Gu Qingfeng's laughter was solitary and arrogant, wildly unrestrained, dominating the ancient and unrivaled in the present, filled with boundless freedom and unbridled spirit.
His laughter exploded through the Plum Blossom Immortal Realm, shaking the plum blossoms blanketing the ground into the air, sending them dancing wildly across the sky—a spectacular and dazzlingly beautiful sight.
"Wait for me...
Hahahaha!"
Gu Qingfeng laughed heartily as he departed from the Plum Blossom Immortal Realm.
In truth, he hadn't spoken those words to tease Jun Xuanji, nor to make her happy. They were his genuine feelings.
Gu Qingfeng was a man of true temperament.
He always had been.
And he never changed.
What he felt in his heart, he would act upon.
Since he had already decided to break free from the Original Sin, he would certainly do it.
As for whether he could ultimately escape the Original Sin...
He didn't know.
Just as he had told Jun Xuanji, no matter what, he would stake everything on this gamble. Winning or losing wasn't important; what mattered was not leaving any regrets, giving his heart an answer. That was enough.
Yes.
Giving his heart an answer.
An answer not only for his solitary, unyielding heart, but also for his heart filled with complex emotions towards Jun Xuanji.
By the time Gu Qingfeng returned to the Primordial World, it was already high noon under a blazing sun.
From afar, he spotted that old fellow Huode pacing back and forth at the entrance of the Cloud Mist Sect, craning his neck and peering around with wide eyes as if waiting for something.
Suddenly, when Huode saw Gu Qingfeng's figure, he shot up with a *whoosh*, flying towards him, his expression quite anxious as he shouted, "Why are you only coming back now, kid?"
"I say, Huode, I never noticed before how much you enjoy meddling in other people's business," Gu Qingfeng said listlessly. "What's wrong with me coming back now? Not allowed? I'm not your sweetheart. I'll come back whenever I feel like it. What's it to you?"
"Bah!" Huode spat fiercely, saying with annoyance, "If something big hadn't happened, this old man wouldn't give a damn when you came back!"
Gu Qingfeng teased, "Huode, you old codger, you're at least a sect patriarch now. Can't you have a bit of a patriarch's dignity, for heaven's sake? Don't act like you've never seen the world, always going on about 'something big.' How big can it possibly be? Did the sky fall, or did your sweetheart run off with someone?"
"Go to hell! Can't you be serious for once, kid? I'm telling you, someone's here looking for you!"
"Looking for me?" Gu Qingfeng asked casually as he walked forward. "Who?"
Huode hurried to catch up, his voice strained as he said, "The Celestial Secrets Empress."
Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng abruptly stopped, his brow furrowing slightly. He glanced at Huode and asked, "You mean that little wench Genggu Wuming?"
Hearing Gu Qingfeng directly call Genggu Wuming a 'little wench,' Huode felt his scalp go numb. Scared, he quickly tried to dissuade him, "Kid Gu, the Celestial Secrets Empress is right here in the Cloud Mist Sect. Don't you dare shout nonsense, you brat. Be careful someone hears you."
"So what if they hear?" Gu Qingfeng said with a playful smile. "She *is* a little wench, not some big burly man. I'm not wrong."
"This old man... damn it... I give up on you!" Huode was so angry he didn't know what to say. "Kid Gu, I'm telling you, the Celestial Secrets Empress is no ordinary existence. Who knows what she's here for this time? You absolutely cannot take this lightly."
"The other day, I waited for that little wench for so long in the void of the Lingluo Celestial Domain, and she refused to show herself. Why has she come now?" Gu Qingfeng rubbed his chin in thought. He knew that a few days ago in the Lingluo Celestial Domain, it was Genggu Wuming who had stepped in to suppress the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao. To be precise, her appearance directly caused the hidden powerhouses from the Great Desolate giants, the blessed lands and cave heavens, including the holy lands and forbidden grounds, the Gui Xu and the desolate ruins—all those lurking in the shadows—to temporarily change their plans. Not a single one who should have appeared did, leaving Gu Qingfeng with nowhere to vent his anger, unable to pull off a grand spectacle.
Most importantly, after sleeping for ten thousand years, his physical body remained chaotically decayed. His Avici Endless Malevolent Asura soul and his Supreme Azure Above, Yellow Springs Below forbidden incarnation had both fallen into deep slumber, and even the Dao-less Blood Moon he had refined back then had vanished. Gu Qingfeng had originally intended to use the various great powers to rouse the sleeping Avici Endless Malevolent Asura and Supreme Azure Above, Yellow Springs Below, while also stretching his limbs to help his decayed body recover sooner.
Furthermore, since he had decided to seek the Original Sin, he naturally also wanted to awaken the slumbering Original Sin blood within himself. Only by first awakening the Original Sin blood within could he better understand what kind of existence the Original Sin truly was.
He had finally gotten such a perfect opportunity.
And then, damn it all, because of Genggu Wuming's appearance, his clever plans had come to nothing.
That day in the void of the Lingluo Celestial Domain, he had gone on a killing spree, hoping to force Genggu Wuming out. But that little wench was just too composed.
In Gu Qingfeng's mind, Genggu Wuming must have known that Xiao Jinr would definitely come out to persuade him. He even suspected that the reason Xiao Jinr had come to find him was probably orchestrated behind the scenes by that little wench Genggu Wuming.
After all, this woman was reputed to know the past and future, wield fate and karma, deduce the cosmos and primal chaos, and comprehend the mysteries of heaven and earth. Although she hadn't appeared for many matters, they were all inextricably linked to her.
"She said she was looking for me?" Gu Qingfeng asked.
Huode replied, "The Celestial Secrets Empress didn't directly say she was looking for you. At first, I didn't even know she had come; Xiao Jinr told me. As for why the Celestial Secrets Empress is here... that... I really don't know."
After a pause, Huode asked worriedly, "Kid Gu, what do you think the Celestial Secrets Empress is here for this time? To visit Xiao Jinr, or because of you? If it's because of you, what do you think it's about?"
Huode's heart was in turmoil. Although the Celestial Secrets Empress didn't involve herself in worldly affairs or uphold justice, spending her life only guiding those with a destined connection...
In Huode's view, the Celestial Secrets Empress appearing at the Cloud Mist Sect was definitely not here to guide anyone.
And even if she were, she wouldn't come to guide a sinner as heinous as Gu Qingfeng.
What worried Huode most was that he had heard that although nine out of ten Sin Ancestors in the Gui Xu were cast there by the Heavens, quite a few had also been cast in by Genggu Wuming—specifically those who overturned karma and attempted to alter fate.
Whether Gu Qingfeng had overturned karma, Huode might not know, but this guy had never stopped meddling in defying the heavens and changing fate.
In terms of the degree of sin, Gu Qingfeng deserved to be cast into the Gui Xu ten times over.
Huode was truly afraid—afraid that this time, the Celestial Secrets Empress would cast Gu Qingfeng into the Gui Xu.