Ye Chen had grown even more powerful. Especially because the Immortal King Grotto primarily targeted Immortal Kings, the Immortal King Dao patterns promoted Ye Chen's advancement in the Immortal Dao. His Immortal Dao aura had grown immensely, to an incalculable degree, as if he had already become a supreme Immortal King.
His cultivation base surpassed the past, immeasurable, beyond the world's ability to comprehend his strength.
His accumulation had reached a level difficult for others to estimate.
Even the accumulation of the Sovereign of Formlessness and Tai Sheng Huang could not compare to Ye Chen's.
At the same time, Goddess, Yi Wu, Chen'er, A Beinu, Yu Qing, Chen Xi, and Ya Ya broke through, successfully proving their Dao and becoming Emperors. They made the ultimate leap, becoming ancient Great Emperor-level existences.
Boundless Emperor Tribulations descended from the heavens, nearly submerging everything, vast and boundless, almost piercing through the Beyond the Heavens.
For seven people to choose to prove their Dao and undergo tribulation simultaneously, the terror of such tribulation was truly astonishing.
Ye Chen personally emerged from seclusion to protect them during their Dao-proving.
Several days later, all seven had successfully passed their tribulations, becoming ancient Great Emperors. The Chaos Heavenly Mansion gained seven additional Emperor-level combatants, and they entered the Immortal King Grotto to absorb endless immortal essence, achieving perfection and completeness in all aspects within a short time.
Thus, the number of Supreme One-level combatants in the Chaos Heavenly Mansion reached a staggering sixteen, including Ye Chen himself. This was more than the number of Supreme Ones in the Immortal King Domain of the Primordial Immortal Realm and the giant territories of the Origin Ancient Path!
"Over one hundred and twenty-nine thousand years... nearly one hundred and thirty thousand years. Yet I still haven't been able to break through to the colossus from antiquity realm. Must I truly prove my Dao and become an Emperor to reach it? But I am a Chaos Great Dao cultivator; I need my Chaos comprehension to reach ten thousand out of ten thousand. Currently, I haven't reached that step; there's still a distance." Ye Chen murmured to himself. Although he felt sufficiently powerful, in truth, he was still far off. When the 'Blood-Stained Future' arrived, only the mighty, invincible existences at the colossus from antiquity level would have the qualification to become players on the board, controlling a region, capable of protecting themselves and even safeguarding an area.
Otherwise, even Quasi-Giants would not suffice.
It wasn't that Quasi-Giants weren't strong, but when the Blood-Stained Future arrived, even colossi from antiquity would not be spared, let alone mere Quasi-Giants.
"But I've reached a certain bottleneck. How can I advance further, make the ultimate leap, and become a colossus from antiquity-level existence?" Ye Chen pondered his path forward. He had emerged from seclusion this year. After nearly one hundred and thirty thousand years of cultivation, his various accumulations had reached an astonishing level.
He felt that his current self was much stronger than before entering the Immortal King Grotto, far surpassing the time when he led the Pangu Universe's Heaven's Prides to the Primordial Immortal Realm for the Chaos Sea Heaven's Pride Assembly.
Back then, Ye Chen had already been able to clear thirty-nine passes of the 'Forty-Nine Immortal Passes' secret realm, only one step away from the colossus from antiquity realm.
At ten thousand years old, he had been just a hair's breadth away.
Yet now, after cultivating to this point, having grown immensely stronger by an unknown degree, he still felt he was just a hair's breadth away.
That hair's breadth was difficult to cross.
This point, he still did not understand.
On this day, Ye Chen paid a visit to the War Emperor, getting straight to the point: "War Emperor Ancestor, I wish to charge the barrier to the colossus from antiquity realm, but I always feel I'm just a hair's breadth away."
Although Cang Xiong the Great Heavenly Venerate was stronger, being a colossus from antiquity, in terms of insight and experience, he could not compare to the War Emperor, who had roamed the Origin Ancient Path for many years and had followed the Defying War Lord.
The War Emperor looked at him in surprise, because the latter now gave even him—a Quasi-Giant renowned for combat prowess—a sense of terrifying threat, a genuine feeling of immense, all-encompassing pressure. Frowning, he said, "You are already very strong. You give me the feeling that you're not much weaker than a true colossus from antiquity. Yet you still cannot undergo tribulation to become one?"
Ye Chen smiled bitterly. Ten thousand years of cultivation under the acceleration of the Immortal King Grotto, combined with its hundredfold eruption of essence, was equivalent to cultivating within the grotto for ten million years. It had to be said, his accumulation had truly reached a terrifying stage.
His current self had already reached an extremely terrifying level of power.
Yet, he still felt unable to become a colossus from antiquity.
The War Emperor said, "Let us have a battle to see the true depth of your strength."
Ye Chen hesitated, because he felt his own power was sufficient to easily suppress other Quasi-Giants; even killing them shouldn't be a problem.
He was worried that a battle might injure the War Emperor.
Moreover, a battle between Quasi-Giants would have too great an impact.
The War Emperor understood his concern: "Do not worry. We will enter the Supreme Domain to battle. Then you can unleash your full power. After all, having been a Quasi-Giant for many years, I have never displayed my peak combat strength. You may not necessarily defeat me. And this is merely a spar."
As the most outstanding great disciple of the Defying War Lord, like the Sovereign of Formlessness, he had proven his Dao and become a Quasi-Giant for over an epoch. He had never displayed his true strength, yet even so, he was hailed as one of the most powerful among Quasi-Giants.
One could imagine how profound and unfathomable the War Emperor's cultivation was.
"Agreed!"
Ye Chen agreed. He and the War Emperor directly entered the Supreme Domain, adapted for battles between Supreme Ones or above.
Boom—
Terrifying light erupted. The Supreme Domain trembled violently, even manifesting the River of Time. Mysterious, special spatial dimensions appeared, reinforcing the Supreme Domain.
The auras of two Quasi-Giants standing at the pinnacle of the Great Dao spread out. Once unleashed, they shook heaven and earth, annihilating countless billions of li of space within the Supreme Domain.
This level of imposing might far surpassed that of ordinary Supreme One battles by an unknown degree.
"War Emperor Ancestor, be careful!"
Ye Chen shouted. The imposing might on his body was rising at a shocking rate, stirring the River of Time, reaching a level almost transcending the Quasi-Giant realm—that of the colossus from antiquity realm. Immortal light and divine light intermingled, making him appear like a supreme Immortal King descending to the mortal world, peerlessly powerful.
The entire Supreme Domain trembled.
With such imposing might, he could likely repel Quasi-Giants and Quasi-Immortal Kings with a mere wave of his hand.
He was almost comparable to Cang Xiong the Great Heavenly Venerate just after successfully proving his Dao, or to Tai Sheng Huang just after breaking free from the Chaos Burial Ground.
After one hundred and thirty thousand years of cultivation, Ye Chen's cultivation base erupted in full, reaching such heights.
With such combat strength, even facing a colossus from antiquity, he could contend in battle!
The War Emperor's eyes lit up. He laughed heartily: "Good, good, good! Little fellow, you've actually grown to this step. Truly worthy of being the key person. But I am not lacking either!"
Boom—
Simultaneously, the aura on his body also surged explosively, similarly standing at this level, peerless and unmatched.
The two stood facing each other, like an Immortal King confronting the strongest Emperor. Incomparable Great Dao auras spread, shaking past and present.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!—
The two battled within the Supreme Domain. Terrifying imposing might erupted. Only because of the Supreme Domain's barrier could it be contained; otherwise, it would be enough to shake all ages, affecting past, present, and future.