"To speak of it, this Lord Saint Yang is truly a cunning old fox."
"Every word out of his mouth is either about protecting the common mortals of the Great Way or about eliminating evil for the people. He even says that regardless of whether the Nine Heavens Immortal Path has issued a decree, he, as the ruler of the Celestial Domain, has the obligation and even greater responsibility to protect everyone's safety. What lofty virtue this is!"
"Everyone knows how terrifying the existence of You Di is. Without a decree from the Nine Heavens, no one would dare act rashly. But what about this Lord Saint Yang? He jumps around all over the Lingluo Heavenly Domain, even riding the Great Sun Dragon Carriage, bringing all the Celestial Domain Immortal Officials with him, making a grand procession, afraid that others won't know how much he, Lord Saint Yang, serves the immortals and the people."
"The Nine Heavens Immortal Path long ago decreed that the Primordial World is not under the jurisdiction of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain. Yet Lord Saint Yang came anyway. Do you think he really came here to search for You Di's whereabouts?
No!
He did not. He came to let everyone know that he, Lord Saint Yang, in order to search for You Di's whereabouts, dared to defy the decree of the Nine Heavens Immortal Path. What a noble spirit this is."
"Do you think he came to Shangqing Sect because he truly suspected You Di had been here?
That's not it either. This is merely an excuse. He came to our Shangqing Sect for one thing only: similarly, to let everyone know that he, Lord Saint Yang, in order to search for You Di's whereabouts, dared to offend Shangqing Sect—or more precisely, the Heavenly Dao behind Shangqing Sect."
"If this old woman's guess is correct, Lord Saint Yang's next destination will be Yunxia Sect. The world knows that Yunxia Sect is under the protection of the Holy Maiden and the Great Nature Maiden. By going there, he will also let everyone know that he, Lord Saint Yang, in order to search for You Di's whereabouts, dared to offend the Holy Maiden and the Great Nature Maiden."
"Heh heh."
Lotus Granny held a cup of tea, speaking in a flat tone: "These matters will spread throughout the myriad worlds in the future. And his heroic deeds of serving the immortal people and the common mortals of the Great Way will be widely circulated. By then, Lord Saint Yang will naturally become a lofty hero of the Present-Ancient Era. One must admit, the calculations of Lord Saint Yang truly earn this old woman's admiration."
After hearing Lotus Granny's words, Yun Wan frowned, not knowing what to say. She had originally thought Lord Saint Yang was truly a selfless old hero who served the immortals and the people. For this reason, when she previously lied about not having seen You Di, she felt quite guilty inside. But after hearing Lotus Granny's words, she realized that everything Lord Saint Yang had done was merely for fame across heaven and earth.
"To think Lord Saint Yang is actually such a hypocrite who covets fame and fortune. However, his courage is too great. The Nine Heavens Immortal Path has issued no decree at all now. Doesn't he worry at all?
What if You Di really appears? Without the protection of the Nine Heavens Immortal Path, how could he possibly withstand it?"
Lotus Granny took a gentle sip of tea and smiled faintly: "Wan'er, ah, Wan'er. What the Lady Sect Master said is absolutely correct. You only know cultivation; you've almost cultivated yourself into a fool. You understand nothing of the current situation and worldly affairs."
"I..." Yun Wan shook her head with a bitter smile. She truly did not understand worldly affairs, because she really had no interest in such things.
"You underestimate this cunning old fox, Lord Saint Yang, too much."
"Lotus Granny, what do you mean by that?"
Yun Wan asked: "Could it be that what Lord Saint Yang is doing isn't just for fame and fortune?"
"Of course."
Lotus Granny asked in return: "What Lord Saint Yang is doing is not only for his own fame and fortune; he also genuinely wants to eliminate You Di!"
"Lotus Granny, this Wan'er doesn't quite understand. You just said Lord Saint Yang is hypocritical and utterly false, only wanting to use the matter of You Di to make himself famous across heaven and earth. Why do you now say he genuinely wants to eliminate You Di?"
