Thinking back carefully, today's events have truly been full of twists and turns.
Old Ancestor Green Robe laid his trap, first using Qiongqi as bait to lure out the Sacred Ground, attempting to instigate a clash between the Great Dao and Original Sin so he could reap the benefits.
Unexpectedly, the Sacred Ground forcefully entered the fray, not only obliterating Old Ancestor Green Robe with a single arrow but also setting up an even larger scheme within Green Robe's own trap. Not only did they stabilize the situation, but they also prepared to seize this opportunity to force You Di out and join forces to eliminate him.
Unfortunately, You Di did not appear. Instead, a mysterious woman emerged halfway, shattering the Sacred Ground's scheme with just a few words, causing the Sacred Ground to lose all face and their honor to plummet.
One can't help but sigh—it truly is a case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, and behind the oriole, there is still a venomous snake.
If Old Ancestor Green Robe was the mantis, then the Sacred Ground was the oriole, and the mysterious woman is the venomous snake behind the oriole.
Only, who is this mysterious woman, this venomous snake? Does she belong to the Great Dao or to Original Sin?
What exactly is she plotting?
In the hidden depths of the void.
Great Monk Daxing, like the other patriarchs, felt both rueful and sighing.
To be honest.
Regarding the Sacred Ground's scandal, this was also the first time he had heard of it. Although he had heard people say before that Xuanyuan Wuji was at odds with the Holy Temple, it was only hearsay, its truth unknown. Moreover, looking across the ancient and present heavens and earth, from small sects and families to great grotto-heavens and blessed lands, internal discord is countless and not a rare occurrence, nor is it worth making a fuss over.
He never could have imagined that the conflict between the Holy Temple and Xuanyuan Wuji was so severe, so severe that the Holy Temple had begun to suppress Xuanyuan Wuji, even going so far as to recruit the disciple personally trained by Xuanyuan Wuji to rebel against him.
"This old monk originally thought only those old fogies of the Immortal Dao would act this way. I never expected the old fogies of the Sacred Ground to be of the same ilk."
As he spoke, Great Monk Daxing couldn't help but let out a sigh of emotion.
Actually, whether it was Xuantian suppressing the Great Sun Radiant Emperor or the Holy Temple suppressing Xuanyuan Wuji, Great Monk Daxing could understand it.
The mysterious woman said that the old fogies of Xuantian and the Holy Temple were selfish, suspicious to the extreme, and utterly foolish.
Great Monk Daxing did not agree with these words.
Take Xuantian, for example. Those old fogies were not unaware that a single day without a master for the Immortal Dao would not only leave it scattered like loose sand but would also incite the various grotto-heavens and blessed lands to vie for the position of Immortal Dao Master, leading to fragmentation.
Yes.
They knew.
They also did not fail to recognize the Great Sun Radiant Emperor's strength. They clearly understood that if the Great Sun Radiant Emperor ascended to become the Immortal Dao Master, the Xuantian Immortal Dao would become incomparably powerful. Even if they couldn't truly replace the Heavenly Dao to become the leader of the Great Dao, they could absolutely command the masses.
If possible, they too would want the Great Sun Radiant Emperor to ascend as the Immortal Dao Master.
The problem was, they did not trust the Great Sun Radiant Emperor. They were afraid, afraid that after the Great Sun Radiant Emperor became the Immortal Dao Master, he would not protect the Great Dao but would instead scheme for the position of Original Sin True Master. Then they would lose both the battle and the war.
Similarly.
The Holy Temple's suppression of Xuanyuan Wuji ultimately also stemmed from not trusting Xuanyuan Wuji, similarly fearing that Xuanyuan Wuji would scheme for the position of Original Sin True Master.
Although Xuanyuan Wuji and the Great Sun Radiant Emperor are neither Children of True Blood nor Original Sin Anomalies, who dares guarantee that they haven't secretly gestated Original Sin bodies in the shadows?
Or perhaps they had long ago laid schemes, planting seeds of Original Sin Karma. It's possible that among the many Children of True Blood and Original Sin Anomalies, there are those born from the Original Sin Karma they planted in their past schemes.
