The Tenth Emperor's Pass had endured far too many calamities. Since time immemorial, it had faced the constant threat of the alien race. Especially in this era, it had been forcibly breached by the aliens on multiple occasions, and the inner Emperor Realm had been destroyed several times along with it.
That it still existed today was truly no easy feat.
Ye Chen arrived beneath the World Tower. Raising his head, he saw that the three ranking lists from the past were still there. His name was still on the Supreme List, which brought a faint smile to his lips.
Recalling all that had transpired, it felt like a lifetime ago.
A dream spanning millennia, and he had progressed from a mere minor cultivator back then to his current standing.
Sometimes, he would wonder: if he were to return to the first time he came to the Tenth Emperor's Pass with his current power that could suppress Ancient Monarchs, the Heaven's Gate Sect Master would not have sacrificed himself, and the Seven Alien Monarchs would have been forcefully annihilated by him.
Naturally, the subsequent events would not have unfolded either.
"Sect Master..."
A mistiness appeared in Ye Chen's eyes. The Heaven's Gate Sect Master, who had been like a mentor, perishing before his very eyes remained a hurdle in his heart. Even after all these years, whenever he recalled it, a pang of heartache still surfaced.
What was regrettable was that even after stepping onto the Origin Ancient Road, he had still not truly connected to the real Origin Land.
He wondered: was the Heaven's Gate Sect Master truly still alive, existing within the Origin Land?
Many people had gathered beneath the World Tower—Heaven's Pride talents and elders alike—coming here to test themselves and to advance further.
Sensing the vibrant vitality here, he also recalled the brashness of his youth: competing with his peers, vying for glory with Emperor Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao descendants, his blood boiling, making a name for himself across the myriad races, shaking the Ancient Road with his reputation...
Looking back, it had only been a few hundred years, yet he was already invincible among his generation, reigning supreme over the younger generation. His enemies had shifted from the younger generation to the older generation.
It evoked a sigh of emotion.
But the light in his eyes grew even more resolute, for the path he needed to walk was still very long.
Quelling the blood-stained future and protecting those around him were the greatest wishes of this lifetime.
Ye Chen's arrival was silent, distorting the void so that others could not see him.
However, guarding the Tenth Emperor's Pass were a full seven Ancient Monarchs. The strongest among them was a peerless Monarch of the Eighth Heaven, extremely powerful and the leader of the Seven Monarchs.
His appearance naturally did not escape the notice of the Seven Monarchs.
"Battle Saint King!"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!—
Above the World Tower, the Seven Monarchs suddenly descended, startling everyone.
Ye Chen gave a bitter smile and could only step out from the void, cupping his hands in salute. "This junior Ye Chen pays his respects to the seven Monarch seniors."
"Ye Chen? The Battle Saint King?"
The many Heaven's Pride talents beneath the World Tower were all astonished, their gazes burning with particular fervor.
For even though the Battle Saint King had suddenly disappeared for a century, his mighty reputation remained resounding. Who in this great era did not know of him, who had not heard of him?
In a certain sense, it could be said that the Battle Saint King was the number one figure among the younger generation of the Pangu Universe. He was also the idol of Heaven's Pride talents throughout the ages, having ascended to the top of the younger generation in the Chaos Sea, sweeping through Emperor Sons and Daughters, Immortal Dao descendants, and the strongest Supreme Geniuses. Who could contend with him? Who could be his match?
It was a shared honor. He was the idol of all the young Heaven's Pride talents of the entire Pangu Universe, and the goal they hoped to pursue with all their lives.
To see him now was their honor and their excitement.
The gazes of the Seven Monarchs of the Tenth Emperor's Pass fell upon Ye Chen, and they were all startled. For they all sensed Ye Chen's formidable power. He was clearly only a Quasi-Monarch, yet the intensity of his aura was in no way inferior to that of an Ancient Monarch. It was even far more terrifying than that of an ordinary Monarch, ranking at a medium level even among the Seven Monarchs.
