It was common knowledge.
From the moment one was tainted by Original Sin and became a person of sin, progressing through the Sin Incarnation, the Sin Retribution Body, and the Sin Response Body, it was a process of losing one's self and one's id.
Starting from the Sin Dharma Body, moving to the Self of Sin, and then to Sin Itself, it was a process of re-conceiving the self and re-conceiving the id.
Although Gu Qingfeng had not personally experienced this process, he could fully imagine how difficult it must be to lose one's self and id, only to then re-conceive them.
One must understand that after losing one's self and id, one was essentially a mindless, wandering ghost. To re-conceive a self, and then an id, in such a state of unconsciousness was probably more difficult than ascending to heaven.
That those Sin Ancestors from the Guixu had cultivated to the level of the Self of Sin or Sin Itself was something Gu Qingfeng found incredible, yet still somewhat acceptable. After all, those Sin Ancestors had begun their taint by Original Sin back in the Desolate Ancient Era. Having experienced such a long span of time, cultivating to the Self of Sin or Sin Itself was their own fortune.
But if some of the Sons of Sin's External Incarnations had cultivated to the level of the Self of Sin or Sin Itself, that was a bit hard to believe.
Judging by Gu Changfeng's tone, it seemed more than one Son of Sin had cultivated their External Incarnations to the Self of Sin or Sin Itself, and it wasn't just a single External Incarnation per person either.
What did this mean? Could it mean that all nine External Incarnations of a single Son of Sin had cultivated to the Self of Sin or Sin Itself?
Wasn't that a bit too terrifying?
Even more terrifying was this: if even their External Incarnations were the Self of Sin or Sin Itself, then how utterly horrifying must their true bodies be?
Could it be that a Son of Sin's true body was Sin Itself, while their External Incarnations were all the Self of Sin?
But if a Son of Sin's External Incarnations were all Sin Itself, then what level of Sin body would their true body be?
Surely it couldn't be the True Body of Sin, could it?
If it really was the True Body of Sin, wouldn't that be equivalent to being the True Lord of Original Sin?
When Gu Qingfeng asked this question, Gu Changfeng also shook his head. After all, he was not a person of sin. Although he understood some things about Original Sin, his understanding wasn't that profound. He only knew that after the Sin Dharma Body came the Self of Sin, and after the Self of Sin came Sin Itself. As for whether Sin Itself was followed by the True Body of Sin, that he did not know.
"That's not the most terrifying part," Gu Changfeng said with a grave and serious expression. "The most terrifying thing is that among them, some have External Incarnations that have also merged with True Blood."
Upon hearing this, Gu Qingfeng even doubted his own ears. It took him a long moment before he exclaimed in astonishment, "External Incarnations merging with True Blood...
Is this...
for real?"
Legend had it that True Blood was the blood that once flowed within the Venerable of No Dao. Exactly how much of the Venerable's True Blood had been passed down, and how many Sons of Sin had merged with it, probably no one knew clearly. The only certainty was that True Blood was extremely precious.
Because simply merging True Blood with oneself made one a Son of Sin, granting the qualification to contend for the title of True Lord of Original Sin.
Back in the Li Palace Void, the Green-robed Ancestor had once said that the True Blood passed down was either in the hands of those Sin Ancestors or some Great Dao Ancestors, numbering at least over twenty.
And now Gu Changfeng was saying that there were actually people who had merged True Blood into their External Incarnations?
Logically speaking, such a situation wasn't impossible. If someone obtained two drops of True Blood, they could merge one with their true body and one with an External Incarnation.
The problem was, most of the True Blood that had appeared had been preserved since the Desolate Ancient Era. Even the ancestors of the Thirty-Six Cave Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands had only managed to preserve a single drop each. Even the Black Mountain Old Monster, who had long schemed for the position of True Lord of Original Sin, seemed to have only snatched one drop. Throughout all of history, who could possibly obtain two drops of True Blood?
"Whether others have it or not, I dare not say for certain," Gu Changfeng said, "but Miao Tathagata's External Incarnation has definitely merged with True Blood. Because when I was in the Gen Palace, I personally witnessed one of his External Incarnations. Not only had it merged with True Blood, it was also Sin Itself."
Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng was utterly speechless, not knowing what to say.
The name Miao Tathagata was not new to him. Ever since entering the Desolate Ancient Black Hole, Da Xing had mentioned Miao Tathagata in his ear countless times.
From Da Xing's mouth, Gu Qingfeng had gained some understanding of Miao Tathagata.
It was said that Miao Tathagata's character was both arrogant and domineering, as could be seen from the fact that his Dao title contained the characters 'Tathagata'. His past act of transforming into the Great Sun to transcend the Nine Nethers further proved Miao Tathagata's arrogance.
What left the deepest impression on Gu Qingfeng was Da Xing also saying that Miao Tathagata was the only existence in all of history who was both a variable of sin and a fixed number of the tribulation. In other words, Miao Tathagata's existence was both a variable of Original Sin and a destined responder to the calamity.
This in itself was enough to show that Miao Tathagata's existence was extraordinary, even to the point of being beyond imagination.
What Gu Qingfeng hadn't expected was that Miao Tathagata's existence could no longer be considered merely beyond imagination—it was simply unimaginable.
Even his damn External Incarnation had merged with True Blood and was also damn Sin Itself. Then what the hell kind of existence must his damn true body be?
This was just too exaggerated!
"Everyone says I'm the biggest variable, the greatest threat, and that I have the best chance of becoming the True Lord of Original Sin. I think those old bastards are all blind. Miao Tathagata's existence is both a variable of sin and a fixed number of the tribulation. Look at it this way, look at it that way, no matter how you look at it, his variable is bigger than mine."
"His damn External Incarnation has merged with True Blood and cultivated to become Sin Itself. If we're talking about threat, then he's definitely the biggest threat. If we're talking about who has the best chance between me and Miao Tathagata to become the True Lord of Original Sin, I dare say it's definitely him, and definitely not me!"
Gu Qingfeng, feeling rather depressed, tilted his head back and took a big gulp of wine, saying with great displeasure, "I really don't know what those old guys are thinking. How the hell did they decide I'm the biggest variable and the greatest threat?"
The more Gu Qingfeng thought about it, the more frustrated he became. Perhaps this matter had been bottled up inside him for too long, with no one to confide in. That old bald donkey Da Xing was always hiding his depths, and Gu Qingfeng simply didn't trust him, naturally not wanting to say much to him either.
Now, meeting Gu Changfeng, who was both friend and foe, Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but vent his grievances. "If in the end, Original Sin chooses me to be the True Lord, then fine. Whether I live or die, I'll accept it. But if in the end, Original Sin chooses not me, but Miao Tathagata... then damn, that would be too awkward. That would mean I've been carrying this black pot my whole life for Miao Tathagata. Tell me, isn't that unjust?
It's unjust to the point of being utterly, completely unjust!"