Suppressing the curiosity in his heart, Ye Chen proceeded to learn more information about the Heavenly Emperor Realm.
The Heavenly Emperor was accepting disciples, causing countless Heaven's Pride talents to emerge throughout the vast world. Among them were even peerless talents who had been sealed away since ancient times, incredibly powerful. It seemed the purpose of their sealing was to await this very moment. In the Heavenly Emperor Realm, an extremely fierce competition unfolded.
A hundred boats race against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind!
On this path to supremacy, leading to the position of Heavenly Emperor's disciple, no one was willing to give up. All strove to climb upwards, sparing no effort, wanting to carve out a bright future, prove their own invincible bearing, follow the peerless Heavenly Emperor, and achieve supreme supremacy.
They were all quite outstanding talents; those without a certain level of strength wouldn't dare to compete. The weakest were at the Great Ability level, the strongest had even stepped into the Divine King realm.
Among them, there seemed to be invincible talents at the level of the strongest young supremes, with several suspected to be divine beings appearing.
Similarly, there were some older generation figures. Although not young, on this path, the older generation were willing to cast aside face to participate, all for the chance to become supreme.
As for the powerful figures from the external imperial clans, Immortal Clans, and the Mythical Emperor Domain, it seemed the powers of the Heavenly Emperor Realm were already aware of them.
After all, they were a sudden influx of unfamiliar powerhouses, and their numbers were quite considerable, including many super-powerful Divine Kings. It was difficult to hide.
When first discovered, it had caused rejection from countless forces across the Ten Great Domains, who wanted to expel them.
To a greater extent, this was because these imperial clans and Immortal Clans truly possessed numerous outstanding Heaven's Pride talents. Some had also stepped into the Divine King realm; others, though not Divine Kings, could fight or even slay them. Each was monstrously extraordinary, posing a great threat to the talents of the Heavenly Emperor Realm, who feared these external talents would compete with the local talents for the position of Heavenly Emperor's disciple.
At that time, it had once alarmed the Heavenly Emperor Halls. Some even went to the Heavenly Emperor Palace, requesting the powerhouses of the Heavenly Emperor Palace to take action, as these external imperial clans, Immortal Clans, and the Mythical Emperor Domain possessed many powerful Divine Kings. Without the Heavenly Emperor Palace's intervention, they would find it difficult to expel them.
But to the astonishment of many, within the Heavenly Emperor Palace, the Heavenly Emperor, who knew all worldly affairs, showed no intention to expel them and issued no orders, remaining relatively silent. This attitude left the countless beings across the Ten Great Domains who had rejected the external forces dumbfounded.
The Domain Lords of the Ten Great Domains similarly paid little heed, and the Divine King-level City Lords of the hundred great cities remained silent.
Thus, countless forces could only watch helplessly as these powerhouses from the imperial clans, Immortal Clans, and Mythical Emperor Domain remained in the Heavenly Emperor Realm. Moreover, many of their talents participated in this struggle for the position of Heavenly Emperor's disciple, causing considerable dissatisfaction among the local talents.
Conflicts had even broken out multiple times, with rivers of blood flowing, battles even reaching the extraterrestrial starry skies—extremely intense.
This was the major forces of the Heavenly Emperor Realm tacitly allowing their own talented disciples to act, using the talents from the external imperial clans, Immortal Clans, and Mythical Emperor Domain as whetstones.
But among the younger generation, the various imperial clans and Immortal Clans possessed Emperor Sons and Daughters, Immortal Dao Descendants, holding an absolute advantage. They directly swept through, beating many local talents into submission, leaving them only able to swallow their anger.
All this could only be said to be because the Emperor Sons and Daughters, the Immortal Dao Descendants, were simply too strong. How could the local talents compete?
Several of the strongest Heaven's Pride talents had not taken action, wary of the external Emperor Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao Descendants, who far outnumbered them overall, making competition difficult.
Fortunately, however, these Emperor Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao Descendants did not intend to participate in the struggle for the Heavenly Emperor's disciple position. Otherwise, few local talents would be qualified to compete.
