The Imperial Ring originated from the Chaos Primordial Stone within the Chaos Pure Land. It was suspected to be related to the possible Imperial Dao inheritance contained within and even involved one of the many Emperors or Supreme Immortals who had opened up the Ten Heavens Ancient Domain.
If one obtained its inheritance, they might even indirectly come into contact with the "Supreme One" immortal fate, understanding what the so-called "Supreme One" immortal fate truly referred to.
However, the Imperial Ring was extremely mysterious, with only nine Imperial Characters inscribed upon it. These Imperial Characters could not be comprehended by anyone who was not a Supreme One of the same level. Apart from these characters, the stone ring appeared utterly ordinary.
Ye Chen had been studying the Imperial Ring these past few days, but unfortunately, he couldn't discern anything substantial.
Nevertheless, the nine Imperial Characters contained profound Imperial Dao mysteries. Ye Chen repeatedly studied them, finding them vast and profound. He even inscribed the Imperial Characters from the ring onto his Chaos Cauldron, causing the cauldron to appear increasingly extraordinary, faintly gaining an additional layer of Supreme One majesty.
He continued his research in this manner. At a certain moment, Ye Chen's mind suddenly stirred. A crown shimmering with nine-colored divine light abruptly appeared above his head. It was none other than the Mythical Laurel Crown he had obtained from the Ancient God Palace years ago. Forged from nine completely different types of Chaos Immortal Gold fused into one, it shimmered with nine colors and possessed an aura of supreme, matchless imperial majesty.
The moment it appeared, the Three Supreme Talents under his command, Gu Jiuhua, and Gu Qingyang were all astonished. They could recognize the material of the Mythical Laurel Crown. That such a supreme divine crown, forged from the nine Chaos Immortal Golds, existed between heaven and earth was simply unbelievable.
Regardless of the Mythical Laurel Crown's function, its material alone was enough to drive anyone mad with desire.
All this time, the Mythical Laurel Crown had been stored within Ye Chen's internal space, even forgotten by him at one point. But since it was originally obtained from the Ancient Emperor Realm of the Great Saint Emperor, Ye Chen believed it was likely connected to the Great Saint Emperor in some way.
Now, this imperial treasure might be able to trigger the Imperial Ring, another imperial treasure.
Upon donning the Mythical Laurel Crown, Ye Chen instantly gained the imperial majesty that commanded the reverence of all living beings. Inspiration struck, and he felt a certain sensation. Then, his finger traced several Imperial Characters in the void, derived from those on the Imperial Ring, and pointed them towards the ring.
*Hum—*
Indeed, the previously inert Imperial Ring now produced subtle fluctuations. Several of the Imperial Characters on its surface bloomed with brilliant light.
"As expected, the Mythical Laurel Crown is extraordinary. I just don't know its true origins, or if it came from the Great Saint Emperor's hand," Ye Chen murmured to himself. He still hadn't discerned the true origin of the Mythical Laurel Crown; it remained very mysterious.
*Boom—*
Heaven and earth trembled violently. Several Imperial Characters materialized, transforming into a vast, illusory realm that enveloped everyone present.
By the time everyone reacted, they had entered a mysterious illusory realm, their consciousnesses projected within.
"Kill!"
"Break through this Heavenly Pass, and we shall attain the Dao and eternal life!"
"Slay Immortals, slay gods, and walk the path of longevity!"
Suddenly, earth-shattering cries of slaughter rang out, shaking space and time.
Everyone looked into the distance. In the extremely remote starry sky, an unprecedented, vast battle was taking place. The scale and ferocity of this battle far exceeded everyone's imagination.
Because the combatants involved were not merely dozens or hundreds of powerful races, but ten thousand races. Even Great Powers of the All Heavens and Ancient Monarchs had appeared. There were also invincible True Dragons spanning the heavens, soaring through the endless starry void, their dragon bodies immeasurably vast, making stars seem as insignificant as dust before them.
