What Ren Tianxing admired most about Gu Qingfeng was his carefree, unrestrained state of mind—doing whatever he wanted, and not doing whatever he didn't want to. Even if the sky were to collapse tomorrow, he would still eat and drink his fill today. Everything followed his heart, letting nature take its course.
To ordinary people, such a state of mind might seem like having no ambition, being lazy and indolent.
However,
in Ren Tianxing's eyes, Gu Qingfeng was simply following his heart, letting nature take its course, free from desire and contention—inaction through non-contention.
This state of mind was precisely the inaction, the royal path of the mind that Ren Tianxing had always pursued and yearned for.
Unfortunately,
he was not Gu Qingfeng, and he could not achieve the same carefree, unrestrained attitude of doing whatever he pleased.
Therefore,
he admired Gu Qingfeng.
Gu Qingfeng, on the contrary, admired Ren Tianxing's indomitable perseverance—once he set his mind on something, he would see it through to the end. Gu Qingfeng also wished to become someone like Ren Tianxing, but in the end, he had lived his life as Gu Qingfeng.
In truth,
Ren Tianxing also wished to become like Gu Qingfeng—someone who could pick things up and put them down, who could see through everything, dare to risk it all, carefree and unrestrained. But in the end, he had lived his life as Ren Tianxing.
Gu Qingfeng did not like the person he had become, and Ren Tianxing similarly did not like the person he had become.
However,
both of them, due to their different personalities, different experiences, different karma, and different destinies, had not only failed to become their ideal selves but had instead become versions of themselves they disliked.
They had only met a few times, yet they could become kindred spirits precisely because they appreciated each other.
Suddenly,
both of them seemed to sense something and simultaneously glanced up at the sky. Both Gu Qingfeng and Ren Tianxing had just detected someone using the laws of nature to probe them. The probing lasted only an instant before quickly vanishing.
Gu Qingfeng laughed, "Old Ren, has anyone ever spied on you using such methods?"
"Occasionally."
"I thought only I received such special treatment. Turns out you've been specially looked after too."
"Does Brother Gu know who they are?"
"Only those Great Dao Ancestors would stoop to such despicable tricks."
"Have they not acted against you?"
"No."
Gu Qingfeng shook his head, "At least not for now. For such a long time, they've only used these methods to spy on me, never disturbing me. I reckon they've been on guard against me all along."
"The Great Dao tried to erase you in the Ancient Era, attempted countless times over so many years, not only failing to erase you but also suffering heavy losses, step by step pushing you into the abyss of Original Sin. Now that you have died and revived again, I imagine the Great Dao no longer dares to act rashly. They are likely all waiting."
Gu Qingfeng asked, "Waiting for what?"
"Waiting for those existences from Gui Xu."
"What are they waiting for those big shots from Gui Xu to do?"
"Before those existences from Gui Xu make their stance clear, I believe the Three Thousand Great Daos will not, and dare not, act rashly."
"How so?"
"Does Brother Gu truly not know?"
"What do you mean 'truly not know'? Would I lie to you? With such troublesome matters, if I come across them, I don't mind listening, but if I don't encounter them, I can't be bothered to inquire."
"Very well."
Faced with Gu Qingfeng's attitude here, even Ren Tianxing couldn't help but sigh, "Brother Gu's state of mind grows ever more carefree and unrestrained. It truly makes Ren envious and utterly admiring."
"Alright, alright, enough with the flattery. Hurry up and tell me what attitude the Three Thousand Great Daos are waiting for from those big shots in Gui Xu?"
"Brother Gu knows that those Ancestors from Gui Xu, like us, are all bearers of Original Sin, even Illusory Selves..." Gu Qingfeng nodded, "That matter I do know."
"It is said that the Book of Fate records: when Original Sin finds its True Lord, the Great Dao will fall, the Present Era will end, Heaven and Earth will be reborn, and the Wu Dao Era will begin..." Ren Tianxing said expressionlessly and calmly, "The two of us wish to rid ourselves of Original Sin, but not all Illusory Selves of Original Sin wish to be rid of it. Among them are also those who wish to become the True Lord of Original Sin, slaughter the Great Dao, end the Present Era, open the Wu Dao Era, and become the Venerable of Wu Dao."
