"I have a general understanding of your meaning."
As Wuya's voice fell, Long Qi, Liuguang Bing, and the others waited silently for him to continue.
"I wonder what you need me to do?"
"Young Master Wuya, we do not require you to do anything. We merely wish to ask your opinion. Can our Liuguang family seek revenge? In other words, can Gu Tianlang be killed?"
"Kill Monarch Chixiao?"
Upon hearing this, Wuya slightly shook his head and chuckled softly. He did not look at Liuguang Bing, his gaze still fixed on the chessboard as he asked indifferently, "Liuguang Bing, do you believe you can kill him?"
"Even if I alone cannot kill him, there is our entire Liuguang family."
Long Qi also chimed in, "And our Cloud-Above Dragon Clan. With the combined strength of our two great families, I do not believe we cannot kill him."
"Since your two families are so confident, why have you come to seek my opinion?"
With that one sentence from Young Master Wuya, both Liuguang Bing and Long Qi fell silent.
Although they spoke with confidence, deep down they truly had little assurance.
Because none of them knew the exact extent of Monarch Chixiao's cultivation and strength in the present day.
That was not the important part.
What mattered was that they also did not understand what kind of existence Monarch Chixiao truly was.
Initially, after learning of the events in Yanluo, both the Liuguang family and the Cloud-Above Dragon Clan were furious. When they prepared to mobilize their entire forces to invade Yanluo Kingdom and seek revenge against Monarch Chixiao, they discovered that the Immortal Dynasty showed no movement at all.
At first, they thought Fairy Hua was obstructing matters. Later, after extensive inquiries, they learned that an edict had actually been passed down from Cloud End. Not only did it forbid the Immortal Dynasty from pursuing the matter, it even prohibited the Immortal Dynasty from having any conflict or dispute with Monarch Chixiao.
Upon learning this, the Liuguang and Dragon families were greatly puzzled, unable to understand why Cloud End would issue such an edict. Not only were they unaware, many elders within the Immortal Dynasty were also completely in the dark.
Therefore.
The two great families, Liuguang and Dragon, immediately came to Shangqing Sect. They all knew that Shangqing Sect had a powerful background and was a place where dragons and tigers hid. Whether in the Immortal Dynasty or at Cloud End, they could have a say. Thus, they came here to gather information.
The heads of the Liuguang and Dragon families had already approached the elders of Shangqing Sect. Although Liuguang Bing and Long Qi were leading figures among the younger generation of their respective families, they were still only the younger generation and could not speak on equal terms with those powerful council elders of Shangqing Sect who had formidable backgrounds. However, they had their own circles within the Inner Sect, and Wuya's connections were, in many cases, even more powerful than those background-strong council elders of Shangqing Sect.
"Since you have come to me today, you must have already made inquiries within the Immortal Dynasty beforehand."
"Young Master Wuya, I was too rash earlier. I hope you will not take it to heart. I just... I simply cannot understand. That Gu Tianlang clearly overthrew the Immortal Dynasty in the Ancient Era and slaughtered many Immortals. If he had died back then, that would be one thing. But he is not dead now. Not only is he not dead, he has returned. Cloud End not only did not seize this opportunity to eradicate him, but instead... instead issued an edict forbidding the Immortal Dynasty from clashing with him. Why on earth is that!"
Both Liuguang Bing and Long Qi wanted to know the answer to this question.
Wang Ba, Xun Yihe, and the others also wished to know.
"This question is not only something you wish to know; I'm afraid many people want to know, including myself."
Everyone was startled. Liuguang Bing asked in astonishment, "Young Master Wuya, could it be that even you... do not know?"
Wuya shook his head, indicating he did not know, then added, "However, I did hear that Fairy Hua has been busy with this matter these past days. She has also been trying to mediate the conflict between Monarch Chixiao and the Immortal Dynasty."
"Young Master Wuya, are you saying Fairy Hua persuaded the Immortal Dynasty, and even Cloud End?"
Liuguang Bing found it somewhat hard to believe and asked, "Does Fairy Hua truly have such great influence?"
"Fairy Hua's influence is far greater than you can imagine. If she steps in to persuade the Immortal Dynasty or even Cloud End, it is not impossible. However..." Young Master Wuya pinched a white Go piece, placed it on the board, then picked it up again, as if hesitating. He continued softly, "The matter is likely not that simple. There must be many secrets unknown to us within this."
Placing the white piece down again, Young Master Wuya asked, "Ghost Elder, what do you think?"
Ghost Elder stroked the beard on his chin, first shaking his head, then said solemnly, "This old man cannot say for certain. Setting aside for now whether Fairy Hua is involved, even if she is, the greater reason is likely Monarch Chixiao himself."
Ghost Elder's words left Liuguang Bing, Long Qi, and the others somewhat confused. They asked, "We ask Ghost Elder to enlighten us."
"If Cloud End's edict is truly related to Fairy Hua, then it is of little consequence. But if Cloud End's edict has nothing to do with Fairy Hua, then there are only two possibilities."
"What two possibilities?"
"Either Monarch Chixiao's existence holds significant importance for the Immortal Dynasty, for Cloud End, and even for the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao. You should understand that with the end of the Ancient Era and the opening of the Present-Ancient Era, not only is the essence of heaven and earth undergoing re-derivation and reorganization, but the essence of the Three Thousand Great Daos is also being re-derived and reorganized. In other words, the structure of the boundless great thousand worlds and this cosmic universe is still filled with unknowns."
"Since it is an unknown variable, friends from the Ancient Era may become enemies in the Present-Ancient Era, and enemies from the Ancient Era may become friends in the Present-Ancient Era. Those who were destined by fortune in the Ancient Era may become those destined for calamity in the Present-Ancient Era."
Having said that.
Ghost Elder sighed, "Karma has its cycles, and the Three Thousand Great Daos will change accordingly."
Now, Liuguang Bing, Long Qi, and the others understood. Ghost Elder meant that the reason Cloud End issued the edict was probably because Monarch Chixiao in the Present-Ancient Era held great significance for the Immortal Dao—the so-called one destined by fortune or calamity. If that were truly the case, then for the sake of the Immortal Dao's tribulations, Monarch Chixiao's act of overthrowing the Immortal Dynasty back in the day would be truly insignificant.
At this moment, the previously silent Xun Yihe spoke up and asked, "Earlier, Ghost Elder, you said there were two possibilities. What is the other possibility?"
"If Cloud End issued the edict not because Monarch Chixiao's existence is one of destined fortune or calamity... then it would be truly terrifying."
Everyone was stunned. The word "terrifying" coming from the mouth of someone as profound and unfathomable as Ghost Elder sent a chill down the spines of these proud sons of heaven, these dragons among men.
"We ask Ghost Elder to instruct us. What is the meaning of 'terrifying'?"
Ghost Elder pinched a black Go piece, gazed at the board, pondered for a moment, then placed a black piece on the board and said, "That would mean Monarch Chixiao's existence makes Cloud End extremely wary. So wary that they are willing to abandon the dignity of the Immortals, and so wary that they fear the Immortal Dynasty might offend Monarch Chixiao, provoke his anger, and thus bring disaster upon Cloud End itself."
As Ghost Elder's words fell, not only did Liuguang Bing, Long Qi, and the other dragons among men show expressions of shock and awe, but even Wuya, who had always been composed and calm, could not help but frown, gazing at Ghost Elder with a look of surprise and doubt.