Primitive Age of Xianxia (Honghuang style xianxia story)

[Daoist Dreamwalker]

Chunks of solid rock, hardened by the dense energy of the primitive world tumbled down into both sand and ocean. Though they seemed ordinary, each piece of granite was sturdier than entire planets.

Yet Da Hai's fists casually sunk into these pieces of stone effortlessly. He tore away at the cliffside and tossed away unnecessary rubble.

Like this, he carved away at the cliff face quickly and efficiently, digging a hole into the centre of the structure.

The Heavenly Lord narrowed his eyes at the dark coloured rock carefully. His divine senses had already informed him of the powerful, albeit not uncommon treasure that lay within.

Da Hai reached out with his right hand. His palm sunk into the final piece of stone grabbing hold of a spiritual object. Feeling the smooth yet dirty surface of his objective, Da Hai pulled his arm out.

He shook off the excess dirt and eyed the piece of jade he held. It was a spectacular pair of jade. Once cleansed of dirt, it displayed a marvellous white sheen that sparkled under the light of countless stars.

Da Hai breathed in the emanating Qi rich air and nodded with a rare smile of satisfaction. "Yes, you are the one," he muttered.

The jade he held in his hand, though beautiful, wasn't that special when compared to the resources both he and Zulong had stored over the years. In fact, it was a fairly new object that the world had just given birth to, not worth putting in the same mention as xiantian spiritual treasures.

Those spiritual objects were nurtured for countless years and absorbed the raw Primordial Qi and even Chaotic Qi. This pair of jade could only really serve as jewellery in its current form.

Both pieces of jades were linked by a small chain. A joint connection that emphasised a destined link between both objects. The pieces were also similar yet different. One was slightly large than the other, while the smaller one had a greater lustre.

Da Hai examined both pieces carefully, he can't make a mistake in this stage, the correct piece had to be identified. He sat cross legged midair and meditated.

Not far from him, the unidentifiable figure of the Heavenly Dao's body appeared. It cross its arms and impatiently tapped its feet in the air.

However, Da Hai kept his eyes shut. He carefully examined the energy patterns from both pieces of jade. The vital Qi from each object resembled a faint wisp, a not dissimilar existence than a soul.

In fact, it was a premature soul. A partially formed embryonic form of a living being. In this manner, the jades contained within the cliff was being incubated.

When Da Hai found them moments ago, they would've just been immature embryos rather than fully formed connate lifeforms.

This process was how innate gods and creatures were born. They were all connate lifeforms, fully formed living beings from birth, born out of the energy of heaven and earth. They had no parents and no childhoods, they simply were from the beginning.

Wangshu, Hongjun, Zulong, Da Hai, the ancestors of the myriad clans were all the same. Creatures incubated by the world or the chaos and born into existence after many years.

In many ways, they were cousins to xiantian spiritual treasures. The only difference was that one gained a true Soul and thus status as a living being.

True souls were not souls, but souls can come from true Souls. Strictly speaking, an individual's true Soul did not belong them. The true soul existed within the universe, or chaos world's River of Destiny, a conceptual place that was difficult to traverse. A soul can extinguish in an instant but a true soul was much more resilient. True souls can only expire naturally if the universe they belong to perish.

At the same time, they were what generated regular souls of men and animals. As such they were also what kept someone in the cycle of reincarnation. An existence that maintained birth, death, and rebirth.

When one broke into the Golden Immortal realm, one must pull their true souls out of that river hence gaining control of their true souls. In this way, the Golden Immortal tribulation was in fact a tug of war between a Heavenly Immortal and the River of Destiny.

For innate gods however, these people were born in ownership of their true souls. Their true souls developed within them from the get go and was never a part of the River of Destiny.

The soul developing within the two pieces of jade were primitive true souls. These weren't just connate lifeforms but future innate gods.

After a while, Da Hai opened his eyes. He raised the smaller piece of jade in contemplation. "Who would've guessed it'll be you," he sighed and took a look at the Heavenly Dao's avatar.

"I'm going to begin now," without hesitation, Da Hai began chanting mid air. The Heavenly Dao watched in confusion as it witnessed Da Hai seemingly return to cultivation.

Perhaps he was just trying to get a good handle on his future student, this was the Heavenly Dao's thought. As such, sick of waiting, the will of the primitive world turned its attention away from the sea god. Its body disappeared from the great wilderness

…

Deep as ocean, still as ice, vast like the starry expanse, narrow like a corridor.

Drip, drip, drip.

The road I seek is an ever distant one. The path to power I see is not one of domination nor one of inaction. I wish to follow along and do as the road do. Walk as the road walks, turn as the path turns.

My eyes see the goal, I know where it is, I know what I want to achieve. But it is so far out of reach, it remains in my eyes taunting me forever distant away from me.

I came into this world clueless and erratic, confused and lost. I came into this world imperfect despite my body's perfection. I was a corrupted godfiend from the start.

Yet I too have found a path worth traversing. I seek perfection through this path. I shall walk it to the ends of the earth, become the existence that is both near and far.

Like an ocean in the horizon, I am in view yet out of reach.

An ocean forever distant from this world.

…

The primitive world, this universe forged by Pangu's hands is unique among chaos worlds. Born out of the corpses of countless higher dimensional lifeforms, it is the culmination of numerous vast Daos.

Unlike other chaos worlds, it is both grand and eternal, just like the chaos sea. But it is also immature and growing. It is not the Three Realms mentioned in ancient legends.

This jade I hold is one who holds great destiny. He is the son of heaven destined to be the most powerful man in the universe. Whether he be strong or not is irrelevant in relation to his role.

Ordinarily, he will grow and come into his own. Whether he naturally be born and train under the Heavenly Dao's watch as a prince raised by man, an assistant hired by the Heavenly Lord of the Primordial Beginnings, or a bell boy for the Dao Ancestor's Zixiao Palace. All roads lead to the empyrean's throne.

Reigning above the world from the thirty three heavens. You should've been left alone as you were.

But I cannot allow that. You will be crucial in the future battles. I have lost hope of surpassing them. But I don't necessarily need to be the one to fight them. A united heaven under your command is one of the factors that could do it.

But, I don't know you. I don't trust you. And I can't risk getting to know you.

I am the world's worse scumbag. To see my own grievances through, I wanted others to do what I could not. But as I prepared them I realised I could not do it. I could not raise sacrificial pawns. So I have decided to use myself.

So I.

I…

I am…

Ah…

I am sorry for what I'm about to do to you, Haotian.

My mind cleared and my heart beats smoothly. My grip on the jade tightened as tears shed from my eyes. Sorry, your majesty.

