This palace that seemed grand like the residence of a sovereign was extremely vast. It was suffused with Chaotic Qi, and it was divine and extraordinary.

However, at this moment, this palace was in a mess. It was covered in damage, and the murderous aura of battle and the pungent smell of blood still suffused the air.

When Chen Xi arrived here, he noticed that Le Wuhen, Yuqiu Jing, and Zhuanyu Shui were actually sitting in pools of blood. Their entire bodies were covered in injuries while their countenances were pale and dim, and they were gasping for breath.

Only Shentu Yanran was in a good state. Merely her gorgeous face was completely pale, and the space between her brows was filled with exhaustion.

Obviously, a battle had occurred here before Chen Xi arrived, and Le Wuhen and the others had been heavily injured during the battle!

“Chen Xi?” When Chen Xi arrived here, he was instantly noticed by Le Wuhen and the others, causing their spirits to be refreshed before their faces dimmed down again.

Being reduced to such a miserable state was truly a bit shameful, and they felt ashamed to be seen in this state by Chen Xi.

“What exactly happened?” Chen Xi was slightly worried, and a frown seemed to be fixed on his face. It was all thanks to the help of Le Wuhen and the others that he was able travel all along the way and arrive smoothly at the Ancestral Root Grounds, and they’d become friends since a long time ago. At this moment, when he saw them in distress, Chen Xi was rather furious and uncomfortable in his heart.

“Alas, you’re a step too late. They’ve already seized that ninth-grade Emperor Rank Ancestral Dao Root....” Le Wuhen sighed, and his voice was filled with a bitter tone.

Chen Xi’s eyes narrowed, and he swept the surroundings with his gaze. He suddenly noticed that there was a pool at the center of the hall, and the pool emanated a strand of deep and shimmering violet divine radiance. Moreover, strands of extremely pure and thick ancestral aura surged from within it.

If Chen Xi wasn’t wrong, then the pool was probably the ninth-grade Ancestral Root!

Yet now, the bottom of this ancestral root was completely empty. Obviously, it was just as Le Wuhen had said. The ninth-grade Emperor Rank Ancestral Dao Root produced here had already been taken away.

This caused Chen Xi’s heart to sink. I was still a step too late in the end!“Earlier, it was us that arrived here first, and we noticed this ninth-grade Emperor Rank Ancestral Dao Root. However, we never expected that we would suffer the surprise attack of Luo Shaonong’s group right at the moment we were trying to gather it....” Shentu Yanran took a deep breath and described everything that occurred earlier. Her voice carried rage, and a strand of deep helplessness.

It couldn’t be helped. When compared to Luo Shaonong’s group, their overall strength was too much more inferior in the end. Even if Chen Xi wasn’t late, it would probably not help at all.

“Why did they....” As he gazed at Le Wuhen and the others who were heavily injured and had dim expressions, Chen Xi opened his mouth but didn’t continue in the end.

However, Shentu Yanran had discerned his thoughts, and she couldn’t help but laugh with self-ridicule. “You want to ask why they didn’t kill us?”

Before Chen Xi could speak, Shentu Yanran continued. “It’s very simple. It’s because if they kill us, then they’ll be in an extremely terrible situation once they return to the Imperial Region.”

Chen Xi thought for a moment and instantly came to an understanding.

At the bottom of it all, it was because the identities of Le Wuhen, Shentu Yanran, Yuqiu Jing, and Zhuanyu Shui were too extraordinary. All of them had ancient and great powers from the Imperial Region standing behind them, and all of them were extraordinary existences amongst Spirit God Exalts.

If any one of them were killed, then it would probably cause an ancient power to be infuriated. Perhaps Luo Shaonong and the others were unafraid of this, but if they really acted in this way, then they would definitely have to pay an extremely heavy price.

It was the same if the situation was turned around. If Le Wuhen and the others occupied a position of absolute advantage, they would probably not kill Luo Shaonong and the others as well.

