<h4>Chapter 1974 (Raw 2072): Divine Universe Stele</h4>


    Xiao Chen followed the flickering divine characters on the wall. When he came to his senses, he discovered himself in a strange world.


    “Where am I? Where are Liu Ruyun, Murong Yan, and the others?”


    Xiao Chen felt confused. He believed that there was only one path in the cave. After walking for such a long time, even if he was thest tond, he should have run into the others. Perhaps he left his original cave? Perhaps Murong Yan and the others had already arrived here long before he did?


    However, Xiao Chen surveyed the ce and did not discover anyone else.


    Even more strangely, he realized that the path that he came from had disappeared. It looked like he arrived mysteriously at this strange space.


    This ce was surrounded by pink crystal walls flickering with dazzling light.


    Xiao Chen did his best to recall what had happened. Unfortunately, he had been engrossed in the divine characters and had no recollection of anything else at all.


    Of course, the divine characters that he had been so engrossed in all slipped out of his mind. He could not recall a single one of them.


    The only proof of the divine characters was the strengthening of Xiao Chen’s Soul Energy.


    The mysterious phenomenon of the Sun and Moon Shining Together in his Soul Pool now showed clear silhouettes of the sun and moon.


    It did not just flicker with light. Now, Xiao Chen could already send faint light onto the ground.


    Xiao Chen pondered the situation, then with a thought, sent out his Holy Venerate Will.


    “Boom!”


    At that moment, the Sun and Moon Shining Together mysterious phenomenon in Xiao Chen’s Soul Pool appeared.


    When the bright moon and zing sun appeared at the same time, crystal walls in all directions reflected the light, looking very beautiful.


    Xiao Chen showed joy on his face. He seeded.


    The strengthening of his Soul Energy allowed him to bring out his Sun and Moon Shining Together mysterious phenomenon. He would be able to hold his own against a Sovereign Personage’s will of soul.


    Xiao Chen would not fall into a predicament as he had when he was a Star Venerate, helpless before a Holy Venerate Will.


    Xiao Chen withdrew the mysterious phenomenon and frowned slightly, returning to reality. Where exactly was he?


    He explored the ce, and his expression slowly turned grave. There was no exit.


    The entire space was like a maze, crisscrossing with each other and feeling very confusing.


    The surroundings were all crystal walls shining with pink light, full of an energy that he did not understand.


    That energy was unfamiliar and strong, inspiring awe.


    It had some simrities with the divine characters, except it had substance. Xiao Chen knew his own strength and did not go to absorb it.


    “Bang! Bang! Bang!”


    Xiao Chen punched the crystal wall, and a pang of pain came from his fist. The crystal wall did not move at all. It seemed ancient and eternally unchanging.


    Could it be that I will be trapped here forever?


    Since I can get in, I definitely can get out. Xiao Chen calmed himself and started to search for the divine characters that lured him in at the beginning.


    The glow of the crystal walls overwhelmed the light from the divine characters, dazzling Xiao Chen; he could not find anything at all.


    I have to think of a way to make the divine characters appear.


    After thinking that, Xiao Chen murmured, “Demonic Cloud Heaven Swallowing Art!”


    The Demonic Cloud Heaven Swallowing Art slowly circted in the 9-Star Primal Core, and strands of ck Demonic Qi spread out from his body.


    The Demonic Qi stuck to the walls and slowly grew thicker. It covered up the glow of the surroundings. The originally bright space turned dark.


    Circting his energy, Xiao Chen nimbly controlled these demonic clouds to thin out slowly.


    Under his continuous efforts, flickering divine characters eventually appeared on the crystal walls.


    The faint light in the dark surroundings—the endlessly flickering divine characters—looked exceptionally eye-catching.


    Xiao Chen tapped into the Blood-Soaked Dragon Emperor’s memories to see if he could dig out more information about the divine characters.


    The Blood-Soaked Dragon Emperor had been just a step away from True God.


    Although the Blood-Soaked Dragon Emperor could not write divine characters, he could still recognize them. ording to his memories, the True Gods of the Heavenly Realm hadplicated rtionships with the peak factions of the Great Thousand Realms.


    In reality, the Heavenly Realm’s True Gods were the hands behind the scenes in every great war between righteous and demonic.


    Be it the Righteous Dao or the Demonic Dao, they all had True Gods of the Heavenly Realm supporting them.


    However, in thest great war between righteous and demonic, the True Gods did not expect a variable like the ck Dragon King bringing the mes of war to the Heavenly Realm.


    The chaotic war among the True Gods brought home the consequences of their actions. The Heavenly Realm had crumbled and been destroyed. From then on, the Heavenly Realm no longer existed in the Great Thousand Realms.


    However, when the Heavenly Realm’s True Gods still existed in the past, the edicts that they passed down were written with divine characters.


    The various major factions had people who could read divine characters, so that they could clearly understand the Heavenly Realm’s True Gods’ edicts.


    Of course, the Divine Dragon Empire also had its backers in the Heavenly Realm. Those Dragon Race cultivators who advanced to True God would definitely care for the members of their race in the Central Great Realm.


    As the ruler of the Divine Dragon Empire, the Blood-Soaked Dragon Emperor naturally could read divine characters as well.


    Xiao Chen did his best and eventually found a simple way to read the divine characters. However, this method provided him with only a limited understanding of the words and did not let it remain in his mind.


    Divine characters were different from normal words. The meaning that a single divine character represented might require tens of thousands of normal words to describe.


    Xiao Chen quickly read through the divine characters, seeking a way to get free.


