The Sacred Ground had long been embroiled in dispute over whether to eliminate Gu Qingfeng.
The Sacred Hall believed Gu Qingfeng was the greatest Original Sin Anomaly, the most likely to ascend to the pinnacle and become the True Lord of Original Sin, and also posed the greatest threat to the Great Daos of Heaven and Earth. The sooner he was eliminated, the better. If he truly appeared at the Daoless Mountain and successfully became the True Lord of Original Sin, eliminating him would become far more difficult.
Xuan Yuan Wuji and his followers within the Sacred Ground, however, argued that although Gu Qingfeng appeared to be the greatest Anomaly and the most promising candidate for True Lord, that was merely an appearance. Until the final moment, no one could know for certain whom Original Sin would choose.
Furthermore, Gu Qingfeng had no intention of competing for the True Lord position and held no interest in the Daoless Era. Even if he were the one chosen by Original Sin, it was not guaranteed he would ultimately seize the title.
But that wasn't the most important point.
The crucial issue was that, as of now, no one had the confidence to completely eliminate Gu Qingfeng. This held true for all the major cave heavens and blessed lands, the Immortal Dao, and even the Heavenly Dao and the Sacred Ground itself.
Setting aside other factors, the power Gu Qingfeng had displayed alone was enough to inspire awe: the three Original Sin Spiritual Awareness and Demonic Thoughts—the Avici Asura, the Descent to the Netherworld, and the Heaven-Devouring Blood Taotie; the four peerless creations—Celestial Phenomenon of Qiankun, Earthly Phenomenon of Purgatory, Chaotic Phenomenon of the Pagoda, and Myriad Phenomena Paying Homage; his exclusive mastery over forbidden Great Daos like Absolute, Silence, and Death; and now, the recent emergence of an existence beyond the Great Dao.
And these were merely the powers he had currently revealed. No one knew how many more hidden strengths he possessed.
The sheer magnitude of Gu Qingfeng's power was only a secondary concern.
What truly made everyone hesitate to eliminate him was not his formidable strength.
It was the very nature of his existence.
To be frank, even if Gu Qingfeng's power were immense, powerful enough to destroy heaven and earth, as long as everyone united and worked together, dealing with him shouldn't be an insurmountable task.
The problem was that being able to deal with Gu Qingfeng did not equate to being able to eliminate him.
If they merely confronted Gu Qingfeng but failed to eliminate him, not only would it result in casualties on their side, it would be utterly meaningless. Worse, it would only provoke his wrath.
Originally, Gu Qingfeng had no intention of competing for the True Lord position. Once provoked, he might very well decide to pursue it, and that would be disastrous.
Gu Qingfeng was the greatest Original Sin Anomaly. Being an Anomaly meant his fate was highly mutable. In the end, it wasn't impossible that he might even choose to protect the Great Daos of Heaven and Earth.
If they angered him now and pushed him towards the side of Original Sin, the consequences would be far too severe.
Xuan Yuan Wuji believed that the disadvantages of eliminating Gu Qingfeng now outweighed the advantages. Conversely, temporarily avoiding provocation would bring more benefits than harm.
Xunfeng Patriarch held the same view.
Xuan Yuan Tong also agreed.
The elders and disciples within the Sacred Ground who followed Xuan Yuan Wuji all shared this opinion.
Unfortunately.
Unfortunately, the Sacred Hall, which wielded authority over the Sacred Ground, did not see it this way. The Sacred Hall had always wanted Gu Qingfeng eliminated, and the sooner, the better. Ideally, they wished to remove this greatest threat before the Primordial Nine Palaces gave birth to the Daoless Mountain. That way, neither the other Original Sin Anomalies nor the Children of Original Sin would pose any significant concern.
Xuan Yuan Tong had initially thought the Sacred Hall merely intended to use this opportunity to assert the Sacred Ground's stance and stabilize the chaotic situation.
She never imagined they were actually preparing to eliminate Gu Qingfeng.
