"What makes you so certain?"
"If this old monk's guess is correct, Qiongqi definitely won't dare to take Xuan Yuan's brat's arrow. No! It's not even a matter of daring. Even if he dared and had the confidence to block Xuan Yuan's brat's arrow, he still wouldn't agree."
Although Gu Qingfeng thought the same, he still asked, "How can you be so sure?"
"It's not hard to deduce. Qiongqi himself said earlier that he has no interest in the Original Sin True Lord and doesn't intend to compete for it. While those are his own words, this old monk believes they're likely true. After all, Qiongqi had been hiding very deeply before; he was only forced out this time by that old bastard Green Robe."
"Since he doesn't intend to compete for the Original Sin True Lord, he naturally won't take this arrow. Accepting it would mean declaring war on the Sacred Ground, even triggering conflict between the Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs and the Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs. This old monk believes Qiongqi won't want to be drawn into that vortex."
Gu Qingfeng pressed, "What if Qiongqi's claim of having no interest in the Original Sin True Lord is a lie? What if he was hiding deeply all along to better scheme for the Original Sin True Lord?"
"Heh heh!" Da Xing the Mad Monk grinned, showing his teeth. "If Qiongqi truly schemes for the Original Sin True Lord, he'd be even less likely to start a war with the Sacred Ground."
"Why is that?"
Gu Qingfeng asked, "If Qiongqi doesn't dare take the arrow, the situation will stabilize. The hope of the Wu Dao Age opening will become very slim. Since he schemes for the Original Sin True Lord, presumably he wouldn't want the situation to stabilize. Besides, those Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs hiding in the shadows shouldn't just stand by idly. Even if war breaks out with the Sacred Ground, it doesn't necessarily mean they'd lose."
"Kid, you don't understand this."
Da Xing the Mad Monk explained, "Once Qiongqi decides to go to war with the Sacred Ground, he can't extricate himself. He'd likely become a primary target for the Sacred Ground and face eradication. If you were scheming for the Original Sin True Lord, would you stick your neck out like that? Throughout history, too many facts tell us that those who stick their necks out never come to a good end."
"As for those Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs..." Da Xing shook his head. "They only care about whether the Wu Dao Age can open. They don't care who ascends as the Original Sin True Lord, so naturally they wouldn't care about Qiongqi's life or death."
"Most importantly, not all Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs purely Yearn for the Wu Dao Age. Some also scheme for the Original Sin True Lord. They'd care even less about Qiongqi's fate. If fighting breaks out, it's entirely possible they might stab Qiongqi in the back."
"Besides them, there are other Original Sin Anomaly Children. They'd be delighted if Qiongqi becomes the one to stick his neck out. Qiongqi's death would only benefit them, removing a competitor. Why wouldn't they want that? Perhaps behind Ancestral Patriarch Green Robe, there might even be an Original Sin Anomaly Child pulling the strings."
"The current situation is like this: while the Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs of the various cave heavens and blessed lands have been hesitating, it's only hesitation. There's no internal scheming or competition among them. But the Original Sin side is different. Among the Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs, some Yearn for the Wu Dao Age, some scheme for the Original Sin True Lord, plus there are Original Sin Children and Original Sin Anomalies—they're all competitors with each other."
"To put it bluntly, the Original Sin side simply cannot unite. Even if they truly went to war with the Sacred Ground, most would likely watch from the shadows, with very few actually taking action."
Within the arena.
The various Ancestral Patriarchs hidden in the dark void were all focused on Qiongqi. They all knew that Qiongqi's response would directly determine the situation in the Primordial Nine Palaces and, in a sense, might even affect whether the Great Dao could be protected and whether the Wu Dao Age could open.
In the air above.
Xuan Yuan Hao's figure remained faintly visible within the sacred great sun. Holding the Divine Judgment Bow, he looked down upon Qiongqi from his lofty position, proud as a deity, as if ready at any moment to draw the bowstring and fire a Great Sun Judgment Arrow at Qiongqi.
Beside him, Ancestral Patriarch Xun Feng and Xuan Yuan Tong watched intently. Though their faces showed no emotion, their hearts were filled with anxiety and deep concern.
Their purpose in descending this time was singular: to eradicate Ancestral Patriarch Green Robe, display their might, make an example of him, and thereby stabilize the situation.
The plan progressed smoothly, just as the Sacred Ground had anticipated. But to complete the entire plan, one final, most crucial step remained.
That was Qiongqi!
Not to eradicate Qiongqi.
The Sacred Ground understood clearly that if they moved against Qiongqi, those Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs hiding in the shadows definitely wouldn't stand idly by. Not only would they fail to stabilize the situation, but they'd make it even more chaotic—the last thing the Sacred Ground wanted.
Another reason was that eradicating Qiongqi now was meaningless. Qiongqi wasn't the only Original Sin Child, nor the only Original Sin Anomaly. There were many. Before the Original Sin True Lord appeared, eliminating any Original Sin Anomaly Child was pointless. Rather than that, it was better to leave them be and let them fight among themselves.
For the Sacred Ground, the best outcome was to intimidate Qiongqi without taking action, thereby stabilizing the situation.
Although.
The Sacred Ground had assured them with certainty that Qiongqi would not, and dared not, go to war with the Sacred Ground.
But nothing in this world was absolute.
If Qiongqi truly decided to go to war with the Sacred Ground, the consequences would be unimaginable.
This move by the Sacred Ground seemed like a perfect strategy, but it was actually a risky gambit. If this final step went wrong, forget stabilizing the situation—even the Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs of the various cave heavens and blessed lands might lean toward the Wu Dao Age.
As time passed, everyone grew more tense. The dark void continuously churned with rising winds and surging clouds. Clearly, those Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs had prepared to take action. Once Xuan Yuan Hao moved against Qiongqi, they definitely wouldn't stand by.
Yet.
Strangely, Qiongqi did not answer the question.
He remained standing quietly above the Qiongqi Cauldron, his handsome face expressionless, offering no response.
No one knew what he was thinking.
As Qiongqi delayed his response, Xuan Yuan Tong and Ancestral Patriarch Xun Feng grew increasingly tense. They exchanged a glance, seeing deep worry in each other's eyes. They feared—feared that if Qiongqi truly agreed to go to war with the Sacred Ground, it would be disastrous. They only wanted to stabilize the situation now, not start a war with those Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs who Yearned for the Wu Dao Age.
However.
They weren't the only ones tense. The Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs hiding in the shadows were also extremely tense.
And it wasn't just tension—their hearts were filled with contradiction.
To be honest.
The Sacred Ground didn't want to go to war with them now, and they similarly didn't want to go to war with the Sacred Ground, at least not yet.
As Da Xing the Mad Monk had said, the Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs weren't united. If they truly went to war with the Sacred Ground, those Ancestral Patriarchs scheming for the Original Sin True Lord not only wouldn't help, they might even stab them in the back. Even those Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs who Yearned for the Wu Dao Age would mostly act in self-preservation during any conflict. No one wanted to lose their life over such a troublesome matter. They Yearned for the Wu Dao Age, true, but the premise was having the life to survive until the Wu Dao Age opened.
The problem was.
If the Sacred Ground eradicated Qiongqi and stabilized the situation, not only would the hope of the Wu Dao Age opening become slim, but more terrifyingly—today they kill one Qiongqi, tomorrow they might kill other Original Sin Anomaly Children. Therefore, the Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs didn't dare to stand idly by either.
Precisely because of this, the Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs felt deeply conflicted, as if they'd been used by Ancestral Patriarch Green Robe.