With the Ten Directions Absolute Land neutralized, Ye Chen turned his gaze to Ten Directions Heavenly Venerate, utterly fearless. He circulated his Chaos Dao Method, refining the myriad Daos, and declared, "Now, let's see how you plan to seal this venerable one."
Ten Directions Heavenly Venerate's eyes turned slightly cold. He hadn't expected Ye Chen to be able to immobilize his Ten Directions Absolute Land. However, the reason a Supreme Heavenly Venerate was a Supreme Heavenly Venerate was because they had reached the ultimate, unsurpassable peak in every aspect. Only two exceptions, the Great God Pangu and Primordial Beginning Heavenly Venerate, could suppress a Supreme Heavenly Venerate one-on-one. That was why they alone were qualified to contend for the title of King of Heavenly Venerates. The Primal World Heavenly Venerate before him lacked such qualification. Even though, like Primordial Beginning Heavenly Venerate, he had mastered the Chaos Eternal Heavenly Dao, there was still a gap compared to Primordial Beginning. Naturally, Ten Directions felt no fear.
The two clashed in an instant, lightning-fast collisions erupting time and again, collisions at the Heavenly Venerate level that annihilated endless stretches of the void. But this time, Ten Directions Heavenly Venerate failed to gain the slightest upper hand. He stared at Ye Chen with some astonishment, feeling this shouldn't be possible. This Primal World Heavenly Venerate was supposed to be a sick tiger, so how had he suddenly regained peak combat power not inferior to his own? It made no sense.
"So this is the true, peerless combat power of a Supreme Heavenly Venerate? Truly exhilarating!" Ye Chen's eyes blazed with divine light, flashing with excitement. This was his first time fighting a Supreme Heavenly Venerate with all his might, his first time fully grasping the supreme power of a Heavenly Venerate, battling with such boiling fervor. Within him, his heavenly blood was seething, growing more excited the longer he fought.
Opposite him, Ten Directions Heavenly Venerate's figure grew hazy, submerged within endless Heavenly Dao rules, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. Even though he had injured Ye Chen, in a battle of this celestial level, how could he possibly emerge unscathed? Sensing Ye Chen's increasingly boiling battle-lust, Ten Directions Heavenly Venerate couldn't help but curse inwardly—this madman.
Because of Ye Chen's appearance and his sealing of the four Heavenly Palace Great Venerables, the twenty-seven Ancient Great Venerables were now dealing with Asura Heavenly Venerate and another Supreme Heavenly Venerate—Life-Death Heavenly Venerate. Consequently, the Ancient Great Venerables' side held a slight, though not overwhelming, advantage.
Boom—
After a series of terrifying collisions that stirred endless waves of destruction in the boundless void, both sides drew apart. All the Ancient Great Venerables bore wounds and blood. Facing Supreme Heavenly Venerates, even with a degree of suppression, complete safety was impossible. As for Asura Heavenly Venerate and Life-Death Heavenly Venerate, though their forms were obscured by intense radiance formed from endless Eternal Heavenly Patterns, one could still see blood at the corners of their mouths—they were clearly injured as well. Now, the situation had once again reached a stalemate.
"Esteemed ones, please cease hostilities."
At that moment, another Supreme Heavenly Venerate entered the Endless Void Land. His stature was towering and majestic, like a demonic mountain peak. Merely standing there, he imposed an immense sense of pressure upon everyone. None could ignore him. It was Desolate Heavenly Venerate, one of the ten Supreme Heavenly Venerates of the present era.
Throughout the ages, the term 'Desolate' had always seemed to describe the ultimate existences of the body-refining lineage—like the Desolate Heaven Demon Lord, the Great Desolate Ancient Emperor, the Primordial Demon God. Any title bearing the character 'Desolate' seemed mysteriously connected to body-refining. Ultimately, this was all due to the influence of Desolate Heavenly Venerate. The influence of a Supreme Heavenly Venerate was unimaginable; even the sealed, flawed Primal World could be affected imperceptibly. Of course, whether it was the Primordial Demon God or the Great Desolate Ancient Emperor, their cultivation was infinitely inferior to Desolate Heavenly Venerate's. The strongest, the Primordial Demon God, was still only a Taizhen-level Half-Step Overlord—a world of difference compared to Desolate Heavenly Venerate.
