During the twenty years of campaigning in the Star Sky, Ye Chen's cultivation advanced once more, progressing steadily. He had cultivated back step by step from the original Seventh Heaven, solidly returning to the peak of the Tenth Heaven realm he once occupied. Standing within this domain, he was incomparably close to the realm of the ancient Great Sages.
Furthermore, his refinement of the Chaos Origin Light Cluster had deepened. However, no matter what, he always fell short by a hair's breadth. Ye Chen was unable to completely refine it due to a certain obstructive restriction that prevented him from truly achieving success.
Nevertheless, it could be said that the current Ye Chen was already the number one figure beneath the Great Powers, worthy of being called a Half-Step Great Power.
This realm was essentially the so-called "Chaos" domain he had awakened to after emerging from the Divine Stone Coffin back then, though for a chaos cultivator like him, the terminology was simply different.
But Ye Chen understood deeply that although he stood at the Half-Step Great Power level, with cultivation power comparable to or even surpassing that of a Great Power, there was still a path to tread before truly breaking into the Great Power realm. He had a feeling that once he succeeded this time, he would completely achieve the status of a Chaos Great Power, far more terrifying than ordinary Great Powers by many times, requiring even greater accumulation.
Thus, Ye Chen re-sealed his own cultivation, condensing it into a single point within his body, and began bitter cultivation anew, starting over from the First Heaven of the Heavenly King Realm.
He began to wander the Star Sky, venturing into various secret realms, experiencing many dangers and narrowly escaping death several times. This time, it only took him ten years to cultivate his strength back to the peak of the Tenth Heaven once more.
It could be said that the current him possessed the power of three peak Tenth Heaven great daos, though one was suppressing the Chaos Origin Light Cluster, one was sealed, and the other was what he currently possessed.
If he wished to charge through the barrier to become an ancient Great Sage now, he had a certain chance of success.
Yet Ye Chen always felt something was lacking, that his accumulation was still insufficient. However, he did not seal his cultivation to start over again, but rather continued forward naturally.
By this time, Ye Chen had successively discovered some ancient life-bearing stars and noticed that the great war between the Ultimate Ancient Path and the Soul-Restraining Hall was gradually shifting towards a standoff, no longer in active conflict, though the situation remained quite tense.
Ye Chen had been lost in the Star Sky for a full thirty-three years.
This year, Ye Chen finally discovered a collapsed path. There were coordinates there, continuously pointing towards a certain corner deep in the Star Sky, remotely indicating the Ultimate Ancient Path.
Ye Chen let out a soft sigh. He was finally about to reach the true Ultimate Ancient Path. If he remained lost any longer, he would go mad.
However, many of these coordinates were also damaged. Not only did they fail to truly indicate the direction, but they pointed the wrong way, forcing Ye Chen to helplessly wander for an additional three months. Finally, he saw from afar a majestic ancient pass standing tall in the depths of the Star Sky, appearing extraordinarily unique.
Eighteen!
On the city gate of that Star Sky ancient city was clearly inscribed such an ancient character. It was the Eighteenth Checkpoint of the Ultimate Ancient Path. Within, it appeared quite prosperous, with streams of light constantly rushing towards the ancient pass from various directions, transforming into powerful figures descending.
Among them were many young figures, all quite powerful. Many were in the Heavenly King Realm, and quite a few had even reached the super Heavenly King realm of the Seventh Heaven, far stronger than the trial-takers from the first or second checkpoints by many times.
Indeed, any trial-taker capable of reaching the Eighteenth Checkpoint had basically undergone countless trials, reaching a sufficiently powerful level.
This was the strength of the Ultimate Ancient Path: step by step, it put these trial-takers through countless trials, rapidly making them stronger, thoroughly stimulating their potential. It was a place unmatched by any of the various great powers, and one of the main reasons why the various ancient universes sent their strongest prodigies, young generation's supremes, and even Imperial Sons here.
Ye Chen sighed softly, looking at the Eighteenth Checkpoint before him with many emotions. After a full thirty-plus years, he had finally arrived at this checkpoint. It could truly be said to have been a journey of immense hardship.
Swoosh—
He rushed towards the Eighteenth Checkpoint, merging into it, and saw the strongest prodigies of various races.
Anyone capable of reaching this checkpoint was an elite among the Ancient Path trial-takers. Moreover, with the collapse of the first ten trial ancient gates, many trial-takers had journeyed alone. Ye Chen had encountered quite a few along the way, all having come through immense hardships, naturally making them very powerful.
Many trial-takers had also, over these thirty-three years, fought against the Soul-Restraining Hall under the guidance of the Ancient Path guardians. They had experienced who knows how many battles during this period, with some even participating in battles led by Ancient Monarchs, where battlefields were vast, often measured in starfields, with bloody battles spanning a hundred thousand li.
In the Eighteenth Checkpoint, no trial-taker could be underestimated; each was a formidable enemy for many.
At this stage, Ye Chen held little back. His entire being naturally released a terrifying great dao aura, far more fearsome than that of the other trial-takers.
Thirty-three years of campaigning had transformed him, making him even stronger, like a divine sword tempered a thousand times. Sheathed, it was nothing extraordinary; unsheathed, it would shake heaven and earth, capable of shattering all things, tangible and intangible.
As Ye Chen advanced, many trial-takers couldn't help but look over, brows furrowed, hearts filled with wariness!
Many even sensed Ye Chen's aura and paled upon sensing it, for it was the aura of the Tenth Heaven's Great Perfection—a true young generation's supreme, peerlessly powerful, with the potential to compete for the position of overlord of the Ultimate Ancient Path in the future.
"Another young generation's supreme has arrived, at the peak of the Heavenly King realm. I wonder which one it is."
Within the trial ancient gate, someone spoke, whispering.
Another one?
Ye Chen's brow furrowed slightly. Clearly, the Eighteenth Checkpoint didn't harbor just one young generation's supreme; there were others. And from their words, it seemed they had likely arrived at the Eighteenth Checkpoint recently, piquing his curiosity. He listened attentively to all sides.
"Young generation's supremes are arriving one after another. The Eighteenth Checkpoint truly gathers heroes like clouds."
"That's natural. With the appearance of a grand tomb suspected to belong to an Emperor, it's hard not to attract attention."
"Who sleeps in the Emperor's Tomb? It's destined to cause huge waves!"
"It can be foreseen that another storm of blood and rain is coming. Who knows how many strong experts will fall then; perhaps even one or two young generation's supremes might perish."
"Hard to say. I've heard that even several of those supreme geniuses at the Imperial Son level will return. It can be called a great era of turmoil."
"Isn't this just the calm before the storm?"
...
Discussions were rampant in the Eighteenth Checkpoint. After just one day of moving around within it, Ye Chen had gathered quite a bit of information.
According to what he learned, in the Burial Heaven Domain near the trial grounds of the Ultimate Ancient Path's Eighteenth Checkpoint, the void had recently torn open, vaguely revealing a colossal ancient tomb that blotted out the sky and sun. It was suspected to be an Emperor's Tomb, attracting the attention of many Ancient Path trial-takers.
Among them were many strongest prodigies, young generation's supremes, and it was even rumored that Imperial Sons had returned from further along the Ultimate Ancient Path, wishing to explore the suspected Emperor's Tomb and contend for a heaven-defying opportunity.