Gu Qingfeng fell silent.
He didn't know whether that mysterious voice was telling the truth or not, nor did he know what this so-called Mahā was.
He pondered: if that damned Mahā was really on his person, then where would it be? Who would be Mahā?
The Celestial Phenomenon Pagoda?
The Earthly Phenomenon Purgatory?
The Chaotic Phenomenon Cosmos?
The Dao of the Absolute?
The Dao of Death?
The Dao of Stillness?
The Avici Hellish Asura?
From the highest heavens to the Yellow Springs below?
The Heaven-Devouring, Earth-Swallowing Blood Taotie?
Gu Qingfeng went through all the fortunes on his person, including the Daos he had comprehended, and even all his Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts.
He felt none of them could possibly be that damned Mahā.
Suddenly.
He thought of that one Demonic Thought Beyond the Great Dao.
Could that thing be Mahā?
Hard to say.
Couldn't really say for sure.
Gu Qingfeng vaguely felt that if what the voice said was true, if Mahā was truly on his person, then in all likelihood, it might be that Demonic Thought Beyond the Great Dao.
Thinking it over and over, only that wisp of Demonic Thought Beyond the Great Dao could possibly be Mahā.
"Is the Mahā you speak of that wisp of Demonic Thought Beyond the Great Dao?"
Gu Qingfeng asked.
After a long while, the mysterious voice finally came.
"Don't know... forgot...
I only know Mahā is on you. I can sense it. It must be there."
"Just what kind of existence is Mahā?"
"Don't know...
Forgot... can't remember..." Gu Qingfeng didn't ask further, merely letting out a rather helpless sigh.
"Don't believe in karma, don't believe in fate..." "Don't believe...
Don't believe anyone..." "A conspiracy, everything is a conspiracy. From the very beginning, this has been a conspiracy."
"Find me...
You must find me."
"My...
My back has you...
Has you..." The mysterious voice grew increasingly ethereal, increasingly elusive, no longer close at hand, more like it was fading away, growing weaker and weaker until it gradually vanished.
"Are you still there?"
Gu Qingfeng asked, but there was no response.
He asked several more times in succession, but still no one answered.
It seemed that mysterious voice had disappeared again.
Back then.
After that mysterious voice appeared, it said a bunch of incomprehensible things, then vanished.
Now, after many years, it appeared again, just like last time, spouting a bunch of incomprehensible things before disappearing once more.
While this matter was utterly exasperating, fortunately, Gu Qingfeng had always been open-minded. He didn't dwell on it too much, nor would he get hung up on this particular detail.
The Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces were changing.
The Desolate Ancient ruins were merging.
The Desolate Ancient void was rotating.
The changes in the Nine Palaces were imperceptible.
The merging of the ruins was also imperceptible. The rotation of the void was similarly undetectable.
Gu Qingfeng and Da Xing the Mad Monk continued to delve deeper into Li Palace.
Said to be delving deeper.
But Li Palace was like a bottomless abyss, with no end in sight.
What was even more bizarre was that, whether it was Gu Qingfeng or Da Xing the Mad Monk, the deeper they went, the more they felt as if they were just going in circles in the same place.
Previously, when the Desolate Ancient ruins hadn't merged, they could at least use them as reference points to judge their position. But as the Desolate Ancient ruins gradually merged together, forming a continuous, rugged mountain range, everywhere they looked was the same.
Da Xing the Mad Monk pondered: if all the ruins of the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces merged together, what kind of scene would that be?
I'm afraid the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces would no longer be the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces.
Instead, it would be the reappearance of the Desolate Ancient Era!
Was that really the case?
Da Xing the Mad Monk didn't know either.
Just as he was lost in thought, Gu Qingfeng's voice suddenly came.
"Da Xing, there's something I need to ask you about."
"What is it?"
"Have you heard of Mahā?"
"What!"
Upon hearing this.
Da Xing the Mad Monk's expression changed drastically. He halted mid-air, his face ashen, eyes wide open, his gaze especially complex, as if he had heard something terrifying.
Coming back to his senses, Da Xing the Mad Monk's mouth twitched uncontrollably twice. He hurriedly replied, "No...
Haven't heard of it."
After saying this, Da Xing the Mad Monk feigned composure, turning away as if nothing was wrong.
"Really haven't heard of it?"
Gu Qingfeng asked again.
"No!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk shook his head like a rattle-drum. "Absolutely not!"
"Heh!"
Gu Qingfeng chuckled. "Is that so?"
His laugh genuinely made Da Xing the Mad Monk's heart tremble. He knew he couldn't hide it from Gu Qingfeng. No matter how well he pretended, Gu Qingfeng would notice. Moreover, upon hearing the two words 'Mahā,' Da Xing the Mad Monk had completely lost his composure, making it even more impossible to conceal.
"Alright, stop putting on an act for me. Don't hide or hold back. Speak up."
"I..." Da Xing the Mad Monk glanced at Gu Qingfeng, opening his mouth but hesitating, looking very conflicted. After a long while, he finally asked, "How the hell do you know about Mahā?"
"Heard about it."
"From whom?"
"Don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know?
How could you not even know who you heard it from?"
"I really don't know."
"Kid Gu!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk said seriously, "If you want to know about Mahā, you must tell me the truth. Who exactly did you hear it from? Who told you about Mahā?"
"I really don't know. If I knew, wouldn't I tell you? Do you think I'm like you, fond of hiding and holding back?"
"Then where did you hear it? You must at least know that, right?"
Gu Qingfeng pointed at himself. "In my heart."
"What do you mean?"
"Just now, I suddenly heard a voice. That voice told me."
Da Xing the Mad Monk pressed urgently, "A voice? What voice? Whose voice?"
"Didn't I just tell you? I don't know whose voice it is."
"This..." Da Xing the Mad Monk seemed to realize something, horrified. He exclaimed, "Could it be there are other Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts on you?"
"Hard to say."
Gu Qingfeng shrugged, neither confirming nor denying.
"Heavens!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk was utterly speechless. Ever since he staked everything and placed his hopes on Gu Qingfeng, what he feared most was Gu Qingfeng having mysterious, unknown existences on his person.
Because the more mysterious, unknown existences Gu Qingfeng had, the more dangerous he became. And the more dangerous Gu Qingfeng was, the more likely the hope Da Xing had staked everything on would be shattered.
One Demonic Thought Beyond the Great Dao was already enough to make his heart tremble with fear. Now, judging by Gu Qingfeng's words, it seemed there were other Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts on him.
Were there just too damn many Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts on this kid?
"Why would that voice suddenly tell you about Mahā for no reason? What else did it say to you?"
"Didn't say much else. Just said Mahā is on me."