However, Ye Chen was unaware of just how immense the ripples caused by that single punch truly were.
Yet all of this was irrelevant to him. He strode directly through the shattered mountain range, continuing his journey.
If any other mountains stood before him, no matter how towering, he would simply shatter them with a single punch.
That peerless divine bearing deeply shocked the young demonic god secretly following behind. Just how terrifying must one's power be to accomplish such feats? Moreover, he clearly sensed that Ye Chen wasn't utilizing any divine abilities or magical power—it was purely physical strength, yet so overwhelmingly powerful.
He had always prided himself on his body-refining path, believing he could walk the world with arrogance. But now, upon seeing this, a true comparison revealed he was far from being a match for this mysterious Heaven's Pride.
Ye Chen paid him no mind. At this moment, as he walked upon the eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star, the Metal Monarch Rule within his body grew increasingly dense and vibrant, trembling with power.
He could clearly sense that cultivating here would allow the Metal Great Dao to give birth to an even greater number of Monarch Rules.
This star seemed as if it had been naturally condensed for the sake of the Metal Great Dao.
"Generally speaking, if I were to follow the conventional steps to condense a Metal Monarch Rule, forming one would require at least a month or more. I just wonder if shattering this eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star and extracting its core Star Core would allow me to refine a third Metal Monarch Rule even faster, perhaps even a fourth or fifth." Ye Chen suddenly spoke aloud.
Because Ye Chen had been cleaving through mountains along his path, he had long since alerted many super-powerful beings on the eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star. Each of them, like the young demonic god, was secretly following behind.
Now, hearing Ye Chen's words—though they only caught the middle part about shattering the star and extracting its core—they all shook their heads, thinking this person was utterly mad.
This was one of the most indestructible Dao Stars, formed from absolutely pure Metal Great Dao power, unimaginably stable and eternal. Even those ancient Divine Kings standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid in the Supreme Ancient Domain had once stated that this star was peerlessly eternal; even Divine Kings would find it difficult to destroy it.
Perhaps only those supreme existences surpassing the Divine King level might have the possibility of shattering this star.
Had they heard Ye Chen mention condensing Metal Monarch Rules, their thoughts would certainly not have been so dismissive.
The world knew that to condense a Monarch Rule, one must at least be a Quasi-Monarch...
Ye Chen was always a man of action. He raised his fist and punched the Dark Gold Dao Star.
Boom—
With that punch, the earth trembled for dozens of miles around. Countless spiderweb-like cracks spread across the ground, covering an area of several dozen miles.
"What a terrifying punch!"
The crowd following behind watched, dumbstruck, sensing the fearsome power of that blow. If it landed on them, it would undoubtedly reduce them to dust, annihilating both body and soul.
Several other ancient Divine Kings were also alarmed. On the eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star, they could still utilize a certain degree of divine abilities, concealing their forms from cultivators below the Divine King level. Their expressions changed as well. They mentally calculated whether they, at their full power, could achieve what this mysterious Heaven's Pride had just done against the eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star.
The result horrified them: it would be extremely difficult.
"Perhaps he truly can shatter the eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star," someone couldn't help but say.
"Impossible. Ancient Divine Kings have declared this star eternal and indestructible. Only a Quasi-Monarch could possibly achieve it," another immediately retorted. Although Ye Chen was powerful, causing cracks across dozens of miles, compared to the entire eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star, it was merely a drop in the ocean, utterly insignificant.
"Hmm? It is indeed far more stable than I imagined. Let's continue."
Ye Chen threw another punch. This time, the entire eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star trembled slightly.
The various powerhouses could see with their naked eyes numerous massive cracks spreading across thousands of miles, a terrifying sight that made their faces pale with shock.
If this continued, this person might truly be able to shatter the entire eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star.
"Again!"
Ye Chen threw punch after punch, each strike gradually increasing in force, causing the eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star to tremble incessantly, riddled with terrifying fissures.
Visible to the naked eye, the dense, spiderweb-like cracks rapidly spread across the entire star.
Boom—
On the twelfth punch, Ye Chen finally utilized one-tenth of his Chaos Saint Body's power.
Yes, merely one-tenth.
His previous attacks had been nothing more than casual strikes.
Crack—
The eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star developed several abyss-like fissures that crisscrossed the entire star, causing it to tremble violently.
The onlookers grew even more terrified.
Just who was this person? A single punch could cause the eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star to show signs of disintegration.
Simultaneously, they frantically fled towards the teleportation arrays. Once the eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star disintegrated and fell into destruction, they would likely be caught in the aftermath and annihilated.
The four super-powerful ancient Divine Kings all underwent drastic changes in expression. Through everything they witnessed, they understood that this mysterious Heaven's Pride was undoubtedly a peerless powerhouse far surpassing them—at the very least, a Seven Tribulation super Divine King, perhaps even stronger.
