Boom! Boom! Boom!
The divine mountain trembled, the void quaked, as terrifying clusters of divine light exploded one after another. Each explosion seemed capable of shattering a mountain. Destructive divine energy continuously erupted, flooding the entire sky with overwhelming waves of annihilating radiance.
The numerous students below all trembled with fear and awe, their eyes burning with fervor. This was the true embodiment of the younger generation's supreme power—not inferior to the older generation, surpassing ordinary Martial Gods, rivaling super Martial Gods. Each one was like a deity, capturing the attention of the entire world.
Elder Ouyang had also taken action, though not to intervene directly. Instead, he mobilized Heavenly God power, spreading out a domain that completely enveloped the peak of the divine mountain. His purpose was to prevent the battle between the four Ancient Talents from causing widespread collateral damage.
The four Ancient Talents had begun their contest, vying for the title of the world's number one, seeking to prove their invincibility among their peers. None were willing to yield to another, engaging in the ultimate battle.
The battle was fearsome. Although they were merely of the younger generation, only around twenty-three or twenty-four years old—exceedingly young in the context of cultivation lifespans that often spanned centuries—their strength was undeniably excessive and terrifying, not falling short of super Martial Gods.
That was the foundation of their invincibility.
They did not focus their attacks on any single individual for long, but rather engaged in chaotic combat where everyone was an enemy and had to be attacked.
Although they could have allied, each possessed their own pride and did not wish to gang up on others. They wanted to rely on their own strength to stand out, to look down upon all other heroes, and to seize the top position.
Yang Wushuang, the Ancient Talent of the Tianqi Empire, was clad in golden battle armor, wielding a golden divine sword. His entire person was enveloped in brilliant golden light, his hair shimmering with a golden luster, making him appear exceptionally outstanding.
Undoubtedly, he was a handsome and extraordinary young man with remarkable features, a robust physique, and peerless cultivation that rivaled the older generation. His blood energy was vigorous, and his future was broad and bright.
At this moment, he was shrouded in a layer of golden light, like a golden war god on the offensive. He danced chaotically through the void, his eyes blazing with golden radiance. Gripping his divine sword, he instantly closed the distance, appearing before Long Gu'ao in the next moment. His heavenly sword cleaved through the air, unleashing one soaring sword beam after another—ten in total—aiming to cleave his opponent in two.
This was the Golden Ten Swords, a famous ancient sword technique created by the Divine Spirit ancient ancestor of the Tianqi Empire. Legend had it that when the Divine Spirit ancient ancestor executed it, merging the ten swords into one, it could sever the heavens and shatter stars.
Long Gu'ao was naturally not inferior to others. As the Ancient Talent of the Tenglong Empire, he cultivated Golden Dragon Qi, a peerless supreme art with terrifying, unparalleled offensive power. Combined with his Fangtian Halberd, he clashed head-on with Yang Wushuang.
Boom!
The void exploded, golden light flooded the sky, and terrifying fluctuations of the great Dao disturbed the heavens. This was a battle of the utmost power.
On another front, Wu Yunyan faced Li Taixu. One was a heroine among women, hailing from the forceful Martial God Hall with unparalleled martial prowess. The other was a powerful talent who had mastered the Void Dao. From the very first exchange, they unleashed the most terrifying offensive.
Without a doubt, Wu Yunyan was terrifying. Even though she was merely a woman, she was not to be underestimated. Her delicate frame was enveloped in a hazy layer of battle qi, as if a female war immortal had descended into the world. Above her head hovered a clear ancient mirror, a rare and precious great Dao artifact.
Wu Yunyan attacked at close range. The ancient mirror descended, showering her with strands and streams of divine splendor that intertwined into a flawless battle garment. It could protect her body and also enhance her combat power, significantly boosting her limit. She swung her jade-like hands, fluorescent light swirling around them, clearly capable of collapsing the void—this was the most fearsome attack, sweeping towards her opponent.
Li Taixu naturally showed no fear. Fluctuations of the void permeated and flowed around his body, merging with the void itself. He could even borrow the power of the void to restrain the heavens, attempting to trap Wu Yunyan within a spatial prison from which she could not escape.
This was an application of void power, learned from observing Ye Chen's usage, allowing him to advance further on this path.
That patch of void trembled, the spatial prison shaking violently. Wu Yunyan's combat power was shockingly fearsome. She struck out with palm after palm, each blow causing the void to cave in, creating spatial cracks. She almost completely shattered the prison to break free.
But Li Taixu operated his void power, continuously drawing upon it to stabilize the prison. He also pinched his fingers, unleashing streams of void-hunting blades to annihilate Yunyan.
Soon, the two pairs of four exchanged opponents.
The four Ancient Talents fought in a chaotic melee. The terrifying might of their Daos struck the heavens, the void quaked, and clusters of fearsome annihilating light bloomed and erupted, disturbing heaven and earth, sending rocks flying through the air.
That entire region seemed on the verge of turning into pure chaos. Even the gaze of Martial Gods found it difficult to penetrate, hard to discern exactly what kind of intense battle was unfolding there.
They only knew that Elder Ouyang's expression had changed several times, his complexion altering due to the combat power of the several Ancient Talents. He acted multiple times, slicing his hand through the void, continuously releasing his Heavenly God domain to seal off that area. He also released divine power to protect the people below, preventing them from being harmed by the residual fluctuations of the battle above.
It was evident that even a Supreme Elder at the Heavenly God realm was finding it somewhat strenuous.
