He had successfully cleared the level, but Ye Chen was in no hurry to leave immediately.
After the battle with the First Generation Saint Spirit Golden-Winged Roc, although he had nearly perished, his gains were equally immense.
He had especially managed to glean insights into many of the Roc Clan's supreme divine abilities, further perfecting his own.
What Ye Chen now mastered was absolutely no less than what the Heavenly Roc King of old had mastered, perhaps even more powerful.
However, these supreme divine abilities were profound and far-reaching. To this day, Ye Chen had only grasped one or two tenths of them. To fully comprehend them was a long and arduous road.
It was impossible to gain complete enlightenment from a single battle alone.
The offensive holy art created by a First Generation Saint Spirit Golden-Winged Roc was truly unfathomable, containing the insights of its entire lifetime.
Even if one fully mastered these divine abilities, to unleash their true divine might, one must reach a profound realm.
Ye Chen was not anxious. Such combat experiences were incomparably precious, even more so than a duel with a True King.
For this was a true confrontation between young Supreme Ones, comparable only to battling the incarnation of Heaven during a tribulation.
Not long after, Ye Chen reactivated the combat imprint of the Golden-Winged Roc and engaged in fierce battle with it once more.
Each battle was almost a life-or-death struggle. He was shattered to pieces time and again, his saintly blood boiling.
The various Daos and laws from his past and present lives surged forth. He even attempted to collide myriad Daos, constructing a Chaos Cauldron, seeking to begin perfecting the Chaos Dao.
His blood transformed into crimson-gold chains of order, shimmering brilliantly, containing his insights into the Dao.
Dragon Origin transformed into a Primal True Dragon; Nine Tribulations Gold manifested like endless Dao tribulations.
Battle after battle, Ye Chen persevered unwaveringly.
If anyone were present, they would be shocked to discover that Ye Chen was not merely challenging a Mythical Era First Generation Saint Spirit. He was striving to leap beyond his past Dao Fruit, to create his own Dao and laws, to break free from the past and achieve a new life.
Undoubtedly, this was astonishing. Ye Chen was already a Supreme Genius, invincible among peers in the Tenth Heaven.
If he truly condensed a new Dao Fruit, breaking free from the past, he would become even stronger, surpassing his current state.
But this step was undoubtedly extremely difficult. For everyone knew that the Battle Saint King sought to condense a new Dao Fruit—the Chaos Dao Fruit—to perfect the Chaos Dao. This endeavor had nearly caused the Forbidden Immortal Lightning to descend to stop it.
Even in the Mythical Era, Tai Sheng Huang, the master of the Twin Monarchs, had not succeeded, only managing to take half a step. One could imagine the difficulty.
Yet Ye Chen persisted unwaveringly on this path so arduous it seemed almost hopeless.
Though difficult, once achieved, it would be invincible.
More importantly, he had no choice but to walk this path.
In the future, he, the Supreme and Invincible One, would be peerless in the world yet utterly alone. The Yaya of the World Tree would wither; old friends, family, and beloved confidantes would be buried by his own hand, then sent upon the River of Time to seek hope for his present self, to transmit the most crucial information.
In the Perished Heaven Desolate Domain, the future body of Zhao Jingruo sat before him, devoid of life, filling him with immense sorrow.
He could only witness all this happening. Even if changing the future was simple, it still required cultivation.
For this, he would rather die to ensure the safety of those around him for a lifetime.
Two months later, Ye Chen left and entered the next level, where he needed to confront... the Vermilion Bird...
Time passes unnoticed in the mountains; years slip by as cold ends.
Month after month, year after year.
Thus, as Ye Chen challenged the Human Sovereign Trial, it was already his third year within the Ancient God Domain. Two years had passed in the blink of an eye.
He remained at the deepest part of the lake. The Human Sovereign Pagoda emanated thirty-three layers of Chaos Ancient Qi to protect him. The Primordial Battle Body served as the center of the Formation Array, with five saintly weapons suppressing the killing array, guarding Ye Chen.
Initially, the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor had patiently guarded Ye Chen. But after three months, seeing that Ye Chen still hadn't awakened, it used the safe path left in Ye Chen's Formation Array to probe his aura. Sensing Ye Chen's soul flickering in and out, it knew he wasn't in trouble and was still undergoing the Human Sovereign Trial. Its last shred of patience vanished completely. Bored, it occasionally left the marshy lake.
After half a year, it left for good, leaving only a memory jade and instructing the Cang Dragon to guard well.
During these days, the Cang Dragon had initially wanted to resist Ye Chen's suppression, struggling somewhat. But after a long period of coexistence, constantly sensing the pure dragon might from the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor and the terror of Ye Chen's Formation Array, its resistance gradually faded. It remained in the lake, always guarding Ye Chen as he underwent the Human Sovereign Trial.
However, the Cang Dragon didn't understand why Ye Chen had never awakened, for a full two years now.
Human Sovereign Pagoda.
Fifteenth Level.
Ye Chen executed the Sun Seal, enveloping himself in sunlight. He stepped with Vermilion Bird Steps, expanded the Ten Heavens divine nature halo, and formed the Immortal-Slaying Seal. His entire aura climbed to its absolute peak.
He was confronting the combat imprint of the Immortal Phoenix. That Immortal Phoenix was terrifyingly powerful, its Immortal Fire like a sea. Even with the barrier of the Ten Heavens divine nature halo and two layers of fire-attribute divine ability immortal robes, he felt unparalleled scorching heat, as if his Battle Saint Body were burning away.
The Immortal Phoenix's flames were supremely intense, practically unstoppable.
This was only Ye Chen. Anyone else would have long been incinerated to ashes by the Immortal Fire.
Ye Chen battled the Immortal Phoenix fiercely. His body was already covered in deep wounds visible to the bone. Saintly blood shone with golden radiance as the Saint Body Regeneration Art automatically operated, repairing all injuries.
But the Immortal Phoenix was no weakling either. Reputed as 'Immortal,' it lived up to its name. Nirvana Flames flickered, capable of repairing even the most severe injuries in an instant.
This was the terrifying aspect of the Immortal Phoenix—it could continuously undergo nirvana rebirth, deathless and undying.
Legend had it that the ancient, vast domain in the Myriad Domains known as Perching Glow Domain, also called Immortal Phoenix Domain, was formed from the fallen body of a Mythical Era Immortal Phoenix.
And it was said the Immortal Phoenix was not completely dead; it was merely too severely injured from a Mythical Era battle and was still in nirvana, destined to re-emerge in the future.
Unaware of all this, Ye Chen fought courageously. Mastering the similarly near-deathless Saint Body Regeneration Art, where a single drop of blood could allow rebirth, he displayed fearsome life-slaying great arts.
Finally, after seven days and eight nights of bloody battle, the Immortal Phoenix transformed into a ball of Immortal Fire and dissipated between heaven and earth.
Ye Chen circulated his divine abilities. Instantly, golden light blazed from his entire body, his blood energy rumbling with long, resonant echoes.
Half a month later, adjustments complete.
Before him appeared a door—not leading to the next level, but to the outside world.
The Human Sovereign Trial had ended!