At this very moment.
Gu Qingfeng sat cross-legged within an ancient ruin, attempting to suppress the stirring Omen Object.
To say 'suppress' was more like 'pacify'.
Because whether it was Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura, From Azure Heaven to Yellow Springs, or Heaven-Devouring, Earth-Eating Blood Taotie, ever since they had merged with him, Gu Qingfeng had felt no discomfort or abnormality whatsoever. It was as if he and these Children of Original Sin were originally part of the same existence, as if they were innate to him, inseparable.
The Omen Object was the same. Although its merging had been inexplicable and without warning, Gu Qingfeng similarly felt no discomfort or abnormality. It was like something he had lost long ago had now returned.
This situation was not normal.
At the very least,
Gu Qingfeng considered it abnormal.
Before he had merged with these Children of Original Sin, he had once been laden with countless fortunes, among which were various mysterious and bizarre Divine Senses and Demonic Thoughts.
When merging with those Divine Senses and Demonic Thoughts, Gu Qingfeng would feel a distinct sense of discomfort. After all, they were not his own. Forcibly merging them with himself would cause mutual rejection, naturally leading to abnormalities. Even after refining them, that uncomfortable sense of strangeness would persist.
It wasn't just Divine Senses and Demonic Thoughts; any fortune, even a magical treasure, when merged into oneself, could never perfectly integrate with the physical body, no matter how long it was nurtured or how closely connected it became.
In contrast, ever since Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura and the other Children of Original Sin had merged with Gu Qingfeng, not only had there been no forced fusion, he had never even refined them. Yet these Children of Original Sin were like an innate part of him.
As for why this was the case, Gu Qingfeng believed it was most likely related to the True Blood of Original Sin.
The reason he felt he had fused with the True Blood of Original Sin back then was precisely this. Otherwise, how could he have merged so seamlessly with Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura and the other Children of Original Sin?
The situation Gu Qingfeng now faced was this: he clearly knew the Omen Object was stirring restlessly within him, yet he could do nothing about it.
Because once the Omen Object had merged, it had become a part of him. In a sense, he was the Omen Object, and the Omen Object was him. Now that the Omen Object was stirring, it was equivalent to Gu Qingfeng himself stirring.
Under such circumstances, how could he suppress it?
It was like a person being unable to control their own heart. If your heart yearns for someone, you simply cannot stop thinking about them.
It was also like a person feeling hungry and craving wine and meat. It's not that you don't want to feel hungry, you just do.
That was exactly Gu Qingfeng's current state.
The stirring Omen Object was to him like a hungry stomach—he had no way to control it.
What was even more bizarre was that as the Omen Object's restlessness grew stronger, Gu Qingfeng's mind, spirit, temperament, and even his self-awareness were all affected.
This influence didn't twist his mind or blur his self-awareness, but it made him and the Omen Object increasingly inseparable. He felt more and more that he was the Omen Object, and more and more that it was he himself who was stirring.
Outside.
Da Xing the Mad Monk had not left. He was cautiously hiding at the edge of the ancient ruin, his wise eyes fixed intently on Gu Qingfeng within.
He didn't know what state Gu Qingfeng was in now.
If it were anyone else, a single glance from Da Xing's Dharma Eye would allow him to perceive everything.
But facing Gu Qingfeng, even if he strained his Dharma Eyes until they went blind, he still couldn't perceive a thing.
He also didn't dare to rashly send out his Divine Sense to investigate.
Long ago, when he had first met Gu Qingfeng, he had once sent out his Divine Sense to probe. That single probing had left a deep shadow on Da Xing's heart.
He still clearly remembered that when his Divine Sense entered Gu Qingfeng's body back then, it was like plummeting into the abyss of hell. Not to mention the various evil fortunes, there were all sorts of mysterious and bizarre Divine Senses and Demonic Thoughts. A single strand of Divine Sense entering was like a lamb entering a tiger's den. Before it could even react, that strand of Divine Sense was devoured alive by the various Divine Senses and Demonic Thoughts.
Yes!
Devoured alive.
Like a lamb being torn apart and devoured alive by a pack of starving tigers, swallowed clean, not even a scrap remaining.
Even though Da Xing had lived for countless years and seen much of the world, that incident had frightened him badly.
Since then, he had never again sent his Divine Sense to probe Gu Qingfeng.
It wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he didn't dare.
And that was back when he had just met Gu Qingfeng. The current Gu Qingfeng, although not as laden with evil Divine Senses and Demonic Thoughts as before, now housed Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura, From Azure Heaven to Yellow Springs, and Heaven-Devouring, Earth-Eating Blood Taotie within him. These were taboos among taboos, Original Sin among Original Sins. They were either incarnations of evil, incarnations of death, or were, for heaven's sake, overlords ruling over hells, or beings that devoured heaven and earth.
Even if you gave Da Xing ten thousand times the courage, he wouldn't dare send his Divine Sense to probe.
Moreover, according to Gu Qingfeng, besides the three great Children of Original Sin—Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura and the others—there seemed to be another strand of Divine Sense or Demonic Thought within him.
As for what this strand was, Da Xing didn't know.
But one thing he was clear about: any Divine Sense or Demonic Thought capable of merging with Gu Qingfeng was definitely not ordinary. And something that forced Gu Qingfeng to stop and suppress it was likely even more terrifying. Perhaps it was another incarnation, another overlord, like the Children of Original Sin such as Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura, or possibly even more horrifying than these Children of Original Sin.
