Gu Qingfeng had never possessed lofty ideals or grand ambitions in this life. Apart from fine wine, his greatest pastime had always been sleep.
Back in the mundane world, amidst all the fighting and killing, a peaceful night's sleep had been a luxury for him. Although he later slept for a full ten thousand years, that period couldn't truly be called sleep—it was more accurate to say he had been unconscious for ten millennia.
Of course, it wasn't always that he wanted to sleep; he was genuinely tired and weary.
In his memory, ever since being judged by Heaven and Earth during the Primeval Calamity, Gu Qingfeng had remained in a state of weakness—both physically and, even more so, mentally. He spent his days listless and drowsy.
After this recent ten-thousand-year slumber, not only had his Physical Body completely decayed, but his spirit was also extremely exhausted. Normally, basking in the sun and sipping his Little Tipple, he didn't feel it much. But the moment he exerted even a little force, an overwhelming sense of fatigue would wash over him.
Like now.
He had merely taken action once in the Tower of Stolen Gold, not using much strength at all—it was barely enough to count as stretching his limbs, roaring a few times... and then...
He felt utterly exhausted.
Fortunately, over so many years, he had grown accustomed to this feeble state of essence, energy, and spirit. Not only accustomed, but he even found enjoyment in it.
If he wanted to restore his weak Physical Body and spirit, it wouldn't be difficult either—cultivation was the answer. As long as he cultivated an Immortal Spirit, his weak body and mind would gradually recover.
However...
Gu Qingfeng simply couldn't be bothered to cultivate or go through all that trouble. He felt his current state was just fine. When tired, he would sleep. After all, he had nothing pressing to do. Sleeping until he woke naturally, then sipping his Little Tipple under the sun—this was the life he had always yearned for.
In the depths of his slumber...
Gu Qingfeng faintly seemed to hear a sound.
The sound was very faint, as if coming from a far, faraway place.
Gu Qingfeng paid it no mind and continued sleeping.
For some reason, the sound kept coming, as if summoning him.
A bad feeling arose in Gu Qingfeng's heart, especially since this sound was reaching him in his dreams. It reminded him of the Original Sin Nightmare.
Ten thousand years ago, after merging with the Blood of Original Sin, he would occasionally be drawn into the Original Sin Nightmare by a voice.
Back then, he had ignited the Blood of Original Sin, burning himself to ashes, and then inexplicably fell unconscious for ten thousand years. Upon waking, all his own fortunes had vanished—the various life-and-death, slaughter, and forbidden Great Daos were gone; the Primordial Avatar that could traverse the highest heavens and the lowest hells was gone; the Avici Asura soul was gone; even the Nirvana Bone-Jade seemed to have disappeared. As for the Blood of Original Sin, it should have vanished too.
Several decades had passed since he awoke from that coma. Throughout these years, he had not heard any voices nor entered the Original Sin Nightmare again.
Although he had yet to detect the presence of the Blood of Original Sin so far, that didn't mean it had absolutely disappeared, nor did it mean he was no longer a person of Original Sin.
For Gu Qingfeng...
It would be best if the Blood of Original Sin had vanished.
If the Blood of Original Sin had not disappeared, and he remained a person of Original Sin... then...
He could only feel helpless, and besides accepting it, he had no other choice.
What else could he do?
Back then, Gu Qingfeng had risked everything, sacrificing his own life to ignite the karmic flames of the Blood of Original Sin. If even that couldn't free him from Original Sin, then aside from resigning himself to Fate, he could only resign himself to Fate.
It wasn't that Gu Qingfeng hadn't considered this issue. He had, more than once, and he was psychologically prepared for it.
However...
When he heard that voice again in his dreams, his heart couldn't help but tighten.
In this life, he had rarely feared any existence and seldom felt this kind of anxious dread. But when it came to Original Sin, he was genuinely apprehensive from the depths of his soul. Because the two words 'Original Sin' carried far too much baggage—all sorts of Fate, all sorts of karma, all sorts of curses, all sorts of pasts, all sorts of futures. It was a Black Hole, a Whirlwind—a Black Hole that could devour everything, a Whirlwind containing all calamities. It was no exaggeration to say that if the Present-Ancient Era were to end, it would definitely be related to Original Sin.
Although no one had ever said such a thing, Gu Qingfeng felt it.
He was someone who loved to live unfettered and free; trouble was what he detested most in this life.
Excluding the ten thousand years of unconsciousness, he had only cultivated for about five hundred years in this lifetime. But throughout those five hundred years, he had been constantly plagued by troubles. From childhood to adulthood, various troubles had never ceased. Some troubles he brought upon himself, but more often than not, troubles inexplicably 'fell from the sky' onto him.
It was like this in the mundane world, and it was the same in the Great Desolate. For five hundred years, he was either killing or on his way to kill; either solving trouble or in the midst of solving it. He would resolve a small trouble, only for a bigger one to arrive. After resolving the bigger one, an even greater one would come. He was completely trapped in a Whirlwind of trouble, sinking deeper and deeper, until in the end, there was no escaping it.
He had finally waited for the end of the Primeval Era, thinking that after being judged by Heaven and Earth and having everything taken away, the old grudges and grievances would be settled. Yet, unexpectedly, he had fallen into another Black Hole Whirlwind of Original Sin.
Secrets of the Wu Dao Age, curses of the Wu Dao Age, the illusory mountains of the Wu Dao Age...
After all that back-and-forth, he ended up sacrificing his own life to ignite the karmic flames of Original Sin.
Gu Qingfeng never entertained the hope that igniting the karmic flames of Original Sin would completely burn away the Blood of Original Sin within him.
Yes.
He never held such a hope.
He only wished for this fire to grant him a bit more time of carefree living, a few more years of happiness.
But damn it, how long had it been since he awoke? At most, a few decades combined. And now, that both familiar and strange voice was calling to him again.
Although the voice was faint, Gu Qingfeng clearly sensed that it was continuously summoning him. This feeling was vivid, exactly the same as before when it had drawn him into the Original Sin Nightmare.
What should he do now?
Listen or not?
Go or not?
Not listen?
Not go?
He could choose not to listen this time, not to go. But what about next time?
And the time after that?
He couldn't keep deceiving himself forever, could he?
But if he listened carefully and heeded the summons...
Who knew what awaited him once he went? Probably all sorts of Fate, all sorts of karma, all sorts of messy troubles would come one after another. In the future, forget about sleeping peacefully; even whether he could damned well enjoy a sip of his Little Tipple in peace might become an unknown.
He let out a sorrowful sigh.
After much deliberation, Gu Qingfeng finally decided to go and take a look.
He had already resigned himself to Fate.
There was no other way but to accept it.
This thing was unavoidable. As the old saying goes, you might dodge the first day of the month, but you can't escape the fifteenth. If Fate could be dodged, it wouldn't be Fate.