"Let me see what's going on here," Chen Changsheng muttered, beginning his divination. Spiritual seals shifted in his hands, and countless cryptic energies flowed over the Ancient Turtle Shell. Profound mystic energy surged around him, radiating a divine glow. Ring after ring of spiritual runes appeared, cycling through the Eight Trigrams: "Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Gen, Li, Dui!"

A moment later, Chen Changsheng slowly opened his eyes, a slight frown creasing his brow as he stared at the hexagram. "It clearly shows my Immortal Destiny is here, on this Martial Tower. Yet, why does the reading turn to 'Great Omen of Disaster' if I try to compete with Ye Chen for the Bronze Ancient Palace's Dao Rhyme? Conversely, if I leave now, the reading is 'Great Fortune and Prosperity'!" He fell into deep thought. He had never encountered such a contradictory situation.

"If that's the case," Chen Changsheng murmured, "my Immortal Destiny isn't the Dao Rhyme of the Bronze Ancient Palace, nor is it the Martial Great Emperor's inheritance. It must be something else entirely." He was puzzled. In this Ancient Inheritance Secret Realm, the Martial Great Emperor's legacy and the Bronze Ancient Palace's Dao Rhyme were the most valuable treasures! What else could possibly be worth more?

Immediately, Chen Changsheng projected his divine sense into dozens of puppets, sending them out to scout the surroundings. The puppets' gazes swept over every genius and prodigy on the Martial Tower, finally settling on Ye Chen. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning seemed to strike Chen Changsheng's mind! "Ye Chen!" he gasped. "My Immortal Destiny... it might be connected to Ye Chen!"

Chen Changsheng immediately activated the Ancient Turtle Shell again, beginning a new divination focused solely on Ye Chen. Sure enough, the reading confirmed it: his destiny lay with Ye Chen! He suddenly recalled that since entering this Ancient Inheritance Secret Realm, every divination he performed near Ye Chen had returned the same result: "Destiny is right before your eyes!" He had been blind before, focusing on the obvious treasures and missing the true source. A single leaf had obscured the entire mountain.

Putting away the Ancient Turtle Shell, Chen Changsheng sank into contemplation. "Why is my Immortal Destiny tied to Ye Chen?" he wondered aloud. "Does he possess a supreme cultivation technique? No, the martial arts he practices, while immensely powerful, run contrary to my own Dao. The path of martial arts is centered on slaughter and conflict; it's incompatible with me. Perhaps he carries another Immortal cultivation method..."

Question after question flashed through Chen Changsheng's mind, all stemming from Ye Chen. They branched out, forming a towering tree of profound mysteries. These questions ultimately pointed toward the power of Karma and the threads of Immortal Fate. Chen Changsheng felt a headache coming on.

He silently reviewed his time in the ancient secret realm. He recalled the high-grade spirit crystal mine where he and Ye Chen had been evenly matched, and the days he had spent secretly observing Ye Chen in the underground palace. Chen Changsheng sighed softly. "The Karma between Ye Chen and me hasn't been severed; it's only grown deeper."

He finally understood. A person blessed with such immense Power of Destiny, like Ye Chen, had Karma that spanned the past, present, and future. Unlike others, Ye Chen's presence created a unique 'Dao and Momentum' in the world around him. Anyone who entered this sphere of influence was already bound by fate to him. Their connection had been forged at the high-grade spirit crystal mine, or perhaps, the moment Chen Changsheng decided to enter this inheritance secret realm, the threads of Karma had already begun to weave.

Chen Changsheng frowned. Since things had reached this point, he was already caught in the web of Karma. He hadn't reached the level of power where he could control the beginning and end of fate, and his entire journey here had been guided by the Heavenly Dao itself.

"Ye Chen!" Chen Changsheng now had his answer, and in a way, his mission was complete. But how should he approach Ye Chen? Should he become his ally, his enemy, or his mentor? What kind of transaction should he propose? Tens of thousands of variables needed careful consideration.

