The group entered. The Heavenly Gate was naturally guarded by the Ancient Heavenly Race's most powerful experts, with two Supreme Ones personally stationed there. Seeing Suo Tianzun and the others return, they immediately performed a grand salute. However, upon seeing Ye Chen and his companions, they were greatly startled, not understanding the situation.
Throughout countless epochs since antiquity, it was rare for outsiders to enter the ancestral secret realm.
Suddenly, Suo Tianzun and the group of Ancient Heavenly Race members vanished, disappearing into thin air. Even the Angel Imperial Son abruptly disappeared, leaving only a voice echoing. Suo Tianzun's sinister voice rang out: "Battle Saint King, this is the territory of my Ancient Heavenly Race. Even if you are a colossus from antiquity, do not think you can threaten us."
"This child is the son of our race's outcast. He will be detained, and the Great Dao inheritance of Xiu Gusi will be reclaimed. I advise you all to leave peacefully."
Although they had returned to the Ancient Heavenly Race's territory, Suo Tianzun still dared not overly offend Ye Chen. After all, he was fundamentally an invincible colossus from antiquity—killing him was too difficult, and offending him was something even the Ancient Heavenly Race would not permit.
Shen Rong frowned. "Brother Ye, what do we do now? The Angel Imperial Son has been captured. Are we to stand by and watch him die?"
He was also unwilling to overly pressure Ye Chen into taking action, as the Ancient Heavenly Race's might was renowned throughout the world, and it was unwise to provoke them lightly.
Ye Chen said, "He is my friend. I cannot possibly stand by and watch him die. Since the Ancient Heavenly Race insists on this course, do not blame me for being impolite."
With his companions, he took a single step. The starry sky transformed as they headed straight for the deepest part of the secret realm.
But soon, before them appeared a series of majestic Imperial Cities, barring their path and releasing Supreme One-level auras. These were immortal Imperial Cities built by Ancient Great Emperors, twelve in total, each with a genuine Supreme One stationed within. A cold shout emanated from them: "All of you, please leave. This is the ancestral land of the Ancient Heavenly Race. Otherwise, do not blame us for being impolite."
The twelve Ancient Heavenly Race Supreme Ones coldly looked at Ye Chen and the others.
Ye Chen's group was astonished. The Ancient Heavenly Race was indeed extraordinary—twelve Supreme Ones appeared before them now, and each Imperial City contained numerous super-powerful experts of the race, their numbers staggering, their foundation sufficiently formidable.
"Do not block the path. He is the Battle Saint King, a newly ascended colossus from antiquity of this epoch. He is no simple figure."
A Quasi-Giant appeared, an ancestor of one of the Eight Great Lineages, his expression grave. He ordered the twelve Imperial Cities to retreat and cupped his hands respectfully toward Ye Chen. "Battle Saint King, I must ask you to leave. The ancestral land of our Ancient Heavenly Race does not permit outsiders to enter."
Ye Cangqiong said solemnly, "We can leave if you hand over the Angel Imperial Son and the Angel God Emperor."
The Ancient Heavenly Race Quasi-Giant's expression changed. After a moment of silence, having learned much information, he shook his head. "Apologies, that is not possible. Those two are outcasts of our Ancient Heavenly Race. Moreover, they possess the remains and Great Dao inheritance of Xiu Gusi from the Cultivation Lineage, involving the most important secrets. They cannot be released for the time being. I must ask you all to leave."
Ye Chen narrowed his eyes. "And if I insist?"
"If that is the case, then we can only fight," the Ancient Heavenly Race Quasi-Giant said gravely.
He was unwilling to offend Ye Chen, this newly ascended Giant, but as part of the Ancient Heavenly Race, he also did not fear him.
One must know that the Ancient Heavenly Race had dominated the Chaos Sea for endless eons and also had colossi from antiquity stationed within. How could they be afraid?
There was nothing more to say. Ye Chen stepped forward and slapped out with his palm. With a thunderous roar, a momentum capable of crushing the Ten Thousand Ancient Times blasted forward.
