"You little brat actually dared to say that if You Di had been born in the Present-Ancient Era, he might not have fared as well as you!
Damn it!
You little bastard really have the gall to say that! What, you think you piss higher or shoot farther than others? Your feathers aren't even fully grown yet, but your mouth is plenty big. If you dare spout such nonsense and talk crap again, I'll slap you so hard you'll lose control of your bowels!"
When it came to the art of clapping back and talking smack, Huode truly had no equal in the scene.
Not only was he overbearing and domineering, but he also pointed right at Yuanwu's nose and cursed him out, mixing ridicule, sarcasm, and outright humiliation.
He cursed Yuanwu until he was thoroughly drenched in abuse, his face alternating between deathly pale and livid with rage. He gritted his teeth so hard they might crack, his fists clenched tightly, his entire body trembling with anger. A pair of eyes blazing with fury glared fixedly at Huode. If looks could kill, Huode would have been reduced to ashes long ago.
With Yuanwu's arrogant, conceited, and tyrannical nature, he simply could not endure such a profound humiliation. If anyone else had dared to point at his nose and curse him out in front of so many people, he would have already struck them down and forced them to kneel and beg for mercy.
But facing Huode...
Yuanwu thought it over carefully and ultimately still did not make a move.
Firstly.
He was inwardly quite wary of this inscrutable old Daoist Huode, not knowing his background, status, cultivation level, or strength.
Of course.
To Yuanwu, this wasn't the most important point, nor was it the fundamental reason he dared not act. Because behind him stood a group of old-timers from the Ancient Times Era who served him. Even if he couldn't defeat Huode in a one-on-one fight, those seniors behind him wouldn't just stand by and watch. Moreover—and this was Yuanwu's greatest reliance—he was an Upper Immortal who had received the decree of the Immortal Dao. Throughout the myriad heavens and worlds, few dared to kill him. At the very least, no one would dare do so in front of so many people. Killing an Upper Immortal like him would be tantamount to disrespecting the Immortal Dao, with extremely severe consequences.
The real reason Yuanwu chose to endure was that he knew Huode had once saved Qiao'er's life, making him her savior. And Qiao'er was a disciple of the Eternal Life Pavilion, and also Senior Immortal Qingqing's junior sister. If he fought Huode, never mind whether he could win or not, even if he could, he would end up offending Qiao'er. Offending Qiao'er was pretty much the same as offending Senior Immortal Qingqing.
Yuanwu had fallen for Senior Immortal Qingqing at first sight, even becoming utterly infatuated. He absolutely did not want to offend Senior Immortal Qingqing over some old Daoist.
"Esteemed guests, may this humble one have a word?"
Suddenly.
A man stepped forward and spoke softly and calmly.
This man was elegant and refined, handsome and scholarly. It was none other than Bai Ze.
Bai Ze was a disciple of the Eternal Life Pavilion. No one present dared to disregard his face. When he leaped up and appeared in mid-air, those old-timers from the Ancient Times Era also fell silent.
"Whether You Di's sweeping conquest of the Great Desolate and awe-inspiring dominance over heaven and earth back then relied on luck or not, none of us know, nor do we need to know. There's even less need to argue over this matter. You Di's existence may have been formidable, but..." Bai Ze's tone shifted slightly as he smiled faintly, "whether it was attaining the Immortal-Demon Throne in the mortal world or seizing the Nine Nethers' Mandate in the Great Desolate, these were Mandates snatched from others' hands. It was defying heaven to change fate. This is a sin, a heinous crime against heaven, and not something to be praised."
"Whether You Di's destruction of the Immortal Dynasty, burning of the Nine Heavens, and battling the Great Dao, his rampant tyranny across heaven, earth, and the Great Desolate back then was truly because the Great Dao Source was depleted and the Great Dao Patriarchs were slumbering, we similarly do not know. It might have been, or it might not. But..." Bai Ze continued, "regardless of the truth, such actions were equally treasonous and heretical, also not worthy of praise, and hardly worth discussing."
"Whether you all admit it or not, no one can deny that You Di's existence was that of a sinner, and moreover, the greatest Original Sin sinner between heaven and earth. Is it really necessary for you all to argue endlessly over a sinner, and a dead one at that?
Doesn't it seem rather laughable, rather pathetic?
Rather ironic?"
"You are all Immortals of the Immortal Dao. Do not forget that You Di was the sinner who once destroyed an Immortal Dynasty, burned the Nine Heavens, and even insulted our great Immortal Dao."
One had to say, Bai Ze truly lived up to being a disciple of the Eternal Life Pavilion, one of the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands. With this speech, he left all those old-timers from the Ancient Times Era present blushing with shame.
Indeed.
They were, after all, Immortals of the Immortal Dao. And You Di's existence was arguably the greatest sinner against the Immortal Dao in the Ancient Times Era. Not only did he destroy an Immortal Dynasty and burn the Nine Heavens, he also insulted the Immortal Dao and nearly destroyed it.
As Immortals of the Immortal Dao, they really shouldn't be praising such a heinous and evil figure as You Di.
Huode's old face also flushed red, his pride somewhat wounded. He wanted to retort, but upon careful thought, he really had no way to refute this. Because Gu Qingfeng back then had indeed destroyed an Immortal Dynasty, burned the Nine Heavens, and insulted the Immortal Dao. Calling him a heinous, evil, treasonous heretic was not an exaggeration at all.
Huode stole a glance at Gu Qingfeng and found this guy had been lying back in his chair the whole time, sipping his little drink and watching with an amused smile, looking for all the world like he was enjoying someone else's drama.
Huode curled his lip, feeling rather displeased. He sent a secret voice transmission: "I'm here fighting for justice for you, kid, and you're just watching the show like it's none of your business. I say your heart's a bit too big, isn't it?"
Gu Qingfeng shrugged and replied, "This master never asked you to fight for justice. Why are you meddling?"
"Hey!
You're still cracking wise!
Damn it all, you think this master wants to fight for you? But, come to think of it, what kind of things have you done, kid? This old man wants to put in a good word for you, but I can't even find a damn reason!"
"Don't say you can't find a reason. Even if this master wanted to say a few good words for himself, he couldn't find a reason either!"
"Damn it all, kid, did you not do a single good deed in the Great Desolate?"
Gu Qingfeng shook his head and smiled somewhat helplessly.
He had just thought it over carefully. In the Great Desolate, he really hadn't done any good deeds. Not even one.
"Alright, you old codger, stop messing around. Get down here already. Don't make a damn fool of yourself."
Even Gu Qingfeng himself admitted he hadn't done a single good deed. What more could Huode say?
He was convinced.
Utterly convinced.
Huode initially thought of just letting it go. But then it occurred to him: if he just backed down like this, it would be too humiliating, and he'd really have a hard time saving face. Especially looking at Bai Ze's calm and composed demeanor—the more he looked, the more it grated on him. If he didn't deflate this kid's arrogant airs, he'd really think this old man was afraid of him.
"Ahem...
Young man, you can't put it that way. The things You Di did in the Great Desolate back then were mostly forced upon him, done out of necessity. Moreover, after the Present-Ancient Era began, even though You Di bore the Original Sin body, for the sake of the Great Dao and all living beings, he still ignited the Original Sin Karmic Flames himself and turned to ashes. This old man's meaning isn't that You Di was particularly righteous or great. At the very least, he wasn't that heinously evil, and his deeds in the Ancient Times Era balanced out his merits and faults, didn't they?"