Da Xing the Mad Monk was especially affected, standing there as if struck by lightning, stupefied and rooted to the spot like a wooden chicken.
Initially, when Lady Wuyue repeatedly mentioned that Gu Qingfeng might be someone else's Incarnation of Causality, Da Xing the Mad Monk hadn't paid it much mind.
Regarding whether Gu Qingfeng was an Incarnation of Causality planted by another, Da Xing had pondered this question more than once. No matter how he thought about it, he felt Gu Qingfeng might have past lives, but having past lives didn't necessarily mean he was an Incarnation of Causality.
A past-life self and an Incarnation of Causality were two different concepts.
A person's true self must undergo reincarnation to be reborn. After this person reincarnates, their so-called past-life true self disappears, leaving only the present-life self.
An Incarnation of Causality, however, doesn't require the true self to reincarnate. The true self only needs to gestate an incarnation and have that incarnation undergo reincarnation to form an Incarnation of Causality.
The difference lies in this: the true self exchanges its past life for its present life. After experiencing reincarnation, they remain a single destiny from beginning to end. Even if the present life awakens memories of past lives, it's still a single destiny. There's no need to devour the other; not even fusion is required, because they inherently belong to the same destiny.
An Incarnation of Causality is different.
An Incarnation of Causality gradually forms an independent destiny after undergoing countless cycles of reincarnation. In other words, the true self is an independent destiny, and the Incarnation of Causality it plants is also an independent destiny. Both destinies are independent, linked only by cause and effect.
If the true self wants to obtain its Incarnation of Causality, the only method is devourment, because two different destinies are almost impossible to fuse, even if their independent destinies share a causal relationship.
The reason Da Xing the Mad Monk felt Gu Qingfeng was unlikely to be an Incarnation of Causality was simple.
Gu Qingfeng was an Original Sin Anomaly.
Setting aside the near-impossibility of planting an Incarnation of Causality that is an Original Sin Anomaly, even arranging layer upon layer of karma through reincarnation wouldn't guarantee being reborn as an Original Sin Anomaly.
Throughout the ages, many Great Dao masters have used reincarnation to seize the initiative and vie for the Heavenly Mandate.
Because the Heavenly Mandate is predetermined and unchanging. Since it doesn't change, it can be deduced. If it can be deduced, one can arrange layer upon layer of karma to seize the initiative and contend for the Heavenly Mandate.
An Original Sin Anomaly is different.
What is an Original Sin Anomaly?
Original Sin itself is erroneous karma, and an Original Sin Anomaly is erroneous karma within erroneous karma.
If Original Sin itself is erroneous karma, how can it be deduced?
An Original Sin Anomaly is erroneous karma within erroneous karma; even the Old Heavens probably couldn't deduce it.
If the karma cannot be deduced, how can it be arranged?
If karma cannot be arranged, how could one reincarnate into an Original Sin Anomaly?
And that's just reincarnation.
The difficulty of planting an Incarnation of Causality is far, far greater than simple reincarnation.
No matter how many times one reincarnates, it remains a single destiny. However, after planting an Incarnation of Causality, it becomes another destiny. The karma becomes as chaotic and confused as possible.
Under such circumstances, no one could plant an Incarnation of Causality that is an Original Sin Anomaly.
Forget planting an Incarnation of Causality that is an Original Sin Anomaly; even planting an Incarnation of Causality of Original Sin itself would probably be extremely difficult. Even planting an Incarnation of Causality of a Heavenly Mandate wouldn't be easy.
Moreover, Gu Qingfeng was the greatest Original Sin Anomaly in all of antiquity.
The complexity and chaos of his karma were unparalleled since time immemorial, second to none.
Looking across all of antiquity, absolutely no one could plant an Incarnation of Causality of an existence like Gu Qingfeng.
Da Xing the Mad Monk had always believed this.
He firmly believed Gu Qingfeng was unlikely to be someone else's Incarnation of Causality. No!
Not just unlikely, but absolutely impossible.
He even suspected Gu Qingfeng might not have any past lives at all.
However.
When Lady Wuyue said that if Gu Qingfeng was an Incarnation of Causality, perhaps it wasn't to scheme for the position of True Lord of Original Sin, nor to protect the Heaven-Earth Great Dao, but to destroy Original Sin, Da Xing the Mad Monk instantly went dumb.
Like Gu Qingfeng, upon hearing the words 'destroy Original Sin,' his first thought flew to Genggu Wuming.
When he thought of Genggu Wuming, Gu Qingfeng felt his scalp go numb and a chill run down his spine, while Da Xing the Mad Monk also felt his scalp tingle, experiencing a sense of creeping horror.
Although he had always firmly believed Gu Qingfeng couldn't be someone else's Incarnation of Causality, if that 'someone else' was Genggu Wuming, then the so-called impossibility became possible.
Others might be unable to reincarnate into an Original Sin Anomaly, but that didn't mean Genggu Wuming couldn't.
Others might be unable to plant an Incarnation of Causality that is an Original Sin Anomaly, but that didn't mean Genggu Wuming couldn't either.
Because Genggu Wuming's very existence was the incarnation of karma, the messenger of fate.
If Genggu Wuming wished, she could deduce and arrange any karma.
No matter how chaotic, complex, or even erroneous the karma, Genggu Wuming might still be able to deduce and arrange it.
Da Xing the Mad Monk had long suspected Genggu Wiming wanted to take this opportunity to completely erase Original Sin, thereby eliminating the problem for good.
He had also long suspected Gu Qingfeng was a chess piece in Genggu Wuming's hand.
He just couldn't figure out how Genggu Wuming would utilize this chess piece Gu Qingfeng, or how she would completely erase the source of Original Sin.
Originally, he thought Genggu Wuming would first arrange numerous layers of karma, secretly building momentum to help Gu Qingfeng contend for the position of True Lord of Original Sin, then strike to erase him.
Thinking about it later, that seemed unlikely. If she waited until someone ascended to True Lord of Original Sin to erase them, she wouldn't need a chess piece like Gu Qingfeng. If someone else ascended to True Lord of Original Sin, she could erase them too. Moreover, someone else ascending to True Lord of Original Sin would be much easier to deal with than Gu Qingfeng.
After all, Gu Qingfeng's accumulation of providence was too terrifying, too shocking and world-shaking. If Original Sin devoured him, it would gain everything Gu Qingfeng possessed, only becoming more terrifying and harder to deal with.
If someone else ascended to True Lord of Original Sin and was devoured, they would be much easier to handle compared to Gu Qingfeng.
If that was the case, why wouldn't Genggu Wuming choose someone relatively easier to deal with?
Most importantly, even if the True Lord of Original Sin was erased, that didn't necessarily mean the source of Original Sin could be completely eradicated.
This was what Da Xing the Mad Monk found most baffling.
What drove Da Xing the Mad Monk to the brink of collapse was that only now did he understand: Genggu Wuming never planned to wait for Gu Qingfeng to ascend to True Lord of Original Sin before erasing him.
Instead, she was waiting for Gu Qingfeng to ascend to True Lord of Original Sin, then devour Gu Qingfeng's self-consciousness.
Once she devoured Gu Qingfeng's self-consciousness, Genggu Wuming would then become the True Lord of Original Sin, and she could dominate the source of Original Sin.
If she wished, she could effortlessly cause the source of Original Sin to completely collapse and vanish.
Contemplating this, Da Xing the Mad Monk couldn't help but take a deep breath. His heart still pounded uncontrollably. Closing his eyes, he actually felt a sensation of the heavens spinning and the earth turning, murmuring, "That woman Genggu Wuming's methods are truly too despicable, too sinister, too goddamn shameless!"