Martial God and the others were naturally overjoyed. The Boundary Desert was merely a desolate land spanning billions of miles. Though vast, it was barren and lacked spiritual energy.
For countless millennia, the lineage of the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor had been trapped in that exiled land. Though they possessed the imperial clan's heritage and the seventy-two tribes had formed seventy-two strongholds, their strength was far inferior to what it once was. The primary reason was the lack of sufficient spiritual energy of heaven and earth, preventing them from cultivating to higher levels.
The strongest group who had followed the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor back then had basically all perished due to depleted lifespans.
If they could be allotted a fertile territory—never mind a vast Imperial Domain, even just a Divine Domain, or the territory of a Holy Land or a great clan—it would be enough to revitalize the lineage of the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor.
At this moment, Ye Chen suddenly spoke, "I am very curious to know what exactly happened between the Twin Emperors back then. Why, after the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor was defeated, was his entire lineage sealed within the exiled land of the Boundary Desert?"
The others were also quite curious, eager to know the truth of the matter.
"Actually, it's not something that cannot be told," the Zhenyu Imperial Son began slowly, revealing a secret from the era of the Twin Emperors. "Back then, my Imperial Father and the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor were actually the closest of friends, sworn brothers. They competed together in their youth, adventured through the Southern Wasteland, step by step cultivated to the pinnacle, and then step by step broke through the shackles of the Emperor Realm, attained the Dao and became Emperors, establishing their rule over what is now the Suppressing Prison Imperial Domain.
"Of course, back then, the Suppressing Prison Imperial Domain was not called that. It was the Twin Emperors' Domain, jointly governed by my Imperial Father and the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor, two ancient Great Emperors who ruled the world. It was also one of the most powerful Imperial Domains in the Southern Wasteland, uniquely governed by two ancient Great Emperors.
"To put it plainly, my Imperial Father and the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor, though sworn brothers, were rivals their entire lives. Even after both broke through into the Emperor Dao domain, they continued to compete.
"Only through this did the two of them grow stronger and stronger, later becoming considered among the best even within the Emperor Dao domain.
"However, my Imperial Father and the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor had always been contesting one thing: whether pure cultivation of the flesh body was stronger, or cultivation of both form and spirit was stronger. They contended over this for countless years, engaging in battles large and small, yet never reached a definitive conclusion.
"The Wasteland Desert Great Emperor walked the path of pure flesh body cultivation, attaining the Dao through his flesh body to the Supreme Realm. His flesh body was indeed peerlessly strong, imperishable and indestructible, capable of suppressing other Supreme Great Emperors of the same realm. But my father cultivated both form and spirit, training his flesh body while also cultivating profound arts, bringing both to great completion. He was merely somewhat inferior to the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor in terms of flesh body alone.
"Therefore, back then, my Imperial Father and the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor made a wager. They each went into seclusion for an epoch to consolidate their cultivation through bitter training, agreeing to a peak battle one epoch later.
"That was the Twin Emperors' Pact of old, the earth-shattering Twin Emperors' Great Battle.
"However, in that final battle of the Twin Emperors, it was ultimately my father who emerged superior, defeating the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor and becoming the victor. The Wasteland Desert Great Emperor admitted defeat, acknowledging his inferiority."
This was the cause and effect of that era.
At this point, Ye Chen frowned slightly, recalling something. "Since the Twin Emperors were sworn brothers, and the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor was indeed defeated in that battle—proving the Suppressing Prison Great Emperor was stronger—the Suppressing Prison Great Emperor still shouldn't have killed the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor."
To question the Suppressing Prison Great Emperor within his own Imperial City was an act of supreme disrespect. Even Martial God's expression changed, while the others glared angrily at Ye Chen.
The several ancient God Kings present also revealed overwhelming killing intent.
One must not disrespect the Suppressing Prison Great Emperor!
Even if he had defeated the Zhenyu Imperial Son, that was merely the Imperial Son. In everyone's hearts, the Suppressing Prison Great Emperor was the truly invincible, supreme sovereign. How could he tolerate such insult?
They were even prepared to take action and slay this youth on the spot.
However, the Zhenyu Imperial Son's expression remained calm, tinged with a hint of helplessness. "Actually, it was not my father who killed the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor back then. Given their sworn brotherhood, my father could not have killed him. After the Twin Emperors' battle, both were severely wounded and gravely injured. Other Great Emperors from the Southern Wasteland took advantage of their weakness to strike, seeking to eliminate both my father and the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor in one fell swoop.
"Among them... this is also not some secret that cannot be told, because the Suppressing Prison Imperial Domain, which was simultaneously guarded by the Twin Emperors, was actually the place where a Supreme Giant from the Thirty-Three Celestial Domains perished and passed away in the distant past. It contains his supreme cave abode, and even related Great Dao inheritances.
"You must understand, this Supreme Giant was a peerless, supreme powerhouse who came from the Thirty-Three Celestial Domains. Even among the Giants of the Southern Wasteland, he ranked among the strongest, his cultivation profound and unfathomable. The Great Dao inheritance and cave abode he left behind contain boundless divine treasures, enough to tempt even other Supreme Giants. How could the ancient Emperors and Great Emperors of other Imperial Domains not covet them?
"However, my Imperial Father and the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor were no ordinary Great Emperors; they were among the best of Great Emperors, their combat power terrifying, with illustrious battle records among the many Emperors of the Southern Wasteland. Moreover, they were a Twin Emperor garrison. Furthermore, there was a Giant of the Southern Wasteland who had close ties with my Imperial Father and the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor. Thus, at their peak, other Great Emperors were extremely wary and naturally dared not act rashly.
"However, after the peak battle between my Imperial Father and the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor, other Great Emperors learned the news. Knowing the Twin Emperors were injured, and that the closely-related Giant of the Southern Wasteland was also restrained by other Supreme Giants, several Great Emperors took the opportunity to strike, seeking to kill the Twin Emperors and seize everything belonging to that Supreme Giant.
"Yet, my father and the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor, even after their pact battle and being severely wounded, were still top-tier powerhouses among Great Emperors. They repelled those attacking Great Emperors.
"Unfortunately, that battle also attracted several Quasi-Giants. To repel them, the already wounded Wasteland Desert Great Emperor was ultimately pushed to the brink of death from his injuries. Even my father was on the verge of death back then. It was only because a Giant of the Southern Wasteland had close ties with my father that they were frightened off, allowing my father to survive. But he was forced to enter the cave abode of that Supreme Giant from the Thirty-Three Celestial Domains and undergo a life-or-death seclusion for many tens of thousands of years, only occasionally emerging to intimidate various petty forces. It wasn't until a century ago that he fully emerged, breaking through after being broken, and finally becoming a Giant!"
The Twin Emperors' battle held many secrets behind it.
From the Zhenyu Imperial Son's explanation, they also learned that the sealing of the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor's lineage within the Boundary Desert was actually the will of both Emperors.
Because back then, when the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor repelled the attacking Great Emperors, he also killed two ancient Great Emperors, incurring terrible enmity with those two Imperial Domains.
At the time, the Suppressing Prison Great Emperor was also gravely wounded and on the brink of death, forced into life-or-death seclusion. Even the Suppressing Prison Imperial Clan suffered invasions from other imperial clans during those endless years, suffering heavy casualties. Utterly incapable of looking after others or protecting the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor's lineage, they could only have them enter the Boundary Desert.
Sealing themselves within the Boundary Desert was both a self-sealing, an exile, and a protection. It contained the Emperor Power applied by both the Suppressing Prison Great Emperor and the Wasteland Desert Great Emperor, safeguarding this lineage.