The Emperor Realm stood like a heavenly pass, blocking the path of every individual.
It wasn't that becoming a Monarch guaranteed one could prove their Dao and become an Emperor; on the other hand, sufficient accumulation was also required.
For a Monarch to complete their accumulation, it often required half an epoch, or even more than a full epoch.
Take Cang Ying Da Tian Zun, for example—didn't he spend over a full epoch in accumulation, nearly sitting in meditation until his end?
Clearly, the nearly thirty thousand years had not allowed them to complete such profound accumulation; more time was still needed.
The only difference was that Ruoxi, Qian Xun, and Ye Jing had all stepped onto the Eternal Path from the Sovereign realm. Over the years, they had successively reached the peak level of Eternal Monarchs, like the Sovereign of Formlessness of old, capable of peak-level duels with Ancient Great Emperors, equivalent to being alternative Supreme Ones—immensely powerful.
Now, the Chaos Heavenly Mansion not only had Ye Chen, this invincible being, but also three Emperor-level combat powers, all relatives. Additionally, there were as many as five Supreme Ones from the Origin Ancient Path who followed Ye Chen. The overall strength was unprecedentedly powerful.
Unfortunately, in the past thirty thousand years, aside from the Asura Emperor and Monarch Tonggu who managed to prove their Dao and become Emperors, no one else had given birth to a single Supreme One.
Although the Sovereign of Formlessness and Tai Sheng Huang were both very powerful, their accumulation continued. Even with the cultivation resources of an Alien Emperor and an Immortal King Grotto, they could not make a breakthrough in a short time.
Meanwhile, Ruoxi, Qian Xun, and Ye Jing had long since entered the Immortal King Grotto to cultivate.
All five were Eternal Monarchs with great hope of directly proving their Dao as colossi from antiquity, just like Cang Ying Da Tian Zun of old.
"Time waits for no one. The thirty-thousand-year deadline mentioned by the Spacetime Emperor draws ever nearer," Ye Chen frowned, a kind of man whose very frown held a special charm—that described someone like him.
"Given the current situation, with no time to spare, the Immortal King Grotto can only be sacrificed."
To allow the five Eternal Monarchs to complete their accumulation faster, Ye Chen was already sparing no expense. The number of Supreme Immortals and Alien Emperors he had slain or suppressed in the Primordial Immortal Realm had reached nine.
All these years, he had not dealt with them.
Originally, he intended to gather ten Supreme Ones, fuse them into the Sealing Gate, and elevate this supreme sealing treasure to an even more powerful level.
But now, it seemed that wouldn't do.
As he said, time waits for no one!
Boom—
Ye Chen used Chaos Source Fire to refine the nine Supreme Ones. The four Alien Emperors who had not yet perished emitted shrill, miserable screams. As they were burned by the Chaos Source Fire capable of incinerating all things, the true spirits within their Emperor Souls were slowly, forcibly strangled and erased. In the end, their entire bodies and Emperor Souls completely transformed into a vast, oceanic amount of Supreme Essence.
A full nine Supreme Ones—including Supreme Immortals, even the mount of the Violet Firmament Immortal King—were completely refined. There were also Immortal Dao Origins, Emperor Dao Origins, Supreme Ancient Worlds, Supreme Dao Weapons, and more. Everything turned into a sea of Supreme energy, enough to drive any Supreme One mad and make even Quasi-Giants covetous.
The combined, majestic power refined from the nine Supreme Ones was enough to allow a Supreme One to achieve Quasi-Giant status, or a Quasi-Giant to advance further, perhaps even gaining a chance to glimpse the realm of colossi from antiquity.
However, this vast, majestic energy was channeled by Ye Chen with supreme great dharma power into the Immortal King Grotto. Instantly, the Supreme Emperor Laws and Immortal Laws within the grotto increased countlessfold, and the potential of all ninety-nine immortal veins was fully activated, causing the Immortal King Dao Laws and essence that could erupt from the Immortal King Grotto to increase by a full hundredfold.
