Original Sin.
Original Sin aura was everywhere.
It filled the entire sky.
The Original Sin aura blanketing the sky enveloped the entire Li Palace Void like clouds and mist, transforming and swirling like endless chaotic currents.
The light of Original Sin flickered like occasional stars in the dim night sky, and as the Original Sin aura grew increasingly intense, more and more flickers of Original Sin light appeared.
Looking out, one could even see several mysterious and wondrous Original Sin flowers blooming in the void.
Almost everyone within the Li Palace Void had a feeling—that the Source of the Li Palace Void was about to emerge.
To be precise, it was the Source of the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces that was about to emerge.
Because it wasn't just the Li Palace Void; the Kan Palace, Zhen Palace, and the other Nine Palaces were all the same. Some were absorbing the Original Sin aura, others were devouring the Original Sin light, and still others were competing for the Original Sin flowers. However, most were waiting for the emergence of the Source of the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces.
What secrets were hidden within the Source of the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces? No one knew.
The only certainty was that the secrets hidden within the Source of the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces must be related to Original Sin.
Some said the Source of the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces might contain the True Blood of Original Sin.
Others said what the Source hid was not the True Blood of Original Sin, but something even more powerful—the Spirit of Original Sin. If not, how could the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces be filled with such dense Original Sin aura?
In the void, Gu Qingfeng and Da Xing the Mad Monk strolled about, chatting idly.
Where to go?
What to do?
Gu Qingfeng didn't know, nor did he want to know.
He only had one feeling in his heart now—a feeling of déjà vu, of intimate connection, as if destined by fate.
Especially as the Original Sin aura throughout the entire Li Palace grew denser, this feeling within him grew stronger.
It was as if the Source of the Li Palace was calling to him, or more like something that originally belonged to him was hidden within the Li Palace's Source.
This feeling was familiar.
Back when the True Blood of Original Sin emerged, Gu Qingfeng had felt this same way.
The only difference was that this time the feeling was even more intense, making him eager to reclaim what was his.
"Da Xing, what do you think is really contained within the Li Palace's Source?"
"This...
Hard to say."
Da Xing the Mad Monk furrowed his brow, gazing at the sky filled with Original Sin and the ever-changing Li Palace. "This old monk previously guessed it might be the True Blood of Original Sin. Judging from the current situation, what the Li Palace Source contains might not be the True Blood of Original Sin, but perhaps the legendary Spirit of Original Sin."
"And what exactly is the Spirit of Original Sin?"
Gu Qingfeng had heard of the Original Sin aura, the Original Sin light, the Original Sin flowers, and the Original Sin essence from Da Xing the Mad Monk, but this was the first time he'd heard of the Spirit of Original Sin.
"As for what the Spirit of Original Sin really is, this old monk can't explain it clearly in a short while. However..." Changing the subject, Da Xing the Mad Monk suddenly asked, "I wonder if you've heard a certain legend about Wu Dao Daozun."
"What legend?"
"Legend has it that the moment Wu Dao Daozun opened the Dao-less Era, he turned to ashes and vanished. One version says Wu Dao Daozun was jointly erased by the Ancient Clan. Another says that back then, Wu Dao Daozun exhausted all his strength to forcibly open the Dao-less Era, leading to his complete depletion and turning to ashes. Which version is true, no one knows."
Pausing briefly, Da Xing the Mad Monk continued, "Some say that after the Dao-less Era opened, the Original Sin aura that appeared was formed from Wu Dao Daozun's might. The Original Sin light that appeared was formed from his obsession. The Original Sin flowers that appeared were formed from his divine abilities. The Original Sin essence that appeared was formed from his spirit."
"They say every drop of Original Sin blood that appeared back then was blood that flowed from Wu Dao Daozun's body, and the Spirit of Original Sin was formed from his soul."
Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng felt astonished. "There's such a saying?"
"This old monk has only heard it; I don't know if it's true or false."
Regarding Wu Dao Daozun, Gu Qingfeng had also heard a legend—that after Wu Dao Daozun died, his physical body transformed into many illusory bodies, and his soul transformed into many illusory selves.
Thinking about it carefully, these two legends were quite similar, with no real difference.
And facts had proven the legend true.
So many people of Original Sin existed between ancient and modern times—whether Retribution Bodies, Original Sin Dharma Bodies, Self Bodies, or Original Sin itself—each was an illusory body of Original Sin.
Moreover, every person of Original Sin, besides possessing an illusory body of Original Sin, also possessed an illusory self of Original Sin.
For example, those so-called Original Sin itself, Original Sin self, Original Sin Dharma Bodies, including the Sons of Original Sin and the Original Sin Anomalies—in Gu Qingfeng's view, they were all merely illusory selves of Original Sin.
Illusion, illusion.
What is illusion?
That which is false, non-existent, is illusion.
These people of Original Sin, since being tainted by Original Sin and stepping onto this path, began losing themselves starting from the Original Sin Retribution Body, until the Original Sin Dharma Body re-conceived a self. This re-conceived self, in a sense, was no longer the original self, but the self of Original Sin. To be precise, upon achieving the Original Sin Dharma Body, you were no longer yourself, but a false version of yourself—your body, your person, your soul included.
If this wasn't illusion, what was?
Illusory bodies of Original Sin, illusory selves of Original Sin.
"Young Gu, if the Li Palace Source truly contains the Spirit of Original Sin, what will you do then?
Will you seize it or not?"
"Do you think I have a choice?"
Gu Qingfeng laughed. "Or do you think that as long as I hide far away, everything will be peaceful?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk was immediately speechless, shaking his head with a helpless smile.
Indeed.
For Gu Qingfeng, the root of the problem wasn't whether to seize it or not. Even if he didn't seize it, the Spirit of Original Sin would likely come looking for him.
Gu Qingfeng couldn't even resist the True Blood of Original Sin; how could he resist the Spirit of Original Sin?
"This old monk originally thought you could avoid a battle, but now it seems this battle is unavoidable no matter what."
"What, you think they'll still find a chance to erase me?"
"No!
Not them. After all that commotion just now, the Great Dao side won't recover for a while. Moreover, with the Source of the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces emerging this time, the Great Dao side doesn't need to lift a finger. They just need to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, reaping the benefits."
Da Xing the Mad Monk sighed. "Many existences scheming for the True Lord of Original Sin have been waiting for the emergence of the Source of the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces. This is their last chance, their greatest chance, a do-or-die opportunity. It's no exaggeration to say that whether they can ascend to become the True Lord of Original Sin depends on this one chance."
"When the time comes, all the Original Sin Patriarchs from the Guixu, the Original Sin Patriarchs from the Huangxu, the Sons of Original Sin hiding in the shadows, the mysterious and unpredictable Original Sin Anomalies—all will surface, sparing no cost to seize the Source of the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces!"