"Save us?
Hahahaha!"
Elder Tai was furious beyond measure, the veins on his forehead bulging, his eyes bloodshot with rage as he roared, "What arrogant nonsense!"
If it were only the Xuanyang Imperial King alone, Elder Tai wouldn't have given him a second thought.
But now, with the addition of Fusheng Dijun and Changfeng Great Emperor, Elder Tai had to carefully consider whether it was worth fighting these three Fate-Defying Figures to the bitter end.
Because his ultimate goal was the Consciousness and Demonic Thoughts within Gu Qingfeng, not these three figures.
If he were to engage in an all-out battle with Fusheng Dijun and the others, setting aside whether he could even defeat them, even if he ultimately triumphed, his side would likely pay an unimaginable price. How then could he compete with the other Ancestral Patriarchs present for the Consciousness and Demonic Thoughts on Gu Qingfeng?
Moreover, the Heavenly Dao and the Sage Dao had been watching covetously all along.
After weighing the pros and cons and considering the situation from all angles, Elder Tai could only stall for time with Fusheng Dijun while awaiting the decree from the Old Immortal Lord upon the Mysterious Flower.
Just as Fusheng Dijun and Changfeng Great Emperor appeared to stop Elder Tai, another figure manifested before the Tathagata Pagoda.
It was a youth.
A young master who looked as refined as jade from the countryside.
The youth wore a robe of jade-green, his features exquisitely handsome, like a dragon among men, bearing an innate noble air.
He stood in the void.
Like a favored son of heaven, he gave off an especially dignified and noble feeling.
It was none other than the Peacock Great Emperor.
Although the assembly of Buddhas from the Eight Buddhist Sects upon the Tathagata Pagoda had not yet made a move, the Peacock Great Emperor had stepped forward nonetheless. His intention was unmistakably clear: to prevent the Eight Buddhist Sects from acting.
"Amitabha!"
The White-Browed Sacred Monk pressed his palms together, sitting cross-legged atop the Tathagata Pagoda, his gaze fixed upon the Peacock Great Emperor as he said, "Previously, the Bright King stated that this time, his purpose is not to defend the Great Dao, but to deliver all living beings."
The Peacock Great Emperor nodded lightly in response. "That is indeed the case."
"By hindering our Eight Buddhist Sects, can you deliver all living beings?"
As the White-Browed Sacred Monk's words echoed, the Peacock Great Emperor gave a faint, elegant smile and replied without the slightest courtesy, "If you all remain obstinately deluded, today, I, the Peacock, can only first deliver your Eight Buddhist Sects, and then deliver the living beings of the Great Dao!"
Upon hearing this,
the assembly of Buddhas from the Eight Buddhist Sects were greatly alarmed, exchanging glances before all turning their gazes toward the White-Browed Sacred Monk.
The White-Browed Sacred Monk merely closed his eyes, recited another 'Amitabha,' and spoke no more.
Within the scene,
the Demon Emperor Blood River continued to stare fixedly at Green Robe and Xuanming.
Under the Demon Emperor Blood River's obstruction, these two Original Sin Patriarchs had absolutely no opportunity to make a move. Even Ancestor Xuanming's attempt to lie hidden silently within the void could not escape the Demon Emperor Blood River's eyes, who immediately forced him out with a strike.
Seeing this, the other Original Sin Patriarchs who had been preparing to act also began to hesitate.
The Immortal Dao Patriarchs led by the Xuantian Nine Immortals found themselves in a dilemma, caught between advancing and retreating under the formidable pressure exerted by the three Fate-Defying Figures: Fusheng Dijun, Changfeng Great Emperor, and the Xuanyang Imperial King. The assembly of Buddhas from the Eight Buddhist Sects also fell silent before the Peacock Great Emperor.
Observing the predicament of the Xuantian Immortal Dao and the Eight Buddhist Sects, the Patriarchs of the Thirty-Six Cave Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands similarly hesitated.
