"And how do you know Qiongqi doesn't have Original Sin Patriarchs backing him?"
"This old monk isn't saying he hasn't considered that possibility. After thinking it over repeatedly, it seems Qiongqi truly should have no Original Sin Patriarchs behind him—or at most, extremely few. The reason is simple: Qiongqi has always hidden himself deeply, so deeply that before this, scarcely anyone even knew of his existence."
"Moreover, if Qiongqi truly had Original Sin Patriarchs backing him, they wouldn't just stand by and watch as Old Ancestor Green Robe forced him out and exploited him. Therefore, this old monk concludes that Qiongqi likely has no Original Sin Patriarchs supporting him."
"From this perspective, one can't help but admire that old bastard Green Robe. He probably saw precisely that Qiongqi lacked backing, so he set this trap to force Qiongqi out as bait. Because only Qiongqi could lure the Sacred Ground into appearing."
"If Old Ancestor Green Robe had forced you or Miao Rulai out instead, the Sacred Ground wouldn't have shown its face today at all. The Sacred Ground understands clearly that once they clash with you, they would inevitably provoke the Original Sin Patriarchs behind you, plunging both sides into a major conflict and throwing the situation into utter chaos."
"With Qiongqi, it's different. Even if the Sacred Ground kills Qiongqi today, they just kill him. Not only would it not cause chaos, it might even stabilize the situation."
"This matter is a bit strange. The more I think about it, the more confused I get."
Gu Qingfeng pondered for a moment, then said, "As you say, Qiongqi has no Original Sin Patriarchs backing him, so if the Sacred Ground kills him, they kill him. The situation wouldn't become chaotic; instead, it would stabilize."
"Correct. That's exactly it."
"Then what the hell has Old Ancestor Green Robe been scheming for so long? He went through all that trouble to force Qiongqi out, just so the Sacred Ground could eradicate him and stabilize the situation? Is he just bored out of his skull?"
Hearing Gu Qingfeng's words, Da Xing the Mad Monk froze for a moment.
He thought it over carefully. Indeed, it was exactly as described.
The purpose of Old Ancestor Green Robe's elaborate scheme to lure Qiongqi out should be to throw the situation into chaos. No!
Not 'should be'—it definitely was.
He couldn't possibly want the Sacred Ground to wipe out Qiongqi, thereby stabilizing the situation. That would be doing someone else's work for them!
Confusion!
The more Da Xing the Mad Monk thought, the more muddled his mind became. He reorganized his train of thought.
Old Ancestor Green Robe forced Qiongqi out precisely because Qiongqi lacked backing from Original Sin Patriarchs. And precisely because of that, he could lure out the Sacred Ground. But if the Sacred Ground eliminated Qiongqi, the situation would stabilize. That was the exact opposite of Old Ancestor Green Robe's goal.
Could it be that Old Ancestor Green Robe believed Qiongqi alone could annihilate the Sacred Ground?
That was obviously even more impossible.
Damn it!
What the hell is that old bastard Green Robe really plotting in that gourd of his!
"Da Xing, do you think this possibility exists?"
Gu Qingfeng's voice came through. Da Xing the Mad Monk asked, "What possibility?"
"Perhaps precisely because Qiongqi has no Original Sin Patriarchs backing him, if the Sacred Ground wants to kill him, it won't be so easy. They might even find it difficult to make a move. Once they act, perhaps it will trigger a massive upheaval."
Da Xing the Mad Monk couldn't quite grasp this. He asked, "How do you mean? If Qiongqi has no Original Sin Patriarchs behind him, how could he cause a massive upheaval?"
"You said earlier that if the Sacred Ground truly kills Qiongqi or suppresses him, the situation will stabilize, right? Those hesitant Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land Ancestral Patriarchs will also stand firm in defending the Great Dao, correct?"
"That is indeed the case."
"A stable situation benefits the guardians of the Great Dao, but is extremely disadvantageous for Original Sin. In other words, the more favorable the situation is for the Great Dao, the slimmer the hope for the Daoless Age to begin."
