Looking across the whole of Origin Xia, from the moment Councilor Qiu set the Hansu Golden Bell in motion to calculate, Xun Ji and Daoist Qiu had embarked upon the path of ascent at almost the exact same time.
Thus, the two of them were breaking through toward the upper realm together.
Yet as their auras rose, they both felt a boundless resistance pressing down upon them, hindering them from taking another step higher.
But both had prepared for this. They calmly dissolved it with their own Dao methods and pressed upward with unshakable resolve. Unbeknownst to each other, they also shared a portion of the oppressive force descending from above.
What they truly faced here was the Origin Xia Heavenly Order.
Fortunately, they had chosen their timing perfectly. It was just before the yearly cycle turned, precisely when the Origin Xia Heavenly Order was suffering the impact of the Heavenly Dao and its upheaval was at its fiercest. The treasures that stabilized the Dao had to guard against Celestial Xia's offensive on one side while enduring the pressure of the Heavenly Dao on the other, making it difficult for them to form an effective obstruction.
This gave them a sliver of opportunity.
Moreover, these forces should originally have been faced by one person alone, but now they were borne separately by two people, making things relatively easier instead.
Daoist Qiu knew that the key this time lay in the moment when the yearly cycle turned and the Origin Xia Heavenly Order exposed a flaw. That moment would be exceedingly brief. The Origin Xia Heavenly Order would soon recover, and if he failed to cross over then, he truly would never cross over. Thus, the instant he sensed the obstruction had weakened somewhat, he spared no cost in climbing upward.