Da Xing the Mad Monk, who had been hiding in the shadows, glanced at the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun, then at Suo Sha, and couldn't help but let out a low, amused chuckle.
One was the biological son of Old Master of Heishan, the other was the biological son of the Great Sun Radiant Emperor.
Old Master of Heishan was a hegemon of the Demon Path, while the Great Sun Radiant Emperor was also considered a hegemon of the Immortal Path.
Now, the two Great Dao overlords were nowhere to be seen, yet their sons had met within the Drifting Palace.
Of course.
That wasn't the reason Da Xing found it amusing. In truth, he knew the Great Sun Radiant Emperor and Old Master of Heishan had never been on good terms. Not just not on good terms—they could be considered mortal enemies, the kind who saw red the moment they laid eyes on each other.
Others might not know, but Da Xing had heard that Old Master of Heishan had nearly died at the hands of the Great Sun Radiant Emperor once, and the Great Sun Radiant Emperor had also suffered a great loss at Old Master of Heishan's hands. The grudge between these two Great Dao overlords could be traced back to the Desolate Ancient Era. After the Primordial Era, though the two overlords rarely showed themselves, their descendants and disciples fought tooth and nail every time they met.
Among the myriad heavens and worlds, almost all the old-timers knew of the enmity between Old Master of Heishan and the Great Sun Radiant Emperor. Just think about it—their sons naturally regarded each other as formidable rivals.
Sure enough.
When the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun and Southern Peak Great Deity and the others appeared, Suo Sha's eyes immediately turned sinister and venomous. A cold sneer played on his lips as he said, "Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun! Long time no see!"
Unlike Suo Sha, the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun wore a faint smile as he looked Suo Sha and his group up and down. Noticing the trace of blood at the corner of Suo Sha's mouth, he chuckled, "If this Imperial Lord's eyes do not deceive him, Brother Suo Sha seems to be injured, no?"
"A mere scratch, not worth mentioning!"
As Suo Sha raised his hand and swept it across his face, a glow flashed in his palm. The bloodstain at the corner of his mouth instantly vanished without a trace, and even his complexion improved considerably.
"Brother Suo Sha, what impressive skill! Admirable, truly admirable!"
"Hmph!" Suo Sha snorted coldly and asked, "Thirteen Sons, do you have any business here?"
The Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun shrugged. "No particular business. Just wandering around, noticed a fight here, and thought I'd come take a look. Never expected to run into Brother Suo Sha."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun quickly pressed on, "Who was so foolish as to dare strike and injure Brother Suo Sha?"
"Did I say I was injured by someone?"
"Oh? Then how did Brother Suo Sha come by this injury..."
"Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun, I advise you to mind your own business, lest I show you no mercy!"
Failing to eliminate Blood Raven Elder and instead getting injured by him had already filled Suo Sha with rage. Running into the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun at this very moment only soured his mood further.
If it were anyone else, Suo Sha would have long since summoned the Eight Desolating Sky-Perforating Blade and cleaved them in two. Unfortunately, he had encountered the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun.
To be honest.
Suo Sha had crossed hands with the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun before, and not just once. He knew full well how powerful the Thirteen Sons was.
However.
That didn't mean he feared the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun. Forget fear, he didn't even feel wary.
The reason he didn't want to fight the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun was simple: it was pointless.
Yes.
Pointless.
For one, he had no confidence in eliminating the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun. If he took action, aside from wasting time and depleting his own strength, it would be utterly meaningless.
Moreover, even if he were confident in eliminating the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun, he wouldn't dare strike a killing blow out of respect for the Great Sun Radiant Emperor's power.
Most importantly, he had come here for the Essence of Original Sin within the Drifting Palace. He had little interest in other matters; his earlier ambush on Blood Raven Elder had been a momentary impulse.
"Heh heh!" The smile on the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun's lips grew especially pronounced. His eyes fixed on Suo Sha, he took a step forward and said in a provocative tone, "I wonder how Brother Suo Sha plans to show this Imperial Lord 'no mercy'?"
Southern Peak Great Deity, standing beside him, glanced at the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun upon hearing this and used a secret sound transmission to warn him not to act impulsively.
Southern Peak Great Deity naturally also knew that Suo Sha was not someone to be trifled with.
Not only that, he knew that even with his own strength combined with the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun's, it would be difficult to eliminate Suo Sha. His Original Sin Dharmakaya plus the Eight Desolating Sky-Perforating Blade were no joke. Most crucially, Suo Sha was the son of Old Master of Heishan. Killing him would certainly enrage Old Master of Heishan, and the consequences would be unthinkable.
One must remember that the Ancient Nine Palaces had already appeared, meaning things had reached a critical juncture. At this sensitive moment, they absolutely must not stir up trouble.
This was what the Great Sun Radiant Emperor had specifically instructed him, and Southern Peak Great Deity had kept it firmly in mind.
The Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun was, after all, the son of the Great Sun Radiant Emperor and had been personally nurtured by him. He was no ordinary pampered young master. He also knew Suo Sha was not to be provoked, especially at this critical moment. It was best not to clash head-on with Suo Sha—at least, not for now.
However.
He still asked that provocative question because he was certain Suo Sha wouldn't dare fight him.
"Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun! It seems you've grown tired of living!"
Suo Sha stared back at the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun, his words spat out almost syllable by syllable from between clenched teeth. The eight old demons beside him were also secretly urging caution. When they had ambushed Blood Raven Elder earlier, they had tried to persuade Suo Sha to prioritize the greater mission, but they hadn't been able to stop him. In the end, they had no choice but to join Suo Sha in the attack.
Now, encountering the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun, the eight old demons had been on tenterhooks, terrified that Suo Sha might act on impulse and fight him.
Ambushing Blood Raven Elder was one thing; after all, Blood Raven Elder was alone. No matter how powerful he was, he wouldn't dare do anything drastic out of fear of Old Master of Heishan. But the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun was different. He was, by all accounts, the renowned son of the Great Sun Radiant Emperor. Fighting him meant losing face if defeated, and winning would be even worse.
"That's right." The Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun took another step forward, the smile on his lips growing even more pronounced. "This Imperial Lord is tired of living. What are you going to do about it?"
Southern Peak Great Deity beside him urged him to know when to stop, but the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun paid him no heed and continued his provocation.
Watching the standoff between the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun and Suo Sha from his hiding spot, Da Xing the Mad Monk clamored, "Stop all the talk and just fight already! Damn it! Suo Sha is, after all, the son of Old Master of Heishan. Why is he being so cowardly? If it were this old monk, I'd have long since summoned the Eight Desolating Sky-Perforating Blade and hacked away!"
Gu Qingfeng laughed and scolded, "You old bald donkey really enjoys watching the show and doesn't mind if the chaos grows."
"Nonsense! Of course we spectators don't mind a bigger spectacle. The bigger the trouble, the better the show. We've been holed up here for so long just to see some excitement."
"We're not the only ones watching the show."
"What do you mean?"
Just as Da Xing the Mad Monk asked, he immediately sensed something amiss. Immediately after, another voice echoed from the void.
"Heh heh, it really is quite lively..."