As the saying goes, to catch the bandits, first capture their king.
Although the Great Dao Patriarchs and the Original Sin Patriarchs each had their own petty schemes, they all hoped for and needed figures like Green Robe, Xuanming, Elder Tai, and the Xuantian Nine Immortals to take charge of the overall situation.
Now, whether it was Green Robe and Xuanming, or Elder Tai and the Xuantian Nine Immortals, they were all watched closely, unable to advance or retreat. Naturally, the other Patriarchs dared not act rashly either.
Perhaps precisely for this reason, the Patriarchs who had been covertly creating minor disturbances and launching the overwhelming attacks to keep Lady Wuyue occupied also began to cease their actions one after another.
Although the void continued to shift incessantly and attacks still poured in from all directions, compared to the initial onslaught, the commotion grew smaller and smaller, and the sky-blanketing attacks grew weaker and weaker.
At one end of the void,
the people of the Holy Land remained like outsiders, watching the unfolding events from afar.
They neither made a move nor participated.
They simply stood there, enveloped in a sacred radiance, like flowers in a mirror or the moon reflected in water—illusory, ethereal, distorted, and blurred, giving off a profoundly unreal feeling. It was as if their true forms had not appeared, more like shadows cast by holy light.
The Nine Holy Sons of the Holy Land stood at the forefront, each tall and upright, exquisitely handsome, transcending the mundane and entering the sacred, exceptionally noble. They stood out like cranes among chickens, like nine wheels of sacred suns.
Within the Holy Land, whether it was those profound and unfathomable Holy Land Patriarchs or the lofty Nine Holy Sons, they showed no intention of making a move. The appearances of the Demon Emperor Blood River, Fusheng Dijun, and Changfeng Great Emperor seemed to cause them no excessive surprise, as if everything happening was within their expectations.
Especially the leader of the Nine Holy Sons, Xuan Yuan Qinghou. His handsome face still wore a smile as gentle as a spring breeze. Clad in a white robe, he was not only elegant and graceful but also noble and refined. Set against the backdrop of the sacred radiance, he resembled a deity, inspiring an involuntary urge to worship.
The confidence and composure he exuded seemed as if he had seen through the truth of this Calamity, as if this Calamity was entirely within his grasp.
The impression he gave was that he simply didn't care about Original Sin Patriarchs like Green Robe and Xuanming, nor did he care whether Elder Tai and the Xuantian Nine Immortals would attempt to seize the Consciousness and Demonic Thoughts on Gu Qingfeng. He seemed equally unconcerned about whether the Demon Emperor Blood River or Fusheng Dijun would intervene to stop them.
He also appeared utterly indifferent to whether Gu Qingfeng could release the Consciousness and Demonic Thoughts of the Three Nether Lords, or even whether Gu Qingfeng could release himself.
The arrogance and detachment he carried made it seem that, should he wish it, regardless of whether Gu Qingfeng could release them, the Consciousness and Demonic Thoughts of the Three Nether Lords would be his for the taking.
Should he wish it, even if Gu Qingfeng did not want to release himself, he would force Gu Qingfeng to do so.
Should he wish it, regardless of whether Gu Qingfeng's self-release could end this Calamity, he would personally end it.
Yes!
The confidence, composure, arrogance, and detachment emanating from Xuan Yuan Qinghou gave precisely this impression.
It differed from the arrogant, lawless, and insolent pride of Tai Ji Wu Liang. Tai Ji Wu Liang's arrogance inspired doubt and seemed unreliable. Even though everyone knew Tai Ji Wu Liang's existence was unique, unparalleled throughout ancient and modern times, people still felt he was untrustworthy.
In contrast, the arrogant confidence flowing from Xuan Yuan Qinghou not only failed to inspire doubt or seem unreliable but, on the contrary, his absolute confidence inspired a powerful sense of conviction in others. It was like everyone's belief that when the great sun rises, the darkness will dissipate.