"I hear that the Holy Monk has always had a rather good personal friendship with the Netherworld Emperor."
Upon hearing Warrior Emperor Wuzang bring up Gu Qingfeng, Da Xing the Mad Monk’s heart gave a start. However, he did not deny it, nodding in acknowledgment, "That’s right. This old monk does indeed have some personal friendship with the Netherworld Emperor. What of it?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk pointed at Suo Sha and the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun, declaring loudly, "Not only does this old monk have personal ties with the Netherworld Emperor, I also have personal friendships with their dear old dads, the Black Mountain Old Lord and the Great Sun Illuminating Emperor! And your Xuan Miao Cave Mansion’s old fellows too, including your master—all of them have personal ties with this old monk!"
These were not idle boasts from Da Xing the Mad Monk; it was truly the case. At the very least, Suo Sha, the biological son of the Black Mountain Old Lord, the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun, the biological son of the Great Sun Illuminating Emperor, and even Warrior Emperor Wuzang before them all knew this to be fact.
On the opposite side,
Warrior Emperor Wuzang asked another question, "This emperor also heard that the Holy Monk and the Netherworld Emperor ventured together into this Desolate Ancient Black Hole."
"That’s true."
Earlier, within a certain Desolate Ancient ruin, Gu Qingfeng and Da Xing the Mad Monk had appeared together. There was no need to hide this matter. Moreover, in Da Xing the Mad Monk’s view, even if they hadn’t shown themselves together before, it wouldn’t be difficult for someone of Warrior Emperor Wuzang’s capabilities to know that Gu Qingfeng was with him.
He reckoned that the fact he had brought Gu Qingfeng into the Desolate Ancient Black Hole was probably no secret in the eyes of those great Dao overlords either.
"If that’s the case," Warrior Emperor Wuzang said, "then the person who was hiding here together with the Holy Monk just now… was the Netherworld Emperor?"
If Warrior Emperor Wuzang hadn’t said this, it would have been fine. But once he spoke these words, while Da Xing the Mad Monk showed no reaction, Suo Sha, the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun, and the others in the distance were thoroughly alarmed.
Just moments ago, they had been wondering why Warrior Emperor Wuzang would suddenly bring up the Netherworld Emperor out of the blue. When Warrior Emperor Wuzang asked if the person hiding here together with Da Xing the Mad Monk was the Netherworld Emperor, both Suo Sha and the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun instantly changed expressions drastically.
A man’s reputation is like a tree’s shadow.
The name of the Netherworld Emperor dominated heaven and earth, known throughout the myriad realms of the cosmos—there was no one who hadn’t heard of him.
From the heavens above to the earth below, from the Nine Nethers to the Nine Heavens, whether among immortals, Buddhas, demons, or monsters, his name thundered in their ears.
Especially for those capable of entering the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces—without exception, they all possessed great status, great backgrounds, great cultivation, and great fortune. Most importantly, they all knew that Original Sin determined the fate of heaven, earth, the Great Dao, and all living beings. If not for this, the overlords and experts from above and below wouldn’t have gone to such lengths, mobilizing en masse to descend.
Precisely because they knew, they naturally also understood what the existence of the Netherworld Emperor Gu Qingfeng meant for Original Sin.
After all, legend said that the Netherworld Emperor Gu Qingfeng was the fated True Lord of Original Sin!
At this moment,
Warrior Emperor Wuzang’s deep, void-like eyes fixed upon Da Xing the Mad Monk. Suo Sha and the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun in the distance did the same. They were all waiting for Da Xing the Mad Monk’s answer, all wanting to know whether that other person hiding here just now was truly the legendary Netherworld Emperor.
In a sense, they desired the answer to this question even more than Warrior Emperor Wuzang did.
Not because they wished to spar with Gu Qingfeng, to test his depths, nor because they sought to seize the Original Sin upon him.
To be honest,
They didn’t dare.
Nor did they have the courage.
This was true for Suo Sha, and no different for the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun.
They had all heard the rumors about Gu Qingfeng, and they knew his existence absolutely surpassed imagination—even defied it.
But that wasn’t the important part.
