A sword that annihilated Emperor Gu Chu?
The strongest Emperor?
An Emperor whose name begins with the character 'Qing'?
Ye Chen truly could not figure out which supreme Great Emperor this Azure Light Emperor was within the Sealed Realm Universe.
He saw that the Azure Light Emperor still wore the Heavenly Dao mask, his body wreathed in boundless Heavenly Dao Emperor light, as if slaying Emperor Gu Chu was merely an ordinary matter, incapable of stirring the slightest ripple in his heart.
"Great Emperor!"
Although his heart still held deep sorrow over the death of the Tianhuang Divine Maiden, facing this Great Emperor who had saved him, Ye Chen still felt boundless reverence. He bowed deeply, wishing to express his gratitude.
The Azure Light Emperor gave a slight nod towards Ye Chen. However, when his ancient, profound gaze fell upon Ye Chen, the latter was startled, for he clearly felt the Tenth Heaven within his body fiercely tremble as if uncontrollable.
Again!
Ye Chen was shocked. Why could this Azure Light Emperor always so easily cause the Tenth Heaven within him to tremble? Even other Supreme Emperors, even the strongest Emperors like the Battle Saint Ancestor, the Time-Space Emperor, and the Tai Sheng Sovereign, had never caused his internal Tenth Heaven to tremble.
The Azure Light Emperor's gaze seemed capable of seeing through everything about Ye Chen, as if nothing could be hidden from him.
In the end, Ye Chen simply stopped concealing anything, opening his mind and body, allowing the other's observation.
This open-minded attitude seemed to win the other's respect. After gazing for a moment, a trace of appreciation appeared in the Azure Light Emperor's eyes, and he said sincerely, "To be able to break through the shackles of the Nine Heavens within a flawed Heavenly Dao universe like the Sealed Realm Universe, becoming the first supreme prodigy to reach the Tenth Heaven since the Mythical Era, you are indeed outstanding."
Although it was merely a phrase of 'outstanding,' coming from a Supreme Great Emperor who had effortlessly slain half of Emperor Gu Chu's true body, it was extremely high praise.
One must know, even for the strongest young supremes like Imperial Sons and Daughters, obtaining such an evaluation from a Supreme Great Emperor would likely be quite difficult.
Ye Chen modestly said, "This junior merely had the fortune to break through to the Tenth Heaven."
The Azure Light Emperor said, "You need not be overly modest. Often, luck is also a part of strength. To break through to the Tenth Heaven, becoming the first since the myths, your own strength exists."
Ye Chen could only clasp his fists. Then, opening his mouth, he was about to speak, but the Azure Light Emperor had already guessed what Ye Chen was thinking and said, "My name you will know in time. Coming here to intervene was merely to resolve a causality left from the past, nothing more."
Causality?
Ye Chen was puzzled. What causality existed between him and this Azure Light Emperor?
"Since I have intervened, then let me assist you further, to resolve the causality more perfectly." The Azure Light Emperor spoke again. He saw him brandish the Heavenly Dao Emperor Sword, fiercely slashing towards the River of Time.
Boom—
The River of Time trembled fiercely. Within it, countless streams of temporal power flowed, and the majestic power of the Heavenly Dao surged forth, reversing everything, undoing all that had previously occurred through temporal reversion.
One could see Ye Chen burning the Great Emperor Reincarnation Body, unleashing the Universe Creation to battle Emperor Gu Chu, the towering, peerless demonic shadow also appearing behind Emperor Gu Chu.
However, all of this rewound to the moment when Ye Chen had just returned from the River of Time, when the Great Emperor Reincarnation Body still existed.
"Halt!"
The Azure Light Emperor uttered this single word. All time froze at the moment Ye Chen had just returned from the River of Time.
Then, under Ye Chen's astonished gaze, the Azure Light Emperor fiercely brandished the Heavenly Dao Emperor Sword, severing the barrier of time with a single stroke. Boundless Emperor Dao azure light rushed along the severed temporal gap like lightning, transforming into countless tendrils that fiercely pulled out the Great Emperor Reincarnation Body.
Boom—
At this moment, a terrifying roar echoed from the mysterious starry sky above the River of Time, shaking past and present. Then, countless Forbidden Heavenly Thunders descended, even more terrifying and numerous than those that had fallen upon Emperor Gu Chu during the Great Mythical Destruction, boundless and endless, flooding down.
The fearsomeness of that Forbidden Heavenly Thunder was almost comparable to the terror that had descended when Ye Chen, the Supreme One, first returned from the blood-stained future.
"With my Emperor Blood, I stain past and present!"
The Azure Light Emperor roared. From his body, a series of blood flew out—Emperor Blood, containing boundless vitality and infinite power, also harboring the laws of all heavens and myriad Daos. It soared skyward, colliding with the endless Forbidden Heavenly Thunder.
Boom—
Then, it was seen that the Forbidden Heavenly Thunder instantly dissipated without a trace.
Such methods were truly heaven-defying, leaving Ye Chen utterly astonished.
This did not seem to be something an ordinary Supreme Great Emperor could possess. Even Emperor Gu Chu had merely endured such Forbidden Heavenly Thunder.
Simultaneously, from that temporal space, Ye Chen's Great Emperor Reincarnation Body actually appeared.
However, doing this meant reversing time and space, which would incur the most terrifying power of causality. Ye Chen shouted, "Great Emperor, you must not! This will incur fearsome causal power."
The Azure Light Emperor remained silent. He naturally also felt the even more terrifying Forbidden Heavenly Thunder descending from the heavens.
Moreover, the River of Time trembled, stirring up countless towering waves, each high enough to surge into the Nine Heavens, sweeping up the stars, carrying the most terrifying temporal power, rushing towards the Azure Light Emperor.
"I am Heaven, the Great Art of Self-Deception!"
The Azure Light Emperor gave a great shout. The Emperor Dao azure light radiating from his entire body grew even more blazing. From his body flew out a series of Emperor Blood, merging into the position where Ye Chen's Great Emperor Reincarnation Body had been in the past. The Emperor Blood shone with vast Emperor Dao radiance, transforming like lightning into Ye Chen's Great Emperor Reincarnation Body.
After completing all this, the Azure Light Emperor's Heavenly Dao Emperor Sword withdrew from the temporal realm, allowing the River of Time to repair itself autonomously.
The River of Time accelerated its flow, and then the subsequent scenes unfolded: Ye Chen burning the Great Emperor Reincarnation Body, unleashing the Universe Creation to clash with Emperor Gu Chu's strike.
Finally, everything dissipated.
Only, Ye Chen's Great Emperor Reincarnation Body was not destroyed. It appeared intact before Ye Chen, even the one-seventh of the Emperor's origin remained the same. Standing before him, the Great Emperor Reincarnation Body, resembling a seven-year-old boy, emanated a faint Emperor Dao heavenly might.
Witnessing all this firsthand, the astonishment in Ye Chen's heart was beyond measure.
Because the Azure Light Emperor had actually succeeded, reversing the River of Time, extracting the Great Emperor Reincarnation Body that existed in the past, deceiving the River of Time itself. What a heaven-defying method this was.
Yet suddenly, a cracking sound rang out, originating from the Heavenly Dao mask. At this moment, a crack appeared on the mask engraved with the myriad Daos of heaven and earth, starkly conspicuous.
Even one as heaven-defying as the Azure Light Emperor had ultimately paid a price.