Tracing Clues in the East Sea

The East Sea was boundless, its azure waves vast and endless.

Ten thousand acres of rolling waves glittered beneath the sunlight like scattered gold, stretching to the end of sight where they met the cloud-shrouded horizon.

The sea breeze carried its distinctive salty tang and moist Spiritual Qi, stirring the robes of the three Daoists.

Three majestic, immaculate streams of Immortal Light swept unhurriedly through the high heavens, patrolling above the clouds.

They had entered the territory of the East Sea, following a vague heavenly omen and an inexplicable sensation.

The three traveled side by side, each with different thoughts, and the atmosphere was subtle.

Yuanshi was slightly ahead.

The cuffs of his Silver-Gray Daoist Robe fluttered in the sea breeze, and the Cloud Patterns embroidered upon them seemed to come alive.

Yet his brows showed no sign of easing. Instead, they furrowed ever deeper.

The Innate Pure Qi Crystal between his brows continuously emitted an almost imperceptible soft glow, like the needle of an exquisitely precise Compass, constantly adjusting its direction toward the source drawing him from the unseen.

Nearly all his focus was immersed in that increasingly distinct sense of "karma."

The feeling was strange.

It was neither the sharp radiance of Spiritual Treasures coming into being nor a warning of danger from some perilous place.

It was a...

Warm, pure, vibrant call.

Like the first warm breeze of early spring brushing over ice, like a faint yet clear children's song drifting from afar in the dead of night.

It carried an intimacy that made his Dao Heart tremble faintly.

And a trace of... concern so absurd that even someone like him found it ridiculous.

"There is a spirit in the East Sea, rooted in world purification... not a blood descendant, but a father-daughter bond decreed by Heaven..."

The Dao Proclamation echoed again and again within his mind. Every word weighed a thousand pounds, sending ripples through his normally unshakable Dao Heart.

Father and daughter?

He, Yuanshi, of Pangu Orthodox, Daoist Yuqing, born sacred!

A being destined to wield the Great Dao and enlighten all living beings in the future.

And yet, with some "spirit" far away in the East Sea, whose origins and form were unknown,

he was supposed to have that damned "father-daughter bond"?

Absurd!

Utterly absurd!

He instinctively rejected it.

Yet that sensation, originating from the Heavenly Dao, could not be false.

It was there.

It did not vanish because he rejected it. On the contrary, his resistance only made it more distinct.

Like a soft thorn lodged in his heart—not painful, yet constantly reminding him that it was there.

This feeling of being unable to control, unable to understand, yet forced to accept it made Yuanshi deeply uncomfortable.

Even the Dao rhythm around him stirred with faint, barely noticeable ripples of agitation.

Laozi, traveling beside him, took in these subtle changes.

"Calm your heart."

Laozi looked ahead, his voice even. It sounded as though he were speaking to himself, yet also as though he were reminding Yuanshi,

"Since karma has come, observe it. Resistance only disrupts the Dao Heart."

Yuanshi's body stiffened slightly.

He knew his Eldest Brother spoke an irrefutable truth.

But...

He drew a deep breath of Spiritual Qi tinged with moisture, forcibly suppressing his turbulent emotions and striving to restore his usual cold composure to his voice.

"Eldest Brother's lesson is correct. I merely... wish to clarify the source sooner."

"Haha! Second Brother, you just think too much!"

Sect Master Tongtian, who had been holding himself back for a long time, immediately chimed in. His voice was loud and brimming with eager excitement.

"Who cares what kind of spirit or root it is? Since it has karma with us, and it's even a 'father-daughter bond'!"

When he spoke those four words, he could not help breaking into a broad grin, looking especially delighted.

"Then she's our junior! We just need to find her!

I, Tongtian, finally won't be the youngest anymore!

From now on, I'll have someone I can put on my elder's airs around!"

The more he thought about it, the happier he became, his dark hair flying in the wind.

"When the time comes, I'll teach her swordsmanship! I'll take her traveling through the Prehistoric World! If anyone displeases her, she can invoke the name of Shangqing Tongtian!"

He was already planning out their future life, his eyes shining.

"That'll save you from always saying I'm reckless and don't act like an elder! Now I'm an elder too!"

"Nonsense!"

Yuanshi could not help turning his head to rebuke him, his brows knitting even tighter.

"The karma is not yet clear. How can you be so rash?

Moreover, teaching concerns one's Dao Path.

How can it be treated like a child's game, knowing only play and fighting?"

There he went again.

The moment he heard Tongtian's unreliable plans,

Yuanshi could practically imagine

what their future daughter would become if Tongtian were truly allowed to teach her.

She would probably become another troublemaking little fiend, soaring through heaven and burrowing through earth, shouting all day about whether her sword was sharp!

Absolutely not!

Yuanshi unconsciously straightened his back, and an inexplicably powerful sense of responsibility and...

the urge to fight for guardianship rose within him.

