"The All Beings Pay Homage to the Floating Pagoda... such a creation is truly comparable to a Human Dao Edict."
Grandmother let out a sigh of admiration.
"Far more than just a Human Dao Edict," Ye Tianlan also sighed. "Even a Human Dao Mandate, a Human Dao Heavenly Destiny, or a Human Dao True Destiny would likely pale in comparison. It is precisely because of this that the Three Thousand Great Daos and the heavens and earth cannot tolerate him. After all, the legendary Human Dao is said to revive in the Present-Ancient Era, and to master the Human Dao is to become the true leader of all Daos, the master of all living beings between heaven and earth."
"Given this... Great Heir Apparent Qin Yang and the others will certainly not miss this chance. Even if they have to risk their lives, they will take the gamble. At least, if it were me, I would be willing to stake everything. If I lose, I lose everything. But if I win, I become the Human Dao Sovereign, the master of all living beings between heaven and earth."
Putting down the wine cup in her hand, Ye Tianlan picked up the wine pot and poured herself another cup. "Don't you think I'm right?"
Across from her.
Grandmother couldn't help but be taken aback, because she realized Ye Tianlan didn't seem to be asking her. Just as she was puzzled, the sea of clouds above suddenly changed. As light shimmered, it was as if the stars had shifted. In the blink of an eye, a water mirror appeared.
Through the water mirror, one could see a garden.
Seven or eight people stood in the garden, all standing there quietly. When the water mirror appeared, these seven or eight instantly looked over, their eyes gleaming with ferocity. None of them looked easy to deal with.
However, none of them spoke.
Ye Tianlan also paid them no mind, merely sweeping her gaze over them before settling on a young man in the garden.
That young man looked utterly ordinary. He showed no signs of any cultivation or any special fortune, appearing just like a common mortal. He wore only a simple, unadorned blue robe. At the moment, he was squatting in the garden, trimming flowers and plants, his sleeves rolled up, his hands covered in mud. He worked with great care, as if holding a deep reverence for life, tending even a single blade of grass with meticulous attention.
Beside her.
When Grandmother saw the people in the water mirror, her expression couldn't help but change slightly. Especially when she saw the ordinary-looking young man trimming the plants, her heart tightened even more.
She recognized that young man trimming the plants. It was none other than the Great Heir Apparent of the Shangqing Sect, Qin Yang.
A mysterious and extremely terrifying reincarnated being.
What kind of person he was in his previous life, what his identity or background was, Grandmother did not know. She only knew that the reincarnated great powers lying dormant within the Shangqing Sect almost all looked to the Great Heir Apparent as their leader. And among these great powers were not only those from the Ancient Era, but also those from the Remote Ancient Era.
Not to mention the others, just the old man standing in the garden at this moment—Grandmother knew this person had once ascended to the throne of the Demonic Dao during the Ancient Era, becoming an Ancient Monster King.
A Monster King.
That was a Monster King of the Demonic Dao.
Such a figure would be a mighty overlord even in the Great Desolate Heavenly Realm. Yet now, after reincarnating, he actually looked to the Shangqing Sect's Great Heir Apparent Qin Yang as his leader.
And that was just one Monster King. As for the others standing in the garden, although Grandmother didn't know their previous life identities or backgrounds, she could guess and sense that their previous statuses were probably no lower than that of the Monster King.
She truly couldn't imagine what kind of status the Great Heir Apparent Qin Yang possessed, to command the willing submission of so many great experts of the Ancient Daos.
Gazing at the Great Heir Apparent Qin Yang trimming plants in the garden, for some reason, Grandmother's heart grew even more tense.
This was not her first time seeing the Great Heir Apparent Qin Yang.
She had seen him a few times before.
And every time she faced the Great Heir Apparent Qin Yang, Grandmother's heart would tense up. Even now, with the Great Heir Apparent Qin Yang trimming plants, his back turned to her, not even glancing her way, Grandmother still felt intensely nervous.
It was a kind of innate, instinctive dread.
Also an intangible pressure.
What made Grandmother feel even more fearful was that she knew the Qin Yang currently trimming plants before her was not his true body, but merely an external incarnation.
If a mere incarnation was already like this, Grandmother couldn't even imagine what kind of existence the Great Heir Apparent Qin Yang's true body must be.
"Lady Sect Master, it has been a while."
The voice of the Great Heir Apparent Qin Yang came through. He did not turn around, still squatting in the garden, trimming the plants.
His voice was very plain, much like the man himself, giving off a sense of calm.
"Before you, I dare not accept the title of 'Lady'."
Facing the Great Heir Apparent Qin Yang, the smile at the corner of Ye Tianlan's mouth gradually faded, her expression turning solemn.
"Lady Sect Master is too modest. The previous life is the previous life; this life is this life. The previous life is over; this life has already begun. In this life, I am merely a disciple of the Shangqing Sect, and you are the Sect Master of the Shangqing Sect. Naturally, you deserve the title of Lady Sect Master. Is that not so?"
Having said this, the Great Heir Apparent Qin Yang stood up, walked to the windowsill, rinsed the mud from his hands with clean water, and dried them with a towel. Then he turned around, looking at Ye Tianlan with a faint smile. "Moreover, even speaking from the identity of my previous life, I should still address you as Senior."
Clearly.
The Great Heir Apparent Qin Yang was alluding to Ye Tianlan's so-called Daoless karma.
And Ye Tianlan did not conceal anything, stating directly, "Possessing Daoless karma does not necessarily mean one was a Daoless person in a previous life. I think you must have heard that karma began to fall into chaos ever since the end of the Daoless Age, leading to many inexplicable karmic ties..."
"This is the so-called Karmic Curse, I've heard of it too."
The Great Heir Apparent Qin Yang glanced at the sun hanging high in the sky, stretched lazily, and walked over to the pavilion. He began to prepare tea. As he gestured with his hand, he motioned for the seven or eight people to sit down. While preparing the tea, he responded, "But I've only heard of it. Regarding all the rumors about the Daoless Mountain, I always remain half-believing, half-doubting."
The Great Heir Apparent Qin Yang's skill in preparing tea was an art in itself. As his palm turned, it seemed to contain endless transformations. The small teacup in his palm was as if undergoing the baptism of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. After a long moment, a cup of fragrant tea, resembling white mist, was ready.
"Lady Sect Master, please."
With a gentle wave of his hand, the exquisite crystal teacup shot through the water mirror like a meteor.
Ye Tianlan reached out and caught it. Then she personally brewed a cup of wine, which also passed through the water mirror.
"Please, you as well."
Ye Tianlan's cup contained the tea Qin Yang had brewed; Qin Yang's cup contained the wine Ye Tianlan had brewed. The two raised their cups in a toast.
Ye Tianlan first brought it to her nose and inhaled. The faint, clear fragrance was very pleasant. She took a small sip; the flavor lingered on her lips and teeth. It was as if she were receiving a baptism from nature itself; even her life force seemed to bloom in response. It was truly miraculous.
"What tea is this?"
"Just a cup of common tea."
Qin Yang drained the wine in his cup in one go, closed his eyes as if savoring the aftertaste, nodded, looking quite satisfied, and also asked, "What wine is this?"
"Also just a cup of common wine."
"Lady Sect Master, this wine of yours is far from being just 'common wine'."
"Your tea is definitely not 'common tea' either."