The Tian Du Continent was now many times more prosperous and bustling than before it had been broken open. One powerful faction after another descended upon this heaven and earth, establishing their respective strongholds.
New towns and cities rose from the ground, spreading across this great domain.
Naturally, the Heavenly Gate also had a stronghold on the Tian Du Continent, located in the central region of the continent. They had not taken part in the destruction, focusing only on gathering intelligence, though they also harbored thoughts about the legacy of the September Great Power and the source of the Great Demon.
After the various major factions descended upon the Tian Du Continent, they only destroyed the forces of the former Slaying the Heavens Alliance experts. They did not slaughter ordinary people or even low-level cultivators.
Moreover, in the earliest days, invincible kings like the War King, the Peacock King, and the Tai Su King had stepped forward to protect civilian lives, unwilling to see the people suffer.
With these three invincible kings taking action, naturally no one dared to disrespect them. Although they had all stepped into the mysterious cycle of reincarnation one by one, no one had ever caused widespread suffering to the people since.
The invincible Heavenly Kings stood aloof, paying little attention, so everything remained relatively peaceful.
Unfortunately, the former three great empires, the one great academy, the one hundred and eight ancient kingdoms, and many other forces had mostly been annihilated in the Slaying the Heavens war. A few remnants survived, but they were far from their former glory, possessing no power to resist whatsoever.
The former experts of the Slaying the Heavens Alliance had gone into seclusion, vanishing without a trace. Even with the various major factions conducting comprehensive searches, they were difficult to find.
However, five years ago, part of the Slaying the Heavens Alliance's remnants were discovered in a fragmentary heaven and earth not far from the Tian Du Continent. All the major factions appeared, and a terrifying great battle ensued.
In this battle, Saints fell. Saints from the Slaying the Heavens Alliance remnants also fell, and the other remnants suffered heavy casualties. In the end, that fragmentary heaven and earth suppressed the experts of the various major factions, allowing the Slaying the Heavens Alliance remnants to escape, but they paid a heavy price.
This was the information Ye Chen learned from the Heavenly Gate's stronghold stationed on the Tian Du Continent.
After reading this intelligence, his mood grew heavy. He understood that after the disastrous defeat in the great war between the two realms over a decade ago, the Slaying the Heavens Alliance experts led by the Tian Du Academy Head had been having a very difficult time, constantly evading the pursuit of the various major factions' experts.
That fragmentary heaven and earth was undoubtedly the former trial heaven and earth where he had once reigned supreme, the one refined by the Tian Du Academy Head.
At that very moment, the Heavenly Gate stronghold received new intelligence. In the Southern Region of the Tian Du Continent, in a place called the Yunlan Ancient Forest, traces of the Slaying the Heavens Alliance remnants had been discovered. A brief battle between Saints had even broken out. All the major factions were rushing there, aiming to capture these remnants.
Upon hearing this news, Ye Chen's heart sank. He turned to look at Wangchen, clasping his fists in salute. "I need to go to the Southern Region first to take a look. Senior Wangchen, please keep an eye out for me on whether the King's Ancient Path has appeared in the void outside the Tian Du Continent," Ye Chen said.
During his month at the Heavenly Gate, he had informed the Heavenly Gate Master, Wangchen, Ruoxi, and others about the various events after his reincarnation and rebirth. Wangchen naturally understood that in this life, Ye Chen's parents were within the King's Ancient Path. He nodded with a slight smile. "Rest assured. If there is any news, I will inform you immediately and take action to protect your parents."
"Senior Wangchen, this junior thanks you here," Ye Chen said solemnly, clasping his fists again.
The thousand-zhang divine ship left the sky, with many Heavenly Gate experts following. Without stopping for rest, Ye Chen immediately steered the divine ship towards the Southern Region of the Tian Du Continent.
The Southern Region was once the most prosperous domain, where a full thirty-six kingdoms had been founded. It possessed endless mountains and forests, abundant in resources.
The Yunlan Ancient Forest was located near the southernmost part of the Southern Region, a perilous place consisting of hundreds of thousands of li of desolate mountains and ancient forests, inhabited by countless demonic beasts.
Now, the various major factions had appeared, with numerous experts rushing over, including no shortage of Saint-level figures, because news of the Slaying the Heavens Alliance remnants had been discovered.
One powerful figure after another descended rapidly into this region. Massive divine ships also arrived, representing various major factions, including immortal forces, their war banners fluttering in the wind.
A violent aura spread out, oppressing the heaven and earth, pressing forward. Demonic beasts across hundreds of thousands of li trembled in fear, not daring to make a sound.
Deep within the Yunlan Ancient Forest, a group of figures stood in the void. There were over twenty of them. The leader was clearly a powerful expert of the Saint Treasury Realm. The rest were all at least Divine Transformation Realm experts, but each looked disheveled, stained with blood, appearing rather unseemly.
They were clearly the remnants of the former Slaying the Heavens Alliance. Facing the overwhelming force of the various major factions' armies, they all clenched their fists, their hearts filled with endless despair.
The leader was a middle-aged man. Although his battle armor was already tattered and torn, with disheveled hair that he hadn't bothered to fix, one could tell he was a rather heroic figure.
He held a dark, sharp battle spear in his hand—the only Saint among them. His gaze swept over the other remnants, and he sighed softly. "Later, I will fight with all my might to buy you a sliver of a chance. If you get an opportunity, flee immediately. Do not choose to resist."
Hearing his words, the other twenty-plus Divine Transformation experts were all stunned for a moment, then their eyes welled up with hot tears. They all shook their heads in refusal. "Hall Master of the Martial God Hall, we cannot abandon you. You should be the one to leave. You are one of the few Saint Realm Divine Spirits left in our Slaying the Heavens Alliance, indispensable. If you leave too, our alliance will be even more powerless to resist."
The leading middle-aged man was none other than the Hall Master of the Martial God Hall, one of the former supreme forces of the Tian Du Continent, a contemporary Divine Spirit expert.
The Martial God Hall Master sighed softly, his voice low. "Unless we break through to the Heavenly King Realm, how can we have the power to resist? It would just be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot."
Everyone fell silent, because just as the Martial God Hall Master said, unless the Slaying the Heavens Alliance produced a Heavenly King, resisting the various major factions from the Myriad Domains would be nothing but a mantis trying to stop a chariot,not worth a single blow / utterly weak.
Boom—
Powerful auras rapidly charged forward as experts from the various major factions arrived. At least ten different factions had come, including several Saints. Their auras swept across the sky, and their loud shouts echoed through the heavens: "Remnants of the Slaying the Heavens Alliance, we give you one chance. Surrender yourselves, tell us the locations of all the remnants, and we can spare your lives."
The Martial God Hall Master's eyes suddenly blazed with intensity. Gripping the dark battle spear, he pointed it across the void at the experts of the various factions. The supreme aura of the Saint Treasury Realm erupted from his body, opposing them.
And he shouted coldly in a loud voice: "Our Slaying the Heavens Alliance would rather die than submit! Kill!"
The great battle erupted!