Da Xing the Mad Monk's words sent shivers down the spines of everyone present.
They couldn't fathom, couldn't comprehend, and were utterly unable to understand—what virtue or what right did Gu Qingfeng possess that could force the Immortal Dao to swallow its pride and make concessions to such an extent, even going so far as to specially seek out a mediator to urge reconciliation?
Why?
And by what right?
In the minds of many, the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao had always been the hegemon of the heavens and earth, ruling over countless great worlds. Immortals were beyond counting, spread throughout the cosmos. Throughout history, the overlords who dominated the heavens and earth were, nine times out of ten, products of the Immortal Dao. If not for this, how would the Immortal Dao dare to contend with the Heavenly Dao?
Yet now, facing a mere sinner, the Immortal Dao had completely reversed its usual hardline stance and was instead actively seeking peace?
Many were unconvinced.
Especially Shangguan Yu and Shi Tian. The two of them simply couldn't figure out what was going on.
One of them was the Taiji Human Prodigy who had received the True Mandate, the other a peerless genius who possessed the Four Great Heavenly Mandates.
In their view, if there was anyone present today who could force the Immortal Dao to swallow its pride and make concessions, it should have been them.
No matter how you looked at it, it shouldn't have been Gu Qingfeng, a sinner rejected by heaven and earth.
Besides their indignation, their hearts also seethed with jealousy and hatred towards Gu Qingfeng.
Of course.
Indignant or not, jealous and hateful or not.
Neither of them were fools; on the contrary, they were both supremely intelligent. Though they didn't want to, they had to admit that Gu Qingfeng's existence was likely far more terrifying than they had imagined. Otherwise, the Immortal Dao wouldn't be making such humiliating concessions.
"So, what do you say, Brother Gu? Do you want to talk with them, or are you planning to take the hardline approach?"
Looking at the silent Gu Qingfeng, Da Xing the Mad Monk couldn't help but sigh. "If I were you, I'd talk with them. For the sake of the little lass, it's worth a discussion. If you can reach an agreement, great. If not, you won't lose anything either, right?
And, to be honest, being able to make these Great Daos lower their heads, set aside their dignity, and actively request negotiations—in all the heavens and earth, I'm afraid only you, kid, have that capability."
"Then let them come and talk."
Gu Qingfeng replied expressionlessly.
Faced with the current situation, this was the only choice Gu Qingfeng could make.
He did not fear the Three Thousand Great Daos.
Never had.
If it were about destroying the Three Thousand Great Daos, he might not have the ability, but if the Three Thousand Great Daos wanted to destroy him, it wouldn't be easy either.
Not to mention facing these Three Thousand Great Daos, even facing this sacred heaven and earth, Gu Qingfeng had confidence in protecting himself.
However.
That was only self-preservation.
He had confidence in protecting himself, but not in protecting Xiao Jinr.
For Gu Qingfeng, this wasn't even his greatest worry. What worried him most wasn't whether he could protect Xiao Jinr from the Three Thousand Great Daos, but how to protect her from the influence of the Blood Moon.
Unfortunately.
He neither had confidence in protecting Xiao Jinr from the Three Thousand Great Daos, nor did he know how to protect her from the influence of the Blood Moon.
If the Three Thousand Great Daos had the ability—even if it were the Immortal Dao, which hated him to the bone—if they could save Xiao Jinr, Gu Qingfeng would lower his head without hesitation.
When Gu Qingfeng nodded in agreement, the radiant sun hanging high in the sky stirred with rolling Immortal might. As its light bloomed, the entire world seemed to be plunged into a sea of brilliance.
Immediately after, a group of several dozen Immortals majestically descended from the radiant sun.
Everyone focused their gaze and was struck with shock and astonishment.
These several dozen Immortals were all dressed in pristine white robes, each possessing an air of transcendent elegance. Moreover, every one of them either held an Immortal Dao Command Token or a World Command Banner. In other words, each of these several dozen Immortals held the status of either an Immortal Dao Envoy or a World Envoy.
This scene was truly breathtaking.
