Tian Du Continent, central region.
This was the vital territory occupied by superpowers such as the three great empires and one great academy, the Martial God Hall, and others, holding the most spirit energy-rich lands across the entire Tian Du Continent.
Within a sparsely populated deep mountain range. In a valley, clouds and mist swirled, a waterfall cascaded down three thousand zhang, its vapor rising, dreamlike and illusory, akin to a paradise on earth. It was a cave heaven and blessed land, where the heaven and earth spirit energy surged and billowed, surpassing other places.
Atop a lofty, frigid mountain peak, a young woman sat cross-legged on a bluestone. Clad in plain white robes, her three thousand strands of black hair flowed like a cloud waterfall, fluttering in the wind.
She possessed peerless beauty, her skin rivaling frost and surpassing snow, fair and crystalline. Beneath her exquisite features, her delicate brows were slightly raised, her elegant nose pert, her lips cherry-red—a graceful beauty, yet carrying a vibrant heroic spirit uncommon among ordinary women, a rare formidable woman.
A surging aura emanated from her body. A cyan light shot from the crown of her head, piercing the clouds and stirring the sky, a sight rarely seen in the world.
It could be said this was a powerful young Martial God, even far stronger than ordinary Martial Gods. As the young woman breathed, the vast heaven and earth spirit energy between heaven and earth was continuously swallowed by her, transforming into streams of pure divine power flowing through her meridians. Her body surface shimmered with a radiant glow, appearing holy and transcendent.
The young woman meditated on the bluestone, day after day, month after month, always in quiet cultivation, never opening those eyes of hers.
Yet at this moment, the meditating young woman opened her eyes, emitting piercing divine light that cracked the sky with a snap, looking towards an elder treading through the air amidst the distant clouds and mist.
The elder tread the void, arriving with the wind, landing silently before the young woman, appearing very respectful as he bowed: "Greetings, Young Miss."
If any disciple of the Martial God Hall witnessed this, they would be greatly shocked, for this elder was no ordinary old man. He was a Divine Elder of the Martial God Hall, ranked twelfth, named Wu Qian, a powerful Heavenly God expert, a figure of high status and authority. Even the deputy hall master would normally nod in acknowledgment upon meeting him. Yet at this moment, before the young woman, he appeared exceptionally deferential, even reverent—truly astonishing.
Just who was this young woman to command such reverence from a powerful Divine Elder?
But Elder Wu Qian deeply understood the true origins of the young woman before him. She was an unparalleled ancient prodigy of the Martial God Hall, sealed by a Supreme Divine Spirit within a priceless World's Heart fragment during ancient times.
It was hard to imagine that the ancient prodigy sealed by the Martial God Hall, renowned for martial prowess, was actually a young woman. But all those who truly knew her strength expressed intense shock without exception.
In her time, she was peerless in the world, achieving Martial God at the tender age of twenty-six, her talent unmatched. Moreover, upon first stepping into Martial God, she challenged Martial God experts and emerged victorious, adding to her fame.
Later, at twenty-three, she could easily defeat veteran Martial Gods who had entered this realm for many years, once slaying five Martial Gods in a single day, shaking the world.
In that era, no one among the entire younger generation of the Tian Du Continent was her match. Even the most dazzling geniuses could not last fifteen moves against her. She was hailed as the most stunning prodigy in the entire history of the Martial God Hall, also praised by the Great Prophet as a monstrous talent with the potential to surpass Divine Spirits.
This peerless young woman was treated as an equal even by the current deputy hall master in charge of the Martial God Hall.
The young woman lightly raised a hand, gesturing for the elder to rise: "Elder Wu Qian, what brings you here?"
Elder Wu Qian replied respectfully: "Reporting to Your Highness, this old one comes by order of the Hall Master, to request Your Highness to leave the mountain and proceed to the Trial Path of the Tian Du Academy to capture the youth Ye Chen."
"Trial Path?" The young woman's delicate brows rose slightly, then she shook her head slightly, her three thousand strands of black hair flying, a hint of disdain and arrogance in her expression as she said faintly: "That's merely a place for ordinary people to train. It's useless to me; I have no desire to go. Besides, capturing some mysterious Ye Chen—can't any young genius from the Martial God Hall handle it?"
Though her words carried some arrogance and contempt, not placing the Trial Path in her eyes, she indeed had the qualification to be arrogant.
As the most stunning ancient prodigy in the history of the Martial God Hall, one of the strongest of the current younger generation, the so-called Trial Path was only for ordinary geniuses. For her, it was utterly useless. Only the most mysterious King's Ancient Path held some interest for her.
Elder Wu Qian seemed to have anticipated the young woman's words, showing no surprise: "Your Highness, this time it's no ordinary matter. It concerns the supreme divine object, the Great Dao Blood."
Hearing this, the young woman was immediately stirred. Her eyes shot out brilliant divine light, as if capable of piercing the void, fixing intently on Elder Wu Qian: "Speak. What exactly is going on?"
The young woman was clearly only a Martial God, yet Wu Qian felt an indescribable pressure assailing his face, as if a generation of Divine Spirits lay dormant within her, gazing down upon him from on high, making him feel oppressed and extremely astonished. Truly worthy of being the most stunning prodigy in Martial God Hall history, extraordinary indeed.
