Indeed, Xia Zhidi had appeared!
He had entered the Ancient Emperor Realm through the interdimensional passage, arriving later than the others.
This was the same peerless Heavenly King from the past, a man of astonishing talent who had stood at the pinnacle of the ninth heaven of the Heavenly King realm, nearly becoming an ancient Great Sage. He too had been hailed by the myriad realms as another Great Power-level existence within the Flame God Sacred Land after the Flame God Venerable One, achieving the situation of a single sect boasting two Great Powers.
Since Ye Chen had last seen him decades ago in the trial world of Tian Du Continent, he finally laid eyes on this peerless Heavenly King once more.
Clearly, after Ye Chen had handed over information about Xia Zhidi to the Flame God Venerable One at the Immortal Heavenly Pass, the Venerable One had taken action and rescued this peerless Heavenly King.
More importantly, after all these years, not only had Xia Zhidi escaped his predicament, but he had also broken through his former shackles, achieving the realm of an ancient Great Sage. From now on, he could dominate the myriad realms, becoming another peerless powerhouse standing at the apex of the world.
The Flame God Sacred Land, with its two Great Powers, had now arrived in full. The Iceflame Heavenly King—no, he should now be called the Iceflame Great Sage Xia Zhidi—descended upon the world, arriving shoulder-to-shoulder with the Flame God Venerable One. Standing beside Ye Chen, he swept his gaze over the other ancient Great Sages and declared, "Little friend Ye Chen is my friend. Whoever dares harm him will face my unrelenting wrath."
This caused everyone's expressions to change. Four ancient Great Sages in a row had stepped forward, standing before this young descendant of the Battle Saint lineage.
Moreover, it was evident that this Battle Saint King was far from weak. He possessed the qualifications to battle an ancient Great Sage, wielded the Human Sovereign Pagoda, and also possessed the mysterious ancient weapon of the Battle Saint lineage, the Primordial Battle Body, offering both offense and defense. Even an ancient Great Sage would find it difficult to kill him.
This caused the several Great Sages who had been coveting the Human Sovereign Pagoda to pale slightly, their subsequent actions ceasing.
"Senior Xia Zhidi, you have finally escaped danger and attained the Great Power realm. Congratulations," Ye Chen said, cupping his fists in salute towards Xia Zhidi, his joy coming from the depths of his heart.
This was because, back when he was growing up, Xia Zhidi had played a part in his development. It was also because of him that the Flame God Venerable One had been willing to lend support before the Immortal Heavenly Pass and had granted him two opportunities to call for aid.
Although he had never used those two opportunities, he had not forgotten them, keeping them firmly in mind.
Xia Zhidi appeared exceptionally handsome and majestic, especially after achieving the ancient Great Sage realm. His lifespan had surged dramatically, making him look even younger. His once snow-white hair had turned into a waterfall of black locks. His eyes were like starry skies, vast and majestic, appearing supremely powerful, possessing the divine charm of one who rules the world.
He looked at Ye Chen, knowing this young man was a reincarnation and understanding his true background. Even with reincarnation, his combined age across two lifetimes was less than two hundred years, yet he had already grown to this point, capable of rivaling an ancient Great Sage. One had to admit this young man was truly astonishing, surpassing imagination.
Even he couldn't help but sigh, feeling deeply impressed. However, a smile graced his face as he said, "Little friend Ye Chen, it is I who should thank you. If not for your help back then, passing my information to the old man, I would likely be dead now. Where would there be any chance for us to meet?"
It truly was so. What he had given back then was merely a drop of Great Dao Blood. Though it was essence blood and seemed precious, for a figure of his level, it wasn't particularly valuable. As long as he lived, he could continuously refine more.
Regarding this, Ye Chen shook his head and said no more. He simply turned to look at the Great Sage from the Undying lineage in the distance, his expression icy cold. The four powers within his body surged, releasing an aura not inferior to that of an ancient Great Sage. He very much wanted to continue the fight, to kill the other party and avenge his master.
But at this moment, several ancient Great Sages in succession stood between the two sides. They were neither from the Undying Great Sage's side nor helping Ye Chen; they were neutral, their attitude indifferent. "Both of you, stop," one said. "Whatever grievances lie between you, this seat does not care, nor wishes to. We are about to assault the Profound Ancient Gate. Cease your actions now."
Ye Chen stopped. This ancient Great Sage was very powerful, and he sensed an aura from him similar to that of the Great Sages from the Tai Sheng imperial clan—a Great Sage from an imperial clan.
This imperial clan Great Sage held sufficient authority. Moreover, among the many Great Sages from the myriad domains present, he ranked among the foremost, exceedingly powerful.
The Holy Feather Venerable One also spoke up. "Little friend, please cease hostilities for now. Our primary purpose in coming this time is for the opportunities within the Profound Ancient Gate. Every Great Sage is essential combat power. I hope you will refrain from action for the time being. Let everything wait until after we assault the Profound Ancient Gate."
"Very well," Ye Chen agreed. He also knew that given the current situation, even with his strength rivaling an ancient Great Sage, he could not refuse. Because the purpose of all the myriad domain Great Sages gathering here was for the Profound Ancient Gate. For now, he could not defy the will of these myriad domain Great Sages.
The Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord came to Ye Chen's side and patted his shoulder. "Everything will have its solution."
Ye Chen sighed. It could only be so.
Moreover, he felt some surprise in his heart because he could sense that the Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord had grown stronger again. He seemed even more powerful than decades ago, his cultivation profound and unfathomable. Even now, Ye Chen still felt, as he always had, that the Gate Lord's depth was immeasurable.
Just how powerful was the Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord now?
He felt he was definitely far stronger than an ordinary Great Sage, yet he couldn't perceive the exact extent. He felt both puzzled and pleased.
After all, this wasn't a bad thing. The Gate Lord's origins seemed far more mysterious than imagined, connected to a particularly ancient and mysterious gate.
The ancient Great Sages from the myriad realms first nodded towards the five Divine Kings standing in the five directions of the continent, acknowledging them. They looked towards the vast fortune of the God Era deep within the earth, and finally, their gazes turned to the deepest part of the starry sky, the Divine Realm.
For there, the most intense battle was still raging. With each surge of boundless bloody light, earth-shaking roars continuously resounded—the roars of the gate-guarding beast, the Realm Beast, which guarded both the Profound Ancient Gate and the Immortal Heavenly Pass.
Finally, everything dissipated. The great battle ended.
The eight ancient Great Sages stood within the passage of the myriad dao waterfall. Each one's aura was somewhat weakened, having expended too much of their Great Dao divine energy. But with each breath, they swallowed the boundless starlight of the cosmos, drawing it into their bodies to replenish their consumption.
After a long while, they regained their blazing state. They also looked towards the starry sky of the Ancient Emperor Realm, calling out to them, "Fellow Daoists, please come. The gate-guarding beast has been repelled. All obstacles have been removed. We may now begin the assault on the Profound Ancient Gate."
"Excellent!"