"Lady Xuanyuan, you need not question the Heavenly Dao any longer. The Heavenly Dao and the Immortal Dao have been in cahoots for ages."
"We always knew they were shameless, but never imagined they could sink to such depths. It's utterly despicable!"
Hu Meiniang stepped forward, shouting angrily, "Let me tell you, with us of the Monster Dao here today, we absolutely will not allow you to lay a single finger on the Emperor of the Nether!"
After saying this, Hu Meiniang flashed to Gu Qingfeng's side.
"What a joke! In this world, only our Immortal Dao and the Heavenly Dao can wield the Laws of the Great Dao. How dare you, a mere Monster Dao, dream of contending with our Immortal Dao? You truly have no regard for your own lives. Even if you could wield Monster Dao Laws in this world—which you cannot—our Immortal Dao would never deign to take your insignificant Monster Dao seriously."
This was indeed the truth.
In this world, among the Three Thousand Great Daos, only the Immortal Dao and the Heavenly Dao possessed the qualification to wield Laws. No other Dao had that right.
"Hmph! Although we of the Monster Dao cannot wield Laws in this world, that does not mean we cannot protect the Emperor of the Nether!"
As her words fell, streams of spiritual energy once again enveloped Gu Qingfeng. This time, however, it was not killing intent, but protective energy from the Monster Dao. Immediately after, spiritual light from the Demonic Dao and the Spirit Dao also shrouded Gu Qingfeng. Clearly, they all intended to protect him through this method. Even if they could not confront the Immortal Dao head-on, safeguarding a single person should not be a problem.
"Amitabha."
Pudu pressed his palms together solemnly and declared, "If the Immortal Dao remains obstinate and insists on exterminating Fellow Daoist Gu, our Western Heaven's Buddhist Dao will not stand idly by."
With a sudden rush, the great Buddha's spiritual energy from the Western Heaven's Buddhist Dao also enveloped Gu Qingfeng.
Danqing roared furiously, "Pudu! Does your Western Heaven truly intend to oppose our Immortal Dao for the sake of this sinner?"
"It is not that my Buddha wishes to oppose the Immortal Dao, but that your Immortal Dao has gone back on its word and acts arbitrarily. Fellow Daoist Gu has already relinquished the Blood of Original Sin and even destroyed his Boundless Taiji Golden Cores. He poses no threat whatsoever to the Great Dao or to Heaven and Earth. Why must the Immortal Dao insist on extermination?"
"In this world, our Immortal Dao reigns supreme. No one may defy the will of the Immortal Dao."
Danqing's body shimmered with ten thousand zhang of white light. Raising a hand, he pointed, and with a thunderous roar, a water mirror materialized in the sky above.
It was a colossal water mirror, resembling a heavenly eye or a sacred, radiant Great Sun. However, this Great Sun was not golden-yellow but a pure, silvery-white, like a sun of pure light illuminating the void, as if it could purify all evil in the world, inspiring awe and fear in all who beheld it.
Immortal Might!
A torrential surge of Immortal Might!
This sacred, radiant Great Sun was none other than the Immortal Dao's Great Sun Radiance Judgment!
The Immortal Dao dominated this world, and naturally, it could also pass judgment upon it.
"This seat warns you all: those who know what's good for them should leave immediately. Otherwise, today you shall all be judged together!"
At this moment, the spiritual energies enveloping Gu Qingfeng wavered slightly under the illumination of the Immortal Dao's Great Sun Radiance. Those from the Demonic Dao, like Nailuo, and the Monster Dao, like Hu Meiniang, were similarly affected.
The Immortal Dao's Great Sun Radiance Judgment was the bane of demons, ghosts, and monsters, reputed to purify all demons and fiends in the world. The spiritual energies from the Demon and Demonic Daos were naturally affected, and the impact was significant. Yet, they did not withdraw.
Then, a faint voice suddenly reached their ears.
"Your kindness is noted, and I am grateful. Please, withdraw."
