Suo Tianzun, his aura locked by Ye Chen, had nowhere to flee. He cast a pleading look towards the three Ancestors; without them, he was undoubtedly dead.
After a long silence, the Third Ancestor of the Ancient Heavenly Race spoke: "Very well. We shall offer a Quasi-Giant weapon as compensation!"
"Ancestor!" Several Quasi-Giant ancestors exclaimed in shock, but the Third Ancestor shook his head, stunning the entire Heavenly Race.
The Battle Saint King had forced the Ancient Heavenly Race to bow their heads once more, offering a Quasi-Giant weapon as apology.
*Clang!*
A brilliant radiance manifested. A majestic beam of light surged from the depths of the ancestral secret realm, carrying blazing holy light, appearing before the crowd. It was an umbrella-shaped Quasi-Giant weapon, partially forged from Sacred White Gold, but also partly from supreme Dao bones, making it exceptionally extraordinary.
The Third Ancestor said, "This is the Heaven-Encompassing Umbrella. It was the Dao weapon of Xiu Gusi, the ancestor of your lineage. Although Xiu Gusi fell in battle within the Chaos Sea and the Heaven-Encompassing Umbrella shattered, it was later brought before me and repaired. Consider it our token of apology."
The Angel God Emperor received the Heaven-Encompassing Umbrella. As it rotated, it poured down boundless divine emperor light, along with countless Quasi-Giant Dao runes and even some Eternity runes, leaking out threads of Eternity's might. It was truly remarkable.
Perhaps sensing a connection through shared bloodline, the Heaven-Encompassing Umbrella revealed a sense of affinity.
The Angel God Emperor felt a pang of sorrow, for this was the Quasi-Giant weapon of her master, Xiu Gusi. She never imagined it would come into her hands in this manner.
She glanced at Ye Chen and gave a slight nod.
"Good. This matter is settled!" Ye Chen declared.
Subsequently, Xiu Gusi's Dao inheritance was also handed over. The Angel Imperial Son received it and said to Ye Chen, "Brother Ye, thank you."
With the Dao inheritance of a Quasi-Giant, the Angel Imperial Son now held some hope of becoming a Quasi-Giant himself!
"We are brothers. No thanks are needed!" Ye Chen smiled, and the Angel Imperial Son, Xiu Chen, smiled back.
Ye Chen did not leave immediately. Instead, he looked towards the First Ancestor, the Eternal Crown materializing in his palm, radiating with nine-colored splendor. "I wish to know what secrets the Eternal Crown truly holds?"
Without truly astonishing secrets, why would the Ancient Heavenly Race so easily oppose an invincible Giant like him?
The three Heavenly Race Ancestors gazed deeply at the Eternal Crown, each showing a flicker of desire.
The First Ancestor sighed softly. "The Eternal Crown is an Origin Sacred Artifact."
"I know that. But it seems rather useless now," Ye Chen frowned. In the past, the Origin Sacred Artifacts had not connected to the true Origin Land but instead summoned the Origin Burial Lord, triggering the descent of the Blood-Stained Epoch in the Chaos Sea, causing countless casualties. Over the years, Supremes, Quasi-Giants, and even Eternity Giants had fallen. Even three Chaos Ancient Universes had been shattered. A true Blood-Stained Epoch.
But what use did the Eternal Crown, this Origin Sacred Artifact, still have?
The First Ancestor explained, "It is not useless, but it was never fully assembled. That day, when you gathered the Origin Sacred Artifacts, you did not pierce through to the true Origin Land, but rather to the Origin Burial Lord who was suppressed and exiled by the Origin Land long ago. To truly penetrate the Origin Land, all Origin Sacred Artifacts must be gathered. Only then can the true Path to Origin be constructed."
Ye Chen's brows knitted. Was there such a saying?
Even so, the Eternal Crown shouldn't be reason enough for the Ancient Heavenly Race to risk offending him.
