The name Genggu Wuming was known to everyone under heaven and earth, past and present.
Legend held that Genggu Wuming knew the past and future, held command over fate and karma, deduced the primordial chaos of the universe, and saw through the profound mysteries of heaven and earth. She was hailed as the incarnation of karma, the emissary of fate, and was also revered by all living beings throughout the ages as a goddess-like figure—the Lady of Heavenly Secrets.
Ever since this Calamity of Original Sin began, many had been searching for Genggu Wuming. To be precise, even before this calamity occurred, from the end of the Desolate Ancient Era and the beginning of the Primordial Era, countless individuals had been desperately seeking traces of Genggu Wuming.
The Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens, the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, including the Xuantian Immortal Dao, the Sacred Grounds, even the Heavenly Dao, and even those Original Sin Patriarchs had all searched for her.
Their reason for seeking Genggu Wuming was simple, without exception: they all wanted to know the truth of this calamity, what the future fate of the Three Thousand Great Daos would be, and whether the Era of No Dao would begin.
In their minds, if anyone knew the truth of this calamity, who knew the fate of the Three Thousand Great Daos, and whether the Era of No Dao would open...
Then that person must be the Lady of Heavenly Secrets, Genggu Wuming.
Unfortunately.
Many people, from the Desolate Ancient Era, through the Primordial, Ancient, and Archaic Eras, all the way to the present era, had never found any trace of Genggu Wuming.
It was true that quite a few had indeed found Genggu Wuming, but even more regrettably, Genggu Wuming had never responded to any questions regarding this calamity—not even once. No matter who found her or who asked, Genggu Wuming had never replied.
There was no other way.
In the end, everyone could only give up.
They could only silently hope, hoping that when the calamity occurred, Genggu Wuming would appear to take charge of the situation, help everyone survive this calamity, and protect the Three Thousand Great Daos. After all, Genggu Wuming was the incarnation of karma and the emissary of fate, and both karma and fate were among the Three Thousand Great Daos. Everyone felt that Genggu Wuming had this duty, even this responsibility, to protect the Three Thousand Great Daos.
However.
To everyone's surprise, when the Desolate Ancient Black Hole appeared, Genggu Wuming did not show herself. When the Primordial Nine Palaces manifested, Genggu Wuming still did not appear. Even now, at such a critical moment when Gu Qingfeng—a True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate—was about to let himself go, Genggu Wuming remained absent.
This left people feeling lost, disappointed, and also unable to understand why Genggu Wuming would not appear.
Could it be that she, as the incarnation of karma and emissary of fate, did not wish to protect karma and fate, did not wish to protect the Three Thousand Great Daos?
No one knew.
No one knew at all.
Perhaps it was because the waters of this calamity ran too deep, or perhaps because this calamity was filled with unknowns, or maybe because this calamity was ever-changing and unpredictable. As a result, everyone's heartstrings had been taut, their spirits constantly tense, and they had gradually forgotten about the existence of Genggu Wuming.
It was only when Cang Yan mentioned Genggu Wuming that the various patriarchs present remembered there was still a Lady of Heavenly Secrets, an incarnation of karma and emissary of fate, who had not yet appeared.
What made the patriarchs even more suspicious and doubtful was Cang Yan's claim that her appearance this time was at the behest of Genggu Wuming.
If these words had come from anyone else's mouth, no one would have believed them. But coming from Cang Yan's mouth, it forced everyone to doubt.
Because Cang Yan was the only person in all of heaven and earth, past and present, who had a personal friendship with Genggu Wuming.
Yes.
The only one.
No one knew exactly what connection existed between Cang Yan and Genggu Wuming, only that their private friendship was quite deep. Moreover, on the few occasions Genggu Wuming had appeared, Cang Yan had always been by her side. Many who were fated had seen Genggu Wuming and Cang Yan playing chess in that Lotus Pavilion more than once.
Now Cang Yan said she was acting on Genggu Wuming's behalf. Could this be true?
It was hard to say, and saying it was hard.
The patriarchs present were all half-believing, half-doubting—unable to fully believe, yet also unable to completely disbelieve.
"You are acting on behalf of the Lady of Heavenly Secrets?"