"Damn it!
What the hell is going on with that kid Gu!"
Da Xing was extremely anxious inside.
He had been pondering a question he didn't want to think about but had to consider:
What if Gu Qingfeng couldn't suppress that Omen Object, and his self-awareness was devoured, his physical body seized?
In Da Xing's view, if the Omen Object within Gu Qingfeng was stirring restlessly, then the three great Children of Original Sin—Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura and the others—would definitely not stand idly by. Leaving aside whether their purpose in merging with Gu Qingfeng was to find an opportunity to devour his self-awareness, even if it wasn't, now that the Omen Object wanted to devour Gu Qingfeng's self-awareness, these Children of Original Sin would surely seize this chance to compete for the devouring.
After all, if Gu Qingfeng's body were seized by the Omen Object, there would be no place left for Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura and the other Children of Original Sin.
For their own sake, they would definitely fight to seize Gu Qingfeng's self-awareness.
Thinking of this,
Da Xing grew even more worried about Gu Qingfeng's safety.
He very much wanted to go and help, but alas, he neither had the courage nor the capability, and he didn't know how to help either.
Suddenly.
Da Xing seemed to have noticed something. He stole a glance at the void, carefully sensed, and couldn't help but suck in a cold breath.
They're here!
They're all damn well here!
These bastards really don't have good intentions, every single one of them!
Da Xing knew that many existences across heaven and earth had been secretly watching Gu Qingfeng.
Their purpose was simple.
To wait for an opportunity.
To wait for an opportunity to eradicate Gu Qingfeng.
These existences had been lying dormant in the shadows. Now, seeing Gu Qingfeng in peril, they were all emerging.
There were far more than Da Xing had imagined. He had just swept his gaze and, good heavens, there were over a hundred Divine Senses alone, and dozens of various incarnations. And these were just the ones that had emerged. Who knew how many more hadn't shown themselves yet.
As for who these Divine Senses and incarnations belonged to, Da Xing couldn't identify them all at the moment, but he could roughly guess. Among them were certainly the patriarchs of various cave heavens and blessed lands, overlords of the great Daos, beings from the Nine Heavens and the Nine Nethers, from the Guixu and the Huangxu, and probably even from the holy lands and forbidden lands.
Whether to protect the Heaven-Earth Great Dao or to scheme for the True Lord of Original Sin, they all wanted to eliminate Gu Qingfeng, this greatest threat.
If these old fellows really made a move, what should be done?
Da Xing pondered that with his own strength, facing the encirclement of these masters from across heaven and earth, he wouldn't stand a chance. Not only would he be unable to help, he might even lose his own life here.
Thinking of this, Da Xing stole another glance at the void, thinking to himself: I wonder if they will lend Gu Qingfeng a hand.
He knew that among the existences lying dormant in the shadows watching Gu Qingfeng, not all wanted to eliminate him as a threat.
Not all the existences across heaven and earth wanted to protect the Heaven-Earth Great Dao, nor did they all want to scheme for the True Lord of Original Sin.
There was a small portion who yearned for the Daoless Age, but they only yearned for it. That didn't mean they necessarily had to compete for the True Lord of Original Sin. Perhaps they knew their own strength was insufficient and they couldn't win against others, or perhaps they felt the True Lord of Original Sin was already destined by heaven, or perhaps they knew the True Lord of Original Sin was a conspiracy from the start, and so on.
Regardless, they hoped someone would ascend to become the True Lord of Original Sin, slaughter the Three Thousand Great Daos, and usher in the Daoless Age.
These existences might not be numerous, but they were certainly not few.
For example, Demon Emperor Blood River.
Back when he had the Skeleton Old Demon present a black jade statue to Gu Qingfeng in an ancient ruin, Da Xing had guessed that Demon Emperor Blood River was surely taking that opportunity to make all existences across heaven and earth understand his meaning and his stance: supporting Gu Qingfeng's ascension to become the True Lord of Original Sin.
Now that Gu Qingfeng was in peril, with the masters of the great Daos across heaven and earth eyeing him covetously, ready to strike at any moment, those like Demon Emperor Blood River who supported Gu Qingfeng's ascension to become the True Lord of Original Sin should not stand idly by, right?
If Gu Qingfeng were eradicated today, then the Daoless Age they yearned for would become very remote.
Don't think there are many scheming for the True Lord of Original Sin, but in terms of truly having hope to ascend to become the True Lord of Original Sin, slaughter the Three Thousand Great Daos, and usher in the Daoless Age, looking across all of ancient and present heaven and earth, I'm afraid only Gu Qingfeng qualifies.
Taking a step back, even if there were someone with more hope than Gu Qingfeng to ascend to become the True Lord of Original Sin, those who yearned for the Daoless Age might not necessarily support them.
After all, whoever ascended to become the True Lord of Original Sin and ushered in the Daoless Age would become the overlord of heaven and earth.
The reason they supported Gu Qingfeng's ascension to become the True Lord of Original Sin was because they had sized up his character. If Gu Qingfeng were inherently evil, immensely ambitious, scheming for the True Lord of Original Sin not for the unification of the great Dao but to dominate all living beings in heaven and earth, then without a doubt, those who yearned for the Daoless Age would absolutely not support his ascension to become the True Lord of Original Sin.