Chu Qing knew full well that the closer one stood to the edge of slaughter, the more one needed the warmth and bustle of the mortal world to steady the mind. To ease the nearly frozen pressure of war preparations, the ladies joined forces to hold a unique "Star Sea Tea Gathering" on the immortal city's deck. Not only did they invite the key personnel remaining behind, they also used Dao-rhythm voice transmission to send that warmth into the expeditionary force's camp.
Above the deck, nebulae cascaded like waterfalls. The "Sea of Clouds Clear Tea" personally blended by Liuli exuded a faint Dao rhythm, every wisp of fragrance carrying the effect of calming the soul. Meanwhile, the Princess Consort brought out the innate spirit threads she had gathered in recent days, intending to devise the legendary "Stone Ridge Dharma Robe" together with Chu Qing.
"Husband, this Dharma robe must not only defend against the Watchers' logical infiltration—it must also become the symbol of our Stone Ridge Dao Lineage." The Princess Consort handed Chu Qing a strand of spirit thread gleaming with soft light, her eyes filled with anticipation.
Chu Qing took her hand and slowly infused it with his understanding of Ten Thousand Daos Return as One. Upon that spirit thread, he traced rune after rune that seemed simple, yet contained the true meaning of Daluo. "This Dharma robe need not pursue elaborate ornamentation. We need only imprint each sister's insights from cultivation within it. When the robe becomes one, so too will our Dao hearts be connected."
Just as everyone was immersed in the joy of devising it, the distant void suddenly twisted. It was an Undying Heart Watcher monitoring node, attempting to exploit the relaxed moment of the "Star Sea Tea Gathering" to launch a covert soul-corrosion attack.