Such things are not rare, nor have they never happened. After all, the temptation of the Original Sin True Master is simply too great. Ascending to become the Original Sin True Master and opening the Daoless Age is almost equivalent to becoming the Master of Heaven and Earth. Who could remain unmoved?
Even without the ambition to become the Original Sin True Master, what about Karma?
What about Fate?
It is said that after opening the Daoless Age, one can break free from the shackles of Karma, escape the control of Fate, and legend even says one can ascend to become a god.
Anyone with lofty ambitions, who wouldn't want to break free from Karma?
Who wouldn't want to control their own Fate? Who wouldn't want to ascend to godhood?
Taking a step back.
Even if Xuanyuan Wuji and the Great Sun Radiant Emperor had not laid schemes to plant Original Sin Karma and had no interest whatsoever in the Daoless Age, their hearts set only on protecting the Heaven-Earth Great Dao, who dares guarantee that they are not Great Dao Avatars planted by others through Karma schemes?
Those of the Great Dao, scheming for the Original Sin True Master, can lay Karma schemes to plant Original Sin Avatars.
And those of Original Sin can likewise lay Karma schemes to plant Great Dao Avatars.
What if Xuanyuan Wuji and the Great Sun Radiant Emperor are both Great Dao Avatars planted by others through Karma schemes, and their true selves are scheming for the Original Sin True Master? What then?
'Primordial calamities shape heaven and earth, endless cycles of reincarnation appear, past lives and present Karma meet, whose life is whose depends on heaven.'
These words are not just simple talk, nor are they baseless legends.
They truly exist.
If Xuanyuan Wuji and the Great Sun Radiant Emperor truly are Great Dao Avatars planted by others through Karma schemes, once they return to their true selves, they will no longer be themselves. If they had not ascended to become the Immortal Dao Master and Sage Dao Master, they might still be dealt with. But if they had ascended to those positions, then the so-called Sage Dao and so-called Immortal Dao would truly be like ants before them.
Not to mention others.
The Western Heaven Buddhist Dao is a prime example.
Back when Miao Tathagata first emerged into the world, there were heavenly auspicious signs, lotuses blooming with every step, and he was a destined response to the calamity. The Pure Land Sect and the other seven Buddhist sects placed great hopes on Miao Tathagata, especially when he manifested as the Great Sun to liberate the myriad demons of the Nine Nether. His majesty was unparalleled, and even the eight Buddhist sects of the Western Heaven swaggered through the Great Desolate.
Back then, the eight Buddhist sects all believed Miao Tathagata was the reincarnation of the Buddha Lord and hoped he would lead the Western Heaven Buddhist Dao to revive its glory.
However.
No one expected that Miao Tathagata's existence was not merely a destined response to the calamity; he was simultaneously an Original Sin Anomaly.
Whether Miao Tathagata's identity as an Original Sin Anomaly was innate or the result of an Original Sin Anomaly planted through a past Karma scheme that possessed and fused with him, no one knows.
That is not important. What is important is that Miao Tathagata publicly declared he would not protect the Great Dao; the Original Sin True Master was his goal.
At that, every single one of the eight Buddhist sects, whether Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, was utterly dumbfounded.
Led by the Pure Land Sect, although few among the eight Buddhist sects could be called compassionate holy Buddhas, they shared one common point: to protect the Great Dao. Submitting to Miao Tathagata was also in the hope that under his leadership, they could protect the Great Dao.
Now, the Miao Tathagata they had placed such high hopes on suddenly announced his intention to ascend to become the Original Sin True Master.
How could they not be dumbfounded?
Upon learning of this, the eight Buddhist sects all wanted to eliminate Miao Tathagata. Unfortunately, under their cultivation, Miao Tathagata had long since possessed formidable strength. The old monks of the eight Buddhist sects were no match for him.
The only fortunate thing was that the Buddhist Dao origin was not in the hands of the eight Buddhist sects. Otherwise, Miao Tathagata would likely not be merely the Western Heaven Buddha Emperor, but the true Western Heaven Buddha Lord.
Perhaps precisely because of the precedent set by Miao Tathagata, Xuantian does not trust the Great Sun Radiant Emperor, and the Holy Temple does not trust Xuanyuan Wuji.