The Primordial Divine Sea was perpetually accompanied by raging waves and towering swells.
Here, there was a scorched black island, clearly having suffered the bombardment of heavenly tribulation. For a thousand li around, the island was charred black, with numerous trees and even the hard, scorched earth shattered and destroyed, leaving only a barren, bald island.
Of course, the island had also been home to many demonic beasts and exotic creatures, not particularly powerful, all of whom had been blasted to death in the recent heavenly tribulation, leaving behind many charred carcasses. A faint, thick aroma of scorched flesh lingered in the air.
Upon this island, however, stood four figures—three men and one woman. The leader was heroic and imposing, with black hair cascading like a waterfall, sword-like brows and starry eyes, faintly revealing the bearing of a supreme emperor. Accompanied by great majesty, he resembled a monarch walking the mortal world, with a faint crescent moon mark on his brow.
Beside him was a golden-haired woman wearing well-fitted feminine battle armor, appearing enchantingly beautiful and peerless.
The other two young men were also extraordinary, possessing a magnificent, world-surpassing aura—both were heaven's favored sons.
These three men and one woman were none other than Ye Chen and his three supreme heaven's pride subordinates.
The heavenly thunder tribulation that had shaken the Primordial Divine Sea earlier was caused by them.
The Ten Heavens Realm was extraordinary, unique since ancient times. To enter this place, one not only needed to undergo the various trials of the Supreme Ancient Path but also enter from the correct location at the correct time.
Finally, one had to endure the interrogation of heavenly tribulation to enter. This was also a form of tempering the Ten Heavens Realm imposed on Imperial Sons and Daughters. Only by truly breaking through the heavenly tribulation and entering did one qualify to compete for the final struggle for the heaven-defying immortal fate known as the "Supreme."
Even powerful as they were, it had taken them considerable effort to truly break through the heavenly tribulation and enter.
The massive, charred black island was the legacy of their recent tribulation crossing—devoid of life, utterly desolate.
But at this moment, all of them wore solemn expressions as they gazed into the boundless Primordial Divine Sea, where endless raging waves crashed against the island.
The storm perpetually engulfed the entire ocean, thunderclaps mingling as if they would never cease.
However, these alone could not trouble Ye Chen and his companions. They were all Great Powers of their generation, and each was at least a high-level young Supreme One or above—peerless freaks. Mere raging waves could hardly hinder them.
What they were most wary of was that upon arriving in the Ten Heavens Realm, they felt their Great Dao severely suppressed.
It must be known that they were all Great Powers of their generation, and each was nearly at the super Great Power level of the seventh heaven—immensely powerful. With a mere wave of their hand, they could shatter heavenly stars and annihilate tens of millions of living beings, reaching a level of strength difficult to imagine.
Yet in the Ten Heavens Realm, without a doubt, their Great Dao was suppressed to a severe degree. Forget one or two-tenths of their original strength, they were far inferior to even one or two percent.
Perhaps moving mountains and shifting seas could still be done easily, but that star-plucking level of power was almost entirely lost.
Ye Chen raised his head to look at the highest point of the sky. He could sense that everything was because of that zenith, from which an incomparably supreme pressure—the heavenly might of the Emperor Dao—radiated incessantly.
And it wasn't just from a single Great Emperor, but from multiple Great Emperors.
Legend had it that the Ten Heavens Realm was an infinite Emperor Realm heaven and earth left behind by the Emperors. But at the same time, it was also left specifically for the descendants of Emperors, containing the respective Emperor Dao of various Emperors. Therefore, other Great Daos would be greatly suppressed.
Even if supreme experts from the outside world entered, they would suffer immense suppression, unable to exert much of their external power.
This was also to better temper those Imperial Sons and Daughters.
Because they were all too powerful, capable of shattering star domains with ease, nearly omnipotent. It was easy for them to develop an arrogant, look-down-on-everyone attitude, thinking themselves invincible under heaven. They would also constantly seek to elevate their realms for greater power, neglecting the most fundamental Dao foundation.
In that case, it could easily affect their Dao foundation. In the future, if they wished to Prove the Dao and Become Emperor, an insufficiently solid and steady Dao foundation could easily collapse, which would be very detrimental to climbing the peak of the Great Dao.
Moreover, to Prove the Dao and Become Emperor, not only did the divine soul need to be sufficiently powerful, but the physical body also had to be exceptionally strong. Only with an invincible form and spirit could one achieve it.
For cultivators, cultivation was a great Sea of Bitterness. People were in this sea, the physical body was the boat, and the spirit was the person in the boat. The Emperor Realm was the Other Shore.
To reach the Other Shore, one must cultivate both form and spirit to the extreme. Only with an indestructible physical body, an unflipping Sea of Bitterness, an undying spirit, and the person in the boat familiar with the waters, could one truly strive to cross the boundless Sea of Bitterness, reach the Other Shore, Prove the Dao and Become Emperor, achieving true great perfection.
Otherwise, any imperfection in form or spirit would render becoming an Emperor hopeless.
Even if one luckily became an Emperor someday, they would not be a truly great and perfect Emperor, only a pseudo-Emperor.
Therefore, the Ten Heavens Realm also focused on tempering the cultivator's physical body. It was an infinite Emperor Realm heaven and earth created by the Emperors long ago to better strengthen all aspects of their descendants.
