"The trialist appears, Qian Yue, the owner of the True Throne, possesses the qualification for the Emperor's Trial."
"The Emperor's Trial, would you like to start?"
An indifferent, emotionless voice startled Ye Chen, only to see a mysterious small tower floating before his eyes. Upon closer inspection, it had thirty-three floors and spun slowly, casting a dim, mystical glow.
Qian Yue was the name of Ye Chen in his previous life. And he had once possessed the True Throne.
At the sight of this small tower, Ye Chen gasped, "The Human King Tower!?"
Indeed, it was the Human King Tower, whose owner was one of the most stunningly brilliant Heavenly Prides of all times, known as the Human King.
The Human King once dominated the Ten Thousand Domains, lofty and superior, one of the strongest beings of this world who could, with a single thought, shatter thousands of miles of landscapes and, with a snap of his fingers, obliterate an ancient country.
His strength was so immense that Ye Chen would have no doubt believed he could destroy the entire vast Tiandu Continent.
For the Human King was such a powerful Great Power, with abilities that reached to the heavens and the earth, boundless in might, a veritable mythological figure.
Unfortunately, in pursuit of the ultimate Dao and due to some profound mysteries, he ultimately fell.
However, the Human King's exceptional talent dazzled through eternity, leaving behind a legacy, which the former Ye Chen had obtained after a thousand hardships. And it was after much tribulation that the Human King's Ancient Tower came into Ye Chen's hands.
The Human King Tower was an out-of-the-ordinary Ancient Weapon; even after countless ages, it remained undying and unperishing, having once slain many great beings beyond the imagination of this world, stained with their blood.
Ye Chen had thought that after his rebirth, he had lost the Human King Tower, but he never expected that it had been following him all along. Yet, more shocking than the appearance of the Human King Tower was the meaning of the voice coming from the tower—the Emperor's Trial!
Human Emperor, not Human King; though only a single character different, the gap between them was as vast as the heavens and the earth.
If the Human King once dominated the Ten Thousand Domains, standing tall as one of the most absolute beings of that era, then the Human Emperor would take away that "one of." He was truly the highest and most supreme.
The Human Emperor, with the word 'Emperor' denoting supreme and incomparable might, was the most powerful existence across the Heavenly and Myriads of Realms, before whom all beings must bow down.
Even legends say that if the Human Emperor wished it, this vast universe could crumble, and the Heavenly and Myriads of Realms would be annihilated.
Although the Human Emperor had not reached the state of eternal immortality mentioned in myths, every vast era would see a grand Emperor's battle for supremacy across the Ten Thousand Domains. But what was beyond doubt was that the Human Emperor was truly the supreme sovereign of this world, the ruler of the rise and fall of the Heavenly and Myriads of Realms, his dignity untouchable by anyone.
Whether it was Ye Chen in his former life as Human King, or those ultimate foes who once besieged him, it could be said that they were all walking the path to become the Human Emperor.
And now the divine voice from the Human King Tower was causing him such astonishment.
Could one indeed become the Human Emperor through the Human King Tower?
Involuntarily, a sense of anticipation rose within Ye Chen's heart, his eyes shining brightly as he stared fixedly at the Human King Tower.
"Trialist Ye Chen, the Emperor's Trial, would you like to start?"
The indifferent voice came once more, undoubtedly addressing Ye Chen.
His instincts told him that if he wished to rise in this life, the Human King Tower's role was indispensable.
Ye Chen took a deep breath and then nodded firmly, "Yes!"
A beam of divine light shot out from the Human King Tower, instantly enveloping Ye Chen.
The next moment, Ye Chen felt the world spinning around him, and he didn't know how much time had passed before he found himself in a vast and boundless mysterious space. Grey mist shrouded everything around, which was the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth condensed into Spirit Fog, with only the area within thirty feet ahead appearing clear.
