The sinister and eerie Crimson Blood Cauldron loomed within the blood mist like a savage and brutal Primordial Beast of Chaos. This was especially true as the various mysterious runes on its body flickered, causing the entire crimson cauldron to blur and distort, as if undergoing some transformation.
A roar—a deafening roar erupted from within the cauldron. The bloody vortex inside swirled madly, seeking to completely swallow Gu Qingfeng.
At this moment, half of Gu Qingfeng's body had already been sucked into the bloody vortex. He stood within the whirlpool, his face slightly pale and his expression particularly grave. His snow-white robes fluttered wildly in the crimson vortex, and his ink-black hair danced frantically in the blood mist.
Accompanied by roar after roar, the bloody vortex of the Crimson Blood Cauldron grew increasingly powerful. At first, it had only sought to devour Gu Qingfeng's physical body. Later, it tried to devour his qi and blood. And this time, the Crimson Blood Cauldron actually attempted to devour his essence, energy, and spirit.
Ever since the end of the Ancient Era and the beginning of the Current Era, Gu Qingfeng's essence, energy, and spirit had been in a weakened state. If they were devoured by the Crimson Blood Cauldron, what would become of him?
Although he immediately guarded his mind and spirit, a significant portion of his essence, energy, and spirit was still devoured. Fortunately, he had not only comprehended the Dao of Life but also the Dao of Death. The Dao of Life granted him an inexhaustible supply of vitality, while the Dao of Death allowed his qi, blood, spirit, mind, and everything else to enter a state of death.
Thus, the Crimson Blood Cauldron found nothing to devour, nothing to consume.
Even so, the Crimson Blood Cauldron did not give up.
Not only did it not give up, it became even more ferocious than before.
Witnessing this scene, the expressions on the faces of the Ancestral Patriarchs from Loulan Blessed Land, Purple Cloud Immortal Realm, Ascension Immortal Realm, as well as Shangqing Sect and the Haolei Family, grew increasingly complex.
This complexity contained fear, astonishment, and also delight.
What they feared was that no one had anticipated the Crimson Blood Cauldron would be so terrifying—terrifying enough to nearly devour the infamous Nine Nethers Emperor.
What astonished them was that Gu Qingfeng's abilities truly surpassed even the legends. Facing the utterly terrifying Crimson Blood Cauldron, he had actually managed to withstand it head-on using various Daos.
Everyone present could see that the Crimson Blood Cauldron was not only devouring Gu Qingfeng's physical body but also his qi, blood, and spirit. Although Gu Qingfeng was temporarily holding on through his various Daos, it was only a temporary stalemate. As for how long Gu Qingfeng could hold out, they might not know, but one thing they were all certain of was that it would not be easy for Gu Qingfeng to escape from the Crimson Blood Cauldron.
This was also what delighted them.
The minds of the Ancestral Patriarchs from Purple Cloud Immortal Realm and Ascension Immortal Realm raced. They had long coveted the Original Sin upon Gu Qingfeng's person and had been waiting for an opportunity.
Now, Gu Qingfeng was trapped deep within the Crimson Blood Cauldron, not only unable to escape but also seemingly in danger of being devoured.
For them, this was absolutely a rare and excellent opportunity.
As the saying goes, kick a man when he's down.
If they struck now, they might just be able to eradicate the Nine Nethers Emperor!
Thinking of this, the Ancestral Patriarchs of the Great Wilderness's major powers grew excited.
"This is a perfect opportunity to eradicate the Nine Nethers Emperor!"
Over at the Purple Cloud Immortal Realm's side, Tian Kui's body radiated dazzling light. Holding a Postnatal Dao Flying Sword in hand, his somewhat handsome face was etched with excitement. His eyes were fixed dead on Gu Qingfeng, trapped deep within the Crimson Blood Cauldron. He wished he could charge over right now to eradicate the Nine Nethers Emperor and seize the Original Sin.
He wanted to obtain the Original Sin upon Gu Qingfeng's person far too much. He dreamed of it.
