Da Xing the Mad Monk shouted and yelled, swearing oaths to the heavens and making vows, terrified of being misunderstood by Genggu Wuming.
Gu Qingfeng just watched Da Xing the Mad Monk's performance, shaking his head helplessly. "I say, Da Xing, is that really necessary? A little show is enough, but you're really acting it up. Who are you performing for? For Genggu Wuming?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk's old face darkened. He walked over and transmitted a secret message. "Kid, can't you watch your words in the future? Don't just blurt out everything, alright? It's not like you don't know how many existences are watching you from the shadows of the void. The simplest principle—walls have ears—don't you understand that?"
"They can hear us talking?"
If someone's Divine Sense enveloped them, it was true the other party could hear their words. But if they were just watching from the shadows of the void, the other party couldn't possibly hear their conversation.
"Better safe than sorry. What if they do hear?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk knew very well that those existences watching Gu Qingfeng from the shadows of the void were either guarding the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth or scheming for the True Lord of Original Sin. Regardless of which, they were all waiting for the right moment to erase Gu Qingfeng.
Although there was another type of existence, like Da Xing the Mad Monk himself, who pinned their hopes on Gu Qingfeng, if those existences learned that the ancient Mahā clansmen had already found Gu Qingfeng and were on his person...
Then this matter would become huge, definitely affecting the decisions of many existences.
Those who wanted to erase Gu Qingfeng would only become more determined.
And those who originally supported Gu Qingfeng and pinned their hopes on him would likely abandon him because of this.
After all, Mahā was one of the Ancient Clans.
And for all existences under heaven and earth, the Ancient Clans were like deities—extremely terrifying existences.
Although no one knew the purpose of the Mahā clansmen's Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts appearing on Gu Qingfeng.
Just thinking about it with one's toes, one knew it couldn't be anything good.
At least, that was the case for Gu Qingfeng.
The more mysterious and unknown the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts on him were, the more dangerous Gu Qingfeng became.
The more dangerous Gu Qingfeng was, the happier those existences lurking in the shadows of the void, waiting for the right moment to erase him, would be. Conversely, those who pinned their hopes on him might see their hopes dashed.
Gu Qingfeng said indifferently, "So what if they hear?"
"So what?
I say, kid Gu! No!
Master Gu, can this old monk call you Ancestor Gu?
You, venerable sir, aren't afraid, but this old monk is!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk knew Gu Qingfeng feared nothing under heaven or earth. Coupled with his attitude of letting things take their natural course and resigning himself to fate, he had no interest in either the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth or the Original Sin and Wu Dao, and naturally harbored no fear toward the so-called Ancient Clans.
The problem was, Da Xing the Mad Monk had staked everything he had on Gu Qingfeng. He didn't want to lose it all.
"Kid Gu, can you sense the Mahā clansmen?"
"After hearing you say so much, I still don't understand what the Mahā clansmen are supposed to be. How could I sense them? But..." Gu Qingfeng hesitated for a moment before saying, "I suspect that the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts beyond the Great Dao from before might be the so-called Mahā clansmen."
"Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts beyond the Great Dao?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk's expression froze. Coming back to his senses, he muttered, "Yes, yes, it must be. Only the legendary, god-like Ancient Clans would exist beyond the Great Dao."
Back when he learned that the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts on Gu Qingfeng were existences beyond the Great Dao, Da Xing the Mad Monk had also suspected they might be from the Ancient Clans.
But upon further thought, it seemed unlikely.
Firstly, the so-called Ancient Clans were just a legend, and a mythical one at that.
In other words, whether the Ancient Clans existed or not, no one knew. No one dared affirm the legend was true, nor dared say it was false.
Moreover.
From ancient times to the present, across heaven and earth, there had been no trace of the Ancient Clans.
Yes.
None at all.
What Pangu separating heaven and earth.
What Nüwa molding clay to create humans.
What the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors saving all living beings.
All left no trace to be found.
In Da Xing the Mad Monk's view, if the Ancient Clans truly existed, even if they were gods, they should have left some clues in this ancient and present world.
Unfortunately, they hadn't.
Since the Desolate Ancient Era, Da Xing the Mad Monk had been seeking the Ancient Clans. For this, he had ascended to the Nine Heavens, descended to the Nine Netherworlds, traversed the three thousand worlds—places he should go, places he shouldn't—he had been to them all, yet still found no trace of the Ancient Clans.
He had, however, heard many legends about the Ancient Clans.
He had heard that the Ancient Clans truly existed. Pangu, Nüwa—they were all true spirits born from the Chaos Era.
Later, Pangu separated heaven and earth, thus creating the heavens and the earth.
Nüwa molded clay to create humans, thus creating all living beings.
Later still, the Three Purities and Four Sovereigns opened the Immortal Dao, Amitabha Buddha and Shakyamuni opened the Buddhist Dao, Chiyou opened the Demonic Dao, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors opened the Human Dao—the three thousand Great Daos were born from this.
