Upon the solitary peak, Great Monk Daxing also stared in shock at Ancestor Xuanming, who had transformed into the Face of Sin in the void. He too had not expected Ancestor Xuanming to actively provoke Gu Qingfeng at this critical juncture. Noticing that all the Original Sin Patriarchs within the entire Li Palace space were now looking this way, Great Monk Daxing's thoughts raced like lightning as he pondered Ancestor Xuanming's intentions.
"I wonder if You Di still remembers this old man?"
Ancestor Xuanming, transformed into the Face of Sin, twisted and contorted in the void, at times ferocious like a vengeful ghost, at times savage like a demon.
Gu Qingfeng had remained standing upon the solitary peak all along.
His white robes were purer than snow, his three thousand strands of black hair like ink.
His figure was like a sword, like a peak, ethereal and elusive.
His right arm cradled his left, his left hand rubbing his chin. He tilted his head slightly, looking at Ancestor Xuanming transformed into the Face of Sin, and smiled faintly. "Of course I remember. In the Primordial Black Hole, you and I met once, and the impression was quite deep."
"Hahaha! Good! Very good! Excellent!"
Ancestor Xuanming laughed heartily. "I wonder if You Di knows why everyone has gathered here?"
Gu Qingfeng shrugged. "I know a little, more or less."
"This change in the Li Palace will affect the Original Sin Cataclysm. Whether they are scheming for the True Lord of Original Sin or guarding the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, this old ancestor believes most of them consider you, You Di, to be the so-called 'change in the Li Palace.'"
"So what?"
"So what? Hahaha! Old Ancestor doesn't know if you truly don't understand or are just pretending to be ignorant. If you truly don't know, this old ancestor doesn't mind telling you: everyone is waiting now. Waiting for the Li Palace Source to emerge. Once the Li Palace Source emerges, if the Spirit of Original Sin contained within is inextricably linked to you, they will all, without hesitation, obliterate you! Hahaha! Whether it's the Original Sin Patriarchs present here or those Great Dao Patriarchs hiding within various Creation Treasure Artifacts, they are all the same!"
Gu Qingfeng asked nonchalantly, "And so?"
"And so, this old ancestor admires you, You Di, to the point of prostrating myself. Clearly knowing they are all waiting to obliterate you, yet you remain unmoved. Not only that, you even look leisurely, drinking fine wine."
"What else can I do? What else is there to do?"
After Gu Qingfeng's words fell, Ancestor Xuanming spoke again. "I've heard that before this, You Di has stated more than once that you have no interest in the True Lord of Original Sin, will not contend for it, much less fight for it. Whether the Unrighteous Era begins or not, you also have no interest. Life and death you likewise do not care about. You only wish to end all of this as quickly as possible. Is that correct?"
Gu Qingfeng smiled and nodded. "Correct. That is indeed the case."
"Hahaha!" Ancestor Xuanming laughed loudly. "I had long heard that You Di had already resigned himself to fate. Originally, this old ancestor didn't quite believe it. But now it seems the Nine Nethers Great Emperor, who once laughed proudly across the Great Wilderness and shook heaven and earth, has truly bowed his head to fate. I must say, fate is truly too terrifying!"
The countless Original Sin Patriarchs within the Li Palace space all held their breath, listening carefully. Throughout, no one interrupted Ancestor Xuanming, because the words he spoke were precisely what they themselves were thinking.
The facts were indeed so.
Gu Qingfeng had repeatedly declared his lack of interest in the True Lord of Original Sin; this was common knowledge.
Great Dao Overlords like Black Mountain Old Monster and the others even knew that back then, Gu Qingfeng had fused with the True Blood of Original Sin not out of active contention, but out of helpless compulsion.
Later, igniting the Original Sin Karmic Flames at Mount Wudao was also not his wish. Even entering this Primordial Black Hole was because Great Monk Daxing had tricked him into it.
If people had previously harbored doubts about Gu Qingfeng's words, then a series of actions after Gu Qingfeng entered the Primordial Black Hole was enough to dispel all suspicions.
Because after entering the Primordial Black Hole, Gu Qingfeng had never seized any Original Sin opportunity, not even once. Whether it was the probing of Great Dao Patriarchs or the testing of Original Sin Patriarchs, Gu Qingfeng paid no heed. Several times when besieged by both Great Dao and Original Sin forces, Gu Qingfeng maintained an indifferent attitude.
Ask yourself:
If Gu Qingfeng were interested in the True Lord of Original Sin, why would he refuse to fuse with the True Blood of Original Sin?
Why would he let Great Monk Daxing trick him into the Primordial Black Hole? Why would he ignite the Original Sin Karmic Flames at Mount Wudao, seeking mutual destruction with Original Sin?
Ask yourself:
If Gu Qingfeng were interested in the True Lord of Original Sin, faced with various omens and Original Sin opportunities, why would he avoid them?
Faced with the probing and sieges of Great Dao and Original Sin Patriarchs, why would he ignore them?
Most importantly:
If Gu Qingfeng were interested in the True Lord of Original Sin, faced with the imminent emergence of the Li Palace Source at this very moment, clearly knowing everyone was waiting for an opportunity to obliterate him, why would he remain unmoved, standing upon the solitary peak?
There is only one answer.
That is, Gu Qingfeng has resigned himself to fate.
Just as Gu Qingfeng had previously stated in the Li Palace void before the Great Dao and Original Sin Patriarchs, he has no interest whatsoever in the True Lord of Original Sin, not even a shred. He neither yearns for the Unrighteous Era nor feels any attachment to the current Great Dao world. He is tired. He no longer wishes to struggle. He does not seek life or death; he only seeks to end all of this as quickly as possible.
He said this, and it seems he is acting accordingly.
He has been this way all along.
Since his appearance, he has stood upon that solitary peak, drinking fine wine, waiting like everyone else for the emergence of the Li Palace Source.
Everyone else waits for the Li Palace Source to emerge to confirm whether Gu Qingfeng is the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate.
Gu Qingfeng waits for the Li Palace Source to emerge, seemingly for the same reason.
The only difference is:
Once it is confirmed that Gu Qingfeng is the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate, everyone will, without hesitation and at any cost, obliterate him.
And Gu Qingfeng gives the impression that he is... waiting to die. Waiting to confirm that he is the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate. Waiting for everyone to obliterate him.
It truly seems so.
That is the impression Gu Qingfeng gives.
As for why Gu Qingfeng would willingly wait for death,
the Patriarchs present could more or less guess one or two reasons.
Some said that the Great Dao Patriarchs had long deduced that Gu Qingfeng was the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate. Therefore, ever since Gu Qingfeng's appearance, they had continuously suppressed him, with various sieges, various obliterations, various judgments. When the Ancient Era ended, they even stripped Gu Qingfeng of everything, causing him to lose his fighting spirit and become dispirited.
Others said that many Great Dao Patriarchs had long laid various karmic traps upon Gu Qingfeng. For example, Holy Maiden Su Hua, Great Nature Goddess Yun Nishang, and others.
If the Great Dao Judgment was a physical blow to Gu Qingfeng, then the various karmic traps laid upon him by Yun Nishang, Su Hua, and others were spiritual blows.
Gu Qingfeng may have endured too many dual blows, physical and spiritual, leaving him utterly exhausted in body and mind. As he said, he is tired and only wishes to end all of this.
Still others said that perhaps Gu Qingfeng, like Qiongqi, had realized that the so-called Original Sin Anomalies were merely pawns in someone else's hands. He would rather die than be used by others.