"If the Cauldron of Qiongqi is not a masterless object, but rather Qiongqi's own Divine Sense and demonic thoughts have been reborn as an Original Sin Anomaly..." Da Xing the Mad Monk drew a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, sighing, "Then that would be even more terrifying."
Gu Qingfeng didn't quite understand. "How so?"
"The Four Great Desolate Ancient Fierce Beasts were the ones who followed the Venerable of the Daoless Age back then to slaughter the Three Thousand Great Daos and open the Daoless Era."
"And so?"
"When the Desolate Ancient Era ended, all the Original Sin Patriarchs died or perished. Those who couldn't die were suppressed in the Gui Xu. Not just the Original Sin Patriarchs—anyone who threw themselves into Original Sin, or even those merely tainted by it, were doomed without exception. They simply wouldn't give you any chance for reincarnation."
"Think about it. If even those merely tainted by Original Sin were doomed, how much more so the Four Great Desolate Ancient Fierce Beasts?"
"Back then, they not only followed the Venerable of the Daoless Age to slaughter the Three Thousand Great Daos, but they also all integrated the True Blood of Original Sin. They are veritable Sons of Original Sin."
"It's like a group of rebels trying to stage a rebellion. If the rebellion fails, everyone who participated is executed without mercy. The Four Great Desolate Ancient Fierce Beasts were like the rebel generals. Would the authorities let them go?"
Gu Qingfeng asked, "Since they wouldn't let him go, how did he manage to reincarnate?"
"That's precisely the crux of the issue."
Gu Qingfeng still didn't understand. "What crux?"
"If you ask this old monk to explain it right now, I can't really put it into words. But anyway, this old monk feels that if Qiongqi has truly been reborn as an Original Sin Anomaly, then this matter is far too complex."
Although Da Xing the Mad Monk had spoken at length without reaching a clear conclusion, Gu Qingfeng could more or less grasp a thing or two.
So-called Divine Sense and demonic thoughts actually possess no self-awareness; they are merely an indestructible spiritual will, like wandering ghosts without consciousness.
This is also the fundamental reason why most Divine Sense and demonic thoughts cannot reincarnate.
Legend has it that as long as Divine Sense and demonic thoughts can gestate self-awareness, they can reincarnate.
However, legend is just legend.
Gestating self-awareness from mere Divine Sense and demonic thoughts is incredibly difficult.
One must understand this is a process from 'no-self' to 'having-self'.
Even if it could be gestated, it would require an exceptionally long period of time—a length that is practically equivalent to eternity.
This might sound exaggerated, but it is indeed the truth.
There are many Divine Sense and demonic thoughts from the Desolate Ancient Era, and those possessing indestructible Divine Sense and demonic thoughts were, without exception, Great Dao overlords of that era during their lifetimes.
Yet even so, to this day, there has been no news of anyone's Divine Sense and demonic thoughts gestating self-awareness and reincarnating.
At the very least, Gu Qingfeng had never heard of such a thing.
Not to mention others, the Abyssal Asura, the Heaven-Devouring Earth-Swallowing Blood Taotie, and the one who traverses the highest heavens and the deepest hells upon Gu Qingfeng's person were all Great Dao overlords who dominated heaven and earth in the Desolate Ancient Era.
And now? They are reduced to mere wisps of indestructible Divine Sense and demonic thoughts, and to this day, they have not gestated self-awareness.
If even these Great Dao overlords are like this, how much more so for others?
In Gu Qingfeng's view, Taotie and Qiongqi were both among the Four Great Desolate Ancient Fierce Beasts. Both had integrated the True Blood of Original Sin and followed the Venerable of the Daoless Age to slaughter the Three Thousand Great Daos.
If Taotie hasn't gestated self-awareness, then logically, Qiongqi shouldn't have either, nor should it have reincarnated.
Taking a step back, even if Qiongqi truly did gestate self-awareness and truly did reincarnate...
How could it be such a coincidence that it reincarnated as an Original Sin Anomaly?
