Xuanyuan Wan had always felt that something was off about this entire affair from the very beginning.
As for what exactly was off, she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
It wasn't until now, after hearing Gu Qingfeng's words, that she realized her earlier suspicions were correct.
Gu Qingfeng had indeed known all along that the Immortal Dao would not let him go.
Yet he had still done it.
Could it really be just because of that sliver of hope in his heart?
Now that hope was shattered.
What would he do now?
Watch helplessly as the Immortal Dao's Great-Sun Radiant Judgment descended?
He said that since the Immortal Dao wanted to make trouble, then let them make trouble!
If this were before, he might still have had the qualifications to cause trouble.
But now...
Xuanyuan Wan could see that at this very moment, after handing over the Wrath Incarnation of Great Sun Tathagata and crippling his boundless Taiji Golden Cores, not only were all the acupoints throughout Gu Qingfeng's body completely scattered, but even the meridians within him were severed. There was no longer any trace of spiritual breath about his entire person. More importantly, she could also sense that Gu Qingfeng here and now was extremely weak—one could say utterly feeble.
What did he have to cause trouble with the Immortal Dao?
And on what grounds could he cause trouble with the Immortal Dao?
Wait!
Xuanyuan Wan once again released her divine sense to probe. She could still clearly feel Gu Qingfeng's weakness, but there was one thing she had never been able to confirm: whether Gu Qingfeng actually had a Purple Mansion or not.
She didn't know.
She couldn't probe it out.
In her mind, he probably didn't have one. If he had a Purple Mansion, who would store boundless numbers of Taiji Golden Cores within their acupoints?
But that was just conjecture.
As for the specifics, she wasn't too clear either.
One thing Xuanyuan Wan was certain of: she felt Gu Qingfeng must have some other ability. Otherwise, he wouldn't have refused the help of the other Great Daos, nor could he so utterly disregard the Immortal Dao.
It was a genuine disregard. Even now, as Gu Qingfeng was enveloped by the Immortal Dao's Great-Sun Radiant Judgment, he didn't take it seriously in the slightest, as if it weren't him being enveloped, but someone else.
Yet Xuanyuan Wan truly couldn't imagine what ability Gu Qingfeng could possibly have left, now that he no longer possessed the Nine Nethers Emperor's Seal or the Peerless Throne of Immortal and Demon, and had crippled his boundless Taiji Golden Cores. What ability could allow him to ignore the Immortal Dao's Judgment?
"Sinful one!"
From across the way.
Danqing, the ruler of this world's Immortal Dao, shouted sternly once more: "This sovereign repeats: kneel and accept my Immortal Dao's Great-Sun Radiant Judgment! If you dare resist, you will be obliterated on the spot!"
No one paid him any heed. Gu Qingfeng didn't even glance at him, merely standing in the void, gazing in the direction of Heaven's Forbidden Zone, seemingly lost in thought.
"You brought this death upon yourself! Do not blame my Immortal Dao for being merciless!"
Danqing raised a hand and pointed!
The Great Sun Radiance in the vault of heaven instantly began to rotate, releasing vast, brilliant light from within. This radiance was like sunlight shining upon all, like the power of radiance itself, and seemed as if it could purify everything. This was the light of Judgment!
Everyone present knew how terrifying the Immortal Dao's Great-Sun Radiant Judgment was. Even they, people of the Great Daos, dared not face the Immortal Dao's Great-Sun Radiant Judgment head-on. Even if they resisted with all their might, it would be useless, because the power of the Great Sun Radiance was vast and boundless, capable of purifying all. Once enveloped by it, one would instantly turn to ashes.
However.
When the Great-Sun Radiant Judgment descended and enveloped Gu Qingfeng, an unbelievable scene occurred.
Gu Qingfeng did not turn to ashes.
He still stood there with his hands behind his back, looking towards Heaven's Forbidden Zone, as if conversing with someone.
