Boom! Rumble!—A rolling, thunderous roar echoed forth, ethereal and intangible, blurring the lines between truth and falsehood, reality and illusion. It seemed to come from the distant past, yet also from the far future, like a slumbering deity of the Desolate Ancient Era awakening after countless eons, shaking the heavens and earth, shaking the Three Thousand Great Daos, and shaking this Primordial Black Hole.
For some unknown reason, the tremendous roar grew increasingly ethereal, increasingly intangible, and increasingly faint.
And as the roar grew weaker, the various chaotic currents that had been roiling and howling like raging waves within the Primordial Black Hole gradually calmed.
The nine massive vortexes of chaotic currents, which had been spinning wildly and devouring all manner of flows, also slowed their rotation as the roar diminished.
These nine massive vortexes had devoured an unknown amount of chaotic flow, growing to an immense size. They now looked like primordial behemoths, as if they intended to swallow every last bit of chaotic flow within the Primordial Black Hole.
They were like endless abysses, seemingly burying the time and space of the Desolate Ancient Era.
Like eyes of reincarnation, they seemed capable of connecting to the past lives and present incarnations within the Primordial Black Hole.
And like nine gates of time and space, they were filled with mystery and the unknown, seemingly bearing the past and future of the Desolate Ancient Era.
At this moment, both Genggu Wuming and Cang Yan gazed at the nine massive vortexes spiraling within the Primordial Black Hole. Both knew these were the Nine Palaces birthed by the Primordial Black Hole.
They buried the time and space of the Desolate Ancient Era, they buried its past lives and present incarnations, and they also bore its past and future.
Both Genggu Wuming and Cang Yan knew that once the Primordial Black Hole gave birth to the Nine Palaces, it meant the vanished Desolate Ancient Era of old would awaken and reappear.
And once the Desolate Ancient Era awakened and reappeared, it meant the prelude determining the fate of the Great Dao, the heavens and earth, would begin.
"Finally... is it about to begin?" Cang Yan asked. Perhaps it was a question, but it sounded more like a murmur to herself.
"Yes, it is finally about to begin..." Genggu Wuming replied, as if responding, yet also like murmuring to herself.
Cang Yan walked into the pavilion and sat down. She picked up the wine jug and poured two cups. "Nine represents change, meaning infinite possibilities. Palace represents inevitability, meaning convergence into one. The Primordial Black Hole giving birth to the Nine Palaces—will change be greater, or inevitability?"
"Change is great. Inevitability is also great. Everything remains unknown."
Genggu Wuming also sat down. She picked up a cup of wine but did not drink. Instead, she gazed at the fine liquor within.
"So, if within the Nine Palaces, change surpasses inevitability, then the future's fate can be altered."
Genggu Wuming glanced at Cang Yan and nodded. "That is one way to understand it."
Cang Yan pressed further. "Merely one way to understand it?"
Genggu Wuming nodded in affirmation. "Merely one way to understand it."
"You cannot be certain either, can you?"
Genggu Wuming nodded again.
"So, the birth of the Nine Palaces from the Primordial Black Hole is a struggle between change and inevitability. If change wins, fate can be reversed. If inevitability wins, fate is already sealed."
"Karma, after all, is karma. No matter how chaotic, karma remains karma. The birth of the Nine Palaces from the Primordial Black Hole is the antecedent cause."
"Who do you think has the greater chance of winning? Change or inevitability?"
Genggu Wuming shook her head slightly. It was unclear whether she did not know or did not wish to answer.
Cang Yan smiled but did not continue questioning.
There were many inevitabilities between heaven and earth. Even she herself was one of them. Not just her—anyone who bore the Heavenly Mandate of the Great Dao was an inevitability. However, these inevitabilities were determined by heaven, not by fate. In other words, those who bore the Heavenly Mandate of the Great Dao were not necessarily bound to obey it.
Take Cang Yan, for example.
She was both a Great Dao Immortal Emperor and a Great Dao Demon Emperor. She bore both the Heavenly Mandate of the Great Dao's Immortal Imperial Authority and the Heavenly Mandate of the Great Dao's Demon Imperial Authority.
