Ye Chen had awakened. He had not been annihilated by the one hundred and eight towering purple heavenly thunderbolts.
Originally, even if he hadn't died, he would have been severely wounded, unable to recover from his injuries for at least a year or half. But at this moment, he appeared completely unscathed, and that terrifying blood energy of his shook the heavens and earth, causing the very ground to tremble.
Everyone was shocked, stunned by Ye Chen's might.
Bathing in the boundless blood energy, Ye Chen was reborn. After the heavenly tribulation, his entire aura had grown significantly stronger once more. Every gesture and movement now contained immense Supreme One might, enough to make the heavens and earth tremble.
Clad in battle armor, he was heroic and spirited, his figure tall and slender, with sword-like brows and starry eyes. Standing in the void, treading upon emptiness as he approached, he truly seemed like a supreme true immortal descending to the mortal world, exuding an intense sense of oppression. Many students couldn't help but feel the urge to submit, not daring to look directly at him.
Within his body, there was a deafening roar of blood, like a True Dragon bellowing. Those who got too close found it hard to endure, their bodies feeling as if they would split apart. This was the manifestation of ultimate strength.
Many were astounded. After transcending the tribulation, Ye Chen had clearly grown much stronger again, more powerful, more terrifying, and more fearsome than he had been three months ago.
Now, even just standing there, he gave even Heavenly Gods a sense of threat, as if facing a primordial ancient beast.
Only when Ye Chen finally withdrew his divine might did those around him feel slightly better, though they still couldn't help but retreat a great distance.
Roar—
Suddenly, a figure appeared. It was Long Gu'ao, who unleashed a golden dragon aura—a fearsome strike at the peak Martial God level, capable of severely wounding a super Martial God, causing many to change expressions.
But Ye Chen merely smiled faintly and casually raised his hand to swat it away.
Boom—
The earth shook, and dao fluctuations spread out. That dragon aura was directly swatted into dispersion. Long Gu'ao himself was forced back several steps. Looking at Ye Chen, who stood calmly and composed at the center, he couldn't help but smile bitterly. Ye Chen had truly become powerful, not inferior to them in the slightest, perhaps even more fearsome.
"Three months apart, and you've grown so much stronger again. Can you not be this monstrous?"
Even the Ancient Talents smiled bitterly at this moment. Their own progress was astonishing, a great explosion resulting from millions of years of accumulation. But compared to Ye Chen, they fell far short.
His rate of advancement simply could not be measured by common sense.
But how could they know? Their accumulation, how could it compare to Ye Chen's? In his previous life, he had already surpassed everyone on the Tian Du Continent. His own comprehension of the Great Dao was profoundly deep, allowing him to break through realms unimpeded. What he lacked was merely the accumulation of energy.
Now, having absorbed so much of the world's energy within the Sacred Land—the accumulation of countless years, of which he had taken at least a small half, enough for a Heavenly God to advance—and seeing the Sacred Land guardian's rather gloomy expression when he left...
Crack—
Ye Chen suddenly shuddered all over. He felt as if a shackle within his body had been shattered, torn apart. His brow suddenly bloomed with vast, brilliant Great Dao radiance, releasing a fearsome aura that caused many students to tremble in fear.
"Ye Chen, what happened?" everyone asked with concern, for they all saw Ye Chen's expression suddenly turn deep and heavy.
Ye Chen's face was somewhat unsightly, but he shook his head and said nothing.
Only Old Yan could sense that subtle fluctuation within Ye Chen and inquired about it.
To others, he would not answer, but Old Yan knew his identity. Ye Chen said, "Just now, I felt a shackle within me open, releasing a portion of memories. I finally know one thing now. It turns out my reincarnation wasn't reliant on myself, nor on the Human Sovereign Pagoda. It's possible someone once intervened, saved me, and placed corresponding seals deep within my True Spirit, imposing shackles. Now, with the breakthrough to the Martial God realm, some of those shackles have shattered along with it, and I've recalled a portion of my memories."
As he said this, Ye Chen's expression was extremely grim. The True Spirit was a person's true foundation, more important than even the Primordial Spirit. Because even if the Primordial Spirit scattered, as long as the True Spirit existed, one could revive. But once the True Spirit was annihilated, even if the Primordial Spirit remained, it would be useless.
Ye Chen's fall in his previous life should have meant complete annihilation of both body and spirit. Yet, he had inexplicably been reborn as a human. This was not mere coincidence. There was an invisible hand at work in the unseen, saving him, but also imposing shackles upon his True Spirit. What had awakened were only partial memories; more memories remained bound by shackles, unable to awaken, unable to become complete.
No wonder Ye Chen had always felt somewhat incomplete, always feeling restrained, unable to fully unleash some dao techniques, unable to achieve completeness. Now he finally understood. So that was it.
He didn't know what intentions the person who saved him had. But imposing shackles upon his True Spirit like this was even more intolerable than restraining his Primordial Spirit. For whatever purpose, one day he would definitely shatter all the shackles, restore his freedom, and also find that person to demand an explanation.
This was a karmic cause and effect.
