Everything had finally come to an end.
The temporary alliance of the Great Powers from the myriad realms naturally disbanded as well.
The starry sky of the Ancient Emperor Realm was no longer filled with shimmering stars, having dimmed countless times over. Many of the radiant stars that once shone brightly had collapsed and shattered in the series of great battles.
Upon returning to the Holy Domain's hall, Ye Chen personally explained a series of matters to the Three Immortal Maidens and the Nine Heavenly Kings of the Great Imperial Dynasties, detailing various aspects of the Holy Domain's operations. He also invited the Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord, Xia Zhidi, the Flame God Venerable One, the Holy Feather Venerable One, and other familiar Great Powers to reside in the Holy Domain for a period.
He himself soon disappeared, entering seclusion deep within the Central Heavenly Palace to heal his wounds.
Cough—
As soon as he entered the secluded place, Ye Chen immediately coughed up three mouthfuls of blood, golden and brilliant yet tinged with black, swirling with an aura of destruction.
This was the destructive nature of the Great Evil's blood.
During the confrontation with the peerless Great Evil beyond the Immortal Heavenly Pass, Ye Chen had already sustained certain injuries, especially from those few drops of the Great Evil's blood that fell, which caused him significant harm.
The explosive power of those few drops of blood was too tyrannical, nearly equivalent to the might of several ancient Great Sages self-destructing. It was terrifying to an unimaginable degree. Even with the protection of three types of power, his unparalleled Battle Sacred Body could not withstand it and was nearly shattered to pieces.
Moreover, the Great Evil's blood had eroded part of the vitality of his Saint Body. Even after reviving with the Saint Body Regeneration Technique, he could not fully restore his peak condition. Furthermore, remnants of the Great Evil's blood still lingered within his body, constantly wreaking havoc, seeking to destroy his Battle Sacred Body.
But no one knew how severe the injuries within his body were; even his origin was partially damaged, only forcibly suppressed.
Ye Chen entered seclusion, sitting cross-legged in meditation. He used several powerful forces—Faith Power, World Power, and Wish Power—to cleanse his body, over and over again. Only after a full hundred cycles did he finally force out the residual Great Evil's blood.
Naturally, this was also due to the tyrannical nature of the Battle Sacred Body. Otherwise, for any other ancient Great Sage, it would not have been resolved in just half a month.
After resolving the Great Evil's blood within his body, Ye Chen did not emerge from seclusion. Instead, he took out the two drops of the Great Evil's precious blood suppressed within the Chaos Cauldron.
In truth, these were merely ordinary blood drops of the Great Evil, yet they were terrifying to this extent, as if containing a vast sea of blood, capable of severely injuring even an ancient Great Sage. It was unimaginable what kind of existence the peerless Great Evil truly was.
Ye Chen speculated that it was likely comparable to an Emperor, if not exactly that, then very close. Otherwise, how could a single drop of blood possess such terrifying power?
Next, he used the two supreme weapons, the Human Emperor Tower and Tianhuang, to continuously dissolve the destructive nature and killing intent within the Great Evil's blood, aided by the resolving power of Chaos Laws.
Finally, the two drops of the Great Evil's blood merged into one, leaving only a single drop of blood. But it shone with a dazzling crimson glow, radiant and eye-catching like eternal sun-gold.
Ye Chen fused it into his body.
Boom—
His saintly blood boiled, and his blood energy roared. Streams of golden, brilliant blood energy surged from Ye Chen's pores, boiling into the sky, almost blasting apart this secluded place.
He could feel that his Battle Sacred Body had grown stronger once more.
It must be known that after reaching the Heavenly King realm, his Battle Sacred Body had also grown significantly stronger, surpassing the precious bodies of ordinary Great Powers. Improving it further was exceedingly difficult.
The fact that two drops of the Great Evil's precious blood could enhance it was enough to demonstrate how extraordinary they were.
Ye Chen cultivated in seclusion for a full month and a half, devouring vast amounts of essence energy to heal his wounds and restore his condition to its peak.
Boom—
Terrifying divine light erupted within the secluded cultivation grounds as Ye Chen emerged from seclusion. His heavenly court was full, his blood energy brimming. His power was such that it could inspire awe in Heavenly Kings from all directions, as if a Divine King had appeared.
Even the Nine Heavenly Kings of the Great Imperial Dynasties now truly felt Ye Chen's unfathomable depth. Even as Heavenly Kings, they could not gauge his limits, nor were they clear about his true realm. There were several different theories.
But it was unanimously believed to be above the fifth level of the Heavenly King realm, perhaps even higher.
After emerging, he went to the Central Heavenly Palace and received various pieces of news about the current world.
The arrival of the Eternal Chess Game had once thrown the Ancient Emperor Continent into panic and chaos. But after a month and a half of adjustment, coupled with the Holy Domain's powerful operational force secretly pushing things forward, the Ancient Emperor Continent had largely returned to its normal course.
