The Sails of the First Thoughts' Journey
Before the warmth of the family recognition ceremony had even faded, countless "transparent sails" floated on the surface of the River of Light. These sails were woven from the veins of the Origin Root Network, and their surfaces were imprinted with the "Primordial Thought imprints" of the newly born beings of the Twin Realms: Qiaofeng's sail had flowing musical notes, Yezhong's sail had a swaying pendulum, Shinian's sail had densely packed map coordinates.
"It's the ' First Thought Expedition '!" Luoyu pointed to the largest sail at the front of the group of sails, on which were written in the Root Language: "Go and see the Root Network further away." The Giant Deer's light butterfly guide was flying around the large sail, and the light patterns on its wings cast "arrows of direction" on the water's surface—it turned out that these newly born beings were learning from the seed's original form, wanting to follow the trajectory of the Origin Root Network to explore the unknown beyond the Twin Realms.
The translucent shadows of the seeds swayed gently on the banks of the River of Light. From the Memory Light Stone on the branches, a slightly trembling song drifted from the Qiaofeng: "I will hide the melody from afar in the wind and bring it back..." The sound of the swinging rope of the Yezhong was also mixed in, the rhythm half a beat faster than usual, as if to hide nervousness; Shinian silently stuffed a "pebble with a map" into each canvas bag, the back of the stone engraved with "the coordinates of the Origin Root Network".
Qingxian gave Qiaofeng the "zither with primordial patterns," a new "mark of interwoven light and darkness" newly engraved on its body. "This mark can help you remember the melody of the Twin Realms," she said, gently plucking the strings. The music flowed along the River of Light towards the sails. "Wherever you go, as long as you play the notes from this mark, you will hear the echo of home."
Yanche equipped each sail with a "mini resonator," the instrument's pointer always pointing in the direction of the "Origin Root Network." "If you get lost, let the pointer guide you back," he patted the Yezhong clock, and the pendulum immediately swung steadily twice. "Don't worry about not having enough time; the rhythm of root growth is the best clock."
Luoyu added a "blank map" to Shinian's sketchbook, with a small Shared-Heart Flower drawn in the corner. "When you encounter a new root network, draw it," she said with a smile, adding a dot next to the flower. "This dot represents me. When you come back, we'll fill in the map together."
A leaf, carrying the essence of all existence, fell from the transparent tree of the seed. The Root Language on the leaf shimmered in the sunlight. "The journey is not to leave, but to return with more stories." The tip of the leaf drifted toward the sail, transforming into "a tiny flag," the pattern on which was "a photograph of the transparent tree and the Two Realms Root Network."
As the first Boundless Wind rises, the sails slowly drift away from the banks of the River of Light. Qiaofeng plays a newly learned tune on the large sails, the sound of the zither mingling with the sound of the River of Light; Yezhong's swing rope sways with the rhythm of the sails, keeping a "unhurried beat" for the departing team; Shinian lies on the edge of the sail, drawing "intermittent lines" on the water with pebbles, as if recording the trajectory of the journey in advance.
The beings of Twin Realms came to see them off: the dewdrops of Memory Grass spelled out the Root Language "Bon Voyage" on the shore; the Shadow Leaf formed "Changing Road Signs" in the air; the Light Stone Clan threw "Glowing Star Core Stone" into the sails, which landed on the sails and transformed into "Small Lamps for Nighttime Light." On the antlers of the Giant Deer, the last beam of light flew towards the sails, transforming into "Messengers that Can Convey Thoughts."
"Remember to write often!" The transparent shadow of the seed waved its branches on the shore, and the Memory Light Stone preserved the receding silhouettes of the sails.
Watching the sails disappear around the bend of the River of Light, Qingxian, Yanche, and Luoyu walked back along the veins of the Origin Root Network. In the flow of the River of Light, there were still some "sail flakes left behind by the wind", the imprints of their Primordial Thought on the flakes shimmering in the sunlight, like countless beating hearts.
"What kind of root network do you think they will encounter?" Luoyu picked up a piece of sail floss, the Root Language on it still carrying the warmth of the Qiaofeng.
Inside the Qingxian soundbox of the violin, the strings suddenly vibrated gently, producing a "strange melody." "Perhaps we'll encounter a 'root network that communicates through color,'" she listened intently to the message in the music, "Or perhaps a 'root network that resonates through silence,' but whatever we encounter, that violin will help them find a common tune."
As Yanche's resonator passed the intersection of the Origin Root Network, the hands suddenly began to jump violently. A "blurred image" appeared on the dial: a flock of sails passing through a "floating cloud of roots," with the roots within the cloud weaving a "welcoming ring" around the sails. "Looks like they've met new friends," he smiled, adjusting the hands. "The resonator will record these images, and when they return, we can watch them together."
