Back when the Old Beggar had managed to seize a single drop of Original Sin True Blood and a wisp of the Essence of Original Sin, he had been hesitant and conflicted all along.
He was hesitant about whether to gamble.
Because he did not have absolute confidence that he could control the Original Sin True Blood and the Essence of Original Sin. After all, the Original Sin True Blood was the blood flowing within Venerable Wu Dao's body, and the Essence of Original Sin was the spiritual manifestation of Wu Dao Zun Shang's consciousness. Neither of these things were easy to subdue. Forcibly fusing with them would have unimaginable consequences.
If he failed to control them and the fusion failed, losing the Original Sin True Blood and the Essence of Original Sin would be a minor matter. Losing his life over it would be utterly worthless.
Yet, giving up just like that was something the Old Beggar truly couldn't accept.
He remained indecisive and endlessly conflicted, missing the best opportunity. In the end, the Judgment descended and cast him into the Guixu Abyss.
Every time he recalled this incident, the Old Beggar wished he could slap himself to death.
Especially after learning that even a vile, sinister scoundrel like Old Ancestor Green Robe had managed to fuse the Essence of Original Sin into himself—this made the Old Beggar's anger boil over uncontrollably.
The more the Old Beggar thought about it, the more resentment he felt. Gnashing his teeth in fury, he declared, "Tell me, why was I so indecisive back then? If I had just gritted my teeth and stomped my foot, directly fusing both the Original Sin True Blood and the Essence of Original Sin into myself back then, how could a petty villain like Old Ancestor Green Robe be allowed to jump around like he is now? I wouldn't need to hide on Blackwater Mountain like this, not even daring to show my face."
"Damn it all!
It really pisses me off!"
The Old Beggar was someone who enjoyed joining in the excitement. Seeing his old comrades from the Desolate Ancient Era emerging one after another now, his heart itched with the urge to rush out and join the spectacle.
However.
In the end, he resisted.
The reason was simple.
He couldn't bear the shame.
He wasn't sure how many people knew about him seizing the Original Sin True Blood and the Essence of Original Sin back then. If others didn't know about it, it would be fine. But if they did know, and they saw that he possessed neither the Original Sin True Blood nor the Essence of Original Sin, those Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs would immediately realize he must have lacked the courage to fuse with them.
The Old Beggar couldn't bear the loss of face, especially since among those Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs were quite a few of his enemies.
Thinking of this.
The Old Beggar directly opened a jar of fine wine and gulped it down, guzzling fiercely.
At this moment.
Lady Heishui, who had been silent beside him, spoke up, "You should feel fortunate. Fortunate that you were indecisive when facing the Essence of Original Sin and the Original Sin True Blood back then. If you had truly fused the Original Sin True Blood and the Essence of Original Sin into yourself back then, you wouldn't have survived until now. You would have long since turned to dust, not even qualifying to be cast into the Guixu Abyss."
"I..." Although the Old Beggar didn't want to admit it, he had to acknowledge that Lady Heishui spoke the truth.
The Old Beggar was not a cowardly person, nor was he someone afraid of risking everything on a gamble.
If he hadn't been willing to gamble, he wouldn't have exerted every ounce of his strength to fight for the Original Sin True Blood and the Essence of Original Sin the moment the Wu Dao Age opened. His purpose in seizing them was precisely to fuse them into himself.
Back then.
The reason for his indecision wasn't primarily the lack of absolute confidence in controlling them.
In truth, he had personally witnessed several Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs who, after seizing the Original Sin True Blood and the Essence of Original Sin, directly fused them into themselves. After failing, they turned to dust on the spot.
If that were all, it wouldn't have been enough to make a Desolate Ancient fiend like the Old Beggar hesitate. Back then, he had also witnessed Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs who, after successfully fusing with either the Original Sin True Blood or the Essence of Original Sin, were instantly obliterated. Not because they failed to control it and turned to dust, but because they were erased by a mysterious power from afar.
This was the true reason for the Old Beggar's indecision.
The Old Beggar sighed mournfully, "Can't blame anyone. If I must blame someone, I can only blame myself for not considering things thoroughly, not having as many cunning schemes as you all. If I had been like you, seizing the Original Sin True Blood and the Essence of Original Sin and directly hiding them, fleeing to the Desolate Ruins before fusing them into myself, then even being cast into the Guixu Abyss wouldn't have hindered the fusion!"
