During the three years, Ye Chen, leveraging the heaven and earth energy of Tian Du Academy's Sacred Land, had absorbed nearly half of its stored reserves. Combined with his originally outrageously high realm of the Dao, he had thoroughly stepped above the ninth heaven of the Martial God realm.
His Human Yuan Golden Body had reached Great Perfection, and the Tyrant Heaven Refining Saint Art had also been cultivated to the thirty-sixth diagram, allowing the Human Yuan Golden Body to advance further. Surprisingly, faint wisps of golden radiance once again manifested within his blood, but it was even more terrifying than the Golden Body's Great Perfection, a manifestation that could be called Extreme Sublimation.
Over these three years, Ye Chen often spent his time in seclusion, especially after reaching the ninth heaven. He was immersed in comprehending laws, the Dao, and techniques, refining everything he currently possessed to a truly peerless peak.
He had become even more powerful. Occasionally, when he opened his eyes, tangible cold lightning would bloom, streaking across the heavens and earth, tearing through the void.
Even Heavenly God experts would feel an unprecedented, terrifying pressure in his presence, a sense of palpitation.
Having not seen Ye Chen take action for three years, the world believed he might no longer be a match for the five Ancient Talents. But those who truly understood knew that while the Ancient Talents were growing stronger, he was becoming even more formidable.
Continuously breaking the limits of the human body, he had undergone Extreme Sublimation several times from the ninth heaven. Whether it was his physical body, his dao techniques, or his Primordial Spirit, all had been pushed to the absolute peak, unable to ascend further. A terrifying Dao might naturally emanated from him.
Even powerful Heavenly Gods would tremble, sensing that within his body seemed to lie dormant an extremely fearsome ancient ferocious beast, slowly awakening, ready to unleash a world-destroying blow at any moment.
Just how strong was Ye Chen? No one could say for sure. Even several Divine Spirits felt that Ye Chen was becoming increasingly unfathomable, difficult to gauge.
Only once, when a Divine Spirit from another realm descended across boundaries, did he also participate in the battle. Although he ultimately only made a single move, his battle record could be called exceptionally glorious. He directly slew three powerful Heavenly Gods and even clashed with a supreme figure who could dominate the Heavenly God realm. With a single punch, he left this supreme figure's fist mangled and bleeding, shocking him beyond measure.
All of this indicated Ye Chen's terrifying nature.
The five Ancient Talents had each dueled Ye Chen separately, demanding he hold nothing back, wanting to see just how great the gap between them was.
Initially, the five Ancient Talents all believed the gap between them was small. They had all advanced to a level where they could battle Divine Transformation experts without defeat, even defeating those who had newly stepped into the Divine Transformation Realm was not a problem, causing a sensation in the world.
Even facing a Young King like Donghua Haoyi, they were no longer as utterly powerless as before; they could at least engage in battle and offer resistance.
Unfortunately, they soon understood what true, great terror meant. Even employing all their means, even some fearsome trump cards, while Ye Chen did not use the Battle God Seal, facing them with the strength of the ninth heaven Martial God realm, none could last more than five rounds against him. All were easily suppressed with a mere lift of his hand.
Even when the five Ancient Talents joined forces, they could not last more than fifty rounds against him, and that was with Ye Chen holding back slightly. Otherwise, the result would have been even more horrifying.
The five Ancient Talents all sighed, finally comprehending Ye Chen's terror. While they were constantly improving, Ye Chen was advancing by leaps and bounds, growing stronger continuously in an imperceptible manner.
To this day, they still could not fathom just how strong Ye Chen was.
They only knew one thing: Ye Chen was unfathomable.
"Ye Chen, you are already strong enough now. You've reached the very peak of the Martial God realm, perhaps even a sliver stronger than the Young Kings of this realm from the myriad realms. Why haven't you broken through to the Heavenly God realm yet?"
During a gathering of young supreme powerhouses, Yang Wushuang couldn't help but ask. The current Ye Chen was even stronger than many Heavenly God experts, so why did he remain at the peak of the Martial God realm?
This was also what the other Ancient Talents wanted to ask. For them, it was understandable as they still had room for improvement. But Ye Chen had reached the absolute peak. For him not to advance seemed rather unreasonable.
Ye Chen shook his head. "It's not the true peak yet. There's still a path to walk."
The five Ancient Talents widened their eyes, unable to believe this. Having reached a level as powerful as Ye Chen's, clearly at the Great Perfection peak of the Martial God realm, the only way to become stronger was to break through to the Heavenly God realm. Yet Ye Chen actually said there was still a path to walk. How was that possible?
They could no longer see the road ahead; this was already the absolute limit.
Ye Chen merely shook his head, not speaking. Even if he told them, they wouldn't understand. Some things could only be comprehended by oneself.
Originally, he could have broken through into the Heavenly God realm, becoming a Young King of that realm, peerless and unmatched. But he did not do so because he needed to break the situation, shatter the shackles of the ninth heaven, and charge into the mythical Tenth Heaven.
In the major cultivation realms of the human body, there could be nine heavens, representing nine small steps. Nine was also the ultimate, corresponding to the Nine Heavens of the world.
But Ye Chen knew the Nine Heavens were merely the current situation. In the ancient previous era, that untraceable epoch known as the Mythical Era—a grand era prosperous and glorious beyond any before or since—nine was not the ultimate. Above the ninth heaven, there was a Tenth Heaven. The Tenth Heaven was the true Great Perfection.