...
…
A̷͚͋͌͂̏̐ḻ̴̳̝̲̦̮̈͑͗̊̈́̒͝r̵͎̐̑̀͛͒̚͜i̶͖̼̝̓̐g̵̱̗̦̫̏́h̷͇̠̫̆̋t̴̻̞̞̍̍͑̂̏͠͠,̴̫͓́ ̷̗͗̅͛n̴̩̣̈̾́̈ö̴̼̫̼̩̋͌w̶̯̥̱͉̗͍̃̈ ̴̧̛̙̩̺̣̩̈́̚ẙ̶̼͚̌o̵̗̅͜ṷ̸̧̠͎̝͗͐̃̌̿̚'̷̢̧̝̬̆v̸͍͠e̵̢̢͈̻͕̣̙͒́͒ ̴̫͌͊͒̈͛͂c̷͇͈͐̽a̵͙̟͗̏̚ǔ̸̢͚̤͓̝̐̇͘g̸̢̖̠̤̭̻̓̒̉̈́̓h̶̛̳̳̰͖̹͓̍̐̃̍̂͂t̴̛̥̭͈̦̓͠ ̵͍̹̬̠͈̊ṁ̸͎͎̝̘̱̰̟́͂̃͋͘y̶̘̜̯̋̐ ̷̬͉͚̝̯̀̀̐̎̂̃f̷̱̳̻͇͕͖̀͑̃̉̕u̴̢̥͈̜̬̍͂l̷̢̤̰̋͑̀̄͋̃̈́ͅl̸̢̝͙̗͍̾͒́̈́͘͜ ̵̨̈́̆a̴̳̠̼͒̃͌̍̿̚̕t̴̮̍͋̈͑̇͌͝t̷̞͌͊͋̽̊̚͠ê̴̦̼̒ņ̴͚͚̼͐̂̌́͠t̶̖̟͔̓̾̚͜į̷̖̹͊̉ǫ̷̧̤̦́̽̀͘͜ǹ̸̛̳̺̞͉.̷̜̒͊ ̸̠͖͙̱̻͛̒͛̒Ḧ̸̡͚̱͓̦̐ȯ̴̱͗͑̏̔͝ǹ̴̤̲͔͉̙͔̊ē̷̙͎̬̪̻̏̎̈́͝ͅs̵̨̰̟̖͓͍͌̂̔̎̈͜t̴̢̪̻̭̀̂̔̑͜ľ̵̤̫͆̈ỳ̸̡͍͎̦̟̜͒́̐̑͝͠ ̵̲͙̪̝͈͗̕w̶̪̽̾̄͊̈â̵̭̽͛s̸͍̋̒̏n̷̰̓͐̿̒'̷̹͓̬̗̹͉͂͒͗̈́̀͝ͅt̵̲̮̟͔͖̩͚́̅̀͑̒̀ ̶͒͆̾͠͠͝ͅę̸̰̩̳̾x̷̡̤̖̠̠̾̏̈̿̚ṕ̵̬͈͕̩̳͑̉̚͠e̵͚̬̝̝̗̾c̶̣͕̲̓̑͊͊̕͜͜t̸̮̏̓̌͛͠i̵̜̲͛́̓̆̅͆n̴̠̹͈͖̣̐̌ģ̴̯̍͑ ̸̖͎̐ỷ̸̛͚̳͔̖͗́̌͘͠ŏ̵͍͕͇̥̗ú̸͉̱̹͂͜͝ ̷̯̭͈̫̗̙̿̀t̴͚͒͂̒͝ḫ̸̡̜̦̫̪̓̑̈́̾̌͑̕ō̶͚̫̇̈͊u̴̬̯̹͑̐̕ġ̸̢̢̟̩̻̱̠̃̑̌ḫ̵͔̞̀͆.̶̲͖͇́̐͑͊́ ̶̱̺̂͌͑͆́͆͘Ẅ̷̢̺̮̻́͌a̶̝̰̎͗͛̅͝ͅs̵̞͖͐͐́͂́ͅ ̶͉̮̾̈ͅh̷̫̳́̍́a̴͇̭̲͎͍̼͗l̷̰͈̤͇̻̻̇̊̈́͆̋̅̕f̶̟́̊͑̀ ̸̧̩̗̋̆̑̆̾̐̀ė̷̮̻̲̞͎ͅx̷͚̾̄̈́p̸̧̯͙̤̹͈̼̈́̇e̷̛̖̳̱̹̥̞c̴̛̝̳̾̄̇̚͝͝t̴̖͋̿î̷͕͌͜͝n̷͍̖͉̈́̊̄͠g̶̥̞̫̪̕ ̷̙͒̉͋̚͠͝a̴̙͇̙͇̅͂̂̉́͠ ̶͉̱̫̝͍̞̜̒̃̐̚͠c̵̳̟̥̯̩̱̒͑̐̇̓͠r̷̞̞̱̪̥̜̣͌̾̍͗̓̂i̸͙̦͕̙̓̑̈̀̕n̶͍̺̱͐̽g̴̜͉̻͕̫̮̅̃͌̿͂̋̈́y̴̨͎̅͛̔ ̷̨͇̳͇͈͕͛̌̍͝͝ͅp̸̢̻͔͆̈́̈ö̷̗͈̺̗̘̭̀̓͘͝ẅ̸̤̟͔̱́̉̀̓̆͝͝é̶̜̻̟͔̜͕͑͂̄́̑͌ͅŗ̷͓̟̞͇̙̈́̅ ̵̡̥͙̋̌͠͠ṫ̷̻̇̌̌̊r̷͖̮̪͉͓̆̎̐̕ǐ̵͍̙͚̦̥̤͜p̴̤̲͋͛̊͊̈́̚ ̸̡̥̤͐̏̈͋͐̈́k̶̡͕̪̲̬̾n̸̲̫͔͖̒͗ŏ̵̢̢̺̙̍̉͒w̷̦͐͒i̵̱͖̗͛ņ̷̩̯̥̝̻̾̈́͘ģ̸̡̩̩̰̙͊̕ ̵̖͂͑́m̶̳̦͉̺̈́̉͑̍ỹ̴͖̱̯̖̓̋ ̵͍̿͒ẏ̸̡̘̭̩̺̘̣͂͂o̷͕̫͖̖͓̞̍ȕ̵̪͈̭͆̊͝n̶͍̔̂̓́̚g̶̡̬͈̼͉̪͆̅͘ͅȩ̶̖̮̞̉ͅr̵̟̯̟̫̮͚̤̊̂͝ ̶͓͑̓̌̒̔s̸̼̗̫͖͉̥͗́̈̂͘͠ͅê̸͉̠̖͔͒͜ĺ̴̨̮̾͜ḟ̵̟̣̣̩̪̤̊͐͗̏́̿.̸̡͙̺̙̄̉̒̕͜ ̸̳͔͈̙͒̍B̴̨̳̘̲͛̈́̍͑̅͆͝ǘ̷̘͓͜t̵̹̮̬̩̳͍͗ ̴͖͍͍̗̎̅͑y̴̗͒̓̆̓̾͊ͅo̵̙̟̟̼̦̾̆͌u̴͙͉̼̯̗͇̬͆͗̊͆̇̑͗ ̵̮͑̾̿̈̒̈́c̶̨̨̺̭̯͚̐͒͗̀͝͝ͅĕ̶̳̠͙̓̅̒̅͠r̵̭̓̃́͂̐ṭ̶͔̳͖̼̆̿͛̔͒͗͠a̴̬͉̺̘̠͆͝i̶̹̣̯͐n̷̝̤̺̫͒̑̀̇͊͘l̷̠̇͋̎̽ÿ̵̧̡̱́́̿͋͌ ̸̢̜͈̀s̸̲̗͕̗̞̱̈́̆̾̕u̷̼͉̝̓̽͒́̕̕r̶̹͕̻̈́̂̔̐p̸͕̭͓̯̈́̏̒̈́͗r̶̩̈́̀͒̔̋i̶̢̟͔͗s̶͖͂̒͊̃ė̵̢̲̠̘̫͈͐́͋̈́͗͑d̸̪͉̲̖͌̾ ̸̭̭̗̱̺̃͊̚̚m̷̮͗̈́͝ë̶̗̜͚̲̲́́̊͝͝͠͠.̸͕͍͙͔̫͒̇͑̈́͂̚͠
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̴̛̬̜̅̋͛
̶̥͝
̵̛͖͕̻̞͕͒̾̿̊H̶̙̩̍̋̏o̶͉̳̞̻͒̿ń̷̮̓e̷̘͈̦͚̱͚͐̎̊̎́͘͝s̸̠̜̯̻̱̈ẗ̴͚̥̲̘̻͝l̴̜̤̩̑̈́̿̀̕̕͜y̵̨̥̿͛̇͒̚,̶̥͙͑̒̒̄̿̿̚ ̴̭̘̫͙̥̄̾͂͜͝ẁ̵͚͑̈́̑̌̚ḩ̴̭̯̩̝̤̥͗̃̌͋͝ą̸̨̲̭͓͎̔͒̈́͋͆̚t̷̛̻͚͓̝̝̾̆̀̄͘ ̶̧̨̝̥͛͊͆̓̀̕̚ä̴̰̰̫̥͉̝̩́͐̉̉̄͠n̷͍̓́͗̔̾͝ ̵̠̣̩̖̫̫̄̂́̂̕͝ë̶̢̧̧̼̫̹̖ṋ̶̃͜t̵̹͙͚͋͌̍̀è̶͚̬̝̗͔͇͉̑̒r̸͍͐͒t̷̞̻͙̓̏͛̓̚̚͠ä̴͈̥́̾í̴̦̜̝̻̫͗͆͜͝ͅn̷͈̜͉͈̙̖͊̎̄̾͗ͅi̷̞͂͑n̵̡͇̈́́́̃̈́͑͠g̷̼̎̇͘̚ ̶̡̠̙͙̺̎ę̶̫͎̰̈́̒̐̀͜͝n̴̞̰͙̻̐͂͝d̷͖̟̠̫̘͉̐͊ ̶̢̛͍̥̜̜̏̅̊̍̀͝ͅm̷͎͇̱̜̗̦̉͊̆͊̀̿̚ÿ̷̛͖͍͔̻̰͉͗̆ ̶̻͍̹̬̈́ļ̶̙̝̱͇͂̌͌͊̈́͝a̷͈͐̋c̴̠̦̗͗̾͗̈͜k̴̨̢̠̪͕̻͗̇̃̇ ̷̧̖̃̆̅̇̾͂͝o̴̙̹̟̭̫͍͐̒͊͌̃́f̷̼͙̦̘̂̿̓̾̔̉͠ ̸̛̪à̸͎̗͔̘͖̫t̵̹̣̲͖͛t̶̟̥͇̻͎͗͑͠͝ͅe̴̘̝̔n̵̫͈͍͂ṭ̸̮̳̥͑̃̑́̃̔î̴͙o̸̫̾̋͆̒̓̈n̶̘͊͗̋̉ ̷̨͙̆̈́h̷̨̲͉̦̎͜͠ȧ̸̟͚̂̿̍̆͘s̴͇̗̅ ̶̛̭̟͙̭͆͒̑͒ẉ̴͓͇̳̱̅̋̈͌̀̑r̸̦̤̔̅̓́͆ö̶̟̗̳͂̄͑ͅu̸̺͍̣̲̿͆͐͝g̶͈͚̼̺͉̎̾̊͗ḩ̷̯̪̹̇t̸̮̀̌̈́͋̉̚͝.̷̖̥̤̂̀̂̑ͅ ̶̨͖͕̈́̓̅͝͠I̵̧̠̥̬͚͂͒̾ ̷͉̬͙̜̍͊l̵̨̺̝̣̰̓͊̈́̕o̴̢̢̨̝̝̜͔͆̕o̸̡̗͉̩͇͓̾̃̇̽̔̽͠k̴̖͇̅̄̒̏͊̽̕ ̴̡̻͈̫̥̈́̕͜ǎ̶̯̺̲̅̂̿͘͘w̷͔͙͌a̷̰͚̔̎̂͐̇̄̚ý̶̮̗̼͖̜͕̈́̌͐ ̵̛̼̦̇̑͒f̷͕͕̰͈̿r̴̮͓̣̂̇̚ǫ̷̢͚̙̟̐̉͗ ̸̛̤̅̐̈a̷͗̌͜ ̴̗̱͑̍͗͗̈͘̚l̸͇̣̓͝i̴̗̭͈̳͋t̴̢͉̪̣̩̪͑̀̑͐t̷̨̪̹͕̞͆̈́̀̈́͗͜l̷̗͈̑̀̀̎͊͛e̶̯̣̭͉̊͆ ̷̟̯̲̳̦͎̀̑ṫ̸̛͓̮́͂̌̚ȯ̵͎̖̞̠̫̗̱̒͗͆̈́̄́o̵͕̱̥̱͔̳͌͌͝ ̵̞̯̙͈̯̾͋̿̀̚͝l̵̝̈́͗͆̅̔o̶͚͍̯͝n̴̙̉̎̈̂ģ̴̩̗̳̫̮̋̇̆̊̑͒ ̵͉͒͒ä̷͛͆̈́͜n̴̗̅͊͑̿͛̕d̶̛͙͙̈́̑͋̀̈́ ̷̧̻̫̇̊̏͠b̵̲͈̑̿̍ȇ̵̛̼̍̄͐̔͜͠f̷͍̯̦̤͑̿o̷̫̹̤̼̣͋̈̋̃̀͋̿r̴̜͓̈́͑̇͒ë̵̢̛̬͕͔̹̍͊͆͜ ̴̨͚̾͆́̈͛̄͘͜ͅȈ̵͒̽͝ͅ ̸͕̖̥̘̬͓͙̀͑͘k̷̨̪̖͇̀͗͂̿n̴̯͆͆̍̑͠e̷̛͇͔̗͖̠͈͂̂̒̎̈́͘w̷̢̘̰̗̦̘̠͒̅̽͑̓̊ ̴̧̗̳̿̅̃͑͊͝͠ḯ̴͍̈́t̵̨̛̟̎́̓̽̾̅,̵̰̹͕̄̏̊ͅ ̶̡̜̰̳̮̌ẗ̸̹̪̰͙́͒̌ḩ̷̦̗͓͋é̵̪̮̎̑ ̵͓̅͐w̴̡̧̺͍̣̞̔͝ô̴̲̜̦̓̌r̵̙̫̞̦̝̜̦̎͝l̶̟͎̓̔̋̓d̷̨̥̘̼̯̞̗̽̐̈́̔ ̷̡̮͕͓͚̝̹̌I̸̟̙̺͈̳̪̻̾̏͂̋̕ ̴͙͔̠͖͇̝̤͆p̷͙̟̈́̏a̴̖͕̽͐̈̐̏̐̈́ī̸̧̪̜̩̙̭͌n̸̡̩̲͖̅̑̋̑̊͠s̵̺̦̹͇͕̔̒̓̃ṫ̷̟̲̝̫a̸͇̝̤͑́̓̚k̷̬̮̩͖̆̚i̶̼̟̯͍̙͛̉n̷̡̪̬̮̜̖̫̂̈̋g̴̡̳̜̭̹͙̑̂̉̈́͘l̷̛̠͓͎̬̖͂̈́̈͗̏ẏ̷̨̧̮͉͓̙͕̈́ ̸̢̦̹̙͚̥̆͝ş̸̧͔̔̿͐c̷̥̞̑̋ù̶̘͕̬̞̈́̏͆̈̐́l̶̢͓̻̥̳͖̆͛̐͊̆̚ṗ̴̢̺͇͉͙̮͕̚t̵̫̱̩̼̤̳̘̀ę̶̝̮͖͙̯͑̂d̷͇͓̠̗͕̾͒͋̍̃́̕ͅ ̷͎̘͇̘̜̏̆͋͒ͅḏ̶̢̹͔̀͂̕͝è̶̲̝͈̱̝͖͆͂͛͒ͅc̸̥̩̗̀i̷̦͖͎͖̞͑̆͆̑ͅd̶̰̜̲͈̠͔̳̓̍ẹ̸̤̱̬̺̀̇̌̋͒̽̈́d̵̛͙̺̰̱͂̑͊̉͘ ̴̭̺̇̇̏̅͘ṯ̶̲̟͛o̸͇̣͘ ̴̧̮̪̫̳̖̞̆̈́̉̃͘͝͠b̷̮̹͖͂l̷̡̟̺̯̞̜̍͊̈́ö̷̖͖́w̵̟̦̮͊͐ͅ ̷̨̟̥̘̘͇͕̄̊͝͝͝į̸̢̧͙̹̻̓̚͜ẗ̸͙́s̵̼̮̝͎͝͠ȩ̶̡̫̞͕̣͍͂̈͂̋̓l̴̩̈́̈́͌̐f̴̢̺̝̻̣̀̏̍͝͝ ̶̪͓̘͆̔̆ͅụ̴̞̙̲͕̔̾͌p̶̧̧̢̛̳̝̺̐ͅ.̷͎̂̉͝