As for exactly how many people in all of ancient and modern times have fused the Original Sin True Blood into themselves, or how many have fused the Essence of Original Sin into themselves.
The Old Beggar didn't know.
He only knew that Lady Heishui had not only fused the Original Sin True Blood into herself but had also fused the Essence of Original Sin into herself.
Although Lady Heishui had never admitted it, the Old Beggar could sense it.
Moreover, he also knew that Lady Heishui must have divined back then that fusing with the Original Sin True Blood would inevitably lead to disaster. Therefore, after seizing the Original Sin True Blood, she didn't fuse it immediately but hid it away, waiting until after she was cast into the Guixu Abyss to fuse it.
Back then, the Old Beggar had divined that the Wu Dao Age would collapse the moment it opened. It was precisely because he divined this that he was able to seize the Original Sin True Blood and the Essence of Original Sin. The problem was, he only divined that the Wu Dao Age would collapse the moment it opened. He did not divine that fusing with the Original Sin True Blood would lead to obliteration by a mysterious power.
Because he was one move behind in the game, when the Wu Dao Age collapsed and faced with the sudden Judgment, the Old Beggar had no idea how to respond.
Watching Old Ancestor Green Robe's smug and delirious performance within the scene, the Old Beggar said with great displeasure, "If that old scoundrel Green Robe has truly fused the Essence of Original Sin into himself, then there's a ninety percent chance he has also fused the Original Sin True Blood into himself. That old scoundrel is truly not simple at all!"
The Old Beggar had experienced the moment the Wu Dao Age opened. He clearly understood that the Essence of Original Sin was far more difficult to seize than the Original Sin True Blood. Although he had never fused with it, he could more or less guess that controlling the Essence of Original Sin was also much harder than controlling the Original Sin True Blood.
Some might seize a drop of Original Sin True Blood, but not necessarily a drop of the Essence of Original Sin.
Some might be able to control the Original Sin True Blood, but not necessarily the Essence of Original Sin.
However.
If someone could seize the Essence of Original Sin the moment the Wu Dao Age opened, then it was highly likely they could also seize the Original Sin True Blood.
Similarly.
If Old Ancestor Green Robe successfully fused the Essence of Original Sin into himself, then it was highly likely he had also fused the Original Sin True Blood into himself.
In the Old Beggar's view, seizing the Original Sin True Blood the moment the Wu Dao Age opened wasn't any great skill. Seizing the Essence of Original Sin wasn't any great skill either.
Being able to seize both the Original Sin True Blood and the Essence of Original Sin, and also divine that after the Wu Dao Age collapsed, forcibly fusing them would lead to disaster—that was what he considered true great skill.
Only by divining further could one lay deeper plans.
Someone like the Old Beggar, who only divined that the Wu Dao Age would collapse the moment it opened, could only plan up to that point.
There were quite a few beings like him in the Desolate Ancient Era.
Back then, those who seized the Original Sin True Blood or the Essence of Original Sin the moment the Wu Dao Age opened weren't many, but they weren't few either. Yet, how many of them survived?
Aside from those who divined the inevitable disaster, and those who didn't dare to fuse, the rest all died.
Either they failed to control it and turned to dust, or they were directly obliterated by a mysterious power.
Even powerful beings like the Heaven-Devouring, Earth-Swallowing Blood Taotie, the one who Searched the Blue Skies Above and the Yellow Springs Below, and the Avici Endless Evil Asura were no exception.
Looking across the numerous Sons of Original Sin throughout ancient and modern times, most of their Original Sin True Blood wasn't seized by their own hands the moment the Wu Dao Age opened. More often, it was inherited after the Desolate Ancient Era or formed through fortuitous encounters, creation, karma, and destiny.
Those who relied on themselves to seize it the moment the Wu Dao Age opened and then fused it into themselves after the Desolate Ancient Era were absolutely few and far between.
In other words.
Those in the Desolate Ancient Era who could divine that fusing with Original Sin after the Wu Dao Age collapsed would lead to disaster were definitely not many.
So far.
The Old Beggar knew Lady Heishui was one, Old Ancestor Green Robe was one, and Eight-Armed Yama might also be one, or might not—the Old Beggar wasn't entirely sure.