"So then."
"In this Heaven and Earth, just how many bearers of Original Sin there are, how many Illusory Selves, how many Anomalies of the Present Era, how many people of Wu Dao—no one knows. Perhaps there are many, more than we can imagine. But in the end, only one person can become the True Lord of Original Sin. If it were Brother Gu wanting to become the True Lord of Original Sin, what would you do?"
"You mean, if someone wants to become the True Lord of Original Sin, they will inevitably slaughter other bearers of Original Sin, seize their Original Sin bodies, usurp their Illusory Selves, dominate their Anomalies, making their own Original Sin deeper, their Illusion more self, their Anomaly greater."
"Correct."
Ren Tianxing continued, "In Ren's view, whether it's the Immortal Dao, the Heavenly Dao, or other Great Daos, they should all be waiting now, waiting for us bearers of Original Sin to turn on each other."
Gu Qingfeng pondered for a moment before asking, "Has such a thing already begun to happen?"
"To my knowledge, some bearers of Original Sin have already begun to act."
"Who? Are they the big shots from Gui Xu?"
"Some are from Gui Xu, and some are bearers of Original Sin like us who have not entered Gui Xu. So, Brother Gu, you must be careful and cautious from now on."
"We're about the same, you and I."
Ren Tianxing shook his head, "Brother Gu, Ren has said before, in terms of Original Sin, Ren's is not as deep as yours; in terms of Illusion, Ren's is not as true as yours; in terms of Anomaly, Ren's is similarly not as great as Brother Gu's. Most importantly, back then you ignited the Original Sin Karmic Fire and awakened Original Sin. Throughout Heaven and Earth, I'm afraid no one has sunk deeper than Brother Gu. Even the Original Sin of those Ancestors in Gui Xu likely isn't as deep as yours. Now, whether it's the Three Thousand Great Daos or other Illusory Selves of Original Sin, it is widely believed that you are the most likely candidate that Original Sin is seeking as its True Lord."
"Listening to you say this, I've inexplicably become the target, haven't I? Before, the righteous and sacred Great Dao couldn't tolerate me; now, the dark and evil Great Dao can't tolerate me either. Isn't this both the righteous and the wicked wanting me dead? Have I now completely become the solitary outcast that Heaven and Earth cannot tolerate? Tell me, who have I offended? For no reason at all, I'm saddled with such huge trouble that I can't shake off. Damn it, I'm wronged to death."
"Although that is the fact, it's not as bad as Brother Gu thinks. On the contrary, judging from the current situation, Brother Gu is precisely the safest."
"How do you mean that?"
Gu Qingfeng was still leaning casually against a large rock, sitting on the ground, sipping his wine, chatting idly with Ren Tianxing sentence by sentence. His absent-minded attitude was like chatting casually with a friend, leisurely and carefree.
"Although Brother Gu has become the target, the outcast that Heaven and Earth cannot tolerate, being the target also has its advantages."
Ren Tianxing had been sitting upright from start to finish, speaking without a trace of a smile, "Now, whether it's the Three Thousand Great Daos, the ones destined to face the tribulation, or other bearers of Original Sin—almost all existences related to the karma of Wu Dao, Original Sin, and fate are watching Brother Gu. Therefore, no one dares to act rashly against you. No one knows what consequences would be triggered by acting against you."
As he spoke, Ren Tianxing stared very seriously at Gu Qingfeng, saying earnestly, "Because Brother Gu has sunk far, far too deep into the vortex of the Original Sin black hole and the Present Era Cataclysm. So deep that your every move could trigger terrifying consequences. In other words, the reason the Present Era has been so calm and peaceful for ten thousand years is precisely because there exists a great Anomaly like you who awakened Original Sin. Without your existence, the Present Era would likely have long descended into chaos."