Everyone was stunned. How could it be that the guardian of the tenth ancient pass was from the Purple Mansion Sacred Land?
No one dared to believe it.
In the secluded meditation hall of that ancient Great Sage from the Purple Mansion Sacred Land, they had clearly heard that the ancient Great Sage intended to lead everyone into the Primordial Immortal Realm.
That was a peerless Great Power, whose might shook the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, resonating through the ages. How powerful he was! Moreover, it was a supreme sacred land with profound heritage and numerous powerful experts. Even if they couldn't breach the other side, they should at least have been able to retreat safely.
But although the guardian of the tenth pass before them was powerful enough, he fell far short of a true Immortal Sacred Land, let alone a supreme sacred land. The corresponding heritage was missing.
The majestic and heroic Checkpoint Master shook his head and said with a bitter smile, "To be precise, we are merely the descendants of the Purple Mansion Sacred Land from over a hundred thousand years ago. Those from that era have long since passed away with the years."
"Back then, the ancient ancestor Great Power led the entire Purple Mansion Sacred Land to attack the Immortal Heavenly Pass, intending to advance into the Primordial Immortal Realm. Unfortunately, they failed, and the entire sacred land suffered a devastating blow. Although it wasn't completely annihilated, in the end, only a small number of people survived. They remained in this ancient pass for over a hundred thousand years, eventually multiplying and passing down the legacy to us, their descendants."
"Please elaborate in detail." The overlords all changed expressions, even making a request, for this matter was of great importance.
"The guardians of the first nine ancient passes are bound by Heavenly Dao oaths, so they cannot say much. However, our lineage had the ancient ancestor Great Power intervene, so he alone bore the Heavenly Dao oath. Therefore, we are only partially affected, and many secrets can be spoken of," said the descendant of the Purple Mansion Sacred Land. "But for the true secrets, I invite you all to follow me into the pass."
The gates of the tenth pass opened. The allied army did not hesitate, perhaps confident enough not to fear treachery, and followed the descendants of the Purple Mansion Sacred Land inside.
This was an ancient gate, more like an ancient city, standing before the Heavenly Pass, appearing grand and immense.
Many people lived within the ancient gate, appearing more prosperous and powerful than the previous eight ancient passes. Men, women, old, and young were all present, numbering up to a hundred thousand—a considerable figure.
And the people within the ancient gate, whether old or young, all seemed quite strong. The entire city cultivated; there were no ordinary people in the true sense. Even newborn infants had faint spiritual fluctuations emanating from their bodies.
Clearly, their foundations were nurtured with spiritual energy by their elders.
Moreover, there were numerous powerful experts, including those at the Saint Realm and Saint Lord level. Naturally, there were also ancient recluses. One powerful aura after another slowly revived, filling the vast heavens, stronger than any previous pass and even surpassing the surface strength of some Immortal Sacred Lands.
All of this amazed the allied army. The tenth pass was indeed extraordinary.
If a true battle were to occur, although the allied army was confident they could slaughter the entire city, they would undoubtedly pay an unbearable, bloody price.
The Checkpoint Master shook his head and sighed lightly, "Although our Purple Mansion Sacred Land lineage is very powerful, we are also bound here, unable to leave easily."
The overlords fell silent. The guardian lineage of each ancient pass was bound by corresponding Heavenly Dao oaths.
The grand appearance of the allied army immediately drew the attention of everyone in the city. Upon learning they came from the myriad realms, they were all excited, rushing forward with both excitement and curiosity.
For they all knew their ancestors originated from the myriad realms. They had merely left that land, remaining on this ancient path, dutifully guarding and blocking later generations from attacking the passes.
Everyone ascended the ancient pass, gazing into the distance at the Heavenly Pass. Only then did everyone realize the ninth pass was special. Although very dilapidated, it possessed a special power that formed a grand, invisible heavenly curtain, towering into the Nine Heavens, isolating the two sides of the ancient pass.
The overlords all changed expressions, for they could clearly sense the grandeur and power of this heavenly curtain, containing world-shaking Dao power. Even they, without unleashing forbidden Dao weapons, could not shake it.
The guardian said this was left behind by the Purple Mansion Great Power, specifically to block the other side of the ancient pass.
Between this ancient gate and the Immortal Heavenly Pass lay a vast expanse of land devoid of any life. Only endless bones were scattered across the plain—human, demon, and alien race beings—countless and innumerable.
To say the bones piled up like mountains was no exaggeration.
Dark red and pitch-black bloodstains had long dyed the entire earth, devoid of life, a place of utter silence.
The guardian stated this was the battlefield where the guardian lineage of the tenth pass fought against the alien race beings—vast and endless. Over the past hundred thousand years, no one knew how many great battles had occurred here, each accompanied by endless death.
If not for the tenth pass being special, protected by the heavenly curtain, and aided repeatedly by guardians sent from the previous nine ancient passes, it would have long been breached.
The overlords all possessed keen eyesight. They could see that below the Immortal Heavenly Pass, there were spatial wormholes from which sinister auras flowed. Those alien race beings were emerging from these spatial wormholes.