Old Yan was shocked, never expecting shackles to have been imposed on Ye Chen's True Spirit. Frowning, he said, "It might not necessarily be a bad thing. Because your previous life was, after all, extremely powerful, your True Spirit peerlessly strong. In this life, your physical body is weak. Once awakened, your body simply could not bear your True Spirit. Restraining the True Spirit was probably also to make it suitable for your body."
Ye Chen fell silent. He understood this point, but it shouldn't be that simple. There must be other reasons.
The True Spirit was extremely important. If that person had intervened, subtly and imperceptibly making him submit was not impossible. Immediate submission was out of the question, because he was a Battle Saint. This lineage was peerlessly domineering, respecting neither heaven nor earth, venerating only one's own invincible self. How could he submit to another?
But subtle, imperceptible changes to his perceptions were possible.
"Regardless, you should break the shackles as soon as possible and restore yourself," Old Yan said.
Ye Chen nodded. For now, that was the only way.
Not long after, Ye Chen's expression returned to calm. He smiled at the others who were worried. "Don't worry. It was just some lingering aftereffects from the thunder tribulation. I've already eliminated them."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. So that was it.
Thinking about it, it made sense. With such a terrifying thunder tribulation, it would have been strange if it didn't leave some injuries.
"Ye Chen, I wish to battle you!"
Suddenly, Yang Wushuang spoke. His eyes shone brilliantly, a strong fighting spirit surging forth, his aura rippling as he stepped forward to issue a challenge.
"Battle!"
Li Taixu, Wu Yunyan, Long Gu'ao, and the others were all filled with fighting spirit, the desire to test their own strength after breaking through to become peak Martial Gods. They too wanted to challenge Ye Chen, to experience his true might.
Ye Chen smiled faintly, his own fighting spirit boiling. "Battle!"
The five great experts battled. In the end, even Yuan Jiu, who usually remained aloof, was forced to join the fray. This most mysterious of Ancient Talents also displayed fearsome strength, not inferior to anyone.
Not long after, Ye Chen's tribulation transcension once again became a topic of discussion, shocking the world.
Without a doubt, undergoing a tribulation at the Martial God realm was unprecedented, unique throughout the ages. Even those hidden supreme Divine Spirits were startled. Even they, monstrous talents like the Ancient Talents, had never encountered such a thing.
This was a trial from the heavens for the most monstrous of geniuses, and it represented Ye Chen's potential, surpassing that of the Ancient Talents, peerless throughout the ages.
The world marveled. Truly worthy of being a figure who could contend with the Ancient Talents, peerless in this era.
Far away in the Hong Tian Divine Mountain Range of the Demonic Beast Mountain Range, Great Sage Hong Tian received this news. After his initial shock, he also felt a sense of release. Because he was Sir Qian's disciple, and Sir Qian hailed from the most mysterious foreign land, also known as the myriad realms.
The upper echelons of the Tianqi Empire fell into silence. Ye Chen's Great Martial God Tribulation had shaken the world; it was impossible for them not to know. They too felt Ye Chen's fearsome potential, peerless in the world, number one throughout the ages.
Many now felt a sense of relief—relief that the Emperor had intervened, relief that they had befriended this peerless talent. Otherwise, making an enemy of such a monstrous individual would inevitably lead to a great disaster once he grew up.
With his potential, barring accidents, reaching the Divine Spirit realm was almost an ironclad fact, unchangeable.
And the world seemed to be able to see a supreme, peerless existence rising with an unstoppable, invincible momentum.
Boom—
Vast fluctuations exploded. The six young supreme experts separated, each standing in their own spot. They glanced at each other and nodded.
This had merely been a spar, but they had employed their true combat strength. Overall, they were evenly matched, but what surprised them more was the strength of Ye Chen's treasure body. After three months apart, it had grown even more peerlessly powerful. Combined with his formidable dao techniques, the five Ancient Talents all felt Ye Chen's true fearsomeness.
Truthfully, the several Ancient Talents all felt that in this battle, Ye Chen had become increasingly calm and at ease. He could truly be considered invincible among his generation. Dealing with him had become much more strenuous for them.
All of this was because, with the breakthrough to the Martial God realm, Ye Chen was gradually able to master the various divine techniques from his previous life, becoming even more incomparably powerful.
Finally, the six young supreme experts all descended upon the mountain peak. As if by tacit agreement, they all looked towards the one hundred and twenty-eight zhang tall Trial Gate.
"This eighth-level Trial Gate, we should all possess sufficient strength to open it now," Yang Wushuang said.
The others nodded. Now, after their great accumulation leading to a sudden outburst, they were all far stronger than before. Things that were previously beyond their strength could now be accomplished with ease. They possessed sufficient power.
"No. Let's gather again in half a month. I need to prepare some things, and also invite a few Divine Spirit ancient ancestors to oversee things. That would be best," Yuan Jiu said, gaining unanimous agreement from everyone.
Half a month later, on this day, the space above Tian Du Academy suddenly shattered. A majestic figure strode forth, boundless divine might sweeping across the heavens and earth, its pressure enveloping the sky above and the ground below.
A Divine Spirit had descended!