Time flowed slowly, its duration unknown, until Ye Chen finally awoke. Before even opening his eyes, he registered several sounds of joyful surprise near his ear. When he did open them, he saw the elder in white robes standing beside several other venerable figures.

This was an opulent palace, shimmering everywhere with gold and splendor.

"Excellent, you are finally awake," the elder in white robes stepped forward, speaking with evident delight.

Ye Chen attempted to sit up, but the moment he moved, a searing pain shot through his entire body. He frowned slightly, suppressing the urge to summon the Poxiao God Spirit Hand, and asked the elder in white robes and the others, "How long was I unconscious?"

The elder in white robes chuckled. "Not long at all, only three days."

A shock jolted through Ye Chen. He hastily threw back the covers, forcing himself through the intense agony, and swung his legs over the side to sit up, fumbling for the boots and socks beside the bed. This should have been a simple action, but with every bone in his body seemingly shattered, even lifting an arm was excruciating. Before he could pull on a sock, cold sweat drenched him, and he gasped for breath.

The elder in white robes and the others paused, momentarily confused. The white-robed elder queried, "What is wrong, my lord?"

Ye Chen responded in a low voice, "I hail from beyond this realm. A great catastrophe is unfolding there, and I must return immediately!" Months ago, he had learned that one of the Dark Prince's subordinates—a powerhouse at the Ghost-God Realm—had remained on Earth. How could he possibly rest easy, knowing such a grave threat lingered near his sister and the Bright Base City?

The elder in white robes froze, exchanging glances with the other elders. After a long silence, the white-robed elder declared, "Now, Lord Dragon Emperor has decreed that you are our Clan Leader. As Master of the Divine Hall, a single command from you, and we shall accompany you to war beyond the borders!"

Ye Chen's eyes lit up. "Very good! Go now and muster the troops. Select only the finest soldiers and mightiest generals to accompany me. Also, prepare a set of Grade Five Divine Weapon-Armor!" His black-feathered armor had been ruined by the miniature instruments in the underwater world, rendering it useless, and his current immense power had long outstripped its value.

The elder in white robes smiled gently. "There is no need to worry about that, my Lord. As Clan Leader, you are entitled to wear the Starlight Set. This is the most sacred treasure of our Xuanyuan Clan—immeasurably potent, transcendent of the Divine Grade, capable of withstanding attacks from Void Transformation experts!"

Ye Chen paused, an immense joy bubbling up. He vaguely recalled hearing of this Starlight Armor in his previous life; it was the ultimate armor of Hua Bueruo, capable of defending against 50,000 KG (100,000-level) of offensive power, possessing the ability to achieve void transformation—the exclusive armament of Ghost-God Realm powerhouses.

A thought struck him. "Why was this set never worn before to fight the Dark Demon?"

The elder in white robes smiled softly. "This armor can only be worn by the Clan Leader. Even if we all perished, we could never taint the name of the Clan Leader by wearing it ourselves."

Ye Chen frowned, a hint of reprimand in his tone. "When the very survival of the clan is at stake, you prioritize guarding your own petty reputation over the lives of your entire people? Utterly outrageous!"

The elder in white robes and the others were stunned into silence. They had never considered such a question; their entire existence was dedicated to honoring the sanctity of the Clan Leader's title. Under Ye Chen’s harsh assessment, they stood speechless, then flushed with shame, lowering their heads.

Ye Chen said no more and released the white-haired elder from his Rune Space.

Once freed, the white-haired elder let out a sigh of relief, looking at Ye Chen with a wry smile. "I feared you had forgotten this old man." He turned and spotted the elder in white robes and the others nearby, crying out in delight, "Haha! Old Feng, you are all here too."

The elder in white robes snapped back, "No manners! Quiet!"

The white-haired elder looked embarrassed and settled down without another word.

