Human Strength Cannot Prevail Against Heaven's Will
A sharp glint flashed in the Zhenyan Daoist's cloudy eyes as he fixed his gaze on Yu Tunzhou.
Shouguan frowned, his gaze involuntarily drifting towards Yu Tunzhou.
She felt that An Ruyu's mastery of the Dao of Changes was beyond her comprehension, yet her grandmaster seemed to actually believe it.
The Zhenyan priest asked, "This child is not here? Did he die during the upheaval, or was he never part of your predictions from the beginning?"
He had some knowledge of the principles of Dao of Changes and the secrets of heaven, which is why he remained silent for a long time after hearing the results of An Ruyu's deductions based on the Luo River Diagram.
The core reason is that once destiny is seen by an existence above the Immortals and Gods, what He sees is the only outcome after it has been brought to a conclusion. No matter how the process changes, the ending will always lead to the ending He sees.
The root cause is extremely complex, involving the essence beyond Immortals and Gods. Not to mention him, even the [Jixia Academy] and [Star Palace] would find it difficult to explain clearly.
But the only certainty is that if this woman truly glimpsed the ending through the Luo River Diagram, then what she saw was already the predetermined ending.
Unless, of course, another Immortals and Gods or higher intervenes.
Beside.
After hearing the old Daoist's words, Yu Tunzhou was speechless. Was he about to die?
Meeting their gazes, Yu Tunzhou cursed inwardly what kind of trouble this vixen was causing now.
Can't calculate it?
What's the story behind the note under the bed?
How did she manage to get there first, arriving at the Cangling Nan Household's residence before anyone else?
Even if the River Diagram and Luo River Diagram were separated, they would still be supreme divine weapons. Those who could not even fathom them would probably only be at the level of the Three Pure Ones Emperor Wa.
"Not necessarily," Huntian interjected. "Fellow Daoist Huai River Chart and is protected by the Vajra Bracelet. Although neither has truly recognized its master yet, divine objects are inherently concealed, thus obscuring some of the heavenly secrets. Didn't this girl anticipate that Fellow Daoist had mastered the Human Emperor's One Qi Breaks Ten Thousand Methods ahead of time?"
With the Three Corpses of the Human Emperor involved, and the Luo River Diagram appearing before him, Huntian regained some focus, no longer dozing off, and kept a close eye on the changes in the outside world.
Yu Tunzhou's heart stirred slightly.
That's certainly true.
It seems that the future this demoness saw through the Luo River Diagram was incomplete!
The next moment.
An Ruyu's voice rang out, carrying a hint of solemnity:
"Young Hero Yu was never part of the Eastern Wilderness's game from the start. He was a variable, an anomaly, who brought an unfathomable glimmer of hope to the otherwise hopeless situation in the Eastern Wilderness."
"That's why I specifically sought him out and persuaded him to come to Floating Hill Mountain, hoping to see if we could use him and the core to create more of a future, escape our predetermined fate, and save everything."
The Yu Tunzhou.
That vixen was definitely trying to fool people!
Upon hearing this, Shou Guan's expression shifted uncertainly. He whispered, "Shouguan Uncle, although this woman is also a descendant of the Human Emperor, the Incense-Smelling Cult is neither entirely righteous nor entirely evil. We cannot necessarily believe everything she says!"
Their words have completely negated all their efforts over the years!
The old Zhenyan priest remained silent for a moment, then fixed his gaze on An Ruyu:
"Girl, in the future you see, is the uprising at the ' Human Emperor's Gate' related to our desire to use Zhang Buyu to carry the True Spirit of the Human Emperor's Three Corpses?"
"If we abandon this method, can we postpone the riot?"
Yu Tunzhou frowned. They had guessed correctly. Floating Hill Mountain really intended to use Zhang Buyu's Reincarnated Spirit Physique to "divide" the Human Emperor's Three Corpses?
Huntian snorted coldly, "Unless this Three Corpses are like those Fallen Immortals, only possessing the instinct to pursue profit, how could it voluntarily abandon its original body and transfer its True Spirit to a Chain Forming Realm body? Wouldn't that just leave it to be slaughtered?"
Yu Tunzhou was taken aback. "Fellow Daoist, are you saying that Floating Hill Mountain never held the initiative from beginning to end?"
"Unless Floating Hill Mountain gains an absolute advantage, forcing the Human Emperor's Three Corpses to have no choice. But according to this little vixen, the Three Corpses' uprising is a foregone conclusion, and Floating Hill Mountain has even closed its gates for this reason. Where do they get an absolute advantage to force the Three Corpses to voluntarily 'reincarnate'?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Tunzhou was startled.
