"The Desolate Heaven Art!"
In that instant, a terrifying, peerless power surged from Ye Chen. His martial will shone with brilliant light, and the power of the stars flowed around him. With a mighty roar, the Martial Dao Furnace rose, saturated with the profound Dao and Essence of the universe. It hung in the air like a colossal sun, its mysterious power boundless and vast.
Clad in white, Ye Chen stood like a divine king descending upon the world, his gaze deep and profound. Within the small space he occupied, an overwhelming aura—the Invincible Stance—began to coalesce.
The Martial Dao Furnace thundered continuously.
Seeing this, the many prodigies and geniuses on the ground felt monstrous waves of shock churn in their hearts. Even from a distance, the sheer force of that martial will pressed down on them. The disciples were reminded of the terrifying, dominating fear they felt when Lu Xuan had previously acted against Lin Lei and the others from the Supreme Profound Sect. Too powerful!
At that moment, the Martial Dao Great Emperor extended his right hand and gently placed it upon the blazing Martial Dao Furnace, sensing its essence. His illusory body trembled slightly, his shock growing with every passing moment.
The Great Emperor’s martial will resonated directly with Ye Chen’s Martial Dao Furnace, sounding like a great bell, its chime shaking the heavens.
More than that—the Martial Dao Great Emperor saw the boundless Path of Martial Arts, stretching endlessly, without beginning or end, yet eternally vibrant!
A moment later, the Martial Dao Great Emperor’s eyes shone brightly. His illusory form resonated with Ye Chen’s Furnace of Enlightenment. His voice trembled with excitement as he spoke:
“‘To hear the Dao in the morning and die in the evening is enough!’ I have heard the roar of the Martial Dao, the sound of breaking ten thousand laws! I have seen the eternal vitality of the martial path! I saw the end of the road, and yet, the Grand Dao still emerged…”
“Ye Chen, thank you. This secret realm is about to collapse. Before it does, let my last shred of Willpower merge into your Martial Dao Furnace and accompany you on your journey to the martial peak.”
At this moment, the former Martial Dao Great Emperor wore a look of sorrow, yet his eyes were filled with tears. He recalled countless memories. He sighed with deep emotion.
“The path of cultivation is like an ancient, endless river. On the left bank are the fellow Daoists and enemies who seek the truth; on the right bank is the ultimate Dao that all living beings dream of. And in the middle flows the eternal tribulation. The struggle for the Grand Dao is like crossing this long river—fail to reach either bank, and you will ultimately dissipate into the heavens. One misstep, and your body and soul are instantly destroyed!”
The Martial Dao Great Emperor was filled with deep sentiment, smiling as he looked at Ye Chen.
“I am the Martial Dao Great Emperor! My life is now concluded. The Martial Dao is a solitary path, but I hope you can walk all the way to the peak!”
Hearing this, Ye Chen bowed respectfully to the Great Emperor, deeply moved. This martial inheritance was a farewell from beyond life and death, and he was touched by the Great Emperor’s heroic spirit.
Ye Chen turned his head to look at Liu Xuan, Luo Lingkong, Fang Yan, and the others. In his mind, images of his Master, Ji Fuyao, the Ye Family of Qingcheng, and the Fuyao Dynasty flashed. He spoke slowly, with conviction:
“Senior, I believe the Martial Dao is not solitary. One person can walk fast, but a group can walk further! I will walk this path with my Master, my Senior Sister, the Grand Dao Sect, and everyone else.”
As his voice faded, the Martial Dao Great Emperor paused, then murmured, “One person can walk fast, but a group can walk further! Excellent! Excellent! Truly excellent!”
On the ground, Liu Xuan, Luo Lingkong, and Fang Yan all felt a jolt, as if struck by lightning.
Liu Xuan’s delicate body trembled, her eyes slightly red. “Junior Brother Ye Chen, we will walk this path with you!”
Luo Lingkong’s hand shook slightly as he stroked the spirit sword at his waist. He spoke slowly, “Junior Brother Ye Chen, one day, my Sword Dao and your Martial Dao will illuminate the heavens at the ultimate end of the road, shattering ten thousand mountains and rivers!”
