"Although the patriarchs from both the Great Dao and Original Sin sides have deduced that the changes in the Li Palace will affect the Original Sin Calamity, the problem is that no one knows what changes will occur in the Li Palace, nor what this so-called 'change' specifically refers to."
"Listening to your tone just now," Gu Qingfeng said, "it seems this so-called change refers to me dying here, right? Didn't you say all signs point to that? Something about favorable timing, terrain, people, and destiny..."
"That's right. Judging from all signs, you really do seem doomed this time. The so-called change most likely refers to you dying here, thereby affecting the Original Sin Calamity."
Da Xing the Mad Monk then changed his tone and continued, "However, signs are just signs. You can't take them as absolute truth. Until the very last moment, no one can be certain."
"What if the change in the Li Palace doesn't refer to you? That's also a possibility. Things have reached this critical juncture; no one dares act rashly. One wrong step could mean losing everything."
Gu Qingfeng asked, "From what you're saying, are they waiting until the Li Palace Primordial Source emerges before they can determine it?"
"That's about right. They're all waiting now, waiting for the Li Palace Primordial Source to emerge. Once it emerges, they'll know what the so-called change refers to."
"If... I'm saying if..." Da Xing the Mad Monk said, "If, after the Li Palace Primordial Source emerges, it is closely related to you, then the so-called change definitely refers to you. At that time, they will all swarm out in full force."
Gu Qingfeng nodded, seeming to understand. "In simple terms, they're not sure right now whether I am the True Master Chosen by Original Sin. Only after the Li Palace Primordial Source emerges can they judge."
"If the Li Palace Primordial Source is closely related to me, then that proves I am indeed the True Master Chosen by Original Sin. At that time, they will take action to erase me. If I, the True Master Chosen by Original Sin, die here, the Original Sin Calamity will naturally change. Is that the logic?"
"Yes, yes, yes! Exactly!"
"Since they all suspect I am the True Master Chosen by Original Sin, why not kill me before the Li Palace Primordial Source emerges? That way, if I really am the True Master Chosen by Original Sin, after the Li Palace Primordial Source emerges, it will definitely belong to someone else, and the Original Sin Calamity will change."
"Even if I'm not the True Master Chosen by Original Sin, what do they lose by killing me? Once they discover who the real True Master Chosen by Original Sin is, they can just take action to erase that person then."
"Preventing trouble before it happens—such a simple principle. Those old-timers couldn't possibly not understand it, right?"
"Could it be they're so confident that regardless of whether I am the True Master Chosen by Original Sin or not, they are sure they can erase me? So, killing me early or late is the same, and there's no need to prevent trouble beforehand?"
Hearing Gu Qingfeng say this, Da Xing the Mad Monk chuckled, a somewhat inexplicable laugh.
Gu Qingfeng glanced at him and asked, "What are you laughing at, you old bald donkey?"
"Kid Gu, you and I really are kindred spirits."
"Get lost. Who's kindred spirits with you?"
"To be honest with you, I analyzed this problem very seriously earlier."
"So? What was your conclusion?"
"Heh heh!" Da Xing the Mad Monk first tilted his head back and took a swig of wine, then sat down closer to Gu Qingfeng. "If you say they have absolute confidence in erasing you, that's probably unrealistic. If they really had that confidence, they wouldn't have tested your depths again and again."
"Right now, how deep your strength truly runs—throughout heaven and earth, whether on the Great Dao side or the Original Sin side—no one knows."
"Even if they ultimately succeed in erasing you, they will inevitably pay a heavy price."
"Think about it. What if, in the end, they discover you're not the True Master Chosen by Original Sin? What then? After suffering heavy losses erasing you, will they still have the strength to erase the real True Master Chosen by Original Sin?"
"To put it bluntly, what if your existence is just bait? The purpose is to make them think you are the True Master Chosen by Original Sin, have them attack you, end up mutually wounded, and let the real True Master Chosen by Original Sin reap the benefits."
Truth be told, Da Xing the Mad Monk's words made some sense. At the very least, Gu Qingfeng couldn't refute them.
Although Gu Qingfeng's physical body had now revived, his fighting spirit had returned, and he had found his true self, as for whether he was the True Master Chosen by Original Sin, he still didn't know.
There was one thing he could confirm, though. If he was the karmic incarnation of Gengwu Wuming, then he was a pawn for Karma and Destiny to deal with Original Sin.
If he was the karmic incarnation of the Lord of No Dao, then he was a pawn for Original Sin and No Dao to deal with Karma, Destiny, the Great Dao, and Heaven and Earth.
As Da Xing the Mad Monk said, his existence from the beginning might have been bait, meant to make all the existences in this ancient heaven and earth mistakenly believe he was the True Master Chosen by Original Sin, thereby protecting the real True Master Chosen by Original Sin.
It wasn't impossible for it to be a feint—a diversion while the real action happened elsewhere.
"And another point is, if you really are the True Master Chosen by Original Sin, and they take action to erase you, then the Li Palace Primordial Source will definitely belong to some other Original Sin variable."
Da Xing the Mad Monk said seriously, "The Great Dao side simply cannot stop it, nor can they stop it. After all, what's emerging now isn't just the source of the Li Palace, but the sources of the Nine Palaces of the Desolate Ancient Era. In other words, even if they erase you, the True Master Chosen by Original Sin, Original Sin might choose another Original Sin variable to become the True Master. At that time, a second you might appear."
"In that case, wouldn't they have gone to all that trouble, suffering casualties to erase you, for nothing? Besides, if they really wanted to erase you, they would have done it long before the Desolate Ancient Black Hole appeared. They wouldn't have waited until now. What they fear is that after killing you, a second, third, even fourth or fifth you might appear."
"Before the True Master Chosen by Original Sin ascends to supremacy, killing any Original Sin variable is meaningless. It's nothing but wasted effort."
"I say..." Gu Qingfeng rubbed his chin, frowning. "The more I listen, the more confused I get. Just now you were emphatically saying I was definitely dead this time. But now, from what you're saying, old bald donkey, it seems they're not planning to move against me yet?"
"I never said they wouldn't move against you. What I mean is... they won't move against you until the last moment, until they have no other choice. In other words, only when they are certain you are the True Master Chosen by Original Sin will they take action against you."
"As long as they aren't certain, even if they have the slightest doubt, they won't move against you!"