What was going on?
Could it be that Gu Qingfeng not only had the three Overlords of the Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura and the divine consciousness and demonic thoughts of the ancient clansmen within him, but also other terrifying existences?
Or was it that Gu Qingfeng had already begun to release all the Original Sin within him?
No!
That wasn't it.
The various Patriarchs present had been staring intently at Gu Qingfeng in this space. Although Gu Qingfeng's existence was ethereal and elusive, impossible to detect with divine sense, they could all detect and perceive the nine Forbidden Great Daos he had previously released, as well as the divine consciousness and demonic thoughts of the three Overlords and the ancient clansmen—all emanating from Gu Qingfeng.
This sudden surge of Original Sin power did not seem to come from Gu Qingfeng; it appeared to have no connection to him at all.
But if it wasn't Gu Qingfeng, then who was it?
Who else could unleash such a powerful Original Sin presence?
Most importantly, what was the intention behind unleashing such formidable Original Sin power at this critical juncture?
Could it be to stop Gu Qingfeng from letting go of himself?
Just as everyone was shocked and suspicious, the vast and mighty Original Sin presence swept in from all directions like a tsunami or thundercloud, instantly enveloping the entire Li Palace space!
Boom!—Crack!
When the Original Sin presence began to envelop the Li Palace space, it immediately provoked a backlash from the nine Forbidden Great Daos. Like fire and water being incompatible, they clashed head-on, throwing the Li Palace space into utter chaos.
At this moment.
The various Patriarchs also understood the other party's purpose: they undoubtedly wanted to stop Gu Qingfeng from letting go of himself.
They all knew that at this very moment, Gu Qingfeng was engaged in a tug-of-war of wills with the three Overlords and the divine consciousness and demonic thoughts of the ancient clansmen. The nine Forbidden Great Daos, for some unknown reason, were still tenuously connected to Gu Qingfeng. Now, with the Original Sin presence clashing directly with the nine Forbidden Great Daos, it would inevitably affect Gu Qingfeng's state of mind. Once his mind was disturbed, it would certainly impact his will.
Suddenly.
A figure flashed by—none other than Empress Wuyue.
She raised her hand and pointed, a beam of light shooting from her fingertip. The beam bloomed in the void like a wondrous flower blossoming, giving rise to endless wondrous flowers that filled the sky. Looking around, it was as if the sky was filled with dazzling stars, magnificent and profound.
A series of crisp crackling sounds echoed, like countless stars twinkling, like countless wondrous flowers blooming. Then, an astonishing scene unfolded: the vast and mighty Original Sin presence, like raging waves, simply dissipated into thin air.
Yes.
It vanished.
As if it had never appeared.
Witnessing this scene.
The various Patriarchs present were all dumbfounded, their eyes wide with shock. They all knew that Empress Wuyue was an Empress who had inherited the Mandate of the Great Dao, specifically the Mandate of Imperial Authority, making her a generation's Empress of the Immortal Dao.
Those who knew more also understood that since Empress Wuyue could orchestrate schemes to seize the fortunes of heaven and plant a Karmic Seed within Gu Qingfeng, her existence was undoubtedly powerful beyond imagination.
Even so, when the Patriarchs witnessed with their own eyes Empress Wuyue use a single move—the Profound Mystery Flower—to scatter the powerful Original Sin presence into nothingness, they were still shocked and found it hard to believe.
It must be known that the sudden Original Sin presence just now came from an Original Sin Anomaly.
Yes.
It was definitely an Original Sin Anomaly secretly causing trouble.
When the Original Sin presence appeared, many Patriarchs had tried to probe it, but found nothing. Precisely because they detected nothing, they knew the other party was an Original Sin Anomaly, for in all of heaven and earth, only Original Sin Anomalies were so ethereal and undetectable.
And precisely because the other party was an Original Sin Anomaly, undetectable by divine sense, naturally no one knew exactly which Original Sin Anomaly was behind it.
Only four Original Sin Anomalies had revealed themselves within the scene: one was Weiyang Demon Emperor, one was Carefree Great Emperor, one was Bai Chou, and one was Qiongqi. Even adding Miao Rulai and Taiji Wuliang—who were not only Original Sin Anomalies but also Destined Calamity Fates—that made only six.
For every Destined Calamity Fate present, there was a corresponding Original Sin Anomaly.
The Destined Calamity Fates that had appeared included Fusheng Dijun, Peacock Great Emperor, Changfeng Great Emperor, Xuanyang Emperor, as well as the Nine Holy Sons of the Sacred Land and the Nine Sons of Heaven of the Heavenly Dao—a full twenty-two in total. This meant there were at least twenty-two Original Sin Anomalies. Subtracting the six that had appeared, more than a dozen remained hidden.
In the void.
Many Patriarchs marveled at Empress Wuyue's strength.
Thousand Leaves Immortal King was one of them. Gazing at Empress Wuyue here, she muttered in disbelief, "What kind of existence is Empress Wuyue?
I feel as if she..." As she spoke, Thousand Leaves Immortal King glanced at the Profound Heaven Nine Immortals not far away.
Beneath the feet of the Profound Heaven Nine Immortals lay the ever-changing, profoundly mysterious, wondrous Profound Mystery Flowers.
She faintly sensed that Empress Wuyue's existence seemed to have some connection with the Profound Mystery Flowers that guarded the Immortal Dao's origin.
Beside her, Changfeng Great Emperor said, "The Profound Mystery Flowers were condensed by the Immortal Dao's progenitor from the essence of heaven's profundity and earth's mystery. The true essence of the Immortal Dao is also these two words: 'Profound Mystery.' Legend has it that back then, the Immortal Dao's progenitor founded the Immortal Dao based on these two words. The origin of the Immortal Dao can also be called the Profound Mystery Origin."
He paused, then continued, "Whether Empress Wuyue has any connection with the Profound Mystery Flowers, I do not know. But one thing is certain: her comprehension of the 'Profound Mystery' of the Immortal Dao far surpasses our imagination. Among all the Patriarchs present, probably only the two Immortal Elders Taixuan and Taimiao, along with Profound Mystery Immortal Elder, could match her."
"This...
Alright then!"
Thousand Leaves Immortal King asked, "Changfeng, was the Original Sin presence just now truly from an Original Sin Anomaly?"
"It should be."
"You don't know who it was either?"
Changfeng Great Emperor shook his head; he truly did not know.
"For both those guarding the Great Dao and those Patriarchs scheming for the True Lord of Original Sin, shouldn't Gu Qingfeng letting go of himself be more beneficial than harmful?
I've thought it over and can't understand why anyone would want to stop Gu Qingfeng from letting go of himself?
And it was an Original Sin Anomaly at that. What benefit could they gain by stopping Gu Qingfeng?"
Changfeng Great Emperor's expression seemed somewhat melancholy, his brows furrowed like mountain ridges, his eyes tinged with perplexity. He sighed, "This is a labyrinthine game, a puzzle whose answer no one knows."
Thousand Leaves Immortal King remained silent, simply listening.
Changfeng Great Emperor continued, "Is Gu Qingfeng letting go of himself truly more beneficial than harmful for the Great Dao and for Original Sin?
Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't."
"It depends on whether Gu Qingfeng is the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate."
"If he is, then for the Great Dao and for Original Sin, it is indeed more beneficial than harmful."
"But if he is not the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate, then for the Great Dao and Original Sin, it would be more harmful than beneficial."
"More harmful than beneficial?"
Thousand Leaves Immortal King was somewhat confused. "Why do you say that?"