The leading peerless Monarch's gaze burned even hotter as he laughed heartily. "Good, good, good! Truly a peerless Battle Saint King. You are indeed heaven-defying."
Ye Chen knew the Seven Monarchs were aware of his combat power, but this was also because he had not concealed it.
This was the Pangu Universe, united from top to bottom. There was no need for concealment; he had already revealed it long ago on the Origin Ancient Road.
Although Ye Chen was heaven-defying, the Seven Monarchs harbored not the slightest jealousy. On the contrary, they were filled with joy, delighted that their own ancient universe still possessed such a unique, unparalleled prodigy of the ages. It represented the hope for him to prove his Dao and become a Supreme Being, which filled them with immense satisfaction.
The peerless Monarch spoke. "Little friend, why have you come to the Emperor's Pass? To train here?"
The others also looked at Ye Chen with curiosity. The world knew the Battle Saint King was already at the peak of Quasi-Monarch. Training here, attempting to break through to Ancient Monarch in battle, was not impossible.
Ye Chen shook his head. "Senior, this junior's accumulation is already sufficient. I have come this time to attempt a breakthrough to Ancient Monarch."
"Breakthrough to Monarch!?"
Everyone was shocked. They all knew the Battle Saint King was heaven-defying, and becoming an Ancient Monarch was only a matter of time. But they hadn't expected him to attempt the breakthrough now.
But the Seven Monarchs were overjoyed, their eyes gleaming with brilliant light. "You truly intend to advance to Monarch?"
Ye Chen said solemnly, "Absolutely no falsehood."
"Good! Little friend, you may attempt your Monarch breakthrough here. We few old men will certainly protect your Dao. No one else will disturb your breakthrough."
The peerless Monarch made the promise. The Battle Saint King, this number one Heaven's Pride talent who had swept through the two Ancient Roads unmatched, was now attempting a Monarch breakthrough. This was an immensely important matter; how could they be negligent?
Once he advanced to Ancient Monarch, without a doubt, the Pangu Universe would gain a top-tier combatant.
Though Ye Chen wanted to say he had the protection of his Great Emperor reincarnation body and Hunyue Emperor, the identity of the Great Emperor reincarnation body as his strongest Dao body could not be easily revealed, and Hunyue Emperor was also best kept hidden. So he cupped his fists. "This junior thanks the several seniors for their protection. I will certainly live up to your high expectations."
"Good! May the little friend succeed in his breakthrough!"
The Seven Monarchs immediately took positions around the World Tower, driving away all relevant personnel.
Filled with gratitude, Ye Chen entered the World Tower.
This time when he entered, he did not arrive at the three-zhang-square island suspended in the starry sky, nor did he see the Spacetime Great Emperor fishing for true dragons. The place he appeared in was, shockingly, a desolate, boundless world.
The moment he appeared here, Ye Chen sensed that his Origin Universe actually began to tremble faintly, strand by strand.
The world before him seemed like a dark, eternal realm of death.
Perhaps more accurately, this world was dead silent, its origin dried up. Yet, as far as he could perceive, it was boundless. With his terrifying perception power comparable to a Fourth Heaven Monarch, he was actually unable to explore its true limits.
This shocked him greatly.
"Could this be the legendary Ancient Divine World?"
Ye Chen slowly let out a breath, unable to conceal his sigh.
The Ancient Divine World was the upper realm of the Pangu Universe in the previous epoch era, equivalent to the present Myriad Domains. But the Ancient Divine World of that time was even vaster and more expansive than the Myriad Domains, extremely astonishing.
It was rumored that the present Myriad Domains were actually formed from most of the world's territory of the Ancient Divine World.
Ye Chen's gaze swept across the Ancient Divine World: dark, desolate, dead silent, devoid of any vitality.
Within the world were many collapsed ancient continents and endless stellar remnants.
This scene was reminiscent of the shattered landscape of the Eight Desolates Ancient Universe he had seen back then.
