Within the void.
The Qiongqi Cauldron stood like a colossal mountain peak, devouring the vast expanse of Original Sin Breath.
It appeared as a vortex in a great ocean, with the endless Original Sin Breath, like rivers and seas, all being swept towards it.
The handsome youth with white robes and silver hair still stood within the void atop the Qiongqi Cauldron, appearing ethereal, elusive, and transcendent.
His expression was placid as water, and so was his voice.
"As for those who are both an Original Sin Anomaly and a Child of Original Sin, I know of five."
He paused briefly.
The handsome youth continued, "One is the one known as the Western Heaven Buddha Emperor, Miao Rulai. Another is the universally known You Emperor, Gu Qingfeng."
As he spoke to this point, the handsome youth suddenly raised his eyes to survey his surroundings, saying, "I heard that not long ago, both the You Emperor and the Buddha Emperor had shown themselves in the void of this Li Palace. Whether they are still present now or not, I do not know. Perhaps they are, perhaps they are not…" The handsome youth kept scanning the surroundings, as if trying to locate the traces of Gu Qingfeng and Miao Rulai, and added, "There is another who calls himself the Young Master of Original Sin. Whether it is true or false, I do not know. As for the other two, I only know of their existence, but not their identities, much less their names."
After the handsome youth finished speaking, the expressions of the hundreds of Original Sin Dharmakayas in the distance varied—some were shocked, some horrified, some found it hard to believe, and some carried a sense of despondency.
That Gu Qingfeng and Miao Rulai were both Original Sin Anomalies and Children of Original Sin was common knowledge.
To them, it was no secret.
Originally, two Children of Original Sin who were also Anomalies had already made these beings who coveted the True Lord of Original Sin see little hope.
After all, they all understood that whether one was an Original Sin Anomaly or a Child of Original Sin, both possessed the qualification to contend for the True Lord of Original Sin. Those who were both an Original Sin Anomaly and a Child of Original Sin held even greater qualifications.
Who would have thought.
Midway, another handsome youth who was also both an Original Sin Anomaly and a Child of Original Sin had emerged, and he might even be Qiongqi, one of the four Fierce Beasts of the Primordial Era who once followed the Venerable of No Dao to slaughter the Three Thousand Great Daos.
Now, the Children of Original Sin who were Anomalies had increased from two to three, making the hopes of these Dharmakayas who coveted the True Lord of Original Sin even slimmer.
What utterly shocked them was that the handsome youth claimed that besides Gu Qingfeng and Miao Rulai, there were actually three others like them.
And one of them even called himself the Young Master of Original Sin!
Now, the Children of Original Sin who were Anomalies had become six.
Three Original Sin Anomalies.
Three Children of Original Sin.
And the Children of Original Sin who were Original Sin Anomalies numbered as many as six.
Facing six such Children of Original Sin, let alone these Original Sin Dharmakayas, or Original Sin Essences like Huli Great Immortal and Old Immortal Qingmu, even Original Sin Anomalies like Weiyang Demon Emperor and Carefree Great Emperor, including Original Sin Children like Patriarch Qingdeng and Old Monster Heishan, probably had little hope of contending for the True Lord of Original Sin.
"Madness!
This is sheer bloody madness!"
In the dark recesses of the void.
Da Xing the Mad Monk was truly given a severe fright when he heard there were five Children of Original Sin who were Anomalies.
He knew that the Anomaly Children of Original Sin in the Past and Present Heavens and Earth were definitely not limited to just Gu Qingfeng and Miao Rulai.
Yes.
He knew.
He had always known.
But knowing was one thing.
Knowing was merely a speculation, not a certainty, much less acceptance.
He pondered in his mind.
The Anomaly Children of Original Sin he knew of included Gu Qingfeng, Miao Rulai, plus the one they encountered not long ago, and now this handsome youth. So who were the other two?
How in the blazes was there also one who called himself the Young Master of Original Sin?
