The other party's origins were far from simple; he was no ordinary ancient Great Power. Otherwise, he would never have been so powerful, nor would he have caused Tian Huang to become restrained.
Ye Chen pondered, but unfortunately, he had no leads, as all of this lay beyond his current understanding.
He felt that while the lineage of the Battle Saint was invincible in the world, it was not without enemies. The lineage of the Great Power from the Ancient Divine Palace was very likely the sworn enemy of the Battle Saint lineage.
It was just a pity that even with the experiences of two lifetimes, he had never learned about these matters.
However, he no longer dwelled on it. The boat would straighten itself when it reached the bridgehead. When it was time for him to know, he would naturally know.
It was just a shame about that mass of Great Power-level origin essence. It was incredibly powerful, probably comparable to the origin essences of the Undying Great Sage, the Great Power of the Solar Divine Dynasty, and the Great Power of the Ancient Night Hall—perhaps even stronger. It made him quite covetous.
Ye Chen had employed almost every means at his disposal but was unable to seize it, leaving him with some regret.
Although he had been defeated this time, and it was a crushing defeat at that, he felt not a shred of despondency. On the contrary, his eyes grew even more profound.
From the very beginning, this had never been a fair duel. He had been facing a peerless figure of the Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord's caliber, a titan among Great Powers who could sweep through all Great Powers across the realms. The fact that he had held out for so long before being defeated was already quite remarkable. Any other ancient Great Power who stepped forward probably wouldn't have done better than Ye Chen.
Moreover, Ye Chen was not a true ancient Great Power in the end. If he had reached the Great Power realm, this battle would likely have been a different story.
However, this battle had allowed him to realize some of his own shortcomings, bringing him some gains. After lingering here for a day, he rose to his full height and went straight to the Ancient Immortal Hall.
Within the ancient hall, the Great Power Gu Changsheng had not left, as if he had long anticipated this and had been waiting for his arrival all along.
"Who is he?" Ye Chen got straight to the point, his gaze sharp and piercing.
Gu Changsheng remained silent for a long time before saying, "It cannot be spoken. When it is time for you to know, you will know. That is his command."
Ye Chen fell silent. The so-called "he" likely referred to the Great Power of the Ancient Divine Palace. To think he could make even Gu Changsheng obey his orders showed just how formidable the other party was.
At this point, Ye Chen did not press further. Instead, he said, "I want to see one more thing."
"Very well."
Gu Changsheng seemed to know what Ye Chen was thinking. He rose to his full height and led Ye Chen to the highest point of the Ancient Divine Palace's world. There, a dark, deep, and mysterious Black Hole existed, alongside a mysterious ancient bronze coffin lying across it, as if it had appeared to suppress the Black Hole. It was unknown what it was.
"Where does the Black Hole lead?" Ye Chen asked.
"The Land of Darkness, the Prison where the alien race is confined," Gu Changsheng stated bluntly.
Ye Chen wasn't particularly surprised. In fact, when he had served as the master of the Holy Domain, he had collected numerous historical records and thus learned some of the true inside stories.
Long before the Primordial Battle, what the Great Emperor Tai Sheng had suppressed was not just the alien race's Emperor. He had also suppressed the endless alien race powerhouses who had not completely retreated after the Great Mythical Destruction War. For certain reasons, they were imprisoned in another dark Prison, with the Primordial Ancient God being the one responsible for guarding the dark Prison.
Later, after the Great Mythical Destruction and the birth of the Myriad Domains Epoch, the Primordial Battle erupted not long after. The alien race's Emperor broke the seal with his tragic body and emerged into the world. Moreover, a corner of the dark Prison was also broken open, and the alien race powerhouses imprisoned within sought to rush out and wreak havoc in the Ancient Emperor Realm.
In the end, although the alien race's Emperor was completely slain by the four supreme existences led by the Human Sovereign, at that time, the Human Sovereign had departed, the Primordial Ancient God had fallen, and the Primordial Monarch and the Ruins Emperor were both severely injured, unable to completely annihilate all the alien race's armies. They could only suppress them once more within the dark Prison.
However, the Black Hole torn open in the dark Prison contained the supreme immortal laws of the alien race's Emperor and could not be repaired. Therefore, this ancient bronze coffin, which contained a supreme existence, was used to guard it.
From Ye Chen's understanding, the immortal aura emanating from the Black Hole was the origin aura left behind by the alien race powerhouses after being worn down by time. It transformed into the most fundamental power, continuously nourishing and enriching this world of the Ancient Divine Palace, creating a uniquely favorable cultivation environment.
"Who is buried within the coffin?" Ye Chen asked.
"The Primordial Ancient God."
Hearing this, Ye Chen's expression did not show much surprise. On the contrary, a sense of reverence arose within him—respect for the Primordial Monarch, who even after death was buried within the ancient bronze coffin to suppress the dark Prison.
He stood there and performed a grand bow towards the ancient bronze coffin, bowing three times in succession—the highest form of etiquette.
At this point, Ye Chen's karma in the Ancient Emperor Realm was almost completely resolved. The only regret was the mysterious Great Power-level origin essence of the sworn enemy lineage that he had not obtained, but he no longer dwelled on it.
