Just as Lady Blackwater had said, whether it was the Sage Dao, the Heavenly Dao, or the Immortal Dao, scheming for the Head of the Great Dao had long become an obsession in their hearts. Moreover, this obsession was like a karmic seed, not only deeply rooted but also branching out and flourishing within their minds and spirits.
For them, no matter the cost, they must scheme for the Head of the Great Dao. As for the truth of this Calamity, its meaning, whether it was about redeeming the self, transcending the Id, or awakening the True Self—they simply did not care.
Let alone Cang Yan, who was merely entrusted by Eternity Nameless; even if Eternity Nameless descended in person, they would not give up their schemes for the Head of the Great Dao.
For Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs like Green-Robe and Xuanming, their obsession stemmed from the desires within their hearts. These desires were both for formidable power and for absolute hegemony.
In other words, as long as they obtained what they wanted, they did not care in the slightest whether the Great Dao was riddled with holes or rotten to the core.
As long as they obtained sufficiently powerful strength and tyrannical authority, even if the Three Thousand Sources were truly the chief culprits of the Great Dao, they would not care at all.
Conversely, without powerful strength and tyrannical authority, even if they slaughtered the Three Thousand Sources and entered the so-called Era Without Dao, they would not be satisfied.
Compared to the elusive Era Without Dao and the dubious, illusory Great Dao, the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts on Gu Qingfeng's person were tangible, graspable benefits.
As for the Ancestral Patriarchs of the various Grotto Heavens and Blessed Lands present, their obsession was neither scheming for the Head of the Great Dao nor stemming from inner desires.
It was the legacy of their Grotto Heavens and Blessed Lands.
In a sense, they were the same as Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs like Green-Robe and Xuanming.
As long as their own Grotto Heavens and Blessed Lands could continue their legacies, they did not care whether the Three Thousand Sources were the chief culprits, nor did they care whether the Three Thousand Great Daos were rotten to the core.
Therefore,
the Ancestral Patriarchs of the various Grotto Heavens and Blessed Lands were more or less inclined to protect the Three Thousand Great Daos. Because as long as the Three Thousand Great Daos were preserved, regardless of whether the Immortal Dao, Heavenly Dao, or Sage Dao ultimately claimed the Head of the Great Dao, their Grotto Heavens and Blessed Lands could continue their legacies. At the very least, the status, position, and influence of their Grotto Heavens and Blessed Lands within heaven and earth would not fall because of this.
If the Three Thousand Great Daos were truly slaughtered and they entered the so-called Era Without Dao, none of them dared guarantee that their Grotto Heavens and Blessed Lands could continue their legacies.
If they had to choose a side, they would rather stand with the Three Thousand Great Daos than gamble the legacy of their Grotto Heavens and Blessed Lands on the elusive Era Without Dao.
In the Lotus Pavilion,
Cang Yan did not continue speaking. She simply sat on the stone stool, pouring and drinking cup after cup by herself. Regarding the choices of the various Ancestral Patriarchs present, she did not care in the slightest. As she had said earlier, she simply did not care about the life or death of these Ancestral Patriarchs. She stepped forward to prevent was purely to repay the kindness of the Three Thousand Great Daos, nothing more. She only did what she ought to do. Once the task was done, her conscience would be clear, which would also equal repaying the kindness of the Three Thousand Great Daos. Beyond that, she couldn't be bothered with anything else.
Within the scene,
the nine Forbidden Great Daos still flickered faintly.
The Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the three Nether Lords remained connected by the slightest thread.
The legendary Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the Ancient Clan had still not appeared to this day. Only billowing black smoke and white smoke continuously emerged from Gu Qingfeng's body.
The white smoke represented the Mysterious Breath of the Ancient Clan.
The black smoke represented the Breath of Original Sin.
The Mysterious Breath of the Ancient Clan existed outside the Great Dao. As for the black smoke representing Original Sin, after fusing with the white smoke, for some reason, the Breath of the Three Thousand Great Daos within it was gradually dissipating bit by bit.
