On the sky of the Second Pass, a magnificent gate of light appeared. It was a teleportation gate, immense and tearing through the firmament, transmitting scenes from a distant trial.
However, unlike the trial world of the First Pass, this was not a single trial world but an entire starry sky. The true trial was within the cosmos.
And it could be seen that within that starry sky, fragments of worlds floated and sank. Each fragment was incomplete, not whole. There were countless shattered stars, dimly glowing star rivers encircling them, and many incomplete yet vast continents spanning the void...
Everything indicated that this place must have been a battlefield in the past, and not an ordinary one at that. The most terrifying of wars had once taken place here.
"The path to the Third Pass lies ahead, hidden within. You must find it. Moreover, these are all battlefields left behind from the divine wars of old, battlefields left from the opening of the Ultimate Ancient Path. Many powerhouses fell here, and true Monarch-level battles were fought. It was one of the most intense battles in the entire history of the Ancient Path."
At this moment, a blurry yet terrifying figure appeared, its aura suppressing the entire firmament. It was the Guardian Great Power of the Second Pass. His voice, indifferent and resonating, echoed throughout the entire ancient city, explaining various details about the trial to the powerhouses.
The trial ground of the Second Pass was once a terrifying divine battlefield, having experienced one of the most fearsome battles of the Ultimate Ancient Path's early days. Ancient Monarchs had waged war there, and beneath them, Great Powers from all realms had followed into battle, shaking heaven and earth in an incomparably tragic conflict.
The various incomplete worlds left in the starry sky today were precisely those left behind by the ancient Great Sages of that era.
That war was not just a battle; many ancient Great Sages fell, and even their inner worlds of origin were torn apart, remaining in this starry sky along with their demise.
After many years, it gradually became a secret realm. The invincible ones of the Ultimate Ancient Path intervened, transforming it into a trial secret realm for the Ultimate Ancient Path.
The path to the Third Pass was within this trial secret realm.
Naturally, these incomplete worlds contained the killing intent from the ancient war, fearsome forbidden lands, and even terrifying great evils that had gestated within. They also held various secret treasures left from the ancient war, and even Great Power-level origin sources or the Great Dao secret treasures of that Ancient Monarch. It could be said to be filled with danger.
Amidst the danger, there were also all sorts of opportunities.
"Set off now. But I repeat, if you sense danger, you may turn back. The Second Pass ancient city can offer safety. However, do not think of proceeding further on the Ultimate Ancient Path, nor can you return to your original ancient cosmos. Choose carefully." After saying this, the Guardian vanished.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
From the Second Pass ancient city, figures of Ancient Path Trial-Takers immediately shot into the sky, charging towards the gate of light.
At the forefront were clearly a group of seed-level powerhouses like the Blood Desolation Eight Riders, the Bloodclad Tower Master, and Nine Swords King, leading the charge into the gate of light.
Pang Shan and Ye Chen had also been released early.
The other thousand or so Ancient Path Trial-Takers all charged into the trial secret realm. Ye Chen mingled among them, but no one dared to overlook him, for the battle in the night not long ago had fully demonstrated everything—he was at the very least a top-tier genius.
Suddenly, Ye Chen's brow furrowed slightly because he sensed a diffuse killing intent. Looking over, he discovered it was none other than Pang Shan, riding his tyrannosaurus, who was looking back at him with a cold, murderous gaze.
Ye Chen merely gave him a faint glance before paying him no further mind.
If he really came knocking later, Ye Chen wouldn't mind sending him to his death.
After passing through the gate of light, they entered the true starry sky trial secret realm, filled with numerous shattered stellar remnants. Among them floated many incomplete worlds, appearing silent and vastly different from the imagined danger.
Yet, precisely this made people wary.
The thousand or so Ancient Path Trial-Takers from the Second Pass of the Ultimate Ancient Path all charged into that starry sky, for the ancient altar leading to the Third Pass was hidden within, requiring them to seek it out.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Powerful figures soared into the sky, utterly fearless, disappearing into the multitude of incomplete worlds.
No one knew exactly where the true ancient altar was hidden, but none dared to be truly careless. The powerhouses divided the work, rushing into those incomplete worlds one by one, searching area by area.
However, the imagined crisis did not immediately appear. On the contrary, everything seemed calm.
Many Ancient Path Trial-Takers successively rushed into various incomplete worlds to explore.
Right at this moment, everyone felt a weight descend upon them. Then, intangible Great Dao rules manifested, constructing Great Dao Shackles that bound the limbs of every Ancient Path Trial-Taker. They were immensely heavy; even powerhouses as strong as them felt their bodies become much heavier.
