Once New Year's Eve had passed, it entered the 381st year of the Great Xuan Calendar.
Zhang Yu remained at his residence in Taiyang Academy until the fifth day of the new year, when he finally left the clamor behind and returned to the White Boat.
He came to the main cabin and sat down. With a thought, he summoned forth the Great Dao Unified Text.
He looked at the "Seal of Rectifying the Self." After delaying for several days, it was time to complete this seal.
With a shift of intent, he poured spiritual essence into it.
As the spiritual essence filled it, the "Seal of Rectifying the Self" grew brighter and brighter. As the chapter seal gradually became complete, light flowed over it in a flash, like lightning cutting through the night. Then a ray of radiance descended and shone upon him.
In that instant, he felt the world around him abruptly darken.
Sensing something, he looked up and saw a figure identical to himself walking toward him through the void-darkness.
It seemed to be another him, yet also not him.
The figure did not stop. It walked straight up to him, then, as if it had never seen him, stepped into the place where he sat. It turned around and sat upright, and the two became one.
At that moment, the light upon the chapter seal also dispersed.
Zhang Yu raised his head. Brilliant silver stars seemed to flash through his eyes. At this moment, he felt an unprecedented sense of comfort, peace, and harmony arise within him. As his aura circulated, all manner of mysterious sounds emerged—like ceaseless waves striking the shore, and like wondrous immortal music played atop distant mountain peaks.
At the same time, he vaguely sensed that the heaven and earth before him