Logically, protecting the Great Dao was her duty, her obligation, and her fate.
However, if she did not wish to protect the Great Dao, she need not.
As for defying the Heavenly Mandate, Cang Yan simply did not care.
But there were some existences that were true inevitabilities.
Like her junior martial sister, Su Hua. She did not bear a Heavenly Mandate but a True Mandate. She was a Tribulation Bearer who bore the True Mandate, destined for this Great Dao Cataclysm.
Besides her, there was also Fusheng Dijun, likewise a Tribulation Bearer who bore the True Mandate, also destined for this Great Dao Cataclysm.
And there were the Great Sun Radiance Emperor, the Eternal Wind Great Emperor—almost all were Tribulation Bearers who bore the True Mandate.
Such were the inevitabilities.
And there were also many anomalies between heaven and earth.
If those who bore the Heavenly Mandate of the Great Dao could be called inevitabilities, then all those of Original Sin could be called anomalies.
Some who bore the Heavenly Mandate of the Great Dao might not obey it.
Similarly, the anomaly represented by most of those of Original Sin could be said to be minuscule, its impact negligible.
But some anomalies could influence fate, even change it.
Like the Nine Netherworld Great Emperor, Gu Qingfeng.
Like the Carefree Great Emperor, Mo Wentian.
Like the Weiyang Demon Emperor, Ren Tianxing!
All were great anomalies of Original Sin.
And there was also the Western Heaven Buddha Emperor, Miao Rulai. As far as Cang Yan knew, he too was a great anomaly of Original Sin.
How many inevitabilities and how many anomalies existed between heaven and earth?
Cang Yan did not know.
Not only did Cang Yan not know, even Genggu Wuming could not say for sure.
Because Karma had long been thrown into utter chaos. How many inevitabilities and anomalies had been born? No one knew.
The inevitabilities of the Heavenly Mandate were certainly not few, but the anomalies of Original Sin were also numerous. Especially in the Holy Lands, especially in the Guixu. The Heavenly Mandate inevitabilities of the Holy Lands and the Original Sin anomalies of the Guixu were probably comparable in number. Moreover, the Heavenly Dao had yet to show itself, and the Heavenly Dao was likely the greatest inevitability in all of heaven and earth.
What gave Cang Yan the biggest headache was that, due to the chaos of Karma, some inevitabilities that should not have been born had appeared, and some anomalies that should not have been born had also appeared. There were even existences that were both anomalies and inevitabilities.
The Primordial Black Hole giving birth to the Nine Palaces—anomaly versus inevitability.
Who would emerge victorious in this battle? It was truly filled with far, far too many unknowns.
"What if, in this battle, existences beyond anomalies and beyond inevitabilities participate..." Facing Cang Yan's inquiry, Genggu Wuming repeated what she had said earlier: "Karma, after all, is karma. No matter how chaotic, karma remains karma. Whether anomaly, inevitability, or unrelated existences, once they participate, they will inevitably form unknown Karma..."
"Actually, I've always wanted to ask you a question."
"You want to ask whether I will intervene, correct?"
Cang Yan looked at Genggu Wuming and smiled.
"I do not know."
"Based on my understanding of you, if you answer 'I do not know,' then nine times out of ten, you will likely intervene. At the very least, you will not remain indifferent, nor will you let things take their natural course, much less leave it to fate. Am I right?"
Genggu Wuming met Cang Yan's gaze. Only after a long while did she respond, "Not necessarily."
"If you intervene in this antecedent cause of the Nine Palaces, what will the consequence be?"
"Every cause has its effect. In a Primordial Black Hole where Karma is so chaotic, planting a good cause does not necessarily yield a good effect; it may also yield an evil one."
Cang Yan understood Genggu Wuming's meaning. If, in this struggle, inevitability ultimately won, even if Genggu Wuming intervened to help anomaly win back the victory, the resulting consequence might not necessarily be the consequence of anomaly...