"Killing a Destiny-Bearer will incur Heaven's Retribution, but he destroyed the Star Heart of the Present Era's Heavenly Destiny. What will descend is no longer mere Retribution, but Heaven's Punishment."
Su Hua slumped to the ground, murmuring distractedly. Suddenly, she remembered something and instantly perked up, saying, "Last time, the so-called Divine Judgment of the Gods' Verdict failed to judge Gu Qingfeng to death. This time, whether the Heavens send down Retribution or Punishment, I'm afraid they still won't be able to erase him."
"Retribution or Punishment, it's not important at all."
Nalan Qianqiu had been staring at the rolling Heavenly Might in the sky, her voice grave. "The Three Thousand Great Daos' move today only wanted an attitude—one from Gu Qingfeng, and one from the Heavenly Dao. Now Gu Qingfeng has already made his attitude clear. Everyone is just waiting for the Heavenly Dao's attitude."
"Why must they have the Heavenly Dao's attitude?"
"The Heavenly Dao is, after all, the leader of the Great Daos. If the Heavenly Dao's attitude towards Gu Qingfeng is ambiguous, none of the Three Thousand Great Daos would dare act rashly. Only after the Heavenly Dao clarifies its attitude will the Three Thousand Great Daos know their next step—in other words, how to deal with Gu Qingfeng."
"Gu Qingfeng has acted so decisively this time. The Heavenly Dao definitely won't let him off."
Boom! Crack!
Another heavenly thunderclap exploded.
The vast Heavenly Might grew even more intense.
At the foot of Shangqing Sect, after destroying the Star Heart of the Present Era's Heavenly Destiny, Gu Qingfeng slowly raised his head. His pair of profound, dark eyes swept across the scene, his domineering gaze overlooking the world as if capable of seeing through all things in existence, looking down upon everything between heaven and earth. He spoke softly and calmly.
"Since the end of the Ancient Era and the beginning of the Present Era, ever since I awoke in this world, I only wanted to make up for some regrets from back then. That's all. Unfortunately, fate plays tricks. I don't know if it's due to karma, fate's arrangement, or heaven's decree, but I've been dragged into the vortex of a great calamity once again."
"Several times I tried to extricate myself and leave, but each time I left, I only sank deeper. Up to today, I have completely sunk in, unable to free myself."
"My existence is a threat to you all. Even if you disregard the events of the Ancient Era, you gentlemen certainly cannot tolerate me. I know this. I've known from the very beginning. I know even more that my existence makes you all very uneasy. You have repeatedly tested me, even wanting to erase me. I can completely understand that."
"If I were a Great Dao, I wouldn't allow a potential threat like me to exist either."
"Believe me, if I had no attachments and no wishes, I would definitely end myself before the world. Although I've only lived for five hundred years, that's already more than enough for me. However, I am not without attachments, nor am I without wishes. At the very least, right now I have many regrets I haven't made up for, and many wishes I haven't fulfilled."
"Therefore, I still don't want to die."
"You, for the sake of the Present Era's great calamity, have no choice but to erase me. And I, for the sake of my unfulfilled wishes, have no choice but to live. You will not compromise, and I likewise will not compromise. I am no saint, I don't possess such lofty realms, I cannot do something as great as sacrificing the small self for the greater self. I am just a common man, a very, very common man. In my heart, neither heaven nor earth is greater than myself. The so-called great calamity of the Present Era has absolutely nothing to do with me."
"Saying all this is just to make you gentlemen understand one principle: I will not compromise, nor will I yield. I never have, I don't now, and I never will in the future. My attitude, I have already made clear. There's no need to test me anymore in the future. If you gentlemen wish to fight, then let's fight. Immortals, demons, any of the Three Thousand Great Daos—it doesn't matter. I, Gu Tianlang, will accompany you to the end."
Having said this, Gu Qingfeng slightly raised his head, closed his eyes, and said, "Don't expect Old Heaven to have any attitude towards me. It is far more cunning and cautious than you all. You cannot afford to lose, and it, the venerable one, can afford to lose even less. Today, even if I lend it three extra guts, it wouldn't dare to descend Judgment!"
"You gentlemen should return. After I finish my business here, I will definitely visit you again in the Great Desolate Celestial Realm. At that time, I will settle our grudges with you, one by one."
"Alright, I've said what needed to be said. I'm tired and need to rest."
With that.
Gu Qingfeng just swaggered off.
Yes.
He left.
Watching Gu Qingfeng's departing figure, the sect masters of the various great sects, Wine Immortal Zhen Yang, True Court Immortal Master, and the Great Dao figures lurking in the shadows—every single one of them—their minds were all muddled at this moment. To be precise, they were somewhat unable to react.
This guy destroyed the Star Heart of the Present Era's Heavenly Destiny in front of a huge crowd, and then...
He left as if nothing had happened?
And even said that today, even if he lent Old Heaven three extra guts, Old Heaven wouldn't dare to descend Judgment?
Is that possible?
This guy destroyed the Present Era's Heavenly Destiny! He blatantly trampled on the Heavenly Dao's dignity, slapping Old Heaven in the face.
How could Old Heaven possibly let him off?
No one believed it.
Especially Su Hua and Nalan Qianqiu. But as Gu Qingfeng left, when the Heavenly Might ceased to be vast, when the purple-gold dark clouds stopped rolling, when the purple-gold heavenly thunder stopped wildly crashing, everyone was dumbfounded.
The Heavenly Might?
Gone.
Vanished.
The purple-gold dark clouds?
Gone.
Dispersed.
The purple-gold heavenly thunder?
Gone.
Vanished as well.
After who knows how long, when the Heavenly Might completely disappeared, when the purple-gold dark clouds completely dissipated, when the night sky of the Weiyang Great Domain returned to tranquility, when the great nature returned, when everything returned to normal, everyone realized a terrifying, unbelievable, and unacceptable fact.
That was, Old Heaven truly did not descend Judgment.
Not to mention Judgment, not even Punishment, not even Retribution.
Why?
Why on earth?
This time, even Nalan Qianqiu couldn't hold on anymore. She too slumped to the ground, her eyes wide, her expression extremely complex, as if she'd gone mad. She began to laugh foolishly, "Heh heh...
Old Heaven, damn it...
Actually...
Actually backed down?"
"This guy...
In front of the Three Thousand Great Daos, destroyed the Present Era's Heavenly Destiny, and Old Heaven just backed down like that..." Raising her head, Nalan Qianqiu asked, "Old Heaven, you are the leader of the Three Thousand Great Daos! The existence that rules over all things between heaven and earth! How could you back down?
Heh heh heh heh...
Ha ha ha!"
Nalan Qianqiu seemed to have truly gone mad. She looked up at the night sky again and laughed, "The Three Thousand Great Daos, risking angering this guy, still wanted to test your venerable attitude. Everyone was eagerly awaiting, full of anticipation, especially the Immortal Dao, staring eagerly, waiting for you, Old Heaven, to step forward and uphold justice, to eradicate the threat for this world...
But...
But...
You, venerable one...
How could you just back down?"
"Heh heh heh...
Backed down...
The Heavenly Dao, leader of the Great Daos, backed down...
Preferring to lose face and be unable to hold its head up before the Three Thousand Great Daos in the future, it still didn't descend Judgment. It's just...
Old Heaven!
With you backing down like this, how are the Three Thousand Great Daos supposed to face this? What are they supposed to do from now on?"