The Empresses who had appeared possessed identities and statuses that grew increasingly more inconceivable, cultivation levels more profound and unfathomable, and realms of attainment that surpassed imagination one after another.
Moreover, among these Empresses, aside from Cang Yan, almost all had karmic ties with Gu Qingfeng, some sharing not just one but multiple threads of fate.
For instance, Lady Wuyue, Yun Nishang, and Lady Wuyou—they all shared a three-life, three-world karmic bond with Gu Qingfeng.
As for the Saintess Empress, her devotion to Gu Qingfeng ran deep. Back when Gu Qingfeng ignited the Original Sin Karmic Flame on the Mountain of No Dao and slumbered for a full ten thousand years, the Saintess Empress traversed the myriad heavens and worlds. She sought not the Great Dao, nor to save all living beings, but only to find traces of Gu Qingfeng.
They all shared one commonality: each had once planted a karmic seed upon Gu Qingfeng.
In the past, the Ancestral Patriarchs present had speculated that these Empresses planted karmic seeds on Gu Qingfeng to guard the Three Thousand Great Daos. After all, the very existence of these Empresses was enough to represent the Three Thousand Great Daos.
However, with Lady Wuyue stepping forward to protect Gu Qingfeng, the various patriarchs couldn't help but begin to doubt. And now, witnessing with their own eyes the descent of Lady Wuyou, Lady Youming, Empress Tianzong, Empress of Nature, and the Saintess Empress, the patriarchs finally realized that these Empresses planting karmic seeds on Gu Qingfeng back then was never about guarding the Three Thousand Great Daos—or at the very least, not about guarding the three thousand origins of the Great Dao.
Since these Empresses descended, whether they were Original Sin Patriarchs or Great Dao Patriarchs, everyone suddenly fell silent. No one within the arena made a move anymore; even the shifting void became calm and still.
Originally, they had planned to take advantage of the Nine Holy Sons of the Holy Land making their move, swarming forward to add fuel to the fire. Unexpectedly, Xuanyuan Hao's two successive shots of the Great Sun Judgment Arrow from the Divine Judgment Bow were both thwarted. The first was snapped between Cang Yan's two fingers, and the second was somehow reflected back by Lady Wuyou using an unknown method.
Earlier, when only Lady Wuyue, Drunken Da Xing the Mad Monk, Emperor Xiaoyao, Demon Emperor Weiyang, Bai Chou, and Qiong Qi were protecting Gu Qingfeng, the various patriarchs hadn't paid them much mind. Even later, when Demon Emperor Blood River, Fusheng Dijun, Emperor Xuanyang, Changfeng Great Emperor, and Peacock Great Emperor—four Destiny-level figures—stepped forward to intervene, the patriarchs still didn't consider it a major issue.
But as inconceivable existences like Empress Langya, Empress Tianzong, Empress of Nature, and the Saintess Empress appeared one after another, the patriarchs finally grasped the severity of the situation, their hearts uncertain whether to feel joy or worry.
Although the various patriarchs had all stepped forward, all coveting the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts within Gu Qingfeng, to be honest, they weren't very confident. One could even say they were mostly following the crowd, trying their luck and joining the spectacle.
Firstly, the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts within Gu Qingfeng were only held by a mere few: the three Nether Lords and the ancient clansmen. The Heavenly Dao, Sage Dao, Immortal Dao, including the Western Buddhist Dao, were all watching like tigers eyeing their prey. And that was just the Great Dao side. On the Original Sin side, not to mention Green Robe and Xuanming, who knew how many hidden Original Sin variables lurked in the shadows? The three Great Dao Overlords, Miao Rulai and Black Mountain Old Monster, certainly wouldn't stand idly by either.
To put it bluntly, there were too many wolves and too little meat.
For the patriarchs of the Thirty-Six Cave Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, they knew they were no match for the Heavenly Dao, Sage Dao, or Immortal Dao. Therefore, they didn't hold much hope for seizing the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts within Gu Qingfeng. They would grab what they could; if they couldn't, they'd let it be, treating it as just joining the spectacle. After all, whether they were Great Dao Patriarchs or Original Sin Patriarchs, this was the prevailing trend. Not participating might even earn them the label of 'Great Dao Criminals.'
They had originally thought that coveting the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts within Gu Qingfeng was the inevitable trend, and that these thoughts would surely be divided among the major powers.
But with the appearance of Demon Emperor Blood River, Fusheng Dijun, Empress of Nature, and the Saintess Empress, the situation seemed to be changing. At the very least, the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts within Gu Qingfeng were no longer meat on the chopping block, nor were they part of some inevitable trend. If these Empresses all intervened to stop it, whether the Great Dao side or the Original Sin side could successfully covet those thoughts became an unknown variable.
This might be bad news for the Heavenly Dao, Sage Dao, and Immortal Dao, but for the various patriarchs, it was instead good news.
With giants like the Heavenly Dao and Sage Dao present, the patriarchs of the various cave heavens originally had little hope. But with the appearance of these Empresses, their hopes grew.
The reason was simple. If giants and overlords like the Heavenly Dao, Sage Dao, and Immortal Dao wanted to covet the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts within Gu Qingfeng, they would first have to get past these Empresses and their allies. And to protect Gu Qingfeng, these Empresses would inevitably fight these Great Dao giants to the bitter end. It was entirely possible both sides would end up severely wounded. In that case, the ones to benefit would naturally be the patriarchs of the Thirty-Six Cave Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands.
Thinking of this, the patriarchs of the various cave heavens and blessed lands couldn't help but grow excited, suddenly feeling full of confidence.
And indeed, that was the case.
After these Empresses appeared, the Nine Heavenly Sons of the Heavenly Dao, the Nine Holy Sons of the Sage Dao, and the Nine Profound Immortals of the Immortal Dao all wore grave expressions. On the Original Sin side, Green Robe and Xuanming were no exception.
They knew that if they tried to covet the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts within Gu Qingfeng, someone would surely step forward to stop them.
Yes, they knew.
When Lady Wuyue was the first to stand guard over Gu Qingfeng, they already had this premonition.
When Fusheng Dijun and the other Destiny-level figures stepped forward, they thought those protecting Gu Qingfeng would be limited to them.
They never imagined that these various Empresses would personally descend.
Just as the patriarchs of the various cave heavens and blessed lands had guessed, once these Empresses descended, the situation changed accordingly. If they had been absolutely certain of coveting the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts within Gu Qingfeng before, then after the Empresses' descent, while they still had confidence, it was no longer as absolute as before, and their certainty plummeted.
*Clap!*
*Clap!*
*Clap!*
The sound of applause suddenly echoed within the arena. Everyone looked toward the source—it was Xuanyuan Qinhou, the leader of the Nine Holy Sons.
The smile on his lips had reappeared at some point. His eyes, like sacred great suns, swept over each of the Empresses as he said with a laugh, "When Lady Wuyue stepped forward to protect the Nine Nethers Emperor, I knew you various Empresses would surely appear to protect him as well. I originally thought you would reveal yourselves at the final critical moment. Heh, I didn't expect you various Empresses to be so impatient."
"Various Empresses," from another direction, Dugu Fengyun, hailed as the leader of the Nine Heavenly Sons, also spoke up and asked, "Is your appearance here, like Lady Wuyue's, also for the purpose of protecting the Nine Nethers Emperor and preventing us from suppressing the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts within him?"