"Qiao'er, you've grown up. There are some things your Auntie won't hide from you, and couldn't even if I tried. To tell you the truth, that Great Lord from before was indeed the Nine Nethers Emperor Sovereign from the ancient era."
"Ah? Really?"
Qiao'er frowned. "But... but he doesn't seem anything like the Nine Nethers Emperor Sovereign from the legends."
"Silly girl, legends are just legends. Many are exaggerated."
Li Xin Immortal stroked Qiao'er's long hair, murmuring softly, "Besides, how long have we been in contact with him? How could we know he doesn't resemble the legendary Nine Nethers Emperor Sovereign? From now on, you must remember this firmly: never judge people solely by appearances. Often, the more ordinary and plain someone seems on the surface, the more mysterious, bizarre, and terrifying they might be. And never look down on anyone, because you can never know what kind of terrifying soul lies hidden behind that ordinary exterior."
Li Xin Immortal raised her head to gaze once more in the direction where Gu Qingfeng had vanished, whispering, "Just like him. Who could have imagined that someone so unremarkable—lacking cultivation, lacking destiny, lacking everything, appearing sloppy and frivolous in both speech and manner—could be the Nine Nethers Emperor Sovereign who once shook the Great Desolate in the ancient era?"
"The irreverence, the leisurely ease, the casual indifference you see in him are merely facades, masks he wears. When he unleashed his divine sense aura earlier, intimidating everyone, that was his true face, the real Nine Nethers Emperor Sovereign."
Having said this, Li Xin Immortal shook her head again. "No! The real Nine Nethers Emperor Sovereign is far more dreadful and terrifying than what you witnessed... Qiao'er, if you ever have the misfortune of encountering the Nine Nethers Emperor Sovereign again in the future, remember this! Do nothing, say nothing... Run if you can. If you cannot run, then stand there obediently... Don't ask, don't look, do absolutely nothing."
"Ah! Why?"
"Because before him, anything you do is futile. His joy and anger are your judgment, your verdict, and they determine your life and death. If he is pleased, heaven and earth rejoice; if he is angered, all living beings mourn."
"The Nine Nethers Emperor Sovereign... is he really that terrifying?"
Qiao'er trembled with fear.
At that moment, Upper Immortal Qingqing crouched down, smiling gently. "Qiao'er, don't listen to your Auntie's nonsense. She's just trying to scare you on purpose. The Nine Nethers Emperor Sovereign isn't that terrifying, nor is he some heinous, cruel, bloodthirsty monster. As long as you behave properly, he won't harm you without reason."
Li Xin Immortal said, "Qingqing, Qiao'er has grown up. There are some things she must know, especially concerning the Nine Nethers Emperor Sovereign. If we don't tell her, have you considered the consequences if she truly encounters You Di in the future?"
"Qiao'er was never a willful or unreasonable person. Even if you didn't say anything, she wouldn't bully others. Moreover, I'm not just comforting Qiao'er. You Di might be terrifying, but that's only to enemies who provoke him. If you don't provoke him, he won't do anything to you. He isn't the type from legends who casually slaughters and kills indiscriminately."
"My dear lady, have you lost your mind from fright?"
Li Xin Immortal widened her eyes, looking at Upper Immortal Qingqing with disbelief. "Didn't you just see You Di kick Mo Baiyu and the others half to death, leaving them with barely a breath? That's even crueler than killing them outright!"
"That was because they brought it upon themselves by foolishly provoking You Di. If they had any self-awareness, even a little sense of propriety, they wouldn't have ended up in such a state."
"Then what about Shangguan Feixing? He was only pleading for his son, Shangguan Dong, and You Di obliterated him on the spot. Did he also lack self-awareness and propriety?"
"You Di killed him not because Shangguan Feixing pleaded for his son, but because instead of repenting, he harbored killing intent and attempted to fight You Di to the death. Showing mercy to an enemy is being cruel to oneself. You Di's obliteration of Shangguan Feixing wasn't wrong. Although I also think You Di's methods were too cold and ruthless, that doesn't mean he kills indiscriminately."
Pausing briefly, Qingqing continued, "Moreover, Shangguan Feixing wasn't the only one pleading. There was also Elder Jin, who followed Mo Baiyu. Elder Jin harbored no killing intent, so he remained unharmed."
"Fine! Even if everything you say makes sense, what about everyone else? They neither provoked You Di nor harbored killing intent toward him, right? Weren't they all later shaken until their seven orifices bled and they fell down by the mere force of You Di's voice? To this day, whether they are alive or dead remains unknown. Given that, can't it still be said that You Di is cold, ruthless, and kills indiscriminately?"
"You Di told them to leave... They chose not to go themselves."
"Nonsense! You say it so lightly. In that situation, everyone was too scared to even move. Who dared to leave? Just because they didn't dare to leave, does that mean they deserved to be shaken until their seven orifices bled? Isn't You Di being too domineering?"
"I think that was probably a warning from You Di."
"A warning? Warning about what?"
"They probably still don't completely believe he is You Di, especially those from the Five Spirits Immortal Realm. Having suffered such a great loss today, they likely won't let it go. You Di shaking them until their seven orifices bled with a single voice was precisely a warning to them, or more accurately, a warning to the great clans and immortal realms behind them, not to pursue this matter any further."
Upper Immortal Qingqing spoke calmly, glancing at the dumbfounded Li Xin Immortal. "Besides, what's wrong with being a bit domineering? As the Nine Nethers Emperor Sovereign, shouldn't he be a bit domineering? There's one thing You Di said that I strongly agree with: there's nothing wrong with being young and arrogant, nothing wrong with not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth, and nothing wrong with being reckless. But once you take action, you must bear the consequences of that action."
"This... you... how..." Li Xin Immortal blinked, staring at Qingqing. She truly couldn't understand why Qingqing would defend You Di like this. After being stunned for a long while, she finally spoke, "Qingqing, what's wrong with you? You mustn't be deceived by You Di's surface appearance. That's just his mask. The real You Di is terrifying, far more terrifying than what you saw earlier."
"I think the You Di we saw—irreverent, casual, indifferent, and utterly vulgar—is the real You Di. As for the legendary You Di, aloof, domineering, cold, and ruthless, that is probably his mask."
Qingqing shook her head slightly, murmuring, "I think... if given the choice, he would definitely choose to be a leisurely, ordinary person, with no desire to be the aloof, domineering Nine Nethers Emperor Sovereign. I can sense it, truly. Whether from his laughter and anger, his unrestrained nature, or even his frivolous words, I can feel that his laughter comes from the heart."
"But when Mo Baiyu and the others stepped forward, repeatedly provoking him, I could sense the annoyance in his heart. No! Not just annoyance, but disgust, weariness. Even when he unleashed his divine sense aura, when he looked at those people, I could feel the weariness in his heart."
"I think... he must be utterly sick of this kind of fighting and killing."