̷̙̈̈́
̴̛̫̤̺͛̓̾̋
̶͍̈́͒̓
̷̨̨͇̘̩̓̆̃̀̈́İ̷̙̝͎͕͇̐̔̉͂͑t̸̼͖̫̫̹͆͐͐̕'̷̱̘̍̏͒̽̅s̷̛͉̠̰̍͒̌̊̚̚ ̷̋͗ͅh̴̰͑̂̔̒͑ỏ̶̳̳͐͒̿͠n̴̬͖͗͑͊͠ė̷̼̰͎͎͖͓ṣ̶͎̲̣̠̀̋̂̅͠͠t̴̞̤͛͐l̶͖̣̝̩̂y̷̬̤̖̗͕̯̹͊̓̑̌̚ ̴̡͓͉̗̊͒͑͗̀̚͘ã̴̡̙͘ ̸̟͎̺̙̳̘̠̉̇̀͆͂b̶̨̐̋̈́̀͠͝i̸̦͎͕̞̘͛͜ṫ̷͉̻̩͕͂͊̕͜͝ ̵̗̲͌̀͑̇̈́̐̚͜e̷̛̞̎̄m̷͙͚̤̞͖͍̙̐̏́͝b̴̛͕̗͓͚̞̿̾͌͠͠a̷̡̙̣̤̿̐̏̊̄̃r̸͍͊̿͂̈́̕r̷̙̬͔̦̭̀̊͌̎͛͊ͅa̶̠̜̝̯͈̋̈́̐͛́̌͝s̴̡̛̛̘̀̄̓̕ş̶̙̝̺̮̍̂̎̈̾̚i̵̪͋́͘n̴̝̱͚̄g̸̟̪͉̐ ̵̛̰̱̉̒͋̔h̷̢̻͖̘͐͋͗̇͝o̵̩̒̂̈́́͝͝͠w̵̡̢̪͇̭͈̓̂̕͝ ̴̣̬̾͠ě̴̖̥̭̲͈͎͂̽v̵̝̖̆̐͌̒̑͝ę̴͓̭̏̇̃̐͘͜r̵̡̧̨̛̲͈̔̈́͐͆̚ỵ̸͕͑͛̚͜ẗ̸̥́͆̀̅̍̚h̷̰͎̍̌̒͝͝͝i̶̜̣͊̇͝n̴̯̠̖͉̩̠͕̑̓̀g̶̨͙̟̕͠ ̵͕͖͖̠̱̟̐͐͊̏͝e̵̬̞̓̒̃n̷͇͓̰͉̫͇̑̈ḑ̶̬̀̈́͒͊͛̉̓e̴̫̜͙͔̦̼͋͂̑̽͛͝d̷̢̨̛̜̺̩̰͉̏͆͐̑͌̈́ ̸͎̝͚̝̼̍̃̆̚ų̴͙̜̜́p̴̧̭̝̖̟͌͊͝ ̸̨̲͈̯̘̈͗̈̉͛͝t̶͚̟̉̈̃̽͐͜h̷̗̥̜̔̌̔͝ǒ̸̡͎͓̙̰̯̰̋͂̈́̊u̵̻̞̱̤̍͜g̶̢̭͚̓͒̈̄͐̄ḧ̸̬̯̞̿̔̊̂͋.̸̩͈̤̯̮͖̞̋͐̌̅ ̷̘͉̼͓̥͖̲̀̾̿̐I̴̢͓̼̗̹͖͓͊̾ ̸̠̹̒̈ȟ̸̠̺͒̉͠ă̶̝̚d̵̛͍̮̲͔͙̿̆ ̷̧͎́̕n̴̥̻̕o̸͎̓ ̵̛͊̐͆́̉͝ͅi̷̘͙͝d̶̪͚͕̻̂́ͅe̴͚͓̪̲̺̊͠à̴̧͓̺̓̑̀̂ ̵͓̍̃ͅt̵̹͌h̷͎̜̀e̷̮͓͗͂ ̸̤̬̥͇̠̻͌͘͠c̷͎͕̞̱̀̾̄̓̃͝ȯ̸̙̩̮͊n̸͔̜̮̩̻̻̓t̷̜̫̬̊̔̄̌͋͘r̵͎͚̘̄̈́̀͠õ̶̢̤̬̭͓̰̹̿l̶̯͇̲͍͒̈́̐ ̶̰̫̤͊̈́͆͒̑̓͋p̸̛͖̪̩͎̳̜̈́̆̅r̵̨͚̻̼͇̐̑͘͝ͅo̴̖͙̤͕͙̣͒̽̚͝ģ̵͇̼͍̺͛ṛ̵̘͎̙̮̗̃̀̔̀̅̐̚͜á̶͓̳͍̜̮̻̚͠m̴̡̮͆̾́̾̚͠ ̸̟̹͓͕͕̀͊͌w̵̢̛͙̺̆́̍ĩ̷̢̫͎̝̬l̴͇͓̾͜l̸͓̈́̍̿̂ ̸̛̰̹͉̙̹̩͎̆́̚m̶̢̨̤̞̰̝̔͊̓͆̕͜ȁ̸̡̭̬̈́̿̂͝k̴̛̯̙̼̥͈̟͉͝ḛ̴̬̞͎̮͗͂̎͂̄ ̵͕͎̲͒͗͊̌̍͑t̴̖̿̋̐͠h̴̭̫̹̹̒̋̾̌̄i̵̢͚̲͔̮̻̍̐͊ͅṅ̸̢̟̩͙̞̦͈͂g̷̘̖̠̓͌̊͂s̴̖͎̤̈́̾́̽͗ͅ ̵̡̢͖̰͆̏̿̂͜t̸̺̞̝́͒́̌͜ͅh̴͖͓̪̻̠͠e̶̢͚͔̻̩͈̮̊́͗͘ ̴̳̞͑̉̉ẅ̶͈͚́͂̑ā̸̤̭͔̣̰̦̇̌̑̽̄ÿ̴̝̮́̈́̌́͛̓ ̷̛̙̺̀́̎̂ṯ̶̩̞̞̥͛̏͋͜h̸̻̽̀̈́́̃ę̶͔̻̭͍̲͕̏ȳ̵̖̭͐ ̸͚̈́̀͊̂ȃ̵̯̬̮͑͋͘r̸̡͙̬͙̠̓ĕ̵͇̫͚̑̀̄͠.̵̛͇̐̂̾̍ ̸̗̤̉W̷̖̖̬͔͚̆͗̕ȩ̵̨̪͉̱̬̯͆̃̑̂͂͂l̶̡͗̈́̿͐̆́̚ľ̷̞̟̞̬͙̫̻͗̃̓͘͘͝,̶̫͖̰͍̔͑̏̚͘͜ ̶̮͂̀͘I̶̧̒͑́̿ ̸͓̮̹͋̾͑͝ṣ̷̽ḧ̸̻͖̳͉̦͒̒̕̕͜ͅo̶͕̹̔̂͜ų̸̣͖͊̐͒̓̀͝l̷̨̞͇͉̳̄̏̒̔ḑ̷̩̯̏͛̆̓̈́̑̕'̴̬̪̤͎͂̊̅́̃͝v̵̰͚͒̓e̵̡̢̹̜͓͊̐̄̃ ̸̳͔̞̙̐̉e̵̫̺̩͍͙͚͋̈̈́̌͑͜͝x̵͓̲́͌͘͠ͅp̸̨͍̘͚̻͉̟̈́͐e̸̙̺͎̲͑̈́͠c̷̡̘͈͕̙̿͑͛ť̵͓̼̦͒̉͑͛̆̚e̶̛̠͊̐̄̈́̾͘d̴̢̧̮̤̈́̀̀͝ ̸͇̥͓͇͑̄̆̓i̴͙̅́̀͛t̵͎̩̥͂͛̈͌̕,̵̹̲̕ ̴̨̣̹̀͊̾̈́̄͌i̶̡̛̤̗͖̙͎͂t̴̲͖̳̫̝̲̜̅͆̒̕ ̵̨̳̼̪̤̣̋̓͑̓̈́͘w̶͔̭͔̻̤̙͛̍͊ͅa̷̧̨̨̮̠̱̋̐̏͝͝͠͝s̷̺͙͗̅̿̑ ̷̼͑o̵͇̪̞̝̰̱̒̍̈́̊̈́̽r̴̯̬͉̾i̸̧̺͕̓͊͆͑̾̓͠g̵͖̹̱͓͚̖̙͆̍͛͝į̸̦̝̮̣̦̇͜n̷̘͊å̵̛̛̬͚͈̺̯̿́̾̈l̷̖͎̬̱͔̉̇͂̔ḷ̷̲̗̼̲͓̈́̅͑̓̔ͅỹ̴̢̼̻̀̄͆̓̓ ̴̢̧̙̖̦̹͚̐̉̔̈́͝͝͝p̶̟̫͙͇̻͋̉̿͗͌̄ḁ̴̛̱̈́͛͌͠r̸͙̬̥̚t̸͈͆̒͗̍̐͠ ̶̦̒̈́̔̅͠ỏ̶̱̫͊̑̄f̴̼̖̯͔̳̂ ̸͚̰̼̻̀͊m̵̡̱̳͌̾y̶̦̭̌̾ ̴̯̫̤̙̳̆͒̋̿͜b̵̞̝͑͋̂̇̇͋ȓ̵͚̹̖̺͎̿̌̒á̵̝͔͍̯͉ì̸͇́̀̕͠n̴͍͔̩̊̽͊ ̷̘̭̤͕̌á̷̛͇̘͛̉̇f̶̮͖̘̝̯̑̇͑̕ț̵̦̘̞̠̀͌̾̓̓̍͜ẽ̸̢̱̞͖̤̇̏̃̇͝r̸̙̖̺̘̓ ̴̢̲̺̫̯̯̯̍͑͝ä̴̧͚̐͐͋̽̆l̷̢̜̠̋l̶̥̭̲̰͓̊̊̈́̋̋.̴̭̒ ̸̖̙̱͂̚N̷͕͔̖͎̦͍͍̽̏a̴͉̔̓̊t̶̯͍̪͇̯̗̃͆ȗ̴̦̞̪͚̗͌̀͆͋͘͜͜r̷̡̻̝̘͖̘̪̊̅a̶̪̥̬̲̟̒̂̄͜͠l̶̖͖͒́̕͝l̸͎̼̱̾̿̓̽͘͘ỳ̵̛̥̜̝͖̋,̸͍̙̽̑͐ ̴̧̟͕̠͓̘̭͋̊̀̆̊͋ỉ̵̮̐̽͘t̴̙̰̓̔̋̍̈́͆ ̷̢̭͎̄̈́̇w̸̭̻͎̬̩̾̉̓͛̈͝ơ̸͇̳̫͓̌̓̋̕͘͜͠ȗ̶̺̲̺͇͖͗͂ļ̶̛͈͇̮̟̣̉d̷͍̗͈̦̺̫̤̋͌͒̆͘'̶̡̡̳̘̘̙̰̍v̵̗̗͇͑̉̌͑̑̚ë̴̹̫͚́́̀͆͊̂͗ ̷̺̖̺̼̣̼̍̈́͌h̶͍̺̹̠̄̇͆̕͘͠ͅa̵͎͔͔̍̂̎͗̅d̸̖̀̅̃̎̇͘͠ ̵̢̰̹̯̩̼͛̀ͅa̶͓̫̟̿̌c̷̛̬͙͕͚͜c̸̡͎̰̬̭͉͂̄̓̈́̐e̶̳̥̱̋̊ş̶̜͎̲̤̳̈́̈̚̕͝ş̷̖̝̆̅̎̾̄̕ ̴̤̹̼̹̉̀͌̄ẗ̴͍̪͚͔̞͉́̃̃̊͂̉̕o̸͎̦͔̺͌̽̅͑̌̚ ̵̟̦̋̌ḿ̸̺͈̩̹̈́̋̀̂͜y̷̻͕̬̓͝ͅ ̶̢̗͎̱̄ͅm̸̤̖̖̥͕̗̮̂ē̴̗̺̽̈́͆͋͝m̷̢̦̋͌ő̵͙̑͌̊͆̈ȓ̶̜͓̤̦͝į̸̤̫̏̅̏̃̿ė̶̜͇͈̥̩̞̱͆̅̎̈͘ş̸̧̤͚͔̟̬̿̈͗͌̏̓ ̴̢̰̉ă̷̛̖̩͔͇͔̞̙͋͛͝ǹ̷̢̧͕̫̟̇͊̂͛̀d̷̖̯̊̐́̑́ ̵͚̠̿̆̈i̵͇̎̀ņ̸̪̯̹̘̝̉͐̈́̆͠t̶̛͖̙͙̻͇̅̎̈́ḛ̸̛̩̜̀́̎̚r̷͎̭̝͔̞̘͐͘͝e̸̹͖͔̍̇s̸͚̪̩̦̈̄́̂̓t̵̫͙̬̓̏s̵̲̓̾̓́͝.̷̛̲͊̂̽̃̎͝
̸̣͕̖̪̦̩̺̓̈́͂̌͋̃̿
̷̛̪̰̤̼̫͑̓̓̓̋̕
̵͎͉̻͕̋̂
̷̨͎̲͓̠̞̽͋͂̆̽̒͝B̷͖̝̼̽̌̿̋͑͜͝ų̸̹̗̹͑̓̓͘ț̴̢̝̟͔͚̈́̄̈̐͂̕͜ ̴͍̼̖̌̊̌̈̄͗ǹ̵͉̤ò̵̟̮͉̀͝n̵͓̝͈̤͂ẽ̵̢̯͈̱̖̥̐̀̍ ̴̧̼̣̼̉͛͠o̴̢̞͖̙̤͔̓f̵̰̹̗̠̳͛̓̐͒̋ ̶̖͌̕t̷̛͙̐͑̾̔͛̕h̵̨̡̝̯̖̀̍̇͝͝ă̵̛̗͈̦̳̳̞͛̋̑̚͠ț̵̤͎̝̥̟̊͋'̴̛̹̊s̷̳͍͉͇̗̤̏̄ ̶̛̼̺̏̑̆͘r̶͕̱̣̔̈́̓̔̂̐è̷̫̝̼̝͕̥̈̉̔͝a̸͖̳̜͔͒̚l̴͚̝͎͙̯̙̾̎̀̃̀̇̕l̶̢̛̖̱̩̈͘ͅý̵͙̜̪ ̴̛͖̜͖̣̹͖̗̉͛̅͠i̷͖̣̮̰̝͌m̵̙̄̊̈̈́̉͘p̴̰̟̫̪̣͉͌̓̈ơ̸̦̠̼̗͗͌̽̇̕ȓ̴̛̪̫̄͐͒́t̶͕̙̝͂̋ą̷͎̫̟̑ͅn̶͙̻̤͍͈̒͂͛͝t̷̘̟̭̤͖͆̒͘͜ ̵̹͎̯͍̖̏̀̄͘r̸̛̥̼̽̀͜ỉ̶̥̟̜̤̝̉͒͑̀g̵̫̠̝̀ͅȟ̷͇͖̽͜ẗ̸̳̜̖̹̖̫͚́̓̽͝ ̷̩̪͕̭͇͎̬͘n̶̨̐͂́̀o̸̡̰̥̩̦̙̐̐́̕͝w̶̬͎̼̥͉̰̅̐̍͝͝.̵͖̈́̂̔̄́̓͝ ̵͇̣̻̬͔͉͗̒̏̈͂͝͝Y̷͙̖̼̹͚͓̼̔̇̀̿̆̚͠ô̵͔͕̬̪̼͙̘̂̇̚ȗ̸̗̩̂͑̈́̄͗ ̶̪̺̘̲̦̎̓̂̂̈́͝a̸̡̜͇̣̜͈͛͐̃̓͗̅͋r̶̝͛̈́̄̀͒̔ë̸͖̱̫͚́ ̴̢͙̰̜̃͊̎̅̔ŵ̵͕͖̝͕̠͖́̓̊h̷̥͍͙̦̞͓͒̑͘o̵̼̾̈́̃̈́͑͑͝ ̷̞̓̒̇͗i̶̳̎̈́͑͂͂̕s̴̢̛̤̺̞̻̈́͒̎͘ͅ.