The Initial 'Cause'

A long while later.

Xu Xing prepared to leave and settle everything that remained, but...

"So this is what they call kindred spirits?"

A voice rang out abruptly in the depths of space.

Hm?

Xu Xing paused and turned around.

Then he saw a speck drift out from between Xuan's brows—subtle and formless, vast and boundless, infinitely tiny yet infinitely immense.

At first glance, it was only a hazy gray. But on closer inspection, it shimmered with countless colors, as if it contained everything in the world.

The Original Intent of "Existence"!

In no time, the speck of colored light sketched out a roughly humanoid outline.

This was...

"The Initial?" Xu Xing's expression was unreadable.

"I thought you'd mistake 'me' for Gu."

The voice grew clearer, and the roughly sketched figure became more complete.

In the time it took to speak a single sentence, he had fully taken shape and appeared beside Xuan.

His multicolored eyes were like glazed crystal. His appearance and bearing resembled Xuan's, transcendent and unworldly, but silver lines marked his face.

He looked like a combination of Gu, Tai, and Xuan.

"But when I think about it, why would 'I' have any secrets from you now?"

The mysterious stranger of unknown origins chuckled and shook his head.

But soon, his expression turned solemn.

"Hello! Newly born... Dao Source. I am the very first of the Initial. You may call me 'One,' or 'Cause.'"

"So you came here to witness this moment?" Xu Xing asked.

"It seems some of the things he did before his self vanished had an effect after all." Cause laughed again.

The "he" in question clearly meant Xuan.

"Otherwise, you shouldn't be asking me."

Whether something had already happened, was yet to happen, had been completed, or was still to be done—

None