Apart from supporting an Immortal Dao overlord to contend with the Great Sun Radiant Emperor, the Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven had also been nurturing geniuses all along, hoping to one day cultivate an Immortal Dao overlord capable of suppressing the Great Sun Radiant Emperor.
However.
The Great Sun Radiant Emperor was originally a heaven-defying prodigy, one in ten thousand in the current world. For the Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven to cultivate a heaven-defying prodigy capable of suppressing him was extremely difficult.
And indeed, that was the case.
Since the Primordial Era, the Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven had cultivated countless heaven-defying prodigies, among whom were many Great Dao Star Lords, Great Dao Thrones, and even Great Dao Imperial Seals.
Unfortunately, they were simply no match for the Great Sun Radiant Emperor. Not only could they not be mentioned in the same breath as him, they couldn't even compare to the Five Peaks Emperors under his command, nor to his own sons.
To be fair, the Xuantian Immortal Dao had indeed produced heaven-defying prodigies of great fortune. It was just that these prodigies of great fortune were all extraordinary, each bearing either a mission of great inheritance or a mission to face a tribulation.
For example, the Changfeng Great Emperor, and the Fusheng Imperial Lord.
The Changfeng Great Emperor, needless to say, possessed the Azure Dragon's protection, wielded the Great Justice Blade, and could also be said to bear the inheritance of one of the Nine Heavens—the Azure Heaven. He was the veritable Young Master of Azure Heaven, and barring any accidents, would become the Lord of Azure Heaven in the future.
As for the Fusheng Imperial Lord, everyone knew his existence was that of a tribulation-bearer who had received the True Mandate, responding precisely to the Original Sin Cataclysm happening at this very moment.
The Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven had approached both of them more than once, hoping to cultivate them to suppress the Great Sun Radiant Emperor, even to become the Young Master of the Xuantian Immortal Dao.
Unfortunately, both the Changfeng Great Emperor and the Fusheng Imperial Lord had refused the Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven.
Firstly, they were both uninterested in the position of Young Master of the Xuantian Immortal Dao.
Secondly, they were both indifferent to fame and fortune, unwilling to participate in the internal strife of the Immortal Dao.
Thirdly, and most importantly, they each had their own missions.
Fortunately, the Modern Era's heaven-defying prodigies of great fortune were not limited to just the Changfeng Great Emperor and the Fusheng Imperial Lord. The emergence of Warrior Emperor Wuzang made up for the long-standing regret of the Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven and gave them hope.
Warrior Emperor Wuzang, whether in terms of innate talent or fortune, was not inferior to the Changfeng Great Emperor or the Fusheng Imperial Lord. Even compared to the Great Sun Radiant Emperor, he might surpass him.
Legend had it that he possessed the Radiant Bloodline, the unique and overwhelmingly domineering Heavenly Dragon Tyrant Body, and was also a tribulation-bearer who had received the True Mandate. Furthermore, he bore the dual heavenly destinies of the Great Dao Imperial Seal and the Great Dao Throne, truly blessed by heaven.
The Radiant Bloodline was one of the four most powerful bloodlines recognized throughout history.
Without exception, all those who possessed the Radiant Bloodline eventually became overlords of a Great Dao. For instance, the Great Sun Radiant Emperor and the Western Heaven Buddha Emperor Miao Rulai both possessed the Radiant Bloodline. Their ability to transform into great suns and shine in the Nine Netherworlds back in the day relied precisely on their own Radiant Bloodlines.
To cultivate Warrior Emperor Wuzang and to be able to suppress the Great Sun Radiant Emperor, the old fogies of the Profound Mystery Grotto had spared no effort, investing countless resources in him.
The Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring manifestation on Warrior Emperor Wuzang was clear proof. It was said the Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring was transformed from the Nine Heavens Dragon Sword, which was a treasure of the Immortal Dao. Rumor had it that long, long ago, before the Great Dao was divided, an ancient ancestor refined it by gathering the essence of the Nine Heavens. Its power was said to be capable of destroying heaven and earth.
