"Heavens above, Qingqing, have you been scared witless? Have you lost your mind? What nonsense are you spouting?"
Lixin Xianzi stared at Qingqing with an utterly shocked expression, as if she no longer recognized her. "You silly girl, don't tell me your heart has been captivated by You Di?"
"Senior Sister Lixin, don't talk nonsense," Qingqing said, somewhat embarrassed, a shy blush coloring her fair cheeks. "I was just... just expressing my personal feelings, that's all. I didn't mean anything else by it."
"It's best if you didn't. Don't blame me, your senior sister, for not warning you. In all the myriad heavens and worlds, you can be infatuated with anyone—except You Di. You know full well what his existence signifies. If you get entangled with him, you won't even know how you'll die. Besides, You Di has so many lovers, and each one is either a Lady of this Great Dao or a Lady of that Great Dao. Even the Holy Maiden has been waiting for him all this time. Compete with them for You Di? Could you possibly win?"
Qingqing looked on the verge of tears. "Senior Sister, I merely described the impression You Di gave me. I truly meant nothing else. I'm not infatuated with him, and I certainly never said I wanted to compete with the Holy Maiden for him. Please don't misunderstand."
"I hope it's just a misunderstanding. Otherwise, you won't even have a place to cry."
Just then, Old Lady Jin Hua walked over. "Lixin, Qingqing, we should head to Lingluo Heavenly Domain as soon as possible, finish our business, and return."
"Why?"
"You Di's existence is intolerable to heaven and earth. Once news of his death and resurrection spreads, it will inevitably cause turmoil in the Great Desolate. The Three Thousand Great Daos, especially the Immortal Dao, will likely be the first to take action. When that happens, there will surely be an earth-shattering battle, and all the heavenly domains and myriad worlds will be affected."
"Madam, I think you're worrying too much," Lixin Xianzi interjected before Old Lady Jin Hua could continue. "Please hear me out first. I've actually given this matter careful thought. At first, I also believed that news of You Di's resurrection would inevitably cause turmoil in the Great Desolate, and the Immortal Dao would certainly act. However... upon further reflection, I don't think the situation is that severe. No, not just 'not that severe,' but rather... how should I put it?"
Lixin Xianzi pondered for a moment. "To say that news of You Di's resurrection will cause turmoil in the Great Desolate is certain. But the Immortal Dao might not be the first to take action."
"Why not?"
"I believe that since You Di has already resurrected, the Immortal Dao has probably known about it for some time. So many of their Ancestral Patriarchs have awakened; they couldn't possibly be unaware that You Di has returned from death. Since they know, why have they delayed taking action? The reason is simple: either they know this You Di is a fake—though that possibility seems very small; I think this You Di is almost certainly the real one."
Old Lady Jin Hua asked, "If this You Di is real, why hasn't the Immortal Dao acted?"
"Let Qingqing answer that. She knows more about it than I do."
"Qingqing?" Old Lady Jin Hua looked at Qingqing, puzzled. "What's going on?"
"Several years ago, I overheard my master discussing this matter with Hundred Lives Great Emperor."
"Oh? What did they say?"
"My master and Hundred Lives Great Emperor said that if You Di truly died and resurrected in the Present Era, neither the Immortal Dao nor any of the Three Thousand Great Daos would dare act rashly. Since the Ancient Era, the Three Thousand Great Daos have always wanted to eliminate You Di, but they ultimately failed. Not only that, they instead pushed You Di into the abyss of Original Sin, a fate worse than death, causing him to walk further and further down the path of Original Sin. And the further You Di walks down that path, the greater the threat he poses to the Great Dao of heaven and earth and to all living beings."
High Immortal Qingqing recalled the conversation between her master, Fusheng Dijun, and Hundred Lives Great Emperor, and continued, "During the Ancient Era, the Ancestral Patriarchs of the Three Thousand Great Daos were all in deep slumber and unable to interfere. Now that they have awakened one after another, they will certainly not allow the Three Thousand Great Daos to repeat past mistakes."
"To put it bluntly, the Immortal Dao has been beaten into fear by You Di," Lixin Xianzi added. "In the Ancient Era, the Immortal Dao provoked You Di's wrath, and he nearly burned down the Nine Heavens with a single flame. When the Daoless Mountain descended, the Immortal Dao even summoned the incarnations of the Heavenly Father and Earthly Mother, yet they were still thrashed by You Di. Now You Di has died and resurrected again, and based on past experience, this resurrected You Di is likely even more unfathomable. Under such circumstances, how could the Immortal Dao dare act rashly?"
"That's the first reason," High Immortal Qingqing nodded. "The second is that You Di is not the only one in heaven and earth bearing Original Sin. Besides You Di, no one knows how many others carry it. In the Present Era, all things are awakening—not just the Ancestral Patriarchs of the Immortal Dao, but also those of the Demonic Dao, the Yao Dao, and others. Even the Guixu has collapsed. Ancient evil overlords like Chiyou, Xingtian, Jiangchen, and others have already emerged. All manner of demons and monsters will gather in the Present Era..."
"My master said that although the Present Era appears calm on the surface, undercurrents have long been churning. Moreover, these undercurrents have been accumulating since the Primordial Era, through the Archaic and Ancient Eras—undercurrents spanning several epochs. Once they erupt, no one knows what terrifying storm they will unleash."
"My master said that now, whether it's the Three Thousand Great Daos, those awakened ancient mighty beings, the Original Sins that threaten heaven and earth, or the Heaven's Mandate individuals born to face the tribulation—none will act rashly, none dare to act rashly."
"Especially since You Di is now deeply entrenched in the vortex of the Original Sin black hole. Rumor has it that he was the one who awakened Original Sin. Some even say that if he has truly died and resurrected, he is very likely the true master that Original Sin has been seeking. It's a situation where pulling one hair moves the whole body."
"Therefore, even if the Three Thousand Great Daos know that You Di has died and resurrected, they will not act rashly. They are all afraid... afraid that moving against You Di will shatter the Present Era's fragile peace, detonate those undercurrents, and unleash a catastrophic disaster no one can foresee."
After a pause, Lixin Xianzi added, "The question now is no longer whether the Three Thousand Great Daos will move against You Di, but whether You Di will move against the Three Thousand Great Daos. The Three Thousand Great Daos don't want to break the Present Era's peace, but that doesn't mean You Di won't. That guy is capable of anything."
As she spoke, Lixin Xianzi seemed to remember something, her expression turning horrified. "Wait! Could it be that he's really planning to do just that? Otherwise, why would he openly reveal his identity in front of everyone for no good reason? I can't help but feel he did it on purpose. Is he preparing to announce to the myriad heavens and worlds that he has returned? What does he want? What is his goal? Or is he simply provoke the Three Thousand Great Daos?"