His white robes were purer than snow, his black hair like ink.
Twilight devoured the void, his domineering aura shook the heavens.
He appeared.
Standing in the void.
The hem of his robes rippled slightly in the sea of clouds, his long hair flying wildly in the astral winds.
Although the Four-Sided Great Cauldron carrying the Blood of Original Sin had already entered Heaven's Forbidden Zone, the killing intent of the Myriad Great Daos still enveloped him.
Gu Qingfeng glanced at Heaven's Forbidden Zone, where heavenly might rolled like thunder, and said solemnly, "I have come to fulfill my promise."
As his words fell, he slowly raised his arm. As his five fingers splayed open, a Buddha statue abruptly materialized out of thin air.
It was a Buddha statue majestic as a mountain, appearing somewhat worn and tattered. The statue sat cross-legged upon a lotus pedestal, hands pressed together in prayer, eyes slightly closed.
Upon seeing this statue, Xuanyuan Wan and the other Dao masters all paled with shock. Not daring to be negligent in the slightest, they immediately pressed their hands together and bowed their heads in reverence, for they all knew this worn statue was precisely the Wrath Incarnation of the Buddha Lord of the Western Heaven, Great Sun Tathagata. It was only because the Wrath Incarnation's Eye of Wisdom had not yet opened that it appeared ordinary on the surface.
"Amitabha."
Pudu's expression was rather agitated as he said, "This old monk, on behalf of the Western Heaven Buddhas, thanks Venerable Gu for returning the Wrath Incarnation of our Buddha, Great Sun Tathagata."
"Before I return it, I have a few questions."
"Please ask, Venerable Gu."
"Do you still remember the promise your Western Heaven made to me earlier?"
"Venerable Gu, please rest assured. As long as you return the Wrath Incarnation of our Buddha, Great Sun Tathagata, and destroy your countless Taiji Golden Cores, our Western Heaven Buddhist Dao will not make things difficult for you."
"And if someone breaks their word and does make things difficult for me?"
"This..." Pudu hesitated for a moment, as if waiting for a sign from the Buddhist Dao. After a while, he responded, "Venerable Gu, earlier all the Myriad Great Daos agreed. If anyone goes back on their word and breaks their promise, our Western Heaven Buddhist Dao will certainly not stand idly by."
"You can rest easy. I was also present when the Myriad Great Daos made their promise earlier."
Xuanyuan Wan also stepped forward, saying, "If anyone breaks their word, our Sacred Ground will also not stand idly by."
"Nine Nethers Emperor, our Demonic Dao will also not permit anyone to go back on their word."
"Master, you can set your mind at ease. If anyone goes back on their word, our Demonic Dao will be the first to stand by your side."
Nailuo and Hu Meiniang of the Demonic Dao and Demonic Dao respectively stepped forward to express their support for Gu Qingfeng.
What they didn't expect was that their show of support was actually met with opposition from Gu Qingfeng himself. "No need. It's unnecessary. You just need to keep your own promises."
Gu Qingfeng's words left them all greatly surprised. They didn't know, and couldn't figure out, why Gu Qingfeng would say such a thing.
Xuanyuan Wan was even more clueless. She increasingly felt that Gu Qingfeng's words seemed to carry hidden meaning, as if he knew what was going to happen and had already prepared for it.
This feeling was very strong.
But just what was going to happen?
Xuanyuan Wan truly couldn't imagine.
"I have never believed in fate. However, I have always held reverence for the Buddha. I did in the past, I do now, and I will in the future. But it is only reverence. Reverence is just reverence; it does not represent anything else."
Gu Qingfeng's tone shifted as he looked indifferently at Pudu and said, "Today, I return the Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata not because I revere the Buddha, nor because of your Western Heaven Buddhist Dao, but to repay a debt of gratitude to a monk. That is all."
"May I ask which monk Venerable Gu speaks of is..."
"Take it."
Gu Qingfeng did not answer the question. With a slight lift of his hand, the Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata was instantly enveloped by a sacred golden-yellow radiance. This was a Buddha light, a Buddha light that came from the Western Heaven. Once enveloped by the Buddha light, the Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata gradually faded away. At the same time, the killing intent from the Western Heaven Buddhist Dao that had shrouded Gu Qingfeng also vanished.
He was true to his word, having already returned the Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata to the Western Heaven.
"Now, I shall fulfill the next promise!"
As his words fell.
Whoosh! In an instant, brilliant light shimmered around Gu Qingfeng's body, like a riot of colors, ever-changing, both yin and yang, resembling light yet also darkness. Yin and Yang churned, light and darkness intertwined.
Taiji!
This was precisely the radiance of the Taiji Golden Core!
At this moment.
Everyone present clearly saw all the apertures on Gu Qingfeng's body open wide. A vast, seemingly endless and inexhaustible spiritual aura erupted forth.
This spiritual aura was truly overwhelmingly powerful, so powerful it gave the Dao masters present a suffocating feeling. Even Pudu couldn't help but chant "Amitabha," and even Xuanyuan Wan from the Sacred Ground involuntarily drew a sharp breath.
This was followed by a dizzying sensation.
They saw that within each of Gu Qingfeng's apertures was hidden a Golden Core undergoing the transformations of Yin and Yang. These Golden Cores were supremely sacred, vast and pure, a sight that broadened their horizons and left them in awe.
One must know that the Taiji Golden Core had not appeared for millions of years since the ancient era; it had always been a legend, something no one had ever seen with their own eyes.
Now they had finally seen it.
And what they saw was not just one, but an endless multitude covering his entire body, too many to count.
Each Golden Core was like a source, as if containing supreme and unparalleled power, and Gu Qingfeng possessed an endless number of them.
No one knew how he had accomplished this.
Nailuo, Jialuo, Pudu, and Xuanyuan Wan did not know; even the great figures above the Great Dao did not know.
What was even more terrifying was that, similarly, no one knew just how fearsome Gu Qingfeng's true strength was, possessing such an endless multitude.
Yes!
No one knew.
They even felt a sense of belated fear. If Gu Qingfeng had tried to seize the Blood of Original Sin earlier, probably no one could have stopped him.
They also felt extremely fortunate, fortunate that Gu Qingfeng had not attempted to seize the Blood of Original Sin. Otherwise, no one could have predicted what terrifying events might have unfolded.
Some also felt regret.
After all, these were Taiji Golden Cores, and an endless multitude of them at that.
With endless Taiji Golden Cores, the position of Human King would undoubtedly be his. His future achievements would be unimaginable. He could become the foremost figure of the current era, even rise above the Myriad Great Daos, and aspire to godhood—such a possibility was not out of the question!
Now.
He was about to personally destroy this endless multitude of Taiji Golden Cores of his.
It was truly a great pity.
At the very least, Xuanyuan Wan felt great regret, and her heart was filled with guilt. She felt she was strangling a potential Human King, strangling a man who created miracles.
She even fantasized about how wonderful it would be if Gu Qingfeng had no connection to the Blood of Original Sin.
Alas, it could only remain a fantasy.
Gu Qingfeng ultimately belonged to the Blood of Original Sin, and the existence of the Blood of Original Sin threatened the safety of heaven and earth. Even if Xuanyuan Wan had ten thousand reluctances in her heart, today she had no choice but to do this.
"All of you, watch closely!"
Bang!
A Taiji Golden Core hidden within one of Gu Qingfeng's apertures exploded and dissipated!
Bang!
Another one! Bang! Bang! Bang!
One after another, they continuously exploded and dissipated.