Just as Elder Xunfeng had said, Gu Qingfeng's existence was the greatest threat to the side of the Great Dao, but it was equally the greatest threat to the side of Original Sin. If Gu Qingfeng dared to show himself, those targeting him would not be limited to the Sacred Ground. At that time, the Heavenly Dao, the Immortal Dao, the various cave heavens and blessed lands, including the hidden Original Sin Patriarchs, Children of Original Sin, Anomalies, and anyone else scheming for the True Lord of Original Sin would not let him go.
Although Xuan Yuan Tong was reluctant to admit it, she had no choice but to acknowledge that this was indeed a perfect opportunity to eliminate Gu Qingfeng.
At the same time, she was acutely aware that, aside from a very few exceptions, most on the side of the Great Dao wished to eliminate Gu Qingfeng before the appearance of the Daoless Mountain.
Thinking of this, Xuan Yuan Tong couldn't help but sigh heavily.
Previously, she had harbored a vague sense of foreboding, though she couldn't pinpoint its source. Only now did she understand what that ominous feeling was.
Would Gu Qingfeng emerge?
Xuan Yuan Tong shook her head. She didn't know.
She only hoped he wouldn't.
It wasn't out of concern for Gu Qingfeng's elimination. There was no friendship between Xuan Yuan Tong and Gu Qingfeng; they weren't even acquainted. Naturally, she wasn't worried about his life or death. Her hope that he wouldn't appear stemmed purely from not wishing to see Gu Qingfeng go to war with the Great Dao at this moment.
"Heh."
Within the arena, Xuan Yuan Hao's arrogant, self-satisfied voice reverberated through the void: "I know you must be hiding somewhere in this void. Patriarch Green Lantern, Old Monster Black Mountain, Demon Emperor Weiyang, Carefree Great Emperor, even the Buddha Emperor of Western Heaven—none dare to face me, Xuan Yuan Hao, in battle. Could it be that even the illustrious Nine Nethers Emperor dares not show himself to fight me, Xuan Yuan Hao?"
"Although I, Xuan Yuan Hao, have seldom traveled the Great Wilderness, the name of the Nine Nethers Emperor thunders in my ears. It is said the Nine Nethers Emperor is solitary, proud, overbearing, arrogant, and domineering. He has scorched the Nine Heavens, commanded the Nine Nethers, swept across the myriad realms of the Great Wilderness, unmatched by any, hailed as the first since the Primordial Era."
"You possess three Original Sin Spiritual Awareness and Demonic Thoughts, have comprehended the four peerless creations of Myriad Phenomena, exclusively dominate six forbidden Great Daos, and I hear not long ago you even summoned forth an existence beyond the Great Dao, causing no small amount of envy and jealousy among many."
"However..." His tone shifted, and Xuan Yuan Hao's voice rang out again, even more arrogant than before, laced with a touch of disdain.
"In my eyes, Xuan Yuan Hao, your so-called three Original Sin Spiritual Awareness and Demonic Thoughts, your so-called four peerless creations of Myriad Phenomena, your so-called forbidden Great Daos, your so-called existence beyond the Great Dao—they are all mere trifles."
"They might fool those ignorant ants who have never seen the world, but in my eyes, Xuan Yuan Hao, you are nothing but a clown who has had exceptionally good luck."
"Earlier, I told Qiongqi that if I wished, I could eliminate him anytime, anywhere!"
"Now, I offer you the same words. If I, Xuan Yuan Hao, wish it, I can eliminate you anytime, anywhere!"
Earlier, when Xuan Yuan Hao named Demon Emperor Weiyang and Carefree Great Emperor and received no response, he simply skipped past them. Even when he named the Buddha Emperor of Western Heaven, Miao Rulai, he did the same. But when he named Gu Qingfeng and received no reply, Xuan Yuan Hao persisted in his provocations—mocking, despising, belittling—his words brimming with contempt and defiance.
If Xuan Yuan Tong had previously been uncertain whether the Sacred Hall truly intended to move against Gu Qingfeng this time, she was now virtually certain. Eliminating Gu Qingfeng was not a backup plan; it was the final plan.