Whoosh!

An ancient, gargantuan vessel roared past from the distant heavens, its engines emitting a low, guttural growl. Behind the thrusters, arcs of blue light trailed long, luminous wakes, slicing through the pitch-black firmament like a sharp blade.

Ye Chen sat upon the ship’s couch, cradling a glass of aged vintage wine. The dark crimson liquid glowed enticingly within the crystal goblet, exhaling a fragrant bouquet. This wine, like a woman, only improved with age, gaining more character over time.

Time was the master vintner, adding various flavorings to the tender and pristine, ultimately brewing myriad tastes: bitter, sweet, sharp, intoxicating, captivating, and lonely…

Untouched by the seasoning of years, that mere pristine essence was like drinking plain boiled water—ordinary and bland—yet among all the fine wines, it remained the most precious thing of all.

Too much fine wine leads to intoxication and a headache. Drink too much boiled water, and a quick trip to the lavatory sets everything right again.

Ye Chen gazed out the viewport at the inky blackness. If the entire world had succumbed to an apocalypse, much like the White Lotus Divine Land, then not only humans would be tainted, but even the most common, readily available source of clean water would likely become a rarity.

Vvvmmm~

An alarm suddenly blared outside the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark. Xiao Zhongsheng’s voice rushed through the comms: “Master, monsters are attacking the vessel!”

“Activate the energy shield and annihilate them directly. Do not engage in prolonged combat,” Ye Chen replied casually, leaning back on the sofa.

Receiving the order, Xiao Zhongsheng immediately complied. Countless mystic runes flared to life across the railings and hull of the entire Heavenly Dao Divine Ark. Then, from these black, earthworm-like markings, intense energy erupted, converging to form a massive spherical energy barrier, enveloping the entire ship.

“Annihilation Radiation!” Xiao Zhongsheng reached out and pressed the Cq key.

From the ship's energy shield, a powerful burst of radiant light shot out, sweeping outwards. The birds and beasts swarming the vessel were instantly pierced by these death rays; even those merely grazed by the periphery rapidly decayed, turning to ash that scattered into the air.

Given the flight speed of the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark, any avian or beastly monster struck would instantly shatter into fine light particles. However, the sheer number of creatures ahead was staggering; a direct, brute-force collision would inflict significant damage upon the hull.

Even an aircraft on Earth can become destabilized and crash from hitting a small bird. This law existed in the Ancient World too, though the technological sophistication of the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark ensured its balance and stability were at their zenith. Furthermore, the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark was a warship-class vessel. The configuration of such a ship was incomparable to a mere airplane. What is a warship? If struck by cannon fire while airborne, unless the energy core or engines were breached, it would not crash. Never mind the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark; even a star the size of a hundred suns striking it would leave no mark.

“Master, the detection radar shows a massive cluster of monsters blocking our forward path. The highest life energy signature among this group registers as a blue beacon—it likely possesses the strength of a Divine Emperor level!” Xiao Zhongsheng reported rapidly.

“Are there any alternative routes?” Ye Chen inquired.

“This is the closest route to the Ancient World. Taking another path would require an immensely long duration, estimated to be…”

“No need. Ram straight through,” Ye Chen cut her off, stating directly.

Xiao Zhongsheng quickly responded, “If we force a direct passage, the ship’s energy reserves will be depleted by 384 percent. Are you certain we should charge through?”

“Charge!”

Xiao Zhongsheng gave a wry smile, then looked up at the dark void beyond the viewport, taking a deep breath. She pushed the main engine to maximum power, engaging both auxiliary engines as well. All rear thrusters fired, and the ship’s lateral wings unfurled like a pair of giant blades, equipped with small injectors that further accelerated the vessel.

The entire Heavenly Dao Divine Ark instantly transformed into a predatory shark from the abyssal depths, barreling forward toward the obstruction.

Ye Chen moved to the main control room's cockpit and glanced at the display. He immediately saw, roughly three light-years ahead, a dense swarm of tiny orange dots, countless in number, nearly covering the entire screen—a sight enough to make one’s scalp tingle.

Ye Chen frowned, gazing ahead for a long moment. He suddenly flipped his palm and summoned the Sky Illusion Mirror from his internal universe. He connected mentally with the Mirror’s intelligent core. “What is the maximum number of avatars you can manifest simultaneously?”

“Eight,” the Sky Illusion Mirror’s system whispered. “Around my main frame, there are eight differently colored gems, each enabling one avatar, for a total of eight. Had I truly wished to kill you back then, deploying these eight avatars from the start, while unable to replicate that mysterious power within you, I still could have slain you!”

