At this very moment.
The nine forbidden great daos flickered faintly, as if they might vanish into thin air at any moment.
The incarnations of the three great overlords also twisted and blurred, as if they might be released at any time.
All the Ancestral Patriarchs present knew that whether it was the nine forbidden great daos or the three great overlords, although they had not yet been released by Gu Qingfeng, they were only connected by the thinnest of threads.
The problem was that ever since Gu Qingfeng decided to release himself, the nine forbidden great daos and the incarnations of the three great overlords had remained in this state. It had lasted for a long time without any change.
Everyone was waiting for Gu Qingfeng to release the three great overlords. Once released, they would immediately take action. What drove the Ancestral Patriarchs to despair was that they waited and waited, waited some more, and waited until now, yet Gu Qingfeng still had not released the three great overlords.
It was like a dying man with only one breath left. Once that breath was swallowed, he would die immediately. But that one breath just kept hanging there, refusing to be swallowed. It was truly maddening, grating on their nerves, and putting all the Ancestral Patriarchs in a dilemma—to act or not to act.
If they acted now...
Gu Qingfeng had not completely released the three great overlords. In other words, the divine sense connection between the three great overlords and Gu Qingfeng's mind was still tenuously linked. Even if it was just a thread, as long as the three great overlords and Gu Qingfeng's mind remained connected by divine sense, the three great overlords were still Gu Qingfeng's incarnations. If he wished, he could still command them.
No one dared guarantee they could definitely sever the tenuous divine sense connection between the three great overlords and Gu Qingfeng's mind.
If Gu Qingfeng clearly showed he was unable to release the three great overlords, the Ancestral Patriarchs present wouldn't care whether they could sever the divine sense connection—they would act immediately.
However.
The divine sense connection between the three great overlords and Gu Qingfeng's mind was only tenuous, ready to be released at any moment. This gave people hope.
Precisely because of this, the Ancestral Patriarchs were so conflicted.
Although everyone felt it would be more appropriate to wait for Gu Qingfeng to release the three great overlords before making a move to seize them, and that they absolutely must not act unless absolutely necessary...
What they feared was that some other Ancestral Patriarch might lose patience and strike first.
Therefore.
The heartstrings of the Ancestral Patriarchs in the arena were tightly drawn. They stared intently at the incarnations of the three great overlords while remaining vigilant against the other Ancestral Patriarchs.
Right at that moment.
An untimely sound suddenly came from the void.
It was untimely because the sound resembled a belch after a full meal, followed by another belch.
At this moment.
Whether they were Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs or Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs, whether they were Sons of Original Sin or Great Dao Mandates, whether they were Calamity-Destined Constants or Original Sin Variables—all existences were focused on Gu Qingfeng. The entire place was exceptionally quiet. In such circumstances, a series of belching sounds was truly too bizarre.
Everyone looked toward the source of the sound. On a solitary peak, a monk wearing a tattered monk's hat, tattered monk's robes, and tattered monk's shoes was currently holding a jar of fine wine, tilting his head back and pouring it down his throat.
Everyone recognized this monk—it was none other than Da Xing the Mad Monk, hailed as the Living Buddha of the world.
Legend had it that Da Xing the Mad Monk traveled throughout the myriad heavens and worlds, healing the sick and saving lives, delivering all living beings.
However.
Some legends were true, while others were false.
For example, many believed the legend of Da Xing the Mad Monk healing the sick and delivering all living beings was false.
It was true that Da Xing the Mad Monk traveled throughout the myriad heavens and worlds, but as for him healing the sick and delivering all living beings—from ancient times to the present, no one had ever seen him heal the sick, and no one had ever seen him deliver all living beings. What people had seen was Da Xing the Mad Monk drinking wine and eating meat all day long, going wherever there was excitement. He didn't resemble an enlightened high monk at all, but rather a drunkard who only knew how to have fun and enjoy himself.
Yet if you said he wasn't a high monk, Da Xing the Mad Monk was oddly a disciple of the Chan Sect. The renowned White-Browed Sacred Monk of the myriad heavens and worlds was his senior brother. Even more unbelievable was that this Da Xing the Mad Monk had received the true transmission of the Ancient Buddha Raneng. The Great Compassionate Fan in his hand was bestowed upon him by Ancient Buddha Raneng.
"Burp!" After gulping down a large amount, Da Xing the Mad Monk let out another belch. He looked bleary-eyed, his face flushed red as if drunk. Perhaps noticing everyone was looking at him, Da Xing the Mad Monk gave an apologhetic hehe laugh, belching as he said, "Sorry...
Burp!
This wine's kick is too...
Too damn strong. This Old Monk drank a bit too much, got a bit lightheaded, and damn well got a bit drunk..." Whether Da Xing the Mad Monk was truly drunk or pretending to be drunk, he even seemed unsteady on his feet, swaying left and right. He raised the wine jar in his hand, placing it before his eyes to examine it carefully.
It was called a wine jar, but it looked more like a rusty alms bowl. Moreover, the surface of the bowl seemed to be carved with profound sutras. Da Xing the Mad Monk tilted his head, rotating the alms bowl wine jar while examining the sutras carved around it, saying, "This thing is...
This Old Monk...
Back in the day...
Stole it from Raneng Patriarch...
After Raneng Patriarch discovered it, he didn't take it back. Instead...
He gave it to This Old Monk..." As he spoke, Da Xing the Mad Monk kept belching. His drunken appearance was exactly that of a drunkard, even his speech was somewhat slurred. "This Old Monk still clearly remembers, Raneng Patriarch said...
If one day This Old Monk became lost...
He should drink this jar of fine wine in one go. As for why, This Old Monk asked, but unfortunately, the venerable one didn't pay This Old Monk any mind."
"This matter happened a very, very long time ago. So long that This Old Monk forgot he still had this jar of fine wine stolen from Raneng Patriarch. It was only after that kid Gu...
Chose to release himself that This Old Monk became bewildered, his mind confused..." "The waters of this calamity are too damn deep. The more This Old Monk thought about it, the more confused he became. I don't know if confusion counts as being lost. This Old Monk couldn't care less, so I just considered it being lost. Somehow, I suddenly remembered this jar of fine wine stolen from Raneng Patriarch, so I drank it..." "Don't mention it!
This wine's kick is really damn strong. One mouthful down, and This Old Monk was immediately dazed. And the more I drank, the dizzier I got; the dizzier I got, the drunker I became; the drunker I became, the more confused I grew."
"What kind of fine wine this thing is, This Old Monk doesn't know. Having drunk fine wine for so many years, this is the first time This Old Monk has gotten drunk. As that kid Gu would say, it's like a maiden getting married for the first time. Not only that, this is also the first time This Old Monk has seen an alms bowl used as a wine jar."
"Raneng Patriarch is indeed Raneng Patriarch, truly worthy of This Old Monk's utmost admiration. I don't know if this thing was brewed by the venerable one. If it was, then Raneng Patriarch must be the number one drunkard in all heaven and earth since ancient times. Otherwise, he couldn't have brewed something with such a damn strong kick!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk leaped into the air, but instead of soaring into the void, he seemed to stumble and fall as if from a cliff. Fortunately, as he fell, Da Xing the Mad Monk stepped on his left foot with his right foot, then leaped again, finally shooting upward.
"Damn it!
This Old Monk seems quite drunk...
Almost made a fool of myself."