He had searched for over a decade, even utilizing the intelligence network of the Heavenly Gate, yet found nothing. Now, an item carrying their aura had appeared, filling Ye Chen with pleasant surprise.
However, before his joy could fully bloom, a gloomy voice transmission pierced his mind: "Battle Saint King, leave the Dragon Phoenix Academy immediately and follow me. Unless, of course, you wish for your friends to die because of you."
Ye Chen's gaze shifted, spotting a blurry figure standing in the void far in the distance, looking back at him from afar. Cloaked in a black robe, even he could not see through it.
His heart sank. This person was likely an enemy, luring him away using his friends from the Tian Du Continent. It was highly probable that multiple traps had been laid.
"Agreed!"
Ye Chen accepted, his hand tightening around the package. Even though he knew it was likely a trap set by his enemies, he could not stand by and watch them die.
Whoosh—
Ye Chen turned back mid-journey, leaving just before he was about to enter the Dragon Phoenix Academy, leaving many bewildered.
Even the higher-ups of the Dragon Phoenix Academy were taken aback. Several of those peerless True Kings had appeared specifically for the Battle Saint King, but seeing his departure, they all seemed thoughtful.
"Dad, where are you going?" Yaya inquired via voice transmission, while Ruoxi was also filled with confusion.
Ye Chen gave them a doting smile. "Be good, both of you. Enter the Dragon Phoenix Academy first. I need to go out and take care of something. I'll be back soon."
"Dad, I'll go with you," Yaya said, turning to leave, with Ruoxi following suit, unwilling to be separated from Ye Chen.
But Ye Chen stopped them both, shaking his head. "Don't you trust my abilities? Nothing will happen."
He would take this risk alone; he absolutely could not let them both be endangered because of him.
Hearing this, the two girls reluctantly nodded, though they urged Ye Chen to return quickly because the Dragon Phoenix Academy only opened for seven days. Once that time passed, it would not open again.
Even with an invitation letter, entry might not be guaranteed.
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon," Ye Chen promised. Then, with a whoosh, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he soared into the sky, heading towards that distant figure on the horizon.
That figure also departed, plunging into the vast mountain ranges.
Whoosh—
Ye Chen's speed was incredibly fast, arguably among the top in the Saint Realm. Mountains and valleys flew past in reverse.
However, that figure was not slow at all, moving like a streak of black lightning, preventing Ye Chen from catching up immediately.
Naturally, Ye Chen gave relentless chase, never falling behind. He activated the World-Traversing Secret Art, layers of illusory worlds appearing around him as he continuously traversed them, as if journeying through the myriad realms of the heavens, moving at an unbelievable speed.
His entire being seemed to condense into a streak of dazzling golden light streaking across the world, closing the distance to that figure by many times in an instant.
Yet, that figure also increased its speed significantly, not much slower than Ye Chen, also moving at an extreme speed that split the sky.
This made Ye Chen grave. Who exactly was this person? He had to be cautious now.
"Who are you?"
Ye Chen sent a voice transmission, inquiring, but the black-clad figure did not respond at all. Instead, its speed seemed to increase even more, swiftly passing through countless mountains and entering a prosperous region.
As the center of the Myriad Domains, Dragon Phoenix Prefecture, one of the Nine Prefectures, was far more bustling than other Great Domains. Each prefecture was as vast as a Great Domain, teeming with countless factions, myriad kingdoms, and hundreds of sects flourishing together.
On the boundless earth, mountain forests stretched continuously, interspersed with numerous prosperous ancient cities and inhabited by various races.
Countless experts, masters like clouds—this represented the Myriad Domains Center.
In their chase, three days and three nights passed in the blink of an eye, during which they traversed nearly half of Dragon Phoenix Prefecture.
Ye Chen also felt the strength of the Myriad Domains Center. Powerful auras lurked between heaven and earth, far stronger than in other Great Domains.
Along the way, he even saw truly magnificent and grand immortal dynasties standing tall, with territories spanning hundreds of millions of li and armies numbering in the billions.
There were also immortal holy lands, with immortal mountains standing in clusters, divine mountains suspended in the air, and immortal islands floating amidst clouds, presenting a myriad of spectacular sights and immense power.
Just within Dragon Phoenix Prefecture alone, he had seen four immortal forces along the way.
He knew that in an ordinary Great Domain, having just one immortal force was enough to become a supreme power dominating the rise and fall of that domain. Only in the most prosperous places like the Myriad Domains Center could so many immortal forces gather.
After three days and nights of pursuit, that figure had never stopped, almost leading Ye Chen across the entire Dragon Phoenix Prefecture, casting an ever-present sense of foreboding over his heart.
Finally, during the chase, both of them left the prosperous region and entered another ancient primordial domain. Only then did the figure stop about ten li ahead of Ye Chen.
Ye Chen also halted, maintaining a distance of ten li.
This place was mysterious and peculiar. The vast, boundless region spanning nearly ten million li was pitch black, devoid of any vegetation. Dark, gloomy mountains stood one after another, towering between heaven and earth. Chilling winds blew intermittently, giving it a very malevolent and sinister atmosphere.
Upon arriving here, even Ye Chen's expression turned grave. He became thoughtful, then grew even more serious.
"What place is this?" a drunken voice rang out.
It was none other than the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor, hanging from Ye Chen's ear.
The Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor exhaled a breath of alcohol. "Little Moon, where are we?"
Three black lines appeared on Ye Chen's forehead. No wonder this guy had been so quiet—he had secretly drunk several jars of immortal wine and gotten drunk, not even sensing Ye Chen's battles with several immortal True Kings.
But these were not matters to dwell on now. Ye Chen's voice, unusually grave, slowly spoke, word by word: "The Fallen Heaven Desolate Domain."
"The Fallen Heaven Desolate Domain? What place is that?" The drunken Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor shook its head, asking twice in a daze. When it finally processed the words, it broke out in a cold sweat, looking at Ye Chen in horror. "What? This is actually the Fallen Heaven Desolate Domain!"
All of this was because of the Fallen Heaven Desolate Domain.
Yes, this was the legendary Fallen Heaven Desolate Domain, renowned throughout the Nine Prefectures of the Myriad Domains Center and even across the myriad realms of the heavens. It was a land of death, a forbidden zone of life—a barren expanse of ten million li, devoid of grass, with millions of li of land presenting a deep, dark black hue.
Naturally, none of this was the most important part. The most crucial point was that this Fallen Heaven Desolate Domain was incredibly malevolent. It could strip away vitality and gave rise to wisps of demonic energy that could corrode a cultivator's intelligence and soul.
In ancient times, this was the place where an alien Demon Monarch fell, and it also recorded the darkest era after the Mythical Age.