The appearance of Taiji Boundless left both the Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs and the Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs utterly shocked.
Perhaps due to the series of reversals and changes within the field, many had forgotten about Taiji Boundless's existence. Only a few attentive individuals knew that after his initial appearance, he had vanished not long after. As for why he disappeared and what he did afterward, that remained unknown.
Now, he had reappeared at this critical juncture. It was unlikely he would simply show his face and vanish without a trace like last time.
"It seems Mo Wentian was quite correct," Taiji Boundless stood in the void, his form both masculine and feminine, both yin and yang, both fire and water, both sun and moon. Dragons and phoenixes chased each other around him, making him appear like a true deity of the Nine Heavens. Every word, every syllable from his mouth was accompanied by dragon roars and phoenix cries.
"The purpose of you two colluding in secret and rallying the various Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs to emerge likely isn't merely to stop You Di. It might not even be about stopping him at all."
He wore a faint smile, neither looking at Ancestor Xuanming nor Old Ancestor Green Robe. Instead, his gaze swept over the Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs present. "Even if they didn't realize it when they first stepped forward, they must all be aware of it now. The reason they haven't withdrawn is probably the same as your goal—each harboring their own little schemes."
"This point, I imagine, you two anticipated long ago. I must say, this move of yours is nothing short of brilliant."
"In this bewildering game where no one knows the answer, most choose to wait and see. Few dare to turn passivity into initiative. You two are among the best of them, at the very least, you've made me look at you in a new light."
"However..." His tone shifted.
Taiji Boundless then looked towards Carefree Great Emperor Mo Wentian and the others, smiling. "I suppose you two never expected Lady Wuyue would step forward to protect You Di. Even more unexpected was that besides Lady Wuyue, four other Original Sin anomalies would also come forward to shield him."
"They, more than anyone, know they cannot possibly stop you. Yet they still emerged. Why?"
"I believe there's only one reason: they guessed the little schemes brewing in your hearts."
"If your sole purpose was to stop You Di from letting go, they might be powerless to prevent it. But if your goal is not to stop You Di's release, then with their strength, even if they cannot stop you outright, achieving your objective will be far from easy for you two."
"I wonder if my assessment is correct?"
Like a prophet, Taiji Boundless had not only discerned the secret in the hearts of Ancestor Xuanming and Old Ancestor Green Robe but also unraveled the motives of Lady Wuyue, Carefree Great Emperor Mo Wentian, and the other Original Sin anomalies.
As for the true purpose behind the secret collusion of Xuanming and Green Robe,
it wasn't hard to guess.
One only needed to consider carefully: if Green Robe and Xuanming's aim wasn't merely to stop You Di, then they must be coveting something on You Di's person.
The nine Forbidden Great Daos?
No!
The nine Forbidden Great Daos were ownerless entities, not even truly 'things'—at best, they were ownerless concepts. Once released by You Di, they would instantly vanish into smoke, beyond anyone's grasp.
Not only could others not obtain them, but even if the nine Forbidden Great Daos were released, Gu Qingfeng himself would be unable to reclaim them and could never wield their power again.
Their release wasn't a simple matter of forgetting; it was as if they had never been comprehended at all.
However,
the Three Great Overlords—Abi, Wujian, and Evil Asura—were different.
Once their Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts were released by Gu Qingfeng, they would become like ownerless souls.
That wasn't the important part.
What mattered was that these Three Great Overlords' Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts, in life, were far more than mere Sons of Original Sin.
One was the Lord of Purgatory who ruled over Purgatory, another the Lord of Hell who ruled over Hell, and the third the Lord of the Abyss who ruled over the Abyss.
To be honest,
no one didn't desire to obtain the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of these Three Great Overlords.
Yes.
No one didn't desire it.
Both the Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs and the Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs coveted them.
Unfortunately,
in the past, they could only fantasize.
As long as Gu Qingfeng lived, none dared to harbor treacherous designs, especially after learning he had achieved the Eternal Mythos—they became even more fearful.
But now was different.
Now, Gu Qingfeng had begun to let go of himself.
Once Gu Qingfeng released the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Three Great Overlords, they would become ownerless souls, ripe for the taking.
Only by Gu Qingfeng releasing them would they have a chance to obtain them.
This was an opportunity.
A rare, perhaps the only, chance.
Especially for the Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs.
They all knew that obtaining the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Three Great Overlords would not only grant immense power but could also allow one to become the Lord of Purgatory, Lord of Hell, or Lord of the Abyss. With good fortune and the aid of the Three Great Overlords, it might even be possible to ascend to become the True Lord of Original Sin.
Currently, the development of this cataclysm grew increasingly bizarre and enigmatic. No one knew if the Daoless Age would finally dawn.
The Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs' confidence in the Daoless Age's arrival dwindled. Many who originally schemed for the position of True Lord of Original Sin began to consider withdrawing.
Ancestor Xuanming and Old Ancestor Green Robe were among them.
Both had long plotted for the True Lord of Original Sin. Initially full of confidence, as they sank deeper into this cataclysm, that so-called confidence diminished. The less confidence they had, the more lost they became; the more lost, the more hesitant; the more hesitant, the stronger their feeling that the waters of this cataclysm ran too deep—so deep that if they didn't extricate themselves in time, they might drown.
In the end,
both Ancestor Xuanming and Old Ancestor Green Robe began to have second thoughts, no longer daring to harbor any extravagant hopes for the True Lord of Original Sin, nor even hoping the Daoless Age would begin. Yet, to withdraw just like that was something neither could accept.
After all, both Ancestor Xuanming and Old Ancestor Green Robe had been laying plans and scheming for the True Lord of Original Sin since the Primal Era, investing all their heart, blood, and energy. To give up and withdraw now would mean a lifetime of wasted effort. No one would accept that, let alone Ancestor Xuanming and Old Ancestor Green Robe, whose ambitions were immense.
Thus, both turned their attention to the Three Great Overlords. Rather than sinking deeper into this unpredictable cataclysm, they might as well stake everything on one gamble.
Call it a gamble,
but for the two of them, this game was a sure win.
If they won the gamble and obtained the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Three Great Overlords,
they could aim high for the True Lord of Original Sin and the opening of the Daoless Age, or aim lower for the lordships of Purgatory, Hell, and the Abyss. At the very least, they could seize the overlord incarnations to enhance their own strength. It was a position where they could advance or retreat with ease.
Moreover,
the two had already planned their escape route. If they ultimately failed to obtain the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Three Great Overlords, they would exhaust all efforts to stop You Di from letting go of himself.
Therefore, this gamble was a sure win for Xuanming and Green Robe.
Even at its worst, it would merely be like the present—sinking deeper into this cataclysm, unable to advance toward Original Sin nor retreat to safety, trapped with no way forward and no path back.