No one knew how much time had passed.
No one knew at all.
The only thing known was that the visions of the Abyss, of Hell, and of Purgatory gradually became distorted and blurred. The Avici Asura of Endless Suffering, the Descent from the Azure Heavens to the Yellow Springs, the Heaven-Devouring, Earth-Swallowing Blood Glutton—all were the same. They flickered in and out of existence, and then…
They simply vanished.
And what of those Patriarchs of the Sacred Path, the Heavenly Dao, and the Immortal Dao?
They too vanished along with the Abyss, Hell, and Purgatory.
Whether they had been utterly annihilated or suppressed within the Nine Nether Prisons, no one knew either.
Within the field.
Gu Qingfeng glanced at Da Xing the Mad Monk, Floating-Life Imperial Lord, and Eternal Wind Emperor. He then glanced at the various Empresses. But it was merely a glance; he did not speak, not even a single word.
Mysteriously, his own originally ethereal and indistinct figure also began to distort and blur, then dissipated like smoke, vanishing completely without a trace, as if he had never been there at all.
And after Gu Qingfeng disappeared, the Chaos Vortex in the Void also twisted, blurred, and then dissipated into nothingness.
Where had he gone?
Unknown.
The moment Gu Qingfeng decided to 'let go of himself,' his very existence had already transcended the comprehension of everyone present.
Boom! Rumble!—A violent sound rang out, and the entire space began to shake violently. Those Patriarchs of the Great Dao within the field, who had long been scared out of their wits, might not have known what this meant, but Floating-Life Imperial Lord and the various Empresses knew: the Nine Palaces of the Ancient Desolation were beginning to merge.
...
At this very moment.
Gu Qingfeng was walking through an endless darkness.
Within this darkness, there was no sun or moon, no heaven or earth, no Great Dao, nothing at all. It was like the illusory void of the Dao-less Era within a dream.
Walking, walking.
Gu Qingfeng walked into a bamboo forest.
Within the bamboo forest stood a dilapidated thatched hut. In front of the hut was a wooden table with two wooden chairs.
A Go board was placed on the table.
An old man sat on one of the chairs.
The old man had white hair and beard, wore a gray robe, and looked utterly ordinary, like a lonely, elderly man from the mortal world.
Gu Qingfeng entered the bamboo forest without a word, sat down on the chair, picked up a Go stone from the box beside him, and placed it on the board.
The old man also remained silent. After Gu Qingfeng made his move, the old man picked up a stone and placed it on the board as well.
And so, the two of them played Go in silence.
No one knew how long it lasted.
Finally, the old man spoke, his voice weathered with age. "Disciple, your master, I…" The old man had just begun to speak when Gu Qingfeng shook his head and said, "Master, if you still acknowledge me as your disciple, there's no need to say such things."
This old man was none other than the one who had taught Gu Qingfeng about humanity: Zhenjue.
"Alas."
Zhenjue sighed heavily. "The evil causes we sowed back then… today, you are the one who must bear the evil fruits."
"Evil causes and evil fruits, good causes and good fruits… it's all in the past now," Gu Qingfeng said lightly. "After all, the karma of the Great Dao must be borne by someone. The great calamity of the Great Dao must also be ended by someone. Moreover…
Isn't that the very meaning of my existence?
In other words, if not for this great calamity of the Great Dao, I would never have come into this world."
"Alas!"
Zhenjue sighed once more.
The two continued playing Go.
As stone after stone was placed, Zhenjue's figure grew increasingly blurred and ethereal. He sighed again and said, "Your master…
I have wronged you."
"Master, if you say that, it's too formal," Gu Qingfeng replied. "To be born human, to stand tall between heaven and earth, to live a life without regret—wasn't that what you taught me?"
"Alas!"
Zhenjue sighed for the third time.
When the final stone was placed, Zhenjue suddenly stood up and knelt before Gu Qingfeng. "This old man thanks you on behalf of all living beings, on behalf of the heavens, the earth, and the Great Dao!"
