"The Taiji Golden Core contains the mysteries of the Source. One capable of comprehending such mysteries shouldn't be a person utterly devoid of virtue, right? After the Great Calamity, do you think he might turn over a new leaf? Otherwise... with his inherent nature, it shouldn't be possible for him to gestate a Taiji Golden Core, should it?"
The voice of the Demonic Dao woman came through. The Heavenly Dao woman immediately laughed heartily. "Have you forgotten what he's really like? Don't you remember all those deeds he pulled in the Celestial Realm back then? Turn over a new leaf? I'd sooner believe your Demonic Dao Lord would turn over a new leaf than believe he ever would."
Recalling that person's past actions in the Celestial Realm, the Demonic Dao woman shook her head fiercely. "If he still has his old nature, it shouldn't be possible for him to gestate a Taiji Golden Core, right? After all, this thing is related to the True Mandate."
"Such an event happening to you, me, or anyone else would be an earth-shattering marvel. But happening to him? It's not the least bit surprising." The Heavenly Dao woman's voice turned grave. "That fellow was always achieving the impossible back then. Which of those achievements wasn't the epitome of defiance? Him gestating a Taiji Golden Core now is nothing by comparison."
The Heavenly Dao woman drew a deep breath. "What truly worries me is whether this fellow is doing it on purpose!"
"What do you mean? You're saying he intentionally gestated a Taiji Golden Core? He wants to seize the True Mandate? Become the Human King? That's... not very likely, is it?"
"Why not! Don't forget, this fellow has always held grudges over the slightest offense. During the Great Calamity, all the various Great Daos wanted him dead. Do you think he'd just let that go?"
"This..." The Demonic Dao woman's heart gave a violent lurch at these words. The Heavenly Dao woman's statement filled her with concern. Then, noticing the strange look in the Heavenly Dao woman's eyes as she watched Gu Qingfeng, the Demonic Dao woman asked, "You want to take this chance to kill him?"
"Do you have the guts?"
"Do you?" the Demonic Dao woman shot back.
Neither of them responded, because they both knew the other lacked the courage. Not only did they lack the capability, but even if they had it, they wouldn't dare.
Kill him?
What a joke.
Back in the Celestial Realm, countless beings had wanted to erase him. And what was the result? Every last one of them ended up playing with fire and getting themselves burned, beaten to a pulp. The Nine Heavens of the Immortal Dao had been set ablaze by him. The Nine Netherworlds of the Demonic Dao had been trampled under his feet. The Vault of Heaven of the Heavenly Dao had been pierced by him. Back then, all the various Great Daos had descended with judgment, yet they still failed to erase him.
"That was then. Back then, no one could kill him. But now he has nothing. Wanting to erase him shouldn't be difficult." The Heavenly Dao woman stated.
"Do you dare?" the Demonic Dao woman asked again.
The Heavenly Dao woman hesitated for a moment, then finally shook her head. She didn't dare. Even knowing that the post-judgment Gu Qingfeng possessed nothing, she still didn't dare. Even though she bore the mandate of the Heavenly Dao and could erase immortals as easily as crushing ants, she still didn't dare.
She didn't dare, and the Demonic Dao woman was the same.
Although they understood better than anyone that if they could erase this person, their names would be immortalized for eternity. With such great merit, achieving divinity or sainthood in one fell swoop wasn't impossible.
But.
They still didn't dare.
Didn't dare to gamble.
They also understood better than anyone that if they failed to erase this person, the consequences awaiting them would be unimaginable. Consequences they couldn't bear, and that even their masters, the Great Dao Sovereigns, couldn't bear either.
If not for this, the two of them wouldn't have descended to the mortal realm and come here, merely to have the Great Calamity's Chosen Ones avoid this person's karma.
Yes.
Merely avoid.
Because when facing this person, all you could do was avoid. Beyond that, nothing else could be done.