Just think, the Profound Mystery Grotto had even gifted a treasure of the Immortal Dao like the Nine Heavens Dragon Sword to Warrior Emperor Wuzang. One could imagine how highly they regarded him and how much hope they placed in him.
Roar!
In the void, wind and clouds churned as if the Nine Heavens themselves were manifesting. Nine furious dragons coiled and roared, their dragon cries resounding continuously within the Li Palace. Their powerful aura seemed to intimidate all living beings.
When Warrior Emperor Wuzang appeared, the expressions of the previously confrontational Suo Sha and the Great Sun's Thirteenth Son changed repeatedly. The gloomy sneer on Suo Sha's lips vanished, replaced by wariness. The playful smile on the handsome Great Sun's Thirteenth Son's lips also disappeared, replaced similarly by wariness—and an even more intense wariness than Suo Sha's.
For they both recognized Warrior Emperor Wuzang and deeply understood his formidable power and fearsomeness.
Suo Sha and the Great Sun's Thirteenth Son dared to be confrontational because their strengths were on par, and at this critical juncture, they wouldn't easily resort to violence. Even if they did fight, they would absolutely not go for the kill. Regardless of who eliminated whom, their fathers would not forgive the other.
However.
Warrior Emperor Wuzang was different.
Neither of them knew exactly how powerful Warrior Emperor Wuzang was. The only thing they knew was that his existence was terrifying. Most importantly, given Warrior Emperor Wuzang's status, background, and cultivation strength, he feared neither the Old Master of Heishan nor the Great Sun Radiant Emperor.
In other words, the status and background that Suo Sha and the Great Sun's Thirteenth Son prided themselves on posed no threat whatsoever to Warrior Emperor Wuzang. One could even say that if Warrior Emperor Wuzang wished, he could eliminate both Suo Sha and the Great Sun's Thirteenth Son!
This was the real reason Suo Sha and the Great Sun's Thirteenth Son were wary of Warrior Emperor Wuzang.
"That brat Wuzang is truly no simple character!"
"Just his avatar is this powerful. It seems this bastard hasn't been idle these past ten thousand years of the Modern Era!"
Hidden in the shadows, Da Xing the Mad Monk sighed with emotion. He could tell that the Warrior Emperor Wuzang who had appeared was merely an avatar, not his true form. Yet even just an avatar was this powerful; it was truly unimaginable how terrifying his true form must be.
"Kid Gu, you need to be careful of that brat Wuzang. His existence can definitely pose a threat to you!"
Gu Qingfeng shrugged, unafraid.
Seeing Gu Qingfeng not taking it seriously, Da Xing the Mad Monk advised again, "Don't brush this off, kid. Let me tell you, any existence that has received the True Mandate is a threat to you. The most terrifying thing is, that brat Wuzang isn't just a True Mandate bearer; he also has the damn Radiant Bloodline, and it's the genuine article at that."
"The Radiant Bloodline and the Sacred Bloodline are the bane of the Original Sin Bloodline!"
"You'd better tread carefully, kid!"
Gu Qingfeng had also heard about the Radiant Bloodline and the Sacred Bloodline being the bane of the Original Sin Bloodline.
It was said that long ago, before the Great Dao was divided and heaven and earth were opened, when everything was still chaos, two drops of blood were conceived.
One drop was the Primordial Blood, the other was the Original Sin Blood.
Later, after heaven and earth first opened, the Primordial Blood gave birth to the Sacred Blood and the Radiant Blood, while the Original Sin Blood gave birth to the Evil Blood and the Dark Blood.
Later still, the Sacred Blood and the Radiant Blood gave birth to other bloodlines. Legend said the divine beasts guarding the four directions of heaven and earth—the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, and Vermilion Bird—were born from the Sacred Blood and the Radiant Blood.
And the legendary four ferocious beasts that brought calamity to the eight wastelands of heaven and earth—the Taotie, Hundun, Qiongqi, and Taowu—were born from the Evil and Dark Blood.
Of course.
These were just legends. No one knew if they were true or false.
As for the Radiant Blood being the bane of the Original Sin Blood, Gu Qingfeng had not verified this claim either.