"All of this is the blessing of our ancestors."
Ye Chen let out a soft sigh. In that simple sentence, who knew how many meanings were contained.
If not for the Samsara Six Paths Coffin that day, if not for the Saint Ancestor Emperor Blood, if not for the last wisp of remnant soul and Chaos True Blood preserved under the protection of the Formless Sovereign's Saint's remains, Ye Chen would never have survived.
It could be said that everything was the blessing of his ancestors.
This point was absolutely correct, no matter what!
Seeing this, the other ancient Great Sages did not press further, unwilling to bring up this sorrowful matter.
After the festivities, the Great Powers from the myriad realms bid farewell to Ye Chen and left one after another.
But having fought together and drunk together, their relationships had become much more familiar. And one could imagine that perhaps in the not-too-distant future, they would be fighting side by side once more.
Because beyond the Tenfold Emperor Passes, the actions of the alien race never ceased. Time and again, they relentlessly assaulted the Tenth Emperor Pass, seeking to invade the Sealed Realm Universe.
For now, the Tenth Emperor Pass was indeed held, but what if several alien Emperors appeared in the future to attack the pass? It wasn't certain that the pass wouldn't be breached.
Just as he had in the Central Imperial City, Ye Chen left behind a wisp of his divine soul, condensed into a Faith Power avatar to guard the Ancient Orchid Great World, and then departed from it. Using the Imperial City's Domain Gate, he headed for the Heavenly Gate.
He had received some news. Over these years, the Heavenly Gate's plight hadn't been much better than that of the Holy Domain Great Sect; it too had been targeted by many forces.
Especially some supreme forces, due to the Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord's former domineering attitude, had heavily suppressed it. Now that the Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord was gone, they naturally sought to exact corresponding revenge.
However, because the Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord had performed great meritorious deeds, they still didn't dare act too openly. There was also the occasional protection from Xia Zhidi and others, and the myriad realms still chanted the Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord's virtues. Who would dare truly strike?
Furthermore, with Wangchen and several Heavenly Kings guarding it, this made the situation somewhat better than that of the Holy Domain Great Sect.
Even so, while not daring to act openly, some enemies struck in secret, carrying out specific targeting.
For instance, within the last hundred years, Wangchen, who had become the next Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord, had also been targeted by these hostile forces. Once, while going out, he was besieged by several Heavenly Kings. If not for Wangchen's extraordinary cultivation and the enemies' own apprehensions, Wangchen might very well have perished there forever.
Even so, Wangchen suffered severe injuries and had been in closed-door cultivation for recovery for nearly thirty years, causing concern.
Within the Heavenly Gate's Immortal Celestial Mountain, deep within the mountain range, there was an opened-up alternate dimensional realm. It was the meditation site opened by the former Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord, gathering the essence of heaven and earth, with vast and pure spiritual energy, quite suitable for healing injuries.
Wangchen, as always, looked like a teenager in his teens, born with delicate features, appearing approachable like the boy next door. Yet he was an ancient Heavenly King who had lived for thousands of years, incredibly powerful.
In the past, he had almost failed to complete his Samsara successfully, nearly perishing and having his Dao extinguished. But in the end, he defied the heavens and returned, achieving the status of a supreme Heavenly King. He had once dominated the lower realms for a time, considered a legendary figure.
At this moment, he was meditating with closed eyes to heal, his entire body flowing with brilliant divine radiance, his flesh glowing with auspicious light. However, some areas were dull and dark, even appearing pitch-black and lightless, devouring the divine radiance blooming from the surrounding flesh, constantly affecting Wangchen's cultivation.
Only after half a day did Wangchen open his eyes, his complexion pale, and spit out a mouthful of stagnant blood.
As the stagnant blood was expelled, wisps of black mist steamed out from within, containing special, malevolent fragments of laws that easily annihilated the void, creating small black holes.
If an overlord or Saint Lord were contaminated by it, they would be instantly reduced to ashes.
The moment he spat out the black blood, Wangchen's complexion recovered significantly, showing a hint of rosiness.
Seeing this, another youth, delicate and beautiful enough to be called pretty, spoke from not far away: "Master, how much longer until your injuries are completely healed?"
This person was none other than the Peacock King. Moreover, judging by his aura, over these years, he had clearly successfully transcended Samsara and become a powerful Heavenly King.
It was precisely because of Wangchen's guidance and their similarities in various aspects that the Peacock King was willing to bow to Wangchen as his teacher, becoming his chief disciple.
Wangchen let out a soft sigh: "To fully recover, I'm afraid it will take another thirty years. These injuries may seem minor, but they penetrate deeply into the body and contain special rule power. They require constantly consuming divine power to suppress. But to truly heal completely will indeed require a long time."
Hearing this, the Peacock King's face, more delicate and exquisite than a woman's, was filled with coldness: "It's all because of those scoundrels. Before, they didn't dare strike. Now, taking advantage of the Gate Lord and Qian Yue being absent, they attack. If not for Master's sufficient cultivation strength, you might have fallen too."
Wangchen shook his head with a bitter smile: "It's all because we were too prosperous in the past, attracting jealousy. When the Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord and Qian Yue were still here, they naturally didn't dare act. But now that they're gone, we can only endure helplessly. For the Heavenly Gate's long-term legacy, some suffering, some hardship, must be endured."
"But Master, you—" the Peacock King began softly, yet the words died on his lips, swallowed back with helplessness.
Though he was a Heavenly King, he felt a sense of powerlessness. Because even as a Heavenly King, one couldn't truly act with absolute arrogance; at the very least, one needed to be an ancient Great Sage to do so.
But to reach that realm, how many years would it take?
Tap—
Suddenly, a faint sound came from within the meditation site. It wasn't loud, but what kind of people were Wangchen and the Peacock King? Both were Heavenly Kings of their generation, naturally able to hear it clearly, causing their expressions to change in an instant. The former even shouted out loud: "Who is it? Show yourself!"
His voice shook the entire meditation site. Master and disciple, both Heavenly Kings, had blazing gazes, staring intently in that direction. Divine power boiled within them, ready to respond.
Yet there was also gravity. Who exactly was this person, daring to intrude into this important place?
Tap, tap, tap—
The sound of light footsteps slowly approached, accompanied by a familiar, clear voice—
"Senior Wangchen, Peacock, long time no see. Is this how you greet an old friend?"
Hearing this somewhat familiar voice, master and disciple were slightly stunned, feeling a sense of déjà vu. However, when they truly saw the tall, slender figure emerge from the darkness, they were instantly stunned, even dumbfounded.
That handsome young man, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, and a faint Moon Mark between his brows, so striking. His smile was so familiar, causing Wangchen and the Peacock King to widen their eyes involuntarily: "Qian Yue!"
"That's right, it's me!"
Ye Chen smiled slightly, his smile so warm, so gentle, and also filled with excitement.