"I never expected a simple stretch from me would bring out so many people."
Upon the Solitary Peak, Gu Qingfeng gazed at the densely packed crowd in the void, his eyes immediately spotting Changfeng Great Emperor. He smiled and said, "Well, well, if it isn't Old Gu! We meet again so soon."
Changfeng Great Emperor looked at Gu Qingfeng, nodded, and responded, "Indeed, we meet again so soon."
Gu Qingfeng chuckled, "I thought you wouldn't come to join this commotion."
"You should know this is a commotion I cannot avoid. I have no choice in the matter."
"True enough."
Gu Qingfeng shrugged, "Who told you to be a Destined Calamity Fate bearing a true Heavenly Mandate?"
Then, shifting the topic, he added, "But since you're here, it's just as well."
"How so?"
"Aren't you also bearing the Justice of the Azure Heaven? Today's commotion—its justice—couldn't be more fitting for you to preside over."
"Brother Gu, you flatter me too much."
Changfeng Great Emperor's expression turned solemn, "The justice of today's commotion is something I cannot preside over."
"If even you, Changfeng Great Emperor, bearer of the Justice of the Azure Heaven, cannot preside over this commotion, then no one in all of heaven and earth, past or present, can. And moreover..." Gu Qingfeng said with a smile, "And moreover, the moment you appeared, I had a very strong premonition."
"What premonition?"
"Today's commotion wasn't prepared for me alone. It was also prepared for you."
"Oh? What do you mean by that?"
"If you cannot preside over the justice of today's commotion, you will never be able to shoulder the words 'Azure Heaven,' nor bear the weight of 'justice.'"
Gu Qingfeng's tone was casual, as if chatting with an old friend, "In other words, if you preside over the justice of this commotion, you will become the true Lord of the Azure Heaven. If you cannot... well, I'm afraid the Justice of the Azure Heaven will abandon you."
Changfeng Great Emperor asked, "How should I preside over this justice?"
"Sorry, that's your business, not mine."
Changfeng Great Emperor stared at Gu Qingfeng, gazing at him for a long moment before finally responding, "Thank you!"
Beside them.
Qianye Immortal King was deeply worried.
Because she knew that the friendship between Changfeng Great Emperor and Gu Qingfeng was something few outsiders were aware of. Now, with Gu Qingfeng speaking to Changfeng Great Emperor so openly before such a crowd, it could easily cause misunderstandings.
And Gu Qingfeng had even suggested that Changfeng Great Emperor step forward to preside over the justice of this commotion.
What a joke.
This was no mere commotion. It was a calamity—a calamity concerning the very survival of the Great Dao and the heavens and earth. Just as Changfeng Great Emperor had said, this calamity was something he could not preside over. He had no right to preside over it. If the Great Dao were to fall, Changfeng Great Emperor could not bear such a tremendous responsibility.
Thinking of this.
Qianye Immortal King secretly transmitted her voice, "Changfeng, be careful. I suspect the You Emperor is using you. First, he speaks to you as if no one else is around, making people misunderstand your relationship. Then he urges you to preside over this calamity, even saying that if you cannot, the Justice of the Azure Heaven will abandon you. He must be using you to achieve some goal—perhaps he wants to covet the True Lord of Original Sin and hopes you'll stand on his side. Don't fall for it."
Qianye Immortal King knew that the friendship between Changfeng Great Emperor and Gu Qingfeng was very deep, and Changfeng Great Emperor cherished this bond of being both friend and foe. If not for this, Changfeng Great Emperor wouldn't have rushed to the Li Palace space earlier to warn Gu Qingfeng that the Great Dao faction was planning to deal with him.
"I know you cherish your friendship with the You Emperor, but people change. Most importantly, you don't know if the current You Emperor is still the same as before. Weren't you just saying that the causal seeds on the You Emperor's body could affect his heart and even cause him to lose himself?"
"Perhaps the You Emperor has already lost himself. Or perhaps the causal seeds on his body have already influenced him, making him unconsciously desire to covet the True Lord of Original Sin."
At that moment.
The silent Changfeng Great Emperor spoke, "The You Emperor has not lost himself. At least, not yet. He is still himself. At least, for now, he is."
"Changfeng!"
Qianye Immortal King was utterly exasperated, "Even Lady Wuyue said he has awakened his true self..." She was abruptly cut off by Changfeng Great Emperor, who said, "You don't understand."
"What do you mean, I don't understand?"
"If the You Emperor had lost himself or was no longer who he is, he would never have said those words to me. Precisely because he said them, it proves that he has not lost himself and is still himself."
Qianye Immortal King truly couldn't understand this statement.
"I fully believe what the You Emperor said."
"What!"
Hearing this, Qianye Immortal King was shocked, "How can you believe what the You Emperor said? Do you really intend to preside over the justice? This is no mere commotion! It's not a matter of justice or injustice—it's a calamity concerning the Great Dao and the heavens and earth. You cannot bear such a tremendous responsibility. Not just you—no one in all of heaven and earth, past or present, can bear it!"
"The Great Sun Sovereign of Xuantian, Xuanyuan Wuji of the Holy Lands, Dugu Qizhan of the Heavenly Dao—they are all hiding in the shadows. None dare show themselves lightly. None dare lead everyone to protect the heavens, earth, and the Great Dao. Because they all know that if they fail and the Great Dao falls, they cannot bear the responsibility."
"Even Genggu Wuming is no exception. He is both the incarnation of karma and the messenger of fate, yet he too remains hidden in the shadows. Do you know why? He also cannot bear the responsibility if the Great Dao falls!"
"You are merely a Destined Calamity Fate. Although you bear the Justice of the Azure Heaven, that is all. You have not yet awakened. You are not the true Lord of the Azure Heaven, and you cannot preside over this justice."
"Qianye, do you know?"
Compared to the anxious and worried Qianye Immortal King, Changfeng Great Emperor appeared very calm—his expression, his eyes, and his words all reflected this, "The You Emperor just said he had a strong premonition. Actually, I want to tell you that not only does the You Emperor have this premonition—I do too."
As these words fell, Qianye Immortal King froze, at a loss for what to do. After a short moment, she asked in astonishment, "What... what premonition?"
"In today's calamity, if I, Gu Changfeng, cannot preside over it, I will never be able to shoulder the words 'Azure Heaven,' nor bear the weight of 'justice.' Just as the You Emperor said, if I can preside over this justice, I will become the true Lord of the Azure Heaven. If I cannot, the Justice of the Azure Heaven will abandon me."
"This... this... this..." Qianye Immortal King was completely bewildered, unsure of what to say.
"Not only do the You Emperor and I have this feeling—I believe all the Destined Calamity Fates present, including the Original Sin Variables, likely share this feeling. This is no simple calamity."
"If it's not a calamity, then what is it?"
"For the Great Dao, it may be a calamity. But for us, it is an opportunity."
"What opportunity?"
"An opportunity to awaken our true selves!"