As the general discussion swirled around him, Ye Chen, who was absorbing the legacy, slowly concluded his advancement process. His body gently drifted back down, his billowing black hair settling as he opened his eyes to behold the assembled World Supremes before him.

Ye Chen’s brow furrowed slightly, his gaze flickering. On the surface, he appeared utterly composed, yet a distinct tension churned within. Anyone facing such a multitude of World Supremes for the first time would be a thousand times more nervous than he felt. The sheer pressure emanating from each Supreme was like standing before a colossal mountain, rendering him as insignificant as a mote of dust.

At that moment, Ye Chen felt like a tiny speck enveloped by towering peaks, nearly crushed and suffocated. Hearing the murmurs of the crowd, a thought stirred in his mind, and his gaze settled upon the Bronze Supreme, a subtle ripple dancing in his eyes.

From the silvery-white coffin closest to Ye Chen, a light chuckle emerged. “Young brother, the moment I saw you, I knew you possessed brilliant natural talent and extraordinary aptitude. Now that you have grasped this Dao that transcends heaven and earth, I wholeheartedly wish to take you as my disciple. I shall impart every ounce of my life’s learning to you, forging you into the greatest figure of all time, allowing you to surpass us World Supremes, step into a higher realm, and take your place among the Top Ten Heavenly Gods!”

Ye Chen’s expression remained unchanged. He nodded and said, “Many thanks for the favor, Silver Coffin Supreme.”

Since the awakening of his past life's memories, he recalled much. Memories of the various World Supremes present surfaced from the deepest recesses of his mind. However, the details of his own origins remained somewhat hazy, like a fleeting spark of light—you could almost grasp it, yet it slipped away before you could hold on.

“What is that compared to what I offer?” A delicate snort interrupted the moment. Ye Chen’s vision blurred slightly as he saw a woman clad in robes of seven-colored splendor, soaring like a phoenix from the Nine Heavens—beautiful and exquisite. Tiny motes of crystal light emanated from her skin, as fine as white jade, utterly mesmerizing. Her captivating eyes swept over him like pools of deep emerald water, soul-snaring in their intensity. “If you follow me, I will not only cultivate you with all my might until you become the Tenth Heavenly God, but I will also ensure you enjoy the finest life a man can experience in this world.”

Her voice was laced with irresistible charm. “Even with boundless longevity, life can be solitary. Even with peerless grace, glamour eventually fades. Only what can be enjoyed in the present moment is truly the best. Even if it lasts but an instant, it is worth pursuing until death, like a moth drawn to the flame, simply for that moment of brilliance.”

Her words were not only correct but profoundly stirring.

A flicker of true longing did cross Ye Chen’s mind. The best life a man could enjoy—merely glancing at the slender figure of this alluring woman told him precisely what that meant. Given her breathtaking beauty, she was surely unrivaled in the world. Even the most exquisite divine artisans could never sculpt a face so perfect, one that made the stars above dim in comparison; all other beauty served merely as a backdrop to her.

No man could possibly resist such a woman, such unparalleled allure.

Yet, Ye Chen was not ordinary.

He simply watched her, neither averting his gaze nor letting his eyes drift to the slightly lowered neckline of her dress. His expression was as impassive as if he were looking at a piece of wood. “Many thanks for the favor, Seven-Colored Supreme of the Time Realm. However, as for the finest life a man can enjoy, I already possess it.”

“Oh?” The Seven-Colored Supreme arched a delicate eyebrow, a flicker of interest sparking in her eyes. “You say you already possess it? Do you even know what the best life is? For a man, it is absolute dominion over the world, a nation rich and powerful, a harem of beauties at your side, and unrivaled strength throughout the cosmos. Having all these things combined—that is the pinnacle of existence, the perfect life! Though you have reached a Heaven-Defying realm and count among the strong, you are still quite far from being unrivaled across the world.”

What she spoke was the truth. But even the truth spoken by a peerless beauty sounded sweet.

Ye Chen smiled faintly. “What you describe is not a perfect life; it sounds more like a sinful hell.”

“Oh?” The Seven-Colored Supreme found him even more interesting now.

“The strength to dominate the world costs a lifetime of solitude. Imperial power that eclipses nations brings endless secret covetousness from those nearby, draining one’s spirit. Wealth surpassing nations, mountains of riches, yet unable to buy a single heart of sincere, selfless affection. As for beauty, I already have the one I love. Truly beloved, just one person is enough. Therefore, I am currently at the happiest point in my life,” Ye Chen stated with a smile.

The Seven-Colored Supreme’s delicate eyebrows knitted together. She scrutinized Ye Chen for a moment, then sighed softly. “Regardless, whatever you desire, I can help you attain it.”

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued. “Really?”

