Arrogant! Too arrogant!
Everyone was stunned. Zhao Wudao was already arrogant enough, but this mysterious King who had appeared out of nowhere was even more arrogant, not placing Zhao Wudao in his eyes at all.
Unprecedented!
Just who was this mysterious King?
Zhao Wudao very much wanted to make a move, but the various Saint Sons and Saint Daughters stood there, each emanating an aura no weaker than his own, like ancient divine peaks blocking the space between the two, making it difficult to act.
Dao Chu, the Saint Son of the Dao Yan Sacred Land, also spoke with rare authority: "This is Qingcheng Palace. We went to great lengths to have the Palace Master open the Palace of Sinking Fish and Falling Geese for our gathering. Do not act to disrupt it, or do not blame us for intervening mercilessly."
Qingcheng Palace again.
This surprised Ye Chen. Just what kind of background did Qingcheng Palace have, to make even these young Kings so wary?
Even an Immortal Sacred Land shouldn't be to this extent.
Zhao Wudao clenched his fists, his terrifying aura slowly receding inward, but he seemed even more dangerous, like a fierce beast staring at Ye Chen. He said coldly, "Kid, don't let me see you again. Next time, without Qingcheng Palace's rules, I won't hold back."
He turned and strode away, Zhao Jun hurriedly following by his side. But just before leaving, a single sentence from Ye Chen nearly made him erupt in fury on the spot: "What a pity. I was hoping to slay a False King here. Looks like it's not possible."
The crowd was dumbfounded. Even the various Saint Sons and Saint Daughters frowned. This mysterious King was too arrogant, far more disdainful of others than even Zhao Wudao.
Ye Chen smiled, not continuing to provoke. Zhao Tianyi looked at Ye Chen as if he were a monster, and after a long while, he sighed heavily: "I truly failed to recognize a towering mountain. I never imagined Brother Ye was the true master."
"What towering mountain? If Brother Zhao considers me, Ye, a friend, don't say such things," Ye Chen said.
Zhao Tianyi was slightly taken aback, then chuckled: "I was being foolish. Regardless, Brother Ye is still Brother Ye, and remains my friend, Zhao Tianyi."
At this moment, several Saint Sons and Saint Daughters stepped forward, each possessing extraordinary saintly bearing, making even Zhao Tianyi feel a sense of oppressive pressure. One of them said with a light laugh, "Fellow Daoist, you hid yourself very well. None of us realized you were this powerful."
"You flatter me, Fellow Daoists. How can I be considered powerful? I am far inferior to all of you," Ye Chen clasped his fists, no longer showing the previous disdain, appearing very humble, which surprised the Saint Sons and Daughters.
"It's just that Fellow Daoist possesses an invincible heart, daring to reprimand Zhao Wudao like that. In all my years of cultivation, this is the first time I've seen someone act so."
What 'invincible heart'? This was just the Saint Son's tactful way of saying Ye Chen was incomparably arrogant.
Ye Chen didn't mind: "Bullying my friend, even if he is the Crown Prince, so what? Does that make him invincible under heaven? Fellow Daoists like yourselves are all qualified to stand on equal footing with him. He's just too self-righteous. I was merely more arrogant, to suppress his arrogance a bit."
"So that's it!"
The several Saint Sons and Saint Daughters finally understood. Ye Chen's arrogance and conceit were all for Zhao Tianyi's sake.
"We've conversed for a while, yet we still don't know Fellow Daoist's esteemed name," a Saint Daughter spoke at this moment. She was born beautiful and graceful, with hair like a waterfall of clouds, a face fairer than snow, arched eyebrows, a delicate and upturned nose, and a lovely, jade-like countenance.
Clad in a long dress that flowed with shimmering radiance, she appeared very holy and noble. She was the Saint Daughter of the Dao Yan Sacred Land, a peerless beauty. Barring any accidents, she would one day become the Dao companion of the Dao Yan Sacred Land's Saint Son.