Fang Yan stomped the ground and roared, tears suddenly streaming down his face. “Solid as a rock! Ah… Damn you, Junior Brother Ye Chen, why are you talking like this is a final farewell? Ah!”
Beside him, Yao Huanhuan bit her lip and muttered, “I’m included in that ‘everyone,’ right?”
A thousand miles away, Chen Changsheng sighed softly. “The karma is set! The karma is set!”
At that moment, the Martial Dao Great Emperor gently patted Ye Chen’s shoulder and said earnestly, “Ye Chen, I have great faith in you.”
With a thunderous boom, the Great Emperor’s shred of Willpower transformed into a blazing divine light, shining like a brilliant star. It poured down onto Ye Chen—a baptism of the Martial Emperor’s will!
Ye Chen’s body trembled, and he immediately sat cross-legged to accept the Great Emperor’s gift. In an instant, his cultivation began to surge wildly.
Profound Venerate Stage Two!
Profound Venerate Stage Three!
…
The speed only began to slow down when he reached Profound Venerate Stage Six.
The Martial Dao Great Emperor’s final voice echoed: “Ye Chen, the rest of my Willpower has transformed into a Martial Dao Seed, which has merged into your Martial Dao Furnace. I still have some residual energy to improve your physical body and soul! When my Willpower dissipates, this secret realm will reopen, and it will be time for you to leave…”
“Thank you, Senior!” Ye Chen replied.
Immediately, surging martial power washed over Ye Chen, continuously refining his physique.
At this point, the entire secret realm was on the verge of collapse. The power of heaven and earth grew thin, and intensely brilliant Dao patterns began to flood the space. The small world shook violently, becoming unstable.
***
Meanwhile, outside the Inheritance Secret Realm, numerous Great Emperors from the Tianluo Hall were hidden in the shadows, watching the changes with astonishment.
Luo Yangtian, the Hall Master of the Yunzhou Branch, spoke, “Why is the Inheritance Secret Realm opening so quickly? I thought we had another month or two.”
The Six-star Great Emperor beside him replied, “It seems someone obtained the Martial Emperor’s inheritance ahead of schedule. The question is, did anyone get their hands on the Dao Rhyme of the Bronze Ancient Palace?”
Luo Yangtian’s face twisted into a savage, ferocious grin. He hissed, “Prepare to move! Prepare to move!”
He stared intently at the ancient secret realm, his murderous intent unrestrained, his Emperor’s might surging like a vast ocean.
The Tianluo Hall Great Emperors next to him cautioned, “Hall Master Luo, don’t be rash! The ancient secret realm is only experiencing internal fluctuations of the world’s rules; it hasn’t fully opened yet. You must not alert the people of the Grand Dao Sect!”
Luo Yangtian nodded, reluctantly suppressing his killing intent.
The Tianluo Hall Great Emperors began to conceal their figures, ready to activate the corner of the Emperor Formation Pattern at any moment. They had long since laid this formation, and the small world where Elder Mu and the Grand Dao Sect were stationed was already enveloped by its power.
Luo Yangtian clenched his fist, a cold sneer on his face. “Ye Chen, I will make sure you wish for death but cannot find it!”
At this time, the dominant factions emerged from their respective encampments, looking up at the Martial Emperor Secret Realm.
Elder Mu’s eyes shone. He smiled faintly. “I wonder if Ye Chen and the others managed to obtain that wisp of Dao Rhyme?”
The Body Tempering Peak Master said, “Ye Chen’s strength is top-tier among these prodigies. It shouldn’t be a problem.”
The Qionghua Peak Master frowned slightly. “The pressure on Ye Chen and the others during this secret realm trip was immense. They had to contend with four major forces: the Tianluo Hall, the Heaven Saber Gate, the Ancient Qin Family, and the Supreme Profound Sect. I wonder what their situation is now?”
Elder Mu replied, “I have already contacted the Sect Master. Only a few of our disciples’ life tokens were shattered, which is acceptable. Ye Chen’s and Liu Xuan’s tokens and soul lamps are intact. It seems they are all safe!”
The Peak Masters agreed, “That is excellent news!”
