After emerging from the Realm of Extinction, Gu Qingfeng continued to wander through the Li Palace space that was dead yet not dispersed.
The Original Sin aura here was pure and dense.
Moreover, as the Original Sin aura grew increasingly dense, Gu Qingfeng gradually had a feeling that the flowers, plants, trees, and scenery within the Li Palace space, which resembled a painted landscape, seemed to have come alive.
He thought it was his own illusion at first, but when he released his divine sense to carefully investigate, he found it was truly so.
Whether it was the mountains, rivers, flowers, or trees, they all seemed to have died and revived, no longer lifeless but gradually gaining vitality.
How could this be?
Could it be related to the pure Original Sin aura here?
Perhaps.
Gu Qingfeng felt it was more likely related to the imminent emergence of the Li Palace Primordial Source.
He had been trying to find the Li Palace Primordial Source all along, but unfortunately, no matter how he searched, he couldn't find it. Everywhere was filled with dense, pure Original Sin aura, growing stronger and stronger, feeling as if the Li Palace Primordial Source could emerge at any moment.
Carefully sensing the mountains, rivers, flowers, and trees within the Li Palace space that were gradually showing signs of life and beginning to recover, Gu Qingfeng discovered something very interesting.
Because at this very moment, his own physical body was in the same condition. The acupoints, meridians, blood, bones, and sinews on his body were also gradually reviving, just like the mountains, rivers, flowers, and trees within the Li Palace space.
What made him find it even more interesting was that previously, his physical body had also been lifeless and devoid of any vitality, and the Desolate Ancient ruins within the Li Palace space seemed to be the same.
Could this be a coincidence?
Thinking carefully, the reason his physical body had become lifeless was because when Wu Dao Mountain appeared back then, Gu Qingfeng ignited the Karmic Fire of Original Sin. Then, he slept for a full ten thousand years, and when he woke up again, his physical body had become like this. Afterward, he tried more than once to restore his physical body, but to no avail.
Previously.
Gu Qingfeng had always heard people say that after he ignited the Karmic Fire of Original Sin on Wu Dao Mountain back then, he awakened the Original Sin Source and triggered the Original Sin Cataclysm.
He originally thought this statement was somewhat nonsense.
Now he realized that this statement was most likely true.
Otherwise, his physical body couldn't possibly be as lifeless and devoid of vitality as these Desolate Ancient ruins.
Now that the Li Palace Primordial Source was about to emerge, the Desolate Ancient ruins began to recover.
After he awakened his Id, the Original Sin within his body revived, and his physical body also gained vitality as a result.
Gu Qingfeng once heard Da Xing Dian Seng say that back in the Desolate Ancient era, the Wu Dao era opened for an instant and then collapsed, after which all the Desolate Ancient ruins became like this. It was as if the 'life' of these Desolate Ancient ruins had been swept into the Wu Dao era that opened in that instant, leaving only the empty shells we see now, hence their lifelessness.
Gu Qingfeng reckoned whether, back when he ignited the Karmic Fire of Original Sin on Wu Dao Mountain, he had come into close contact with the Original Sin Source in that instant, and then his so-called 'life' was also swept into the Wu Dao era.
He didn't know.
But one thing was basically certain: perhaps it was precisely because he ignited the Karmic Fire of Original Sin on Wu Dao Mountain back then that he awakened the Original Sin Source, thus leading to the descent of the Original Sin Cataclysm.
Thinking of this, Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but laugh.
It must be said, this blame was really a bit too big, so big that even Gu Qingfeng couldn't shoulder it.
Just imagine, if the Great Dao was ultimately slaughtered—setting aside whether Gu Qingfeng would eventually ascend to become the True Lord of Original Sin—even if he didn't, the Original Sin Source was awakened by him, and the Original Sin Cataclysm was triggered by him. In other words, whether he wanted to or not, he would have to bear the blame for slaughtering the Great Dao.
If he had deliberately ignited the Karmic Fire of Original Sin back then, deliberately awakened the Original Sin Source, and deliberately triggered the Original Sin Cataclysm, then he would definitely bear this blame.
The problem was, back then after he ascended Wu Dao Mountain, then...
There was no 'then'...
He simply didn't know how he ignited the Karmic Fire of Original Sin.
Even today, he clearly remembered that after ascending Wu Dao Mountain back then, he felt the Original Sin calling to him. He could even feel the Original Sin devouring his consciousness bit by bit. As for how he ignited the Karmic Fire of Original Sin, he truly didn't know, because his consciousness had already become blurred at that time.
Gu Qingfeng pondered that his awakening of the Original Sin Source and triggering of the Original Sin Cataclysm back then were most likely also him falling into someone else's trap, descending into a Karmic Game.
It was either Fate or Original Sin, either Geng Gu Wu Ming or Wu Dao Zun Shang. Of course, it might also be some other mysterious and unfathomable expert.
Gu Qingfeng was no longer the Gu Qingfeng of the past. After experiencing so many things, he understood very clearly that every person he had encountered along his journey was neither accidental nor coincidental. It was neither some so-called predestined arrangement by the heavens, nor was it a meeting in this life earned by five hundred glances in a past life. Everything was perhaps a meticulously arranged Karmic Game by others.
Yun Nichang was.
Feng Zhuyue was.
Tang Hengheng was.
Su Hua was.
Jun Xuanji was.
Da Xing Dian Seng was.
Including Old Master who taught him 'principle', Da Fuzi who taught him 'Buddhist Law', and Master Zhenjue who taught him 'human nature'—the three benefactors he regarded in his life—they all were.
It was very likely that even Huo De, that old fellow who was like family to Gu Qingfeng, was also part of it.
Even Xiao Jin'er, for whom Gu Qingfeng felt an indescribable willingness to do anything, might also be.
"Sigh!"
... Thinking of this, Gu Qingfeng sighed mournfully and lamented, "All phenomena are vanity."
"Vanity!
Vanity, it's all vanity!"
"False!
It's all false, everything is false!"
"No wonder so many people want to slaughter the Three Thousand Great Dao and yearn for the Wu Dao era. Just based on these Karmic Games you've arranged one after another, anyone would want to slaughter this Three Thousand Great Dao! Without the Great Dao, whether morality becomes chaotic or not is unknown, but at least Karma won't be arranged by others anymore, and Fate won't be dominated by others anymore."
"Gu Changfeng said something right. A pure Great Dao is worth protecting, pure Karma is worth following, and pure Fate is worth accepting. But if that Great Dao is no longer pure, if Karma becomes a means for some to lay out schemes, and if Fate becomes the judgment of certain people, then is that damn thing still worth protecting, worth following, worth accepting?"
To be honest.
Before this, although Gu Qingfeng didn't plan to protect the Great Dao, nor did he plan to ascend to become the True Lord of Original Sin, if he were forced to choose between the Great Dao and Wu Dao, he might choose the Great Dao.
What kind of era the Wu Dao era was, he didn't know.
As for the Great Dao, although they schemed against each other, immortals were not immortals, Buddhas were not Buddhas, and although it was rotten, it wasn't rotten to the point of being beyond cure. At least, the common folk lived passably.
Of course.
That's what he used to think.
Now, if he were forced to choose between the Great Dao and Wu Dao, he might choose Wu Dao.
Karma is the foundation of the Great Dao. If even Karma has rotted, then the Great Dao is truly beyond cure.
Rather than rotting away bit by bit, it's better to uproot it now!