It was a youth.
The youth appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, with a face like carved jade, skin as white as snow, and extraordinary handsomeness. He wore white robes and had long silver-white hair, giving him an ethereal and elegant air. Especially as he slowly floated out from within the Cauldron of Qiongqi, it was as if he had been born from this vast void itself, inevitably bringing to mind the saying: 'A stranger as fair as jade, a gentleman peerless in the world.'
When this youth appeared, everyone was stunned, unable to believe their eyes.
No one had expected the master of the Cauldron of Qiongqi to be such a handsome youth.
If it were merely his handsome appearance, it wouldn't have shocked everyone so much. The truth was, the youth seemed illusory and ethereal, as if residing amidst clouds and mist. Though not radiantly holy, he was exceptionally pure, giving the feeling of a deity descending to the mortal world.
It was very difficult to associate him with the Cauldron of Qiongqi.
One must know that the Cauldron of Qiongqi was transformed from Qiongqi itself, containing Qiongqi's undying, indestructible divine consciousness and demonic thoughts. And Qiongqi was one of the Four Great Fierce Beasts of the Ancient Desolation Era, as evil as could be. Legend had it that Qiongqi was even formed from the demonic thoughts of the Demon God Gonggong. Just thinking with one's toes would reveal how terrifying and dreadful Qiongqi's existence was.
No matter what, everyone found it impossible to imagine that such an elegant, ethereal youth could be the master of the Cauldron of Qiongqi.
This was akin to the most evil, bloodthirsty demonic blade between heaven and earth recognizing an innocent, naive youth as its master—utterly unbelievable.
"His grandmother!
This kid is really damn handsome."
Da Xing the Mad Monk, who had been hiding in the shadows all along, was also quite shocked when he saw the youth. Although, upon reaching a certain level of cultivation, one's appearance could be changed at will, a person's aura could not be altered no matter how great one's abilities.
Aura was related to one's nature.
If one's nature was kind, the aura would naturally give a sense of righteous majesty.
If one's nature was evil, the aura would naturally carry a hint of wickedness.
What shocked Da Xing the Mad Monk was this youth's exceptionally pure aura.
He too found it hard to imagine that such a pure youth could be the master of the Cauldron of Qiongqi.
Earlier.
Before the youth appeared, Da Xing the Mad Monk had discovered that the Cauldron of Qiongqi could not be probed with Divine Sense at all. Therefore, he had speculated that if the Cauldron of Qiongqi already had a master, then it was most likely an Original Sin Anomaly.
The facts proved his guess correct.
The youth was indeed an Original Sin Anomaly.
Just like the Cauldron of Qiongqi, he could only be seen with the naked eye; Divine Sense could not detect him. He was illusory and ethereal, like a dream or illusion.
All the Original Sin Anomalies Da Xing the Mad Monk knew were like this: the Unending Demon Emperor Ren Tianxing, the Carefree Emperor Mo Wentian, Gu Qingfeng, Miao Rulai, and now this youth—none could be detected by Divine Sense. It was as if these Original Sin Anomalies did not belong to this world between heaven and earth at all.
"Da Xing!"
At that moment.
Gu Qingfeng suddenly spoke: "Do you remember not long ago, on an ancient ruin glowing with Original Sin Light, we also encountered an Original Sin Anomaly?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk didn't understand why Gu Qingfeng would suddenly bring this up out of the blue. He nodded and asked, "That did happen. What about it?"
"I told you, that Original Sin Anomaly gave me a very special feeling. I suspected he had also merged with True Blood of Original Sin."
Da Xing the Mad Monk truly couldn't fathom why Gu Qingfeng would say these things for no reason. Suddenly, his heart jolted, as if realizing something. He said in shock, "You couldn't possibly...
mean to say this youth has also merged with True Blood of Original Sin?"
"I cannot confirm whether he has also merged with True Blood of Original Sin, but the feeling he gives me is the same as the Original Sin Anomaly we encountered before."
Gu Qingfeng still clearly remembered the Original Sin Anomaly they had encountered on that ancient ruin.
At first glance, a very special feeling had arisen deep within his heart.
This feeling was wondrous, indescribable in words. It felt like an inexplicable, unclear connection between bloodlines, akin to two siblings who had never met before, feeling an unspeakable sensation in each other's hearts upon their first meeting.
This was not the first time Gu Qingfeng had encountered an Original Sin Anomaly like himself.
Ren Tianxing and Mo Wentian were both Original Sin Anomalies, but Gu Qingfeng had not felt this way about them.
Only the Original Sin Anomaly encountered not long ago had evoked this feeling.
In Gu Qingfeng's thoughts.
If that drop of blood he had merged with in the mortal world back then was truly True Blood of Original Sin, then that Original Sin Anomaly encountered earlier most likely had also merged with True Blood of Original Sin.
And now, this youth emerging from the Cauldron of Qiongqi gave him that same feeling again.
"Heavens above!"
After hearing Gu Qingfeng's words, Da Xing the Mad Monk was so shocked he was at a loss. "Another Original Sin Anomaly who has merged with True Blood of Original Sin?
Another Original Sin Child who is also an Original Sin Anomaly?"
Indeed.
Da Xing the Mad Monk was dumbfounded.
In the past.
He had always believed that in all of ancient and present heaven and earth, there was only Gu Qingfeng, this one Original Sin Anomaly who had merged with True Blood of Original Sin, and only Gu Qingfeng, this one Original Sin Child who was also an Original Sin Anomaly.
The reason he had staked everything, betting on Gu Qingfeng, was not only because he valued Gu Qingfeng's character, but also because Gu Qingfeng was the only Original Sin Anomaly who had merged with True Blood of Original Sin—and this was a very significant factor.
In other words, if Gu Qingfeng were not an Original Sin Anomaly, or had not merged with True Blood of Original Sin, Da Xing the Mad Monk would never have gone all-in, staking everything on a bet with Gu Qingfeng, even if beaten to death.
This was like many princes contending for the throne.
Da Xing the Mad Monk would certainly choose one among the many princes, for only princes were qualified to ascend the throne. He would not choose the son of a commoner, no matter how powerful that commoner's son was or how good his character; his hope of ascending the throne would be almost zero.
If the True Lord of Original Sin was the throne, then those who had merged with True Blood of Original Sin were the princes. And if one was both an Original Sin Anomaly and had merged with True Blood of Original Sin, it was like a prince being conferred the title of general. Thus, they would have both qualification and strength, both authority and power, both troops and horses.
He had originally thought it was like this.
But what frustrated Da Xing the Mad Monk was that not long after he decided to stake everything on Gu Qingfeng, he learned that Gu Qingfeng was not the only Original Sin Anomaly in heaven and earth who had merged with True Blood of Original Sin.
Besides Gu Qingfeng, there was another.
That was Miao Rulai.
Of course.
This was only what he had heard.
He only knew that Miao Rulai was definitely an Original Sin Anomaly; whether he had merged with True Blood of Original Sin was unknown.
Because the existence of Original Sin Anomalies could not be probed by him, naturally he could not judge.
This matter had always given Da Xing the Mad Monk a headache.
Because if Miao Rulai was also an Original Sin Anomaly who had merged with True Blood of Original Sin, then Gu Qingfeng's original ninety percent chance of winning would instantly plummet to fifty percent.