The elder named Danqing had snow-white hair and beard, wearing a white robe that gave him an air of immortal elegance. Faint white radiance shimmered around him, resembling both the great sun and pure light. His vast, pure immortal majesty seemed capable of purifying everything in the world, making people feel an involuntary reverence deep within their hearts.
The eminent monk named Pudu had his palms joined together, his body suffused with a faint yellow glow containing the breath of the Great Buddha. This Buddha-breath was vast and endless, as if capable of delivering all beings in the world from suffering.
The middle-aged man named Chaoyuan had a dignified expression and an imposing aura. When he appeared, it was as if the firmament itself was pressing down, accompanied by a terrifying, rolling Heavenly Might that made him seem like the master of all things in the world.
With the appearance of these three Sovereigns of the Great Dao of this world, the previously ethereal, vague, and jesting Great Dao figures all became serious.
"This junior Yu Zhentian, bearing an Immortal Edict, pays his respects to the three Seniors!"
Yu Zhentian was no fool. Although he didn't know exactly who these three Seniors were, he could more or less guess from the powerful spiritual aura emanating from them. Not daring to be negligent, he immediately performed a kneeling bow.
"What is a mere edict-bearer like you doing here?"
The Immortal Dao Sovereign of this world, Senior Danqing, glanced at him and reprimanded him. His words made Yu Zhentian, who had been filled with joy, feel somewhat awkward, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond.
"This is not a place you should be."
The Immortal Dao Sovereign said this and then paid him no further attention.
At that moment.
The Heavenly Dao Sovereign Chaoyuan looked at Xuanyuan Wan, who stood at the mouth of the well, and said, "You are from the Sacred Ground."
"This junior Xuanyuan Wan greets the three Seniors."
Xuanyuan Wan softly performed a greeting salute.
However, the Heavenly Dao Sovereign's single sentence truly shocked Wan Huaiyu and Qin Hao in the distance. In their previous lives, they had been Profound Lords of the Celestial Realm and had naturally heard of the two words 'Sacred Ground,' but only heard of them. They only knew that such an ancient Sacred Ground existed between heaven and earth; beyond that, they knew nothing. This was also the first time the two of them had seen someone from the legendary Sacred Ground.
Not to mention Wan Huaiyu and the other, even the dozen or so great powers who had descended into this world by borrowing the identities of Great Dao figures were extremely astonished upon hearing the words 'Sacred Ground.' It seemed they hadn't expected the ancient Sacred Ground to appear in the current era, much less that someone from the Sacred Ground would appear beneath Canyang Mountain.
"Has Miss Xuanyuan come this time for the Blood of Original Sin?"
"Yes and no."
"Oh?"
The Heavenly Dao Sovereign asked, "How so?"
Xuanyuan Wan did not answer this question but instead asked in return, "Have all of you come this time for the Blood of Original Sin as well?"
"We have indeed come for the Blood of Original Sin, intending to take it back and seal it away, lest it bring calamity to heaven, earth, and all living beings."
"Bring calamity to heaven and earth?"
Xuanyuan Wan's ordinary face always carried an air of calm detachment. She said softly, "I wonder when the Blood of Original Sin has ever brought calamity to heaven and earth?"
"Since Miss Xuanyuan has also come for the Blood of Original Sin today, then you should know that Canyang Wuyou used the Blood of Original Sin to nurture a person. That person brought calamity to heaven and earth back in ancient times."
"That person's sins should not be attributed to the Blood of Original Sin."
"But that person belongs to the Blood of Original Sin."
"He merely belongs to it, nothing more. Beyond that, there is no other connection. All his achievements have nothing to do with the Blood of Original Sin; they were shaped by the circumstances of his time. All his faults also have nothing to do with the Blood of Original Sin; they were due to his own nature. Even if he did not belong to the Blood of Original Sin, what happened would still have happened. Even if he did not exist, others would still have defied the heavens."
"Oh? So it seems Miss Xuanyuan has come not only for the Blood of Original Sin, but also for that sinner?"
"I have indeed also come for him, but not as you all speculate."
"What do you mean?"
"His existence is a mistake. It is Wuyou's mistake, and also Peach Blossom's mistake. I have come this time to correct this mistake for them. He should not exist; he should never have existed from the beginning... Since it is a mistaken cause and a mistaken effect, then the mistaken cause and effect must be corrected."
Xuanyuan Wan looked at the three Great Dao Sovereigns and said calmly, "I believe you have also come for this reason, correct?"
"We have indeed also come for this reason, only..." The Heavenly Dao Sovereign Chaoyuan stared at the well beneath Xuanyuan Wan's feet and said, "I'm afraid there is one matter Miss Xuanyuan has not yet made clear."
"My apologies."
Xuanyuan Wan shook her head slightly. "I cannot allow you all to take the Blood of Original Sin away."
Although the three Great Dao Sovereigns had long guessed this answer, when Xuanyuan Wan said it aloud, it still caused the three of them to feel shocked and angry.
With a *whoosh*, the Heavenly Dao Sovereign Chaoyuan flashed and appeared opposite Xuanyuan Wan. Instantly, the entire secret realm suddenly became blurred and distorted. He stared at Xuanyuan Wan and said in a deep voice, "Why?"
Xuanyuan Wan still stood quietly and motionless at the mouth of the well, as if unaffected by the Heavenly Might. She replied, "I do not trust you all. To be precise, I do not trust the Great Dao behind you all."
"How dare you!"
*Whoosh!*
As radiance flashed around the Heavenly Dao Sovereign Chaoyuan, rolling Heavenly Might erupted, shaking the secret realm violently.
In the distance.
Wan Huaiyu, Qin Hao, the seven or eight people including Bei Changqing, and the Peach Blossom Old Daoist all paled in fright.
The might erupting from Chaoyuan, though not the true Might of the Vast Heavens, was still enough to shock their minds and even their souls. This power, resembling Heavenly Might yet not quite Heavenly Might, was truly too terrifying. It even shocked Yu Zhentian into collapsing paralyzed on the ground.
"Amitabha."
The Buddha Dao Sovereign Pudu uttered a Buddhist phrase, instantly dissolving the Heavenly Might from Chaoyuan. With palms joined, he asked, "I wonder why Miss Xuanyuan does not trust the Great Dao?"
"Why does Senior Pudu ask a question to which he already knows the answer?"
Xuanyuan Wan said, "If the Three Thousand Great Daos were worthy of trust, why would Senior personally come here?"
"This old monk will personally take the Blood of Original Sin back to the Western Heaven and seal it within the Pure Land of the West. Even if Miss Xuanyuan does not trust the other Great Daos, could it be that you also doubt our Buddha Dao?"
"I'm afraid before Senior Pudu can return to the Western Heaven, the Blood of Original Sin will be lost..." Just as Pudu was about to say more, Xuanyuan Wan interrupted him, "Senior Pudu, this junior does not distrust the Buddha Dao itself. This junior merely distrusts certain Buddhas of the Western Heaven. I also do not wish for the Buddha Dao to be exploited because of the Blood of Original Sin, nor for it to be drawn into conflicts between the Great Daos because of it."
After a pause, Xuanyuan Wan continued, "Senior, please forgive this junior for speaking bluntly. The Western Heaven of today is no longer a Pure Land. The Western Heaven of today can no longer represent the Buddha Dao that delivers all beings from suffering."
"Amitabha..." Senior Pudu joined his palms together and uttered a Buddhist phrase with considerable helplessness, then sighed deeply. It was unclear whether he was sighing over the helplessness in his heart, the helplessness of the Western Heaven, or the helplessness of the Buddha Dao.