The Great Desolate World remained vast and boundless.
It had never changed because of any person or any event.
Since ancient times, it had always been this way.
The previously grand and imposing fleet had long since vanished. Now, only High Immortal Qingqing's single Xuantian Vessel sailed slowly through the Great Desolate World.
On the deck.
Gu Qingfeng lay reclined in his chair, his eyes slightly closed, one hand resting on his forehead. He seemed to be in a foul mood.
It wasn't because those people like Mo Baiyu had angered him.
To be honest.
Gu Qingfeng had always considered himself to have a good temper and rarely got angry over such trivial matters. Even in his wild and arrogant youth, he wouldn't have been provoked by such petty things. Moreover, the him of today, having experienced so much, had grown indifferent to many things. He had treated the earlier events as mere entertainment and couldn't possibly be angry.
Yet, just a moment ago, for some inexplicable reason, he suddenly felt restless and irritable, a very vexing sensation.
He didn't know what he was vexed about, but he just felt extremely agitated.
So agitated he wanted to kill, to slaughter everyone!
This feeling was quite familiar to Gu Qingfeng.
He clearly remembered that before he had descended into madness back then, it was exactly this kind of inexplicable, causeless vexation, and it was uncontrollable.
At first, it wasn't too severe, but the more time passed, the more irritable he became. The more vexed he was, the less he could control it, until he completely descended into madness, his consciousness lost, ultimately becoming a frenzied walking corpse.
Could it be that he was showing signs of descending into madness again?
That was unlikely!
Back then, he descended into madness because he had killed too many people, suffering the condemnation of morality, tormented by his conscience, unable to get past his own barriers, which gave birth to an inner demon that led to him losing himself and descending into madness.
The him of today had transcended good and evil, transcended life and death. He was no longer bound by morality, nor would he be tormented by his conscience.
To put it bluntly.
The current Gu Qingfeng had no morality or conscience to speak of.
Not only that.
He had also transcended the mundane world, transcended the Great Dao, and even transcended his own self. Although he couldn't achieve the complete emptiness of a sage, his heart was already as still as water and as firm as a rock. Joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness were gradually forgotten. Even matters of heaven-shaking importance could not shake his rock-solid heart.
Gu Qingfeng perhaps couldn't be one hundred percent certain that he would never descend into madness again in the future.
But if there were signs of descending into madness, he believed he would definitely be able to sense them.
And he could confirm that the inexplicable agitation from earlier was not a sign of descending into madness.
But if it wasn't a sign of descending into madness, then what was it?
Suddenly.
Gu Qingfeng's heart stirred, and he remembered something.
Ever since his nirvanic rebirth this time, his physical body had been in a state of decay and chaos. Not long ago, this decaying, chaotic body had finally begun to revive. And as his body gradually revived, Gu Qingfeng also sensed an indescribable, inexplicable change.
Although this change was subtle, Gu Qingfeng could still feel it.
As for what exactly this change was.
Gu Qingfeng might not be able to put it into words.
But one thing he could be sure of was that this change was definitely related to the Original Sin.
Ever since he realized earlier that he had not rid himself of the Original Sin, and on the contrary, might have become an Original Sin Dharma Body, Gu Qingfeng had been pondering a question.
That was, as his decaying body revived and as the Original Sin gradually awakened, would he become another version of himself?
Or perhaps he had already begun to change, but he simply didn't know it yet.
After all, Gu Qingfeng was clear about his own existence. What he carried was not just the burden of being an Original Sin person, but also a delusional self.
Before he became aware of it, Gu Qingfeng hadn't paid it much mind. But after the inexplicable restlessness just now, he couldn't help but feel suspicious.
Was he just worrying unnecessarily, or was this truly the case?
Gu Qingfeng couldn't be sure for the moment.
He shook his head and didn't continue thinking about it.
Of course.
Feeling suspicious was just feeling suspicious.
Feeling suspicious in his heart didn't mean Gu Qingfeng was worried or afraid.
On the contrary.
He was neither worried nor afraid.
If he hadn't ignited the Original Sin Karmic Flames back then, facing this situation, he might have been worried—worried about whether he would be influenced by the Original Sin person and the delusional self, ultimately becoming another version of himself.
