"Ye Xuan, Hongjun Daozu's oppression is only temporary."
Houtu's voice was exceedingly gentle, carrying a strange power that soothed his troubled heart.
"The tide of the Heavenly Dao may seem unbreakable, but before true might, every rule can be shattered. Your path stretches far beyond this Primordial Wilderness."
Ye Xuan turned to look into Houtu's eyes, filled with understanding and tenderness, and much of the heaviness in his heart dissolved.
He turned his hand to clasp hers, and beside the tranquil River of Forgetfulness, they opened their hearts to each other.
"Until you attain Primordial Unity, you remain an ant!" Ye Xuan said frankly, his voice low yet powerful. "The suppression of the Primordial Heavenly Dao is too strong. If I remain here in secluded cultivation, my progress will inevitably be painfully slow. I need to leave for a time and seek an opportunity to break through in another great world."
A flicker of reluctance passed through Houtu's eyes, but she did not ask him to stay.
She knew he bore the burden of the human race, and she knew the unbending pride in his bones. An eagle belonged in a vaster sky.
"Go and seek your opportunity to attain Primordial Unity. I will stay here and guard what we have built." Houtu smiled faintly, resolve shining through her smile. "However far you travel, wherever you go, the Netherworld Underworld will always be your strongest support. If you grow weary, you can return at any time."
Ye Xuan nodded solemnly.
They stood side by side before the Six Paths of Reincarnation, watching its endlessly turning vortex, and silently made a vow: the day Ye Xuan attained Primordial Unity would be the day they joined forces to overturn the Heavenly Dao's chessboard!
Before leaving, Ye Xuan still needed to retrieve something