Following the Flower Sea's Lingering Echoes

The lingering echoes of the Two-World Gala, like ripples on River of Light, permeated every inch of the soil in the Shared-Heart Flower Sea. As the last note of the zither merged with the Boundless Wind, Qingxian, Yanche, and Luoyu did not rush back to the Myriad Domains. Instead, they followed the roots of the seeds, traveling upstream along the River of Light —where, on the cliffs of the canyons, a new Root Language Network was growing at a visible pace. The silver light streams mixed with the emerald green of the Myriad Domains and the silvery white of the otherworld, like two Entanglement ribbons extending towards a deeper, unknown depth.

"Look," Luoyu crouched down, lightly touching the newly sprouted roots on the rock wall with her fingertips. The sprouts immediately unfolded into "semi-transparent leaves," on which simultaneously appeared star maps of Myriad Domains and the trajectory of River of Light from another world. "They are learning the ' Two-World Language ' on their own."

Yanche pushed his Two-World Resonator, letting the instrument's energy flow along the roots. On the resonator's dial, the pointer gently swung between the "Myriad Domains frequency" and the "otherworld frequency," finally stopping at the "middle mark"—there were no numbers there, only a small Shared-Heart Flower pattern. "Even the instrument says that the best resonance is 'a gentle yielding'." He smiled as he adjusted the knob, making the energy flow softer, just enough to envelop the most tender new roots.

The soundbox of Qingxian's zither was open, and the strings inside were still vibrating slightly. She casually plucked one, and the sound seeped into the cracks of the rock wall, evoking a "reciprocating hum" from the depths—the "Echo Stone" hidden at the end of the canyon, capable of amplifying all sounds a thousand times over, but now transforming the zither's sound into a "soothing warmth," allowing the new roots to stretch more freely in the warmth. "Sometimes, a silent response is more moving than a clamorous echo." She gazed in the direction of the Echo Stone, where, in the shadows, faint "unseen patterns of light" flickered.

The seed's roots were already connected to the entire root network, and it could clearly "sense" the desires of the new roots: some wanted to go to the source of the River of Light to see what the "first light" looked like; some wanted to crawl into the crevices of the Echo Stone to hear the "older stories"; and some roots were particularly mischievous, following the direction of the Boundless Wind, they actually explored the "Mist Belt" where the Myriad Domains and the otherworld met—the energy there belonged neither to the Myriad Domains nor to the otherworld, like a forgotten blank space.

"What lies within the Mist Belt?" The seed's Shared-Heart Flower trembled gently, a "curiosity wave" emanating from the new roots stored within the Memory Light Stone.

The giant deer had caught up unnoticed, the glowing letters on its antlers still attached, each one rustling softly in the wind. "That place is the ' Unnamed Land,'" the giant deer's voice echoed through the canyon, "It is said to hold the 'first thought' before the birth of all worlds—not laws, not energy, but simply the most primal impulse to 'exist.'"

This answer, like a pebble thrown into River of Light, stirred ripples in the hearts of the three and one. Qingxian's zither strings suddenly vibrated spontaneously, producing an "out-of-tune melody," a melody devoid of the frequencies of the Twin Realms, containing only "pure joy," which resonated strangely with the humming echoing from the Echo Stone; on Yanche's resonator dial, the pattern of the Shared-Heart Flower suddenly cracked, revealing a "blank background," as if saying, "The starting point of all resonance is 'nothingness'"; Luoyu's sketchbook opened automatically, the pen tip drawing "a blurry ball of light" on the paper, a light containing neither the outlines of Myriad Domains nor the patterns of other worlds, yet instantly evoking "the original self."

"How about... we go take a look?" The seed's roots gently tugged at Qingxian's sleeve. In the Memory Light Stone of the Shared-Heart Flower, a scene suddenly flashed before her eyes: the seed "timidly peeking out" when it first sprouted. It turns out that courage never appears out of thin air; it is the power accumulated from each thought of "wanting to take a look."