Originally, both sides were about to return to a stage of relative equilibrium. Now, the appearance of Desolate Heavenly Venerate, the participation of a new Supreme Heavenly Venerate, would undoubtedly cause this balanced scale to tip to one side once more.
"Desolate," Taiyuan Heavenly Venerate said, "your arrival is timely. If you join our side now, we can eradicate these people, roots and all!" Taiyuan, Ancient Nether, Asura, Ten Directions, and the other five Supreme Heavenly Venerates all looked toward Desolate Heavenly Venerate. If Desolate joined, with at least three Supreme Heavenly Venerates combined to deal with the Ancient Great Venerables, slaughtering them would be a simple matter. It would be an absolute massacre.
On the other side, the expressions of Ye Chen and the other venerables turned somewhat grim. In terms of relationships, the six Supreme Heavenly Venerates opposite were clearly more familiar with Desolate Heavenly Venerate; they had coexisted for multiple Chaos Epochs. They feared Desolate would stand with the opposition. They also considered that if Desolate Heavenly Venerate stood against them, the situation would revert to what it was before Ye Chen's appearance.
Deathless Celestial Sovereign spoke, "Desolate, we Great Venerables can only be considered flawed Heavenly Venerates. Moreover, you know that even if all the Great Venerables of the All Heavens emerge, they number only a scant thirty-some, far from threatening the ten—no, eleven—Supreme Heavenly Venerates of the present era. Our purpose in emerging is simply that we no longer wish to remain in seclusion. Furthermore, we have abided by the Heavenly Covenant, remaining hidden for over two Chaos Epochs. The punishment imposed upon us Great Venerables by the Heavenly Venerates has been sufficient." He appealed to reason and emotion. He didn't ask Desolate Heavenly Venerate to stand on their side; merely not participating would be enough for them.
Desolate Heavenly Venerate manifested a celestial shadow, vast as a heavenly domain, standing firm and calming the infinite turbulence of the Endless Void Land. "Esteemed ones, cease this battle. It is not the time to continue this celestial war."
Hearing this, both sides were taken aback, seemingly not expecting that Desolate Heavenly Venerate's appearance was to mediate the conflict, not to take sides. The six Supreme Heavenly Venerates on Wanxuan Heavenly Venerate's side looked displeased; from his words, he wasn't here to join a faction but to pacify the war. Ye Chen and the other venerables on the opposite side were rather surprised and suspicious.
Asura Heavenly Venerate's expression was cold. "Desolate, Great Venerables who violate the Heavenly Covenant deserve execution."
Ancient Nether Heavenly Venerate stood within an endless Nether Kingdom, his form blurred, surrounded by supreme Heavenly Dao rules, his expression indiscernible. He also said, "Desolate, you are also a Supreme Heavenly Venerate. You should stand with us and slay these Great Venerables."
Deathless Celestial Sovereign roared in anger, "You old fossils! That Heavenly Covenant back then was nothing but coercion forced upon us by you!" Remembering this event filled Deathless with immense fury. If not for the fact that several Supreme Heavenly Venerates had convened the All Heavens Assembly back then and decided the Heavenly Covenant by majority vote, the Great Venerables of the All Heavens would not have been forced into seclusion, disappearing from the world for over two Chaos Epochs. Now, having finally waited for this opportune moment with favorable timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony, how could they let it slip away?
"Esteemed ones, please cease this battle," Desolate Heavenly Venerate urged once more. "The Great Calamity approaches once again. Though the power of the Great Venerables may be far inferior to that of the Supreme Heavenly Venerates, combined, the Great Venerables of the All Heavens form a formidable force, capable of resisting the Great Calamity to a certain degree."