More and more Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs emerged, stubbornly enduring the immense spiritual pressure as they inched step by step closer to the Li Palace Whirlwind.
Without exception, these Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs were all here for the so-called Li Palace Primordial Source.
To be precise, they were here for the changes occurring within the Li Palace.
Some perhaps wished to seize this opportunity to scheme for the position of True Lord of Original Sin.
Some, knowing they had no hope of claiming the True Lord of Original Sin, could only settle for the next best thing—seizing an Original Sin Foremost Opportunity.
Of course.
There were also those whose goal was to ensure the successful opening of the Wu Dao Era.
After all, this change in the Li Palace would affect the Original Sin Cataclysm, which meant it would influence not only the fate of the Great Dao Heaven and Earth but also the fate of the Wu Dao Era.
Coupled with the countless Great Dao experts lurking within the myriad Creation Treasures, covetously watching, it didn't take a genius to figure they too wanted to seize this chance to alter the fate of the Great Dao Heaven and Earth. If they didn't step forward now and the Great Dao experts seized the initiative first, it would be too late for regrets.
Ancestral Patriarch Green Robe had spoken a truth: this change in the Li Palace presented an opportunity to change fate, for both the Great Dao Heaven and Earth and for Original Sin and Wu Dao. It might be the only chance, the last chance. Whether this change would alter the fate of the Great Dao Heaven and Earth or the fate of Wu Dao and Original Sin depended on who would have the last laugh.
Perhaps because the spiritual pressure emanating from the Li Palace Whirlwind was growing increasingly powerful, not only were the countless Original Sin Dharmakaya manifestations continuously retreating, but even those Ancestral Patriarchs who had cultivated the Self of Sin had all halted their advance at a considerable distance from the whirlwind.
They dared not go forward, nor could they. The mysterious, eerie, and boundless spiritual pressure pressed down on them, making each step an agony, tormenting them unbearably.
And not just them.
Even the Ancestral Patriarchs who had cultivated Sin Itself had stopped far from the Li Palace Whirlwind.
Looking down from above, the scene resembled concentric rings centered on the Li Palace Whirlwind.
The outermost ring gathered countless Original Sin Dharmakaya manifestations.
The next ring inward contained the Ancestral Patriarchs who had cultivated the Self of Sin, over a thousand in number, including Tiger Strength Great Immortal and Greenwood Old Immortal.
Further inward was the ring of Ancestral Patriarchs who had cultivated Sin Itself. Not many, but not few either—nearly a hundred. Figures like Old Wind Fiend, Black Flame Old Demon, Yellow-Skinned Fox, and even Ancestral Patriarch Green Robe were among them.
However.
The innermost ring, closest to the Li Palace Whirlwind, held only a scant dozen or so individuals.
Among them were the illustrious Eight-Armed Yama and the Golden Wheel Patriarch, hailed as a giant of the Immortal Dao during the Desolate Ancient Era. As for who the others were, few knew.
They might be old-timers from the Desolate Ancient Era, or perhaps not.
After all, it wasn't only the Desolate Ancient Era that saw beings tainted by Original Sin. Many had been tainted after its end. Moreover, even if they were old-timers from that era, no one could claim to know them all.
The Desolate Ancient Era was an extremely prolonged epoch. Unless they existed in the same period, one might have heard of another's name but not necessarily recognize them, perhaps never having even met.
But that wasn't important now.
What everyone wanted to know was: what kind of existences were these dozen or so figures closest to the Li Palace Whirlwind? Had they all cultivated the legendary Original Sin True Body?
Everyone knew about Eight-Armed Yama. When the Wu Dao Era had begun to open, he had seized a drop of True Sin Blood. Judging by the aura of Original Sin emanating from him, he had most likely already fused that True Sin Blood with himself. In other words, he was now a bona fide Child of Original Sin.
The question was: what level of existence were the Golden Wheel Patriarch and the other dozen or so?
Could they really have cultivated the legendary Original Sin True Body?
Hard to say, and not easy to say.
Although none of the Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs present had ever seen the legendary Original Sin True Body, they all had a feeling—especially those who had cultivated the Self of Sin—that the Golden Wheel Patriarch and the others had likely cultivated it.
The countless Original Sin Dharmakaya manifestations within the area could be clearly sensed by those who had cultivated the Self of Sin. Not only sensed, but their every move was known with perfect clarity. If they wished, they could obliterate those Dharmakaya manifestations with a snap of their fingers.
But when facing those who had cultivated Sin Itself, their perception became blurry. Not just blurry, but accompanied by an innate fear.
And when facing the Golden Wheel Patriarch and the others, that perception grew even more blurred, and the fear even greater.
This was true for the Ancestral Patriarchs who had cultivated the Self of Sin.
And it was equally true for those Ancestral Patriarchs who had cultivated Sin Itself.
In the eyes of those with the Self of Sin, the Original Sin Dharmakaya were like ants, seen with perfect clarity.
In the eyes of those with Sin Itself, those with the Self of Sin were like ants, also seen with perfect clarity.
The Self of Sin saw them blurrily, with an innate fear. And these beings with Sin Itself saw the Golden Wheel Patriarch and the others somewhat blurrily, also with an innate fear.
Thus, it seemed the Golden Wheel Patriarch and the others closest to the Li Palace Whirlwind had likely cultivated the Original Sin True Body.
This left the Ancestral Patriarchs who had cultivated either the Self of Sin or Sin Itself feeling somewhat displeased, to varying degrees.
They had all been tainted by Original Sin, all suppressed within Gui Xu. Why had *they* managed to cultivate the Original Sin True Body?
Originally, with the existence of the Original Sin Anomalies and the Children of Original Sin, many Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs had already given up hope for the True Lord of Original Sin. They were prepared to settle for the next best thing—seizing an Original Sin Foremost Opportunity, so that their taint by Original Sin wouldn't be in vain. If others got the meat, they'd be content with a sip of the broth.
But now, with so many Original Sin True Bodies appearing, it was estimated they might not even get that sip of broth when the time came.
However.
While the appearance of the Golden Wheel Patriarch and the other dozen or so Original Sin True Bodies displeased the more ambitious Ancestral Patriarchs, it mattered little to those without such ambitions. Not only did it not matter, it brought them a sliver of pleasant surprise, a touch of joy.
They had emerged this time solely to ensure the successful opening of the Wu Dao Era. They didn't care in the slightest who claimed the True Lord of Original Sin or who seized the Original Sin Foremost Opportunity. The more Original Sin True Bodies there were, the greater the hope for the Wu Dao Era to open successfully.
Legend said the power of the Original Sin True Body was peerless.
If the Self of Sin could be said to *represent* Original Sin, then Sin Itself was *equivalent* to Original Sin.
However.
The existence of the Original Sin True Body *was* Original Sin.
One represents, one is equivalent, one simply *is*.
The difference was clear at a glance.
Precisely because of this, there had always been another saying since ancient times: that the Self of Sin was the end of the road for the path of Original Sin.
And another saying: once one cultivated the Original Sin True Body, they were only a single step away from the True Lord of Original Sin.
Everyone had thought these were nothing but baseless legends.
Only when they saw the Golden Wheel Patriarch and the others did they realize these legends might not be baseless. They might be true.
They could sense the power of the Golden Wheel Patriarch and the others, and that sensation was intense—more intense than the feeling Eight-Armed Yama, who had fused with True Sin Blood, gave them.