Over the years, the Angel God Emperor Xiu Di Li Ya had been imprisoned by the Ancient Heavenly Race in a special prison, similar to the Prison of Heaven in the Pangu Universe.
But it was even more terrifying. She was confined year-round in a dark prison world, a world of extinction devoid of any spiritual energy, further sealed by powerful Great Dao restrictions. This forced the Angel God Emperor to passively consume the last remaining drops of her Emperor Dao Origin over endless eons just to sustain her life.
Over those endless eons, her Emperor Dao Origin was depleted bit by bit, until it was almost completely gone.
Having lost her Emperor Dao Origin and with her Emperor Dao cultivation sealed, even though the Angel God Emperor was once an ancient Great Emperor, she could not maintain her Emperor realm. She fell directly from the Emperor realm and had aged considerably over the years.
"Mother!" The Angel Imperial Son was overjoyed, yet his heart ached.
Previously, even while imprisoned, he had not been able to see his mother, the Angel God Emperor Xiu Di Li Ya. Now, mother and son were finally reunited.
What pained him was seeing how much his mother had aged. Stripped of her Emperor Dao Origin, the relentless passage of time had turned her, who should have been immortal, into an old woman in her fifties or sixties, her hair stark white.
"Chen, you have finally grown up. If your father's spirit watches from the heavens, he can rest in peace now." Separated for endless eons and seeing her child again, the Angel God Emperor Xiu Di Li Ya also shed tears, yet she remained noble, dignified, and inviolable, possessing an incomparable nobility.
Her aged body and graying hair could not alter this innate bearing.
"Greetings, Senior." Ye Chen spoke very politely, not overstepping propriety. Even though his current cultivation far surpassed that of the Angel God Emperor, he remained respectful.
This was because she was a virtuous Great Emperor of the Pangu Universe. Without them, there would be no Pangu Universe.
Behind him, Shen Rong, Ye Cangqiong, and the others also bowed and saluted, showing the due respect owed to a virtuous ancestor who had walked the path before them.
"Thank you for coming." The Angel God Emperor smiled as she looked at Ye Chen and the others, her gaze lingering on Ye Chen with a particular nuance.
When she was being led out of her prison, she had vaguely sensed something from the Ancient Heavenly Race super-powerful beings escorting her. These usually aloof, arrogant supreme elders of the Ancient Heavenly Race now treated her with a certain peculiarity, their haughty demeanor gone—something impossible to witness before.
Even endless eons ago, when her ancestor Xiu Gusi had personally come to demand the Ancient Heavenly Race release her restrictions, they had refused, their attitude remaining just as haughty.
Today, it was different.
And now at the scene, she could sense the others' attitude towards Ye Chen—the Ancient Heavenly Race members regarded him with awe mixed with fear.
Wei'er and the others subtly revolved around Ye Chen as the center.
Even with her Emperor Dao cultivation sealed, she could sense Ye Chen's uniqueness.
Now, at the scene, she vaguely discerned a thing or two, sensing traces of battle—and not an ordinary-level battle at that. Even a Quasi-Giant level battle would pale in comparison. It clearly involved the level of Giants of All Time.
With the Angel God Emperor's wisdom, she quickly surmised that this Ye Chen before her was likely extraordinarily powerful.
A Giant of All Time?
That was probably it. Otherwise, the three supreme Ancestor figures of the Ancient Heavenly Race would not have appeared simultaneously.
After all, even the Quasi-Giant ancestors of the eight major bloodlines found it extremely difficult to get an audience with the three Ancestors on ordinary days.
On another note, she was secretly astonished at just who Ye Chen was to make the three Ancestors of the Ancient Heavenly Race move together, and judging by the scene, the lineup was unprecedentedly grand.
Of course, the Angel God Emperor knew that if not for Ye Chen personally coming, it would not have been so simple for her and her son to leave the Ancient Heavenly Race.
