In the garden.
Qin Yang remained standing within the pavilion, brewing cup after cup of tea.
Beside him, seven or eight people stood quietly, never uttering a word from start to finish. It was only after the Water Mirror vanished that they exchanged glances, looking as if they wanted to speak yet hesitated. After a long while, an elderly man finally stepped forward and spoke.
"Master, were your words just now true?"
Qin Yang raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "What words?"
"What Master said just now about not contending for that surnamed Gu's 'All Beings Pagoda, Myriad Phenomena Pay Homage'."
"Ah, yes. That is correct."
"Why? Does Master truly fear that man surnamed Gu?"
"If you speak of fear, it is not entirely false." Qin Yang did not deny it. "His existence, how should I put it... is too mysterious, too unknown. He seems to have always drifted outside the laws of heaven and earth. No one knows how great his potential truly is, nor what kind of terrifying creation he might give birth to. How could one not fear such a person?"
After saying this, his tone shifted, and he shook his head. "However, this is not the main reason."
"We hope Master will enlighten us, so that we may understand."
The others also spoke up, "Indeed, Master. We are not questioning your decision. It is just that this matter is of great importance. That man surnamed Gu's 'All Beings Pagoda' concerns the throne of the Human Dao Master. If Master were to give it up, it would truly be a pity. And if it were to fall into the hands of others, we would be placed in a terribly passive position in the future."
"This principle, how could I not know it?" Qin Yang brewed his tea unhurriedly, speaking softly. "But I wonder if all of you have considered one question: why do the Three Thousand Great Daos find Gu Qingfeng intolerable? Why are they so impatient to wipe him out?"
"Is it because he defied the heavens in the past and committed many unforgivable transgressions? No. Although those who defy the heavens are not numerous in this world, they are certainly not few. There are also those who have been more reckless than Gu Qingfeng."
"Is it because he is a person of Original Sin? Not entirely either. Similarly, there is definitely more than one person of Original Sin in this world. From what I know alone, there are nine. Moreover, Gu Qingfeng's Original Sin was acquired through fusion later in life. Among the nine I know, two possess innate Original Sin. Compared to Gu Qingfeng, their Original Sin poses a greater threat."
"So why do the Three Thousand Great Daos single out Gu Qingfeng? The reason is simple. Precisely because he used his body's boundless number of Taiji Golden Cores to give birth to a creation—'All Beings Pagoda, Myriad Phenomena Pay Homage'—that is comparable to any edict of the Human Dao."
He raised his hand, lifted the cup, and took a light sip.
Qin Yang continued, "The revived Human Dao of the Present-Ancient Era is of paramount importance. Whether it is the Immortal Dao, the Monster Dao, or the Heavenly Dao, they have all long since laid their schemes, aiming to seize control of the Human Dao. Yet Gu Qingfeng unexpectedly gave birth to the 'All Beings Myriad Phenomena,' disrupting all their plans."
"In other words, the Great Daos have long since designated the edicts of the Human Dao. Leaving aside whether one can seize Gu Qingfeng's 'All Beings Myriad Phenomena,' even if one could seize it, for me, it would be a hot potato. Whether it is the Immortal Dao, the Monster Dao, or even the Heavenly Dao, they would not permit me to possess the 'All Beings Myriad Phenomena.' Given this, why should I make a bridal gown for another?"
"Why?" someone asked. "Master is not only not a person of Original Sin but also a Tribulation-Bearer of the Present-Ancient Era. Moreover, your relationship with the Great Daos is quite good. Why would they not permit you to possess the 'All Beings Myriad Phenomena' and contend for the Human King throne?"
"This is not a question of Original Sin or not, nor a question of being a Tribulation-Bearer or not." Qin Yang's tone remained consistently placid, as if discussing a very ordinary, mundane matter. "It is a question of trust. Although my relationship with the Great Daos has always remained quite good, it is only that—quite good. A good relationship does not mean they trust me. Not only that, I'm afraid they have always been on guard against me. They would not hand the Human Dao over to someone they do not trust."
"If the Great Daos do not trust Master and are on guard against you, then what about the Zixiao King of Crimson-Letter Manor, and the Third Prince of the Immortal Dynasty? Do the Great Daos trust them or not?"
Qin Yang smiled and shook his head. "Due to the circumstances of his identity and background, the Great Daos would absolutely not trust the Third Prince. As for that Zixiao King, he has never made his stance clear, so naturally, the Great Daos would not trust him either."
"So, does that mean the Great Daos have no one they trust in this world?"
"No! There is. It is just that I do not know who it is for the time being. If my guess is correct, the Immortal Dao, Monster Dao, and Heavenly Dao have long since designated the edicts of the Human Dao in this world. It is just that they are hidden very, very deeply... I have investigated covertly for a long time but have not uncovered them. Do not forget, there are two Persons of True Destiny in this world. One of them is Fairy Su Hua. The other has yet to appear."
"If Master does not intend to contend for that surnamed Gu's 'All Beings Myriad Phenomena,' presumably, the Zixiao King and the Third Prince will also not contend for it."
Qin Yang nodded slightly, smiling. "Naturally. Both of them are clever people. They naturally understand this principle as well."
"Master, there is one matter we still do not understand. If Master, the Third Prince, and the Zixiao King all give up contending for the 'All Beings Myriad Phenomena,' once it falls into the hands of the person designated by the Great Daos' edict, wouldn't we be placed in an even more passive position in the future?"
The seven or eight people spoke in succession, "That's right. Currently, there is still a balance among the Great Daos. If anyone were to obtain the 'All Beings Myriad Phenomena,' it would inevitably break this balance. For us, this would not only bring no benefit but could instead bring great harm."
"This old man recalls Master once said that balance is advantageous to us. Imbalance would only place us in a passive position."
Qin Yang replied, "Therefore, although we will not participate in contending for the 'All Beings Pagoda' this time, we also cannot allow it to fall into the hands of the Great Daos. We must maintain the current state of balance. We absolutely cannot allow any Great Dao to break the present equilibrium."
"Master means... to maintain balance, we must, when necessary, even help that man surnamed Gu?"
Someone voiced concern, "Master, the existence of that man surnamed Gu is no trivial matter. If we help him deal with the Great Daos merely to maintain balance, the gain truly would not be worth the loss."
"Most importantly, that man surnamed Gu is profoundly mysterious and unknown, with immense potential. Since he could use his body's boundless Taiji Golden Cores to give birth to a creation like 'All Beings Pagoda, Myriad Phenomena Pay Homage,' if he were to ascend to the Human King throne, I'm afraid our situation would be far worse than simply being passive!"
Qin Yang did not speak, only silently sipping his tea. After a long moment, he finally opened his mouth. "Therefore, he must die. The 'All Beings Pagoda, Myriad Phenomena Pay Homage' he gave birth to must also be destroyed. Only in this way can the status quo be maintained, and balance preserved."