A coincidence that feels like an arrangement by Fate.
But would Fate arrange for Qiongqi to become an Original Sin Anomaly?
Hard to say, and not easy to say.
It sounds like Fate wouldn't arrange for any existence to become an Original Sin Anomaly.
Firstly, the karma of an Original Sin Anomaly itself is chaotic; Fate simply cannot arrange it.
Secondly, even if Fate could arrange it, it's highly unlikely it would do so.
Original Sin Anomalies hold the greatest hope of ascending to become the True Lord of Original Sin and are also the most likely to slaughter the Three Thousand Great Daos and open the Daoless Era.
If Fate were to arrange an Original Sin Anomaly, wouldn't that be digging its own grave?
Of course, on the other hand, if Fate truly could arrange an Original Sin Anomaly, it might not necessarily refrain from doing so.
Da Xing the Mad Monk had told Gu Qingfeng more than once that Fate might arrange for an Original Sin Anomaly, even help it ascend to become the True Lord of Original Sin, and then obliterate it, thereby completely eradicating Original Sin.
If one said Fate arranged for Qiongqi to reincarnate and become an Original Sin Anomaly, it's not impossible.
But if Qiongqi's reincarnation as an Original Sin Anomaly wasn't arranged by Fate...
Then what was it?
Gu Qingfeng couldn't figure it out.
Perhaps it truly was as Da Xing the Mad Monk said: if Qiongqi reincarnated into an Original Sin Anomaly on its own, then this matter is indeed complex.
Within the scene, the Cauldron of Qiongqi still floated in the void like a colossal mountain peak, continuously devouring the Breath of Original Sin from all directions.
"You little brat!"
Huli Great Immortal raged and shouted from outside. In his tiger-headed, human-bodied form, he looked like a monster, one hand on his hip, the other gripping a crimson-black long blade.
His tiger eyes glared furiously at the Cauldron of Qiongqi as he roared, "If you know what's good for you, get the hell out here before me!"
Huli Great Immortal's furious roar, accompanied by an overwhelmingly domineering tiger's roar, shook the omnipresent Breath of Original Sin, causing it to churn violently, and also made the hearts of the many Original Sin beings in the void tremble with fear.
Right at that moment, a nonchalant voice suddenly drifted over.
"Huli Great Immortal, it's been many years. You haven't changed a bit—still so rash, still so hot-tempered. Truly no progress at all. It seems your time in the Gui Xu was still too short."
The voice was very plain, as plain as chatting with a friend.
Everyone could tell the voice came from within the Cauldron of Qiongqi.
It seemed what Huli Great Immortal said was true; the Cauldron of Qiongqi truly did have a master.
"Damn it all!" Da Xing the Mad Monk, hidden in the dark recesses of the void, said with a choked voice, "Judging by the tone, this fellow seems to know Huli Great Immortal. Could it really be Qiongqi?"
Huli Great Immortal was an overlord of the Desolate Ancient Era. After the Desolate Ancient Era ended, he had been suppressed in the Gui Xu all along. Therefore, only existences from the Desolate Ancient Era would know him.
In the distance, when Old Immortal Qingmu heard that the voice from within the Cauldron of Qiongqi actually recognized Huli Great Immortal, his brows furrowed even deeper, and his expression grew even more complex.
Huli Great Immortal was also startled by the voice coming from the Cauldron of Qiongqi. He shouted, "You little brat! You know me?"
"Although the two of us have never met, I have heard of the mighty name of Huli Great Immortal. Moreover, in the Desolate Ancient Era, who didn't know of you, Huli Great Immortal?"
Huli Great Immortal asked, "Are you also from the Desolate Ancient Era?"
"You could say so."
"Either you are or you aren't! What do you mean, 'you could say so'!"
"Heh."
The other party chuckled but did not answer the question.
"Just who are you?!"
Huli Great Immortal demanded sharply. The other party did not respond. Instead, a figure gradually began to emerge slowly from within the Cauldron of Qiongqi.