For the addition of these super-powerful experts, the Ancient Divine Palace had not set down many restrictions. They could reside here long-term and could also delve into the various cultivation ancient texts, rare manuscripts, stone inscriptions, and ancient steles collected within the Ancient Divine Palace.
Among them were even collections of manuscripts left behind by Heavenly Kings, containing the profound and mysterious Dao of Heavenly Kings, and even imprints of the Dao of Great Powers, incomparably precious and of immeasurable value.
All of this was available for viewing freely. However, the Ancient Divine Palace had an unwritten rule: one must leave behind their own unique techniques, placing them in the Martial Arts Divine Hall of the Ancient Divine Palace to become part of the palace's collection of cultivation ancient texts. Only then would one have the qualification to view other cultivation texts.
Otherwise, even if a Heavenly King came here, they could only view ordinary ancient texts; the most important cultivation texts were all off-limits.
Along the way, Ye Chen encountered many powerful overlords and Saint Lords, and even several ancient recluses in their twilight years.
These were all old monsters standing at the pinnacle of the ninth heaven of the Saint Vault Realm. Their blood energy was withered, their hair white, but their cultivation was absolutely world-shaking. They had faintly touched the threshold of Samsara and could completely step into it.
But regrettably, their years were simply too advanced, their blood energy withered, and their remaining lifespan was minimal. This meant that even attempting Samsara would likely not succeed, as their true bodies might directly succumb to the heavenly mandate of lifespan during the struggle through the crossing of Samsara, leading to failure.
Yet, precisely because of this, these ancient recluses viewed life and death with great openness. Unwilling to let their unique techniques become lost arts, they would carve their technique imprints onto the most important Martial Arts Divine Stone in the Ancient Divine Palace, passing them down to later generations.
The more he saw this, the more astonished Ye Chen felt. The heritage of the Ancient Divine Palace increasingly exceeded his expectations. It actually had so many super-powerful experts leaving behind their unique techniques and cultivation experiences. What an immensely valuable treasure trove this was. Possessing these was no less than possessing a supreme sacred land.
Ye Chen did not leave to view the cultivation ancient texts collected by the Ancient Divine Palace. Instead, he visited these super-powerful experts who had once shaken the world, sincerely engaging in seated discussions on the Dao.
During these seated discussions on the Dao, Ye Chen also behaved very humbly. He did not act with the lofty arrogance he displayed in the outside world, where he could grab Saint Lords like chicks. Instead, he behaved like a junior matching his apparent age, respectfully saluting, which gave these older-generation super-powerful experts a favorable impression, and they also earnestly provided guidance.
These were all super-powerful experts of the older generation, having cultivated the Dao for over seventeen hundred years. Those ancient recluses had cultivated for two thousand years. They had deep insights into cultivation. Even though Ye Chen's cultivation was not inferior to theirs and was even stronger, he could often gain some inspiration during the discussions on the Dao. The benefits were not enormous, but they were not small either.
Because his time cultivating the Dao was ultimately too short—less than a hundred years to date—compared to these older-generation figures who had cultivated for over a thousand years, he was too green. They had devoted too long to studying the Dao, so they could see things in greater detail.
However, what was even more shocking were those older-generation super-powerful experts. They did not know Ye Chen's reputation in the outside world, thinking he was just a talented disciple recently recruited by the Ancient Divine Palace, with stunning talent but shallow cultivation. They kindly offered some guidance. But unexpectedly, the further things went, the more obscure the cultivation questions posed by this seemingly harmless young man became. Many even involved the Saint Lord level and above, questions even they might not be clear about.
At first, they would frown, thinking Ye Chen was being too rash. With his cultivation still shallow, he shouldn't be discussing such obscure cultivation questions. Several times, they posed cultivation questions they considered sufficiently profound for discussion—at least at the Ancient Saint level—to make Ye Chen back down from the difficulty.
But they never expected Ye Chen to answer each one, and his answers were not only accurate but often ingenious and unique, offering entirely new perspectives that refreshed their understanding.
Sometimes, he could even answer cultivation questions they themselves found somewhat vague.
Only now did they realize that this unfamiliar young man before them was somewhat unfathomable, far from being as simple as he appeared on the surface.
Finally, Ye Chen left.
After several twists and turns, he finally entered one of the major restricted areas of the Ancient Divine Palace: the Martial Arts Divine Hall. It was located on a massive Divine Island, where a huge divine hall stood. Beside it was a vast square with a massive amber divine stone.
This was the Martial Arts Divine Stone.
On the adjacent Martial Arts Square, thousands of people were gathered. There were reclusive older-generation experts, powerful figures from the Ancient Divine Palace, and naturally, also the new generation of young powerful experts from the Ancient Divine Palace.
These younger generation members were all seed-level figures searched out by Ancient Divine Palace experts from the Ancient Divine Continent. Each was exceptionally talented, ranging from young children to those of Ye Chen's age and even older.
With a single glance, Ye Chen counted no fewer than eighty people. For a sect that typically had hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of disciples, this number was absolutely not large; it could even be considered very sparse.
But for the Ancient Divine Palace, they did not want a massive, overly bloated disciple group. They preferred a small, elite group. Those selected were all individuals of exceptional talent, at least with Marquis Lord qualifications, and some even had King qualifications.
The Ancient Divine Palace provided the best resources to this limited number of disciples, hoping to cultivate each of these talented disciples into peerless powerhouses.