Either Floating Hill Mountain had already reached some kind of agreement with the Human Emperor's Three Corpses, or Floating Hill Mountain's goal was not the Human Emperor's Three Corpses!
If it's the latter, then the old Daoist's words are a trap; he doesn't completely trust An Ruyu, who possesses the Luo River Diagram.
He subconsciously glanced at An Ruyu. Although he didn't know her true purpose in deceiving the other party, he hoped she wouldn't give herself away at this point.
"... Even if the Human Emperor's Three Corpses don't erupt now, they will soon erupt due to other events. This is the inevitable outcome, not a process that can be changed."
An Ruyu spoke, her tone serene, and she met the gaze of the elder Zhenyan.
"No matter what remedial measures the predecessors attempted, it was too late. The key issue wasn't whether it would work or not, but that time was of the Floating Hill Mountain."
Her gaze drifted toward the Daoist temple ahead, and her words seemed to carry a hidden meaning.
"Furthermore, it's unrealistic for you, senior, to try and use the power of the Immortal Cauldron to fight against the Human Emperor's Three Corpses. In the eyes of the Immortal Cauldron, the entire lineage of Floating Hill Mountain combined is not as important as the Human Emperor's Three Corpses."
These words caused Shouguan's expression to change drastically. She wanted to say something, but her grandmaster raised his hand to stop her.
The Zhenyan Daoist priest looked somewhat weary; he had already understood the meaning behind An Ruyu's words, and said:
"Is the plan to use the Immortal Cauldron to fight against the Human Emperor's Three Corpses doomed to failure?"
An Ruyu nodded and said, "This will actually help the Human Emperor's Three Corpses break free."
Shouguan could no longer contain himself and said, "Are you saying that our plan was a failure from the very beginning?"
Not entirely.
An Ruyu calmly said, "I only saw the full picture of the situation in the Eastern Wilderness ten days ago. The real crisis at Floating Hill Mountain hinges on three things: the Immortals and Gods Portal, the Human Emperor's Three Corpses, and the Devil Lord behind the Nan Household."
"You can use the Immortal Cauldron to suppress the Immortals and Gods Portal, and to suppress the Devil Lord, but the price is—to incite the rebellion of the Human Emperor's Three Corpses."
"Therefore, Floating Hill Mountain's plan could only be half successful from the very beginning."
Shouguan's face was extremely grim.
In order to solve the problem of the Immortals and Gods Portal, they did not hesitate to take out the Pill Formula for the Heavenly Origin Pill, thus finding a way to delay the uprising of many Immortals and Gods Portal, but they also went down the wrong path.
To solve the problem once and for all, they came up with another way. After searching for many years, they finally found the most suitable person, Zhang Buyu. They patiently waited for him to grow, hoping that Zhang Buyu would sacrifice himself and become the physical body for the reincarnation of the spirit of the Immortal Cauldron.
Although the spirit of the cauldron will need to cultivate again at that time, it can still wield the power of the Immortal Cauldron at any time, which is equivalent to the Immortal Cauldron "recognizing" its master.
After reincarnation and rebirth, the spirit of the Immortal Cauldron naturally breaks free from the suppression of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. The Fallen Immortals Gate will no longer be a threat, and they can completely abandon the Heavenly Origin Pill.
The increasingly violent Human Emperor's Three Corpses can also be suppressed with the Immortal Cauldron. Floating Hill Mountain has the spare power to gradually eliminate the Nan and Yao families, even though the Devil Lord stands behind the Nan Household.
But the sudden appearance of An Ruyu overturned their plans at this moment.
She told them that this path was doomed to fail from the start.
How could they possibly accept this?
"... Since you knew all this, why didn't you come looking for us sooner?"
Shouguan suddenly gritted his teeth and said,
"If we had known earlier that the Immortals and Gods Portal could be suppressed in other ways, we wouldn't have needed to worry about the Nan and Yao families. Even if it had been just two days earlier, I could have joined forces with my grandmaster uncle to infiltrate the Nan Household and nip the Devil Lord's descent in the bud!"
In order to successfully capture Yu Tunzhou, Nan Feng, the strongest member of the Nan Household, was dispatched.
If she and her grandmaster were to take action, they could catch the Nan Household Nan Household off guard and completely annihilate them before they could contact the Devil Lord.
What An Ruyu and Yu Tunzhou could do, they could naturally do even better.
