Gu Qingfeng did not respond, merely watching Empress Longque as she mocked those old-timers from the Desolate Ancient Era.
In his mind, this little demoness's purpose in revealing this matter in front of so many people likely wasn't just to mock those old fellows.
"Kid Gu! Speak up! Is what Empress Longque said true or not?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk pressed anxiously, asking over and over. Gu Qingfeng saw no point in hiding it—this matter couldn't be concealed anyway—so he openly admitted, "That's right, it did happen."
"Mother of mercy!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk drew a sharp breath. "You... how in the world did you manage that?"
Da Xing might not fully grasp the extent of Gu Qingfeng's abilities, but he had some idea of how terrifying those old-timers from the Desolate Ancient Era were. No matter how he turned it over in his mind, he simply couldn't believe that Gu Qingfeng had managed to scatter the Consciousness Avatars of those Desolate Ancient Ancestral Patriarchs into nothingness.
"Did it without much thought," Gu Qingfeng replied casually.
"You..." Da Xing was utterly speechless, left dumbfounded, not knowing what else to say.
"Heh heh heh..." Across from them, Empress Longque's laughter gradually subsided. Her gaze swept over Da Xing the Mad Monk, the Old Beggar, Lady Blackwater, and the others, a playful smile still curling at the corner of her lips. "Aren't you all curious why those Great Dao Patriarchs would suddenly move to erase him for no apparent reason?"
"Why?"
Compared to how Gu Qingfeng had scattered the Great Dao Patriarchs' Consciousness Avatars, everyone present was far more eager to know why those Patriarchs had suddenly attacked Gu Qingfeng.
Had they spotted some opportune moment?
Or had they perceived some decree of Heaven?
This was of utmost importance to everyone gathered there.
All eyes were fixed intently on Empress Longque, and she seemed to relish the attention. At this moment, she was like an experienced storyteller, having successfully captured everyone's focus.
"The reason is simple: the Heaven-Devouring, Earth-Swallowing Blood Taotie has emerged."
Good heavens!
Empress Longque dropped another bombshell, sending ripples of shock through the crowd like a stone cast into a pond.
Everyone present, whether Da Xing the Mad Monk, the Old Beggar, or Lady Blackwater and the others, knew exactly what the Heaven-Devouring, Earth-Swallowing Blood Taotie represented and the significance of its emergence. What they didn't understand was how the Blood Taotie's emergence was connected to the Desolate Ancient Era's Great Dao Patriarchs attempting to erase Gu Qingfeng.
"When the Heaven-Devouring, Earth-Swallowing Blood Taotie emerged, it just so happened—quite inconveniently—that our Lord You Di was present on the scene. Even more inconveniently, the Blood Taotie seemed very interested in him, wanting to devour him, and had already swallowed half of You Di's body. At that moment, You Di's situation was extremely perilous; he had one foot already in the gates of the underworld."
"Those Great Dao Patriarchs seized the opportunity and acted. They thought they could take advantage of the situation to seize the Original Sin upon You Di's person. If they couldn't seize the Original Sin, they could at least erase him. Failing that, testing the depths of You Di's power would still count for something."
"Heh heh heh heh..." As she spoke, Empress Longque began laughing heartily again, her laughter filled with mockery and scorn.
"And the result... heh, not only did they fail to seize the Original Sin from You Di, they failed to erase him. They didn't even manage to test the depths of his power. Instead, You Di scattered them all into nothingness with a single move... It's just too hilarious, enough to make one die laughing."
After hearing Empress Longque's words, everyone present more or less understood why the Great Dao Patriarchs of the Desolate Ancient Era had moved against Gu Qingfeng.
Just as they had guessed, the opportune moment had arrived, and Heaven's decree had descended.
Whether the Blood Taotie devouring Gu Qingfeng was Heaven's decree or not, it was undoubtedly an opportune moment—a rare one at that.
Whether this moment was genuine or false was ultimately unimportant. Regardless of its authenticity, those Great Dao Patriarchs of the Desolate Ancient Era would not have missed it.
Not only would the Great Dao Patriarchs not miss it, but many of the beings present would not have missed such a moment either, had they encountered it.
After all, Gu Qingfeng's existence was the greatest variable between Heaven and Earth.
His fate was indeterminable.
No opportune moment could be missed. If missed, there might never be another chance.
"Empress Longque, stop keeping us in suspense. Can't you just finish it all at once? Must you always leave us hanging?" the Old Beggar asked. "And then? What happened next?"
"And then?" Empress Longque shook her head. "There is no 'and then.'"
"What do you mean, no 'and then'? The Great Dao Patriarchs' Consciousness Avatars were scattered into nothingness. What about the Blood Taotie? Didn't you just say it wanted to devour this kid? Now the kid is standing here whole and unharmed. So where's the Blood Taotie?"
"Old Beggar, oh Old Beggar, I must say, that's an excellent question. Not only do you want to know where the Blood Taotie went, I want to know its whereabouts too. After our Nine Nethers Emperor annihilated the Great Dao Patriarchs' Consciousness Avatars, he began devouring the Blood Taotie. Don't doubt your ears; you heard correctly. Our Nine Nethers Emperor is not only bold, but his appetite is enormous. The Blood Taotie wanted to devour him, but he wanted to devour the Blood Taotie even more..." Empress Longque's voice carried over, sending shivers down the spines of everyone present, making their scalps tingle.
Who didn't know what the Blood Taotie was? That thing was one of the Four Ferocious Beasts since ancient times, renowned as the Devourer of Heaven and Earth.
It had always been the Blood Taotie devouring others; absolutely no one dared to devour the Blood Taotie.
No one!
Absolutely no one.
Who would dare devour a ferocious beast like the Taotie, known as the Devourer of Heaven and Earth, said to be capable of swallowing all things in the world?
Who had that kind of courage?
And who possessed that kind of ability?
Taking a step back, even if you had the courage and the ability, and actually managed to devour the Taotie... what then?
After devouring it, you'd have to refine it, right?
A ferocious beast like the Taotie couldn't even be eradicated by Heaven itself. Throughout all of history, who could refine it?
The answer was certain: no one.
So, what did it mean to devour an existence that couldn't be refined, especially the Heaven-Devouring, Earth-Swallowing Blood Taotie?
It meant you could be counter-devoured by the Taotie at any time, anywhere.
Mention the Taotie, and everyone's instinct was to run as far away as possible. At the very least, every single person present would avoid provoking the Taotie. That thing was too ferocious, impossible to erase, and carried the risk of being devoured. Staying away from it was the only option.
Earlier, Empress Longque said that Gu Qingfeng and the Taotie had tried to devour each other.
Now Gu Qingfeng was standing here whole and unharmed. So where was the Taotie?
Could it be... that this guy actually devoured the Taotie?
At this thought, the eyes of everyone present fixed on Gu Qingfeng as if he were a monster.
Da Xing the Mad Monk even trembled as he asked, "Gu... Kid Gu... Don't tell me you... really... really devoured the... Taotie..."