Countless people in the world believed that was merely a legend, a myth. The ninth heaven was the ultimate. Throughout history, countless had tried but failed to break into it, unable to sense it because the corresponding Tenth Heaven had long since vanished, disappearing during the great destruction of the Mythical Era, rendering it impossible to break into the Tenth Heaven after that era.
But within the vastness of heaven and earth, a sliver of miracle existed, allowing one to break the shackles of the ninth heaven. It was to manifest the Tenth Heaven within oneself, allowing the human body to break into the Tenth Heaven.
In his previous life, Ye Chen had once fused with the myriad Daos, giving birth to the Tenth Heaven, breaking into the Tenth Heaven, becoming the first person after the Mythical Era to do so. This was also one of the important reasons for his future invincibility across the Myriad Domains.
In this life, he similarly wanted to break into the Tenth Heaven. But it was destined to be equally arduous because there were no myriad Daos to fuse with. He was bitterly pondering the corresponding method.
As for the revival of his Saint Body bloodline, he had also set it aside for now. Due to limiting conditions, he had still not been able to refine the "Spirit Refining Pill" needed to activate the bloodline. Moreover, he didn't merely want a simple revival of the Saint Body bloodline; he wanted to advance it a step further.
Finally, after much fruitless contemplation, Ye Chen ultimately emerged from seclusion, appearing in the Heaven-tier Academy of Tian Du Academy. Here were his friends: Xia Yang, Xia Teng, Vivian, Princess Hong Rong, and others.
He was having a small gathering with these friends. Having often been in seclusion for three years, they rarely met. Now, emerging from seclusion, it was time to drink heartily.
Everyone in the Heaven-tier Academy faced Ye Chen with deep apprehension. Even though Ye Chen had restrained his divine might, he still exuded a powerful, oppressive aura, boundless and far-reaching, making them feel the need to bow their heads, not daring to look directly at him.
In a manor within the academy, precisely the Bright Moon Pavilion where the academy had arranged for Ye Chen to reside, a group from the Xia Feng Kingdom was gathered by the lake, toasting and drinking merrily.
"Ye Chen, just how strong are you now?" After downing a cup of wine, Xia Yang did not force the alcohol out. Instead, emboldened by the drink, he asked.
Over the three years, Xia Yang's potential as a possessor of divine qualification had fully manifested. He could absolutely be said to have advanced by leaps and bounds. In the short span of three years, he had crossed three heavens, standing firmly above the fourth heaven. Advancing one heaven per year was absolutely considered transcendent talent; even the five Ancient Talents back in the day were only slightly faster by comparison.
But now, Xia Yang felt Ye Chen was as deep as an abyss and as vast as the sea, utterly unfathomable.
The Thirteenth Prince was also slightly drunk. In front of friends, he did not circulate his profound art to expel the alcohol, feeling most carefree and also somewhat emotional. He too had now reached the absolute peak of the Xiantian ninth heaven. But compared to his friend Ye Chen, he was far behind, a difference as vast as heaven and earth.
Both he, Princess Hong Rong, and Xia Yang were trying to gauge Ye Chen's current cultivation level. Only Vivian's expression was the most serene, just quietly watching Ye Chen without speaking, like a tranquil, deep spring.
Ye Chen did not conceal it. "Martial God ninth heaven."
Even though they had already suspected as much, the few of them were still so shocked they gasped, sucking in cold air. This was simply too terrifying. To reach this step in just three short years. Thinking carefully, from his initial cultivation at the mere Houtian third level to his current state, it had only been about four years. Yet his advancement had been so rapid, far beyond ordinary monstrous geniuses.
But Ye Chen was very calm. If he hadn't reached this step, it would have been unreasonable. After all, he had been reborn with the memories of a Supreme One from his previous life, possessing sufficient realm understanding. What he lacked was merely the energy required for advancement.
If not for the need to charge into the mythical Tenth Heaven, he could have already stood within the Heavenly God realm.
After the brief gathering, Ye Chen left. During this period, he had also returned to his home in Luo Feng City several times. His father, Ye Ao, had reached the Martial God realm several years ago and, with Ye Chen's help, was now an extraordinary figure at the Martial God third heaven.
Naturally, due to Ye Chen's influence, the Ye family had become the foremost giant family in the entire Xia Feng Kingdom.
This was still because Ye Ao did not place much importance on ambition. Otherwise, with Ye Chen's assistance, it would not have been impossible for them to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Xia Feng Kingdom, becoming a first-rate power.
Because powerful Martial God-level demonic beasts from the Demonic Beast Mountain Range often appeared, guarding Luo Feng City and the Ye family, deterring all directions. This showed the close relationship between the two.
The current Ye Chen made even the two Heavenly God powerhouses of the Xia Feng Kingdom wary and grave, not daring to treat him as a junior, but as an equal.
Naturally, Ye Chen did not act high and mighty. As always, he maintained good relations with both, after all, his family was still within the Xia Feng Kingdom, and he hoped the two Heavenly Gods could help look after them a bit.
Naturally, the two Heavenly Gods were also happy to befriend Ye Chen, the number one figure among the current young generation with immense potential and terrifying strength.
Everyone knew to what extent Ye Chen was powerful now—capable of deicide, valued by several Divine Spirits, peerless in the current era. Who would dare provoke him?