"Farewell, everyone!"
With that, Qiongqi shook his form and vanished into the Qiongqi Cauldron. The cauldron then began to spin rapidly, growing increasingly indistinct and ethereal with each rotation. In less than the span of a single breath, the Qiongqi Cauldron flickered and vanished completely, disappearing without a trace as if it had never existed at all.
Had Qiongqi just left?
Yes.
He had simply departed.
The Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs hidden in the shadows were filled with immense reluctance, yet they could do nothing to stop him. Qiongqi was the Son of the Original Sin Variable; even divine sense could not detect him, so how could they possibly hinder him? Previously, Qiongqi had remained here, perhaps because Green Robe had some hold over him. But now that Green Robe had been utterly annihilated, there was naturally no way to force Qiongqi to stay.
The Sacred Ground, too, made no move to stop him.
For the Sacred Ground, their objective had already been achieved—and even better than anticipated. First, they had obliterated Green Robe, the very embodiment of Original Sin, with a single arrow. Then, they had frightened away Qiongqi, the Son of the Original Sin Variable. They had both demonstrated the Sacred Ground's stance and stabilized the situation.
Moreover, after this incident, the various Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands that had been wavering would, in all likelihood, ten out of nine, firmly uphold the Great Dao. Firstly, the Sacred Ground had shown them hope for defending the Dao. Secondly, they had clearly seen that the so-called Original Sin faction was little more than a disorganized rabble, scheming against each other and riddled with internal strife. Even today's events were a trap laid by Green Robe. Most of the Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs only dared to shout from the shadows, not even showing their faces. They were utterly scattered, making the hope of ushering in the Daoless Age seem especially bleak.
In the shadowed depths of the Void, atop Blackwater Mountain.
The Old Beggar stared at the spot where Qiongqi had vanished, utterly dejected. He tilted his head back and took a large gulp of fine wine, sighing heavily. "It's a good thing Green Robe died early. If he hadn't, he'd probably have died of rage. He likely never dreamed in his wildest nightmares that the trap he painstakingly laid would end up becoming a wedding dress for the Sacred Ground."
"The Sacred Ground truly lives up to its name. Their divine calculations are flawless, leaving no detail overlooked. With a single move, they erased Green Robe Ancestor."
Although the Old Beggar didn't know exactly how Green Robe had forced Qiongqi to appear, he was certain of one thing: Qiongqi must have had some critical weakness that Green Robe had exploited. It was so important that Qiongqi had no choice but to submit to Green Robe's manipulation. Otherwise, with Qiongqi's abilities, if he had truly wanted to flee, no one present could have stopped him.
Furthermore, if Green Robe hadn't died, holding Qiongqi's weakness in his grasp, Qiongqi would have been forced to fight Xuan Yuan Hao, regardless of his own wishes. Once they clashed, the hidden Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs would surely have emerged—at the very least, the Old Beggar himself would have stepped forward.
What a pity!
Alas, in all the ages of heaven and earth, there has never been an 'if'.
And Green Robe Ancestor was precisely dead.
His death directly caused the elaborate trap he had woven to collapse completely.
In truth, even after Green Robe's death, the Sacred Ground's victory wasn't guaranteed. If Qiongqi had dared to accept the challenge—or even if he hadn't, but simply stood there without a word—the Sacred Ground might not have dared to act. In that scenario, it would have been a contest of endurance. The longer things dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would have been for the Sacred Ground.
What a pity!
Alas, Green Robe was dead, and Qiongqi had fled.
If, at that moment, someone had taken the lead to wage war against the Sacred Ground, the Sacred Ground might not have succeeded either.
Now, all that was missing was a vanguard. If only someone had dared to be that first striker, to stand up and declare war on the Sacred Ground, it's hard to say if *all* the hidden Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs would have joined, but at least the majority wouldn't have stood idly by.
What a pity!
Alas, right up until Qiongqi's departure, not a single Original Sin Ancestral Patriarch stepped forward. They were all a bunch of selfish, cowardly rats! Everyone knows the first bird to take flight gets shot. Everyone fears death. No one wanted to be that first target.
Including the Old Beggar himself.
If possible, he had wanted to charge out and be that first bird.
And at the time, he had indeed felt that impulse.
But in the end, he gave up.
The reason was simple.
He, too, was afraid of death.
Having been suppressed in the Guixu for countless eons, enduring untold suffering, he had finally seen the light of day again in this Present-Ancient Era. He had no desire to die just like that.
If his death held value, it might have been worth it. Even if all the other Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs had united to wage a glorious, earth-shaking battle against the Sacred Ground, it might have been acceptable.
The problem was, all those other Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs were busy with their own petty schemes. Forget uniting to fight the Sacred Ground; they might even seize the chance to stab each other in the back. To die for such people was utterly worthless.
"This old man finally sees it clearly. They're all a bunch of cowards! Including this old man!"
The Old Beggar shook his head with a bitter laugh, mocking himself. "With people like this, you still plan to usher in the Daoless Age...
Dream on!
Looking at the situation now, every single one of them—forget about opening the Daoless Age—in the end, they'll all die."
At that moment.
The Heishui Empress, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke. "Now, do you finally understand the terror of the Guixu?"
Hearing this, the Old Beggar's heart skipped a beat. He opened his mouth, words dying on his lips, his face a mask of helplessness and stifled resentment.
Indeed.
He finally understood the terror of the Guixu.
In the Primal Era, no one feared death.
Because everyone knew that death did not signify the end of life, nor its termination. In a sense, death could even be a new beginning—one could seize a body for rebirth, reincarnate, or at worst, start cultivating anew. Failing that, one could even cultivate the Ghost Path.
Now it was different.
These Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs had been suppressed in the Guixu for countless eons. Their essence, energy, and spirit had long been crushed out of them; their willpower had been ground down almost to nothing. None dared to risk their lives to act recklessly anymore. Especially at this critical juncture that would decide the fate of heaven and earth, no one wanted to die. Everyone feared death. Dying might not mean the end or termination of life, but one would certainly miss the moment that decided the world's destiny, and miss the Daoless Age altogether.
Furthermore, Xuan Yuan Hao's earlier act of manifesting the Divine Judgment Bow and firing a Great Sun Judgment Arrow to obliterate Green Robe Ancestor had made the hidden Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs even more afraid to show themselves.
From this perspective, one had to admit the Sacred Ground was supremely cunning. Having Xuan Yuan Hao use the Divine Judgment Bow to erase Green Robe with one arrow—this move of making an example, of killing the chicken to scare the monkeys—was truly masterful. Not only did it dismantle the trap Green Robe had painstakingly laid, it also intimidated all the restless Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs.
"The Sacred Ground's cunning extends far beyond that," the voice of the Heishui Empress came again.
The Old Beggar asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"The Sacred Ground's descent this time served three purposes: first, to declare their stance; second, to stabilize the situation; and beyond that, it was likely also a probe."
"A probe for what?" the Old Beggar said. "To probe us?"
"Correct. To probe us, to probe all the Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs."
"What is there to probe about us?"
The Heishui Empress glanced at him. "It is enough for the Sacred Ground to know that we so-called Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs are selfish, greedy for life and afraid of death, and constantly scheming against each other..." At this point, the Heishui Empress also sighed. "Just wait. This time, it was Green Robe who laid the trap. Next time, it might be the Sacred Ground."