Nine streaks of silvery-white radiance flashed past, and immediately, nine figures appeared beside Taiji Boundless.
These nine individuals included both men and women, both old and young.
The men were majestic and solemn.
The women were composed and calm.
The young ones had white hair and youthful faces.
The old ones possessed an aura of immortal grace and Daoist elegance.
These nine were precisely the Nine Xuantian Immortals who presided over the Immortal Dao, and they were also the nine great pillars of the Immortal Dao.
After the Nine Xuantian Immortals stepped forward, a vast multitude of Immortal Dao Ancestral Patriarchs from the Xuantian Immortal Dao also stepped forward in a grand procession, signifying that behind Taiji Boundless stood the entire Xuantian Immortal Dao.
Previously,
when Taiji Boundless first appeared before the crowd, no one knew whether he stood on the side of Original Sin or on the side of the Great Dao.
After all, Taiji Boundless's existence was not only a destined tribulation constant but also a variable of Original Sin.
When Taiji Boundless appeared once more, declaring that his heart honored only the Great Dao, and when the Nine Xuantian Immortals and even all the Ancestral Patriarchs of the Immortal Dao stepped forward, everyone finally realized that Taiji Boundless stood on the side of the Great Dao.
"Fellow Daoists,"
an elderly man with white hair and beard, exuding an aura of immortal grace and Daoist elegance, stepped forward. He was one of the Nine Xuantian Immortals and also the most venerable among them. His Daoist title was Mount Tai, and he was known as Old Mount Tai of Xuantian.
He gazed at the Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs of the Thirty-Six Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands and said, "Even if this old man does not speak, I believe you all understand how dire the current situation is."
"The existence of You Di influences this Original Sin Calamity. He is very likely the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate. Whether his 'Letting Go of Oneself' will end this Calamity or not, to be honest, this old man does not know. But there is one point I dare affirm: if You Di can successfully let go of himself, for the Great Dao, the benefits will absolutely outweigh the harms!"
"Therefore, we should spare no cost to protect You Di as he lets go of himself. We absolutely cannot allow any existence to prevent You Di from letting go."
"Apart from that, there is another matter we must prepare for in advance: whether You Di himself can succeed in letting go."
"If he can succeed, we would naturally rejoice. But if he cannot, then we must forcefully intervene to assist him in letting go."
"Just as Boundless said, if You Di cannot release the Nine Forbidden Great Daos, we will act to scatter them into nothingness."
"If You Di cannot release the divine wills and demonic thoughts of the Three Great Overlords, including those of the Ancient Clan, we can only act to temporarily suppress them, thereby buying time for You Di to complete his release. If he still cannot succeed in the end, we will have no choice but to utterly obliterate the divine wills and demonic thoughts of the Three Overlords and the Ancient Clan."
"In this way, even if You Di fails to let go of himself and awakens, regardless of whether he becomes lost or demonically insane, having lost the Nine Forbidden Great Daos and the divine wills and demonic thoughts of the Three Overlords and the Ancient Clan, You Di's existence would be nothing more than a toothless tiger, posing little threat to the Great Dao and likely having only a negligible impact on this Calamity."
"I hope Fellow Daoists from the various Heavens and Blessed Lands will lend their full support. Let us join hands to weather this Calamity and protect the Dao that belongs to us."
It is said that ginger is spicier with age. This white-haired, white-bearded elder with an aura of immortal grace truly lived up to his title as Old Mount Tai of Xuantian. With just a few words, he clearly laid out the predicament of the Great Dao, providing sound reasoning that was hard to refute.
After deliberation among themselves, the Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs of the Thirty-Six Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands within the venue all agreed with Old Mount Tai's words.
At this critical juncture, remaining passive and simply observing developments would be tantamount to waiting for death.
Rather than that, it was better to take the initiative.
First, suppress the divine wills and demonic thoughts of the Three Overlords and the Ancient Clan to buy time for You Di's release. If You Di ultimately proved incapable of releasing them, then spare no cost to obliterate the Three Overlords and the Ancient Clan.
In this way, even if You Di awakened, regardless of whether he became demonically insane or lost, he would be like a toothless tiger, posing no significant threat to the Great Dao.
This move would kill two birds with one stone, transforming the Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs from passive to active, finding a path forward in this Calamity whose outcome remained unknown, while also preparing a retreat.
Immediately, the Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs from the various Heavens and Blessed Lands stepped forward one after another to support the Xuantian Immortal Dao.
Witnessing this scene,
Qianye Immortal King in the void asked, "Changfeng, what do you intend to do?"
Beside her, Great Emperor Changfeng wore a grave expression, his brows furrowed. His gaze had remained fixed on Gu Qingfeng from beginning to end, never leaving, as if deep in thought.
Only when Qianye Immortal King's voice reached him did Great Emperor Changfeng shift his gaze from Gu Qingfeng. He glanced at Taiji Boundless, at the Nine Xuantian Immortals, and then at the increasing number of Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs stepping forward from the various Heavens and Blessed Lands. He countered with a question, "Do you believe what Old Mount Tai said?"
"I don't know whether I should believe it, but I think what he proposes is correct."
Qianye Immortal King asked, "Do you think Old Mount Tai and the others, like Xuanming and Green Robe among the Original Sin Patriarchs, also intend to covet the Three Great Overlords and the Ancient Clan within You Di?"
Great Emperor Changfeng said softly and calmly, "No one knows what the outcome of this Calamity will be. No one knows whether the Daoless Age can be opened or whether the Great Dao can be preserved. This holds true for the Original Sin Patriarchs, and the Great Dao Patriarchs are no exception."
"However, as they sink deeper into this Calamity, they are gradually realizing that the waters of this Calamity are far, far too deep—so deep that the bottom cannot be seen, and so deep that no hope can be glimpsed. Even if there is hope, that hope will dissipate bit by bit as they sink deeper into the Calamity."
"The divine wills and demonic thoughts of the Three Overlords within You Di are a fatal temptation for both the Original Sin Patriarchs and the Great Dao Patriarchs, especially in this Calamity whose outcome is unknown to all. They would rather gamble boldly than place their hopes on an unknown Calamity."
"The Original Sin Patriarchs will not miss this opportunity, nor will the Great Dao Patriarchs. Moreover, within You Di lie not only the divine wills and demonic thoughts of the Three Overlords but also those of the Ancient Clan, an existence beyond the Great Dao, rivaling gods. No one wants to miss an opportunity to ascend to divinity. No one..."
"Perhaps that is truly the case."
Even without Great Emperor Changfeng saying it, Qianye Immortal King knew that most of the Immortal Dao Patriarchs of the Xuantian Immortal Dao, including the Great Dao Patriarchs from the various Heavens and Blessed Lands, were targeting the Three Overlords and the Ancient Clan within You Di. Yet, even so, she still felt that what Old Mount Tai proposed was correct.
At least, for the Great Dao, it was.
After all, You Di's existence was very likely the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate.
If You Di could let go of himself, the benefits would definitely outweigh the harms for the Great Dao.
Under such circumstances, to protect the Great Dao, they must ensure You Di successfully lets go of himself.
If even You Di himself could not let go, then they could only seize this opportunity to sever his left and right arms—suppress and obliterate the Three Great Overlords and the Ancient Clan. In this way, even if You Di awakened, having lost the Nine Forbidden Great Daos and the divine wills and demonic thoughts of the Three Overlords and the Ancient Clan, You Di would be left with only a physical body. Even if that body was an Eternal Myth, it would pose little threat to the Great Dao.