One must know that whether it was an Immortal Dao Envoy or a World Envoy, they were figures worthy of worship. To most cultivators, they were like gods—omnipotent. It was extremely difficult to encounter even one under ordinary circumstances. Yet now, nearly a hundred Great Dao Envoys and World Envoys had appeared all at once.
There were Immortal Dao Law Enforcers, Immortal Dao Arbiters, and Immortal Dao Judges.
There were World Law Enforcers, World Arbiters, World Judges...
Especially the few leading figures.
One middle-aged man held a multicolored command banner—that was the Sovereign World Command Banner. The old man was none other than the Cloud End Elder, Xuankong, who was also the Law Sovereign of this world.
Another noble and elegant beautiful woman held a pristine command token—this was the Sovereign Immortal Dao Command Token. The woman was precisely the Immortal Dao Sovereign of this world, Bai Jin, also a Cloud End Elder.
The leading old man held the Sovereign World Command Banner in his left hand and the Sovereign Immortal Dao Command Token in his right. He was the Cloud End Grand Elder, Wu Yuan, both the World Sovereign and the Immortal Dao Sovereign.
This was a group of gods, a pantheon of deities for this world.
When they appeared, Lie Shan and the other Cloud End Great Luo Golden Immortals immediately went forward to respectfully greet them. Xun Daolin and the other Immortal Dynasty Immortals also dared not be negligent. At the same time, the sect masters and elders of various major sects immediately knelt and bowed to the ground.
Amidst the worship of the crowd, Wu Yuan, Bai Jin, Xuankong, and the several dozen other Great Dao Envoys appeared in mid-air, their faces full of majesty, carrying an air of lofty superiority as they looked down upon Gu Qingfeng. Their eyes were complex—filled with disdain, contempt, hatred, killing intent, but also wariness, fear, and terror.
Their wariness, fear, and terror towards Gu Qingfeng stemmed from the fact that they not only knew Gu Qingfeng's identity but also knew he was an extremely dangerous and terrifying existence.
However, their status, their background, their position, their dignity, their pride—none of it allowed them to lower their heads before Gu Qingfeng. No matter how afraid or terrified they were inside, they had to hold their heads high with pride, declaring to all living beings the domineering dignity of the Immortal Dao.
"I say, why are you standing so high up?
Trying to show off how capable you are?
Aren't you afraid of falling and breaking your necks?"
These Great Dao Envoys and World Envoys might be gods in the eyes of others, but in Da Xing the Mad Monk's eyes, they were nothing special, no different from ordinary Immortals. Moreover, Da Xing the Mad Monk had never held any fondness for the Immortal Dao; on the contrary, he found it quite repulsive. Especially these Immortals—wherever they went, they thought themselves superior, each one fond of putting on airs like big shots. This earned Da Xing the Mad Monk's utter contempt; he looked down upon these hypocritical and vain Immortals from the bottom of his heart.
"Da Xing, mind your words!"
The leading Cloud End Grand Elder, Wu Yuan, who was both the Immortal Dao Sovereign and the World Sovereign, reprimanded him with forced politeness.
"What's wrong with my words?
Is what this Buddha said incorrect?
I ask you, why are you standing so high up? Trying to show how noble you are?
Or what?
Those who know might recognize you as Great Dao Envoys; those who don't would damn well think you're Great Dao Sages!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk retorted with no courtesy at all, berating them, "I ask you, what right do you have to act all high and mighty before Brother Gu?
Have you all forgotten what happened back then?
Does this Buddha need to remind you?
Why don't you go back and take a good look at that broken stele in your Nine Heavens, think back carefully?
How did that stele break?
I think you've really damn well forgotten the pain once the wound healed!"
"Da Xing!
You—" Wu Yuan, after all, was the Immortal Dao Sovereign and the World Sovereign. Now, being so rudely berated and humiliated by Da Xing the Mad Monk, he immediately flushed with anger, his beard bristling and eyes glaring as he pointed at Da Xing the Mad Monk, yet he couldn't quite bring himself to unleash his fury.