At the grand feast, although the various Ancient Monarchs were the main focus, there were also quite a few remarkable figures among the younger generation. Especially those Emperor Sons and Daughters, Immortal Dao Descendants, and the strongest young Supreme Ones—each was a dragon among men, a phoenix among mortals.
Similarly, among these Emperor Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao Descendants, the several great talents of the Peerless Divine Kings were the most eye-catching, such as Yu Qing, Yuan Yang Divine King, Zhao Chen, Divine Emperor Son, Chu Shenjun, Yu Wudi, Huang Yao, and others. Ye Chen was also prominently listed among them, becoming one of the most dazzling talents.
In the present era, even the numerous Emperor Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao Descendants looked towards Ye Chen's tall and heroic figure with hints of astonishment, even reverence.
"He has already grown so powerful now. In a few more years, he might truly become invincible in the world. Who could stand against him?"
An Emperor Son sighed gloomily. The one who once kept pace with them had now reached this stage, surpassing them by far. In the vast world, it was difficult to find many opponents of the same generation. Perhaps after some time, he would truly become completely invincible.
But there were also those who ignited boundless fighting spirit, solemnly stating, "The Battle Saint King may be invincible in this era, but judging a person is not about who can reign supreme and be unmatched in which era, but about who laughs last, who remains invincible to the end. In the end, I don't believe I will be weaker than him."
Other Emperor Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao Descendants also successively ignited hope, filled with a kind of fervor.
Indeed, the current Battle Saint King was indeed very powerful, but not speaking of the present, only speaking of the final outcome, they all firmly believed they could reach the end.
Who said the strongest must necessarily reach the end? Throughout the ages, there have been countless people who reigned supreme in a certain era, killing with an invincible posture, causing the entire world to tremble, but in the end, others stepped over their corpses to climb to the peak of the Great Dao.
Such examples were truly numerous.
Just as Ye Chen was regarded as a target by many Emperor Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao Descendants, a voice transmission entered his mind—it was the Sovereign of Formlessness.
Ye Chen strode over and discovered that the Jiuyan Imperial Clan, Dan Emperor Clan, and other imperial clans were also present. He was slightly taken aback, then understood: the Sovereign of Formlessness intended to resolve the enmity between him and these imperial clans.
The Sovereign of Formlessness looked towards the Nine Gods Sovereign and Jiuyan Imperial Son of the Jiuyan Imperial Clan and said, "I have learned that my Battle Saint lineage successor Ye Chen had some conflicts with the Jiuyan Imperial Clan on the Ultimate Ancient Path. Why not resolve them today?"
His words made no mention whatsoever of Ye Chen stealing half of the Jiuyan Imperial Clan's imperial treasury. Hearing this, the Nine Gods Sovereign and Jiuyan Imperial Son exchanged a glance and could only smile bitterly. The Battle Saint lineage was indeed famously overbearing and quite protective of its own.
However, facing a Supreme One who transcended the ages, what else could they do? They could only nod helplessly: "Since the Supreme One speaks, my Jiuyan Imperial Clan naturally dares not disobey. Starting today, we shall turn hostility into friendship with the Battle Saint King."
The Sovereign of Formlessness then looked towards the Dan Emperor Clan. Before he could speak, the Dan Emperor Clan's Ancient Monarch hurriedly said, "Supreme One, everything was my Dan Emperor Clan's fault. Back then, Young Friend Ye served as my clan's First Guest Elder but did not receive corresponding protection. Moreover, he was deliberately extorted by some clan members. Upon returning, I will have those people directly confined for thousands of years, forbidden to leave. Young Friend Ye can still be my Dan Emperor Clan's First Guest Elder, may enter the Dan Emperor Clan's important halls to freely browse ancient texts, and may also freely pick spiritual herbs."
Ye Chen nodded slightly. Although back then, it was people from the Dan Emperor Clan who chilled his heart, it ultimately wasn't this Ancient Monarch. The other party had also given him much help in the past, personally ordering the Dan Emperor Clan to make him the First Guest Elder. Therefore, his expression softened somewhat as he nodded.
Moreover, this was, after all, the descendant imperial clan of the Alchemy Emperor. In some aspects, he could be considered half a disciple of the Alchemy Emperor, so he didn't wish for relations to become too strained.
Meanwhile, at the entrance to the Heavenly Palace of the Imperial City, the feast was not confined to the Imperial Hall alone. That was merely the main banquet area; the entire Imperial Hall Heavenly Palace was a venue for guests.
Numerous major forces from the Ten Heavenly Realms Ancient Domain came one after another. Upon reaching the Heavenly Palace gates, they all obediently descended. Even great figures who reigned supreme in their respective regions had to behave meekly at this moment, queuing up and presenting their invitations to enter the Heavenly Palace.
Now that the human race was hosting this grand feast, ordinary forces were not qualified to receive invitations. Almost only royal clans or above, or some super forces not much inferior to royal clans, had such qualifications.
Among the many people queuing to enter the Heavenly Palace for the feast was a group. Their cultivation was not very high; the strongest was not even a Great Power, and the weakest was merely a first-level Saint—a young man who appeared travel-worn, clearly having come from afar without much rest along the way.
"The Qin Clan Heavenly Palace has been reached!" At this moment, a tall, burly young man with short crimson hair looked at the magnificent Heavenly Palace divine halls stretching for who knows how many li before him, appearing somewhat nervous and restrained.