    Since he had arrived here because of the divine characters, the divine characters would definitely be his opportunity to get free.


    It was very possible that identally touching one of the divine characters while he was perusing them earlier was what sent him here.


    “Whoosh!”


    Xiao Chen’s figure flickered as he arrived before a divine character. After hesitating for a while, he gently tapped it.


    Perhaps he would be able to get out using the same method.


    “Boom!” A huge force surged out and knocked Xiao Chen into the air, causing him to vomit a mouthful of blood.


    This divine character contained the meaning of fire, the supreme truth of the Fire Dao. It was berserk and unreasonable, inflicting great injury on Xiao Chen’s physical body and soul.


    Xiao Chen did not show any resentment. After he stood up again, he continued working on recognizing these unfathomable divine characters.


    After several attempts, he felt close to death. The force from the divine characters nearly shook him to death.


    Xiao Chen considered giving up. However, once he did, he might really end up trapped here forever.


    He gritted his teeth. Despite his extreme mental fatigue, he touched another divine character.


    If Xiao Chen understood this divine character correctly, this character described immensity.


    Xiao Chen was a beginner at this, after all. There was no way for him to understand theplete meaning of the divine character. It was already extremely good for him to be able to get a general idea.


    He couldprehend only the rough meaning of the state contained in the divine character.


    “Boom!”


    After Xiao Chen touched this character, the crystal walls all started shaking. The flickering divine characters vanished, hiding within the crystal walls.


    Not knowing what happened, he withdrew the demonic clouds in the surroundings, and the space regained its brightness.


    “What is that?!”


    Xiao Chen discovered a clump of light covering a stone stele at the center of the crystal space.


    “Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”


    Xiao Chen was very sure that this stone stele had not been there before he touched the divine character that represented immensity.


    His heart skipped a beat as he quickly walked over. As he squinted to get a better look, he muttered, “Divine Universe Stele!”


    —


    Just as Xiao Chen finally found an opportunity that might allow him to leave the mysterious ce, Murong Yan, Liu Ruyun, and the others fell into a spot of trouble.


    When they looked around to check what Zhen Yuan said, their expressions all turned stunned.


    They were currently inside some sort of barrier with a bright pink mirror under them. Meanwhile, a group of shocked cultivators was standing with dropped jaws outside the barrier.


    These were the upper echelons and elites of the Heavenly Lodging Pce and the four local Rank 6 sects seeking the greatest fortuitous encounter in the center of the ancient city, desiring the Divine Crystal.


    Aside from these people, there were many other Sovereign Personage loose cultivators who had great confidence in their own strength.


    These people had ovee many obstacles along the way. As they endured the might and pressure from the Divine Crystal, they had cleared many restrictions and destroyed countless damned corpses.


    After paying huge prices and putting in a lot of effort, they had arrived at this ce.


    Then, these people were frustrated to discover that while the Divine Crystal was before them, the barrier before it could not be broken, no matter what they did.


    Even when theybined the power of several Soul Tools, they could not shake this barrier at all.


    A Sovereign Personage could bring out fifty percent of a Soul Tool’s might. Some could even bring out its full power.


    Compared to Xiao Chen and the others, the might that these people could bring out was on apletely different level.


    Despite that, they still could not break the barrier.


    As they looked at the Divine Crystal before them, it was so close and yet so far. They could not obtain it at all. Their hearts were all ensnared by the Divine Crystal.


    Just as these people were about to despair, Murong Yan and the others appeared inside the barrier. How could these people not be shocked?


    “Damn it! Am I seeing things? There are actually people inside?”


    “You are not seeing things...I see them too. How did they get there?”


    “You there! Quicklye over and tell us how to get in. Otherwise, all of you will die!”


    The four Rank 6 sect upper echelons rejoiced and mored after oveing their shock.


    After the initial shock, Murong Yan and the others discovered that the people outside could not get in at all, so they ignored that group of frantic Sovereign Personages.


    Liu Ruyun looked at Yan Cangming and said, “Where is Xiao Chen? If you don’t give us an exnation today, we will not let you off.”


    Yan Cangming and Zhen Yuan were looking up.


    A pink crystal was floating quietly there. That was the Divine Crystal that the group of people outside sought, even in their dreams.


    The Divine Crystal emitted an iprehensible energy that inspired awe.


    Yan Cangming’s eyes turned fanatical for just a moment before he calmed down.


    With Yan Cangming’s current cultivation, it would be pointless for him to snatch this Divine Crystal. Not only could he not use it, but it would even bring him great trouble.


    Upon hearing what Liu Ruyun said, Yan Cangming recovered his wits and smiled. “I feel that you should not worry about Xiao Chen at this moment. You should be worried for yourself and the people with you.”


    The faces of Murong Yan and the others sank when they understood Yan Cangming’s meaning. They quickly stepped forward and shielded Liu Ruyun.


    “Zhen Yuan, you don’t mind helping me block a wave of attacks from these people after they activate their Great Deste Eon bloodlines, right? I am very interested in this littledy. Her value might surpass our imagination.”


    Yan Cangming had good discernment. As his eyes fell on Liu Ruyun, a sinister look shed in them.


    “As you wish.” Zhen Yuan was unhappy at the request, but since Yan Cangming insisted, Zhen Yuan could only agree.


    “Boom!”


    In that instant, Zhen Yuan ignited the demonic nature that the ck Dragon King left in his body. Instantly, his ck hair flew all about. A pitch-ck light flickered in his eyes. His expression turned twisted and malevolent, and his Demonic Might flourished.