Others might not know, but Da Xing the Mad Monk was well aware that Warrior Emperor Wuzang had been searching for Gu Qingfeng.
His purpose, like that of many overlords who wished to safeguard the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, was to eliminate Gu Qingfeng—the being who might become the True Lord of Original Sin.
Even if he couldn't be eliminated, Wuzang at least wanted to sound out Gu Qingfeng's depths.
Yes.
Da Xing knew.
Precisely because he knew what was in Warrior Emperor Wuzang's heart, Da Xing the Mad Monk had taken the initiative to step forward and offer earnest persuasion.
To be honest,
Da Xing the Mad Monk was not someone who liked to meddle in others' affairs.
If it were anyone else—like the Thirteen Sons of the Great Sun or Suo Sha—who wanted to make a move against Gu Qingfeng, he couldn't be bothered. Even if Gu Qingfeng blasted the Thirteen Sons and Suo Sha into dust, he wouldn't bat an eye.
But this person happened to be Warrior Emperor Wuzang.
That forced him to step forward.
It wasn't because his personal relationship with Warrior Emperor Wuzang was particularly good.
On the contrary.
While he knew of Warrior Emperor Wuzang, that was all—mere acquaintance. They didn't have much personal interaction, having met face-to-face only a handful of times.
However,
He knew the old-timers behind Warrior Emperor Wuzang from the Profound Mystery Grotto. Especially Wuzang's master, who had shown kindness not only to Da Xing the Mad Monk himself, but also to his senior brother, White-Browed Saint Monk, and even to their entire Zen Sect.
It was for this reason that Da Xing the Mad Monk decided to step forward and advise Warrior Emperor Wuzang.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have shown himself at all.
Turning his head, he glanced at the vast void of the Li Palace—the direction Gu Qingfeng had departed.
Da Xing the Mad Monk was profoundly relieved that Gu Qingfeng had lost interest in Warrior Emperor Wuzang and left. If Wuzang had truly forced Gu Qingfeng to reveal himself back then, once Gu Qingfeng was provoked, the consequences would be unimaginable. To say nothing else, Warrior Emperor Wuzang's current incarnation would have been utterly lost, and his True Body would certainly have suffered harm.
"Wuzang, this old monk has no other meaning. I only hope you carefully consider what your master told you. Your master, your martial uncles, and all the seniors of the entire Profound Mystery Grotto—they're all counting on you. I hope you, lad, will prioritize the greater situation and not do meaningless things. Especially at this critical juncture, you must act with caution. A single word or thought from you could bring disasters you cannot even imagine."
At this moment,
Warrior Emperor Wuzang still stood quietly in the void.
With his silver crown, jade-like face, and clad in white robes, he remained like a deity descended to the mortal realm.
The Nine Heavens Heavenly Dragons coiled around him, though their roars had ceased.
He stared at Da Xing the Mad Monk, just staring. After a long while, he slightly closed his eyes, drew a deep breath, then opened them and said, "This Emperor will bear the Saint Monk's words in mind."
"Good!
Good!
Good!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk uttered three 'goods' in succession. Previously, he hadn't thought much of Warrior Emperor Wuzang. Although this fellow also bore a True Destiny, possessed the Bloodline of Radiance, had the Heavenly Dragon Overlord Body, carried the two Heavenly Destinies of Emperor's Seal and King's Throne, and even wielded the supreme treasure of the Immortal Dao, the Nine Heavens Dragon Sword—Da Xing had always felt Warrior Emperor Wuzang had been spoiled rotten by those old-timers from the Profound Mystery Grotto. He had experienced too little. Though he had the aura of a king, he was too arrogant and aloof, lacking the steadiness of someone like Floating Life Imperial Lord.
Meeting Warrior Emperor Wuzang again today and persuading him, Wuzang's reaction had taken Da Xing by surprise. He also felt the current Warrior Emperor Wuzang was much steadier than in years past.
