When Cang Yan revealed her true form, Da Xing the Mad Monk was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions—shock and fury, joy and fear.
His shock stemmed from the fact that during their earlier clash, he had been desperately trying to guess her identity. He had mentally run through almost every formidable woman he knew, yet he still couldn't pinpoint who she was. He never would have imagined it was Cang Yan, the Master of Langya.
To be honest, it wasn't that Da Xing hadn't considered Cang Yan. On the contrary, he had thought of her several times, even harboring suspicions.
Among the women he knew, Cang Yan's existence ranked among the most powerful. Added to that was the fact that Cang Yan had once played a trick on him, leading Da Xing to strongly suspect the mysterious woman might be her.
Yet, in the end, he had dismissed the idea.
Because he had crossed hands with Cang Yan before, and not just once. He wouldn't claim to have a deep understanding of her cultivation and attainments, but he knew a thing or two. He believed that if it were truly Cang Yan, unless she didn't make a move at all, once she did, no matter how deeply she concealed herself, he was confident he could sense it.
It was only now that Da Xing realized he had underestimated Cang Yan's capabilities. This woman hadn't revealed the slightest flaw from start to finish. Moreover, during the fight, whether it was the profound divine abilities she displayed or the attainments she manifested, they were all unheard of. Clearly, she had come prepared, all for the purpose of toying with him.
This was also the source of Da Xing's fury.
Because years ago, Cang Yan had already tricked him once. That time, he had also fallen into her trap and was forced to call her "Grandaunt" three times. He never expected that after so many years, upon meeting again, he would be thoroughly played by this woman once more.
This made Da Xing grind his teeth in hatred. If it were anyone else who dared to trick him twice, Da Xing would have sworn to skin them alive to vent his rage.
But facing Cang Yan, Da Xing could only choose to swallow his anger, seething inwardly but not daring to speak out.
For one, he was helpless against her. In their several encounters, the one who always ended up worse off was him. Even if he used all his strength and brought out his most treasured trump cards, Da Xing reckoned he still might not be able to deal with Cang Yan.
Putting everything else aside, just the fact that Cang Yan possessed the dual Heavenly Destinies of Immortal and Demon Imperial Authority was enough to give Da Xing a headache.
Furthermore, Cang Yan was the master of Langya Grotto-Heaven, undoubtedly inheriting the power of Langya's origin. This thing was even more terrifying than the dual Imperial Authorities of Immortal and Demon.
Add to that the fact that Cang Yan possessed several Great Dao Heavy Treasures, such as the 'Zhu Tian Qin' that shook heaven and earth in the Primordial Era, and another called the 'Void Silk'. It was no exaggeration to say that each of the Great Dao Heavy Treasures in Cang Yan's hands could rival Da Xing's own Great Compassion and Mercy Fan.
Was that all?
No.
Far from it.
At the very least, Da Xing knew Cang Yan possessed three other dreadful attainments, each one a Great Dao Attainment, all of which made him wary. During their recent clash, Cang Yan had manifested her Attainment Body. Da Xing surmised that Cang Yan's current cultivation and strength had probably completely exceeded his imagination.
That said.
Even if Da Xing had the confidence to defeat Cang Yan—which he didn't—he likely wouldn't dare to lay a hand on her.
After all, Su Hua was the little junior sister Cang Yan had personally nurtured, and Su Hua was now the Holy Maiden Empress, a True Destiny Calamity-Bearer. Da Xing wouldn't dare provoke her.
Besides Su Hua, Cang Yan also had a close sisterly friend—none other than the Timeless Nameless, the Empress of Heavenly Secrets, whom Da Xing feared the most. He couldn't afford to offend her either.
One Holy Maiden Empress, one Empress of Heavenly Secrets—these were two existences Da Xing neither wanted nor dared to provoke.
However.
Da Xing knew that if he truly moved against Cang Yan, the first to come settle accounts with him wouldn't be the Holy Maiden Empress or the Empress of Heavenly Secrets, but Ancestral Patriarch Xuehe.