No one knew how many alien race beings existed on the other side of the spatial wormholes. They were always impossible to kill completely, as if endless.
Fortunately, the strongest alien race beings emerging from the spatial wormholes were only at the Saint Treasury Realm level. Moreover, beings of this level found it very difficult to descend; otherwise, it would be extremely dangerous.
The guardians of the tenth pass would almost regularly dispatch armies to clear out the alien race beings on the Bloody Battlefield. There were also powerful super-experts stationed on the battlefield who would immediately intervene to block any Saint-level alien race beings discovered.
If special circumstances arose, they would request reinforcements from the city. Generally, the guardian lineage emerged victorious. Even if there were casualties, they were few, for over the past hundred thousand years, they had accumulated considerable experience and developed specialized countermeasures.
But there were also special circumstances. Occasionally, large numbers of terrifying alien race beings would suddenly emerge from the spatial wormholes, even more fearsome Saint-level alien race beings than usual. Each time, the guardian lineage suffered heavy losses. There were even a few instances where Heavenly King-level alien race beings appeared, terrifying to the extreme, nearly breaching the tenth pass.
But over the past hundred thousand years, such occurrences were few and far between. Most of the time, such situations did not happen.
The existence of the ten ancient passes was precisely to block these alien race beings from entering the myriad realms.
According to the Checkpoint Master, the Heavenly Pass contained a terrifying curse power. It was this mysterious curse power that bound the beings on the ten ancient passes here for generations.
Perhaps, to put it simply, anyone who attacked the Heavenly Pass was inflicted with this curse, bound by a Heavenly Dao oath to guard this place for generations, preventing later generations from attacking the Heavenly Pass.
There were three methods to lift the curse: either possess sufficient strength to dissolve this curse power, conquer the Heavenly Pass, or gradually advance pass by pass until later generations conquer the ancient passes and replace their positions, thus gaining liberation.
This was also a form of punishment.
"Is it truly impossible to completely shatter these spatial wormholes and utterly block the invasion of the alien race beings?" one overlord couldn't help but ask.
"Very difficult, nearly impossible," said an ancient recluse among the Purple Mansion Sacred Land descendants, filled with helplessness.
If they could have destroyed them, they would have done so long ago. Why would they remain until now?
Of course, this overlord understood in his heart, but he still asked, hoping by a stroke of luck.
"May I ask, is the other side of the Heavenly Pass the Primordial Immortal Realm?" The overlords finally couldn't restrain themselves and asked.
They had always been puzzled by this question.
"We don't know," the Checkpoint Master replied with a bitter smile. This answer also took everyone by surprise. The descendants of the Purple Mansion Sacred Land actually didn't know.
"Could it be that even the Purple Mansion Great Power couldn't conquer the Heavenly Pass?" The overlords found it hard to believe.
How powerful were the ancient Great Sages? Figures who could pluck stars and capture the moon with a mere gesture, who could seize the stars of the heavens. They were supreme beings who dominated the myriad realms, shaking the past and present. Otherwise, they couldn't have founded supreme sacred lands.
If even such Great Power existences couldn't conquer the Heavenly Pass, then how could they possibly conquer it, even if they brought Immortal ancient weapons? They simply couldn't compare to the ancient Great Sages.
"Apologies, everyone. Actually, we don't know whether the ancient ancestor Great Power conquered the Heavenly Pass or not, for it has been over a hundred thousand years, and the ancient texts and records left by our ancestors contain no relevantrecords," the guardian said truthfully.
According to him, in the past, the Purple Mansion Sacred Land indeed mobilized the entire sect to advance into the Primordial Immortal Realm, breaking through nine ancient passes unstoppably. It was the Purple Mansion Great Power himself who led the entire supreme sacred land in the attack, arriving at the final pass.
Unfortunately, it was at this pass they encountered an unprecedented crisis, for an unprecedented danger appeared. In the end, the entire supreme sacred land was nearly annihilated.
But what kind of danger appeared? For some unknown reason, it wasn't recorded in the ancient texts, as if it involved some greatdanger. Therefore, these descendants of the Purple Mansion Sacred Land had no knowledge of it at all.
This caused everyone to change expressions. Could crossing the Heavenly Pass and entering the other side, the Primordial Immortal Realm, truly be so difficult?
"The ancient ancestor Great Power might have conquered it, for according to sparse records in our clan's ancient texts, at that time, boundless light radiated. No one could see clearly. We only know the ancient ancestor Great Power finally retreated, covered in blood, and established the tenth pass. Moreover, he personally erected the heavenly curtain, isolating both sides," the Checkpoint Master said.
Everyone was shocked. What exactly happened back then? Clearly, the Purple Mansion Great Power encountered a terrifying crisis. Even someone as powerful as him was covered in blood—perhaps his own, or perhaps the blood of those who blocked him. They only knew he eventually retreated and did not enter the Heavenly Pass.
Everything remained a mystery!