The three Sovereigns were the first to enter the Profound Ancient Gate. They were powerful enough, releasing the supreme aura of the Sovereign level, capable of temporarily resisting the erosion of the River of Time.
The Great Powers of the myriad realms watched from afar. The light of the Profound Ancient Gate dissipated, allowing a hazy glimpse of the scenes within. They could see the River of Time spanning the void, plunging into the deepest reaches, accompanied by countless fragments of time and space swirling about, bearing witness to scenes of the past.
Contrary to expectations, the other side of the Profound Ancient Gate was not directly the Land of Creation. There was still a passageway, radiant and brilliant, its length unknown. Only under the guidance of the River of Time could it point to the final destination.
The light rain that could nourish all things was precisely drifting out from the very end of the River of Time.
The three Sovereigns, peerless and unmatched, trod upon the River of Time, advancing toward the endpoint. The voice of the Primordial Sovereign rang out, saying, "Di Yan, Tai Qing, you and the other Great Powers may also enter the Profound Ancient Gate. Although there will be great perils along the way, even the three of us, as powerful as we are, dare not guarantee we will definitely survive. But those who do survive will obtain heaven-defying creation, of great use to you in the future. It contains some extraordinary creation that can greatly assist you in achieving the Sovereign realm."
The Great Powers of the myriad realms were shocked. What kind of dangers lay behind the Profound Ancient Gate that even the three Sovereigns, mighty as they were, faced the risk of falling? Could what the five Divine Kings said be true—that behind the gate lay heaven-defying creation, but also peerless, great peril?
But Di Yan and Tai Qing, the Great Power from Tai Sheng Shang Gong, immediately charged forward. The other ancient Great Sages did not retreat either; they all stepped onto the River of Time.
Because the Primordial Sovereign had mentioned assistance in achieving the Sovereign realm, this point stirred their hearts no matter what.
Though they were ancient Great Sages, standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid across the myriad realms, in truth, Sovereigns were the absolute peak since the beginning of this epoch. Throughout the ages, only a handful had appeared, each capable of overlooking past and present.
Who wouldn't wish to reach this step?
The three peerless Sovereigns released an immortal aura, transforming into radiance that covered the River of Time, preventing the Great Powers from being eroded by its power.
The Great Powers grew even more awed, sensing the terrifying, peerless might of the three Sovereigns.
A voice transmission arrived, accompanied by a mass of vibrant, emerald-green light brimming with surging vitality. It rushed along the River of Time, out of the Profound Ancient Gate, up into the sky of the Divine Realm, and landed upon the colossal Realm Beast.
It was the Primordial Sovereign making his move. His voice rang out, "Realm Beast, you continue to guard this realm, guard the Profound Ancient Gate. The shackles left by my father, I will sever them all for you."
With several resounding clangs, several thick shackles shattered, tearing through the starry void and pulverizing countless stars. They were formed from Emperor traces—who could sever them?
Only the Imperial Son, the Primordial Sovereign of the same origin, could sever them all with his own Tai Sheng Huang bloodline.
The Realm Beast roared, its massive beastly form blotting out the sky and covering the sun. Stars seemed minuscule before it. Not to mention the Divine Realm, even the starry void of the Ancient Emperor Realm trembled violently, on the verge of shattering.
The River of Time was long, its boundaries unseen, piercing through past and present, also spanning the Profound Ancient Gate. It required traversing a long passageway.
Walking upon the River of Time, each spray of its waves carried reflections of past eras. If they fell upon one's body, they could erode time and add past causality.
But the three Sovereigns radiated boundless light from their bodies, impervious to all methods. Even the power of time could not erode them, being blocked away.
Among them, the Master of the Demon God Ruins, Ruins Sovereign, swept his gaze over the Great Powers and spoke coldly, "Primordial, why are you still bringing these people into the Profound Ancient Gate? You should know they are useless here, easily turning to ashes. If we try to preserve them, it will divert part of our focus."
This startled the Great Powers. Was it truly so?
The Primordial Sovereign said, "This time can be considered a trial for them. Although there are heaven-defying dangers, compared to the future, it is much better. Let them comprehend the Great Dao amidst life-and-death crises, gaining an extra sliver of hope for invincibility. Otherwise, how will they face the future battle?"
The Ruins Sovereign spoke no more, nor did the Jialuo Female Sovereign. As invincible Sovereigns of the present era, they understood some secrets that even ancient Great Sages could not comprehend.
The three Sovereigns advanced continuously along the River of Time. Each step spanned an immeasurable distance, measured in tens of thousands of li, but the River of Time was too long. Even powerful as they were, they could not reach its edge in a short time.
Suddenly, all the Great Powers were shocked to see countless worlds and realms floating upon the River of Time. They were all broken, devoid of life, leaving not a trace of vitality, a gray expanse. Not a single world contained living beings.
This was heart-shaking. What exactly was going on? Countless broken worlds floated upon the River of Time, as if they had undergone terrifying massacres, burying one great world after another.
"Worlds buried and destroyed, broken realms floating—these are the great worlds shattered in the battles of yore, recording the vicissitudes of time, the cruelty of eras," the Primordial Sovereign spoke, revealing the reason.
Long ago, in the distant past, at the beginning of the Myriad Domains Epoch, someone had opened the Profound Ancient Gate. Great worlds had also appeared, struggling through the crossing on the River of Time, rushing toward the Land of Creation, only to meet with terrifying resistance.
These broken great worlds were left behind by the forerunners.
But the cost was high. The living beings of the myriad worlds were all buried, once staining the River of Time with blood, ultimately failing to reach the end.
Finally, the three Sovereigns halted their steps. They saw that in the center of the River of Time, an ancient small world had appeared. Not very large, it floated uncertainly upon the River of Time, emitting a special radiance, unaffected by the River of Time, bobbing up and down.
The three Sovereigns led all the Great Powers, stepping into this mysterious world.
Naturally, this was not the Profound Land, but a small world once opened upon the River of Time by a peerless powerhouse. It could remain stationed upon the River of Time. It was said to be the work of an existence with extremely profound mastery of the Great Dao of Space-Time, who meticulously studied time. Thus, this ancient realm remained undecayed through the ages, unaffected by time's erosion.
However, the ancient realm was also desolate, its origin nearly decayed. It could only serve as a landing point on the River of Time, resisting its erosion.
"Wait here. Within the Profound Ancient Gate, the appearance of the River of Time will also alert some others. We need to go and intercept them here," the Primordial Sovereign spoke, his expression grave, startling all the Great Powers.
Even an invincible Sovereign as powerful as this had to be solemn. What existence needed to be intercepted on the River of Time?
Boom—
On the other side of the River of Time, a terrifying aura of overwhelming terror suddenly erupted, sweeping over. One after another, sky-blotting, sun-covering black shadows appeared, entering the River of Time. Extremely fearsome, they could make the great worlds of the myriad realms tremble. It was unbelievable that this was happening.
A sudden change had arisen!