Within the dark, massive hall lay a vast expanse of heaven and earth, partitioned into numerous Spatial Prisons.
As Ye Chen was being escorted through, he clearly saw many powerful cultivators imprisoned inside. There were cultivators from various races, all quite formidable. He even truly saw young prodigies from the major Ancient Universes—at least over twenty of them—each locked away in different prison cells, sealed and utterly unable to break free and escape.
It could be seen that these young prodigies from the various Ancient Universes each had eyes blazing with intense hatred and fury. But in the end, all that remained was unwillingness and helplessness.
Perhaps they lamented being unable to truly tread the Ultimate Ancient Path and ascend to the pinnacle of the Great Dao, instead having their journey end prematurely within the Soul-Restraining Hall. How unwilling, how helpless! To be born with talent that could astonish the world, only to end up in such a state in the end.
The six powerhouses of the Soul-Restraining Hall escorted Ye Chen like this, finally tossing him into a spacious Spatial Prison. Inside, there was nothing, appearing empty and devoid of the slightest trace of spiritual energy. On the contrary, numerous special Spirit-Devouring Formations were inscribed.
Spirit-Devouring Formations, as the name implied, were formations that devoured spiritual power and divine power. Not only did they provide no spiritual energy, they constantly devoured the divine power within the prisoner's body, keeping the captive in a perpetually exhausted state—how could they even think of struggling free?
Naturally, all of this was the Soul-Restraining Hall's method. Once imprisoned here, how could one leave?
It was just a great pity that this time, the Soul-Restraining Hall had picked the wrong person. And this person was Ye Chen, a formidable Battle Saint King who concealed absolute strength sufficient to suppress ancient great powers.
Ye Chen did not act rashly. From beginning to end, he remained utterly unperturbed. When he was locked into the Spatial Prison, five thick divine chains suddenly appeared with a *shua* sound, binding his two hands, two feet, and neck respectively. They were also inscribed full of various Great Dao talismans, similarly forming Spirit-Devouring Formations that constantly devoured the Great Dao divine power within the captive's body.
"Kid, you'll be locked up here for now. When an important guest arrives, you'll be ransomed," said one of the six mysterious assassins who had escorted Ye Chen—the one whose physical body Ye Chen had shattered—speaking with a sinister, eerie laugh that sounded so chillingly terrifying.
The so-called ransom was actually ransoming the physical body, while the Primordial Spirit or divine soul would remain here completely, imprisoned, never to leave for all eternity.
The Soul-Restraining Hall, the Soul-Restraining Hall—what it ultimately imprisoned was the divine soul, was it not?
Ye Chen merely gave him a cold glance before lowering his head again. Seeing Ye Chen's expression, which seemed to look down on him, that person immediately flew into a rage. What was this? He wanted to strike, but the others stopped him, saying, "Old Fifth, enough. He is the Strongest Prodigy from an Ancient Universe. His physical body's value is considerable; it cannot be damaged."
That Old Fifth, however, coldly snorted, "What Strongest Prodigy? He's just from a broken-down Ancient Universe like the Sealed Boundary Universe. Even its Heavenly Dao is flawed. What Strongest Prodigy? It's not like we haven't captured people like him before."
Hearing this, Ye Chen, imprisoned within the Spatial Prison, suddenly erupted with intense light in his eyes. His gaze toward them instantly filled with a terrifying sense of oppression. "What did you say?"
Even though Ye Chen was imprisoned, the six still felt a terrifying oppressive pressure majestically emerging, permeating through the Soul-Restraining Prison.
Even though all six were peak Saint Vault Realm experts, at this moment, for some reason, they felt a dreadful sense of fear beginning to spread from within their hearts.
The six stared in shock at Ye Chen in the prison. Wasn't he just a peak Saint Vault Realm Strongest Prodigy? Perhaps because he was a Strongest Prodigy, his combat power could rival a reincarnation-level supreme expert, but that was all. He shouldn't be this terrifying. Why did they feel a terror emerging from the depths of their hearts, so startling and eye-catching that their hearts kept pounding rapidly?
Why was it so terrifying?
They were all puzzled, but at this moment, they couldn't help but speak up: "Our Soul-Restraining Hall has captured Strongest Prodigies from your Sealed Boundary Universe before, and even young generation's supremes."
*Boom!*
In that instant, Ye Chen's entire aura surged by a large margin. Although the five thick Spirit-Devouring Divine Chains constantly shimmered with light, numerous Great Dao talismans glowing with holy radiance, trying to devour the Great Dao divine power within Ye Chen's body, it was utterly ineffective. Instead, the chains rattled incessantly, as if on the verge of snapping at any moment.
He stood up entirely, his terrifying aura continuously releasing. The entire Spatial Prison also trembled violently, as if about to shatter. Ye Chen looked coldly at the six powerhouses and said icily, "Speak. Who exactly are they? Where are they imprisoned?"
Under Ye Chen's terrifying aura, how dare the six conceal anything? They hurriedly spoke: "We don't know. They were captured by others. It's said the losses were great, and the place they're imprisoned isn't here at all. It's in another, more advanced high-level Soul-Restraining Hall."
Seeing this, the terrifying aura on Ye Chen's body gradually receded, causing the six to feel their hearts racing. He was clearly restrained, bound by Spirit-Devouring Divine Chains that devoured divine power. Why was he still so terrifying?
This Strongest Prodigy from the Sealed Boundary Universe was far more extraordinary than imagined. If he had erupted with such might back in the Closed Moon and Shy Flower Hall, they likely wouldn't have succeeded in capturing him.
Precisely because of this, each of them felt lingering fear. Fortunately, he hadn't unleashed such terrifying power back then, or it would have likely been real, major trouble.
Ye Chen did not continue pressing these people. However, his expression was very gloomy. He hadn't expected that people from the Sealed Boundary Universe had truly fallen to the point of being captured by the Soul-Restraining Hall, and even young generation's supremes among them.
This made him even more worried. Even if it wasn't Chen'er or the goddesses, he had promised Dean Longhuang that once young prodigies from the Sealed Boundary Universe encountered disaster, he would rescue them.
At this moment, Ye Chen sat cross-legged in meditation. Naturally, the five Spirit-Devouring Divine Chains were utterly incapable of devouring the slightest bit of his divine power. On the contrary, his Chaos divine power flowed inversely along the Spirit-Devouring Divine Chains to their source. With his extraordinary formation attainment, he easily altered the Spirit-Devouring Formation's devouring of divine power, even reversing it to pour divine power back in reverse, keeping the divine power within his body perpetually at its peak state.
Simultaneously, a chaotic light blossomed from the space between his eyebrows.
*Hualala—*
Suddenly, a special fluctuation of laws appeared within the Spatial Prison, actually attempting to suppress Ye Chen's divine soul, preventing its release. Out of thin air, numerous special chains of order surged forth, actually condensed from divine soul power, rushing toward the space between Ye Chen's eyebrows and even intertwining with his divine soul.