Venerable White Fang smiled faintly, “This is the Azure Moon Pearl, a peak Domain Artifact capable of deploying the Moon Kingdom, covering an area of 100 kilometers; beyond this range, its power is greatly diminished. This treasure is forged using the marrow of a mature Moon Beast and a 9-million-year Bodhi Seed as primary materials, supplemented by the fresh blood of one hundred thousand Wood-attributed Super Divine Beasts as a medicinal guide, and three thousand Law Fruits as auxiliary components. It was personally refined by Master Lan Feng of Snowsprite City in the Azure God Empire. The method for refining this Azure Moon Pearl is unique; only this one person in the entire Ancient World possesses it.”
“And throughout the entire Ancient World, there are only nine such Azure Moon Pearls!”
Hearing Venerable White Fang’s words, Ye Chen couldn't help but pause, gazing at the azure-green bead, momentarily speechless.
Venerable White Fang glanced at him and smiled, “When I was roaming the world in my younger days, I passed through Snowsprite City and traded a bottle of my cherished aged solitary wine to acquire one. This Azure Moon Pearl also possesses several auxiliary effects: it can repel dust, dispel toxins, stabilize the circulation of vital blood within the body, ensure eternal youth, and carrying it long-term can enhance one's lifespan. Among peak Domain Artifacts, the Azure Moon Pearl is absolutely a standout! When presenting gifts later, with this Azure Moon Pearl, you should be able to secure a spot in the top ten; if luck favors you, breaking into the top six might not be out of the question!”
The warm Azure Moon Pearl lay quietly in the palm of Venerable White Fang’s hand, its soft, jade-green light caressing Ye Chen’s cheek, causing him to lower his head, as if he dared not face that crystalline, beautiful emerald radiance.
After a long pause, Ye Chen finally raised his head, looking up at Venerable White Fang, his eyes shining with an unprecedented brilliance, his voice low and husky, “Thank you for your kindness, Teacher. I believe the Teacher should keep this treasure for himself; your disciple has his own item for the gift!”
Venerable White Fang was momentarily stunned. “You have a gift?”
“Yes.” Ye Chen lowered his head.
Venerable White Fang frowned slightly. “This is not the time for false modesty. Although your personal strength is currently terrifyingly powerful, if your gift doesn’t make the top six, you will still be eliminated.”
Ye Chen clenched his fist and murmured, “Master, please rest assured, your disciple has his own way; I will definitely make it into the top six!”
Venerable White Fang frowned slightly, gazing intently at Ye Chen for a long moment before relaxing his brow. He put away the Azure Moon Pearl and nodded, “If that is the case, then strive hard! In this Young Hero Battle, based on your strength, your chance of claiming the title of Number One is quite high. Just do not be careless. Look across the entire Ancient World—there are far too many who wish to become a son-in-law of the Bai family. This Bai family is the foremost among the Nine Great Families of the Ancient World!”
“If one can become the son-in-law of the Bai family, even an utter fool could, relying on the Bai family’s immense reserves, utilize all manner of Heaven and Earth Spirit Treasures, and receive guidance from outstanding teachers, to become a Divine Emperor powerhouse with one hundred percent certainty!”
Ye Chen nodded silently, clenching his fists, “This time, no matter what, your disciple will succeed!”
Venerable White Fang nodded. “If you are prepared, then go forth boldly. It is time for us to depart!” With that, the White Crystal Spaceship arrived at the boundary and entered the VIP-level Cosmic Leap Channel. Before long, it plunged into the cosmic passage—a place of utter blackness where time and space ceased to be felt, like a vacuum segment devoid of any energy.
“You should rest now; we will arrive in three days,” Venerable White Fang said with a smile.
Ye Chen nodded and, led by a maidservant, was taken to a luxurious room. However, he did not sleep; instead, he entered the Virtual World to continue contemplating the Heavenly Dao Stele.
Time flowed on…
Approximately two days passed.
Ye Chen suddenly felt the spaceship he was sitting on shudder violently. He hastily exited the Virtual World, disregarding the comprehension time on the Heavenly Dao Stele he had just paid 10 Divine Points for, threw open the door, and rushed out of the room. He immediately saw the entire White Crystal Spaceship tilted precariously, as if about to capsize.
“What’s wrong?” Ye Chen asked urgently.
Venerable White Fang stood in the main hall, his expression severe, his brow tightly furrowed. He said in a low voice, “We have encountered a spatial collapse; this cosmic channel has broken down and disintegrated. Outside the ship now is a turbulent spacetime storm.”
Ye Chen froze for a moment and quickly looked toward the external view capture device, only to see a distorted space, with countless vortices spontaneously generating, carrying a soul-stirring, terrifying energy that filled the entire channel.
“Then what do we do?” Ye Chen couldn't help but ask. “Is there no way to escape?”
Venerable White Fang’s brow remained tightly locked as he stared at the ship’s external view, deep in thought. After a moment, he shook his head. “I miscalculated.”
“What?” Ye Chen sensed a hint of impending doom.
Venerable White Fang said gravely, “This cosmic leap channel is checked daily by Divine Emperor level experts; an accident involving its collapse is rare. Given the fortune we possess, we absolutely wouldn't have unluckily stumbled into something like this. This must have been done deliberately. After you slaughtered Zidian and Hua Zhan in the Blazing God Empire, the masters behind them hold a deep grudge against you; this might be their scheme!”
“Is there any way out?” Ye Chen’s face showed a rare flicker of anxiety.