In the distance, a corner of the Ancient Inheritance Secret Realm was revealed. Brilliant Dao patterns cascaded down like a river of stars. The small world where the secret realm was located began to shake violently, and spatial power surged into a frenzy.
Before long, BOOM! The void was torn open, and space twisted!
The ancient secret realm was fully exposed to the Southern Wilds, constantly being crushed by the power of the world. Endless divine light erupted, and terrifying spatial gales raged. The raw, primal energy from the secret realm poured out in all directions, like a tidal wave.
At that moment, the spatial formation that the Great Emperors had set up beforehand was instantly activated. Its monstrous power, like a dagger, plunged into the secret realm’s space, forcibly carving out a spatial passage!
In an instant, countless divine rainbows surged from the passage, and numerous disciples shot out of the secret realm.
Elder Mu extended his divine sense and smiled faintly. “I see Ye Chen and the others…”
Before he could finish, Elder Mu’s expression drastically changed. He immediately shielded the Qionghua Peak Master and the others, shouting, “Be careful! Someone has laid an Emperor Formation Pattern in this area ahead of time!”
Immediately, the Emperor Formation Pattern shone with dazzling divine light. Dense spirit runes flickered like stars, and a terrifying aura permeated the void. Its boundless, overwhelming power instantly enveloped Elder Mu and the others.
CRACK! Space twisted! The void was ripped apart!
In the next moment, a massive angular object appeared, followed by an ancient token inscribed with flowing, brilliant Dao patterns. The token rapidly expanded until it hung in the sky like a small mountain. Two dazzling, ancient characters slowly materialized:
“Tian! Luo!”
Over a dozen Great Emperors from the Tianluo Hall suddenly descended from the sky. Their Emperor’s might was vast, their killing intent immense. They instantly split into two groups: two Six-star Great Emperors, three Five-star Great Emperors, and several lower-star Great Emperors.
One group stepped through the void toward the area where Elder Mu was.
The other group, led by Luo Yangtian, activated a corner of the Emperor Formation Pattern, traversing the void toward Ye Chen and the other disciples.
Witnessing this, all the dominant factions present were utterly stunned! Who could have imagined that the Tianluo Hall had planned this ambush in advance, choosing this very moment to strike the Grand Dao Sect? They weren't just targeting the younger generation like Ye Chen; they were also ambushing Mu Yunhai (Elder Mu) and the Peak Masters!
Terrifying!
Elder Mu’s face turned grim. He gritted his teeth. “Tianluo Hall!”
The Qionghua Peak Master and the Body Tempering Peak Master looked shocked. “Elder Mu, what about Ye Chen and the others…”
Before they could finish, the two Six-star Great Emperors had arrived. Using the power of the spatial formation, they instantly shifted Elder Mu and the others to an unknown location, leaving only the howling spatial gales behind.
Seeing this, Luo Yangtian’s face was savage. “Excellent. Mu Yunhai has been taken away! Now, these ants, like Ye Chen, have nowhere to run!”
As he spoke, another corner of the Emperor Formation Pattern materialized!
Ye Chen and the others looked grim. “The Tianluo Hall dares to attack us here!?”
Liu Xuan’s face drained of color. Her mind raced, searching for any way to escape.
But it was useless! Completely useless!
A Five-star Great Emperor was leading three lower-star Great Emperors to ambush them! They were only a few dozen Profound Venerate cultivators! The strongest among them, Ye Chen, had just broken through to Profound Venerate Stage Seven!
Ye Chen, Liu Xuan, Luo Lingkong, and Fang Yan shouted almost simultaneously, “You all go first!”
“Go? In front of me, you have no path to the heavens and no door to the earth!” Luo Yangtian’s black robe billowed. With a ferocious expression, he descended directly above Ye Chen. Every movement he made unleashed surging Emperor’s might, like the vast ocean current.
In an instant, the power of the Great Emperor Formation Pattern violently shook, instantly shifting Ye Chen and the others out of the area.
However, in that same fleeting moment, Chen Changsheng transformed into a streak of light, concealing his form, and stepped into the corner of the Great Emperor Formation Pattern where Ye Chen was.
He sighed, “I have entered Ye Chen’s karma.”