"Senior Sister, just how many people are watching this matter? And who are they all?"
Su Hua grew more alarmed the more she probed, a creeping sense of dread washing over her. Those mysterious, powerful divine senses were increasing, as if endless, everywhere. Each one was faint and elusive, yet all were closely monitoring the events unfolding here.
"Far more than you imagine. They are everywhere, in the heavens and on the earth."
Su Hua was stunned. "That many?"
"Perhaps even more."
"Are they all here to probe Gu Qingfeng?"
"Perhaps. Most likely are. But quite a few are also just here to watch the spectacle."
"Watch the spectacle? Since when have those old seniors had so much free time? They've all come running to this Great Thousand World to watch a show?"
"Nonsense. A man who suffered the Divine Judgment of the gods, the Sacred Trial, is now alive again. What spectacle do you think they're watching?"
"Senior Sister, you can't believe it either, right?"
"It's not just that I dare not believe it. Ask anyone between heaven and earth who would dare believe it. Even Old Heaven himself is probably scratching his head."
Nalan Qianqiu stared at Gu Qingfeng, her eyes flickering with complex emotions as she murmured, "Who could have imagined that someone subjected to the Sacred Trial could still survive? This is the first time since ancient times, truly earth-shattering and unparalleled."
"However..." she continued, shifting her tone, "it's also his good fortune. His fate decreed he should not perish yet."
"How so?"
"The Primordial Essence of Heaven and Earth is currently being reborn, and so are the Three Thousand Great Daos. The Sacred is no exception. The Primordial Essence has not yet completed its rebirth; it's like an infant in the womb, still very weak. The Sacred Trial's power is also greatly diminished."
Su Hua nodded; she thought the same.
"Old Heaven will claim his life sooner or later. Once the Primordial Essence of Heaven and Earth completes its rebirth, his time of death will arrive. His existence is far, far too complex. So complex that the Three Thousand Great Daos cannot tolerate him, Heaven and Earth cannot tolerate him, the entire primordial universe cannot tolerate him."
"If that's truly the case, then why do these Great Daos probe him again and again?"
"They're all afraid!"
"Afraid of what?"
"The Primordial Essence of Heaven and Earth has not yet completed its rebirth. What do you think they're afraid of?"
"Afraid he'll threaten Heaven and Earth? No, he's not that kind of person. He would absolutely never do such a thing."
"Whether he is that kind of person or would do such a thing, is it important? No, it's not. What's important is that his very existence makes the Three Thousand Great Daos uneasy. In a sense, his existence already threatens Heaven and Earth. How could they possibly spare him?"
Nalan Qianqiu continued speaking softly, "But his existence is also too mysterious and unknown. After what happened nine years ago, no one dares to probe him lightly anymore. They're all afraid of pushing him into a corner, where things would spiral out of control."
"But what they're doing now, isn't that pushing him?" Su Hua said indignantly. "Using three Great Mandates as pawns is nothing but forcing Gu Qingfeng to declare his stance."
"You're not wrong, but you're only half right. Today, they not only want to force out Gu Qingfeng's attitude, but also the Heavenly Dao's attitude. They want to see if Gu Qingfeng will compromise when facing the Heavenly Dao, and also see what attitude the Heavenly Dao will take if Gu Qingfeng does not compromise."
"Isn't what they're doing too despicable and shameless? If Gu Qingfeng compromises, what will they do? Will they let him go? No! They won't. They cannot tolerate Gu Qingfeng. Even if they temporarily spare him, they'll find an opportunity to strike later."
Su Hua said, "If Gu Qingfeng does not compromise today and slays the Destiny-Bearers on the spot, even if the Heavenly Dao does not wish to act against Gu Qingfeng, for the sake of its own dignity and face, it will inevitably descend with Judgment."
"That's why I said today's events are not only forcing Gu Qingfeng, but also forcing the Heavenly Dao. This move of theirs is undeniably clever."
Su Hua felt somewhat worried, unsure how Gu Qingfeng would choose.
Compromise? Or defy the heavens?
If he compromises, how will he walk his path in the future? If the Great Daos play such a trick again, will he compromise again? Retreating step by step is no solution at all. It will only make his path narrower and narrower, leaving him passive.