Moreover, because the rules of heaven and earth had receded, no longer restricting the existence of Heavenly Kings, and with the return of the gods, the Ancient Emperor Continent had ignited an unprecedented wave of cultivation fervor, with countless people joining the path of cultivation.
It could be foreseen that the Ancient Emperor Continent would grow increasingly prosperous and might even develop toward the Divine Era of the Primordial Times.
On the other hand, the return of the ancient divine overlords had stirred undercurrents in the once-peaceful Ancient Emperor Continent. The Ancient Emperor Continent, once revered by the Holy Domain, was now caught in a whirlwind of contention.
Especially the two major races, the demon race and the beast race, had their control retaken by the Primordial Demon Gods and Beast Gods, who established true great sects to collect vast amounts of Faith Power.
For a time, the Holy Domain's collection of Faith Power and Wish Power from these two races was greatly diminished, and its fortune was no longer as prosperous as before.
This was an unavoidable situation. After all, these were originally the two races' domains. Once their respective Great Powers returned, this was bound to happen.
Ye Chen had long anticipated this and did not take it to heart.
However, because Ye Chen had the merit of saving all living beings beforehand, no matter how the ancient Great Powers of the two races ruled, many beings from both races would still feel gratitude toward the Holy Domain and transmit Faith Power there.
The Divine Realm had collapsed. The Five Divine Kings and the various gods had lost their original ancient realm. This could be said to be an immensely powerful force, even surpassing any other faction in the world. They were eagerly invited by various major powers to join their camps.
However, the leading Five Divine Kings had no desire to contend for supremacy. Their longstanding purpose had always been for the Divine Realm and to save all living beings; they harbored little ambition to dominate the world.
Among the various gods, some Heavenly Kings were invited by major powers to join their factions. Others preferred a peaceful life and hoped to follow the Five Divine Kings.
Finally, Ye Chen personally appeared and invited the Five Divine Kings to reside in the Central Imperial City. He stated that the Holy Domain had no intention of contending for supremacy over the years and had always worked to resolve issues for the peace of the world.
These matters were witnessed by the Primordial Barbarian Divine King, who acknowledged them.
Moreover, Ye Chen further hoped that the Five Divine Kings and the various gods could, at an appropriate time, travel to the myriad realms. That was a vaster, more expansive world, a place where gods could truly soar. No matter how large the Ancient Emperor Realm was, it was still too small compared to the myriad realms.
Even the Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord made an appearance, inviting the Five Divine Kings to visit the Heavenly Gate.
Finally, after several days of consideration, the Five Divine Kings agreed. Once the Ancient Emperor Realm was completely peaceful, they would soon travel to the myriad realms.
Some of the various gods' Heavenly Kings who followed the Five Divine Kings expressed their willingness to follow to the end, also hoping to leave this realm and witness the broader, infinite world.
After this event, the Holy Domain's strength increased greatly, gaining the allegiance of several ancient Great Sages. It could truly be said to be peerlessly overwhelming, with majestic divine might. Under the heavens, who could contend with it?
Even factions like the Demon God Hall, Beast God Palace, Tai Sheng Upper Palace, and even the Imperial Clan—ancient supreme clans with Emperor heritage—were extremely wary of the Holy Domain.
It could be said that the current Holy Domain, aside from not being eternal, possessed a foundation so powerful that it was even more terrifying than the supreme holy lands in the myriad realms. With several ancient Great Sages present, under the heavens, looking across the myriad realms throughout history, how many factions could achieve this?
Very few.
However, Ye Chen was not satisfied. He actively appeared and went to the shattered Divine Realm to find a person—
The Old Knight!
This was an ancient Great Sage-level figure. Though very aged, he was still immensely powerful, and no one dared to overlook his existence.
Ye Chen warmly invited him to join the Holy Domain.
Unfortunately, the Old Knight left. He had witnessed the Ruins Emperor entering the Primordial Immortal Realm but did not follow, nor could he. He left the Ancient Emperor Continent, stating he would return to the Demon God Ruins in the Ancient God Continent to stand guard there, either waiting for his master, the Ruins Emperor, to return or quietly awaiting the day of his future passing.
Ye Chen sighed. Although he failed to retain the top-tier combat power of a Great Sage, he did not force the issue. He saw him off, stating that soon he would cross the Chaotic Sea and return to the Ancient God Continent for a visit, at which time he would pay a visit.
From this day onward, the ancient Great Powers from the myriad realms left one after another, returning to the myriad realms and no longer staying.
The Holy Feather Venerable One and the Flame God Venerable One did the same, as their positions were important and they could not be away from their respective factions for too long. However, Xia Zhidi temporarily stayed behind and, under the Flame God Venerable One's subtle hint, was to interact more with Ye Chen.
Xia Zhidi naturally understood the Flame God Venerable One's meaning.
