Boom! Boom! Boom!
One enormous black hole after another continuously appeared within the Emperor Realm, each one connecting to various star domains throughout the Ancient Universe.
Invisibly, it seemed as if a giant tentacle extended towards the major star domains, swiftly devouring all the stellar energy.
Visible to the naked eye, in every star domain connected by the black holes, stars rapidly dimmed. All their stellar energy was extracted and devoured. Brilliant stellar radiance surged along the black holes towards the Emperor Realm, pouring into the Divine Spirit Nine-Layered Coffin atop the Nine Heavens Ancestral Altar. Vast stellar might roiled, dazzling and boundless.
Those stars, however, completely dimmed, then disintegrated, shattered, turning into dust within the Star Sky, utterly extinguished.
"No!"
Among them, several Ancient Great Powers roared in fury, for the star domains connected by the black holes clearly contained stars where they resided, and some were even ancestral stars where generations had lived for ages. Stars from the Heaven-Burying Domain were also among them.
Yet, no matter how they roared, it was futile. Wherever the black holes connected, all star domains completely dimmed. Every bit of stellar energy was directly devoured. The ancestral stars of several Ancient Great Powers instantly dimmed. Within them, mountains and rivers fell silent, countless living beings rapidly aged and turned to dust. All life essence was devoured.
Even the entire star lost its vitality; its core magma completely cooled and solidified, finally rapidly annihilating and shattering.
One black hole after another manifested, continuously linking to various corners of the Ancient Universe, devouring one star domain after another. Massive amounts of stellar energy were consumed. At the very least, over twenty ancient life-bearing stars were extinguished. Even a Trial Ancient Pass on the Ultimate Ancient Path was pierced through, also targeted for devouring.
It could also be seen that ancient life-bearing stars inhabited by terrifying ancient clans suffered the same fate—everything was connected.
The star domains of the myriad heavens were all connected. Boundless stellar energy was about to be devoured.
"How dare you!"
From within a black hole connected to a Trial Ancient Pass on the Ultimate Ancient Path, a world-shaking roar erupted, shaking the entire vast star domain.
A figure of immense terror instantly appeared within, manifesting by refining the myriad Daos. Its silhouette was hazy yet supremely powerful. The Star Sky itself seemed unable to bear its presence, continuously fracturing and disintegrating.
An Ancient Monarch!
A true Ancient Monarch had appeared, far more powerful than any Great Power could ever be. Its entire body emanated boundless monarchial heavenly might, resisting the devouring power of the black hole, forcibly isolating it—extremely formidable.
This was an Invincible One from the Ultimate Ancient Path, of unimaginable strength. A pair of awe-inspiring eyes shot forth, actually piercing through the black hole to see everything within the ruined Emperor Realm. Its expression changed: "The Divine Spirit Nine-Layered Coffin! And it has already opened eight layers, with only the final layer remaining. Could it be that the Emperor corpse buried in ancient times is about to fully revive?"
The words of this ancient, invincible veteran from the Ancient Path caused everyone's expressions to change, looking with horror at the Divine Spirit Nine-Layered Coffin on the ancestral altar. At this moment, everyone felt an immense chill.
If the being within the Divine Spirit Nine-Layered Coffin truly revived, wouldn't it bring destruction to the myriad heavens?
Boom!
The Invincible One from the Ancient Path directly charged over, tearing through the Star Sky, intending to traverse the black hole and enter the Emperor Realm.
Fearing the possible rebirth of the most terrifying event—the revival of a deceased Emperor—which would likely not benefit all living beings but rather bring calamity to the world, such a thing absolutely could not be allowed to happen.
Elsewhere, where another black hole connected, vast might also erupted. It was actually another Ancient Monarch, originating from an unremarkable life-bearing star. Yet now, it unleashed overwhelming pressure that shook the Star Sky.
An old man appeared, not the least bit weaker than the Invincible One from the Ultimate Ancient Path. Moreover, he emitted a special fluctuation that instantly neutralized the black hole's devouring power. He coldly gazed over, a special flame rune burning between his eyebrows like immortal fire.
"That's the Flame Emperor Clan's clan mark! Could it be that the legendary Flame Emperor Clan resides on this life-bearing star?"
The Great Power of the Radiant Clan was astonished. Not just him, others also recognized this clan mark—it belonged to the descendants of the imperial clan, the Flame Emperor Clan. They were the progeny left by the peerless Flame Emperor, always mysterious, hidden deep within the Ancient Universe, rarely appearing in the world. Their traces were difficult to discover, and they were once thought to have completely declined, lost to the passage of time. Yet, unexpectedly, they still endured, and even possessed an Ancient Monarch. All of this proved the immortal strength of the Flame Emperor Clan.
The Flame Emperor Clan's monarch was a lean old man with fiery red hair like flames. Seeing everything within the black hole, his expression abruptly changed. He too charged towards this place, rushing fiercely.
However, both black holes vanished in an instant. Even powerful beings like the two Ancient Monarchs could not immediately reach here.
"This is bad. Is the Emperor corpse about to revive? It will likely endanger the entire Ancient Universe."
