Outside Shenwang Valley, the battle between the Ancient Desolate Dragon and Ye Chen had reduced the once rugged and mountainous valley to flat ground, completely exposing it to the world.
The world was shaken. Someone had actually dared to charge into Shenwang Valley, successfully fought their way to its deepest parts, and ultimately vanished along with the Ancient Desolate Dragon.
This disappearance lasted a full day and night.
Many were curious about the final outcome.
After all, that was the Ancient Desolate Dragon, a mighty demonic being who had roamed the world for tens of thousands of years in the past. Even the ancestor Great Powers of various races had been swept aside and defeated by it, establishing the prestige of the Ancient Desolate Dragon Venerable back then.
If not for the legendary intervention of the valley's true master, an Ancient Divine King, who suppressed it, its fearsome might would likely still terrorize the world today, perhaps even dominating half the continent.
Could it be that both sides were gravely injured in the end, or even perished together?
By noon the next day, with the Ancient Desolate Dragon still nowhere to be seen, many began to feel tempted.
During this time, many super-powerful experts arrived one after another, gazing from afar at the flattened Shenwang Valley and, further off, at the Medicine God Valley radiating with multicolored light.
Faintly discernible were numerous heavenly treasures, even ten-thousand-year medicinal treasures, with vast spiritual energy soaring into the heavens.
This sight instantly stirred greed in many hearts.
The Medicine God Valley was a treasure land famous throughout the entire world, where the Great Power Medicine God had cultivated countless heavenly treasures, medicinal treasures, and spiritual herbs.
Moreover, even disregarding the myriad spiritual herbs planted there, deep within the earth lay a primordial vein connecting to countless spiritual veins, continuously providing heaven and earth spiritual energy to nourish the valley and aid the growth of these herbs.
These were all supreme treasures that made people's eyes burn with desire.
Of course, due to its location at the very center of Shenwang Valley, guarded by the most fearsome dragon Great Power, the Ancient Desolate Dragon, for tens of thousands of years, few had dared to come and steal the precious herbs from the Medicine God Valley.
It was precisely because of the Ancient Desolate Dragon's disappearance that people who previously could only keep their distance now felt their hearts stir, eager to enter and steal the divine medicinal treasures.
Just as they were preparing to enter and compete for the many medicinal treasures within the Medicine God Valley, the Ancient Desolate Dragon suddenly reappeared. Its demonic body, tens of thousands of miles long, snaked across the heavens and earth, presenting an immensely shocking visual spectacle.
Even Heavenly King realm super-powerful experts felt their hearts pound with fear, utterly unwilling to approach, well aware of the Ancient Desolate Dragon's terrifying power.
Fortunately, the Ancient Desolate Dragon did not attack. It merely swept a cold glance over the crowd that had entered Shenwang Valley before settling back down within the valley.
Soon, everyone noticed that a grand and peculiar ancient gate had appeared within Shenwang Valley.
Thirteen figures emerged from it. The appearance of each one radiated a vast aura that silenced the heavens and earth, akin to giant dragons.
Great Powers!
A full thirteen Great Powers!
As the crowd was reeling in shock, the thirteen Great Powers flicked their fingers, sending streams of gilded light shooting in all directions, completely vanishing into the world.
This scene left many dumbfounded.
Immediately after, the thirteen Great Powers acted, relocating the entire Medicine God Valley into the ancient gate. This sight pained countless onlookers, yet they were powerless to do anything.
Let alone the thirteen Great Powers, even the Ancient Desolate Dragon was not someone they could afford to provoke.
Not long after, astonishing news spread across the world.
The Mitian Peaches of the Medicine God Valley had fully ripened. A Peach Banquet would be held, inviting the most renowned Immortal Sacred Lands and super-powerful experts at the Great Power realm and above from across the world to partake.
Even super-powerful experts from other continents were included, and even Ancient Divine Kings were invited to attend.
People sensed that an unprecedented grand feast of the Great Era was about to unfold.
…
Qingfeng Ancient Country, Qinghua Sect.
Within the sect's sacred land, layers upon layers of towering mountain peaks pierced the clouds.
Throughout the sacred land, countless fearsome auras were faintly discernible. Saints were as numerous as trees, and Heavenly Kings were plentiful, making it a true dragon's den and tiger's lair.
This was the Qinghua Sect, an Immortal Sacred Land sect that shook the world in the present age.
On the highest peak within the Qinghua Sect stood the most magnificent and imposing hall. The hall was solemn and silent. Upon the supreme throne sat a figure akin to an embodiment of the Great Dao.
The Qinghua Sect's supreme ancestor Great Power—Great Power Qingtian.
He was an elder with a dignified visage, white-haired yet youthful-faced, wearing a crown like an emperor, awe-inspiring without anger, as if holding infinite power over the world.
