"Old Monk, what do you mean by that? The Great Sun Tathagata's Wrath Incarnation is important to you, but what does that have to do with me?"
"Layman Gu, please return our Buddha to us."
"I said, Old Monk, you've got the wrong person. I admit, I'm a bit interested in the Great Sun Tathagata's Wrath Incarnation, and I did indeed think about kidnapping it. But as you know, when the Western Heaven Buddhas descended with endless judgment, trying to forcibly erase me, I was only thinking about survival. How could I have spared any thought for the Great Sun Tathagata's Wrath Incarnation?"
After being eroded by the evil nature of the Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura, Gu Qingfeng's mental will grew increasingly faint. Originally, his shadow could still be discerned within his mental will, but now his shadow was flickering in and out. All that remained was the three-headed, six-armed, nine-eyed Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura.
The Old Monk's voice came again: "The Great Sun Tathagata is in deep slumber. Although its Wrath Incarnation has awakened, it has only just done so and is extremely weak. Moreover, without the support of the Great Sun Tathagata's true form, the Wrath Incarnation is even more frail. How could it withstand Layman Gu's single supreme technique, the Great Devourer?"
Hearing the words 'Great Devourer,' Gu Qingfeng knew he hadn't been able to deceive the Old Monk. After a moment of contemplation, he responded, "Old Monk, didn't you say you wouldn't interfere in the affairs of heaven and earth? Especially matters of the Buddhist sect. If I recall correctly, you said you are no longer a Buddha, and all Buddhist matters have nothing to do with you."
"This old monk did indeed say such words. But I was, after all, once a member of the Buddhist sect. The Great Sun Tathagata is the symbol of our Buddha. Now, Layman Gu intends to refine the Great Sun Tathagata's Wrath Incarnation... this old monk truly cannot stand idly by."
The Old Monk's voice was ancient and filled with helplessness—more precisely, a deep sense of powerlessness. Gu Qingfeng's attitude especially made him feel utterly helpless.
"Refine? Old Monk, which eye of yours saw me refining the Great Sun Tathagata's Wrath Incarnation? Besides, that is, after all, your Great Sun Tathagata's Wrath Incarnation. Even if my guts were ten times bigger, I wouldn't dare refine the old master's Wrath Incarnation! Take ten thousand steps back—even if I had the guts, I don't have the capability!"
"Layman Gu, please stop deceiving this old monk. I know that the moment you laid eyes on the Great Sun Tathagata's Wrath Incarnation in the Heart Buddha World, you already had plans in your heart to devour and refine it."
"I said, Old Monk, you know my situation, right? I'm already tangled in a mess of troubles. Why would I go and refine the Great Sun Tathagata's Wrath Incarnation for no reason? Do you think I'm so bored my balls ache?"
The Old Monk continued, "Within Layman Gu's body lies a seed of vibrant nature and vitality, and another seed of deathly stillness and mystery. You have also cultivated an extremely evil Golden Core heart. On top of that, Layman Gu, as a precaution, specially cultivated an endless array of Taiji Golden Cores..."
"Layman Gu's Nine Nethers Ancestral Flame is indeed formidable. But faced with these mysterious and unknown existences, your Nine Nethers Flame struggles to suppress them all, let alone the presence of the Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura... Of course, there is also the Bone Jade of Annihilation."
"Layman Gu has never fully trusted any single existence, including this old monk. You have always been seeking a balance—a state of mutual restraint and suppression. For you, the more complex your situation, the safer you are. The more chaotic, the more balanced."
"Therefore, the moment you saw the Great Sun Tathagata's Wrath Incarnation, you already began to scheme."
"Originally, Layman Gu held a sliver of reverence for our Buddha. Alas, the Buddhist disciples of the Western Pure Land were too foolish and ignorant. In their attempt to 'liberate' you, they also thoroughly 'liberated' the last bit of reverence Layman Gu held for our Buddha."
At this point, the Old Monk couldn't help but sigh again, as if lamenting the foolishness of those Buddhist disciples from the Western Pure Land.
"No one in heaven and earth dares to devour the Great Sun Tathagata's Wrath Incarnation, but that doesn't mean Layman Gu doesn't dare. No one in heaven and earth can refine the Great Sun Tathagata's Wrath Incarnation, but likewise, that doesn't mean Layman Gu cannot..."
While allowing the Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura to erode his mental will, Gu Qingfeng also listened carefully to the Old Monk's words.
The facts were exactly as the Old Monk had said. The more complex the situation within his body, the safer he was. The more chaotic, the more balanced. When he first laid eyes on the Great Sun Tathagata's Wrath Incarnation, he had indeed begun to scheme. Originally holding some reverence for the Buddha, Gu Qingfeng had been hesitating whether to act. If the Western Heaven side had been willing to let him go, he wouldn't have acted. Since the Western Heaven side wanted him dead, it suited his intentions perfectly. Gu Qingfeng simply decided to go all the way and directly devoured the Great Sun Tathagata. Moreover, the purpose of the devouring was precisely to refine it, thereby using it to restrain the other powerful existences within his body.
To be honest, he truly hadn't expected his innermost thoughts to be seen through so thoroughly by the Old Monk.
Of course.
He didn't care.
"Refining the Great Sun Tathagata's Wrath Incarnation brings Layman Gu immense benefits, but also immense drawbacks. What the benefits are, this old monk has already stated. As for the drawbacks, even if this old monk doesn't speak of them, Layman Gu naturally knows them perfectly well. Even with sky-high drawbacks, given Layman Gu's temperament, you likely wouldn't care... nor would you fear..."
Just as the Old Monk was speaking, Gu Qingfeng suddenly interrupted him.
"Enough, Old Monk. I know what you mean. I can understand and comprehend it. However, I advise you to stop here. I can tell you very clearly: I will definitely refine the Great Sun Tathagata's Wrath Incarnation. You should know that once I decide on something, I never change."
A long time passed before the Old Monk's voice came again. This time, however, it sounded much more aged and was tinged with boundless helplessness.
"Layman Gu has sunk deeper and deeper on this path of no return regarding karma..."
"Perfect. I was actually feeling like I hadn't sunk deep enough."
Sensing that his mental will had been almost completely eroded by the evil nature of the Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura, Gu Qingfeng said, "Alright, take a rest. See you later... I'm going to enter a state of complete Great Selfless Extinction at the very last moment before the Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura's evil nature fully erodes my mental will..."
Gu Qingfeng had experienced the evil nature of the Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura once before. He had no desire to experience it a second time, nor did he wish to transform into the Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura and go on to slaughter living beings, blood-sacrificing purgatory.
Therefore, this time he was smarter. After being eroded, he would directly enter the state of Great Extinction.
Once he entered the state of Great Extinction, everything about him would turn to dust, merging into heaven and earth. His body would, his soul would, his spirit would, his will would—even his thoughts would be no exception.
Extinction, meaning Nirvana.
Because ignorance is extinguished, the mind has no arising; because there is no arising, realms accordingly vanish; because causes and conditions are both extinguished, all mental phenomena are exhausted.
After Gu Qingfeng's extinction and nirvana, it would also be equivalent to placing himself in a deadly situation only to be reborn, breaking down only to be rebuilt anew.
Death is easy.
Life is hard.
Gu Qingfeng had no confidence whether he could purify the evil nature of the Avici Uninterrupted Evil Asura, nor did he know how long this 'death' would last.
Everything, everything, was unknown.