Not only did he not turn to ashes, but when the Great-Sun Radiant Judgment descended and enveloped him, his physical body didn't even blur. Not a single strand of his hair stirred, nor did the hem of his robe move. It was as if it had caused him no effect whatsoever.
Truly none.
Not the slightest bit.
How could this be!
He had long since lost the Nine Nethers Emperor's Seal and the Peerless Throne of Immortal and Demon. Moreover, he had no cultivation base whatsoever. His acupoints were gone, his meridians severed, and he himself was utterly feeble. Why was his physical body still so formidable?
A treasure body?
An immortal body?
A venerable body?
A sage body?
No!
None of those!
It was just a very ordinary, very pure flesh-and-blood body.
How could it possibly be unaffected by the Great-Sun Radiant Judgment?
Why?
Just why!
No one knew.
The people of the Great Daos in the arena exchanged glances, each seeing incredulity in the other's eyes. Suddenly, Jialuo from the Witch Dao said, "Have you truly achieved the Absolute Body?"
She had been lying low in the Great Northwest and knew Gu Qingfeng's physical body was formidable. Although she didn't know why, in her mind, no matter how powerful Gu Qingfeng's physical body was, it shouldn't be possible for him to be unaffected by the Immortal Dao's Great-Sun Radiant Judgment!
Unless...
He had achieved the legendary, indestructible Absolute Body!
Yes!
Legendary.
Because no one had ever seen it. Even Xuanyuan Wan, who hailed from the Sacred Ground, had only read about records of the Absolute Body in ancient texts.
However.
They were merely records.
The records consisted of only four words: indestructible.
Beyond that, there was nothing else.
Xuanyuan Wan didn't understand what the so-called 'indestructible' truly meant, nor could she judge whether Gu Qingfeng had achieved the legendary Absolute Body. She only knew that back when Gu Qingfeng still possessed the Peerless Throne of Immortal and Demon and the Nine Nethers Emperor's Seal, although he did not fear the Immortal Dao's Judgment, that was merely not fearing it. It didn't mean he was unaffected.
Why was it that after heaven and earth stripped him of his Immortal-Demon Throne and Nine Nethers Emperor's Seal, his physical body not only didn't weaken, but instead...
Became even more formidable?
She didn't know, and couldn't figure it out.
Danqing and the others from the Immortal Dao were even more aghast. He had never seen anyone completely unaffected by the Immortal Dao's Great-Sun Radiant Judgment. He hadn't even heard of such a thing.
Suddenly!
A faint, inexplicable radiance began to flicker around Gu Qingfeng's body.
The radiance shimmered with flowing, variegated colors. Within it, Yin and Yang swirled, the Five Elements transformed, like the source of life itself, brimming with vitality.
Was this... colored spirit?
That's right!
It was precisely the Great Nature's Colored Spirit!
Could it be that Gu Qingfeng had also achieved the Great Nature's Colored Spirit?
How many layers?
And how many manifestations?
No one knew.
They only knew that this vitality-filled colored spirit was now gently nourishing Gu Qingfeng's physical body. His originally severed meridians miraculously began to recover. His originally scattered acupoints also magically condensed and bloomed once more. At the same time, Gu Qingfeng, who had been utterly feeble, grew increasingly vibrant with life force.
"His physical body is recovering! His vitality is returning!
Kill him now!"
As Danqing's shout fell, seven or eight Immortal Dao practitioners also took action, unleashing divine abilities in an attempt to obliterate Gu Qingfeng. Simultaneously, Danqing raised his hand and pointed once more. Whoosh!
Within the Great-Sun Radiant Judgment, winds rose and clouds churned, thunder and lightning clashed. Crack!
A bolt of Great Sun Thunder, like a flood dragon, blasted down.
Finally.
Gu Qingfeng moved.
He simply raised a hand, blocking that Great Sun Thunder Dragon. When the seven or eight divine abilities surged towards him, he gave a slight shake. The surrounding space distorted around him. A series of crisp cracking sounds echoed, and the seven or eight divine abilities instantly dissipated into nothingness.