The number of cultivators participating in the battle was incalculable. The sky and earth were filled with cultivators from ten thousand races, densely packed, countless experts, a truly shocking sight.
Countless cultivators appeared within a boundless, ancient passageway. This passageway involved the flow of years, the fabric of space-time, and even pierced through the Myriad Realms of the All Heavens.
One great world after another projected into the ancient passageway. World gates opened, and powerful experts from various great worlds continuously descended, participating in this unprecedented, universe-level war.
"This is a cosmic war!"
Soon, everyone understood. That was a terrifying war concerning the entire Chaos Ancient Universe. It was not the Mythical Great Destruction War of the Sealed Realm Universe, but another universe-level war, equally brutal and tragic.
When Ye Chen's gaze fell upon the forefront of the battlefield, it suddenly sharpened.
Because he saw an incomparably massive warship, spanning the starry sky, its size unimaginable, as if it could carry the Myriad Realms of the All Heavens. Its exterior resembled a pitch-black skull, radiating the supreme aura of Emperors and Sovereigns, brilliant and boundless, impossible to resist.
The Ship That Slays Immortals!
Ye Chen's heart shook. He never expected to encounter a temporal fragment related to the Ship That Slays Immortals within the Ten Heavens Ancient Domain. It seemed to be from the period when the Ship That Slays Immortals was attacking the Primordial Immortal Realm.
And on the other end of the Ship That Slays Immortals stood an equally majestic and boundless Immortal Heavenly Pass, belonging to the Primordial Immortal Realm.
Upon the Heavenly Pass, countless experts stood, Supreme Immortals among them, their auras shaking the past and illuminating the present. There were even the most powerful Immortal Kings of ancient and modern times, their gaze seemingly containing the terrifying scenes of the cycle of years and the change of epochs, watching all this indifferently.
The war between the two Chaos Ancient Universes was naturally incomparably tragic. Emperors and Supreme Immortals clashed, their battles fiercely shaking the past and illuminating the present.
That fearsome Ship That Slays Immortals spanned the heavens, steered by the mightiest Emperors.
During the war, even Emperors and Supreme Immortals were not spared, suffering wounds as well. Vast blood radiance illuminated the Chaos Sea, shaking the River of Time, a sight that shook the soul.
It was far too tragic.
However, it was clear that the Primordial Immortal Realm, one of the top powers in the Chaos Sea, possessed overall combat strength far superior to the Eight Desolations Ancient Universe where the Ship That Slays Immortals originated. The Eight Desolations Ancient Universe side held little advantage.
Moreover, within the Immortal Heavenly Pass, the Primordial Immortal Realm faintly manifested boundless cosmic projections. One world-shaking aura of Supreme Immortals after another erupted. Majestic and magnificent immortal palaces rose and fell, their boundless immortal might enough to crush past, present, and future.
Upon the Immortal Heavenly Pass, a supreme Nine Heavens Immortal King descended. Three thousand divine halos appeared around his body, as if three thousand great worlds were added to his form. Immortal radiance blazed brilliantly, his presence matchlessly conspicuous and majestic. He looked down from the Immortal Heavenly Pass and slowly spoke, "Great Emperor Hantian, withdraw. Your Eight Desolations Ancient Universe is no match for my Primordial Immortal Realm."
Clearly, the Primordial Immortal Realm was also unwilling to casually deplete its living forces. Although overall, it was essentially the most powerful Chaos Ancient Universe in the entire Chaos Sea, destroying another Chaos Ancient Universe would still require paying an immensely heavy price.
At the very top of the Ship That Slays Immortals, an equally majestic and peerless supreme imperial figure stood firm, like an immortal mountain that had endured since time immemorial, confronting the other. Only after a long while did he speak, carrying a trace of resolve: "Tai Hao, you understand why I am taking action—"
"Great Emperor Hantian!?"
"Immortal King Tai Hao!?"