Although he was an Innate Child of Original Sin, possessed a Divine Movement Extreme Body, the Heavenly Lion Constellation, and the Purple Clouds from the East bestowed by the Purple Cloud Immortal Realm, and under the nurturing of the Purple Cloud Immortal Realm's Ancestral Patriarchs, he had also gestated an Embodiment of Original Sin...
However, these things could not satisfy his ambition. In a sense, he even despised his own Divine Movement Extreme Body and Heavenly Lion Constellation, including the Purple Clouds from the East granted by the Purple Cloud Immortal Realm.
Tian Kui understood very clearly in his heart that a true Child of Original Sin was pure. Other so-called fortunes, no matter how powerful, would only hinder the development of a Child of Original Sin.
Yes.
Tian Kui had always been clear about this, yet he had not abandoned his other fortunes. Not only that, over the years, he had diligently cultivated his Divine Movement Extreme Body, Heavenly Lion Constellation, Purple Clouds from the East, and so on.
It wasn't that he wanted to cultivate them, but that he had no choice.
Because gestating an Embodiment of Original Sin was already the limit of his potential.
In other words, his fate, his opportunities, his fortunes, his potential—they could only take him this far on the path of Original Sin. Left with no alternative, he could only develop horizontally, cultivating other fortunes to enhance his own strength.
But this did not mean Tian Kui had given up on Original Sin.
No.
Never.
He had also been waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity to ascend to the heavens in a single step.
This time, when the Ancient Ruins manifested in the Great Wilderness, the Ancestral Patriarchs of the Purple Cloud Immortal Realm had explicitly forbidden him from leaving and had even confined him within the Immortal Realm. Tian Kui had not complied. He had secretly escaped and barged into the Ancient Ruins.
Why?
To come to the Ancient Ruins and gamble, to change his own fate.
Behind Tian Kui's seemingly glorious appearance lay hardships unknown to others. The Purple Cloud Immortal Realm had nurtured more than one Child of Original Sin; there were several. It was only because Tian Kui's path of Original Sin had stalled at the Embodiment stage that he had been abandoned by the Purple Cloud Immortal Realm.
The Ancestral Patriarchs might not have said it outright, but Tian Kui could sense that the Purple Cloud Immortal Realm had already given up on him.
He was not convinced.
Nor was he resigned.
He wanted to prove to all the Ancestral Patriarchs of the Purple Cloud Immortal Realm that he, Tian Kui, was the true Child of Original Sin!
Now, this opportunity had finally arrived.
The blood within Tian Kui's body seemed to boil.
He felt this way.
The other Ancestral Patriarchs of the Purple Cloud Immortal Realm appeared no different, except for Ancestral Patriarch Lieyin, whose face was filled with worry and caution.
Tian Kui was, in a sense, nurtured by his own hands. No one understood Tian Kui better than he did. Seeing Tian Kui now, excited and exhilarated as if he had lost his senses, Ancestral Patriarch Lieyin advised, "Tian Kui, you must not act recklessly!"
"Ancestral Patriarch!" Tian Kui sneered and questioned, "Are you telling me to give up such a good opportunity?"
"No! I am not telling you to give up, but to calm down for now and not do anything foolish!" Ancestral Patriarch Lieyin said, "It is undeniable that this is indeed a rare and excellent opportunity. Missing it would surely lead to lifelong regret. But..." He changed his tone and continued, "The more critical the moment, the more we must remain calm."
He glanced at the Ancestral Patriarchs of Ascension Immortal Realm and Loulan Blessed Land and said, "If I guess correctly, they must also be discussing this matter right now."
"We must keep our composure now!"
Gazing at Gu Qingfeng trapped deep within the Crimson Blood Cauldron, Ancestral Patriarch Lieyin said, "What that Crimson Blood Cauldron is, I do not know. How terrifying it truly is, I also do not know. But I do know how formidable the existence of the Nine Nethers Emperor is. His abilities are not limited to just this."
Tian Kui retorted, unwilling to accept it, "Now that the Nine Nethers Emperor is trapped in the Crimson Blood Cauldron, he can't even protect himself. I don't believe he can still spare a hand to deal with us!"
"Others might not be able to, but the Nine Nethers Emperor might just be the exception!"