The sky was filled with Creation Treasures, flickering like brilliant stars in the night sky, twisting, blurring, and shimmering.
The sky was filled with the Breath of Original Sin, spreading like mist and clouds throughout the Li Palace space. This Original Sin Breath was pure and dense, neither yang nor yin, neither sacred light nor evil darkness, more akin to the all-encompassing chaos.
The sky was filled with the Light of Original Sin, flashing wildly like lightning within the Li Palace. This Original Sin Light was similarly neither yin nor yang, neither light nor darkness.
The sky was filled with the Flowers of Original Sin, blooming across mountains, rivers, and fields like winter giving way to spring, like bamboo shoots after rain, like the revival of all things.
At the same time.
The sky was filled with the Essence of Original Sin, gradually sweeping through the entire Li Palace space. This Original Sin Essence was silent and invisible, intangible and untouchable, yet it caused an involuntary fear to arise in the hearts of all.
Countless Original Sin Dharma Bodies within the area were all pressed down by the Original Sin Essence, suffering unbearable agony, unable to move an inch forward or back. Ahead, the path was endless; behind, there was no retreat.
Indeed, it was so.
They wanted to approach the Li Palace Vortex, to fight for the Original Sin Spirit contained within it, even if it meant staking their lives on a gamble.
The problem was that this terrifying Original Sin Essence caused them unbearable suffering, with both their physical bodies and souls dominated by fear.
Under the shroud of this fear, they could neither advance nor retreat.
The entire Li Palace space was enveloped by the Original Sin Essence—where could they retreat to?
Not to mention these Original Sin Dharma Bodies.
Even those who had cultivated their Original Sin Selves, including the Patriarchs who had cultivated Original Sin Itself, were not faring well now. They too were enveloped by the Original Sin Essence, their hearts filled with fear. At first, they hadn't felt much, but as the Original Sin Essence grew stronger, the fear within them intensified.
The moment they stepped forward, they were destined to be arrows on the bowstring, with absolutely no way back, forced to grit their teeth and endure.
Even Patriarchs like Lord Rat and Divine Calculator, who had cultivated Original Sin True Bodies, began to gradually feel discomfort as the Original Sin Essence grew stronger.
Only Eight-Armed Yama, Old Ancestor Green Robe, along with Black Mountain Old Monster, Old Monster Liao'e, and Green Lantern Ghost Emperor seemed unaffected by the Original Sin Essence.
"Heh heh heh heh."
Old Ancestor Green Robe was still hopping about. He swept a glance at Black Mountain Old Monster and the other two Great Dao Overlords, speaking in a playful, teasing tone: "Today, the three of you are in such a hurry to jump out. Could it be you're afraid this Patriarch will ruin your schemes?"
Having said that.
Old Ancestor Green Robe burst into maniacal laughter.
Black Mountain Old Monster, who appeared like an elegant gentleman, stood quietly near the Li Palace Vortex, one hand behind his back, the other in front. With his youthful face and white hair, his handsome features always wore a kindly smile.
He did not look at Old Ancestor Green Robe—not from the beginning, not even a single glance. From start to finish, he only gazed at the Li Palace Vortex, softly saying: "Today's game, with your abilities, Green Robe, cannot be broken."
As soon as Black Mountain Old Monster's words fell, a voice followed.
"If he cannot break it, I wonder if this seat can?"
This voice did not come from Old Ancestor Green Robe, but from someone else. As for who it was, no one knew. Only that this voice was majestic and imposing, its sonic might extremely powerful. When it came, it shook the entire Li Palace space and caused the Original Sin filling the sky to tremble and ripple.
Just as everyone was startled and suspicious, a dragon's roar and a phoenix's cry suddenly rang out.
That's right!
A dragon's roar, a phoenix's cry.
The dragon's roar was mighty and domineering, like the furious roar of an azure dragon.
The phoenix's cry was sinister and eerie, like the long cry of a phoenix.
If the previous voice's arrival, majestic and imposing, had caused the Original Sin filling the sky to tremble and ripple, then the arrival of this dragon's roar and phoenix's cry was even more formidable, causing the Original Sin filling the sky to twist and blur.
