Yang Mei braced himself against the ground and slowly rose. He wiped the golden divine blood from the corner of his mouth, looked up at the Dao Pearl, and said:
"I want you to promise me one thing. When Shichen faces the God of Systems, ensure that Shichen can retreat safely."
He paused, his voice growing more solemn:
"In your name as the Great Dao, ensure that he is not destroyed."
As his words faded, the Origin Space fell into a long silence.
The Dao Pearl spun, sometimes faster, sometimes slower. Ripples spread through the surrounding light of origin as the Great Dao weighed his request.
Only after a long while did the voice of the Great Dao emerge:
"The Great Dao is impartial. It does not interfere with any being."
Yang Mei fell silent for a few breaths, then suddenly smiled. "I know I'm asking the Great Dao to break its principle of impartiality and intervene in a battle between Chaos Realm cultivators. But I also know that if I don't even try, I'll regret it."
"Denied."
The voice of the Dao was cold, leaving no room for negotiation.
Yang Mei shrugged, seemingly having expected this, then proposed an alternative:
"Then how about this? I'll trade fifty percent of my Dao of Space origin for a trace of the Great Dao's origin pressure. That wouldn't violate your principle of impartiality. It would simply be a transaction between us."
The Origin Space fell silent again.
This silence lasted longer than any before it.
Anxiety rose within Yang Mei, but his expression remained composed. He knew this was the last safeguard he could secure for Shichen.
At last,
The Dao Pearl slowly completed a rotation and released a long, resonant voice:
"Granted."
Yang Mei froze for a moment, then broke into