If a person doesn't even have a dream, then what's the point of living? Wouldn't they just be a salted fish?
That's right.
They would indeed be a salted fish.
It was precisely because of this that Gu Qingfeng felt there was no meaning to living.
He felt he wasn't even as good as a salted fish.
He wasn't even comparable to those Original Sin Dharmakaya that had lost their sense of self. At least those Original Sin Dharmakaya would still wander about trying to absorb the Breath of Original Sin. But Gu Qingfeng? He didn't even know where he should go or what he should do.
Even if his heart didn't want to resign himself to fate, he had no choice but to resign himself to fate.
Because aside from resigning himself to fate, he simply didn't know what else he should do.
Sigh.
Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but let out a sigh.
This sigh.
Sighed for his confusion and sighed for his bewilderment.
Sighed for the countless feelings of helplessness in his heart, and sighed for the sorrow of self-mockery.
He shook his head.
Without thinking too much, he raised his hand and plucked the crystal-like Flower of Original Sin. With a thought, he instantly refined it—or rather, it wasn't exactly refining.
In a sense, refining is roughly equivalent to forcibly devouring and merging something into oneself.
But Gu Qingfeng merely had a thought; he didn't refine it at all. This crystal-like Flower of Original Sin naturally merged into his body without any discomfort, like a raindrop merging into the sea.
Legend said the Flower of Original Sin was formed from the various supernatural powers of the Daoless Venerable. But after the Flower of Original Sin merged into Gu Qingfeng's body, he didn't feel anything special, nor did he experience any of the Daoless Venerable's various supernatural powers—not even a tiny bit.
It wasn't that he felt absolutely nothing, but this feeling was very subtle and delicate, as if he had found something that originally belonged to him. Moreover, this thing was dispensable and brought no pleasant surprise.
Gu Qingfeng had originally thought that after merging the Flower of Original Sin into himself, he would gain something. He never expected it to be like this, which left him somewhat disappointed.
He leaped up and continued onward.
Along the way, he encountered many more Ancestral Patriarchs of the Great Dao and Original Sin. In this dead-yet-undispersed Desolate Ancient Space where hiding was impossible, they had all surfaced. Their numbers were far greater than Gu Qingfeng had imagined. Besides them, he also saw quite a few various Original Sin Dharmakaya.
It seemed all the demons and devils who should show themselves this time had indeed shown themselves.
Whether they were Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs, Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs, or those Original Sin Dharmakaya, without exception, they all turned tail and ran upon seeing Gu Qingfeng.
Obviously.
In this dead-yet-undispersed Desolate Ancient Space, no one dared to face Gu Qingfeng alone. Upon seeing him, they all detoured around, afraid of provoking Gu Qingfeng at this critical juncture.
Regarding this.
Gu Qingfeng could only shake his head and smile wryly, and then shake his head and smile wryly again.
This scene couldn't help but remind him of some interesting events from back in the day.
Thinking back to when he was slaughtering all sides in the mortal world and wrathfully beheading Immortals, the various sects and schools of the mortal world would also detour around him upon seeing him.
Back then, after he dyed the Great Wasteland with rivers of blood and burned the Nine Heavens with Netherfire, whether they were Immortals from the various Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands or the various giant secret realms, they all treated him like the God of Death upon seeing him.
After so many years, he never expected this scene to reappear.
This left Gu Qingfeng feeling somewhat emotional.
Without lingering, Gu Qingfeng continued wandering aimlessly like a headless fly through this Desolate Ancient Space.
After arriving here, that feeling of spiritual connection, like a summons, grew stronger and stronger. Gu Qingfeng had originally thought of following this feeling to see if he could find its source.
But as he searched, he gave up.
Because this feeling of spiritual connection seemed to come from all directions, as if this entire Desolate Ancient Space was filled with this feeling of spiritual connection, leaving him unsure how to search.
Just then.
Gu Qingfeng noticed two people flying toward him from ahead—one man and one woman. They were not Original Sin individuals but Great Dao individuals. Moreover, they weren't just ordinary Great Dao individuals; the man among them was a Great Emperor who had inherited the Mandate of the Great Dao.
The man wore a light cyan robe, his face chiseled like a knife, his physique burly, his aura majestic, appearing extremely imposing.
The woman was gentle and moving. Her appearance couldn't be called peerlessly beautiful, but she gave people a feeling of tender affection like water.
Seeing this man, Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but freeze.
And when the man and woman opposite saw Gu Qingfeng, they also froze. Their expressions were filled with disbelief, as if neither had expected to encounter Gu Qingfeng here.
The difference was.
Besides disbelief, the man also had a trace of pleasant surprise, while the woman, besides disbelief, had more of a kind of fear and dread.
Compared to the man and woman opposite, Gu Qingfeng's expression was somewhat more complex: there was surprise, there was pleasant surprise, and besides surprise and pleasant surprise, there was also an indescribable sense of amusement and helplessness.
It was like meeting an old friend he hadn't seen for a long time at an inappropriate time and inappropriate place. Calling him an old friend wasn't entirely accurate either; it could only be said to be a relationship that was both friend and foe.
Throughout past and present heavens and earth, Gu Qingfeng didn't have many friends—only a handful.
And those who were both friends and enemies were even fewer, with only Changfeng Great Emperor Gu Changfeng being one.
Yes!
The man and woman approaching were none other than Changfeng Great Emperor and his Immortal Fate Dao Companion, Thousand Leaves Immortal King.
"Changfeng Great Emperor!
Gu Changfeng!
Hahahahaha!"
Upon seeing Changfeng Great Emperor, Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but point at him and laugh heartily.
"Nine Nethers Emperor!
Gu Qingfeng!
Hahahahaha!"
Just like Gu Qingfeng, Changfeng Great Emperor also pointed at him and couldn't help but laugh heartily.
Only Thousand Leaves Immortal King beside Changfeng Great Emperor wore a face full of worry. Whether in her expression, her eyes, or deep in her heart, there was an inexpressible sorrow.
Gu Qingfeng and Changfeng Great Emperor could be considered friends made through fighting. Although their stances differed, they admired each other's qualities.
One was a Great Emperor of the Immortal Dao who had inherited the Mandate of Heaven, also the Young Master of the Blue Heaven who had inherited Impartial Justice, and furthermore, a destined calamity responder.
The other was the former Nine Nethers Emperor, also the greatest Original Sin variable.
It must be said, the existence of these two was as incompatible as fire and water, like yin and yang, like light and darkness, like holiness and evil.
Yet, two such opposing existences had become each other's friends. Sometimes fate truly played tricks on people.
"When I was young, I knew the world was small. Later, I learned the heavens and earth were small. Now I know that even the Endless Sea beyond the heavens, even the vast and boundless Desolate Ancient Black Hole, and even this infinitely mysterious Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces are all very small!"
Seeing Changfeng Great Emperor again, Gu Qingfeng laughed heartily and also felt quite emotional.
He still clearly remembered that the last time the two met was in a Desolate Ancient ruin within the Desolate Ancient Black Hole.
One must know that the Desolate Ancient Black Hole contained endless spatial turbulence, and Desolate Ancient ruins were countless. Even so, the two of them had managed to meet.
Now, after the Li Palace collapsed, the two had met again in this dead-yet-undispersed Desolate Ancient Space.
If this wasn't fate, then there was only one possibility.