In the long stretch of years, Ye Chen traversed the corridors of time, ceaselessly seeking out various civilizations, journeying to the core of each one to witness the most minute dissections and applications of their inherent talents, thereby anatomizing and integrating that civilization's giftedness into his own being through data analysis.
Tens of thousands of years had passed since his last encounter with the Cold Light Civilization. Ye Chen had now grasped the talents of nearly thirty civilizations; where once it took a century to comprehend one, it now took mere decades, and for those talents closely aligned with the "Dao" he had already grasped, the process sometimes required only a few years.
Throughout these millennia, Dark Heavenly God and the others had faithfully trailed him, each cultivating the energy within their 〖Body〗. Though they had initially paid attention to Ye Chen’s activities, they soon ceased to monitor him, having discerned nothing noteworthy.
In their estimation, whatever Ye Chen was doing mattered little. The revival of the Ancient Gods was drawing near, and the Super World War would erupt in a few hundred thousand years—an interval that, for beings of their cultivation, felt no longer than a few dozen days, passing in the blink of an eye. No matter how they cultivated, significant breakthroughs seemed elusive.
During these ten thousand years, the Ancient Continent had undergone earth-shattering changes. The three passes leading to the Ancient Realm Peak were instantly breached, and an army, seemingly marching from the very depths of hell, carrying the deathly aura of vengeance, descended upon the Ancient Continent with frightening speed. It was as if a long-sealed, ancient race had once again unleashed cataclysmic power upon this land!
This army, naturally, was the Ancient God Clan.
Every member of the Ancient God Clan was as massive as a mountain range; rivers and peaks were trampled beneath their feet. They moved like prehistoric behemoths, crushing and obliterating the border cities, surging toward the Central Province of the Ancient Continent like a black deluge.
The continent, having undergone the baptism of the Heart Realm, was strewn with headless corpses. The majestic halls of the original Ten Great Temples lay shattered, illuminated by the desolate glow of the setting sun. The Ten Great Empires had also crumbled, countless lives massacred overnight by the sudden appearance of these monstrous entities, utterly destroyed.
The Ten Great Empires rapidly disintegrated. The Imperial court issued emergency mobilization orders, gathering their remaining populace and evacuating swiftly aboard massive divine vessels known as "Noah."
A prehistoric catastrophe, resembling the end of days, descended upon the continent, claiming countless lives. Amidst the panic and confusion, faith had already collapsed, leaving only helplessness and darkness.
The once-glorious civilizations were drowned beneath this encroaching blackness.
Yet, from within this doomsday darkness, a massive, epoch-making super-civilization arose—the Primeval Civilization!
A contingent of super-experts from the Primeval Divine Temple appeared on the continent from an unknown source. They began rescuing the remnants of life across the land, establishing super-bases fortified by the great sacred mountains, housing immense populations, and defending against hordes of corpse monsters that had suddenly revived from beneath the earth, protected by numerous super-experts.
White Spirit Mountain was one such high-level base.
Its sheer, perilous terrain, coupled with the unique Heavenly Crossing River, meant that few corpse monsters could approach it, unless they were of the colossal Ancient God Clan, capable of crossing directly.
At the highest peak of White Spirit Mountain stood an exquisite and resplendent palace, magnificent like the vast Great Wall, its glazed golden tiles flashing with luxurious brilliance.
At the very top of the palace was a suspended golden Dragon Throne, almost comparable to a dragon bed in its sheer size, sufficient for a person to lie down and sleep, both in length and width.
If an ordinary person were to sit upon it, they would merely serve as a contrast, utterly dwarfed and diminished by the imposing aura radiating from the sovereign Dragon Throne. But at this moment, a golden-haired woman occupied the seat. Her hair, like ocean waves, billowed behind her; her features were delicate and fair, her eyes a bright, watery sea-blue, her lips full and crimson, and her legs long and graceful—she appeared as a noble goddess.
Though her delicate frame rested upon it, she seemed to command the entire throne, which resembled a dragon bed. An unparalleled aura enveloped the throne, and indeed, the entire divine hall.
This golden-haired woman was none other than the attendant before the Primeval War Sovereign.
In the grand hall before her stood a crowd of people, numbering over a hundred. They stood respectfully before the suspended golden Dragon Throne; even looking up, they could only see a pair of fair, slender legs and a coldly arrogant chin.
Among this gathering, familiar faces could be spotted: the Cycle Saint-King, Bai Tian, the Master of the Bright Temple, the Master of the Heavenly Thunder Temple, and others...
“Since the Ancient God Clan invaded the Primeval World, their actions have grown increasingly rampant. They have consecutively occupied the territories of the former Ice and Snow Empire and are rapidly sweeping through the Central Province. We have just received an urgent report from the frontier forces stationed outside the capital of the Ice and Snow Empire, requesting reinforcements. Who among you is willing to go?” The golden-haired woman looked down indifferently upon everyone before her.
The hall fell into a profound silence.
The mere thought of the giant, towering forms of the Ancient God Clan lodged in their minds like a massive stone, heavy enough to nearly bend their spines.
After a long pause, a single voice finally spoke: “I will go.”
