To seek karma, transcend the ego, find the id, and search for the true self.
This is the lifelong pursuit of many masters of the Great Dao.
Some seek the true self purely to reclaim their original, authentic being.
For instance, after reincarnating, one might fail to awaken, knowing only the self of this life while ignorant of the true self from a past life.
If one were merely an ordinary mortal, ignorance of past-life karma might be acceptable. But if one becomes aware, nine times out of ten, they would seek to understand that karma and find their true self.
Others suspect they are merely incarnations of another, again knowing only their present self, not their true identity.
In such cases, most would also choose to search for their true self.
After all, no one wants to muddle through life in confusion, nor do they wish to be merely a self-incarnation of another.
Whether failing to awaken after reincarnation or suspecting one is another's incarnation, one must seek karma, transcend the ego, find the id, and thus recover their true self.
Of course.
For some masters of the Great Dao, the purpose of seeking the true self is not limited to this.
Legend has it.
To comprehend the True Essence of the Great Dao, one must first transcend both the ego and the id, and only after finding the true self does one gain the qualification to grasp the True Essence of the Great Dao.
Yes.
It is merely the qualification to comprehend the True Essence, not a guarantee that finding the true self will lead to that comprehension.
However, if one cannot recover their true self, no matter how great their talent or insight, they can never grasp the True Essence of the Great Dao.
The ego is a shackle.
The id is a constraint.
Only by transcending these shackles and constraints and recovering the true self can one truly step through the gate of the Great Dao.
Some say transcending the ego, the id, and even the true self is the necessary path to the gate of the Great Dao.
Others even claim it is the necessary path to becoming a god or a sage.
Though these are merely legends passed down, their truth remains unknown.
Nevertheless.
Many believe them to be true.
In their minds, if one cannot even transcend the ego, if one does not even know the id, if one cannot even find their true self.
How could they possibly comprehend the True Essence of the Great Dao?
The Great Dao has its True Essence.
All living beings have their true self.
To comprehend the True Essence of the Great Dao, one must first find the true self.
Not only do many hold this belief, but Da Xing the Mad Monk also believes that only by finding the true self can one grasp the True Essence of the Great Dao.
Even Gu Qingfeng shares this view.
He too feels that seeking karma, transcending the ego and the id, and searching for the true self are not the end of cultivation, but a necessary path.
Yet even so.
Be it the id or the true self.
He does not care, nor does he mind, and he has no intention of seeking, transcending, or recovering them.
Firstly, he has no interest in the so-called True Essence of the Great Dao, not even a shred.
Secondly, he has even less interest in becoming a god or a sage.
His purpose for cultivating from the very beginning was not to comprehend the True Essence of the Great Dao or to become a god or sage.
His purpose for cultivating was simple: to survive, to live.
As for whether his current self is his original self or his true self, to be honest, Gu Qingfeng isn't particularly concerned.
In his mind, as long as he remains himself, that's enough. What does it matter if it's the original self or the true self?
Living this life well is sufficient. Why care about past lives or future lives?
Therefore.
As for whether his true self is a member of the Ancient Clan.
Gu Qingfeng simply doesn't care.
However, ever since Da Xing the Mad Monk learned that the extra-Dao Divine Sense and Demonic Thought within Gu Qingfeng belonged to a member of the Ancient Clan, he had been wearing a troubled expression, looking as if he was not in a good state.
Indeed.
The current Da Xing the Mad Monk could be described as utterly speechless and plagued by a headache.
Earlier, when the extra-Dao Divine Sense and Demonic Thought within Gu Qingfeng began stirring restlessly, Da Xing's spirit had been on the verge of collapse.
One moment in heaven, the next in hell.
Constantly wavering between hope and despair, he had been thoroughly tormented.
Finally, after things had calmed down, not long after, he learned that the damned extra-Dao Divine Sense and Demonic Thought actually belonged to a member of the Ancient Clan.
If the extra-Dao Divine Sense and Demonic Thought posed a great threat to Gu Qingfeng, placing him in constant danger.
Then, when that extra-Dao Divine Sense and Demonic Thought belonged to a member of the Ancient Clan, it was no longer merely a threat.
Especially when he learned that Gu Qingfeng had perfectly fused with the Divine Sense and Demonic Thought of an Ancient Clan member, becoming inseparable.
In other words, Gu Qingfeng's true self was highly likely also a member of the Ancient Clan.
What exactly this meant, Da Xing couldn't articulate clearly at the moment.
But one thing he was certain of: the muddy waters of the Original Sin calamity were far deeper than imagined.
If this Original Sin calamity were a chessboard, then clearly, the Ancient Clan had already entered the game.
And they had likely laid out their karma-game long ago, with Gu Qingfeng possibly being a pawn in their hands.
The question was: why had the Ancient Clan entered the game and used Gu Qingfeng as a pawn?
To vie for the position of True Lord of Original Sin?
To slaughter the Three Thousand Great Daos and usher in the Daoless Era?
Or to wait until Gu Qingfeng became the True Lord of Original Sin, then erase him, thereby completely eradicating Original Sin?
No!
Absolutely not that simple.
Although Da Xing didn't know much about the Ancient Clan, he knew that if they entered the game, their purpose would definitely not be merely to usher in the Daoless Era or to eradicate Original Sin.
Rather, it would concern what lay behind Original Sin, behind the Daoless Era, behind the Heaven-Earth Great Dao, and behind karma and fate.
"The major players are beginning to enter..." This was Da Xing's current feeling.
In his view, those scheming for the True Lord of Original Sin, those guarding the Heaven-Earth Great Dao, and even those yearning for the Daoless Era were all merely minor players in this chess game, utterly insignificant. Their life or death would have little impact on the outcome.
Including Da Xing himself—in his eyes, even Genggu Wuming didn't qualify as a true major player.
The true major players were only just beginning to enter.
And he dared to affirm that the major player who had entered the game was definitely not limited to the Divine Sense and Demonic Thought of this Ancient Clan member residing within Gu Qingfeng.
How many members of the Ancient Clan had already entered the game?
Through whom had these Ancient Clan members entered?
This remained unknown.
As for what these major players were gambling on, that was even less clear.
The Primordial Nine Palaces continued to change, yet the changes remained imperceptible.
The Nine Palaces Void also spun, yet one couldn't feel it spinning.
One after another, Primordial Ruins merged, yet one couldn't sense them merging.
Whether it was because the Nine Palaces were changing, the Void was spinning, or the ruins were merging, Da Xing increasingly felt he was circling in place.
Gu Qingfeng shared this feeling. Initially, as they ventured deeper into the Void, the aura of Original Sin grew stronger. But now, without needing to go deeper, even standing still, he could clearly sense the intense aura of Original Sin.
Moreover, this aura of Original Sin seemed to come from all directions, permeating everywhere.