"Elder Gu, Ancestor Gu, this little brother admits there were places in the Nine Nethers where I wronged you, old master. That was this little brother failing to recognize Mount Tai. This little brother knows he was wrong, Ancestor Gu! Seeing how pitiful this little brother is, please, old master, show some mercy, let this little brother off, give this little brother a way to live! This little brother... this little brother will kneel for you!"
With a *thump*, Sha Xiang knelt cleanly and decisively right before Gu Qingfeng in front of the entire crowd, wailing and begging for mercy.
But Gu Qingfeng wasn't having any of it. He smiled playfully. "Old Pig, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart. If I hadn't run into you here today, I might not even have remembered someone like you existed. But since you've come today, I don't care why you're here or who sent you. This little show, you're participating whether you want to or not. Putting everything else aside, just based on you stabbing me in the back back in the Nine Nethers, I can't *not* include you in the fun today."
"Ancestor Gu! This little brother... this little brother was wrong!"
Sha Xiang kowtowed and begged for mercy without a shred of dignity, his wails heart-wrenching. The people below Blackwater Mountain who didn't know the truth began to feel indignant on Sha Xiang's behalf. The Nether Emperor's heart was too narrow! Sha Xiang had already mended his ways, even knelt and begged for mercy, yet the Nether Emperor still refused to let him off.
Sha Xiang continued to beg, but Gu Qingfeng couldn't be bothered to listen further. He leaned forward slightly and said in a low voice, "Tell me, where'd you get this physical body of yours?"
Hearing Gu Qingfeng suddenly ask about his physical body, Sha Xiang's heart jolted violently. He looked up, seemingly stunned. After a moment, he replied, "This little brother... this little brother refined it."
"You refined it?"
"Yes! Ancestor Gu, don't you believe me? This physical body was truly refined by this little brother."
"Why wouldn't I believe you?"
Gu Qingfeng crooked a finger, gesturing for Sha Xiang to come closer. Sha Xiang, perhaps out of guilt or something else, hesitated for a while before leaning his head over.
"If you keep putting on this act for me, you think I won't spill all your secrets?"
"What secrets? This little brother has no sec..." When Sha Xiang met Gu Qingfeng's eyes, which seemed capable of piercing through all things in heaven and earth, he didn't dare continue. Especially seeing the smile hanging on Gu Qingfeng's lips, Sha Xiang felt a deep dread in his heart. He quickly switched to a secret voice transmission. "This... Elder Gu, you... you saw through it?"
Gu Qingfeng had indeed seen through Sha Xiang's secret.
That secret was his physical body—a Body of Original Sin.
Sha Xiang was not one of Those with Original Sin, yet he possessed a Body of Original Sin.
Gu Qingfeng figured this guy had probably seized the physical body of one of Those with Original Sin and then refined it. And it was very likely he hadn't just seized one; three or four, maybe even seven or eight, were possible. Who knew what method this kid had used to refine it, hiding the aura of Original Sin in this body so deeply. If Gu Qingfeng hadn't known Sha Xiang was someone who never acted without profit, and if he hadn't examined him carefully, he truly wouldn't have known this kid now possessed a Body of Original Sin.
The facts were indeed so.
Sha Xiang's current Body of Original Sin was obtained by seizing and refining the bodies of Those with Original Sin. He had seized four such individuals. To hide the aura of Original Sin on his body, he had deliberately filled his physical body with all sorts of foul, unorthodox, and chaotic spiritual auras. He thought this messy body could deceive the world, but while it had fooled others, it ultimately hadn't fooled Gu Qingfeng.
"Old Pig, tell me, did you come this time hoping to take this opportunity to kill me and seize my physical body too?"
Sha Xiang's face turned pale with fright. He hurriedly transmitted an explanation. "Heaven and earth bear witness! Ancestor Gu, this little brother has never thought such a thing! Even if you gave this little brother ten thousand times the courage, I wouldn't dare seize your physical body!"
Gu Qingfeng smiled. He didn't believe a word Sha Xiang said, because back in the Nine Nethers, this guy had wanted to seize his physical body.
"Ancestor Gu, this little brother truly has no such intention, and I'm not lying to you. This little brother had no idea you were in Lingluo Heavenly Domain! Really!"
"No, what I mean is, if you really want to seize my physical body, I'll just give it to you."
"Ancestor Gu! You can't joke like that! This little brother has never thought of seizing your physical body! This little brother doesn't dare!"
"I'm not joking. If you want it, I'll give it to you. Really, not lying."
"I don't dare! I don't dare! I don't dare!"
Sha Xiang shook his head repeatedly, resolutely and seriously.
Back then.
He had indeed wanted to seize Gu Qingfeng's physical body for his own use, but that was only back then.
Although he had seized the bodies of several of Those with Original Sin, and had long yearned for Original Sin, and even wanted to become the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate who would open the Era of No Dao.
However, Gu Qingfeng's Original Sin was something he absolutely did not dare seize.
At least.
Not now.
Because he knew Gu Qingfeng had ignited the Karmic Flames of Original Sin on Mount No Dao back then, awakening Original Sin. One could say Gu Qingfeng had sunk very deep on the path of Original Sin.
Precisely because Gu Qingfeng was so deeply mired in Original Sin, that was why today, the Three Thousand Great Daos, the Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands, and all sorts of terrifying existences had their eyes on him.
If Original Sin were compared to a treasure mountain.
Gu Qingfeng was already nearing the summit of this treasure mountain.
The Three Thousand Great Daos, the Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands, and all those terrifying existences would not allow him to reach the summit.
Whoever reached the summit would become the target of all.
This principle, Sha Xiang still understood.
Therefore, he would rather pick up scraps at the foot of this treasure mountain of Original Sin, engaging in sneaky, underhanded deeds, than climb to the summit and become everyone's target. It was no exaggeration to say that even if Gu Qingfeng offered his physical body to Sha Xiang, Sha Xiang wouldn't dare take it.
"You said you came to Lingluo Heavenly Domain to repay a favor to someone. This person... is it that little wench Gugu Wuming?"
Hearing this.
Sha Xiang stared at Gu Qingfeng in disbelief, asking in shock and suspicion, "You... how do you know?"
"How I know is none of your business. Tell me, what did that wench Gugu Wuming ask you to do here?"
"Ancestor Gu, why the Heavenly Secrets Empress asked this little brother to come to Lingluo Heavenly Domain to be the Domain Master, this little brother truly doesn't know."
"Really don't know?"
"Really! I can swear! This little brother truly doesn't know. The Heavenly Secrets Empress only told this little brother to come to Lingluo Heavenly Domain to be the Domain Master. She didn't say anything else!"
"And you just agreed?"
"I had no choice! If I didn't agree, the Immortal Dao would have killed this little brother. It was the Heavenly Secrets Empress who stepped in and saved my life! This little brother had no choice but to agree. Beforehand, this little brother truly had no idea you, Ancestor Gu, would appear here."
"I believe you."
Gu Qingfeng raised his cup and drank, murmuring inwardly, *It seems that wench Gugu Wuming wants to play a big game.*
Just then, a sudden anomaly occurred in the sky. A silvery-white radiance bloomed forth, illuminating all of Lingluo Heavenly Domain.