"But Battle Saint King is—"
Dan Xu intended to continue speaking up for the Battle Saint King, but Ancestor Hong interrupted him with a faint, distant tone, "If we can persuade that junior Battle Saint to hand over the part of the Emperor Body he obtained, our Dan Emperor Clan is willing to open its doors at any time to shelter him. Even if an Ancient Monarch comes, we will not fear, protecting him at all costs."
The other Great Powers of the imperial clan also nodded, indicating that this should be the way.
"This—"
Dan Xu was immediately left speechless, then shook his head with a sigh.
He understood their meaning—they clearly wanted to take this opportunity to extort the Battle Saint King, using it to obtain the part of the Emperor Body on his person.
But how could the Battle Saint King possibly hand over something as important as the Emperor Body?
And given the Battle Saint King's consistently forceful and domineering character, it was simply impossible.
Moreover, by not offering help this time, the Battle Saint King would likely be chilled to the bone. All the painstakingly built relationships would completely vanish, something Dan Xu absolutely did not wish to see. After all, no matter what, this Battle Saint King was the one who had blocked the five alien Emperors from crossing realms.
He wanted to persuade them that this was the intention of that Ancient Monarch of the Dan Emperor Clan, but Ancestor Hong simply would not let him speak. With his high status and authority, there was no room for a super Great Power like Dan Xu to interject.
Witnessing this scene from atop the ancient pass, Dan Wutian, Danyang's father, could not help but laugh heartily, looking sinisterly at the approaching Battle Saint King, and even prepared to open his mouth with an exorbitant demand.
If the Battle Saint King was willing to hand over part of the Emperor Body, the Dan Emperor Clan would naturally offer shelter, though his status as First Guest Elder would naturally be stripped away.
If he was unwilling, under the pursuit of the powerhouses of the All Heavens, he would inevitably be forced to hand it over under endless pressure—he would have no choice but to agree.
Dan Wutian had already prepared his speech.
Meanwhile, Ye Chen was less than ten thousand li from the Dan Emperor World's ancient pass. For him, this distance could be crossed in barely a single breath.
The pursuing Great Powers of the All Heavens also saw this and their expressions changed.
"Not good, it's the Dan Emperor Clan! The Battle Saint King is their First Guest Elder. This is troublesome now!"
If they were in any other star domain, it wouldn't matter—even the Dan Emperor Clan would not deter them. But now they were on the Dan Emperor Clan's turf. As powerful as they were, they were helpless. Were they to just watch as the Battle Saint King entered?
Undoubtedly, they were unwilling. The Battle Saint King was severely injured now—the best time for pursuit, not to be missed.
"Wait, the Dan Emperor Clan's ancient pass isn't opening. Could it be—"
Soon, they discovered the trick and could not help but burst into laughter.
"Battle Saint King, though you are the Dan Emperor Clan's First Guest Elder, this 'First Guest Elder' is truly pitiful. Don't you see the Dan Emperor Clan doesn't even dare to open the gates? Hahaha—"
The pursuing Great Powers all laughed coldly, mocking the Battle Saint King's poor connections.
"No, no, perhaps they simply haven't seen the Battle Saint King," another retorted, though it sounded more like sarcasm no matter how one listened.
Ye Chen naturally also saw that the Dan Emperor Clan's ancient pass remained firmly shut. Many figures stood atop it, including several Great Powers. It was impossible they hadn't truly seen him.
Thus, there was only one explanation.
The Dan Emperor Clan was unwilling to open the gates, unwilling to offend the powerhouses of the All Heavens for his sake.
All of this left Ye Chen feeling inexplicably chilled.
Though he did not expect the Dan Emperor Clan to lend him a hand, nor did he wish to implicate them, he still hoped that at this critical moment, they might utter even a single word of support.
Unfortunately—there was none!
Such is the fickleness of the world!
This was the mortal realm.
Though he understood that the Dan Emperor Clan had likely witnessed the fate of the Yuanchu Imperial Clan's extermination and dared not step forward to help, fearing to provoke other Ancient Monarchs and imperial clans into action.
Yet such indifference... true feelings are revealed in times of adversity. Ye Chen was somewhat disappointed in the Dan Emperor Clan.
From now on, we part as strangers!
He took a deep look at the Dan Emperor World, then changed his trajectory. With a whoosh, he brushed past it, never approaching the ancient pass.
On the ancient pass, many experts of the Dan Emperor Clan were dumbfounded, especially Dan Wutian. He had wanted to extort, but never expected the Battle Saint King to simply pass by from the side without saying a word. He was so angry he nearly jumped: "Damnable Battle Saint King!"
But beside him, Dan Xu said coldly, "Congratulations. From now on, the Battle Saint King truly is no longer the First Guest Elder of our Dan Emperor Clan, and has no further relationship with our clan."
The same words, yet the others heard the sarcasm within!
Dan Wutian's expression turned frighteningly gloomy. He snorted, "What qualifications does a mere Battle Saint King, hunted across the world, have to be the First Guest Elder of our Dan Emperor Clan? Sooner or later, he'll come crying for help."
Dan Xu said nothing. A peerless young supreme like the Battle Saint King, with his extreme forcefulness—how could he ever seek help?
What a pity. The Battle Saint King's potential was limitless. If he did not die this time, he had a great chance to prove his Dao and become an Emperor in the future. The Dan Emperor Clan would completely miss this golden opportunity to befriend him.
In the end, these pursuers failed to truly succeed in hunting down Ye Chen, who managed to escape successfully.
During this time, Ye Chen entered a prosperous ancient star. News of the struggle for the Emperor Body at the Fiftieth Trial Pass, like a stone thrown into a pond, had created huge ripples and spread widely. This ancient star, named Summer God Star, was also abuzz with various pieces of information.
From it, Ye Chen learned some shocking news. On the day of the struggle for the Emperor Body, several Ancient Monarchs were later stirred into action. Even within the Sovereign's Holy City, the legendary City Lord awoke from seclusion, his aura overwhelming the heavens, incomparably powerful, and he too participated.
An unprecedented chaotic battle—so many Ancient Monarchs had truly never appeared before, all struggling for the Emperor Body.
Moreover, within that Emperor Body lay the true Imperial Dao Foundation. Even if it was incomplete, it was enough to give one hope of becoming an Emperor, which nearly tore the heavens apart.
But at the very last moment, the most terrifying scene appeared. The sinister evil of the Fiftieth Trial Pass emerged. Blood rain and foul winds swept across the lands of the All Heavens. Countless numbers of ghostly soldiers and spectral generals appeared, along with various terrifying phenomena.
A figure wrapped in burial cloth appeared. It seemed not the least bit fearsome, but silently, it shattered half the body of an Ancient Monarch who had approached it, shaking the entire ancient universe.
An Emperor? A Sovereign?
The powerhouses all changed color. A being suspected to be an Emperor or a Sovereign had emerged, stirring up endless blood rain and foul winds. Right under the eyes of several Ancient Monarchs, it tore off the right leg of the Emperor Body.
Moreover, the Divine Spirit Nine-Layered Coffin above was grabbed by it and pulled down. No one dared to resist.
Boom—!
In the end, the terrifying being wrapped in burial cloth blasted all the powerhouses away from the Fiftieth Trial Pass. The Divine Spirit Nine-Layered Coffin's lid fell heavily once more, burying it within.
The Fiftieth Trial Pass also emitted an unusual light. The shattered Emperor City rapidly healed and reassembled. With a deafening roar, it completely vanished from the mortal realm, breaking through the void and leaving, becoming a legend of the mortal world.