The Endless Heavenly Venerate had become a Supreme Heavenly Venerate first, his Origin Great Dao forming the Eternal Heavenly Dao of Time and Space, which was imprinted upon the Origin Land, spreading across the entire Origin Land. This formed a Heavenly Dao imprint barrier, ultimately preventing the World Ancestral Tree, which was attempting its breakthrough, from succeeding. The breakthrough attempt failed.
In the end, although the World Ancestral Tree survived, its breakthrough had failed. It had only half-stepped into the Heavenly Venerate domain, becoming an Ancient Great Venerable.
This was also the lifelong regret of the World Ancestral Tree.
As the Endless Heavenly Venerate narrated, the World Ancestral Tree ahead gradually began to change. It was no longer the colossal World Tree with lush branches and leaves that blotted out the sky. Its true appearance was revealed: only a section of dried-up, scorched-black trunk remained, its life force completely extinguished. The infinite worlds and heavens it had derived had all collapsed into ruin, lying in utter desolation.
Many of the great universes it had derived had long since perished, reduced to ruins like the ancient Eight Desolates Universe of the past.
The World Ancestral Tree stood alone and desolate upon the earth, devoid of all vitality, a sight that stole one's breath away.
The Time-Space Great Emperor and Yaya looked at this World Ancestral Tree with profound sorrow. This was the source of all World Trees. Even the World Tree of the Primordial Realm was likely related to this World Ancestral Tree.
The Endless Heavenly Venerate sighed. "In the past, the World Ancestral Tree and I were the closest of friends. When the Endless Heavenly Race was annihilated by the Dark Calamity, upon learning of my race's disaster, it rushed to aid us. It too was caught in the catastrophe and perished."
Back then, at the peak of the Endless Heavenly Race's prosperity, there had been three Ancient Great Venerables.
However, the World Ancestral Tree was not one of them. Upon learning of the Endless Heavenly Race's destruction, it had rushed to the rescue, charging into the blood-stained River of Time to aid the Endless Heavenly Venerate.
Because the World Ancestral Tree was also a peak existence in the Great Dao of Time and Space, although it had not attained the Heavenly Dao of Time and Space, it could still influence the flow of time to a certain degree, alleviating some of the suppression on the Endless Heavenly Venerate.
But for this very reason, it attracted the attention of the Heavenly Venerate-level Great Terror and suffered a terrible calamity.
Although the Endless Heavenly Venerate took the World Ancestral Tree into his own body, their Great Daos of Time and Space superimposed, unleashing even greater combat power. In the end, however, they were hopelessly outnumbered. Even a being as powerful as the Endless Heavenly Venerate was slain, and the World Ancestral Tree naturally met the same fate. It was utterly annihilated, leaving behind only this scorched-black trunk.
And this was only because of the Endless Heavenly Venerate's protection. Otherwise, under the attack of the Heavenly Venerate-level Great Terror, the World Ancestral Tree, being merely an Ancient Great Venerable, would have been completely obliterated in body and soul, leaving nothing behind.
Because the World Ancestral Tree was within the Endless Heavenly Venerate's body, it was only brought out when the Endless Heavenly Venerate fell into the shattered Endless Heavenly Realm.
This was a fragment of history that Ye Chen, even after traversing past and present and returning to the past, had not discovered.
After all, when the Endless Heavenly Venerate was finally slain, Ye Chen had already left and returned to reality.
As they gazed at the scorched World Ancestral Tree, the Time-Space Great Emperor suddenly experienced a special resonance. The phantom of a World Tree manifested behind him, blotting out the sky. Although not as vast and boundless as this World Tree, its aura was strikingly similar, astonishing everyone present.
Whoosh—
As if moving involuntarily, the Time-Space Great Emperor instantly flashed before that World Tree. His entire aura began to boil, and he gradually sat down cross-legged beneath that mightiest of World Trees.
Gradually, the Time-Space Great Emperor's entire being was absorbed into the body of that World Tree.
And the World Ancestral Tree began to exhibit a peculiar phenomenon. The scorched-black trunk actually began to emanate faint threads of vitality, with tiny green buds sprouting forth, dotting the blackened trunk—a stark and remarkable sight.
