The people fell silent, their very [] blood boiling as they knew Nuwa spoke the truth. Just among those already known, there were three such giants, and how many more mysterious masters even Nuwa was unaware of? Take the headless ancient corpse, for instance; its ability to conquer the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark spoke volumes of its terrifying power!

Fuxi sighed softly, saying, "We believed ourselves to be at the peak tier of the world, having reached a bottleneck, only to find that within this Ancient Realm Peak, we are merely ordinary. Here, the naturally occurring fierce beasts are all at the Divine Emperor level, some even beyond the might of a peak Divine Emperor. If we were to enter that mysterious ancient realm, who knows what wonders await."

The crowd remained silent.

The Yellow Emperor sighed faintly, "In that case, since we cannot leave the Grand Dao of the Ancient Realm Peak, our only option is to wait for the Dragon Fang Alliance army to march. Everyone, rest a while; we must prepare to meet the battle head-on soon."

Emperor Yao pondered, "We could temporarily retreat into the Primordial World, escaping the immediate danger."

"Useless." Nuwa shook her head. "They will pursue us to the Primordial Continent, bringing disaster upon our clansmen. We fight first. Only when it becomes truly impossible to win will we temporarily exit the Grand Dao of the Ancient Realm Peak and flee to the wilderness to shake them off, and then we return."

Emperor Shun nodded, "It must be so. No matter what, in this land of the powerful, we will never yield!"

Ye Chen looked at Bai Yijun beside him; their hearts were attuned, understanding each other's thoughts. They exchanged a knowing smile; no matter the storm raging before them, as long as they had each other, they feared nothing!

As Nuwa finished speaking, everyone began to disperse to prepare for battle. Ye Chen spoke up, "Wait a moment."

The group paused, turning back to look at him. Shao Hao asked in surprise, "Is there something else?"

Ye Chen flipped his palm, opening the space of the Civilization of Fire. He reached inside and had Bai Lan take out five Peak Dao Artifact starships, grabbing them one by one and handing them to the Five Emperors. Even Di Ku, who had been gravely injured previously, was instantly healed.

"This... this is..." Shao Hao's eyes widened in astonishment. Nuwa and Fuxi, along with the others, were also startled. No one expected Ye Chen to produce five Peak Dao Artifact starships the moment he acted. One must know that these Peak Dao Artifact starships were incomparably precious; even the three of them had struggled to acquire just one. Many peak Divine Emperor experts only used High-Grade Dao Artifact starships; only a select few could afford Peak Dao Artifact starships.

"I acquired these by chance," Ye Chen smiled faintly. "With these protecting you during the fight, ordinary peak Divine Emperor experts won't be able to harm you."

Shao Hao, holding the starship the size of a toy in his palm, felt his hand tremble slightly. Tears welled up in the eyes of the burly man. He reached out, placing a hand on Ye Chen's shoulder, and gritted out, "Good brother!" Ye Chen laughed and punched him lightly. "I'm counting on you to be alive so we can share wine and discuss the Dao in the future."

"I will definitely survive!" Shao Hao clenched his fist resolutely.

Emperor Yao, Emperor Shun, and the other four Emperors standing nearby were deeply moved. They gazed at Ye Chen's warm smile, and though no words of thanks were uttered, they secretly etched this favor into their hearts.

Subsequently, everyone scattered. The Five Emperors, having received the Peak Dao Artifact starships, returned to the various spatial domains of the Celestial Emperor Castle to test the ships and formally establish their master-servant bond with the intelligent systems within.

Ye Chen, with Bai Yijun, strolled through the leisure [huā] garden within the Celestial Emperor Castle, savoring this quiet sweetness before the great battle.

On the Grand Dao of the Ancient Realm Peak, a dense cluster of structures lay crouched on the eastern open ground—majestically imposing castles and starships. At the very center stood a building that towered above the rest, designed with extravagant nobility. Its alloy walls radiated an unparalleled aura, marking it as a top-tier vessel even among Peak Dao Artifacts!

In the hall of this central structure, a man clad in gold, adorned with dragon embroidery on his robes, sat radiating a nobility so profound that the mightiest terrestrial emperors resembled the lowliest beggars before him. The disparity was vast in attire, posture, and temperament.

Currently, this golden-robed man was seated on a Dragon Incense Wood chair beside the hall, sharing wine and conversation with a refined man in white, punctuated by occasional bursts of laughter.

"Brother Lunzhuan, your words are truly insightful! Among all the powerful figures in this world, you are the only one who possesses such a lucid perspective!" the golden-robed man chuckled lightly.

"You flatter me," the refined man in white replied with a gentle smile. "I have deciphered the Heavenly Book and used the Heavenly Dao Cosmos for deduction. So-called prophecies are merely facts deduced by intelligent individuals through numerous pieces of information. However, these deductions exist on different tiers. The most common people only calculate logical sequences—if A strikes B, B will certainly retaliate, thus concluding a revenge plot."

He spoke with composure and elegance: "Those slightly higher can deduce based on personal relationships, timing, and terrain. Take the previous example: if B, intending revenge, encounters another pressing matter and has a sudden enlightenment, thus abandoning the revenge, wouldn't the deduction be wrong? This tier of person can factor in surrounding relationships and changes into their deduction."

