Eternal Holy Emperor
Chapter 177 - 162: The Powers Gather

Chapter 177: Chapter 162: The Powers Gather

The one who had left this Dao in the past had not yet passed away; Ye Chen could sense the faint existence of Dao in the Great Desert, which still maintained a certain level of activity and was being controlled, signifying that the person who had deployed this "Dao" was still alive in this world.

It was a shocking revelation, for it was unclear just how long this civilization had disappeared, but it must have been at least tens of thousands of years, otherwise, the towns within the Trial World would not have decayed to this extent.

Yet the person who had turned this stretch of land into a desert spanning thousands of miles had not yet perished, and having lived for at least ten thousand years, was an astonishing fact to comprehend.

Elder Yan also felt all of this and likewise could not conceal his amazement.

Originally a deity of his generation, after tens of thousands of years had passed, just how formidable could his cultivation have grown? No one could say for certain.

On the path of cultivation, every step forward would increase one’s strength and longevity.

Acquired cultivators lived one hundred fifty years, Innate cultivators two hundred years, Martial Gods five hundred years, Heavenly Gods one thousand years, and Divine Beings two thousand years; these were the lifespan limits of the Five Great Realms. To live longer, one had to break through to an entirely new Great Realm or consume some special Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures; otherwise, there were generally no other methods.

But even Divine Beings, powerful as they were, only had a lifespan of two thousand years. The person who had created this desert had lived for over ten thousand years, which was enough to prove that they were an "Old Immortal," a living fossil of an era long past. If indeed it was as such, it would undoubtedly be a terrifying fact beyond words.

Perhaps even if they could not stand shoulder to shoulder with the Great Powers of the Heavenly and Myriads of Realms, they wouldn’t be far off.

Such an existence, just the thought of it alone was enough to make hearts tremble, truly worthy of the title "peerless supreme."

However, after the initial shock, Ye Chen calmed down and shook his head, "Perhaps they are still alive, but not necessarily beyond the Divine Beings."

Elder Yan understood his meaning, being alive did not necessarily mean they were incomparably strong, for above this world there were World Heart Fragments, Divine Items that are fragments of the World Origin’s core, embodying within them a small heavenly and earthly domain. They could also be used to Seal oneself, delaying the passage of time’s effects, allowing one’s existence to endure in the world.

The Hongtian Great Saint had done just that.

The person who caused this Red Sand Desert spanning thousands of miles might have been sealed within a World Heart Fragment as well.

Without witnessing it personally, it was all hard to confirm.

Ye Chen did not dwell too much on this matter, but he did keep an extra notion in mind. He had a premonition that he would meet this person in the future, and that time would not be too far off.

After meditating for a moment on the desert, Ye Chen flipped his palm over, and a pure white flame suddenly rose in the center of his palm. Its color was so unnaturally white that, although it was clearly a flame, it emitted a chilling cold.

Even in this Red Sand Desert, so torrid that even Innate Cultivators found it hard to endure, the fire’s icy chill caused the scorching ground to frost over, which was quite eerie.

This was a type of flame that Ye Chen had deciphered from the Dao remnants in the desert. The person who had turned this region into a desert possessed this strange Dao Fire, and now Qian Yue had deciphered it and partially restored it.

This Dao was extraordinary, merging cold ice with blazing flame into one, endowed with inconceivable abilities.

Sadly, the flame from that person of the past was definitely far more than this, a pity that its existence was too old, the Dao had dissipated almost completely, leaving behind only a faint trace. It was already quite commendable that Ye Chen could decipher this much from it.

With a puff, the forest-white cold fire dissipated, the coldness in the tent vanished, but as long as Ye Chen wished, he could refine this strange cold fire at any time, for he had mastered it.

During the day, the desert’s heat was unbearable, even the blowing wind carried infinite scorching heat, as if trying to bake a person alive. But at night, the desert transformed into another state entirely, with a cool breeze and refreshing air that invigorated the spirit.

This was the characteristic climate of the desert.

In the oasis, there were campfires being lit, and the majority of the Trialists were not sleeping. At this time, a small trading market had formed spontaneously, where many Trialists could freely trade items, including the trading of Identity Tokens and other treasures.

However, such transactions were generally not too valuable, even an Innate Demon Pill could almost reach the limit.

Occasionally, there were trades involving Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and Pills, often catching the attention of many.

Ye Chen did not engage in trading, as nothing caught his eye. Under his black robe’s sleeve, a pitch-black, slender serpent slithered out, covered in fine black scales. At first glance, it looked rugged and terrifying, but upon closer inspection, the serpent actually possessed limbs and claws, with a horn on its head and whiskers on its back, having sturdy limbs clearly identifying it as a Demon Flood Dragon.

It was indeed the Demon Flood Dragon, except under Ye Chen’s instruction, it had reduced its size. Having reached the Martial God Realm, the Demon Flood Dragon had mastered some Divine Skills and could naturally minimize its form, avoiding the attention of others.

In this moment, as the Demon Flood Dragon slithered out, it kept its Demon Power concealed but stayed protectively by Ye Chen’s side.

That was because Ye Chen needed to investigate; he sat within his tent, unnoticed and undisturbed by others. With a faint light shimmering between his brows, an invisible and majestic Divine Sense Power quietly spread out, covering the entire oasis and sensing everything within it.

