The center of the Myriad Domains comprised nine great prefectures, each one vast enough to rival an entire major domain, incredibly expansive.
The Ye Clan was located in Tianxin Prefecture, the Dragon-Phoenix Academy in Dragon-Phoenix Prefecture, while the central prefecture among the nine was the legendary Human Sovereign's Prefecture, also known as the Imperial Prefecture. It was the prefecture where the Human Sovereign of the Myriad Domains resided.
The unparalleled Human Sovereign Palace was situated within that vast prefecture.
The group rode the Void God Platform, directly traversing the sky like a streak of aurora, not piercing into the endless chaotic spatial streams but speeding through the myriad realms, able to appreciate the boundless scenery of the Human Sovereign's Prefecture.
Being in the Human Sovereign's Prefecture, one could directly feel the majestic aura contained within this great prefecture. The myriad Daos of the heavens seemed many times clearer, as if one were approaching the source of all Daos.
Furthermore, across the vast land, numerous powerful auras rose and fell, hidden and revealed. It was truly a place where tigers crouched and dragons hid, a dragon's pool and tiger's den. Who knew how many peerless experts were concealed within, immeasurably fearsome.
Deeper within the earth, one massive ancestral vein after another stretched across, the dragon veins of the myriad realms, rooted here, continuously spewing forth endless vital essence to nourish this central prefecture, drawing the myriad heavenly Daos near.
One could even sense that the Human Sovereign's Prefecture exuded a supreme aura.
Ye Chen had sensed it before—on the Imprint of the Great Saint Emperor, on the River of Time—that was the supreme aura belonging to Emperors and Sovereigns, eternal and immortal.
Since time immemorial, generation after generation of Human Sovereigns had presided here, imprinting this vast prefecture with the aura of Emperors and Sovereigns, resonating with heaven and earth, making it extraordinarily extraordinary.
But only truly powerful figures could sense it. Those below the Heavenly King level, like Ye Chen and other peerless figures, would find it difficult to perceive.
"So this is the legendary Human Sovereign's Prefecture? It is indeed extraordinary!"
Ye Chen was amazed. This place was truly powerful. The Hundred Schools of Thought, the Immortal Sacred Lands, the Supreme Sacred Lands, and other major powers were all concentrated in this prefecture. Countless ancient forces stood tall, with continuous ranges of immortal mountains and divine islands floating, all showcasing the various extraordinary aspects of this prefecture.
The nine prefectures were the center of the Myriad Domains, and the Human Sovereign's Prefecture was the center of that center, surpassing any major domain in the myriad realms, the most prosperous and flourishing place.
War King nodded. "The Human Sovereign's Prefecture is indeed extraordinarily extraordinary. Many sacred land forces from the myriad realms are rooted here, imperial clans are situated here, and there are mythical remnant clans. Experts rarely seen elsewhere are common here, and this is even more true for the various powerful clans."
This place was too extraordinary, gathering too many top-tier forces and experts from the myriad realms. Perhaps anyone casually encountered could hail from an Immortal Sacred Land or be at the Saint Treasury Realm or above. Saint Lord-level figures were not uncommon here.
Even Heavenly Kings, though rare, were not lofty legends as in other major domains; their figures could occasionally be seen.
On the Void God Platform, seven people and one beast sped through, charging towards the Human Sovereign City. However, before they fully arrived, they sensed intense fluctuations stirring ahead.
Powerful experts were confronting each other. Two vast surges of divine energy shook heaven and earth, splitting mountains and cracking the ground, accompanied by intense Dao marks rippling out, sweeping in all directions and tearing through the void.
However, this did not stop Ye Chen and the others. They swept past, rapidly distancing themselves from the battlefield.
War King said, "Although the Human Sovereign's Prefecture is far more prosperous than other prefectures, precisely because the forces are complex and intertwined, the situation is much more severe. There are many hostile forces and feuds here, far more terrifying than in other major domains."
Ye Chen nodded. The confrontation just now involved two ancient Saints. In any other major domain, that would be considered a top-tier duel that attracted everyone's attention, yet in the center of the Myriad Domains, it was not.
Along the way, they encountered several more confrontations, all involving Saints or above, rarely below the Saint level. Collisions erupted with brilliant sparks, heaven-shattering and earth-rending, extremely grand and shocking.
Once, it was even a collision between Samsara-level experts, fighting fiercely, nearly affecting Ye Chen's group's passage, but they ultimately avoided it.
Finally, they arrived at the legendary first city of the Myriad Domains—the Human Sovereign City!
The Human Sovereign City, the absolute center of the myriad realms, because of the number one force, the Human Sovereign Palace, because of the supreme Human Sovereign, the true focal point of the world's affairs.
The Void God Platform tore through the void, arriving before a rather prosperous area stretching for who knew how many li. A large number of cultivators streamed in from all directions, exceptionally bustling.
"The Human Sovereign City is this big?" Ye Chen was slightly startled because it was too expansive. The city was so large, its end could not be seen, filling the entire field of vision.
Behind him, one of the Heavenly King captives, an imperial clan Heavenly King known as the Bitter Refinement Heavenly King, sneered coldly, "What Human Sovereign City? This is just the prosperous area surrounding the Human Sovereign City. There's still some distance to the actual Human Sovereign City."