In fact, this was indeed the case. Great Power Qingtian was not only the foremost figure of the Qinghua Sect but also the hidden ruler of the Qingfeng Ancient Country, one of the top powers in the Weiyang Continent.
Usually, he remained here in seclusion.
This hall was both the highest hall and his place of seclusion, the number one forbidden ground of the Qinghua Sect, which no one in the sect dared to trespass.
At this moment, a stream of gilded light pierced through the air, passing through layer after layer of barriers before finally arriving in the hall, emanating faint traces of Dao patterns.
"Ancestor!"
Several Heavenly Kings from the Qinghua Sect were alarmed and rushed in.
"It's fine."
Great Power Qingtian spoke indifferently, his voice filled with such majesty that the several Heavenly Kings retreated. He then beckoned with his hand, and the gilded invitation slowly descended.
The invitation contained various Dao patterns, with two imposing, grand characters on it—Doumen!
"An invitation from 'Doumen'? Could it be—"
Upon opening it, Great Power Qingtian's solemn expression couldn't help but lift into a slight smile. "After so many years, 'Doumen' is finally holding a Peach Banquet."
"The Mitian Peach is a true sacred fruit. Reviving the dead and regrowing flesh and bone are merely its most superficial effects. Its main purpose is to increase lifespan and allow one to comprehend the Mitian Great Dao."
"Of course, the Mitian Peach is of no use to this seat anymore. The true purpose is for that world-renowned grand feast. At that time, not only will there be fellow Great Powers like us, but other Ancient Divine Kings will personally attend."
"This seat has already stood at the peak of the Great Power realm, even half-stepped into the Divine King domain. Unfortunately, I have been blocked before the Divine King barrier, with no breakthrough despite years of seclusion. By attending this Peach Banquet and paying respects to those Ancient Divine Kings, perhaps I can personally sense the opportunity for a breakthrough and ascend to the Ancient Divine King realm in one fell swoop. Then, I will truly stand at the very pinnacle of the entire Weiyang Great World…"
Great Power Qingtian's eyes blazed with towering ambition.
He desired to advance to become an Ancient Divine King and claim a seat at the very peak of the Great World!
… Xiacha Country.
Snow Sect.
True to its name, the sect stood in a boundless snowy plain.
Snow-capped peaks rose in countless layers.
More peculiarly, the Snow Sect was one of the few sects in the current age consisting solely of female cultivators. Yet, it was also an Immortal Sacred Land level sect, like the Qinghua Sect, dominating the world, ruling over a region, and presiding over an ancient country.
Within the Ice Hall carved from million-year-old ice, upon the Ice Throne, sat a graceful and noble woman in white robes. She appeared to be only thirty, dignified and beautiful, with looks rarely seen in the world. The ice phoenix crown upon her head further accentuated her motherly, world-ruling majesty.
Snow Sect Great Power, Snow Empress.
At this moment, a pair of slender jade fingers, more perfect than mutton-fat jade, took the gilded invitation sent by Doumen. On her jade-like face, cold as ten-thousand-year profound ice, a rare smile appeared, instantly dimming the beauty of heaven and earth. "Is this Peach Banquet finally to be held? Perhaps I too may glimpse the mysteries of the Divine King."
…
In an ordinary ancient city within the Weiyang Continent, a crisis was unfolding.
A beast tide had erupted from the nearby mountains. A fierce Great Demon at the Divine Transformation realm had appeared, leading thousands of demonic beasts to attack the ancient city.
Even though the city lord was also at the Divine Transformation realm, he struggled to resist this Great Demon, sustaining numerous injuries.
Other city residents had also suffered casualties and were resisting stubbornly.
On a street within the ancient city, other residents were scrambling into various buildings for shelter. Only an old man in tattered clothes, like a beggar, sat on the ground without any decorum, taking sip after sip from a grimy-looking wine gourd.
He paid no heed to the demonic beasts charging in.
Strangely, however, those exceptionally fierce demonic beasts all bizarrely detoured around the old man, as if they couldn't see him.
This scene was utterly strange!
"Life remains as boring as ever. It was just a few days ago that someone tried to deduce my traces and almost succeeded, only to be blocked by the World Origin Will."
"Quite interesting. I wonder who it was?"
"It seems it wasn't someone from my Weiyang Great World."
"Hmm, more and more outsiders have been entering the Weiyang Great World lately. Are they searching for that thing?"
"Well, they all seem quite strong. But never mind, it adds a bit of fun for this old man. I can meet them when I have time and see how powerful they are. I hope they don't disappoint."
As the beggar old man muttered to himself, he glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw a stream of gilded light flash across the sky at a speed ordinary people could hardly perceive.
Faintly, there was even a trace of Great Power energy infused within it, making it difficult even for Heavenly Kings to intercept.
The beggar old man simply beckoned with his hand, and the stream of gilded light was captured without any resistance, landing in his palm.
