Looking back on that journey to Wudao Mountain, although it had failed to rid him of Original Sin and had not yielded any answers regarding Karma, and had even inexplicably ignited the Original Sin Karmic Fire, causing him to slumber for a full ten thousand years, Gu Qingfeng now considered himself somewhat fortunate.
Fortunately, he had not uncovered any Karma back then. Otherwise, the consequences would have been truly unimaginable.
And fortunately, he had inexplicably ignited that Original Sin Karmic Fire, causing him to slumber for ten thousand years. After awakening, his desire to seek out Karma had grown fainter and fainter.
If not for that burst of Original Sin Karmic Fire, Gu Qingfeng felt he would have almost certainly fallen into the same trap.
Even though he now felt life was growing increasingly meaningless and devoid of drive, at the very least, his self-awareness remained clear. He had not lost himself.
But listening to Mo Wentian's words, it seemed the man could no longer distinguish between his past and present lives, didn't even know if he had lost himself, and wasn't even sure if he was still his original self.
In other words, his current state wasn't merely a loss of self; even his fundamental 'I' was lost.
Thinking of this, Gu Qingfeng felt a chill crawl up his spine, and his heart began to pound uncontrollably.
For some reason, the words 'lost' felt like a curse to him, a nightmare. Just hearing them made his entire body feel uneasy. It was like a shadow, evoking an involuntary sense of fear.
This fear seemed to seep into his very bones, as if born with him.
Suddenly!
Gu Qingfeng seemed to remember something. "Brother Mo, you just said... back when you were seeking Karma, you had no idea when you became lost, right?"
Mo Wentian nodded. Gu Qingfeng pressed on, "And you don't know how long you were lost for, or even how you managed to find yourself again. You only know that when your consciousness awoke, you had already undergone Reincarnation?"
"That's exactly right."
Mo Wentian didn't understand why Gu Qingfeng was asking this. Noticing the odd look on Gu's face, he asked, "Brother Gu, what's wrong?"
Gu Qingfeng didn't speak. He merely lowered his head, his brow deeply furrowed, staring intently at the fine wine he had been holding in his hand.
Just moments ago, he had remembered something—something truly terrifying.
He had also ascended Wudao Mountain back then to seek Karma. As for why he had ignited the Original Sin Karmic Fire, Gu Qingfeng still couldn't recall, even now. The whole affair had always felt inexplicable. In his mind, there were only vague impressions, like a dream—he knew he had dreamed something, but couldn't articulate what exactly had happened in the dream. It was the same with igniting the Karmic Fire; he knew he had done it, but he didn't know *why* or *how*.
He only remembered that after he ascended Wudao Mountain, the Three Thousand Great Daos of heaven and earth, fearing he would become the Original Sin Incarnation, spared no effort in trying to eradicate him, even summoning the Heavenly Father and Earthly Mother. Naturally, Gu Qingfeng wasn't about to wait for death; he fought desperately against the Heavens and the Dao.
Later, the Heavens and the Dao didn't succeed in erasing him. Instead, Gu Qingfeng felt the Original Sin within him stir as if awakening—though whether it truly was the Original Sin awakening, he couldn't recall now. He only remembered his own consciousness growing increasingly hazy.
He had no desire to become the Original Sin Incarnation. He struggled and resisted with everything he had. To that end, he even prepared to achieve Sagehood instantly through the Buddhist Four Great Mental States, hoping to suppress the Original Sin. But later, for some unknown reason, he inexplicably ignited the Original Sin Karmic Fire...
And then...
There was no 'then'...
Gu Qingfeng's consciousness vanished.
When his consciousness awoke again, a full ten thousand years had passed.
What happened during those ten thousand years, Gu Qingfeng had no idea, not a single impression.
When Mo Wentian was seeking Karma, he didn't know when he became lost; he only knew that when his consciousness awoke, he had already undergone Reincarnation.
This couldn't help but remind Gu Qingfeng of the ten thousand years he spent slumbering after igniting the Original Sin Karmic Fire on Wudao Mountain.
He suspected: after igniting the Karmic Fire back then, had he also lost himself?
Perhaps he had begun to lose himself the moment the Original Sin within him stirred and his consciousness grew hazy?
And then remained lost for a full ten thousand years?
It wasn't impossible.
In fact, it was highly possible.
It wasn't that he was overthinking. If it were just this, Gu Qingfeng wouldn't have suspected he had lost himself back then.
After all, he had transcended life and death and possessed the ability of Nirvana Silence and rebirth.
He had experienced life and death several times in this lifetime, each time undergoing a rebirth through Nirvana Silence akin to Reincarnation.
And each time he was reborn through Nirvana Silence, he was completely devoid of consciousness.
Sleeping for ten thousand years wasn't out of the question.
The problem was...
After awakening from his ten-thousand-year slumber in the Liúshā Small Secret Realm, he had specifically investigated this matter because he didn't understand why he had undergone Nirvana Silence rebirth precisely in the Liúshā Small Secret Realm. In the end, although he didn't uncover detailed results, he did learn some things about what happened after he ignited the Original Sin Karmic Fire.
These things were told to him by Da Xing the Mad Monk. According to him, after Gu Qingfeng ignited the Original Sin Karmic Fire, supreme beings like Genggu Wuming, Jun Xuanji, and some Great Dao Ancestors all left Wudao Mountain, shattered the void, and entered the Liúshā Small Secret Realm.
Da Xing the Mad Monk followed later, but by the time he arrived, it was too late. Everything was over.
As for why Genggu Wuming and the others all entered the Liúshā Small Secret Realm, Da Xing said he didn't know either. He only heard that at the same time Gu Qingfeng ignited the Original Sin Karmic Fire, a new Original Sin Variable emerged in the Liúshā Small Secret Realm. That's why Genggu Wuming and the others stormed in, and it was said they even fought fiercely within the Secret Realm.
These were all Da Xing's own words, and that old bald donkey always liked to hold things back and speak in half-truths, mixing the real with the false.
Based on Gu Qingfeng's understanding of Da Xing, it was highly possible the old monk knew the full truth of the matter but simply refused to tell him.
After he ignited the Original Sin Karmic Fire back then, a new Original Sin Variable might have indeed appeared in the Liúshā Small Secret Realm.
But that Original Sin Variable was likely none other than Gu Qingfeng himself, reborn through Nirvana Silence.
In his estimation, it was highly possible that after igniting the Original Sin Karmic Fire on Wudao Mountain, he had undergone Nirvana Silence rebirth in the Liúshā Small Secret Realm. However, the reborn Gu Qingfeng had already lost himself. That's why Genggu Wuming, Jun Xuanji, and the Great Dao Ancestors had followed him there.
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
Because after his consciousness awoke from the ten-thousand-year slumber, Gu Qingfeng returned to the Liúshā Small Secret Realm and found Da Xing the Mad Monk within the forbidden area known as Yixiantian.
Da Xing's behavior at that time left a deep impression on him. When Gu Qingfeng found him in Yixiantian, Da Xing actually doubted whether he was still the same Gu Qingfeng from before. He even said Gu might have already become the Original Sin Incarnation without even knowing it.
Back then, Gu Qingfeng couldn't understand or make sense of it, thinking Da Xing was playing some trick or joking with him.
Now, thinking back, Da Xing probably wasn't joking or playing tricks back then. He was likely doubting whether Gu Qingfeng had managed to find himself again after being lost.