For many Ancient Path Trial-Takers, movement even became much more difficult, no longer as free and easy as before.
Clearly, these were the rules of the trial secret realm. All Ancient Path Trial-Takers entering would be bound by such rules. All of this was for the trial, instantly increasing the trial's difficulty severalfold.
Clatter—
Naturally, Ye Chen also had such Great Dao Shackles binding him. His limbs felt somewhat heavier, but that was all. Even though his cultivation realm had temporarily declined, it didn't mean his Chaos Holy Body had weakened. It remained powerful, nearly surpassing that of a Great Power.
The fearsome four Great Dao Shackles binding his limbs did not affect him much.
Whoosh—
With just a single leap, he charged into one of the incomplete worlds.
It was the inner world of an ancient Great Sage who had fallen in the great war. Although the entire world had become incomplete due to the war, it was not lacking in vitality. On the contrary, after the evolution of time and the intervention of the invincible ones on the Ultimate Ancient Path, it had gestated anew with fresh vitality, no different from a normal Great Sage's inner world. Within, the roars and bellows of beasts could be heard rising and falling intermittently.
Ye Chen didn't bother flying in to search repeatedly. Without a word, light shone from between his brows as his powerful soul force directly expanded.
It was still absolute soul force comparable to that of an ancient Great Sage. In the blink of an eye, it covered this incomplete world.
All kinds of information within this incomplete world were gathered into his mind.
Naturally, as expected, there was no passage to the Third Pass.
Whoosh—
Ye Chen directly tore through the void and left, heading for the next incomplete world.
Whoosh—
The next moment, he stepped into the second incomplete world. His vast divine sense covered it like lightning, everything appearing silent as he searched through it.
The result was still none. However, he did discover several fragments of ancient, immortal ancient weapons left from the battles of Great Sages. After the passage of time, most of their immortal divinity had faded, leaving not much behind.
Nevertheless, these were still powerful Dao weapons, after all, being ancient immortal weapons of the past. Activating the remaining immortal divinity could unleash great effects, capable of slaying ordinary Heavenly Kings.
But Ye Chen directly collected them and threw them into his Chaos Cauldron, using Chaos Dao Flames to burn and refine them, extracting the only remaining immortal divinity within and merging it into the Chaos Cauldron, making it even more condensed and immortal.
He also discovered a glowing medicine garden, not lacking in corresponding precious heavenly materials and earthly treasures, all over a thousand years old, and even containing true Ten-Thousand-Year Medicine Treasures.
More importantly, there was even a special Medicine Spirit within. This surpassed Ten-Thousand-Year Medicine Treasures, having developed its own intelligence. Its effects were far superior to those of Ten-Thousand-Year Medicine Treasures.
Its treasure light shimmered brilliantly, and it was also discovered by other Ancient Path Trial-Takers. Almost every one of them grew red-eyed with greed.
After all, upon reaching the Heavenly King realm, whether heavenly materials, earthly treasures, or Ten-Thousand-Year Medicine Treasures, their medicinal efficacy was drastically reduced for them. Only Medicine Spirits superior to these or truly high-grade elixirs held real divine efficacy for them.
A Medicine Spirit with tens of thousands of years of age like this was exactly that. Not only did it flow with multicolored fluorescent light, but more importantly, the medicinal efficacy it contained could resolve the vast majority of Dao injuries. It was even effective for Ancient Monarchs and could basically extend life by at least a thousand years.
Such a rare and priceless Medicine Spirit naturally aroused covetousness. Countless Ancient Path Trial-Takers smelled its fragrance and harbored greedy thoughts.
Truly worthy of being the origin world of an ancient Great Sage. Even after becoming incomplete, it still gestated such a priceless Medicine Spirit.
Many Ancient Path Trial-Takers were moved and red-eyed, almost rushing over. But with a whoosh, Ye Chen appeared, grabbing it in hand. Even though the Medicine Spirit had developed intelligence and possessed terrifying speed, it was useless. Ye Chen possessed the most astonishing supreme speed in the world; who could match him?
Seeing this, many Ancient Path Trial-Takers, upon clearly seeing that the one who acted was Ye Chen, all retreated. They understood this was one of the strongest individuals who could clash head-on with a top-tier genius like Pang Shan without falling behind. Who would dare provoke him lightly?