On this day, Ye Chen finally left the world of the Ancient Divine Palace and had the nine Heavenly Kings release the Nine Stars Grand Array, unlocking the Ancient Divine City.
This allowed the various powerhouses of the Ancient Divine Palace to breathe a sigh of relief, as if a great mountain pressing on their hearts had been lifted, making them feel much lighter all over.
This was truly unprecedented. Having dominated the Ancient Divine Continent for so many years, the Ancient Divine Palace, as its ruler, especially with an ancient Great Power present, had now been pressed to the point of nearly suffocating by a single young man.
At the same time, it also allowed people to witness the peerless monstrous talent of the Battle Saint King. In just a few short decades, he had grown to this level. No one knew to what heights he would ascend after a few more decades.
A Great Power?
It didn't seem impossible.
It must be said that Ye Chen had carved out a formidable reputation for himself. After several decades, he once again shook the Ancient Divine Continent with his fame. Moreover, the world learned that he had successfully crossed the Chaotic Sea and established a supreme great religion on the other side, in the legendary Ancient Emperor Continent, dominating the world, which was even more astonishing.
Furthermore, Ye Chen did not leave immediately. Deeply aware that the opportunity was rare, he took this chance to announce to the world the establishment of an immortal holy land—the Holy Domain!
This declaration shook the entire Ancient Divine Continent, stirring up massive waves.
Was this meant to completely oppose the Ancient Divine Palace?
But the powerhouses of the nine great imperial dynasties understood well that Ye Chen intended to establish an immortal Holy Domain even on the Ancient Divine Continent, competing with the Ancient Divine Palace for the world's Faith Power.
A supreme great religion, under Ye Chen's leadership, was rapidly rising on the Ancient Divine Continent at an astonishing speed. In just a few months, it dominated the world, infuriating the powerhouses of the Ancient Divine Palace while leaving them helpless.
Moreover, Gu Changsheng did not intervene to stop it.
With the support of the nine great imperial dynasties, the Holy Domain's rise was faster than anyone could have imagined. Additionally, during this period, Ye Chen had forcefully suppressed the Ancient Divine Palace, sweeping across the world with no match, and had successfully returned from the other side of the Chaotic Sea. Implicitly, he possessed the aura of the number one powerhouse on the Ancient Divine Continent.
Due to all these factors, soon, the Holy Domain spread throughout the entire Ancient Divine Continent. Stone statues of Ye Chen were successively erected in various places. Under his guidance, countless people abandoned their faith in the Ancient Divine Palace and turned to the Holy Domain.
Invisibly, vast amounts of Faith Power gathered between heaven and earth, rushing towards the Central Heavenly Palace on the Ancient Emperor Continent. Not even the Chaotic Sea could block the convergence of Faith Power.
Naturally, some groundless disputes arose during this period. Some powerhouses of the Ancient Divine Palace grew furious and frequently made covert moves to disrupt the Holy Domain and destroy Ye Chen's statues. However, they often failed because Ye Chen's statues were protected by Faith Power and resonated with heaven and earth, making them difficult to destroy.
The nine great imperial dynasties, with Ye Chen at their head, naturally supervised the world. Once they discovered anyone attempting destruction, they pursued relentlessly. Even if they knew the perpetrators were from the Ancient Divine Palace, they showed no fear and directly hunted them down.
Faced with this situation, even powerhouses from the Ancient Divine Palace dared not claim to be from the Ancient Divine Palace, instead calling themselves rogue cultivators. However, the result was often being suppressed time and again and having all their possessions seized.
Yet, the Ancient Divine Palace could only swallow this bitter pill in silence, because those who claimed to be from the Ancient Divine Palace faced even more terrifying punishments. Some even had their lifelong hard-earned cultivation abolished, including two Saint Lord-level figures.
Even Gu Changsheng spoke up, ordering the powerhouses of the Ancient Divine Palace to exercise restraint and not cause trouble.
After experiencing some twists and turns, the Holy Domain ultimately grew and flourished in the right direction, becoming increasingly prosperous.
Three months later, Ye Chen left a majestic stone statue in the Tian Xu Imperial Dynasty, gathering the Faith Power of the Ancient Divine Continent within this statue. It contained a wisp of his divine sense, usually dormant but capable of awakening at critical moments, rivaling an ancient Great Power for a short time.
He also left the nine Heavenly Kings of the imperial dynasties to guard the place for a period, unable to take them away from the Ancient Emperor Realm immediately to avoid interference from the Ancient Divine Palace.
Thus, his worldly ties on the Ancient Divine Continent were severed. Ye Chen needed to return to the Ancient Emperor Continent.
Because the date was approaching, he needed to go to the imperial clan, the Ye Family, to welcome his parents and loved ones.
When he left, he did not tell anyone, because he sensed a particularly special strand of Faith Power within the endless faith of the Ancient Divine Continent. It contained longing and admiration.
He knew who it was. He could only sigh softly, unwilling to ruin her entire life. In the end, he and she had only met by chance like dew. Still, he was grateful for her trust and asked the royal family of the Tian Du Imperial Dynasty to look after her a bit more.