Looking at it now, those old-timers from the Profound Mystery Grotto did have an eye for talent. Perhaps Warrior Emperor Wuzang could truly bring a sliver of hope to the Profound Mystery Grotto, even to the Immortal Dao and the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, during this great calamity.
"Alright, this old monk has said what needed saying. The rest is for you to ponder."
Just as Da Xing the Mad Monk was about to leave, he suddenly stopped, as if remembering something, and added, "There's a little fellow who calls himself the True Heavenly Dragon Emperor—what's his relation to you?"
"He is my blood brother."
"So he really is your blood brother, no wonder!"
Warrior Emperor Wuzang didn't know why Da Xing the Mad Monk would suddenly bring up his blood brother out of the blue. Puzzled, he asked, "Has the Saint Monk met my blood brother?"
"Met him once. Arrogant beyond measure!"
"My brother was spoiled by our parents. He's born arrogant and overbearing, doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth. If he has offended the Saint Monk in any way, I hope the Saint Monk will forgive him and not stoop to his level."
"Him offending this old monk is of little consequence. The key is that little whelp is currently in the Kan Palace causing trouble for a bunch of old-timers from the Taixu Grotto. From what I know, he's even injured people from the Taixu Grotto."
"Oh, is that so?"
Warrior Emperor Wuzang merely replied with an offhand remark.
Da Xing the Mad Monk shook his head, naturally seeing that Warrior Emperor Wuzang didn't care in the slightest and had no intention of restraining his blood brother.
Once upon a time,
the Taixu Grotto was also among the top-tier grottoes of the Thirty-Six Grotto Heavens.
Though its prestige couldn't compare to the Shangqing Grotto with its Heavenly Dao backing or the Profound Mystery Grotto with its Immortal Dao backing, its strength was absolutely top-tier and a force no one dared provoke.
Especially during the Desolate Ancient Era, the fame of the Taixu Grotto was undeniably mighty, with experts aplenty. For instance, the Taixu Sword Tomb that Gu Qingfeng encountered not long ago in a Desolate Ancient ruin—its master was the Taixu Sword Sage who dominated the Desolate Ancient Era. The Taixu Nine Swords he created shook that era, and this Taixu Sword Sage was a founding elder of the Taixu Grotto.
However,
with the end of the Desolate Ancient Era, many overlords and founding elders of the Great Dao perished. Both the Thirty-Six Grotto Heavens and the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands suffered tremendous losses.
Take the Shangqing Grotto, backed by the Heavenly Dao. Since the Desolate Ancient ended, the Heavenly Dao has flickered in and out of existence, and the Shangqing Grotto retreated behind the scenes. This paved the way for the Profound Mystery Grotto to be hailed as the number one grotto today.
Just think—if even the Shangqing Grotto with Heavenly Dao backing ended up like this, what must have happened to the other Thirty-Six Grotto Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands?
And indeed, that is the case.
Among the Thirty-Six Grotto Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, some simply vanished after the Desolate Ancient ended.
That's right—vanished, gone.
No one knows whether they ended with the Desolate Ancient Era or were utterly annihilated.
Some Grotto Heavens and Blessed Lands have been in a state of sealed seclusion since the Desolate Ancient ended, remaining unopened to this day. It's not hard to imagine these sealed places must have suffered damage to their vital energy, even their very foundations, with the end of the Desolate Ancient, and have yet to recover even after countless eons.
For treasured lands of Heaven and Earth like Grotto Heavens and Blessed Lands, if their vital energy hasn't recovered, they generally won't unseal lightly.
Once unsealed, they would inevitably become targets of contention by others, leading to complete collapse.
Take the Langya Grotto in the past, for example.
Most of the senior experts of the Langya Grotto perished in the Desolate Ancient Era. The surviving disciples either left or betrayed, leaving only a few disciples like Cang Yan struggling to hold on. If Cang Yan hadn't successively ascended to wield the peerless authority of the Immortal-Demon Dual Emperor' Heavenly Destiny, the Langya Grotto would likely have been expunged from the Thirty-Six Grotto Heavens as early as the Primordial Era.