Qingxian closed the violin case, and the wood grain of the instrument, reflected in the River of Light, revealed "guiding patterns of light." "Then let's go take a look." Her voice carried a smile, as if responding to her own initial curiosity when she first stepped into the Realm of Taiji, "After all, our journey is a story of 'following the roots.'"

Yanche adjusted the resonator's energy to the "lowest setting," so that the instrument only emitted a "silent, indistinct light." "This time, no recording, no analysis," he patted the seed's tender sprout, "Just treat it as a walk, see what surprises are hidden in 'nothingness'."

Luoyu tucked the sketchbook into her bosom, then picked up a petal from Shared-Heart Flower and slipped it into her sleeve. "The best paintbrush is the eye, the truest story is feeling." She gazed towards the Mist Belt, where the blank spaces seemed to breathe softly. "Perhaps we can find 'the first sentence of every story' there."

The giant deer bowed its head, its roots intertwining with those of the seeds. "I will guide you to the edge of the Mist Belt," it said. From its antlers, the last luminous letter floated up, transforming into a "guiding butterfly of light." "The luminous patterns within will tell you: if you get lost, follow the thought of 'wanting to exist'—it will never lie to you."

Following the direction of the new roots deeper into the canyon, the water of the River of Light gradually becomes clearer. On the pebbles at the bottom, the shadows of the new roots and the shadows of light patterns are playing a "chasing game." The Echo Stone on the rock walls become denser, and their humming blends together to form a "song without lyrics." Between the lyrics, one can hear the "rustling" sound of new roots growing in the soil, like countless pens writing "new Root Language."

At the end of the canyon, the Mist Belt like a giant veil between heaven and earth. At the edge of the veil, tender shoots of new roots cautiously probe in, and with each inch they advance, the veil reveals "different light": sometimes the morning light of Myriad Domains, sometimes the starlight of another world, sometimes a "gentle color that is neither bright nor dark," as if adjusting the "rhythm" for the intruders.

The light butterfly was the first to fly into the Mist Belt, the light patterns on its wings transforming into "flowing signposts." The seed took a deep breath, allowing its main root to gently touch the veil, following the path of its new roots—there was no obstacle as expected, only "a coolness like passing through morning mist." Immediately, "countless tiny thoughts" came from the tips of the roots, like countless seeds simultaneously saying in their hearts, "I want to sprout, I want to bloom, I want to see the outside world..."

Qingxian, Yanche, and Luoyu exchanged a glance and stepped into the Mist Belt at the same time. The Shared-Heart Flower Sea behind them gradually blurred, but the light butterfly signposts in front of them grew brighter and brighter, and the direction of the new roots in the soil under their feet became clearer and clearer - they were no longer attached to "Myriad Domains" or "other worlds", but only grew towards "the place where the thought is the strongest", like a group of children chasing fireflies, pure and passionate.

The seed's Shared-Heart Flower gently bloomed in the mist. This time, there was no boundary between the Myriad Domains and other worlds on the petals, only "a uniform white." In the Memory Light Stone at the flower's heart, all the thoughts of "wanting to exist" were stored. It suddenly understood that the so-called "Unnamed Land" was not a specific place, but "the 'beginning' of all that exists in the heart"—like the child's joy when clutching their first piece of candy, the traveler's anticipation when embarking on the first journey, all hidden in this white, so pure it made one's heart tremble.

The Boundless Wind pierced through the mist, carrying the scent of new roots, blowing ever farther. Hidden within the wind was a new invitation: not "Come here," but "Take your 'beginning' and go wherever you wish."

The Qingxian notes of the zither, the Yanche of the instruments, the soft laughter of Luoyu, and the rustling of seeds and roots growing—all these intertwine with countless thoughts of "wanting to exist," weaving a "new Root Language" in the mist—a language without shape or sound, yet understood by all who hear it:

The road ahead is long, and the direction of the roots is the direction of the heart.