"Kid Gu, have you ever seen that so-called Young Master of Original Sin?"
Gu Qingfeng shook his head and said, "I haven't seen anyone who calls himself the Young Master of Original Sin, but I have seen someone who calls himself the Venerable of No Dao."
Da Xing the Mad Monk had heard Gu Qingfeng mention this before and said, "You mean that Xuanming Patriarch who tried to devour you earlier?"
"Right!"
"Could it be that he, like you, is also an Anomaly Child of Original Sin?"
"Hard to say!"
Gu Qingfeng said, "However, I suspect it's highly probable."
"Good heavens!
If that Xuanming Patriarch is also an Anomaly Child of Original Sin, then that makes seven?"
"This fellow just said there were two whose names he didn't know. Perhaps Xuanming Patriarch is one of the two he mentioned. And that Anomaly Child of Original Sin we encountered earlier might be the other unknown one among those two."
Da Xing the Mad Monk asked a question that made his scalp tingle: "What if they aren't?"
"If they aren't…
Then it can only be said that the Anomaly Children of Original Sin in the Past and Present Heavens and Earth are not merely six or seven, nor merely eight or nine. There might be ten, or even more…"
"My heavens above!"
At this moment, Da Xing the Mad Monk not only felt his scalp tingling but also a sense of dizziness. Especially when Gu Qingfeng said the Anomaly Children of Original Sin in the Past and Present Heavens and Earth might number not just eight or nine, but ten or even more, Da Xing felt his vision darken and an urge to die.
Truly!
He wanted to die.
One must know that he had staked everything he had on Gu Qingfeng. Although his bet was not on Gu Qingfeng becoming the True Lord of Original Sin who would slaughter the Three Thousand Great Daos and usher in the Dao-less Era, but on a future.
However, if Gu Qingfeng ultimately did contend for the True Lord of Original Sin, then the odds of him winning the future he bet on Gu Qingfeng would be greater.
If Gu Qingfeng did not contend for the True Lord of Original Sin, then although Da Xing's bet on Gu Qingfeng's future wouldn't necessarily be a loss, the odds of winning would be very small.
That wasn't the important part.
The important part was that the more Anomaly Children of Original Sin appeared in the Past and Present Heavens and Earth, the greater the variables in the future.
Others might not know.
But Da Xing the Mad Monk understood very well in his heart that these Original Sin Anomalies would not only affect the Calamity of the Present Era but also influence the future.
In other words.
The greater the variables in the future, the smaller the odds of Da Xing winning the bet he placed on Gu Qingfeng.
"It's over!
Completely and utterly finished!"
Before.
Da Xing the Mad Monk never imagined there would be so many Anomaly Children of Original Sin in the Past and Present Heavens and Earth.
He thought that as long as Gu Qingfeng could overcome his internal troubles, his odds of winning would be great.
The so-called internal troubles referred to the consciousness and demonic thoughts of the three Children of Original Sin within Gu Qingfeng—the Avici Endless Evil Asura, the Reaching the Highest Heavens and Lowest Netherworld, and the Heaven-Devouring Earth-Swallowing Blood Taotie—as well as the consciousness and demonic thoughts of an ancient Moha clansman.
Only now.
Did Da Xing the Mad Monk realize he was wrong, terribly wrong. What Gu Qingfeng faced was not only internal troubles but also external threats.
If he had known earlier that there were so many Anomaly Children of Original Sin in the Past and Present Heavens and Earth, even if beaten to death, Da Xing would never have staked everything on Gu Qingfeng for a gamble.
He deeply regretted it!
Regretted it immensely!
Suddenly!
Da Xing the Mad Monk recalled what the Witch Empress had once said to him. The Witch Empress had warned him that he would surely regret staking everything on Gu Qingfeng for a gamble.
At the time, Da Xing didn't understand what she meant. Now he finally understood.
But.
It was already too late.
After boarding Gu Qingfeng's pirate ship, he no longer had a chance to disembark.