With that thought, Chen Changsheng secretly recalled the dozens of puppets he had placed on the Martial Tower. Leaving them there was pointless. Furthermore, he withdrew the wisp of divine sense he had been using to observe Ye Chen. Now, it was time to formulate a plan to acquire the Immortal Destiny from Ye Chen.

Chen Changsheng's expression was solemn. Today's discovery was one of the ten most significant events of his life. However, since he was abandoning the Martial Tower, he could at least sweep up the other Quasi-Emperor and Great Emperor inheritances scattered throughout the secret realm. These prodigies had only been inside for less than a month, and many opportunities remained undiscovered. But Chen Changsheng knew the exact location of every single one! It was a case of losing the east but gaining the west.

With a flick of his sleeve, the dozens of puppets, barely given a moment's rest, immediately concealed their forms and shot out in all directions, racing to find treasures. Before long, these puppets entered ancient cave dwellings, bypassing seals and restrictions as if they didn't exist, heading straight for the hidden opportunities. High-grade Spirit Stones, Quasi-Emperor-tier spirit herbs, incomplete Emperor Weapons... all flowed into Chen Changsheng's storage ring. Astonishingly, the Martial Great Emperor's remnant Willpower was completely oblivious to the theft.

"Hmm? I wonder what that fellow Qin Wang is up to?" Chen Changsheng muttered, extending his divine sense. He quickly spotted Qin Wang hiding in a secluded spot, once again engaging in his usual 'self-amusement.' After only a few breaths, Chen Changsheng clutched his forehead and sighed. "I should have known better than to look!"

***

On the Heaven-Reaching Staircase of the Martial Tower, Ye Chen was far ahead, having already ascended ten thousand steps. For the other disciples, he was already an unreachable figure. More and more geniuses and prodigies were giving up. Catching up to Ye Chen was simply too difficult!

Liu Xuan, Fang Yan, and others paused for a brief rest around the seven-thousandth step. Luo Lingkong, however, continued his relentless climb. Liu Xuan, her long dress fluttering and brilliant petals swirling beneath her jade feet, stood on the steps, looking up at Ye Chen's retreating figure. "Sigh... First, Junior Sister Fuyao completely crushed us, and now Junior Brother Ye Chen is doing the same. Do you think Peak Master Lu is planning to take on another disciple?"

Fang Yan, panting like an ox, groaned, "Oh, please, no. Peak Master Lu is ridiculous! Seven years without a disciple, and then every one he takes is a world-defying monster! I sincerely hope that if he takes a third disciple, they're someone with mediocre talent and weak strength. That way, we can finally 'get our revenge' and save some face."

Liu Xuan gave a charming smile. "You're not seriously planning to go to Azure Mystery Peak to 'spar' with them, are you?" Fang Yan clenched his fists. "I just can't swallow this humiliation! Junior Sister Fuyao is already a Profound Saint, and now Junior Brother Ye Chen's combat power is completely overwhelming us. If Peak Master Lu's third disciple is just an 'ordinary person,' I'm going to beat them senseless!"

"Count me in!" Liu Xuan declared. Other True Disciples chimed in immediately, "Me too!"

Liu Xuan looked at Luo Lingkong, who was still climbing, burdened by the immense pressure. "Luo Lingkong, what about you? Will you be going to Azure Mystery Peak to get some payback?" Luo Lingkong replied simply, "Yes."

On a different set of steps, the numerous disciples of the Yao Family huddled together, their legs feeling as heavy as lead, despite their full-speed efforts. Yao Huanhuan, her bright eyes blinking, gave a slight smile, revealing her cute canine teeth. "Forget it. Our Yao Family geniuses' strength doesn't lie here! Forcing the ascent will only ruin our foundation. If anyone feels they can't continue, you should withdraw from the Martial Tower."

Hearing this, several disciples whispered, "Senior Sister, are you serious?" Yao Huanhuan chuckled, "Of course." The very next instant, dozens of Yao Family disciples summoned divine rainbows beneath their feet and shot into the air, flying toward the ground. In just a few breaths, they had all fled! Yao Huanhuan stared blankly at the empty space. After a moment of silence, Yao Huanhuan also took off.