However.
Ever since he ignited the Original Sin Karmic Flames back then, slept for ten thousand years, and was reborn through nirvana, Gu Qingfeng had long since come to terms with it.
In the past, he resisted the Original Sin and resisted the delusion.
The current him no longer resisted.
However, it was just a lack of resistance.
This didn't mean he accepted it.
The current Gu Qingfeng neither resisted the delusional Original Sin nor accepted the delusional Original Sin.
To put it plainly, it boiled down to eight words.
Let everything follow fate, and let nature take its course.
He opened his eyes, glanced at the empty, vast Great Desolate World, and asked, "The people...
have they all dispersed?"
"Reporting to Nine Underworlds Emperor Jiuyou...
The people...
the people have all dispersed..." Lixin Xianzi and High Immortal Qingqing had been standing obediently all along. Hearing Gu Qingfeng's question, Lixin Xianzi hurriedly replied.
In the Great Desolate World.
Those with Heavenly Destiny were all considered superior.
Those with current-era Heavenly Destiny, the Great Dao Star Lords, were respectfully addressed as 'Lord'.
Those with ancient-era Heavenly Destiny, the Great Dao Thrones, were respectfully addressed as 'Your Highness'.
Those with primordial-era Heavenly Destiny, the Great Dao Imperial Seals, were respectfully addressed as 'Your Majesty'.
This was the orthodox tradition, a form of address passed down since antiquity.
Most Heavenly Destinies were above the Great Dao.
However.
There were a few Heavenly Destinies that were exceptions.
Such as the Heavenly Destiny of the Nine Heavens, or the Nine Underworlds Heavenly Destiny, and so on.
Why?
The reason was simple.
The Nine Heavens and the Nine Underworlds were not part of the Great Dao; they existed above the Great Dao.
Take the Nine Heavens, for example.
People often spoke of the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao, but in truth, the Immortal Dao did not represent the Nine Heavens, nor did the Nine Heavens represent the Immortal Dao.
The Nine Heavens were the Nine Heavens, and the Immortal Dao was the Immortal Dao.
One must know that the Western Paradise Pure Land was also one of the Nine Heavens.
The reason it was called the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao was simply because the Immortal Dao had always been immensely powerful.
The Nine Heavens were like this, and the Nine Underworlds were no exception.
The Nine Heavens were the holy land in the hearts of Immortals, Buddhas, Humans, and Spirits.
While the Nine Underworlds were the holy land in the hearts of Demons, Ghosts, and Monsters.
Therefore.
Whether it was the Heavenly Destiny of the Nine Heavens or the Nine Underworlds, they were not on the same level as those Great Dao Heavenly Destinies; their weight was far, far greater.
It was precisely because of this that the Heavenly Destinies of the Nine Heavens and Nine Underworlds were not addressed as 'Lord', 'Highness', or 'Majesty', but as 'Venerable'.
When Gu Qingfeng ascended to become the Nine Underworlds Emperor back then, the orthodox form of address was Nine Underworlds Emperor Jiuyou.
Addressing him as 'Old Master' wasn't incorrect, but this form of address was a common, colloquial one, not so strict. Especially in the current era, the title 'Old Master' had become overly common, its weight far less than in ancient times.
Earlier, because they were uncertain whether Gu Qingfeng was truly You Di, Lixin Xianzi had addressed him as 'You Di Old Master'. But after sensing Gu Qingfeng unleash his Great Divine Sense Authority, both Lixin Xianzi and High Immortal Qingqing were basically certain in their hearts that Gu Qingfeng was the legendary You Di.
They didn't dare to casually call him 'Old Master' anymore. To show their reverence, they used the orthodox form of address.
"Still calling me Nine Underworlds Emperor Jiuyou? That's something from a bygone era."
Gu Qingfeng shook his head slightly and sighed, "Now, this master is no longer any Nine Underworlds Emperor Jiuyou. I'm just an ordinary mortal. So, don't call me Nine Underworlds Emperor Jiuyou anymore. Just call me Old Master."
"Very well...
Old Master."