There were three thousand and one Ascension Platforms in total. Each time someone broke through a cultivation realm, the Chaos Realm would sense it, subsequently activating a Platform, tearing open the spatial barriers, descending chaotic power to infuse the promoter, and offering a chance for transformation.

Since ancient times, during the most flourishing and prosperous eras, the maximum number of people to break through to the Divine Emperor realm within a single minute was only three thousand and one, which is why there had always been exactly three thousand and one Ascension Platforms.

At this moment, before one such platform—a vast, immense stone platform shaped like an octagon, with a spiral groove carved in the center leading down into a pitch-black abyss, the bottom of which was unseen.

Suddenly, from the boundless darkness in the center of the originally pitch-black platform, a surge of white, wave-like radiance erupted, shooting toward the sky like a spectacular, brilliant firework, blossoming in stunning splendor. An unparalleled aura wildly swept outwards, powerful enough to shake seven or eight nearby Ascension Platforms into collapse.

Instantly, more than a dozen figures streaked over from the distance, each radiating an intensely powerful and terrifying aura, like ancient, savage behemoths. Before reaching the white surge of energy, all of them attacked simultaneously. Surging energy poured forth from their bodies like a torrential flood, coalescing into a translucent blue matrix that enveloped the entire sky.

Rumble, rumble, rumble...

The white energy wave struck the matrix, eliciting a series of deafening roars. The entire blue matrix shook violently, and the dozen figures maintaining the barrier also trembled, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths. Only after a long while did the white energy wave gradually recede.

The blue matrix flickered faintly before vanishing into thin air. The dozen figures quickly adjusted their breathing, then looked at each other, recognizing the shock and fear in each other's eyes.

"This power... such rich Light Force. Could it be her doing?"

"She perished eons ago, gravely wounded during the assault by the [Great Dao], and then ultimately slain by the first Patriarch of the Time Clan—utterly annihilated. Resurrection is impossible. How can her aura still linger?"

"That's impossible. Perhaps... perhaps she hasn't resurrected; it was one of the former Light Emissaries who acted."

Everyone glanced at one another, their hearts turning bitter.

They didn't even believe the words themselves. If a mere Light Emissary possessed such strength, they might as well give up living. One must remember that the Emissaries under the Three Supremes of the Chaos Realm, even the First Emissary, could only match one of them in strength. If they joined forces, they could be slain instantly!

But that single strike just now, piercing through the barrier separating two worlds, still carried such surging residual force. A direct confrontation was simply unimaginable in its horror!

As their expressions grew heavy, the space above their heads suddenly twisted, and from it emerged a distinguished gentleman clad in soft silk robes. His light-gold long robe fluttered in the wind; his sharp eyebrows swept back toward his temples; and his starlike, profound eyes stared intently at the ruined Ascension Platform, his brow deeply furrowed.

No one noticed him until his body manifested. They immediately bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Lord Purple Gold Supreme!"

This silk-robed man, possessing the composed indifference of an emperor, remained frowning. He merely nodded slightly upon hearing them, then continued to gaze at the Ascension Platform, a strange light igniting in his eyes. "Could it be that Second Brother has already devoured the corpse of the Goddess of Light? Is this a demonstration...?"

Snow Domain, Abyss of Dead Souls.

The dazzling, brilliant white light flooded the entire pitch-black Abyss of Dead Souls, causing every inch of space to radiate a blinding luminescence.

Ye Chen couldn't help but squint, raising a hand to shield his eyes.

Time passed quietly. The expected searing heat did not descend upon his body; instead, it felt as if he were enveloped by a warm, soft cloud—an indescribable comfort.

Ye Chen opened his eyes and saw that within the dazzling white light before him, countless beams converged rapidly like flowing sand, coalescing into a faint, white silhouette—elegant, beautiful, noble, as ethereal and pure as an exiled celestial being. Though her face was indistinct, there was an inherent feeling of familiarity.

This beautiful, hazy figure floated before Ye Chen. The light suddenly concentrated more intensely on her hand. Her originally tranquil, slender hand became clearer: delicate and smooth, the skin as fine as jade fat, possessing a milky, snow-white sheen. Her long, thin fingers delicately held a white talisman seal. "This is a life-saving rune. When you encounter grave danger in the future, it can preserve your life... Go now, and never return. The gates of the Snow Domain shall be sealed forever."

The voice resonated as if descending from the heavens above—mysterious and ancient.

Ye Chen looked at the white talisman seal. He watched it transform into a streak of light and drill into his body. A warm current rushed into his chest, intensely comforting.

When Ye Chen looked up again, the hazy white figure had vanished. The surrounding space of white light had, at some unknown point, transformed into vast, desolate ravines, surrounded by broken stones, pitted and uneven. At his feet lay fallen branches, dead wood, and rotting leaves spread like a carpet, stretching toward the distant horizon. Ye Chen paused for a moment, suddenly realizing, and abruptly looked up—

A perfect, crimson moon hung in the sky, its cold and bewitching radiance slanting down, dyeing the earth a vibrant red like crimson cloth.

