Upon hearing the words 'Original Sin Dharmakaya,' Man Tu Fan felt as if struck by thunder, collapsing to the ground in a heap.
Although she knew Gu Qingfeng's existence might exceed her imagination—otherwise, he could not have ignited the Original Sin Karmic Fire back then—yes, she knew. She had mentally prepared herself. Yet, when she learned that the present Gu Qingfeng was likely the Original Sin Dharmakaya, she still could not bear such a terrifying outcome.
All these years, she had willingly undergone countless reincarnations, enduring countless tribulations, all to rid herself of her Original Sin body. She had finally nurtured the Karmic Flower, holding hope of breaking free from Original Sin. Never did she imagine Gu Qingfeng would refine it, grafting her karma onto his own. And now, Gu Qingfeng's existence was likely the Original Sin Dharmakaya.
The Original Sin Dharmakaya was far more terrifying than an Original Sin Incarnation. If an incarnation's Original Sin was ninefold, then the Dharmakaya's Original Sin was eighty-onefold. Man Tu Fan's grafted karma now began from Gu Qingfeng's Karma Tree. In other words, the Karmic Flower she had nurtured through countless reincarnations and tribulations had not freed her from Original Sin but instead deepened it.
Before, though she was an Original Sin body, it was merely that—not even an incarnation. After this karma grafting, her Original Sin karma would become truly dreadful. When she was just an Original Sin body, the hope of breaking free, however slim, at least existed. After the grafting, even that faint hope had vanished like smoke. It was like plummeting from the edge of hell straight into its deepest abyss. How could Man Tu Fan not collapse? How could she not despair?
"Do not think too much of it," the flame-flower Spiritual Incarnation comforted. "I only said it's a possibility. The present him may not truly be the Original Sin Dharmakaya. Even if he is, your Original Sin karma may not worsen. It might not worsen at all; you could even turn misfortune into blessing. Do not forget, his existence is an Anomaly—the greatest Anomaly between Heaven and Earth. If anyone in this world can break free from Original Sin, it must be him."
Man Tu Fan sat slumped on the ground, her expression dazed, murmuring, "You're right. He is an Anomaly, the greatest Anomaly between Heaven and Earth. If anyone can break free from Original Sin, it must be him. But there's one thing you haven't said."
"What is it?"
"If Original Sin truly finds its True Lord in this world... that person could also be him."
The flame-flower Spiritual Incarnation fell silent this time, clearly in agreement with those words.
"Heh... perhaps... probably... maybe... such is my fate." Man Tu Fan seemed to have resigned herself.
"You... do not worry too much. The situation is not as dire as you imagine."
"Worry? You misunderstand. I am not worried." Man Tu Fan laughed bitterly. "Even if there were worry, it would not be my place to worry. The ones who should truly worry are the Great Dao, Heaven and Earth, and all living beings."
"Indeed..." the flame-flower Spiritual Incarnation sighed. "If he truly is the Original Sin Dharmakaya, then Heaven, Earth, and the Great Dao indeed have cause for concern."
"The news of his being alive... it should no longer be a secret, right?"
"It ceased to be a secret long ago. If we can sense his existence, so can others. For Heaven, Earth, and the Great Dao, the news of his survival is no secret."
"If so, why has the Great Dao made no move?"
"With past lessons, who would dare make a move now? In the mortal realm, the Great Dao attempted to erase him time and again. What was the result? Not only did it fail to erase him, it allowed him to nurture numerous great fortunes—first the Avici Asura, then the Worship of All Living Beings and Myriad Phenomena, followed by Traversing the Blue Heavens and Yellow Springs. All are legendary taboos, and he manifested them all." The flame-flower Spiritual Incarnation spoke plainly, its tone tinged with helplessness.
"When Mount Wudao descended, the Great Dao joined forces to try to erase him. What was the result? It failed again, and he instead comprehended the Four Great Mental States, nearly achieving sainthood with an Original Sin body. We thought he turned to ashes after igniting the Original Sin Karmic Fire... Who knew he would live again after ten thousand years... Not only live, but the him of today might be the Original Sin Dharmakaya." It shook its head slightly. "Under such circumstances, who would dare make a move? No one dares. The Great Dao dares not. Heaven and Earth dare not."
Man Tu Fan asked, "What are they observing? What are they waiting for?"
"They are not observing or waiting for anything. Faced with an existence like Gu Qingfeng, the present Heaven, Earth, and Great Dao can only observe and wait. There is no other choice."
"And you people from Gui Xu?" Man Tu Fan pressed on. "What are your thoughts?"
"I only know myself. I, too, can only wait and observe. As for what they think... I cannot say."
Another silence fell. After it, Man Tu Fan said, "Having known you this long, I still don't know your name."
"Call me... Zixiao."
"Zixiao?" Man Tu Fan said. "That shouldn't be your true name, right?"
"But I like this name."
"Were you cast into Gui Xu by Genggu Wuming back then?"
"Yes and no."
"How so?"
The Spiritual Incarnation named Zixiao shook its head slightly, seemingly unwilling to answer.
Silence again.
After the silence, Man Tu Fan asked once more, "Gui Xu... what kind of place is it, truly?"
"That question, I'm afraid no one can answer."
"Why?"
"Because only those who have been to Gui Xu can understand that feeling."
"Didn't you emerge from Gui Xu?"
"Precisely because I emerged from Gui Xu, I am even less able to answer. The feeling of Gui Xu cannot be described in words. Those who have never been to Gui Xu can never, ever imagine that feeling."
"Very well." Man Tu Fan sighed. "Perhaps I should feel fortunate—fortunate that Genggu Wuming showed mercy back then and did not cast me into Gui Xu."
Then, reconsidering, she shook her head. "No! This is not fortune. If Genggu Wuming had cast me into Gui Xu back then, I would not have nurtured the Karmic Flower. Without nurturing the Karmic Flower, I would not have become entangled with that man surnamed Gu."
Zixiao asked, "Back then, was it Genggu Wuming who instructed you to nurture the Karmic Flower?"
"No, not Genggu Wuming. It was Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara who instructed me to nurture the Karmic Flower."
"Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara?"
"Yes. Back then, I was on the verge of becoming an Original Sin Incarnation. Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara descended and instructed me to nurture the Karmic Flower, which prevented me from becoming an incarnation. Thinking back now, I really should have listened to Genggu Wuming's words."
"Why?"
"When I decided to nurture the Karmic Flower, Genggu Wuming told me it would not free me from Original Sin. Not only would it not free me, it would sink me deeper. I didn't believe it then. Now I finally believe. I regret not heeding Genggu Wuming's advice."
"Knowing past and future, holding fate and karma, deducing the cosmos, comprehending the mysteries of Heaven and Earth." Zixiao recited these words. "Genggu Wuming is indeed Genggu Wuming. She has been pursuing Original Sin from the very beginning. Yet no one knows her true purpose in pursuing Original Sin."
Man Tu Fan said, "Genggu Wuming is the emissary of karma, the incarnation of fate. Pursuing Original Sin must be for the sake of karma and fate."
"Not necessarily for karma and fate. At the very least, I know she detests karma and fate. She detests those four words—karma and fate—more than anyone else between Heaven and Earth."