This was how forces, identity, strength, and various other factors restrained each other.

After all, all of them were from the Imperial Region, and it was even to the extent that there were relationships between the clans and sects they were from. So, no matter how ferociously they fought amongst themselves in private, they would absolutely not do such a thing openly.

If it was an ordinary cultivator, then even if that cultivator was from a large power in the Imperial Region, that cultivator’s death wouldn’t matter. Because in terms of importance, they were utterly unable to compare to Spirit God Exalts.

This was the reality of things.

However, Chen Xi didn’t possess such considerations. So, that was the reason why he felt slightly curious when he saw what had happened to Le Wuhen and the others.

However, even if he understood now, Chen Xi didn’t accept such an unspoken rule that was an established practice. When he faced an enemy, he would never hold back because of his enemy’s origins or background.

......

“Then... where are they?” Chen Xi asked in a low voice.

As far as he was concerned, so long as they hadn’t left the Genesis Ancestral Root, then he had a chance to seize the ninth-grade Emperor Rank Ancestral Dao Root from them.

Not to mention that Chen Xi wasn’t willing to accept failure just like this. He’d promised Empress Yu Che that he would stop Gongye Zhefu from obtaining the ninth-grade Emperor Rank Ancestral Dao Root. Now that such an unexpected event had occurred, how could he possibly be willing to give up?

Le Wuhen and the others went silent when they heard this, and they were unwilling to mention it.

However, Chen Xi acutely noticed that their gazes were inadvertently glancing towards the same direction in the hall.

That direction was at the side of the hall. It was in a complete mess, and there was an extremely ordinary door at its side.

However, when Chen Xi shot his gaze over, he instantly noticed that there was something unusual about it. That door was actually faintly suffused with a strand of obscure fluctuation, and it seemed like a door that led to another world. It was quiet and mysterious.

This caused Chen Xi to attain a flash of understanding, and he intended to go over and investigate carefully.

“Chen Xi!” Le Wuhen stopped him and said, “You can’t defeat them by yourself. Let’s accept our defeat this time.”

Chen Xi’s brows raised as he said, “How do you know the outcome before giving it a try?”

Le Wuhen laughed bitterly. “I know you’re unwilling to give up. But you can’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by rage. If you fall into their hands, then the consequences that await you will probably....”

He didn’t finish speaking, yet the meaning he wished to convey was extremely clear. With Chen Xi’s identity, Luo Shaonong and the others would absolutely dare to kill him!

Chen Xi naturally understood the meaning behind Le Wuhen’s words, and he couldn’t help but sigh. After that, a wisp of a resolute expression flashed in his eyes. He immediately flicked his sleeve and withdrew three jade boxes, and he passed them to Le Wuhen, Shentu Yanran, and Yuqiu Jing.

“These are three seventh-grade Ancestral Dao Roots. Take them and leave this place,” said Chen Xi before he headed towards that door.

The reactions of Le Wuhen and the others caused him to have a strong feeling that Luo Shaonong’s group had definitely gone through that door.

“Wait!” Le Wuhen stopped him. “Do you know what lays behind that door!? That’s the Door of the Grand Dao! It’s a Chaotic Ancestral Root that the innate gods of this place sealed with supreme divine might! It’s said to contain the killing intent of all the 3,000 Grand Daos in the universe! Once you take a single wrong step, then you’re bound to perish in there!”

Chen Xi’s eyes narrowed, and his footsteps stopped.

The Door of the Grand Dao?

A sealed Chaotic Ancestral Root?

All the killing intent of the 3,000 Grand Daos in the universe?

Why would such a place be established in Xuan’s residence?

Numerous questions surged into Chen Xi’s heart.

“We originally thought that this Door of the Grand Dao was just a purely imaginary legend, and no one paid any attention to it. But who would have imagined that it was actually real...?” Le Wuhen sighed, and his voice carried a wisp of a depressed feeling and even a wisp of a deep sense of loss. “Do you know why Luo Shaonong willingly gave up that ninth-grade Emperor Rank Ancestral Dao Root to Gongye Zhefu?”

