"We pay our respects to Your Majesty, the Flame Emperor!"
A vast voice echoed within the inner world space of Flame Emperor Mountain.
However, upon the pyramid altar, the Flame Emperor remained with his eyes tightly shut, motionless, allowing the endless flames to slowly permeate, burning and severing the space within the inner world.
Finally noticing something amiss, the nine Sovereigns saw that the Flame Emperor's closed-eye state was not a voluntary awakening. They grew furious, and one of them shouted, "His Majesty the Flame Emperor is still slumbering. Someone has disturbed his imperial body!"
The nine Sovereigns quickly discovered the presence of Ye Chen and the Great Emperor Reincarnation Body. They roared in anger, "You seek death, daring to disturb His Majesty the Flame Emperor's slumber!"
The Flame Emperor was supreme and unparalleled on Flame Emperor Star, a status no one could match, not even the nine Ancient Sovereigns. They were all Sovereign powerhouses who had followed the Flame Emperor in the past, taught and nurtured by him step by step, gradually ascending to become cosmic overlords as Ancient Sovereigns.
To them, the Flame Emperor was regarded from the depths of their hearts as a father figure, his position unshakable and paramount.
Now, someone actually dared to intrude into Flame Emperor Mountain and disturb his slumber. It was absolutely a death wish.
They would fight to the death!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Without another word, the nine Sovereigns charged directly towards Ye Chen and the Great Emperor Reincarnation Body, their Sovereign heavenly might permeating the air as they prepared to attack.
Ye Chen naturally would not sit idly by and wait for death. The Great Emperor Reincarnation Body stood firm in front, the Imperial Star rising and falling. His expression turned slightly grave. Even facing nine Sovereigns, he felt no fear. At worst, they would fight a great battle, even if it meant collapsing the entire Flame Emperor Mountain.
Moreover, he clearly sensed that the Flame Emperor seemed to be truly beginning to awaken. Once this Flame Emperor truly revived, he would likely face an inescapable death calamity.
Whoosh—
At this very moment, the Flame Emperor, who had been standing motionless within the Divine Nine-Layered Coffin, suddenly opened his eyes.
Crack—
It was like the explosion of a primordial forbidden thunder. A terrifying roar echoed in the minds of everyone within the inner world space, deafening and causing all to pale with shock.
When the Flame Emperor's eyes, which seemed to contain the myriad things and ten thousand Daos of the great universe, looked over, everyone, including Ye Chen, couldn't help but shudder in their hearts, becoming lost within them. It was only after a long while that they snapped back to reality, looking at the Flame Emperor with horror.
"Your Majesty!"
The nine Sovereigns were the first to react, immediately prostrating themselves on the ground, each wearing expressions of reverence and immense joy from the depths of their hearts.
For the Flame Emperor had finally awakened.
He had truly awakened!
Ye Chen, however, looked at this Flame Emperor with gravity. Initially, he had thought it was Old Yan, but now it seemed that apart from looking exactly the same, it was not Old Yan. It was more like another person, imbued with peerless majesty, an emperor without equal.
The Flame Emperor before him was a true Ancient Great Emperor.
On the Flame Emperor, he could see not a trace of Old Yan's spirit. His gaze dimmed slightly. Could it be that Old Yan was truly gone forever?
But who was Old Yan, and why did he look so similar to the Flame Emperor?
Perhaps due to centuries of longing, Ye Chen let out a soft sigh and couldn't help but whisper, "Old Yan, Old Yan—"
Boom—
Suddenly, upon hearing these two soft calls, the Flame Emperor's gaze blazed with intensity a hundred million times greater, shining like the sun as he looked at Ye Chen.
An unparalleled pressure rushed towards him. Even with the Imperial Star blocking the way and the Great Emperor Reincarnation Body standing guard, Ye Chen still felt his form and spirit were on the verge of disintegrating at any moment, a thick sense of terror rising in his heart.
Was this the power of an Ancient Great Emperor?
So terrifying!
The Great Emperor Reincarnation Body immediately mobilized its physical mighty power, the power of the Extinction Emperor Realm, and the mighty power of the Emperor Dao origin. The three combined, coordinated with the Imperial Star, and instantly, four Supreme-level mighty powers fully revived and converged together.
