Gu Qingfeng pondered that regardless of whether he wanted to clarify whether he had lost himself back then or to understand how deeply he had fallen into Original Sin, the only method might be to set foot on Wudao Mountain once more.
Alas, the existence of Wudao Mountain was far too mysterious, a thousand times more enigmatic than this vast and boundless Primordial Black Hole. When it would appear, no one knew.
Fortunately, the present Gu Qingfeng had long since grown indifferent. As for whether he had lost himself back then or how deeply he had fallen into Original Sin, it was no longer that important to him.
It would be best to know, but if he couldn't, then so be it.
Everything would follow fate, everything would follow its natural course.
However.
Speaking of Original Sin Dharmakaya, Gu Qingfeng suddenly remembered something and asked, "Have you two ever heard of someone who calls himself the Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch?"
Hearing Gu Qingfeng suddenly mention the name Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch, the cold and ruthless Ren Tianxing couldn't help but lift his head, while the heroic Mo Wentian raised an eyebrow and asked, "Brother Gu, have you met the Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch?"
Gu Qingfeng nodded.
Immediately, Ren Tianxing also pressed, "Where?"
"Right here in this Primordial Black Hole."
Gu Qingfeng glanced at Ren Tianxing, then looked at Mo Wentian, noticing subtle changes in their expressions when Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch was mentioned. Curious, he asked, "Do you both know the Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch?"
"Not only do I know the Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch, but I have also crossed hands with him, and even..." Ren Tianxing said expressionlessly, his voice icy cold, "Back then, he once obliterated me."
Hearing this.
Gu Qingfeng was greatly shocked and asked, "There was such a thing?"
Mo Wentian was also extremely surprised and asked, "Brother Ren, why have I never heard you mention this before?"
"That was a very long time ago. When I encountered the Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch back then, he saw that I was one with Original Sin and wanted to refine and devour me. His strength was immense; I was no match for him and was obliterated by him. Fortunately, I possessed a stroke of Creation back then, and it was by relying on that stroke of Creation that I avoided being refined and devoured by the Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch."
After a pause, Ren Tianxing continued, "It was also after being obliterated by the Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch that I decided to embark on this path of Original Sin. All these years, I have been searching for him, but I never found any trace of him. I never imagined he would also have come to the Primordial Black Hole."
Ren Tianxing spoke calmly, but both Gu Qingfeng and Mo Wentian could sense the overwhelming killing intent in his heart.
"This time, no matter what, I will settle that old score with him."
"Just what kind of existence is that Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch? He seems extremely sinister."
Gu Qingfeng said, "Not long ago, I was searching for the source of the tremendous noise within the Primordial Black Hole when I fell for that bastard's trick. That bastard used some unknown method to silently draw me into an illusion, and even disguised himself as Venerable Wu Dao."
Gu Qingfeng recounted his experience in detail, saying, "I must say, that bastard's methods are truly masterful. He had me completely fooled; I almost believed it. Fortunately, I kept my wits about me, otherwise...
I'm afraid I would have long since been devoured and refined by that bastard."
Even now, thinking back on it, Gu Qingfeng still felt a lingering fear. In his mind, it was fortunate that his current state of mind was desireless and wantless, bordering on the emptiness of the four great elements. He had grown much more indifferent towards Original Sin, Karma, and even Fate. If he had been stubbornly seeking Karma, or trying to rid himself of Original Sin and change Fate, he likely would have found it difficult to see through that illusion trap set by the Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch.
At this moment.
Mo Wentian said, "Although I have never encountered the Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch, I have heard quite a bit about him."
According to legend.
In the Desolate Ancient Era, the Three Thousand Great Dao once fell, and the Era of Wu Dao once began. As for how the Three Thousand Great Dao fell or how the Era of Wu Dao began, no one knew. The only thing known was that during that time, many, many people with Original Sin were born, among them not a few Ancestral Patriarchs of the Three Thousand Great Dao.
Later, as the Era of Wu Dao mysteriously vanished, the Desolate Ancient Era also came to an end. Most of the many people with Original Sin turned to dust and vanished, and those who didn't were suppressed within the Guixu.
However.
This did not mean there were no fish that slipped through the net.
It was said that some people with Original Sin, when the Desolate Ancient Era ended, neither turned to dust nor were suppressed in the Guixu, but were instead swept into this Primordial Black Hole.
How many people with Original Sin were swept into the Primordial Black Hole, Mo Wentian said he did not know. He had only heard that some people with Original Sin remained trapped in the Primordial Black Hole to this day, while others escaped the Primordial Black Hole and had been lying low in the desolate ruins of the Endless Sea beyond the heavens, occasionally slipping silently into the Great Desolate Heaven and Earth.
The Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch was one of them, and moreover, one who had long coveted the position of True Lord of Original Sin.
Since the Primordial Era, he had continuously infiltrated the Great Desolate, refining and devouring other people with Original Sin.
Whether it was Innate Original Sin or Acquired Original Sin, whether it was Original Sin Incarnation, Original Sin Sambhogakaya, or Original Sin Nirmanakaya, once he set his sights on them, nine times out of ten they would be refined and devoured. It was even rumored that even some Original Sin Dharmakaya, upon encountering the Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch, had only met the fate of being devoured and refined.
Therefore.
The Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch also had a nickname: the Original Sin Nightmare.
As the name implied, the nightmare of those with Original Sin.
"Original Sin Nightmare!
Good heavens!"
Gu Qingfeng curled his lip and said, "That bastard Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch has been devouring other people with Original Sin since the Primordial Era, through the Ancient Era, the Archaic Era, all the way to the Present Era. For countless eons, how many people with Original Sin has he devoured?"
"This..." Mo Wentian shook his head. "I'm afraid even the Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch himself doesn't know how many he has devoured."
"Truly ruthless!"
Gu Qingfeng sighed with emotion. "I originally thought that bastard was merely an Original Sin Dharmakaya. Now it seems I underestimated him. After devouring so many people with Original Sin, he absolutely cannot be as simple as just an Original Sin Dharmakaya."
"Brother Gu, you also don't know how deeply the Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch has fallen into Original Sin?"
"Not too clear. I know even less about this Original Sin stuff than you two. However..." Gu Qingfeng rubbed his chin, pondering for a moment, then said, "I reckon the Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch has fallen extremely, extremely deep into Original Sin, far deeper than I have!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, unexpectedly, Ren Tianxing and Mo Wentian spoke in unison: "Impossible!"
Gu Qingfeng chuckled wryly. "Why is that impossible? You don't know the situation back then. The Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch set up an illusion, impersonating Venerable Wu Dao, and I truly believed it. At the time, I really felt he was the very source of Original Sin."
"You said it yourself, it was merely the Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch drawing you into an illusion. Illusions are like dreams; they can numb your mind and consciousness."
Mo Wentian said with certainty, "Although I don't know how deeply the Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch has fallen into Original Sin, there is one thing I dare affirm: no matter how deep the Xuanming Ancestral Patriarch has fallen into Original Sin, it cannot be deeper than your Original Sin."