Ye Chen opened the Fire Civilization Space and retrieved some prehistoric medicinal herbs for healing. Using his Burning Qi, he refined them into a potent juice and swallowed it. He immediately felt his injuries begin to mend, though the fractured bones had not yet been set into place and required the Gene Vaults of the Atlantis Civilization outside to properly repair.

After a long while, the elder in white robes returned, holding a set of armor that shone with a deep purple-gold luster. He presented it to Ye Chen with a gentle smile. "This armament is the Starlight Set, limitless in its power, comprised of six components: the helmet, vambraces, tassets, greaves, boots, and battle saber!"

Ye Chen already possessed some knowledge of this armor.

The helmet offered high defense, equipped with precision instruments like alternating hot and cold regulators and energy reserve units. The vambraces could amplify arm strength, containing high-voltage electromagnetics that activated arm cells, doubling explosive power! With Ye Chen's current physique at Level 5300, wearing the vambraces would boost his strength to Level 16,000!

However, this boost could not be sustained for long, nor could it be used frequently without damaging the arm's muscle cells.

The tassets were fitted with a Starlight Shield, deployable once daily, capable of deflecting 5,000 KG of energy and physical attacks. The greaves were offensive, capable of firing lasers, and the boots allowed for transformation and speed amplification, containing high-voltage electromagnetics to stimulate the cells in his feet for double speed.

Ye Chen reached out to take the armor, but his arm immediately dropped under the immense weight. He staggered, realizing the suit weighed at least 4,000,000 KG—requiring a physique of at least Level 8000 to even handle its mass—and offered a bitter smile inwardly.

The elder in white robes noticed Ye Chen's struggle and was startled. He thought to himself, The Clan Leader's strength was terrifying when fighting the Poxiao God Spirit Hand just now, yet he seems so frail now. It must be that his battle injuries were too severe, rendering him incapable of exerting force! If he hadn't lent his full strength, the Xuanyuan Clan would have surely been doomed. For a single word from the Clan Leader, I would spill my brains and guts without hesitation!

Ye Chen remained oblivious to his thoughts, focusing instead on opening his Rune Space. He said ruefully, "Place the armor inside. I will wear it in the future."

The elder in white robes felt a chill. "In one day? Could the Clan Leader's injuries be beyond repair?" Thinking this, hot tears streamed down his face. He wiped his nose and respectfully placed the armor into the Rune Space.

Ye Chen, seeing his strange expression but not dwelling on it, asked, "I am almost recovered. Have the troops been mustered? I must leave immediately."

The elder in white robes quickly countered, "Your injuries are not healed. Perhaps you should rest a few more days to prevent a relapse once you return."

Ye Chen frowned sharply. "No delay is permissible. If you are unwilling to go, I shall depart alone!" With that, he pushed himself up and walked toward the exit.

The elder in white robes and the others grew anxious, a mix of joy and sorrow filling them. They were overjoyed that Ye Chen, even gravely wounded, did not forget the peril facing his kin beyond the realm—truly a man of great benevolence and compassion; having such a person as Clan Leader was the fortune of Xuanyuan. They were sorrowful because traveling beyond the realm in such a physical state was pushing himself too hard; should the injuries flare up, the consequences would be unimaginable.

By this time, Ye Chen had reached the threshold. Below him, spreading out from the steps, was a vast plaza paved with white jade stone. Standing upon this square was a dense, black mass of warriors, all clad in fine armor and gripping weapons. The aura radiating from each one was formidable; the weakest possessed combat power at the Sixth Tier!

Ye Chen paused, halting his steps. At that instant, every person in the plaza spotted him and immediately dropped to their knees. The clamor of armor plates followed by a single, unified sound echoed powerfully across the land: "We welcome the Clan Leader!"

Ye Chen’s blood surged with excitement. Hearing footsteps approaching from behind, the elder in white robes came to his side and sighed softly. "Since the Clan Leader is resolute, we dare not disobey. Just one word from you, and even if we must ascend to the Sea of Heavens, we swear to follow you to death."

