For tens of thousands of years since the Present-Ancient Era, the Myriad Heavens and Worlds had always been relatively stable. Although conflicts of considerable scale occasionally erupted across various celestial domains, they never stirred up much of a storm in the Great Wasteland.
However, the events that transpired in the Lingluo Celestial Domain this time spread almost instantly throughout the Myriad Heavens and Worlds. Simultaneously, they stirred up a massive storm in the Great Wasteland, causing unimaginable shockwaves. The impact far exceeded everyone's expectations, plunging the Myriad Heavens and Worlds into chaos.
Everyone knew that Emperor Jiuyou had died and resurrected.
Moreover, he had slaughtered countless people in the Lingluo Celestial Domain. Not only had ten Great Dao Destiny bearers perished without a proper burial, but even the Great Wasteland Magnates and the ancestral patriarchs of the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands had been completely annihilated.
It had long been rumored in the Great Wasteland that Emperor Jiuyou was the True Lord of Original Sin. His death and subsequent return this time would inevitably lead to the slaughter of the Three Thousand Great Daos and bring calamity upon all living beings.
If people had been half-convinced and half-doubting about this matter before, then after this incident, many began to believe the rumor.
They also started to think that Emperor Jiuyou might truly be as recorded in the Book of Fate—one who would slaughter the Great Daos and all living beings, destroying heaven and earth.
For a time, everyone felt insecure, fearing they might become the next victim under Emperor Jiuyou's blade.
Most crucially, the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao, which claimed to protect the Great Daos and all living beings as its sacred duty, had shown no stance whatsoever from beginning to end. This further filled everyone's hearts with an ominous sense of foreboding.
However.
Soon, an edict from the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao descended, transmitted to the immortal court mansions of various celestial domains, and from there to the immortal dynasties of all worlds.
In this edict, the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao specifically explained the events in the Lingluo Celestial Domain.
It stated that the Lingluo Celestial Domain incident was fueled by heretical demons and evil cults behind the scenes, who attempted to incite conflict among the Great Daos with the aim of throwing the Great Wasteland into chaos. For the sake of the greater situation and the safety of the Great Daos and all living beings, the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao, upon learning of this matter, had immediately dispatched Nine Heavens envoys to urgently handle it. The crisis had already been resolved. They hoped everyone would not listen to rumors, nor be exploited by heretical demons and evil cults. Finally, the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao reiterated that protecting the Great Daos and all living beings was their inherent responsibility. At no time would they allow anyone to endanger the Great Daos and all living beings.
The descent of this edict from the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao allowed the stone hanging in everyone's hearts to gradually settle, at least to some extent.
After all, the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao had clearly stated their stance on protecting the Great Daos and all living beings in the edict.
The problem was, the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao's edict only mentioned this as a conspiracy by heretical demons and evil cults, saying nothing else. In the eyes of many, whether this was a conspiracy or not was fundamentally unimportant. They had no interest in knowing that. They only wanted to know whether Emperor Jiuyou was truly the True Lord of Original Sin as recorded in the Book of Fate, and whether he would slaughter the Great Daos and all living beings.
This was the matter of greatest concern throughout the Myriad Heavens and Worlds.
Unfortunately.
The Nine Heavens Immortal Dao's edict made no mention whatsoever of this matter. It didn't even mention Emperor Jiuyou's name, as if the one who had obliterated the ten Great Dao Destiny bearers and slaughtered the Great Wasteland Magnates' patriarchs in the Lingluo Celestial Domain wasn't Emperor Jiuyou at all.
However.
Just a few days later, another proclamation spread throughout the Myriad Heavens and Worlds.
This proclamation did not come from the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao, nor from the Heavenly Dao.
It came from a single person.
She was the one hailed as the Embodiment of Karma and the Emissary of Fate—Empress Celestial Secrets, Genggu Wuming.
To be precise, this wasn't an edict, but Empress Celestial Secrets, in her own name, announcing to the Myriad Heavens and Worlds, informing all living beings.
Original Sin is not a sin.