Combining all these factors created the uniqueness of the Ten Heavens Realm. The Great Dao was suppressed, and physical strength was also suppressed to a certain degree, but it allowed for better, comprehensive tempering of form and spirit.
If one wished to recover their original peerless combat power, unless they transcended this heaven and earth, transcended everything, could it be achieved.
But the Ten Heavens Realm was an infinite Emperor Realm heaven and earth jointly left by the Emperors. Even an Ancient Monarch could not accomplish this. Unless one became an Emperor one day, then they could transcend it.
However, Ye Chen and the others clearly sensed that within the Ten Heavens Realm, they could better comprehend the Tenth Heaven.
The Emperors were all supreme existences who had cultivated the Tenth Heaven to its limit. The infinite Emperor Realm heaven and earth they left behind was naturally the same, even better than the Primordial Chaos Ancient Universe for achieving the Tenth Heaven realm.
Yet the group now frowned, Ye Chen included, because they simply didn't know where this place was. This mysterious ocean's ferocity was enough to rival the Chaotic Sea of the Ancient Emperor Realm, and it was even more terrifying. The slightest carelessness might pose a threat to them.
Ye Chen gazed at the frenzied sea region, but even with the Eyes of Heaven, and even piercing through over ten thousand li, his cultivation was suppressed too severely here.
At this moment, Abenue stepped forward and said, "Master, perhaps I should deploy the Insect Race army to conduct a comprehensive investigation in all directions. It would be faster, more convenient, and more thorough."
Ye Chen nodded. This was when the Insect Race Mother Queen's Insect Race army showed its value. While individually not powerful enough, its advantage lay in infinite numbers, especially in this mysterious, unknown place. It could more conveniently scout the environment and anticipate dangers.
Abenue let out a clear whistle, and a black hole appeared behind her, leading to the Star Nest within her body.
Suppressed by the Emperor Dao of the Ten Heavens Realm, even the Star Nest could not be summoned forth because it was too large. Abenue could not tear open a Star Nest spanning over ten thousand li here.
Buzz—
Visible to the naked eye, from the hundred-zhang-wide black hole, countless Insect Warriors, each only about a zhang in size, flew out. All had wings, vibrating them as they swiftly vanished into the boundless, vast ocean, searching for the correct direction, at the very least not a dangerous area.
After all, they currently knew nothing about the situation in the Ten Heavens Realm. Everything required caution as the priority.
In total, over ten thousand Insect Warriors flew out. These were the relatively smaller ones, generally with lower combat power, basically only at the Divine Transformation realm level.
Due to the Emperor Dao suppression of the Ten Heavens Realm, probably only the Sacred Storage realm could barely manage aerial flight. Therefore, these Divine Transformation realm Insect Warriors all had wings to facilitate flight.
However, the ocean was extremely frenzied, with terrifying raging waves crashing over from time to time. Consequently, at least one-third of the Insect Warriors were submerged in the vast ocean.
Moreover, this mysterious ocean was filled with countless sea beasts. Seeing the Insect Warriors falling into the sea, they eagerly surged forth, devouring these Insect Warriors for food.
Regarding all this, Abenue's expression remained unchanged. As a variant Insect Race Mother Queen, and a super Great Power at the seventh heaven, she could produce who knows how many of this level of Insect Warriors in a single day. A mere few thousand were utterly insignificant to her.
There were still about six thousand Insect Warriors flying out in all directions, quickly disappearing from sight. However, Abenue, as the Insect Race Mother Queen, could see everything those Insect Warriors could see.
Approximately half an hour later, Abenue, who had been sitting cross-legged with closed eyes, finally spoke. Looking at Ye Chen respectfully, she said, "Master, in the direction three hundred li to the right front, a ship has been discovered heading towards us. I believe it will arrive in less than half an hour."
"What kind of people are on it?"
To think someone was sailing a ship across this mysterious and frenzied vast ocean. Perhaps they could inquire about the situation here from these native inhabitants of the Ten Heavens Realm.
Ye Chen was slightly surprised for a moment before speaking.
"There are thirty-five people. They are—" Abenue hesitated briefly, confirming through the vision of another Insect Warrior before quickly saying, "They are all human race cultivators."
"The human race?" Ye Chen was somewhat astonished, not expecting to encounter the human race even in the Ten Heavens Realm.
He had always believed that the human race was basically within the Sealed Realm Universe. He hadn't expected the human race to appear even in this mysterious Ten Heavens Realm at the end of the Supreme Ancient Path.
But perhaps they were descendants left behind by human race Imperial Sons who had ascended to the Ten Heavens Realm in the past.
"Do not obstruct them. Let them come," Ye Chen said. "Recall all the Insect Warriors. Do not be detected. Exercise utmost caution. We can also ask them for directions; perhaps we can obtain more information about the Ten Heavens Realm."
"Yes, Master," Abenue immediately replied, promptly controlling all the Insect Warriors to return.
Not long after, they saw that human race ship swiftly sailing over, arriving before them.
This ship belonging to human race cultivators was about ten zhang long. It was precisely the small human tribe that was being pursued by the Yellow Sea Seven Devils pirates.