“The Black Flame Old Demon, infamous for his demonic flames that blotted the heavens in the Desolate Ancient Era; the Wind Fiend, said to be omnipresent; that treacherous half-demon, half-immortal Yellow-Skinned Fox; and the Eight-Armed Yama, who once shook the Desolate Ancient Era with his might…
Truly a damn eye-opener!”
Standing atop the solitary peak, Da Xing the Mad Monk watched the Ancestral Patriarchs of Original Sin emerging one after another and couldn’t help but voice such a sigh.
Although he had never personally experienced the Desolate Ancient Era, that didn’t mean he was ignorant of it. On the contrary, Da Xing the Mad Monk’s understanding of the Desolate Ancient Era far surpassed that of most others.
For many years, in his quest to unravel the truth behind the opening of the Daoless Age and the end of the Desolate Ancient Era, Da Xing had been tirelessly busy. It was no exaggeration to say that his knowledge of the Desolate Ancient Era might even exceed that of some old-timers from that very era.
The Desolate Ancient Era was an immensely long epoch, longer than any other era that had come before or since.
Most of the Ancestral Patriarchs of Original Sin emerging here could only be considered old-timers from the late Desolate Ancient Era, though there were also some from the mid-Desolate Ancient Era.
For instance, the Black Flame Old Demon and the Wind Fiend were old-timers from the late Desolate Ancient Era.
As for the Yellow-Skinned Fox and the Eight-Armed Yama, they belonged to the mid-Desolate Ancient Era. Especially the Yellow-Skinned Fox—his seniority was so high that few present could match him. His existence was undoubtedly that of an ancestral patriarch of the demonic path.
“What surprises this old monk even more is that even a giant of the Immortal Dao like Golden Wheel Patriarch has been tainted by Original Sin…” Da Xing the Mad Monk had thoroughly investigated the Desolate Ancient Era and clearly knew the status Golden Wheel Patriarch held back then. The so-called Immortal Dao Ancestral Patriarchs from the current Thirty-Six Cave Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands would be mere children in his presence. Even the few Immortal Elders guarding the Immortal Dao’s origin in the Profound Heaven Immortal Dao would have to respectfully address him as ‘Senior’ upon meeting him.
He truly couldn’t fathom why such a lofty existence as Golden Wheel Patriarch would be tainted by Original Sin. Moreover, judging by appearances, the Original Sin within Golden Wheel Patriarch was absolutely not shallow—it wasn’t merely the Original Sin Self, nor just the Original Sin Itself; it might be the legendary Original Sin True Body.
As was widely known:
When Original Sin gestates a new consciousness of ‘I’, it is called the Original Sin Dharmakaya.
At this stage, the consciousness is still relatively chaotic, much like the Dharmakaya itself, indistinguishable from Original Sin.
When Original Sin gestates a ‘Self’, it is called the Original Sin Self.
At this stage, the consciousness already possesses the concept of ‘self’ and can represent Original Sin.
When Original Sin gestates the ‘Original Self’, it is called the Original Sin Itself.
At this stage, the consciousness already possesses the concept of the ‘original self’. Original Sin is me, and I am Original Sin.
If Original Sin gestates the ‘True Self’, it can then be called the Original Sin True Body.
At this stage, the consciousness already possesses the concept of the ‘true self’, meaning the genuine self, the genuine Original Sin.
Da Xing the Mad Monk had never seen an Original Sin True Body before, not even once, so he didn’t dare conclude whether Golden Wheel Patriarch had cultivated the legendary Original Sin True Body.
Meanwhile.
Among the myriad Creation Treasures filling the sky, there was a Blackwater Mountain.
On Blackwater Mountain stood a coldly beautiful woman in black robes and a slovenly, unkempt old man.
The coldly beautiful woman was none other than Blackwater Empress, and the slovenly old man was the Old Beggar.
Blackwater Empress appeared as calm as ever, her gaze fixed on the ever-changing Li Palace Vortex. The Old Beggar, meanwhile, drank his wine while watching the Ancestral Patriarchs of Original Sin emerge one after another, muttering curses under his breath.