In fact, this method was very effective. As far as the eye could see, disciples around Ye Chen's age were at least Demi-Saints. Naturally, there were also quite a few who had reached the Saint Treasury Realm, and even some who were the strongest Heaven's Pride comparable to Crown Princes of imperial dynasties, far stronger than those Heaven's Pride on the Ancient Divine Continent.
Among the older ones, Ye Chen saw seven who had reached the Ancient Saint level, two of whom were overlords.
These Ancient Divine Palace disciples had a specially designated area where they sat cross-legged on the Martial Arts Divine Stone, comprehending the precious cultivation resources left behind by past generations of experts.
Ye Chen specifically inquired with an elder stationed at the Martial Arts Divine Hall. He was an ancient recluse, but his blood energy was not overly withered; he had at least three hundred years left to live. He was very powerful, but when he saw Ye Chen, a flash of light appeared in his eyes, revealing shock.
Because with his level of cultivation, his discernment was incredibly sharp. He naturally could see part of Ye Chen's depth, knowing that this seemingly young junior before him was extraordinarily powerful. Not only did his blood energy boil like a dragon, but his Great Dao was also profound and unfathomable. He was an extremely terrifying young junior figure, giving the elder a slight sense of suffocation as if facing a primordial ferocious beast.
He had always been guarding the Martial Arts Divine Hall, not concerning himself with worldly affairs, and did not know Ye Chen's origins.
Ye Chen was very polite, not bullying anyone, and sincerely asked some related questions.
The ancient recluse was naturally also very polite, not neglecting him. He stated that most of what was stored in the Martial Arts Divine Hall were cultivation notes left by past generations of experts, mostly discussions of experience, and also some cultivation methods for profound arts. Naturally, anything qualified to be included here was quite extraordinary.
However, the most important thing in the Martial Arts Divine Hall was still that amber Martial Arts Divine Stone, which carried the numerous unique techniques left by countless experts throughout the ages, imprinted within.
After earnestly expressing his thanks, Ye Chen arrived at that Martial Arts Divine Stone. Like others, Ye Chen sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion. Immediately, his whole body shuddered slightly, light emerged from between his brows, and his Primordial Spirit entered a vast, illusory, pitch-black space, like the void of outer space.
Clusters of light floated in this pitch-black space, dotting it like stars in the night sky, shining brightly.
At a rough glance, there were thousands upon thousands of light clusters, swirling with mysterious auras. These were technique imprints—the cultivation unique techniques left by past generations of experts, all contained within these clusters of technique imprints.
Each cluster of technique imprints emanated different realm auras. One could sense that these technique imprints were at least left by Demi-Saints, with no shortage of those from Ancient Saints, overlords, Saint Lords, and even ancient recluses at the Saint Vault pinnacle. Even Heavenly Kings had left their imprints here.
These clusters of technique imprint light were arranged according to realm. The higher the realm, the brighter and more dazzling the light cluster.
He even saw one cluster that was the most brilliant and radiant. It was the strongest imprint, as eye-catching as a sun. Compared to it, other technique imprints, even those from Heavenly Kings, appeared many times dimmer.
Without thinking, one knew this was absolutely a technique imprint left by an ancient Great Sage—his peerless divine abilities.
Its value was peerless, immeasurable throughout the world. The mere fact that it was a technique imprint left by an ancient Great Sage was enough to explain everything.
However, what puzzled Ye Chen was: such a precious Great Power technique imprint—did the Ancient Divine Palace simply place it in the Martial Arts Divine Stone so casually, allowing anyone to comprehend it?
As if knowing what Ye Chen was thinking, a special piece of information transmitted from within the Martial Arts Divine Stone, clarifying things for him.
Although the Martial Arts Divine Stone contained the technique imprints of countless experts throughout the ages, not just anyone could obtain them.
The Martial Arts Divine Stone was very special. It carried the technique imprints of those experts, but similarly, comprehending these experts' technique imprints was not a simple matter.
Because when the technique imprints were carried, they also copied the battle imprints of those super-powerful experts. To comprehend these technique imprints, one must face those battle imprints. Only after gaining their acknowledgment would one have the qualification to study them.
Ye Chen suddenly understood. No wonder the Ancient Divine Palace was so at ease placing even a Great Power-level technique imprint in the Martial Arts Divine Stone, allowing others to study it. Unless an ancient Great Sage personally took action, how many people in the world could face a Great Power-level battle imprint and comprehend a Great Power-level technique imprint?
However, the more this was the case, the more it ignited Ye Chen's fighting spirit. A slight upward curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Ye Chen did not go to challenge the Great Power-level technique imprint. Instead, he actively reached out to touch one of the dimmest, least lustrous technique imprints.
It was only a technique imprint left by a Demi-Saint, belonging to the lowest tier among the numerous technique imprints.
Generally, only the youngest disciples of the Ancient Divine Palace would comprehend these. Others at least comprehended those at the Saint level. No one would study these Demi-Saint-level technique imprints. Seeing Ye Chen's actions, others showed some disdainful smiles.
Ye Chen didn't mind much, doing as he pleased. He believed that any technique imprint qualified to be carried in the Martial Arts Divine Stone had a certain qualification.
Now, he had already touched that Demi-Saint-level technique imprint.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, his vision blurred, and he appeared in another void space. Before him appeared a figure—the battle imprint left by that Demi-Saint. He was very young and said coldly, "If you want to obtain the technique imprint I, Demi-Saint Jiahua, left behind, make me acknowledge you. Take this move—"
Boom—
The young Demi-Saint named Jiahua made his move. In the blink of an eye, he formed hand seals, and a divine seal enveloped the space above and below, descending upon Ye Chen.