Gu Qingfeng vanished.
The Embodiment of Original Sin also vanished.
Even Wu Dao Mountain vanished.
All were burned clean by the Karmic Fire of Original Sin.
As if they had never appeared, never descended.
Genggu Wuming gazed in the direction where Wu Dao Mountain had disappeared and asked, "That boy Gu...
has he gone?"
"He has gone."
White-Brow Saint Monk let out a sorrowful sigh.
"Since Gu has already attained Great Nirvana, transcending life and death, how could he simply 'go'..." "Fellow Daoist Gu ignited the Karmic Fire of Original Sin, burning away the Blood of Original Sin, burning away himself as well...
Since it is the Karmic Fire of Original Sin, disappearance is eternal. There will be no more Nirvana, no more rebirth, no more reincarnation...
There is only eternity, an eternal disappearance..." With another sigh, White-Brow Saint Monk said, "Attaining Great Nirvana, transcending all life and death; attaining Great Freedom, transcending all Daos; attaining Great Illusion, transcending all truth and falsehood; attaining Great Compassion, transcending all sentient beings. Fellow Daoist Gu is truly the number one extraordinary being in all heaven and earth, past and present. It's just a pity...
A pity that Fellow Daoist Gu was originally qualified to contend for Sagehood, yet...
He did not contend, but instead used this unparalleled opportunity unique to heaven and earth to ignite the Karmic Fire of Original Sin..." Sighing once more, White-Brow Saint Monk continued, "Who knows what Fellow Daoist Gu ultimately comprehended using these four supreme Buddhist mental states, that he could ignite the Karmic Fire of Original Sin, this source of sin...
It is truly incomprehensible, truly inconceivable..."
"Incomprehensible or inconceivable, does it matter?...
Gu has already gone...
What's the point of saying all this now."
Genggu Wuming felt an emptiness deep in his heart, a sense of being at a loss. He said no more, simply sitting on the ground, drinking jar after jar of fine wine.
In the distance.
Gazing towards where Wu Dao Mountain had been burned away, Cang Yan asked, "Has all this ended?"
Genggu Wuming shook his head and replied, "I don't know."
"Has he died?"
Genggu Wuming shook her head again, still not knowing.
"Will he return?"
Genggu Wuming shook her head once more, equally uncertain.
Even though she was the Emissary of Fate, even though she was the Embodiment of Karma, even though she was omniscient throughout heaven and earth, past and present, she did not know.
"Who knows?"
No one knows, not even he himself knows."
Genggu Wuming murmured distractedly, "Do you know?
Karma has no end, never ever has an end...
Sometimes, when you think all this is the result, it might only be the cause. Sometimes, when you think all this is about to end, perhaps it is only a beginning."
"If all this is only a beginning, then what?"
Genggu Wuming closed her eyes, utterly bewildered, utterly lost, murmuring, "I don't know..."
"Jun Xuanji seems to have vanished along with Wu Dao Mountain..." Cang Yan said.
"She has not vanished. I believe she did not vanish; she merely returned. She originally belonged to Wu Dao Mountain."
"Jun Xuanji chose to vanish. I wonder where they, Yun Nishang and the others, will go..."
Others might not know.
However.
Cang Yan knew, and Genggu Wuming also knew.
The existence of Yun Nishang and these others was not merely as people of the Daoless Age; each also possessed extremely complex backgrounds.
Such as Yun Nishang, who was the master who commanded the Great Nature.
Canyang Wuyou, like Cang Yan, was a master who ruled one of the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands. However, Cang Yan ruled Langya Blessed Land, while Canyang Wuyou ruled Wuyou Blessed Land.
Tang Hengheng was an Empress—not only the Yanluo Empress of this world, but also an Empress belonging to the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao.
Feng Zhuyue was a Queen—not only the Frontier Queen of this world, but also a Demon Queen belonging to the Nine Netherworlds.
Ye Tianlan was a Matriarch—not only the Shangqing Matriarch of this world, but also a Heavenly Dao Matriarch belonging to the Nine Skies.
"They are all pitiful souls, pitiful souls cursed by this Fate, this Karma, this Original Sin...
I hope this ending is truly an ending, and I hope they can all escape from this cursed sea of bitterness...
I hope so, we can only hope..."
In the void.
Three people stood quietly, also gazing in the direction where Wu Dao Mountain had vanished.
They were none other than Zixiao King, Third Prince, and the Heir Apparent.
Zixiao King asked, "Has all this ended?"
Third Prince shook his head and responded, "Perhaps."
Having said that, he asked in turn, "Has he died?"
Answering him was not Zixiao King, but the Heir Apparent, who said, "Perhaps."
Afterwards, the three simultaneously asked, "Will he return?"
The three seemed to be asking each other, yet also seemed to be asking themselves, then all shook their heads.
After a long while.
The Heir Apparent said, "If all this ends just like that, it would be far too dull..."
"Why do you say that?"
Third Prince gave a faint smile and said, "What?
Just out of Gui Xu, and you want to go back so soon?"
"Heh."
The Heir Apparent sighed with feeling, "Gui Xu, ah, that is truly a place to be nostalgic for."
"Who says it isn't."
Third Prince also sighed, "A pity, Gui Xu has already collapsed..."
At this moment, Zixiao King, who had remained silent all along, spoke, "Gui Xu may have collapsed, but I believe Original Sin will certainly not collapse."
"How so?"
Zixiao King continued, "The Book of Fate records that when Original Sin finds its true master, the Great Dao will fall, Heaven and Earth will reincarnate, and the Daoless Age will begin...
Since it is recorded in the Book of Fate, I believe it will happen one day."
"The Book of Fate records the past, present, and future, but no one knows whether this sentence refers to the past or the future. How can you be sure it's not the past?"
Zixiao King retorted, "Then how do you know it's not the future?"
"Perhaps it is neither the past nor the future, but the present."
Third Prince said, "That fellow ignited the Karmic Fire of Original Sin. Presumably, the two of you understand better than I do what Karmic Fire represents. Being burned away by Karmic Fire also equals burning away all Karma. Without Karma, naturally one will eternally disappear."
After Third Prince finished speaking, the Heir Apparent fell into contemplation, but Zixiao King said, "Can Karma truly be burned away?"
"So it is said."
"If it's only 'so it is said,' then that is truly terrifying."
"Why is that?"
"It is said that Original Sin is Karma, and Karma is Original Sin. If that is truly the case, then the Karmic Fire of Original Sin is the Karmic Fire of Karma. The Karmic Fire of Karma is infinite and endless; how could it ever be burned away?"
Hearing this.
Third Prince and the Heir Apparent were rendered speechless.
After a moment of silence.
Zixiao King spoke again, "Perhaps this is merely a cycle, a cycle belonging to Original Sin. Even if that fellow surnamed Gu has truly eternally disappeared, Original Sin will rise again, continuing to search for an embodiment until it finds the true master recorded in the Book of Fate."
As he spoke, Zixiao King seemed to recall something, saying, "Moreover, I always feel that fellow surnamed Gu has not truly eternally disappeared."