Ye Chen’s tone was cold. “I know. We have an agreement. I brought you to the outside world, and once my matters are concluded, I will let you go.”

“Just remember that.”

Ye Chen placed his hand upon the Mirror’s surface. The smooth, hard face instantly erupted in an intense, blinding white light, needles of brilliance shooting out, illuminating Ye Chen’s pupils and cheekbones.

“Avatars: Heavenly Dao Divine Ark!”

Ye Chen raised the Sky Illusion Mirror in his palm.

The light from the Mirror soared skyward. This phantom-like white brilliance seemed capable of piercing everything; even the metal ceiling of the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark could not block it. The light materialized above the vessel, spreading slowly to form a colossal, reflective white plane that shone down upon the ship.

Countless beams of white light enveloped the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark, as if bestowing a blessing from the gods.

As the three-light-year distance rapidly closed, Ye Chen stared at the Sky Illusion Mirror in his hand, which displayed: 89% Ye Chen understood that this was the Sky Illusion Mirror decomposing the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark. To manifest anything, the Mirror had to break down the object first.

Before long, the Mirror surface reached 100%.

Vvvmmm~

The entire Sky Illusion Mirror trembled violently, and then a beam of light shot out, appearing outside the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark. Eight white orbs of light, like phantoms, followed this beam and departed the vessel, materializing in the surrounding void.

As the white light dissipated, these eight orbs rapidly coalesced, growing visibly as they expanded at a speed perceptible to the naked eye, becoming eight complete vessels.

Heavenly Dao Divine Arks!

Xiao Zhongsheng gasped, looking at the eight flanking ships, her face a mask of shock. “This, this is…”

Ye Chen retracted the Sky Illusion Mirror. “They are avatars. With their escort, we can break through easily.”

Nine Heavenly Dao Divine Arks flew forward in a staggered formation: one leading, followed by two, then three, then four. The true vessel was positioned centrally within the third row of three ships, thus minimizing the damage sustained.

The three-light-year gap was quickly traversed at the Ark’s speed, bringing them directly to the region densely packed with orange dots. Looking through the viewport, in the distant void ahead, countless screeching cries seemed to echo throughout the night sky.

Rumble-rumble～～

The leading Heavenly Dao Divine Ark suddenly unleashed thousands of intense beams of light, streaking across the void like meteorites, illuminating the entire world. In the face of these thousands of energy beams, every living thing they touched was instantly annihilated like dust, vanishing without a trace.

Immediately following, the two vessels in the second row unleashed all their main cannons. Their thick, dark barrels, like hollow eye sockets, aimed at the countless creatures ahead, blasting torrents of surging, terrifying light beams that tore through the monster horde, carving out a bloody path.

Xiao Zhongsheng stood in the main control room, watching the events unfold through the viewport, her gaze somewhat dazed. She could barely comprehend that these manifested Heavenly Dao Divine Arks possessed the same devastating power as the original! Eight Heavenly Dao Divine Arks, unconstrained by energy consumption, what terrifying destructive power they could unleash?

“Why are there so many monsters here?” Ye Chen stared intently at the dense mass of creatures ahead, his brow deeply furrowed, a sense of dread sinking into his heart.

By this time, the eight escort vessels had safely guided Ye Chen’s Ark deep into the monster swarm, like a massive shark tearing through a tide of blackness. Before long, they pierced through this ocean of monsters and appeared above the Ancient World.

“The number of monsters killed along this route must be in the billions…” Ye Chen glanced back at the void behind them and sighed inwardly. He then rubbed the Sky Illusion Mirror, and the eight external vessels instantly dissolved into eight balls of light, retracting back into the Mirror.

What unfolded before Ye Chen was the Ancient Continent: an endless vista of dark, vast black earth. Border cities, once teeming with ships and bustling populations, were now nothing more than hollow ruins. Empty battlements, dead floating highways starved of power, crashed floating vehicles scattered everywhere, and countless wrecked spacecraft littered the ground.

The great seas had shifted, prosperity had flowed away like water, and the shattered battlements silently recounted the passing of ten thousand years. Ye Chen’s expression darkened. After a moment of silence, he instructed, “Engage stealth mode. Let’s proceed to the capital of the nearest Blazing God Empire to take a look.”

“Yes, Master,” Xiao Zhongsheng nodded.

The Ark’s engines immediately roared out with furious intensity, carrying the vessel forward like an enraged dragon. The scenery along the way stretched and blurred into streaks of light and shadow.

“Only ten thousand years—what upheaval could have occurred in the Ancient World?” Bai Yijun walked up from behind, her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Ye Chen stared into the distance, his gaze profound.