Just as Da Xing the Mad Monk had anticipated, when Xuan Yuan Hao provoked the Original Sin Patriarchs, no one dared to accept the challenge, and no one dared to show themselves. Not even a single breath could be heard.
When Xuan Yuan Hao began to provoke the Children of Original Sin, again, no one dared to accept the challenge, and no one dared to show themselves.
Clearly.
Both the Original Sin Patriarchs and the Children of Original Sin understood perfectly well that stepping forward at this moment would only lead to one of three outcomes.
The first.
A heroic sacrifice, dying at the hands of the Sacred Ground. This outcome was the most disadvantageous. Once dead, one would have nothing left, only benefiting others. Not to mention vying for the position of Original Sin True Lord, one wouldn’t even be able to catch the opening of the Daoless Era.
The second outcome was to fight the Sacred Ground to a mutual defeat. This result seemed slightly better, but only on the surface. Even if you survived after clashing with the Sacred Ground, you would undoubtedly be severely weakened. At that point, your hopes of competing for the Original Sin True Lord would become extremely slim, and you might even be eradicated by other Children of Original Sin.
The third outcome was to defeat the Sacred Ground. Leaving aside the fact that the possibility of this was minuscule, even if you truly defeated the Sacred Ground, you would still have to compete with other Sons of the Original Sin Anomaly for the Original Sin True Lord afterward, and there was no guarantee you could win. If you failed, it would undoubtedly mean you had merely paved the way for others.
All three outcomes were losses that outweighed the gains.
After dying, you might not even leave behind the name of a hero. Once the Daoless Era began, everyone would only remember the Original Sin True Lord who ushered in that era. Who would remember a stepping stone who sacrificed his life for the opening of the Daoless Era?
The answer was certain.
No one.
It was precisely because he was certain no one on the Original Sin side dared to accept the challenge that Xuan Yuan Hao dared to act so brazenly and swagger about here.
At this moment.
The holy light grew increasingly dazzling, and the Divine Sun shone ever brighter.
Xuan Yuan Hao also appeared increasingly arrogant.
“I know there must be Children of Original Sin hiding in the shadows of the Void, and not just one. If so, why do you not dare to face me, Xuan Yuan Hao, in battle?
Do you not even possess that much courage?”
When no one responded, Xuan Yuan Hao spoke again: “Ancestral Patriarch Green Lantern, do you dare to show yourself and face me, Xuan Yuan Hao, in battle?”
Good heavens!
Xuan Yuan Hao was truly becoming more and more insolent. This time, he was directly calling out Ancestral Patriarch Green Lantern by name.
Everyone knew that Ancestral Patriarch Green Lantern was the overlord of the Ghost Path, a Ghost Emperor who had shaken heaven and earth since the Desolate Ancient Era.
It was said that at the end of the Primordial Era, Ancestral Patriarch Green Lantern had transformed the Great Desolation into the Green Lantern Ghost Domain, where ten thousand ghosts roamed. He was reputed to be the one where ‘no light exists under the heavens, only the Green Lantern walks the dark night.’
Although Ancestral Patriarch Green Lantern had rarely appeared since the Primordial Era, and no one had seen him within the Desolate Ancient Black Hole or the Nine Palaces,
nevertheless,
everyone knew that Ancestral Patriarch Green Lantern had long coveted the position of Original Sin True Lord. Previously, Old Ancestor Green Robe had also revealed that Ancestral Patriarch Green Lantern had fused with Original Sin True Blood and become a Child of Original Sin. Thus, it was certain he would not miss the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces; he might even be hiding in the shadows of the Void right now.
Unfortunately.
Even though Xuan Yuan Hao called out Ancestral Patriarch Green Lantern by name, apart from the churning winds and clouds in the shadowed Void, still no one showed themselves.
It seemed even Ancestral Patriarch Green Lantern dared not be the one to stick his neck out.
“Heh.”
Within the Divine Sun, Xuan Yuan Hao stood tall, arms crossed, with the Sacred Judgment Bow floating around him. He looked down upon the Void, gazing arrogantly over the entire Li Palace like a deity.
“To think that the Ghost Emperor, reputed to be ‘where no light exists under the heavens, only the Green Lantern walks the dark night,’ is merely so.”
Arrogant!
Too arrogant!
Insolent!
Too insolent!