The real Human Sovereign City naturally wasn't like this. It had tall city walls, far more extraordinary. What lay before them was merely a prosperous area built relying on the Human Sovereign City, appearing flourishing. Originally different small towns, due to prosperity, had eventually connected, forming this extremely prosperous and bustling area before their eyes.
This was a prosperous oasis, built adjacent to the Human Sovereign City, extremely vast with continuous towns. There were cultivators and ordinary mortals conducting business and cultivation here.
Even the most arrogant bandits wouldn't dare come to plunder here because this was the true central area of the Myriad Domains. Not only was it under the jurisdiction of the Human Sovereign City, with genuine Human Sovereign Palace experts stationed here, but various top-tier forces also had personnel stationed here. Experts were as numerous as clouds, masters abundant.
One could see streams of light streaking from all directions, entering this prosperous area, all experts from major forces.
Upon arriving here, Ye Chen and the others disembarked from the Void God Platform, intending to proceed towards the Human Sovereign City from here.
The four Heavenly King captives were all enveloped in divine radiance because they were nearly naked, only wearing shorts. Now they used divine radiance to cover their bodies, not wanting others to know their true identities as captives, for it was a great humiliation.
Their speed was fast. In just a few breaths, they traversed the continuous prosperous area, advancing a full thousand li before finally arriving before the true Human Sovereign City.
Looking up, an imperial city of indescribable grandeur appeared before their eyes.
To call it grand was an understatement, for Ye Chen almost doubted this wasn't a city but rather those Immortal Heavenly Passes he had seen in the past.
It was only because the city gates of the Human Sovereign City were too majestic, already towering into the clouds. Even from the distant horizon, they could be clearly seen, truly soaring into the clouds, piercing into the heavens above like a patch of night sky.
The entire structure was pitch black like ink, carrying a sense of immortal, eternal substance. Vaguely visible on the majestic city gates were actually massive stars embedded within, bearing mottled marks of battle. This scene seemed familiar, very similar to the Immortal Heavenly Passes.
Moreover, standing here, Ye Chen clearly felt the aura of the city gates, very similar to the Immortal Heavenly Passes he had encountered before, making him wonder—what was going on?
He now truly suspected he had encountered those Immortal Heavenly Passes once again.
At this moment, one of the imperial clan Heavenly Kings suddenly spoke up. "There is a legend that the origin of the Human Sovereign City's construction is extraordinarily extraordinary. Its city gates come from an Immortal Heavenly Pass, severed by a certain peerless existence, thus establishing this Human Sovereign City."
Such a legend was undoubtedly astonishing. The Human Sovereign City actually had such an origin? Its city gates originated from an Immortal Heavenly Pass, severed by someone to build this imperial city.
Ye Chen had personally witnessed the sturdiness of the Immortal Heavenly Passes, virtually unbreakable, worthy of being called Emperor's Passes. Probably only a supreme existence of the level of mythical Emperors and Sovereigns could sever one; otherwise, who else could accomplish such a feat?
"The origin of the Human Sovereign City is very ancient. Some ancient texts record that the origin of this imperial city might even be an imperial city from the Mythical Era." Even the imperial clan Heavenly King spoke like this, with a sigh.
Because the Human Sovereign City was truly too ancient. Its origin couldn't be traced back to which era. Even some extremely ancient texts recorded that since the opening of heaven and earth in this epoch, this unparalleled imperial city had existed, not built by a Human Sovereign.
There were legends that in the boundless ages past, after the appearance of the first Human Sovereign, heaven and earth resonated, and the Human Sovereign City descended from the heavens to settle in this region, also making this place the center of the Myriad Domains.
Whether it was an imperial city from the Mythical Era, established by a peerless existence severing an Immortal Heavenly Pass, or an immortal city that descended because of the first Human Sovereign—all these various legends proved that the Human Sovereign City had a heaven-defying origin.
"Yiyi—" Suddenly, Yiyi, coiled on Ye Chen's shoulder, lifted its little head, looking at the Human Sovereign City. Its large, pitch-black eyes revealed a look of confusion as it muttered to itself, "Little Yueyue, why do I feel like I've seen the Human Sovereign City before?"
Ye Chen shuddered, looking at Yiyi in astonishment.
Because Yiyi's origin had always been mysterious. Even facing the golden little divine dragon, a pure-blooded True Dragon, it showed no fear of bloodline pressure, remaining unmoved. One could imagine Yiyi's origin must be extraordinary, possibly not inferior to a True Dragon.
Yet even someone as powerful as the current Ye Chen, or the Heaven's Gate Sect Master, an ancient Great Sage, were shrouded in mist regarding Yiyi's origin, never knowing.
Now, right beneath the Human Sovereign City, Yiyi actually felt a sense of familiarity. This shocked him. He urged Yiyi to recall, to see if it could uncover any memories of its origins.
But Yiyi shook its little head in confusion. "I don't know. I just feel a sense of déjà vu, like I encountered it many years ago, with very intense battles, blood chaos shattering the heavens, but I just can't remember."
Ye Chen's heart was shaken. The last time the Human Sovereign City experienced a great war was probably in the distant Primordial Times, the war of the Primordial Divine Demons. If so, did that mean Yiyi was at least a being from that era?
Seeing the little beast's confused appearance, Ye Chen couldn't help but pity it, gently rubbing its head. "Don't worry. You'll remember sooner or later."
"Mhm." Yiyi nodded.
"Sigh—"
But no one heard it. At the moment they left, a sigh suddenly sounded in the void...