Ruying's words caused Wan Huaiyu and Qin Hao to pale with shock. Both stared at her with utter astonishment, unable to maintain their composure any longer. Even Wan Huaiyu, who had always been as calm as still water, now seemed somewhat flustered.
"Heh, don't misunderstand, you two."
Ruying's tone remained light and casual as she stroked the black cat in her arms, speaking as if chatting with old friends.
Qin Hao replied, "I think the one who misunderstands should be you, Miss Ruying. We two are not the so-called Dual-Polarity Mystic Lord."
"Perhaps."
Ruying neither refuted nor tried to prove anything, continuing instead, "As I've said, who you two are is known by heaven, known by earth, known by yourselves, and known by me. Whether you admit it or not does not change the facts."
Wan Huaiyu said, "Miss Ruying, the past life is the past life, this life is this life. Since we two have reincarnated, all matters of our previous lives have nothing to do with us."
"Hehe, Lord Mystic Lords, I truly have no other meaning."
Ruying lowered her head to stroke the black cat in her arms, speaking softly, "I merely wish to know why, given your identities, you hold such reverence and awe for Gu Qingfeng?"
Without hesitation, Wan Huaiyu spoke his truest inner feelings: "Because we are afraid, therefore we fear; because we fear, therefore we revere."
"Why are you afraid? And why do you fear?"
Ruying pressed, "Don't tell me you fear his bizarre and supremely powerful strength, nor tell me you fear his mysterious and unknown identity. Those are insufficient reasons for your fear."
"Why we are afraid, why we fear... I truly do not know."
Wan Huaiyu drew a deep breath and said solemnly, "Every time I face him, my mind and even my soul tremble inexplicably. I am very clear about that feeling—it is a kind of fear, even more a kind of terror. But until now, I still do not know why I am afraid, much less why I fear."
Ruying's willow-leaf eyebrows slightly furrowed as she murmured, "I originally thought I was the only one who felt this way, but now it seems... I am not alone."
"Could it be that Miss Ruying feels the same?"
Ruying looked at Wan Huaiyu, then at Qin Hao, nodded, and sighed, "The fear and terror he brings me are probably far stronger than what you feel. Especially when I meet his gaze, it truly feels like... the advent of utter calamity, the end of the world, a cataclysm of heaven and earth... as if in an instant, one would fall into eternal damnation... It is truly terrifying."
Wan Huaiyu and Qin Hao exchanged a glance, for they too had felt this way.
"Why is it like this?"
Ruying murmured the question. Neither Wan Huaiyu nor Qin Hao responded. If they could, they too would like to know why.
"What kind of person is he? Or perhaps I should ask, what kind of terrifying existence is he?"
Ruying did not know. Wan Huaiyu and the other did not know either.
"Is he truly a person of destiny in the Present Era, or a person of calamity from the Ancient Era?"
Similarly, none of the three knew.
"If he really is the so-called heir of Lord Chixiao, it wouldn't be too terrifying. But if he isn't... that would be truly dreadful..." Though Ruying did not explicitly state it this time, Wan Huaiyu understood her meaning.
Indeed!
If Gu Qingfeng were merely the heir of Lord Chixiao, it would mean he is a person of destiny born in the Present Era. Such existences are undoubtedly powerful, but they all have their own ordained fate. In other words, no matter how powerful, they cannot escape the constraints of the laws of heaven and earth.
But if he is not, then he might be a person of calamity from the Ancient Era. Such a person is neither reincarnated nor reborn, nor a person of destiny in the Present Era. No one knows what calamity he embodies, nor what kind of terrifying existence he is.
"I wonder if his existence will affect the Heavenly Destiny."
Mentioning Gu Qingfeng, Ruying, who had been somewhat composed earlier, instantly became troubled and worried. After a long while, she shook her head and sighed, "I hope not... I hope not..." Ruying repeated the words "hope not" as her voice grew fainter and her figure increasingly blurred, until the voice vanished and her form disappeared without a trace.
Gazing in the direction where Ruying had vanished, Qin Hao asked, "How did she see through our identities?"
Wan Huaiyu shook his head. He too had been pondering this question.
"Brother Wan, can you deduce what kind of Imperial Edict she bears?"
"It is not a Heavenly Edict, nor an Immortal Edict, nor a Demon Edict. As for what edict it is, I cannot deduce it for the moment."
"Why have so many Edict Envoys gathered in the Great Northwest? Could it be they are also here for the Heavenly Destiny? That shouldn't be the case. Since they are Edict Envoys, they naturally act according to their edict's command. Regardless of which Great Dao it is, its edict should not concern the Heavenly Destiny. Moreover, the Calamity has just passed; the essence of heaven and earth is still evolving, and the Three Thousand Great Daos are unstable. What the Heavenly Destiny is, where it will appear—no one knows. The edicts of the Great Daos simply cannot be related to the Heavenly Destiny."
"Edict Envoys act according to their edicts. The reason the Great Daos select edicts is to seize the initiative and guard against unforeseen dangers. To say it is for the Heavenly Destiny is not impossible. As you said, the essence of heaven and earth is still evolving, and the Three Thousand Great Daos are unstable. Precisely because they are unstable, everything can change—the Heavenly Destiny is no exception."
"You mean, among the Three Thousand Great Daos, there are those who wish to use this opportunity to alter the Heavenly Destiny?"
"Rather than saying alter the Heavenly Destiny, it is better to say alter fate."
Wan Huaiyu shook his head slightly, speaking as if to himself, "After all, the Calamity of heaven and earth and the rebirth of essence is the only opportunity to change fate... Humans are, Immortals are, Demons are, ghosts and monsters are—any living being between heaven and earth, even the myriad gods, are no exception. With such a rare opportunity, who wouldn't want to gamble?"
"No wonder I've heard people say the Calamity itself is not terrifying; what is truly terrifying is what comes after."
Qin Hao sighed with emotion, "It is truly chaotic. The Heavenly Destiny has not yet appeared, yet the various Great Daos have already begun to act in secret. If the Heavenly Destiny descends, it is unimaginable how chaotic things will become."
"We have not yet reached the time of true chaos. The true chaos will likely be even more terrifying than we imagine..."
"Then what should we do?"
"Do nothing."
Qin Hao nodded. This was also his meaning. "Ruying is an Edict Envoy. If she has learned our identities, I fear our identities likely cannot be hidden from others either. Even if we try to hide, it won't be for long. I worry, if the Immortal Dao side..."
"In the Ancient Era, we finally broke free from the Immortal Dao with great difficulty. Do you still wish to return?"
As if he hadn't expected Wan Huaiyu to suddenly ask such a question, Qin Hao curled his lip, somewhat amused and exasperated. "I don't mean that. I just... ah!"
"I am weary of it. The people of the Immortal Dao are too hypocritical, constantly scheming and deceiving each other. Last life, we didn't break free cleanly, but this life, having finally reincarnated, even if they offered me the title of Immortal Venerable, I wouldn't go back."