The white of the Mist Belt is not nothingness, but "a container for all possibilities." When the figures of Qingxian, Yanche, Luoyu, and the seeds completely merge into this white, the "soil" beneath their feet suddenly becomes soft, like stepping on "a condensed River of Light." The direction of the new roots loses its meaning here—they no longer grow towards a fixed point, but spread out like "dandelion fluff," with each root tip bearing "a tiny thought." When a thought moves, the roots tremble gently, as if building a framework for "the being to be born."

The Shared-Heart Flower of the seed gradually became transparent in the white, leaving only the Memory Light Stone in the center of the flower still shining. The thought of "wanting to exist" within the Memory Light Stone began to ferment, like dough being kneaded into countless folds, each fold hiding "new possibilities": some thoughts wanted to become "singing stones," some wanted to transform into "winds that can see emotions," and some thoughts were particularly simple, just wanting to "be a leaf that is forever basking in the sun."

"It turns out that ' the Primordial Thought ' wasn't a single idea, but rather 'the cradle of countless thoughts.'" The roots of a seed gently touched a thought that "wanted to become a leaf," and that thought immediately transformed into a "tender green bud," unfurling in the white. The veins of the leaf bore a striking resemblance to the Memory Grass of the Myriad Domains, yet it also possessed "the luminous patterns of otherworldly Shadow Leaf"—it was neither a replica nor a creation, but simply "naturally grew into the form it 'wanted to become.'"

Qingxian sat on the ground, which resembled River of Light, her fingertips tracing patterns in the air, leaving behind "traces of interwoven light and darkness." These traces did not dissipate; instead, they resembled "transparent strings," stringing together the scattered Primordial Thought within the whiteness. When she gently plucked them, the strings emitted "a sound purer than Echo Stone," and each Primordial Thought trembled in response: the thought of "wanting to become a stone" began to coalesce into "a shape with holes," allowing sound to swirl within; the thought of "wanting to become the wind" became light, weaving between the strings, collecting different sounds; the bud of "wanting to become a leaf" grew even faster, its tip topped with a "tiny dewdrop," reflecting the shadows of all the Primordial Thought around it.

"The most authentic melody is 'letting each thought sing its own tune.'" Qingxian looked at the dewdrops on the leaf, where the Primordial Thought were "dancing with their shadows," and suddenly thought of the two poles of the Realm of Taiji —back then, she thought opposition was the norm, but now she understood that the essence of all differences was "the Primordial Thought searching for their own voices." Just like the strings of this white instrument, it was never meant to "unify the tone," but to let each note know. "You can be different, but you are important."

Yanche's Two-World Resonator was placed on the ground, no longer requiring adjustment of the knobs. The Shared-Heart Flower pattern on the instrument's surface fully unfolded, revealing the "flowing blankness" within. Those Primordial Thought scattered in the white space would "manifest clearer outlines" as long as they approached the resonator: a thought that "wanted to become a bridge" grew in the blankness into a form that was "half wood and stone of the Myriad Domains, and half light patterns of another world"; a thought that "wanted to record time" transformed into a "clock without hands," the pendulum's swing frequency perfectly matching the growth rhythm of the new roots.

"The origin of creation is 'allowing Primordial Thought to choose her own form.'" Yanche looked at the outline of the Twin Realms Bridge, where the "texture of the Root Language Network" automatically emerged. He suddenly realized how superfluous his past "designs" had been—like putting a mold on Primordial Thought, forgetting that they already knew "what they should grow into." The resonator was now more like a "mirror," allowing Primordial Thought to see "the form she most wanted to become," and this, perhaps, was "what creation should do most."

Luoyu's sketchbook transforms into "flowing paper" in the white space, allowing the Primordial Thought to "leave traces directly on the paper": the thought of "wanting to be the wind" sweeps across the paper, leaving "ripples carrying warmth"; the thought of "wanting to be a stone" falls on the paper, pressing out "echoing indentations"; most touching is the bud that "wants to be a leaf," which traces its own veins on the paper, and within the veins seeps out "a story of Twin Realms"—how the sunlight of Myriad Domains passes through the mist of another world, and how the shadowy Shadow Leaf of another world understand the poetry of Myriad Domains.

