Gazing into the vast expanse of the Emperor Battle Domain, Ye Chen's eyes were profound, as if they could see through the entire great world.
He stood with his hands behind his back, saying, "We have vanished from sight for twenty years. Perhaps many have already forgotten our existence. Now it is time to re-enter the world, contend for that Emperor's Path inheritance, and perhaps, we can also meet those old friends from back then."
Twenty years had passed. Presumably, those old acquaintances would also be very happy to see his reappearance.
As for those former enemies—
Ye Chen revealed a mysterious smile.
"Let's go!"
A Chaos Great Cauldron soared through the air, emanating ancient chaotic aura. Carrying the husband and wife trio, along with the two Three Tribulation Divine King slaves, it tore through the void and departed.
The direction they were heading towards was precisely the location suspected to hold the fourth Emperor's Path inheritance.
On this day, a shocking piece of news quietly spread throughout the Emperor Battle Domain.
The Battle Saint King, who had vanished from sight for nearly twenty years, had reappeared in the mortal world!
He had fought against seven Emperor Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao Descendants, rescued two of the human race's strongest young generation's supremes, and was unrivaled in the current era.
It was widely rumored that he had reached the Tenth Heaven and was beginning to gaze towards the Half-Step Divine King realm.
In an instant, the Emperor Battle Domain, which had somewhat calmed down, quietly gave rise to surging undercurrents of all kinds because of this news.
The human race was overjoyed, while the experts from other Emperor Clans, Immortal Clans, and Mythical Emperor Domains revealed complex expressions.
Had the Battle Saint King, who was invincible under the heavens twenty years ago, finally deigned to show himself?
Especially those Emperor Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao Descendants who had stepped into the Half-Step Divine King realm revealed flickers of blazing light in their eyes, with fighting spirit surging within.
"The Battle Saint King has only just stepped into the Tenth Heaven after these twenty years. It's somewhat disappointing."
"It seems the Battle Saint King hasn't made much progress in these twenty years. Has he indeed reached a certain limit? How could he, who merely secluded himself in cultivation, compare to us who have been fighting and battling for twenty years? Hah!"
"If he were also at the Half-Step Divine King level, we would still have some apprehension and find him difficult to deal with. But merely at the Tenth Heaven, when we meet in battle in the future, we will surely crush him!"
"He is no longer my target. If he dares to block my path on the Emperor's Path in the future, I will definitely kill him!"
Back then, they were indeed inferior to the Battle Saint King. But after stepping into the Half-Step Divine King realm, they had improved in all aspects. They believed they had transcended the Great Power level and could look down upon all Great Powers, including an abnormal Chaos young generation's supreme like the Battle Saint King.
At the very least, in terms of combat power alone, they could rival the Three Tribulation Divine King level.
Not to mention they had condensed complete Divine King Great Dao origin and comprehended Intent.
How powerful they were!
Regarding meeting the Battle Saint King in the future, they were filled with a sense of anticipation. Perhaps they could suppress with a single hand this peerless and invincible Chaos young generation's supreme of the past, adding a glorious battle achievement to their own Emperor's Path or Immortal Path.
However, they were unaware of all this: Ye Chen defeating the Half-Step Divine King level Emperor Son, the Eternal Emperor's Son, who mastered three types of Divine King Great Dao origin and Intent; easily slaying a supreme Emperor Son; and enslaving five Divine Kings.
What circulated in the outside world was only that the Battle Saint King had emerged from seclusion, his cultivation reaching the Tenth Heaven, and that he had engaged in fierce battles with seven Emperor Sons and Daughters and five Divine Kings.
If they knew of Ye Chen's various shocking battle achievements after emerging from seclusion, the mentality of these Half-Step Divine King level Emperor Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao Descendants would probably be quite different—grave, rather than this relaxed, even dismissive attitude towards Ye Chen.
Because of Ye Chen's emergence, his whereabouts within the Emperor Battle Domain became a subject of considerable attention.
At the same time, deep within the Emperor Battle Domain, on a massive supercontinent that was originally deathly silent, with only endless red earth and desolate land, a strong life force was now permeating the air at this very moment.
On the wasteland, countless plants grew forth, and trees shot up from the ground, growing into towering trees at an astonishing speed.
The supercontinent instantly became an oasis within the Emperor Battle Domain, vibrant with life, simply a miraculous existence.
At the center of the oasis stood an immense tree, soaring into the heavens, reaching a height of tens of thousands of li. Its crown was so vast it spanned hundreds of thousands of li in radius.
Countless huge vines hung down, carrying majestic life force, shaking the vast domain.
Beneath that sky-propping, earth-supporting giant tree, a figure with jade-like grace slowly opened his eyes. His pupils were emerald green like jade, carrying specks of life light. His appearance was none other than the Life Emperor's Son from back then.
The enormous Life Tree gradually became illusory, eventually transforming into a mass of emerald green light that submerged into the Life Emperor's Son's body.
Boom—
The Life Emperor's Son's aura climbed level by level, finally breaking into the Half-Step Divine King realm, shaking the entire supercontinent and vast space-time.
"Has the Battle Saint King finally deigned to appear? Good. Today, this Emperor's Son has ascended to the Half-Step Divine King level, and my profound arts have achieved success. I shall use you, my great enemy, to test my blade!"
Upon learning the news, he directly issued a letter of challenge.
"I, the Life Emperor's Son, wish to challenge the Battle Saint King. Time and place are not limited. I ask the Battle Saint King to accept this battle!"
"A fair battle, a battle to the death, a fight to the finish!"
The spread of this news undoubtedly caused an uproar in a short time!
Although many Emperor Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao Descendants had long regarded the Battle Saint King as a thorn in their side, wishing to eliminate him as soon as possible, they still harbored some apprehension and were biding their time.
No one expected the Life Emperor's Son to directly issue a challenge now.
It was said the Life Emperor's Son had also ascended to the Half-Step Divine King level.
Back then, the Battle Saint King dominated his generation, slaying Emperor Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao Descendants, and suppressing a batch, establishing an invincible reputation of unparalleled bravery under the heavens, unstoppable, forcing even the various Supreme offspring to retreat three paces upon encountering him.
Twenty years ago, he was unrivaled for a time. Only those Divine King-level Emperor Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao Descendants could suppress him. But as offspring of ancient Great Emperors and Supreme Immortals, they naturally had their pride and disdained to bully and slaughter him with a cultivation level too high, which would damage their prestige.
Over the past twenty years, the Battle Saint King vanished from sight. Many in the world believed he had become lost or even perished in dangerous lands, never expecting him to still be alive.
However, he, who was at the late Ninth Heaven twenty years ago, had only stepped into the Tenth Heaven after twenty years.
Although this speed was still quite fast—after all, many Great Powers spent hundreds or thousands of years without necessarily advancing a single Heaven—compared to other Emperor Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao Descendants, it was unknown how much slower it was.
Such Supreme offspring could cultivate for one year, equivalent to others cultivating for dozens or even hundreds of years.
A good number of Emperor Sons and Daughters had stepped into the Half-Step Divine King level, and the Life Emperor's Son was one of them.
Clearly, this time, the Life Emperor's Son intended to use his higher cultivation realm to slay the Battle Saint King, the invincible one of the past.
For a time, countless people within the Emperor Battle Domain turned their attention to the other party, the Battle Saint King.
However, Ye Chen did not make any statement. In fact, even his whereabouts were known to very few.