This caused Ye Chen to take a sharp intake of cold air; the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth had to be extremely concentrated to condense into a fog-like existence. In the outside world, although Spiritual Energy existed, it was so thin it could not be seen with the naked eye, and it could only be sensed and absorbed during cultivation.
However, the Spiritual Energy inside the Human King Tower was so dense that it turned into a mist. Cultivating for a day here might be equivalent to half a month's worth of cultivation in the outside world.
He took in a breath of the Spiritual Energy, feeling it rapidly transform into pure Acquired Inner Strength within his body, circulating through his meridians, far surpassing the speed of cultivation in the outside world.
All of this was indeed real. He probably needed only ten days to half a month here to advance from the Acquired Third Realm to the Fourth Level.
This delighted Ye Chen, who had been worried about how to quickly improve his cultivation; the appearance of the Human King Tower offered him a tremendous surprise.
But... where exactly was the Emperor's Trial?
Ye Chen's gaze swiftly swept around, but aside from the Spirit Fog, there was nothing else in the tower.
The Human King Tower was mysterious; it seemed to be more than just a Magic Artifact—was it really just an Ancient Weapon left behind by the Human King? At this moment, Ye Chen couldn't help but harbor deep doubts.
Suddenly, the Spirit Fog in front of him dispersed, revealing a mysterious path that materialized before his eyes, its destination unknown and shrouded in mystery.
With no other options available, Ye Chen could only lift his feet and take steps forward, his footsteps distinctly audible. After an hour, the space in front of him suddenly widened, and he arrived at an open area, only this time there was an ancient stone gate that wasn't at the initial location.
"Welcome to the Human Emperor Tower, the owner of the True Throne, Ye Chen, identity confirmed!"
"Push the stone gate open, and the Emperor's Trial First Pass shall begin! Upon completion of the First Pass, a reward will be granted!"
The unemotional voice, absent for so long, rang out again, startling Ye Chen. This was not the Human King Tower, but the Human Emperor Tower—could it truly be the Supreme Magic Artifact in the hands of the Sovereign of the Heavenly and Myriads of Realms?
The ancient stone gate looked ordinary and simple, yet for some reason, Ye Chen felt it was extraordinary.
However, he was very much looking forward to what the reward for the first stage would be, as it surely couldn't be modest, given that it was part of the Emperor's Trial.
Beside him, a stone stele was embedded into the ground, with a clear ancient inscription emerging: First Gate, Eighteen Thousand Jin!
Eighteen thousand jin, it's manageable.
He nodded slightly, almost without hesitation, and went to push it.
But the stone gate... remained immovable.
Ye Chen smiled wryly, only then remembering that he was no longer the Supreme who once dominated Ten Thousand Domains, but merely a weak cultivator at the Acquired Third Realm—how could he push it open?
The ultimate limit of the Acquired Ninth Layer was only four thousand jin, and he was merely at the Acquired Third Realm—eighteen thousand jin... when would he be able to reach that?
Unless the Holy Body Bloodline awakened, it would be difficult!
He sighed; it was truly deserving of the Emperor's Trial, where even the stone gate for the First Pass required a terrifying force of eighteen thousand jin to push—this trial was prepared for the strongest prodigies of the Heavenly and Myriads of Realms.
In his previous life, he was definitely qualified for the trial, but the him who had recently awakened... was far from ready.
"Pushing the gate failed; physical strength does not meet the Trialist's requirements, it is suggested to cultivate the Domineering Refining Saint Technique to strengthen the body and reach the Trialist's standards!"
The Domineering Refining Saint Technique?
The indifferent voice surfaced again, and as Ye Chen stood astonished, the ancient stone gate displayed a series of diagrams. Each one depicted a figure striking various strange and difficult poses, with clear lines mapped out on the human body, totaling thirty-six diagrams.
Simultaneously, a piece of information appeared in Ye Chen's mind: "The Domineering Refining Saint Technique, a Body Refining Method created by the Venerable Batian during the Ancient Era. When cultivated to its limit, one can split heaven and earth with bare hands, and shatter stars with a punch..."