This was an unwritten rule of the Immortal forces. Each generation would select the most outstanding man and woman, designating them as Saint Son and Saint Daughter, a powerful marriage, the strongest union. The Saint Son would be the future Sacred Land's master, the Saint Daughter the Saint Lord's wife, also the Holy Mother, jointly presiding over the Sacred Land's authority.
"Ye Chen." He did not conceal it. It wasn't his former life's forbidden name, so no one could know his origins.
"Ye Chen?"
Sure enough, the group of Saint Sons and Daughters were puzzled. They had never heard of this King's title, nor had they heard of any young genius from a major force with this name.
Suddenly, Dao Chu spoke, his expression grave: "May I ask if Brother Ye is a disciple of that Imperial Clan Ye Family from the center of the Myriad Domains?"
Hearing this, the other Saint Sons and Daughters were startled, as was Zhao Tianyi beside him, all staring intently at Ye Chen.
Far in the center of the Myriad Domains, there existed a supreme Imperial Clan whose ancestors had produced Emperors and Sovereigns during the Mythical Era, leaving behind a lineage of an Imperial Clan. Passed down from the previous era to the present, it flourished immortally, eternally prosperous—the Ye Family.
When speaking of Imperial Clans and Royal Clans, who wouldn't feel awe? They were true colossal entities, towering above all races under heaven, truly reigning supreme. Imperial Clans and Royal Clans that had produced Emperors and Sovereigns possessed a heritage and foundation even more terrifying than supreme Sacred Lands, the most fearsome of all.
Even the Human Sovereign Palace was filled with wariness towards Imperial Clans and Royal Clans.
They all thought Ye Chen might be a top-tier genius of the Ye Family. Otherwise, how could he be so extraordinary and powerful?
But Ye Chen just shook his head: "You are mistaken, Fellow Daoists. I am not from the Imperial Clan Ye Family. I am just a wanderer without background, who stumbled into cultivation and reached this realm by chance."
Hearing this, everyone was stunned again, somewhat unable to believe it.
Dao Chu sighed with emotion: "That only proves Brother Ye's extraordinariness even more. To rely on oneself to cultivate to the King level—searching across the myriad realms, there aren't many who can do that."
Ye Chen laughed: "What King? I'm just a False King. Without reaching that realm, one dare not claim to be a true King."
That realm naturally referred to the Immortal True King.
Hearing this, the several Saint Sons and Daughters revealed a trace of bitterness: "Fellow Daoist jests. Immortal True Kings—searching across the Myriad Domains, there aren't many. The past generation had several, but in our generation, only one has been born so far. Wanting to break through is incredibly difficult, no less than a mortal ascending to Qing Tian."
Speaking of this topic, even proud individuals like these Saint Sons and Daughters, who possessed strength comparable to False Kings, looking down upon their peers, could only feel bitter.
True King, False King—a difference of one word, a gap of a thousand miles, worlds apart.
They recalled the recently risen Great Demon King Yue, rumored to have swept through four False King powerhouses invincibly on the Domain War battlefield, beating the four Kings until they lost their spirit. That was the embodiment of Immortal True King combat power, far surpassing False Kings.
Within the same realm, combat power could differ so vastly.
"Alas, that Great Demon King Yue, the first Immortal True King of our new generation, destined to be invincible, who can contend with him?" a Saint Son sighed lightly. He was the Saint Son of the Immortal force, Northern Ming Family, possessing a King's divine bearing, born extraordinary, with unyielding pride, filled with fighting spirit for the path of the Human Sovereign, wishing to ascend to the supreme sovereign throne.
But speaking of the Great Demon King Yue, he still couldn't help but sigh, feeling an indescribable pressure, like a great mountain weighing on the hearts of every young genius with aspirations for the Human Sovereign's path.
That was the first young True King of the new generation, surpassing False Kings, peerless and unmatched, truly the strongest and invincible in the truest sense. Growing further, he could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Immortal True Kings of the past generation.