Who was it?
Who was so terrifying that even their sonic might was this dreadful?
Everyone's minds were pondering who the dragon's roar and phoenix's cry might belong to.
In the present world, beings possessing the might of dragon and phoenix were not few.
This matter was both difficult and not difficult.
Not difficult because some special treasures, including certain Creation Treasures, even some divine abilities, could contain the might of dragon and phoenix.
However, the dragon-phoenix might contained within these Creation Treasures usually only embodied the form, intent, or spirit of dragon-phoenix might.
It could not be considered true dragon-phoenix might.
Only by possessing dragon-phoenix guardians could one possess true dragon-phoenix might.
Throughout ancient and modern times, those possessing dragon-phoenix guardians could be said to be exceedingly rare.
After all, both dragon and phoenix were divine beasts of heaven and earth, their status lofty, and their existence profoundly significant.
The dragon represented the ultimate yang within the myriad things of heaven and earth, while the phoenix represented the ultimate yin.
Legend said, the dragon roars to the Nine Heavens, the phoenix cries to the Nine Underworlds.
It was said that within the Nine Heavens, each Heaven possessed a dragon guardian, and within the Nine Underworlds, each Underworld possessed a phoenix guardian.
Unfortunately.
Whether the Heavenly Dragons guarding the Nine Heavens or the Earth Phoenixes guarding the Nine Underworlds, they all vanished with the end of the Primordial Era.
To this day, only the Great Emperor Changfeng, hailed as the inheritor of the Azure Heaven, possessed an Azure Dragon guardian. Also, the Martial Vault Emperor cultivated by those old fellows of the Profound Heaven Immortal Dao possessed a Heavenly Dragon guardian. Not only that, it was said he also held a Nine Heavens Dragon Sword in his hand. Rumor had it this item was forged in the Primordial Era by a certain Patriarch of the Immortal Dao using the blood of the nine Heavenly Dragons guarding the Nine Heavens, thus containing the might of the Nine Heavens Dragons, making it extremely powerful.
It was said that the Great Vault Dragon-Elephant that once guarded the Nether Emperor also belonged to one of the Heavenly Dragons of the Nine Heavens. As to which of the Nine Heavens' guardian Heavenly Dragons it was, no one knew. Why Gu Qingfeng, who had never ruled the Nine Heavens, possessed a Heavenly Dragon guardian was similarly unknown, but that wasn't important. What was important was that the Heavenly Dragon that once guarded Gu Qingfeng seemed to have long since vanished.
After the Primordial Era.
Heavenly Dragons appeared very rarely, and Earth Phoenixes even more so, almost never appearing.
Black Mountain Old Monster and Green Lantern Ghost Emperor were both Great Dao Overlords and major figures of the Nine Underworlds, yet they had not obtained Earth Phoenix guardians.
Even Gu Qingfeng, who had ascended to become the Nine Nethers Emperor, had once possessed a Heavenly Dragon guardian but did not have an Earth Phoenix guardian.
However, it was said that among the pair of Supreme Limitless Yin-Yang Twins cultivated by those old fellows of the Profound Heaven Immortal Dao, one of the twins, the Martial Vault Emperor, represented the Heavenly Dragon, while the other represented the Earth Phoenix.
The Martial Vault Emperor indeed possessed a Heavenly Dragon guardian. Whether the other, representing the Earth Phoenix, possessed an Earth Phoenix guardian was unknown.
Currently speaking, in all of ancient and modern heaven and earth, only these few individuals possessed true dragon-phoenix might.
Could it be the Nether Emperor Gu Qingfeng?
The probability was small, or rather, it was unlikely.
Gu Qingfeng was on a solitary peak within the Li Palace space—this was known to all. Although no one deliberately looked at him, everyone had been secretly observing. At this critical juncture, none of them wanted to actively provoke Gu Qingfeng. To provoke him now would undoubtedly be digging their own graves.
He was a calamity, and moreover, a calamity that could affect the entire situation. Before the Li Palace Primordial Source emerged, no one wanted to, nor dared to, provoke him.