"Yes, we've finally arrived. I wonder if the Saint King Lord still remembers us."
Beside the burly young man was a middle-aged man, a Great Power, though his temples were graying, making him appear particularly weathered. Clearly, he had experienced much over the years; otherwise, with the lifespan of a Great Power reaching a hundred thousand years, he wouldn't appear so aged and worn.
He sighed quietly. Back then, although he knew that youth known to the world as the Battle Saint King was extraordinary, he never imagined that a hundred years later, he would far surpass the past. Looking across the Ten Heavenly Realms Ancient Domain, he was implicitly regarded as the number one among the younger generation, a core figure of the currently flourishing human race.
Only, after a separation of a hundred years, and with their clan later forced into seclusion for many years, he didn't know if the Battle Saint King still remembered their clan.
"Cough—"
The middle-aged man suddenly coughed violently, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Even as a Great Power, he couldn't suppress the injuries within his body. Clearly, he had suffered extraordinary Dao injuries.
"Father!" The burly young man and the weakest Saint youth hurriedly stepped forward, but the middle-aged man stopped them, shaking his head: "Don't worry, I'm fine. It's just an old injury acting up."
Hearing this, the burly young man remained very worried, but in the end, he could only sigh softly.
His father was a Great Power, and not an ordinary one at that, with a true body of a demonic dragon. Yet, his Dao injuries still flared up from time to time. One could imagine how severe the injuries were.
If not for the clan still having some precious elixirs for him to take, and his father relying on his top-tier Great Power cultivation to suppress them, anyone else would have long since died from the Dao injuries flaring up.
But even so, he couldn't hold on for much longer, because the middle-aged man's Dao injuries had truly reached a quite serious level. Without an eighth-rank high-grade elixir, or a super powerhouse at the level of a Five Tribulation Divine King or above taking action, within a month, the middle-aged man would no longer be able to suppress the Dao injuries and would die from their flare-up.
However, the Second Heavenly Realm Ancient Domain where they resided had no experts of that level. Even the Divine King of Zhou Tian City was only a Three Tribulation Divine King.
Although that supreme existence within their clan was very powerful, he might not necessarily be willing to be invited out. Moreover, he was considered a dead spirit, shrouded in death energy. Contact to some extent would only worsen the injuries.
As for eighth-rank high-grade elixirs, only a Grandmaster Alchemist could refine them, and even then, only a master among masters had such capability.
Such Grandmaster Alchemist figures were even rarer than Five Tribulation Divine Kings, with lofty status. How could their declining clan possibly invite one?
Only under dire circumstances did they emerge from their sealed world, hoping to head deep into the Ten Heavenly Realms Ancient Domain to find some familiar Divine Kings, paying the corresponding price to ask them to resolve the Dao injuries within his father's body.
They just never expected that a few days after emerging, they received the world-shaking news: the human race had reversed a desperate situation, turning defeat into victory. Not only did they defeat the foreign races, they completely annihilated them, ultimately reigning supreme over the entire Ten Heavenly Realms Ancient Domain, becoming the supreme overlord race revered by all under heaven.
The Battle Saint King's fame spread far and wide; he had suppressed the foreign race's Mo Shitian, and his reputation in the present era was at its zenith.
Upon learning this news, they immediately rushed over from the Second Heavenly Realm Ancient Domain without stopping, hoping that the familiar Battle Saint King could take action.
"Father, brother, does that Uncle Ye you mentioned really still remember us?"
The youngest Saint youth in the group was very immature, bearing some resemblance to the middle-aged man and the burly young man, but he clearly didn't hold much hope for this trip and was somewhat worried.
The burly young man stroked his younger brother's head and said firmly, "Uncle Ye definitely still remembers the people from back then."
The group queued up obediently and soon it was their turn. The guards stationed at the Heavenly Palace gates routinely said, "Please present your invitations."
The leading middle-aged man shook his head: "Sorry, we don't have invitations."
"No invitations?" The guard frowned. "Apologies, without invitations, you cannot enter. Please return."
The burly young man stepped forward: "Although we don't have invitations, we are friends of Uncle Ye Chen, here to offer congratulations. Could you please announce us?"
The guard looked at this travel-worn group and frowned: "You say you are friends of His Highness the Battle Saint King? Who are you, and what proof do you have? If you were friends of His Highness the Battle Saint King, you wouldn't be without invitations. Even a small tribe like the Xia Sang Tribe has invitations."
"Esteemed sir, we are from the Crimson Scale Demonic Dragon Clan. Please announce us, saying that the Crimson Scale Demonic Dragon Clan's Patriarch Gu Jiuhua, accompanied by his sons Gu Qingyang and Gu Qingshan, have come to visit."
The visitors were precisely the Crimson Scale Demonic Dragon Clan's Gu Jiuhua and Gu Qingyang. The youngest Saint youth was the dragon egg that was almost snatched by Hua Chengdao back then. It had long since hatched, taken human form, reached the Saint Realm, and was a young Saint.
"Crimson Scale Demonic Dragon Clan?" The guard frowned slightly, as if having some impression.
At this moment, a royal clan appeared nearby. The leader was clearly the royal clan's patriarch and a royal clan young master. As the patriarch presented the invitation and was confirmed and allowed passage, that youthful and spirited royal clan young master glanced sideways at them and sneered disdainfully: "What friends of the Battle Saint King? They're probably just stray cats and dogs trying to sneak in. If they were truly friends of the Battle Saint King, how could they be without invitations?"