The other Ancient Heavenly Race powerhouses watched with complex expressions. The Angel God Emperor was merely a Supreme One. While this level was top-tier within the Ancient Heavenly Race, it was far from the level of decision-making.
Yet now, a proud and unruly figure like the Battle Saint King willingly called her 'Senior,' while their own Ancestors had to address him as 'Fellow Daoist' as an equal.
The relationship between them seemed somewhat complicated.
However, while the Battle Saint King gave face to the Angel God Emperor, he gave none to the Ancient Heavenly Race before him, not even to the three Ancestors.
"Senior, allow this junior to first remove these binding objects for you."
Ye Chen made his move, remotely pulling out all the Abyssal Black Gold chains and the Emperor-Sealing Nails.
"Senior, this is a healing pill. It can immediately restore your injuries."
A pill materialized out of thin air, its medicinal fragrance erupting forth, exceptionally astonishing.
Countless members of the Ancient Heavenly Race watched with covetous eyes. This was a ninth-rank divine pill, something only a Grandmaster Alchemist could refine.
Even the Ancient Heavenly Race had such Grandmaster Alchemists, but there were only a few, and they would not casually produce such pills.
"Little friend, thank you. But over these years of imprisonment, I have not been without cultivation."
The Angel God Emperor declined with a gentle smile. Then, an astonishing Emperor Dao aura suddenly erupted from her body, soaring from a state of weakness directly to the Great Perfection Emperor realm Supreme One level, and it did not stop there.
Swiftly, it surpassed the Supreme One level, actually reaching a point nearing the Quasi-Giant level before gradually stabilizing.
Her aged visage regained its youth, her snow-white hair transformed into dazzling golden strands. She completely regained her youth, once again displaying the peerless grace of the Angel God Emperor of old. Boundless sacred Emperor light illuminated the ancestral secret realm.
"Impossible! With your Emperor Dao Origin extracted and your Emperor Dao cultivation sealed, how could you still cultivate?"
Many members of the Ancient Heavenly Race were shocked.
They knew that extracting the Emperor Dao Origin was equivalent to severing the Dao, cutting off one's original Emperor Dao. Achieving the Dao again would be far more difficult than before.
Moreover, merely surviving in such an environment was already remarkable, let alone cultivating anew to become an ancient Great Emperor. It should have been impossible.
Yet, the Angel God Emperor Xiu Di Li Ya had accomplished it.
"What is impossible for you is not impossible for me. Placed in a deadly situation, I found life anew. I once obtained the Nirvana Immortal Scripture of the Undying Immortal Phoenix. The endless eons of suppression instead tempered me, allowing me to advance a step further. Even though I have not yet become a Quasi-Giant, I am not far off." The Angel God Emperor stated calmly, shocking countless people.
The Angel God Emperor was indeed worthy of being an ancient Great Emperor. Endless eons of suppression, the passage of time that stole her years, had ultimately failed to crush her. Instead, she used it to advance further, on the verge of becoming a Quasi-Giant. How astonishing.
The seven Quasi-Giant ancestors of the eight major bloodlines sucked in cold breaths. This Xiu Di Li Ya was truly extraordinary.
The three Ancestors also revealed looks of surprise. To cultivate to such an extent under those circumstances... It was just a pity. The Ancient Heavenly Race had failed to recognize a treasure, suppressing and imprisoning her. Otherwise, the race would have gained another Quasi-Giant.
"So it's the Nirvana Immortal Scripture." Shen Rong nodded. The Nirvana Immortal Scripture belonged to the Undying Immortal Phoenix lineage, created by the Immortal Phoenix Ancestor, an Immortal King-level being. It was a supreme Immortal Scripture capable of nirvana rebirth.
"Hahaha! Senior has escaped her confinement. This junior is here today to help Senior advance another step further. Emperor Dao Origin, come!"
Ye Chen gave a great shout, activating his supreme Chaos Dao technique.