Upon learning that the First Emperor of Qin was the founding ancestor of the Qin family, Ye Chen was momentarily stunned. The First Emperor's name was Ying Zheng, and there was also a Ying Imperial Clan in the Myriad Heavens and Realms. How could he have become the founding ancestor of the Qin family?
However, he soon understood. Although the First Emperor was named Ying Zheng back then, after establishing the most powerful empire in history, the Qin Empire, he split the imperial clan into two in order to ensure the continuation of his bloodline.
The Ying Imperial Clan and the Qin Imperial Clan shared the same founding ancestor, the peerless emperor of the ages. But due to the First Emperor's deliberate actions, the world only knew that the Ying Imperial Clan were the descendants of the First Emperor of Qin, while the Qin family were merely descendants of the Sovereign of Formlessness.
In reality, both great imperial clans were descendants of the peerless emperor of the ages, inheriting the First Emperor's imperial bloodline power.
The Qin Imperial Clan could almost be called a clan with two emperors, or at least something very close to it.
Although the Wushi Monarch and the Sovereign of Formlessness were master and disciple, they also shared a certain blood relationship, both being members of the Qin family.
The Qin family left behind by the Sovereign of Formlessness in the Sealed Realm Universe was merely a surviving branch lineage. The true main lineage was here on the Origin Ancient Path. Back then, the Sovereign of Formlessness led the Qin Imperial Clan to remain here, guarding the safety of this Origin Ancient Path alongside the other eight great emperor clans and immortal clans, and more importantly, guarding the safety of the Chaos Sea.
Ye Chen's heart trembled slightly. "Ancestor Wushi, can't you lead the entire imperial clan to retreat?"
The Wushi Monarch smiled, his expression very peaceful. "If my Qin Clan retreats, how could we face the emperors and supreme immortals who fell sealing the Chaos Burial Ground? How could we face the other nine great emperor clans and immortal clans who vanished between heaven and earth while guarding the Origin Ancient Path?"
Hearing this, Ye Chen fell into a brief silence, momentarily at a loss for words.
It was conceivable that those guarding the other eight Heavenly Passes were the other eight great emperor clans and immortal clans, all of whom had vanished between heaven and earth.
The ninth imperial clan had been completely wiped out, its bloodline extinguished, when it stained the heavens with its blood during the sealing of the Chaos Burial Ground, led by that ancient Great Emperor.
Although the Wushi Monarch had been in the deepest slumber, important information had been continuously recorded in crystals during his sleep, including news of the eight great emperor clans and immortal clans perishing. Upon awakening, he understood everything.
After a long time, Ye Chen finally spoke, slowly saying, "Ancestor Wushi, I want to know why all eight Heavenly Passes of the Origin Ancient Path have collapsed, everything has fallen into silence, the myriad Daos no longer exist, and all life has been extinguished!"
The Wushi Monarch said, "Everything is because of the Chaos Burial Ground."
"The Chaos Burial Ground?" Ye Chen was somewhat confused. Wasn't the Chaos Burial Ground sealed, and located beyond the Tenth Heavenly Pass? How could it have crossed the Ninth and Tenth Heavenly Passes to collapse and bury the eight passes ahead?
This was a mystery!
"Because when the Chaos Burial Ground was sealed, a great terror existence from within managed to escape and hide. The other surviving emperors and supreme immortals at the time were unable to attend to other matters and failed to detect it. Later, when this was discovered, the emperors and supreme immortals had long since left this abandoned section of the Origin Ancient Path. That terrifying existence emerged and then buried the immortal Heavenly Passes one by one!"
Ye Chen's heart trembled. A supreme existence comparable to an emperor lurking on the Origin Ancient Path—no wonder the immortal Heavenly Passes had collapsed. Who in this world could withstand such an existence?
Yet, precisely because he thought of this, Ye Chen also felt the Qin Imperial Clan was in extreme danger. If such an existence attacked, even the Wushi Monarch would be unable to stop it. After all, he was not a king among monarchs like the Sovereign of Formlessness.
