Beside him, Qian Xun stared dumbfounded at this scene, looking at his father, his mouth agape.
A single light slap had utterly pulverized a Fourth Heaven Monarch?
This was simply too heaven-defying.
Although he had long learned from his mothers that his father had grown stronger over the past century on the Origin Ancient Path, becoming something called an Eternal Quasi-Monarch, capable of defying the heavens to slay Ancient Monarchs, and that a few years ago, without returning to the myriad realms, he had ventured alone to the World Tower at the Tenth Emperor's Pass to advance to Ancient Monarch, making him inevitably even more powerful, he had never imagined it would be terrifying to this extent.
It was simply world-defying, defying the entire era!
Silently, Hunyue Emperor appeared, chuckling, "Little one, no need for surprise. Your father is an Eternal Monarch, a Chaos Ancient Monarch who has stepped onto the Eternal Path. Such strength is only natural."
"You are—"
Though unable to perceive Hunyue Emperor's realm, Qian Xun could vaguely sense how unfathomably profound the other party was.
Hunyue Emperor smiled, "Let me introduce myself. I—I am Hunyue, your father's guardian."
Guardian?
Qian Xun was both shocked and doubtful. If his father could pulverize a Fourth Heaven Monarch with a single slap, how powerful must his guardian be?
He distinctly felt that the aura Hunyue Emperor gave him seemed identical to that of Sovereign Wuxiang who had taught him—similarly vast and boundless like the starry sky.
Could he be—
An Emperor?
When this possibility occurred to him, Qian Xun was instantly struck with awe.
Ye Chen smiled, and Hunyue Emperor did likewise, offering no explanation.
Meanwhile, the pulverized alien Fourth Heaven Monarch was struggling to reform his body and spirit, but he had undoubtedly suffered absolute, fundamental damage.
Just a single slap—it was unbelievable!
The alien Ancient Monarch simply could not believe how the Battle Saint King could be so powerful.
A mere century ago, he was only a Quasi-Monarch. His battle against the heaven-defying Quasi-Monarch Ye Cuican had been fiercely contested. How could he have risen to such a level in just a hundred short years?
Was it possible?
It was simply world-defying, unimaginable!
At this moment, before the alien Fourth Heaven Monarch could even flee, a Chaos great hand descended, enveloping him once more, trapping him within its palm. Ye Chen looked down upon him from above, his voice icy, "I said, like an ant."
Looking down from on high, gazing down like a deity upon a mortal on the ground!
The alien Fourth Heaven Monarch could not struggle, nor could he even attempt to. The gap was too vast. Feeling the bone-chilling crisis of death closing in from all sides, knowing death was inevitable, he abandoned futile resistance. The miniature figure formed by his Monarch Heavenly Soul looked up at Ye Chen, a trace of confusion in its expression, "I know I must die, but before I perish, I just want to ask one thing. A century ago, you were merely at the heaven-defying Quasi-Monarch level. How have you become so strong a hundred years later? It's impossible."
Ye Chen looked down upon him, his voice indifferent and merciless, "The dead deserve respect. I shall answer your final question."
"I am—"
"An Eternal Monarch!"
Eternal Monarch?
So that was it. The alien Fourth Heaven Monarch suddenly understood, a bitter smile appearing. He finally comprehended.
Boom—
With a clench of his fingers, Chaos light blazed brilliantly. The alien Fourth Heaven Monarch within was utterly annihilated, body and soul, reduced to ashes.
Hum—
A stream of light shot into Ye Chen's body. It was the alien Ancient Monarch's origin world, also shattered and refined into its most fundamental essence, devoured by his origin universe.
Of course, at this level, improving Ye Chen's origin universe was extremely difficult. This bit of world origin was merely a snack, utterly incapable of providing any significant boost to Ye Chen. It was better than nothing.
"Eternal Monarch?" Qian Xun looked at his father with shock and doubt. Though a heaven-defying Quasi-Monarch, he clearly did not know what an Eternal Monarch truly represented. However, he did understand one thing: the prefix 'Eternal' was enough to signify everything.
An Ancient Monarch bestowed with the title of 'Eternal'—perhaps that was the true foundation of invincibility!
Beside him, Hunyue Emperor said lightly, "Little one, an Eternal Monarch represents absolute invincibility within the same realm. Even if a heaven-defying Quasi-Monarch advances to Ancient Monarch, they would be utterly no match for an Eternal Monarch of the same tier. Like Sovereign Wuxiang—he was an Eternal Monarch in his time. You should understand now."
Qian Xun seemed to grasp it somewhat. Back then, Sovereign Wuxiang was hailed as the King of Monarchs, essentially meaning he was the king among Ancient Monarchs of the same realm, absolutely invincible. He hadn't realized it was because he was an Eternal Monarch.
What he didn't know was that even Sovereign Wuxiang only stepped onto the Eternal Path after becoming an Ancient Monarch, whereas Ye Chen was already on the Eternal Path during his Quasi-Monarch period. Both were Eternal Monarchs, but Ye Chen at the same stage was no weaker, and likely stronger, than Sovereign Wuxiang of old!
At this moment, Ye Chen patted his eldest son's shoulder. A stream of Chaos origin energy flowed into his body, instantly repairing all tangible and intangible injuries, restoring Qian Xun to peak condition in an instant. Moreover, Qian Xun felt even stronger than before.
Qian Xun desperately wanted to know just how powerful his father was now.
But the more pressing matter was the alien army below the Immortal Heavenly Pass.
"Leave it to me now."
Ye Chen spoke, then reached out through the void, grabbing the severely wounded Jiu Huang and tossing him to Qian Xun to handle. Paying no heed to Jiu Huang's look of sheer terror upon seeing him, Ye Chen took a light step and instantly arrived before the Heavenly Pass, manifesting before both armies. He spoke slowly, "I am the Battle Saint King."
"The Battle Saint King?"
Both armies were shocked, especially the Ancient Monarchs, who were stunned.
However, the Ancient Monarchs on the alien side immediately erupted with overwhelming killing intent. One coldly declared, "To think the Battle Saint King has actually appeared. Good. Today, we shall kill you, sending you on your way alongside your son, War Saint Qian Xun."
When Ye Chen had struck earlier, he had sealed off that area of space, so the armies here were unaware that the more powerful alien Fourth Heaven Monarch had been effortlessly annihilated.
Now, this alien Third Heaven mid-stage Monarch attacked, clashing with the Pangu Universe's Ancient Monarch while simultaneously launching a strike at Ye Chen.
Moreover, he employed the true methods of an Ancient Monarch, his combat power instantly soaring to its utmost limit, striking with full force. This was to avoid failing to kill the Battle Saint King immediately.
"Battle Saint King, be careful!"
The Pangu Universe's Ancient Monarch cried out in alarm, about to rush forward to pull Ye Chen away, but the latter stopped him, saying, "No matter. A mere Third Heaven Monarch cannot trouble me."
Before either side could speak further, Ye Chen instantly made his move. A sword finger pointed out, and Sword Radiance transformed into countless millions of layers, instantly flooding the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths before crashing toward the alien Ancient Monarch and enveloping the army of over a million behind him.
Boom—
In the blink of an eye, without even a single scream, the alien army, including the Ancient Monarch, was utterly erased from existence.
Only the Pangu Universe's army remained within the secret realm, as if the alien army had never been there at all...