However, a considerable number of Ancient Path Trial-Takers had caught up only after Ye Chen and Pang Shan were imprisoned in the city jail and were unaware of Ye Chen's true combat power. They now snorted coldly: "I wondered who it was. So it's one of the two trial-takers imprisoned in the city jail. Hand over the Medicine Spirit quickly, and we might spare your life."
"Heh, a Medicine Spirit is not something a mediocre person imprisoned in the city jail can possess. Hand it over, or you have only death awaiting you!"
"Choose: hand it over or choose to die. I think you know very well what to do."
A full nine Ancient Path Trial-Takers stepped forward, surrounding him. Each appeared imposing and majestic, all being young overlords of their respective domains, very powerful—at the very least possessing Samsara-level combat power. Among them, three had even stepped into the Heavenly King realm. Without a doubt, this was a rather fearsome force.
The other Ancient Path Trial-Takers who knew of Ye Chen's combat power did not speak up to stop them, naturally harboring the thought of letting the snipe and clam fight while the fisherman profits.
Perhaps they could take advantage of both sides being wounded in battle to seize that Medicine Spirit.
"Scram if you don't want to die!"
Ye Chen spoke few words, but once he opened his mouth, he was incomparably overbearing, looking down upon all heroes, completely disregarding the nine trial-takers.
"Good, good, good! What an arrogant trial-taker! Do you really think you're a young supreme or an Emperor's son? How dare you speak like this! Heh!"
The expressions of those few trial-takers turned icy. One among them, a man in golden armor who appeared particularly outstanding, spoke coldly. He strode forward, raising the golden divine sword in his hand and slashing out angrily. Within it, ten thousand layers of golden sword radiance surged forth, inundating a region of the world. It was a fearsome sword Dao divine ability.
"A mere sword Dao, and you dare show off before an expert?"
Ye Chen snorted coldly. Although he wasn't a true cultivator of the Emperor Clan Ye Family's Emperor Scripture, he had practiced some of it. That kind of sword Dao divine ability was truly peerlessly exquisite; what was before him paled in comparison.
He flicked a finger—it was the Nimble Sword Finger. Similarly, ten thousand layers of sword radiance, but terrifyingly more powerful by many times. It directly shattered the opponent's ten thousand layers of golden sword radiance and swept over, causing the golden-armored man to be horrified, retreating like lightning, not daring to touch it.
"What a fearsome person! Attack together!"
The golden-armored man sensed Ye Chen's true strength and dared not be careless. He hurriedly called for his other eight companions to charge forward together.
Nine Ancient Path Trial-Takers: three were Heavenly Kings, the other six were also terrifying figures with Samsara-level combat power. Moreover, they wielded Heavenly King Dao Weapons, capable of unleashing partial Heavenly King realm combat power. Every two of them were equivalent to one Heavenly King attacking. It could be said six Heavenly Kings were assaulting Ye Chen.
But who was Ye Chen? A true Emperor's son-level supreme genius, a Chaos Holy Body. His expression was utterly indifferent as he strode forward. Behind him appeared a vast, ancient golden world—it was none other than the Five Elements Metal Realm. Countless golden Dao weapons surged forth like a meteor shower, directly annihilating all of the opponents' Dao techniques.
He moved with the majesty of a dragon and tiger, weaving among them. With a single slap, the crimson Great Dao Shackles clattered loudly but barely affected him. He directly smashed a Samsara-level Ancient Path Trial-Taker and his Heavenly King Dao Weapon into smithereens, utterly extinguishing him.
Terrifying!
The other eight trial-takers were horrified. At the same time, Ye Chen arrived before the second trial-taker—this one was even a Heavenly King. He fully activated his Heavenly King Dao Weapon, blasting it towards Ye Chen.
Yet Ye Chen simply opened his large hand and easily grasped this Heavenly King Dao Weapon in his palm. No matter how it erupted, it was useless, unable to shake his hand in the slightest. Finally, his large hand clenched forcefully with a thunderous boom. The Heavenly King Dao Weapon was completely annihilated into dust, everything appearing so calm and effortless.
"Run!"
Seeing this, how could the others dare to resist? This person was clearly another top-tier genius, and one so terrifyingly strong that even a Heavenly King Dao Weapon couldn't withstand a single blow. Who among them could withstand a single slap from him?
"Want to escape? But can you?"
The corner of Ye Chen's mouth lifted into a cold smile. From the Five Elements Metal Realm, he retrieved a golden divine bow, and golden arrows appeared. He bent the bow, nocked an arrow, drawing it to a full moon, and shot it forth with a roar!