The various Ancient Heavenly Race Supreme Ones within the twelve Imperial Cities immediately changed color, raising a towering curtain of light. The Ancient Heavenly Race Quasi-Giant instantly acted, withdrawing the twelve Imperial Cities into the secret realm in an instant.
Boom—
Ye Chen's attack did not shatter the twelve Imperial Cities. Before him, a vast formation array appeared, blotting out the sky and sun, blocking his path and withstanding the Giant's strike.
The vast formation array shook violently but successfully resisted, astonishing everyone. This was undoubtedly a colossus-level formation array; otherwise, how could it block Ye Chen's peerless blow?
"Interesting."
Ye Chen continued his assault. The vast formation array rapidly changed colors and continuously dimmed, eventually extinguishing completely and exploding with a thunderous crash.
It had been pierced through by Ye Chen!
However, the Ancient Heavenly Race was, after all, a first-rate supreme race. They possessed not just one colossus-level formation array; several now barred Ye Chen's path.
Unfortunately, while such Ten Thousand Ancient formation arrays might suffice to block an ordinary colossus from antiquity, Ye Chen was a taboo existence comparable to a first-generation Giant, his combat power world-shaking and awe-inspiring. In merely half an hour, he directly dismantled all the Ten Thousand Ancient formation arrays.
In an instant, Ye Chen and his group truly appeared within the secret realm's ancient world, alarming the entire Ancient Heavenly Race.
"Not good! The Battle Saint King has actually barged in!" Suo Tianzun's face changed color. He was the first to soar into the sky and shouted, "Ancestral Heaven Great Array!"
An immensely terrifying great array instantly appeared, severing the path before Ye Chen and the others. Endless Great Dao runes, all interwoven at the colossus level, contained a might far surpassing the several Ten Thousand Ancient formation arrays from earlier.
"This formation array... hmm, it wasn't laid down by an ordinary colossus from antiquity." Ye Chen's sword-like brows slightly furrowed. He could sense the extraordinary nature of this Ancestral Heaven Great Array. His feeling was that even an ordinary colossus from antiquity would find it difficult to arrange. It was likely personally laid down by a supremely powerful first-generation Giant—extremely unusual.
Knowing that the Angel Imperial Son would not be in immediate danger, Ye Chen was not anxious. On the contrary, he studied this Ancestral Heaven Great Array with great interest, feeling it held another world within.
"Heh, this Ancestral Heaven Great Array was jointly laid down in the past by three supreme progenitors of my Ancient Heavenly Race, infused with the Ten Thousand Ancient essence blood of those three progenitors. Even a colossus from antiquity would find it impossible to break."
Suo Tianzun chuckled coldly, quite confident in this Ancestral Heaven Great Array. Because it was jointly arranged by three progenitor-level colossi from antiquity, it possessed boundless Great Dao power.
Many epochs ago, a colossus from antiquity had fortuitously discovered the Ancient Heavenly Race's ancestral secret realm and attempted to barge in. In the end, he was intercepted by this Ancestral Heaven Great Array and trapped for endless eons. Only after exhausting all means did he finally manage to escape by sheer luck.
This demonstrated the terrifying nature of the Ancestral Heaven Great Array, far beyond what ordinary colossus-level great arrays could compare to.
Now, Suo Tianzun firmly believed that even the Battle Saint King would be no exception. Once he attacked, he would ultimately be trapped within, unable to break free.
The Quasi-Giant-level ancestors of the other Eight Great Lineages also appeared, looking toward this place.
"I will venture in. You all stay here."
Ye Chen spoke. Skilled and bold, as a taboo existence rivaling first-generation Giants, with his Chaos Saint Body impervious to all calamities, he had nothing to fear. He could proceed directly and entered the Ancestral Heaven Great Array.
The Ancestral Heaven Great Array was not merely a simple defensive formation array. It was also a combination of a killing array, a trapping array, an illusion array, and more, possessing multiple functions. It was personally laid down by the three Ancient Heavenly Race progenitors. Back then, even a genuine colossus from antiquity who barged in was trapped for endless eons, only breaking free bit by bit.