Ancient Immortal Hall?
Ye Chen stared at the three violet-gold characters on the massive plaque, momentarily lost in thought.
Why was it Ancient Immortal Hall, not Ancient Divine Hall?
Even the expressions of the other True Kings turned somewhat strange.
The Ancient Immortal Hall stood before them, the immortal and majestic aura that oppressed them emanating precisely from this hall.
However, the doors of the Ancient Immortal Hall were tightly shut. Li Xuan also let out a sound of surprise, clearly unaware of the reason. He addressed the two Saint-level guards at the hall's entrance: "Why are the doors closed? Open them immediately. These are the victors of this year's supremacy battle and several distinguished guests who have arrived. They need to have an audience with the Palace Lord and the Supreme Elders. This matter concerns the identity of our Ancient Divine Palace's successor; there must be no delay."
Hearing this, the two Saint guards, who usually remained expressionless even when Saint Lords visited, naturally dared not be negligent. They hastily clasped their fists in apology to Li Xuan, asking him to wait a moment. One of them pushed open a crack and slipped inside, evidently going ahead to report.
Ye Chen, Yuan Yao Divine King, the Sun God, and the others were in no hurry, waiting patiently. The Ancient Divine Palace indeed had many rules, but it was understandable.
During this time, Ye Chen and the other Immortal True Kings observed their surroundings, taking in the vast Ancient Divine Palace.
They could see that the Ancient Divine Palace existed within a special realm, similar to supreme sacred lands like the Tai Chu Sacred Land—a separate world opened by a supreme power. However, it was even more unique. Rich spiritual energy continuously seeped from the boundaries of this world, nourishing the land.
They could also see that this realm was not merely filled with layers of halls and pavilions. Numerous immortal mountains stood tall, three thousand divine islands floated, spirit herbs radiated brilliance, and many spirit beasts and auspicious creatures frolicked. Everything seemed dreamlike and illusory, far surpassing those supreme sacred lands and even more extraordinary.
Moreover, the Ancient Divine Mountain stood tall within the starry sky, surrounded by myriad heavenly stars—a sight that should generally be impossible. Stars could only appear within a Sovereign's Great World; they should not exist in a world opened by a Great Power.
More importantly, within this realm, both Ye Chen and the other Immortal True Kings could sense a unique, extraordinary aura.
The closer one got to the higher altitudes, the clearer this aura became. It was especially distinct on the Ancient Divine Mountain, capable of clearing the mind and spirit, reducing the birth of inner demons—simply marvelous.
Furthermore, the spiritual energy here was not only abundant but also so pure it nearly approached divine spirit sources. One could also sense the presence of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth more clearly.
What a special realm! It seemed to have seized all the wonders of creation. It might still fall slightly short compared to the Tai Chu Sanctuary, but it was far more expansive, capable of nurturing countless living beings.
He grew increasingly suspicious of the origins of this special realm; it was absolutely extraordinary.
The fact that the Ancient Divine Palace had ruled the Ancient Divine Continent for countless years must be inextricably linked to the existence of this special realm.
Secretly, Ye Chen began to measure the Ancient Divine Mountain. He was surveying the heavens and earth, activating his Eyes of Heaven to scan all directions. He also observed the stars, while countless invisible finger beams shot forth continuously, vanishing into the void. He silently deduced in his heart, attempting to unravel the true nature of this realm.
In the end, he only deduced a layer of mist, unable to see anything.
This result was not entirely unexpected. Such a special realm must have extraordinary origins. How could mere deduction penetrate everything? There was a startling aura obstructing his deductions.
A radiance flashed between Ye Chen's brows as vast faith power surged forth, merging with his Primordial Spirit. This instantly enhanced his perception and thoughts manyfold, and he continued his deduction.
The layer of mist dissipated significantly. Vaguely, he glimpsed a hazy, colossal shadow emerging from behind the mist. That unique immortal aura within the realm became many times clearer.
Just as Ye Chen was about to see clearly, suddenly, the sky above the Ancient Divine Palace exploded.
Boom—
A terrifying heavenly thunderbolt descended, as thick as a mountain range, plummeting straight down—utterly terrifying to the mind.
This was a mysterious taboo Ye Chen had triggered through his deduction. The realm where the Ancient Divine Palace resided was too extraordinary, shrouded in a hazy mist that prevented seeing through it. Moreover, at the final moment, a mysterious rule power counterattacked.
And this was no ordinary heavenly thunder; it carried a trace of the aura of the Taboo Immortal Lightning that had descended when Ye Chen first pioneered the Chaos Dao.
Ye Chen was all too familiar with that aura. Back then, without the Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord and the mysterious figure shrouded in chaotic energy who manipulated the River of Time to intervene, he would have undoubtedly perished.
This heavenly thunder carried such an aura. Even a mere trace caused Ye Chen's expression to change drastically. It was absolutely capable of reducing a Saint Lord to ashes, and even he, at his current Samsara level, felt a sense of threat—a true thunder of destruction.
Swish—
Ye Chen had no intention of blocking it. He directly shifted sideways, even employing the supreme profound technique of Stealing Heaven and Changing Earth. In an instant, he altered his own foundational aura, severing the thunderbolt's ability to trace his energy and avoiding the attack.
The other Immortal True Kings also sensed something, shocked as they swiftly shifted away, moving beyond the thunderbolt's attack range.
But the thunderbolt was too thick, as massive as a mountain range, plummeting straight down toward the Ancient Immortal Hall, causing Li Xuan and the other Saint-level guard to pale.
They all sensed the fearsome power of the thunderbolt. They didn't know where it came from, but they dared not imagine the consequences if it struck the Ancient Immortal Hall.
At that moment, a vast, ancient hand reached out from within the Ancient Immortal Hall, appearing grand and majestic. It actively met the heavenly thunder, instantly displaying world-shaking power.
Boom—
The hand clashed with the heavenly thunder. Both erupted with light that shook the heavens, instantly affecting all directions and startling the entire Ancient Divine Palace.
Within the Ancient Divine Palace, numerous powerful auras suddenly appeared, swiftly sweeping over. There were no fewer than fifteen Saint Lords, and more than three Heavenly King-level auras flashed by like lightning, imperceptibly revealing the profound heritage of the Ancient Divine Palace.
Everyone's attention focused here, curious about what had happened.
In the end, everything dissipated. The massive heavenly thunder vanished, and that vast, ancient hand also disappeared without a trace.
It was as if none of this had ever happened, as if everything had always been this way, unchanged.
Just as everyone was puzzling over what had occurred, while Ye Chen's expression remained unchanged, tumultuous waves surged within his heart.
Because, in that brief moment when he looked up and gazed, the heavenly thunder had split open the hazy, misty sky, allowing him a clear glimpse of a corner.
There, a shocking and eerie scene unfolded, one that still churned incessantly in his mind.
He saw a black hole, and even more eerily, an ancient bronze coffin!