Seeing that Ye Chen seemed moved, the expressions of everyone else instantly shifted. The Yama Supreme from the Ghost Realm boomed loudly, “Young brother, any wish you voice, we can fulfill. We will even assist you in becoming a World Supreme.”

“Me too.”

“Name anything, and we can accomplish it for you.”

In a rush, all the World Supremes made solemn guarantees, looking at Ye Chen with eager anticipation.

Ye Chen sighed internally. No matter how beautiful the olive branches they cast before him now, the moment he pledged allegiance to any one of them and stepped outside the protective range of the others, he would instantly be slain, and the Dao of Darkness within him would be extracted.

Despite this grim reality, given the current situation, he had no choice but to select one.

As he pondered this, a surge of vast, rolling energy suddenly swept through the heavens and earth. Following this, a piercing sound roared from all directions, enveloping the entire world.

The expressions of all the World Supremes subtly changed. Some even abruptly fixed their gazes on Ye Chen, killing intent flashing in their eyes, their bodies shifting as they lunged toward him, unleashing ferocious World Force to strike him head-on.

Their previous geniality vanished in an instant.

A cold glint flashed in Ye Chen’s eyes. A monumental, Heaven-Defying divine power erupted from him, as if challenging the very cosmos. The power of the Dao of Darkness within him converged before him, coalescing into a sliver of knife-light, sharpened to its ultimate extreme. The near-transparent blade shimmered like a river of stars as it swung fiercely toward the incoming World Force.

BOOM!

The World Force collided with the transparent blade formed from the condensed Dao of Darkness. The entire sky detonated with a violent roar. Ye Chen was forced back three steps, his face turning somewhat pale, but a fierce brilliance shot from his eyes.

Since antiquity, countless geniuses had emerged like sudden peaks, dominating the world. Some grasped the laws of the Divine Realm at birth or in their earliest years, ascending from mortals to the Divine state. Others rapidly rose by grasping certain profound mysteries, like meteors streaking across the sky.

But none of them, while in the Heaven-Defying Realm, could withstand a single blow from a World Supreme in direct confrontation!

The gap between a World Supreme and the Heaven-Defying Realm was an impassable chasm, one that no power could bridge. Even if Ye Chen possessed ten thousand peak Heaven-Defying weapons, in this direct clash, he had actually withstood the World Force.

Just as Ye Chen’s fighting spirit soared, seven or eight streams of World Force suddenly surged from all directions. These World Supremes, who had moments before been trying to win him over, suddenly directed murderous intent toward him, each attacking without mercy.

Ye Chen’s heart immediately sank.

Facing seven or eight streams of World Force, even an established World Supreme would be severely wounded, perhaps even killed outright.

In that split second, a potent surge of World Force suddenly twisted into existence around his body, forming an unyielding spherical barrier that tightly encased Ye Chen.

CRASH, CRASH, CRASH...

The relentless World Force struck, but it only generated faint ripples on the surface of this massive World Force barrier before vanishing.

Ye Chen felt a blur before his eyes; his body felt as if it had been flung high into the clouds. When he came to his senses, he was no longer above the Burial Ground. Instead, he stood before a magnificent and awe-inspiring palace. At the center of this palace stood a colossal, towering, emerald-green tree, its scale defying imagination.

“Where is this…” Ye Chen stared at the grand and imposing palace and the emerald tree within it, finding the scene eerily familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before. Something in the depths of his memory seemed to be stirred, and vague images gradually sharpened…

... The Burial Ground.

“Damn it!” The Asura Supreme of the Ghost Realm’s face contorted with rage as his body was struck square in the chest by a dense surge of World Force. He flew backward, leaving a dark, swirling vortex ripped open behind him, leading straight into the Ghost Realm.

“That cursed Ancient World dares to steal our person, bastards!!” A burly man with bronze skin, standing beside the Bronze Supreme, erupted in fury like a raging God of War, swiftly turning and retreating back into the Chaos Realm.

A dense wave of Ancient World Force swept across the sky, assaulting every World Supreme present. Those unable to dodge were directly dealt grievous injuries. However, they dared not linger, quickly returning to their respective worlds.

Only within their own domains could their World Force be endlessly replenished, essentially making them invincible. Moreover, from that intense Ancient World Force, they understood that the Ancient World had mobilized its World Origin Power while they were distracted by negotiations. Pushing the battle further would only result in losses, especially since the coveted Ye Chen had already been teleported away by the Ancient World Force.

The assembled World Supremes departed in disarray and humiliation, their grand gathering ending in tatters.

Ye Chen remained unaware of this, though he could easily imagine the scene. Before him, a woman with golden hair suddenly materialized, radiating a holy light like a noble goddess. Beneath her delicately curved golden eyebrows were pupils the color of amber, and she smiled as she looked at him. “It is truly good to see you again, Blade Emperor.”

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