"If we're talking about the divine sense and demonic thoughts of the Ancient Clan, that whoever touches them dies, I believe it. After all, they exist beyond the Great Dao, comparable to gods, beyond imagination, and unimaginable. But to say that the divine sense and demonic thoughts of the three great overlords are also 'whoever touches them dies'...
That seems rather unlikely."
Qianye Immortal King pondered and said, "The three great overlords were indeed immensely powerful in life—one could be called the Lord of Hell, one the Lord of Purgatory, and one the Lord of the Abyss. But no matter how powerful they were, they were still just Nine Nether overlords within the Great Dao. Moreover, that was only in life. Now, they are merely a wisp of divine sense and demonic thoughts. To say 'whoever touches them dies'...
That seems a bit too exaggerated."
"No!
Not exaggerated in the slightest."
Changfeng Great Emperor explained, "What you said is correct. The existence of the three great overlords, no matter how powerful, is still just that of Nine Nether overlords within the Great Dao. Not to mention they are now just a wisp of divine sense and demonic thoughts; even in life, they couldn't possibly be so powerful that 'whoever touches them dies.' But you've overlooked a very important existence."
"What existence?"
"You Di!"
Changfeng Great Emperor continued, "The three great overlords themselves are not terrifying. The problem is, right now, the three great overlords are not themselves; they are three avatars of You Di. The divine sense and demonic thoughts of the three great overlords have been on You Di for so long that they are no longer merely divine sense and demonic thoughts."
"You must understand that You Di has comprehended nine forbidden Great Daos. He himself has achieved the eternal myth of indestructibility and immortality. Plus, he carries upon him the divine sense and demonic thoughts of an Ancient Clan member beyond the Great Dao. These existences are not independent; they have been influencing each other on You Di all along."
"This means the nine forbidden Great Daos are no longer pure forbidden Great Daos."
"The divine sense and demonic thoughts of the three great overlords are no longer pure divine sense and demonic thoughts."
"Including the Ancient Clan member, and even You Di himself—after influencing each other for so many years, none of them remain purely as they were."
"I think Fusheng Dijun must have also seen this point, which is why he dares to assert that the divine sense and demonic thoughts on You Di cannot be touched, that whoever touches them dies."
After listening to Changfeng Great Emperor's words, Qianye Immortal King felt a chill run down her spine.
"So that's how it is."
Qianye Immortal King said with a pained expression, "I originally thought Elder Tai wanted to use the various Great Dao Patriarchs to covet the divine sense and demonic thoughts on You Di, and that Fusheng Dijun, unable to bear watching everyone be used, lied on purpose to disrupt Elder Tai's plans."
"Elder Tai is not as despicable, sinister, or selfish as you think. On the contrary, Elder Tai wants to protect the Great Dao more than anyone else. To guard the Great Dao, I believe he is even willing to pay any price."
"Really?"
Qianye Immortal King sounded somewhat skeptical. "Is Elder Tai that noble?"
"Noble?
Hah, far from it."
"He's willing to pay any price to protect the Great Dao—isn't that noble enough? Moreover, as you said, Elder Tai proposed suppressing the divine sense and demonic thoughts on You Di not to claim them for himself, but truly to protect the Great Dao. That's already noble enough, isn't it?"
"The divine sense and demonic thoughts of the three great overlords might hold fatal temptation for other patriarchs, especially in this calamity where no one knows the answer. But for Elder Tai, to be honest, he probably doesn't even care for the divine sense and demonic thoughts of the three great overlords."
"What?
Doesn't care for them?"
"It's not that he doesn't care for them, but rather that the divine sense and demonic thoughts of the three great overlords simply cannot satisfy Elder Tai's ambitions. As for the divine sense and demonic thoughts of the Ancient Clan member, even if Elder Tai wanted them, he wouldn't have the guts. He should understand that the divine sense and demonic thoughts of the Ancient Clan member are not something he can endure, much less control."
Changfeng Great Emperor said, "Elder Tai's aspirations are higher than the heavens. What he wants is to become the Lord of the Nine Heavens, and the Lord of the Great Dao!"
"Heavens!"
Qianye Immortal King was stunned by Changfeng Great Emperor's words. She never imagined Elder Tai's ambitions were so great, actually coveting the position of Lord of the Nine Heavens and Lord of the Great Dao!
