Whoosh—
A faint, almost imperceptible ripple arrived. It was the Supreme Dao Body, returning silently into Ye Chen's body with the Heaven Desolation Great Halberd. Everything had concluded.
The First Checkpoint of the Ultimate Ancient Path was not much different from Cosmic Heaven City—both were majestic, vast, and magnificent ancient cities on great continents, bustling with activity. Within resided many powerful beings of various races, not just the young prodigies from the various Ancient Universes, but also other cultivators and even ordinary mortals.
These were the descendants left behind by powerful figures who had walked the Ultimate Ancient Path in the past. Some continued to cultivate the Dao, while others had abandoned the Dao and its methods, becoming mere mortals.
However, the city had strict rules forbidding casual violence, so even mortals could live quite well.
"Dou—Brother Ye!"
On the street, Feng Wang caught up to Ye Chen, almost blurting out the title 'Battle Saint King,' but a glance from Ye Chen stopped him. He hurriedly changed his address and came to his side.
Ye Chen merely nodded at him. Arranged by the city guards, the two eventually chose a mansion within the city for a brief period of rest. According to the intelligence they had obtained, the trials of the Ultimate Ancient Path would commence soon.
Each ancient city at a checkpoint was a temporary resting place; one could not linger long. To walk the Ultimate Ancient Path and ascend to the pinnacle of the Great Dao, one must bravely undergo a series of various trials.
Ye Chen and Feng Wang rested in the same mansion, gathering together to finally chat properly.
From their conversation, Ye Chen learned that the young elites from the Sealed Boundary Universe who had embarked on the Ultimate Ancient Path were not limited to those known publicly. A considerable number of other young prodigies had also set out, perhaps as a contingency should a great war erupt among the Ancient Universes in the future.
They wished to leave some seeds of hope on the Ultimate Ancient Path, survivors for the future.
As for Chen'er, the Goddess, Yi Wu, and the other women, they had set out on the Ultimate Ancient Path in the past alongside other mysterious and powerful top prodigies from the various races of the Sealed Boundary. There was no doubt that the women were all extremely powerful. Except for Ruoxi, the others were all young generation's supremes, fearless.
Moreover, Immortal Maiden Xi had awakened a certain potential in the past century, her cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds, progressing with astonishing speed on the path of cultivation, rapidly catching up to the Goddess and the other young female supremes.
However, Feng Wang only knew this much.
Regarding Ruoxi, her origins had always been a mystery. The fact that even Imperial Son Ye Cangqiong addressed her as 'Master Aunt' indicated her background was absolutely extraordinary, yet her true origins remained difficult to ascertain.
At the First Checkpoint of the Ultimate Ancient Path, Ye Chen did not alter his appearance, but he also did not deliberately release his aura, appearing very ordinary.
Although a century ago, his accidental intrusion into the Fifth Trial Continent had caused a great uproar, even shaking the entire Ultimate Ancient Path—after all, he had slain a young generation's supreme and openly defeated an Imperial Son, naturally causing immense waves.
However, a hundred years had passed. Time could bury much, submerging all manner of events. The shocking incidents of that year had ultimately been forgotten. How many of those who came later would remember Ye Chen's appearance?
Therefore, at the First Checkpoint of the Ultimate Ancient Path, few truly knew Ye Chen's identity—only Feng Wang.
Even the other young elites from the Sealed Boundary Universe were unaware. They were newly risen prodigies who emerged after Ye Chen had already fallen defending the Tenth Heavy Imperial Pass. Later, they did not know the news of Ye Chen's miraculous resurrection, so naturally, they were in the dark.
The First Checkpoint of the Ultimate Ancient Path had many competitors. This Ultimate Ancient Path gathered young prodigies from various Ancient Universes. Just for this departure, there were hundreds. Naturally, not all could be the strongest prodigies. Even across the Chaos Sea's various Ancient Universes, such strongest prodigies could not appear in such numbers all at once. Moreover, most had already advanced to the front of the Ultimate Ancient Path during this past century, beginning their battles there.
But those who could enter the Ultimate Ancient Path were basically very strong, and there were no shortage of truly strongest prodigies, even several exceptionally powerful standouts among them.
Such as Mo Fei from the Han Ancient Universe. She was a bewitchingly beautiful woman, graceful and elegant, seemingly enchanting and peerless in the world, her skin glowing with radiant light, her hair dark and lustrous, with bright eyes and white teeth—a peerless beauty whose every smile and movement was utterly captivating, enough to make the hearts of many prodigies on the Ancient Path flutter. She had no lack of suitors.
Yet she was extremely powerful. In a battle at the Soul-Forbidden Mountain Range, she single-handedly slew many powerful experts and had even killed a Heavenly King. She could be called a woman possessing both beauty and strength, with a queenly aura about her.
Qing Gu Wang, also a strongest prodigy from another Ancient Universe, was not much inferior to Mo Fei and also had a record of killing a Heavenly King.
Garen from the Eight Gods Ancient Universe, a burly giant, was a legendary Golden Giant with pure bloodline and immense strength. A single axe could cleave heaven and earth, destroy starry skies.
Lan Cang Sword Saint, a strongest prodigy from the most mysterious and powerful Primordial Immortal Realm, proved his Dao through the sword. Immortal energy coiled around his body, his demeanor as elegant as jade, a handsome man surpassing many women in beauty. But his strength could not be underestimated; at the Soul-Forbidden Mountain Range, he had slain a Heavenly King with three swords.
...
One stunning strongest prodigy after another, all were Seed-level Figures with illustrious reputations, at least Heavenly Kings, hailed as having the qualifications to rise and contend with the ultimate powerhouses at the rear of the Ultimate Ancient Path, charging towards the final checkpoint.
Wherever they existed, they were the center of attention.
Similarly, Feng Wang also possessed combat power comparable to theirs. Through years of cultivation, Feng Wang had long broken through his former limits and had hope of attaining the Tenfold Heaven Supreme position in the future.
If not for the fact that the Soul-Restraining Hall that had acted back then had five Heavenly Kings, and Feng Wang had only just stepped into the Heavenly King realm, he would not have been captured and imprisoned.
However, Ye Chen's gaze never lingered on these powerful Seed-level Figures. Instead, he looked into the distance, towards the endless horizon, towards the deepest reaches of the starry sky, more as if he were looking at those Invincible Ones who dominated the Ultimate Ancient Path.
His great enemies could not be these so-called strongest prodigies. A hundred years ago, he had already surpassed them, let alone now, having attained the Chaos Saint Body, capable of suppressing Ancient Great Powers. Only those Invincible Ones who dominated the Ultimate Ancient Path were his greatest enemies, his rivals for the final checkpoint.
Resting in the ancient city of the Ultimate Ancient Path's First Checkpoint, Ye Chen did not deliberately refine the two Soul-Restraining Hall light spheres. Instead, he quietly adjusted himself, often sitting cross-legged in the divine hall atop the city's firmament, gazing into the distance, his eyes revealing a trace of longing.