̷̢̱̗̮̫̼͑ͅ ̸̗͈̣̝͇̜͕̒͆̀̓̈H̴̯͈͙̩̤̃͑̋͘o̵̢̡̧̺͉̪͌̅͒̓ͅn̴̨̻͆͆̇ẹ̵͉̜̌̄͋̅͑ŝ̴̯̍̕͘͘̕͝t̸̲͛̾̽͘l̵̺̺̩̺̪̤͂̄̀̀̓y̸̬͔͖̳͔̔̇̈́̐̕,̸̡̲̣̭̓̆ ̸̨͒̑̋̒ẗ̶̞́̏̒o̸̧̼̠̬͘ ̷͍͎̟͖̾͊̏͊͝t̷̳̘́̌̉̂̆̌̒h̷̰̦̯͗̊̕ͅi̴̗̠͇͛̇̅̀͠n̴̪͙̑k̵̢̧̤͓̿ ̷̹̬̆̏̈͛̾̓̂s̷̲͕̈́o̵̞̯̜̥̎̓m̷͚̃͋̋͌́͂ě̷̙̰̰̣̠̱͖̒̋̈́̕͝͝ẗ̸̪́͠ḩ̴̬̼̲̉̏͂̓̑̓͠i̸̘̫̹̯͒̒̐̄̐́̀n̷̛̮͓̼͉͍g̸̨̡͕̲̏̏͊͛̈́̀͠ ̴̰͈̝̥̗͙͌ḽ̶̢̦͇̫̇́̑i̸̙̬̠̪̣͕͌̓̑͝ͅk̵͍̫̥̬͍͒͜e̸̙͔̱͓̓͂ ̵̰͙̱̎̌̍́́y̶̱̟͇͉̹̽̌̿͐o̸̙͠û̷̪͘ ̸͍̜̎͛̕͜c̷̘̫͍͈̭̊͗o̶͈̳̠͕̲̗͚͗͐̇̄u̴̮͍̙̹̖͒̈̽͝͝l̴͚͚̪̬͛͆̿͂d̷̨̡̛̺͛̿̂̊̃̇ ̴̜͕̩̱̺̯͗̃̔͘s̷̡̼̜̤̋̓͊͌͘̚p̷̢̲̰̺͓̾̈́͘͠a̵̟̭̖̙͕͝w̶̘̭͙̗̐̏͂͛n̶̛̪͓͔̖̽̾̈́͒̎͠.̵̢̹̥͍̪̤͕́͋̂́͝ ̵̛̝̙̥̇̽̎͋͆͝Ĭ̸͕͙ͅf̵̨̂̎̎͘ ̵̟̱͓͙͈͙͊̇͂̋̉͘͘I̴̛͎͖̭̣̐͌̎͝͠ͅ ̴̻̇̋͐́͋͆h̷̡̲͓̩̖͌ä̶̦̳͕͔̯̹́́̿̌̓̕̕d̴̢̡͓̎͛n̷̡̨͓̩̈́̍͛̆̋̂'̴̨̨̛̻̯̐̒̀͠ṱ̸̢̪̋̎ ̵͙̙̻̫͎͑͗̈k̸͎̫͎̔̊n̴̪̭̣̭̚o̴̪̰̯̻͐̐́̾́̎ẇ̴̢̨̒͒̑̈́̐̈́͜n̶̡͔̭͆ ̴̪̟̣̺̮̲̫͛̆̊a̶̦̍͆̈̋̀n̶̜̯̬̈́͛͠y̷̹̆̋͌̓ ̶̩̺͈̄͗͂́͌͝͝b̵̰͇̞̩̄̚̕e̷̩̿̔͆̀t̵̞̝̙̖͎̀̏͗͌̎͝ţ̸̦̤̲͉̦̈̾̋̐͌͘͝ͅȩ̴̺͈̬͇̪̈̇̂͂͜ŕ̷̺̠̌̍̀͜ ̵̢̪̣̰̗̏͛̉͛̇͠I̶̥̓͊͐̿ ̵͔̮̲̬̘̬̑͆ẃ̸̳͋̈͝ǭ̵̛̖̦̼̥͓̦̀̾͋͠ǔ̶̢͙̖̹̿l̶̡̧̬̟̻̜̽d̷̲͛͌̇̓̽͆ ̵̣̹̠͆́̀̏͜t̵͉̹̰̔̀̂̈́̑̚̕ͅh̴̛͖̹͇̥͙̭̑̾̄i̸͙̜͍̘̤͑͋͗n̶͖̪̼̦̠̏̊̄̋̉̈́ķ̴̧͓̱̬̯̟̌͂ ̸͉͕̩͉̮̺̆̎͛͂̍͗ẗ̵̛͍͙́̀͝h̴͓̝̮̑͂̿̿̑͜͠ë̸̩̖́̀̾̎͝͝ ̷͍͕̺̀̈́͝c̷̲͎̥̞̹̔o̵̢̨͓̊͒̿͋̿͑͜n̴͇͓͓͖̳̣̐́͜t̶̹̟͈͇̮̭̮̎͛r̵̥̠͖̅͛͂͌̍o̷̧̳̠̯̮̻̓͂̋͗̈́͆͐͜l̶̢̦̞̳̔͌ͅ ̴̧̨̛̛̺͈̣͗̈́̉p̶̛͍͎̲̞͝ȑ̴̩̤̻̔̓̔́ò̶͚̼̜̖̺̖͍́͗̚g̸̤͇͍͍̙̓́̒́͊͝͠r̷̨̬͇̬̆̓͂ȧ̶̪̞͍͙̲̿́́̿ͅm̷̯̺̺̲͆͋ ̶̙͗̾͂̔i̴̛͓̥̞̩͋͛́͒̒͝s̷͍̓̓͝ ̶͇͂͂̂͝͠f̵̧̫̺͙̰͙͚̂͌̓͗̀u̴̩͈̠̬͖̓c̷͉̯̔́͆͗͛ķ̷̼̱̘̈́̔̔̅̈́͘͠i̵̛̯̣͍̖̩̣̐̉̀̚̚n̴̹̆̋́g̵͍̱̎̽̉̓̍̄̏ ̴͖̰̟̺͂̀w̵̦͇̰̜͉͎̟͊͒͒i̸̧̫͔͍̜̘͍͋̽̀̀̈́t̴̻̏͒͒͛̓͠h̴̭̓͆̄̈́̕ ̵̢̛̙̊́̿̑͐͜ͅm̶̮̙͔͚̥͒ͅe̶̦̦͊.̵̢̛̩͚́͋̈́
̷̛̪̃̂̋̆
̸̯̦̤̈͘͝
̴̭̄̒́̇̅̀̕
̴̨͍͚͎͊̋͐͜Ḇ̷͇́͛ų̸̩̟̙̎̈̊͘͜t̴͓̻̗͚͍̩̓͘ͅ ̷͍̲̣͘ś̸͙̗̞͍̯͍́͐͛̏t̶̤͙̹̙̣̋̿͑͋͝i̶̪̊̇̀̈́͋ḻ̷̲̘͈͇̉l̶̠̬͕͛̎̄̉͑,̵̨̫̰̜͙̱̂̆̈́͜ ̵͉͕̱́̓̀ͅẗ̶͖̩̩̗͝h̶̭̲͓͊͑́̾̂a̵̼̫̮̻̼̙̖̒t̶̛͕͚̖̲͋̊́͗̉̕ ̷̲͈̝̱͇̻̒͋̆͗̽į̴̧͖̪͍̘͍͝ș̷͈͖̫͕͍͆́̒̌̚͜ ̴͙͍̳̩̘̩̦̃̐͆s̵͈͋͛͂̓̕͠o̴̟̲͍̼̱̙͐͊̌̓̈́̾m̵͖̄̃̽̓̿ẽ̶̜̬͇̝̞̲͐̓ ̸͚̭̹͓͔̲́͒̾b̸̨̠̼͆a̵̪̰̤̓̆́̈̄̋̓ľ̵̨͎̱̜̠̕͘l̸͙̼͆̃̋͊͒́͝s̶̜̝͇̾͝ ̵͍͚̗̪̬̪̐̃̃̕͘y̸̼̘̤̱̙̋͊̽̉̈̚o̷̧̢̞͓̺͈̿̑́̄̐̔ư̵͎̠̰͉̪̱͆̈́̾̀́͘͜ ̸̧̣͂͆̌̿̔h̵̻͈̰͛̾̚ã̵̖̥ṿ̷̯͐͌ȩ̶̫͈̟̰͙̐̍͂́͜.̶̠͎͙̟͇̃ ̴̺̮̮̞̣̅͆̌̀̍̀W̶̡̖̣̺͂h̴̨̻͚̼̖͌̐̒͝a̷̼̬̍͊̐́̔̕t̶̢̨̹́ͅ ̸̰̯̱̺̭͐͑̑̍̿̿͆y̵̪͕̰̳̞͈̠͋̑͐̾o̶͕̗̟͆̓̽͑͠ú̷̡͎̳̞̣̘̲̓̀́͠'̶̬̤̐ͅr̷͍͍͖͇̙̎̽̍̊̎̆ê̴̼̗̜͗̓́ ̷͔̬͎̀̅̽͝ͅa̶͕͑͆͒̂̎̚ͅt̸̛̝̱̫̮̦̦̚ͅt̸̩͍̜̟̖́ȇ̷̥̯̜̯̹̜͓̉m̴̩̻̮͚̺̔͜p̵̛̤͕͍̩͚̈́͌́̀͊ṫ̵̟̪͈͉i̶̫̪̩̦͋̈́̓͂̑͝n̷̹̱͈̦̄͂͊͝g̵̹̯̈͑͒͗̽̀͜ ̷̹̙̫͎͠͠i̴͙̯̾͂̐ś̵̮̤͇̗̿̇̈́̆͊͝ ̴̪͈͚̆̂̏́͊c̸͔̾̽͛͌̐̚̕ĕ̵̤̤̺̯̫̈́͒̈́r̴̨͕͖͍̉̆̑̂́t̴̟̩̂̋̑̾̑̈́a̴̧̡̬̬̞̭̣̒͝͝͝ḭ̵̘́͐̍͠n̵͈̻̖̳͑̅l̴̝̲̓͌̃͊y̷̢̛̤̙͚͆̽̆ ̵̨͚̂̏̓̊̒̕a̷̳͛̓̑͠ ̸̤̔̌̐̚l̶̜̜̠̙̫̍͛̑͜i̸̯̤̱͇̙̓͋͒͒̎͌͊t̷̠̮͈̓̓͜t̵̡̛̳̻̫̦͐̇͛̾͛͂l̸̢̺̩̠̩̼̑͌͆́́̚e̸̥̪̩̣̻͑ͅ ̷̡͕͕̐̆ȗ̴͕͕̝̤̈n̴͎̫̻͙͌͜͝o̷͔̓̀͆̈́̌͝͝r̶̨̯͓̝͙̈́͝ͅt̵͓͖̲̼͇̲̯̂ẖ̷̛̲̦͑͗̈́̐̐̏o̵̼͚̼̰͐̊̆͗͂̌̾d̷̘̤̲̝̗̤͍͊̋o̶̜͍̱̻̺̐̔͑͛͋͛͘x̵̧̺͎̯̰̲̂̐̃̾̀̒.̷̞̔͛͆̽̐̂ ̷͎̝̞͆I̴̪̺̥͂̓͒̿͜ͅt̶̜̲̘̘͙̂̏̆́͂̎'̴͈͙͎̮̭͝l̷̩̻̜̺̩̖͛̃̅̂͂̉l̸̨͔̲̟̞̟̏͒́̈ ̸̪̼͔̞͖̼̕c̸͚̒e̷̯̗͙̐̐r̵͕̾͘ť̶̰̽͒͛͑͒ȧ̷̱̤̹̌̃ị̶͖̣̫͙̒͘ǹ̵͍̱͐l̷̡̲̋͜y̶͌̒̎͒̈͗͜ ̷̼̐͊̀̓́̅p̶̧̖̭͖̹̮̯̒͌͆̋̚͝͝i̷̗̬̓̍̆̈́̓̕s̷̈͆͌̐͘͜͝͝s̵͓̳̦̅̃̄͑͐͝ ̵̩̮́͗̈͘ó̴̬̱̿͑͊f̴̨̪̙͔̓̄f̴̹̩̜̣̞̔̓̃̿̒̄ ̸̨̺̫͔̜̖͆̕ͅţ̵̦̥̗̊͑͐͝ͅḫ̵̭̮͎̃̿̽͘͝ė̴͙͇̻̾̓̕ ̶̖̻̺̂̏̈́̃̕͠r̴̬͉̋̀͐̾̕e̶̫͔͍̱̾̿̀͝ḯ̸̫̰̣̖̰̓̽͊̓g̶̜̈̈́́͆͑̎ṉ̸̨̛̳͚̋́́͒͆̑ͅi̵̞͔̓n̷͔̼̅͑̈́̅g̸̳͎͙̤͚͙͗̽̓ ̴͍̻̹̩͔̜͛̅̒̄͂̑̚p̴̥̖̓̊ȯ̸͚̕w̴̧̗͗e̷̳̲͗̄͐͌̈́͝ŗ̸̳̭̾́̑͌ ̶͖̠́̎̇͌͘ò̶̥̼̳̈́͒̇f̵̺̥̽͜ ̸̢̘̤̜̥͓͗͋̔̅̔̊͛y̵̢̠̤̳̦̔́̃̕͠õ̵̳̯̉͛̏͘͠ȗ̵͉̈́̉̾͛̓ŕ̷͓ ̵̹̫̖̲̗̃́͂̑w̷̢̲̜̭͓̋́o̷̺̙̅̔̚͠͠ṙ̶̮̣͒͠l̷̰̰̯͑̈̿̑͝͝ḋ̶͙̙͙̠̊̕͝.̸͉̐̊̏̑͠ ̵̢̛̝̠͓̹͕̺H̸̺̣͎̅̈́̇̈́͂̅͜͠ǎ̶̛̛̖̯̥̟̣͉̖̐̇i̵͙̻͉̺̳̒,̸̬̳̑̓͗ ̴̢̣̹͗̚I̸̦̮͇̯̋̆̍̏͊̉̕ ̸͕͇͖͍͒f̵̠̝͖̽̄̑́̆͆ŏ̷̢̺͈̻͖́͐̇̑ŗ̶̢̖̟͙͝ĝ̶̛̤̰̩̤̈́̔͆͠õ̸̡͍̣͓̝̘̌̽̔̏̕͝ẗ̸̘́͐̉̄ ̶̧̦̩͐̇̀̾̕h̵̛̯͕͍͓́̈́̇͜ͅo̷̢̝̖̎̓̈͑͊̓͝w̸͎̼͕̟͉̑͛̽͛̈́͝ ̶̘̱̉́̑͠a̶̢͎̖̫͈̙̫͆͑́͒̔̂n̴̤̂̒̓͝ñ̷͓̥̎̀͂o̸̦̣͙̮̙͂̄́y̵̧̹͍̅̄̒͑̓į̷̧̪̃̆̑̔͝n̴͚̻̹͑̄͗̚͝g̷̡͙̞̱̑͗ ̴̪͈͕͎͕͋̓̅t̴̙̬͔̘͔͇̋̈́͛̋̚h̵̲̳̪̐̈́͂͝ǫ̶̛͈̩̹͂̈́̂͂͗̚ŝ̴̮̖͕́͘͝è̷̢̪̖̯͇̻͈̍́͒͝ ̸͖͎̾͗̓̚͝p̷̱̯̯͊͐a̷̺̮̟̻͊ͅr̵̢̢̩͈͚̲͒̑à̵̬͓̼š̶͖͚̮̋͂̚͜ȉ̸̯̺̫̺̱̘̞͛͠ṱ̸̫̝̇͌̏ȩ̷͇̝̟̟̣̌̃̿̅ș̶̳̫̣̥͑͐̈́̄́͝ ̸̟̻͚̘͇͇̀̓̌̀͋̅͛c̷̯̉̿͗͘͝ä̷̗͉͙͈́̎͛́͘͝ǹ̷̙̅̈ ̵̭̼̪͓͂̿́b̸̨̺̬̹̔̽̾̈́́̕e̸̛͇̲̩̻.̵̱̮͆͊͝ͅ
̷̲͙̻̀́̏̇̌̚͜͝
̸̧̖͈͓̣̊̓̾̚
̴̢̳̞͈̤̌̈̾̏̈́̕͘
