After hearing Da Xing the Mad Monk's words, Gu Qingfeng finally understood why the so-called Five Monsters of Heishan were neither ordained by Heavenly Mandate nor Imperial Decree, yet seemed capable of commanding the natural order—they were innate primordial essences born from the Great Natural Order itself. Moreover, after gaining sentience, they had been steeped in Buddhist teachings for ages. Not only that, they had even received enlightenment from Black Mountain Old Mother. No wonder each of them appeared so formidable.
Over the years, as Gu Qingfeng's comprehension of the Great Natural Order and Buddhist Dharma deepened, he increasingly felt there was an indescribable, obscure connection between the two. He even felt that the Great Natural Order was the Buddhist Dharma, and the Buddhist Dharma was the Great Natural Order—just as Buddha is originally Dao, and the Dao follows the Natural Order.
At this very moment, observing these sentient natural spirits who cultivated Buddhism, Gu Qingfeng's understanding of 'Buddha is originally Dao, the Dao follows the Natural Order' became even more profound.
"The strength of each of the Five Monsters of Heishan is unfathomable," Da Xing the Mad Monk sighed. "Especially when the five join forces—it's simply a tempest of the Great Natural Order, leaving you utterly helpless. A real headache. The magical artifacts in their hands were all forged by Black Mountain Old Mother, who gathered various essences of the Great Natural Order according to their individual characteristics. Their power is beyond question."
"They've been in secluded cultivation since the Ancient Era, tens of thousands of years ago. Their current cultivation and strength today are probably unimaginable. I truly don't know why Black Mountain Old Mother chose to enlighten these five madcap spirits back then."
Gu Qingfeng asked, "Madcap?"
"Can't you tell the Five Monsters of Heishan aren't normal?"
Gu Qingfeng shook his head. He really hadn't noticed anything abnormal about the Five Monsters of Heishan.
"Aside from Tudigong, the other four of the Five Monsters of Heishan aren't right in the head. That Huo Toutuo has a fiery temper, prone to burning worlds for fun on a whim. He once burned seven or eight worlds and over ten immortal realms in a row, killing who knows how many people, all because he was in a bad mood. That Thunder Lord and Dianmu Niangniang, that pair of scoundrels, are no good either. They're always making a racket, fond of tinkering with Heaven-Shaking Thunder and Purple-Gold Lightning for no reason. Their favorite pastime is causing chaos everywhere. And that Feng Siniang is even worse—blowing gusts of sinister wind from time to time, stirring up trouble with wanton abandon."
"In short, aside from Tudigong, the other four are troublemakers who thrive on chaos. Before they entered seclusion, they also threw our Western Heaven into disarray. The Eight Buddhist Sects all get headaches just thinking about them."
"Is that so?" Gu Qingfeng rubbed his chin and chuckled. "This lord truly didn't expect the Five Monsters of Heishan to be so capable, even able to throw the Western Heaven into chaos. So, didn't the Ancestral Patriarchs of your Western Heaven step in to finish off the Five Monsters of Heishan?"
"They'd have to be able to kill them first. The Five Monsters of Heishan have long since merged with the Great Natural Order. Their manifestations are countless—how could they be eradicated? Back when the Great Natural Order was in decline, they couldn't be killed. Now that the Great Natural Order has revived, trying to kill the Five Monsters of Heishan is even harder."
Da Xing the Mad Monk shook his head helplessly. "Moreover, the Five Monsters of Heishan were, after all, enlightened by Black Mountain Old Mother. As the saying goes, 'if not for the monk's sake, then for the Buddha's face.' Even if the Ancestral Patriarchs of the Eight Buddhist Sects could kill the Five Monsters, they'd still have to ask if Black Mountain Old Mother agrees."
Gu Qingfeng looked around for a long time but only saw four spirits: Huo Toutuo, the so-called Thunder Lord and Dianmu Niangniang, and Feng Siniang. He searched for a while but couldn't find the Tudigong Da Xing mentioned. "Why don't I see Tudigong?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Gu Qingfeng saw three figures flying through the air toward them from a distance.
One of them he recognized—it was Da Xing the Mad Monk's junior sister, Water Moon Bodhisattva.
To the left of Water Moon Bodhisattva was an old man hunched over, leaning on a cane. With one glance, Gu Qingfeng knew this hunchbacked old man was likely Tudigong of the Five Monsters of Heishan.
However.
What interested him more than Tudigong was the person standing to the right of Water Moon Bodhisattva.
It was a person clad in black.
This black-clad figure wore a large, hooded black robe that enveloped their entire body tightly, revealing only a pair of dark eyes. Nothing else could be discerned, giving off an aura of mysterious eeriness and ethereal vagueness.
"Do you know that black-clad person?" Gu Qingfeng asked.
Mo Wentian shook his head. "No, never seen them before."
Closing his eyes, Mo Wentian frowned and added, "Although I can sense their presence, it's only a faint sensation. Very blurry."
Mo Wentian's words echoed Gu Qingfeng's own thoughts, because he, like Mo Wentian, could sense the black-clad person's presence, but it was exceptionally vague.
It felt like a faint, faint glimmer of light appearing in the dark void—visible, but only just visible. Untouchable, and impossible to pinpoint where exactly this light was.
This sensation was not unfamiliar to Gu Qingfeng, because Jun Xuanji gave him the same ethereal, unreal feeling. Not only Jun Xuanji, but back in the Lingluo Celestial Domain, he had also discovered several such existences secretly watching him.
As for who these existences exactly were, Gu Qingfeng wasn't clear for the moment.
Immediately after.
Both Gu Qingfeng and Mo Wentian looked toward Da Xing the Mad Monk. They both knew that if anyone among them knew the black-clad person's identity, it would definitely be Da Xing.
However, to their surprise, Da Xing the Mad Monk also shook his head with a look of astonishment and doubt, saying, "This old monk doesn't recognize this black-clad person either."
Beside him, Mo Wentian raised an eyebrow, then shot a meaningful glance at Gu Qingfeng. Clearly, Mo Wentian harbored doubts about Da Xing's words, while Gu Qingfeng had never believed Da Xing from the start.
"Da Xing! You old bald donkey!"
In the sky above, the flame-giant-like Huo Toutuo, brandishing a crimson great blade, roared mightily, "I know you're hiding here! Get your ass out here now! Or else I'll make you regret it!"
"Da Xing, if you don't come out soon, don't blame us brothers and sisters for being impolite."
Huo Toutuo, Thunder Lord, Dianmu Niangniang, and Feng Siniang all issued threats from the sky. Seeing that Da Xing the Mad Monk wasn't emerging, the four prepared to force him out. At that moment, Tudigong, who had arrived with Water Moon Bodhisattva, spoke up: "You lot, mind your manners."
Although Tudigong appeared unremarkable, his words carried great weight. With that one sentence, the other four Heishan Monsters ceased their bluster.
If Da Xing the Mad Monk were alone, he might have continued hiding. However, now that Gu Qingfeng and Mo Wentian were here, there was no need to keep hiding. He revealed himself directly. Of course, only he stepped out; Gu Qingfeng and Mo Wentian did not emerge, remaining hidden within the formation.