If they truly were father and daughter by Heaven's decree,

then the responsibility of teaching her should naturally be led by him, the "strict father" who valued rules and understood propriety!

He would certainly raise her into someone with a clear Dao Heart, who knew etiquette and upheld order...

Pah!

What was he thinking?!

Yuanshi was startled by the sudden thought of himself as an "old father."

The tips of his ears warmed slightly, thankfully concealed by the Immortal Light.

Tongtian did not get angry at being scolded. Instead, he leaned closer, waggling his brows.

"Second Brother, are you nervous?

Are you already thinking about how to be a strict father?

Don't worry. When the time comes, you play the stern one, and I'll play the gentle one!

We'll make sure our daughter feels the warmth of family!"

"You!"

Yuanshi was speechless with anger. Discussing the seriousness of family education with this younger brother was simply impossible.

At the side, the corners of Laozi's lips seemed to curl upward almost imperceptibly before returning to their ancient-well stillness.

He spoke at just the right moment, his Fingertips subtly adjusting their direction.

"Three thousand li northward."

His voice was calm, yet it precisely indicated the direction.

Yuanshi immediately composed himself and sensed for a moment.

Sure enough, the pulling force was much clearer in the direction Laozi had indicated.

He could not help marveling once more at how unfathomable his Eldest Brother's cultivation was. His mastery of deduction was far beyond anything Yuanshi could match.

With Laozi there, they had no need to search blindly across the vast East Sea.

Tongtian also settled down somewhat and looked curiously in the new direction.

The seascape below shifted. Giant Turtles rose and sank, while streaks of auspicious Qi drifted through the waters.

From time to time, the outlines of Immortal Islands flashed through clouds and mist in the far distance, making Tongtian's heart itch with impatience.

"Eldest Brother, that island over there has faint treasure light. There might be something good on it! Should we take a look while we're passing by?"

Tongtian pointed toward the front left.

"Silence."

Yuanshi swept his gaze over him.

"The important matter comes first."

"Oh."

Tongtian pouted, but obediently followed along.

However, his attention was soon drawn to another school of Rainbow Spirit Dolphins leaping from the sea.

"Hey! These fish are rather pretty! Let's catch a few and take them back to add some life to our future... to our future Cave Abode!"

He could not resist again.

"Tongtian!"

Yuanshi's voice carried a warning.

Catch fish?

What kind of conduct was that?!

"Oh, Second Brother, relax a little."

Tongtian grinned, though he did not truly make a move.

He simply found his Second Brother's expression, as if facing a great enemy—tense yet expectant—more amusing than the scenery of the East Sea.

He had been looking forward to this day for so long.

At last, someone younger than him had arrived!

From now on, he would not be the only one getting lectured!

Just thinking about it made Tongtian feel that the Great Dao held great promise and the future was bright.

Yuanshi no longer paid attention to his mischievous younger brother, focusing all his attention on that pull.

It was getting closer and closer.

That warm, pure aura, filled with vibrant Vitality and a trace of inexplicable intimacy.

It seemed to pierce through endless space and coil around his Dao Heart.

He could even vaguely sense that the aura seemed...

Very relaxed?

Very comfortable?

As though it were... basking in the sun and sleeping in?

Yuanshi froze at this bizarre association.

He shook his head, trying to dispel the absurd thought.

It had to be an illusion.

Yet that feeling refused to fade.

The closer he came, the clearer the Dao Proclamation became, as though it were branding itself into the depths of his Nascent Soul.

Resistance, curiosity, anticipation, confusion,

and a trace of softness so faint that even he was unwilling to acknowledge it.

All these emotions

intertwined, surged, and tugged at one another within Yuanshi's eternally unchanging Yuqing Dao Heart.

For the first time, he understood what it meant to be caught in an impossible tangle.

He could only keep a stern face and struggle to maintain his serious, old-fashioned expression.

Following the guidance of his heart, he flew steadfastly toward that unknown fate.

The sea wind howled past the ears of the three Saints.

Ahead, beneath the azure surface, the light gradually seemed to deepen into darkness.

A vast, brilliantly colored Coral Jungle slowly appeared at the edge of their vision, like a mountain range stretching beneath the sea.

However,

above that coral reef, which should have been full of life and peace,

the seawater faintly revealed an unnatural, murky darkness.

Threads of chaotic, violent aura, mixed with a faint scent of blood, drifted through the air on the sea breeze.

Yuanshi's senses were abruptly disturbed by this sudden Malevolent Qi, and his brows instantly locked tight.

Laozi's gaze also sharpened slightly as he looked toward that area.

"Hm?"

Tongtian's playful smile faded. His hand unconsciously pressed against the hilt of the Iron Sword at his waist, and his gaze turned keen.

"What dense Evil Qi.

What's fighting down there?"

Their Cloud Top slowed slightly.