Legend has it.
That when Wu Dao Daozun first opened the Wu Dao Era, he turned to dust and ashes in an instant. One theory says Wu Dao Daozun was jointly erased by the Ancient Clan. Another says that in forcibly opening the Wu Dao Era, he expended all his strength, ultimately leading to exhaustion and turning to dust and ashes. Which version is true, no one knows.
Some say that the Breath of Original Sin that appeared after the Wu Dao Era began was formed from Wu Dao Daozun's might; the Light of Original Sin that appeared was formed from his obsession; the Flowers of Original Sin that appeared were formed from his divine abilities; the Essence of Original Sin that appeared was formed from his spirit.
The True Blood of Original Sin that appeared was the blood flowing from Wu Dao Daozun's body; the Spirits of Original Sin that appeared were formed from his soul.
Now.
The Breath of Original Sin has long since appeared; the Light of Original Sin fills the sky everywhere. Although not abundant, Flowers of Original Sin have also emerged one after another, and quite a few traces of True Blood of Original Sin have been passed down.
Only the Essence of Original Sin and the Spirit of Original Sin have yet to appear.
When the Ancient Nine Palaces first appeared, some said that within the Primordial Source of the Nine Palaces might lie the Spirit of Original Sin formed from Wu Dao Daozun's soul.
Who spread this rumor, and on what basis, remains equally unknown.
However.
Judging from the current situation, it seems the legend is most likely true.
It might even be that the Primordial Source of the Ancient Nine Palaces is perhaps formed from Wu Dao Daozun's Spirit of Original Sin.
First.
The Li Palace Whirlwind cannot be probed by divine sense, like chaos itself, ever-changing.
Second.
Perhaps only the Spirit of Original Sin formed from Wu Dao Daozun's soul could make the Breath of Original Sin filling the sky so dense and pure.
Only Wu Dao Daozun's Spirit of Original Sin could perhaps make the Light of Original Sin filling the sky flash so wildly.
Only Wu Dao Daozun's Spirit of Original Sin could perhaps make the Flowers of Original Sin bloom in layers.
Only Wu Dao Daozun's Spirit of Original Sin could perhaps cause the lifeless flowers, plants, trees, mountains, and rivers within this Li Palace space to begin reviving.
Only Wu Dao Daozun's Spirit of Original Sin would contain such terrifying... spirit.
Yes!
Spirit.
The feeling emanating from the Li Palace Whirlwind that instills deep fear in everyone is not might—Da Xing the Mad Monk is quite certain of this.
The feeling of being enveloped by might is usually very direct, sweeping from the outside in, overwhelming everything, first suppressing the physical body, then crushing the mind, and finally enveloping the soul.
But the fear born from the Li Palace Whirlwind does not come from the outside in; on the contrary, it comes from the inside out, first shocking the soul, making one feel fear, then instantly sweeping through the entire body.
Might suppresses the physical body, but spirit suppresses the soul.
Indeed.
What makes people feel fear must be Wu Dao Daozun's spirit.
Beside him.
Gu Qingfeng nodded.
In truth.
He also believed that within the Li Palace Primordial Source might lie Wu Dao Daozun's soul, and that feeling which made others fearful yet seemed familiar to him should be Wu Dao Daozun's spirit.
Regarding Wu Dao Daozun, he had also heard a legend: that Wu Dao Daozun's physical body transformed into the various Original Sin Bodies, and his soul transformed into the various Illusory Selves.
Now, the countless Original Sin Dharmakayas within the Li Palace space are, in a sense, the various Original Sin Bodies transformed from Wu Dao Daozun.
Because being able to cultivate an Original Sin Dharmakaya means they have already lost their original self and re-conceived an ego. This re-conceived ego is no longer their original selves; it is an ego conceived by Original Sin. Since it is an ego conceived by Original Sin, it is equivalent to the various Original Sin Bodies transformed from Wu Dao Daozun.
As for the so-called Illusory Selves, Gu Qingfeng could not yet comprehend them for now, only faintly feeling that perhaps the so-called Illusory Selves might be related to the so-called Original Sin Variables.
What is illusion?
Illusion is emptiness, false appearance, non-existence.
And the so-called Original Sin Variables, their very existence is an error within an error, something that should not have existed in the first place.
If not, looking across ancient and modern heaven and earth, across all people of Original Sin—whether Original Sin Retribution Bodies, Original Sin Dharmakayas, Original Sin Selves, Original Sin Itself, or even Original Sin Sons who have integrated True Blood of Original Sin—
they can all be probed by divine sense. Why is it that only Original Sin Variables cannot be probed by divine sense?
There is only one answer.
That is, Original Sin Variables are a kind of empty false appearance, an illusory existence, an existence that does not exist.
"It's beginning!
It's finally, damn well, beginning!
The show is about to start."
Da Xing the Mad Monk shuddered with excitement and shouted quite animatedly.
Within the scene.
The densely packed, countless Original Sin Dharmakayas were still retreating incessantly. Initially, they retreated because the fear made them dare not approach the Li Palace Whirlwind. Now, they retreated because they could no longer bear the fear in their hearts.
That sense of fear grew increasingly intense along with the changes in the Li Palace Whirlwind, pressing down on them until they wished for death, tormenting them until life was worse than death.
However.
Not all people of Original Sin were retreating. There were a few who did not retreat; some not only did not retreat but were even cautiously, gradually drawing closer to the Li Palace Whirlwind.
Gu Qingfeng, atop the solitary peak, swept his gaze and found that most of these people were existences who had cultivated Original Sin Selves. Hu Li Daxian and Qing Mu Lao Xian'er, who had shown themselves earlier in the Li Palace void, were among them.
"They're emerging!
They're all, damn well, surfacing!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk looked extremely agitated, though it was unclear what exactly he was so excited about. Craning his neck, he stared fixedly, muttering curses as he watched: "These emerging ones are either Ancestral Patriarchs of Original Sin from the Ancient Ruins or from the Returned Ruins, and...
damn it!
There are far more than this old monk imagined."
Indeed.
The number of Ancestral Patriarchs of Original Sin cautiously approaching the Li Palace Whirlwind was truly not small. In just this short while, hundreds had emerged, and from all directions, more Ancestral Patriarchs of Original Sin were still converging toward the Li Palace Whirlwind.
"There are actually this many Ancestral Patriarchs of Original Sin?"
Watching the hundreds of Ancestral Patriarchs of Original Sin within the scene slowly approaching the Li Palace Whirlwind, Gu Qingfeng was also deeply shocked. He wasn't unaware that many Ancestral Patriarchs of Original Sin had been hiding in the shadows, but he never expected the number to be so vast—already over a thousand.
"Kid Gu, now you see how deeply these old fellows have been hiding, don't you?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk grinned, saying: "These old fellows are all ones who won't release the hawk until they see the rabbit. Usually, they hide deeper than the last. Now that the Li Palace Primordial Source is about to emerge, these old guys can finally no longer restrain themselves and are starting to show themselves!"
He paused, then added: "And this old monk can tell you for sure, the Ancestral Patriarchs of Original Sin from the Ancient and Returned Ruins are definitely not limited to these. The real show is still to come."
"Hehe!
This old monk reckons it's about time for old bastards like Hei Shan Lao Yao and Qing Deng Lao Zu to show their faces too."