Chen Xi frowned and said, “Could it be because of this Door of the Grand Dao?”

He seemed to feel slight disbelief. It was a ninth-grade Emperor Rank Ancestral Dao Root, so could there be anything in the world that was more precious than that to a Domain Enlightened Spirit God?

“Exactly.” Le Wuhen’s gaze focused onto the door in the distance, and he said, “A true Chaotic Ancestral Root is sealed within the Door of the Grand Dao. According to legend, it’s capable of producing an Ancestral Dao Root that’s even more formidable than a ninth-grade Emperor Rank Ancestral Dao Root!”

Chen Xi was shocked in his heart, and he said, “How could that be possible?”

Le Wuhen and the others sighed. Just like Chen Xi, they’d felt disbelief earlier, and they’d taken all of this to be a purely imaginary legend.

But when Luo Shaonong’s group utilized some sort of secret technique to open the Door of the Grand Dao and enter it, they finally came to an understanding that the legend was actually true!

“The seventh-grade is the Monarch Rank, the eighth-grade is the King Rank, and the ninth-grade is the Emperor Rank. These are publicly acknowledged as Ancestral Dao Roots that can only be chanced upon by luck. Moreover, the Emperor Rank Ancestral Dao Root is already formidable to an unimaginable degree.” Le Wuhen took a deep breath and said slowly, “However, there’s another legend. A Sole Dao Root is being nurtured in the Chaotic Ancestral Root. There’s only one such Ancestral Dao Root in the world, and it possesses the might of the merits and virtues of an imperial sovereign!

“It possesses the merits of the Ancestral Root, so it’s respected as an emperor.

“It possesses the virtues of the Ancestral Root, so it’s respected as a sovereign.

“With both merits and virtues, it’s a sovereign amongst emperors!

“This Ancestral Dao Root born within the Door of the Grand Dao is called the Imperial Sovereign Dao Root. It’s said to be perfect, supreme, and possesses the might of a sole overlord. If one is able to refine and absorb it while advancing into the Universe Enlightened Ancestral God Realm, then in the future, one would definitely become an overlord in the Ancient God Domain that looks down proudly upon the world!”

Le Wuhen spoke word by word, and he seemed to be describing an ancient secret. It caused Chen Xi to be unable to help but feel a wisp of shock.

The Imperial Sovereign Dao Root!

Who could have imagined that such a supreme treasure would actually exist above the ninth-grade Emperor Rank Ancestral Dao Root?

“If it wasn’t because of that, how could Luo Shaonong have possibly given that ninth-grade Emperor Rank Ancestral Dao Root to Gongye Zhefu?” A wisp of a ridiculing expression suffused the corners of Le Wuhen’s mouth.

“However, since this treasure is said to be a sole existence, then how could it have not been discovered and dug up by someone during the countless years of the past?” Chen Xi frowned and was slightly bewildered.

“Who knows?” Le Wuhen and the others didn’t know as well. After all, they’d thought that it was a purely imaginary legend, and they’d utterly never imagined that such a supremely precious treasure really existed in the Genesis Ancestral Root.

Chen Xi nodded, and he pondered deeply in silence.

“Chen Xi, don’t take the risk. Even if you’re really not afraid of Luo Shaonong and the others, but you have to remember that the Door of the Grand Dao is filled with all the killing intent of the 3,000 Grand Daos in the universe. Once you take a single wrong step, the consequence would be death.”

“Exactly. For safety’s sake, you should return with us.”

“According to our deduction, even if Luo Shaonong and the others have entered it, they would definitely suffer an extremely great amount of danger. Fortune is always accompanied by danger, and it’s possible that they could perish at any moment.”

At this moment, even Shentu Yanran, Yuqiu Jing, and Zhuanyu Shui persuaded Chen Xi, and they weren’t willing to watch him take such a risk by himself.