The entire Immortal King Grotto was filled with materialized Great Dao essence. Immortal King scriptures chanted, and Immortal King Dao Patterns manifested densely, interweaving in all directions, appearing in physical form, making them easier to comprehend.
Even the most ordinary person cultivating within this Immortal King Grotto over long years would find proving their Dao as a Supreme One no problem at all, even possessing hope of glimpsing the domain of colossi from antiquity.
A Supreme One cultivating within this fully activated Immortal King Grotto would inevitably become a colossus from antiquity within half an epoch.
One could imagine to what extent Ye Chen had activated the Immortal King Grotto. Of course, the price was enormous—after all, nine Supreme Ones had been sacrificed. Throughout the ages, how many could wield such grand methods?
Naturally, on the other hand, this was equivalent to squeezing the potential of the Immortal King Grotto, releasing all of it prematurely.
Originally, an Immortal King Grotto could provide a Supreme Immortal King with endless eons of continuous cultivation because it contained immeasurable Great Dao essence and ninety-nine immortal veins. Also, while the Supreme Immortal King cultivated, they would also give back to the grotto, with the Immortal King's Dao Laws imprinting within it—a mutually beneficial, mutually reinforcing cycle of continuous strengthening.
Now, Ye Chen made the Immortal King Grotto only contribute without absorbing, squeezing all its potential to provide for the cultivators. Even an Immortal King Grotto could not provide eternally; I'm afraid within not many tens of thousands of years, it would fall into an exhausted state.
But Ye Chen paid no heed to all this.
If the Immortal King Grotto exhausted itself, so be it. The time left for them was already insufficient—not to mention half an epoch, even a hundred thousand years would be a luxury.
The thirty-thousand-year deadline was approaching. They had to use this time to elevate themselves at the fastest speed, become stronger, and ideally have everyone become colossi from antiquity. That way, the Pangu Universe would possess enough colossi from antiquity, and in the blood-stained future, at the very least, it would have sufficient deterrent power.
Otherwise, if the people were gone, what use would there be in keeping the Immortal King Grotto?
Conversely, as long as the people remained, even if the Immortal King Grotto was gone, it could be recreated!
Moreover, sparing no expense, Ye Chen requested Cang Ying Da Tian Zun to personally take action. Using the power of a supreme colossus from antiquity, he annihilated the true spirit of the Alien Quasi-Giant, Wanyan Emperor. His flesh, blood, and divine soul transformed into essence, fused as one with the Immortal King Grotto, erupting with even more countless amounts of Great Dao essence, greatly deepening everyone's accumulation.
Ye Chen naturally had selfish motives. He directly arranged for his close ones—the Goddess, Yi Wu, Yu Qing, A Beinu, Chen'er, Yaya, Chenxi, and others—to enter the Immortal King Grotto to cultivate, rapidly deepening their accumulation.
In the blood-stained future, at the very least, Ancient Great Emperor-level combat power would be needed; otherwise, even Monarchs would have little ability to protect themselves.
He did not wish to see his close ones die in battle, so he had to allow them to improve in the shortest time possible.
Regarding Ye Chen's selfishness, no one dared say anything. Not only because the Immortal King Grotto was obtained by him and belonged to him alone, but also because he was an invincible Quasi-Giant, domineering and imposing, possessing sufficient deterrent power.
It must be said, while this seemed somewhat like pulling up seedlings to help them grow, it was currently the most effective method. At the very least, the accumulation of all the Monarchs instantly increased by a full hundredfold. Additionally, with Cang Ying Da Tian Zun fully reviving the World Tower to envelop the Immortal King Grotto, the time flow rate within the grotto suddenly increased by a massive three hundred and sixty-five times.
If not for the fact that these were all Monarch or Supreme One-level combat powers, and it was an Immortal King Grotto, the World Tower could accelerate the time flow rate even more.
Nevertheless, even so, cultivating within the Immortal King Grotto could be said to be one day equaling a hundred years in the outside world—shockingly, absurdly incredible.
Naturally, the price paid was that the Immortal King Grotto could not sustain this for many years; all ninety-nine immortal veins would become waste veins.
To all this, Ye Chen no longer paid any heed.