If the Heaven-Earth Great Dao allowed this Original Sin Anomaly to remain hidden in the shadows to prevent the situation from becoming even more chaotic, that wasn't entirely impossible.
Thinking of this, Da Xing the Mad Monk asked again, "You were hiding so well, so why show yourself now?"
"Since the situation is already this chaotic, I don't mind making it even more chaotic."
"I see."
"Moreover... I'm certain that before long, the situation within the Primordial Nine Palaces will become unimaginably chaotic, chaotic beyond control."
"What do you mean by that?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk seemed to realize something, though he didn't dare be certain, and cautiously probed, "Are you saying other Original Sin Anomalies will appear?"
"Yes!"
Good heavens!
Da Xing the Mad Monk couldn't help but suck in a cold breath. "How many Original Sin Anomalies are hiding in the shadows besides you?"
"I don't know," the Original Sin Anomaly said. "I only know the Original Sin Anomalies hiding in the shadows are definitely not just me."
Da Xing the Mad Monk wanted to ask more, but the Original Sin Anomaly suddenly clasped his fists. "Fellow Daoists, until we meet again!"
With that, he vanished, disappearing without a trace like a wisp of smoke scattered by the wind.
"Damn it! That kid ran off pretty fast!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk still had a bellyful of doubts he wanted to ask, but he hadn't expected the other party to flee just like that, which left him somewhat frustrated. He glanced at Gu Qingfeng. "Kid Gu, what do you make of this?"
"Make of what?"
"Didn't you hear what that fellow just said? The Original Sin Anomalies hiding in the shadows aren't just him. There could be two, three, or even more."
"Wouldn't that be even better?"
"What do you mean, better? What the hell is good about that?"
"The more Original Sin Anomalies there are, the more chaotic the situation becomes. The more chaotic the situation, the bigger the spectacle."
"You!"
Hearing Gu Qingfeng say this, Da Xing the Mad Monk didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Indeed.
For a layabout like Gu Qingfeng who went with the flow and left things to fate, he neither sought to protect the Heaven-Earth Great Dao nor had any interest in becoming the True Lord of Original Sin. He was even losing interest in living itself. If there was a spectacle to watch, he'd happily indulge in it.
But Da Xing the Mad Monk was different.
Da Xing the Mad Monk had staked all his hopes on Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng's fatalistic attitude had already left him seeing little hope. Coupled with the recent emergence of a Demonic Thought Beyond the Great Dao from an ancient Mohu Clan member, Da Xing felt even more hopeless.
And now? Damn it, there were actually Original Sin Anomalies hiding in the shadows, and likely more than one.
Gu Qingfeng appeared to have the greatest destiny and the highest likelihood of Ascending to the Pinnacle as the True Lord of Original Sin.
Setting aside whether he had any interest in the title, even if he did, he might not necessarily succeed in the end. Because now, every being in heaven and earth was watching him, waiting for the right moment to erase him. He was the Original Sin Anomaly with the greatest destiny, but also the most dangerous. While he had the highest chance of Ascending to the Pinnacle, he also had the lowest chance.
Thus, the more Original Sin Anomalies there were, the more dangerous it became for Gu Qingfeng.
Moreover, not all the Original Sin Anomalies hiding in the shadows had revealed themselves yet. This meant Gu Qingfeng might not truly be the one with the greatest destiny among all the anomalies. Perhaps among those hidden anomalies, there were some with even greater destiny than Gu Qingfeng.
Another point was that Original Sin Anomalies and Karmic Retribution Bodies were counterparts. For every Original Sin Anomaly, there was a Karmic Retribution Body.
If other Original Sin Anomalies had been hiding in the shadows all along, then surely other Karmic Retribution Bodies were also hidden.
Alas!
Da Xing the Mad Monk couldn't help but sigh, feeling utterly weary in body and mind.
He had always thought he had a decent understanding of the situation across the ancient and present heavens and earth. Even if he couldn't claim perfect knowledge, he shouldn't be far off. But with the appearance of the ancient Mohu Clan member and the hidden Original Sin Anomalies, Da Xing found himself increasingly unable to comprehend the situation across the ages.
He also regretted more and more having staked all his hopes on Gu Qingfeng.
If he had known the waters were this deep, Da Xing the Mad Monk would never have blindly gambled on Gu Qingfeng.
If he had known Gu Qingfeng's go-with-the-flow, leave-it-to-fate attitude was so resolute, Da Xing would never have placed his bet so lightly.
But now, it was too late for regrets.
He was already in too deep. His bet was already placed on Gu Qingfeng, and there was no withdrawing it.
"Da Xing, could you tell who that Original Sin Anomaly just now was?" Gu Qingfeng suddenly asked.
"This old monk has never even seen him before. How could I possibly know who that fellow is?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk was inwardly curious. In his impression, Gu Qingfeng rarely inquired about others' identities. A guy who had no interest in becoming the True Lord of Original Sin naturally wouldn't be interested in other Original Sin Anomalies either.
"Why do you ask?"
"There's something I'm not sure if you noticed."
Seeing Gu Qingfeng lost in thought, Da Xing grew even more curious. "What is it?"
"That Original Sin Anomaly just now..." Gu Qingfeng furrowed his brow, thinking for a moment. "Gave me a very peculiar feeling."
Da Xing didn't understand. "What kind of peculiar feeling?"
"Hard to describe. But I think... that Original Sin Anomaly must have merged with Original Sin True Blood."
Hearing this, Da Xing the Mad Monk's expression changed drastically. He froze for a moment before exclaiming, "You... you're saying that Original Sin Anomaly just now, like you, also merged with Original Sin True Blood?"
"Not sure. I just have my suspicions."
"If you suspect it, then it's most likely true."
Da Xing the Mad Monk knew that when the Era Without Dao opened in the Primordial Era, many beings had managed to seize Original Sin True Blood.
Exactly who had seized it, he didn't know.
The only thing he knew was that those who had seized Original Sin True Blood and merged with it back then seemed to have all died. For example, the Abyssal Avici Evil Asura, the One Who Traverses Heaven and Hell, and the Heaven-Devouring Earth-Swallowing Blood Glutton within Gu Qingfeng's body were all Children of Original Sin who had merged with Original Sin True Blood. Now, they were all reduced to mere Demonic Thoughts.
Some who seized Original Sin True Blood merged with it, while others who seized it did not merge with it but preserved it instead.
Like the Original Sin True Blood Gu Qingfeng had merged with back in the mortal world.
Besides Gu Qingfeng, Da Xing the Mad Monk also knew that Miao Rulai had once merged with a drop of Original Sin True Blood.
If that Original Sin Anomaly just now had also merged with Original Sin True Blood, then that meant three Children of Original Sin had now appeared, and all were Original Sin Anomalies.
However, the Children of Original Sin who had merged with Original Sin True Blood shouldn't number only three. At the very least, Da Xing knew that five drops of Original Sin True Blood had been preserved back then—and that was just what he knew. Perhaps more Original Sin True Blood had been preserved, unknown to him.