Qian Shan grew more confused the more she listened, utterly unable to grasp the connection between the Yanyang Heart of the Yunxia Sect and Monarch Chixiao.
"Ever since I deduced that my karma was tied to Monarch Chixiao, I have been searching for everything about him," Su Hua said unhurriedly. "From his days wandering the Chiyan Ridge to his soul-scattering judgment by the Immortal Dao, a span of roughly two hundred years. Over these years, I have visited every place he went and every person he met—be they enemies, foes, lovers, or old acquaintances."
Su Hua carefully stored away the painting of Monarch Chixiao on the table, her voice soft. "If everything about him is true, he experienced nine major turning points in those two hundred years. The first was the Yanyang Heart of the Yunxia Sect."
Hearing this, Qian Shan seemed to guess something and asked doubtfully, "Miss, do you suspect that Monarch Chixiao's first branch of karma was the Yanyang Heart?"
"You could say that."
"But from what I know, Monarch Chixiao was not well-regarded in the Yunxia Sect; he was merely a lowly servant. Later, he was expelled for nearly killing a direct disciple of the sect. I've never heard that he came into contact with the Yanyang Heart."
"He did come into contact with it, and even fused with it. Very few know of this matter; I only learned of it by chance."
"Even so, the Yunxia Sect is just a minor sect. What kind of turning point could their so-called ancestral treasure, the Yanyang Heart, possibly bring for Monarch Chixiao?"
"This matter is very complex. I can't quite figure it out myself at the moment."
"Alright, Miss. Even if the Yanyang Heart truly was Monarch Chixiao's first branch of karma, how can you be sure that after reincarnating, he would definitely seek out his own karma?"
"I'm not sure."
Su Hua shook her head slightly, pondered for a moment, then added, "However, if I were him, after reincarnating, I would certainly seek my karma. After all, the rebirth of one's origin and the re-derivation of the Great Dao present the only opportunity to pursue one's karma. Moreover, during his over two hundred years in this world, Monarch Chixiao encountered what is called karma. He had no reason not to pursue it."
"Miss, what exactly is the karma of Monarch Chixiao that you speak of?"
"Other things I cannot be certain of, but in this world, the World-Venerable Lady Jun Xuanji is definitely Monarch Chixiao's karma."
Su Hua had not only investigated Monarch Chixiao in detail but also Jun Xuanji thoroughly. She closed her eyes, recalling everything about Jun Xuanji. "Everything Jun Xuanji did in this world is enough to prove that Monarch Chixiao is her karma."
"I believe Monarch Chixiao should have known this as well. It's just that back then, he was unable to extricate himself to pursue his karma. After the Calamity, with such a good opportunity, I don't think he would give up."
Opening her eyes, Su Hua gazed at the night sky again and whispered, "Sometimes I even suspect that the Yanyang Heart of the Yunxia Sect might have been taken by Jun Xuanji."
Su Hua's words startled Qian Shan, who exclaimed in astonishment, "Miss, you don't also think that Jun Xuanji has reincarnated, do you?"
If it were an ordinary person, Qian Shan wouldn't be so surprised. But she knew that Jun Xuanji was an utterly mad woman—so mad she once stormed the Nine Heavens and slaughtered many Immortals. "I heard that Jun Xuanji and Monarch Chixiao developed love from hatred, then began to betray the Immortal Dao and turn to the Demonic Path. But later, she too was judged by the Immortal Dao and had her soul scattered..."
"Many things are not so simple. The existence of some people is far more complex than we imagine. Their deduction methods are profound and unfathomable; they long ago deduced the Calamity. So, well before the Calamity occurred, they began making preparations... all for the purpose of altering karma after the Calamity."
At this moment, Su Hua appeared very serene, her voice equally so. She took a deep breath. "I suspect Jun Xuanji is doing exactly this. She deduced her karma, reincarnated at all costs to find Monarch Chixiao, then planted a series of causes, waiting until after the Calamity to alter the so-called effects."
"This..." Qian Shan, though powerful, knew very little about matters of karma. After thinking, she inquired, "Does Miss truly suspect that Jun Xuanji took the Yanyang Heart? To wait for Monarch Chixiao to appear? But... from what I know, wasn't the Yunxia Sect's Yanyang Heart borrowed by an elder of the Nine-Hua Alliance back then?"
"Correct. It was borrowed by Elder Rong of the Nine-Hua Alliance. Since then, he has been in seclusion within the Taixuan Secret Realm."
"The Taixuan Secret Realm?" Qian Shan only knew that the Nine-Hua Alliance possessed a mysterious Taixuan Stele; she had never heard of any Taixuan Secret Realm.
"Remember what I said earlier about the Taixuan Stele being very complex? The reason the Immortal Dynasty values the Nine-Hua Alliance so highly is precisely because of the Taixuan Stele and that mysterious person within the Taixuan Secret Realm who calls himself the Venerable of the Tai Xuan Secret Realm. I met him once. He is very special, very powerful, and extremely eerie—so eerie that even I don't know what kind of existence he truly is."
"This person's capabilities are immense. The rapid cultivation progress of the so-called Thirty-Six Hua Pavilion Young Masters of the Nine-Hua Alliance is all his doing behind the scenes. Those so-called master elders who managed breakthroughs also received his secret assistance. The so-called Taixuan Seeds and Bloodthirst Seeds all originated from his hand. Most of the reincarnated and body-snatching individuals hiding within the Nine-Hua Alliance have also received his help. Hua Xiong and the others from the Immortal Dynasty likely owe their great strength to him as well."
Qian Shan was utterly astonished. "There exists such a remarkable person? Does the Immortal Dynasty know?"
"They know."
"So... the Immortal Dynasty tacitly permits his existence? And the true master of the Nine-Hua Alliance is this Venerable of the Tai Xuan Secret Realm?"
"Yes and no. The Immortal Dynasty does indeed tacitly permit his existence. It wouldn't be wrong to say he is the true power behind the Nine-Hua Alliance, but he has never interfered in the alliance's affairs and has always allowed Hua Xiong and the others to be in charge."
"That's strange. Since this Venerable of the Tai Xuan Secret Realm has no interest in the Nine-Hua Alliance, what purpose does he have in secretly helping so many people?"
Su Hua shook her head in response. "This is also what I have never been able to figure out. What exactly the Taixuan Stele is, I still don't know to this day. How it appeared in the Nine-Hua Alliance, no one knows either. They say it fell from the sky, but there has never been a Taixuan Stele in the Nine Heavens."
Perhaps feeling somewhat weary, Su Hua raised a hand to gently massage her forehead and sighed. "I used to think the mortal world was simple and pure. After reincarnating and living in this world for so long, I've come to realize that the mortal world is not simple at all, nor is it pure. It's even more complex than the Nine Heavens. Too many mysterious and unknown people are hidden here..."