Venerable White Fang shook his head bitterly. “A cosmic channel collapse is no small matter; it requires the combined efforts of several Divine Emperor experts to soothe the rampant energy within. I believe Divine Emperor experts should already be rushing here, but who knows which time period of the parallel timeline we are currently in. Perhaps a day passes for us here, while a hundred years have already gone by outside.”
Ye Chen’s heart clenched violently, nearly stopping its beat. His mind buzzed, becoming a blank slate.
“H-how could this be…”
He looked up at the lights on the ceiling, the blood in his body seeming to freeze instantly, his voice grating as if cut by a knife, “H-how… could… this be…”
His heart sank right then and there.
A raging fire suddenly erupted from the depths of his soul, almost incinerating all his consciousness, carrying with it surging killing intent and a violent aura.
“Damn it!” He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, his teeth grinding audibly, his eyes instantly turning red.
Bang!
Suddenly, his back of the head smarted, and his consciousness immediately faded into darkness.
Venerable White Fang caught his collapsing body and sighed, “It is all my miscalculation; I almost caused you to suffer a Qi deviation. The state of mind you cultivated for so long cannot be destroyed in a single day.”
He looked up toward the outside of the spaceship, a sharp, cold glint flashing in his eyes. “Zishen, Yanmo, the two of you—wait until this Venerable one comes out, and I will repay you tenfold!”
...
In the distant Radiant Empire, in Tianguang Prefecture, on Bai Ling Mountain within Moon Lake, the vicinity spanning ninety thousand kilometers was bustling with activity. The influx of people suddenly increased, major hotels were packed to capacity, and the streets were crowded, loud, and vibrant.
Above the Heavenly Crossing River on Bai Ling Mountain, the Ancient Void Bridge remained extended and had never been retracted. People continuously crossed the Ancient Void Bridge to visit Bai Ling Mountain.
In the vast sky, warships and spaceships pierced the air, descending in succession. At the mountain gate on one end of the Ancient Void Bridge stood numerous guards, all radiating Divine energy. Furthermore, two elders were personally welcoming guests at the main entrance; one of them was Elder Han, whom Ye Chen had met that day.
Beside the stone bank near the mountain gate, a group of children were playing, tossing pebbles into the Heavenly Crossing River, sending ripples across the water's surface.
Elder Han, dressed in a long green robe, stood tall, gazing toward the distant horizon with a gentle expression. He suddenly noticed a black dot appearing in the sky, growing larger and larger—it was an ancient spaceship, moving slowly toward them.
This spaceship was exceptionally ancient, covered in an aura of time and weather, making anyone who looked upon it instinctively feel a sense of vast, primitive antiquity. Embroidered on its banner was a golden wheel pattern, dazzling and brilliant.
“It’s people from the Samsara Divine Hall,” murmured a nearby elder in a crimson robe.
Elder Han nodded slightly, his eyes flickering. “The marriage of the Third Miss has attracted young talents from all directions this time. I heard that within the Hall of All Beings of the Samsara Divine Hall, there are the reincarnated bodies of nine ancient figures. I wonder if one of them is arriving.”
At this moment, the ancient spaceship followed the Ancient Void Bridge to the mountain gate, halting in the void. The hatch opened, and two rows of strikingly beautiful maidservants filed out, standing in perfect alignment, their demeanor respectful, their posture graceful, and their smiles capable of bringing down cities.
Slowly emerging from the hatch was a young man in white, one hand resting behind his back. He possessed a commanding physique, skin as fair as jade, golden hair, and strangely mesmerizing purple eyes, a hint of sinister amusement playing on the corner of his lips.
“It is Zi Xue from the Hall of All Beings of the Samsara Divine Hall,” Elder Han murmured with a solemn expression. “It is rumored that in his past life, this person was suspected to be Elder Divine Thunder of the Heavenly Thunder Family. That Elder Divine Thunder possessed heaven-shattering cultivation and successfully passed through the Gate of Samsara. If this youth can recover his past life’s cultivation, his strength will command respect, even from me!”
“No matter how strong his cultivation, he doesn't even qualify to carry the boots of our Third Miss,” the crimson-robed elder beside him said placidly.
“That is for certain,” Elder Han smiled faintly.
...
On Bai Ling Mountain, a faint white mist perpetually hung low. Peaks rose and fell, stretching for a thousand miles, with divine cranes and immortal phoenixes soaring between the ravines, resembling an ancient sacred ground of immortals.
The central Bai Ling Mountain was dense with lush greenery, boasting spectacular waterfalls, strange rock formations, and clear pools—a scene famed throughout the world. Rare birds and exotic beasts roamed the mountain forests, leisurely and undisturbed, with no one daring to bother them.
At the summit of Bai Ling Mountain, enveloped in white clouds, several magnificent pavilions and turrets were vaguely visible, their jade tiles and curved eaves appearing and disappearing in the mist, like palaces erected in the heavens, drawing awe and longing.
At this moment, in the rear mountain of Bai Ling Mountain, there was a cave. The stone door was carved with the pattern of a blazing sun. Suddenly, this stone door burst open, and a beam of white light shot out, soaring into the sky, piercing the clouds and connecting to the vault of the firmament, becoming the only light between heaven and earth.
Boom!
The top of the cave suddenly exploded, and a figure slowly floated out of the white light, like an exiled immortal from the Nine Heavens, unstained by the slightest speck of dust. Her skin was like snow, her beauty utterly devastating, her fingers slender like scallions, every inch and every part of her body perfectly flawless to the point of being beyond reproach.
She was a woman with long, black hair, draped in garments that resembled light gauze, her flowing robes making her look like a figure from a painting.