Upon the solitary peak.
Gu Qingfeng narrowed his eyes slightly, furrowing his brows as he stared at Tang Hengshu drifting through the void with a look of shock and suspicion.
That Tang Hengshu had dragged him out from the void earlier was one thing.
That she could deduce his attitude towards fate afterward was something he could also accept.
But now, Tang Hengshu not only knew his fighting spirit had returned and his physical body had revived, she was even fully aware that his Id had awakened.
This could not help but shock Gu Qingfeng.
It had to be known that when he felt the changes within himself, he hadn't even realized his Id had awakened. It was only after the old monk residing within the Extinction Space informed him that he knew.
The awakening of his Id—something even he himself hadn't known. How did Tang Hengshu know?
Even if some kind of karma existed between him and her, it shouldn't be this exaggerated, right?
Exaggerated to the point of understanding him better than he understood himself.
"Kid Gu, are you sure you didn't tell Empress Wuyue about your Id awakening?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk also asked in astonishment. Seeing Gu Qingfeng nod, Da Xing couldn't help but suck in a cold breath. "If it wasn't you who told her, then this matter is truly terrifying. Empress Wuyue grafting karma onto you... this old monk originally thought its influence on you wouldn't be too great, at least it wouldn't control your heart or your consciousness. But now it seems, this old monk truly underestimated Empress Wuyue."
"Since she knows you so clearly, she must have planted a Karmic Seed long ago. When the time comes, this Karmic Seed will absolutely influence your decisions! And it will influence you subtly, silently, to the point where you yourself won't even be able to detect it."
Thinking of this, Da Xing seemed to realize something. His heart skipped a beat, his expression changed drastically, and he said in horror, "Perhaps this sudden change of mind of yours was influenced by someone planting a Karmic Seed on you. Even if it wasn't a Karmic Seed planted by Empress Wuyue, it could be one from Mantufan, or Yun Nichang..."
Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng glanced at Da Xing the Mad Monk. Though he didn't want to, he had to admit that Da Xing's words truly made his heart tighten.
Originally, Gu Qingfeng hadn't felt anything. But now, hearing Da Xing say this and thinking about it carefully, he too was somewhat unclear. Was the change in his attitude decided by himself after his Id awakened? Or was it decided after being unintentionally influenced by a Karmic Seed? Or were all these sudden changes—his fighting spirit returning, his physical body reviving, his Id awakening—all influenced by those Karmic Seeds?
He was bewildered and confused.
He felt lost and adrift.
Gu Qingfeng tilted his head back and took a fierce swig of fine wine. "This master originally thought the muddy waters of the Original Sin Cataclysm were pretty much at the bottom. But now, thinking about it, these muddy waters are still far from the bottom. The water is just too damn deep."
Da Xing the Mad Monk nodded, deeply sharing the sentiment. "Kid Gu, at this critical juncture, you must be careful. If this old monk's guess is correct, the Karmic Seeds they planted on you might all erupt once the Li Palace Primordial Source emerges. Especially once it's confirmed that you are the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate."
He paused, then added, "Empress Wuyue is, after all, the Empress of the Immortal Dao. The Karmic Seed she planted on you is most likely to slaughter the True Lord of Original Sin. And then there's Yun Nichang, Mantufan, Su Hua... None of them are any good birds. You absolutely must be careful not to fall into their schemes."
Just how many people had planted Karmic Seeds on him? Gu Qingfeng couldn't say for sure at the moment.
He only knew that Tang Hengshu, representing the Immortal Dao, was one. Yun Nichang, representing the Great Nature, was one. Mantufan, representing the Demonic Dao, was one. Su Hua, representing the Sacred Dao, was also one. Then there was Ye Tianlan, representing the Heavenly Dao. And besides them, there was Jun Xuanji, who represented who-knew-what.
However.
It wasn't just them.
The Avici Endless Evil Asura within his body, the Shangqiong Bixia Huangquan, the Heaven-Devouring Earth-Swallowing Blood Taotie, and even the ancient clansman Mohe—they all were too.
The master who taught him humanity.
The Great Master who taught him Buddhist Dharma.
The Old Master who taught him principles.
Even including the old monk residing within the Extinction Space—perhaps they all were too.
Don't be fooled by how Da Xing the Mad Monk always seemed to be thinking of Gu Qingfeng. In his view, this old bald donkey might have also planted a Karmic Seed on him.
Including Wu Dao Zun Shang, and even Genggu Wuming—they must have definitely planted Karmic Seeds on him too.
These existences planted Karmic Seeds. Some perhaps to scheme for the True Lord of Original Sin. Others perhaps to slaughter the True Lord of Original Sin. And still others possibly for other purposes.
Gu Qingfeng increasingly had a feeling—a feeling that the Original Sin Cataclysm wasn't the chessboard; he himself was the damn chessboard. These little bastards had been laying out their games and contending right on him all along.
"Damn it all!"
Gu Qingfeng shook his head and couldn't help but laugh. He suddenly thought of back in the ancient times, when he had all those inexplicable fortunes. Those fortunes were each more mysterious and bizarre than the last, and they all damn well just seemed to gestate out of nowhere.
He hadn't understood it back then, but now he pretty much got it. Those mysterious, bizarre fortunes should have all been gestated from Karmic Seeds others planted on him.
He had thought those mysterious fortunes gestated from Karmic Seeds had disappeared when everything was taken from him as the ancient era ended. Only now did he know they hadn't disappeared; they had just lain dormant.
In the void.
Empress Wuyue continued walking slowly towards the Li Palace Vortex. Her peerlessly beautiful face wore a light, carefree smile as she leisurely said, "You'd best pray he is the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate. Otherwise... what you will face is not only the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate, but also the slaughtering blade in his hand."
"What do you think he has been standing motionless upon the solitary peak for?"
"Waiting for the Li Palace Primordial Source to emerge?"
"Waiting to confirm whether he himself is the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate?"
"No!"
"None of that!"
"He is indeed waiting."
"But what he awaits is neither the Li Palace Primordial Source nor the Book of Fate. He is waiting for you, for all of you to arrive, for all of you to show yourselves. He is sharpening his blade, the slaughtering blade in his hand."
"The Nine Nethers Emperor who had not awakened his Id might have only wanted to end all this. But the Nine Nethers Emperor who has awakened his Id simply doesn't care whether all this ends or not. He doesn't care whether he is the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate. Whether he is or not, he will raise his slaughtering blade to settle an account with you."
"An old account."
"An old account that heaven and earth cannot tolerate."
"An old account judged by the Great Dao."
"An old account of karma and fate."
"An old account of the Original Sin Cataclysm."