The nine forbidden Great Daos remained faintly discernible, and the incarnations of the three overlords were still distorted and blurred.
Billowing, vast black smoke and white smoke continuously emerged from Gu Qingfeng's body, permeating the entire space.
The black smoke represented the Original Sin Breath, while the white smoke represented the mysterious breath of the Ancient Clan.
The two fused together, making it impossible to distinguish whether it was white smoke or black smoke, nor whether it was the Original Sin Breath or the mysterious breath.
What left all the patriarchs present utterly bewildered was that, due to the fusion of the Original Sin Breath and the mysterious breath, it was unclear whether the mysterious breath had been tainted by the Original Sin Breath, giving birth to darkness and evil, or whether the Original Sin Breath had been tainted by the mysterious breath, causing the darkness and evil contained within to dissipate bit by bit.
No one knew, and no one could clearly distinguish.
The only thing known was that if the mysterious breath was tainted by the Original Sin Breath, thereby giving birth to darkness and evil, then the mysterious breath would no longer be an existence outside the Great Dao, and the Ancient Clan would also enter within the Great Dao.
Conversely.
If the Original Sin Breath was infected by the mysterious breath, causing the darkness and evil contained within to gradually dissipate, this meant the Original Sin Breath was leaping outside the Great Dao. Once the Original Sin Breath leaped outside the Great Dao, then Gu Qingfeng would likely, like the Ancient Clan, become an existence outside the Great Dao.
Even the Avici Asura, the Boundless Descent into the Netherworld, and the Heaven-Devouring Earth-Swallowing Blood Glutton on Gu Qingfeng's body might also leap outside the Great Dao.
Because these three overlords had all integrated with the True Blood of Original Sin, and Gu Qingfeng had also integrated with the True Blood of Original Sin. In other words, the black smoke emerging from Gu Qingfeng represented not only Gu Qingfeng's Original Sin, but also that of the three overlords.
This inevitably forced all the patriarchs present to face a terrifying question.
If the mysterious breath was tainted by the Original Sin Breath, causing the Ancient Clan to enter within the Great Dao, they might not know what this signified.
However.
If the Original Sin Breath was infected by the mysterious breath, causing Gu Qingfeng to leap outside the Great Dao, then everyone knew what this meant.
Because the Daoless Venerable who once slaughtered the Three Thousand Great Daos was an existence outside the Great Dao.
If Gu Qingfeng leaped outside the Great Dao, then undoubtedly he would be the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate.
Wait!
Wasn't he in the process of letting go of himself?
Why would the Original Sin Breath and the mysterious breath infect each other?
Was it the Original Sin Breath infecting the mysterious breath, or the mysterious breath infecting the Original Sin Breath?
Who knew?
The answer was certain.
No one knew.
Every single patriarch present, without exception, wore expressions of utter confusion and bewilderment.
Those patriarchs scheming for the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Ancient Clan were also dumbfounded.
They had originally been waiting for Gu Qingfeng to release the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Ancient Clan. Once Gu Qingfeng released them, they would begin their seize, sparing no cost to seize the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Ancient Clan.
For many Original Sin patriarchs, as they sank deeper into this calamity filled with unknown variables, they increasingly realized the waters of this calamity were too deep—so deep they couldn't see the bottom, and so deep it made them dare not scheme for the True Lord of Original Sin any longer.
For many Great Dao patriarchs, it was the same. As they sank deeper into the calamity, they also realized how bizarre and terrifying this calamity was, not something they could afford to play with. They no longer harbored hopes of protecting any Great Dao.
The future variables were too great. Whether scheming for the True Lord of Original Sin or protecting the Great Dao was all illusory and vague. They might even end up with nothing, like drawing water with a bamboo basket. Rather than that, it was better to grasp the present and strive for tangible benefits.
For those Original Sin and Great Dao patriarchs, the Ancient Clan was the greatest tangible benefit they could see and potentially grasp so far.
As for whether they could withstand the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Ancient Clan, whether they could control them, fuse with them, or whether leaping outside the Great Dao would happen after fusion—many patriarchs wouldn't ponder these questions.
In these times, the bold get fat, the timid starve. Without taking a risk, without making a gamble, one would never know the answer.
The problem was.
Up to now, they hadn't seen Gu Qingfeng release the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Ancient Clan.
Not only had he not released them, the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Ancient Clan hadn't even been let out at all. Apart from the mysterious breath, everyone couldn't see the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Ancient Clan at all.
How could they seize then?
How could they scheme?
Could it be they should directly try to seize them from Gu Qingfeng's body?
That was simply impossible.
Directly seizing from Gu Qingfeng's body was almost equivalent to directly declaring war on Gu Qingfeng. Not only would it stop him from letting go of himself, it would probably enrage him. He had achieved the eternal myth of indestructibility and immortality; no one knew how to erase him.
Provoking an existence that couldn't be erased was practically no different from seeking death.
Moreover, if everyone dared to directly seize from Gu Qingfeng's body, they would have acted long ago, not waited until now.
If Gu Qingfeng hadn't let go of himself, no one dared to covet the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts on his body. Only when Gu Qingfeng was letting go of himself would they have a chance to contend for the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts on his body.
What to do?
Should they continue waiting?
To see if Gu Qingfeng could externalize the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Ancient Clan?
Or perhaps.
Abandon the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Ancient Clan, settle for the next best thing, and strive for the three overlords.
At this moment.
Many patriarchs were planning to abandon scheming for the Ancient Clan and began secretly plotting for the three overlords on Gu Qingfeng's body.
Firstly.
They didn't know whether Gu Qingfeng could actually externalize the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Ancient Clan. Blindly waiting wasn't a solution.
Secondly.
Those within the arena scheming for the Ancient Clan were certainly not few. Ancestor Xuanming and Old Ancestor Green Robe went without saying. Miaorulai, along with the three Great Dao overlords—Black Mountain Old Monster, Green Lantern Ghost Emperor, and Ferocious Calamity Old Freak—though they hadn't stepped forward, didn't mean they wouldn't contend. Furthermore, hidden within the Void were many Original Sin variables; who knew what schemes they were plotting.
On the Great Dao side, Taiji Boundless and Old Mount Tai leading the Xuantian Nine Immortals, the two Immortal Elders Tai Xuan and Tai Miao behind the Xuantian Nine Immortals, and the profound and unfathomable Old Immortal Elder—they were probably all coveting the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Ancient Clan.
They claimed that for the Great Dao, suppressing the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts on Gu Qingfeng was the most correct choice. But in their hearts, everyone knew these were just excuses; their true purpose was to scheme for the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Ancient Clan.
The Xuantian Immortal Dao was like this.
The Sage Path and the Heavenly Dao were no good birds either.
The Nine Holy Sons of the Sage Path and the Nine Heavenly Sons of the Heavenly Dao were waiting for an opportunity to act. Moreover, behind the Nine Holy Sons were the old fellows of the Sage Hall, and behind the Nine Heavenly Sons were the old fellows of the Shangqing Heaven.
There was only one set of Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Ancient Clan, but those scheming for it were far too many, and all were top-tier existences of this ancient heaven and earth.
For the patriarchs of the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, and for the Original Sin patriarchs who had cultivated their Original Sin Self, Innate Self, and True Self, they could only set their sights on scheming for the three overlords on Gu Qingfeng's body.