"He wants to eliminate You Di, not for the sake of the common mortals of the Great Way, but for himself."
"For himself?"
Yun Wan was even more confused: "What does eliminating You Di have to do with Lord Saint Yang?"
"Wan'er, have you heard of the incident from the Ancient Era where You Di nearly killed Lord Saint Yang?"
Hearing Lotus Granny say this, Yun Wan thought carefully and suddenly understood: "I have heard. It seems that back when You Di first entered the Great Wilderness, he lived in seclusion in the Lingluo Heavenly Domain. Later, for some reason, his identity was exposed. At that time, it was Lord Saint Yang who mobilized all the experts of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain to besiege You Di. It is said that Lord Saint Yang's most beloved disciple and his immortal partner were both killed by You Di. They even say Lord Saint Yang himself was beaten half to death by You Di."
Lotus Granny laughed: "Back then, Lord Saint Yang wasn't just beaten half to death by You Di; one could say he was beaten to within an inch of his life. His hands and feet were ripped off by You Di, leaving only his head and torso. He was hung in the air by You Di and beaten beyond recognition—his head split open, skin torn and flesh rent. Not to mention, his internal organs were pulled out and stuffed back in. On the spot, he was beaten until blood and flesh flew everywhere, his physical body turned to ashes. You Di then personally reconstructed his body for him and continued beating him, not even letting him die, leaving him with just a breath of life."
"Heavens!
This...
This is simply...
Simply..." Yun Wan felt her scalp go numb listening. She had only heard that Lord Saint Yang was beaten half to death by You Di back then; she truly didn't know You Di had beaten Lord Saint Yang so brutally—beating his physical body to ashes, reconstructing it for him, and then continuing to beat him.
Good heavens, You Di's methods are truly...
Too terrifying.
"Lord Saint Yang is a man who cares deeply about face. Back then, being hung up and beaten by You Di, unable to seek life or death, one could say his face was utterly lost. How could Lord Saint Yang swallow this anger? He wants to kill You Di for revenge more than anyone else."
"This grudge..." Yun Wan sighed: "He doesn't even consider whether he can achieve revenge himself. That is You Di, after all."
"This cunning old fox, Lord Saint Yang, is after all an Ancient Era senior who has cultivated for hundreds of thousands of years. Having lived until now, he has long become a crafty old spirit. If he didn't have powerful backing behind him, if it were just himself, even if this old woman gave him ten thousand times the courage, he wouldn't dare to mobilize forces so grandly and search everywhere in the Primordial World for traces of You Di as he is doing now."
"Lotus Granny, who is Lord Saint Yang's backing?"
Lotus Granny stood up and said: "In these myriad worlds, there are too many, too many people who want You Di dead. One could say they are countless and endless."
"There are indeed many who want You Di dead. But now that the Nine Heavens Immortal Path has not stepped forward, what kind of backing is powerful enough to let Lord Saint Yang act so recklessly and without restraint?"
Yun Wan was puzzled, speculating: "Could it be one of the Thirty-Six Cave Heavens or Seventy-Two Blessed Lands?"
Lotus Granny cast an appreciative glance her way: "Correct. Lord Saint Yang's backing is Dan Ding Valley, one of the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands."
"What?
Dan Ding Valley?"
Yun Wan thought carefully and said: "It seems there is no deep-seated hatred between You Di and Dan Ding Valley, right?
Why would Dan Ding Valley want You Di dead?"
"You Di nearly wiped out Dan Ding Valley back then!"
Hearing this, Yun Wan was greatly shocked, horrified: "There was such a thing?
How have I never heard of it?"
"Very few know of this matter. It happened a very long time ago."
Lotus Granny did not elaborate on the grudge between You Di and Dan Ding Valley, only saying: "As far as this old woman knows, Dan Ding Valley has sent quite a few experts this time, including their Ancestral Patriarch, who has probably also come."