"Eternity?"
Ye Chen felt immense pressure on his shoulders, pressure so great it surpassed even facing the Emperors of the alien races.
Was there truly hope of achieving Eternity?
Throughout the ages, epoch after epoch had cycled and changed, giving rise to many dazzlingly brilliant Supreme Great Emperors and peerless immortals who stood proudly above the passage of time, overlooking all eras, their lifespans boundless and endless.
Yet, to this day, true Eternity had never appeared. The only clue was a prehistoric stele from before the birth of the various great Chaos Ancient Universes, which recorded a suspected existence of Eternity within the Chaos Sea. That was all.
But it had never been confirmed whether Eternity truly existed.
The higher one's cultivation, the more elusive the hope for Eternity seemed to become.
At this point, there were even times when Ye Chen doubted whether Eternity had ever truly existed. Otherwise, why, during his several encounters with his future self—the supreme, peerless one who seemed to have achieved the Great Perfection of the Chaos Dao—could that future self not reverse everything? Instead, he needed to send the corpses of his loved ones, carrying crucial information, up the River of Time to this era, for him to learn.
If one truly reached Eternity, would his future, supreme, peerless self need to do such a thing?
Christie watched Ye Chen for a good while before speaking calmly, "Are you wondering whether you have hope of reaching that legendary state of Eternity in the future? Or are you questioning whether Eternity truly exists?"
Ye Chen nodded silently.
Christie said, "Eternity exists."
There was no hesitation, no doubt, her tone as calm as ever, yet carrying a certain conviction.
Ye Chen looked at Christie in shock. Before he could ask, she proactively answered, "Whether it's that prehistoric stele in the Chaos Sea, or the many experiences from the past, the pursuit of Emperors and immortals throughout the ages, the Mythical Great Destruction of the Sealed Boundary Universe, the blood-soaked future that is about to arrive—all of it, every single thing, proves that Eternity exists."
"If Eternity did not exist, why would these peerless Supreme Ones with infinite lifespans toil so arduously?"
Hearing this, Ye Chen fell silent again, but he also felt that Angel God Emperor Christie's words made great sense.
Emperors or peerless immortals—beings capable of cultivating to this level were truly wise individuals of great intellect. If Eternity did not exist, why would they exhaust endless effort, toiling so hard in pursuit of something illusory?
Christie's words solidified Ye Chen's somewhat wavering Dao Heart completely. He would stride towards the realm of Eternity with his own Dao Heart, with his own steadfast steps. Perhaps for thousands of years, perhaps for an era, perhaps for an epoch, even for countless years, he would always remain firm and march forward resolutely.
Seeing the determination in Ye Chen's eyes, Christie felt a sense of relief, though a trace of uncertainty flickered within her heart.
Because she herself was not entirely sure whether Eternity truly existed.
Telling Ye Chen it existed was merely to fortify the Dao Heart of this key individual, to prevent him from giving up, to keep him moving forward—only then was there real hope.
Yet over countless years, throughout the ages, as epochs cycled and sank, no one had ever been seen transcending to glimpse true Eternity. Even she sometimes doubted whether that Eternity truly existed.
"Back then, when we, the Emperors of the Sealed Realm, ventured into the Chaos Sea, we also left corresponding contingencies on the Ultimate Ancient Path or the Supreme Ancient Path, to nurture hopeful descendants, not just you few key individuals."
Angel God Emperor Christie spoke slowly. "Back then, like this Supreme Ancient Tower, you must find it familiar, right?"
Ye Chen nodded. "It bears great resemblance to the Human Sovereign Pagoda of His Majesty the Human Sovereign."
"Actually, this Supreme Ancient Tower is a defective product of the Human Sovereign Pagoda," Christie answered.
"A defective product?!" Ye Chen was startled.
"Yes, a defective product," Christie said. "The Human Sovereign Pagoda is actually a true supreme Emperor's weapon, and not an ordinary one at that. And the Human Sovereign is also no ordinary Human Sovereign; he is not as simple as the current Supreme Human Sovereign of the Myriad Domains."
"Who is the Human Sovereign?!" Ye Chen's heart jolted. Could the Human Sovereign's true origin be one of the Supreme Great Emperors from the Mythical Epoch?
However, he quickly dismissed the thought himself. Because the position of Human Sovereign had a tenure of only one hundred thousand years each time.
After one hundred thousand years, the Human Sovereign would abdicate, and a new Human Sovereign would succeed.
This custom of the Myriad Domains had been passed down generation after generation, for who knew how many generations since ancient times.
If the Human Sovereign were a Supreme Great Emperor, with an infinite lifespan, how could the world allow a successor to ascend the throne?
At the very least, without reaching the Emperor realm, who could replace the Human Sovereign?
But if that wasn't the case, what did Angel God Emperor mean by these words?
Christie did not answer, merely saying, "The requirements for forging the Human Sovereign Pagoda back then were extremely high. It wasn't just about creating a supreme Emperor's weapon; it also needed to accommodate the power of faith from all heavens, the power of mortal thoughts, and the power of destiny—all three. Therefore, during the initial forging, defective products also appeared. This Supreme Ancient Tower is one such unsuccessful semi-finished product."
"But even as a defective product, it was forged by a Supreme Great Emperor. It gained sentience during the forging process and was also nurtured by the power of faith, mortal thoughts, and destiny, making it extraordinary—no less than a Monarch's Immortal Weapon, perhaps even more so."
"Back then, the various Ancient Universes of the Chaos Sea had an agreement: the Supreme Ancient Path was for tempering the Emperor Children, Emperor Daughters, and even some of the strongest young Supreme Ones. Therefore, each Ancient Universe was to leave some Imperial Traces on this Supreme Ancient Path. This Supreme Ancient Tower is one of the Imperial Traces left by our Sealed Boundary Universe. I was responsible for bringing it and placing it on the Supreme Ancient Path, and I also left an Imprint here."
"However, we had actually deduced the Mythical Great Destruction long ago. Therefore, within this Supreme Ancient Tower, I also left some contingencies. Sensing that you are one of the key individuals, the Imprint I left here in slumber long ago would awaken and appear before you to conduct a trial."
She explained slowly.
Precisely because of this, Christie was not the true Angel God Emperor, but merely an Imprint she had deliberately left behind when she, representing the Sealed Boundary Universe, delivered the Supreme Ancient Tower here.
Originally, the Supreme Ancient Tower did indeed contain the ultimate trial left by the Emperors and Sovereigns of the Sealed Realm for the Emperor Children and Daughters. Depending on the different Imperial Traces left by the various Emperors, the corresponding Supreme Trial would naturally differ.
However, sensing Ye Chen's aura of Sealed Boundary Universe origin and also sensing that he was one of the key individuals selected back then, the Imprint left by Angel God Emperor autonomously revived, awakened, and engaged Ye Chen in a battle of the strongest at the same level.