In the transparent shadows of the seeds, some "new branches" suddenly appeared, and the Memory Light Stone on the branches began to automatically record "messages from afar": there was the excited singing of the Qiaofeng when it encountered the "singing root network", the surprised chimes of the Yezhong when it discovered the "root network with different time flow rates", and the rustling brushstrokes of the Shinian when it drew the "spiral root network".
These messages traveled back to the Twin Realms along the Origin Root Network, causing the new flowers in the Shared-Heart Flower Sea to sway gently. The Memory Light Stone on the petals wove the messages into "Stories from Afar," telling them to every passing being. Soon, more "tiny sails" appeared on the banks of the River of Light —these were the little creatures of the Twin Realms, imitating the First Thought Expedition, using roots and veins to make "miniature boats," Simulation a long voyage in the shallow waters, humming the tunes carried back by the Qiaofeng.
"It seems the seed of a long journey has already sprouted in their hearts." Luoyu looked at the little ones' earnest expressions and added another drawing of a "mini fleet" to her sketchbook, with the caption "Courage is contagious."
Qingxian sat beneath the transparent tree, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the strings of her zither. The music gradually merged with the pulse of the Origin Root Network, weaving an "invisible sound bridge" across the River of Light. The distant sails seemed to sense this sound wave; the zither music of the Qiaofeng traveled back along the sound bridge, intertwining with Qingxian's music to form a "chorus that transcends distance."
Yanche built a "message tower" at the intersection of the Origin Root Network. The resonators on the tower can collect Root Language from afar and then spread them to every corner through the root network of the Twin Realms. At this moment, the light at the top of the tower is burning hot, and the "Star-Shaped Root Network" pattern that Shinian drew is slowly rotating in the light, attracting countless beings to stop and watch.
Days flowed slowly in "waiting and anticipation," the water level of the River of Light rose and fell, the Shared-Heart Flower Sea bloomed and withered, and the branches of the Transparent Tree were covered with "Memory Light Stone from afar." Until one morning, the Boundless Wind suddenly brought a "familiar scent"—the sound of the Qiaofeng's zither, more steady than before, mixed with "unfamiliar melodies"; the sound of the Yezhong's pendulum, its rhythm now imbued with "new cadence"; and the sound of the Shinian's pebbles scraping across the ground, more powerful than before.
"They're back!" The transparent tree shadows of the seeds shook violently, and the Memory Light Stone on the branches lit up at the same time, spreading the message throughout the Twin Realms.
At the bend in the River of Light, the silhouettes of the sails gradually became clear. Countless new marks had been added to the Root Language on the large sails; the strings of the unfamiliar root network were wrapped around the Qiaofeng's zither; the pendulum of the Yezhong was tied with sand from different times; and Shinian's sketchbook had doubled in thickness, filled with "root networks of various shapes." Most surprisingly, "some new small sails" followed behind the sails—those were the beings of the distant root networks, drawn by the stories of the Primordial Thought, wanting to come and see the Twin Realms.
As the sails approached the shore, the Qiaofeng immediately played the "trace of light and darkness intertwined," the music blending the melody of the Twin Realms with the rhythm of the distant lands, causing the flowers in the Shared-Heart Flower Sea of flowers to bend low; the pendulum of the Yezhong swayed steadily three times, and the bell itself emitted the "time song of the distant root network," perfectly coinciding with the rhythm of the roots of the Twin Realms; Shinian opened his sketchbook, the latest page depicting "the appearance of all the root networks connected," like a giant root flower blooming in the void.
Qingxian, Yanche, and Luoyu stepped forward, looking at these "grown-up Primordial Thought," and suddenly understood: true growth is about "carrying the imprint of home, encountering more possibilities, and then bringing more possibilities home."
The Boundless Wind rose again, carrying the scent of the distant Root Network and the warmth of the Twin Realms, sailing towards a wider void. The new companions on the sails curiously observed the Shared-Heart Flower Sea; Shinian held pebbles, explaining the "map of the Two Realms Root Network" to them; Qiaofeng taught the distant Sylph how to "play that trace of interwoven light and darkness"; and beside Yezhong's pendulum, a circle of "bells from different time flows" enthusiastically discussed "how to make rhythm a friend."
The transparent shadows of the seeds stretched out in the sunlight, and in the Memory Light Stone on the branches, the stories of the Primordial Thought ' journeys were stored, as well as the curiosity of the new companions upon their arrival. It knew that these stories would transform into "new sails," carrying more Primordial Thought to distant places, and the root network of the Twin Realms would be like an ever-open door, waiting for them to return with new stories.
Just like the song in the Qingxian goes. "The so-called world is nothing more than a net woven from countless thoughts of 'wanting to go home'."
The direction of the Boundless Wind is always towards "places with stories".