"The Immortal Dynasty symbolizes the Cloud End, and the Cloud End symbolizes the Nine Heavens, and the Nine Heavens symbolize the Immortal Dao. If the Cloud End fears that Gu Tianlang, then it would also mean the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao fears Gu Tianlang. How is that possible!"
After Liuguang Bing finished speaking, Long Qi followed up, saying, "That's right, absolutely impossible. That Gu Tianlang merely achieved the Immortal Monster King's Throne, and that's old history. As far as I know, in the Present-Ancient Era, the Immortal Monster King's Throne he was so proud of has long been gone. The mighty Immortal Dao absolutely could not fear him!"
The others all nodded in agreement. They too felt the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao fundamentally could not fear Monarch Chixiao.
Although Monarch Chixiao had once overthrown an Immortal Dynasty in this world, he had only overthrown an Immortal Dynasty. The existence of an Immortal Dynasty to the Nine Heavens was like a mere faction attached to a major sect in this world—utterly insignificant and certainly incapable of threatening the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao.
"This old man was merely stating one possibility. You all can just listen and not take it seriously," Ghost Elder said unhurriedly. "Moreover, regardless of which possibility, one thing is absolutely certain: the Cloud End has already issued a decree. Monarch Chixiao cannot be touched."
Liuguang Bing and Long Qi both knew that since the Cloud End had issued a decree, whatever the reason, their hope of seeking revenge against Monarch Chixiao was gone. Now, with even Ghost Elder and Young Master Wuya saying so, there was even less hope.
"The Cloud End's decree only forbids the Immortal Dynasty from having conflicts with Gu Tianlang. It didn't say we're not allowed to test him, did it?"
Wang Ba, the leading figure of the Huwei Family, said with a smile. The others looked at each other, understanding his meaning, then all turned their gaze to Ghost Elder. Ghost Elder did not respond. They then looked at Wuya, as if seeking his opinion.
Wuya picked up a cup of fragrant tea, took a light sip, pondered for a moment, waited a good while, and then finally spoke: "We'll see when the time comes."
Hearing this, everyone was pleased. Since Young Master Wuya said so, it at least meant he wasn't opposed. For Wang Ba and the others, that was enough. Their hearts gained some confidence, and they didn't linger long, bidding their farewells one by one.
After everyone had left, Ghost Elder said meaningfully, "Young Master, your mind seems unsettled in this game. Is it also because of the matter concerning Monarch Chixiao?"
"Gu Tianlang is a mountain. A mountain pressing down on this world, and also pressing down on the heads of all of us."
"Does the Young Master also wish to test how high this mountain truly is?"
"Who wouldn't?"
Ghost Elder let out an inexplicable sigh.
"Why does Ghost Elder sigh?"
"Young Master, Monarch Chixiao is indeed a mountain pressing down on the heads of you people in this world, but that is all it is. Although it presses down upon you, it does not mean it is an unavoidable mountain."
"Avoid it?" Young Master Wuya shook his head and smiled, a smile tinged with some disdain and scorn. A trace of arrogance seemed to flash across his originally calm and indifferent expression. "Does Ghost Elder really think I am the kind of person who, upon encountering difficulty, would choose to go around it?"
"Young Master, Monarch Chixiao is not your difficulty, much less your enemy. At least, not now. You have absolutely no need to regard him as an imaginary foe, nor to erect for yourself a mysterious, unknown, even bizarre and terrifying powerful enemy."
"Mysterious and unknown? Bizarre and terrifying?" Young Master Wuya said with a faint smile, "Ghost Elder, we've known each other for so long, yet I've never heard you use these words to describe a person."
"Although this old man's earlier speculation was somewhat exaggerated, it is not entirely unfounded. Over the years, in my leisure, I have been studying this person, Monarch Chixiao. I've discovered his existence is truly an inconceivable one. The world says his success relied on luck, on fortune, but this old man does not think so. His success did indeed rely on luck, and indeed on fortune. However, whether luck or fortune, they were not bestowed upon him by Heaven. He seized them from Heaven's grasp himself."
Ghost Elder sighed with emotion. "A person who can seize fortune and destiny from Heaven's hand is destined to be no ordinary figure."
"Ghost Elder worries too much. I have never underestimated this man Gu Tianlang. On the contrary, I hold genuine admiration for him. Precisely because I admire him, I have always wanted to see just how high this mountain of his, standing in this world, truly is!"
"Young Master, Monarch Chixiao's existence may be an immeasurably high mountain in your eyes. But in this old man's eyes, his existence is an unfathomably deep sea. No one knows how deep this sea is. Many wish to know, so they venture into the sea to test its depths, and then... there is no 'then'... Those who ventured into the sea to test it never came back up..." Having said this, Ghost Elder looked at Wuya with a solemn, earnest expression. "Young Master, you should understand. Some people can be tested, and some people absolutely cannot."
"Oh?"
Seeing Ghost Elder's solemn expression, Wuya fell into deep thought.
"And there is one most important point the Young Master must not forget. Over three hundred years ago, Monarch Chixiao was judged by the Immortal Dao and reduced to ashes, yet he did not die. How he accomplished this, this old man does not know, but that is not important. What is important is, where did he go during the more than three hundred years he vanished? What did he do? To this day, it remains a mystery."
"Three hundred years... For ordinary cultivators, perhaps three hundred years is nothing, perhaps not even enough to break through a single realm. But for someone like Monarch Chixiao, the places he could go and the things he could do in three hundred years are far, far too many. Consider this: he cultivated in this world for merely two hundred years. In that time, his cultivation was destroyed and re-established nine times. He attained the Dao and became an Immortal, and fell into the demonic path, also nine times each. In other words, over two hundred years, he achieved True Immortal nine times and True Demon nine times."
"This old man once calculated. Excluding his ignorant youth and the periods of constant fighting and killing, the actual time Monarch Chixiao spent cultivating in this world during those two hundred years was extremely little—probably no more than ten years, twelve at most."
"A single person, using merely twelve years, ascended to the peak of Immortal and Demon nine times. Is that not enough to inspire awe?"
Faced with Ghost Elder's words, Wuya chose silence.
Mei Ruolan, standing nearby, spoke up instead. "Ghost Elder, are you speaking the truth? As far as I know, Monarch Chixiao cultivated in our Shangqing Sect for nine years, and in the end, he only attained Earth Immortal."
"This old man has specifically and carefully investigated this matter. Those nine years in your Shangqing Sect, he was not cultivating at all. He was recuperating from injuries the entire time. Moreover, back then, he was completely a criminal within Shangqing Sect. If he had possessed even a trace of cultivation, not only would the Immortal Dynasty not have tolerated it, the people of Shangqing Sect would not have tolerated it either. Had he dared to lay a foundation, the people of Shangqing Sect would have annihilated him on the spot."
Mei Ruolan asked, puzzled, "But why does the outside world keep spreading the tale that the Monarch cultivated in our Shangqing Sect for nine years and became an Earth Immortal?"
"That is because he knew his own predicament. Therefore, for those nine years, he did not cultivate at all. He spent the entire time recuperating. He used nine years to heal his wounds, and then used a mere nine days to go from laying a foundation to becoming an Earth Immortal. Finally, he soared into the sky, breaking free from Shangqing Sect's control!"