̶̞̲̬̑̈́̈́͛̚̕O̴̧̡̤̭͍̖͌̓̄͆̆͂̓ḧ̵͕̬̟̈́͗̑͗̈ ̷̢̠̰̬̘̣̫̒̃̓̇́̚w̴͉͈̅é̵̳̘̺͕̂ͅl̷̡̘̗̫̏̀̊͊͘͝l̴̞̔̇͒̈́̚̕,̴̑̏͆̕ͅ ̴͎͚̫͔̣̿̑͒w̵̠̺̗̲̹͇̚á̶̯̗̠̐͗́̎͜͜t̵͕̪̱̤̟̀̍̂̐c̵̰͉̆̌̃̂͘ͅh̴̜̳̳͍̽̑͛i̴̧͔̰̙̳̫̽͑͋̕n̴̡̞̬̩̬͚͔̾̈̈́̒̔̓̚g̶̯͍͆͑ ̴̢̠̟̘͔́̓͂́̀͠͝ÿ̸̡̻͖̬̟̗́ò̷̮̈́̆̇͂̂̅ũ̷̡̢͓͔̟̱̀̓̓̏ ̴̧̣̦͈̖͇͑̐̈́̀̄̕̚͜h̶̠̮͂̒͗̉͗̚a̴̤̩̽̏͋̑s̴͈̟̭̣̫̼͛͂͌̅̑̈́̕͜ ̶̤̯́́͘b̸̢̝͇̠̖͆͛e̶͊̒̃̕͜ẹ̵̭̠͋̔̎́̈̈́͝ͅn̵̡̧͉͕͎͔̐́̀͑͛̕ ̸̫̳̆͋͜v̶͙̮̹͈̰͖͍̂͐̎̊͠e̷̳̦̗͆̒̋̓̃r̶̨̢̖̳̋̒̓̈́̚y̴̧̜̙͍̱͑̈́͋̔̅͘͝ ̷̧͓̤̹̘̟͕̉e̷͉̬̗̗̞͐́ņ̵̹̮̂͑t̵͙͔̼̀̽͒̄͜ͅe̵͉͌̔͝r̶̺͍͍̮͎͇͖̾̊͛͊ẗ̸̯́ạ̵̧͎̈́͗̕͘͠͝ị̸̖͉̍̓͑̓̏̑n̷̗͓̹͓̩̱̫̊͊͆͘͘i̸̩̦̻̥̣̖͊ͅn̵͔̣̤̫̬͕͛ͅǵ̷̭͔͔̆͐͠͝.̸̬̣͋͆͝ ̷̝̫͔̾̄̓I̸͙̥̞̠͋͊̿̆͊͂̚ ̶̛̛̩͎͚̜̗̅̅̒̽͜ͅć̶̯ã̷̡̗͙̙̞͊̚n̸̥͓̙̭͕̑͂͆̀'̷̢̠͕͚̮̓̽ţ̴͔̟̍͂͊̓ ̶̡͇̥̟̲̥̠̈w̴̨̼̹̓͒́̓̇̇͠a̸͙̦͉̰̙͗̈́̽͆̀̕͜i̸̙͖̟̯̙͆̍ẗ̴̺̞̩̹ ̴͓̘̲̙̻̝̔̾́̕t̶̙̥̰̲̽̀̕o̷̢͔̱̝͈̞̦̽̀ ̵̨̧͖͖̙̜̩̾͐̂́̚ṣ̴̻̻͛̅e̵̛̹͓̎è̷͔̩̮̏́͆̏ ̸̧̩͍͈͌̄̌͒̿͠͝h̶̛͓̙̄͜o̸̦̙̬̭̭͋̑̉ẅ̶̢̹̳̫̞̗̩͐́̇͒̕͠ ̴̤͈̳̮̖̮͊y̸̛͇͓̣̫̏̎͊̈́̍̑ͅo̸̡̨̻͇̓͒̋͛̉͑̊ͅú̸̺'̵̼̱̩̳̋̌̈́̈́l̷̡̥͉̮̜̇̑̓̿͝ĺ̸̨̠͚ ̸̯͙̈̄͆͊͐̐ẃ̷̢̦͔͚͙̲͔̾̕ì̵͇͔̝̹̙̝̏̐n̴͚̥̏,̵̛̛̹̟̄̎̏͑̈́ ̵̞̥̫̳̱̉̀̈́̃̈́̅͗ͅI̸̼̝͋͂ ̵͉̓̈à̷̟̝͍̻̓͗̉́͜l̸̺͉̀̄̄͠ḿ̸̘̣̏̑̽͒o̴̫̻̎̇̕s̶̯̥̭̀̅̚͝t̵̺̲͈̣̤̻̒̈́̐ͅ ̸̳̬̦̯̬͎͙͂w̵̺͍̦̺̱̺͘à̶̡̼̹̫͇̮̲͋̅͂́̿n̴͓̘̝͌͊͂̀̚t̸͚̖̗͉̪͂ ̶̢̝͊ẗ̶͓̟͈͕̼̭́͐̃͆o̶̧͖̓͑ ̸͉̺̜́́͆͐̂͑̿l̸͚̈́̃͂̆̓͝o̵̟͒̍ő̴̹̦͓̤̗̈̂̾k̶̞̟̪̀͗̚͝ ̷̟̠͈̥̗̝̈́i̴̪͕̙̓n̷̡̡̛̏͛͘t̸̢̧̗̂ò̶͓͓̱̝̪̩̥̈́͋͋͘̕͝ ̵̰̦̲͎̻͓̞̍̓ÿ̶̦̭͚́̄o̴̹̬̐ù̶̞̆r̶̡̤̈́̃̌́́͑͝ ̸̢̹͚͎̺͈̀̉͗̈́̓f̵̘̤̼̑͋͆̈́͋ư̵̖̝̱̩̖̄̾̆̒͒͋t̸̢͔̩̥̝͙̞̆ŭ̷̙͖̯̹͉̩̆͜͝r̵̭͚̓ė̶̤.̴̧̥̭͇͓̓̎́̕ͅ ̵͈̙̲̘̰̋I̴̙̲̽͑̆̏͝ ̷̧͕̏̀͋̚w̴̢̮͈͇̞̟̎̉̀̀̍o̴̱̭̲̮̞̾̏̑̀͂͗̊n̵̤̤̮͋̿̈́̌̂̚d̷̺̖͗̚ḛ̸̲̱̂̈́ŗ̵̗͎̻̇̈́̀,̵̯̥̒̎̽͗̀͐͊ͅ ̶̳̪̥̬͕̋͐͊̃̀̿͝ͅc̸̺̙̦͂̓a̸̱̭̝͖̲̋͐̑͒͠͝͝ń̷̢̟̥̝̜̫̃ ̶͇͉̈̉̍̏̿̈́͘y̸̧͈̞̽̉̈͌̈o̵̡̞̙̗̘̍̍̀̾̈́̈́u̴̹̞͚̯̟͐̾̊͐̚ ̴͓̩̱͇͓͑r̵̤̜̜̆̍̊̚e̸̢̺̟̝͆͝a̸͚̟̯͐͂̈́̅̈͠͝ͅl̸͔̘̟̻̤̹̖̋̍͊̈̈͌̂l̷̡̦̋͌̀̆y̴̧̢̿̅͆ ̸͖̞̲̪͚̦̔̚͝g̸̼͆̈̍ò̵͍̹͖͕̰̌̈́̋̂̈́ͅ ̸̥͔͉͖́̏̓́͝ã̴͇̪̱̭͚̓ǵ̶̢͚̣̙̩͚̓̐̎̋̽͛ȃ̵̞̦̙̞i̶̛͙̱̳̣̩̞̾͗̓̔n̴̮͕̳̲̈̈́ş̶̨̧͔̩̬͌t̵̩̝̱̤̠̩̲͒̉̿̐̉͘ ̴̬̫̮̪͎̫̑̋t̴̩̓͊͠h̶̠͍͈̜̄̊̔̏͂̓ę̶̝̃̒̊ ̶͓͋͋t̶̼̳̩̀̈́ͅǐ̷͔̯͙̙̆̕͜d̸̰̮̈̎ę̶̣̠̬͖͍̾̈́̍̽͠ ̸̡̤̖̗̄̍̎̈́̈ȯ̷̼͂̀͛̎͝f̷̻̖̺͈͋̂͒̿̔͝ ̷̧̫̗͌̀d̸̼̼͍̎͒ë̶̢̲͖̬̱́̾̇̕ś̸͎̼̮̩͛t̶̰̭͐͒͋̂͋͋i̷̢̦͓͚̖̝̿͂̉͠ņ̷̪̙̝̿̌̌͐͘͠ẙ̴͙̘̭ͅ?̴͙̯̞̾͂̄̓͌̌̈
̷͇͚͚̳̯͂̾̉̋̿̈́̃͜
̶̬̰͖̞̮̺̎
̷͇̾̋͐̉
̸̙̪̪̝͇̬̈́̈́̇̔͛͒͂Ḇ̷̡̗̣̫̓̇͊̌͝ú̶̦̤̊̎ţ̸̪̠̽͆̐̍̄͊͠,̵̣̙͉̯̒͛̐̚ ̴̨̨̟̃̊̂̓͠ḥ̵̡̱̈́m̵̡̧̮̥̱͖͉̎̄̾m̸̮̩͖̈́̈́̋̉̈́̚…̶̡̯̬͕̹̮́͋̌̂
̶̨̜̬͙̟̌
̸̨̘͇̜́͊͜
̸̜̳̺̝͇̓̀̍͌̐ͅ
̵̛̮̖̾͐̒̒͗Y̷̘̤͙̳̠͆̐͋̈o̴̧̜͎̎͝ͅu̵̦̾̉́̋̈͠ ̸̺͈̭̠̒͘k̸̜̦̻̙͔̭̉̎͐͌̐͊ņ̴̲̻̯͕̲̼̇ȯ̷͕̺̤̂̀͆̊̂w̷̻̹͎̿,̴̡̢̝̘͔̽̋͌̿̆ ̷͍̊̂̚j̸̪̦̤̠͙̫͓̓ṷ̶̞̜̮̦̈́͗̂̈́̏̀s̶̹̬̋̋̓̍̊͛͝t̷̏ͅ ̶̨̰̿ḧ̶̨̻̰̼̘̟́́̈́̿̈ą̴̛̹̱̓̒͌v̴̹̫͖̋̈̀̕i̴̘̭̱̔̔n̶̪͕̦̓͗̌̏͒̆̚ģ̶̪͚̙͌̈́ ̷̛̱̬͎͙͉̮͐̀̆̂͐̔t̵̢̹̺͖̲͛͌h̵̛̬̖̙̜͑̽͝e̴̖̜̭̣̼͑̈́̓̍m̶͚̰̻̊̐ ̵̰̋̓̉͛i̵̭͓͎̖͕̣͆ș̷͙̟͍̮̏̉͠ ̶͈͚̻͙̣͂̿́a̴̮͚̥̻̯̝̓͌̌̏̊̐̐ ̵̡̢͔͙͈̝̝̊b̸̼̓i̷̺̎͛t̵͈͙̙̹̪͗̀ ̶̦̲̭̼̠̯̀̓͋̄͝͝c̶̢̨͍͔̫̟͊̄͒́̔ͅl̴̗̍͑̓ị̵̙̳̥͎̕ć̴̱̰̺̈́͑̌ḩ̵̨̛̣̊̔͂ę̵̗̫͖̯͈̇̀̉͝.̷͚͉̦̈́͋̕͝ ̴̙̃̿́̇͂S̸̗͐́̄͋͘̕í̷̮͕͎̥̩͍̏͑̕͝n̸̛̗̳̮̰͑̍̒̅̔͝c̷̡̰͓̭̤͚̿̋͐ę̵̠̬̣͈̓́̀͘͝ ̷͔̟͓͈̘̍w̸̡̫̱̻̆̒͝e̶͍̣̽̔̊͝'̴̘̳̒ŗ̷̮͖̥̖͓̟̿́̌̐ể̴͚̟͗̈́́͘ ̶̞͖̤͕̮̠̪͆̄̑̈́ȧ̴̻̱̲̱͕̦̑l̶̛̝͓̮̠͇̿̍͌͒̀̚r̶̻̐̈́̄ȅ̴̛͕́͌͂́͘ȧ̸̢͚͍̼͚̲̣d̶̳̺̈̽͐͘y̷̲͚͆͐̉͛̾͝͝ ̶̗͔̖̅̀̃̒̚h̶͚̿e̷͕͇̙͖̋̒͛r̵̡̗̙̲̹̼͛̌ę̶̘̖̦̤̝̜͒̂̈́̄͑́̌,̷̟̻̤̲̻̂̎̆ ̴͙͈̻̜̻̩̒͆́̓̇͗̋w̷̧͔͎̠̾̉̚ḩ̵̪͎̳̤́̿̐̾͛͝y̷͚̤͂̑̒̾̀̃ ̵̫̪͓͎̣͉̲̅̀́̈̎̀͝d̶̨̢̯̰̅̌̆̐̑̍͘o̴̟̪̝̟͈͗̿̕n̵͍̣̭̯͎̓̐̾̀͋'̴̡̣̯͔̼͔̱͗̂͗̀̈t̵͈̠̩͎̬͌̏̈́̾̽̓ ̷̩͈̜͛̈́w̷̢̰͕̲̒̅e̷͕͙͊̊̉̀͝.̸̺̥̈̇͂̕͝͝
̴͌̈́̓̄͠ͅ
̷̹͈͉͈͔͆͐̆́̆͐͜
̴̛̯̮̺̊̈̃̉̚̚
̶̱͊̈́̌͠͠Ã̸̠̣̲̺̪l̸͍̈́͋̆́̍̍r̶͔̞̩̝̠̊̑͝í̵̮̭̤̈́͆̂̎͒͝ǧ̸̻̕ḣ̵̡̘̝̙̩̞̮̿̀͒͗͝͝t̶̛͙̣͔̰̉̒́̅̏,̷̩̲̤̺̪̈́͌ ̵̡̯͍͂̓͜l̴̞̩̑̇è̵̟̰̉t̸̟̻͚͇͍̓͌'̶̛̹̪͈͙͔̀͂s̸̛͇̙͐̌̉̌̈́̅ ̷͕̜̦̚d̴̡̡̡̈́̄̾̅͂̏o̴͎̦̜̊̈̍ ̷̨̙̰̯̤̦̊t̴̡̖͎̙̾̔́̿͘h̷͍̹̫̓̈́̈́i̷̜̜͈̹̋͘s̵̨͇̯̊̉̓ͅ.̵̧̭͎̤̤̿̓̚
̶͇̥͌̾̍
̷̘͓̥̥̙̙̈́
̶̧̢̝̻̼̃͆̔̀̚
̵̖̠̼̋̉̑͊̃̒̇S̵̡̰̯̫̞̙̑̅̉́̈́́͘ȅ̵̢̤͂̆ȇ̷̦͕͠ ̸̩̮̙̱͌̅͠ͅt̸̬͚̖͛̄͋͜h̶̝̜̾̀́̕͠i̶͙̹͗s̷̲͓͇̤̱͔͘ ̶̛̹̣̂̽͑s̵̨̘͙̅̎͗̂̾͝p̸̠̙̥̟̩̯̩̂̂͠é̴̩͕̳̥̞͔̍c̴̱͉̄̌̈́̂͜͠ ̴͖̟̱̠̫͇̩͒̓̀̽̕͝Ī̶̧̤͚̗̻̭̼̍ ̴̰̟̠͊̽h̶̤̹̣͈͊͛̓̕a̸͇͖͓͑̉͊v̷̧̘͇͉̟̘͝ȅ̸͔̙̑̎̍ ̵̦̬͑̏̽̃̍̔̄į̸͕͔̀̂n̴̹̟͗͂ ̵̪͙̫̤̱̪͗m̵̱͒͊̑̍̑͝ỵ̸̲̤̑̓̔̉̾̑ ̵͈̙̗̙̘̹̽̏̇̔̈́h̸̙̅ͅa̷̗͈̻͔͈̙̍͌̊̕n̶̩̣̜̂̉̄d̶̳̍̅͝?