The one who answered the call was a man.
Clad in black robes, he possessed a coldly handsome face and an aloof, solitary demeanor. An overwhelming demonic aura radiated from him, one that could shake the heavens and make ghosts and gods weep.
When he appeared, it was as if a ravenous wolf howled, accompanied by a purple moon. His demonic might swept forth, blotting out the sky and covering the earth.
Seeing this coldly handsome man, Gu Qingfeng could no longer restrain himself and threw his head back in uproarious laughter.
His laughter was hearty, filled with pleasant surprise and genuine, heartfelt joy.
Indeed!
He was overjoyed.
Earlier, when he had detected two other figures in the mysterious space, both pursuing Wudao Mountain just like him, he hadn't paid it much mind. Even when Wudao Mountain vanished and the mysterious space dissipated into nothingness, he hadn't dwelled on it. He never would have imagined that one of those figures was actually the Free Emperor, Mo Wentian. And even more astonishing, the other person turned out to be the Weiyang Demon Emperor, Ren Tianxing!
This was truly an unexpected turn of events.
However.
While it was unexpected, it also made perfect sense.
Because Gu Qingfeng was an Original Sin Anomaly, Mo Wentian was also an Original Sin Anomaly, and Ren Tianxing, like them, was an Original Sin Anomaly.
Mo Wentian could be considered Gu Qingfeng's savior, while Ren Tianxing was one of his few true confidants in this world. The Hell's Unpredictable Wine he was currently holding was a gift from Ren Tianxing the last time they met.
"Ren Tianxing, you old dog! I heard you'd also entered this Primordial Black Hole, and I've been wondering if we'd run into each other. To think we actually did, by all the heavens! Hahahaha!"
"The Primordial Black Hole isn't small, but it's not that vast either. We are all men of Original Sin, Anomalies of the present era. Even if we didn't meet this time, we'd have crossed paths eventually."
Ren Tianxing was just as he remembered—aloof, cold, and solitary. His demeanor was unchanged, and so were his words and actions.
"Don't tell me you entered that mysterious space also to find the source of that thunderous roar."
Ren Tianxing countered, "And you weren't?"
"Hahaha!"
Perhaps meeting Mo Wentian and Ren Tianxing here filled him with too much joy, for Gu Qingfeng laughed uncontrollably. He glanced at Mo Wentian, then at Ren Tianxing, and said, "Since we've met today, we simply must share a few drinks, right?"
"A few cups won't do," Mo Wentian said with a smile. "If we're drinking, let's drink to our heart's content!"
Ren Tianxing also nodded. "We won't stop until we're thoroughly drunk!"
The three of them didn't bother finding a special place to drink. Right there, amidst the chaotic currents of the Primordial Black Hole, they began to drink merrily.
Gu Qingfeng had initially intended to introduce Mo Wentian and Ren Tianxing to each other, but it turned out they were already acquainted. In fact, they had known each other longer and earlier than Gu Qingfeng had known either of them, which somewhat exceeded his expectations.
In his impression, Mo Wentian was a man of great righteousness and loyalty. Not only was he heroic and valued friendship and honor, but he was also informal and loved making friends. He had friends from all walks of life—cultivators, demons, ghosts, monsters—his connections spanned the vast heavens and myriad worlds of the Great Wilderness, reaching across the Three Thousand Great Daos. Whether in the heavens above or the earth below, whether they were revered Dao Ancestors or ordinary secular cultivators, he had friends among all three teachings and nine schools.
Ren Tianxing's personality, however, was the opposite of Mo Wentian's. From what Gu Qingfeng knew of him, this fellow was aloof and solitary, preferring to act alone and never forming friendships. The reason Gu Qingfeng had become friends with Ren Tianxing was due to the life-and-death struggle they had fought over the title of Nine Nethers Emperor back in the day.
Upon inquiry, he learned that Ren Tianxing had once saved Mo Wentian's life.
Hearing this news, Gu Qingfeng was greatly surprised, even somewhat incredulous.
He only knew Ren Tianxing as someone who killed; he never knew this guy could also save people.
One must understand that Ren Tianxing was not human, but a demon—a demon without concepts of good, evil, or morality. Moreover, he was a cold-blooded and merciless, killing human indiscriminately Demon Emperor, a Demon Emperor who had once bathed an entire heavenly domain in blood, destroyed countless worlds, and taken innumerable lives. In his eyes, life was truly as insignificant as grass.
Saving someone?
Gu Qingfeng suspected the concept of those two words simply didn't exist in Ren Tianxing's personal dictionary.
Mo Wentian explained, "Back then, Brother Ren and I were trapped in a powerful formation within some ruins. I was also severely injured. If Brother Ren hadn't broken the formation, I, Mo Wentian, probably wouldn't have lived to see this day."
"Brother Mo, you exaggerate," Ren Tianxing said coolly. "I've told you many times, I broke that formation to save myself, not to rescue you. So, I dare not accept any talk of 'favor' or 'debt'."
"Heh, Brother Ren, regardless of whether you broke the formation for self-preservation or other reasons, the fact remains that because you broke it, I was able to escape. That's the truth, right? Since it's the truth, Brother Ren is my benefactor."
Ren Tianxing stated, "If anyone owes a debt of gratitude between us, then it is I, Ren, who owes Brother Mo. Back then, if Brother Mo hadn't intervened, Qinger probably wouldn't have made it through that ordeal..."
"It was merely a trivial effort," Mo Wentian said modestly. "Brother Ren, there's no need to keep mentioning favors over such a small matter."
Ren Tianxing and Mo Wentian went back and forth, each more humble than the last, leaving Gu Qingfeng utterly bewildered. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and interrupted them. "Hold on! Stop talking about favors and debts for a moment. How did a 'Qinger' suddenly pop into the conversation out of nowhere? Who is Qinger?"
Mo Wentian asked curiously, "Brother Gu, you don't know?"
"Should I?"
Gu Qingfeng thought carefully. He truly hadn't heard of anyone named Qinger. He asked, "Just who is Qinger? How come you both know her, but I don't?"
Mo Wentian didn't answer directly. Instead, he looked at Ren Tianxing. "You never told Brother Gu?"
"There was never an opportunity."
"I see."
"Hey!" Gu Qingfeng said, somewhat annoyed. "What kind of riddle are you two playing at? Who exactly is Qinger?"
"Brother Ren's Cultivation Partner."
"What?"
Gu Qingfeng wondered if he had misheard. He asked again, "Ren Tianxing's Cultivation Partner? Are you joking? Hahahaha!"
Gu Qingfeng laughed uproariously, doubling over with mirth, his laughter bordering on maniacal. He looked as if he had just heard a monk had taken a wife—it was that hilarious to him.
Ren Tianxing poured himself a drink in silence, saying nothing. Mo Wentian, standing beside him, couldn't bear to watch. He, too, found it hard to understand. "Brother Gu, is it really that funny?"
"Ren Tianxing, of all people... actually has... a Cultivation Partner? Hahahaha! Isn't that funny? It's even funnier than a monk marrying a nun! When the hell did this happen? How come I didn't know a thing about it? I say, Old Ren, when did you get a Cultivation Partner?"
Ren Tianxing paid no mind to Gu Qingfeng's mockery. His cold, handsome face remained expressionless and icy as he stated flatly, "I mentioned it to you the last time we met."
"Last time we met? You mentioned it? I don't remember that at all."
Gu Qingfeng thought hard for a moment, then suddenly slapped his forehead. "Right! I remember now. You did mention something like that."