In this way, they can also resolve the mistakes they made themselves and prevent the Eastern Wilderness from being occupied by the Nan Household.
The old Daoist priest said calmly, "You won't have that chance. Even if Nan Feng isn't in the clan, even if that girl from the Incense-Smelling Cult comes to us beforehand, even if we choose to believe her and prepare in advance to besiege the Nan Household... other unexpected things can happen. For example, that old codger from the Nan Household might suddenly return from overseas, or the Nan Household might receive a warning from the Devil Lord in advance."
He looked at An Ruyu: "Is this the process of finding the optimal solution that you saw?"
"Yes."
An Ruyu looked at Shouguan with a hint of regret in her eyes.
"The process can be altered at will, but the ending will not change. Even if you change what seems to be a crucial point, other unexpected events will fill in the gaps. Therefore, the Devil Lord's descent into the Eastern Wilderness is an inevitable outcome."
Shouguan suddenly realized something, his face turned pale, and he whispered:
"You mean... that Devil Lord also witnessed all of this?"
That being, above Immortals and Gods, foresaw all of this long ago, yet did not stop it. Because the Nan Household, having been forced into this situation, would allow Him to descend upon this world even sooner.
However, if An Ruyu had chosen a different "process" that gave the Nan Household hope of destruction, that Devil Lord would never have stood by and watched the Nan Household perish. He would have warned the Nan Household from the very beginning.
Nan Guan, who had remained silent as if he were a stone, suddenly spoke:
"Wisdom cannot defeat Divine Ability, Divine Ability cannot defeat destiny."
Above Immortals and Gods... lies destiny itself!
"Your attempt to defy destiny is doomed to failure!"
Even Huntian was sighing:
"The most foolish thing mortals can do is to try to disobey Immortals and Gods, and the most foolish thing Immortals and Gods can do is to defy those of high rank like myself and my fellow Daoists."
The Zhenyan priest remained silent for a long time, as if he had finally accepted certain outcomes:
"What's your next plan? The inevitable outcome shouldn't just be the Devil Lord's arrival, but also the Three Corpses' uprising, right?"
At this point, he chuckled self-deprecatingly, "As for the Immortals and Gods Portal, that's temporarily up to you to resolve."
An Ruyu shook her head:
"It is thanks to the perseverance of the seniors of Floating Hill Mountain that the Eastern Wilderness was able to await the arrival of me and Young Hero Yu before it was invaded by the Fallen Immortals, bringing with it another way to resolve the Immortals and Gods Portal."
"Senior should also be well aware of the cost of refining the Heavenly Origin Pill. Currently, the Heavenly Dao is not manifesting karma, only the Great Dao is restricted. In the future, when the restrictions on Heaven and Earth are lifted, all the accumulated karma will erupt one by one."
"Esteemed seniors... have you all prepared to face this calamity and make your sacrifices?"
The Heavenly Origin Pill was personally designated as a forbidden item by the Human Emperor itself represents cause and effect and taboo. Taking it out, refining it, or improving it will all involve considerable karma.
Although the cost is not yet apparent, this debt will have to be repaid sooner or later. This is what Mingxin said to Jin Buxi not long ago: they were already prepared to bear the consequences.
The Zhenyan priest suddenly said, "If we proceed according to the original plan, allowing the spirit of the cauldron to reincarnate into Zhang Buyu's body, using the Immortal Cauldron to suppress the Devil Lord, and then sealing off the mountain to imprison ourselves and trap the Human Emperor's Three Corpses —is that feasible?"
An Ruyu shook her head:
"Apart from Zhang Buyu, the others are worth trying. As for Zhang Buyu, it's still the same old story: it's not a matter of whether he can succeed, but rather that time is of the Floating Hill Mountain."
"Senior, can you confirm how long it will take for the spirit of the cauldron to reincarnate, stabilize his cultivation level, and regain control of the immortal Immortal Cauldron?"
"Although we have severed the connection between the Nan Household and Nine Netherworlds, under the Devil Lord's initiative, re-establishing that connection is only a matter of time, perhaps two or three days, perhaps just one day, or even less."
"And it won't be long before they realize that Floating Hill Mountain has 'betrayed' the alliance. This will only force them to completely side with the Devil Lord, accelerating Devil Lord arrival."
"We do indeed need to invoke the Immortal Cauldron to suppress the Devil Lord, since only those above the level of Immortals and Gods can suppress those above Immortals and Gods. But if we wait for the cauldron spirit to reincarnate, there probably won't be enough time."
"Furthermore, will the Immortal Cauldron necessarily act according to your wishes?"
