Chapter 2862: Ancient Path

Whoosh!

Under everyone's gaze, the Fa Shen vanished instantly.

The Zhun Di present all fixed their attention, many not forgetting to glance at Ye Chen. Since it was his Fa Shen, they assumed he could clearly see what was happening inside.

The Fa Array hummed and buzzed, still spinning at an astonishing speed, generating an incredibly powerful devouring force. The beams of light crisscrossing within it were dazzlingly bright, containing not only spatial power but also temporal power and spatiotemporal power, making it an excellent place for enlightenment and insight.

However, not just anyone could enter the Fa Array. Even looking at it caused a stinging pain in the soul, let alone sitting inside – before any enlightenment could be gained, one would be annihilated.

"An emperor's handiwork is indeed no joke."

Chu Jiang Wang sighed in admiration. The array, having been forged over ten thousand years, was beyond the comprehension of any Zhun Di. In the realm of Zhun Di, no one could create such an array, not even those at the Da Cheng level.

Uh...

Ye Chen groaned in pain, blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth.

Through his Fa Shen, he could see the teleportation scene.

It was a bizarre passageway, filled with strange and fantastical sights where various forces intertwined – temporal power, spatial power, semi-spatiotemporal power, and spatiotemporal power. What should have been a mere passageway felt more like a zone of destruction. Even his mighty Fa Shen was twisted and distorted, its body cracking and its flesh tearing apart.

At that moment, he became even more certain that this passageway was exclusively for emperors. Anyone below that level who entered would surely perish.

Of course, a Da Cheng Sheng Ti would qualify.

As for a half-step Da Cheng, it was a bit of a stretch, as evidenced by his Fa Shen's bloody struggle – it couldn't withstand the forces inside.

Normally, injuries to the Fa Shen wouldn't cause backlash to him, but this time, he suffered it because the forces in the teleportation passageway belonged to a forbidden domain.

As a result, the severe damage to his Fa Shen felt as if it were happening directly to him, like he was experiencing it firsthand. Among all the teleportation passageways he had entered, this one was by far the most terrifying.

Pfft!

He spat out blood again, staggering unsteadily and nearly being pulled into the altar's Fa Array.

Sheng Zun and Di Ji quickly reached out together, pulling him away from the altar. They couldn't let him be sucked in. Whether they could communicate with Tai Gu Hong Huang was still unknown, but they knew this Fa Array was extraordinarily domineering. Ye Chen shouldn't have been suffering backlash, but now he was, which showed just how forbidden the forces in the passageway were. It wasn't hard to imagine how dire the situation was for his Fa Shen – it might even be destroyed. If the Fa Shen couldn't handle it, neither could Ye Chen. Rushing in without understanding anything would be suicide.

"That's too strong."

Both Tian Lao and Di Lao clicked their tongues in amazement, their expressions slightly changed.

"Even a half-step Da Cheng can't withstand it."

Zao Hua Shen Wang murmured to himself, his brows tightly furrowed. If it were any other Zhun Di, entering would mean certain death.

"This array is too terrifying."

Lao Jun took a deep breath. They had underestimated the array's power. To enter, one would need at least Da Cheng level strength – it was a teleportation passageway meant exclusively for great emperors.

"What did you see?"

Ren Wang turned his head and nudged Ye Chen.

"It's a bizarre and fantastical scene, impossible to make out the heavens and earth clearly."

Ye Chen replied, blood trickling from the corners of his eyes. The more he strained to see, the stronger the backlash became. Even his Six Paths Reincarnation Eyes weren't enough – or rather, he wasn't strong enough. He only knew that his Fa Shen was still alive.

"Boss, I can't hold on much longer."

There was a call that only Ye Chen could hear.

The caller was, of course, his Fa Shen.

Ever since entering the passageway, it had been out of control, unable even to stand steadily. Its body was like rubber, sometimes straightening out and sometimes being stretched to unnatural lengths. The terrifying forces surging through constantly tore at it, threatening to shred it apart at any moment. It was on the verge of complete collapse.

"Hold on."

