Origin Secluded Valley, Where Longevity Dao Rhyme Bred Rare Treasures

Deep within the Hongmeng Mountain Range lay Origin Secluded Valley, shrouded year-round in a faint veil of white mist. Within the haze floated visible wisps of origin spiritual energy, like scattered stars drifting slowly in their courses. The gale winds outside the valley howled, yet could not pierce the barrier formed from Longevity Dao Rhyme. Within, it remained warm as spring, with a hundred flowers in full bloom; even in the depths of winter, there was not the slightest hint of desolation.

Shen Hao was strolling along the Green Stone path through the secluded valley. He wore a simple linen robe in plain colors, its hem gently stirred by the valley breeze, revealing light soft boots sewn from animal hide around his ankles. Since the great war had ended, he often came to meditate in this valley. On the one hand, he used his own Longevity Dao Rhyme to nurture the origin of life within the valley; on the other, he wished to find a peaceful place to sort through the state of the myriad races of Hongmeng after the war. His pace was unhurried. Every step he took carried a faint Dao Rhyme, and beneath his feet, the tiny cracks in the Green Stone slabs slowly grew a layer of emerald moss under its nourishment.

Zi Xuan walked at his side, carrying a small woven bamboo basket. Inside were two pastries made from spirit fruits and a flask of warm mountain spring water. Today, she wore a moon-white gown embroidered at the hem with delicate patterns of Longevity Lotus flowers. As she walked, those lotus patterns seemed to come alive, swaying softly across her skirt. Her gaze never left Shen Hao's profile. Looking at his upright figure and the serenity between his brows, as though all worldly dust had