From his hair and skin, from his acupoints and meridians, from his bones and tendons down to his internal organs, Gu Qingfeng felt and probed every part of his physical body, yet found no trace of any Omen Object.
He then meticulously examined everything from his mind, heart, divine sense, consciousness, soul, and sea of consciousness, but still discovered no Omen Object.
He even checked the Evil Asura Spirit of Avici, the Incarnation of Ascending to the Azure and Descending to the Yellow Springs, along with the three great creations of Heavenly Phenomenon Pagoda, Earthly Phenomenon Purgatory, and Chaotic Phenomenon Cosmos. He even inspected the forbidden Great Daos like Absolute, Silence, Life, and Death. Yet again, he found no Omen Object whatsoever.
"Old Senior," Gu Qingfeng stared at Old Senior Feng Zhu and asked, "You're not trying to scare me, are you? I just checked carefully and found no Omen Object anywhere on my body."
"Not finding it doesn't mean it doesn't exist," Old Senior Feng Zhu replied with solemn gravity. "May I ask, Young Friend Qingfeng, with so many mysterious and bizarre existences upon your person, can you guarantee you've detected them all?"
This question from Old Senior Feng Zhu truly stumped Gu Qingfeng, leaving him speechless.
Indeed.
Gu Qingfeng carried many mysterious and bizarre existences. Some he had comprehended himself, others had inexplicably attached themselves to him. Whether self-comprehended or external, while he couldn't control some, he could at least sense their presence. Only two existences Gu Qingfeng couldn't feel at all.
Those were Original Sin and Illusion.
He was born as a person of Original Sin and later fused with Original Sin blood. As for the Illusory Self, he had comprehended it himself.
One he actively fused with, the other he comprehended himself. Logically, he should be able to control both. Yet the reality was not only could he not control them, he couldn't even sense them.
Since he couldn't sense Original Sin and Illusion, it was possible other existences might similarly evade his detection.
The more he thought, the less certain he felt. Because during his self-examination just now, he noticed something strange.
Ever since entering the Primordial Black Hole, both the Evil Asura Spirit of Avici and the Incarnation of Ascending to the Azure and Descending to the Yellow Springs had been restless, as if returning home. Especially when the mysterious roar echoed from the Primordial Black Hole, these two existences grew even more excited, as if hearing a loved one's call, trembling with anticipation.
Yet after arriving at these Primordial Ruins, the previously excited Evil Asura Spirit of Avici and Incarnation of Ascending to the Azure and Descending to the Yellow Springs had inexplicably quieted down completely. They were no longer restless, as if fallen into a kind of slumber.
Gu Qingfeng had entered over ten Primordial Ruins consecutively within the Primordial Black Hole. When entering the others, the Evil Asura of Avici and Ascending to the Azure and Descending to the Yellow Springs remained restless. Why was it that only upon entering these ruins did these two existences become docile?
Thinking this, his heart sank. Could that damned Omen Object really be upon him?
He looked up at Old Senior Feng Zhu. The old man appeared transcendent and benevolent, with kind eyebrows and gentle eyes, yet wore a very serious expression. He didn't seem like he would deceive him.
Good heavens.
If the Omen Object truly was upon him and he couldn't sense it, what exactly was this thing?
Old Senior Feng Zhu in life was almost certainly a lofty figure from the Desolate Ancient Era, possibly even a legendary Great Dao Progenitor. For an existence like him to call something an Omen Object, how terrifying must it be?
He didn't know.
And couldn't imagine.
When Gu Qingfeng inquired, Old Senior Feng Zhu shook his head slightly. "Young Friend Qingfeng, this question you should not ask this old one."
"Then who should I ask?"
"You should ask yourself."
"I'd like to ask myself, but the problem is I can't sense that damned Omen Object at all."
"Since the Omen Object has chosen you, it means you are the destined person it awaits. Not sensing it now doesn't mean you won't in the future. This old one believes that one day you will meet it."
"That's the same as saying nothing at all."
Old Senior Feng Zhu shook his head and said no more. No matter how Gu Qingfeng pressed, the old senior refused to speak another word about the Omen Object.
This made Gu Qingfeng feel even more uneasy, because he could tell the old senior seemed to harbor complex feelings toward the Omen Object—something like apprehension, mixed with deep concern.
"Since Old Senior won't speak of it, I won't force you. However..." Gu Qingfeng continued questioning, "May I ask what relationship you have with that Omen Object?"
"This old one has no relationship whatsoever with that Omen Object."
"Is that true?"
Gu Qingfeng picked up the exquisite wine bottle, first pouring a cup for Old Senior Feng Zhu, then one for himself. "If you have no connection to that damned Omen Object, then why have you stayed here all these years?"
"This old one already answered that question earlier. I remain here solely to await the destined person of the Omen Object."
"And then? Since the Omen Object has nothing to do with you, why wait for this so-called destined person?"
"This old one wishes to see what kind of existence the person awaited by the Omen Object truly is."
"I suspect Old Senior's purpose in waiting here isn't merely to see the destined person, is it?"
A playful smile touched Gu Qingfeng's lips. "Whether you have any relationship with that Omen Object, I may not know. But Old Senior must certainly be connected to the giant cauldron that sealed the Omen Object, including these Primordial Ruins. Even this spacetime turbulence was most likely your doing, wasn't it?"
Old Senior Feng Zhu cast an appreciative glance at Gu Qingfeng, not denying it. He nodded in affirmation. "Young friend speaks correctly. This cauldron is named the Eight Desolates Origin Cauldron, indeed forged by this old one in life. As for this spacetime illusion, it was indeed arranged by this old monk."
Hearing Old Senior Feng Zhu say this didn't surprise Gu Qingfeng. Ever since meeting this old man, he had guessed all this was likely the old man's handiwork. And by now, he more or less understood the old man's purpose in arranging this spacetime illusion.
"Did Old Senior arrange this spacetime illusion to trap me here?"
"Before Young Friend Qingfeng arrived, this old one indeed intended to trap the destined person awaited by the Omen Object within this spacetime illusion. After meeting Young Friend Qingfeng, this old one changed my mind."
"Why?"
"I wonder which 'why' Young Friend Qingfeng refers to..."
"Two whys. First, why did you want to trap the destined person awaited by the Omen Object here?"
"The reason is simple. Once the Omen Object emerges, its influence will be immense—upon the Great Dao of heaven and earth, upon all living beings, upon the past, present, and future, even upon the Era of No Dao that has opened in the current era."
"Listening to you say this," Gu Qingfeng rubbed his chin, "it seems I've really landed in big trouble this time."