Gu Qingfeng felt a mixture of envy and jealousy toward Ren Tianxing.
As for Mo Wentian, it was admiration, a sense of reverence.
Mo Wentian was a hero, a pillar of heaven and earth, a true champion.
He was forthright and magnanimous, valuing loyalty and righteousness above all. For a friend, he would climb a mountain of blades or plunge into a sea of fire. Whenever a friend was in trouble, no matter where he was, he would rush to their aid with all his strength.
It was said that he had once charged alone into the Nine Nethers for a friend from the Nine Heavens, and had also stormed into the Nine Heavens in rage for a friend from the Nine Nethers.
He had once harmed himself to resolve a feud, and had once punished himself to save a life.
In Mo Wentian's eyes, there was no distinction between immortals, demons, monsters, or buddhas—only the difference between good and evil. Most importantly, he possessed a heart of great benevolence and righteousness. Roaming the Great Desolate for many years, he had once withstood a natural storm to save the cultivators of a world, and had battled the Void Beasts of the Desolate Void for strangers in the void.
He had been swept into spatial turbulence, and also into forgotten spaces. Even to help others, he had violated the Heavenly Dao's laws and had been judged by the Heavenly Dao.
Because of this, Mo Wentian had many friends—so many that they spanned the myriad heavens and worlds of the Great Desolate, across the Three Thousand Great Daos. Whether in the heavens above or the earth below, whether they were venerable Great Dao Ancestors or ordinary mortal cultivators, friends of his could be found in all walks of life.
Some said Mo Wentian's friends not only spanned the myriad heavens and worlds, but also connected heaven and earth, transcending past and present.
This was no exaggeration.
In the early days of the Ancient Era, when the Holy Land sought to eliminate Mo Wentian and laid a heaven-spanning net to surround and annihilate him, the news spread throughout the myriad heavens and worlds, causing an immediate uproar. From the Nine Heavens above to the Nine Nethers below, the Immortal Dao, Buddhist Dao, Demonic Dao, and Monster Dao, the Thirty-Six Cave Heavens, the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, along with many titans of the Great Desolate, numerous Great Dao Emperors, Great Dao Sovereigns, and even Great Dao Ancestors personally came forward to rescue Mo Wentian.
Was that all?
Of course not.
As Mo Wentian traveled the Great Desolate, upholding justice and righteousness, he had saved countless immortal realm sects, clans, and families, as well as countless cultivators. Thus, during that incident, cultivators from across the myriad heavens and worlds, from various celestial domains, gathered in groups and marched to rescue Mo Wentian.
This became the famous event of the Ancient Era: 'The Heroes Defy the Saints to Save the Free Emperor,' also known as 'When the Free Emperor is in Peril, All Realms Rally to Aid.'
In Gu Qingfeng's mind, Mo Wentian was a true hero and champion worthy of the name across the myriad heavens and worlds. To be a person, especially a man, one should aspire to be a pillar of heaven and earth like Mo Wentian.
What man wouldn't want to be like that?
Gu Qingfeng was no exception.
If possible.
He too wished to become a hero like Mo Wentian, a pillar of heaven and earth.
Even now, he vaguely remembered listening to the legendary tales of heroes and champions in his youth, stories that made his blood boil and his spirit surge. As he grew older, he vowed to become a hero admired by all.
Alas.
Alas, the dreams of youth remained just that—dreams of youth.
As the days passed and he experienced more and more, somehow, as he lived on, he not only failed to become the great hero of his dreams, but ended up becoming the very person he despised the most.
Although Gu Qingfeng no longer wished to become some hero admired by all, that did not hinder his reverence for heroes.
To befriend a hero like Mo Wentian filled Gu Qingfeng with genuine honor.
The three of them drank and chatted, moving from Gu Qingfeng's Mental State to Ren Tianxing's woman, and from Ren Tianxing's woman to Mo Wentian's heroic aura.
Speaking of heroic aura.
Gu Qingfeng was even more impressed.
Because he could clearly sense a powerful heroic aura emanating from Mo Wentian.
Yes.
Heroic aura.
This aura was not an imposing aura, yet it compelled one to feel respect involuntarily.
Especially when Mo Wentian had first appeared, the overwhelming heroic aura that swept forth was even more awe-inspiring than the descent of heavenly might.
However.
What Gu Qingfeng couldn't understand was this: someone like Ren Tianxing, a cold-blooded, merciless demon who killed like cutting grass, being one of Those with Original Sin was one thing. He himself, though not a demon, was no saint either—he knew good from evil, understood morality, yet had still taken many lives.
Gu Qingfeng figured that being one of Those with Original Sin was his just deserts. What baffled him was how the hell someone like Mo Wentian—a pillar of heaven and earth with a benevolent and righteous heart—could also be one of Those with Original Sin.
Moreover, he could see.
Whether it was Ren Tianxing or Mo Wentian, the depth of their Original Sin was profound, one greater than the other. Even if they weren't Original Sin Dharmakaya, they were probably not far from it.
Thinking of this, Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but ask, "There's a question I'd like to ask you two. I hope you don't mind?"
Mo Wentian said, "Brother Gu, we're all family here—no need for formalities. Ask whatever you wish."
Ren Tianxing didn't speak, opting for silence.
Given his nature, his silence meant consent.
Gu Qingfeng asked, "Are you both Original Sin Dharmakaya now?"
Ren Tianxing nodded. "More or less."
Mo Wentian also replied, "Same here."
"Old Ren, how did you cultivate into an Original Sin Dharmakaya? Didn't you always want to shake off Original Sin? How the hell did you sink deeper? Last time I saw you, you weren't an Original Sin Dharmakaya, were you? How long has it been? How did you become one?"
Ren Tianxing didn't answer immediately. Instead, he drained his cup of wine, then drank several more in succession.
Clearly.
This question frustrated him, and seemed to irritate him greatly.
After a moment, he spoke, "Over the years, other Those with Original Sin have constantly come looking for trouble. But I killed them all."
"When you say trouble, you mean other Those with Original Sin trying to refine you?"
Gu Qingfeng knew there were many Those with Original Sin in the world. Exactly how many, he didn't know. He only knew that not all Those with Original Sin wanted to shake off Original Sin. On the contrary, many, many of them wanted to become the Original Sin True Master recorded in the Book of Fate.
To this end, they wouldn't hesitate to refine other Those with Original Sin, devouring their souls and blood to strengthen their own sin, sinking deeper on the path of Original Sin.
He remembered that the last time he met Ren Tianxing, the guy was severely injured, wounded precisely by another one of Those with Original Sin.
Seeing Ren Tianxing nod, Gu Qingfeng asked again, "And then? If you killed them, you shouldn't have sunk deeper, right?"
"I didn't just kill them. I refined and devoured them too."
Damn!
Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng was shocked and puzzled. "Didn't you know devouring them would make you sink deeper?"
"I knew."
"You knew, yet you still did it?"
Ren Tianxing drank again, gulping down several more cups. "I told you, I want to shake off Original Sin."
"I know you want to shake off Original Sin, but now you're sinking deeper, even cultivated an Original Sin Dharmakaya! How the hell are you going to shake off anything now!"
At that moment.
Mo Wentian spoke a sentence. "Brother Gu, have you ever heard a saying?"
"What saying?"
"To shake off Original Sin, one must become Original Sin. Only by becoming Original Sin can one shake off Original Sin!"