The moment it landed, a faint aura of Great Power majesty spread out.
Instantly, all cultivators and demonic beasts attacking inside and outside the city trembled violently, filled with terror, sensing an unparalleled pressure bearing down on their hearts, rendering them immobile.
Under the gaze of all!
Everyone and every beast saw clearly that a stream of gilded light was slowly blooming within the city, radiating infinite imposing might.
When the cultivators in the ancient city saw who it was, they were all profoundly shocked.
It was that beggar old man who usually wandered the streets, seemingly utterly ordinary.
If not for the kindness of the city residents, who allowed the beggar old man to stay, he would have been driven out long ago.
No one had expected that at this critical moment, the beggar old man would possess such imposing might.
The beggar old man's rough hand swept over the invitation, causing all the Dao patterns upon it to vanish and the faint Great Power majesty to be completely swept away.
Opening the gilded invitation, he learned of its contents.
"Hahaha, the Mitian Peaches have finally ripened! I've waited for many years. This wait was not in vain."
At this moment, the beggar old man radiated an imposing might countless times greater than before. Not just the ancient city, but the mountains and valleys for ten thousand miles around trembled and shook.
Boom—
The beggar old man slowly rose into the air. His gaze swept over the various demonic beasts attacking the city. "Originally, I only wished to wander the mortal world, tempering my Dao heart, and had no desire to involve myself in this matter. But today I am happy, and seeing how the people of this city have taken good care of me, I shall intervene."
His rough hand swept out.
Boom—
In an instant, the thousands of demonic beasts attacking the city, including that fearsome Divine Transformation Great Demon, were utterly annihilated.
By the time the people of the ancient city regained their senses, the beggar old man had long since disappeared. One by one, they knelt down and prostrated in worship.
…
Chaoyang Continent, one of the Nine Continents. Within an Immortal Sacred Land that dominated a vast territory.
At this moment, the Great Power ancestor who should have been sitting high upon the main throne stood respectfully behind it, like a servant.
The true divine throne was occupied by a mysterious young man.
Yet, no one in the entire Immortal Sacred Land resisted.
Including that Great Power ancestor who had dominated the mortal world for tens of thousands of years.
It wasn't that they were unwilling to resist, but that they couldn't.
Because this mysterious young man, though young, was also excessively powerful. With a mere wave of his hand, he had defeated the Sacred Land's Great Power ancestor.
Such power had only been glimpsed on Ancient Divine Kings before.
Precisely because of this, the entire Immortal Sacred Land, aware of the mysterious young man's fearsomeness, revered him like a deity, not daring to resist and obeying all his commands.
"Divine King? This Weiyang Great World is truly weak. Mere Divine Kings can act like kings and overlords here." The mysterious young man sneered, filled with disdain.
So-called Divine Kings, he could suppress them with a wave of his hand.
Never mind. This Weiyang Great World was merely an illusory world. Why bother being fixated on it?
The mysterious young man shook his head. He just didn't understand: with the power of a Supreme, conjuring an Ancient Monarch would be effortless. Why not create one?
"Well, having only Divine Kings is fine too. If there were Ancient Monarchs, even with my abilities, dealing with them would be somewhat troublesome." The mysterious young man said indifferently. Though he appeared very young, the vicissitudes contained within his eyes were as if he had experienced endless reincarnations.
A single glance revealed that this person was not a true youth, but an ancient existence who had used a rejuvenation divine ability.
At that moment, a stream of gilded light appeared, landing in the Sacred Land's main hall.
The mysterious young man casually reached out and took it, easily dispersing the Great Power energy infused within.
Opening it to look—
"Peach Banquet?"
The mysterious young man raised an eyebrow. The Sacred Land's Great Power behind him exclaimed in surprise, "Sir, the Peach Banquet is a grand feast hosted by the world's number one intelligence organization, 'Doumen.' Its purpose is to invite the world's most top-tier experts to gather. Not only will there be fellow Great Powers like us, but other Ancient Divine Kings will also participate."
"And the Mitian Peach is a divine fruit borne from the Chaos Divine Tree, the Mitian Divine Tree, cultivated by the Medicine God. The Mitian Peach innately contains various Great Dao laws. Consuming the peach allows one to comprehend these Great Dao laws, extend lifespan, and gain a body of Mitian divine power. It is incredibly miraculous."
"What use would the Mitian Peach from a mere illusory world be to us real people? Even a Chaos Divine Tree couldn't truly allow me to live a second life." The mysterious young man shook his head, then said, "However, since this 'Doumen' is the world's number one intelligence organization, perhaps they know a thing or two about the Supreme Inheritance. Very well, I shall personally make a trip. Perhaps I will encounter quite a few familiar faces."
"Of course, I, Yun Tianjun, am determined to obtain the Supreme Inheritance. Whoever dares to intervene will be slaughtered!"