"Hahahaha!"
Xuanming Ancestor's Face of Sin looked truly terrifying.
Not only did it cover the entire sky, but its eyes resembled abysses, its mouth a hellish maw, and the entire face continuously twisted and contorted, which was genuinely frightening. Especially when it let out its maniacal laughter, it felt as if the heavens themselves were enraged. It roared, "This Ancestor is determined to obtain Wu Dao Zun Shang, so how can you speak of deception? As for you, merely achieving Taiji Boundless and daring to call yourself Infinite Venerable—it seems your ambition is truly not small."
"Determined to obtain?
Hmph!"
Taiji Boundless showed no fear of Xuanming Ancestor at all; the disdain in its eyes didn't even regard Xuanming Ancestor as worthy of attention. It sneered, "Only with strength can it be called ambition; without strength, it's mere delusion. For someone like you to aspire to the position of True Lord of Original Sin is truly laughable. In my eyes, they are a mob of rabble, and you, Xuanming Ancestor, are no exception."
"Is that so?
Then we shall wait and see! Hahahaha!"
After its great laughter, Xuanming Ancestor did not continue to engage with Taiji Boundless.
Very few knew about Xuanming Ancestor.
Not to mention those born after the Desolate Age, even among the old-timers from the Desolate Age present here, most had only heard the name Xuanming Ancestor; truly few had ever seen him.
This included the three Desolate-Age Dao Overlords—Black Mountain Old Monster, Liao’e Old Monster, and Green Lamp Ghost Emperor—as well as the one hailed as a giant of the Immortal Dao, Jinlun Ancestor, and even Green Robe Ancestor knew very little about Xuanming Ancestor.
They only knew that Xuanming Ancestor was an Ancestral Patriarch from the early Desolate Age, the type who kept a low profile and moved like a ghost. Precisely because of this, those who knew him were exceedingly few.
To be honest.
Black Mountain Old Monster and the others had always been unable to figure out just how Xuanming Ancestor had managed to scheme his way into becoming an Original Sin Anomaly.
In their understanding, whether it was an Original Sin Anomaly or a Tribulation Response Inevitable Fate, both were forbidden zones.
They could scheme for Heavenly Mandates, they could scheme for Sons of Original Sin, they could even scheme for many, many karmic threads—but they absolutely could not scheme for an Original Sin Anomaly or a Tribulation Response Inevitable Fate.
Firstly.
None of them had that capability.
The reason an Anomaly was an Anomaly was because its karma was flawed, and their scheming was often done through karma. Naturally, they could not use flawed karma to scheme for an Original Sin Anomaly.
However.
Some karmic threads could be altered, while others could not.
For example, the karma of a Tribulation Response Inevitable Fate could not be changed.
As was widely known.
The relationship between an Original Sin Anomaly and a Tribulation Response Inevitable Fate was inherently one of cause and effect. Precisely because an Original Sin Anomaly—the root of this great calamity—appeared, would a Tribulation Response Inevitable Fate emerge. How many Original Sin Anomalies there were, that many Tribulation Response Inevitable Fates would appear.
In other words.
If the Original Sin Anomaly was the cause, then the Tribulation Response Inevitable Fate was the effect.
They could not change the cause that was the Original Sin Anomaly, and naturally, they could not change the effect that was the Tribulation Response Inevitable Fate.
At the very least.
The three Desolate-Age Dao Overlords, Black Mountain Old Monster and the others, admitted they could not do it. Similarly, Green Robe Ancestor could not do it either. If they could, they probably wouldn't have merely integrated the Blood of Original Sin and the Essence of Original Sin as they had now.
In their eyes, the reason Original Sin Anomalies and Tribulation Response Inevitable Fates were considered forbidden zones of karma.
Besides being unable to achieve it, there was an even more important reason.
That was, having reached their level of cultivation realm, they could more or less guess that behind this great calamity was a game of chess. Whether it was Wu Dao Zun Shang and Genggu Wuming playing against each other, or Original Sin and Fate contending, or other existences making moves, they might not know.