The Master of the Bright Temple stepped forward, her demeanor one of ethereal elegance, like a saintess atop a distant, snow-capped peak.
All eyes turned toward her—some relieved, some confused, a few sneering inwardly, though most were simply glad that someone had volunteered, thus avoiding the possibility of being randomly selected by the golden-haired woman.
“Very well,” the golden-haired woman nodded slightly. With a grasp of her hand, a fissure tore open in the void, blooming with a gorgeous silvery-white light. Slowly drifting out was a crescent blade resembling a cold moon, emanating immensely pure and dense light energy.
“This is a Light-elemental Void Heaven Artifact, named the Moonfall Blade. Take it for self-defense.” With a flick of her finger, the blade hummed, shooting towards the Master of the Bright Temple before instantly halting three feet before her brow, its pure, gentle white light caressing her cheek.
All eyes present brightened, radiating fervent desire.
Even though ten millennia had passed, and the cultivation of both the Cycle Saint-King and the Master of the Bright Temple had advanced to the Epoch Realm, and they possessed Epoch-grade weaponry, Void Heaven Artifacts remained beyond their grasp.
The power of a Void Heaven Artifact was absolutely world-destroying. In a critical moment, one could even self-detonate the artifact, unleashing enough energy to slay an enemy several times stronger than oneself. It was the ultimate life-saving talisman.
The Master of the Bright Temple’s eyes flashed. She reached out, accepted the Moonfall Blade, stored it away, offered her thanks, and immediately retreated, turning to depart for the Ice and Snow Empire.
“Excellent. Recently, the southern border of the Blazing God Empire has also shown signs of instability; a large number of corpses have migrated there. Who among you wishes to take up a defensive post?” the golden-haired woman asked the assembled group placidly.
“I will go.”
“I will go too.”
Several voices immediately rose from the crowd, volunteering readily.
The Cycle Saint-King, clad in white, observed these individuals, his brow furrowing slightly, a faint sneer touching the corner of his lips.
“Indeed.” The golden-haired woman nodded faintly. “Your courage is commendable. Be mindful of your safety on the road. Depart.”
Hearing this, the volunteers who had spoken froze, then looked utterly bewildered.
That was it?
Where was the Void Heaven Artifact?
Seeing the faint, subtle smile playing on the golden-haired woman’s lips, the volunteers felt like weeping tears of bitter regret.
In the Ice and Snow Empire, deep within the frontier Ice and Snow Forest.
The vast forest, perpetually covered in ice and snow, now housed a colossal tent, resembling a towering canopy completely obscuring the ground beneath.
On a small hill at the center of the tent sat a giant. His colossal frame boasted granite-hard, protruding muscles, covered in domineering armor, radiating a deadly aura akin to the God of Death.
“General, we have successfully penetrated the middle sector of this empire. Scouts report that a significant number of troops have recently reinforced this area; we anticipate support arriving.” A powerfully built brute approached the tent respectfully. “General, what are our orders now?”
This giant, shrouded in killing intent, showed contemplation on his stern face, as if pondering other matters. Hearing the question, he merely raised his head slightly and replied coldly, “Level any obstruction! Trample them!”
Fierce!
This was the very essence of the Ancient God Clan’s might!
No trickery, no conspiracy—only absolute power!
This was a race that revered martial strength above all else!
The burly subordinate nodded respectfully, “Yes, sir,” before turning and departing.
After he left, a faint, detached voice suddenly entered the General’s ear: “Have there been any updates on the Ancient God’s location recently?” The voice descended as if from the Ninth Heaven, ethereal like mist, yet resonating clearly deep within the General’s soul. He trembled, and the arrogance instantly vanished from his face. He bowed respectfully, “Greetings, Grand Commander. We have received no news of the Ancient God yet. We do not know where his body was interred. I have searched an area spanning several million light-years without success.”
“The world is vast; a mere few million light-years is nothing. I expect news soon,” the detached voice drilled into his ears like an evil chant before gradually fading away.
Once the voice vanished, the General recovered, realizing he was drenched in a cold sweat. He hastily rose and left the tent to attend to his duties.
Time flowed on, measured by unknown spans.
One hundred thousand years vanished in a blink.
Ye Chen’s body flashed out of the River of Time. The hundred millennia had left few traces upon him, save for an added layer of profound composure.
“Three thousand civilizations, finally fully comprehended. This marks the saturation point for the Myriad Heavens Deity Forging Art. I wonder what the resulting power will be?” A sharp glint flashed in Ye Chen’s eyes. In an instant, he leaped from the River of Time, returning to the present moment of the real world, reappearing within the Great Dark World.
Ten thousand years had passed, and the Great Dark World had undergone sweeping, fundamental changes. Ye Chen’s spiritual sense spanned a vast area, yet he failed to detect a single living being—the entire region was occupied by hordes of lifeless, corpse-like entities, wandering everywhere, casting a somber, desolate air over the world.
“I wonder what the Ancient Continent is like now…” Ye Chen’s gaze held a flicker of nostalgia. He sighed softly, his expression turning cold. With detachment, he declared, “Come out. This time, I want to see if you can still manage to hold me back.” (To be continued)