"We don't dare, but that doesn't mean others won't. Him achieving a Taiji Golden Core—the great powers within this mortal world and even the heavens and earth couldn't possibly be unaware. They don't know this fellow's identity. They will inevitably test him, even attempt to erase him."
Pausing briefly, the Heavenly Dao woman looked up at the Vault of Heaven and added, "Moreover, although the Three Thousand Great Daos are all re-deriving and the various Great Dao Sovereigns are in slumber, they are merely slumbering. It doesn't mean they cannot perceive. They absolutely will not, and cannot allow, anyone to achieve a Taiji Golden Core at this time. Especially when the one achieving it is him. I believe all the various Great Daos will take action."
"You wish for his death?" the Daughter of the Demonic Dao asked.
"Don't you?" the Daughter of the Heavenly Dao retorted.
The Demonic Dao woman didn't respond to this question. Instead, she looked towards the western sky and asked, "What do you think she is thinking?"
The Heavenly Dao woman also looked towards the western sky and replied, "She is probably thinking the same thing as us."
In the western sky, another woman clad in black had also been observing Gu Qingfeng all along.
It was none other than the Daughter of Original Sin.
She was tightly wrapped head-to-toe in black robes, revealing only a pair of eyes filled with confusion, helplessness, and profound uncertainty. She murmured, "He... is what he's achieving truly a Taiji Golden Core?"
Ever since she saw Gu Qingfeng begin gestating his Golden Core, the Daughter of Original Sin had been pondering this question. Yet, to this day, she hadn't figured it out, nor had she clarified whether what Gu Qingfeng was achieving was truly a Taiji Golden Core.
Reason told her it should be.
Yet her intuition told her the Taiji Golden Core was merely a facade, a disguise. A disguise for what, she didn't know. Or rather, didn't dare to think about.
Staring at Gu Qingfeng, the Daughter of Original Sin murmured again, "If what he's gestating is truly a Taiji Golden Core, then it's utterly terrifying. But if the Taiji Golden Core is merely a facade he's using to disguise something... then it's not just terrifying. It would be downright horrifying..." The more she looked, the more the Daughter of Original Sin felt the Taiji mysteries were merely a disguise, a facade, an illusion.
This feeling grew stronger and stronger.
She tried to guess: if the Taiji mysteries were truly a facade, then why was Gu Qingfeng doing this? Why use the Taiji mysteries to disguise?
In other words, what kind of Golden Core would need the Taiji mysteries to disguise it?
This fellow should clearly understand what a Taiji Golden Core signifies. He absolutely knows a Taiji Golden Core would leave him with nowhere to hide.
Yet he still did it.
Why?
He'd rather have nowhere to hide, yet still disguise. What exactly is he disguising? What terrifying thing has he gestated that requires using the Taiji mysteries to disguise it, to divert others' attention?
She didn't know.
She truly couldn't imagine. The more she thought, the more frightened she felt. The more she thought, the more horrifying it seemed.
Suddenly.
A thunderclap inexplicably roared from within the clouds!
BOOM—CRACK!
The thunderous roar shook the clouds violently and rumbled across the firmament.
The Daughter of Original Sin closed her eyes. She seemed to have sensed something, her body trembling involuntarily. "After the Great Calamity, he has remained in seclusion, detached from worldly strife, with no intention to contend further. At the very least, he has no such intention for now, and has never planned revenge against you."
Opening her eyes, she looked towards the overcast, cloud-choked Vault of Heaven. Deep worry flashed in her eyes. "All he seeks now is karma, his heart set solely on this. Like a slumbering evil dragon. For everyone, this is the best possible situation. I hope you know when to stop. Do not, by any means, wake him. Do not rekindle the fury in his heart. Otherwise... what you awaken won't merely be a Chixiao Lord who defied the heavens, nor a Nine Nethers Emperor who set the Vault of Heaven ablaze, but a forbidden existence forgotten by heaven and earth."