The person who left this Dao behind had not yet perished. Ye Chen could sense the faint, lingering existence of the Dao within the great desert. It still possessed a certain vitality and was being controlled, indicating that the one who had imprinted this "Dao" was still alive in this world.
This was a shocking revelation. It was difficult to say exactly how long this civilization had been gone, but it had to be at least ten thousand years or more. Otherwise, the towns within this Trial Heaven and Earth wouldn't have decayed to this extent.
Yet, the person who had created this thousand-mile desert was still alive, having lived for at least ten thousand years. What an astonishing fact this was.
Old Yan also sensed this and couldn't hide his shock.
That person was already a Divine Spirit back then. After tens of thousands of years, how powerful their cultivation had become was impossible to say.
On the path of cultivation, with each step forward, both strength and lifespan increase.
Houtian: one hundred and fifty years. Xiantian: two hundred years. Martial God: five hundred years. Heavenly God: one thousand years. Divine Spirit: two thousand years. These were the lifespan limits for the five major realms. To live longer, aside from breaking through to a new major realm or consuming special Heaven and Earth Treasures, there was basically no other way.
However, even a Divine Spirit, no matter how powerful, only had a lifespan of two thousand years. The one who created this desert had lived for over ten thousand years, enough to prove this was an ancient recluse, a living fossil of that level. If this were truly the case, it would be terrifying beyond words.
Even if they couldn't rival those peerless great powers within the myriad realms, they probably weren't far off.
Just thinking about such an existence was enough to make one's heart tremble, truly deserving the title of peerless and supreme.
However, after the initial shock, Ye Chen calmed down and shook his head. "Perhaps they are still alive, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have surpassed the Divine Spirit realm."
Old Yan understood his meaning. Being alive didn't automatically mean being peerlessly powerful, because in this world, there existed divine objects like the World's Heart fragment. As the shattered core of a world's origin heart, it contained a small world within and could also be used to seal oneself, slowing the passage of time and allowing one to endure through the ages.
Great Sage Hong Tian was an example of this.
The person who created this thousand-mile red sand desert might very well be sealed within a World's Heart fragment.
Without witnessing it firsthand, it was difficult to determine.
Ye Chen didn't dwell on this matter, but he kept it in mind. He had a vague, intuitive feeling that this person would meet him in the future, and that time wouldn't be too long from now.
After contemplating on the desert for a moment, Ye Chen flipped his palm. A pure white flame suddenly rose from his palm. Its color was eerily pure white. Clearly a flame, yet it emitted a chilling cold.
Even in this scorching red sand desert where even Xiantian cultivators struggled to endure, the icy cold emanating from the flame caused frost to form on the burning ground and sand layer—a truly bizarre sight.
This was a type of flame Ye Chen had deciphered from the remnants of the Dao within this desert. The person who had turned this region into a thousand-mile desert back then possessed this strange Dao Fire. Now, Qian Yue had deciphered it and managed to trace and restore a part of it.
This Dao was extraordinary, fusing cold and fire into one, possessing incredible capabilities.
It was just a pity. That person's flame back then was definitely far more than this. Unfortunately, too much time had passed. The Dao that remained had mostly dissipated, leaving only a very faint wisp. Ye Chen being able to decipher it was already quite an achievement.
With a soft *puff*, the ghastly white cold fire dissipated, and the icy chill within the tent vanished. However, whenever Ye Chen wished, he could refine this strange cold fire at any time because he had mastered it.
During the day, the desert was a rolling sea of heat. Even the wind blowing carried endless scorching heat, as if trying to roast people alive. But when night fell, the desert transformed into a completely different scene. Cool breezes whispered, refreshing winds brushed by, soothing one's mind and spirit.
This was typical desert climate.
Within the oasis, campfires were lit here and there. Most trialists weren't sleeping. At this time, a small market had even formed spontaneously. Many trialists could freely trade items here, even trading identity tokens or other treasures.
However, trades at this level mostly weren't overly precious. Even a Xiantian demonic core was practically the peak.
Occasionally, there were trades involving Heaven and Earth Treasures or even pills, which often attracted considerable attention.
Ye Chen didn't participate in the trading; nothing caught his eye. From beneath his black robe sleeve, a long, sleek, jet-black serpent slithered out. Its body was covered in fine, dark scales, looking jagged and fearsome at first glance. But upon closer inspection, this serpent actually had four claws, a single horn on its head, whiskers growing from its back, and powerful limbs. It was clearly a demonic flood dragon.
It was indeed that demonic flood dragon. However, under Ye Chen's will, it had shrunk in size. Having reached the Martial God realm, the demonic flood dragon had mastered some divine abilities and could naturally shrink its form to avoid drawing attention.
Now, the demonic flood dragon slithered out, its demonic aura restrained, but it stood guard by Ye Chen's side.
Because Ye Chen needed to investigate. This time, he sat within his tent, undisturbed and unnoticed by others. An eerie glow flickered between his brows as vast, invisible spiritual sense power silently spread out, covering this oasis region. Everything fell within his perception.
Then, his spiritual sense extended, taking on a linear form as it rapidly stretched towards that mysterious Heaven and Earth portal.
