The Ancestral Patriarchs present, whether from the Original Sin faction or the Great Dao faction, had mostly witnessed with their own eyes the terrifying power Gu Qingfeng displayed when he unleashed that Mysterious Breath back in the Ancient Desolation Nine Palaces.
That could no longer be described as merely terrifying.
After Gu Qingfeng unleashed the Mysterious Breath, he had wiped out the external incarnations of numerous patriarchs with a single move, and the force of his voice alone had shaken the Ancient Desolation Nine Palaces to its core.
Even now, recalling it, many patriarchs still felt a lingering fear.
Therefore.
When they sensed this Mysterious Breath once again emanating from Gu Qingfeng, the hearts of all the patriarchs grew incredibly tense and uneasy. None dared to be the slightest bit negligent. They all summoned powerful protective fortunes to shield themselves. Some patriarchs even began to retreat, fearing they might draw disaster upon themselves.
As time passed, the Mysterious Breath flowing from Gu Qingfeng grew increasingly intense.
This Mysterious Breath contained no imposing aura whatsoever, not even a trace.
It was neither frenzied, nor savage, nor violent, nor bloodthirsty—it was purely spiritual breath.
Yet, this pure spiritual breath gave off an extremely ancient feeling, ancient as if it had endured endless time, infinite epochs, undying and unperishing, indestructible and undispersed, as if eternal.
For some unknown reason.
When the patriarchs within the area sensed this Mysterious Breath, they all experienced an indescribable, inexplicable feeling.
It seemed like reverence, yet not quite reverence; it seemed like fear, yet not quite fear; it was like dread, yet not quite dread. As for what the feeling truly was, no one could clearly articulate it.
It was more like an unprecedented, unheard-of, mysterious and unknown sensation.
Suddenly!
A strange scene unfolded.
The ancient Mysterious Breath blooming from Gu Qingfeng inexplicably vanished.
Yes.
Vanished, without any warning.
Just as the patriarchs were puzzled, the ancient Mysterious Breath actually bloomed forth once again.
But the moment it bloomed, it vanished inexplicably once more.
No!
It wasn't vanishing; it seemed more like it was returning into Gu Qingfeng's body.
Immediately after, the ancient Mysterious Breath bloomed from Gu Qingfeng again, but strangely, after appearing, it once more returned to his body.
The ancient Mysterious Breath appeared and then retreated in this manner, repeating a full seven or eight times, and it was still continuing.
It gave the impression as if the Divine Sense demonic thoughts of the ancient clansmen were unwilling to be released by Gu Qingfeng.
Suddenly!
The black smoke, which had gradually calmed and dissipated, for some unknown reason began to boil and burn fiercely once more, and even more wildly and intensely than before.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The nine Forbidden Great Daos—Darkness, Slaughter, Death, Evil, Absolute, Asura, Hell, Devour, Silence—flickering faintly visible, seemed stimulated and began tearing at, devouring, and contending for supremacy over this space like nine vicious dragons.
Swoosh!
The black smoke transformed wildly.
The roars of demons and howls of monsters sounded once more, and the savage, cruel visage of Hell reappeared.
The wails of ghosts and cries of Buddhas also sounded again, and the agonizing visage of Purgatory reappeared.
Swoosh!
The black smoke transformed again.
The visage of Hell and the visage of Purgatory spun madly, drawing into themselves the myriad Immortals and Buddhas, the myriad demons and monsters, the myriad dragons and phoenixes filling the sky, as if swallowing heaven and earth, devouring all things, like a boundless abyss.
This was the visage of the Abyss.
The visage of Hell represented the Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura; the visage of Purgatory represented the Reaching the Azure Above and the Yellow Springs Below; and the visage of the Abyss represented the Heaven-Devouring, Earth-Swallowing Blood Glutton.
