Da Xing the Mad Monk's existence was particularly unique. Those who only knew his name but not the man himself might think him unremarkable, even suspecting that his title of Living Buddha was nothing more than an empty, pompous epithet.
However.
The higher one's cultivation realm, the deeper one's comprehension of the Great Dao, and the more one understood of heaven and earth, the more one would feel that Da Xing the Mad Monk's existence was unfathomably profound.
Gu Qingfeng was a prime example. When he first encountered Da Xing the Mad Monk, his impression was rather ordinary—like a swindling, deceitful rogue monk. Yet, as their contact deepened, as he came to understand the Mad Monk more and as his own realm elevated, he increasingly felt that this old bald donkey was truly a crafty old fox who concealed his depths.
Truth and falsehood, illusion and reality—it was impossible to fathom him. Across all heavens and myriad realms, whether in the Nine Nether or the Nine Heavens, the Guixu or the Huangxu, be it in the Desolate Ancient Era or the Present-Ancient Era, there was no one he didn't know, nothing he wasn't aware of.
How could such an existence not be terrifying?
Fortunately, Gu Qingfeng was a man who followed the natural flow, idled about, and submitted to fate.
Otherwise, he would have stayed far away from Da Xing the Mad Monk. If he didn't, he might have been sold by this old bald donkey and still be counting the money for him.
Warrior Emperor Wuzang had the backing of those old-timers from the Xuanmiao Grotto-Heaven, and his own cultivation, strength, and destiny realms were not low. Naturally, he also knew that Da Xing the Mad Monk's existence was unfathomably profound. Though he did not fear him, he also had no desire to provoke him.
However.
The one that truly unsettled him was not Da Xing the Mad Monk.
Because he knew there were two presences hiding in the shadows. Originally, he hadn't been entirely certain. Although he could sense someone concealed here, that was all he could do—just sense it.
Moreover.
What he sensed was not spiritual aura, but a change in space.
Anyone hiding within the void would cause a change in space; the only difference was the degree of that change.
Gu Qingfeng and Da Xing the Mad Monk were hidden within the void. Though the change they caused was minimal, it was still detected by Warrior Emperor Wuzang.
But who was hiding here? Where were they hiding? How many were hiding? With his current abilities, he couldn't detect any of that. He had only speculated, based on feeling, that there were two.
Now, one had emerged—Da Xing the Mad Monk. Yet, the surrounding space still felt abnormal according to the Li Palace's Laws, indicating someone else remained concealed here.
So, who was the other one?
After a moment of contemplation, Warrior Emperor Wuzang pressed further, "Saint Monk Da Xing, why not have your friend come out as well?"
"What friend?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk feigned ignorance, asking blankly, "I say, Wuzang, what are you talking about? It's always been just this old monk hiding here alone. What friend could there be?"
"Heh."
Warrior Emperor Wuzang chuckled lightly. "Saint Monk Da Xing, you should know you can't hide it from me."
Da Xing the Mad Monk also knew he couldn't fool Warrior Emperor Wuzang, nor had he intended to. His earlier statement was just an offhand remark. "Looks like I really can't fool you, kid. Fine, I might as well tell you. It's true, there were two of us hiding here all along."
Then, shifting his tone, the Mad Monk laughed again. "However, don't misunderstand. The two of us hiding here had no particular purpose. We were purely, utterly bored out of our minds, just watching the show, nothing more, no other intentions."
Despite Da Xing the Mad Monk's repeated insistence that he was only here to watch the fun—which was indeed the truth—not only did Warrior Emperor Wuzang not believe him, even Suo Sha and the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun didn't buy it.
Watch the fun?
Inside the Li Palace, one of the Nine Palaces of the Desolate Ancient Era?
What a joke.
Who didn't know that the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces contained the Essence of Original Sin? Who didn't know what that Essence signified?
At this critical juncture, no matter how bored one was, would they really hide here just to watch a show?
If Warrior Emperor Wuzang weren't present, both Suo Sha and the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun might have pressed Da Xing the Mad Monk for answers. However, with Warrior Emperor Wuzang here, neither dared speak out of turn. Moreover, Warrior Emperor Wuzang had descended with his incarnation not for them, but for Da Xing the Mad Monk. They were content to stand aside and see how things unfolded.
"Saint Monk Da Xing, do not misunderstand. This Emperor is not interested in the purpose of your concealment here, nor do I wish to know."
Warrior Emperor Wuzang said with a smile, "This Emperor is merely curious—who exactly is the friend hiding here alongside the Saint Monk?"
With that,
Warrior Emperor Wuzang once again unleashed his divine sense to probe, attempting to detect who the other person hiding in the shadows truly was. Unfortunately, no matter how he probed, he could not detect anything. He could only sense an abnormality in the space.
But just then, the space that had been abnormal suddenly returned to normal at some unknown moment. Warrior Emperor Wuzang immediately realized the person hiding in the shadows had left.
And he had left silently, without a trace—Wuzang hadn't even detected his departure.
This made Warrior Emperor Wuzang even more curious. He was about to attempt pursuit when Da Xing the Mad Monk blocked his path.
"Da Xing."
Warrior Emperor Wuzang's face darkened as he glared angrily at Da Xing the Mad Monk. "What do you mean by this?"
"No special meaning!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk knew Gu Qingfeng had left. Based on his understanding of Gu Qingfeng, he reckoned that Gu Qingfeng must have felt there was no more show to watch, and staying longer held no interest, so he had simply departed.
"That lord has left. This old monk advises you not to pursue him. You won't catch up, and even if you did, you wouldn't be able to detect him."
Even if Warrior Emperor Wuzang was unwilling, he had to admit that Da Xing the Mad Monk spoke a truth he could not deny. When Gu Qingfeng was hiding here earlier, he hadn't been able to detect him at all. Now that Gu Qingfeng had left—and Wuzang hadn't even noticed when—how could he pursue him? Where would he pursue him to?
"Who is he, exactly?!"
This was the answer Warrior Emperor Wuzang most wanted to know.
"Hehe!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk stepped forward, grinning widely. "Wuzang, this old monk advises you not to learn that lord's identity. Knowing it won't do you any good."
"Oh?"
Warrior Emperor Wuzang stared at Da Xing the Mad Monk, as if pondering something.
In the distance,
Suo Sha and the eight old demons, along with the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun and the Southern Peak Great Emperor and his companions, upon hearing Da Xing the Mad Monk's words, were also intensely curious. They speculated wildly about the identity of the other person who had been hiding there. What kind of person could make Da Xing the Mad Monk utter such words, even saying that knowing his identity would be detrimental to Warrior Emperor Wuzang?
They racked their brains but couldn't think of any existence that could prompt Da Xing the Mad Monk to say such a thing.
What kind of existence could pose a threat to Warrior Emperor Wuzang merely by having his identity known?
Across all heaven and earth, did such an existence even exist?
One must remember that given Warrior Emperor Wuzang's cultivation, strength, and destiny realms, even powerful figures like the Great Sun Radiant Emperor, the Black Mountain Old Monster, or even the Western Heaven Buddha Emperor Miao Rulai were not held in his regard.