"If one does not guard the Great Dao, how can one deliver all sentient beings?"
Facing Elder Tai of Xuantian's questioning, Peacock Great Emperor still responded in a soft, indifferent tone: "The Great Dao is the Great Dao, and all sentient beings are all sentient beings. There is no necessary connection between the two. In Elder Tai's mind, the Great Dao may stand above all sentient beings, but in my mind, all sentient beings stand above the Great Dao. If all sentient beings lose the Great Dao, they remain sentient beings. However, if the Great Dao loses all sentient beings, it is no longer the Great Dao."
"Utter nonsense!"
Elder Tai of Xuantian was furious to the extreme, shouting sharply: "If this Heaven and Earth loses the restraint of the Great Dao, this old man firmly believes all living beings will have only one path! That is extinction!"
Peacock Great Emperor responded: "Those who follow different Daos cannot work together."
"If the Great Dao is lost, how can there be different Daos?"
"As long as one has the Dao in their heart, having no Dao surpasses having a Dao."
"As long as one has the Dao in their heart, having no Dao surpasses having a Dao? Hahaha!"
Elder Tai of Xuantian laughed in extreme anger, as if hearing the funniest joke in all of ancient and modern Heaven and Earth. His laughter was filled with both fury and contempt as he berated: "Absurd! Truly utterly absurd! Peacock, this old man asks you one last time: have you come here for the Wu Dao Era?"
"My not guarding the Great Dao does not mean I yearn for Wu Dao. Earlier, Changfeng Great Emperor said something I very much agree with: this Calamity is not a matter of black and white, nor of right and wrong. It is only about choice."
Peacock Great Emperor suddenly pressed his palms together and said: "I respect Elder Tai's choice, and I hope Elder Tai respects my choice."
Anger!
At this moment, only anger remained in Elder Tai of Xuantian's heart.
First Changfeng Great Emperor, now Peacock Great Emperor.
Before this, he had always believed that both Changfeng Great Emperor and Peacock Great Emperor would support his actions. He never imagined that Changfeng Great Emperor would refuse him, and Peacock Great Emperor would also refuse him.
This gave Elder Tai a strong sense of defeat.
This intense feeling of defeat even made him afraid to ask Fusheng Dijun.
Fusheng Dijun's stance had always been very ambiguous. He had never declared that he would definitely guard the Great Dao, not even once. Elder Tai had proactively asked about Fusheng Dijun's stance many times, and Fusheng Dijun had similarly never given a direct response.
If even Changfeng Great Emperor and Peacock Great Emperor, whom Elder Tai firmly believed would support him, stood up to oppose him, how much more so for Fusheng Dijun, whose stance had always been extremely ambiguous?
Elder Tai was very worried, worried that Fusheng Dijun would stand up to oppose him just like Changfeng Great Emperor.
Although Elder Tai found it hard to believe that Changfeng Great Emperor and Peacock Great Emperor opposed him, he could still accept it. But if he were also opposed by Fusheng Dijun, it would inevitably have a significant impact on his entire plan.
One must know that Fusheng Dijun's existence was extremely special.
Whether in terms of prestige or influence, none of the Great Dao Heavenly Mandates present, including all the Calamity-Destined Figures, could compare to Fusheng Dijun.
Even Taiji Boundless, of whom Elder Tai was so proud, was the same. Even the Nine Saint Sons of the Holy Dao and the Nine Heaven Sons of the Heavenly Dao fell far short of Fusheng Dijun's influence.
Exaggerated?
No!
Not exaggerated in the slightest!
The world knew that Fusheng Dijun became famous at a young age, achieved immortality upon reaching adulthood, possessed a Heaven-Defying Tyrant Body, had boundless strength, and was like a Heavenly God.
The two Heavenly Mandates he bore were both among the finest; calling him the pinnacle of Heavenly Mandates was not excessive.
The Star Lord Heavenly Mandate he bore was the North Pole Purple Tenuity Star, hailed as the master of all constellations.