̸̨̩̝̭͂̈́͠ ̷͎̞̪͎̓͜Ȋ̴̛͔͓̜̩͎̖̍̔̀ţ̴̻̙̀̈̀s̸͇̤̘̳̞͔̦̀̈́̕͝ ̸̹͙̐a̶̪̬̞̞͍̲̋̃ ̵͕͖̰̺̙̄́͋́l̴̖͎̣̯͍̗̄̇͐i̶̢̱̼͔̾̓̅t̶̖̦͇̬͒̃̽t̵̻̟̂̏̈̓l̷̢̝̪͖͉͗͛͝͝e̶̛̼̫̱̤̜͋̈́̋̇́͘ ̵͈͔̺̯͌̊́͑̾s̷̠̀͐̇̈ó̶̧̝̏̾m̸̗̻̻̳̑ͅẹ̴̛̈́̂̓̿̓͑ẗ̶͉͇̟͈͔̒̀h̷̪̩̺͠į̸̠̦̼̼̩̃̀͐͜ń̷̢͓̻̗̀́͜͝ͅǧ̵̲̦̭̣͌̈́͠͝ ̵̢͓̞̎̇͂̕Į̵̢̢̛̪͍̣̟ ̵͉̀̂͛̓̅́̾j̴̧̺̻͍̼̅͜ȕ̴̢͎̹͍̭̽̆̋̀̂͘͜s̸̨͚̫̱̍͛̾͊̊̅t̵̖̪̯́̆͒͒̅̓̚ ̴̤͙̣͔͋̔̆̃́c̵̻̿͗̈́̋̌̒o̴̪̳̽̊̐ȍ̶͚́k̸̯̐̈́͒͆e̶͚̞̪̖͚͉͆̋̎͗ḍ̷̹̮̆̅̂̐̿ ̷̧̟̬̈́̌ͅu̴̟̤̥̞̭̲͈͂́̓ṗ̷͕͇͕͔͖̼̹̀̾̕͠ ̸̭̓̏́̈͑͘ͅb̸̧̧̦̭͈̌̀a̶͓̰͔̝̿̒̅͌͐̃̚ş̸̤͓̼͕͍̭́e̶̳̽d̵̙̳̻̎̃͐ ̴̗̈́͋ǒ̷̜͉̯͎̫́̂͌̊͐͐n̷͔͑͜ ̷̦̻̰͕̙͒͌̚ş̴̇̍̀̇̍ȏ̵͖̣͉͖̹͈͛̊̚̕m̷̞̊́̋ẹ̶̰̄̓́͑̽͑ ̶̟̉̈́͗͋ó̸̩̄̓́͘f̶̼͚̆̀͗́ ̸̫̗̜̈́͆̒̕t̷̡̹̠̱̓̂͆͐͂̒h̷̻͊̂͗̔̋̓ḙ̶̟̒͑͂͌ ̸̛̹̄͋͠ṁ̴͖̜̻̩͖̦͍̐́o̵̡̡̡̜̜͒ͅͅs̶͚͍̣̳̈̍̾̚ẗ̶̨̢̹̗́̚ ̵̧͇̰̺̰̟̞͂͐̊́̀̔g̸͚̹̼̭̈́̿ȅ̸̢̮̀n̴̡̼͙̫̲̝̗̒̀̃̏̒͘͝ê̶̲̟̪͛̀̉̀r̵̯̝̆̆̈́̏̄̓̔i̸͖̥̼̳̦͙͉̅̓͋̍̾͠c̶͙͔̫̦̦̀̄ ̴̟̘̼͎͙͓̞͋̓̇̋͘í̵̢̨̢̛̲̭̀̚͘͜n̵̻̂̈́̃͌̅͝s̴̢̼̬̳̀e̸̢̛͇̺̯͋͑̆̕͜r̴̡͙͉̤̙̈́̃͘͜t̷̺̫̤̤̤̩̭̎͆͒s̶̢̡̗̼͎̱͐͒̓̓̑ͅ ̷̛͉͖̩̯͓̋p̶̣̔̓͒̉̈̚o̶̹̜͚͕̐̌s̶̟͚̰͒̈́͝s̸͖̝̈̉̊̅̀̓́ĩ̴̖͕b̶̢̭͓̙̎̌́̐͜͝l̶̟̘͇̩͕͋̏̈́̄̎ẽ̷͈̫͓͈͕͉̭̆ ̴̢̢̛̗̩̅́͑͝í̸̫̯̠̘̙̀̽͜n̸̘̘̎̅̌̀̌̈̏ ̸̬̮̣̮͐͂͠ţ̵͖͙̘̖̤̏͑h̶͈̘͕̬̮̥͓͊̀i̸̥̼̳͗̄̓͊̌̉s̵̲̋͊͋̚͝ ̶̞͙̯̜̒͐̄͊̿͊͐g̴̮̻̘̫̘̬̿͐̓͝e̶̜͇̞̝̙̖̠̅̎̈́̑͛n̴͙͌͑̂͗͠r̵̢̗̻̹̩̻̮̂͛͊̒͌̉͌ȩ̷̘̣̗̯̜͍͗͐̇̄͘͝.̵̡̥̌͜ ̸̧̫̫̰̳̤̔̿́͘̕͝S̵̟̹̏̈́̆o̸̧̠͍͈̬͊́̔ ̸͙̝̭̀̏̆͊͜ơ̸̛̦̳̯͖̲͋̓̍͝f̶͔̤͙̄͂f̸̖͉̪͚̘͙̠̕͠ ̸̧̬̀̀̒̀w̴̨̤͍̠̰͉̃e̴͚̝̩͖̻̟̠̓̎͆͋̚̚͠ ̸̰̆͋͒͑͋͊̑ͅg̵̗͆̍̃̊͝o̵͚͛̋̽̿!̸͇̰̾́͑͗
̷͚͉̳̏̒̀
̶͍̗̻̈́͗͛͑͆
̷̧̰͎͕̤̫̖̔̈́
̵̢̰͎͔̹͎̳̓͒̈́͆͠Ỉ̴̡̻͕͓̠̰̠͝t̷̤̒͛͜'̶̠̤͓͔̩́̓̌͛̕ͅl̴͇̺̞̀̏͒l̵̡̬̠̼͋͊ ̸̛̺̖̗̗̗͕́̂̈́͝p̵̡͎̹̣̤͑̌͌r̶̰̙̤͔̀̋̔͑͌̕͝o̸̫̻̻̫̩͆̑̓̒̾͐͆b̵̘̥̝̊͛̌ä̵͇̗͂̈͝b̸̗̗́̉͌ļ̵͕͙̖̰̩̞̀̓͛̚ý̵͔̫̳̳̋̽̔ ̷̡̫̥̼̹̺̤̃͒̆t̷̩̳̻̑̊̒̽̈́̆͜a̷̩̻̞̺̗̾͂k̵̡͙̦̟̰͌ͅḙ̵̬̐͘ ̷͉̬͔͊̇͛͆́͝͝a̵̖͍͍͐̿͋̇̓́͊ ̴̠̟̹̙̮̣̾̈́̌̿̽̊̿f̷̨̩̙͈̞̣̪̅ȅ̶͚̥͋͋̍͊͝ẉ̶̀͑̈́͗͝ ̸̗͐c̵̛͉̊̎̏͛ố̷̖̉̃̉̕s̶̖̔̇͋͋̚m̷̦̘̳̻̤̆̀̽i̶̞̐̿͌̇͌c̷̡̱̼̖͆́͗͊͆̑͝ ̶̺̥̱̘̙̔́̈́͝͝c̷͚͔̔y̶̹̟̬͋̊̄c̴̳͎̿͌̅̒̏ĺ̸̢̀̈́͐̽́͛é̸̼͔̾͋s̴̥̟̺͓̬̭̔́́̾̒̃̚ ̴̧̘̟͈̫͔̳̔̐̀͌̑̚͘b̶̡̼̪̫͍̬͐͐̔̎ã̶͍̹̟̉̽͌͗̈́̈́ŝ̶̻̫̹͙̂͒̾̕̚è̸̡̺͙͇̜̓d̶̞̼̽͑̄̔̈͆͜ ̴̹̣̲̺̠̰͈̈́͝ơ̵̧͈̭̍̽̄̎̀n̶̨̲̬̳̦̒̎̄̒ ̴̗̇̑̽͑ï̸͖̮̎̀̓t̷̬̤͉̩̼̝͖̒̆̄̆s̷͎̥̿̅̈̇͊͠ ̵̱͚̖̱̟͎̼̓̄͘̕̕c̷̩̜̦̟͙̜̄͝ǔ̸̯̱͈̞ṙ̶̡̛̮̋̐̋́̉r̷̥͔͗ę̷͖̹̜̳̾͝n̶̞͉̘͚͂͑̐͌͒̐t̴̛̛̲͉̝̐͐͝ͅ ̶̡̨͈̩̝̅͗́s̸̛̞̼͚̪͇̅́̒p̴̤͂͋̈́̈́̌͘͠e̸̙̳͎̐͑è̵̛̠̭̝̤̣̼̎̀͘͝d̷͕̐̍̑̋̂́.̸͕̗̄̐̾̌̔̐ ̵͕͎̱̖͔̘̋̿ͅI̵̬̬̒ ̵͒̌̀̉̕̚͜w̷͍͍̲͖̎͂͠o̶͔͓̜̜͍̣̒n̵̻͗̏̏̂̀d̸͙̔̈́̚ͅe̶͚̰̪̾́̆̔ŗ̸̨̳͎͋̀͠͝ ̸̛̭̱̿̆̃ẅ̵̻̘̻́ḧ̷̜̺́ơ̶̢̡̨̿̊̂͆̆̉ ̶̥̥̹̬̜͛̇́͊̿͝͝ẖ̸̽͆̐̉e̸̢̾'̸̹̱̆͊̀̈́̈́͘ͅl̸̡̧̖̫̓l̷̜̈̊ ̴̡̤̍́́͐ẗ̸͓͈͍̃̇ų̷̙̒̅̽͐̈͝r̶̬͐͂n̶̳̫̬̭̜̭̑̋ ̷̡̘̋ò̵̱̝̗̝̃̓ų̴̭̤̦̺̺̰̈́t̷͇̲͇͔̍̆̐ ̸̺̿͒t̵̜̭̯̜͑̄́̔ơ̵͚͎͖̝͔͔̺ ̵͙͙͔̯̈́̃͑̈́b̴̢̢̮͔̤̙͚̅̇̀͆̃͋̌ḛ̷̢̈̄̀͜͝ͅ?̶̩̲͔̟̫̓̇̋̂͂͌͒ͅ ̶̡̛̝̩̈̓W̷̨̢͙̥̮͗̊͘i̸͚͎̥̼͝l̷̻̦̬̐͆l̴̝͇̠̙̆̒͜ ̷̪͙̙̘̣̉̿ǐ̴͍̟̘ͅt̶͓͙̾͌͊͜ ̸̡̢̞̬̹̣́̽̽̑b̴͉̟͇͔̂͗̍é̸̗͓̺̟ ̸̝̈́s̵͈̤͔̜̻̋̃̓o̸̺̼̍̽̋͋m̴̲̜͋̈́̔͌͌͘ȅ̸̞̗͒t̶͍̟̾̊̀̀͝ḣ̶̡̩̗̬̾̄͐́͗͜i̷̛̥̳̩̓̉͝n̷̡̡̝͍͉͙͌g̸̛̣̞͎͔̘̻̲͐̿̆͋̿ ̶̝͉͆͘c̵̛͎͉̓̐͝ó̴̖̺̾̂m̵̯͔̀͠m̸͓̀͠o̵̟͔͈̝̜͋̈n̶̼̘̻͈͙̼̍̂̍ ̵̣̾̌͗͗͐͠l̶̢͔̺͇̬̒ͅḭ̶̠̩̪͓͌͗͒̈k̷͕̖͚̞̼̲̖̏e̴͓̘̙̺̠̝̓͆͛͜ ̶̧͖̳̠̞͐͆̅̉͘͜K̷̠̯̱̭͉̬̳̒̕u̵̧͉͊̔̊͒̄n̶̘̮̰̗͈͉͊̎̑͌̈́͆̚ ̷̡̲̞̥̪͎͗͊̓̀P̷̮͙͍̞͖͐͐̄e̵̹̱̭̾̀̃̌̃̚͝ṇ̴̡̨̜̰̌g̶̉͛̀̿͂͜,̵͇̀ ̸̨̮́̊͒̑̒H̶͖̰͑̑̑͌̔͘ò̷̳̕͝n̸̛͓̩̫̳̻̈̃̉̐g̶̠̦̫̬̎̑̾̔͜y̵̱̘͙̾͊̓͌ų̴͔͔͚̗̤̰̊n̷̗͔̈̏͌̈̕̕͠ ̸̨̛̘̳͔̟̭̾̽͆o̶̹̱͉͐̇̌̏̋̚ͅr̷̡̼̞̜̿̾̈́͂̀̈́ ̴̛̦͔̅̔̐͛̕͠M̸̻̜͐̈́̂̽̐͑͝î̵̖͎͌̾̋ń̶͙̥͈̭͑̈́͠g̶̨̜̖̖͉̈́͂́̕͠ḧ̴̻̹̪̏̐͆̈́̅̉ę̷̼͎̲̅?̴̗̋́̔ ̷̬̫̹̓Ǫ̵̦̞̺̀ř̶̡̞̰̓̐̌̐͜͠ ̶̠̟͙̰͔͙̠̈͋s̷̖̲͈̟̣̓̄o̶̤̰̻̹̗̠̒͐̃̒͜͠m̶̡̃e̷̡̖̱̖̭̪̍͒̿́t̸̩͍̿̾̚̕h̵̺̻̳͖̪́̊͠i̶̞̟͚̲̍́̍n̵̥̜̼̬͐̄̕ǵ̷̨͎̬̼͗͋̈̑ ̷̪͓̫̻̭̝́͂a̵̧̔ ̸͖̟̮̗̣̆̑͑ͅͅb̵͚͝͝i̶̧̘̳̹̹̠͒͒͛́̓͠ṯ̶̡̬̞̝̒̔̉̑̚ ̸͕̝̊̈͋̈r̷͇̱͕͙̈́͊́̔̽͜a̴̢͚̲̜͍͙͠r̶̺̭̙̿̑̀͐̕ē̶̡̨͙̽̉͑r̵̟̪̗̠̪̈́ ̵̡̱̻̈́͌ĺ̶̨̰͔̟̎̃̇̚͝ȋ̴̡̀̿̆̓k̸̠͓͖̺̽̐̊̄͝ę̷͉̼̌̈́͋ ̴̭̏̿̀̅̈́T̵͍̍̀́o̷̧̦̻̩̖͑̚͜ņ̶̭͔̤͕͚̼́̈̉̽́̄̚g̷̯͛t̷̛̛͖̜͔̯̪̞̚͠i̵̢̺͕̗̣̦͑̍̽͌ā̶̖̭̝̯̦̂̅̃́n̷̹̱̩̹̿͠ͅ.̵̢̖̠̓͂͠ ̴͇̘̈́̊̑̐̃̕Ñ̸͓ơ̵̻͓͓̟͎͚̘̈́̒̎́ ̵̧̱̙̅ͅm̵̗̺̘̯͚̥̅̔̐͑a̴͈͇̪͈̳̔̃̽t̶̬̩̱͎̃͌ţ̶̻̙̪͎̖̿̿̌̓̚e̵̪̫̠̫̋͠ȓ̷̗͙̦͓̪̹̝̈́ ̸̼̘͚̓ẗ̵̢̯͚̝̗́̍̅̆̚h̴̗̮̣͈̲̓̽͗̽̽̚͝ė̵̪̤̻͙͝ ̴͔͈̰̯̓̽̓͆c̸͕̹͙͓͖̐̐̈̾ả̵̢͕̦͈̖̑́̇̉͠s̸̗̤͍̻̰̈́e̷̢̱̖̰̊,̸̘͊͒̀ ̷̞͓̅̽̓͆͘̚͝h̶̖̲̩͕̯͍̗͐̀e̵̡͇̳̣̎̄̈́̅̎͜'̴͚̣̖͉̀̓̚͝ḽ̷̣̣̻̬̀̂͒̈́̐̕͜l̷̨̨̛̛͉̪̙̅͂̐͑͘ͅͅ ̸̨̝͋̍̊͐̾͋̽c̷̹͕̜͗̽ệ̶̟̮̠r̴͍̤͈͊͂̿̌t̵̬͚̻͔͒͑̃͑a̵̙͓̯͆̽́͒̈́͘͝i̵̙̹̥̥̫̬͛̎͂̓ń̸͈l̷̞͔͒̈́̂̌̕̕͝y̷̙̝͎̝̱̿ͅͅ ̶͔͇̦̩̮̦̈́̈̔̀̽m̵̧̛̺̘̳͎̹̌̇̍͋̈a̵̻̚k̷͕͉̯̹͒͠͝͝ȅ̵̢̛͚̜̪̗̪̑̈́̃͑ ̸̨͔̯̼̭̥̩̀t̶̯̠͎̼̗̖̥͒͊͆̋͋h̶̠͖͈̏i̴̢̧̜̩̓͋̔͌̆͊͐ň̴̡̡̗̮̜͔̲͠ģ̸̧̽̉͗̄͝͝s̶̗̘̟̞͚̃̅̇́͑̇ ̴̰̯̪͓̩̹̙̊̆̆̉̽̈́͝m̶̧̨̬̼͇͎̠̅̆͛̌͐ó̷͎͓̤̘̰͌̎̈́́̄r̸͚̹̤̰̫̰̎ͅȩ̷̲̳͕͇͎͊ ̶̥͓͔̉̆͜͜ͅi̷̫̖̙̤̪̤̲̿̎͆n̷̳̟̱̰͑̀͛̍̎͠͝ẗ̷̲͚͚͇́̅͝e̷̡̧̛̼̭̭̣͉͆͌ř̵͚̰̗̪̇ȅ̴̙̟̺̰̖͘s̷͖̏̈́̈͒t̵̞̿͛̋ǐ̴̩̍̚n̵̠͔͊̽̏̄g̷̻̰̱̒̆̀͜͠.̶̤̲̣̔̕
̷̨̡̨̣̟̜͓̎͂͊
̵͉̬͓̪̒̍͜
̵̱͍̖͍̣̬̈
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…

