, they still ended up covered in wounds, blood flowing horizontally, bones exposed—the price of becoming Tenth Heaven.
However, once the Immortal True Kings broke through to become Heavenly King existences, they immediately became much stronger, their aura and might overwhelming the heavens.
Even though they, having perfected the Saint Treasury Tenth Heaven, were no longer True Kings but Supreme Heavenly Prides, standing in that realm, they could almost rival Heavenly Kings. Moreover, they had also crossed Samsara, reaching the Heavenly King realm level, making them even more extraordinary.
Even though severely injured, they immediately suppressed their realms, no longer sensed by the Ancient Emperor Continent's rules to be sent to the Divine Realm. Yet they were still formidable, instead pursuing the secret experts.
In the end, they discovered that terrifying figures at the Heavenly King realm had appeared secretly, causing their expressions to change slightly. They did not kill them, only startling the other party into retreat. They also understood something, immediately concealing their figures, fleeing far away to heal their wounds.
Within a few years, over half of the Immortal True Kings underwent tribulation, almost all becoming Tenth Heaven Supreme Heavenly Prides and breaking into the Heavenly King realm.
But some also failed. In the Supreme tribulation, their subsequent strength proved insufficient, and they were fatally intercepted at a critical moment, ultimately perishing with regret and hatred.
It was Cang Jitian!