Ye Chen was startled. "Isn't that the case?"
Sword Heaven Monarch laughed heartily. "Of course not. The so-called Nine Tribulations Realm is indeed like that under the most basic circumstances. But before explaining this, let me ask you first: why does the Divine King Nine Tribulations Realm exist between Great Powers and Monarchs?"
"Because the leap between a Great Power and an Ancient Monarch is too vast. For a Great Power's body to become an Ancient Monarch, the instantaneous elevation, the moment when the origin heaven and earth transform into a world, both form and spirit cannot withstand it. Therefore, the predecessors created the Nine Tribulations Realm, using the power of the Divine King's nine tribulations to repeatedly strengthen and transform the form and spirit, allowing them to reach a level sufficient to withstand the transformation of the inner origin heaven and earth into an origin world," Ye Chen said.
"That is indeed correct. Initially, the Divine King Nine Tribulations were exactly like that," Sword Heaven Monarch said.
Ye Chen frowned, hearing the implied meaning in Sword Heaven Monarch's words. He immediately cupped his fists and said humbly, "This junior does not understand. Please explain, three Seniors."
Tongtian Monarch smiled. "The Divine King Realm—the so-called nine tribulations—only applies to you, the Strongest Young Supreme Ones, and others like you. Some people experience ten tribulations, some eleven, some twelve, even thirteen or fourteen, depending on their individual foundation."
The more he heard, the more confused Ye Chen became.
Why did some people experience not just nine tribulations, but even eleven, twelve, thirteen, or fourteen? This puzzled him greatly.
And why did it involve the issue of foundation?
These questions were not recorded in the Divine King chapters of the various Emperor Scriptures and Immortal Scriptures he had obtained; they were merely simple cultivation chapters.
"Alright, we won't keep teasing your curiosity," Sword Heaven Monarch chuckled, then his expression turned serious. "You also know that among the world's cultivators, not everyone can become a Supreme Talent like you all, capable of cultivating every major realm to the Tenth Heaven. Some people have nine heavens in every major realm; some start from the most basic Half-God Realm at the Tenth Heaven."
"Like you, like the Strongest Young Supreme Ones, like the Imperial Sons and Daughters, the children of the Immortal Dao, etc., you can be considered truly perfect in the Great Dao. Some start from the God Transformation Realm, some from the Saint Treasury Realm or the Heavenly King Realm, so their cultivation always has some flaws."
"But why is it that once these people become Quasi-Monarchs or Ancient Monarchs, the gap is always small, even when they are at the same level?"
Ye Chen recalled and indeed could imagine: among Quasi-Monarchs or Ancient Monarchs, some had many major realms at the Tenth Heaven Great Perfection, while others had all major realms only at the Ninth Heaven. Yet when both were at the Quasi-Monarch level, the gap was so slight it was almost negligible.
He had vaguely considered this point before, but now thinking about it, it was full of doubts.
"The reason is simple: it's because they made up for it in the Divine King Realm!"
Tongtian Monarch's one sentence shook Ye Chen's heart and mind.
He was also extremely intelligent; a single hint was enough. Recalling the earlier words of the several Ancient Monarchs, he connected the dots and said, stunned, "The meaning of you Seniors is that these people used the successive Divine King tribulations after the nine tribulations to make up for their defects and repair their perfection?"
"Correct," Sun Sovereign said. "The Heavenly Dao has flaws; I make up for them myself. In fact, anyone capable of cultivating to the Divine King Realm is no simple individual; they are all true heaven's favored ones."
"Originally, the Nine Tribulations Realm was just a path to elevate form and spirit, not a true major realm."
"Cultivators can continuously undergo tribulations within it to elevate themselves, and can also use each Divine King tribulation to make up for the flaws in their own Great Dao. Even if the final result still isn't as perfect and flawless as turning the Ninth Heaven into the Tenth Heaven, it's only with some minor flaws."
"For example, a cultivator who originally had all major realms at the Ninth Heaven, as long as they strive to undergo the Half-God, God Transformation, Saint Treasury, Heavenly King, and Great Power—five Divine King tribulations—after the nine tribulations, can ultimately reach a level nearly comparable to the Strongest Young Supreme Ones, worthy of being called a pseudo-Strongest Young Supreme level. By analogy, other Supreme Talents only need to strive to undergo a number of Divine King tribulations corresponding to the major realms that were only at the Ninth Heaven. At this step, ultimately, when both are at the Quasi-Monarch or Ancient Monarch level, their foundations are nearly identical. Even if there is some gap, it is not large."
Ye Chen understood. So that was how it was. No wonder, with his ability as a Chaos Young Supreme One, he could only barely cross one heavenly barrier to rival a Quasi-Monarch. So much was involved.
Indeed, the path of cultivation was unfathomable.
He was also amazed. Who exactly created this path of the Divine King Realm? Not only did it make it easier for people to become Ancient Monarchs, but it also repeatedly repaired flaws and perfected oneself. It was truly stunning through the ages.
He couldn't help but ask about this, because he had read many ancient texts and never found any record.
Sword Heaven Monarch and Tongtian Monarch both looked somewhat blank. Only Sun Sovereign's expression appeared particularly strange.
After a long time, Sun Sovereign finally sighed softly and said, "The one who created the Divine King Realm... actually wasn't just one person. There were several, all standing at the very pinnacle of the Chaos Sea, that handful of individuals. One of them is our Sealed Boundary Universe's Heavenly Emperor."
When mentioning the Heavenly Emperor, everyone needed to look up in reverence, even Ancient Monarchs were no exception.
This was the Sealed Boundary Universe's earliest Emperor to achieve the Dao, also the strongest Emperor, ancient and mysterious. To this day, it was still unknown whether he had any descendants or disciples in the world.
But rumor had it that the Heavenly Emperor had a disciple who was an Emperor, enough to prove everything.
During the Great Shattering of Myths, he stood alone, spanning the River of Time, single-handedly suppressing a brewing epochal great turmoil, preventing the ancient giants from era after era from crossing over.
Otherwise, the final outcome back then might not have been just the Sealed Boundary Universe's Great Shattering of Myths, but very possibly the burial of the entire Chaos Sea's epochal era.
"So it was His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor," Ye Chen felt reverence in his heart. The Heavenly Emperor was eternal; legends throughout the ages proved his peerless invincibility.
The other two Ancient Monarchs felt the same. Even as Ancient Monarchs, they held reverence for the Heavenly Emperor.
"His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor's achievements are profound and unparalleled," Sun Sovereign sighed. "If not for the terrifying existences from various epochal eras jumping out at critical moments back then, forcing the Heavenly Emperor to suppress them and leaving him no capacity to attend to other matters, it would have been extremely difficult for the alien races to cause our Sealed Boundary Universe's Great Shattering of Myths."
The Heavenly Emperor, known as the most ancient Emperor, achieved the Dao and became Emperor in an unknown era.
He was the strongest Emperor, but being able to single-handedly cut off the River of Time, block the supremely terrifying existences jumping out from various epochal eras, and suppress the brewing epochal great turmoil—just glimpsing a part of this allowed one to vaguely guess how peerless and extraordinary he was.
That was a true myth!
"Who are the others?" Sword Heaven Monarch also couldn't help but ask.
"The others are unknown, but there is one person you all are familiar with." Sun Sovereign's expression at this moment appeared particularly complex. He uttered each word slowly: "His name is—"
"Primordial Ancestor!"