As the voice faded, the void suddenly twisted and blurred, as if a world of shifting clouds and winds, followed by a burst of colorful radiance and the explosive roar of a dragon's cry.
Immediately after.
A colossal creature materialized. This great being had a head like a camel, antlers like a deer, eyes like a rabbit, ears like an ox, a neck like a snake, a belly like a clam, scales like a carp, claws like an eagle, paws like a tiger, a voice like clanging bronze plates, whiskers beside its mouth, a pearl beneath its chin, and reverse scales under its throat.
It was actually a dragon!
Awoo! Awoo! Awoo!
Dragon roars continuously exploded as one colossal creature after another materialized, all of them dragons, nine in total.
The nine dragons coiled and circled in the void, as if stirring a vast sea, roaring in the emptiness as if intimidating all living beings.
At that moment, a person descended from the heavens.
This man wore a silver crown, had a face like flawless jade, and was dressed in a robe of white. He was truly a handsome man, elegant and graceful, standing out from the mundane world like a deity stepping out of a painting.
As he appeared, the nine dragons coiled and roared around him, emitting waves of dragon cries.
Hidden in the shadows, Da Xing the Mad Monk saw this man and couldn't help but suck in a cold breath, exclaiming, "His grandmother's! I never expected this fellow to come too!"
Beside him, Gu Qingfeng asked curiously, "What's the background of this guy who looks like a woman?"
"His background is anything but small."
"How so?"
"He is the famous Emperor Wuzang!"
"Emperor Wuzang?"
Gu Qingfeng shook his head; he truly hadn't heard of him.
"You haven't even heard of Emperor Wuzang? Then you must have heard of 'Nine Heavens Soaring Dragon, Young Master of Xuantian,' right?"
Gu Qingfeng knew of the Nine Heavens and also of Xuantian.
The so-called Nine Heavens, also called the Ninefold Firmament, as the ancient saying goes: the heavens have nine firmaments—Chixiao, Bixiao, Qingxiao, Xuanxiao, Jiangxiao, Jinxiao, Zixiao, Lianxiao, Jinxiao.
In fact, the so-called Nine Heavens refer to the present-day Nine Heavens.
And Xuantian is one of the Nine Heavens, simultaneously a heaven dominated by the Immortal Dao.
As for 'Nine Heavens Soaring Dragon, Young Master of Xuantian,' Gu Qingfeng was hearing it for the first time. He didn't recall Xuantian ever having a Young Master.
If he truly was the Young Master of Xuantian, that would pretty much equate to being the Young Master of the Immortal Dao, since Xuantian represents the Immortal Dao, and the Immortal Dao is Xuantian. In his impression, the Three Thousand Great Daos had perished once back in the Ancient Desolation Era. Although some Daos revived after the Primordial Era, their Dao origins had not fully recovered, and many of the Dao's elders had fallen into slumber.
The Immortal Dao was no exception.
In his thinking, if the Immortal Dao's origin had truly recovered long ago, then the one representing the Immortal Dao today wouldn't be the Great Sun Radiant Emperor, but the legendary Immortal Dao Elders—the Three Purities and Four Sovereigns.
As for this so-called Young Master of Xuantian, he really didn't know of such a figure.
And what's this about 'Nine Heavens Soaring Dragon'? Wasn't that a bit too exaggerated?
The Nine Heavens are equivalent to the Nine Heavens.
Legend says each of the Nine Heavens has a Heavenly Dragon guarding it. The Nine Heavens Dragons are the dragons of the Nine Heavens. Could it be that this guy is really guarded by the Nine Heavens Dragons?
If that were truly the case, why would he call himself the Young Master of Xuantian? He'd be the Young Master of the Nine Heavens long ago.
Gu Qingfeng glanced at the so-called Nine Heavens Dragons coiling around the white-robed man.
Truth be told.
These nine dragons did have a bit of the Nine Heavens' aura.
But that was all.
They were merely illusory, superficially transformed dragons.
He didn't even need to look closely to know these were not true Nine Heavens Dragons in the real sense. The reason was simple: back in the day, the Great Hidden Dragon Elephant that guarded him was one of the Nine Heavens Dragons—the Crimson Dragon.
