A fierce light flashed in Ye Chen's eyes. The secret manual he had created this time was named Grotto Heaven! Because the manual originated from a perspective that observes and perceives all things in the universe, during combat, it allows one to pinpoint the most accurate point of attack for the most effective and powerful strike!

Everyone has a weakness; striking where it hurts most is key. If, in a fight, one could strike an opponent's "vital spot" every single time, imagine how stifled and frustrated that opponent would become, and the damage inflicted would be terrifyingly severe!

Sharpness gleamed in Ye Chen's eyes, his gaze deep and steady, possessing an intense penetration that seemed capable of seeing into the very core of a thing. This Grotto Heaven Secret Manual was an offensive and auxiliary technique, not conflicting with the Blind Heaven battle skill, and could be layered upon it.

Just then—

Ding-dong!

Ye Chen heard the sound of water and was startled. From what Shao Hao had previously told him, he knew he was the only one in this spirit pool. Hearing another water sound now, he quickly turned to look, only to see ripples slowly spreading across the pale white spirit pool. A dark silhouette slowly emerged from within, gradually breaking the surface.

The first things to surface were two fluffy, wet, long, pointed ears, drooping over its head. Then came a plump, round head and a stout, small body. Its two little paws paddled slowly in the water, swimming to the edge of the pool before laboriously climbing out.

Seeing its plump little body struggling so mightily, Ye Chen felt a pang of pity. With a wave of his hand, he summoned both the clothes from the ground and the small creature, drawing them toward him.

"How did you fall in there?" Ye Chen stroked its soft fur with helplessness. His palm was hot, instantly drying the moisture from the fur he touched, yet it remained unharmed, feeling as smooth as ever.

The little white rabbit lay on his arm, looking at him with watery, tearful eyes. Its soft, plump body rubbed slightly against his arm. Ye Chen gave it a helpless look, quickly dressed himself, and placed the creature inside his inner armor. As he turned to leave, he suddenly froze.

Ahead, beyond the blue, rippling light, a graceful figure stood silently.

Time seemed to stop.

All sound abruptly vanished.

In Ye Chen’s line of sight, this single vista was the entire world. Standing there before him, a surge of hot blood rushed up his throat. His body trembled slightly as he uttered a sound bordering on obsession: "Xiaojun..."

Outside the energy shield of the twelve crystal pillars, Bai Yijun stared blankly at the figure before her, her ten years of longing crashing over her like a breaking tide, flooding her mind and causing her delicate frame to tremble. She forgot everything else; in her heart and in her eyes, only this single, deeply engraved figure remained...

Ye Chen walked out of the twelve crystal pillars’ energy shield in an almost dazed state. A white blur flashed—Bai Yijun, discarding all reserve, lunged straight into his embrace. Her soft body emitted a faint fragrance, feeling utterly real yet dreamlike.

Ye Chen reached out and held her tightly, as if embracing the entire world.

For a long, long time!

The beautiful woman in his arms finally choked out, with a hint of tears, "Don't ever leave me again..."

Ye Chen felt the fabric on his chest dampen with her tears. Moved, he held her delicate body tighter and murmured softly, "I won't. Never again!"

"Mm!" Bai Yijun buried her head, hugging him tightly.

Cough!

A clear cough interrupted the moment. Bai Yijun's cheeks flushed, and she prepared to pull away, but Ye Chen tightened his arm, holding her fast. He then looked up at Shao Hao, who stood nearby with an awkward expression, and chuckled lightly, "When are you going to find me a sister-in-law to introduce?"

Shao Hao rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Why would I introduce a sister-in-law to you? You two have had enough sweetness. Ancestor Fuxi is looking for you; come with me."

Ye Chen paused, then nodded, speaking to the beautiful woman in his arms: "We'll go together."

Bai Yijun hesitated briefly before nodding. Shao Hao glanced at the pair, said nothing more, and led the way. The group left the Divine Peak and headed straight toward the Pangu Divine Peak, the absolute center of the Pangu mountain range. They passed the guards' checks and arrived directly at the Pangu Divine Hall atop the summit.

"Let's wait here," Shao Hao murmured, glancing at Bai Yijun.

Bai Yijun understood and started to let go, but Ye Chen suddenly grasped her tighter, whispering, "It's fine. You are my woman. Wherever I can go, you can go too."

Hearing his bold words, Bai Yijun’s cheeks grew warm. She shot him a playful glance, then looked back at Shao Hao, saying quietly, "Brother Shao Hao, although I am from an outside race, I mean no harm to you all; I hope you can understand."

Seeing the pair, Shao Hao looked resigned, shrugged, and said, "Alright, let's go in together." With that, he led the way into the Pangu Divine Hall.

Ye Chen had been here before. Upon entering this time, he immediately saw that in the vast hall, which resembled a boundless starry sky, only Fuxi occupied the central position among the three purple thrones. On the five golden thrones beside him sat another figure—a handsome man radiating an aura of calm composure and cold authority, like an emperor of unparalleled grace!