A Quasi-Monarch?
The mere possibility felt insane, but at this moment, they didn't dwell on it further. Instead, they exerted their full power, breaking free from the eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star's thousandfold gravity and appearing in the starry void beyond.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!—
Ye Chen continued to pummel the eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star with his fists. Finally, on the thirty-sixth punch, the eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star completely shattered, disintegrating into the starry void.
A terrifying stellar destruction force rippled out, enough to horrify even Divine Kings and annihilate them.
With a loud shout, Ye Chen unleashed a radiance of chaos that completely enveloped the disintegrating eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star.
His figure flickered, plunging into the deepest part of the collapsing star. There, he saw a massive golden light sphere a hundred li in diameter, emanating an indestructible Metal Great Dao fluctuation.
"Such an intense Metal Great Dao fluctuation. Hmm? It has completely transformed into the state of Divine King Spirits, showing an extreme condensation of Metal Great Dao power beyond imagination. Refining this Star Core will undoubtedly allow me to refine a fourth Metal Monarch Rule, perhaps even a fifth, sixth, or more."
A look of pleasant surprise appeared on Ye Chen's face. The extreme condensation of Metal Great Dao power had caused a quantitative change to produce a qualitative one. The Star Core had transformed into Metal Divine King Spirits—and not just one.
He began refining the Star Core of the eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star. A vast Chaos Dao Fire emerged, completely enveloping the Star Core. Sitting cross-legged in the starry void, he commenced the refinement.
The Metal Divine King Spirits struggled, each possessing a certain level of intelligence, transforming into peerless divine weapons that emanated the power to sever star rivers.
"Be still!"
Ye Chen uttered a light command, resonating with the two Metal Monarch Rules within his body.
If these Metal Divine King Spirits were akin to Divine Kings, then Ye Chen's Metal Monarch Rules were like Quasi-Monarchs—a completely higher level that could command lower-level Metal Great Dao power imperceptibly.
Visible to the naked eye, these Metal Divine King Spirits returned to the Star Core. Under Ye Chen's refinement, the hundred-li golden Star Core, even as the Metal Divine King Spirits transformed back into strands of Metal Great Dao, took shape in the void, gradually forming into Dao runes.
Then they condensed, transforming into strands of Dao laws.
Then they became Divine King Great Dao origin, manifesting intent.
Then they transformed into Divine King Spirits, continuously elevating...
During this continuous shaping process, only half a month passed. Finally, before Ye Chen appeared a dark golden sharp sword. Upon closer inspection, this golden sword was entirely constructed from infinitesimally fine Dao runes, carrying a faint heavenly might of a Monarch.
This was a Metal Monarch Rule, capable of transforming into any weapon; it merely appeared in the form of a sword now.
Compared to the third, peerlessly sharp Metal Monarch Rule, this one appeared much more restrained.
However, it also carried a sense of resistance, not yet completely belonging to Ye Chen's Metal Monarch Rule. It bore a faint will, clearly influenced by the Star Core.
In comparison, the third Metal Monarch Rule was formed by Ye Chen continuously extracting strands of Metal Great Dao power and condensing them. This one, however, was forcibly extracted directly using the Star Core, taking only two days to take form, thus possessing some flaws.
But it didn't matter.
Ye Chen opened his mouth and swallowed this Metal Monarch Rule. Instantly, the golden sword-shaped Metal Monarch Rule erupted with countless layers of golden sword radiance, exploding within his body, attempting to pierce him through and utterly shatter him.
Yet Ye Chen merely snorted coldly. How could his Chaos Saint Body, so eternal, be harmed by these golden sword radiances?
Moreover, with a thought, the other Monarch Rules within his body appeared, directly and forcefully suppressing this Metal Monarch Rule.
And the most terrifying Chaos Source Fire emerged, burning this Metal Monarch Rule, beginning the deepest level of refinement.
Five days later, Ye Chen successfully refined this Metal Monarch Rule.
A flicker of pleasant surprise crossed his face.
Under normal cultivation, even with his heaven-defying comprehension, it would require a considerable amount of time to cultivate the next Monarch Rule.
However, refining the Dark Gold Dao Star's Star Core had significantly shortened this time.
Moreover, the golden Star Core wasn't completely refined yet—only one-tenth had been consumed. The remaining nine-tenths could likely refine nine more Monarch Rules.
Indeed, the eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star was ten times stronger than the seventh-level. If all the Metal Great Dao power of a seventh-level Dark Gold Dao Star were completely refined, it could condense one Metal Monarch Rule. Naturally, the eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star could condense ten times that number.
Ye Chen naturally wouldn't miss such a great opportunity to increase his strength and continued refining...
