Gu Qingfeng's lazy stretch not only forced the Great Dao Patriarchs hiding within the Creation Treasure Artifacts to reveal themselves, but also compelled numerous Great Dao Heavenly Mandates and one after another Calamity-Destined Constants to manifest.
Simultaneously,
it also shook out even more Original Sin Patriarchs, more Children of Original Sin, and more Original Sin Anomalies.
Previously, there were only a little over a thousand Patriarchs who had cultivated their Original Sin Self within the arena; now, that number had increased by more than half.
Previously, there were only a little over a hundred Patriarchs who had cultivated their Original Sin Essence; now, that number had also increased by half.
Previously, there were only a scant dozen or so Patriarchs who had cultivated their Original Sin True Body; now, that number had swelled to several dozen.
Previously, there were only a handful of Children of Original Sin; now, there were a full twenty or thirty.
Most shockingly, the majority of these newly emerged twenty or thirty Children of Original Sin were actually Patriarchs from the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands.
This couldn't help but remind everyone of what Old Ancestor Green Robe had once said. He claimed there were many Children of Original Sin in the ancient and modern heavens and earth, so many it was unbelievable. He also said that most of those Children of Original Sin were Patriarchs from the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands.
Looking at it now,
Old Ancestor Green Robe had not exaggerated. Far from it, the reality was even more exaggerated than his words.
As for where these Patriarchs obtained their Original Sin Blood, even if they didn't say, many could guess. Nine times out of ten, they had seized and preserved it the moment the Daoless Age began in the Desolate Ancient Era.
As for why these Great Dao Patriarchs seized the Original Sin Blood back then, and why they later fused with it, that wasn't hard to guess either.
Either they also wanted to take advantage of this calamity to scheme for the position of True Lord of Original Sin.
Or, like the celebrated Prodigy of the Immortal Dao, Patriarch Golden Wheel, they sacrificed themselves, threw themselves into Original Sin, not to scheme for the True Lord, but to slaughter the True Lord of Original Sin.
There was another possibility: they might be preparing for both eventualities. Even if, as recorded in the Book of Fate, the Great Dao falls and the heavens and earth are reborn, after the Daoless Age begins, having a Child of Original Sin on their side would certainly allow them to seize the initiative in Original Sin, at the very least preserving the legacy of their Grotto-Heaven or Blessed Land.
As for whether these Great Dao Patriarchs who fused with Original Sin Blood did so to scheme for the True Lord, to slaughter Original Sin, or as a two-pronged preparation, others could not know. Matters had reached this critical juncture; the reasons why these Patriarchs fused with Original Sin Blood were no longer important.
Because after Gu Qingfeng stretched, not only did twenty or thirty Children of Original Sin emerge, but also over a dozen Original Sin Anomalies!
Yes!
A full dozen or more.
Among them were the Unending Demon Emperor, Ren Tianxing; the Carefree Great Emperor, Mo Wentian; and even the Qiongqi who had declared in the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces that he would not contend for the True Lord of Original Sin had now appeared.
There was also an Original Sin Anomaly entirely wrapped in white cloth. Many did not know of his existence; only a handful knew her name was Bai Chou, but that was all they knew—nothing else, including Gu Qingfeng, who could be considered an old acquaintance of Bai Chou, was no exception.
There was also a middle-aged man.
And a woman with her hair tied in a ponytail.
No one knew who the middle-aged man was, nor did anyone know who the ponytailed woman was.
No one had ever seen them before.
Only these few Original Sin Anomalies appeared in physical form. Although the other Original Sin Anomalies had also manifested, most, like Patriarch Xuanming, did not truly appear in person but took form using the Breath of Original Sin.
Although everyone knew that the number of Original Sin Anomalies in the ancient and modern heavens and earth would not be large, neither would it be too small, when over a dozen Original Sin Anomalies all appeared, the hearts of those present were still somewhat incredulous and somewhat unable to accept it.
This was especially true for those Original Sin Patriarchs who had only cultivated their Original Sin Self.
Huli Great Immortal was one of them.
He had always been scheming for the True Lord of Original Sin.
He had always strived for it, never giving up.
After emerging from the Guixu, he also felt his hope of ascending to the True Lord of Original Sin was great.
Even though he had only cultivated his Original Sin Self.
Even though he knew that above him were those with Original Sin Essence, and above them, Original Sin True Body.
Above Original Sin True Body were Children of Original Sin, and above Children of Original Sin were Original Sin Anomalies.
Even so, Huli Great Immortal still did not give up.
But ever since entering the Desolate Ancient Black Hole, with the appearance of the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces and the emergence of one Original Sin Patriarch after another, Huli Great Immortal gradually felt that with his strength at the level of Original Sin Self, his chances of seizing the True Lord of Original Sin were truly too slim.
However,
slim as it was, there was still a sliver of hope.
Huli Great Immortal still did not give up.
But,
when he entered this Li Palace space, with the appearance of Great Dao Overlords like Black Mountain Old Monster, and the emergence of terrifying existences like Miao Rulai and Taiji Wuliang, the last shred of hope in Huli Great Immortal's heart was ultimately shattered.
When Gu Qingfeng's lazy stretch caused the Li Palace space to shatter, caused the myriad Creation Treasure Artifacts in the sky to disintegrate, caused countless Original Sin Dharmakayas to turn to dust, and when Gu Qingfeng's single breath swallowed the vast expanse of Breath of Original Sin, Huli Great Immortal's heart no longer held any hope, only despair—and a despair tinged with fear.
Huli Great Immortal knew that beyond the heavens there were heavens, beyond men there were men.
He had always known.
Therefore,
he never thought he stood at the mountain peak, not even halfway up. He always believed he stood only at the mountain's base, at best able to look down upon the mortal inhabitants of the myriad realms.
It was only moments ago, when Gu Qingfeng stretched, that Huli Great Immortal realized he had never even stood at the mountain's base.
He had always thought he could look down upon the mortal inhabitants of the myriad realms, but only today did he realize that his existence was fundamentally no different from those mortals. In the eyes of those standing at the mountain peak, they were all merely ants.
Gazing at the Great Dao Heavenly Mandates in the void, one after another Calamity-Destined Constants.
Gazing at the several dozen Children of Original Sin in the void, the over a dozen Original Sin Anomalies.
Gazing at that Gu Qingfeng upon the Solitary Peak who filled him with dread.
Huli Great Immortal's heart held only one thought.
That was regret!
He no longer had hope, nor even despair.
Only regret remained.
He regretted why he, a perfectly good Immortal Patriarch back in the day, had to go and taint himself with this accursed Original Sin!
Now look.
Not only were his hopes of ascending to the True Lord of Original Sin zero, but whether he could even fucking survive had become a hysterical pipe dream.
He was like this, and those who had cultivated Original Sin Essence, or even Original Sin True Body, such as the Lord of Rats famed for stealing all under heaven, or the Divine Diviner famed for calculating all under heaven, were not much better off. Their hearts were filled with immense complexity.
There was apprehension, regret, and also terror.
Previously, they had all sworn with conviction to contend for the True Lord of Original Sin. Even if the hope was slim, they would not give up; they had to gamble at least once.
But now, they hesitated. They wavered.
They didn't know whether to make that gamble.
If they gambled, the hope was too slim.
If they didn't gamble, it seemed there was no path of retreat left.