Like those other Ancestral Patriarchs of Original Sin present, the Old Beggar’s current mood was a mix of excitement, surprise, and, more than anything, profound emotion.
After the Desolate Ancient Era ended, the Old Beggar had been cast into the Ruins of Return, equally unaware of the fates of others. Now, seeing old friends, enemies, and rivals from back then all emerging, his heart held an indescribable feeling, as if he had dreamt his way back to the Desolate Ancient Era. Especially with the Desolate Ancient ruins within the Li Palace space all reviving, coupled with the emergence of the old-timers from that era, it gave the Old Beggar an illusion—as if the Ruins of Return had been but a dream, and now that the dream had ended, the Desolate Ancient Era still persisted.
At this moment, the Old Beggar truly wished to rush out and make an appearance, to join in the commotion. But after much thought, he ultimately restrained himself.
His eyes swept over one of the Ancestral Patriarchs of Original Sin present—Golden Wheel Patriarch, a giant of the Immortal Dao.
To be honest.
When he saw Golden Wheel Patriarch emerge, the Old Beggar thought he had mistaken the person. Even after repeatedly confirming it was indeed Golden Wheel Patriarch, he still found it hard to believe.
Others might not know Golden Wheel Patriarch well, but the Old Beggar knew him inside out. In the Desolate Ancient Era, the two were old rivals, having clashed countless times. Though not friends, they were the most familiar of opponents. At the same time, Golden Wheel Patriarch was also the opponent the Old Beggar respected most in his entire life, bar none.
He respected Golden Wheel Patriarch’s principles as a person.
He respected Golden Wheel Patriarch’s selflessness and fearlessness, and his fairness and impartiality.
He respected Golden Wheel Patriarch’s righteousness, his chivalry, and, even more, his lofty morality.
Some said Golden Wheel Patriarch’s entire life was dedicated to contributing to the Immortal Dao.
That was no exaggeration at all.
For the sake of the Immortal Dao, Golden Wheel Patriarch had sacrificed far, far too much.
Back then,
when Wu Dao Zun Shang slaughtered the Immortal Dao, Golden Wheel Patriarch fought desperately to protect it. Even after the Immortal Dao’s origin was slaughtered and fell by Wu Dao Zun Shang, and other Immortal Dao Ancestral Patriarchs gave up one after another, Golden Wheel Patriarch stubbornly persisted.
In the Old Beggar’s mind, anyone else might possibly be tainted by Original Sin, but never Golden Wheel Patriarch.
Other Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs might have to be tainted by Original Sin for the sake of their lineage’s continuation or survival.
But that was only other Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs. Golden Wheel Patriarch absolutely would not.
In the eyes of those Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs, lineage continuation came first; the Great Dao was secondary.
But in Golden Wheel Patriarch’s eyes, the Great Dao was heaven, surpassing everything.
The Old Beggar simply couldn’t understand why Golden Wheel Patriarch would be tainted by Original Sin.
At that moment, Blackwater Empress, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke: “Some are tainted by Original Sin to scheme for the position of True Lord, aiming to dominate all living beings between heaven and earth. Some are tainted by Original Sin for the Daoless Age, to break free from the shackles of karma and fate, to master their own destiny. Some are tainted by Original Sin for the sake of their lineage’s continuation, or for survival.”
She paused, then shifted her tone: “But there is yet another kind of person. They are tainted by Original Sin to destroy Original Sin, to eradicate Original Sin, to protect the Great Dao, and to protect heaven and earth.”
Boom!
Blackwater Empress’s words struck the Old Beggar like a thunderbolt, instantly resolving all the doubts in his heart.
He finally understood why a giant of the Immortal Dao like Golden Wheel Patriarch would be tainted by Original Sin. Just as Blackwater Empress had said, it wasn’t to scheme for the position of Original Sin True Lord, nor to escape some karma or fate, nor for so-called lineage continuation or survival—it was to destroy Original Sin.
As the saying goes, one cannot catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger’s den.
There had always been a saying circulating: If one wishes to destroy Original Sin, one must first be tainted by Original Sin. Only by becoming Original Sin can one destroy Original Sin.