"The sins of the human race, time and again, have acted against our Heavenly Emperor Hall. They must all be captured and brought back, made to suffer a fate worse than death, unable to live nor die!"
At the center of a vast domain, towering above the ninth heaven, stood a magnificent, immortal Heavenly Palace. This was the abode where the Region Lord of this domain resided. Usually, it was serene and undisturbed, but on this day, a cold voice that shook the nine heavens echoed forth.
The Region Lord, who usually secluded himself in contemplation of the Heavenly Dao, had been roused from his seclusion. The majestic aura of a monarch spread beyond the domain, causing the myriad stars in the sky to tremble as if about to fall. Countless powerhouses within the Heavenly Palace shuddered, not daring to refute.
Region Lords from other great domains were also awakened and stirred, their icy words emerging one after another, all expressing fury at the human race's arrogance.
The Heavenly Emperor Hall had presided over the rise and fall of the Heavenly Emperor Realm for countless years. Never before had anyone been able to shake its status like this. Yet now, a human had emerged, repeatedly provoking the Heavenly Emperor Hall and shaking the world's faith in the Heavenly Emperor.
Now, the Heavenly Emperor remained hidden in seclusion, which was one thing. But if he were to learn of this, he would surely hold them accountable.
The blame of an Emperor was not something even an Ancient Monarch could bear lightly!
"Summon the guards! Find the locations of all humans and capture them. If necessary, execute them on the spot!"
The Region Lords guarding the Heavenly Emperor Halls across the Ten Great Domains all issued the highest-level Pursuit Order. They were determined to kill all human sinners at any cost; otherwise, the Heavenly Emperor Realm would not remain stable, and faith would be shaken.
Simultaneously, the Ten Region Lords personally took action, attempting to deduce the whereabouts of the human race.
However, the results were ultimately shrouded in mist, making effective deduction impossible.
"A supreme existence has intervened, shielding the Heavenly Secrets of these human sinners. Could it be that behind these human sinners lies an ancient Great Emperor capable of rivaling the Heavenly Emperor?"
The Ten Region Lords fell silent. The inability to effectively deduce the Heavenly Secrets spoke volumes, making them all apprehensive.
An ancient Great Emperor was a Supreme One comparable to an ancient Sovereign. If such a being were to act, they could suppress and kill Ancient Monarchs like them with a mere wave of the hand.
However, their concerns were soon dispelled. If there truly was a supreme existence like an ancient Great Emperor behind the human race, the peerless Heavenly Emperor would not sit idly by and would surely intervene.
The Pursuit Order announced by the Ten Region Lords mobilized not only the powerhouses of the Heavenly Emperor Halls but also countless forces across the Heavenly Emperor Realm. The bounty offered by the Pursuit Order was exceptionally rich, including positions as lords of metropolises and high-ranking roles within the Heavenly Emperor Halls.
Even some Heaven's Pride prodigies, if they met sufficient qualifications, could be accepted as personal disciples by a Region Lord and receive guidance.
A Region Lord, though not equal to the Heavenly Emperor, was still an Ancient Monarch, a truly lofty figure, second only to one, above tens of thousands, holding an exalted status. Even the Heavenly Emperor held the Ten Region Lords in high regard.
To be accepted as their personal disciple meant receiving direct instruction from a monarch, a reward envied and coveted by countless Heaven's Pride prodigies.
It must be known that throughout the entire Heavenly Emperor Realm, over countless years, many Divine Kings had emerged, but the number of Ancient Monarchs had always remained countable on one's fingers. They were also the ones most likely to achieve the invincible position of an ancient Sovereign. Who could ignore such an opportunity?
Even if it wasn't the position of a Heavenly Emperor's personal disciple, being a disciple of a monarch meant even Divine Kings would have to show them respect.
The whole world was shaken. Countless forces and Heaven's Pride across the Heavenly Emperor Realm went into a frenzy. Even the competition for the position of Heavenly Emperor's disciple could not overshadow this. Everyone was searching for traces of the human powerhouses, eager to claim the rewards.
The entire Heavenly Emperor Realm was swept up in a fervor to find traces of the human race.
Among them were many super-powerhouses proficient in the art of deduction, attempting to uncover all traces of the humans.
Many relatively large intelligence organizations successively offered various high-priced bounties.
Unfortunately, the human race had long been shielded by the Golden Crow Great Emperor, a method of an ancient Great Emperor. Even if an Ancient Monarch took action, they could not deduce the exact location, let alone others. It was impossible to deduce unless the Heavenly Emperor personally conducted the deduction.
However, the Heavenly Emperor stood aloof, residing in the highest, most unreachable Heavenly Emperor Palace, hidden away in seclusion all day long. It was impossible for him to personally conduct a deduction, and the various powerhouses of the Heavenly Emperor Halls dared not disturb the Heavenly Emperor for such a task.
Previously, the Dark Monarch had been able to deduce the location only by activating a monarch-level curse that ignored the barriers of time and space. Moreover, Ye Chen had just slain the Heavenly Emperor's divine manifestation, leaving behind a trace of Heavenly Emperor aura, which allowed the true direction to be found.
Now, the various human powerhouses were aware and had all changed their appearances and restrained their auras. The various powerhouses of the Heavenly Emperor Halls could not find them in a short time.
Furthermore, it must be understood that the humans basically all came from imperial clans and possessed extraordinary hidden methods. If they truly wanted to hide, the difficulty of finding them was immense.
Even though countless forces across the Heavenly Emperor Realm took action, they still could not find the slightest trace of the humans.
For a time, the world felt as if the various human powerhouses had completely vanished from the face of the earth, impossible to find.
The various imperial clans, Immortal Clans, and powerhouses from the Mythical Emperor Domains, who had initially sat back to watch the spectacle of the humans being hunted in the Heavenly Emperor Realm, were dumbfounded. The humans had simply gone into hiding. How were they supposed to watch the humans being hunted now?
Moreover, they all knew that behind the human race stood Supreme Ones like the Monarch Without World and the Golden Crow Great Emperor. If they openly provided information, they truly dared not, fearing retaliation. Yet, they could not just watch as the human race continued to grow stronger.
Currently, the strength of the human race could almost be called the strongest among the races in the Ten Heavens Ancient Domain. If this continued, they might even independently contend for the "Supreme" immortal fate.
"We cannot let the human race remain unscathed. We must weaken them!"
Many imperial clans and Immortal Clans harbored malicious thoughts. No matter what, they had to severely weaken the human race.
Providing information openly was not feasible, but could they not do so secretly?
Thus, the various imperial clans and Immortal Clans began to move quietly and covertly.
The names of the ten domains in the Heavenly Emperor Realm were very direct and simple, from the First to the Tenth, named accordingly, similar to the Ten Heavens Ancient Domain.
The Third Domain was located in the southeastern part of the Heavenly Emperor Realm. The Heavenly Emperor Hall stood at the highest point of the central sky of this vast ancient domain. It was not a metropolis but a magnificent Heavenly Palace, vast and majestic, imposing and extraordinary—the strongest force ruling this domain.
Usually, the Heavenly Emperor Hall floated above the sea of clouds, bathed in the light of the sun, moon, and stars, only to be looked up to, not climbed.
On this day, a figure streaked through the sky and descended before the gates of the Heavenly Emperor Hall.
He was young, outstanding and prominent, clad in resplendent divine robes, resembling an ancient Great Emperor in his youth, possessing a transcendent imperial bearing. A strong azure-green light surrounded his body, obscuring his true form.
Around him, all things grew, brimming with vibrant vitality, very miraculous, carrying a powerful aura of life.