Although his spirit had been consistently listless, it was still sufficient—at least enough to barely maintain daily life.
That was, provided he didn't engage in any major battles.
And this time,
Re-forging Old Man Ku Mu's Nascent Soul had left his already weary spirit even more depleted.
Fortunately, after several days of recuperation, he had more or less returned to normal.
These things couldn't be rushed.
This current state was actually just right for Gu Qingfeng.
When his spirit was listless, the Evil Cultivator Soul of Avici and Endless Suffering remained in a dormant state, so he didn't have to worry about it causing trouble. If his spirit were brimming with vitality, that Avici Evil Asura would also become active. At the same time, the evil heart within his body, the seeds of nature's myriad colors, and so on, nurtured by a powerful spirit, would also grow wildly.
These things were each more mysterious and unstable than the last. Dealing with them was already somewhat difficult now. If he let them grow rapidly, who knew what they would turn into.
Gu Qingfeng had no desire to waste his days wrestling with these things.
Now, the only thing that truly displeased him was that body full of Taiji Golden Cores, the number of which he didn't even know.
Yes.
He didn't know how many there were.
Just as he didn't know exactly how many acupoints he had, because he had gestated one Taiji Golden Core within each and every one of his acupoints.
Creating so many Taiji Golden Cores had been a matter of necessity.
At the time, Gu Qingfeng hadn't expected to gestate something as legendary as a Taiji Golden Core.
After all, this thing was the supreme ruler among cores, possessing the qualification to inherit the True Mandate and contend for the title of Human King. The Three Thousand Great Daos would undoubtedly be paying very close attention.
Gu Qingfeng already had grievances with the Three Thousand Great Daos. Now, on top of that, he had gestated a Taiji Golden Core.
The Three Thousand Great Daos would absolutely not permit someone like him to possess the qualification to inherit the True Mandate and contend for the Human King title.
They absolutely would not allow it.
When he first gestated the Taiji Golden Core, Gu Qingfeng clearly sensed the myriad Great Daos watching him. He was also almost certain that his identity probably couldn't be concealed anymore. The Three Thousand Great Daos likely also knew he was still alive, especially the Heavenly Dao and the Immortal Dao—they definitely knew.
He had initially considered destroying the Taiji Golden Core to tell the Three Thousand Great Daos he had no intention of competing for the Human King title.
He truly didn't want to fight for it and had not the slightest interest.
To that end, he had genuinely destroyed one Taiji Golden Core himself as a test.
Unfortunately, the Three Thousand Great Daos didn't appreciate the gesture.
Since they showed no appreciation and didn't believe him, Gu Qingfeng couldn't be bothered to argue with them further. To prevent the Three Thousand Great Daos from playing any tricks, he simply decided to go all the way and gestated a body full of Taiji Golden Cores. He used this concrete action to tell the Three Thousand Great Daos plainly: you'd better not provoke me. If you push me too far, I'll use this body full of Taiji Golden Cores to compete for the Human King title.
Was it a warning?
No!
This was a threat.
And a blatant, naked threat at that.
Though now, thinking back on it, Gu Qingfeng felt some regret. Because this way, he had stepped onto another path of no return.
While this action ensured the Three Thousand Great Daos couldn't sleep peacefully, it also meant he himself couldn't rest easy either.
His original intention was just to use these Taiji Golden Cores to threaten the Three Thousand Great Daos. He never truly intended to cultivate these Taiji Golden Cores, let alone use this body full of them to gestate endless Taiji Nascent Souls, or even Taiji Nascent Souls.
But now,
Even if he didn't want to, he couldn't stop it.
His physical body had become its own world, like a small universe.
The myriad acupoints throughout his body could operate autonomously, ceaselessly absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
Even if he sealed all his acupoints, it was still useless.
The seeds of nature's myriad colors within his Dantian were endlessly self-generating, richer in energy than any other spiritual source.
Up to this day,
Gu Qingfeng's body full of Taiji Golden Cores had already reached perfection. If he hadn't been forcibly sealing his acupoints and suppressing them, he would have long since achieved a body full of Taiji Nascent Souls.
And now, even with forceful suppression, he couldn't hold them back for much longer.
If he kept suppressing them, this body full of Taiji Golden Cores would explode from the pressure.
What to do?
Was he really going to gestate a body full of Taiji Nascent Souls?
Gu Qingfeng tried to imagine it. If he really did gestate a body full of Taiji Nascent Souls, it would inevitably draw the attention of the Three Thousand Great Daos once again. Tribulations like the Great Dao Calamity Source would surely appear again. Last time, he had managed to intimidate the Three Thousand Great Daos. This time, Gu Qingfeng believed he could still scare them off.
The key was he worried that, pushed to this extent, the Three Thousand Great Daos might become desperate and lash out.
The art of threat relied on a sense of proportion.
If you advanced a step, the other side would necessarily retreat a step. But you couldn't keep advancing forever. If you truly backed them into a corner, they might just become desperate and strike back recklessly.
It wasn't that Gu Qingfeng was afraid.
He hadn't feared the Three Thousand Great Daos in the past, and he certainly wouldn't fear them now.
He just didn't want to waste his energy dealing with them like he had before.
Opening his eyes, Gu Qingfeng shook his head. He examined the Taiji Golden Cores within his various acupoints, pondering that it wouldn't be long before he could no longer suppress them. When that time came, he would have to gestate the Nascent Souls. As for what attitude the Three Thousand Great Daos would take, Gu Qingfeng couldn't be bothered to think about it now. He would cross that bridge when he came to it. He could delay for a day, then delay another. If he couldn't delay any longer, he would gestate them. If the Three Thousand Great Daos could still tolerate it, all the better. If they became desperate and lashed out, Gu Qingfeng would just have to deal with whatever moves they made.
Suddenly,
A sigh echoed.
It came from the Bone Jade of Annihilation.
Gu Qingfeng focused his mind and entered it.
The Bone Jade of Annihilation also constituted its own world.
A misty heaven and earth.
A misty world.
On a misty mountain stood a misty temple, and within that misty temple resided an Old Monk whom Gu Qingfeng had never met face-to-face.
"Old Monk, long time no see!"
Regarding the Bone Jade of Annihilation, Gu Qingfeng had never known what kind of existence it truly was, nor did he understand who the Old Monk really was.
Although he occasionally entered to chat with the Old Monk and seek advice on some matters, Gu Qingfeng had never fully trusted the Old Monk and had always remained wary.
Of course,
It wasn't that he worried the Old Monk would harm him.
Over the years, the Old Monk had never done anything to disadvantage him. On the contrary, he had helped Gu Qingfeng overcome difficulties on multiple occasions.
Even so, Gu Qingfeng remained guarded.
Because he knew the Bone Jade of Annihilation hadn't fused with him for no reason, and he knew the Old Monk hadn't appeared within the Bone Jade of Annihilation without cause. All of this absolutely had karma behind it that could be traced. As for what that karma was, Gu Qingfeng did not know.
"Patron Gu, it has been a while."
The Old Monk's voice came, still as unpleasant and dull as ever. That voice was extremely peculiar; each word seemed to carry the weight of countless eons. Hearing it was like having one's mind and soul ravaged by a force that could crush the old and decayed.
Gu Qingfeng did not reply, nor did he say anything more. He knew that the Old Monk's sigh meant he had something to say.
Sure enough.
Not long after, the Old Monk spoke: "May I ask what Patron Gu intends to do with that body full of Taiji Golden Cores?"
"Golden Cores... when they ripen, they naturally bear fruit."