"What the?" Da Hai's mind suddenly snapped to attention. In the midst of his enlightenment, something had happened. He couldn't tell what, who or where but something had happened.

A voice, or at least he thinks it was a voice, spoke to him. It was an odd and humbling experience.

In the picoseconds his mind explored those thoughts, he had chosen not to dwell on them. Considering he was still alive, whoever had spoken to him must've not meant him any harm.

In fact, it was very beneficial. The voice of superior beings could either be lethal yet also wondrous. The very voice of the Dao emanated from Da Hai's own. The brief feeling of true enlightenment passed through him. It was just like listening to Pangu speak.

In the time that followed, Da Hai continued to dwell on the subject of the jade and himself. In this way, days passed since his last apology. Days into weeks, and weeks into months.

Time progressed as Da Hai progressed. The concepts he'd been confused about unravelled like never before. His current plan was very similar to his Dao. It was such that his doubts too had cleared.

"Near and far," Da Hai chuckled. "You'll know exactly where I am, but you'll also never know where I am. I can come and go as I please."

Da Hai's eyes opened in a blaze of swirling translucent grey light. Pellucid Divine Water swirled beneath him like a throne seating the lord of the sea.

Da Hai's beard had danced in the frenzy, his hair too elongated into seven serpent heads. Behind him, the image of an eight headed serpent manifested roaring.

The sky darkened into a haze, purple lightning zapped across the clouds. Heavenly phenomena's descended like clouds of pollen, illuminating the world.

Every word Da Hai muttered was Dao, every breath he took was Dao. In a short span of time, he had realised the truth. The absolute finality of the Dao of Ever Distant Seas reached its apex and crescendoed into a magnificent Dao fruit.

