Every time she recalled this matter, the young lady ground her teeth in frustration.
Back when the Present Era had just begun, she had secretly run away from home, adopting the alias Bei Changqing to travel through the various great worlds.
For one, the Present Era was newly opened, with all things reviving. She wanted to come out to appreciate the scenery and broaden her horizons.
Of course.
If it were merely for appreciating scenery, Bei Changqing wouldn't have needed to sneak out. Although her family discipline was strict, normally forbidding her from going out, she would occasionally travel to various great worlds with her family.
The reason she sneaked out was to search for her own karma.
To be precise, she was searching for a man with whom she shared an inexplicable karmic connection.
That man was none other than the renowned You Di.
Before coming out, she had no idea who You Di was, nor did she know why she had karma with You Di, let alone what that karma entailed.
Precisely because she didn't know, her curiosity drove her to sneak out.
Back then, to find traces of You Di, she went to great lengths. For this purpose, she even infiltrated the Immortal Court. She searched for a long time without finding You Di, but she heard many legendary stories about him.
He either destroyed Immortal Courts or burned the Nine Heavens; he either bathed the Great Wasteland in blood or ruled over the Nine Nethers. It seemed he also had unclear, ambiguous relationships with many Great Dao Madams.
Originally, before Bei Changqing came out, she had been rather looking forward to this inexplicable karmic connection, dreaming that the legendary You Di might be the prince charming of her heart. However, after learning of You Di's deeds, Bei Changqing could hardly believe it. She never imagined that the one connected to her by karma was actually a bloodthirsty, heinous, fickle, heartless, and utterly wicked villain whom heaven and earth could not tolerate.
Back then, Bei Changqing was utterly disappointed. Yet, she did not give up her search, because she desperately wanted to know what exactly the karma between her and You Di was.
Fortunately, perseverance paid off. She finally found traces of You Di in one of the worlds and even saw You Di in person.
But before she could make contact with You Di, she was forcibly dragged back by the old master, confined under house arrest. And this confinement lasted a full ten thousand years. It was only after the appearance of the Primordial Black Hole that she was finally released.
The Present Era to this day has only been around for a little over ten thousand years, and Bei Changqing had been in seclusion the entire time, so naturally she knew nothing of the events of the Present Era.
Strictly speaking, it couldn't be said she knew nothing.
During her seclusion, she would occasionally hear other family members mention some people and events of the Great Wasteland.
For instance, she had heard of some of the heaven-defying talents that had emerged in the Present Era, such as the Floating Life Emperor Lord, hailed as the hero of the Present Era.
As for that so-called Heavenly Dragon True Emperor, she had never heard of him before.
At this moment, the old woman beside her suddenly spoke up, "Does the young lady remember this old servant once mentioning a talent of the Present Era to you?"
"Are you referring to the Floating Life Emperor Lord?"
"No! Not the Floating Life Emperor Lord, but the one who shares equal fame with him, hailed as the Young Master of the Immortal Dao—Warrior Emperor Wuzang!"
"Young Master of the Immortal Dao, Warrior Emperor Wuzang?"
Bei Changqing tilted her head slightly, furrowing her brows in thought for a moment before suddenly remembering. "Ah, I recall now. I remember you mentioned that the old seniors of the Xuantian Immortal Dao nurtured a heaven-defying talent in the Present Era. That seems to be Warrior Emperor Wuzang, right? You said this fellow was quite remarkable, possessing the Light Bloodline, the Heavenly Dragon Overlord Body, and was the ordained variable destined to bear the True Mandate. He also ascended to the peerless destiny of an Emperor. It seems this fellow also possesses the Immortal Dao's supreme treasure, the Nine Heavens Dragon Sword."
The old woman nodded in affirmation. "Exactly! That's him."
Bei Changqing was a bit puzzled. For no apparent reason, she didn't understand why the old woman would suddenly bring up Warrior Emperor Wuzang.
