"Those of Anomaly have a great influence on the fortunes of the Present Era. It would not be an exaggeration to say they determine the fate of the Present Era."
Nalan Qianqiu's expression was serious, her voice equally grave. "As far back as the Ancient Era, the Nine Heavens deduced the existence of those of Anomaly in the Present Era. And there was more than one. How many exactly, I do not know. I only know there were at least five. The Nine Heavens implemented a Guiding Plan, attempting to draw these five Anomalies over through Karma."
"Unfortunately, the results were not ideal. The Guiding Plan ultimately succeeded in drawing over only two of the Anomalies. The other three failed, and You Di was one of them."
"Fortunately, the Nine Heavens later discovered that you, Junior Sister, had somehow formed a Karmic bond with You Di, this very Anomaly of the Present Era. At the time, the Nine Heavens were overjoyed. When they discovered you were the one destined to bear the Mandate of Heaven and respond to the Tribulation in the Present Era, their hearts were filled with even greater hope. However, not long after, the Nine Heavens' hope turned to despair, for they discovered that You Di's existence was not merely that of a Present Era Anomaly, but also that of one of Original Sin."
"One is the one destined to bear the Mandate of Heaven and respond to the Tribulation in the Present Era. The other is the one who triggers the great calamity of the Present Era, one of Original Sin. They should be as incompatible as fire and water, yet they formed a Karmic bond. Even more terrifying is that the one of Original Sin is also an Anomaly of the Present Era. And even more terrifying still, he is the greatest Anomaly of the Present Era."
"The facts are just as you said earlier, Junior Sister. You dare to gamble, and you can afford to lose. We all dare to gamble, and we can all afford to lose. But the Nine Heavens dare not gamble, and they cannot afford to lose."
"They dare not place all their hopes on you. They worry you cannot overcome the hurdle of love, they worry you cannot overcome the hurdle of Karma, they worry you will be trapped by love, lost within this Karmic bond, even falling into the sea of suffering..."
"Therefore, the Nine Heavens can only place their hopes on the other two Anomalies who are within the Immortal Dao. Moreover, one of these Anomalies is, like you, the one destined to bear the Mandate of Heaven and respond to the Tribulation in the Present Era. Hence, the Nine Heavens are preparing to vigorously nurture this Anomaly. It is not to replace you, but to deal with You Di."
"You Di is both an Anomaly and one of Original Sin. The Nine Heavens can only nurture an existence that is both an Anomaly and the one who responds to the Tribulation to counter him. They are preparing to pit Anomaly against Anomaly, Original Sin against Tribulation Response!"
"Of course, this is merely a contingency backup plan. For now, the Nine Heavens still value you highly, Junior Sister, and they also hope you can return to the Immortal Dao and rejoin the Tribulation Response Plan."
"However, given your current situation, you are indeed not suited to participate in the Tribulation Response Plan again. And..." Nalan Qianqiu smiled helplessly, "even if you wanted to rejoin the Tribulation Response Plan now, the Nine Heavens would likely have to consider it very carefully. This is just as well. At least I can go back and report that my task is done."
"But as for you, Junior Sister..." Nalan Qianqiu looked at Su Hua with concern, sighing mournfully. "You are lost in this obsession with You Di. As your senior martial sister, I can't really help you with this. To be precise..."
"Ever since we became martial sisters..."
"It seems I have never helped you..."
"It has always been you helping me..."
"Sometimes I think I truly don't deserve you calling me 'Senior Sister'."
"Senior Sister, you jest," Su Hua said with a faint smile. "After I reincarnated in the mortal world, you have already helped me a great deal... And back then, if you hadn't told me that You Di and the Monarch were the same person, that Karmic dream that troubled me for so many years would still remain unresolved to this day..."
For a long time,
Su Hua had been having a strange dream.
Before her reincarnation, she had it.
After her reincarnation, she still had it.
It was precisely because of this dream that she gave up everything and reincarnated to search for her Karma.
When she found the Karma that belonged to her,
The dream did not resolve.
It was only before the descent of Wudao Mountain, when Nalan Qianqiu informed her that the Monarch Chixiao, the Karma she sought in this life, was the Nine Heavens Emperor You Di whom she had admired in her past life, that the strange dream was finally resolved.
"Ah!"
"Don't bring that up. Whenever I think of it, I regret it. If..."
"If I hadn't told you back then that You Di and the Monarch were the same person, your life..."
"Would not have undergone such an earth-shattering change."
Every time Nalan Qianqiu thought of this matter, her heart was filled with self-reproach.
Because the Su Hua of the past, though gentle in temperament, would at least become angry when provoked, would be happy when joyful, would be sorrowful when troubled.
The Su Hua of now, though revered as the Saintess Niangniang, rarely showed joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness on her face.
Her heart was like still water, viewing everything with detachment.
This was originally a sublimation of one's state of mind.
However,
From her understanding of Su Hua, Su Hua might not necessarily desire this transcendent, worldly state of mind.
"Senior Sister, you must not blame yourself. This was my Karma, my fate, and has nothing to do with anyone else."
"Ah, truly damnable Karma, damnable fate!"
Nalan Qianqiu sighed again, waving her hand. "Forget it, let's not talk about these troublesome matters. What do you plan to do from now on?"
"What does Senior Sister mean?"
"Aren't you lost in this obsession with You Di now?"
"Do you plan to go into seclusion?"
"I do not wish to go into seclusion."
Su Hua shook her head in response. "Let things take their natural course. Everything follows fate."
When it comes to being lost,
Outsiders cannot intervene.
Even if Nalan Qianqiu wanted to help, she was powerless.
After a moment, she said, "You Di..."
"You..."
"Do you plan to go see him?"
"Whether I see him or not, what difference does it make? He is there, neither sad nor happy, neither thinking of nor missing anyone..."
"Since that is the case, why should I go see him? Let things take their natural course. Everything follows fate."
"Ever since learning the news of You Di's death and revival, those stubborn old fogies of the Nine Heavens have been unable to eat well, sleep well, living in constant fear and anxiety all day. Not only the Nine Heavens, but the Three Thousand Great Daos are likely the same. You Di's current existence is probably no longer as simple as being an incarnation of Original Sin..."
"He might be the Retribution Body of Original Sin, or the Response Body of Original Sin, or even possibly..."
"The Dharma Body of Original Sin..."
"In short, the You Di who has returned this time has traveled further and further down the path of Original Sin, and has sunk deeper and deeper into the vortex of the Karmic Black Hole that may trigger the great calamity of the Present Era..."
Regarding the matter of You Di, Su Hua did not respond.
And Nalan Qianqiu continued, "It is fortunate we have you, Junior Sister. If not for you letting all living beings across the myriad realms know that you were waiting for You Di's return, making the Three Thousand Great Daos wary, who knows what foolish things they might do now. What Qian Shan said earlier was very true. The reason You Di's existence is becoming increasingly terrifying is not because he himself wants to sink into it, but because the Three Thousand Great Daos have step by step, relentlessly pushed him into the vortex of the Karmic Black Hole."