"The ultimate goal of recording is to let the Primordial Thought write their own story." Luoyu watched as the marks on the paper gradually merged into "a picture without boundaries." The picture contained no labels of "Myriad Domains" or "other worlds," only "existence" itself: bridges connecting roads, roads leading to rivers, leaves floating in the river, and wind resting on the leaves... She suddenly realized that her past "observations" were all bound by preconceived frameworks, and this blank page told her: the best way to record is to "let go of the framework and let the story flow naturally."

The giant deer's light butterfly guide spread out in the white expanse, transforming into "countless tiny light sources," each illuminating a single Primordial Thought. When the light sources converged, a "vast network of roots" suddenly appeared in the white expanse—a network older and purer than the root network of the Twin Realms, its veins devoid of any "marks of the world," containing only the "Primordial Thought of 'wanting to connect'." The instant the seed's roots touched this network, all the Shared-Heart Flower bloomed simultaneously, the thoughts within the Memory Light Stone merging with the Primordial Thought within the network, transforming into "transparent rain" that fell upon every corner of the white expanse.

"This is the ' Origin Root Network '." The giant deer's voice came from the rain, carrying the gentleness of all worlds before their birth. "All Root Language, all connections, will eventually return here—not to find answers, but to remember that 'we were always connected'."

After the rain stopped, the Primordial Thought in Baili began to "greet each other": the bridge invited the wind to "sing in my holes," the clock asked the leaves to "be my hands," and the stone asked the bridge to "use me as a pier." Their interaction did not follow any rules, but naturally formed a "symbiotic relationship," just like children playing house, intuitively knowing "how to play together."

Qingxian, Yanche, and Luoyu sat on the "original intention node" of the Origin Root Network, watching the Primordial Thought slowly manifest their forms: light patterns grew in the wood and stone of the bridge, leaf veins were wrapped around the pendulum rope of the bell, and wind lived in the holes of the stone... These new beings belonged neither to the Myriad Domains nor to other worlds. They were "children of Twin Realms coexistence", carrying the purity of all Primordial Thought and the connection of the Root Network.

The seed's roots have completely merged with the Origin Root Network, and its Shared-Heart Flower has now grown into a "transparent tree." The Memory Light Stone on its branches are filled with "the laughter of the Primordial Thought." The tree's shadow, cast in the white, overlaps with the Twin-Leaf Tree of the Myriad Domains and the Shadow -Shadow Leaf Tree of another world, as if to say, "All trees are originally the same tree."

"It's time to go back." Qingxian gently plucked the strings of the light and dark zither, and the sound waves carried the "goodbye" of the Primordial Thought.

Yanche put away the resonator, and in the blank space on the instrument's surface, there was now "a tiny Primordial Thought," as if saying, "I will follow you and see the outside world."

The flowing paper in the Luoyu transformed back into a sketchbook, the last page depicting "the appearance of the Origin Root Network," with the words "The beginning and the end of the story are in the same place" written next to it.

As their figures departed the Unnamed Land, in the whiteness behind them, new beings began to "create their own stories": a bell hung on the bridge, leaves drifted beneath the bell, wind swirled around the leaves, and the wind carried the song of stones... The light of the Origin Root Network flowed gently beneath their feet, transforming "I" into "we," and "Primordial Thought" into "eternity."

The seed looked back and saw that the sprout that "wanted to become a leaf" had grown into a "Xinye that was half green and half silver," and the dew on the tip of the leaf reflected the shape of its blooming flower.

It turns out that all journeys are ultimately for "returning home with our original aspirations." And home is never a fixed place; it is the warmth where all Primordial Thought converge, the peace of mind where all roots are connected, and the echo hidden deep within our Origin Root Network:

"As long as you are here, I am here, and we are here."

The Boundless Wind, carrying new stories, gently moving towards the next patch of white where "the desire to exist" resides.