The First Ancestor gave a bitter smile. "The Eternal Crown is not simple. To be frank with you, Fellow Daoist, many epochs ago, a stone stele was discovered in the Chaos Sea, recording the existence of 'Eternity.' In truth, there were other records. It is rumored that the Eternal Crown is the crown of the sole Eternal Pangu Great Venerable One. It might contain the secrets of Eternity itself. That is why we were willing to risk offending you, Fellow Daoist, to seize this Eternal Crown."
The crowd was astonished. The Eternal Crown held such a great secret? It was the crown of Pangu Great Venerable One?
Ye Chen lowered his head to scrutinize the Eternal Crown. Yet, even with power as great as his, he could not discern its true secrets. It felt like merely a fine emperor's crown, nothing more. Not even an Eternity Dao weapon. And it was the crown of Pangu Great Venerable One?
Storing away the Eternal Crown, Ye Chen and his party departed.
His departure was something the Ancient Heavenly Race desperately wished for, utterly unwilling for him to linger any longer.
The three Heavenly Race Ancestors also breathed a slight sigh of relief. Among them, only the First Ancestor could contend with the Battle Saint King, and even then, without certainty of victory.
Staring at the retreating figures of Ye Chen and the others, Suo Tianzun's eyes burned with intense hatred. He thought to himself, "Battle Saint King, I will make you pay. That is certain!"
...
After leaving the Ancient Heavenly Race's ancestral secret realm, the group headed straight for the Pangu Universe.
On the return journey, the Angel God Emperor, peerlessly elegant and a dignified empress, appeared very serene. She said to Ye Chen, "Thank you for your intervention, Battle Saint King."
Ye Chen replied, "You are too polite, Senior. It was merely a small effort. You are Xiu Chen's mother and also an Ancient Great Emperor of our Pangu Universe. Naturally, I could not stand by and watch you perish."
The Angel God Emperor smiled faintly. "Even so, thanks are still owed."
Having been suppressed for an entire epoch, breaking through her confinement and even achieving Quasi-Giant status, it could be considered a blessing in disguise in a sense.
They also spoke of her experiences over the years and why she had been captured and suppressed by the Ancient Heavenly Race.
It turned out that long ago, the Angel God Emperor had been a dazzling rising star of the Ancient Heavenly Race, unrivaled in her generation, defeating all opponents. She was highly valued by Xiu Gusi, the ancestor of the Xiu lineage, who personally took her as his direct disciple and guided her until she proved her Dao and became an Emperor.
However, back then, Suo Tianzun's exceptionally talented second son had taken a liking to the Angel God Emperor, who had just proven her Dao as a Supreme. They had been final opponents in the battle to prove their Dao. Although he narrowly lost, stopping at the Monarch realm, he fell for the Angel God Emperor. Later, he asked his father, Suo Tianzun, to propose marriage on his behalf, hoping to wed the Angel God Emperor.
The Angel God Emperor did not agree and refused, thus sowing the seeds of enmity.
Afterwards, the second son repeatedly visited to pester the Angel God Emperor. Having just proven her Dao and become an Emperor, she was young and proud, rejecting him many times.
Perhaps knowing he could never have the Angel God Emperor, the second son's love eventually turned to hatred. Once again, taking advantage of Xiu Gusi being in seclusion, he set a trap for the Angel God Emperor, intending to seize her Emperor Dao essence to prove his own Dao as a Supreme.
The Angel God Emperor fell into the trap of multiple Emperor Dao killing arrays. After paying a heavy price to escape, she was equally furious and killed the second son who had ambushed her in secret.
Ultimately, a blood feud was forged between the Angel God Emperor and Suo Tianzun.
The death of his second son utterly enraged Suo Tianzun. In his fury, he attacked, severely injuring the Angel God Emperor and nearly killing her. At the critical moment, Xiu Gusi was startled out of his seclusion and stopped Suo Tianzun.
But in his towering rage, Suo Tianzun was determined to kill the Angel God Emperor no matter what. Xiu Gusi could only block him, eventually alerting the Quasi-Giant ancestors of the other six lineages.