Although Da Xing the Mad Monk's words were somewhat exaggerated, they were not far from the truth.
Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven had placed immense hope in Warrior Emperor Wuzang and Heavenly Dragon True Emperor, this pair of Dual Polarity Yin-Yang Taiji Boundless sovereigns. In fact, whether Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven could be preserved, or even whether the Xuantian Immortal Dao could endure, hinged decisively on Warrior Emperor Wuzang and Heavenly Dragon True Emperor.
Now that the two Divine Senses of Warrior Emperor Wuzang and Heavenly Dragon True Emperor were held in Demon Emperor Blood River's hands, it was akin to having a stranglehold on Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven's vital point.
If Demon Emperor Blood River were to directly obliterate the external incarnations of Warrior Emperor Wuzang and the other, Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven wouldn't be overly concerned. Losing an external incarnation might have some impact on Warrior Emperor Wuzang's true body, but it would only be an impact—not a devastating one. The true bodies of both Warrior Emperor Wuzang and Heavenly Dragon True Emperor could withstand such a loss.
The problem was that Demon Emperor Blood River did not directly obliterate their external incarnations. Instead, he was refining their Divine Senses with his strange fire.
Although Warrior Emperor Wuzang had long since erased the secrets of his true body from his external incarnation, that incarnation was, after all, nurtured from his own radiant bloodline and Heavenly Dragon Tyrant Body. Some secrets could never be completely erased. Moreover, the self-awareness of the external incarnation was itself a strand of Divine Sense from the true body. Even if memories containing the true body's secrets were wiped, those secrets might still be deduced through the Divine Sense itself.
While the possibility was small, it was not zero.
This was what Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven feared most.
If Demon Emperor Blood River directly refined the Divine Senses of the two, giving them a swift end, that would at least bring finality.
Even if Demon Emperor Blood River deduced the secrets of their true bodies through their Divine Senses, Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven could only then devise a countermeasure.
But Demon Emperor Blood River wasn't directly refining them either. He was using his strange fire to burn their Divine Senses. This was like boiling a frog in warm water—a torturous ordeal for both the true bodies of Warrior Emperor Wuzang and Heavenly Dragon True Emperor, and for the old seniors of Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven.
It was akin to a condemned prisoner being led to the execution ground, awaiting the headsman's judgment. The headsman merely rests his blade against the prisoner's neck, but does not strike for a long, long time.
If the blade fell, the prisoner's family, though plunged into grief and despair, would have no choice but to accept fate.
But if that blade lingered without falling, it would be pure torture for the family.
Now, Warrior Emperor Wuzang and the other were the prisoners. Demon Emperor Blood River was the headsman. Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven was the family.
Originally, with Warrior Emperor Wuzang and the other falling into Demon Emperor Blood River's hands, Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven had already prepared to abandon their external incarnations and steeled themselves for the worst.
Alas.
Demon Emperor Blood River was boiling the frog slowly. He neither directly obliterated nor directly refined. He burned with strange fire, doing so deliberately.
The old seniors of Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven were not unaware that Demon Emperor Blood River's method aimed to force them to show themselves.
To be honest.
If they could, the old seniors of Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven would have shown themselves when Demon Emperor Blood River clashed with Heavenly Dragon True Emperor, or even when Demon Emperor Blood River first appeared.
The reason they hadn't revealed themselves wasn't that they didn't want to, nor that they didn't dare, but that they couldn't.
It wasn't that they feared Demon Emperor Blood River.
Others might not know.
But Da Xing the Mad Monk knew perfectly well. The old seniors of Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven, especially the Profound Mystery Nine Immortals, each possessed unfathomable cultivation. In a one-on-one fight, they might not be Demon Emperor Blood River's match. But if the Profound Mystery Nine Immortals joined forces, they could absolutely contend with Demon Emperor Blood River. Even if the Nine Immortals only sent forth nine incarnations to deal with this external incarnation of Demon Emperor Blood River, it wouldn't be too difficult.
Da Xing also knew the Profound Mystery Nine Immortals had the capability.
Unfortunately.
The one present wasn't just Demon Emperor Blood River.
There was also the Western Heaven Buddha Emperor, Miao Rulai.
This fellow had been sitting cross-legged on the palm of the Sacred Great Buddha from the start, wearing an aloof expression as if it had nothing to do with him, making him utterly inscrutable.
Anyone who thought Miao Rulai was just a spectator who enjoyed watching trouble would be gravely mistaken.
Everyone knew Miao Rulai coveted the Primordial Sin True Lord. Now that the Primordial Nine Palaces had appeared, at this critical juncture, instead of seizing the initiative for Primordial Sin, Miao Rulai remained here watching the spectacle. There had to be some purpose behind this.
Either Miao Rulai wanted to use Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven's hand to eliminate Demon Emperor Blood River, or he wanted to use Demon Emperor Blood River's hand to eliminate Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven. Another possibility was that he was waiting for Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven and Demon Emperor Blood River to fight to a mutual standstill, so he could reap the spoils.
Even more frightening was that who knew how many great Dao experts from heaven and earth were lying in ambush within the void of the Kan Palace? Perhaps the demonic path's Lord of Heishan, the ghostly path's Patriarch Green Lamp, and even the immortal path's Great Sun Radiance Emperor were all lurking in the shadows.
Miao Rulai's incarnations were spread throughout the Primordial Nine Palaces.
So too were the incarnations of the Great Sun Radiance Emperor, the Lord of Heishan, and Patriarch Green Lamp.
Even Da Xing the Mad Monk's external incarnations were scattered across the Primordial Nine Palaces, for the him present now was also an external incarnation. His true body had been with Gu Qingfeng in the Li Palace all along.
In Da Xing's estimation, once Demon Emperor Blood River and Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven went to war, it wouldn't just be a clash of external incarnations against external incarnations. It would be true body against true body. Everyone knew what kind of person Demon Emperor Blood River was. Once he decided to act, rivers of blood would flow, and he would not rest until his foes were dead. His true body would certainly appear to engage Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven with full force. Once Demon Emperor Blood River's true body showed itself, the Profound Mystery Nine Immortals of Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven would also go all out. Even the legendary guardians of the immortal path's origin—the Tai Xuan Immortal Elder and the Tai Miao Immortal Elder—and the Xuantian Immortal Patriarch would all emerge.
At that time.
Those great Dao experts lurking in the shadows would definitely not remain passive observers as they were now. They would certainly make their move.
After all, Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven guarded the Heavenly Dao. If they could take this opportunity to eliminate it, it would be good news for all great Dao experts who coveted the Primordial Sin True Lord.
Moreover, the Great Sun Radiance Emperor had long wanted to slaughter Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven and seize the immortal path's origin. If Demon Emperor Blood River and Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven went to war, he would certainly not let such a perfect opportunity slip by.
Most importantly, Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven had nurtured Warrior Emperor Wuzang and Heavenly Dragon True Emperor, this pair of Dual Polarity Yin-Yang Taiji Boundless sovereigns. Their existence was a threat not only to those who coveted the Primordial Sin True Lord, but also to those who guarded the Heavenly Dao.
It was possible that today's events were a trap laid by someone from the very beginning, a pit dug precisely to use Demon Emperor Blood River's hand to slaughter Profound Mystery Grotto-Heaven and thereby eliminate Warrior Emperor Wuzang and Heavenly Dragon True Emperor, this pair of latent threats.
Thinking about it carefully, this possibility could not be ruled out.
At the very least, Da Xing the Mad Monk suspected that today's affair was, in all likelihood, a trap set by someone.