Gu Qingfeng looked around and found that this so-called Illusory Land was somewhat similar to the fragmentary spaces of the Wu Dao Age from before, yet it also seemed different. He couldn't quite pinpoint the difference at the moment. Just as he was about to walk over and ask for clarification, the Old Witch in the distance instantly retreated, appearing particularly wary of Gu Qingfeng. She shouted sternly, "What do you intend to do!"
"Don't misunderstand, I merely wish to ask you some questions."
"Ask if you must, but do not approach."
Gu Qingfeng shook his head with a bitter smile. "Big Sister, I have no other intentions."
Perhaps it was the first time she had ever been addressed this way, as the Old Witch was momentarily taken aback. She replied, "Your manner of speech and conduct is quite unexpected, sir. Are you truly one of Those with Original Sin?"
"You could say so."
"Either you are or you are not. What do you mean by 'you could say so'?"
"You just referred to yourself as 'you could say' a person of the Wu Dao Age. I believe you should deeply understand the meaning of those two words."
"Oh?"
The Old Witch stared at Gu Qingfeng, lost in thought.
"Big Sister, how much do you know about this Illusory Land?"
"If you are one of Those with Original Sin, how could you possibly not know about the Illusory Land?"
"What's the connection?"
"To my knowledge, Those with Original Sin are, in a sense, half-masters of this Illusory Land. How could they not know of it?"
"How so?"
"All Those with Original Sin have fused with the Blood of Original Sin, and Original Sin governs the Wu Dao Age. Since this is the Illusory Land of the Wu Dao Age, does that not make Those with Original Sin half-masters?"
"Listening to you, it does indeed seem that way. However, my status as one of Those with Original Sin is rather muddled. Moreover, I have only just awakened and this is my first time here."
"Just awakened? How long have you been asleep?"
"Too long. So long I can't remember clearly."
Gu Qingfeng spoke half-truths and half-lies, then asked, "I recall there didn't used to be an Illusory Land, only fragmentary spaces of the Wu Dao Age."
"The Illusory Land is the fragmentary space of the Wu Dao Age."
Hearing the Old Witch's response, Gu Qingfeng pressed further, "Then why is it called the Illusory Land? And I've noticed the Illusory Land seems somewhat different from the fragmentary spaces of the Wu Dao Age from before."
The Old Witch fell silent for a moment, as if hesitating whether to tell Gu Qingfeng. After a while, she finally spoke, "That is because ten thousand years ago, when the current era had just begun and the Mountain of No Dao appeared in the world, an anomaly occurred."
"An anomaly?" Gu Qingfeng's heart stirred. "What kind of anomaly?"
"I am not entirely clear on the specifics of the anomaly. I only know that ten thousand years ago, after the Mountain of No Dao descended, a great Calamity occurred within it. After the Calamity, many ancient relics from the Wu Dao Age emerged one after another, and the fragmentary spaces of the Wu Dao Age inexplicably began to merge with each other. Not long after, this Illusory Land was conceived and born."
After listening to the Old Witch's words, Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but sink into deep thought.
Ten thousand years ago, at the dawn of the current era, after the Mountain of No Dao descended, a great Calamity occurred?
Could it be the very Calamity he had participated in back then?
Thinking of this, Gu Qingfeng continued to ask, "Do you know what happened during that Calamity ten thousand years ago?"
"Not very clear. I heard that when the Calamity occurred, the ancestral founders of the Three Thousand Great Daos intervened to stop it, including the incarnations of the Heavenly Father and Earthly Mother. It is said that the Ancient Nameless One, the Old Man of Heavenly Secrets, also made an appearance. Although the Three Thousand Great Daos suffered heavy losses afterward, they fortunately managed to halt that Calamity."
Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng was basically certain that the Calamity the Old Witch spoke of was likely the very event he had been involved in.
Recalling those distant years.
The drop of Blood of Original Sin he had fused with was eroding his physical body and soul bit by bit. The sensation was extremely intense. Gu Qingfeng was certain that once he completely fused with the Blood of Original Sin, whether he would still be himself was unclear, but he would undoubtedly become an incarnation of Original Sin.
Therefore.
In the end, he had no choice but to abandon his self and ignite the Karmic Flames of Original Sin.
What he didn't understand was why his igniting of the Karmic Flames of Original Sin would affect the entire Wu Dao Age, causing changes. Why would even the most mysterious relics of the Wu Dao Age begin to appear in the world? Why would the fragmentary spaces of the Wu Dao Age merge with each other, conceiving and giving birth to this so-called Illusory Land?
Could it be because the drop he fused with was the living Blood of Original Sin belonging to Venerable Wu Dao?
He didn't know.
And couldn't figure it out.
What puzzled Gu Qingfeng the most was that he had clearly just been in the Original Sin Nightmare. How did he end up in the Illusory Land?
Or was the Original Sin Nightmare originally located within the Illusory Land?
He originally intended to ask, but since the Old Witch was not one of Those with Original Sin and likely knew nothing of the Original Sin Nightmare, asking would probably be futile.
Suddenly.
Gu Qingfeng remembered the mist that had dispersed earlier, resembling chaos. He asked, "Big Sister, what was that mist just now?"
"Mist? You mean the Illusory Mist from before?"
"Illusory Mist? Yes."
"The Illusory Land occasionally experiences the appearance of Illusory Mist. This mist is very mysterious and peculiar..."
"How is it mysterious and peculiar?"
"The Illusory Mist can affect a person's spirit. If one stays within it for too long, they may become mentally disturbed, lose themselves, or even face the possibility of being reduced to ashes."
"There's such a thing?" Gu Qingfeng said. "But I saw you weren't affected just now."
"When I arrived earlier, the Illusory Mist had already begun to dissipate, so the influence wasn't significant."
"So that's how it is."
Gu Qingfeng still didn't understand the connection between the Original Sin Nightmare and this Illusory Land.
"Not only can the Illusory Mist affect a person's spirit, but each time the mist descends, terrifying entities also appear within it."
"Terrifying entities? What do you mean?"
"I'm not too sure either. Some say they are demons from the Wu Dao Age, others say they are spirits from the Wu Dao Age. What they truly are remains a mystery to this day. In short, the Illusory Mist is extremely terrifying."
"This matter is indeed rather sinister."
As Gu Qingfeng was pondering, that voice, both familiar and strange, sounded once again.
*With wisdom comes confusion, distinguishing self from other,*
*A hundred kinds of yang, a hundred kinds of yin, transforming into the harmony of heaven and earth.*
*Seeing not good, seeing not evil, only cause and effect remain,*
*A thousand kinds of sage, a thousand kinds of demon, left for others to say.*
Hmm?
Gu Qingfeng asked, "Can you hear a voice?"
"What voice?"
The Old Witch was puzzled.
"You can't hear it?"
"I hear nothing at all."
Seeing the Old Witch's expression, Gu Qingfeng considered that perhaps this voice could truly only be heard by Those with Original Sin.
Just then, within the Illusory Land—a place without azure heaven, without great earth, an endless darkness resembling an endless void—mist inexplicably appeared. This mist was like yin and yang in intercourse, like light and darkness intertwining, and even more like chaos encompassing all things.
"Not good! The Illusory Mist is descending again!"
Seeing the Illusory Mist descend once more, the Old Witch was greatly alarmed. She shouted, "I shall take my leave for now. Until we meet again."
With that, the Old Witch instantly vanished.