This was the general situation Ye Chen could currently understand. The imperial clans, Immortal Clans, and Mythical Emperor Domain had entered the Heavenly Emperor Realm without facing the intense rejection they had encountered when entering the Mythical Emperor Domain. As long as the Heavenly Emperor and the Domain Lords—the Ancient Monarchs of the Ten Great Domains—did not take action, they were sufficient to sweep across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, with few able to contend against them.
As for why these Emperor Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao Descendants were not competing for the Heavenly Emperor's disciple position, it was simple: because they were already the descendants of Emperors and Supreme Immortals, having received their guidance. The status of Heavenly Emperor's disciple was far inferior to that of a direct descendant, so naturally, there was no need to compete for it.
There was also Huang Yao, suspected to be another daughter of the Southern Phoenix Empress, who had also entered the Heavenly Emperor Realm several years ago, blossoming with her own peerless radiance. It was said she had attracted the pursuit of countless powerhouses in the Heavenly Emperor Realm; even among the Ten Great Domain Lords, some pursued her. Her charm was boundless, her limelight unrivaled for a time.
Overall, the situation wasn't too bad. The powerhouses from the various imperial clans, Immortal Clans, and Mythical Emperor Domain had not faced excessive rejection from the powers of the Heavenly Emperor Realm; in fact, many were living quite well.
Moreover, although none were competing for the Heavenly Emperor's disciple position, they were all quite active within the Heavenly Emperor Realm. From time to time, Emperor Sons and Daughters or Immortal Dao Descendants would appear somewhere, attracting the attention of all sides.
But Ye Chen always felt these Emperor Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao Descendants couldn't be moving about aimlessly; they must have some ulterior motives.
Similarly, he also inquired about news regarding Divine Emperor's Son, Chu Shenjun, and some other Divine King-level Imperial Sons and Immortal Dao Descendants who had entered the Heavenly Emperor Realm over twenty years ago. Upon learning the results, he was stunned repeatedly.
Over the past twenty years, Divine Emperor's Son and Chu Shenjun had not integrated into the Heavenly Emperor Realm and gained acceptance. On the contrary, they were being hunted by the entire Heavenly Emperor Realm. The Heavenly Emperor Palace had even issued orders to hunt them down—dead bodies to be seen, live captives to be presented!
The reason was that twenty years ago, when Divine Emperor's Son first entered the Heavenly Emperor Realm, he was provoked by a local Heaven's Pride talent and directly killed him.
Originally, this matter could have been let go. But this talent was the heaven-favored son of a certain major force, the future master of that force, treasured like a precious gem. His killing directly provoked the enormous force behind him to emerge in full force.
This major force had seven Great Ability experts, considered a very powerful force even within the Heavenly Emperor Realm. But before a Divine King-level Imperial Son like Divine Emperor's Son, they were simply not enough. With a wave of his hand, he annihilated them, also directly killing an old, undying half-step Divine King fossil from that force, shaking the Heavenly Emperor Realm.
It is worth mentioning that this half-step Divine King fossil was the deputy city lord of a great city, also belonging to a Heavenly Emperor Hall. His death ultimately alarmed the city lord of this great city to take action—naturally, a Divine King realm supreme powerhouse who personally set out to hunt Divine Emperor's Son.
In the end, this thoroughly enraged Divine Emperor's Son. He had always been an overbearing figure who would kill gods if they blocked him, slay buddhas if they stood in his way. Back when the human race was powerful, he had even killed the Human Emperor's Son. How dare a mere city lord, just an ordinary Divine King, take action against him.
He directly struck, with thunderous force, decisively killing this city lord, dyeing the heavens with blood, strange phenomena appearing.
And to cut off future troubles, he directly descended upon that great city, unleashing his peerless combat power, shattering layer upon layer of Divine King-level protective formations, directly blasting the entire great city to ruins, slaughtering all living beings, thoroughly shaking the entire Heavenly Emperor Realm.