Fuxi's gaze was placid and deep. Seeing Ye Chen and the two others enter the hall, his expression didn't change. He cast a brief look at Bai Yijun, his eyes narrowing slightly. After studying the beautiful woman intensely, he withdrew his gaze and looked at Ye Chen, smiling faintly, "Truly young and promising. Worthy of being the successor of the Heavenly Dao. This awakening in the Creation Spirit Pool took a full ten years—a record that surpasses even Empress Wa of those ages, simply unprecedented!"

"Ten years?" Ye Chen was shocked. He couldn't help but turn to look at the beautiful woman beside him. No wonder he felt such intense longing upon seeing her; he had been in seclusion for a full decade!

"Your talent, you should have awakened to at least the intermediate or high level, correct?" Fuxi asked with a smile.

Ye Chen withdrew his gaze and nodded. "It is high-level awakening."

"Excellent!" Fuxi’s eyes shone as he fixed his gaze on Ye Chen. "Your aura is even more robust than before. The Creation Spirit Pool contains components of ancient dark matter; it must have altered your genes. This ancient dark matter, called the Qi of Creation in other civilizations, can fundamentally change the nature of a substance."

Ye Chen nodded. "Yes."

Fuxi smiled. "I can see you are not far from the Divine Spirit realm. In a while, I will take you to Ancient Realm Peak. If you have nothing else pressing, come with me."

"Ancient Realm Peak?" Ye Chen’s heart tightened. He had certainly heard of this name before, and with his clearance level, he could search for related data in the virtual world.

Ancient Realm Peak was rumored to be the place where the entrance to the Ancient Realm often surfaced. Legends claimed someone found the entrance there, while others whispered that merely gazing upon the gate to the Ancient Realm could grant immediate sainthood. Cultivating inside the Ancient Realm, breaking through to the Divine Emperor realm would be as easy as drinking water!

Nothing in this world held an attraction greater than the "Ancient Realm."

Even beings whose names had been erased from the Roster of Sentient Life, those who did not exist in the primeval world, could be revived within the Ancient Realm. One could imagine how formidable this mysterious place was.

Furthermore, ancient prehistoric ruin legends suggested that merely finding the Ancient Realm would make it effortless to cause the Great Dark World to vanish entirely from existence.

Of course, these were just rumors. Whether it was as overwhelmingly powerful as described remained unknown, as rumors tend to inflate reality by many times.

"Why go there?" Ye Chen frowned. Although he felt a pull toward the Ancient Realm Peak, he was not completely swept away. One must remember that while the Ancient Realm Peak was rich in treasures, the danger level was unimaginable to ordinary people.

"At Ancient Realm Peak, the Grotto-Abode of the Ancient God is about to emerge!" Fuxi’s voice was low and fervent, his eyes locked onto Ye Chen.

Shao Hao, standing beside them, smiled faintly, his eyes only sparkling slightly. Although he had heard this news before, every time the words "Grotto-Abode of the Ancient God" were spoken, his heart still felt a surge of excitement.

Bai Yijun’s delicate face changed instantly, filled with shock. Only Ye Chen frowned, asking, "What is the Grotto-Abode of the Ancient God?"

Fuxi knew Ye Chen had been away and thus wasn't privy to such high-level intelligence, so he smiled. "The Grotto-Abode of the Ancient God belongs to the strongest race from the prehistoric civilization, known as the Ancient Gods! This race ruled the cosmos for countless eons, a span so long it is incalculable. Legend holds that this race originated from beings within the Ancient Realm!"

Ye Chen was shaken. Without needing to think hard, he knew that a power capable of ruling the entire universe for countless ages must be unimaginably strong!

"Most importantly..." Fuxi's eyes blazed with intensity, "Inside the Grotto-Abode of the Ancient God, besides countless Dao Artifacts, there are Void-Heaven Artifacts! There are even rumors that inside the Grotto-Abode lies the key to the Ancient Realm!"

"The key to the Ancient Realm!" Ye Chen's heart jolted as if struck by a heavy hammer; the blood in his body felt as though it was boiling and burning.

Fuxi grew solemn. "Therefore, we will all be going. With your current combat strength, once you break through to the Divine Spirit realm, you can single-handedly contend against a peak Divine Emperor! If things get critical, you can use the Heavenly Dao Mech for protection. So, if you go, you have a high chance of obtaining treasures."

Ye Chen nodded slightly, letting the excitement in his heart subside as he frowned in deep thought.

Although there were countless treasures, even the maddening Void-Heaven Artifacts and the legendary Key to the Ancient Realm, such a massive fortune inevitably meant commensurate danger.

In the past, he would have feared nothing when traveling alone, but now, with attachments in his heart, risky ventures were no longer met with unwavering courage; he had more reservations.

Fuxi seemed to sense his thoughts and said gravely, "If it weren't for the treasures in the Grotto-Abode of the Ancient God, in one million years, when the Great Saint War begins, the strength of the primeval world absolutely cannot withstand the invasion of the Great Dark World. You haven't truly witnessed the power of the Great Dark World; by then, the entire primeval world will be devastated, and even the Ten Nations and Ten Halls will be annihilated!"

...

Approaching the college entrance exams, Old Gu wishes all friends taking the exams soaring success. Seeing the current situation, there will be four updates tonight, though they will be quite late. Old Gu will do his best. (To be continued)