"Since no one wants it...
It seems this cauldron can only belong to me."
Gu Qingfeng's expression was grim. Being enveloped by dozens of powerful Divine Senses felt like being crushed by dozens of great mountains. Yet, despite this, the corners of his mouth still curled into a sinister and playful smile.
"In these times, it's always the bold who feast and the timid who starve. And my guts have always been rather large."
As he spoke, Gu Qingfeng was about to step forward when, before he even moved, an overwhelming pressure came crashing down upon him. If before it felt like being crushed by dozens of mountains, now it was as if the very heavens had collapsed, pressing down on him and making his expression even more unpleasant.
Clearly.
The old-timers lurking in the shadows did not want Gu Qingfeng to touch the Crimson Blood Cauldron. As for the exact reason, Gu Qingfeng himself was unclear.
"I say, esteemed Seniors, have you been stuck in this Primordial Black Hole for so long that not only are your brains addled, but your eyesight has gone bad too? Do you really think you can suppress me with just Divine Senses?"
Gu Qingfeng sneered arrogantly. "Are you overestimating yourselves, or are you underestimating me?"
As his words fell, Gu Qingfeng took another step.
With this step, the oppressive might contained within the dozens of Divine Senses enveloping him grew even more formidable. Moreover, this pressure came from all directions, like a tidal wave sweeping over every inch of Gu Qingfeng's skin, making his entire body ache with discomfort.
Suddenly, all the previously sealed acupoints across Gu Qingfeng's body opened wide. Each of his acupoints was a world unto itself, like a miniature heaven and earth. However, these heavens and earth were desolate and withered. Rather than calling them worlds, it was more accurate to call them abysses, for within his acupoints there was nothing—a profound, bottomless emptiness, bizarre and extreme like a black hole.
Gu Qingfeng drew a deep breath. In an instant, the abyssal, black-hole-like acupoints across his body transformed into swirling vortices that began to madly absorb—not anything else, but precisely the immense pressure emanating from the dozens of Divine Senses.
Witnessing this scene.
Changfeng Great Emperor was astonished. He had no idea Gu Qingfeng's physical body was so miraculous. Not only did each acupoint constitute its own world, but they could also transform into vortices to absorb pressure?
Such a thing was simply unheard of.
He wasn't the only one. Not far away, Man Tu Fan and the Monster-Demon Woman, who had been observing all along, also felt disbelief in their hearts upon seeing this. Especially the Monster-Demon Woman. Standing there with her arms crossed, she praised, "This fellow surnamed Gu is truly incredible. To think of such a clever method to absorb pressure, it really opens one's eyes. Hmm?"
As she spoke, the Monster-Demon Woman seemed to have discovered something, exclaiming in surprise, "His physical body...
How is it so similar to..." Then she shook her head, denying it. "No!
Impossible!"
"If his body were truly Immortal, it couldn't possibly be like this. But if it's not Immortal, then how is his body..." "How truly strange!"
"And when the acupoints across his body absorb that immense pressure, that profound mystery feels so peculiar?
It's like the very cosmos is rotating. What kind of divine ability is this?
Or is it some kind of fortune?
Or perhaps a great Dao?"
The more the Monster-Demon Woman thought about it, the more incredible she found it.
Beside her, Man Tu Fan wasn't particularly interested in Gu Qingfeng's physical body, because she knew there were far too many things about Gu Qingfeng that were incomprehensible and unbelievable.
In contrast, she was more curious about what those Divine Senses enveloping Gu Qingfeng truly intended. On the surface, it seemed like they were trying to stop Gu Qingfeng from touching the Crimson Blood Cauldron, but that was only the surface appearance. The more she watched, the less it seemed that was the case.
Although the Monster-Demon Woman had said the Crimson Blood Cauldron was the Blood Devouring Cauldron from the Desolate Ancient Era, and that the old-timers lurking in the Primordial Black Hole all feared it, surely they weren't so terrified that they didn't even dare show their faces?
"I told you, no one from the Desolate Ancient Era does not fear the Blood Devouring Cauldron. You've forgotten all the events of your past life, so you don't know the terror the Desolate Ancient people felt towards the Blood Devouring Cauldron, nor can you comprehend that kind of fear."
Changing the subject, the Monster-Demon Woman continued, "Of course, that's only one reason. Secondly, this fellow surnamed Gu is a variable, and the greatest variable at that. No one knows what will happen after he touches the Blood Devouring Cauldron."
Gazing at the dozens of Divine Senses enveloping Gu Qingfeng, the Monster-Demon Woman said, "In other words, they themselves don't know whether they should let this fellow surnamed Gu touch the Blood Devouring Cauldron or not."
She sighed inwardly, a complex smile curling at the corner of her mouth. "Thirdly, and most importantly, while there are many existences across the heavens and earth who do not wish for a person surnamed Gu to become the True Lord of Original Sin, that doesn't mean this fellow surnamed Gu won't become the True Lord of Original Sin. Those old-timers aren't showing themselves because they don't want to offend a person surnamed Gu. What if, in the future, this fellow surnamed Gu does become the True Lord of Original Sin? Wouldn't they be utterly dumbfounded then?"
"Ultimately, the Desolate Ancient people don't have absolute confidence in erasing him. This fellow's existence is too mysterious, too bizarre, too eerie, and too unknown. Faced with such an existence, not to mention them, even the one hailed as the Envoy of Karma and the Embodiment of Fate, Genggu Wuming, would have to think twice before acting. If they take one wrong step, the entire game is lost, and no one is an exception."
"Judging from the current situation, if those old-timers think they can stop him using the pressure of their Divine Senses, it simply won't work. They can't hold him back."
Man Tu Fan asked, "So, he will definitely touch the Blood Devouring Cauldron, right?"
"As long as he wants to, probably no one can stop him."
"If he touches the Blood Devouring Cauldron, what exactly will happen?"
Man Tu Fan had asked this question before. Asking again now, and just as the Monster-Demon Woman had responded last time that she didn't know, this time she again shook her head to indicate she didn't know.
"After he touches the Blood Devouring Cauldron, if nothing happens, then everything will remain unchanged. But if something does happen, no matter what it is, it will determine the stance of certain individuals."
"Right now, everyone is waiting. Waiting for the so-called omen, and waiting for the so-called opportune moment."
"If the person surnamed Gu sails smoothly through the Ancient Ruins, ascending step by step to the heavens, then those watching from the shadows might all place their bets on him."
"Conversely, if the person surnamed Gu faces adversity in the Ancient Ruins, finding every step difficult and trapped at every turn, then those watching from the shadows not only won't bet on him, but will instead join forces to erase him!"
"Many people neither believe in karma nor fate. But faced with this greatest of variables, aside from believing in karma and fate, they have no other choice. Believe they must, and disbelieve they must."
"This Desolate Ancient upheaval is about seeing on whose side fate stands!"
"In other words..." Man Tu Fan said, "If what happens after this fellow surnamed Gu touches the Blood Devouring Cauldron this time is beneficial to him, those watching from the shadows won't make a move. If it's harmful to him...
Will those watching from the shadows seize this opportunity to erase him?"
"Perhaps."
"What about you? Are you the same?"
The Monster-Demon Woman did not answer Man Tu Fan's question.