Afterwards, his Divine Sense stretched out, taking on a linear shape as it swiftly spread into the mysterious gateway.

Though Ye Chen was not yet a Martial God, his Divine Sense Power was surprisingly strong, surpassing that of an ordinary Martial God. Its immense and invisible presence, once in a linear form, could span a significant distance and eventually touch the mysterious gateway tens of miles away.

There, the void twisted, and Ye Chen’s Divine Sense Power attempted to probe and explore within it. Unfortunately, the portal was imbued with a mystical power that even Ye Chen’s Divine Sense could not penetrate completely. He was blocked from entry, causing him to frown slightly.

His Divine Sense Power then retracted and spread over the oasis, where sounds emerged in his perception, and he unknowingly gathered a fair amount of information about the mysterious world.

Throughout the past month, a considerable number of trialists rashly ventured into the mysterious world. Yet it was fraught with danger, and even just transiting through the Great Desert was full of various perils.

During the day, there were sandstorms and Red Sand Scorpions that posed a hazard. This sand wasn’t just a normal sandstorm; it raged with fierce winds and scalding heatwaves carrying Wind Blades capable of killing trialists.

And the Red Sand Scorpions would appear, swarming in the thousands. Like ants that could kill an elephant, even the Top 100 Trial Participants would tremble in fear,

Because of this, over seventy trialists had been forced to activate their Spirit Talismans to protect themselves, thereby getting eliminated.

The mysterious world was even more precarious. Although its space twisted, so one couldn’t see everything inside, some trialists successfully breached it and entered the portal. However, it was rumored that only screams were heard coming from within, before eventually all went silent, causing a shudder to run through everyone with no idea what had transpired inside.

Now it could be affirmed that the only ones who truly survived were those Super Experts with the qualifications of a king.

Moreover, once someone entered the mysterious world, they could not exit, and whether there were time constraints or other conditions was unclear. At least for now, no one, including those Super Experts qualified to be kings, had been able to return.

The information wasn’t plentiful, but at least it provided Ye Chen with some practical insights. He did not head out alone.

In the dead of night, a series of unusual disturbances arose within the camp, as around ten or so formidable trialists arrived. Their presence was overwhelming and surpassed that of ordinary trialists as they were from the ranks of the Top 100 Trial Participants.

More than half appeared noble and majestic, from the ranks of princes and princesses of super forces such as the Soaring Dragon Empire and the Jiuhua Empire. Their demeanors were haughty, as if they stood above all others. Besides them, other Top 100 Trial Participants also arrived, with this group adding up to twenty or thirty people, occupying a significant portion of the Top 100 Trial Participants.

Their arrival greatly boosted the morale of all the trialists, as these Top 100 Trial Participants represented some of the truly strong ones on the Trial Road, especially the princes and princesses from super forces, who were equipped with Heavy Weapons to ensure safety at critical moments.

But what was most disappointing was that Ye Chen, rumored to be the Crownless King, had yet to make an appearance, leaving many feeling regretful.

After all, with Ye Chen, the Crownless King, taking part, the success rate would increase many times over, a fact that even the proud princes and princesses from super forces had to silently acknowledge, without denial.

But no one knew that Ye Chen had already arrived and was merely concealing himself amongst the crowd, biding his time to take action.

Shortly thereafter, a Golden Lion with Scale Armor descended from the sky and landed in the main camp, drawing looks of apprehension and awe from many. For this Golden Lion alone posed a challenge greater than a typical Top 100 Trial Participant.

Astride it were three people who descended: the Thirteenth Prince of Xiafeng Country, Princess Hongs Rong, and Vivian. Their arrival was welcomed warmly, despite the Super Experts’ royal offspring having to curb their arrogance and offer them a modicum of respect.

After all, they were the friends of Ye Chen, the Crownless King, who had not hesitated to offend the Tianqi Empire for their sake. Just for that, no one dared to offend the trio. Besides, they had with them the terrifying Demon Beast, the Golden Lion with Scale Armor.

"Brother Xia Teng, I had heard that Fellow Daoist Ye Chen would come; why is there no sign of him?" a noble prince from the Jiuhua Empire asked, drawing everyone’s attention.

The arrival, or lack thereof, of Ye Chen was what all were most concerned about.

The Thirteenth Prince was caught off guard, as Ye Chen had set out even earlier than they had. Just as he was about to speak, a telepathic message echoed in his mind. Suddenly understanding, he smiled knowingly and said, "Everyone needn’t worry. Ye Chen will come. He has simply been delayed by some matters. He suggested we set out first and not wait for him. He prefers to come and go solo."

"I see..."

Although somewhat disappointed, the crowd still enthusiastically welcomed the trio. Even the few royals from Jiuhua Empire and Soaring Dragon Empire approached Princess Hongs Rong and Vivian with warmth, engaging them in cheerful conversation. These beautiful ladies were indeed a splash of bright color in the desert oasis, exceedingly eye-catching.

Many trialists inwardly sighed with envy, admiring the trio from Xiafeng Country, who had ascended from a small kingdom to a status where even the princes and princesses of empires treated them as equals, all thanks to their acquaintance with Ye Chen.

Soon after, another striking beauty arrived, and upon her appearance, she immediately captured the attention of nearly everyone.

For she was—

The Sixth Princess!

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