It was as if this long-dead World Ancestral Tree was beginning to revive.
"Grandpa Time-Space!" Yaya exclaimed in alarm, worried for the Time-Space Great Emperor.
But Ye Chen held his daughter back, saying to her, "Don't worry. Your Grandpa Time-Space is fine. This is also his opportunity."
"So that's how it is!"
The Endless Heavenly Venerate sighed softly. "In the end, Pangu the King was one step ahead."
Ye Chen looked at the Endless Heavenly Venerate. "What do you mean?"
The Endless Heavenly Venerate's expression was somewhat complex. "The World Tree of the Primordial Realm was not born there. It was nurtured from a part of the World Ancestral Tree that Pangu the King took from me back then."
Fragments of memory surfaced in his mind. After his own death and fall, when he had transformed into the Endless Forbidden Zone and his Heavenly Venerate body was controlled by the Palm Venerable Dark Heavenly Venerate—but before the possession was complete—that was already in the era after the Twilight of the Heavens. The Great God Pangu had once entered the Endless Forbidden Zone.
With the absolute power of Pangu the King, a Heavenly Venerate King, he naturally swept through all obstacles, arriving before the Endless Heavenly Venerate's remains. He took away a part of the lifeless World Ancestral Tree and departed.
The World Tree of the Primordial Realm referred to the Time-Space Great Emperor.
World Trees could only be born in the Origin Land.
The World Tree of the Primordial Realm was the new World Tree that Pangu the Great Emperor had revived and cultivated in the Primordial Realm using supreme forbidden means, from the part of the already lifeless World Ancestral Tree he had taken.
The Time-Space Great Emperor was that part of the World Ancestral Tree taken by the Great God Pangu. Through Pangu's heaven-defying methods, it was actually revived, becoming a World Tree once more, growing up within the Primordial Realm.
Now, the Time-Space Great Emperor had approached the main body of the World Ancestral Tree, achieved resonance, and was gradually merging with it.
The Endless Heavenly Venerate sighed lightly. "This is the World Ancestral Tree's opportunity. Although its original self has perished, a new 'I' has been born. In this life, it may yet become a Time-Space Heavenly Venerate."
Back then, with his fall, the suppression of the Time-Space Heavenly Dao had already vanished.
Now, even though the Endless Heavenly Venerate had been revived, the Time-Space Heavenly Dao had progressed further, completely internalized within his body, no longer creating Heavenly Dao suppression. The reincarnated World Ancestral Tree might have a chance in this life to break through and attain the true position of a Supreme Heavenly Venerate.
Ye Chen said, "Fellow Daoist, he is my senior. I need to take him with me."
The Endless Heavenly Venerate replied, "Agreed."
He did not stop Ye Chen from collecting the massive, scorched trunk of the World Ancestral Tree, now fused with the Time-Space Great Emperor, into his Origin Heavenly Realm.
Obtaining the old body of the former World Ancestral Tree might be the Time-Space Great Emperor's chance to attain the Eternal Dao.
Ye Chen said, "Fellow Daoist, I am quite curious. Back then, why did you traverse past and present and encounter them?"
'Them' referred to the five Heavenly Venerate-level Great Terrors standing proudly upon the blood-stained River of Time.
Especially since it had happened not long ago, the memory was still vivid.
The others also looked at the Endless Heavenly Venerate. Unlike Ye Chen, they could not roam the River of Time, travel to that era, or participate in the great battle.
They also could not see everything Ye Chen's avatar had done, as it was all shielded by heavenly secrets.
They were all very curious about what had truly happened back then.
The Endless Heavenly Venerate fell silent for a moment, then said, "Back then, I witnessed the great war of the All Heavens and foresaw that many Heavenly Venerates would fall. I sensed a powerful crisis. So I wanted to know if, after the Era of the Heavens, even this Origin Land would suffer an unimaginable great collapse and completely disintegrate. Therefore, I entered the River of Time and journeyed into the future, hoping to witness that outcome."