Everyone could hear in Xuan Yuan Hao’s voice a prideful arrogance that looked down upon heaven and earth and scorned the firmament. Beyond that, there was also a sense that all beneath Sagehood were mere ants, as if all living beings in his eyes were insignificant.
Then,
he spoke again: “Since Ancestral Patriarch Green Lantern dares not accept the challenge, then what about you, Black Mountain Old Monster? Do you dare to face me, Xuan Yuan Hao, in battle?”
Black Mountain Old Monster was the overlord of the Demon Path, a Demon Emperor, and the leading figure of the Demon Path—second to none. Whether in terms of prestige or seniority, he was considered the greatest. During the great Immortal-Demon War of yore, many had witnessed the terror of Black Mountain Old Monster firsthand.
Like Ancestral Patriarch Green Lantern, he had rarely appeared since the Primordial Era, and no one had seen his figure in the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces. But it was certain he was among them, and perhaps he too was hiding in the shadows of the Void at this very moment.
Unfortunately.
He did not show himself either.
“What Ancestral Patriarch Green Lantern, what Black Mountain Old Monster—they all seem merely so now. What about the other Children of Original Sin? Do you dare to face me, Xuan Yuan Hao, in battle?”
No one showed themselves.
From beginning to end, no one did.
“Ha!”
Xuan Yuan Hao laughed.
He laughed with wild arrogance and conceit.
“Since the Children of Original Sin dare not accept the challenge, then what about the Original Sin Anomalies? Do you dare to face me, Xuan Yuan Hao, in battle?”
If Xuan Yuan Hao’s provocation of the Original Sin Patriarchs earlier was audacious, then his later provocation of the Children of Original Sin was already brazen.
And now he had actually begun to provoke the Original Sin Anomalies. This was no longer mere audacity or brazenness—it was utter lawlessness!
This wasn’t just pushing his luck; it was practically climbing onto the neck of Original Sin and starting to defecate and urinate!
Madness!
Increasing madness!
Xuan Yuan Hao’s actions were becoming more and more without bottom line. Xuan Yuan Tong, who had been worried from the start, felt utterly unwell upon hearing Xuan Yuan Hao begin to provoke the Original Sin Anomalies. He felt Xuan Yuan Hao was growing more and more swollen with pride, so swollen he had even forgotten himself.
It wasn’t just him.
When Xunfeng Patriarch heard Xuan Yuan Hao begin to provoke the Original Sin Anomalies, his heart also jolted violently.
Earlier, when Xuan Yuan Hao provoked the Original Sin Patriarchs, he had not stopped him, feeling there was nothing inappropriate about it. Because he knew those Original Sin Patriarchs were selfish and self-interested and would absolutely not show themselves. Seizing this chance to swagger a bit was harmless.
Later, when Xuan Yuan Hao provoked the Children of Original Sin, he also felt it was of little consequence. Compared to those Original Sin Patriarchs, the so-called Children of Original Sin were even less likely to show themselves at this time. He understood clearly that this was not a matter of courage at all, but a matter of worth. If those Children of Original Sin coveted the position of Original Sin True Lord, they would by no means show themselves at this critical juncture. The reason was simple: it wasn’t worth it; it offered a hundred harms and not a single benefit.
Precisely because he knew this, he had not stopped him.
He thought Xuan Yuan Hao would know when to stop after provoking the Children of Original Sin.
However,
that was only what he thought.
He never imagined that Xuan Yuan Hao would truly become swollen with pride and begin provoking those Original Sin Anomalies.
Everyone knew the Original Sin Anomalies had the greatest hope of vying for the position of Original Sin True Lord—even greater hope than those Children of Original Sin.
That wasn’t important. What was important was that the existence of the Original Sin Anomalies was mysterious, one more mysterious than the last; bizarre, one more bizarre than the last; and also powerful, one more powerful than the last; terrifying, one more terrifying than the last.
Those Children of Original Sin might covet the position of Original Sin True Lord, but that did not mean the Original Sin Anomalies necessarily coveted it.
What was an Anomaly?
An Anomaly was, in itself, a flawed karmic outcome, and the Original Sin Anomaly was the karmic outcome of flawed karma, its destiny unknown.
In other words.
Those Original Sin Patriarchs and Children of Original Sin dared not and would not show themselves at this time, but that did not mean those Original Sin Anomalies would not show themselves.