"One, Yaohuang, commands the radiance of the Great Sun to bloom arrogantly within the Nine Underworlds; the other, the Buddha Emperor of the West Miao Tathagata, severs the Nine Yin Stele, scorning all beings of the Nine Underworlds. Hah!"
Gu Qingfeng chuckled. "As it happens, both of them have come this time. I simply must see them for myself."
After all, he had once held the title of Nine Underworlds Emperor. Even though his imperial seal was seized at the end of the Ancient Era, he still counted as half a native of the Nine Underworlds. Moreover, his ability to run rampant across heaven and earth back in the day owed much to the tempering of his flesh by the Nine Underworlds Ancestral Flame.
For the sake of both duty and personal sentiment, reason and emotion, Gu Qingfeng felt he should stand up for the Nine Underworlds this once, to reclaim the face lost to Yaohuang and Miao Tathagata.
"Kid Gu, I'm telling you all this not so you can pick a fight, but to remind you that these beings are your greatest threats. There's no need for you to go looking for trouble with them deliberately. Besides, you're no longer the Nine Underworlds Emperor, and the affairs of the Nine Underworlds are none of your concern. Taking a step back, even if you truly wanted to stand up for the Nine Underworlds and reclaim their honor, you already did that back in the Ancient Era."
"Yaohuang made the Great Sun's radiance bloom in the Nine Underworlds back then, and what did you do? Didn't you rage and charge up to the Nine Heavens, slaughtering until the sky darkened and the earth ran red with rivers of blood? You even nearly burned down the Nine Heavens with a single blaze later on."
"As for the Western Heaven, don't even get me started. Miao Tathagata merely severed a Nine Yin Stele, but you, you bastard, actually kidnapped the wrathful incarnation of the Great Sun Tathagata! That incident is a humiliation for every Buddhist cultivator in the entire Western Heaven, including this old monk!"
Gu Qingfeng waved his hand dismissively. "That's a different matter altogether."
"What different matter? Do you really think Yaohuang and Miao Tathagata are pushovers? Yaohuang commands a sea of experts, and Miao Tathagata's followers are just as numerous—thirty-six Golden Body Arhats, twelve Indestructible Vajra Guardians, eight Wondrous Dharma Bodhisattvas... Let's not even discuss the strength of Yaohuang and Miao Tathagata themselves; just the experts under their command alone would be enough to give you a serious headache."
"Moreover..." Da Xing the Mad Monk paused, then continued, "Yaohuang and Miao Tathagata only represent the Immortal Dao and the Buddhist Dao. There's also the Green Lantern Ghost Emperor representing the Ghost Dao, the Black Mountain Old Monster representing the Monster Dao, and the Seven Kills Demon Emperor representing the Devil Dao. These three are existences on par with Yaohuang and Miao Tathagata."
Gu Qingfeng asked in surprise, "You're saying these three have also emerged?"
"What else did you think? That's why I'm telling you to be careful."
Gu Qingfeng had spent a long time roaming the Nine Underworlds and had heard of the reputations of the Green Lantern Ghost Emperor, the Black Mountain Old Monster, and the Blood River Demon Emperor.
Just as Da Xing the Mad Monk said, these three were representative figures of their respective Great Daos. If Yaohuang could represent the Immortal Dao and Miao Tathagata the Buddhist Dao, then the Green Lantern Ghost Emperor represented the Ghost Dao, the Black Mountain Old Monster represented the Monster Dao, and the Blood River Demon Emperor represented the Devil Dao.
Especially the Black Mountain Old Monster—his name rang loud in the Nine Underworlds. No! To be precise, his reputation resonated throughout the myriad realms of the heavens. He was addressed as Lord Black Mountain, also called Old Dame Black Mountain. He was said to be an ancestral patriarch of the Monster Dao, with an extremely high seniority. Any demon seemed to hold him in utmost reverence and obeyed his every word.
The Monster Dao had always submitted to the Immortal Dao, but after the Present-Ancient Era began, the Monster Dao started to split from the Immortal Dao. It was rumored this happened precisely because the Black Mountain Old Monster emerged.
