Inside the cave, time seemed to stand still. The faintly cool touch from Xuan Nü's fingertips and the vast vitality flowing from them were like sweet spring water coursing through Li Wuyang's heart, soothing the anxiety and wounds he had carried for so long. He gazed into those eyes that bore the vicissitudes of countless ages, yet now reflected only him, his heart filled with the immense joy and peace of regaining what he had lost.
"Wuyang, you've suffered." Xuan Nü's voice was gentle, carrying a barely perceptible catch. Though she had been asleep, through the experiences of that "shell" and her deep connection with Li Wuyang's true body, she had felt every brush with death he had endured as though they were her own. His self-sacrificing protection in the Reincarnation Graveyard, his desperate attempt to seize fire from the Eye of the Returning Void, his arduous quest for the Pure Glazed World, even his near-death struggle for the Dao within the Primordial Stone Coffin... every single one of them made her heart ache, yet also filled her with pride.
Li Wuyang took her hand and shook his head, his gaze unwavering. "For you, it was all worth it." Sensing the vast, star-sea-like yet perfectly restrained aura of a peak quasi-Saint within Xuan Nü, he was greatly encouraged. With Xuan Nü at his side, they finally had sufficient confidence to face the Cult of Rebirth and even that mysterious Primordial Stone Coffin.
The two embraced for a while, savoring each other's presence and heartbeats. No more words were needed; their hearts already understood one another.
After their tender moment, Xuan Nü's expression returned to its usual coolness, though the warmth in her eyes remained. She carefully examined Li Wuyang's condition, especially the newly formed foundation of his Chaos Nirvana Dao,