But if he defies the heavens? The Heavenly Dao will immediately descend with Judgment.
The Heavenly Dao is the leader of the Great Daos. Once the Heavenly Dao declares its stance, the Three Thousand Great Daos will inevitably follow suit. Then Gu Qingfeng's path will become even more difficult.
Considering this, Su Hua suddenly realized that Gu Qingfeng had no choice at all. Because retreat was a dead end, and not retreating was also a dead end. No matter which way he went, it was a dead end leading to the abyssal hell.
What would he do?
Su Hua originally intended to secretly transmit what she knew to Gu Qingfeng, hoping he would consider carefully, think thrice before acting. More importantly, she wanted to tell him that no matter what choice he made, she would support him.
But just as she thought to transmit, she found herself isolated. Scanning with her divine sense, she was shocked to discover a spiritual barrier had imperceptibly enveloped her.
"Senior Sister!"
Su Hua didn't need to guess to know this was Nalan Qianqiu's doing. "Why have you isolated me?"
Nalan Qianqiu beside her, as if seeing through Su Hua's thoughts, said, "Junior Sister, I told you not to interfere in this matter anymore. This is not something you can interfere in."
"I just wanted to say a few words to him."
"You need not say anything. What you know, he knows. What you don't know, he also knows."
"But..."
"No 'buts'. Don't think you understand him well. Let me tell you, what you understand is only his surface. This fellow is far more profound than you imagine. If he starts playing games, there are probably few in all of Heaven and Earth who are his match. You think he just drinks all day? Don't be fooled by his carefree, idle appearance day after day. In truth, his heart is as clear as a mirror. He understands life better than anyone."
"This fellow's divine sense, spirit, and comprehension are beyond our understanding. What you can see, he can see. What you cannot see, he can also see. What you can think of, he can naturally think of, and he thinks much further than you."
"Who is behind today's events, and what their purpose is—do you really think he doesn't know?"
"He probably had a rough idea from the first day he arrived at Shangqing Sect."
"The Great Daos want to probe him, so he lets them probe. They want to deal with him, so he lets them deal."
"Because he simply does not fear, nor is he afraid. He probably doesn't even care."
"Junior Sister, you really should calm down and think carefully. Do you really think his previous kidnapping of the Great Sun Tathagata Buddha's wrath incarnation was just a whim? And returning it to the Western Heaven Buddha Dao nine years ago was just out of kindness? That was him giving the Western Heaven Buddha Dao a favor from the Heavenly Dao. Haven't you considered, the Three Thousand Great Daos have been dealing with him all along, but have you seen any movement from the Buddha Dao? No! The Buddha Dao has no face left for that."
"If the Heavenly Dao is the leader of the Great Daos, then the existence of the Buddha Dao is the symbol of the Great Daos. The Buddha Dao turning a blind eye to him now carries immense significance."
"Then there's the Heavenly Dao. Why do you think the Heavenly Dao's attitude towards him was ambiguous nine years ago? It's because this fellow used his body's endless Taiji Golden Cores to gestate that 'All Beings Pay Homage to the Floating Pagoda'. What exactly that thing is, I don't know either. I only know that with this thing, Gu Qingfeng has no second candidate for the master of the Human Path in the reborn Present Era. It's like a talisman of protection. With this talisman, even if Old Heaven wants to move against him, he has to weigh whether he can bear the consequences."
Having said this, Nalan Qianqiu let out a deep sigh. "If Gu Qingfeng is a piece in the grand chess game of Heaven and Earth in this Present Era, then he is a piece holding the lifeline of the game, bearing the key to victory or defeat, and one who also holds a slaughtering blade to the necks of the Three Thousand Great Daos."
"If this piece is moved, the grand chess game of the Present Era will likely be completely lost. But now the key problem is, if this piece is not moved, the game of the Present Era might also be completely lost."
"You just said Gu Qingfeng has no path to walk. The Three Thousand Great Daos also have no path. Gu Qingfeng faces a dead end whether he advances or retreats. The Three Thousand Great Daos are the same. Their situations are almost identical—advancing is not an option, retreating is not an option. Gu Qingfeng has a broad mind; he can let go. He dares to stall. But the Three Thousand Great Daos dare not stall. So today, they played this move that seems ingenious but is actually a move of desperation."