"Old Master, is You Di facing dire peril this time?"
The one asking was Lixin Xianzi of the Longevity Pavilion.
She knew, and she could see, that the situation You Di faced this time was far more perilous than any he had encountered in the Remote Ancient Era.
During the Remote Ancient Era, though the Great Wilderness giants and the Three Thousand Great Daos had besieged You Di, the Ancestral Patriarchs of the Three Thousand Great Daos were all in slumber, their Dao Origins long depleted, and the Great Wilderness giants themselves had few true experts.
But now it was different.
In the Present-Ancient Era, all things had revived. The Ancestral Patriarchs of the Great Wilderness giants, the Ancestral Patriarchs of the Three Thousand Great Daos, had all awakened; their Dao Origins had also recovered. Moreover, this time, the Thirty-Six Cavern-Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands were also participating in the encirclement. Though these paradises had not yet shown themselves, they were lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity. Most terrifying of all, the holy lands, forbidden lands, and even the Ancestral Patriarchs of the Gui Xu were all watching from here. In a sense, these existences were even more dreadful than the Three Thousand Great Daos.
"Whether You Di faces dire peril today..."
Old Master Kaishan gazed at the heavens, shaking his head slightly with a sigh. "Depends on the attitude of the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao."
"What is the attitude of the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao?"
"The attitude of the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao... likely depends on You Di's own attitude."
"Then what is You Di's attitude?"
This time, Old Master Kaishan did not speak, for he himself did not know what You Di's attitude was. Closing his eyes, he said, "Regardless of the outcome, today's events will likely affect the situation in the Great Wilderness. The ten-thousand-year peace of the Present-Ancient Era is also destined to be shattered because of what happens today..."
In the void of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain, the clamor of voices shouting for Gu Qingfeng's execution was incessant.
After Beiding Immortal King appeared on behalf of Dan Ding Valley, the powerful and renowned Immortal Family giants dominating various heavenly domains arrived one after another. The number of great and small Immortal Families was countless and endless, and they kept increasing. The vast Lingluo Heavenly Domain was suddenly overcrowded; looking around, people were everywhere.
Among the crowd, Huode was like an ant on a hot pan, pacing anxiously in circles. If he could, he truly wished to charge up Blackwater Mountain and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Gu Qingfeng in battle.
Unfortunately, Huode knew his own meager abilities were of no help whatsoever. Not only was he insignificant and his words carried no weight, his strength was also insufficient. Forget the Three Thousand Great Daos lurking behind the scenes, he couldn't even withstand the Dao Kings and Star Lords present in the Lingluo Heavenly Domain.
What to do?
Huode didn't know either. He turned to Xiao Jinr beside him and asked, "Xiao Jinr, what should we do?"
"I... also don't know."
Xiao Jinr frowned slightly, standing quietly, her eyes fixed on Blackwater Mountain, seemingly filled with worry as well.
Suddenly, Huode remembered someone and said excitedly, "Xiao Jinr, hurry! Quickly call the Holy Maiden! In this situation, only the Holy Maiden's intervention can help the Gu kid now!"
"Sister Hua she..." Xiao Jinr opened her mouth but stopped.
"What's wrong? Can't you contact the Holy Maiden? Or..."
"It's not that." Xiao Jinr said, "Sister Hua can't come."
"Why can't she come?"
At that moment, a voice suddenly transmitted into Huode's ear: "Xiao Jinr is right. My junior sister cannot come. My Eldest Senior Sister forbids her."
As the voice faded, a figure appeared before Huode—a woman. It was none other than Nalan Qianqiu.
She appeared, gazing at Blackwater Mountain, and said, "Not only can my junior sister not come, even if she came in person, she could not change anything. Do you think only these Great Wilderness giants want his life now? No! The Three Thousand Great Daos, the Thirty-Six Cavern-Heavens and Blessed Lands, the holy lands, forbidden lands, and even those terrifying existences of the Gui Xu all want his life."