At this point, many geniuses on the Heaven-Reaching Staircase saw the mass exodus of the Yao Family and began to whisper, "The Yao Family geniuses are all gone. Maybe we should leave too?" Soon, more and more people abandoned the Martial Tower. They looked up at Ye Chen's figure, letting out long sighs. Ye Chen's performance this time was simply too heaven-defying! Their confidence had been utterly shattered.

Nevertheless, a handful of true monsters remained on the Heaven-Reaching Staircase, continuing their climb. Figures like Chu Yuan of the Supreme Profound Sect, Nan Chen of the Cangmu Academy, and Wang Teng of the Ancient Wang Family gritted their teeth and pressed on. They refused to concede to Ye Chen!

***

One day later, Ye Chen was only ten steps away from the peak of the Heaven-Reaching Staircase! He looked up at the Martial Tower's summit. There, three immense forces were locked in a stalemate: the Dao Rhyme of the Bronze Ancient Palace, the Martial Great Emperor's Martial Will, and the Dao Pattern restrictions left by numerous Southern Wilds Great Emperors. They had achieved a delicate balance.

Ye Chen was secretly astonished. These were all powers of the Emperor Realm, saturated with 'Dao and Essence.' The closer he got, the more terrifying the force he felt. The wisp of the Bronze Ancient Palace's Dao Rhyme hung like a descending river of stars, resting on the tower's spire. Although sealed by countless Dao patterns, it appeared ethereal and unperturbed, floating lightly in the void with an innate spirituality.

Just then, the Martial Great Emperor's voice echoed out. "Little one, someone has been observing you closely for a while now. You didn't notice, did you?" Ye Chen frowned slightly. "Is that so?" Yao Yan, the Quasi-Emperor protector, pondered for a moment before replying, "Chen'er, I detected no one spying on you. Perhaps that person's cultivation is above mine!"

Ye Chen was perplexed. Who could it be? Wasn't this inheritance secret realm only accessible to those below the Profound Saint realm? He had personally witnessed several Saint Kings and Profound Saints attempting to sneak in by concealing their cultivation at the entrance, only to be instantly obliterated by the grand formation jointly set up by Elder Mu and the other Great Emperors.

The Martial Great Emperor smiled faintly. "No matter. I sense no malice from that person. Their methods are heaven-defying and extremely cryptic. I only noticed their presence because the Bronze Ancient Palace's Dao Rhyme fluctuated slightly under their aura. When I tried to investigate, I found nothing! That person's cultivation is likely above mine!"

Ye Chen was slightly startled. Above the Martial Great Emperor? The Martial Great Emperor was a Three-star Martial Emperor! Ye Chen murmured, "Could it be Elder Mu? Or... Master?" After a moment, he shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it, and continued his ascent!

Soon, Ye Chen reached the absolute peak of the Martial Tower. At that moment, the Martial Tower's boundless Martial Will descended upon Ye Chen. Simultaneously, all the other geniuses and prodigies on the Heaven-Reaching Staircase were gently pushed away by an unseen force. Everyone looked up at Ye Chen, whose body was radiating brilliant starlight. Behind him, a Martial Dao Furnace manifested, shining in harmony with the Martial Great Emperor's Willpower.

Liu Xuan offered a charming smile. "Junior Brother Ye Chen, he succeeded!" Fang Yan clenched his fist, laughing. "Junior Brother Ye Chen, well done!"

Then, the Martial Great Emperor's voice slowly echoed, resonating through the void. "Little one, what is your name?"

"Ye Chen!"

The Martial Great Emperor's wisp of Willpower transformed into a tall, black-robed middle-aged man with deep-set eyes. Martial Will coiled around him, causing the surrounding space to warp. He looked at Ye Chen with profound satisfaction. "Excellent! Truly excellent! Ye Chen, first absorb the Dao Rhyme of the Bronze Ancient Palace, and then I shall pass my martial arts legacy to you."

Ye Chen bowed respectfully to the Martial Great Emperor. "Thank you, Senior."