Everyone within the illusory realm felt their hearts shake, especially Mo Haishen and Luo Guyun. As powerful young supremes from various ancient universes, they had some understanding of the many Emperors and Supreme Immortals of the All Heavens. Both Great Emperor Hantian and Immortal King Tai Hao were among the best, figures who could be called ancient giants, shaking the past and illuminating the present, standing at the rank of the mightiest Emperors and Immortal Kings.
They never imagined that in the boundless past, during a universe-level war, these two invincible existences who shook the past and illuminated the present had once confronted each other, and it seemed they were about to engage in a battle spanning ancient and modern times.
Everyone also wanted to understand why, for no apparent reason, Great Emperor Hantian would lead the Eight Desolations Ancient Universe to attack the Primordial Immortal Realm.
However, a battle of that level was ultimately difficult for them to witness fully. Even with the Imperial Ring's record, they couldn't truly see it. Only a few fragments flashed by, showing other Emperors and Supreme Immortals engaged in fierce combat.
The light and shadows flickered, soon shifting to an Emperor confronting a Supreme Immortal. It was an ancient Great Emperor who appeared extremely majestic and immortal, his figure towering, his gaze capable of piercing through ancient and modern times, overlooking the sinking of epochs, supreme and peerless. He wielded the most terrifying supreme imperial laws to battle the Supreme Immortal, the fight fiercely shaking the entire ancient passageway, its influence immense, even causing the River of Time to resonate.
This Emperor's combat power was nearly unmatched through the ages. Wielding an imperial spear, he shattered myriad realms, battling the Supreme Immortal with extreme ferocity, fighting deep into the River of Time, almost capable of disrupting ancient and modern space-time—an unimaginable terror.
*Boom—*
Soon, this Emperor fought his way to the Immortal Heavenly Pass. While confronting the Supreme Immortal, he also assaulted the Heavenly Gate. His imperial power was peerless; the might of the heavens descended, causing the entire Immortal Heavenly Pass to tremble violently.
However, the Primordial Immortal Realm's Immortal Heavenly Pass was extremely stable, reinforced by Supreme Immortals and even Immortal Kings. It was unlikely for an ancient Great Emperor to shatter it alone, let alone while also confronting a Supreme Immortal. Achieving this was even more difficult.
The ancient Great Emperor sighed softly. Just as he was about to leave, his eternally immortal supreme imperial body suddenly exploded. Accompanied by boundless, boiling blood radiance, it struck the Immortal Heavenly Pass.
The terrifying explosive fluctuations from the Emperor caused the Immortal Heavenly Pass to shake violently, nearly collapsing completely. It was only stabilized at the critical moment by Immortal King Tai Hao's intervention; otherwise, it likely would have remained collapsed for a long stretch.
Even so, countless casualties occurred on the Immortal Heavenly Pass, and the Heavenly Gate developed massive cracks. For this was an Emperor's self-detonation, an unimaginable terror capable of destroying everything.
This Spear-Wielding Great Emperor did not perish immediately. Upon reaching the Emperor realm, one's vitality became incredibly strong; how could one perish so easily? He gathered the vast blood radiance filling the sky, rolling it back to the rear of the ancient passageway to reform.
Yet, the Great Emperor, only half-reformed, charged back beneath the Immortal Heavenly Pass and exploded once more. Vast imperial blood radiance swept through the heavens, unbearably tragic. The Heavenly Gate could no longer withstand it and truly collapsed.
The Immortal Heavenly Pass had been breached!
Ye Chen and the others were shocked and puzzled. To breach the Immortal Heavenly Pass, would a mighty Great Emperor truly go so far as to walk the path of self-destruction and annihilation?
"Primordial Ancestor—"
Just as everyone was filled with confusion, the imperial shadow of the Spear-Wielding Great Emperor manifested, roaring in fury, shaking the ancient passageway, filled with shock and rage, piercing through ancient and modern times.