The Phoenix Queen made her move!
This seemed like just an ordinary strike, but who was the other party? The aura she directed at Ye Chen was practically no weaker than that of a peak Great Power like Dan Chen. This strike could absolutely easily kill a Fifth Heaven Great Power; it was a lethal blow. Moreover, the speed of the attack was unimaginably fast, so fast that Ye Chen had no time to revive the Primordial Desolation Great Halberd to resist it.
However, Ye Chen was, after all, the legendary Chaos Young Supreme. His reactions surpassed ordinary swiftness. Decisively, he did not retreat. On the contrary, he stood firm, his entire aura suddenly surging to its absolute peak. In an instant, he even unleashed his Chaos Dao Technique, forcefully elevating his power further, reaching the pinnacle of sublimation.
That momentary eruption could probably rival a Seventh Heaven Super Great Power.
But Ye Chen condensed all that formidable aura inward. He directly unleashed his most powerful Heaven-Splitting, Earth-Cleaving Fist, meeting the attack head-on. Primordial Chaos Qi surged and shimmered, even evolving into a vast great world. A starry sky seemed to materialize, manifesting the ultimate mysteries of the Chaos Great Dao as he struck out, shattering everything.
"Hmm?"
Seeing this, the Phoenix Queen let out a slight sound of surprise, a different kind of light flickering in her eyes. However, she did not retract her palm. Instead, her slender, jade-like hand manifested a different divine radiance, with immortal flames burning upon it—flames condensed from the purest Dao runes—and collided with his attack.
Boom—
An unparalleled destructive power erupted between the two, spreading outwards. Within it, immortal flames blazed, chaos surged, terrifying beyond measure, as if capable of utterly annihilating everything. Who could possibly block it?
Dan Chen made his move, sealing the heavens and locking the earth, isolating a portion of the world, completely blocking all the destructive ripples from the collision to avoid harming others.
Within, the Phoenix Queen stood with immortal grace above the mortal dust, her Phoenix Immortal Robe fluttering in the wind, her black hair flowing, yet her body remained as immovable as a mountain, displaying her peerless and extraordinary Dao cultivation, standing alone in the world, appearing so peerless and matchless.
In contrast, Ye Chen, who had unleashed his most powerful blow, was forced to stagger back over a hundred steps.
With each step back, he left a deep imprint on the ground, rumbling with a long echo.
If not for the Emperor City, if not for the Emperor Runes reinforcing it, an ordinary divine city would have crumbled, as most of the force was transmitted by Ye Chen through the soles of his feet and dissipated.
The outcome of the clash was immediately clear!
Ye Chen, who had retreated over a hundred steps away, felt an intense, raw pain throughout his limbs and bones. Fine cracks appeared on his skin, like porcelain about to shatter, but he endured it forcefully.
Accompanied by the operation of his Saint Body Regeneration Art, all injuries were repaired to the greatest extent possible.
Ye Chen looked gravely at the Phoenix Queen. Even he had to admit that this Phoenix Queen's cultivation was profound and miraculous. Facing his most powerful strike, she could still be so composed. Her Dao attainment could truly be described as unfathomably deep.
To say she was not inferior to Dan Chen or Qin Jiuyou was not an exaggeration in the slightest.
If he hadn't further elevated himself during his tribulation, deepened his comprehension of Chaos, unleashed his Chaos Dao Technique to its peak, and executed the Heaven-Splitting, Earth-Cleaving Fist, then facing this strike, forget a Fifth Heaven Great Power, even a Seventh Heaven Super Great Power would have a certain chance of being utterly annihilated.
The Phoenix Queen swept a slightly surprised glance at Ye Chen, seemingly also astonished. This mere young supreme at the peak Heavenly King level could actually withstand her attack. Such heaven-defying combat power left even her deeply shocked.
She had the intention to attack again, but Dan Chen had already descended before Ye Chen with a whoosh. His Dao majesty was terrifyingly more powerful by countless times—a true peak Great Power, a true supreme expert. Facing the Phoenix Queen, he said coldly, "Phoenix Queen, that's enough. The Battle Saint King is the First Guest Elder of my Dan Emperor Clan. If you dare attack again, do not blame me for being impolite."
From within his body came a terrifying, deafening roar of bloodline power like a tidal wave, accompanied by an intensely blazing Great Power-level Dao majesty, rumbling loudly, causing even the Phoenix Queen's expression to change slightly.
Dan Chen, a peak Great Power, aided by the power of an Emperor's bloodline, could be ranked among the invincible below Sovereigns. Even an existence like her had to be especially wary.
And what made her even more wary was actually a secret message Dan Chen transmitted: "Phoenix Queen, you may disregard me, but the Battle Saint King is the First Guest Elder personally permitted by an Ancient Monarch ancestor of my clan through a decree. If that Ancient Monarch were to become angered, I'm afraid everyone in your Dan Ruins Ancient World would suffer."
"An Ancient Monarch!?"
The Phoenix Queen's expression changed slightly. She clearly hadn't expected the Battle Saint King to involve an existence at that level stepping in to help. That kind of existence was a true supreme being, revered throughout ancient and modern times, with only a handful existing from past to present. For one to appear now and permit a young junior to become the First Guest Elder of a flourishing imperial clan like the Dan Emperor Clan—the implications behind this spoke volumes.
No matter how powerful she, the Phoenix Queen, was, she was no match for an Ancient Monarch. Hearing this now, she could only flick her sleeve with a cold snort and turn to leave: "I'll spare you this once. Next time you dare act like this, even with an Ancient Monarch protecting you, it won't be enough. Prepare to be buried."
