Gazing at the shimmering, misty radiance of Faith Power before him, Ye Chen casually plucked a strand. It was crystalline as jade, appearing in the space between his fingers and palm, constantly shifting and transforming, even manifesting a specific scene.
In a small township within the Xia Feng Kingdom, a simple, honest man in plain clothes knelt before a stone statue of Ye Chen, making offerings. With his entire family, he prayed and worshipped continuously: "May Lord Ye Chen above protect our kingdom's peace and stability, grant our Xia Feng Kingdom favorable weather and bountiful harvests for generations to come, and shield us from foreign invaders..."
This was one of the images from a person who had once worshipped Ye Chen's stone statue. The Faith Power emanating from his heart was restored by Ye Chen and transformed into a scene for viewing.
The reason some mortals worshipped deities and witnessed miracles was precisely because the powerful beings receiving their faith and offerings occasionally saw the wishes of their believers, intervened, and manifested miracles, leading more people to believe and worship.
After silently studying it for several days, Ye Chen felt that once this Faith Power reached a sufficient quantity, it might be possible to refine a Faith Power avatar.
This was Ye Chen's understanding of Faith Power.
Faith Power was filled with mystery. It could deepen a cultivator's comprehension of the Great Dao and elevate their spiritual perception. It was a profoundly mysterious force.
However, a mere Xia Feng Kingdom could not provide much Faith Power. It took a full month to gather an amount equivalent to the size of an ordinary person, which spoke volumes. It would never be possible to accumulate enough Faith Power to forge a Faith Power avatar.
Only by establishing an immortal empire, spanning vast domains with countless living beings providing endless faith over many years, could one collect sufficient Faith Power.
The Faith Power collected by those ancient great powers was probably as vast as an ocean, utterly incomparable.
Finally, he collected all this Faith Power and sealed it within a specific space inside his body, reserving it for future use.
Due to Ye Chen's presence, the Hong Tian Divine Mountain Range gradually became a renowned place on Tian Du Continent. During this time, many young generation talents personally came, hoping to see the Battle Saint King whose might shook the world.
Some came out of reverence for the Battle Saint King, viewing him as an idol to admire, specifically to pay homage. Many others hoped to follow by the Battle Saint King's side, receive his guidance, and improve their cultivation.
Although the Battle Saint King's current cultivation was only at the Half-Saint level, everyone knew he was re-cultivating through reincarnation, perhaps akin to a Samsara rebirth. His realm of Dao comprehension was incredibly high, virtually no weaker than those ancient, peak Saint Vault old monsters, fully capable of guiding the young Heaven's Prides.
Moreover, he was a Supreme Heaven's Pride of the Mythical Ten Heavens, having cultivated every minor realm to the ultimate limit of the Dao before sublimating it to the extreme. His insights for these young Heaven's Prides were unmatched by almost anyone in the world.
Even a tiny bit of his guidance would greatly benefit even a True King.
Naturally, some hoped to follow the Battle Saint King on the Path of the Human Emperor, engaging in the ultimate competition against the strongest Heaven's Prides of the myriad realms.
They understood the gap between themselves and those true geniuses. In this lifetime, they could not truly contend for the Human Sovereign throne. Yet they still wished to follow behind those supreme talents and experience the boiling fervor.
However, facing these people, Ye Chen did not accept a single one, nor did he make things difficult for them. He simply told them all to leave.
His path was destined to be fraught with peril. Even someone as powerful as him could not guarantee smooth sailing on the Path of the Human Emperor.
Which Immortal True King dared claim they would definitely be weak? Especially those Immortal True Kings from past generations; each had embarked on the path of Samsara, reincarnating and reborn, attempting the Supreme Method to also achieve the great perfection of the Mythical Ten Heavens.
Once they truly emerged, even Ye Chen would feel immense pressure.
And the truly powerful were not limited to them. The Heaven's Gate Sect Master had long stated that Supreme Progeny had emerged—descendants of Mythical Emperors and Sovereigns, all bearing the strongest Emperor and Sovereign bloodlines, being the first generation, born with power rivaling the Saint Vault realm.
Moreover, born in the Mythical Era, that was an era of Ten Heavens perfection. Who dared guarantee they were not also at the great perfection of the Mythical Ten Heavens? Even if not, with the preparations left by their forebears, they certainly had the means to reach that stage.
Therefore, even someone as powerful as him—the first young Supreme One to achieve the Mythical Ten Heavens after the Mythical Era—had enemies in this world. He was not utterly invincible. On the Path of the Human Emperor, he would face formidable foes from ancient times to the present, even from the Mythical Era, bearing severe pressure.
Naturally, he had never been afraid. Because the Battle Saint lineage, the lineage of warriors, inherited an invincible heart and a martial will surpassing all heavens. When had they ever feared the slightest?