Gu Qingfeng continued, "Those Original Sin Patriarchs in the shadows may not support Qiongqi, but I imagine they certainly don't want to see the situation tilt in favor of the Great Dao."
"Are you saying that if the Sacred Ground moves against Qiongqi, those Original Sin Patriarchs will all intervene?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk shook his head. "Kid, you're overthinking it. Let me tell you, those Original Sin Patriarchs, upon seeing Qiongqi killed, wouldn't intervene. On the contrary, they'd be delighted."
Da Xing the Mad Monk said, "Don't forget, the Original Sin Anomalies aren't friends; they're rivals, competitors. With one less Original Sin Anomaly dead, the hope for the other Anomalies to ascend as the True Lord of Original Sin increases. Who would save a competitor?"
Gu Qingfeng chuckled. "It's true that the Original Sin Anomalies aren't friends and are indeed competitors. But that's only among the Anomalies themselves. Those Original Sin Patriarchs don't care who ultimately ascends as the True Lord of Original Sin; they only care about whether the Daoless Age can begin."
"As long as the Daoless Age begins, they couldn't care less who becomes the True Lord of Original Sin. Moreover, if today the Sacred Ground wipes out Qiongqi and those Original Sin Patriarchs don't show themselves, then after the Sacred Ground tastes success, what's to stop them from wiping out another Original Sin Anomaly tomorrow? If they eliminate one Anomaly per day and everyone just stands by watching, by the time all the Original Sin Anomalies have been eradicated by the Sacred Ground, who will be left to ascend as the True Lord? How will the Daoless Age ever begin?"
"The principle of 'when one suffers, all suffer; when one prospers, all prosper' is so simple. I don't think those Original Sin Patriarchs are ignorant of it, do you?"
As Gu Qingfeng's words reached him, Da Xing the Mad Monk felt as if struck by lightning, a sudden flash of clarity opening his mind.
"Also, I recall you mentioning earlier that many Original Sin Patriarchs have begun growing restless, probing everywhere with the aim of throwing the situation into chaos. Having worked so hard to stir up trouble, do you think they'd stand by and watch as the Sacred Ground steps in to stabilize the situation?"
"The answer is definitely no! They absolutely wouldn't!"
"Most importantly, I'm certain that Patriarchs scheming for the True Lord of Original Sin are definitely not limited to Old Ancestor Green Robe alone. Those hoping the Original Sin Anomalies and the Destined Calamity Fate will exhaust each other in mutual destruction, thereby reaping the spoils, are definitely not limited to him either. Even if other Original Sin Patriarchs don't show themselves, existences like Old Ancestor Green Robe who covet the True Lord of Original Sin would definitely not stand idly by."
"I estimate that once Xuan Yuan Hao and Qiongqi come to blows, Old Ancestor Green Robe, hiding in the shadows, will definitely show himself immediately. If he fans the flames, other Original Sin Patriarchs like him, seizing this chance to stir up chaos, will also emerge."
At this point, Gu Qingfeng paused briefly, then added, "In fact, I suspect this entire scheme might not be the work of Old Ancestor Green Robe alone, but rather a joint plot with other Original Sin Patriarchs. It's just that to lure the Sacred Ground into the trap, only Old Ancestor Green Robe showed himself. As soon as the Sacred Ground dares to make a move, it will be like a fish taking the bait. Then, the other Patriarchs will emerge one after another, and the situation will immediately descend into chaos."
"Think about it. If it truly is as I say, with many Original Sin Patriarchs jointly orchestrating this, once they swarm forward and try to eliminate Xuan Yuan Hao, the Patriarchs of the Sacred Ground will surely appear. Once the Sacred Ground's Patriarchs show up, the situation will have no choice but to spiral into chaos."
After listening to Gu Qingfeng's words, Da Xing the Mad Monk's face flushed red. Choking back his words, he exclaimed, "Damn it! That's it! It must be! That old bastard Green Robe is too treacherous! Treacherous to the extreme!"