As for the Blood River Demon Emperor, Gu Qingfeng had heard he was a legendary figure of the Devil Dao. He was supposedly once a disciple of some cave heaven, even a Great Emperor of the Nine Heavens, but later fell into the Devil Dao for a woman. He once stirred up a storm of bloodshed across the Great Desolation.
The saying went: 'A single thought enters the Devil Dao, rivers of blood shall flow.' Hence came the name Blood River Demon Emperor.
As for the Green Lantern Ghost Emperor, Gu Qingfeng had only heard he was a terrifying existence. It was said he once turned the Great Desolation into a realm of green lanterns and wandering ghosts.
The phrase 'No light in the heavens, the green lantern travels the dark night' referred to this Green Lantern Ghost Emperor.
Perhaps because Gu Qingfeng was inherently fond of excitement, hearing Da Xing the Mad Monk say so many legendary figures of the Great Daos had come to the Primordial Black Hole filled his heart with a surge of excitement, anticipation, and even a touch of eagerness.
Da Xing the Mad Monk didn't stop there. He continued sharing what he knew. "Weiyang Demon Emperor, Senluo Demon Emperor, Beiming Demon Emperor, Blood Wolf Demon Emperor, Black-White Twin Evils Ghost Emperor... These existences each possess great fortune. Their fame and influence might not match those three Great Dao Imperial Authorities, but their cultivation and strength are absolutely unimaginable. Especially Weiyang Demon Emperor Ren Tianxing—that fellow, like you, is a person of Original Sin, and his Original Sin runs deep. He's also a variable, and his variable is not small. 'The Greedy Wolf howls at the Purple Moon, demonic might shakes the heavens, the Emperor above is Ren Tianxing...' You must have heard of him, right?"
Hearing Da Xing the Mad Monk mention Weiyang Demon Emperor Ren Tianxing, Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter. "Ren Tianxing is here too?"
"What?" Da Xing the Mad Monk was puzzled. "Why are you so happy to hear Ren Tianxing is here?"
"Speaking of which... I haven't heard any news of Tianxing for a long time. I actually kind of miss him."
"You know Ren Tianxing?"
"More than just know him. We're on pretty good terms."
Gu Qingfeng didn't have many friends in his life, and even fewer he could truly confide in. Ren Tianxing was definitely one of them.
He still clearly remembered not long ago, while wandering the Great Desolation, he had run into Ren Tianxing on a desolate world. The Hell's Impermanence Wine in his hand was a gift from Ren Tianxing. What left an indelible mark on Gu Qingfeng's memory was that when they parted, Ren Tianxing had said: If you ever find yourself in trouble, just call my name into the void. No matter where I am, I, Ren Tianxing, will come to your aid regardless of the cost.
These words were not only unforgettable to Gu Qingfeng, but also deeply moving.
"When did you get hooked up with that scoundrel Ren Tianxing?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk didn't know how Gu Qingfeng and Ren Tianxing had met. He was about to inquire further when he suddenly remembered something and exclaimed in surprise, "Wait! Was that Hell's Impermanence Wine in your hand given to you by that fellow Ren Tianxing?"
"Oh ho! You know about that too?"
"So it really was. I should have guessed you knew Ren Tianxing."
"Hahaha!"
Already somewhat excited, Gu Qingfeng's mood became utterly comfortable upon hearing his good friend Ren Tianxing was also here. He laughed, "Seems like I really came to the right place this time, the Primordial Black Hole. Since the Present-Ancient Era began, I haven't had a single truly satisfying fight. With so many experts gathered here this time, I simply must fight to my heart's content."
"You really are..." Da Xing the Mad Monk was utterly speechless. The purpose of his earnest, lengthy advice was to make Gu Qingfeng cautious and prudent. He never imagined that upon hearing so many experts had arrived, this guy not only didn't become cautious, but instead grew excited, itching to jump into a grand battle right now.
"Ai!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk sighed repeatedly. He had long since given up hope of persuading Gu Qingfeng to abandon his pursuit of Original Sin. He only hoped Gu Qingfeng would act prudently, putting his own life first. Yet, despite all his persuasion and advice, it seemed to have had no effect whatsoever.