Not long after, a special group of people suddenly appeared in the Imperial City. They were powerful, not lacking in Heavenly Kings, and among them were several ancient Great Sages. They were a mysteriously ancient faction, terrifyingly powerful, never having appeared before.
The Guardian Clan!
This was a special clan that had always guarded the safety of the Central Imperial City, extremely powerful. Even during the most prosperous Divine Era of the past, they were a race that the ancient Great Sages had to be quite wary of, lurking in the shadows. Now, they had finally fully emerged.
This was puzzling. Previously, even when the Profound Gate opened, allowing entry to the Profound Land, this mysterious clan had not appeared. Now they suddenly emerged, causing immense surprise.
Although the Guardian Clan was very powerful, not lacking in ancient Great Sages, they did not leave directly. Instead, they went to the Central Heavenly Palace of the Holy Domain's hall, startling Ye Chen and also causing the temporarily staying Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord, Xia Zhidi, and the Five Divine Kings to appear.
Ye Chen did not take it lightly. He quickly strode forward to welcome them, ushering this mysterious clan into the Central Heavenly Palace with high-level courtesy.
During this time, the chieftain of the Guardian Clan was a white-haired elder, very old in years, with cultivation so profound it was unfathomable. He proactively stated the reason for their visit.
They hoped the Holy Domain could take on the role of protecting the Guardian Clan's current younger generation. The Guardian Clan needed to leave because their mission in the Ancient Emperor Realm was complete, and they had a more important mission to undertake.
Ye Chen and the various Great Powers were surprised and asked what mission it was.
"We need to go to the Tenth Emperor's Pass to guard the Emperor's Pass. This is the mission left to our clan by the Tai Sheng Emperor," the Guardian Clan's chieftain replied, astonishing everyone.
The Tai Sheng Emperor had actually left such a mission for this clan.
The Guardian Clan's chieftain said that originally their mission in the Ancient Emperor Realm was to guard the safety of the Central Imperial City, but in truth, the greater mission was to emerge and protect all living beings when disaster struck the Divine Realm.
For example, during the time of the peerless Great Evil on the other side of the Immortal Heavenly Pass, they were almost about to choose to emerge and join the battle. But seeing the Great Powers from the myriad realms unite and bring forth Supreme Emperor Weapons to repel the peerless Great Evil, they ultimately did not emerge.
Because they felt it was enough; there was no need for them to act. The Great Powers from the myriad realms could also fulfill this mission well. They needed to preserve more sufficient strength to go guard the Tenth Emperor's Pass.
Ye Chen frowned and said, "May I ask, Elder, why not bring these younger generations? Haven't many powerful clans brought their entire clans there? Moreover, I feel that training there might be better for their growth."
"There's no need to train at the Emperor's Pass. Our clan has its own training ground, sufficient for them to grow, no less than the current Tenth Emperor's Pass," the chieftain said, then revealed a bitter smile. "Little friend, it's not that this old man doesn't want to bring them, but I cannot. Because the great calamity is not far off."
He suddenly said such words, causing everyone present to change expressions on the spot. What did this mean?
"Our Guardian Clan has not always been in the Ancient Emperor Realm. There is another branch at the Tenth Emperor's Pass, with whom we have always maintained contact. According to the news received, in recent years, the movements of the alien race have become increasingly frequent, and truly powerful existences have begun to appear. We have even sensed the terror of a Monarch realm descending before."
"It must be known that since the beginning of this epoch, the number of times alien race Monarchs have descended into the Chaos Sea passage can be counted on one hand. Each occurrence is separated by who knows how many years. But in recent years, it has happened more than two or three times. All these signs indicate that the situation is gradually becoming more severe, and it is very likely that the great destruction war of the previous epoch will erupt again."
These words immediately caused everyone present to change expressions, never expecting the situation beyond the Tenth Emperor's Pass to be so severe.
"Everyone need not worry too much. Actually, this is just speculation and may not be true; it could be the alien race creating illusions," the Guardian Clan's chieftain said. But among those present, how many could truly not worry?
"This time we come, we do not wish for our clan to be completely annihilated. We hope to leave some seeds so that our Guardian Clan can continue its legacy. Looking across the Ancient Emperor Realm, only you, Lord of the Holy Domain, are the most trustworthy person. Therefore, our Guardian Clan has come boldly to plead. If the Lord of the Holy Domain can help, our Guardian Clan will be eternally grateful," the chieftain said, clasping his fists and bowing deeply.
A group of powerful members from the Guardian Clan behind him followed suit, clasping their fists and bowing.
"Chieftain, you are too courteous. The Guardian Clan is going to guard our universe. If there is anything I can do, I, Ye Chen, will naturally not refuse. There is no need for such a grand gesture," Ye Chen hurriedly stopped them from bowing.
This was a respectable clan, now heading to the Tenth Emperor's Pass, facing the alien race most directly, where the risk of annihilation could arise at any moment. If there was anything he could assist with, how could he not help?