Of course, Gu Qingfeng was only suspicious. He didn't actually know whether the Wu Dao Age belonged to the past or the future.
And now, this voice claimed to be Wu Dao Daozun.
He couldn't tell if it was true or false at the moment.
After all, each word and syllable from the other party deeply affected him. Otherwise, his Heart-Mind, consciousness, soul, and physical body wouldn't be so distorted and erratic, nor would they be on the verge of collapse at any moment.
Most importantly, Gu Qingfeng always felt that the source of the other party's voice seemed to be summoning him, and it was an irresistible summoning at that.
If the Blood of Original Sin within his body truly belonged to Wu Dao Daozun, then perhaps it would only surge and boil with such excitement upon encountering the real Wu Dao Daozun?
Thinking of this, Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but suspect, could the other party truly be the legendary Wu Dao Daozun?
Seeing that the other party didn't respond, Gu Qingfeng asked again, "Are you Wu Dao Daozun or not?"
"Hahahahaha!"
The voice let out another burst of wild laughter, still ancient and overwhelmingly domineering, like a deity presiding over all creation.
"You are mistaken! I am not Wu Dao Daozun!"
The other party's response truly exceeded Gu Qingfeng's expectations. Just as he was puzzled, the voice spoke again, "Fate has not yet perished, the Wu Dao Age has not yet begun, so how could there be a Wu Dao Daozun!"
Gu Qingfeng understood. The other party meant that the Wu Dao Age did not belong to the past, but to the future. In other words, the legendary Wu Dao Daozun had not yet been born. This aligned perfectly with his own speculation.
"Since you are not Wu Dao Daozun, why did you say that my body flows with your blood?"
When Gu Qingfeng asked this, unexpectedly, the voice erupted in frenzied laughter once more.
"Young man! Have you misunderstood something?"
"Misunderstood what?"
"Wu Dao Daozun can represent Original Sin, but he is not equal to Original Sin! Hahahaha! If I wish it, I can make anyone into Wu Dao Daozun!"
It must be said, the other party's tone was nothing if not grandiose!
Gu Qingfeng carefully pondered these words.
Suddenly!
His heart jolted, recalling the prophecy recorded in the Book of Fate: When Original Sin finds its True Lord, the Great Dao will fall, the Present Age will end, Heaven and Earth will be reborn, and the Wu Dao Age will begin…
Now this voice said that as long as it wished, it could make anyone into Wu Dao Daozun.
What did that mean?
Gu Qingfeng seemed to realize something, feeling his scalp go numb. He asked, "You are… Original Sin?"
"Hahahahaha! Young man! You finally know who I am!"
Good heavens!
The shock in Gu Qingfeng's heart was beyond words, and he didn't know what to say. He had always thought that the existence of Original Sin might be a form of the Great Dao, or a law, or a source. He never imagined this damn thing actually had self-awareness?
This was far too bizarre!
Gu Qingfeng didn't know if it was true or false, and inwardly, he didn't quite believe it.
"Young man, do you know the prophecy recorded in the Book of Fate?"
"I do."
"Since you know, then I need not say more. You are the True Lord I have been seeking. Once this Great Dao falls, once the Present Age ends, once Heaven and Earth are reborn, once Fate dies, once the Wu Dao Age begins—you will be Wu Dao Daozun!"
Accompanied by roaring laughter, the Desolate Ancient Black Hole, like a sea of fire and hell, burned violently. And Gu Qingfeng's physical body twisted even more intensely—his body, his Heart-Mind, soul, consciousness, all of it—as if everything about himself was being buried in a sea of flames, seeming to merge with it, but even more like being devoured.
At this moment.
Gu Qingfeng, with an unyielding will, guarded his Ego Consciousness, allowing his Heart-Mind to scatter, his physical body to distort, his soul to burn.
Perhaps sensing Gu Qingfeng's resistance, the voice roared angrily, "You are resisting?"
"So what if I am?"
"Why resist? Do you not wish to become Wu Dao Daozun?"
"I do not!"
Gu Qingfeng responded without hesitation.
He truly did not wish to become some damn Wu Dao Daozun.
Firstly, the matters between Fate and Original Sin were too complex, the waters too deep. Up until now, he still hadn't figured out what exactly was going on.
Although he had heard that the Ancient Clans wanted to use Fate to dominate Heaven, Earth, and all things, and that only by becoming the True Lord of Original Sin could Fate be erased.
But in the end, that was just hearsay. He didn't know the truth of the matter.
That was only secondary.
Previously, Da Xing the Mad Monk had said that if he were truly the predestined True Lord of Original Sin, then all of this was very likely a conspiracy of Fate. Fate was waiting for him to become the True Lord of Original Sin so it could erase him and eliminate Original Sin.
Although he didn't know if this was true or false either, Gu Qingfeng had to guard against it. He had no desire to become a pawn of Fate.
There was another point that also forced Gu Qingfeng to think thrice before acting. In his opinion, if he truly became the True Lord of Original Sin, and truly erased Fate, becoming the legendary Wu Dao Daozun and ushering in the so-called Wu Dao Age…
Then what?
Fate would be erased, but there would still be Original Sin.
Gu Qingfeng did not believe that Original Sin existed solely to erase Fate.
The Ancient Clans could use Fate to dominate Heaven, Earth, and all things.
Who dared guarantee that Original Sin wouldn't become a second Fate?
Just now, the other party had said something very apt: Wu Dao Daozun could represent Original Sin, but was not equal to Original Sin. To put it bluntly, the Wu Dao Daozun that would be born was merely a spokesperson for Original Sin, just a puppet of Original Sin.
Gu Qingfeng certainly did not want to become a pawn of Fate, but he wanted even less to become a pawn of Original Sin.
Although Da Xing the Mad Monk had always kept things hidden from Gu Qingfeng, playing the fool, one thing he said had left a deep impression on Gu Qingfeng: the four words, "preserve one's purity alone." In such a chaotic situation, the most important thing was to live, to live for oneself, to trust no one and participate in nothing.
However.
Gu Qingfeng's resistance at this moment had an even more important reason.
That was, he didn't quite believe this voice was the so-called Original Sin.
Even though this voice made him feel innate fear, as if it were deeply rooted in his very being, even though this voice deeply affected him and constantly summoned him, he still had some doubts about its authenticity.
He had previously fused with the Blood of Original Sin, and it was nothing like this feeling. Back then, during the fusion, there was no sense of discomfort; it felt as if it had always belonged to him. That feeling couldn't even be called fusion.
But now?
It was no longer mere discomfort, nor was it fusing with himself—it was devouring him.
That's right!
Devouring!
Taking a step back, even if the other party truly was the so-called Original Sin, Gu Qingfeng absolutely would not fuse with it. After all, the other party already possessed self-awareness. Once fused, whose self-awareness would dominate the so-called True Lord of Original Sin?
Gu Qingfeng did not believe the other party's self-awareness would obediently vanish.
Thinking of this, Gu Qingfeng held even more firmly to his inner resolve, gathering his essence into one, fortifying his Heart-Mind, and guarding his Ego Consciousness.
"Young man! Answer me, why do you resist? Why do you not wish to become Wu Dao Daozun? Do you not wish to become a God? Do you not wish to master your own Fate?"