No one knew what Qiongqi was thinking.
Since his appearance, he had remained standing motionless in the void.
Nor did anyone know exactly how Qiongqi had been forced out by the Green Robe Ancestor, or why, knowing full well this was a trap laid by the Green Robe Ancestor, he hadn't fled.
Could it be he couldn't escape?
Or did he have some weakness held by the Green Robe Ancestor?
Perhaps he also wanted to take this opportunity to make his stance clear?
Unknown.
No one was certain.
In the void, Xuanyuan Hao, who seemed to flicker like a divine sun, looked down upon Qiongqi below and asked arrogantly, "Are you the Qiongqi once hailed as one of the Four Fiends of the Desolate Ancient Era?"
"No!" Qiongqi denied. "I am merely someone who might be the reincarnation of Qiongqi."
Qiongqi's meaning was clear: he himself wasn't sure if he was truly Qiongqi's reincarnation. Even if he were, he would be the Qiongqi of the present era, not the one from the Desolate Ancient Era famed as one of the Four Fiends.
"Oh?" Xuanyuan Hao said. "Might be?"
"Might be."
"Heh!" Xuanyuan Hao laughed with supreme arrogance. "I don't care if you're Qiongqi's reincarnation or not, nor do I care if you're that Qiongqi from the Desolate Ancient Era. It makes no difference to me, and I don't give a damn. Because as far as I'm concerned, since you've appeared here today, you are destined to be reduced to ashes!"
Arrogant!
Extremely arrogant!
Outrageously presumptuous!
In everyone's view, it was true that Xuanyuan Hao was one of the Nine Holy Sons of the Holy Land, a disciple of the all-powerful Martial Saint Xuanyuan Wuji, blessed with a Sacred Bloodline and destined to face the tribulation. He certainly possessed the qualifications and capital to look down upon the world.
But the problem was, Qiongqi was no pushover either.
Setting aside whether this handsome youth was truly Qiongqi's reincarnation, even if he weren't, he was still a Child of the Original Sin Anomaly who had fused with Original Sin True Blood. With that identity alone, throughout the ancient heavens and earth, few could likely erase him.
This was no exaggeration.
Although no one had witnessed Qiongqi's true strength, that wasn't the point.
The point was that Qiongqi was a Child of the Original Sin Anomaly.
In the ancient heavens and earth, which Original Sin Anomaly wasn't overwhelmingly powerful? Take Weiyang Demon Emperor Ren Tianxing and Carefree Emperor Mo Wentian—each more formidable than the last, and they were merely Original Sin Anomalies who hadn't fused with True Blood.
As for Original Sin Anomalies who had fused with True Blood, there was Nine Nethers Emperor Gu Qingfeng and Western Heaven Buddha Emperor Miao Rulai.
Since Miao Rulai manifested the Tathagata Sun to transcend the Nine Nethers all those years ago, he had rarely appeared in person. Even when he did show himself, it was mostly through avatars. No one knew how terrifying his true form truly was.
As for Gu Qingfeng...
His might was known to every Ancestral Patriarch hidden in the void's shadows, whether from the grotto-heavens or Guixu.
The Avici Asura of Endless Suffering, the Heaven-Spanning Azure and Yellow Springs, the Heaven-Devouring, Earth-Swallowing Blood Taotie—these three Divine Consciousness Demonic Thoughts were all Original Sin Overlords from the Desolate Ancient Era.
He alone dominated numerous forbidden Daos like Silence, Slaughter, Life, and Death, plus supreme creations like the Celestial Phenomenon Pagoda, the Terrestrial Phenomenon Purgatory, and the Chaotic Phenomenon Cosmos.
It was said his physical body might even be the legendary Immortal Physique.
Not long ago, rumors spread that he also possessed a Divine Consciousness Demonic Thought existing beyond the Great Dao.
Just think.
Gu Qingfeng, another Child of the Original Sin Anomaly who had fused with True Blood, was already like this. How could Qiongqi be far behind? Even if he couldn't match Gu Qingfeng, the difference couldn't be great.
