At the very center of the Profound Mystery Flower, there were three more individuals.
To be precise, it was one elderly man, one youth, and one maiden.
The elderly man had hair and beard as white as snow. He sat cross-legged with his eyes slightly closed, both hands positioned with the thumb and middle finger pressed together, the other three fingers extended casually and resting upon his knees.
The youth sat cross-legged to the left of the elderly man, while the maiden sat cross-legged to his right. Like the elder, they both had their thumbs and middle fingers pressed together, placed flat upon their knees.
The three of them seemed to be sitting within the stamen of this Profound Mystery Flower, as if fused with it, indistinguishable from one another. With every breath, every thought, every movement, they blossomed and transformed along with the Profound Mystery Flower.
Everyone recognized the Nine Profound Heaven Immortals.
As for these three, however, none present recognized them, nor had they even seen them before.
Nevertheless, everyone guessed the identities of these three.
That youth should be the Taixuan Immortal Elder, and that maiden the legendary Taixiao Immortal Elder.
The characters 'Xuan' and 'Miao'—'Xuan' represents Yang, 'Miao' represents Yin.
That youth embodied pure Taixuan Yang, that maiden embodied pure Taixiao Yin. In all likelihood, they were the masters of the Nine Profound Heaven Immortals—the two Immortal Elders, Taixuan and Taixiao.
As for the white-haired, white-bearded elderly man positioned at the center, he represented the unity of Profound and Mystery. Profound contained Mystery, Mystery contained Profound, akin to the interplay of Yin and Yang, forming the Supreme Ultimate.
This elderly man should be the legendary Profound Mystery Old Immortal Venerable.
Only a senior of his caliber, who had achieved the unity of Profound and Mystery and the transformations of the Supreme Ultimate, could perhaps nurture a Supreme Ultimate Infinity that harmonized the dual poles of Yin and Yang, where dragon and phoenix presaged prosperity.
The Taixuan Immortal Elder and Taixiao Immortal Elder of the Profound Heaven Immortal Dao, along with the Profound Mystery Old Immortal Venerable, were especially mysterious. They had never shown themselves since the Desolate Ancient Era—not even once.
Now that they had appeared, no one knew their true identities. Even the ancestral patriarchs from the Desolate Ancient Era present felt profoundly unfamiliar with the Profound Mystery Old Immortal Venerable and the Taixuan and Taixiao Immortal Elders, having no impression of them.
However, this was not particularly strange. Beings hailed as Immortal Elders or even Immortal Venerables were pinnacle existences of the Immortal Dao. It was no surprise they hadn't appeared since the Desolate Ancient Era; even during that era, they were shrouded in extreme mystery. Perhaps they were the true guardians of the Immortal Dao's origin, protecting the source of the Immortal Dao through all ages.
Under ordinary circumstances, everyone would surely investigate thoroughly.
But right now, no one had the interest, nor the state of mind, to probe whether that one old man and two youths were indeed the legendary Profound Mystery Old Immortal Venerable.
Because Gu Qingfeng suddenly letting go of himself had left all the ancestral patriarchs present at a complete loss.
Logically speaking, Gu Qingfeng letting go of himself should be an immensely good thing for both the Original Sin ancestral patriarchs and the Great Dao ancestral patriarchs.
After all, Gu Qingfeng's existence was too inconceivable—his form indestructible, his spirit undispersed, having achieved the forbidden within the eternal myth. If he were the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate, no one knew, no one had the confidence to eradicate him.
Now, by letting go of himself, Gu Qingfeng was essentially erasing himself, and doing so utterly and completely.
For the Great Dao ancestral patriarchs, Gu Qingfeng letting go of himself removed their greatest threat, multiplying their hopes of preserving the Great Dao.
For the Original Sin ancestral patriarchs, Gu Qingfeng letting go of himself also removed their greatest competitor, similarly multiplying their hopes of scheming for the True Lord of Original Sin.