"And don't think that just because he has transcended life and death and possesses the ability to resurrect from extinction..." Nalan Qianqiu chuckled coldly. "Let me tell you, every Ancestral Patriarch suppressed within the Gui Xu possesses an indestructible body. And so what? Aren't they still suppressed within the Gui Xu? If he dares to make a move today, those terrifying existences lurking behind the scenes will undoubtedly join forces to suppress him, making him wish for death but unable to die, forever unable to reincarnate."
Hearing this, Huode's legs went weak with fright. He cupped his hands and bowed, pleading, "Lady Qianqiu, I beg you, save the Gu kid! I beg you! This old man will kowtow to you right here!"
As he spoke, Huode was about to kneel and kowtow, but just as he started to kneel, Nalan Qianqiu stopped him.
"No one can save him now. Only he can save himself."
Nalan Qianqiu stared solemnly at Huode and said, "Right now, the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao is locked in dispute over whether to appear and annihilate him. More than half of the Elders want to erase him, while half of the Ancestral Patriarchs are unwilling to move against him. The key issue is that with so many giants appearing in the Lingluo Heavenly Domain to create momentum, it will inevitably influence the Nine Heavens' decision. I have just received a message from the Nine Heavens Ancestral Patriarchs: if You Di does not clarify his stance soon, they will be unable to hold out. They will have to yield to the majority and annihilate You Di."
"Lady Qianqiu, you said only he can save himself. How exactly? What stance does the Gu kid need to clarify?"
"It's both simple and not simple, both difficult and not difficult. As long as You Di is willing to lower his head to the Nine Heavens, admit his wrongs, and personally go to the Nine Heavens, then the Nine Heavens Ancestral Patriarchs can use this as a reason to let him off and not move against him. As long as the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao does not act, then these Great Wilderness giants, including the Cavern-Heavens and Blessed Lands, will not act either."
"This is the Nine Heavens' condition. It is also You Di's final chance. His only chance."
Nalan Qianqiu stared at Huode and Xiao Jinr and said, "You two should persuade him as soon as possible to clarify his stance, to lower his head to the Nine Heavens and admit his wrongs. Otherwise... You Di will likely face dire peril today."
"Alright! I'll persuade the Gu kid right now!"
Huode, as if clutching a life-saving straw, dared not delay. He immediately sent a secret voice transmission to Gu Qingfeng, conveying Nalan Qianqiu's words. Yet, he received no response from Gu Qingfeng whatsoever. This threw Huode into a panic, and he kept sending secret messages incessantly. However, he never received any reply from Gu Qingfeng.
Huode said, "The Gu kid isn't paying any attention to me. Lady Qianqiu, I must trouble you to go and inform him."
Nalan Qianqiu replied, "I already tried just now. He didn't respond to me either."
"This..." In his desperation, Huode prepared to leap up and ascend Blackwater Mountain to persuade Gu Qingfeng face-to-face. Suddenly, Xiao Jinr pulled him back.
"Xiao Jinr, why are you holding me back?"
"Big Brother will not lower his head to the Nine Heavens."
Xiao Jinr's words instantly stunned Huode, who had been wholly preoccupied with worry for Gu Qingfeng's safety. Hearing Nalan Qianqiu's words had frightened him into a daze. Only when Xiao Jinr spoke did he realize a grave problem and murmured in shock, "Yes... how could I have forgotten? The Gu kid has never bowed his head to anyone in his entire life. How could he possibly lower his head to the Nine Heavens and admit wrongs? If he were willing to bow his head, he wouldn't have come out this time."
"Big Brother said earlier that he would be fine. Jin'er believes Big Brother's words. If Big Brother says he will be fine, then he will definitely be fine."
Having said that, Xiao Jinr turned to Nalan Qianqiu and said, "Sister Qianqiu, Jin'er also hopes you will never again relay messages for the Nine Heavens. Otherwise... Jin'er will be very sad, Sister Hua will be sad, Sister Cangyan will be sad, and all those who care about you will be sad..."
Nalan Qianqiu, puzzled, asked, "Why?"
"Because..." Xiao Jinr stared intently at Nalan Qianqiu and said earnestly, "Because Big Brother will kill you."