The Ancient Realm was filled with auspicious colors, streaks and wisps of them everywhere, with laws permeating the air and a myriad of phenomena within.
Three thousand Divine Islands floated here, each accompanied by different phenomena and radiance. Saintly light shone in beams, Dao marks drifted in wisps, appearing extraordinarily sacred.
The main gate of the Imperial City was open. Many of the Ye Family's clan elders and renowned elders personally appeared to welcome guests from all sides. This was an unprecedented grand event.
Streaks of flowing light appeared across the heavens and earth. Anyone qualified to come was a true honored guest, all important figures from major powers, carrying significant weight and representing their entire factions.
Saint Lords from the various heavenly Sacred Lands were not uncommon. Even some reclusive old monsters had appeared, making for a grand lineup. Thus, the Ye Family had to open the Imperial City to welcome guests from all sides.
It could even be seen that many of the younger generation's Heaven's Pride prodigies had also arrived, each like dragons or phoenixes, possessing extraordinary potential and great strength. Most were heirs or successors of major powers.
Many of them had already grown up, reaching the Saint Treasury Realm. Some had already begun serving as Deputy Saint Lords, and some were even contemporary Saint Lords, having taken charge of vast Immortal Sacred Lands, truly becoming major figures who dominated the rise and fall of entire regions.
They were also welcomed inside. Spirit children had long since stepped forward, and renowned elders from the clan personally came to lead the various honored guests into the Imperial City one after another, heading towards the central treasure pavilion where the family competition was being held.
On a Divine Island relatively close to the center among the three thousand, the Goddess, Chen'er, Yi Wu, Yaya, Ruoxi, and the two little beasts appeared, but they did not go looking for Ye Chen, knowing he would appear in the treasure pavilion.
"Let's go too, to meet up with Qian Yue there," the Goddess spoke. The five women, with the two little beasts, soared through the air, arriving directly at the Imperial City's main gate.
Although veiled with light gauze and all women, no one dared to look down on them, for at this moment, the women all exuded extraordinary auras.
Especially the leading woman, whose brows were like autumn water, stunningly beautiful, yet the aura emanating from her was filled with a noble and awe-inspiring quality that would make even a Saint Lord feel solemn. Clearly, they were no ordinary individuals, not to be underestimated lightly.
No one dared to block their entry. A clan elder from the Ye Family even personally came out to welcome the women into the Imperial City.
"May I ask for your invitation letters—" the clan elder spoke up. He did not know the women's identities and was somewhat awkward, hoping to ascertain their status through the invitations.
"Not on us," the Goddess said directly, stating they did not have invitation letters on them, which made the clan elder pause, but he did not act.
Because this was the Ye imperial clan. No one dared to act recklessly here. The fact that they could enter through the main gate of the ancient pass indicated they had the qualification.
"In that case, please follow me to the Heavenly Heart Hall," the clan elder said enthusiastically, leading the women to the central treasure pavilion, the Heavenly Heart Hall.
Elsewhere, within the Ye imperial clan's Ancient Realm, the many prepared Ye Family branches and the younger generation had successively received instructions from the clan's renowned elders and filed into the Imperial City through another passage.
"Let's go."
Ye Chen spoke up, yet he did not walk at the very front. Instead, he followed beside his father, Ye Ao, to lead the clansmen forward.
Soon, they crossed through a majestic city gate and entered the Ye imperial clan's peerless Imperial City.
The Imperial City was extremely majestic, far surpassing the main cities of the major domains in the myriad realms and not inferior to the Central Imperial City in the Ancient Emperor Realm. It also contained immortal Emperor laws within, appearing solemn and dignified. It was the peerless Imperial City personally built by the Heavenly Heart Sword Emperor of the Mythical Era—Heavenly Heart City!
It was said that every Emperor of the Mythical Era had an Imperial City, and this Heavenly Heart City was his.
The Imperial City was immortal and imposing. All members of the Ye Family branches entering it frequently gazed around, lingering and reluctant to leave.
Because not just anyone could casually enter the Imperial City. Only true direct descendants and important figures could reside here permanently. Otherwise, other collateral branches who rashly trespassed would face severe punishment.
The most serious offenders could even be executed. Today was a rare opportunity.
Moreover, they all felt their blood boiling within their bodies here, experiencing an unusual resonance, as if their entire bodies were about to glow with radiant light. A mysterious power seemed to be stirring.
This was the resonance of bloodline. Heavenly Heart City was the Heavenly Heart Sword Emperor's Imperial City, containing his aura and Emperor Dao laws. Any clansman cultivating here would sense a special aura guiding them, making cultivation twice as effective.
Especially the Tian Du branch, which had unlocked the seals within their bodies, felt their internal power flow much more smoothly, experiencing a strange sense of ethereal clarity, as if their entire beings had become more active.
Ye Chen also felt a similar stirring within himself. This was likely the trace of thin Emperor bloodline within his body. However, as his saintly blood circulated and his blood energy boiled, he immediately suppressed it.
At this moment, a clan elder's figure descended from the sky. He looked at the many Ye Family branch clansmen—not only the Tian Du branch but also other branches scattered outside or living within the Ye Family's Ancient Realm—and waved his sleeve, signaling them to follow.
These branches needed to go to another place, naturally not the central continuous heavenly palace treasure pavilions and such. Those were the most solemn and important grounds, used to entertain honored guests from various places.
Upon arriving at a treasure hall, the clan elder spoke up, telling them all to wait here. Before the family competition began, they needed to wait here and were not to leave easily. He also warned that leaving without permission would result in severe punishment.
The treasure hall was large enough to accommodate over ten thousand people from the many branches. However, the family competition was not for everyone to participate in—that was impossible. They were only here to unlock the sealed Emperor bloodline within their bodies.
The true family competition was only for those sufficiently dazzling prodigies among the clan's younger generation to participate in.
In the great hall, everyone stood separately, each group keeping to themselves, naturally with the Tian Du branch clansmen gathered together.
However, many felt inexplicably surprised. They had always heard that the Tian Du branch, due to their ancestor Ye Ruoxian, was heavily suppressed and targeted by the powerful main family branch. Its strongest members bore hidden injuries. Yet now, looking at them, each seemed full of essence, energy, and spirit, appearing very vigorous. This was surprising.
Some even noticed with shock and suspicion that the Tian Du branch members seemed to have experienced significant increases in cultivation. What exactly had happened?
However, before others could inquire, the clan elder who had left and returned reappeared and arranged for everyone to enter a spacious square. There, a stele stood erected, like an immortal heavenly stele, carrying a powerful pressure.
"Some of your branches have been scattered outside for over a thousand years. The Emperor bloodline within your bodies is also in a sealed state. Now, follow the steps to unlock the Emperor bloodline within your bodies," the clan elder spoke up.