Then Changfeng Great Emperor's voice came again: "The one truly scheming for the position of Lord of the Nine Heavens and Great Dao is not Elder Tai. At most, he is just a pawn."
Qianye Immortal King asked, "Do you mean it's actually Tai Xuan Tai Miao and Elder Immortal Xuantian plotting behind the scenes?"
"Perhaps, or perhaps not. I always feel there is a mastermind behind Elder Immortal."
"Isn't Elder Immortal the highest authority in the Xuantian Immortal Dao? Who could be behind him? Don't tell me you're saying Taiji Boundless is the mastermind behind Elder Immortal?"
Taiji Boundless's existence is both a destined constant for the calamity and a variable of Original Sin. Like the auspicious pairing of dragon and phoenix, it is also the unpredictability of fate. It can be said he is both a chosen one of heaven and a son bestowed by heaven, the greatest existence between ancient and present heaven and earth.
An existence like Taiji Boundless, even if not comparable to Gu Qingfeng's achieved eternal myth, isn't far from it.
The problem is,
this Taiji Boundless is too arrogant and conceited, and his words and actions are frivolous, like a rookie who has never experienced the world. If someone said he was the mastermind behind Elder Immortal, Qianye Immortal King wouldn't believe it even if beaten to death.
"That's exactly what's terrifying about Taiji Boundless—because no one knows whether he is truly arrogant and conceited or just pretending. He appears to have no depth, but that's merely how he appears. Who knows how truly terrifying he really is."
Changfeng Great Emperor said, "Twin Yin-Yang, Dragon-Phoenix Auspiciousness, Taiji Boundless, Fate Unpredictable—this is a forbidden legend."
"Any forbidden legend cannot arise by chance. There is only one possibility: it must be that some great power, through various schemes, seized the fortunes of heaven, broke the taboos, and achieved the legend of Taiji Boundless."
"All for the sake of using this calamity to ascend to the position of Lord of the Nine Heavens and Great Dao!"
"The Xuantian Immortal Dao, since its conception, has been determined to become the Lord of the Nine Heavens and Great Dao who rules over all beings of the Great Dao."
"If my guess is correct, this Taiji Boundless is either not yet awakened to his true self, or he is deliberately playing the fool, secretly scheming to covet the position of Lord of the Nine Heavens and Great Dao."
"Heavens!
This is too..." Qianye Immortal King could no longer describe her feelings at this moment. She had always thought this calamity was simple—just a calamity concerning the life and death of the Great Dao. However, the deeper she sank into this calamity, the more she felt it wasn't that simple at all, nor was it merely a calamity concerning the existence of the Great Dao.
It was one thing for someone to covet the True Lord of Original Sin, but there were actually people coveting the Lord of the Nine Heavens and Great Dao. Even the divine sense and demonic thoughts of the three great overlords and the Ancient Clan member on You Di were coveted by someone. And then there was Lady Wuyue, who planted a karmic seed on You Di—who knew what she was scheming for.
Great Sun Yao Huang, Dugu Qizhan, Xuanyuan Wuji, including Genggu Wuming, had not shown themselves yet, and no one knew what they were scheming for either.
What made Qianye Immortal King most speechless and devastated was that Changfeng Great Emperor said there was no right or wrong in this calamity, only different choices.
Peacock Great Emperor also said he came not for the Great Dao, but only to deliver all living beings.
Fusheng Dijun also said he only protected the Great Dao in his own heart.
This couldn't help but make Qianye Immortal King wonder: Changfeng Great Emperor, Peacock Great Emperor, and Fusheng Dijun—these three were all destined constants who had received the Mandate of Heaven and the True Mandate!
What Mandate of Heaven did they receive? What True Mandate? And what calamity were they destined for? Could it not be the Great Dao Calamity?
Why did it feel like they didn't care about the life and death of the Great Dao at all, each playing their own little game?
If it were only these three destined constants acting this way, that would be one thing, but yet another destined constant, Xuanyang Emperor, was the same.
Earlier, when Elder Tai asked if he would support him, Xuanyang Emperor did not respond directly. He only said that when the time came to act, he would definitely act—a very vague answer.
What counts as 'the time to act'? What counts as 'not the time to act'?
When he said 'act,' did he mean supporting Elder Tai in suppressing the divine sense and demonic thoughts on You Di, or acting to stop Elder Tai?
It felt like Xuanyang Emperor was completely evasive toward Elder Tai.