Everyone marveled. Truly worthy of being the Ancient Talents sealed away by various super forces. Their strength was world-shaking. Merely in their early twenties, they already possessed such terrifying power. If they truly grew to maturity, the world believed that Divine Spirits would not be their limit. It was possible, as the ancient Great Seer had foretold, that they could truly surpass Divine Spirits.
But they also felt even more keenly Ye Chen's peerless strength. Because during the trial world that day, he alone had banished all four of them. Even if he had used a secret technique to boost his power, that achievement was absolutely praiseworthy and unprecedented.
It was just a pity that Ye Chen had not yet arrived. Otherwise, this great battle would have been many times more spectacular.
Little did they know, the Ye Chen they imagined had long since arrived at Tian Du Academy. Moreover, within the seventh Trial Gate, he had finished refining all the Primordial Spirit spiritual energy. The light of his Primordial Spirit had nearly doubled in intensity, shining like a small sun, radiant and brilliant, making it difficult for others to look directly at him.
His Dao might was even more formidable. If not for insufficient energy reserves, he would have long since broken into the Martial God realm.
The light within his brow receded inward. Ye Chen stepped forward, ascending to the peak.
During the chaotic battle of the many powerhouses, no one truly noticed his arrival, giving Ye Chen an opportune moment.
Furthermore, the eight Trial Gates became progressively more difficult with each level. Who could have imagined that aside from the four Ancient Talents, there could be someone else capable of smoothly pushing open the seventh Trial Gate? Who could have imagined that the young great demon king Ye Chen had also arrived at Tian Du Academy?
All of this was clearly unknown to everyone. And at this moment, no one was paying attention to other matters, as they were all captivated by the chaotic battle of the four Ancient Talents.
Moreover, this area was also enveloped by streams of annihilating light. The four Ancient Talents never imagined that someone had quietly arrived here, capable of withstanding the suppressive annihilating light—even if it was merely the residual fluctuations of their battle, it was certainly not something an ordinary Martial God could endure.
Ye Chen's entire body flowed with a faint golden light, resisting these annihilating rays as he arrived before the eighth Trial Gate.
The eighth Trial Gate stood a full one hundred and eight zhang tall, towering and seemingly insurmountable, thrusting completely into the clouds above. It was simple and unadorned, yet carried an ancient aura of vicissitudes originating from millennia past, as if it had coexisted with the world since time immemorial.
According to what Old Yan had said, at the center of the myriad realms, there also existed an Eightfold Heaven-Earth Gate. It was even taller, more ancient, and more eternal than the Trial Gate before him—a divine object that had existed since the creation of heaven and earth. It was suspected that opening the eighth Heaven-Earth Gate could lead to a new world, a new heaven and earth.
But all of this was unknown. He had a suspicion that even if this eighth Trial Gate before him did not lead to the myriad realms, it might possibly connect to a mysterious heaven and earth.
At this moment, Ye Chen's expression turned grave. He had a feeling that this Trial Gate would be many times more difficult to push open than any of the previous ones—not simply four times harder than the seventh Trial Gate.
The gate possessed a special Dao charm that could suppress Dao power, making it difficult to exert too much. It seemed only the power of the physical body could endure eternally.
He needed to truly mobilize all his strength.
Boom!
The great gate began to open. Ye Chen's entire body instantly turned crystalline gold, no longer a dazzling golden body but appearing darker and more restrained. Even streams of vivid crimson Dao patterns interwove across the surface of his body. But undeniably, he had become even stronger.
The final Trial Gate began to be slowly pushed open by him, though to Ye Chen, it felt like a thousand heavy mountains, nearly impossible to budge.
The true blood within his body awakened, emitting a deafening roar of blood, like thunder, shaking the peak of the divine mountain, causing the very void to tremble.
But all of this was drowned out by the combat fluctuations emitted by the chaotic battle of the four Ancient Talents. Even the four Ancient Talents themselves failed to notice that Ye Chen had begun pushing the gate.
The eighth Trial Gate rumbled with thunderous noise, slowly, inch by inch, being pushed open. The moment it cracked open just a sliver, a shower of brilliant light rain spilled out, pouring over Ye Chen's body. His entire being erupted with streams of auspicious radiance, his flesh glowing with holy light, and his Primordial Spirit received immense nourishment.
Suddenly, Ye Chen had a conjecture, a vague guess about the heaven and earth behind the Trial Gate. He suspected it might lead to that place.
The Trial Gate continued to be slowly pushed open, bit by bit, gap by gap. More and more brilliant light rain spilled out—vast amounts of Primordial Spirit spiritual energy continuously absorbed by Ye Chen. Above his head, a Great Dao Treasure Vase even appeared. Its mouth was deep and pitch-black, transforming into a black hole that converted and devoured the many streams of Primordial Spirit spiritual energy, directly nourishing his Primordial Spirit, making it grow increasingly powerful.
Finally, Ye Chen had opened a true crack. He saw within the gate an endless expanse of dazzling brilliance flooding everything. It was too blinding; even someone as powerful as him felt a stinging pain in his eyes, tears streaming uncontrollably.
But he did not close his eyes. Closing them would only intensify the pain. He steadied himself, his gaze turning substantial as it shot into the gate.
In the end, he caught a glimpse of a scene. It was a vast, boundless, ancient primordial land, limitless and endless, surpassing even the Tian Du Continent. In the sky above, ten suns hung eternally, everlasting and immortal.