It was Gu Qingfeng's voice.
Xuanyuan Wan and Hu Meiniang looked over to find Gu Qingfeng still standing in the void, his long hair dancing wildly across his cold, stern face. His serene expression remained devoid of any emotion, yet deep within his abyss-like eyes, there seemed to flicker a trace of helplessness.
"Gu..." Xuanyuan Wan had never known how to address him. To call him Monarch? He was no longer that. Emperor of the Nether? That too was in the past. After a moment's thought, she said, "Don't worry, I won't..." She had intended to say she would never allow the Immortal Dao to seal Gu Qingfeng today, but before she could finish, Gu Qingfeng interrupted.
"I said, your intentions are noted. I do not wish to repeat myself."
He raised his head, gazing at the Immortal Dao's Great Sun Radiance Judgment hanging above him, and shook his head slightly. "Old Monk Pudu, earlier, when I returned the Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata, I asked you a question. I said, what if a Great Dao gives me trouble?"
"Fellow Daoist Gu, rest assured. My Buddha will certainly not stand idly by. Today, we will not allow anyone to seal you away."
"That's what you said then. Do you remember how I replied?"
"Fellow Daoist Gu said... that my Buddha should simply keep its own promise. As for other matters, there was no need to interfere."
"Since you remember, why are you interfering now?"
Pudu looked bewildered, unsure of Gu Qingfeng's meaning.
"Enough. All of you, disperse. Let me say it again: your kindness is noted. My stance remains the same: you need only keep your promises. Everything else is irrelevant. Since the Immortal Dao wishes to judge me today, then let them judge."
What?!
No one had expected Gu Qingfeng to say such a thing.
What did he mean?
He had already destroyed his Boundless Taiji Golden Cores. Not only did he possess no cultivation base, but his physical body was also extremely weak. Now, with the Immortal Dao going back on its word and seeking to judge him, other Daos, unable to stand by, were willing to oppose the Immortal Dao to protect him. And yet, he was refusing their help.
Why?
What did he mean by 'let them judge'?
He had given up the Blood of Original Sin.
He had returned the Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata.
He had even destroyed his Boundless Taiji Golden Cores.
Was he now going to give up his freedom as well?
Was he truly prepared to be sealed and suppressed by the Immortal Dao?
"If any of you hold me in any regard, please withdraw your spiritual energy."
Gu Qingfeng spoke again.
One stream of protective spiritual energy left his body.
Then a second...
A third...
A tenth...
More and more protective energies withdrew. Before long, all spiritual protections had vanished, leaving behind only killing intent—layer upon layer of killing intent belonging to the Immortal Dao.
"Sinner!"
Across the way, Danqing, the Immortal Dao's ruler of this world, pointed at Gu Qingfeng and shouted harshly, "Kneel and accept the judgment of our Immortal Dao's Great Sun Radiance! If you dare resist, you will be obliterated on the spot!"
Gu Qingfeng did not look at him, nor did he pay him any heed. Instead, he glanced up at the sky, at the Heaven's Forbidden Zone, shook his head, and let out a strange, helpless laugh. It was a laugh filled with utter resignation.
"Today, I've done everything I should have done, everything I could have done. Hell, I've even done things I shouldn't have and couldn't have done. Yet the Immortal Dao, the Heavenly Dao, and certain other existences still refuse to let me go."
"I'm truly tired. I really don't want to struggle anymore. That's why I gave up the Blood of Original Sin, returned the Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata, and even destroyed my Boundless Taiji Golden Cores. Even though I knew you still wouldn't let me go even if I did all this... I did it anyway."
"Do you know why?"
"Because deep in my heart, I still held onto a sliver of hope. Hope that this time, you might show some leniency and stop troubling me."
"That one sliver of hope... is now extinguished."
"And it has made me completely certain of one thing: no matter how much I compromise, you will never let me go."
"That's fine too. With no hope left, from now on I won't harbor any expectations..."
"Since you insist on making trouble, then let's make some trouble together."