Water and fire surged forth, and the Dao Stele manifested.
After enduring the trials, the two disciples finally forged superior Dao Foundations and fulfilled their wishes. They descended the mountain in high spirits and received praise from True Person Jade Spring and True Person Dongfeng.
With their objective achieved, the True Persons dispersed.
The two disciples left with their respective masters.
Upon returning to their sects, they were entrusted with important duties. Numerous True Person elders instructed them, regarding them as the hope of their lineages, while their fellow disciples flattered and envied them, flocking to follow them.
When fortune favored them, Heaven and earth lent their strength. In just a few years, they completed the path of essence refining, broke through to qi refining, and became True Persons. Their sect leaders designated them as their successors and spared no effort in nurturing them.
Time flowed like water. Sixty years later, they broke through their bottlenecks and became the first Spirit-Refining True Lords of their respective sects, formally taking charge of their lineages and leading them to glory.
In the years that followed, one took many Dao companions and enjoyed wealth and splendor; the other helped her cousin achieve dominion.
Yet they soon grew weary. One dismissed his Dao companions and began cultivating his character; the other left the court and retired to the mountains.
One settled atop a mountain, the other in a secluded valley. In their leisure, they quietly reflected on all the changes in their lives and gradually realized something was wrong: everything had gone too smoothly!
A treasured sword gained its edge through grinding, and plum blossoms gained their fragrance through bitter cold. Yet they had rarely encountered setbacks along their journeys. Whether cultivating and comprehending the Dao, slaying demons, traveling through the mortal world, or