Meditation at the Altar, Dao Rhyme Returned to the Void and Merged with Origin

Spring returned to Secluded Forest Valley. The ice and snow melted, and streams babbled merrily. Spirit herbs in the nursery sprouted new leaves, spirit grain between the field ridges pushed up tender shoots, and herds of Spirit Horn Deer trod across the grass as they returned to the Dense Forest. The entire valley brimmed with vibrant life. After handling the valley's spring plowing affairs, Shen Hao entrusted the Secluded Abode's miscellaneous matters to his eldest disciple and came alone to the Origin Altar, determined to enter seclusion and meditate in search of the deeper origin of the Longevity Dao Rhyme.

The Origin Altar still stood at the heart of the valley. Ancient runes on its surface glimmered with warm golden light beneath the spring sun, while the chaotic spiritual energy surrounding it had grown even denser than in winter, turning into wisps of white mist that coiled around the altar. Dressed in a plain Daoist robe, Shen Hao slowly ascended the altar and sat cross-legged upon the stone platform at its center. He closed his eyes, cast aside distracting thoughts, and let the Longevity Dao Rhyme flow slowly around him, answering the altar's runic power.

At first, Shen Hao merely immersed himself in the nourishment of the Dao Rhyme, feeling the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surge into his body through the altar, circulate along his meridians, and finally gather in his dantian. The Dao Rhyme vortex within it slowly spun, becoming purer with every turn. Yet he knew this was not the purpose of his meditation. What he wished to explore was the connection between the Longevity Dao Rhyme and the origin of the Hongmeng Great Land—the deeper law behind "unceasing life."

No one knew how long passed before Shen Hao's consciousness gradually sank into clear emptiness. He