In the imperial capital, a graceful figure seemed to sense something. She looked up at the sky, her eyes filled with longing and a sense of finality. Tears moistened her lapels, leaving the beauty alone and haggard.
Behind her, her father, now the Grand Marshal of the imperial dynasty, could only sigh softly. That kind of person was always lofty and unreachable, like two parallel lines with little chance of truly intersecting.
With a single step, mountains and rivers reversed. Ye Chen arrived at the edge of the Ancient Divine Continent, about to leave completely.
"Master, may I leave this place with you?"
As he was leaving, a demonic dragon appeared, thicker than a mountain range and very powerful. It was none other than the Azure Dragon he had brought out from the Demonic God Ruins decades ago.
Having stayed on the Ancient Divine Continent for decades without being taken away, it had also been hunted by powerhouses from the Ancient Divine Palace but survived and grew even stronger. Now it appeared, hoping to follow Ye Chen away.
"Very well, I will take you away. But there will be many dangers along the way; you must face them well on your own."
Ye Chen nodded, taking it with him. He also intended to give it an opportunity to leave the Ancient Emperor Realm and head to the myriad realms. There, a vaster, more magnificent world awaited, more exciting, more conducive to cultivation, but also more dangerous.
With the Azure Dragon, Ye Chen entered the Chaotic Sea. This time, his speed increased. The various chaotic storms could not touch him; he was like a deity.
He traversed the chaotic storms, faster than before. He only glanced at the dark world within the abyssal Black Hole from afar, not venturing to explore it.
Finally, he returned directly to the headquarters in the Central Imperial City.
In the Central Heavenly Palace, the Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord, the five Divine Kings, Xia Zhidi, the Three Immortal Maidens, Yiyi, Yaya, the Golden Little Divine Dragon, Ruoxi, Weil, the Peacock King, and others had long been waiting, with only Ye Chen missing.
During this time, Ye Chen stayed a few extra days for final adjustments.
At the last moment, the Ancient Barbarian God King temporarily decided to withdraw, no longer going to the myriad realms. He intended to guard the headquarters of the Holy Domain's great religion, also to prevent some from taking advantage to attack the Holy Domain, and likewise because he could not bear to leave the barbarian tribe.
"Senior Barbarian God, the Holy Domain now has the Central Imperial City as its cover. No one can conquer it. Moreover, with endless faith and wish power, even a Great Power need not be feared. There is no need to worry; everything will be safe," Ye Chen tried to persuade him.
"That's right, Barbarian God. As a Great Power, you should not remain in this realm. The myriad realms are the true vast ocean and sky, worthy of your exploration," the Nine Void Divine King also spoke up.
But the Ancient Barbarian God King said, "You all go. I am already tired. I should have died back in the Age of Gods. I clung to life only to protect the continent's living beings from being slaughtered. But now everything is over. My heart is weary; I do not wish to continue participating in worldly conflicts. Remaining to guard the Holy Domain is the best choice for me."
He was determined, unwilling to change his mind despite persuasion from Ye Chen and several others.
In the end, Ye Chen could only accept it, saying that if he ever wished to in the future, he would come to take him to the myriad realms at any time.
However, during this period, another sudden change occurred. The Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord, Xia Zhidi, and the four Divine Kings left ahead of schedule because they had received an edict from the Human Sovereign Palace—something unprecedented.
From the center of the Myriad Domains, the supreme Human Sovereign's edict was proclaimed, ordering all powerhouses at the Great Power level and above to gather at the Human Sovereign Palace to discuss epochal matters concerning the entire universe, related to the border regions.
During this period, shocking changes had occurred beyond the Tenfold Imperial Pass at the universe's border, alarming even the Human Sovereign.
The ancient Great Powers like the Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord had no choice but to leave first, but they stated they would reunite with Ye Chen and the others at the center of the Myriad Domains later.
Moreover, the Peacock King was also sent by Ye Chen to the Heavenly Gate, not allowing him to follow along.
His foundation was flawed. Ye Chen sent him to the Heavenly Gate to follow Wang Chen, which would provide indispensable help for him to undergo reincarnation again.
"I must leave too. Although I've been very happy with all of you, I still want to embark on the journey alone. Because I have a special feeling that traveling alone will help me find my true self."
Weil sighed with emotion but was unwilling to follow the group. Accustomed to a carefree, solitary life, he also left on his own first.
In the end, only Ye Chen, the Three Immortal Maidens, Yaya, Ruoxi, and the two little beasts remained, which wasn't exactly lonely.
But Ye Chen felt a sense of finality. Old friends left one after another; in the end, not many remained.
However, soon, the light in his eyes grew brilliant once more.
"Let's go. Leave the Ancient Emperor Realm and return to the myriad realms."
Ye Chen spoke and opened the spatial gate of the Central Imperial City, leading to the myriad realms, connecting the two worlds.
Everything in the Ancient Emperor Realm was coming to an end. The figures of Ye Chen and his party disappeared into the spatial gate, embarking on the journey to the imperial clan, the Ye Family.