This time, it truly alarmed the Heavenly Emperor Hall guarding this domain. Even the Domain Lord in seclusion awakened, personally issuing the highest-level bounty order, placing a price on Divine Emperor's Son's head.
As for Chu Shenjun, it was similar. He was discovered by an envoy of the Heavenly Emperor Hall of this domain, who considered him a peerless talent with great potential for cultivation, demanding he convert to the Heavenly Emperor Hall and believe in the Heavenly Emperor.
Upon refusal, the Heavenly Emperor Hall envoy was enraged, and Heavenly Emperor Hall powerhouses went to hunt him, including Divine Kings.
But in the end, they were all directly slaughtered by Chu Shenjun, dyeing the boundless earth with blood, as he left with ease.
Afterwards, it naturally alarmed the entire Heavenly Emperor Realm, also provoking the Domain Lord of this domain to great anger. He once manifested his divine presence, projecting an avatar, but returned empty-handed.
The many powerhouses of the Heavenly Emperor Hall also came out to hunt him, also returning without success.
Over the years, the two had become notorious figures within the Heavenly Emperor Realm, listed by the Heavenly Emperor Palace as the top two of the Ten Great Villains on the bounty list, rejected by the world.
Yet, even so, despite being hunted by the Heavenly Emperor Palace, with even Ancient Monarchs manifesting and projecting avatars, they still had not been captured and brought back.
They seemed able to vanish into thin air. Over twenty years of endless pursuit had failed to succeed. On the contrary, news of them roaming free, living leisurely, constantly slapping the Heavenly Emperor Palace in the face, was often heard.
The Ten Great Ancient Monarchs of the Heavenly Emperor Palace almost requested the peerless Heavenly Emperor to act, but ultimately felt it would be a loss of face and dared not disturb the Heavenly Emperor's contemplation of the supreme Heavenly Dao, so they let it be.
However, because over the years the two had acted wantonly, killing Divine Kings of the Heavenly Emperor Realm, they had become like rats scurrying across the street, everyone shouting to beat them. They rarely appeared in prosperous areas; otherwise, they would basically be discovered immediately, drawing out Heavenly Emperor Hall powerhouses to pursue them.
After learning this, Ye Chen was also quite astonished, then chuckled. He hadn't expected the two Divine King-level Imperial Sons and Immortal Dao Descendants, who were considered peerlessly magnificent in the Ten Heavens Ancient Domain, to have fallen to such a state in the Heavenly Emperor Realm.
Similarly, he also understood one point: in the Heavenly Emperor Realm, the Heavenly Emperor was supreme and inviolable. To oppose him was equivalent to opposing the entire Heavenly Emperor Realm.
Ye Chen rubbed his nose, because on this journey, he needed to continuously seal the faith power of the various local temples. Once discovered, his fate would likely be similar to that of the two Divine King-level Imperial Sons and Immortal Dao Descendants.
Having understood the situation to a sufficient degree, Ye Chen prepared to act.
Zhaoxia City, true to its name, was a newly born city full of vitality, like the morning glow.
The city's population wasn't very large, less than a million, but over the years it had given birth to several powerhouses renowned throughout the vast domain, bringing fame to Zhaoxia City within this great domain.
On this day, Ye Chen and the others entered Zhaoxia City. With a sweep of their divine sense, they could fully feel the extraordinariness of this city. In this not-very-large city, there were actually more than a handful of Saints. Although not very strong in their eyes, in the previous Myriad Domains of the cosmos, only first-rate forces within a great domain could give birth to such powerhouses.
From this, one could understand the fearsomeness of the Heavenly Emperor Realm, indeed possessing uniquely favorable cultivation conditions.
The temple was located in the center of Zhaoxia City. Called a temple, it was actually a majestic palace, as large as a mountain, exquisitely carved, even deserving to be called resplendent and magnificent.
Standing before the temple, Ye Chen and the others could fully perceive the vast, surging, and powerful faith power within the temple, as intense as the sun.