The stronger the opponent, the more his fighting spirit surged. Even a battle intent boiling from the depths of his bloodline awakened, craving a fight.
He was too lonely. In his current generation, he was invincible. True Kings were not even a match for a single move from him; he could suppress them with a raised hand.
Invincibility also bred loneliness. He yearned to battle those great enemies, to make the blood that had somewhat cooled within him boil once more.
On this path, he would inevitably face true life-and-death crises, storms of bloodshed.
He did not wish to implicate these vibrant young people before him, causing them to lose their lives. He would rather walk the lonely path alone.
Regarding all this, some naturally understood and sighed. Who could say the Battle Saint King was only forceful and domineering? He also possessed a compassionate heart.
Yet, this only strengthened their resolve to follow the Battle Saint King. Such a person was not heartless and was worthy of their allegiance.
Many took up long-term residence around the Hong Tian Divine Mountain Range, not disturbing Ye Chen's quiet cultivation, merely following silently.
At times, Ye Chen would look at these figures and sigh softly, understanding their mindset. Occasionally, he would make a move, personally revealing a move or two.
Often, just this move or two was a precise embodiment of the Dao, simplifying the profound, allowing the various Heaven's Prides to gain insights. This greatly benefited many, with some even comprehending Dao techniques as a result.
Some who had long been stuck at bottlenecks actually broke through because of this, a truly wondrous state.
However, where some followed, naturally others came to challenge.
Not all young generation powerhouses believed the Battle Saint King was supremely invincible. A considerable portion believed the Battle Saint King's glorious, invincible battle records were merely rumors spread by certain parties. They simply did not believe Ye Chen was so powerful that he could suppress True Kings with a raised hand, let alone slay Saints under the starry sky.
No matter how strong, he could not possibly reach that level.
Moreover, the Battle Saint King's fame was at its zenith. If one could defeat the Battle Saint King in a challenge, they would inevitably gain even more glorious renown, making their name known throughout the myriad realms.
Such glory, for many, was better than wealth and honor.
Especially at this age, it was the easiest time for impulsiveness and youthful vigor, craving the attention and gaze of the world.
Thus, here was a young powerhouse coming to challenge Ye Chen, appearing before the Hong Tian Divine Mountain Range, pointing a battle sword at Ye Chen from a distance, and coldly shouting, "Battle Saint King, I challenge you!"
Ye Chen did not even lift an eyelid, showing no interest.
The young powerhouse grew angry and shouted, "Battle Saint King, are you such a cowardly scoundrel, afraid to accept the challenge?"
Although Ye Chen showed no reaction, the followers around the Hong Tian Divine Mountain Range were enraged. Powerful auras erupted one after another, directly pressuring this person.
"His Highness the Battle Saint King is not someone you can insult. Get lost!"
One follower after another stood up, glaring angrily at this person.
Yet this person was not afraid, still looking at Ye Chen with a cold laugh. "Battle Saint King, I admit you have quite a few admirers. And alone, I cannot defeat all of them. But can they protect you for a moment, and protect you for a lifetime?"
Hearing this, Ye Chen, seated atop the Hong Tian Divine Mountain Range, finally spoke, but only indifferently. "Go back. I don't want to kill today, and I'm not interested in challenges like yours."
What an arrogant Battle Saint King!
The young powerhouse's face immediately darkened. A powerful aura at the Divine Transformation ninth heaven erupted from his body, impacting the clouds. He coldly shouted, "Battle Saint King, who do you think you are?"
"Invincible under heaven? Truly laughable. That's just rumors spread by the masses. Who would believe you can slaughter Saints? Better come out and face the challenge obediently. If you admit defeat now, I won't attack."
The other followers were all extremely furious. Some even sought Ye Chen's permission to take action against him.
But Ye Chen shook his head, stopping his followers' request. He glanced at him indifferently, then looked towards other points in the void where figures of challengers were hidden, watching everything.
He spoke. "In that case, to settle potential future troubles, I'll have to make an example of you."
"You want to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys!" The young powerhouse immediately understood and grew even angrier.
"More or less."
Boom—
Ye Chen made his move. With just a flick of his finger, the Divine Transformation ninth heaven young powerhouse was directly shattered into pieces, blood spraying across the sky. Forceful and domineering, utterly merciless.
The terrifying strike, a one-hit kill, plunged the world into silence. Even those who previously believed the Battle Saint King was all reputation and no substance would now discard such laughable notions.
The Battle Saint King was a truly terrifying figure with peerless combat power, not to be provoked.
Simultaneously, Ye Chen's gaze suddenly turned towards a distant point in the void. He slapped his palm over, causing the earth to shake and mountains to tremble. His indifferent words echoed through heaven and earth. "If you wish to test my strength, sir, you may make a move yourself. There's no need to send these small fry."