"Right, you guessed correctly, kid. If there is anyone in this ancient and modern world who could make the Daoless Age vanish the moment it opens, it would definitely be the Ancient Clan. Moreover, all those who fused with the True Blood of Original Sin back then were reduced to ashes, and even those tainted by Original Sin were cast into Gui Xu. Only the Ancient Clan could accomplish such a thing."
For some reason, Da Xing the Mad Monk had become extremely serious at this moment, a world apart from the usual laughing, cursing Da Xing the Mad Monk. He was so serious it was as if he had become a different person. Every time he got like this, Gu Qingfeng had the distinct feeling that Da Xing the Mad Monk resembled a complete charlatan.
He stared intently at Gu Qingfeng and said seriously, "Think about it. Back then, the Ancient Clan annihilated all the Children of Original Sin who had fused with the True Blood and cast those tainted by Original Sin into Gui Xu. So why didn't they destroy the True Blood of Original Sin that was preserved? Could it be that the Ancient Clan didn't know who had seized and kept the True Blood of Original Sin? Or was it that the Ancient Clan couldn't eliminate them?"
"No! Neither!"
Before Gu Qingfeng could respond, Da Xing the Mad Monk continued, "The Ancient Clan could even destroy the Daoless Age. If they wanted to eradicate all the True Blood of Original Sin in the world, it would certainly be no difficult task. So why did they allow some True Blood of Original Sin to remain preserved?"
"There's only one possible reason: the Ancient Clan did it deliberately. In other words, allowing the True Blood of Original Sin to be preserved must be part of a scheme laid by the Ancient Clan."
Gu Qingfeng asked, "What kind of scheme?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk shook his head and replied, "This old monk doesn't know. But there is one thing this old monk does know: the Patriarchs of the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens and the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands are more or less connected to the Ancient Clan. If they fused with the True Blood of Original Sin, they definitely couldn't have hidden it from the Ancient Clan. This old monk even suspects that perhaps it was the Ancient Clan who told them to fuse with the True Blood of Original Sin."
Gu Qingfeng couldn't understand what Da Xing the Mad Monk was saying, and the more he listened, the more confused he became. He asked, "The Ancient Clan opposes the Daoless Age, right?"
"This old monk believes the Ancient Clan hopes the Daoless Age will not open more than anyone else, and they will spare no effort, at any cost, to prevent the Daoless Age from opening."
"In that case, why would they have the Patriarchs of the Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands fuse with the True Blood of Original Sin? Isn't that aiding the tyrant and nurturing a tiger to become a future calamity?" Gu Qingfeng's brows furrowed deeply. "Or is it that the Ancient Clan is playing a very large game of chess? Having the Patriarchs of the Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands fuse with the True Blood to become Children of Original Sin is just part of their scheme."
"It should be a scheme laid by the Ancient Clan."
"There's another point I've never been able to figure out," Gu Qingfeng said. "Back when the Daoless Age opened in the Ancient Desolation Era, the Ancient Clan could make it vanish the moment it opened. So if the Daoless Age opens again this time, does that mean the Ancient Clan still have this ability?"
"This old monk thinks that even if the Ancient Clan have this ability, they can only make the Daoless Age vanish temporarily. They cannot stop the Daoless Age from continuing to open."
Da Xing the Mad Monk drew a deep breath and said, "This old monk has thought it over and over, and I still believe the goal of the Ancient Clan this time is probably to completely eradicate Original Sin, to eliminate the future threat once and for all."
"They didn't eliminate it back then, perhaps because the timing wasn't right. Precisely because of this, during the Ancient Desolation Era, the Ancient Clan annihilated all the Children of Original Sin, cast those tainted by Original Sin into Gui Xu, and only left behind the True Blood of Original Sin. Their purpose was likely to set the stage for the cataclysm of the current era."
"You mean... the Ancient Clan have been secretly scheming and fanning the flames, with the goal of making the True Lord of Original Sin appear, and then annihilating him, thereby completely eradicating Original Sin. Is that right?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk nodded.
Gu Qingfeng chuckled and said, "I remember you seemed to have said that Fate has been secretly scheming, waiting for the True Lord of Original Sin to appear before annihilating him. How come now it's become the Ancient Clan?"
"Kid Gu, do you remember this old monk once telling you that behind Fate might very well be the Ancient Clan?"
"Really?"
Whether Da Xing the Mad Monk had ever said such a thing, Gu Qingfeng could no longer remember. In his impression, he seemed to have heard this phrase somewhere, but whether it was Da Xing the Mad Monk who said it, he couldn't say for sure.
"If it's really as you say, then aren't the Ancient Clan just being ridiculously meddlesome and going to unnecessary trouble? If they weren't secretly scheming and fanning the flames behind the scenes, wouldn't the True Lord of Original Sin appear anyway?"
"He would! But it would probably take a very, very long time. Original Sin also has its source. If this old monk's guess is correct, after the source of Original Sin vanished the moment the Daoless Age opened back then, it should have also fallen into slumber."
"If we wait for the source of Original Sin to awaken, then it won't be a matter of who ascends to become the True Lord of Original Sin anymore. Because once the source of Original Sin awakens, it won't need the True Lord of Original Sin as an avatar anymore. By then, forget about eliminating the source of Original Sin, we might not even be able to stop the Daoless Age from opening."
Changing the subject, Da Xing the Mad Monk continued, "But if we secretly scheme and fan the flames, it's equivalent to forcing the True Lord of Original Sin to appear. At this time, the source of Original Sin has not yet awakened; it can only manifest by borrowing the avatar of the True Lord of Original Sin. This way, the Ancient Clan can take advantage of the fact that the source of Original Sin has not fully awakened to completely annihilate it. It must be said, the Ancient Clan are playing a truly grand game of chess."
Ever since entering the Primordial Black Hole, Da Xing the Mad Monk had often said such things to Gu Qingfeng, and every time he spoke, he did so with great solemnity, his expression as serious and earnest as could be.
How much truth and how much falsehood was in these words, Gu Qingfeng didn't know. However, there was one thing he couldn't help but admire: every time, Da Xing the Mad Monk successfully managed to hoodwink him, or at least, left him unable to find a reason to refute him.
This time was no exception. He pondered it carefully, and the more he pondered, the more sense Da Xing the Mad Monk's words seemed to make.
He didn't know if this old bald donkey actually knew these things or if it was all just his speculation.
"Kid Gu! There's something this old monk has never told you..." At this moment, Da Xing the Mad Monk said mysteriously again, "Actually, this old monk has always suspected that the collapse of Gui Xu in the current era was very likely the handiwork of the Ancient Clan operating in the shadows."
Gu Qingfeng looked at Da Xing the Mad Monk with surprise and suspicion. "Why do you say that?"
"Those beings suppressed in Gui Xu were all tainted by Original Sin back in the day. Even if they no longer plot to become the True Lord of Original Sin now, they absolutely yearn for the Daoless Age. Once they come out, they will definitely try every means to advance the opening of the Daoless Age. This way, the cataclysm of the current era will only intensify and accelerate, perfectly serving the Ancient Clan's purpose of fanning the flames."
Da Xing the Mad Monk glanced at the void and said, "Half the credit for the Primordial Nine Palaces becoming so chaotic belongs to those old fellows from Gui Xu stirring things up."