It is an ancient and primordial Great Dao.
Like the Three Thousand Great Daos such as Immortals, Buddhas, Humans, Spirits, Demons, Ghosts, and Monsters, it is simply one of the Great Daos.
Moreover.
Empress Celestial Secrets also said that the Book of Fate records: when Original Sin finds its True Lord, the Great Daos will fall, the Present-Ancient Era will end, heaven and earth will be reborn, and the Era of No Dao will begin...
This is a rumor.
The Book of Fate has never contained such a record.
Nor does the Book of Fate exist between heaven and earth.
Therefore, she hoped everyone would not believe such rumors.
Afterwards, Empress Celestial Secrets added, "Fate has always been in your own hands. Sow good causes, and you will reap good results. Sow evil causes, and you will reap evil results. Good and evil have their retribution; karma cycles, unchanging since time immemorial."
Throughout the Myriad Heavens and Worlds, there was no one who did not know of Empress Celestial Secrets, Genggu Wuming.
In the eyes of many, she had always been regarded as a deity.
If anyone else said Original Sin was not a sin, people might not believe it. Even if the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao, the Western Heaven Buddhist Dao, or even the Heavenly Dao itself said such a thing, people would not fully believe it.
But if Empress Celestial Secrets said Original Sin was not a sin, then no one would doubt its truth.
Because everyone knew Empress Celestial Secrets was the Embodiment of Karma and the Emissary of Fate. She knew the past and future, held command over fate and causality, could deduce the cosmos from its inception, and perceive the profound mysteries of heaven and earth.
This was not legend, nor rumor, but fact—a fact that had withstood the test of time, a truth passed down from the Primordial Era to the present day.
Now, with Empress Celestial Secrets personally stepping forward, announcing to the Myriad Heavens and Worlds to dispel the rumor that Original Sin is not a sin, and that the Book of Fate is merely a rumor...
This time.
The stone hanging in everyone's hearts finally settled. Since all of this was rumor, and the Book of Fate contained no such records at all, then whether Emperor Jiuyou was the True Lord of Original Sin became unimportant to everyone. As long as he wasn't the world-destroying True Lord of Original Sin, they couldn't care less about anything else. Never mind that Emperor Jiuyou had killed ten Great Dao Destiny bearers; even if he killed all of them, it wouldn't be their concern.
And so.
First, the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao descended an edict stating their stance. Then, Empress Celestial Secrets personally came forward to announce to the Myriad Heavens and Worlds, dispelling the rumors.
The impact of the Lingluo Celestial Domain incident gradually subsided throughout the Myriad Heavens and Worlds.
On this day.
Lingluo Celestial Domain.
Within a courtyard of the Yunxia Sect.
Gu Qingfeng, Huode, Little Jin'er, and Feiyue sat in a pavilion, chatting leisurely while enjoying some wine.
Back then, after returning from the celestial void carrying Little Jin'er, Gu Qingfeng spent some time with her, then went straight to sleep. He slept continuously for seven or eight days, only waking up today.
For Huode, these seven or eight days felt like years. Each day was spent in constant anxiety, fearing that those Great Wasteland Magnates, the Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands, or the terrifying beings lurking in the shadows would come to cause trouble for Gu Qingfeng. Fortunately, everything remained calm. With the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao's edict and Empress Celestial Secrets personally dispelling the rumors, Huode finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Kid Gu, Little Jin'er must have told you about the Nine Heavens' edict and Empress Celestial Secrets' announcement to the Myriad Heavens and Worlds, right?"
"What about it?"
"Since Empress Celestial Secrets has personally come forward to dispel the rumors, the Myriad Heavens and Worlds won't use your identity as an Original Sin person to make trouble for you anymore. As for the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao side, although they haven't said it explicitly, this old man reckons they won't come looking for trouble with you either. In other words, as long as you, kid, behave yourself and don't stir up trouble, no one will come looking for you anymore."
Huode sighed with emotion. "To be precise...
Probably no one would dare to come looking for trouble with you anymore."