The teleportation passage was a kaleidoscope of colors, swiftly traversing along the endless chaotic flows of space.
Because the distance to the Ten Heavens Realm was truly too vast, even reaching the next transfer point required a considerable amount of time. Therefore, Ye Chen and the three Supreme Heavenly Prides under his command all engaged in cultivation within the spatial channel.
Ye Chen sat cross-legged atop the Chaos Cauldron. Chaos energy permeated the air, with manifestations of the Four Sacred Spirits appearing, as well as various other phenomena and dharma forms such as the Five Elements Great World and groups of immortals continuously emerging, surrounding him. He appeared solemn and dignified, like a Supreme Great Emperor, immersed in cultivation.
In his palm, nine massive Nine Heavens Mysterious Crystals materialized. These were hunted from the nine trial creatures at the Advanced Young Supreme Being level. Each Nine Heavens Mysterious Crystal contained abundant and dense Dao essence, which could be used to aid in enlightenment and cultivation.
Especially nine such enormous Nine Heavens Mysterious Crystals were even more so, containing potent Dao charm within.
Even Ye Chen was quite moved by them. He did not bestow them upon the three young Supreme Ones under his command but instead used them for his own cultivation.
Within the Ten Heavens Realm, there were many Emperor Children, each one at the strongest young Supreme One level, and their cultivation realms were likely not low. Even he would feel immense pressure upon arriving in the Ten Heavens Realm.
He had to enhance his strength before reaching the Ten Heavens Realm.
Every moment was precious cultivation time.
And the nine Nine Heavens Mysterious Crystals were the best method.
He released a mouthful of Chaos Dao Fire, directly enveloping the first Nine Heavens Mysterious Crystal.
This Nine Heavens Mysterious Crystal was also the condensed essence of a trial creature at the Advanced Young Supreme Being level. It was extremely hard; even Ye Chen would need to expend some effort to break it open.
Moreover, forcibly damaging it could easily deplete the contained Dao essence, and rapid melting would have the same effect.
Therefore, Ye Chen proceeded with extreme caution.
After half an hour, the Nine Heavens Mysterious Crystal finally began to slowly melt under the burning. After another two hours, it completely dissolved into a mass of seven-colored liquid thicker than a human head. Within it, misty light shimmered, radiant with seven-colored brilliance, and intense Dao charm surged and erupted.
That was genuine Dao essence, containing a wisp of Great Dao comprehension left behind by the Supreme Great Emperor who established the Misty Glow Secret Realm trial. Moreover, it was Emperor-level comprehension, manifested in a tangible state through the Great Emperor's heaven-defying methods, now shining brightly.
It could be said that by devouring and refining this mass of Dao essence, one could comprehend the wisp of insight left by that Great Emperor, a stroke of immortal fortune.
Light emanated from between Ye Chen's eyebrows. Within, his Chaos Saint Soul, small and supremely divine, emerged from the Muddy Pellet Palace, appearing before him. It grasped the liquid mass of Dao essence and directly swallowed it.
Boom—
In an instant, Ye Chen's Chaos Saint Soul erupted with boundless light—Dao light, mingled with divine light from various Great Daos. Strands and wisps descended, submerging itself. A resonant Dao sound suddenly reverberated throughout his entire being.
The Chaos Saint Soul flew back into Ye Chen's Muddy Pellet Palace between his eyebrows, immersing itself in that Dao realm, and then began deep-level comprehension.
While Ye Chen refined the Nine Heavens Mysterious Crystal, the three Supreme Heavenly Prides under his command refined other grades of Nine Heavens Mysterious Crystals for enlightenment and comprehension. They released other enslaved Great Powers and Heavenly Kings to stand guard.
Ye Chen's enlightenment session lasted a full month before concluding.
Upon awakening, Ye Chen felt his Dao attainment had deepened somewhat.
Although only somewhat, consider Ye Chen's current level of Dao attainment—Sixfold Heaven Great Power, counted among the top-tier powerhouses at the peak of the mortal world's pyramid. His Dao attainment was unfathomably deep. To deepen it even a little would typically require decades or even centuries of arduous cultivation, yet now a single Nine Heavens Mysterious Crystal had achieved this step. It was already remarkable.
According to Ye Chen's estimation, three Nine Heavens Mysterious Crystals at the Advanced Young Supreme Being level would be enough for him to advance from the early stage of the Sixfold Heaven to the mid-stage. Six crystals would suffice to reach the late stage.
Refining nine Nine Heavens Mysterious Crystals would bring him to the peak of the Sixfold Heaven, just a hair's breadth from the Sevenfold Heaven.
If luck was sufficient, breaking through to the Sevenfold Heaven was not impossible.
It could be said that this was only achievable with nine Advanced Young Supreme Being-level Nine Heavens Mysterious Crystals. Ordinary Nine Heavens Mysterious Crystals, even those at the basic young Supreme One level, could not accomplish this.
Before Ye Chen could refine the second Nine Heavens Mysterious Crystal, the Domain Heavenly Gate teleportation arrived at the next stop—also a Trial Ancient City. Ye Chen, possessing the token from City Lord Hong Tian, once again proceeded directly with the teleportation.
Because the distance was truly too vast, even utilizing spatial teleportation channels would require a year or so. Therefore, in the time that followed, Ye Chen continued refining the Nine Heavens Mysterious Crystals one by one.
His Dao attainment continuously deepened.
The Dao attainment of the three Supreme Heavenly Prides under his command also steadily deepened.
Three months later, Ye Chen arrived at the fifth transfer station.
It was also a Trial Ancient City.
However, the Trial Ancient City had long been depleted; it was an uninhabited ancient city.
Yet Ye Chen and the others felt a sense of foreboding. Because they were currently on the main path of the Supreme Ancient Path, and it was not that the main path lacked guardians of the Supreme Ancient Path standing guard. How could it be empty?
Upon careful observation, he discovered the ancient city was in disarray. Many buildings had collapsed, and there was a lot of blood in the city, much of which appeared quite fresh. The incident likely had not occurred too long ago.
This scene made Ye Chen's heart tremble.
If he was not mistaken, perhaps this Trial Ancient City had suffered a massacre, and even the guardian Great Power stationed here had met the same fate.
Such a conjecture, even for Ye Chen, caused him to tense up. Who would dare to massacre a Trial Ancient City of the Supreme Ancient Path so blatantly? Wasn't this openly opposing the Supreme Ancient Path?
However, those capable of massacring a Trial Ancient City were definitely extraordinary. Ye Chen did not wish to provoke them lightly. He led the three young Supreme Ones under his command and swiftly rushed into the ancient city, also needing to find the Domain Heavenly Gate here to proceed to the Ten Heavens Realm.
Boom—
While searching for the Domain Heavenly Gate, the sky suddenly darkened. Boundless darkness surged from all directions, completely enveloping the desolate ancient star.
At that moment, Ye Chen and the others finally realized that the star had long been occupied by a terrifying star beast. It appeared identical to the star, yet it was a dreadful starry sky behemoth; the colossal celestial body was the star beast's body.
The boundless darkness was the star beast opening its bloody maw, transforming into an abyss that enveloped the Trial Ancient City and also swallowed Ye Chen and his companions within.