Ye Chen gathered his momentum, ready to fight a desperate, peak-level battle if the Flame Emperor truly attacked.
Although the likely outcome of such a so-called desperate, peak-level battle was almost certainly death, there was no other choice.
Whoosh—
In a single step, the Flame Emperor moved from atop the Divine Nine-Layered Coffin and appeared directly before Ye Chen.
At such close proximity, Ye Chen could no longer hold back. The most terrifying Supreme Emperor's Might directly tore through his Chaos Saint Body, which surpassed all Quasi-Sovereigns. He was covered in blood, and even his glabella split open, revealing everything within his Niwan Palace.
Hum—
The Moon Mark, the treasure Silver Pearl, and even the Eternal Crown trembled slightly, protecting Ye Chen's Chaos Saint Soul Little Person. Otherwise, enduring the Supreme Emperor's Might at such close range, even an Eternal Quasi-Sovereign would be doomed, facing certain death.
Even so, the Chaos Saint Soul Little Person was in great discomfort, feeling as if it were about to explode. It raised its head to look at the Flame Emperor, whose gaze was fixed upon it, a sense of fear akin to an ant being stared at by a dragon emerging in its heart.
The Great Emperor Reincarnation Body wanted to act, but the Flame Emperor merely flicked his sleeve, and it was immobilized, standing fixed in place, unable to move.
Ye Chen's expression changed, truly feeling the arrival of death.
"You, what were you calling just now?"
The Flame Emperor slowly spoke, his voice carrying a special charm, as if it too could burn. Ye Chen felt a scorching sensation in both his physical body and his Chaos Saint Soul Little Person.
The Imperial Star shone, permeated with layers of Emperor's Might, isolating most of this terrifying scorching sensation, allowing Ye Chen to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Hmm?" The Flame Emperor looked at the Imperial Star with slight surprise, murmuring to himself, "An ancient star harboring the Emperor Daos of five Supreme Ones. Perhaps it can be called an Imperial Star. Truly extraordinary, perhaps even stronger than some Supreme Emperor Weapons."
He was merely surprised. The next moment, he looked back at Ye Chen, unblinking, the matter concerning the previous topic still at hand.
Ye Chen could only speak with difficulty, "I was calling 'Old Yan'."
The Flame Emperor's gaze immediately blazed, as if sensing something in his heart. He looked at Ye Chen, then shook his head, muttering to himself, "Old Yan? Why do I always feel that this name is me? Calling 'Old Yan' feels like calling myself?"
Ye Chen's heart shook. He looked at the Flame Emperor in shock and hurriedly called out twice more, "Old Yan, Old Yan—"
The aura emanating from the Flame Emperor grew increasingly intense, causing the entire inner world space of Flame Emperor Mountain to begin collapsing.
"Your Majesty!"
The nine Sovereigns looked at this scene in shock. What exactly was this so-called 'Old Yan' that could cause His Majesty to react like this?
The Flame Emperor closed his eyes, his figure trembling slightly as if undergoing a great struggle.
The Supreme Emperor's Might emanating from him grew even more intense. The nine Sovereigns prostrated themselves on the ground in fear, while Ye Chen's true self, so close at hand, had his Chaos Saint Body constantly being torn apart. Instinctively, he continuously operated healing saint arts to repair it, the Tree of Life constantly sprinkling life light to heal and reconstruct his body, over and over again.
In this cycle of shattering and reconstruction, Ye Chen felt his Chaos Saint Body was actually being further strengthened and elevated.
Perhaps this was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
Ye Chen could only find solace in hardship like this.
Finally, after a full seven days and seven nights, when Ye Chen felt his Chaos Saint Body gradually adapting to the Flame Emperor's Emperor's Might and had become more than twice as strong as it was seven days and nights before, he felt a pleasant surprise. At this moment, the Flame Emperor opened his eyes. The struggle within his gaze slowly faded, leaving only clarity.
Ye Chen raised his head and met his gaze, unable to help but be stunned.
Because that look was all too familiar, just like in the past. He couldn't help but say, "Old—Old Yan?"
The Flame Emperor revealed a familiar smile. "Little Chenzi!"