Sympathy?
Pity?
No!
Neither.
Gu Qingfeng had never understood what sympathy or pity truly were.
He was a person who only ever cared about those he chose to care about. For those he didn't care for, he would not, and was too lazy to, sympathize or pity them.
The complex expression on Gu Qingfeng's face after wiping out that old man—who was the Original Sin Sambhogakaya—was likely more a sigh of lament.
Although he had long known that Original Sin Sambhogakayas would lose their ego consciousness, he had never encountered one until now; that old man was the first.
Mo Wentian had said that in the myriad heavens and worlds, the number of Original Sin Sambhogakayas who had lost their ego consciousness could be considered both many and few.
Many, because there were constantly people with Original Sin becoming Original Sin Incarnations, and constantly, Original Sin Incarnations who lost their ego consciousness would become Original Sin Sambhogakayas.
Few, because once ego consciousness was lost, the Original Sin Sambhogakaya would become a mindless Original Sin puppet, absorbing more Original Sin blood, sinking deeper and deeper into Original Sin until they completely merged with it, becoming a part of Original Sin.
However.
Once that happened, the so-called Original Sin Sambhogakaya would then become an Original Sin Nirmanakaya.
Not only would they lose their ego, but they would also lose their Original Self.
And an Original Sin Nirmanakaya that had lost its Original Self was even more terrifying than an Original Sin Sambhogakaya that had lost its ego; its Original Sin nature would grow increasingly stronger.
If luck was good, perhaps a new ego consciousness could gestate within the Original Sin—like Ren Tianxing and Mo Wentian.
If luck was bad, they would be forever lost in the Original Sin, without thought, without consciousness, completely reduced to a puppet of Original Sin.
Actually.
Saying 'luck was good' was only a relative way of putting it.
Because after gestating a new ego consciousness within the Original Sin, one was no longer an Original Sin Nirmanakaya, but became an Original Sin Dharmakaya.
The ego consciousness that gestated, although it belonged to you, when you were an Original Sin Nirmanakaya, you had lost your Original Self, had completely merged with the Original Sin, becoming a part of it. So, your Original Self was already Original Sin.
Original Sin was a road of no return.
Once you set foot on this path, whether you sought karma, wished to change fate, or wanted to break free, you would only sink deeper and deeper into Original Sin.
At least.
That was how Gu Qingfeng felt now.
He felt Original Sin was like a quagmire, and a bottomless one at that. The more you struggled, the deeper you sank.
He shook his head.
Sighed.
Then stopped dwelling on it and continued downward.
Within the Li Palace, it was like a vast void, with all manner of floating ruins and relics like countless stars.
These floating ruins were like sculpted mountain ranges, with flowers, grass, and trees, yet utterly devoid of life.
The deeper he explored into the Li Palace, the stronger and clearer that feeling of being summoned became.
Moreover.
Gu Qingfeng also discovered that as he explored deeper into the Li Palace, he encountered more and more people with Original Sin who had lost their ego consciousness. In just this short while, he had already found five or six such individuals.
Aside from Original Sin Sambhogakayas, there were actually Original Sin Nirmanakayas as well.
These people with Original Sin who had lost their ego were all like that previous old man: mad and demonic, disheveled, their bodies radiating Original Sin aura like flames, each one rushing frantically toward the depths.
Clearly.
There must be something in the depths of this Li Palace summoning or attracting them.
In Gu Qingfeng's view, this wasn't hard to understand. Who knew what the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces were hiding? Even he felt summoned after entering; naturally, others with Original Sin would be no exception.
He just didn't know how many people with Original Sin had been attracted inside.
Nor did he know what exactly the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces were hiding that would attract all people with Original Sin.
Gu Qingfeng pondered this as he continued exploring deeper.
Suddenly, a shout rang out.
"Kid Gu!"
Hm?
Hearing this voice, Gu Qingfeng was quite surprised. The Li Palace was so vast and mysterious; could he have actually run into an acquaintance?
He looked in the direction of the voice and saw a streak of light in the distant void flying toward him like a shooting star.
It was a golden-yellow light.
As it flew, it flickered, each flicker bringing it closer to Gu Qingfeng, looking almost like the stars shifting across the sky.
By the time Gu Qingfeng looked over, it was already very, very close.
It was a person.
This person wore a tattered monk's hat on his head, a tattered gray monk's robe, and had a tattered fan hanging at his waist.
Seeing this person.
Gu Qingfeng first froze, then was shocked, followed by a bitter smile, and even felt a hint of helplessness.
It was none other
than Da Xing the Mad Monk.
Gu Qingfeng never imagined that after parting ways with Da Xing the Mad Monk, he'd run into him again so damn soon.
Sometimes, thinking about it, this matter was quite uncanny.
He clearly remembered when they first fell into the Endless Sea beyond the heavens, he and Da Xing the Mad Monk had separated, only to run into each other again when they fell into the Desolate Ancient Black Hole.
Then, after parting in the Desolate Ancient Black Hole, they ran into each other again in the Desolate Ancient ruins.
And this time?
Entering the Li Palace, he ran into this old bald donkey Da Xing the Mad Monk again.
How could it be such a coincidence?
Gu Qingfeng once suspected that Da Xing the Mad Monk might have planted some kind of mark on him. Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that he kept running into this guy every time?
You have to realize, this was the Desolate Ancient Black Hole.
Its interior contained who knew how many spatial turbulences, probably no fewer than the myriad heavens and worlds of the Great Wild.
Although there were no spatial turbulences within the Li Palace, the Li Palace itself was as vast as the endless void. How did Da Xing the Mad Monk manage to find him again?
Gu Qingfeng had carefully investigated himself before, but found no marks on his person.
Of this, he was quite certain.
But if Da Xing the Mad Monk hadn't planted any mark on him, why did he keep running into this guy so coincidentally every time?
After thinking it over, Gu Qingfeng could only come up with one possibility.
That Da Xing the Mad Monk's existence must be far more terrifying than he had imagined.
"Kid Gu!
It really is you!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk came flying over. Seeing Gu Qingfeng, he looked extremely excited and said, "This old monk thought I was seeing things!"
"Da Xing, what a coincidence, meeting again."
"What did you say?
Coincidence?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk widened his eyes and shouted, "Coincidence my ass!
Do you have any idea this old monk nearly lost his life looking for you? You little bastard, how can you be so disloyal, leaving without even saying a word, making this old monk search all over for you!"
"You... found me?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk shot Gu Qingfeng a glare and said irritably, "Nonsense!
What else? Did you think it was arranged by fate?"
"The Desolate Ancient Black Hole is so vast. How did you find me?"
"How else?
Like a headless fly, searching blindly everywhere! To find you, this old monk practically ran all over the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces!"
"Really or fake?"
Gu Qingfeng was very suspicious.