"The Ancient World?" Ye Chen was bewildered.

He suddenly recalled the slender, pale hand and that mysterious white talisman. He quickly reached out to touch his chest, finding no wound. He immediately closed his eyes to check his internal state but discovered nothing unusual, not even a wisp of external power.

Everything felt dreamlike and illusory.

Ye Chen stood stunned for a long time before the confusion in his eyes slowly cleared. He shook his head, glanced at the silent surroundings, sensing the faint death energy permeating the air, and frowned. His body flickered, and he shot into the sky, looking down upon the surroundings.

With him at the center, within a radius of ten thousand miles, the entire area was a vast expanse of shattered peaks and trampled forests. These peaks were snapped in half, with broken stones rolling down onto the ground. Dark trees were marked by impact craters like fallen meteorites, as if something immense had passed through.

Ye Chen followed the straight line of the collapsed forest to its end, his eyes flashing with light. His body suddenly flickered, and he rushed toward that direction.

While flying, Ye Chen activated his rune space and retrieved a locator. The map coordinates displayed indicated that the forest he was in belonged to the outer edge of the Dead Spirit Forest, east of the Ice Snow Empire. In the direction he was heading was the Rock God Empire, which bordered the Ice Snow Empire.

"The air is thick with the stench of rotting corpses—it must be it..." Ye Chen's eyes narrowed slightly, murderous intent flickering.

He flew for about ten minutes, crossing two cities. What sank his heart was that both cities had become ghost towns. Majestic walls were torn open, reduced to crumbling ruins. Broken ramparts and collapsed structures filled the area, with faint black smoke lingering above the city. The ground was scarred with pockmarks from bombardment, and the streets were dyed crimson with blood, showing large patches of vibrant red flowers.

Even from Ye Chen's altitude, he could see large areas bathed in red light. It was easy to surmise that a massive number of people must have died together to create such a conspicuous sight.

"I wonder how Ancestor Nuwa and the others are doing." Ye Chen’s brow furrowed slightly, his mood heavy. If it weren't for the foul stench of rotting corpses in the air, he would have sought out the Spiritual Civilization first. However, having encountered this entity, he needed to confirm something.

Soon, Ye Chen reached the border of the Rock God Empire. The forest there was dense and luxuriant, filled with pale-gold Dragon Coral trees as far as the eye could see—a unique species abundant in the Rock God Empire whose fruit, when made into spices, was favored by many nobles and highly valuable.

A biting, fierce wind blew directly into his face, rubbing against his cheeks like countless tiny blades and arrows. Ye Chen's gaze suddenly brightened. In the distant, hazy sky, he saw a colossal, pitch-black body, perhaps ten million kilometers tall. It had no head, and its body was covered in fragmented, massive armor. The exquisitely carved runes had been sealed in the soil for too long, corroded until they were somewhat blackened.

"The Headless Ancient Corpse!" Surging killing intent flashed through Ye Chen's eyes. A strand of cyan light manifested around him, and his forward speed increased explosively. It was as if an invisible, sharp blade was tearing a rift in the air, offering no resistance from the fierce wind, greatly augmenting his velocity.

Just then—

Boom~

Before the advancing Headless Ancient Corpse, another Headless Ancient Corpse slowly stood up. It had the same bronze skin, though somewhat blackened and dull from soil corrosion, and it was slightly taller. It looked at the approaching Headless Ancient Corpse as if waiting, and when the approaching corpse reached its side, it turned and walked forward.

The two Headless Ancient Corpses moved together without any verbal exchange, quickly running forward. Their footsteps striking the ground instantly shook some dormant volcanoes, erupting towering flames and thick magma.

Ye Chen frowned, slowing his pace slightly. He stared intently. Due to the distance, he couldn't see clearly. He had to retrieve the Miniature Divine Observation Telescope from his rune space—an expensive technological item comparable to a low-grade Divine Emperor weapon, capable of discerning minute sand and dust on the Zodiac constellations from Earth, though it was relatively small.

Looking through the Divine Observation Telescope, Ye Chen examined the bodies of the two Headless Ancient Corpses in great detail. He even saw the enlarged coarse hair hundreds of times over. Finding no Corpse Shepherd, his heart finally relaxed. Although his power had greatly increased, encountering a Corpse Shepherd still required caution. Otherwise, if he were to fight the Headless Ancient Corpse, the Shepherd might use some unknown method to summon nearby Headless Ancient Corpses, creating serious trouble.

As Ye Chen pondered, the two Headless Ancient Corpses entered a valley. The towering peaks only reached their waists, yet even so, those peaks were considered perilously steep.