The incarnation the Seven Elders and the Old Matron were discussing was no ordinary incarnation.
An ordinary external incarnation was merely a type of divine ability; anyone with some skill could nurture one.
However, an external incarnation nurtured in this way possessed no autonomous consciousness and required one's own divine sense to control it.
Ordinary external incarnations were easy to identify; no matter how deeply they hid, it was useless. Even if they could deceive others, they couldn't deceive certain experts.
At the very least, both the Seven Elders and the Old Matron could tell at a glance whether someone was a true body or an incarnation.
The external incarnation they were discussing was one that possessed a Self, even an Original Self.
This was an ancient forbidden technique called 'Sowing Causes,' also known as 'Sowing the Self,' or by some as 'Sowing the Body.'
First, one would use a wisp of true self-consciousness to nurture a so-called external incarnation. Then, they would let that incarnation undergo reincarnation to nurture a new Original Self consciousness. Then, they would let that Original Self consciousness undergo reincarnation to nurture an Ego consciousness. This process of reincarnation would repeat over and over.
Each cycle of reincarnation was a karmic cause. Each cycle of reincarnation would nurture a new 'me.'
In this way, only their original true body knew of this hidden karmic thread. The external incarnation they nurtured, after countless cycles of reincarnation, would long since possess an independent Original Self and Ego. Others would find it almost impossible to tell if it was an external incarnation. Even the external incarnation with its own independent self-consciousness wouldn't know it was someone else's external incarnation.
In the world today, many Great Dao overlords who bear the Mandate of Heaven, while nominally guarding the Great Dao and all living beings, have long since secretly laid plans. Using the ancient forbidden technique of Sowing Causes, they nurture external incarnations with self-consciousness, thereby coveting the position of True Lord of Original Sin.
In this way, regardless of whether the prophecies recorded in the Book of Fate come to pass, they can remain invincible.
For the original true body, as long as they are willing, they can merge the nurtured external incarnation back into themselves at any time and place.
As for whether the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor could be Warrior Emperor Wuzang's external incarnation, or if Warrior Emperor Wuzang was the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor's external incarnation...
Such a thing was not impossible.
But upon second thought, the Old Matron shook her head, feeling it unlikely. She said, "This old woman thinks the possibility of the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor and Warrior Emperor Wuzang being each other's incarnations is very low. After all, they are twin brothers. After birth, they only stayed in the Mysterious Wonder Grotto-Heaven for a very short time before going their separate ways. Their growth rates were also nearly identical. It's impossible for one to have become the other's external incarnation."
The Seven Elders refuted, "Whether Warrior Emperor Wuzang and the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor are truly twin brothers, no one knows for sure. Most information about them comes from the Mysterious Wonder Grotto-Heaven and cannot be verified. Perhaps it's just the old folks of the Mysterious Wonder Grotto-Heaven deliberately trying to obscure the truth."
The Old Matron, addressed by the Seven Elders as Elder Lin, responded very seriously, "Elder Seven, you should understand that nurturing an external incarnation with self-consciousness is an ancient forbidden art, and it requires countless cycles of reincarnation...
Although Warrior Emperor Wuzang and the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor can be called heaven-defying geniuses, they might not necessarily practice the ancient forbidden art of Sowing Causes. They also wouldn't have had the time to set up such a scheme."
The facts were indeed as Elder Lin said. Using the ancient forbidden art of Sowing Causes to nurture an external incarnation with self-consciousness required countless cycles of reincarnation.
As everyone knew, each cycle of reincarnation was extremely dangerous, filled with unknown uncertainties. Throughout history, those who failed in reincarnation were countless. No matter how high one's cultivation or how powerful one's strength, one could not control one's own reincarnation. Moreover, going from a wisp of true self of the original body to nurturing an Original Self, then nurturing an Ego, until forming an independent destiny consciousness... this required countless cycles of reincarnation...
Setting aside whether Warrior Emperor Wuzang and the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor were truly twin brothers, even if they weren't, even if they weren't born in this current era, it was unlikely they had both undergone countless cycles of reincarnation.
"Furthermore," Elder Lin continued, "Warrior Emperor Wuzang and the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor—one bears the True Mandate as a Fixed Tribulation-Bearer, the other is an Original Sin Variable who defies heaven to change fate. One possesses a Radiant Bloodline, the other a Dark Bloodline."
"If they truly were each other's external incarnations, then one could only say they were most unfortunate!"
Hearing this, Bei Changqing asked curiously, "Grandmother, why do you say them being each other's incarnations is unfortunate? Wouldn't it be very fortunate?"
In Bei Changqing's view, if Warrior Emperor Wuzang and the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor were truly each other's external incarnations, it should be a stroke of fortune, a unique and peerless fortune.
Warrior Emperor Wuzang possessed a Radiant Bloodline and was a Fixed Tribulation-Bearer bearing the True Mandate. If he could survive this great calamity and successfully guard the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, he would inevitably become a Great Dao overlord. It wasn't impossible for him to even become the true master of the Immortal Path—after all, he possessed the qualifications.
As for the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor, he possessed a Dark Bloodline and was an Original Sin Variable who defied heaven to change fate. Compared to other Original Sin Dharma Bodies, he had the two great advantages of the Dark Bloodline and being a Variable. Compared to other Original Sin Dharma Bodies and Variables, he had the additional advantage of the Dark Bloodline. With these three major advantages, among the many existences coveting the position of True Lord of Original Sin, he possessed far too many advantages. It wasn't impossible for him to ultimately become the True Lord of Original Sin.
In such a scenario, regardless of who was whose external incarnation, both the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor and Warrior Emperor Wuzang could remain invincible.
What was that if not fortune?
Even if other Great Dao overlords had long since laid plans and nurtured external incarnations with independent destinies, whose external incarnation could compare to Warrior Emperor Wuzang, who possessed a Radiant Bloodline and bore the True Mandate as a Fixed Tribulation-Bearer? Whose external incarnation could compare to the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor, an Original Sin Variable who defied heaven to change fate and possessed a Dark Bloodline?
Bei Changqing couldn't understand why Elder Lin called this unfortunate.
"Young Miss," Elder Lin said, "if those two truly are each other's external incarnations, it would indeed be a fortune, an unparalleled fortune. But simultaneously, it would also be a misfortune, an unparalleled misfortune."
Bei Changqing truly couldn't grasp it. "Why?"
"If the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor is Warrior Emperor Wuzang's external incarnation, what should Warrior Emperor Wuzang do if the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor ultimately ascends to become the True Lord of Original Sin?"
"If Warrior Emperor Wuzang is the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor's external incarnation, what should the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor do if, in the end, the True Lord of Original Sin is not born and the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth is successfully guarded?"
"Didn't you say the original true body can merge the external incarnation into itself anytime it wishes? Couldn't Warrior Emperor Wuzang and the Heavenly Dragon True Emperor just merge into each other depending on the situation?"
"That's what the theory says, but actually doing it isn't so simple. After all, regardless of which of them is whose external incarnation, they both already possess independent destiny consciousnesses. Whichever one tries to merge the other into itself will face resistance. Neither would want to become just a memory of the other. Throughout history, incidents of external incarnations devouring their original true bodies have not been unheard of."
Elder Lin said gravely, "Most importantly, one of them possesses a Radiant Bloodline, the other a Dark Bloodline. One is a Fixed Number, the other a Variable. Their existences are like fire and water. Regardless of who tries to merge whom into themselves, it would be an almost impossible task."