A supreme great world had been buried and destroyed here along with the Great Mythical Destruction.
Back then, the Spacetime Great Emperor had gathered the remaining fragments of the Ancient Divine World within the World Tower. Only a supreme Emperor weapon like the World Tower, formed from the body of the World Ancestral Tree, could possess such immense space. And only a colossus of the ages like the Spacetime Great Emperor could have such means; otherwise, how could an ordinary person transfer such massive fragments of the Ancient Divine World?
"The Ancient Divine World, the upper realm of the Pangu Universe's Mythical Epoch. I heard that during its peak, it gave birth to multiple Ancient Emperor Supremes within a single short epoch era."
Hunyue Emperor no longer concealed his form. His gaze swept across the entire Ancient Divine World, and he let out a soft sigh.
He was a figure from the previous epoch era, sealed until this era, so he naturally knew some things about the Ancient Divine World.
Moreover, during its peak, the Ancient Divine World was in no way inferior to the present Primordial Immortal World.
Multiple Emperors stood side by side; Heaven's Pride talents emerged in great numbers.
Formless Monarch, after all, was a peerless prodigy born during the Mythical Epoch.
But no matter how prosperous, glorious, and unparalleled the Ancient Divine World had been, now it was nothing but a remnant of a broken world.
Drawing a deep breath, Ye Chen suddenly sat cross-legged within the Ancient Divine World.
Although he knew that within the World Tower, with the Spacetime Emperor weapon left by the Spacetime Great Emperor, it was unlikely anything would go wrong, to eliminate all possibilities, he still had Hunyue Emperor protect his Dao.
Hunyue Emperor looked at Ye Chen with a complex expression, sighed softly, then turned and arrived at the borderlands of the Ancient Divine World, silently protecting his Dao.
When everything was ready, Ye Chen suddenly released the phantom of his Origin Universe within his body, enveloping a vast territory spanning millions of miles in radius.
"This, this is—"
Hunyue Emperor stared at the universe phantom in shock, his expression changing drastically as he immediately understood. "You actually possess an Origin Universe, just like Universe Great Emperor!"
He couldn't help but be shocked. Throughout the ages, the only one who possessed an Origin Universe was Universe Great Emperor.
It was precisely because he possessed a Chaos Ancient Universe that Universe Great Emperor had the qualification to truly reach the summit, becoming one of the strongest few figures throughout the ages.
Now, this Battle Saint King before him actually also possessed an Origin Universe. Although it was clear it was only in its embryonic stage, in its primitive phase, its potential was limitless. In the future, it had the qualification to grow into a true Chaos Ancient Universe.
Would he become the second Universe Great Emperor?
Originally, Hunyue Emperor had been dissatisfied with protecting the Dao of the Battle Saint King. But upon seeing this, all dissatisfaction vanished in an instant.
Following someone with the boundless potential to grow to the level of Universe Great Emperor might be an honor.
Ye Chen remained silent, adjusting his mental state to its best stage and quietly adjusting his own condition, preparing to impact Ancient Monarch in his optimal state.
This adjustment lasted for two years, quite a lengthy period.
But Ye Chen was not anxious.
Advancing to Ancient Monarch could not be rushed; one must have sufficient certainty to succeed.
Besides, Ancient Monarchs often secluded themselves for cultivation, possibly for tens of thousands of years. What were a mere two years?
Moreover, he clearly understood that with himself being an Eternal Quasi-Monarch, possessing an Origin Universe, and a Chaos Great Dao cultivator—this trinity of the most monstrous talent since ancient times—once he attempted to impact Ancient Monarch, how terrifying it would be.
It would likely be the most terrifying Monarch Tribulation in all of history.
Finally, on a certain day two years later, Ye Chen's condition was adjusted to its absolute peak.
He opened his eyes. His gaze was like heavenly suns, illuminating the dark Ancient Divine World. His voice suddenly shook the heavens and earth. "Today, I, the Battle Saint King, shall attempt the breakthrough to Ancient Monarch!"