The crowd in the plaza below roared back in unison: "We swear to follow you to death!"

The sound made Ye Chen's ears ring slightly. He felt a surge of inspiration and nodded. "Good! Everyone move out immediately. We return to Earth!"

The elder in white robes nodded, his eyes shining with a keen light. "Earth... the place where the Ancestor Yellow Emperor resided? I wonder what kind of world it is?" He looked on with a degree of longing.

Just then, several figures streaked down from the sky. They were the Island Master of Purple Cloud, majestic in purple robes; the incomparably graceful Island Master of Deficient Light; and the gentle and refined Island Master of Heavenly Palace!

The three Island Masters landed before Ye Chen and bowed respectfully. The Island Master of Purple Cloud spoke first, "We wish to follow Lord Clan Leader and journey beyond the realm, contributing what little strength we possess!"

Ye Chen's expression remained calm, but inwardly he was elated. The Island Masters of Heavenly Palace and Deficient Light were both Ninth Tier Divine Grade, and the Island Master of Purple Cloud was Tenth Tier Divine Grade. Having such figures by his side would be enough to conquer the globe in the initial phase!

The elder in purple robes beside him, Nuo Qin, remarked teasingly, "I suspect the three of you just want to follow the Clan Leader to see the world beyond the borders, don't you?"

The three Island Masters shot him a collective glare, then turned back to Ye Chen. Seeing that his expression hadn't shifted, they chuckled sheepishly. They had been confined here for a very long time; having such a rare opportunity to leave, they were determined to seize it.

The elder in white robes surveyed the scene and addressed Ye Chen respectfully. "Lord Clan Leader, all the elite warriors of the clan have been recruited. Many eagerly volunteered upon learning the Clan Leader intended to take people beyond the realm, but to best aid you, I selected only the strongest to accompany us."

Ye Chen nodded slightly.

"There are 5,000 people here in total. Among them, 3,500 warriors range from the Sixth to the Tenth Tier, and 1,500 are King Grade warriors! Furthermore, including the revered Island Masters and Elders, we have a total of nine Divine Grade powerhouses!" the elder in white robes stroked his beard as he spoke. This was nearly the entire might of the Xuanyuan Clan.

Ye Chen knew the size of the Xuanyuan Clan and asked, "You have emptied the nest—shouldn't some warriors remain here for defense?"

The elder in white robes smiled faintly. "The Xuanyuan Clan has been here for millennia without a single disaster. There is no need to worry."

Ye Chen nodded, looking down at the entire plaza, and boomed, "Depart!"

"Yes!"

A metallic rustling swept across the plaza as everyone rose. All ascended into the waiting flying vehicles, standing by for the signal. Ye Chen’s gaze swept over the crowd that had been involved in the Poxiao God Spirit Hand battle, spotting many familiar faces, including numerous talented youths who had lost to him during the Genius Trials, as well as Zi Wan and Huang Feng.

The Island Master of Purple Cloud noticed Ye Chen's gaze and smiled. "As soon as my mischievous daughter learned that Lord Clan Leader intended to return to the outer realm to resist the human catastrophe, she immediately left the Burial God Abyss to offer her assistance."

Ye Chen was silent for a moment, then nodded.

As all preparations concluded, Ye Chen, the Island Master of Purple Cloud, and the others boarded the most luxurious flying vessel—a gleaming, crimson-gold craft resembling a massive bird.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

One after another, the flying vehicles activated, leaving the plaza and speeding into the distance. Ye Chen looked out the window, watching the island below shrink further and further away, a sigh escaping him as he recalled the Divine Dragon of the Burial God Abyss.

Then, Ye Chen suddenly saw it: covering the entire landscape below the island, countless people stood waving and cheering loudly in farewell. On the peak of Xuanyuan Peak, a towering stone monument had been erected, bearing an engraving of his likeness...

Ye Chen stared for a long time, then smiled.

The journey to the Xuanyuan Divine Tomb had concluded.