No matter how powerful you, Xuanyuan Hao, might be, it was one thing to disregard a Primal Sin Patriarch like the Green Robe Ancestor, but if you also looked down upon a Child of the Original Sin Anomaly who had fused with True Blood, that was truly arrogant—arrogant to the point of not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth.
Not only did the various Ancestral Patriarchs find Xuanyuan Hao excessively arrogant, even Xuanyuan Tong, another of the Holy Land's Nine Holy Sons, felt his words were far too presumptuous. She glanced at Patriarch Xunfeng beside her and, seeing he remained silent, naturally refrained from speaking at this critical juncture.
"Jiejiejiejie! Truly worthy of being one of the Holy Land's Nine Holy Sons, truly worthy of being a disciple of the all-powerful Xuanyuan Wuji! What an extraordinary boast! To actually want to reduce Qiongqi to ashes! Jiejiejiejie! Not to mention you, even your master Xuanyuan Wuji probably wouldn't dare say such words to Qiongqi! And you think you can? Truly an ignorant whelp who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth!"
The Green Robe Ancestor, hidden in the void's shadows, began fanning the flames and stirring the waters again, shouting, "Qiongqi! You really should thank me properly. If I hadn't invited you out, you'd still be lurking in the depths. Perk up your ears and listen well, open your eyes and see clearly! Now even a junior doesn't take you seriously. I truly feel sorrow on your behalf!"
"Reduced to ashes?" Qiongqi ignored the Green Robe Ancestor. Gazing at Xuanyuan Hao, who had transformed into a divine sun in the void, he smiled bitterly. "I'm afraid I must disappoint you, sir. I do not wish to die, at least not now. There are still many things I haven't figured out."
"Oh? That's not up to you," Xuanyuan Hao said. "Whether you die or not doesn't depend on your wishes, but on mine. If I wish it, you will undoubtedly die today."
Watching this scene from his hidden spot in the void, Gu Qingfeng chuckled. "With all that arrogant talk earlier, I thought this Xuanyuan whelp was truly a fierce and formidable character. Turns out, facing Qiongqi, he doesn't dare act rashly either."
Da Xing the Mad Monk grinned. "Kid, you don't understand. It's fine to speak boldly, but one must act with caution. What's this called? This is called despising the enemy in spirit but taking them seriously in battle. That's the basic talent a true prodigy of heaven should possess."
"Don't be fooled by how arrogant and domineering his words sounded just now, claiming he'd reduce Qiongqi to ashes. This old monk dares guarantee that this fellow has absolutely no confidence—not a shred."
"Do you know what's most terrifying in the ancient heavens and earth? The mysterious and unknown is most terrifying. Regarding Qiongqi, no one knows his depths, and no one dares act rashly, not even the Holy Land."
"Not to mention one Xuanyuan Hao, even if you added another of the Nine Holy Sons, Xuanyuan Tong, including Patriarch Xunfeng, they might not necessarily be able to erase Qiongqi even if they attacked."
"It can't be that extreme, can it?"
"What do you mean 'can't be that extreme'? Don't forget, kid, Qiongqi is an Original Sin Anomaly like you, and he's also fused with Original Sin True Blood. His existence definitely won't be far inferior to yours. Do you think Xuanyuan Hao and the others could erase you?"
Gu Qingfeng shook his head. He couldn't answer that question.
For one, he didn't know Xuanyuan Hao's true strength, and they had never crossed hands, so naturally, he didn't know who was stronger or weaker.
More importantly, Gu Qingfeng himself had no clear measure of exactly how powerful he was, so naturally, he didn't know who could erase whom.
"When cultivation strength reaches a certain realm, winning a move or two against each other is normal, but wanting to completely erase the other is almost impossible. Especially for special existences like you all—it's not something anyone can just decide to do. Each of you carries a heap of great fortunes. Trying to erase each other is nothing short of a fantasy."