Boom—
With unwillingness in her heart, the Phoenix Queen returned to the Dan Ruins Ancient World and completely closed the ancient world's gate.
The moment the gate closed, Ye Chen saw those Great Power-level overlords, one after another, along with the Diamond Great Power who had reformed his Diamond Divine Body, all staring coldly at Ye Chen, their killing intent undisguised.
Ye Chen's expression was indifferent, unafraid of this peerless Phoenix Queen.
He was someone destined to rule the world. Moreover, he hadn't even broken through to the Great Power realm yet. Once he did, he would be even more fearless. Besides, the ancient path overlord enemies he faced were none weaker than her; why would he fear?
Most importantly, the gains from this trip were very rich. He had obtained many precious medicinal spirits. Each one, if placed in the outside world, would be a truly priceless treasure, with medicinal efficacy many times greater than ten-thousand-year medicinal treasures. Even without using them for alchemy, they had great uses, enough to extend one's life by over a thousand years.
His Sacred Domain and Ancient Orchid Sacred Sect lacked corresponding foundational strength. These medicinal spirits could attract Great Powers from all realms to descend and become foundational forces.
Thus, the first competition for medicinal ingredients came to an end. Although many were shocked by the Battle Saint King's current status—First Guest Elder of the Dan Emperor Clan!
A position of high authority and great weight. Yet, they couldn't understand why the Dan Emperor Clan would grant the Battle Saint King such an important position.
The Alchemy Grand Competition continued. Although there had been some mishaps, everything was proceeding formally.
Naturally, the alchemy trials were not held in the plaza. Dan Tian City had a special place for alchemy, even more expansive—a martial arena known as the Suppress Heaven Platform.
Usually a place for experts to spar and compete, it had also witnessed clashes between Great Powers due to grudges, famous since ancient times. It could evolve into a great world, capable of withstanding the duels of such supreme experts.
Some felt that using a platform like the Suppress Heaven Platform for alchemy was not good, as it wasn't just a martial arena. Throughout history, many life-and-death duels had occurred here, even with Great Powers perishing, their blood staining the arena. Even now, one could clearly see the mottled bloodstains, flowing with a bleak, crimson light, giving off a peculiar, sinister aura.
However, the Dan Emperor Clan believed that any true alchemist, a first-rate alchemist, should be able to conduct alchemy freely in any environment, resisting various external factors. Only then could one achieve the status of a master, a grandmaster, or even the legendary Alchemy God.
There were rumors that the Dan Emperor Clan's progenitor, the Alchemy Emperor, refined pills step by step in such an environment, ultimately elevating his alchemy skills to a profound, miraculous, and peerless realm, thus allowing him to rule the world.
Over two hundred and thirty alchemy prodigies descended upon the Suppress Heaven Platform. The platform had long since activated its formation runes, autonomously evolving into a vast world, ensuring each person had sufficient space for alchemy.
As Dan Chen, acting as the host, announced the start, all the alchemy prodigies summoned their respective Dan Cauldrons.
Seeing those cauldrons, each flowing with spiritual energy and quite extraordinary, many alchemists from the outside revealed envious gazes. These were all cauldrons made of truly exceptional materials, offering considerable assistance in alchemy, greatly increasing the success rate.
Among them, some cauldrons even earned nods of approval from alchemy masters like Master Gu Lan.
Especially Dan Xian's. His Dan Cauldron's material was extremely extraordinary, not only forged from Great Power-level divine materials but also inscribed with the Dan Emperor Clan's high-level alchemy formation runes, capable of increasing the success rate by over fifty percent on the original foundation.
This was an extremely high increase. Other medicinal cauldrons that could improve by ten percent were already considered remarkable; increasing by fifty percent was practically heaven-defying.
Their gazes also turned to Xi Men Dao from the Han Gu Cosmos, Zhang Feiyang from the Eight Desolations Ancient Cosmos—these individuals were among the top of this batch of alchemy prodigies, with very high alchemy attainments, and they had all obtained seventh-rank high-grade pill formulas. The Dan Cauldrons they summoned, while not as good as Dan Xian's, were not far off.
However, when their gazes fell upon the Battle Saint King from the Dan Ruins Ancient World, who had stolen all the limelight, they were taken aback.
Because the Battle Saint King's Dan Cauldron was actually the Chaos Great Cauldron!?
Was he crazy, using his own ancient cauldron, a weapon for killing enemies, to refine pills? Did he even know alchemy?
Many alchemists frowned. A main weapon, even if it was an ancient cauldron, having killed many enemies, contained a strong killing nature, which greatly hindered alchemy and significantly affected the success rate.
Ye Chen naturally knew alchemy. Moreover, the Chaos Great Cauldron was extraordinary, capable of neutralizing the killing attributes for alchemy.
Of course, the more important role of the Chaos Great Cauldron was actually to conceal the existence of the Nine Cauldrons' Dan Cauldron.
He summoned the Chaos Great Cauldron, with the small Dan Cauldron contained within, directly isolating all aura detection.
Immediately, he extended his divine sense into the seven-colored light sphere, absorbing all the alchemical information of the Divine King Pill into his mind, comprehending it.
"First, refine the Orchid Serpent Fruit, extract its essence, discard the dregs. A fist-sized Orchid Serpent Fruit can ultimately be refined into a single drop of juice, which is its true essence..."
Ye Chen murmured to himself, beginning the formal alchemy!