Yes.
The Black Pig Monster King was right. If someone in the Desolate Ancient Era had truly ascended to become the True Lord of Original Sin and opened the Daoless Age, then with the reappearance of the Desolate Ancient Era this time, the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate of the current era might indeed be born.
Even the Black Pig Monster King knew this, let alone Gu Qingfeng.
The moment he stepped into the Desolate Ancient Black Hole, the moment he sensed the many presences within it watching him, he had already felt that the emergence of these Desolate Ancient ruins was anything but ordinary.
"Master Gu, forgive me for saying something you might not like to hear. If you hadn't appeared in these Desolate Ancient ruins, or if you were to leave this place now, I wouldn't dare say it would be completely safe, but at least those existences eyeing you covetously wouldn't target you specifically. They'd all be busy fighting over the Original Sin within the Desolate Ancient Black Hole, and they certainly wouldn't try to erase you at this time."
"But if you stay in the Desolate Ancient ruins, the situation changes completely. You ignited the Original Sin Karmic Fire at Wudao Mountain back then, and you awakened the Original Sin. Those bastards all suspect you are the fated True Lord of Original Sin. They're all afraid you'll ascend to become the True Lord of Original Sin here in the ruins. So, they will stop at nothing to prevent you from achieving that."
Once again, the Black Pig Monster King was correct.
Gu Qingfeng also felt that if he hadn't come to the Desolate Ancient Black Hole this time, the outcome might have been different. It was even possible that Fate itself might have changed as a result.
Just think: if someone in the Desolate Ancient Era had truly become the True Lord of Original Sin, and if the True Lord of the current era was truly destined to be born with the reappearance of these ruins, and if he, Gu Qingfeng, hadn't come here... then perhaps someone else would have become the True Lord of Original Sin.
As long as someone became the True Lord of Original Sin—or even showed signs of it, a mere omen—Gu Qingfeng could finally live the leisurely life he had always dreamed of. Those existences across the heavens and the earth would no longer trouble him.
In the past, Gu Qingfeng would have turned and left without a second thought, just as the Black Pig Monster King suggested. He would have gone as far away as possible. Anywhere would have been better than staying here. For the sake of his dream life, he would have been more than willing to gamble with Fate once more, even though he had never won such a gamble before.
Unfortunately.
That was only in the past.
The Gu Qingfeng of today would not leave.
If he were going to leave, he would have done so long ago when Great Monk Daxing earnestly pleaded with him to go. He wouldn't have waited until now.
In the past.
His attitude toward Original Sin was to go with the flow, to let nature take its course, to live one day at a time and take one step at a time.
Now, he no longer wanted to just let nature take its course.
This change in attitude began in the Lingluo Heavenly Domain. To be precise, it was the appearance of three people that caused this shift.
One was Xiao Jinr.
One was Jun Xuanji.
And the last one was Genggu Wuming.
After meeting Xiao Jinr, Gu Qingfeng had a vague feeling that he was not the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate. Xiao Jinr was.
Whether this feeling was an illusion or not, Gu Qingfeng didn't know. He only knew that he had promised Xiao Jinr that if Heaven and Earth could not tolerate her, he would destroy this Heaven and Earth.
This was not a joke.
It was a promise.
The first and only promise Gu Qingfeng had ever made in his life.
Since he had made this promise to Xiao Jinr, he would definitely fulfill it.
After meeting Jun Xuanji in the Lingluo Heavenly Domain, Gu Qingfeng's heart was in turmoil. Especially seeing the lost, bewildered look in Jun Xuanji's beautiful, sorrowful eyes—it pained him deeply.
Jun Xuanji was lost. She was lost because of Original Sin, because of karma, and perhaps most of all, because of him.
Although Gu Qingfeng had made no promise to Jun Xuanji, he swore deep in his heart to do everything in his power to help the lost Jun Xuanji find herself and break free from her confusion.
In the Lingluo Heavenly Domain, he had also met Genggu Wuming.
Even now, he hadn't figured out Genggu Wuming's true purpose in seeking him out.
He also didn't know whether Genggu Wuming wanted to stop him from seeking Original Sin, or was hinting that he should seek it.
Even.
Gu Qingfeng didn't know whether the change in his state of mind was influenced by Xiao Jinr, by Jun Xuanji, or by Genggu Wuming.
He didn't know.
He knew nothing.
Precisely because he didn't know, he had to seek out Original Sin.
Whether it was for Xiao Jinr, for Jun Xuanji, or even for himself, he had to seek Original Sin and gamble with Fate once more.
As for winning or losing.
That was a matter for the future.
To put it bluntly, Gu Qingfeng had come this time specifically for the Original Sin within the Desolate Ancient ruins. Given that, how could he possibly leave?
Since his mind was made up, Gu Qingfeng would not change it.
Beside him.
Seeing Gu Qingfeng fall silent, the Black Pig Monster King thought he had been persuaded. He cautiously said, "Master Gu, I meant no offense by saying all that. If you don't like hearing it, just pretend I never said anything."
The Black Pig Monster King was sincerely trying to persuade Gu Qingfeng, partly out of gratitude for the surge of vigorous life energy Gu Qingfeng had bestowed upon him.
Of course.
The Black Pig Monster King also had his own little scheme. He thought that if Gu Qingfeng decided to leave, he might be able to take him along. That way, Gu Qingfeng would be safe, and he would be safe too—a perfect win-win situation.
Before coming, the Black Pig Monster King had brought all his assets, determined to make a big gamble in the Desolate Ancient ruins. He didn't aspire to become the True Lord of Original Sin; he just wanted to snag an Original Sin Dharma Body. Even an Original Sin Response Body or Retribution Body would do. At the very least, an Original Sin Transformation Body. If luck was on his side, he might acquire a Great Dao Primordial Treasure, or some Primordial Bloodline, or perhaps the divine consciousness or demonic thoughts of a Great Dao Progenitor, and so on.
If he could get just one thing, then no matter who became the True Lord of Original Sin or who opened the Daoless Age, he would at least have a place for himself.
However.
Dreams are beautiful, but reality is cruel.
As the saying goes, the battle is lost before it's even fought. He had just arrived at the Desolate Ancient ruins, hadn't even gotten a whiff of treasure, and was already severely injured. Injured or not, he had the misfortune of running into Gu Qingfeng.
The Black Pig Monster King reckoned that in his current state, forget about snatching any treasures in the ruins, even preserving his own life would be difficult. Especially after hearing Gu Qingfeng say that there might be dozens of old survivors from the Desolate Ancient Era still lurking in the black hole, plus whatever remnants of the Return to Ruins and Desolate Ruins, forbidden lands and sacred grounds, the Nine Heavens and Nine Netherworlds, the great desolate giants, cave heavens and blessed lands... all the ones who should come and shouldn't have come, damn them all, were here.
The Black Pig Monster King figured he should just leave. He wouldn't pin his hopes on any treasures anymore; preserving his life was the priority.
He looked at Gu Qingfeng with hopeful eyes, expecting him to take him away from this place. To his surprise, Gu Qingfeng only smiled and said nothing.
Since Gu Qingfeng didn't speak, he didn't dare to ask further.
However.
Right at that moment, a thunderous *BOOM* exploded, shaking the entire Desolate Ancient ruins as if it were convulsing violently.
"What's going on?"
Gu Qingfeng looked over and was astonished to see a brilliant radiance shooting up into the sky in the distance.