Ye Chen lay in wait, anticipating the other party's arrival.
Yet three days and three nights had already passed, and still no one had come. The Supreme Dao Body remained motionless in meditation, detecting no activity whatsoever.
This puzzled Ye Chen. Did the other party no longer wish to seize that Emperor Talisman? It concerned the supreme inheritance of Tai Sheng Huang, after all.
Unfortunately, another seven days passed in the blink of an eye. Still, no one came. There was no gain, and the person he awaited never appeared.
Finally, a month went by with the same result. Ye Chen had no choice but to give up and turn to leave.
For the first time, Ye Chen had miscalculated.
"Hmph, it's not that I didn't give you the chance. Still unwilling to show yourselves? Then what hope do you have left when I head to the Ancient Divine Palace?" Ye Chen snorted coldly, as if muttering to himself, yet his gaze swept warily in all directions.
But all around was peaceful, with no movement at all, forcing him to sigh helplessly.
Although they hadn't come, it made him increasingly aware of the extraordinary nature of those "watchers."
A few days later, the tranquil Ancient Divine Continent finally erupted in excitement. In the Ancient Divine City, the central main city of the entire continent, the final battle for supremacy among the younger generation of this era was finally about to begin.
The Crown Princes from the nine great imperial dynasties, along with several Heaven's Prides who had distinguished themselves on the Ancient Divine Continent, had emerged from the Trial World. They were about to engage in the ultimate clash to select the strongest among the younger generation of this era.
The entire Ancient Divine Continent was in a fervor. From across the Five Great Domains, countless people were heading to the Ancient Divine City to witness this era's ultimate battle among Heaven's Prides, capturing the attention of over half the continent's populace. All eyes were upon it.
Everyone wanted to know who would ultimately emerge victorious and earn the title of the strongest Heaven's Pride.
For this era was different, and the rewards were different as well. That mysterious Mythical Crown attracted the world's gaze.
Ye Chen left the Corpse Devouring Insect Emperor's chamber, standing tall. His gaze turned eastward as several communication tokens appeared in his hand. Threads of divine sense probed into them, conveying a single message—
Gather at the Ancient Divine City!
He, too, was preparing to set off for the Ancient Divine City, his target fixed on the Ancient Divine Palace.
Accompanied by the Cang Dragon, and without deliberately releasing his aura to avoid trouble, Ye Chen subtly altered his demeanor. Though his appearance remained the same, he no longer seemed so sharp and imposing, making him less immediately recognizable.
To reach the spatial gate at the imperial capital, he naturally needed to use it for traversal, greatly saving time.
Man and dragon proceeded steadily through the capital, observing the wide streets, the numerous tall shops and buildings, and the grand palaces standing majestically.
Especially on the streets, bustling with activity, a dense sea of heads created waves of noise, showcasing the extreme prosperity of Tianxu Imperial Capital.
Having been in the imperial capital for so long, he had always flown past, rarely experiencing its bustle.
He only glanced occasionally. Although the capital had strict no-fly ordinances prohibiting cultivators from flying, this only applied to ordinary cultivators. Those who reached the Divine Transformation Realm and dominated could fly freely; the restriction no longer applied.
Visible to the naked eye, figures swiftly rushed toward the central plaza area of the imperial capital, where the spatial gate was established.
Due to the battle for supremacy among the younger generation, countless people from across the land were heading to watch. Naturally, Tianxu Imperial Dynasty was no exception, with many from the capital actively traveling in hopes of witnessing a peak battle of the younger generation.
When Ye Chen arrived at the central plaza with the Cang Dragon, he heard a commotion of arguments and curses ahead, where a fierce dispute was taking place.
Slightly surprised, Ye Chen paused and inquired with some people in the plaza, learning the details.
It turned out that today, the Lin Family of the General's Manor and another General's Manor, the Meng Family, were competing for control rights over the spatial gate.
Regarding the imperial capital's spatial gate, although owned by the imperial dynasty's royal family, to foster the development and strength of various great families, control was rotated among a family in the capital almost every three years, with profits split 70-30 with the royal family.
Naturally, the royal family took 70%, while the controlling family took 30%, and a substantial control fee had to be paid to the royal family beforehand.
Even so, the profits from the spatial gate over three years were still considerable. With these profits as heritage, families could recruit more capable individuals and expand their influence, greatly enhancing their strength.
This year, according to the rotation policy set by the royal family, the family scheduled to take control of the spatial gate was the Lin Family of the Imperial Dynasty's Great General's Manor. However, in recent years, the Lin Family had been declining, while the Meng Family of another Great General's Manor had risen later and grown increasingly glorious. To strengthen their family power more rapidly, they sought to seize this three-year spatial gate control qualification.
Thus, members of both Great General's Manors were disputing before the spatial gate.
Ye Chen shook his head, having little interest in the dispute between the two great families. He merely intended to use the spatial gate to leave. Once he departed smoothly, it would have nothing to do with him.
Just as he was about to step forward to borrow the spatial gate, his eyes suddenly widened slightly in surprise, for he saw a familiar friend—
Ke'er!
And Ke'er was also within the Lin Family camp. Ye Chen held considerable fondness for Ke'er. If both sides were in conflict, he wouldn't mind lending her a hand.
On the central plaza of Tianxu Imperial Capital, there was a rather spacious stone platform with a massive spatial gate activated. A huge, pitch-black spatial Black Hole slowly rotated, emanating vast spatial power.
Below the stone platform stood the forces of the Lin and Meng Families, the two Great General's Manors of the imperial dynasty, drawing the attention of countless people in the plaza who watched curiously.
Even the powerhouses intending to go to the Ancient Divine City to watch the battle had stopped, in no particular hurry. Instead, they observed the scene with leisurely interest.
"Meng Ao, I recall that according to the royal family's policy, the controller of the spatial gate this time belongs to my Lin Family. Why are you obstructing my Lin Family's control, deliberately blocking us? What is the meaning of this?"
From the Lin Family forces on the left, a middle-aged man standing at the forefront coldly questioned. He appeared quite imposing and robust, full of vigor—this was Ke'er's father, Lin Tian, also one of the current imperial dynasty's Great Generals, an Ancient Saint-level super powerhouse commanding tens of millions of troops in the imperial dynasty, a figure of high status and authority.
Behind him stood three Lin Family Elders—two Saints and one Demi-Saint—a heritage truly astonishing.
Further back, a figure that captivated countless eyes in the plaza stood gracefully. Clad in pink attire like a blooming lotus, her beautiful, charming face held a purity tinged with a hint of alluring charm, truly captivating.