Evening had arrived.
The cold wind continued to howl, though it was no longer as fierce as before.
At the foot of the Bingxuan Sect lay many people—not tens of thousands, nor eight thousand, but still a considerable number. They lay scattered on the ground in various postures: some with blood trickling from their mouths, others with blood oozing from their noses; some were completely rigid, while others had their hair standing on end.
Without exception, they had all been knocked unconscious by the sheer force of Gu Qingfeng's roar.
Many had fainted, but a small number remained conscious. Perhaps they had retreated several kilometers away in time, or perhaps their own cultivation was robust enough. They stood there, but merely stood—each one as if struck dumb, rooted to the spot, their expressions filled with terror, their eyes wide with fear. Some even trembled uncontrollably.
It was only long after Gu Qingfeng had departed that these people gradually regained their senses. Closing their eyes, the image of the white-robed man flooded their minds.
Everything that had transpired today was vividly etched in their memories, replaying incessantly, impossible to shake off or dispel, like a curse echoing over and over in their minds.
Initially, when Ancestor Zhu Xia of the Bingxuan Sect said that Leng Yanqiu was unworthy of Gu Qingfeng—not even qualified to be his Maiden Attendant—everyone had thought it an exaggeration. Only now did they realize it was no exaggeration at all.
With a single move, he had defeated the leader of the Bingxuan Nine, Yu Dingxing, and the two prodigies, Jing Tao.
Six deputy hall masters couldn't even get close to him before being instantly paralyzed, while Luo Wenzhenghao was so terrified he lost control of his bladder.
The renowned Jade-Faced Young Lord Long Fei was obliterated by him with one strike.
Even the legendary, body-snatching reincarnator Si Qianhua was too frightened in his presence to even breathe loudly.
Faced with such a mysterious, bizarre, and utterly terrifying existence, how could Leng Yanqiu possibly be worthy? The Bingxuan power she took such pride in had been instantly dispersed by the force of Gu Qingfeng's roar. What did she have to offer? If not for Zhu Xia's pleading, whether she would have survived today was itself a question.
A joke.
It was simply a joke.
And an even bigger joke were Tian Xiangyue, Wen Yansheng, Luo Wenzhenghao, Jing Tao, and the others.
They were still standing too, but unsteadily—trembling, fearful, and terrified.
Everyone remembered clearly how, during the Bingxuan Sect's celebration, they had swaggered about, issuing threats and warnings. When they saw Gu Qingfeng leave, they had even mocked him. Only now did everyone realize how utterly ironic that was. Only at this moment did they understand that Gu Qingfeng had never regarded Jing Tao and the others as worthy of his attention from the very beginning.
Perhaps there was one person present who had realized early on that Gu Qingfeng had never paid these people any mind.
That person was Shui Yunruo.
She had thought of it, and she could see it.
Precisely because she could think of it, the shock deep within her heart was greater than anyone else's.
She stood there, her brow deeply furrowed.
In her mind, she recalled the vast, terrifying palm strike with which Gu Qingfeng had annihilated Long Fei.
She also recalled the earth-shattering roar with which Gu Qingfeng had shattered Leng Yanqiu's Bingxuan power.
She did not know how formidable Gu Qingfeng's physical body was, nor how savage his spiritual power might be.
Nor could she imagine what identity or background Gu Qingfeng possessed that would make Zhu Xia so afraid of him.
However, what puzzled her even more was this: just moments ago, it had been high noon under a blazing sun. How had it suddenly become dusk?
Was it her own misconception?
Or something else?
She did not know.
Shui Yunruo knew nothing, only feeling that man was too mysterious, too bizarre, and too terrifying.
...
In the void.
A figure of light and a figure of darkness floated like wisps of smoke. They gazed at the long-vanished sunset and at the darkness that now enveloped the place.
After a long while, the figure of light spoke: "He took the Bingxuan Heart. Why did you not act?"
The figure of darkness countered: "He not only took the Bingxuan Heart, he also said he would bear the sins Yun Nishang provoked. Why did you not act?"
The two Decree-bearers—one of the Heavenly Dao Decree, one of the Demonic Dao Decree—each asked a question, and then neither answered the other. They simply looked toward the west where the sunset had disappeared.
The figure of light said: "The great sun falls, twilight descends, darkness surges forth, the Nether Emperor arrives...
Heh..." The Heavenly Dao Decree laughed—a bitter, complex laugh, filled with helplessness after shock.
"I always knew he wasn't simple. Only now do I realize this guy is far more than 'not simple'...
He's simply...
I truly never expected it to be him...
Really..." The Demonic Dao Decree also laughed, a laugh brimming with smugness. "You never expected him to still be alive, right?
Indeed...
A man who should have died is suddenly alive. Not only alive, he seems...
He seems completely unaffected by the Great Tribulation..." Then, as if recalling something amusing, the Demonic Dao Decree burst into maniacal laughter.
"What are you laughing at?
Does his being alive benefit you in any way?"
The Demonic Dao Decree bearer shrugged. "It brings me no benefit. But for your Heavenly Dao, I'm afraid it's more than just a simple disadvantage..."
"Hmph!
So what?"
"So what?" The Demonic Dao Decree laughed even more gleefully. "Still asking 'so what'? This lord caused your Heavenly Dao enough trouble back in the day. What do you think he'll do once he's fully awakened? From what I know, this lord has always held grudges. During the Great Tribulation, your old master used the most frenzied judgment to condemn him. What do you think he'll do?"
Seeing the Heavenly Dao Decree remain silent, the Demonic Dao Decree laughed even more wantonly.
"Ah, ah, I truly look forward to seeing that scene play out again...
I also look forward to the Heavenly Dao falling into chaos once more, the Nine Heavens collapsing again..."
"Little Demonic Decree, I really don't know what you have to be so pleased about."
The Heavenly Dao Decree sneered. "The great sun falls, twilight descends, darkness surges forth, the Nether Emperor arrives...
You haven't forgotten the line that follows, have you?"
A sudden jolt.
The Demonic Dao Decree's laughter cut off abruptly.
Indeed.
In his excessive glee, he had forgotten the other matter.
The line following 'The great sun falls, twilight descends, darkness surges forth, the Nether Emperor arrives' was... the twilight of immortals and demons.
"Damn it!"
...
Meanwhile, in another part of the void.
A faint, indistinct figure, sometimes holy and radiant, sometimes dark and evil, stood quietly. Gazing at the long-vanished sunset and the surrounding darkness, she murmured softly: "The great sun falls, twilight descends, darkness surges forth, the Nether Emperor arrives..."
Pausing, she seemed to close her eyes. "Are you telling the heavens and earth that you have returned?"
Then, shaking her head slightly, she added: "Or are you telling the heavens and earth your stance on Karma..."
"If you wished to sleep, then sleep. Why must you awaken..."
"Have you finally decided to set foot on this Road of No Return that is Karma?"
"On the path of Karma, anyone may walk... except you."
"If not for Yun Nishang, perhaps you would not have taken this path..."
"But there are no 'ifs'...
Especially on the path of Karma, there have never been any 'ifs'..."
"Cause and effect, effect and cause. No one can truly explain it. Your Karma is, in the end, your own Karma..."
"Alas..."