The Zhenyan Incense-Smelling Cult had produced an extraordinary saintess in this generation.
What he just said was correct, but he also keenly noticed some problems.
The ending is predetermined and cannot be changed, but the process can be altered.
If An Ruyu had found them a few days earlier and explained everything, they might have been able to delay the Nan Household's complete defection to the Devil Lord and buy time to push forward the reincarnation of the cauldron spirit.
In other words...
An Ruyu did not choose this "process".
She doesn't want to see the spirit of the cauldron reincarnate?
This thought surfaced, only to be extinguished by the old Daoist priest himself.
Since things have come to this point, the Human Emperor of the Incense-Smelling Cult has not given them a choice, so there is no need to worry about it anymore.
Fortunately, in the future given by this woman, Floating Hill Mountain protected the Eastern Wilderness, ensuring that the efforts of past sages were not in vain.
"So how do you plan to persuade the Immortal Cauldron to step in and suppress the Devil Lord?"
The old Zhenyan priest spoke slowly,
"This one is not easy to deal with. Even among the Immortals and Gods of Floating Hill Mountain back then, few could catch its eye or get it to take action, let alone now that the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth is severely suppressed."
He sighed. Although this immortal Immortal Cauldron was revered as Ancestral Artifact by their Floating Hill Mountain, it seemed to have other pursuits all along, and its protection of the Floating Hill Mountain lineage was merely a "side effect."
The sages of Floating Hill Mountain throughout the ages have speculated that this immortal Immortal Cauldron may very well be carrying a mission bestowed by the Human Emperor, and that everything else can take a backseat until this mission is accomplished.
Therefore, even if the Devil Lord were to descend upon the world, it would most likely not take the initiative to attack.
Otherwise, they wouldn't need to go to such lengths to try and "control" it...
An Ruyu said, "This requires an attempt. Not only me, but also Young Hero Yu needs to try to see if we can persuade the Immortal Cauldron."
"Is there a variable?" The old Daoist priest fell into deep thought.
The outcome seen by beings above the Immortals and Gods cannot be changed unless other beings of equal standing intervene.
Just like how only the Immortal Cauldron could stop the Devil Lord.
While Yu Tunzhou is certainly no match for an existence like the Immortal Cauldron, he might be the variable who can persuade the Immortal Cauldron to take action.
The old Zhenyan priest Zhenyan felt relieved when he realized that the boy still possessed remnants of the legendary Heaven and Earth, Mountains and Rivers Seal.
Perhaps, the arrival of this child was also due to the destiny of Floating Hill Mountain.
If anyone could persuade the Immortal Cauldron to intervene, it would only be Yu Tunzhou and An Ruyu, who controls the Luo River Diagram.
Upon suddenly hearing his name, Yu Tunzhou, who was sorting out the situation in the Eastern Wilderness, looked up at An Ruyu.
At that moment, a voice resounded directly within his Primordial Spirit.
"After entering the Daoist temple, Young Hero Guo, do not touch the Immortal Cauldron."
The sound clearly originated from the Primordial Spirit Contract between him and An Ruyu.
Yu Tunzhou wasn't surprised, since the secret telepathy would most likely be discovered in front of these two Grandmaster and Quasi-Grandmaster.
"Why is that?" he asked, puzzled.
Could it be that they're afraid I'll get there first and gain the Immortal Cauldron's approval?
"This immortal Immortal Cauldron left behind by the Human Emperor is extremely special. There is only one way to make it recognize you as its master, or even just to temporarily control it: [Nether Passage]."
"Even though my sect possesses the fundamental laws of the Human Emperor, we still haven't confirmed the coordinates of the Human Emperor's ' Immortal Realm,' let alone established a connection or built a bridge."
"Therefore, controlling this immortal Immortal Cauldron is almost impossible. If Young Hero Guo fails in his attempt, wouldn't he expose his secret?"
Yu Tunzhou narrowed his eyes. "How much of what you just said is true? What else did you see with the help of the Luo River Diagram?"
"I am not as sincere with outsiders as I am with Young Hero Guo; I always mix the truth with lies."
An Ruyu said with a smile in her voice,
"For example, the ending I saw is true, but whether it's the optimal solution for Floating Hill Mountain is unknown. But at least, it must be the optimal solution for us."
"You've set a trap for Floating Hill Mountain?" Yu Tunzhou said in a deep voice.
"Do you still remember the future of the Eastern Wilderness that I just described?" An Ruyu asked softly. "The Devil Lord descends, the Nan Household dominates the Eastern Wilderness, Floating Hill Mountain closes its gates—compared to that future, how bad can Floating Hill Mountain be now?"
