After enduring countless hardships and battling through armies to finally enter the city and approach the Dark Night Ancient Hall, they discovered that this was only the beginning.
Because the most terrifying truth had ultimately occurred.
A Heavenly King was actually going to personally enter seclusion.
Facing an invincible Heavenly King, even if everyone attacked together, victory was impossible. The gap wasn't just one major realm, but an entire Samsara.
How could they contend? How could they compete? It was simply an unsolvable outcome.
Even the True Kings wore extremely grave expressions. Naturally, powerful as they were, they almost all hailed from supreme sacred lands. Figures like Ye Gucheng and Noxius were even from the lineages of Emperors and Sovereigns, possessing terrifying heritage and their own earth-shattering methods.
But these were true trump cards, not to be used unless absolutely necessary.
Because there was still the mysterious Ancient Divine Domain.
Even Ye Chen was like this. He could instantly connect to the Ancient Lan World, wield world power, and mobilize Faith Power, but these were ultimately external aids. Unless absolutely necessary, he naturally didn't want to use them either.
"No need to worry. This old man is merely entrusted by the Dragon Phoenix Academy to test you all. This is not my true body, but a manifested Dao body taking action, with less than half its true strength. Moreover, if any of you can break into the ancient hall, you will be considered to have passed."
The First Great Bandit spoke. It was not his true body, merely an incarnation. Furthermore, passing the trial was simple: just charge into the hall to obtain a spot, surprisingly straightforward.
Yet no one breathed a sigh of relief, because this was a genuine Heavenly King. Even half his strength far surpassed theirs by an immeasurable degree.
How difficult it would be to charge past a Heavenly King.
But no one could give up on the spots for the Ancient Divine Domain. Everyone attacked.
Especially the numerous prodigies. Those charging in numbered as many as two thousand five hundred, including no shortage of King-level prodigies, as well as three Saint Realm Kings, over a dozen True Kings, and other super-powerful experts. All of them charged towards the Dark Night Ancient Hall, which was even more majestic than a mountain range, in the first instant.
A mass assault was the best method, especially since the goal was merely to charge into the hall. Even a Heavenly King couldn't fully guard against all directions, because these weren't ordinary people; there were also fearsome True Kings among them.
But who could have expected the First Great Bandit to smile faintly, lightly exhale a breath of immortal energy, which then transformed into twelve columns of light that surged forth from the starry river. In the end, twelve figures appeared. Although each was only about five zhang in size, without exception, they radiated fierce divine might, imposing and terrifying.
Upon closer inspection, they were creatures of the twelve zodiac animals: rat, ox, tiger, dragon, monkey, and so on, but far more imposing. Their physiques were robust and burly, clad in gleaming, resplendent battle armor, standing before the ancient hall, blocking everyone's path.
"They are the legendary Twelve Zodiac Generals, manifested. They are the battle souls subdued by the First Great Bandit in his lifetime, born from his profound art. Each possesses astonishing strength not inferior to a Saint Lord, and is even more powerful."
The prodigies, naturally knowledgeable, recognized these as the Twelve Zodiac Generals, and they were surprisingly powerful, not weaker than Saint Lords. Their magic power was vast as the sea, and their battle bodies were even more terrifying. This was a powerful technique of the First Great Bandit, renowned throughout the Myriad Domains.
Who in the world could subdue twelve Saint Lords for their own use at once? Even within Immortal Sacred Lands, such figures would be true masters. This profound art and secret technique were astonishing.
Although manifested by a Dao body, each beast was not weaker than an overlord, with battle bodies rivaling Saint Lords. Moreover, they could continuously draw upon the Heavenly King's origin force, which was the truly terrifying aspect.
As long as the Heavenly King's Dao body wasn't killed, they were almost unkillable. After all, a Heavenly King could continuously absorb the power of heaven and earth, and even merge with the starry river, making it even more fearsome.
This method was indeed a headache, instantly reducing a large portion of the True King-level power. Dealing with a single Heavenly King became much simpler.
Only the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor curled its lips, appearing disdainful. "Although not bad, it's far inferior to that legendary figure, not even worth a fraction."
Hearing this, Ye Chen was curious. "Tell me, what exactly is the story?"
The Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor seemed quite patient. "This First Great Bandit merely cultivated this technique based on the methods of that invincible figure from the Mythical Era. He probably obtained part of the secret art; otherwise, it would be very difficult for a mere Heavenly King like him to cultivate it."
"Who was it?"
"The first master of the Primordial Battle Body, that King of Monarchs."
Without needing to say more, Ye Chen understood. It was that peerless Monarch, hailed as the strongest beneath the Mythical Era's Emperors and Sovereigns, without equal.
Even other supreme Monarchs admitted they were no match for him.
Although he never truly attained the Dao to become an Emperor, the strength of his physical treasure body was completely on par with Emperors and Sovereigns. He was even a terror capable of battling Emperors and Sovereigns.
The Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor added, "This First Great Bandit's Twelve Zodiac Generals rival Saint Lords, but you must understand that the King of Monarchs back then directly created twelve Sovereign Battle Ancestors for his own use, powerful beyond measure. What's before us naturally pales in comparison."
Even though Ye Chen already knew of the King of Monarchs' strength, he hadn't expected it to be so terrifying.
He had actually gathered a full twelve generals. One must understand that in this epoch, the number of Sovereigns could be described as countable on one's fingers. Otherwise, the incident of the Primordial Times' Human Sovereign, not long after becoming a Sovereign, dragging a certain-death resolve to face three Demon Monarchs wouldn't have happened.
"Little Yue, don't be surprised. That King of Monarchs was a man who, though not an Emperor or Sovereign, could rival Emperors and Sovereigns. He possessed the hope of becoming an Emperor, but unfortunately, the Mythical Era's great cataclysm occurred before he could attain it. Otherwise, he would have certainly become an Emperor."
"Moreover, the Battle Saint lineage is truly heaven-defying. The first Saint Ancestor, that is, the Saint Ancestor of the Battle Saints, when speaking of the Mythical Era's Emperors and Sovereigns, was also an existence not inferior to the most ancient Heavenly Emperor. He was the most domineering existence of the Mythical Era."
The Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor seemed to know many secrets, recounting them one by one, each earth-shattering.
Ye Chen was deeply shocked. Although he knew the first Saint Ancestor was a Mythical Era Emperor and Sovereign, he hadn't expected his strength to rival the most ancient and powerful Heavenly Emperor.
That was the first Great Emperor from the chaos of Heaven and Earth Creation, hailed as the Heavenly Emperor, ancient and supremely powerful, the one who taught Emperors and Sovereigns. The first Saint Ancestor could actually stand shoulder to shoulder with him.
"The Saint Body is peerless, the Battle Saint invincible. This saying has been passed down since the Mythical Era. In that era, as long as one was a Battle Saint, they could rival the descendants of Supreme Ones. That speaks volumes." The Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor shook its head. "Moreover, it's said the first Saint Ancestor's first life was heaven-defying..."
It paused, as if feeling this was taboo, and didn't continue.
Ye Chen sighed softly. Although he was the contemporary inheritor of the Battle Saint lineage, since this epoch began, the Battle Saint inheritance, once one of the strongest legacies of the Mythical Era, seemed to have declined.