That Great Hidden Dragon Elephant had been annihilated by the Heavenly Dao's judgment while protecting him, vanishing without a trace ever since.
Besides, he also knew that Changfeng Great Emperor, who was both his enemy and friend, also had a Nine Heavens Dragon guarding him—the Azure Dragon, one of the Nine Heavens Dragons.
Da Xing the Mad Monk explained, "This Wuzang is no simple figure. In the Modern Era, he is as famous as that kid Fusheng. Fusheng is called the Modern Era's Hero, while this guy is called the Modern Era's Overlord."
"That kid Fusheng bears a True Destiny; this Wuzang also bears a True Destiny. Fusheng possesses a dual Heavenly Mandate, making him an Imperial Lord. Wuzang also possesses a dual Heavenly Mandate, and is even a bit more formidable than Fusheng, making him an Emperor."
Da Xing the Mad Monk said Emperor Wuzang hailed from the Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven.
As everyone knows.
The Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven is one of the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens, and after the Primordial Era, it became the most famous, powerful, and influential grotto-heaven, bar none. Some even say the Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven has long surpassed the Shangqing Grotto to become the leader of the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens.
The reason is none other than this: behind the Shangqing Grotto is one of the Nine Heavens—Shangqing Heaven, which represents the Heavenly Dao.
Behind the Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven is one of the Nine Heavens—Xuantian, which represents the Immortal Dao.
After the Primordial Era, the Heavenly Dao fell into slumber, Shangqing Heaven was sealed, and the Shangqing Grotto retreated into seclusion.
Precisely because of this, the Immortal Dao became the leader of the Three Thousand Great Daos, and Xuantian replaced Shangqing Heaven's position to become the leader of the Nine Heavens. Naturally, the Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven also replaced the Shangqing Grotto's position to become the leader of the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens.
Don't be fooled by the fact that after the Primordial Era, the Immortal Dao grew more glorious day by day and proclaimed itself the overlord of heaven and earth. In truth, Da Xing the Mad Monk knew that the Immortal Dao's glory was only superficial; internal strife within the Immortal Dao had never been lacking.
After the Ancient Desolation ended, the Immortal Dao's elders either vanished or fell into slumber. The position of Immortal Dao Lord had always been vacant. Various Immortal Dao overlords coveted the position of Immortal Dao Lord and wanted to become it, such as the famous Great Sun Radiant Emperor.
Within Xuantian's Immortal Dao, he had the strength, the influence, and the seniority, especially after his incarnation as the Great Sun bloomed in the Nine Netherworlds back then, making the Great Sun Radiant Emperor's fame known to all, truly shaking heaven and earth.
If anyone could become the Immortal Dao Lord, that person would undoubtedly be the Great Sun Radiant Emperor.
However.
Becoming the Immortal Dao Lord wasn't as simple as just saying it. The primary condition was to gain the recognition of those old fogies in the Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven.
Because those old fogies in the Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven controlled the origin of the Immortal Dao. Only by gaining their recognition would one be qualified to fuse with the Immortal Dao's origin, and only by fusing with the Immortal Dao's origin could one become the true Immortal Dao Lord.
Unfortunately.
The Great Sun Radiant Emperor had never gained the recognition of those old fogies in the Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven. It wasn't because the Great Sun Radiant Emperor's strength wasn't great enough or his fame insufficient. On the contrary, precisely because the Great Sun Radiant Emperor's strength was too formidable and his fame and influence too vast, those old fogies in the Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven had always been wary of him.
To put it bluntly, the existence of the Great Sun Radiant Emperor was, for the Immortal Dao, a case of a subject's achievements overshadowing his lord.
In the beginning, the Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven would support some Immortal Dao overlords to contend with the Great Sun Radiant Emperor. However, the supported Immortal Dao overlords were no match for the Great Sun Radiant Emperor, and their ends were all miserable—some vanished mysteriously, some were exiled beyond the heavens, some were cast into the Guixu, and some didn't even meet a good end.