"A higher tier understands human nature, understands time and space, and comprehends climatic variations, among other things."

The golden-robed man was intrigued. "Deduction requires understanding time and space, and even climate?"

The refined man in white smiled. "Naturally. Every necessary movement within heaven and earth is a factor in the deduction. The lowest-level person only knows B will seek revenge but not when. This tier knows that climate variations do not just mean weather, but that they are aware of all unstable factors."

"One needs to observe the celestial phenomena, understand the geography, comprehend the human heart, and know the nature of things."

"I see," the golden-robed man realized. He smiled, pouring a full cup of fine wine for the refined man, saying, "Brother Lunzhuan, what profound insights! I wonder how many more tiers exist above yours to reach your level."

The refined man in white smiled. "Those like me must transcend the Divine Emperor realm. The world we perceive is invisible to those at the Divine Emperor level, so they cannot possibly reach my level of deduction—it is like a person lacking the concept of timing and terrain in their mind; they can only deduce based on the knowledge they possess, ultimately arriving at a result."

The golden-robed man leaned forward with interest. "I wonder what is used for deduction when one reaches our level."

"That is both simple and complex to explain," the refined man in white smiled slightly. "Through Karma, Destiny, Reincarnation, Celestial Signs, Nature, the operation of the Cosmos, and changes in the Laws. Only when one reaches our realm can they perceive Reincarnation, understand Celestial Signs, and then, by combining this with Fortune, deduce everything under heaven."

The golden-robed man fell deep in thought. After a long pause, he sighed deeply. "Brother Lunzhuan, your magnificent strategy and insight command my deepest admiration!" He raised his cup in salute, draining it in one go as a sign of respect.

The refined man in white smiled. "Just idle talk, hardly worth mentioning."

The golden-robed man set down his cup and asked, "I wonder if there are any higher methods of deduction above your level."

The refined man in white shook his head.

"None?" The golden-robed man was surprised, then nodded. "That makes sense. Having reached your level is unprecedented throughout history; how could there be a higher tier?"

"No," the refined man in white corrected, shaking his head. "It is not that there isn't one, but I absolutely cannot see that world."

The golden-robed man was stunned. "Even with your strength, you cannot see it?" The refined man in white smiled, about to say something, when his brow suddenly furrowed. He turned and looked toward the outside of the hall. After a few minutes, six figures slowly floated in from outside. Following the announcement from the guards at the door, they were permitted to enter the hall.

The golden-robed man glanced at the expression on the refined man in white's face; his heart sank. He immediately looked at the six figures and asked, "Did you fail?"

If Ye Chen were present, he would instantly recognize these six figures as the refined men he had kicked out of the Celestial Emperor Castle, including the scholarly man. Hearing the golden-robed man's question, the six of them started, glanced fearfully at the refined man in white beside him, and then hung their heads. The scholarly man spoke with bitterness, "Alliance Leader Longquan, it is not that we did not exert ourselves, but the Civilization of Spirit brought forth a powerful helper. Even with all our strength, the six of us could not defeat them."

This golden-robed man was naturally Emperor Longquan. A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "Then how did you return? You are the Six Civilization Masters. How can you fail such a simple task, and still have the face to see me?"

The refined man in white waved his hand slightly. "Do not blame them. Nuwa must have sent them back to deliver a message. Their lives were spared; this is a gesture of goodwill, showing they do not wish to provoke us."

The scholarly man and the others were both shocked and delighted, confirming, "Yes, yes, the Vice-Alliance Leader speaks correctly!"

The refined man in white smiled slightly, looking at the group. "Tell me, what kind of helper did they have that managed to rout all six of you?"

The scholarly man paused, a flush creeping across his face, looking somewhat bashful. He stammered, "It was a junior from the Civilization of Spirit, only at the Divine Spirit realm, but his physical body was incomparably powerful—I fear even the Savage Beast Civilization would struggle against him."

The refined man in white exchanged a look with Emperor Longquan. Emperor Longquan immediately pressed, "What is this person's name?"

The scholarly man pondered for a moment. "His name is Ye Chen."

"It is him!" The refined man in white frowned; a slight seriousness settled in his heart. He murmured, "As expected. By calculating with the Heavenly Book, I can directly perceive everything, yet the Nine Great Emperors who possess the Void Heaven Artifacts, this person, and that Third Miss of the Bai family—these individuals I cannot probe directly. I can only rely on ordinary deduction techniques to calculate."

"Does this person also have the Third Miss of the Bai family with him?" Emperor Longquan frowned.

The scholarly man nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, he does."

The refined man in white's eyes flickered. He glanced at the six people present. "How did you lose the battle? How strong is this Ye Chen?"

The scholarly man was momentarily stunned, his face reddening. He exchanged glances with the others beside him, admitting shamefully, "We couldn't withstand even a single move from him. If this person had any murderous intent, all six of us would be dead. I... I cannot gauge his strength; I estimate he should be, should be..."

"Should be what?" Emperor Longquan frowned.

The scholarly man cautiously glanced at him. "I estimate he is comparable to the Lord of the Ten Halls..."