Later, it was said those Great Dao progenitors had conflicts, disputes arose endlessly, they fought inextricably. The final battle even caused the Great Daos to fall, destroying heaven and earth, and the legendary Chaos Era ended from then on.
And then...
There was no more then...
After the Chaos Era ended, the so-called Ancient Clans became mythical legends.
Since then, no one had ever seen the Ancient Clans from the mythical legends.
Some said all the Great Dao progenitors and Ancient Clans perished with the end of the Chaos Era...
Whether true or false, no one knew.
Da Xing the Mad Monk pondered that those Ancient Clans and Great Dao progenitors either never existed at all, or truly perished with the end of the Chaos Era.
The reason was simple.
During the Desolate Ancient Era, the three thousand Great Daos had been slaughtered. Although the Great Dao ancestors back then fought desperately to protect their respective Great Daos, alas, there were far too many existences scheming for the True Lord of Original Sin and yearning for the Wu Dao Era.
Coupled with the fact that the Venerable Wu Dao who opened the Wu Dao Era back then was too terrifyingly powerful, the Great Dao ancestors were no match.
At that time.
Seeing the three thousand Great Daos about to be slaughtered by Venerable Wu Dao, the Great Dao ancestors could only pray to the heavens, beseeching the Great Dao progenitors to descend.
Unfortunately, no matter how they pleaded or prayed.
The Great Dao progenitors never descended.
They could only watch helplessly as the three thousand Great Daos were slaughtered one by one.
If the so-called Ancient Clans and Great Dao progenitors truly existed, truly were alive, they couldn't possibly watch helplessly as the Great Daos they had painstakingly opened were slaughtered, right?
Therefore.
Da Xing the Mad Monk felt perhaps those Ancient Clans and Great Dao progenitors had perished with the end of the Chaos Era.
If that wisp of Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts beyond the Great Dao on Gu Qingfeng was truly from the Mahā clansmen, then Da Xing the Mad Monk would believe even more that the Ancient Clans might have truly perished with the end of the Chaos Era.
If it weren't so, the Mahā clansmen couldn't possibly be left as just a wisp of Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts.
Only when the physical body turned to ashes and the soul vanished into smoke would a wisp of Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts remain.
And only the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Ancient Clans could possibly leap beyond the Great Dao, existing outside the laws.
"Kid Gu, if...
This old monk says if, if that wisp of Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts beyond the Great Dao on you is truly from the Mahā clansmen, what do you plan to do?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk asked with immense trepidation.
"Do nothing. Whatever happens, happens..." Gu Qingfeng shrugged, replying with a nonchalant remark: "If the sky wants to rain, if mother wants to remarry, let it be."
Da Xing the Mad Monk said anxiously, "Can't you think about it? If the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts beyond the Great Dao are truly from the Mahā clansmen, why did they merge with you?"
"How would I know why."
"You...
I...
This old monk..." Faced with Gu Qingfeng, who cared about nothing, was indifferent to everything, letting all things take their natural course and resigning himself to fate, Da Xing the Mad Monk opened his mouth several times, only to swallow his words back, truly not knowing what to say.
Gu Qingfeng's attitude made him utterly speechless and helpless, grinding his teeth in hatred yet powerless, without a single solution.
"Fine."
Da Xing the Mad Monk sighed. "Then what about Mahā's current situation? You should at least know that, right?"
"Hard to say, not easy to explain."
Gu Qingfeng thought for a moment and said, "Anyway, ever since merging with that thing, I haven't felt any discomfort."
"This old monk seems to recall you saying that when Mahā grew restless, you also felt yourself growing restless, even unable to distinguish whether it was you growing restless or Mahā growing restless. Is that right?"
"Yes, that's exactly how it is."
"This...
This isn't possible!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk's brows furrowed into a deep crease. He scratched his head and ears, pondering bitterly without understanding.
"Why isn't it possible?"
"If it's truly as you say, then you and Mahā have perfectly merged together, becoming indistinguishable from each other."
Gu Qingfeng nodded. He indeed had that feeling too.
"Kid Gu, don't tell me you haven't made any connections?"
Gu Qingfeng was puzzled. "What connections?"
"That thing is the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of an Ancient Clan clansman! Yet now it has perfectly merged with you. Do you know what that means?"
"What does it mean?"
"It means you, kid, might also be a Mahā clansman. Otherwise, it would be impossible to perfectly merge with the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of a Mahā clansman."
"You're saying I'm an Ancient Clan clansman?"
Gu Qingfeng laughed. "Why don't you just say I'm the great god Pangu who separated heaven and earth?"
"Kid!
Do you think this old monk is joking with you?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk's face was stern, full of solemnity. "You don't even know if you are your original self, let alone if you are your true self. How do you know your true self isn't an Ancient Clan clansman?"
Hearing this.
Gu Qingfeng, who had been laughing heartily, abruptly stopped.
Although he didn't want to, he had to admit what Da Xing the Mad Monk said was true.
The current him was just a self.
What existence his original self was, what existence his true self was.
Gu Qingfeng did not know.
As Da Xing the Mad Monk said, if he didn't even know his original self, how could he know if his true self was an Ancient Clan clansman?