Ye Chen transmitted his voice, sending power to his Fa Shen. No matter what, it had to endure until the end and see what this Tai Gu Hong Huang was truly like.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

The Fa Array vibrated intensely, causing the entire altar to tremble violently, on the brink of instability and collapse. The rapidly spinning array's devouring force grew even more fearsome.

"Retreat!"

Chu Huang shouted firmly.

Without him needing to say it, the peak Zhun Di on site were already backing away. Ever since the black-robed emperor had been sacrificed and the array reactivated, it seemed to have lost control. Its devouring force was stronger than ever, and even standing nearby could risk being pulled in. That kind of power was something even Ye Chen couldn't resist, and once dragged inside, it would likely mean total destruction of body and soul.

"Old Daoist, this doesn't bode well!"

Ming Di pondered, unable to see through the teleportation passageway, but he had a strong sense of foreboding, and it was quite intense. The array's strength far exceeded his expectations.

Dao Zu remained silent, his gaze even deeper. He saw more clearly than Ming Di – it wasn't just that the array was powerful or the passageway terrifying; it was the place it connected to that was truly frightening.

At that moment, he was mostly certain that the array could communicate with Tai Gu Hong Huang. The destructive forces were seeping into the passageway from Tai Gu Hong Huang itself.

"Can it really connect?"

Ye Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. Through the array, he could catch a faint whiff of Tai Gu Hong Huang's aura. Zi Xuan, Ren Wang, and Di Lao could sense it too.

Back in the Tian Huang era, it was the four of them who had sent Di Huang and Hong Yan away, and they had seen the gate to Tai Gu Hong Huang. Some of its aura had leaked out, faint but memorable. It matched exactly the aura emanating from the array now.

Therefore, the end of the array must lead to Tai Gu Hong Huang.

Actually, saying it that way wasn't entirely accurate.

The place the array connected to was indeed related to Tai Gu Hong Huang, but it wasn't Tai Gu Hong Huang itself. More precisely, it was the path leading to Tai Gu Hong Huang.

Throughout history, great emperors had called it the Tai Gu Lu.

And the place where Di Huang and Hong Yan were located was on that Tai Gu Lu. It had been several hundred years, and they were still on that road. No one knew where Tai Gu Hong Huang was or how to reach it.

Pfft!

Ye Chen spat out blood again, his face turning pale. He was suffering from the Fa Shen's backlash as well as the forbidden backlash.

All the Zhun Di saw this and felt a gloom settle over them.

The Fa Shen's injuries shouldn't have affected the original body, but seeing how badly Ye Chen was hurt made them realize what kind of forces were assaulting the Sheng Zhan Fa Shen in the passageway. Those forces must far exceed their understanding, strong enough to ignore the usual separation between Fa Shen and original body.

Ye Chen gritted his teeth and endured the backlash, continuing to transmit power to his Fa Shen to help it resist. He truly wanted to see if they could reach Tai Gu Hong Huang. If they could meet Di Huang and Hong Yan, that would be ideal – he could send a message for them to return to the Zhutian, because Tai Gu Hong Huang had the first lineage of Sheng Ti, at least at Da Cheng level, possibly even an emperor. Venturing in recklessly would be a death sentence.

In a certain instant, the head of Xing Tian in his small world suddenly opened its eyes, becoming extremely agitated, desperately trying to break free from Ye Chen's seal and rush toward the array.

But Ye Chen was too preoccupied to notice.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

Suddenly, thunderous booms erupted, sounding like the noises of a great battle, coming from the array.

"It's so unsettling."

Dong Huang Tai Xin murmured softly, each boom echoing like a death knell in her divine sea.

She wasn't the only one feeling this; all the Zhun Di, including Ye Chen, sensed it. On the other end of the passageway, there must be a massive battle, an emperor-level war, and involving more than just a few.

Indeed, there was a war on the Tai Gu Lu, an extremely brutal one.

Gazing into the distance, the dim heavens and earth were filled with surging blood mist. Over a dozen Tian Mo Di were surrounding Di Huang and Hong Yan, while the headless figure was nowhere to be seen.