Xuan Yuan Qinhou stared at Cang Yan, asking in a deep voice. He too seemed rather suspicious.
"What of it?" Cang Yan retorted. "Is that not allowed?"
Du Gu Yunfeng also pressed the question: "Why doesn't the Lady of Heavenly Secrets appear herself?"
"That question," Cang Yan said lightly, "you shouldn't ask me. You should go ask her."
Clearly.
Whether it was Xuan Yuan Qinhou or Du Gu Yunfeng, whether it was the Sacred Grounds or the Heavenly Dao, they, like the other patriarchs present, were all half-believing, half-doubting—unable to fully believe, yet also unable to completely disbelieve.
"What did the Lady of Heavenly Secrets entrust you to do?"
"To deliver a message."
"What message?"
"The message I just spoke."
Cang Yan sat on the stone stool in the Lotus Pavilion, pouring wine for herself and drinking leisurely, speaking with an air of calm detachment. "Are you all going to continue questioning me, or shall I finish delivering Genggu Wuming's words?"
When Cang Yan's words fell, no one in the arena questioned further.
"I believe you all heard earlier. The Peacock Great Wisdom King stepped forward to intervene not because he was worried you were scheming for the Spiritual Awareness and Demonic Thoughts within You Di. He intervened purely out of personal motives—unable to bear watching the eight Buddhist sects die in vain, and not wanting the eight Buddhist sects to be left without successors."
"The Peacock Great Wisdom King is like this. The Free Emperor and the Changfeng Great Emperor are no exception."
"The Peacock Great Wisdom King intervened not because he worried you were scheming for the Spiritual Awareness and Demonic Thoughts within You Di. The Free Emperor and the Changfeng Great Emperor are the same."
"The Peacock Great Wisdom King acted from personal motives. The Free Emperor and the Changfeng Great Emperor did likewise."
"Rather than calling it personal motives, it would be more accurate to call it repaying a debt of gratitude."
"The Peacock Great Wisdom King repays a debt to Buddhism, while the Free Emperor and the Changfeng Great Emperor repay a debt to the Immortal Dao!"
"Hahaha!"
Old Taishan suddenly burst into loud laughter, his face flushing red as he shouted, "They intervened to repay a debt to our Immortal Dao? What a colossal joke! If they truly wished to repay our Immortal Dao, they shouldn't have intervened to stop us! They should have helped us suppress the Spiritual Awareness and Demonic Thoughts within You Di! Only by suppressing the Spiritual Awareness and Demonic Thoughts within You Di can we protect the Immortal Dao! Only by protecting the Immortal Dao is that truly repaying our debt!"
"The Spiritual Awareness and Demonic Thoughts within You Di cannot be touched. Whoever touches them dies. Such a simple principle, I don't know how many times it must be said before you understand."
Cang Yan said dismissively, "They know the Spiritual Awareness and Demonic Thoughts within You Di cannot be touched, which is why they intervened to stop you from marching to your deaths. Because only by preserving your lives can the Immortal Dao be passed down!"
"Utter nonsense!" Old Taishan roared, as if having lost his senses. "If our Immortal Dao perishes in this calamity, how can it be passed down?"
"It seems we truly walk different paths and cannot plan together."
Cang Yan stood up, draining the remaining half-cup of fine wine in one gulp. "Old Taishan, it's not that you don't understand my words. You're just deliberately pretending not to understand. Since you choose to remain obstinate, determined to scheme for some 'Leader of the Great Daos' for the sake of the Immortal Dao, nothing I say will be of any use."
"This old man is not scheming for any 'Leader of the Great Daos'! This old man only wishes to protect these Three Thousand Great Daos! Let me tell you—" Old Taishan still wanted to speak, but Cang Yan had already lost interest in listening further. She cut him off bluntly: "Believe me, whether or not you are scheming for the 'Leader of the Great Daos,' I have no interest at all—not even the slightest bit. I also can't be bothered with whether you live or die. I've said it: I am here at the behest of Genggu Wuming, to deliver her message. As for whether you listen or not, believe it or not—that is your business. I am only responsible for delivering Genggu Wuming's words, nothing more!"