"Perhaps Empress Tianji precisely saw the friendship between you and You Di, and that's why she had you come to the Lingluo Heavenly Domain to be its Domain Master."
"What do you mean?"
Sha Xiang scratched his head, asking, "How come I don't quite understand?"
"Master, why don't you think carefully—why has the Nine Heavens not issued a decree until now?"
"The Nine Heavens not issuing a decree doesn't mean there's no movement. It's possible the Nine Heavens have already begun preparations, but we just don't know about it."
"Even if that's truly the case, it can only mean the Nine Heavens have indeed started preparing. This indicates the Nine Heavens do not wish to go to war with You Di. Perhaps it should be said that the Nine Heavens will not go to war with You Di unless absolutely forced. If the Nine Heavens truly wanted to go to war with You Di, I'm afraid all the various heavenly domains and the Myriad Heavens and Worlds would have received a decree from the Nine Heavens."
Sha Xiang sat back down on his throne, chewing on raw beef, and nodded, saying, "That's exactly what I think. In the Ancient Times, the Nine Heavens suffered so many losses at You Di's hands; they should have learned their lesson by now. Moreover, that bastard You Di is now deeply entangled in the muddy waters of Original Sin, so deeply that pulling one hair could move the whole body. That kid is outrageously powerful now; a single stomp of his foot would make the Myriad Heavens and Worlds and the Three Thousand Great Daos tremble with fear."
As he spoke, Sha Xiang laughed. "Don't even say the Nine Heavens dare not touch You Di; even if the Nine Heavens wanted to move against You Di now, they'd have to weigh whether they could bear the consequences. However..."
He changed his tone and continued, "The Nine Heavens place such great importance on honor and prestige. They finally achieved dominance over heaven and earth in the Current Era. To safeguard the Nine Heavens' prestige and consolidate their position as the Head of the Great Dao, even if just for show, they absolutely would not stand idly by."
"Right!
Exactly!
The reason the Nine Heavens have delayed issuing a decree is probably precisely this. They neither wish to go to war with You Di now, yet they have no choice but to give an explanation to the Myriad Heavens and Worlds."
Lao Zong added, "As for putting on a show, this matter is probably not so simple."
"Of course it's not that simple. If the Nine Heavens merely put on a show, it would basically mean admitting defeat to You Di."
Sha Xiang chuckled. "You Di back then destroyed immortal dynasties, burned the Nine Heavens, wantonly trampled on the Nine Heavens' prestige. The Nine Heavens absolutely hate him to the bone. Want the Nine Heavens to admit defeat to You Di?
Heh, that's probably very, very difficult. What's more..." For some reason, thinking of the Nine Heavens' current dilemma, Sha Xiang couldn't help but feel like laughing. "Even if the Nine Heavens truly admit defeat and put on a show, they might be able to deceive the Myriad Heavens and Worlds, but they definitely couldn't deceive the other Great Daos. There are surely other Great Daos behind the scenes fanning the flames. If the Nine Heavens only put on a show, trying to give an explanation to the Myriad Heavens and Worlds, when people from the other Great Daos come out shouting later, things will get lively. And after shouting, if they checkmate the Nine Heavens, it'll be even more lively... Ha ha ha ha!
I can't wait to see this spectacle sooner. Tell me, if people from other Great Daos really come out and checkmate the Nine Heavens, will the Nine Heavens move against You Di or not?
If they don't move?
They can't explain themselves to the Myriad Heavens and Worlds, and the position of Head of the Great Dao might become unstable. But if they move against You Di, the Great Wasteland will immediately fall into chaos, and then the Nine Heavens' position as Head of the Great Dao will also become unstable. Not only will that position become unstable, but the Nine Heavens might once again run with rivers of blood."
"Ah!
I really want to see this spectacle of the Nine Heavens!
Ha ha ha ha!"
Sha Xiang laughed wildly, his laughter bordering on madness.
"And that's only secondary. There's another matter. I wonder if Master has considered it."
Sha Xiang asked, "What matter?"
"The exposure of You Di's identity—perhaps there are other Great Daos behind the scenes fanning the flames, wanting to use You Di to break the Nine Heavens' dominance over heaven and earth, and also wanting to use the Nine Heavens to test You Di's existence."
"And then?
Continue."
"The Nine Heavens dare not go to war with You Di unless absolutely forced, but that doesn't mean You Di dare not go to war with the Nine Heavens."
Hearing Lao Zong say this, Sha Xiang's heart skipped a beat. He nodded heavily and said, "The Nine Heavens hate You Di to the bone, and that bastard You Di also hates the Nine Heavens with a burning passion. Back then, to erase You Di, the Nine Heavens resorted to every possible means, forcing You Di to descend into the Nine Nether. From my understanding of You Di, that kid is one who repays the slightest grievance tenfold. The Nine Heavens messed with him so much in the Ancient Times; after returning in the Current Era, he'll definitely seek revenge on the Nine Heavens. Even if he doesn't take revenge, he'll definitely mess with the Nine Heavens."
"Therefore, the key to the problem lies in You Di's attitude."
Lao Zong stroked his beard, speculating, "The Nine Heavens dare not act rashly, probably because they can't quite gauge You Di's attitude. And..."
"And what?"
"This old man suspects that Empress Tianji having you, Master, serve as Domain Master of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain is probably also... for this reason."
Hearing this,
this time, not only did Sha Xiang's heart skip a beat, but his entire body shuddered as he stood up. The man who had just been laughing at the Nine Heavens instantly turned serious.
Lao Zong continued in a low voice, "The Great Wasteland and the Myriad Heavens and Worlds are now in utter chaos. The situation has escalated so severely. The Nine Heavens are caught in a dilemma. The Three Thousand Great Daos are waiting for an opportunity to act. All of this, in the final analysis, stems from You Di. Although many have already come forward to confirm that You Di has died and returned to life, after all, no one has truly seen You Di yet. Actually, this matter is quite easy to resolve. As long as You Di does not show himself, or if You Di voluntarily disappears, then all the problems triggered by this matter will be resolved smoothly."
"Lao Zong, are you saying Empress Tianji wants me to go persuade You Di to disappear? If that's really the case, then she thinks too highly of me!"
Sha Xiang said angrily in a heavy tone, "Although I have some friendship with You Di, damn it, our friendship isn't deep enough for me to persuade You Di. My face isn't that big in front of You Di; he wouldn't give me that much face either. Besides, why should I persuade You Di to disappear for the sake of the Nine Heavens? What does the Nine Heavens' dilemma have to do with me?"
"If Empress Tianji wanted you to go persuade You Di, you probably would have received her decree long ago. Moreover, if my guess is correct, someone from the Nine Heavens side has already gone to negotiate with You Di. However, the result was probably not ideal. If You Di had agreed to disappear, the Nine Heavens side would have stepped forward long ago. That they haven't appeared until now is likely because they were refused by You Di."
"Then what do you think Empress Tianji's purpose is in having me come to the Lingluo Heavenly Domain as Domain Master?"
"This...
This old man can't figure it out either. Empress Tianji knows the past and future, controls fate and karma, deduces the cosmos and the Primordial Era, and comprehends the mysteries of heaven and earth. How could her intentions be casually guessed by the likes of us?"
Lao Zong sighed. "The only certainty is that Empress Tianji having you, Master, come here to serve as Domain Master is definitely related to this current incident. But as for what Empress Tianji's exact purpose is, I'm afraid no one knows."