"The only thing I'm uncertain about right now is whether I can activate the Immortal Cauldron to prevent the Devil Lord's arrival."
"Furthermore, there's the Human Emperor's Three Corpses..."
At this point, An Ruyu also fell into deep thought.
Yu Tunzhou out a soft breath.
Indeed, the original fate of Floating Hill Mountain was to seal its gates, but now there is hope that it can suppress the Devil Lord before sealing its gates, thus saving the Eastern Wilderness from war.
This might be why the old Zhenyan master Zhenyan agreed.
What did Yu Tunzhou instantly think of?
At this moment.
"Fine..."
The old Daoist priest suddenly spoke, as if he had figured it out.
"In that case, you two may go in and see if you can persuade the Immortal Cauldron."
As he spoke, he stepped aside to let the door of the Daoist temple open, his movements unhurried and deliberate.
"I anticipate the Devil Lord will descend within one or two days; you must act quickly."
Shouguan frowned; she still felt that An Ruyu's words were too... bizarre.
Even of this seemed absurd to her!
Their plan, meticulously crafted for nearly a century, has reached its final stage. Is it really going to end so abruptly, all because of the words of this enchantress from the Incense-Smelling Cult?
Therefore, she immediately transmitted her voice, saying, "Grandmaster Uncle, do you really believe this woman's words so easily? Isn't that too hasty?"
"Haven't you realized it yet? The Devil Lord's arrival is a foregone conclusion. This girl hasn't given us any other choice." The old Daoist sighed.
He didn't linger after speaking; he took a step forward, leaving Shouguan with only one instruction:
"You stay here and guard the place; I'm going to see Shouzheng."
The main mountain of Floating Hill Mountain.
The Daoist Zhenyan walked heavily into the thatched hut.
The interior of the hermitage was simply furnished. The Daoist Shouzheng, sat cross-legged on a futon. He was not tall, and even looked somewhat frail. He wore a faded gray Daoist robe, and his hair was casually tied back, with most of his temples already white.
He smiled and said, "Grandmaster Uncle, do you trust this girl from the Incense-Smelling Cult?"
The Daoist Zhenyan sighed, "The Luo River Diagram... is ultimately not something that just anyone can wield."
The Daoist Shouzheng sensed the weariness hidden in these words and said gently, "Grandmaster Uncle, do you regret it?"
The Daoist Zhenyan was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "I've been thinking about why the Immortal Cauldron has never truly responded to our requests. Perhaps it's not because it's unwilling, but because it knows that this path was never viable from the start."
The Daoist Shouzheng remained silent for a moment, then said, "Over the years, you have made too many decisions. There is no need to choose the remaining path; just keep going."
The Daoist Zhenyan looked up and said with a wry smile, "Compared to you, what are my sacrifices?"
Few in this world probably know that the true talent of the mountain lord of Floating Hill Mountain, who reached the Dharma Aspect level through Martial Dao, lies in the path of Immortal Dao.
If he cultivates the Immortal Dao, even if he is restricted by the Great Dao and finds it difficult to break through the barrier between Human Immortal, he only needs to endure until the great change in the world, and then he will be free to leap like a fish in the vast sky. It will not be difficult for him to surpass the achievements of all the ancestors of Floating Hill Mountain in the future.
However, in order to uphold the sect, he resolutely embarked on the path of Martial Dao. Although he also reached the Dharma Aspect, he stopped at his current level and could hardly make any further progress.
"How many of us, you and I, have sacrificed our lives at Floating Hill Mountain?"
The Daoist Shouzheng slowly said,
"Grandmaster Uncle, there's no need to worry. What does a century-long plan amount to in the eyes of Immortals and Gods? Human power can never defy fate. But in this critical moment, the arrival of two unpredictable individuals possessing the Luo River Diagram and the Human Emperor Seal to our aid is itself another form of fate."
Upon hearing this, the Daoist Zhenyan was deeply moved.
The Daoist Shouzheng smiled slightly and said, "If the Immortal Cauldron still cannot 'satisfy' those two, Grandmaster Uncle can bring them here, and I will personally entertain them."
The old Daoist priest suddenly came to his senses and exclaimed, "That girl's real purpose is the Human Emperor's Three Corpses?"
Yu Tunzhou looked at An Ruyu and asked seriously:
"You just mentioned the Nether Passage. Is the key to controlling the Immortal Cauldron behind the portal where the Human Emperor's Three Corpses reside?"