Throughout the Lingluo Heavenly Domain, across all its worlds and immortal realms, the sun shone high, unleashing the majestic might of the Great Sun's radiance. Even the void of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain was hung with a blazing white sun, displaying to the world the supreme authority and hegemony of the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao.
Surveying the entire Lingluo Heavenly Domain, only the Primordial World remained as before, with the sun and moon alternating as usual, appearing particularly unique amidst the Lingluo Heavenly Domain bathed in the Great Sun's light.
By the time Gu Qingfeng returned to Yunxia Sect, it was deep in the night, quiet and still. Seeing Huode sitting alone in the courtyard drinking gloomily, he couldn't help but tease, "I say, Huode, what the hell are you doing messing around here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"
Hearing the voice, Huode sprang to his feet, his eyes wide as saucers as he stared at Gu Qingfeng, somewhat agitated. "Where the hell have you been, kid? Why are you only coming back now?"
"Just took a stroll outside. What's the matter?"
"What's the matter?! Don't you know that a couple of days ago, Lord Saint Yang brought a bunch of people looking for you all over the Primordial World? He even came to our Yunxia Sect, damn it! This old man almost got into a fight with that old turtle!"
"Lord Saint Yang? Who's that? The name sounds a bit familiar."
"Of course it's familiar, you idiot! You beat the crap out of him back in the day, hanging him up and thrashing him half to death! How could it not be familiar!"
"Did that really happen?" Gu Qingfeng thought for a moment but had no impression.
"You forgot? I heard that when you first entered the Great Desolation and went into seclusion in the Lingluo Heavenly Domain, after your identity was exposed, it was Lord Saint Yang who joined forces with the major experts of the Heavenly Domain to hunt you down..." Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng slapped his forehead and laughed. "Now that you mention it, I think I remember. Wasn't he the Grand Elder of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain's Immortal Court Mansion? That old guy who claimed to be impartial and just, upholding righteousness, always preaching benevolence and morality?"
"Yes, yes! That's the old turtle!"
"That old guy's still alive?" Gu Qingfeng, having nothing better to do, chatted idly with Huode.
"Alive and kicking! And you know what? That old turtle isn't just the Grand Elder of the Immortal Court Mansion anymore. He's now the Heavenly Domain's ruler, second only to one person, commanding ten thousand below. He's also the master of the Immortal Dao. You could say he holds sway over the entire Heavenly Domain, and no one dares to provoke him. His disciples and old subordinates are spread throughout the Heavenly Domain, and I heard that among his disciples and grand-disciples, one even became an Immortal Dao Throne and an Immortal Dao Star Lord."
"Is that so." Gu Qingfeng smiled. "What did that old guy want with me? What, still looking for revenge?"
"You beat him so badly back in the ancient era, of course he wants revenge. But... that cunning old turtle probably thinks that way in his heart, but he'd never say it out loud. He's been using the banner of protecting the Great Dao and all living beings to look for you everywhere, acting all mighty and impressive."
"You didn't tell him I'm here, did you?"
"What kind of talk is that, kid? How could this old man possibly tell that old turtle about you?"
"And then? Did you fight that old guy?"
"Almost did. Damn it, I don't know where that old turtle Lord Saint Yang got the guts from. At the time, I directly brought out the sect stele inscribed by the Holy Maiden herself and even summoned the Seven-Colored Phoenix of the Great Nature Goddess, but that old turtle wasn't afraid. He insisted on coming in to search. Guess what happened next?"
"What happened?"
"It was Mo Ruyi, the ruler of the Primordial World's Immortal Dynasty, who came forward and invoked the Great-Sun Bright Command. Only then did that old turtle Lord Saint Yang leave."
"Mo Ruyi? Who's that?" Gu Qingfeng took a sip of wine and asked, "Did the ruler of this world's Immortal Dynasty change?"
"Who Mo Ruyi is, we don't know either. But she's pretty mysterious, and she holds the Great-Sun Bright Command. That thing represents the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao. Even an Immortal Dao Monarch would have to show some respect upon seeing it." As he spoke, Huode remembered something and continued, "Also, when Mo Ruyi was leaving, she specifically said something. She said that since she held the Great-Sun Bright Command, she represented the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao, and in the Primordial World, she guaranteed that no one would disturb Yunxia Sect. This old man didn't really understand that, but Little Jin'er said that Mo Ruyi knows you're at Yunxia Sect, and those words were meant for you."
"I see..." Hearing Gu Qingfeng's indifferent three-word response, Huode grew anxious. "What does that mean? Tell me, were those words really meant for you, kid?"
"Maybe. I figure she means that as long as I stay in the Primordial World and don't show myself, the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao will turn a blind eye."
"If that's really the case, then the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao is backing down from you, kid?"
Gu Qingfeng shook his head and smiled. "The Nine Heavens Immortal Dao isn't backing down. They just don't want me going out and causing chaos."
"Regardless, the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao has at least made their stance clear." Seizing the opportunity, Huode quickly tried to persuade him. "I'm thinking, kid, why don't you just stop messing with them?"
"Didn't I tell you? There are people behind the scenes stirring things up. Even if I, your lord, don't show myself, someone will push me out."
"If you, kid, decide not to show yourself, I don't believe they can push you out. Besides, it's been so long. If someone really wanted to push you out, they probably would have made a move by now. Why hasn't there been even the slightest stir?"
"It should be soon." Gu Qingfeng looked up at the night sky of the Primordial World. "I figure once all the people who should appear have appeared, someone will make a move."
"Do you know who's behind the scenes stirring things up?"
"Don't know exactly who, but I can roughly guess." Huode wanted to try persuading Gu Qingfeng further, but Gu Qingfeng was too lazy to listen to his rambling. He stood up, yawned, and said, "Alright, your lord is a bit tired too. I need to conserve my energy and get a good sleep these next couple of days. I figure there's bound to be a tough battle ahead."
Hearing about a tough battle, Huode's heart jumped with fright. Just as he was about to speak, suddenly, eerie laughter echoed from the sky.
"Hehehe... hehehe..." This laughter seemed to come from the Nine Heavens above, yet also from the Nine Nethers below. It was like it came from a sacred paradise, yet also from an evil hell, or even from an ancient era...
Ethereal and elusive, like a devil laughing, it sent chills down one's spine.
"What's that sound?" Huode swallowed hard. "Why is it so creepy?"
Huode released his divine sense, searching for the source of the sound. Unfortunately, he couldn't find it within the Primordial World. He then searched the Lingluo Heavenly Domain, but after looking everywhere, he simply couldn't locate the source. The only thing he knew was that this eerie laughter not only spread throughout the Primordial World but seemed to have been heard by people in all the major worlds and immortal realms of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain.
"Hehehe... Dear You Di, this servant misses you so much..."