The important part was that before entering the Desolate Ancient Black Hole, the Black Mountain Old Lord had repeatedly warned Suo Sha: even if you provoke holy lands, forbidden grounds, the Guixu or the Desolate Ruins, do not provoke the Netherworld Emperor.
Before the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun entered the Desolate Ancient Black Hole, the Great Sun Illuminating Emperor had given him a list. The names on that list were all people he was to stay away from, people he must not provoke. And the name of the Netherworld Emperor was ranked first. Warrior Emperor Wuzang, whom he feared, was not even on that list.
In short, given the status, background, cultivation, and strength of the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun and Suo Sha, they could afford to provoke neither the Warrior Emperor Wuzang before them, nor the Netherworld Emperor Gu Qingfeng who had been hiding in the shadows moments ago.
Precisely because they knew they couldn’t afford to provoke him, the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun and Suo Sha were so terrified upon hearing that the person hiding here might be the Netherworld Emperor.
"What?
Da Xing the Mad Monk, is answering this emperor’s question so difficult?"
"Well now!
Hehe…" Da Xing the Mad Monk glanced once at Suo Sha and the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun, then let his gaze fall upon Warrior Emperor Wuzang. "Answering this question isn’t hard, only…" Changing his tone, Da Xing the Mad Monk walked up to Warrior Emperor Wuzang, leaning in to ask, "Before answering, might this old monk ask you a question?"
"Of course."
"If this old monk says that person just now was not the Netherworld Emperor, what would you do? If this old monk says that person hiding here just now was indeed the Netherworld Emperor, what would you do then?"
"Heh!"
Warrior Emperor Wuzang seemed not to have expected Da Xing the Mad Monk to ask this, or perhaps he simply didn’t know how to answer. He merely chuckled, not uttering a word.
"Or perhaps…" Da Xing the Mad Monk pressed on, "or perhaps this old monk should ask: if that person isn’t the Netherworld Emperor, what can you do? If that person is the Netherworld Emperor, what can you do?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk first asked 'what would you do,' then followed with 'what can you do.'
One phrase, 'what would you do,' was akin to asking what course of action you would take.
The other phrase, 'what can you do,' was akin to asking what you are capable of doing.
His meaning was simple and clear: he wanted to tell Warrior Emperor Wuzang that you shouldn’t even be asking this question. Asking it is meaningless, because regardless of whether the person hiding here just now was or was not the Netherworld Emperor, you can do nothing about it.
If it wasn’t the Netherworld Emperor, so what?
If it was the Netherworld Emperor, what then?
If it was the Netherworld Emperor, were you planning to take action?
Do you have the courage for that?
Do you have the ability?
Do you have the strength?
The Great Sun Illuminating Emperor, the Black Mountain Old Monster, those overlords from above and below—which one of them didn’t know the Netherworld Emperor was in the Desolate Ancient Black Hole? Which one didn’t know he was in the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces?
And which one of them didn’t want to test the Netherworld Emperor’s depths?
Which one didn’t want to seize the Original Sin upon him?
Which one didn’t want to erase him?
Which one didn’t want to become the True Lord of Original Sin?
But what can they do?
Who dares to do anything to him?
Who can do anything to him?
Even now, isn’t the Netherworld Emperor still swaggering about leisurely within these Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces?
Never mind you, Warrior Emperor Wuzang—even those old fellows behind you from the Xuan Miao Cave Mansion, when they see Gu Qingfeng, aside from rubbing their fists and glaring in secret, what else can they do?
Everyone knows Gu Qingfeng’s existence threatens not only the True Lord of Original Sin, but also heaven, earth, and the Great Dao itself.
Those who covet the position of True Lord of Original Sin want to kill him; those who wish to protect heaven, earth, and the Great Dao also want to kill him.
But to this day, no one dares to kill him, nor does anyone have the confidence to kill him. Even those who dare to test him are few and far between.
This is the Netherworld Emperor Gu Qingfeng.
A Netherworld Emperor whom heaven and earth cannot tolerate.
A Gu Qingfeng who makes people tremble at the mere mention of his name!