Through the ages, the Great Dao had been cold and aloof. All said that cultivation demanded severing worldly ties and casting aside love to attain the Dao through detachment.
But as Xuan Qing watched Jin Shui and Yue Ying, that quarrelsome pair, a glimmer of understanding stirred in his heart.
Perhaps the path of the mighty did not have to be walked alone.
Together, they had reached the pinnacle of Primordial Taiji, attained imperishable Dao Fruits, and stood at the summit of Chaos. Through ages of strife and bloodshed, they had stayed by each other's side, laughing, bickering, and sharing the years.
Dao Companions with a bond like theirs were exceedingly rare, even across the vast Prehistoric Era and boundless Chaos.
Jin Pangzi seemed to spend every day under her watchful eye, forever complaining that she kept him on a tight leash. In truth, he had no idea how fortunate he was.
Qin watched the two of them walk away, warmth in his eyes and a quiet sigh in his heart.
The Great Dao stretched endlessly onward. Attaining it through detachment was lofty indeed, but the warmth of a life shared held its own rare, complete Dao Resonance.
Elsewhere, Xuan Qing was leading his army at speed through Chaos when his mind suddenly trembled for no apparent reason.
An inexplicable premonition rose in his heart. Faint ripples of emotion spread along the vast river of the Great Dao, wound around the Origin Dao Flower suspended above his head, and seeped into the depths of his Divine Sense.
Those subtle, tangled feelings lingered, disturbing his usually steady, tranquil mind.
Xuan Qing turned instinctively toward You Hui, who traveled beside him.
Her features were delicate and cool, her gaze distant. The deep, desolate Reincarnation Dao Resonance had always surrounded her, and she