Having just resisted the Grass and Trees as Soldiers Sword Array unleashed by Gu Qingfeng, Da Xing the Mad Monk hadn't suffered any real injuries, but he was thoroughly exhausted. The consumption was significant; it felt like he had fought a three-day-and-night battle against an evenly matched opponent. Utterly fatigued, he plopped down on the ground, not wanting to get up again.
"Kid Gu!"
"Let me ask you, was that sword array really something you just cooked up on a whim?"
"That's right!"
Gu Qingfeng shrugged with a smile. "So, how was it? Not bad, eh?"
"That damn thing was... it was downright agonizing! The contraption you whipped up could literally exhaust a man to death!"
Recalling the sword array, Da Xing still felt a lingering fear. In his lifetime, he had seen many powerful and profound sword arrays, but never had he felt so utterly stifled as he did today.
No matter how formidable other sword arrays were, as long as you broke the Array Eye, you broke the array. Even if you couldn't break the Array Eye, Da Xing could usually discern its mysteries and mechanisms to escape. At the very worst, even if he couldn't break the eye or see through its secrets, he could afford to outlast it with his vast reserves of power.
But that confounded array just now?
Da Xing couldn't discern any mysteries or mechanisms at all.
Outlast it?
He had just tried that, and it nearly drained him completely. He had even brought out the Great Compassion and Mercy Fan, but it was useless. The more he fanned, the more flying swords appeared; the more he fanned, the crazier the array became. How the hell was he supposed to outlast that?
It was simply impossible.
The most infuriating part was knowing full well that Gu Qingfeng himself was the Array Eye, right there in front of him, yet he couldn't reach him.
Then again, even if he had reached him, facing a living Array Eye like Gu Qingfeng, Da Xing would have been helpless anyway.
This forced Da Xing to sigh in admiration for the profound mystery of the Taixu Sword Path.
Gu Qingfeng's very existence was terrifying enough. Now, having comprehended the Taixu Sword Path on top of that, looking across all of history and the cosmos, there probably weren't many left who could do anything to this kid.
For all those major powers of the Great Desolation, the Nine Heavens and Nine Nethers, the sacred lands and forbidden grounds, the Guixu and Desolate Ruins—all those coveting the position of True Lord of Original Sin—this was perhaps bad news.
But for Da Xing the Mad Monk, it was good news, and tremendously good news at that.
After all, he neither wanted Gu Qingfeng to ascend as the True Lord of Original Sin, nor did he want Gu Qingfeng to die here. The best outcome would be for Gu Qingfeng to neither ascend nor die, but to leave this place alive.
"Da Xing, want to see the Taixu Nine Swords?"
Hearing this, Da Xing's spirits immediately lifted. He leaned forward, asking, "You really comprehended the Taixu Nine Swords too?"
"Why would I lie to you?"
"Then show me! Use your own words, let this old monk broaden his horizons and gain some insight."
Da Xing's past life had not awakened, and his memories from it were very hazy. However, his impression of the Taixu Nine Swords had always been exceptionally vivid. He had never seen the Taixu Nine Swords before, not even in his past life. Most of what he knew about them came from his master in that previous life. The phrase that left the deepest impression was: 'The Taixu Nine Swords, Nine Transformations of Heaven and Earth.'
"I've heard that each of the Taixu Nine Swords causes the very heavens and earth to transform. I've always wanted to see that."
"Heh."
Gu Qingfeng gave a light laugh. "Don't just say you want to see it; I'd like to see it too."
"Didn't you just say you'd comprehended it?"
"That was just talk."
Gu Qingfeng stood up and stretched lazily. "This Taixu Sword Path is profoundly mysterious to the extreme. The Taixu Nine Swords are considered the essence within it. It's not something you can just comprehend by saying you will."
"So you're saying you haven't comprehended the Taixu Nine Swords after all?"
"Being able to Spirit Wander into Taixu today and comprehend the Taixu Sword Path already makes me quite happy. As for the legendary Taixu Nine Swords... we'll see if fate allows it."
The two didn't linger too long within these ruins. After finishing two jars of fine wine, they left.
Outside.
The massive chaotic vortex in the sky still spun wildly. The seemingly boundless ruins of the Desolate Ancient Era flickered between light and darkness. Fierce winds swept across, carrying yellow sand in raging wildly.
Several beams of light stood out starkly amidst the yellow sand.
Earlier, Gu Qingfeng and the other had followed one such beam of light into the Taixu Sword Tomb, which had been opened by the Taixu Sword Saint back in the era before the Desolate Ancient. Who knew what other ruins from the Desolate Ancient Era lay beneath the other beams of light?
"Who knows what ruins have manifested now. We should hurry over and take a look. If something happens, we shouldn't let others snatch it away first."
Although Gu Qingfeng wasn't greedy for wealth and didn't have much interest in those so-called treasures, well, how to put it... lack of interest didn't mean aversion. No one ever complained about having too many heavenly materials and earthly treasures, and Gu Qingfeng was no exception. Who knew when they might come in handy? At the very worst, even if he didn't use them himself, he could keep them as gifts to give away later.
Moreover, this place was a Desolate Ancient ruins. Even a lump of shit thrown into the Great Desolation would cause people to fight over it until their heads bled. If he was lucky enough to snatch a Great Dao Innate Supreme Treasure, he wouldn't have to worry for the rest of his life.
Besides, what emerged from the ruins might not necessarily be a Great Dao Innate Supreme Treasure. It could very well be some divine sense demonic thought, or some kind of fortuitous encounter.
For example, the Taixu Sword Tomb Gu Qingfeng had just barged into counted as both his opportunity and his fortuitous encounter—a sudden enlightenment, a spirit wandering into Taixu, leading to the comprehension of the Taixu Sword Path.
If even someone as seemingly desireless as Gu Qingfeng felt this way, let alone Da Xing the Mad Monk.
Having witnessed Gu Qingfeng's Spirit Wander into Taixu and comprehension of the Taixu Sword Path with his own eyes earlier had truly filled Da Xing with envy. But he also knew that opportunities like this couldn't be gained through envy. What is yours is yours; what isn't yours, you can't seize even if you try.
"I'm thinking we should split up and act separately. You go check out the other ruins too."
Hearing this, Da Xing felt somewhat displeased. "What, you afraid I'll snatch any treasures we come across?"
"I'm not afraid you'll snatch them; I'm afraid you won't be able to snatch them from me."
"I..." Although Da Xing didn't want to admit it, he had to acknowledge this was the truth. He really thought about it carefully. If they encountered some incredible treasure, he probably really wouldn't be able to snatch it from this kid Gu Qingfeng.
Thinking this way, he felt that leaving Gu Qingfeng and checking out other ruins alone might not be a bad thing. Who knows, he might really stumble upon some treasure.
But on second thought, Da Xing decided to forget it.
Leaving aside whether he could stumble upon any treasure, even if he did, so what?
For Da Xing, the most important thing was getting out of here alive and in one piece.
And whether he could leave alive depended entirely on whether Gu Qingfeng could leave alive.
Therefore, sticking with Gu Qingfeng was the most crucial matter.
Even though he knew following Gu Qingfeng might not change the outcome, it at least gave him a bit of a sense of security, sparing him from constant fear and worry.
"Ai!"
Da Xing let out a sigh. "Forget it. I'm not counting on anything anymore. I've decided I'm just going to stick with you, kid."
"I just don't get it. Why the hell do you keep following me? If you were a woman, fine, following would be following. But you, an old bald donkey, sticking to me all the time—what kind of situation is that? People who don't know might think I have a penchant for the 'dragon-yang' preference!"
"What, you want me to turn into a woman then?"