The only thing they knew was that, regardless of who was playing, existences with decisive roles like Original Sin Anomalies and Tribulation Response Inevitable Fates were likely Chess Pieces in the hands of the players.
Not to mention that Black Mountain Old Monster and Green Robe Ancestor lacked the ability to scheme themselves into becoming Original Sin Anomalies—even if they had the ability, they might not dare to do so, because none of them wanted to become someone else's Chess Piece.
Their scheming for Sons of Original Sin and the Essence of Original Sin, their plotting for the hope of becoming the True Lord of Original Sin, might seem less promising than becoming an Original Sin Anomaly, but it wasn't absolutely hopeless. The most crucial point was that by doing this, they also left themselves a way out. Even if their plot to become the True Lord of Original Sin failed, they wouldn't suffer much loss—at most, the efforts they had poured in over the years would come to nothing, something they could all bear and afford.
Even if, in the end, the Daoless Age didn't even begin, the worst outcome for them wouldn't be that bad.
But once they became someone else's Chess Piece, there would be no way out left.
This point, Black Mountain Old Monster and the others understood better than anyone.
Earlier.
Green Robe Ancestor had used the Qiongqi as bait in his scheme to lure out the Holy Land. The existence of the Qiongqi was one of the many Original Sin Anomalies. At that time, the Qiongqi had declared in front of everyone under heaven and earth that it had no interest in the True Lord of Original Sin—it would neither aspire to it nor compete for it.
Others might have thought that for an Original Sin Anomaly like the Qiongqi not to compete for the Son of Original Sin was a terrible waste. But in the eyes of Black Mountain Old Monster and the others, the Qiongqi must have realized it was someone else's Chess Piece and didn't want to be used. That was why it refused to compete.
Both Xuanming Ancestor and the Qiongqi were existences from the Desolate Age. Logically, Xuanming Ancestor should also have realized that so-called Original Sin Anomalies might be Chess Pieces in someone else's hands. It was just unknown why he was still so obsessed with the True Lord of Original Sin.
Was he forced into a corner with no choice but to aspire to the True Lord of Original Sin? Or did he want to gamble, using his status as a Chess Piece to bet against the players behind the game, preparing to win half a move against heaven?
Perhaps it was the latter.
If Black Mountain Old Monster realized he was a Chess Piece in someone else's hand and had no retreat, he would choose to gamble with his status as a Chess Piece against the players behind the game.
Presumably.
Xuanming Ancestor was the same.
Over the years.
Black Mountain Old Monster had never stopped investigating various aspects of Original Sin Anomalies.
If asked exactly how many Original Sin Anomalies existed in the ancient heavens and earth, Black Mountain Old Monster might not know, but he had a rough estimate in his heart.
Moreover.
He believed that Original Sin Anomalies could roughly be divided into three categories.
The first category consisted of existences like the Qiongqi, who had already realized that so-called Original Sin Anomalies were merely Chess Pieces. Therefore, they had been trying to escape the chessboard. Even if they couldn't escape, they tried to avoid it as much as possible.
The second category might be like Xuanming Ancestor, who had also realized that so-called Original Sin Anomalies were Chess Pieces. Unable to escape the chessboard or change the fate of being a Chess Piece, they decided to gamble everything, using their status as a Chess Piece to bet against the players.
The third category was also the largest.
Whether it was the Qiongqi or Xuanming Ancestor, they had both awakened their True Selves, knowing their past and present lives. However, many Original Sin Anomalies had not awakened their True Selves and did not know their past or present lives. For example, Jiuyou Great Emperor Gu Qingfeng, Weiyang Demon Emperor Ren Tianxing, Xiaoyao Great Emperor Mo Wentian, and possibly even Miao Rulai, including Taiji Boundless, might not have awakened their True Selves.
Not awakening one's True Self didn't mean knowing nothing. Black Mountain Old Monster believed that they must have sensed that so-called Original Sin Anomalies might be Chess Pieces in this great calamity.