After the two fellow disciples exchanged a few words, Nanmingzi took his leave.
As the head of Great Hua Mountain, he was busy with sect affairs and rarely had a moment to spare. Though he wanted to speak longer with Chen Cuo, a mountain of work awaited him. Besides, a Reincarnated Immortal seemed to be hiding among Li Chunfeng, Li Xuan, and the others. He could hardly leave that alone.
What he had seen and heard in the Daoist Temple had shaken him and weighed on his mind. Before leaving, Nanmingzi arranged to make time to discuss the day's events with Chen Cuo again.
"Senior Brother's mind is bound by mortal affairs, as though shackled." Chen Cuo watched Nanmingzi's retreating figure in silence for a moment. "But he bears that burden for all of us. Someone must handle the sect's affairs. I need to perfect my true body as soon as possible. Once it can truly contain the Grotto-Heaven's Heart Moon, perhaps even give rise to a Prototype of the Path, Senior Brother will have another choice."
With that thought, he withdrew his gaze from the portrait and turned to leave.
"The Way of Rise and Fall began with me, and my cultivation limits it. Even if I use this Grotto-Heaven moon to break past the limits of the Fifth Step, I still can't touch the boundary of a higher realm. An incomplete path is a broken one. The choice is hard to make..."
Meanwhile.
Beyond-Mundane Heaven, beyond the heavens beyond, a Moon in the Well shines in the mountains.
The deep well water reflected a Daoist in a Purple Sash Immortal Robe, standing upon Seven-Colored Auspicious Clouds. His figure slowly took shape.
A voice came from beside the well—
"Fellow Daoist, you haven't been honest. We agreed you would