The Imperial Seal Heavenly Mandate he bore was the Canghao Imperial Seal, one of the Ten Great Imperial Seals.
Furthermore, he possessed a Great Dao Supreme Treasure named the Xuanyuan Sword, a legendary divine weapon and holy sword.
More importantly.
Fusheng Dijun had opened up the Hunyuan Great Dao in the current era. He was also the first, without exception, to open up a brand new Great Dao since the Desolate Ancient Era. This meant Fusheng Dijun's existence was already the progenitor of the Great Dao Hunyuan. The "Great Dao Hunyuan" he authored further benefited all living beings and was hailed as the number one Great Dao scripture in all of ancient and modern Heaven and Earth.
Therefore.
Fusheng Dijun was also the fourth Pillar of Heaven, following Xuanyuan Wuji, Dugu Qizhan, and Great Sun Yao Emperor.
As for the Great Dao Patriarchs of the various Grotto-Heavens who were still watching and waiting, most hesitated to step forward precisely because of Fusheng Dijun.
To put it even less exaggeratedly.
As long as Fusheng Dijun stepped forward to support Elder Tai, even if Changfeng Great Emperor and Peacock Great Emperor clearly expressed opposition, those Great Dao Patriarchs still watching would all step forward one after another.
Conversely.
If Fusheng Dijun did not support Elder Tai, not only would those watching Great Dao Patriarchs not step forward, but even those who had already stepped forward might hesitate or even withdraw because of Fusheng Dijun's opposition.
Precisely because Fusheng Dijun's influence was truly too great, after suffering opposition from Changfeng Great Emperor and Peacock Great Emperor, Elder Tai of Xuantian hesitated for a moment about whether to open his mouth and ask Fusheng Dijun.
If he asked.
If he gained Fusheng Dijun's support, then the hope of success for his entire plan would undoubtedly be very great.
If he was refused by Fusheng Dijun, then his entire plan would likely become hopeless because of Fusheng Dijun's refusal.
If he didn't ask and directly ignored Fusheng Dijun, it seemed even worse.
As long as Fusheng Dijun did not clearly express support and continued to remain silent, in a sense, it would also be equivalent to not supporting his decision.
Elder Tai of Xuantian held onto a sliver of hope, attempting to contact Fusheng Dijun via Secret Transmission.
Unfortunately.
Fusheng Dijun's Heart-Mind was in a completely sealed state, not accepting any Secret Transmission at all.
Not only was Fusheng Dijun like this, but the Heart-Minds of all the Great Dao Heavenly Mandates and Calamity-Destined Figures present, including the Original Sin and Great Dao Patriarchs, were almost all in a completely sealed state. After all, the situation within the venue was filled with unknowns and fraught with danger; no one dared to easily open their Heart-Mind.
Once the Heart-Mind was opened, even just a tiny bit, it could bring fatal crisis.
If the Original Sin Patriarchs present had all opened their Heart-Minds, Elder Tai of Xuantian would have long ago used Secret Transmission to discuss with everyone and would not have ended up in such an awkward situation.
Of course.
Unless their Heart-Minds were interconnected. In that case, even if both parties' Heart-Minds were in a sealed state, they could still communicate via divine sense. For example, the Heart-Minds of Changfeng Great Emperor and Qianye Immortal King were interconnected.
After careful consideration.
Elder Tai of Xuantian ultimately decided to ask Fusheng Dijun.
If he gambled, there was still hope of winning. If he didn't gamble, there was no hope of winning at all. Perhaps Fusheng Dijun would support him.
With this thought.
Elder Tai of Xuantian opened his mouth and asked: "Fusheng Dijun opened up the Hunyuan Great Dao, and his 'Great Dao Hunyuan' further benefits all living beings. Some say Fusheng Dijun is a hero of the current era, others say he is the fourth Pillar of Heaven. But this old man believes even more that Fusheng Dijun is, since the Desolate Ancient Era, the number one person of the Great Dao in all of ancient and modern Heaven and Earth!"