"Youngster Gu, this old monk just remembered something."
Great Monk Da Xing asked, "Do you really think that mysterious woman is Tang Hengxi?"
"I'm only suspicious, that's all. What's wrong?"
"At first, this old monk was a bit suspicious too, but now, thinking about it again, something feels off. Look, Tang Hengxi is an Empress of the Immortal Dao, right? Her sole purpose is to protect the Great Dao. Otherwise, she wouldn't have set up that Karma trap on you, kid."
"So?"
"If it really was Tang Hengxi, why would she publicly expose the Sacred Ground's scandal, throwing the situation into chaos and making the Sacred Ground lose all face? What benefit does it bring her?
There's no benefit at all."
"If she hadn't appeared, the Sacred Ground would have been assured of victory this time, stabilizing the situation and seizing the opportunity to command the various heroes. With her stirring things up, the situation will only become more chaotic, and the Great Dao side will be more scattered than ever. As a result, the Great Dao will grow weaker and weaker. What is she scheming for?"
"I'm only suspecting it might be Tang Hengxi, that's all. It might not be Tang Hengxi at all, but someone else."
Gu Qingfeng said, "Besides, even if it really is Tang Hengxi, it doesn't necessarily mean she will definitely protect the Great Dao. Perhaps her Karma trap wasn't laid to protect the Great Dao, but to scheme for the True Lord of Original Sin."
"This..." Hearing Gu Qingfeng's words, Great Monk Da Xing pursed his lips, wanting to speak but stopping himself.
'The Great Cataclysm gave birth to heaven and earth, endless cycles of reincarnation appear, past lives and present lives meet through Karma, whose fate belongs to whom depends on heaven.' This legend was truly harmful. Ever since these words spread, there had been no trust left in the ancient and modern world. Everyone looked like another person's Karma Incarnation.
The Li Palace was changing, but this change was infinitely profound, making it impossible for anyone to sense any change at all.
The Void was rotating, and the rotation also seemed infinitely profound, yet it was equally impossible to feel the Void rotating.
At some unknown time, the breath of Original Sin swept in again, filling the sky and permeating the entire Li Palace Void.
Amidst the sky full of Original Sin's breath, beams of light also flickered. Everyone knew that should be the light of Original Sin.
The sky full of Original Sin's breath seemed even denser and more intense than before, and the same went for the light of Original Sin.
Previously, the breath of Original Sin was like smoke and mist, but now it resembled the endless chaotic currents within the primordial black holes.
Previously, the light of Original Sin was faint and elusive, but now it was like stars.
Watching this scene, everyone knew that the essence of the Primordial Nine Palaces would emerge before long.
What exactly the essence of the Primordial Nine Palaces contained, no one currently knew.
But it was certain to be related to Original Sin.
Once the essence of the Primordial Nine Palaces appeared, it would mean that the Original Sin Cataclysm would officially begin.
Inside the venue.
Since Xuanyuan Hao and Xuanyuan Tong were forcibly taken away by the Sacred Ground's Ancestral Patriarchs, the mysterious woman had not spoken another word, not even a single syllable. It was unknown whether she had left after achieving her goal.
And those Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs and Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs seemed to be preparing to return.
Indeed.
There was no point in staying any longer.
For those Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs, they were disheartened.
Because they could no longer rely on the Immortal Dao, and now they couldn't rely on the Sage Dao either. The only hope left was the Heavenly Dao, but unfortunately, the Heavenly Dao had yet to show itself. If the Heavenly Dao still did not step forward to take charge, then the Great Dao might truly be unable to hold.
Judging from the current situation, the Original Sin side seemed to have gained the upper hand.
For those Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs who yearned for the Daoless Age, this might be something worth celebrating. However, for those Children of Original Sin or Original Sin Anomalies who schemed for the True Lord of Original Sin, the so-called advantage would only increase the difficulty of claiming the True Lord of Original Sin.
Especially with the existence of the greatest Original Sin Anomaly, the Nether Emperor, still alive, it truly made them lose sleep and appetite.
Once the essence of the Primordial Nine Palaces emerged, no one dared guarantee that the True Lord of Original Sin wouldn't become the Nether Emperor's possession.
This might be the last chance to eradicate the Nether Emperor.
If missed, there would probably never be another.
But.
Even if they didn't miss it now, what could they do?
Leaving aside whether everyone joining forces could eradicate the Nether Emperor, even if they could, the Nether Emperor wasn't showing himself now. No one had a way.
Just as everyone was preparing to leave, a voice suddenly echoed from the Void.
"Empress Wuyue!
You have some nerve, daring to slander and defame our Sacred Ground!"
The voice was majestic and vigorous, sacred and vast. When it came, it shook the sky full of Original Sin, causing it to churn violently. As it entered everyone's ears, it shook their minds and souls, making them involuntarily feel a sense of dread.
An expert!
An absolute expert!
Just from such a powerful aura and vocal authority, it was enough to determine that the speaker was definitely a top-tier expert, and from the tone, it was most likely an old senior from the Sacred Ground.
But...
Who was Empress Wuyue?
Could it be the mysterious woman from earlier?
In the Void, Gu Qingfeng also curiously asked, "Who is Empress Wuyue?"
Great Monk Da Xing asked back with a solemn expression, "You don't know?"
Gu Qingfeng shook his head. He really hadn't heard of any Empress Wuyue.
"Empress Wuyue is Tang Hengxi!"
"What?"
Gu Qingfeng was greatly surprised. He truly didn't know Tang Hengxi also had the Dao title of Empress Wuyue.
"Damn it!"
Great Monk Da Xing choked up and said, "This old monk originally thought it couldn't be Empress Wuyue. I never expected it to really be her!"
As he spoke, Great Monk Da Xing shuddered again, looking somewhat excited.
He originally thought things would pretty much end here, never expecting the Sacred Ground's old-timers to come out, and likely not just the Sacred Ground's old-timers, but the Sacred Temple's Supreme Elders.
Clearly.
Empress Wuyue Tang Hengxi had disrupted the Sacred Ground's plans, making those old-timers from the Sacred Temple very angry!
Legend had it that those Supreme Elders of the Sacred Temple were all genuine Sages!
Seeing that no one responded in the Void, many speculated whether Empress Wuyue had left.
But just as everyone was speculating, a burst of laughter came from the Void.
"Hehehe..." The laughter was very familiar, exactly that of the mysterious woman from earlier.
"Damn it!"
Great Monk Da Xing couldn't help shuddering again, seeming even more excited, and said, "This old monk thought Empress Wuyue had left. I never expected her to still be here. Good, now we have a spectacle to watch. Empress Wuyue exposed the Sacred Ground's scandal and disrupted their plans. This old monk dares to guarantee that those Supreme Elders of the Sacred Temple must be hopping mad now and definitely won't let Empress Wuyue off easily."
"Fight!
One less person dead is one less!
Damn it!
This old monk doesn't want to think about anything now. Let's watch the spectacle to our heart's content first."
Great Monk Da Xing had once staked everything on Gu Qingfeng, betting not on the Daoless Age, but on a future.
Since learning that there were at least a dozen Original Sin Anomalies in the ancient and modern world, Gu Qingfeng's chances of winning had grown smaller and smaller. He had already decided to smash the broken pot—what was there to lose?
He no longer held any hope for the future or whatnot. He had seen through it all and was learning from Gu Qingfeng's way—letting things go however the hell they wanted. He had resigned himself to fate.