Ye Chen's expression was gloomy as he watched the dissipating Black Hole, leaving behind only a spray of blood mist that splattered and lingered in the void.
What kind of force were these 'monitors' from, to be so powerful that even the one sent to watch was a Saint Lord?
But why were they monitoring the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor?
It seemed the surveillance had begun even before the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor failed to obtain that private room.
This point left Ye Chen deeply puzzled. Moreover, the mysteries of the Ancient Emperor Realm far exceeded his initial imagination.
However, he temporarily set all this aside, because the most important thing now was to open the treasure chest and obtain what the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor had left behind.
To prevent detection by others, Ye Chen had long since dispatched some experts from the Tianxu Imperial Dynasty to stand guard. There were even three Saints guarding the void.
The Cang Dragon was also on defensive duty.
Finally, he even took out the Human Sovereign Pagoda. It descended, releasing countless strands of primordial Chaos Qi that cascaded down like a waterfall, submerging Ye Chen. No one could possibly monitor him now.
After completing all this, Ye Chen finally felt at ease enough to retrieve the treasure chest again. From between his fingers and palm flew a wisp of Dragon Origin power, transforming into a thumb-sized miniature True Dragon that swiftly entered the treasure chest and began unsealing it at lightning speed.
The treasure chest was finally opened. Inside the palm-sized miniature chest lay a Memory Jade and a stone token.
Ye Chen first took out the Memory Jade and probed it with a strand of divine sense. Instantly, the figure of the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor materialized.
It looked hurried, clearly having recorded this under considerable haste. With a serious expression, it said, "Little Moon, since being able to unlock the dragon clan runes on this chest requires a pure-blooded dragon, in the entire Ancient Emperor Realm, only you with your complete Dragon Origin can do it. Even that kid Cang Dragon can't."
It had known from the start it would be Ye Chen, so it harbored no doubts and continued with its message.
"Although I very much wish to meet you and explain some of the things I've learned during this time—and these matters are very important—the situation is critical now. We'll discuss some things when we meet later.
What must be mentioned here is that you must keep the stone token I placed in the chest safe. Do not lose it under any circumstances. I risked my life to snatch it from those people's hands. It most likely relates to the supreme inheritance of the Emperor and Sovereign who opened up the Ancient Emperor Realm.
As for those monitoring people, I haven't fully investigated their true origins yet, but I can tell you this: they are not from the Ancient Divine Continent. In other words, they come from the Ancient Emperor Continent on the other side of the Chaotic Sea.
And my situation right now is quite perilous. These monitors have been hunting me, wanting to take back that stone token. Be careful; someone has most likely been left here to watch. But you should be able to shake them off.
However, this place is not safe for long stays. If you linger too long, I fear even more powerful individuals might appear, possibly even a Heavenly King. That would be troublesome.
Finally, a suggestion for a last resort: if you truly cannot handle those monitors, I recommend entering the Ancient Divine Palace. Although this faction is very mysterious, from what I've learned, these people are quite wary of the Ancient Divine Palace and have even clashed with them before."
With these words, the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor's figure vanished, leaving Ye Chen deep in thought.
Regarding the origins of those monitors, he now had a general understanding. They were actually living beings from the other side of the Chaotic Sea. Clearly, the strength of the beings over there exceeded his imagination.
The stone token looked ancient, clearly of great historical age. Held in his hand, it had the texture of jade but felt surprisingly heavy.
A stone token the size of an infant's palm actually weighed ten thousand jin, truly astonishing.
Clearly, this was something the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor had left for him, something that even those monitors valued highly, to the point of leaving one person behind to constantly watch, waiting for someone else to retrieve it so they could seize it back.
Ye Chen began carefully studying the stone token. He discovered an ancient character inscribed on it, a character from mythical ancient script. It was the character for "Emperor."
However, there was no imagined imperial majesty emanating from it. It seemed very ordinary, which puzzled him. What was the purpose of this stone token that the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor had fought for at all costs?
Suddenly, Old Yan's Ancient Ring touched the stone token. Abruptly, it emitted a radiance of ten thousand zhang. The worn stone token did the same. The two produced an unusual resonance.
Boom—
A wisp of supreme Emperor and Sovereign majesty was released, instantly annihilating the heavens and earth. If not for the Human Sovereign Pagoda's suppression, it would have likely shaken the entire imperial capital immediately.
Moreover, the Human Sovereign Pagoda, being triggered, autonomously released a wisp of supreme power to counteract the imperial majesty on the stone token. Old Yan's Ancient Ring did the same, protecting Ye Chen and keeping him safe and sound.
Otherwise, even with a Battle Sacred Body comparable to a Great Power's physique, it was doubtful he could have withstood this wisp of imperial majesty unscathed. After all, these were Emperors and Sovereigns, existences on par with the Heavenly Dao.
Ye Chen let out a sound of surprise. However, earlier, in front of the Dark Night Ancient Hall, he had learned that this Old Yan's Ancient Ring was likely the very ring worn by Tai Sheng Huang in the past. And since the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor said this stone token was related to the Emperor and Sovereign of the Ancient Emperor Realm, it could be definitively confirmed: the Ancient Emperor Realm was undoubtedly opened up by Tai Sheng Huang.
Ye Chen hurriedly put away Old Yan's Ancient Ring. Sure enough, once the Ancient Ring disappeared, the worn stone token—or perhaps it should be called the Emperor Token—returned to calm, appearing ordinary and unremarkable once more.
Ye Chen dared not let the two collide again, nor even place them in the same space. He carefully and solemnly stored the stone token, placing it within his internal space alongside the Divine Stone Coffin.
Although the Emperor Token was extraordinary, he felt now was not the time to study it. Items left behind by Emperors and Sovereigns were too astonishing; they must be treated with the utmost caution. Moreover, its ability to release a wisp of imperial majesty made it an absolute trump card.
Finally, he left this mansion, ordering his people to keep everything intact. He left his Supreme Dao Body here while his true self silently departed, re-entering the Tianxu Imperial Palace and requesting an audience with the Tianxu Heavenly King.
Because he was lying in wait, anticipating the possible reinforcements those 'monitors' mentioned by the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor might bring.
If a Heavenly King truly came, he decided to join forces with the Tianxu Heavenly King and capture them for interrogation at all costs.
When the Tianxu Heavenly King heard there might be a Heavenly King attacking the imperial capital, he was greatly shocked. Although puzzled as to why they would come to the Tianxu Imperial Capital, he dared not be negligent—this was his own territory.
However, if he had known the other party was from the Ancient Emperor Continent on the other side of the Chaotic Sea, he likely would have refused to participate in the battle altogether, perhaps even avoiding their sharp edge.