The Invincible One from the Ultimate Ancient Path's expression slightly changed, thinking of many possibilities and deeply sensing a crisis. Disregarding regulations, he traversed the entire Ancient Universe with extreme speed. Describing it as 'stars shifting' would be an understatement—it was too terrifying. He directly shortened space, crossing the Star Sky to head from the depths of the Ultimate Ancient Path towards the Eighteenth Checkpoint.
Similarly, the Flame Emperor Clan's Ancient Monarch, for reasons unknown, always felt that if he did not intervene, a great crisis would emerge.
His entire body transformed into a cluster of immortal fire, flashing through the void at extreme speed, far surpassing any Great Power. This was the true means of an Ancient Monarch—who could compare?
Whoosh!
Both Ancient Monarchs rushed from the depths of the Star Sky back towards the Eighteenth Checkpoint in the Heaven-Burying Domain.
Additionally, the dimming of numerous star domains also alerted some terrifying existences deep within the Star Sky, causing shock.
Boom!
On the Ultimate Ancient Path, suddenly, an entire star domain trembled. A Trial Ancient Pass nearly collapsed under immense pressure, startling all the trial-takers on that pass as they looked towards the source.
They saw a figure instantly streak across the sky. Its silhouette was hazy, supremely dignified, and terrifying. The entire Star Sky seemed unable to bear its existence, trembling violently.
"Who is that?!"
All the Ancient Path trial-takers paled, for that figure was too terrifying, beyond imagination, even more powerful than an Ancient Great Power. It even alerted the Guardian Great Power stationed at that Trial Ancient Pass.
"It's Taiyi!"
One of the Ancient Path trial-takers spoke, voice filled with intense reverence. Not just him, even other trial-takers who heard this name felt the same awe.
Indeed, Taiyi—one of the undisputed overlords of the Ultimate Ancient Path, immensely powerful, one of the strongest on the entire Ultimate Ancient Path. A monument standing above all trial-takers, revered and looked up to by countless.
Every move of such an overlord-level existence naturally affected many, for he was too powerful, hailed as one of the strongest contenders for the final checkpoint's "Ultimate" prize.
No one expected Taiyi to actually make a move, causing too great a disturbance.
"I heard an Emperor's tomb appeared at the Eighteenth Checkpoint. Could Taiyi be heading there?" Many speculated.
"Such an Ancient Path overlord wanting to turn back—wouldn't the Invincible Ones guarding the Ultimate Ancient Path stop him?" Some other trial-takers spoke thus, precisely because such overlords were too powerful and should be restrained.
"No, the Invincible One guarding this section of the Ultimate Ancient Path also returned to the Eighteenth Checkpoint. Something major seems to have happened there, forcing him to act. It's precisely because the Invincible One left that Overlord Taiyi can rush back."
Everyone was shaken. What exactly happened at the Eighteenth Checkpoint to alarm an Invincible Ancient Monarch to return, and even allow one of the Ancient Path overlords, Taiyi, to seize the chance to go back?
"Taiyi, you cannot return!"
The Guardian Great Power on the Trial Ancient Pass shouted, swiftly charging into the Star Sky. However, divine light blossomed there, affecting all directions and obliterating all traces. Overlord Taiyi traversed the Star Sky and left; even the Guardian Great Power could not catch up to his retreating figure.
Boom!
Yet, it wasn't just Taiyi. Trial-takers on other Trial Ancient Passes also discovered that other Ancient Path overlords were rushing towards the Eighteenth Checkpoint, their auras equally boundless and world-shaking, capable of shattering everything.
"The Eighteenth Checkpoint is about to be turned upside down! More than one Ancient Path overlord is returning. I wonder which other overlord is going back?"
The Ultimate Ancient Path boiled over, because several of the overlords dominating the path had made moves. That place was about to be completely overturned.
Boom!
In another star domain, a strand of immortal light streaked across the sky, awe-inspiring, domineering, and overbearing.
Yet, it was not some majestic, peerless man. On the contrary, it was a woman of breathtaking beauty, transcendent and peerless, powerful and matchless. Her graceful figure was ethereal yet not the least bit weaker than other overlords of the Ultimate Ancient Path. Terrifying enough to shake the heavens, she caused several Trial Ancient Passes to tremble.
"It's her—the invincible Moon Palace Goddess!"
Trial-takers from various Trial Ancient Passes recognized her—the peerless goddess of the Ultimate Ancient Path. She too traversed the Ancient Universe, possessing extraordinary secret treasures. Like other Ultimate Ancient Path overlords, she charged towards the Eighteenth Checkpoint, causing immense commotion.
"No way! Even the Goddess is rushing back to the Eighteenth Checkpoint!"
The Ultimate Ancient Path was in an uproar. That ethereal, illusory, and immortal aura-filled graceful figure traversed the Ancient Universe and departed at extreme speed. The many heroes could not hope to match her pace. Even the Guardian Great Powers of the various Ultimate Ancient Path sections did not attempt to stop her, for they too found it difficult to hinder the true destination of such an existence.