"The young lady may not know this, but Warrior Emperor Wuzang and this Heavenly Dragon True Emperor are twin brothers. The two of them are like yin and yang, sun and moon. One possesses the Light Bloodline, the other the Dark Bloodline. One has the Heavenly Dragon Overlord Body, the other the Heavenly Dragon Extinction Body. One is the ordained variable destined to bear the True Mandate, while the other is the Original Sin variable who defied heaven to change his fate."
Bei Changqing was utterly astonished. "There's such a thing?"
"Moreover..." The old woman leaned on her cane, her expression turning grave. "Their lives and deaths are intimately connected, sharing weal and woe. If one is utterly annihilated, the other cannot survive either."
"What?" This was the first time Bei Changqing had heard of something so miraculous yet bizarre.
"The old seniors of the Xuantian Immortal Dao place great hopes on Warrior Emperor Wuzang. This time, Warrior Emperor Wuzang is certainly within the Primordial Nine Palaces. This old servant even suspects... that an incarnation of Warrior Emperor Wuzang might be observing from the shadows at this very moment."
The old woman raised her eyes to gaze at the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor, suppressed in the void by the five Wrathful Manifestation Buddha Statues of the Wisdom Kings. "The Heavenly Dragon True Emperor fears not Miao Tathagata, perhaps precisely because of this. He knows that Warrior Emperor Wuzang would never stand idly by and watch Miao Tathagata obliterate him."
"Is Warrior Emperor Wuzang that powerful? Could he be a match for Miao Tathagata?"
"Warrior Emperor Wuzang possesses both the Light Bloodline and is the ordained variable destined to bear the True Mandate. Coupled with being taught by those old seniors of the Xuantian Immortal Dao for so many years, his cultivation and strength are absolutely unimaginable. Leaving aside everything else, just the Immortal Dao's supreme treasure, the Nine Heavens Dragon Sword, in his hand is enough to look down upon all heroes. Furthermore, just how many divine sense demonic thoughts he possesses, no one knows to this day. Even if he is not Miao Tathagata's match now, Miao Tathagata would absolutely be unable to obliterate him."
At this point, the old woman paused briefly before continuing, "Actually... whether Warrior Emperor Wuzang is a match for Miao Tathagata is not important at all. Even if he is not Miao Tathagata's opponent, as long as he appears, Miao Tathagata cannot kill him. If he cannot die, then naturally, the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor cannot die either."
Bei Changqing still didn't quite understand. "Why is that?"
"Young lady, this old servant just said that Warrior Emperor Wuzang's existence represents the hope of those old seniors of the Xuantian Immortal Dao. They place great expectations on him. How could those old seniors allow Miao Tathagata to kill Warrior Emperor Wuzang? Even if it's just an incarnation, the old seniors of the Xuantian Immortal Dao would not stand by and do nothing."
"So that's how it is." Bei Changqing said, "No wonder the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor, suppressed and immobilized by the five Wrathful Manifestation Buddha Statues of the Wisdom Kings, dares to be so arrogant and domineering. So he's relying on Warrior Emperor Wuzang and those old seniors of the Xuantian Immortal Dao."
"However..." The old woman's expression turned doubtful. Bei Changqing asked, "However what?"
"There's one point this old servant has never been able to figure out. If even we know the relationship between Warrior Emperor Wuzang and the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor, Miao Tathagata cannot possibly be unaware. Since he knows, why hasn't he dealt a fatal blow to the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor all this time? Could it be he truly has apprehensions? Or is he scheming something?"
"You are mistaken!" At this moment, the silent Seven Elders suddenly spoke up. "Miao Tathagata is not refraining from obliterating the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor out of apprehension. The reason he has delayed in obliterating the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor might also not be to force out the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor's true form."
"Then what is his true intention?"
The Seven Elders said solemnly, "Perhaps Miao Tathagata wants to force out Warrior Emperor Wuzang, or even the old seniors of the Xuantian Immortal Dao behind Warrior Emperor Wuzang!"