Gu Qingfeng hurriedly stepped forward to help him up, but he was too late. Zhenjue's figure had already begun to flicker the moment he knelt down. After offering his thanks, he completely dissipated like smoke.
"Alas!
Master, oh Master… I've already let go. Why can't you?" Gu Qingfeng shook his head and let out a long sigh.
After Master Zhenjue disappeared, the bamboo forest vanished as well. Gu Qingfeng returned to that endless darkness.
Walking, walking.
He saw a mountain.
This mountain was all too familiar to Gu Qingfeng.
It was Nirvana Silence Mountain.
On the mountain stood a temple, and within the temple lived an old monk.
In the past.
When he was inside the Nirvana Silence Bone Jade, Gu Qingfeng could never see clearly. Now that he had 'let go of himself,' he finally saw clearly.
Not only that.
He also knew that the old monk who had always resided within the Nirvana Silence Bone Jade was none other than the Great Master who had once taught him the Buddha Dharma.
When he appeared on Nirvana Silence Mountain, the old monk's voice suddenly rang out. "Amitabha. I beseech Fellow Practitioner Gu to halt your steps."
"Why?" Gu Qingfeng asked with a smile. "In the past, I wished to see you but couldn't. Now that I can, and you are about to depart, even so, you still won't grant me a meeting?"
"This old monk truly has no face to meet Fellow Practitioner Gu."
"What's this?" Gu Qingfeng said playfully. "Is it because you have a guilty conscience?
So you dare not see me?"
The old monk did not conceal it. "Indeed."
"All these years, you've been hiding from me because you felt guilty?"
"Indeed."
"Because among the three thousand evil causes of this Great Dao, you have a share as well?"
"Indeed."
"Heh."
Gu Qingfeng chuckled softly and said no more.
At the same time, Nirvana Silence Mountain began to twist and blur, and the temple upon it did the same.
"This old monk thanks Fellow Practitioner Gu for your grace in recreating the living beings of this Great Dao!"
Just like Master Zhenjue, after the old monk offered his thanks, Nirvana Silence Mountain vanished.
After Nirvana Silence Mountain disappeared, Gu Qingfeng once again returned to the endless darkness.
Walking, walking, he arrived at a mausoleum.
He had been here before.
It was the Mausoleum of the Great Dao.
Within the mausoleum stood rows upon rows of tombs. On the tombstones were carved inscriptions: Tomb of the Heavenly Dao, Tomb of the Sacred Path, Tomb of the Immortal Dao, Tomb of the Demonic Path, Tomb of the Monstrous Path, and so on…
The tombs of the Three Thousand Great Daos were all here.
Deep within the mausoleum was an old man, holding a broom and sweeping the grounds. Even though the mausoleum was spotless, without a speck of dust, the old man still swept with his broom.
Back then.
The first time he came to this mausoleum, Gu Qingfeng did not know who this old man was.
Now he knew. The old man was the Great Master who had once taught him the meaning of 'principle' and 'reason'.
"Great Master."
Gu Qingfeng stepped into the mausoleum. "Long time no see."
"You…
Have finally come after all," the Great Master said without looking up, continuing to sweep with his broom.
"Yes!
I have finally come after all," Gu Qingfeng said with a smile. "I still remember the first time I dream-walked into this mausoleum. I asked you, and you said you were waiting for someone. I didn't know back then, but now I finally understand. The person you've been waiting for all this time… is me."
The Great Master said nothing, continuing to sweep.
Gu Qingfeng strolled through the mausoleum, admiring the tombstones of the various Great Daos. "Before, I didn't understand. I didn't understand why there would be a Mausoleum of the Great Dao here when the Three Thousand Great Daos still existed."
"So it turns out, you, venerable sir, had already begun preparing the funeral arrangements for the Three Thousand Great Daos a very, very long time ago…"