"May I ask, do you know what lies beyond the Ninefold Emperor's Pass?"
Ye Chen's calm words echoed through the main hall of the Heavenly Gate, firm and resounding.
At this moment, all the Heavenly King powerhouses fell silent in unison.
The Heavenly Kings of the Sin Clan and the Ancient Kingdom were one thing, having only recently left the Ancient Blue World. But the Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord, Wangchen, and the other Heavenly King also fell silent, which was rather surprising.
"Young friend, why do you ask about this matter?"
The one who spoke was none other than the Heavenly Gate's other Heavenly King powerhouse besides Wangchen, known to the world as the Snow Moon Heavenly King. He was a kindly old man with white hair and beard.
Usually amiable and approachable, he appeared transcendent and unworldly, living in seclusion among mountains and forests. He was a reclusive Heavenly King, highly renowned throughout the myriad realms.
Naturally, for secrets beyond the reach of ordinary people, a Heavenly King figure like Snow Moon Heavenly King was qualified to know them.
However, this transcendent old Heavenly King now wore an unusually grave expression, as if mentioning some taboo, his tone filled with deep apprehension.
Ye Chen sighed softly. "I hope Senior Snow Moon can inform me in detail. My family members and clansmen were taken away by a mysterious force, taken beyond the Ninefold Emperor's Pass. I wish to go beyond the Ninefold Emperor's Pass to bring them back."
Upon hearing this, Snow Moon Heavenly King's expression changed repeatedly before finally revealing a bitter smile. "Young friend, this old man only knows some secrets, but what lies beyond the Ninefold Emperor's Pass is truly a crucial place. This old man hopes that, if possible, you should not go there now."
"Why?"
Hearing the thick apprehension in Snow Moon Heavenly King's words, Ye Chen felt a bad premonition. Was it not possible even for someone as powerful as him, who could rival a Saint and was the master of a world?
What kind of place lay beyond the Ninefold Emperor's Pass?
Snow Moon Heavenly King gave a bitter smile and slowly said, "Because beyond the Ninefold Emperor's Pass... is the land of the alien race!"
These simple words suddenly struck Ye Chen's ears like a bolt from the blue.
Beyond the Ninefold Emperor's Pass was the land of the alien race! How could this be? Even Ye Chen, who had lived two lives and always remained calm and composed, couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock.
His parents, his clansmen, had actually been taken to the land of the alien race.
At this moment, the Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord spoke up. He merely shook his head and said, "The so-called 'land of the alien race' is not entirely accurate. That region still belongs to our universe, and there is a Tenth Emperor's Pass. However, the Tenth Emperor's Pass has always been the primary Emperor's Pass guarding the Universe Border Wasteland. There, a group of the most powerful experts, strong beyond imagination, are stationed to guard the Universe Border Wasteland and protect the safety of our universe for countless years."
Although the Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord had not been an ancient Great Sage for very long, standing within this realm revered by the myriad realms allowed him access to many secrets unknown to the world, including what lay beyond the Ninefold Emperor's Pass, and he continued to explain.
After the Great Destruction of the Mythical Era, the Myriad Domains were born, beginning a new epoch.
The alien race that had successfully invaded this universe back then had retreated for unknown reasons. However, after the Great Destruction, they had always hoped to make a comeback and reoccupy the universe where the myriad realms were located. By the end of the previous epoch, during the great destruction war, they had already opened an ancient path that could lead into the myriad realms.
But by the end of the previous epoch, this ancient path already had the Ninefold Emperor's Pass established upon it.
To be precise, these Ninefold Emperor's Passes were not the Heavenly Passes attacked by the various Great Powers over a decade ago, nor were they built by Emperors and Sovereigns. They were constructed during the Mythical Era by several Monarchs infinitely close to the level of Emperors and Sovereigns, sealed upon this ancient path to block the invasion of the Alien Race Army.
Naturally, they had been breached by the Alien Race Army before, which followed the ancient path into this universe, launching the great destruction war and shattering the supremely glorious Mythical Era.
However, after the Alien Race Army later retreated, the Mythical Emperors and Sovereigns, before disappearing, took action to thoroughly repair the Ninefold Emperor's Pass and establish a true Emperor's Pass—the Tenth Emperor's Pass—sealed at the very forefront of that ancient path, blocking the endless armies of the alien race, preventing them from truly invading this universe.
Although the alien race also possessed supreme Emperors and Sovereigns, for unknown reasons, they had not appeared since the beginning of this epoch. Otherwise, no matter how solid this Emperor's Pass was, it could only block Emperors and Sovereigns temporarily, not for an entire epoch.
Although the Emperor's Pass was built by Emperors and Sovereigns and could only be broken by beings of that level, the Tenth Emperor's Pass was not unmanned. On the contrary, there were many incredibly powerful races and family forces, along with a group of Supreme Powerhouses, who had guarded the Tenth Emperor's Pass throughout the ages.
These races and family forces constantly monitored the alien race and repeatedly engaged in battles with the Alien Race Army, using war to strengthen their troops and temper generation after generation of their people into true Supreme Powerhouses, guarding the Universe Border Wasteland.
It was said that in this epoch, the catastrophic Great Destruction of the Mythical Era would reappear. The true powerhouses would all be stationed at the Tenth Emperor's Pass, guarding that Emperor's Pass and blocking another invasion by the alien race.
Upon hearing this, Ye Chen couldn't help but draw a sharp breath. There was actually such a mystery beyond the Ninefold Emperor's Pass—a Tenth Emperor's Pass, truly built by Emperors and Sovereigns, always guarding the Universe Border Wasteland and blocking the Alien Race Army.
But his expression suddenly changed slightly. If those guarding beyond the Tenth Emperor's Pass were all unexpectedly powerful races and family forces, could the Ye Family be one of them?
Ye Chen pressed further. "Gate Lord, is there a family called the Ye Family within the Tenth Emperor's Pass?"
The Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord shook his head. "This, I do not know clearly. But I have heard that the Ye imperial clan has had some Supreme Powerhouses go to guard the Tenth Emperor's Pass throughout the generations. Perhaps it is related."
Ye Chen was astonished. Could his own family be connected to a descendant clan of Emperors and Sovereigns like the Ye imperial clan?
Regarding other matters, even the Heavenly Gate's Gate Lord did not know everything. He had not yet been to the Tenth Emperor's Pass; much of what he knew came from exchanges with other ancient Great Sages and was not complete.
However, every person guarding the Tenth Emperor's Pass was extremely terrifying. There were even rumors that not just one ancient Great Sage was stationed there, and there might even exist old antiques of the level surpassing ancient Great Sages—Ancient Monarchs. It was truly a place where dragons and tigers lay hidden.
Even a Saint Lord from the Myriad Domains going there would not cause much of a stir. That was why Snow Moon Heavenly King advised Ye Chen not to go to the Tenth Emperor's Pass for now; otherwise, he might not even be able to bring back his own clansmen.
Ye Chen naturally understood this point. He nodded in agreement and did not rush to set off.
Moreover, in Luo Feng City, that mysterious man from the Ye Family had personally promised not to harm those clansmen for the time being.