Seeing the rapidly changing expression on Ye Chen's face, the Wushi Monarch sensed the shift in his thoughts and suddenly laughed heartily. "Little fellow, you needn't worry so excessively. Although the great terror that escaped from the Chaos Burial Ground is fearsome, after that world-shaking battle with the emperors of the heavens and the supreme immortals, it also suffered the most terrible heavy injuries. Its emperor soul was mostly shattered, its emperor body destroyed, and its realm fell from the emperor domain. At most, it is now only at the sovereign level."
Hearing this, Ye Chen also breathed a slight sigh of relief. If an ancient Great Emperor-level existence was hiding on the Origin Ancient Path, his own reincarnated emperor body would find it extremely difficult to return.
"But why hasn't this great terror from the Chaos Burial Ground left? On the contrary, why did it bury the emperor clans and immortal clans one by one?" Ye Chen didn't quite understand. Was it to return and attempt to open the sealed Chaos Burial Ground?
The Wushi Monarch did not answer but instead asked, "You already know some of the answers in your heart."
Ye Chen was startled, then remembered the Emperor Burial Abyss and one of the seven sin bodies of the Primordial Sin Ancient Beast. "Is it because of the Primordial Sin Ancient Beast?"
"Correct." The Wushi Monarch said, "The Primordial Sin Ancient Beast guards the Emperor Burial Abyss for two reasons: first, to prevent dangerous external existences from entering and damaging the peerless seals left by the emperors and supreme immortals of the Chaos Burial Ground; second, to stop the escaped great terror from leaving, lest it cause boundless disaster."
"Originally, the true purpose of the Primordial Sin Ancient Beast was to prevent the outside world from discovering the Origin Ancient Path and to stop terrifying creatures from entering and damaging the seals. But the escaped great terror, lacking the confidence to break through the Primordial Sin Ancient Beast's guard—it's said a great battle even occurred and it was repelled—could not leave."
"Also, because the imperial clan guarding the First Heavenly Pass of the Origin Ancient Path was negligent in their defense and did not completely close the Heavenly Gate at the time, when the great terror from the Chaos Burial Ground attacked, even closing the Heavenly Gate was too late. It broke into the territory of the First Heavenly Pass."
"Such an existence, even severely injured, could absolutely be called terrifying and peerless. The First Heavenly Pass imperial clan suffered the most severe calamity of clan extermination. That Supreme One existence devoured billions of living beings and the essence of great worlds, seeking to repair the severe Dao injuries sustained in the emperor battle of that year."
"However, in that battle, while it exterminated the imperial clan, the Ancient Sovereign of that clan, wielding a supreme emperor weapon, unleashed its most fearsome strike before death, causing the great terror from the Chaos Burial Ground to also suffer extremely severe injuries. It could be said that in this battle, it merely conquered the First Heavenly Pass. The vast amount of life force and world essence it devoured only served to repair the injuries sustained during the battle to conquer the Heavenly Pass."
Ye Chen finally understood why, all along the Origin Ancient Path, life had been completely extinguished. It was all because of the terrifying, peerless existence from the Chaos Burial Ground taking action. No wonder.
"What happened next needs little elaboration. To recover from its injuries and to break through the guard of the Primordial Sin Ancient Beast, over the endless ages, the great terror from the Chaos Burial Ground continuously attacked the Heavenly Passes guarded by the other emperor clans and immortal clans."
"And because these emperor clans and immortal clans were negligent and overconfident—believing themselves to be imperial clans possessing Ancient Sovereigns and emperor weapons—they did not unite with the other emperor clans and immortal clans. Moreover, for a period, the various great emperor clans and immortal clans were at odds, leading to a situation where, by the time they wanted to unite against the threat, it was already too late. The great terror from the Chaos Burial Ground had, over the long ages, devoured numerous emperor clans and immortal clans, recovering most of its injuries. Thus, only when the eighth Heavenly Pass ahead was about to be conquered did my Qin Imperial Clan learn of this news."
"By then, even if we wanted to rescue them, it was already too late!"
"Everything had already been decided, unchangeable!" The Wushi Monarch sighed softly.