Xuandu raised his eyes and met her gaze.
At last, a faint ripple appeared in those eyes, calm as an ancient well.
The ripple was faint, yet carried the clarity of one who saw through all things.
"Since Empress has asked, this disciple will speak plainly."
He spoke slowly, his voice calm:
"This disciple helped bring the Earth Dao to perfection for the Earth Dao, and also for..."
"The Human Dao."
The two words fell, and suddenly all was still before the Samsara Seal.
Houtu's pupils contracted slightly.
She gazed at Xuandu, at those calm yet profound eyes, at that youthful face exuding boundless composure.
Thoughts raced through her mind.
The Human Dao.
Xuandu had spoken of the Human Dao.
She should have thought of this long ago.
Of the Heaven, Earth, and Human Three Daos, the Heavenly Dao was the strongest, the Earth Dao came second, and the Human Dao was the weakest.
The Heavenly Dao had awakened at the dawn of the Great Wilderness. Dao Ancestor Hongjun had merged with the Heavenly Dao and governed the Great Wilderness Order for countless ages. Its foundations were deep and unshakable.
The Earth Dao had slumbered for endless ages. Only when she merged her body with Reincarnation had it truly awakened.
But awakening was one thing. Under the Heavenly Dao's suppression, the Earth Dao had remained incomplete, unable to reach perfection.
Now that the Earth Book had returned to its position and the Earth Dao had reached perfection, she, Houtu, could finally break free of her shackles.
But what of the Human Dao?
Where was the Human Dao?
The Human Race had existed for only a few million years since Nuwa created humans.
Against the river of countless ages in the Great Wilderness, that was no more than the blink of