That's right!
The very Ancestral Patriarch Xuehe, the renowned Demon Emperor whose name shook the demonic path.
Not only would he come to settle the score with Da Xing, he might even annihilate him. Although Da Xing and Ancestral Patriarch Xuehe also had some history, the bond between Da Xing and Xuehe was far inferior to the relationship between Xuehe and Cang Yan.
Others might not know, but Da Xing was perfectly clear: Cang Yan and Ancestral Patriarch Xuehe were lovers, a pair of infatuated, star-crossed souls.
As was well known, Ancestral Patriarch Xuehe had fallen into demonhood in a single thought back then, causing rivers of blood to flow.
What was the reason?
The older generation knew: Ancestral Patriarch Xuehe did it for a woman, and that woman was none other than the Master of Langya Grotto-Heaven, Cang Yan.
To this day, Da Xing still remembered Ancestral Patriarch Xuehe's words from back then: "Whoever dares touch a single hair on Cang Yan's head, I will slaughter their entire clan." He said it, and he did it. Otherwise, the Great Wilderness and Ten Thousand Realms wouldn't have been bathed in blood back then.
Back then.
In the Primordial Era.
The Great Dao Heavenly Destiny descended, specifically the Destiny belonging to the Primordial Era—the Great Dao Imperial Authority.
Thus, many Destiny-bearers were fortunate enough to obtain their own Heavenly Destiny.
For example, the famous Great Sun Radiance Emperor, the Ghost Emperor of the Green Lantern, and others all attained the Great Dao Imperial Authority during the Primordial Era. Although the number of Great Dao Imperial Authorities that descended back then wasn't huge, it wasn't small either, covering various Great Daos. Among them, the Immortal Dao had the most Imperial Authorities, producing a full nine Great Dao Immortal Emperors.
Ancestral Patriarch Xuehe and Cang Yan were two of those nine Great Dao Immortal Emperors.
At that time, Ancestral Patriarch Xuehe and Cang Yan were recognized throughout the Great Wilderness and Ten Thousand Realms as a destined Immortal Dao couple. They were a perfect match, a brilliant pair.
Ancestral Patriarch Xuehe possessed peerless aptitude, famous from a young age. He also hailed from the Jade Void Grotto-Heaven, one of the Thirty-Six Grotto Heavens. Handsome and unrestrained, his fame was so great that even the Great Sun Radiance Emperor of that time couldn't compare. His attainment of the Great Dao Immortal Emperor was not only expected by all but also anticipated.
Compared to Ancestral Patriarch Xuehe, Cang Yan was not the slightest bit inferior. She, too, possessed peerless aptitude and was famous from a young age. She, too, was a Destiny-bearer. She, too, hailed from one of the Thirty-Six Grotto Heavens. The only difference was that Ancestral Patriarch Xuehe came from the Jade Void Grotto-Heaven, while Cang Yan came from Langya Grotto-Heaven.
Precisely because of their different origins, their union as a destined Immortal Dao couple was never viewed favorably.
Although both Langya Grotto-Heaven and Jade Void Grotto-Heaven were among the Thirty-Six Grotto Heavens, during the Primordial Era, the gap between them was as vast as heaven and earth.
The reason was simple: it was the aftermath of the Desolate Era.
When the Desolate Era ended, not only did many Great Dao Progenitors fall, but experts from heaven and earth also suffered countless casualties. The Thirty-Six Grotto Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands also suffered heavy losses. Some were even completely wiped out, declining into obscurity and being erased from the Great Wilderness.
Although Langya Grotto-Heaven wasn't completely annihilated, most of its Ancestral Patriarchs, Elders, and many other experts had died during the Desolate Era, leaving behind only a group of disciples who hadn't yet matured. Yet even so, some disciples, feeling there was no future or hope left in Langya after their elders perished, chose to leave one after another.
Back then, Langya Grotto-Heaven could be said to have nearly fallen into decline, with only Cang Yan and a handful of other disciples stubbornly holding on.