Wu Qian naturally dared not delay, recounting the situation on the Trial Path word for word.
After listening, the young woman fell silent for a moment, her gaze flickering. Since her unsealing, she had been in secluded cultivation, unaware of worldly affairs. Hearing this now, she also sensed many changes in the world.
Then she rose to her feet, her exquisite, curvaceous figure perfectly displayed as she said softly: "To think such a stunning youth exists in this era. That Yang Wushuang from the Tianqi Empire is said to be an extraordinary prodigy as well, similar to me. Yet even his avatar was dispatched and failed to capture that youth named Ye Chen. Truly interesting. But it only shows his incompetence. For a divine object like the Great Dao Blood to exist in the world is truly something not to be let go."
"However, those of our kind are all ancient prodigies sealed from ancient times. For our true bodies to act would be somewhat bullying and improper. But since it concerns the Great Dao Blood, it becomes a matter of great importance. Very well, I shall personally set out to test this Ye Chen's capabilities. But the Great Dao Blood must be obtained."
"If this Ye Chen truly doesn't know his place, don't blame me for being ruthless. I'll suppress and kill him on the spot. Even if a Divine Spirit stands behind him, so what? Our Martial God Hall is not without true supreme Divine Spirits."
On this day, the ancient prodigy of the Martial God Hall left the mountain!
To the east lay the territory of the Tianqi Empire, one of the three great empires. At the empire's central capital, the imperial palace boasted vast, sprawling halls covering a hundred li in radius, like an ancient behemoth lying dormant here, inspiring awe and fear from afar.
Within the layered halls at the palace's center stood an exceptionally majestic and imposing main hall. Unlike other important halls guarded by numerous experts both openly and covertly, this hall only had some ordinary maidservants present.
A massive plaque in the hall bore ancient script inscribed with the three characters 'Wushuang Hall'—the main hall of the ancient prodigy Yang Wushuang, not to be trespassed upon.
At this moment, Yang Wushuang stood proudly in the void, an immensely powerful aura overflowing from him, permeating the entire hall. The very void seemed to solidify. The attending maids and eunuchs trembled in fear, not daring to move, kneeling prostrate.
And now, Yang Wushuang gazed distantly towards the direction of the Tian Du Academy, his gaze profound as if capable of piercing the void to see Ye Chen on the Trial Path, revealing a faint smile: "Interesting, interesting. This Ye Chen actually possesses the Great Dao Blood. I hadn't expected that. This is a supreme divine object even Divine Spirit ancestors would covet. It's said to be the blood of a supreme existence beyond Divine Spirits, containing fragments of the Great Dao, of unparalleled importance for surpassing Divine Spirits in the future."
"Although I previously said I would wait for you on the King's Ancient Path, today I'm afraid I must break that promise. The Great Dao Blood is of unparalleled importance for my future surpassing of Divine Spirits; I need to obtain it. My apologies for breaking my word."
"Perhaps the ancient prodigies sealed by other superpowers have already set out. I should depart early as well. Very well, this time it can be considered a gathering of the strongest prodigies. I also wish to see, among the various superpowers, who is strong and who is weak."
On this day, a powerful aura erupted from the Tianqi Empire's imperial palace, then swiftly dissipated.
Simultaneously, the ancient prodigies sealed by the Jiuhua Empire and Tenglong Empire had long since emerged. Now, having each received crucial information about the Great Dao Blood, they were all moved, revealing cold smiles before setting off for the trial world under the guidance of experts from their respective superpowers to find Ye Chen.
And at this time, in the deepest part of the Tian Du Continent, even more remote and mysterious than the Heaven-tier Academy which gathered almost all of this era's top geniuses from across the continent.
Here lay a mysterious cave, sealed here for millennia, with boundless spirit energy billowing and surging within.
Even more mysterious was that within the cave, a massive World's Heart fragment floated amidst the endless spirit energy. Within it was a handsome and scholarly young man, dressed in ancient attire—clearly the ancient prodigy sealed by the Tian Du Academy, still not yet awakened or emerged.
But at this moment, a divine sense fluctuation emanated from between the brows of the young man within the World's Heart.
For before the cave, a figure with a blurred appearance descended, conversing with him: "Yuan Jiu, do you still not choose to emerge? The ancient prodigies of other superpowers have all chosen to emerge, seeking to seize the Great Dao Blood. Do you not wish to seize it, to obtain the supreme opportunity beyond Divine Spirits?"
The ancient prodigy within the World's Heart fragment transmitted a wave of divine sense fluctuation, questioning: "Why compete? What is the Great Dao Blood?"
The newcomer said: "The ancient Great Prophet foretold that you five ancient prodigies all have hope of surpassing Divine Spirits in this era. The Great Dao Blood might be the true key. Are you not tempted?"
"The Great Dao Blood is the key?" The ancient prodigy Yuan Jiu's divine sense fluctuated. "Perhaps it truly is so. But can one surpass Divine Spirits relying on external objects? Perhaps yes, perhaps no."
"I know that wanting to surpass Divine Spirits in this era will be accompanied by too many sacrifices. There will be towering mountains of corpses and seas of blood appearing..."