"Since you have such grand ambitions, then go and fight for them."
As soon as Gu Qingfeng finished speaking, something completely unexpected happened. The Original Sin Dharmakaya in the distance, without any warning, suddenly dropped to one knee, clasped its fists, and said, "If Your Excellency is willing to ascend as the True Lord of Original Sin, this humble one will spare no effort to assist you, willingly serving as your vanguard. Even if I turn to dust and smoke, I would not regret it."
This kneeling was truly abrupt, so abrupt that it left Gu Qingfeng momentarily stunned. In Gu Qingfeng's mind, those who had embarked on the path of Original Sin could roughly be divided into three categories.
The first category had a very clear goal: they were aiming directly for the title of True Lord of Original Sin.
The second category also had a clear goal: they were aiming for the Wu Dao Age.
The third category was aiming for Karma.
Although Gu Qingfeng did not know the true identity of this Original Sin Dharmakaya in the distance, based on their brief exchange, he felt that the other party did not seem to have embarked on the path of Original Sin for the sake of becoming the True Lord. On the contrary, the other two Original Sin Dharmakayas who had immediately fled upon seeing Gu Qingfeng seemed more like they were aiming for the True Lord of Original Sin.
Because their purpose was very strong. Upon seeing Gu Qingfeng and realizing they could no longer seize this Flower of Original Sin, they immediately left to search for other Flowers of Original Sin, not wasting a single moment.
Only this Original Sin Dharmakaya had not left promptly. Instead, it had asked Gu Qingfeng if he truly had no intention of ascending as the True Lord of Original Sin. Moreover, through their conversation, Gu Qingfeng could sense the other's intense yearning for the Wu Dao Age.
No!
It wasn't just simple yearning, but a kind of craving.
For this, it had even knelt before Gu Qingfeng, pleading with him to ascend as the True Lord of Original Sin, saying it was willing to serve as a vanguard and would not regret even turning to dust and smoke.
To be honest.
This was the first time he had encountered an Original Sin practitioner who craved the Wu Dao Age so desperately.
Among the Original Sin Patriarchs who had emerged from the Guixu, although many also hoped the Wu Dao Age would open, it was merely hope. Most of them, having failed in their schemes for the True Lord of Original Sin, could only settle for the next best thing. Some had no way out and could only hope the Wu Dao Age would open. Others were purely making two-handed preparations, guarding the Great Dao on one side while being tainted by Original Sin on the other, to prevent being unable to establish themselves if the Wu Dao Age opened after the Great Dao was lost.
Someone like the one before him, who craved the Wu Dao Age so intensely, was truly rare.
"Why do you crave the Wu Dao Age so much?"
Gu Qingfeng asked a question he was curious about.
"This humble one does not wish to be bound by Karma, nor do I wish for my Fate to be determined by heaven!"
The other party stared at Gu Qingfeng and said, "I want to master my own Fate!"
"Alright."
Gu Qingfeng asked, "I have a question for you. Are you so certain that after the Wu Dao Age opens, one can definitely transcend the shackles of Karma and master one's own Fate?"
"I..." The other party was momentarily speechless. After a moment of silence, he shook his head and said, "This humble one cannot be certain."
"Then that settles it. You don't even know whether one can definitely transcend Karma or master one's own Fate after the Wu Dao Age opens. Why are you so fixated on it?"
"May I ask Your Excellency, can you be certain that after the Wu Dao Age opens, Karma definitely cannot be transcended, and one definitely cannot master their own Fate?"
The other party countered. Gu Qingfeng shook his head and smiled. He truly couldn't be certain either.
"Whether one can transcend Karma or master one's own Fate after the Wu Dao Age opens, this humble one may not dare to be certain. But there is one thing I dare to affirm."
The other party declared solemnly, "This is an opportunity, perhaps the only opportunity to master one's Fate. For this sole chance, no matter what, I must take the gamble!"
"If you want to gamble, go ahead and gamble yourself. I, for one, will not."
"Why!
Why exactly!"
The other party almost shouted.
"Didn't I just tell you? I have no interest in taking this gamble. Whether you want to transcend Karma or master your own Fate, that's your business. I think Karma is quite fine, and having Fate determined by heaven isn't bad either."
"You don't dare to gamble!
It's not that you have no interest in gambling!
You simply lack the courage to gamble!"
Gu Qingfeng shrugged, indifferent. "Alright, you've seen through me. I am indeed afraid of losing, and I indeed cannot afford to lose!"
The other party snorted coldly, stood up, and shouted with disdainful words, "They all say the Nine Nethers Emperor is lawless and heaven-defying, that for him, there is only wanting or not wanting, never daring or not daring. Only today have I learned that the Nine Nethers Emperor, who shakes heaven and earth, is nothing but a cowardly mouse who doesn't even dare to gamble. Truly an extreme disappointment to this humble one."
"Sorry to disappoint you."
"Since that's the case, this humble one will no longer delay your precious time. Farewell, and goodbye!"
With that.
The other party left without looking back.
Watching the other's retreating figure grow increasingly blurry, Gu Qingfeng shook his head and smiled. "Not an uninteresting fellow."
Although that Original Sin Dharmakaya's words had been quite vehement, and it had ended by mocking Gu Qingfeng as a cowardly mouse, Gu Qingfeng was not angered by it. On the contrary, he rather admired the other party.
It wasn't because the other dared to mock him to his face, but because he admired the other's persistence and his lofty, soaring ambition.
When Gu Qingfeng had said earlier that he had no great ambitions, it wasn't false modesty. He truly had no great ambitions. His youthful wish was to sleep until he woke naturally, drink until he lost consciousness, bask in the sun in his leisure time, occasionally tease a beauty, and watch some excitement. That was his greatest wish.
He had been like this in his youth, and it was the same after he grew up. Through several brushes with death, roaming the Great Wasteland, even now, this wish remained unchanged.
Precisely because he knew he had no great ambitions, he held those who did in the highest esteem.
Especially those whose great ambitions were to transcend Karma and master Fate—such ambition made Gu Qingfeng all the more admiring.
One must know that those Patriarchs from the Guixu, although they also yearned for the Wu Dao Age and wanted to transcend Karma and master their own Fate, it was merely yearning.
In other words, they might strive for the opening of the Wu Dao Age, even exhaust their abilities, but they would absolutely not sacrifice their own lives for the sake of opening the Wu Dao Age.
The Original Sin Dharmakaya from earlier was different. He truly craved the opening of the Wu Dao Age, truly craved transcending Karma and mastering his own Fate. For this, he would not regret even turning to dust and smoke.
This was what Gu Qingfeng admired most about him.
He always believed that one should live like that Original Sin Dharmakaya, striving for one's dreams. If the dream was realized, all the better. If it ultimately could not be realized, at least one would not regret it, nor would there be any lingering regrets, because one had paid the full price for it.
If possible, Gu Qingfeng would also like to fight desperately for his own dreams, to stake his life for a dream without regret. The problem was, no matter how much he thought about it, he didn't know what dream he craved. If sleeping until he woke naturally, drinking until he lost consciousness, and living freely were considered dreams, he felt he had already realized them. He could sleep when he wanted, drink when he wanted, and was still relatively free and unrestrained. Although being caught in the Original Sin Cataclysm left him somewhat helpless, the impact wasn't that great. At least he could manage to live.
If asked what dreams he had besides sleeping and drinking?
None!
Truly none.
Gu Qingfeng very much wished he had a proper dream. The key was, he didn't.
This was also what Gu Qingfeng found most sorrowful.