"That's right. I achieved a body full of Taiji Golden Cores precisely to threaten the Three Thousand Great Daos, especially your Heavenly Dao and Immortal Dao. So what?"
Gu Qingfeng sat on the boulder, drinking his wine, looking at the Dao practitioners opposite him. His words were filled with extreme arrogance. "Since you all consider my existence a threat, if I don't threaten you a little, wouldn't this 'threat' of mine be too much of a failure? Too disappointing for you all."
"Sinful Scum!"
The Immortal Dao sovereign Danqing roared in anger. "Do not be so insolent! Today, we will utterly erase you!"
The Heavenly Dao sovereign Chaoyuan also shouted, "This time, our Myriad Great Daos have joined forces. Today is the day you meet your end, you sinful scum!"
"Heh. Whether today is my end or not, I don't know."
Opposite them, Gu Qingfeng sat on the boulder, unhurriedly pouring himself another drink. He lifted his eyes to glance at Chaoyuan and Danqing. "I only know that today will definitely be the day you two meet your end."
Gu Qingfeng's words instantly caused Chaoyuan and Danqing to panic.
The events of Gu Qingfeng treading upon hell, burning the Nine Heavens, cleaving the firmament, and covering the sky with a single hand in the Great Desolate Heavenly Realm were still vivid in their minds, a nightmare for many immortals. For Chaoyuan and Danqing, it was no exception. Even though the Gu Qingfeng before them was no longer the Nine Nethers Emperor of old, nor even the Lord Chixiao, and lacked his heaven-defying destiny, the shadow he cast back then remained. Chaoyuan and Danqing were still apprehensive.
"Amitabha."
Pudu spoke. "The threat of the Blood of Original Sin is immense. Today, our Myriad Great Daos will absolutely not allow it to fall into the hands of others. We implore Layman Gu to turn back from the brink."
"Who told you I came here today to snatch that thing?"
Gu Qingfeng's words left Pudu somewhat confused. "If Layman Gu is not here to seize the Blood of Original Sin, then why have you come to this place?"
"I have no interest in that thing. Not a shred."
"Your very existence belongs to the Blood of Original Sin. I'm afraid that's not a matter of whether you're interested or not," Xuanyuan Wan said. "It is a matter of karma, even concerning your very life and death. Even if you have no interest, you would absolutely come to seize it."
"As expected of someone from the Sacred Grounds. You really do know quite a bit."
Gu Qingfeng gave a light, faint smile, narrowing his eyes as he gazed at the well opening. "Although I exist because of this thing, and it may concern my life and death, I want to take a gamble."
"What do you mean?"
Xuanyuan Wan did not understand.
"The meaning is simple. You can take that thing away as you please. First, I will not seize it. Second, I will not stop you. If necessary, I might even lend a hand to help you."
Perhaps because they hadn't expected Gu Qingfeng to suddenly say such things, all the Dao practitioners present were greatly astonished.
Xuanyuan Wan asked, "If the Blood of Original Sin truly concerns your life and death, aren't you afraid..."
"That is a problem I should consider, not one you should consider. That's why it's called a gamble. If this thing really concerns whether I live or die, then if I die, I deserve it. I can't blame anyone else."
"You probably won't let me take the Blood of Original Sin for nothing, will you?" Xuanyuan Wan inquired cautiously. "What are your conditions?"
"Conditions? Simple. Don't come looking for trouble with me."
Xuanyuan Wan responded very calmly, "Although I seldom venture out, I know that negotiating conditions requires leverage. You should be aware that your current situation is perilous. The Myriad Great Daos have come prepared. Even if you try to seize it, it would be futile."
"Little lady, those words might scare others, but they're still too green to scare me. Although I haven't dealt with your Sacred Grounds and the Myriad Great Daos for as long as you have, I've had my fair share of encounters. I know a thing or two about the affairs of the Myriad Great Daos."
Gu Qingfeng stood up, stretching lazily, then continued, "If they were truly confident they could erase me, they wouldn't have waited until now."
He paused briefly before adding, "Heaven and Earth have their Laws. The Great Dao has its Laws. The World has its Laws. The Great Dao may be able to enforce its Laws in this World, but the might of those Laws is less than one ten-thousandth of their true power. If even the Laws of the Great Dao are like this, let alone those great powers from beyond this World. If they don't want to invite disaster upon themselves, the power they can exert by acting in this World is similarly greatly diminished."
"Don't tell me they would spare no cost, even violating the World's Laws, to strike and erase me. They don't have the guts. They wouldn't dare."
"After the Great Calamity, the Sources of the Great Dao are all re-deriving. Before the Source re-derivation is complete, none of them dare act rashly. At such a critical juncture, they are too busy protecting their own little plots of land to wage a major war."
As he spoke, Gu Qingfeng looked at the Dao practitioners opposite him. "Moreover, don't be fooled by the Three Thousand Great Daos making a big show of joining forces on the surface. In their hearts, they each have their own schemes. They are all wary of each other, all coveting what the others have. Even if they strike at me, they certainly won't use their full strength. They'll hold back seven parts, only using three."
Gu Qingfeng's words struck a chord with Xuanyuan Wan, because she knew he spoke the truth. Moreover, she could tell that Gu Qingfeng's words were not meant for her and the others present, but for those true powerhouses above the Great Dao.
"As for me, I'm truly tired. I don't want to mess around with you all anymore in this lifetime. I just want to live my own little life peacefully and mind my own business. I don't want to get involved in the messy affairs of the Daoless Age either. So, go ahead and take the Blood of Original Sin. I have no objections. I won't seize it, and I won't stop you. Do whatever you want with that thing. That's your business. I don't want to know, and I can't be bothered to know."
His tone shifted. "Of course, if you're determined to kill me today before you'll stop, I can't just stand here like an idiot and let you kill me. However, let me make this ugly truth clear upfront. What kind of person I am, I believe I don't need to say; you all understand in your hearts. I'll say it again: I don't want to cause trouble. I am not your threat. If you insist on forcing me to cause trouble, forcing this old man to become a threat, then let's just give it a try. Let's see who is willing to go all out."
Gu Qingfeng's meaning was very clear. Not only did the Dao practitioners present understand, but even those above the Great Dao understood as well.
And Xuanyuan Wan understood perfectly clearly.
In one sentence:
If the Myriad Great Daos do not trouble him this time, he will not fuse with the Blood of Original Sin.
If the Myriad Great Daos insist on troubling him this time, he will spare no cost to fuse with the Blood of Original Sin.
Xuanyuan Wan glanced at the sky. She knew Gu Qingfeng's words must have given the Myriad Great Daos some pause.
At the same time, she was also clear that what Gu Qingfeng said was absolutely true. Whether it was great powers or the Great Dao itself, if they acted in this World, not only would their power be greatly diminished, but they also risked violating the World's Laws. And while the World's Laws are not an existence superior to the Laws of the Great Dao, they are not something the Three Thousand Great Daos dare to offend lightly either.
After the Great Calamity, the Sources of Heaven and Earth are all being reborn. The Source of the World is also being reborn. The Sources of the Great Dao are the same. Before the re-condensation and derivation are complete, no Great Dao dares to take such a risk.