Wang Hao's voice echoed through the void, every word carrying a transcendent rhythm:
"The Journey to the West Kalpa is about to begin. You came here seeking a 'sliver of vitality,' fellow Daoist. Surely it is for the karma of that fallen Supreme in the Other Shore Realm!"
Zhen Yuanzi fell silent.
That silence held far too much scrutiny and calculation.
Wang Hao seemed to sense it and continued:
"There is no need to divine my origins, fellow Daoist. Even a Sage standing before me could never uncover them."
After a long while, Zhen Yuanzi finally spoke, his voice hoarse with the wind and frost of countless ages:
"What do you seek, fellow Daoist?"
"The same thing you seek."
"Then you are an enemy barring my path!"
"Not so."
Wang Hao's Dao resonance was as calm as water.
"I need only to 'see' the karma left by that Supreme."
"'See' it? You need not obtain it?"
"Correct. I can help you attain the Dao, but in return, you must let me 'see' that karma. I will certainly not fight you for it."
A trace of mockery entered Zhen Yuanzi's voice:
"Absurd. How can you guarantee that?"
"Very simply."
Wang Hao's tone remained composed.
"I will reveal my true identity to you. Once you know my origins, if I break my promise, your true body in the Primordial World can destroy me with a turn of your hand."
Another long silence followed.
At last, that hoarse voice rang out again. "Speak freely."
"I am Wang Hao, Daoist Floating Light, a nominal disciple under Patriarch Bodhi."
Zhen Yuanzi's voice abruptly rose, carrying shock he could not conceal:
"It is you? That newly ascended Heavenly Immortal beyond fate?"
"Indeed."
Wang Hao spoke calmly.
"What do you think of my proposal? My true spirit