When the Divine Sense demonic thoughts of the three overlords had first been released by Gu Qingfeng, though they ran rampant, it was merely rampant. Moreover, after being released, their rampancy had grown weaker and weaker. But now, for some reason, the Divine Sense demonic thoughts of the three overlords suddenly turned violent, turned savage, turned frenzied.
It felt as if the Divine Sense demonic thoughts of the three overlords had abruptly awakened.
A roar—! A deafening roar of fury resounded.
The black smoke filling the sky transformed into the supremely evil visage of Hell. Demonic howls and monstrous roars came madly. The sky was filled with ferocious ghosts baring fangs and brandishing claws, filled with vicious demons of savage mien, like a chaotic dance of demons.
Faintly.
Within the visage of Hell, everyone saw a terrifying existence.
That terrifying existence towered over Mount Sumeru, standing at the center of Hell.
One head resembled a true Buddha, hands pressed together, three eyes slightly closed, expression solemn, seeming compassionate, yet also seeming sorrowful. Buddha light shimmered around it, like the Buddha light that transforms heaven and earth.
One head resembled a true God, arms crossed, three eyes slightly closed, expression aloof and proud, seeming disdainful, yet also seeming supremely dominant. It seemed enveloped in divine light, like the divine light that rules heaven and earth.
And one head resembled a true Demon, arms flailing wildly, also with three eyes slightly closed, expression evil, seeming violent, seeming savage. Demonic light enveloped it, like the demonic light that destroys heaven and earth.
It seemed like Buddha, yet was not Buddha, but an evil Buddha among Buddhas!
It seemed like Demon, yet was not Demon, but an evil Demon among demons!
It seemed like God, yet was not God, but an evil God among Gods!
Seeming Buddha, yet more compassionate than any Buddha!
Seeming Demon, yet more savage than any Demon!
Seeming God, yet more noble than any God!
This terrifying existence had three faces and three aspects, six arms and six hands, nine eyes and nine realms. This was…
This was the incarnation of the Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura!
When the patriarchs saw the incarnation of the Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura within the visage of Hell, they were all utterly terrified.
When the visage of Hell had appeared earlier, they were not afraid because they knew the Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura was merely a wisp of Divine Sense demonic thought. After being released by Gu Qingfeng, it was like a lonely, wandering ghost. Moreover, with so many experts present, they reckoned that wisp of Divine Sense demonic thought of the Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura couldn't stir up much trouble.
But what appeared now was no longer the Divine Sense demonic thought of the Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura, but the incarnation of the Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura!
The Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura was, after all, the overlord who ruled Hell.
And Hell was one of the Nine Abysses, reputed to be the most evil place. The Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura was also acknowledged as the most evil existence. Who would not fear it?
Who would not be afraid?
Immediately after.
The black smoke filling the sky transformed. The wails of ghosts and cries of Buddhas continuously sounded. The visage of Purgatory appeared once more.
Purgatory was like a sea of fire, filled with Immortals and Buddhas, filled with demons and monsters. They struggled violently, weeping and wailing, each in extreme agony.
Within Purgatory, a terrifying existence also appeared.
That terrifying existence, its head touching the azure heavens, its feet treading the Yellow Springs, as if piercing through heaven and earth. Its left eye was like the great sun, its right eye like the dark moon. One gaze was full of life, the other full of death. One hand blotted out light, the other blocked darkness. One foot trampled the sacred, the other crushed the evil.
This was the incarnation of the Reaching the Azure Above and the Yellow Springs Below!
An overlord who ruled Purgatory.
Purgatory was also one of the Nine Abysses.
If Hell was called the most evil place, then Purgatory was the most terrifying place.
If the Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura was the most evil existence in all of heaven and earth, ancient and modern, then the Reaching the Azure Above and the Yellow Springs Below was the most terrifying existence.
In Purgatory, Immortals and Buddhas turned into demons and monsters, and demons and monsters grew even more insane.
And in Purgatory, whether Immortal, Buddha, demon, or monster, there was only suffering.