Before such a True King, even powerful Kings seemed weak and would lose confidence.
Only such figures would be the final powerful competitors on the Human Sovereign's path. Others, including False Kings, insufficiently powerful, could only indirectly highlight the True King's invincibility.
"The Great Demon King Yue is supremely invincible, reigning supreme over our new generation. Who can contend? Who can resist?"
Hearing others discuss himself in front of him, Ye Chen's expression remained unchanged. He even probed from the side: "The myriad realms are so vast. This era is rumored to hold the hope of achieving Emperorhood. Many ancient geniuses have been sealed to emerge in this era. The Immortal True Kings of the past generation are basically all struggling through the crossing of Samsara, striving to transcend early and become Heavenly Kings. But with the rise of this great era, the new generation should also have someone who can counterbalance Yue. He shouldn't be the only one to become an Immortal True King. There should be others, right? Do you have any guesses, Fellow Daoists?"
"Yes!"
The Saint Son of the Northern Ming Family only said one word, but his tone was firm.
The position of Human Sovereign, a cycle of a hundred thousand years. Each time it descends is an era of contention and hegemony.
It could be said this was a glorious great era, but also a sorrowful one. Because this era was different—too many geniuses had emerged across the myriad realms.
Not only were there geniuses born in this era, but also peerless geniuses born in various past eras, all sealed by major forces, preserved to emerge and rise in this era.
The peerless geniuses sealed to be unsealed in this era included False Kings, and even young True King-level peerless geniuses.
Some had manifested in the past generation, but many others only manifested in the new generation, forging their glorious and mighty reputations.
Among them, some were listed by the world as suspected True Kings, receiving much attention.
The Northern Ming Saint Son mentioned Cang Jitian, the Saint Son of the Cang Clan from the Immortal Sacred Land of Qixia Domain.
Qixia Domain, renowned and illustrious, its fame across the myriad realms surpassing even the Heavenly Saint Domain. Legend said it was a vast domain formed from the fall of the Immortal Phoenix Cloud, who rivaled Emperors and Sovereigns in the Mythical Era.
This domain had five Immortal forces. The Cang Clan was one of them—a mysterious race connected even to the Mythical Era, suspected to be one of the most ancient forces passed down from the Mythical Era to the present. Once extremely glorious, though no longer at its peak, it still belonged to the ranks of contemporary Immortal forces.
And Cang Jitian was rumored to be a genius from the previous era, sealed by the Cang Clan during the Mythical Era, possessing an extraordinary origin.
From the moment he emerged, he displayed invincible divine might, sweeping through his peers without equal, dominating the Qixia Great Domain in this era, defeating all peer opponents, including the young geniuses of other Immortal forces from the new generation.
It must be noted that Qixia Great Domain was a top-tier great domain no worse than the Heavenly Saint Domain, capable of hosting five Immortal forces.
Once, while training alone outside in the Demigod Realm, he encountered the notorious Thirteen Evils of Black Night Mountain, each a master dominating the Divine Transformation Realm, running rampant for many years.
But that night, Cang Jitian encountered the thirteen great evils and engaged in a fierce battle. Divine radiance illuminated the Black Night Mountain Range, heaven collapsed and earth crumbled, destructive power unleashed.
After that night, the entire Black Night Mountain was swept flat and collapsed. All thirteen evils were slain without exception, blood staining the earth, making his name known across the Myriad Domains.
Furthermore, in the Void Heaven Domain, Cang Jitian once privately dueled a young King. No one saw the process or result, but rumors said that young King suffered his first defeat in his life, and an utterly crushing one at that, easily swept aside and suppressed by Cang Jitian, with no power to fight back.
It was precisely this rumor that gave Cang Jitian considerable high fame, suspected to be a True King, listed among the candidates.
Subsequently, the Northern Ming Saint Son mentioned another name—Noxius!