Even more bizarrely, as the Breath of the Great Dao within the black smoke of Original Sin dissipated bit by bit, the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the three Nether Lords—Avici Asura, Ascending to Azure and Descending to Yellow Springs, and Heaven-Devouring Earth-Swallowing Blood Glutton—continuously transformed, becoming increasingly ethereal and elusive.
This scene gave people a very strange feeling.
It was as if once the Breath of the Great Dao within the black smoke of Original Sin completely dissipated, the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the three Nether Lords would vanish like smoke.
Or perhaps, once the Breath of the Great Dao completely dissipated, the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts of the three Nether Lords would leap out of the Great Dao.
Not only were the three Nether Lords like this, but even Gu Qingfeng, who had been standing quietly in the void, gave all the Ancestral Patriarchs present the same feeling. As the Breath of the Great Dao within the black smoke of Original Sin dissipated, Gu Qingfeng was also continuously transforming, becoming increasingly ethereal and elusive.
He seemed both ready to vanish like smoke at any moment and ready to leap out of the Great Dao at any moment.
At this moment,
the hearts of the Nine Holy Sons of the Sage Dao, the Nine Heavenly Sons of the Heavenly Dao, the Profound Heaven Nine Immortals of the Immortal Dao, the Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs of the various Grotto Heavens and Blessed Lands, including Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs like Xuanming and Green-Robe, grew increasingly tense, uneasy, and also increasingly restless and eager as the Breath of the Great Dao within the black smoke dissipated bit by bit.
They had all originally intended to scheme for the Divine Sense and Demonic Thoughts on Gu Qingfeng's person. But for some reason, the feeling Gu Qingfeng gave them now was not of letting himself go, but rather of ascending to become the True Lord of Original Sin.
Yes.
Ascending to become the True Lord of Original Sin.
All the Ancestral Patriarchs had this feeling.
Especially as the Breath of the Great Dao within Original Sin gradually dissipated, Gu Qingfeng standing in the void became increasingly ethereal and elusive, as if ready to leap out of the Great Dao at any moment. This further gave them a faint, ominous premonition in their hearts.
Because they all knew that in the Desolate Ancient Era, that Venerable Without Dao who slaughtered the Three Thousand Great Daos existed outside the Great Dao.
Right then, a sudden change occurred within the scene.
The originally faintly discernible nine Forbidden Great Daos began to sway precariously. Immediately after, the Dao of Darkness vanished like smoke. Following that, the Dao of Slaughter also vanished like smoke. Then, Death, Evil, Absolute, Asura, Hell, Devouring, Silence—the nine Forbidden Great Daos vanished one after another.
Good heavens!
Had Gu Qingfeng already let go of the nine Forbidden Great Daos?
Unknown!
No one knew.
Just as the nine Forbidden Great Daos vanished one after another, billowing Breath of Original Sin erupted in the void. Clearly, the several Original Sin Variables lurking in the shadows could no longer restrain themselves and finally made their move.
Simultaneously,
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Xuan Yuan Qinghou and the other Nine Holy Sons of the Sacred Grounds, along with Du Gu Fengyun and the other Nine Heavenly Sons, almost simultaneously made their moves as well.
The Ancestral Patriarchs of the Sacred Grounds and the Ancestral Patriarchs of the Heavenly Dao followed closely behind.
Old Taishan waved his hand, leading the Profound Heaven Nine Immortals and the various Immortal Dao Ancestral Patriarchs to swarm forward.
"If we don't act now, when will we?!"
Xuanming and Green-Robe, the two Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs, roared and also made their move. Seeing this, the other Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs did not hesitate and charged forward as well.
The Ancestral Patriarchs of the various Grotto Heavens and Blessed Lands had originally been somewhat hesitant. But when they saw the host of Buddhas from the Eight Buddhist Sects, led by White-Brow Sage Monk, make their move, they no longer hesitated. Gritting their teeth and stamping their feet, they charged forward.