"You all stay here. I'll go in."
Ye Chen said this and began ascending the long flight of steps before the Divine Temple. There were many people here, beings from various races, mostly in human form, entering the temple. Ye Chen's divine form was not out of place, and he easily entered the Divine Temple.
Inside the temple hall stood a tall Divine Statue, vivid and lifelike, appearing extraordinarily wise and extraordinary. It stood with its hands behind its back, as if capable of seeing through the ages. Even as just a statue, it resembled an ancient Great Emperor standing tall, capable of making all living beings tremble with awe at the sight.
Before the Divine Statue, numerous living beings were kowtowing and worshipping. In an unseen field of vision, wisps of dawn-like light surged from the crowns of these believers' heads, some strong, some weak. The strong ones could be as large as an adult, while the weak ones were as faint as a candle flame.
This was determined by the cultivation level of the believer.
The strongest among them was actually a Demi-Saint.
His gaze shifted and saw an elderly figure beside the Divine Statue. He appeared ordinary, but was actually a powerhouse who had reached the third heaven of the Saint Vault realm, considered very powerful. He was the guardian of the temple, and from his crown surged even stronger and purer faith power.
Right in front of the Divine Statue, there was also a spring, continuously gushing forth water. The water was clear, misty, and radiant, like a special divine spring, but Ye Chen did not pay it much attention.
He stood silently here for a long time, neither kowtowing nor kneeling, which drew the attention of others.
Someone from the temple even came out, approaching Ye Chen with a hint of confusion. "Esteemed guest, why have you come yet not sincerely knelt and paid respects to the Heavenly Emperor? If you have worries, as long as your heart is sincere, the Heavenly Emperor will surely sense your sincerity and can resolve your troubles."
Ye Chen revealed a meaningful smile. "Oh, really?"
The temple powerhouse nodded, very certain and serious. "All who are sincere will have their wishes fulfilled. Over countless years, the Heavenly Emperor has manifested countless divine miracles."
"What if I wish for the Heavenly Emperor to be no more, and to take his place?" he said as if casually.
"Seeking death!"
Upon hearing this, not only the temple guardian, but also the other believers who had come to sincerely worship were enraged.
The Heavenly Emperor was a lofty and supreme divine being, the only deity in the hearts of the world. How could he be blasphemed, let alone replaced?
Numerous believers attacked, directly targeting Ye Chen, this Blasphemer.
But Ye Chen merely flicked his sleeve lightly. Instantly, countless attacks turned to dust and vanished into nothingness, as if they had never existed.
Such a method was truly astonishing, and it made many realize that the one who dared to come likely possessed extraordinary cultivation that gave him confidence.
At this moment, the old man sitting cross-legged beside the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Statue opened his eyes. They were not dim with age; on the contrary, they were very clear. He looked at Ye Chen, his expression as calm as an ancient well. "Although this old one has stepped into the Saint Realm, it is somewhat improper to attack a junior. However, since you, young friend, dare to barge into the Divine Temple and show disrespect to the Heavenly Emperor, this old one has no choice but to lower himself and act."
Boom—
The old man attacked, instantly displaying the cultivation of the Saint Vault realm, enveloping this space. A Saint Domain unfolded, pressing towards Ye Chen, sealing off the area. His aged palm struck out, containing a powerful force that could reduce those below the Saint Realm to dust, causing the void to tremble and shatter.
"Lord Yang Hong is attacking!"
"Saint Yang Hong, the invincible one of Dawn Glow City, has finally made his move! Even if this youth is powerful at such a young age, possibly even a Demi-Saint, he cannot possibly be a match for Saint Yang Hong!"
...
Everyone in the temple watched the old man attack, feeling excited, for this was one of the most powerful Saints in Dawn Glow City, renowned throughout the vast domain.
But Ye Chen stood there, not even making a move. The palm strike aimed at him was blocked a zhang away from his body. No matter how the other attacked, he could not get even a hair's breadth closer.
This scene caused people's expressions to change. It also made the old man named Yang Hong clearly understand one thing: this seemingly young man before him was most likely a peerless powerhouse. Otherwise, his own attacks would not be so ineffective.
"Who are you?" Saint Yang Hong's face turned ugly.
Ye Chen smiled but did not answer.
Saint Yang Hong said, "Do you know that disrespecting the Heavenly Emperor is equivalent to opposing the entire Heavenly Emperor Realm? The Heavenly Emperor is supreme and invincible in the world. He is not someone you can resist. You'd better surrender. As long as you sincerely repent, the Heavenly Emperor will not hold you accountable."
As he spoke, he secretly crushed a jade token—a communication token for the Heavenly Emperor Hall. Once the token shattered, stronger powerhouses from the Heavenly Emperor Hall would be dispatched.
However, after the token shattered, there was not the slightest fluctuation, causing his expression to change slightly.
Ye Chen said indifferently, "You need not make any unnecessary moves. The Divine Temple has already been completely sealed off by me. Communication with the outside world is impossible."
Saint Yang Hong said, "Young friend, what do you intend to do?"
"Nothing much. To overthrow the Heavenly Emperor!"
When he said this, he was not looking at Saint Yang Hong, but at the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Statue.
With a single step, a radiance bloomed, containing a terrifying pressure far surpassing that of a Saint. It directly caused everyone in the temple to be unable to bear it, forcing them to kneel on the ground, including the most powerful Saint Yang Hong. His heart was filled with intense shock: "Pressure surpassing the Saint Realm... at the very least, a Heavenly King! To achieve the Heavenly King realm at such a young age... such talent is too peerless!"
He could completely tell Ye Chen's age—so young, carrying a unique vitality that could not be displayed by an old monster who had regained youth.
But he roared, "The Heavenly Emperor cannot be blasphemed! Such reckless words will bring the Heavenly Emperor's punishment upon you! You will die a horrible death!"
"Noisy!"
A light shout, like a divine mountain being pushed forward, directly sent Saint Yang Hong flying away, coughing up large mouthfuls of blood, with countless bones and tendons broken throughout his body.
This was only because Ye Chen showed mercy. Otherwise, with his cultivation, annihilating a mere Saint would be but a thought.
"What of the Heavenly Emperor? He is merely Tian Huang of the Chaos Burial Ground, committing countless evils and bringing calamity to the mortal world. Sooner or later, he will be exterminated, completely eradicated."
Ye Chen looked at the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Statue, showing neither respect nor reverence. His goal was exactly as stated before: to exterminate the Heavenly Emperor, to eradicate this great calamity, to prevent the disaster of the Chaos Burial Ground from once again afflicting the Chaos Sea.
Although he was just a small soldier, requiring other Emperors and Supreme Immortals to truly eradicate it.
Boom—
As if sensing his will, the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Statue suddenly began to tremble violently, erupting with blazing radiance. It seemed no longer just a statue, but the true, peerless Heavenly Emperor, reviving and returning.
"The Heavenly Emperor!"
"The peerless Heavenly Emperor is manifesting!"
"The Blasphemer dared to profane the Heavenly Emperor's majesty! Now the Heavenly Emperor manifests his divinity and will suppress and kill him as a warning to others!"
In the temple, the various powerhouses exclaimed in surprise, then looked at Ye Chen with excited and exhilarated expressions.
The Heavenly Emperor manifests in the mortal world, to suppress all enemies!