As his words fell, Gu Qingfeng had already vanished without a trace.
Da Xing the Mad Monk initially wanted to give chase, but after some thought, he ultimately gave up.
Because he understood clearly that if Gu Qingfeng wished to leave, no one under heaven could stop him.
If he did not wish to do something, no one could force him.
That wasn't the important part.
What was important was that Da Xing the Mad Monk had no idea whether the current Gu Qingfeng was still the same Gu Qingfeng from before.
In his mind, if the current Gu Qingfeng was no longer the Gu Qingfeng of old, and his self-consciousness had been devoured by Original Sin, it meant that Gu Qingfeng at this very moment was already the absolute incarnation of Original Sin. That would be utterly terrifying.
One must know that the drop of Original Sin blood Gu Qingfeng had fused with was the purest and most primordial Original Sin. Moreover, rumors said this drop of Original Sin blood originally belonged to Wu Dao Daozun himself. If Gu Qingfeng's self-consciousness was devoured, then the newly gestated consciousness would inevitably be the purest, most primordial Original Sin consciousness, and might even contain the spiritual will of Wu Dao Daozun.
What kind of figure was Wu Dao Daozun? A mere wisp of his spiritual will was beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
However.
This wasn't the most terrifying part.
What was even more terrifying was if Gu Qingfeng's self-consciousness hadn't been devoured by Original Sin, but had instead fused with it. In other words, the current Gu Qingfeng was both the incarnation of Original Sin and himself, the two indistinguishable from one another.
If it were merely a pure Original Sin consciousness, it would indeed be terrifying, but only terrifying. Since the current era had gestated a Tribulation-Bearer who bore the True Mandate, it meant Fate, based on causality, had already deduced this point. Therefore, the Tribulation-Bearer bearing the True Mandate should also be able to deal with the purest, most primordial incarnation of Original Sin. Even if it contained the spiritual will of Wu Dao Daozun, it would not be a cause for concern.
But if Gu Qingfeng's existence now was not merely the most primordial incarnation of Original Sin, but he had already fused with Original Sin, becoming indistinguishable, then things would be troublesome.
Gu Qingfeng was a variable.
What is a variable?
Fate cannot determine it, causality cannot deduce it.
The Tribulation-Bearer bearing the True Mandate might be able to deal with the most primordial incarnation of Original Sin, but what if this most primordial incarnation of Original Sin was a variable?
How would one handle that?
A variable that even Fate cannot determine, that even causality cannot deduce—who would know how to handle it?
Beyond that.
Da Xing the Mad Monk thought of an even more terrifying possibility.
That was, the Gu Qingfeng of this moment had neither been devoured by Original Sin nor fused with it, but remained the same Gu Qingfeng as before.
If that were truly the case.
The situation would not only fail to be optimistic, but might instead be even more terrifying than Gu Qingfeng being devoured by Original Sin or fusing with it—terrifying to an incomparably greater degree.
The reason wasn't solely because Gu Qingfeng's existence was a variable, but also because Da Xing the Mad Monk had heard from Genggu Wuming that the Wu Dao Era did not necessarily represent only the past; it might also be the future. This meant that the legendary Wu Dao Daozun—who severed causality, reversed fate, buried heaven and earth, and ascended to become a god—might be one of the current Original Sin individuals.
If the current Gu Qingfeng truly hadn't been devoured by Original Sin, and truly hadn't fused with it, who could guarantee he wouldn't become Wu Dao Daozun in the future?
One must know this kid nearly achieved Sagehood as an incarnation of Original Sin, and damn it all, he even ignited the Original Sin Karmic Fire, and damn it all again, underwent Silent Extinction Rebirth!
What does this mean?
It means this kid can dominate Original Sin!
And what does being able to dominate Original Sin imply?
It implies this kid is nine times out of ten, damn it all, likely the future Wu Dao Daozun!
Because legend says Original Sin is Wu Dao Daozun!
Heavens above!
Earth below!
Buddha Lord!
This can't be true, can it?
Thinking this far.
Da Xing the Mad Monk felt dizzy and lightheaded, as if the sky were spinning and the earth turning. He couldn't catch his breath and plummeted straight down from mid-air.
"Master!
Master!
What's wrong with you!
Don't scare your disciple!"
Monk Bu'er hurried over to help Da Xing the Mad Monk up. At this moment, Da Xing the Mad Monk was slumped on the ground like a pile of mud. Staring at Monk Bu'er, he asked, "Disciple, do you think that kid Gu...
is he still the same kid Gu from before?"
"Ah!"
Monk Bu'er scratched his bald head, tilted it, thought for a moment, and replied, "I reckon he should be. When your disciple was in the mortal world, I met Ancient Great Ancestor a few times. He seemed pretty much the same as before, still that willful, wicked nature—arrogant, domineering, and utterly lawless!"
"It's over!
It's over!
Even you, you little brat, say so. Then nine times out of ten, this kid might really be..." Da Xing the Mad Monk felt like crying but had no tears.
"Master, if Ancient Great Ancestor is still the same Ancient Great Ancestor as before, doesn't that mean he has nothing to do with Original Sin now? Why don't you look happy about it? Not only unhappy, but how come you're...
so scared like this?"
"You don't understand, kid, you just don't understand!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk originally wanted to explain to Monk Bu'er, but looking at Monk Bu'er's face, plump as a pig's head, he shook his head and sighed heavily.
Before, whenever he saw Monk Bu'er's face, plump as a pig's head, Da Xing the Mad Monk found it as displeasing as could be. Now, looking at Monk Bu'er's face, he couldn't say it was pleasing or displeasing; what he felt more was a sense of pity.
He sighed heavily again, stood up, patted Monk Bu'er on the shoulder, and said, "Disciple, from now on, your master won't force you to cultivate or anything. You can do whatever you like from now on. While you can still eat, eat more in the future."
"Master, why are you suddenly so nice to your disciple? It makes me feel awkward."
Monk Bu'er grinned, but after laughing, he thought it over carefully and felt something was off. What did 'while you can still eat, eat more' mean? It sounded very strange no matter how he heard it. Suddenly, Monk Bu'er seemed to realize something, his face turning deathly pale with fright. "Master, don't scare your disciple! Are you saying the days I have left are few?"
"It's not that the days you have left are few, it's us—no!
It's not us either, but this heaven and earth, this Great Dao, these myriad living beings—the days they likely have left are probably few."
"Why on earth is that?
Everything was fine just now. Why are you saying such things, venerable master?
Does it have something to do with Ancient Great Ancestor?
Have you discerned something, venerable master?
Tell me quickly, so your disciple can be mentally prepared too!"
"Prepare for what?
What is there to prepare for?
There's no need for that anymore. If you must prepare, then prepare our funeral arrangements, master and disciple. This place looks passable. Though it can't be called a geomantic treasure site, it's at least quiet and peaceful. You, kid, get busy recently, dig two pits, build two tombs. From now on, our master-disciple pair will be long-term residents here."