Yet he was unaware that this frenzied extraction of Metal Great Dao power from the Dark Gold Dao Stars to condense Metal Monarch Rules had caused the sixth, seventh, and eighth Dark Gold Dao Stars to drastically diminish in potency, unable to exert their proper body-tempering capabilities. Such methods were truly heaven-defying, stirring up an unimaginably fierce storm outside.
The Emperor Star Secret Realm belonged to the Supreme Ancient Domain's supreme secret realm, a place crucial for elevating the overall strength of the entire ancient domain world.
Although each of the three thousand six hundred Dao Stars contained inconceivable Dao might, from the beginning, all cultivators entering the Emperor Star Secret Realm for cultivation had relied on the Dao Stars' power to aid their practice. Truly, few dared to devour the power of an entire Dao Star.
At most, they absorbed a small portion.
Of course, many cultivators simply couldn't achieve devouring an entire Dao Star's power because their cultivation levels fell far short.
Yet what sparked the most speculation was: who was this supreme being devouring Dao Star power, and high-level Dao Star power at that? Considering the two high-level Dark Gold Dao Stars, the sixth and seventh, at the very least, it required an ancient Divine King to possess such capability.
However, news soon spread that the eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star had been utterly shattered by that mysterious supreme powerhouse, its Star Core refined—a peerless method that once again caused an uproar.
If a seventh-level Dark Gold Dao Star could still be devoured and refined by an ordinary Divine King, then shattering an eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star, especially such a high-level body-tempering Dao Star, was far beyond the capability of an ordinary Divine King.
Even a Seven Tribulation super Divine King would find it difficult to achieve this.
Because a super Divine King had once sighed that the eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star was so eternal that even he could only barely shake it, far from truly destroying it.
A peak Divine King? A Quasi-Monarch?
Both conjectures were extremely startling. Moreover, based on some people's judgments, that person was shrouded in chaos light, making it difficult to determine which known peak powerhouse of the Supreme Ancient Domain he was.
At the highest echelons, among the Divine King level, more information was obtained.
Condensing a Metal Monarch Rule indicated that he was at the very least a Quasi-Monarch.
Just which Quasi-Monarch had cultivated Metal Great Dao power to the Monarch Rule level?
Yet regardless of which Quasi-Monarch it was, within the entire Supreme Ancient Domain, they possessed truly supreme power capable of dominating the rise and fall. Such a level of peerless powerhouse was far beyond the ability of ordinary powerhouses to discuss. Even if this Quasi-Monarch refined Dao Stars, they would only turn a blind eye.
Within the Supreme Ancient Domain, only Zi Cangyu knew exactly who had shattered the eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star. But he remained silent. Under the suspicious gazes of many, dragging his maimed body missing an arm, he left the Emperor Star Secret Realm and left Heng Peak.
No matter how the higher-ups of the Cangtian Divine Sect questioned him, he kept his mouth shut.
Regarding this, Ye Chen within the Emperor Star Secret Realm was unaware of the impact caused by condensing Metal Monarch Rules. At this moment, he was continuously refining the Star Core of the eighth-level Dark Gold Dao Star. Even more powerful Metal Great Dao power was continuously condensing into the next Metal Monarch Rule.
Meanwhile, after entering the Emperor Star Secret Realm, the human race's various Heaven's Prides and the four Divine Kings all utilized these Dao Stars to accelerate their own cultivation.
It could be said that at their level, the Emperor Star Secret Realm was far more important to them than the Fallen Heaven Tomb.
For them, possessing true Supreme inheritances meant the Fallen Heaven Tomb's supreme powerhouse legacies couldn't help them much. However, the Dao Stars contained extremely pure Great Dao, allowing their respective cultivated Great Daos to continuously grow stronger.
Yu Qing, like Ye Chen, also utilized high-level Dao Stars to continuously condense Monarch Rules, becoming increasingly powerful.
The Emperor Star Secret Realm was like a sweet spring to people trapped in a desert for too long—they devoured its power voraciously.
Time flowed, and in the blink of an eye, a year passed.
Just as Ye Chen and the others were still engaged in deep cultivation within the Emperor Star Secret Realm, the outside world broke its tranquility, witnessing a major event that shocked the entire Supreme Ancient Domain.
Boom—
On this day, the Supreme Ancient Domain trembled.
Billions of living beings could see a divine light pillar appear in the heavens, piercing through the sky and earth like a pillar holding up the sky.
Within this sky-piercing light pillar, a powerful figure slowly descended, clearly a scion of the Immortal Dao, bathed in blazing immortal radiance accompanied by various phenomena floating and sinking.
The various Heavenly Emperor Sons and Daughters, the scions of the Immortal Dao, had finally begun descending upon the Supreme Ancient Domain!