However.
Was that truly the case?
Not entirely.
At the very least.
None of the ancestral patriarchs present, whether of the Great Dao or Original Sin factions, felt joy because Gu Qingfeng had let go of himself. Not only were they unable to rejoice, but each and every one had sunk into deep contemplation, into perplexity—a perplexity even more intense than their earlier worries about how to eradicate Gu Qingfeng.
Gu Qingfeng letting go of himself was far too abrupt, abrupt beyond everyone's expectations.
Moreover, Gu Qingfeng choosing to let go of himself at this critical juncture not only disrupted the situation but also shattered the plans of almost everyone.
Yes!
Everyone.
In their schemes, Gu Qingfeng was a very important, even crucial, link. Many plans were developed and adapted around Gu Qingfeng.
They had all deduced that Gu Qingfeng influenced this Original Sin Cataclysm; therefore, their plans would also change according to Gu Qingfeng's transformations.
In other words, regardless of whether the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate was Gu Qingfeng, or whether Gu Qingfeng intended to scheme for the True Lord of Original Sin or slaughter him, they each had corresponding counter-plans.
Now, with Gu Qingfeng suddenly letting go of himself, all their plans had instantly turned to bubbles, vanishing into nothingness.
If it were explicitly clear that the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate was Gu Qingfeng, then his letting go would naturally be a cause for universal celebration among the ancestral patriarchs present.
The problem was, right now, no one knew whether Gu Qingfeng was the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate.
Thus, this gave rise to many, many questions.
The most terrifying question was: if Gu Qingfeng truly was the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate, and he had now let go of himself, then the fate of the True Lord of Original Sin would certainly undergo change.
Previously.
Everyone had deduced that the changes in the Li Palace would affect this Original Sin Cataclysm. Later, they all learned that the so-called Li Palace changes were actually Gu Qingfeng's own changes.
Gu Qingfeng letting go of himself now was also a kind of change.
The problem was.
No one knew what impact Gu Qingfeng letting go of himself—this change—would have on this Original Sin Cataclysm.
Precisely because no one knew.
They were bewildered, perplexed.
They all understood that in this Original Sin Cataclysm, the strength of individual power was not actually too important. What truly mattered was deduction, was planning—this was the key to victory.
Only by seizing the initiative step by step was the path to success.
Alas.
Alas, Gu Qingfeng letting go of himself had not only disrupted the situation but also affected this Original Sin Cataclysm.
No one could deduce what impact Gu Qingfeng letting go of himself would have on this Original Sin Cataclysm. If they couldn't even deduce it, they couldn't plan. Without plans, merely acting according to the changing situation would be far too passive, always one step behind.
Perhaps because they all realized the severity of the problem posed by Gu Qingfeng letting go of himself.
First, the elders of the Eight Buddhist Sects, led by White-Browed Sage Monk, manifested one after another via the Tathagata Treasure Pagoda.
Then, the Profound Mystery Immortal Venerable led the Taixuan and Taixiao Immortal Elders, along with the Nine Profound Heaven Immortals, to manifest via the Profound Mystery Flower.
Not long after.
The Holy Land and the Heavenly Dao finally manifested as well.
When the Holy Land members appeared, they were like flowers in a mirror, the moon reflected in water—illusory, ethereal, distorted, and blurry, giving a very unreal feeling. It was as if their true bodies had not appeared, more like shadows cast by holy light.
Vaguely, one could see multiple Holy Land elders including Xunfeng Ancestral Patriarch. Xuan Yuan Tong and Xuan Yuan Hao, who had previously appeared in the Li Palace void, were also among them. And beside them were seven others.
These seven, like Xuan Yuan Tong and Xuan Yuan Hao, all possessed powerful Creation, sacred treasure bodies, and were also Predestined Calamity Constants who had received True Destiny from above.
Without a doubt, they were the legendary Nine Holy Sons of the Holy Land.