Although Ye Chen wasn't yet a Martial God, his spiritual sense power was unexpectedly powerful, surpassing that of ordinary Martial Gods. Vast and formless, his spiritual sense in this linear form could extend a considerable distance, truly reaching the mysterious Heaven and Earth portal dozens of miles away.
The space there was distorted. Ye Chen's spiritual sense attempted to probe inside for exploration, but unfortunately, this portal possessed a mysterious power. Even Ye Chen's spiritual sense couldn't fully penetrate it, being blocked outside, which made him frown slightly.
Subsequently, his spiritual sense withdrew, then spread over the oasis. Countless voices rang within his perception, and he silently learned much information about the mysterious Heaven and Earth.
Over the past month, quite a few trialists had rashly attempted to breach the mysterious Heaven and Earth, but it was fraught with danger. Even just crossing the desert was perilous.
During the day, there were dangers like sandstorms and red sand scorpions. These sandstorms weren't ordinary; fierce winds would rise, carrying heatwaves mixed with wind blades powerful enough to kill trialists.
Moreover, red sand scorpions would appear, swarming by the thousands. Even an elephant can be killed by enough ants. Even Hundred Strong Trialists would tremble upon encountering them.
Because of this, over seventy trialists had already been forced to crush their spirit talismans here to eliminate themselves for self-preservation.
The mysterious Heaven and Earth was even more dangerous. Although the distorted space prevented seeing inside, some trialists had successfully broken through and entered the portal. However, according to rumors, only screams were heard from within before all sound ceased, causing fear and leaving people wondering what had happened.
Currently, the only ones confirmed to have truly survived were those super-powerful individuals with the qualification to delay claiming kingship.
Furthermore, once inside the mysterious Heaven and Earth, one couldn't exit. Whether there was a time limit or other conditions was unclear. At least for now, no one had been able to come back out, including those super-powerful individuals with the qualification to delay claiming kingship.
The information wasn't extensive, but it at least allowed Ye Chen to grasp some practical intel. He didn't set off alone.
Late at night, unusual commotion stirred within the camp. Over a dozen powerful trialists arrived, all exuding surging, powerful auras far surpassing ordinary trialists. They were Hundred Strong Trialists.
More than half of them carried themselves with noble, imposing bearing. They were princes and princesses from superpowers like the Tenglong Empire and Jiuhua Empire, looking arrogant and overbearing. Besides them, other Hundred Strong Trialists had also arrived. This group totaled over twenty people, accounting for a small half of the total Hundred Strong Trialists.
Their arrival greatly boosted the morale of the trialists. To some extent, these Hundred Strong Trialists were the true powerhouses of the Trial Path. Especially those princes and princesses from superpowers, who also wielded heavy artifacts and could serve as a precaution in critical moments.
However, the most disappointing thing was that the rumored arrival of the Uncrowned King, Ye Chen, never materialized, leaving many regretful.
After all, with the presence of an Uncrowned King like Ye Chen, the success rate would increase manyfold. Even the haughty princes and princesses from superpowers remained silent on this point, not denying it.
Little did anyone know that Ye Chen had already arrived long ago, merely hiding among the crowd, waiting for the right moment to act.
Not long after, a Scaled Golden Lion descended from the sky, landing in the main camp, causing many to feel wary and reverent. Merely this Scaled Golden Lion was more troublesome to deal with than an ordinary Hundred Strong Trialist.
Three people descended from it: the Thirteenth Prince of Xia Feng Kingdom, Princess Hong Rong, and Vivian. The trio had arrived, but unfortunately, Ye Chen was still not with them.
Nevertheless, the arrival of the three was welcomed by everyone. Even the princes and princesses from superpowers had to rein in their arrogance and show them respect.
After all, they were good friends of the Uncrowned King Ye Chen. To rescue them, the Uncrowned King had even dared to offend the Tianqi Empire. For this reason alone, no one dared to offend the trio. Besides, they also had this fearsome demonic beast, the Scaled Golden Lion.
"Brother Xia Teng, we previously heard that Fellow Daoist Ye Chen would come. Why is there no sign of him?" A noble prince from the Jiuhua Empire inquired, drawing everyone's attention.
Whether Ye Chen would arrive had always been the point of greatest concern for everyone.
The Thirteenth Prince was surprised. Ye Chen hadn't arrived yet? He had clearly set off earlier than them. Just as he was about to speak, a voice transmission sounded in his mind. He immediately understood and revealed a knowing smile. "Everyone, don't worry. Ye Chen will come. He's just been delayed by some matters. He suggests we set off first and not wait for him. He prefers to act alone."
"I see..."
Although somewhat disappointed, everyone still warmly welcomed the trio's arrival. Even several princesses of noble blood from the Jiuhua and Tenglong Empires stepped forward enthusiastically, pulling Princess Hong Rong and Vivian aside for conversation, their graceful laughter ringing out. Such beautiful ladies were a stunning splash of color on the desert oasis, quite captivating.
Many trialists secretly sighed with admiration, envying the three from Xia Feng Kingdom. To rise from a small kingdom to a status where even imperial princes and princesses treated them as equals—one had to admit that knowing Ye Chen was truly their fortune.
Not long after, another graceful beauty arrived. Her appearance immediately drew the gaze of the vast majority.
Because she was—
The Sixth Princess!