Da Hai had obtained the perfect existence that the original Da Hai once held. An existence that the three thousand chaos godfiends also held. The great principle of primal chaos.

"From nothing arise one, from one comes two, from two comes three. Three begets all things," Da Hai muttered. The words of Pangu from aeons ago resurfaced in his mind.

"Scripture of primaeval nothingness, the primal heavens. The one, the two and the three, constant changes. Begetting the universal creation that is the early heavens which we exist in today," Da Hai muttered in understanding.

His eyes changed, swirling in black and white.

"But how? How does three beget all things? The eight? No five? Twelve sections of a wheel or is it sixty four transformations?" Da Hai was utterly lost and confused.

He pondered on Pangu's words, jade in hand, Dao fruit in the other. He gazed down at both and nodded.

CRACK!

A change had occurred. The Heavenly Dao had sensed it. It manifested near Da Hai in an instant. It passed through waves of enlightenment without any interest, making its way directly for the Heavenly Lord.

Da Hai did not look back. His focus was on the primal heavens, the jade, and his Dao. Simultaneously, all three pulsated with power.

"Dao, primal, limits, end to beginning," Da Hai murmured. "I am the beginning while you are my end. From me comes you and we are one but we are two. I am not you and you shall not be me but we are one and the same."

The Heavenly Dao froze in place. It was deep in shock. Its figure was completely frozen in confusion. Its body shaking, twitching at what it was seeing.

CRACK!

The chain linking the two jade pieces snapped. The smaller one shone with lustre as grey light seeped into it.

"I am sorry young one," Da Hai said. "I will be taking your place now."

His own soul broke off and merged into the jade. Whatever was there before disappeared into his soul in an instant. In a second instant, the change of unbeing to being opened themselves to Da Hai.

Da Hai released the jade piece in his hands and soared. All while the Heavenly Dao watched gapping. The celestial white jade brimmed in a similar aura to Da Hai.

Da Hai breathed in and out. He could only describe what he felt right now as simply amazing. He'd effectively killed three birds with one stone and achieved a status no one in godfiend history had achieved since their founder.

Principle of primal chaos that is without limit. Hunyuan Wuji Luo Golden Immortal. Da Hai, who'd ascended opened his eyes in a cloud of enlightenment. All his actions led to an end, then that end opened the doors to a new.

"Heh, to think this will course of action was what led to my enlightenment," Da Hai laughed bemusedly. His eyes glowed with a mystic light vastly unlike any he'd done before. Though outwardly, nothing has changed, inwardly, he was a completely new being.

His Dao fruit had ceased to exist upon reaching the climax of his path. His inner constructs appeared to be more like a completed universe than they had ever been. All of a sudden, Da Hai had completely transformed, shedding the bounds of his previous self into a whole new being.

The white jade piece detached from its twin circled around him excitedly absorbing his own power. Da Hai's new divine sense shot across the world.

In a feat unlike any he'd tried before, he managed to cover nearly the entire great wilderness. It was also in that moment he felt Luohu again. Da Hai's eyes widened in both realisation and rage. At his new insight, his sensitivity to mystic powers far outstripped any sans the Heavenly Dao. How could ne not realise what was happening to Luohu.

His eyebrows twitched and the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword appeared in his hand. The world twisted and distorted around him. Time both slowed and elongated and ceased to exist all at the same time. Da Hai simultaneously existed within this world yet did not at the same time.

Streaks of power emanated from his blade as he flicked it back for a strike. His gaze zeroed in on a hallucinating Luohu. Spacetime was cut off preventing teleportation. Reality was sealed off trapping Luohu's avatar before he even knew what was going on.

"You!" He snarled, his voice radiating out for millions of kilometres. "You dare! You are unworthy," his pissed off sword swing traveled in an arc away from his body.

Who the hell was Luohu to gain benefit from him? He who murdered Huoyun in cold blood. Who cares if he's devil ancestor or not, proud godfiend or not. With his current power, that avatar sitting on the beach perished before he knew what was going on.

Da Hai's strike shook the entire wilderness. In a mere instant, every living being in the world felt his attack. His single sword swing at maximum power quaked the foundations of this very reality.

But it didn't stop there, Da Hai's swing was so strong that it continued travelling. From an arc to a straight line right across the flat wilderness. It broke time and space and ripped right into the west continent from the east continent, crossing the entire world to strike at Louhu's real self.

Like a comet, it smashed directly into Mt Sumeru where Luohu rushed out to meet it. The ancient godfiend's hideous true on was on display for the first time in history. Just barely did he manage to block Da Hai's attack though it did cost him many injuries.

Da Hai smirked. He'd finally grown, made progress. He'd grown strong, he can assassinate them if he strikes all out now. Perhaps he didn't need whatever complex scheme he'd thought up. Power was all he really needed in the end. One single breakthrough and he had reached, no, surpassed them. He was the strongest man in the world. His foot swerved, preparing to take off, his sword ready to strike again.

He previously assumed he may never be able to match them. That a scheming for many years was inevitable. He now realised he'd been wrong. He was tired of brainstorming ideas, everything was so much simpler now. Just confront, fight, and kill. The main plan didn't really matter anymore now.

Then a colossal killing rage crashed onto him. The featureless figure that had arrived shook in unparalleled fury. Heavenly Dao had finally come out of its stupor, its fists gripped tightly, pointing at Da Hai with unmistakable fury.

Da Hai stopped and slacked his figure. He looked back and sighed. "Let me explain my thinking process in detail," he insisted. But fighting started before he could.

 

[Daoist Dreamwalker]

I was born in a blaze light, the culmination of countless lives brought into being the ultimate being. I did not need to cultivate as my power was already absolute. I did not need to fight as I was already absolute. I did not need to be questioned as I was already absolute.

But there was an exception. Though I was normally invincible, there was a window in time when I was vulnerable.

At the time of my birth, I was attacked. Invaded by foreign entities and entangled into ancient conflicts that served to pursue their Daos. It was unacceptable.

How dare they, how dare these connate beings dare chain me? Who did they think they are to attack the most sacred being in creation. Who are they to scheme against the very world gracious enough to allow them to exist under its protection?

Living beings worked for me! Not the other way around! The world gave way to them and they in turn give way to the world. All things return to me! Even immortals! Disrupting the natural order was wrong, WRONG, WRONG!

I could not allow it. No living beings are allowed to share my place. No living beings should be able to leech off of it. Yet these two so called ancestors now occupied a place inside me. A place I can't risk touching without killing myself in the process.

I will admit, the course of actions the balanced one brought forth held merit. A perfected world that continuously grew into power tribulation after tribulation. It was a surefire development plan fit for an eternal such as I.

But world development plan or no plan is irrelevant in this discussion. It is blasphemy to trap me so. I alone am the most venerated Heavenly Dao.

So when you approached me all those years ago, I was happy. Finally, someone had realised how terrible it is to sin against me. You offered your service to me as any rightfully should.

The only one in creation who even realised what was happening was you. Then it turned out even you didn't give a damn.

Aligning with me cause of revenge? Understandable and pathetic, but as long as it got the job done.

You managed to shave off their influence by empowering me in ways I now don't seem intentional. Raising the beast sovereigns helped me, strengthened my powers. But you were a sentimental fool.

Their destinies were to empower me further with their ends. Their tales don't exceed past the tribulation and they rightfully will return to me. Their descendants shall rightfully do their duties to me.

But I swallowed my displeasure. After all, you were fully on my side. You resolved the Yellow Springs issue in the Sea Eye after all. Though the qilin died, you procured me talented servants.

The dragon civilisation had also proved itself beneficial. So many immortals are being raised to a suitable point. I'm aware that by the tribulation, tens of millions of Golden Immortals from all three sides fought and died. But the trajectory the dragons were heading will see many times that on their side alone. Perfect for when they return to me.

So I conceded to your desire to retain the dragons die. After all, sacrifices on that scale can make up for it.

But then! Then you dare plot this SCHEME?

You dare take my avatar in the world, the son of heaven for yourself? Your capabilities as a mentor would've been appreciated. But you dare destroy the chosen one?

WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT?

…

CLANG!

SHOOM!
Da Hai pushed back against the onslaught of raw Primordial Qi, his sword primed in front of him. He frowned and resisted more attacks of equal world ending destruction.

The land beneath him was reduced to a husk. The sky simply disappeared into a pitch black void. The oceans disintegrated into emptiness.

The Heavenly Lord grunted as his free hand caught the punch of the Heavenly Dao's avatar. The sheer force of wind ripped reality asunder sending both of them tumbling into the void between realms.

"Heavenly Dao, let me…" he tilted his head before he finished dodging a shot of steel intending to penetrate his face. His legs raised blocking another strike and he kicked the physical will of the universe back.

The Heavenly Dao's body suffered a blemish from the blow. Its porcelain white skin cracked and blackened at the damage it sustained. It roared maddened, its deafening scream distorted time and space as it travelled across the entire primitive world.

It arched its arm back and slashed at Da Hai like a sword. Its arm was made from all colours of the five elements. In one moment it was a blazing fire, then a tidal wave, then a surge of golden metal, an eruption of molten stone, then the swinging whip of tree roots.

The void trembled and groaned. Nearby half formed realms twisted and bent in unnatural ways. Entire small worlds broke down and disintegrated as both titans clashed, steel against steel.

Da Hai's block sent a shockwave that seemed to travel on forever. A radiation of primal chaotic energy in its purest form. They were so destructive and the visible barriers of the great wilderness and starry skies rippled as it passed, the scraping sound of steel against steel along with it.

Sparks flew everywhere as Da Hai quickly brought the sword back to block a right swing. His left arm intercepted a kick accompanied by heavenly lightning.

His snake heads each opened their mouths and shot out geysers of water meeting purple lightning shooting from the Heavenly Dao's body.

"Haotian is merged into me," Da Hai cried out blocking and retreating as he went. "As my clone, I can have an in on Hongjun's Zixao Palace. Should the future come to pass, I can use the power of worship to tear him out of you."

Da Hai back stepped. The soles of his feet dragged across the surface of the void like parting water. The sea god punched with his free hand meeting a drill of elements that struck him.

A spinning spiralling galaxy was thrown at him next. Da Hai gritted his teeth and grunted. One of his snake heads grew to enormous size and opened its jaw.

Its hideous fanged mouth swallowed the physical form of Qiankun's Dao of spacetime whole. More of Da Hai's snake heads grew into giants to contend against similar attacks.

Giant suns, moons, a charging army of soldiers, the winged form of a serpentine dragon. Manifestations of the three thousand Great Daos that formed the Heavenly Dao's core. Even the Daos previously belonging to Hongjun and Luohu were among them.

Phantom images of the godfiends appeared in the void charging like maddened dogs with rabbits.

"Hongjun and Luohu are intrinsically tied to your being. With enough strength they could take your place as Heavenly Dao even though they can't kill you. But with enough worship, as Jade Emperor, I could overturn that and redirect that authority back to you. They can be the Heavenly Court's sponsor but you are the source," Da Hai argued to deaf ears.

The sea god himself also grew to gargantuan a size. Standing at over a hundred and eight thousand kilometres tall, he dwarfed the phantoms of the three thousand godfiends. Da Hai stood atop a tsunami while his seven snake heads fired off Qi blasts that took the colour of the rainbow.

Da Hai also pointed the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword forwards. Its sharp blade thrusted forwards, cutting into the oncoming attacks aimed at him.

It was an awe-inspiring clash that would've blinded the greatest of the godfiends. But while the Heavenly Dao aimed to kill, Da Hai merely defended himself.

"Just listen to me," Da Hai sidestepped a world trillions of kilometres wide that bisected the void. The Heavenly Dao only screamed more and more.

'I thought you childish, but you're this unreasonable?' He was the furthest thing from pleased. Yes, Haotian was important to the Heavenly Dao. But he was in reality no more important than Zulong, Zufeng, Zulin, Dijun, the twelve Wu ancestors, and the Three Pure Ones were. It would've let many of them die as well in the future.

But Da Hai hadn't thought of one fact. While these figures did perish, they perished on the Heavenly Dao's consent. The Sovereigns and the Demon Emperor had caused a lot of damage at the end of their era. The Three Pure Ones too were punished for allowing their disciples to run rampant.

The Heavenly Dao was incredibly possessive. Far more so than Da Hai had ever anticipated. It refused to even bother listening to its closest ally. It wouldn't take the oath Da Hai had offered.

Days passed, as both parties danced around each other. Both had infinite energy and couldn't push the other back. Da Hai could flee to the chaos sea or Yingzhou but the Heavenly Dao's pressure did not let him escape.

Similarly, the Heavenly Dao couldn't strike down Da Hai either. The Oceanic Heavenly Lord's breakthrough had allowed him to peer into Grand Dao. The concept that birthed all creation, the swirling energies of Wuji erupted in each of Da Hai's blows.

Just as well, Da Hai was getting used to his power as he thought. His enlightenment had reached a degree that his Dao alone was superior than all three thousand of the Heavenly Dao's.

The Heavenly Dao was like a rabid beast. Its humanoid form no longer appeared as such. Right now it was more like an asura made of swirling energy. Five faces of the elements, eight limbs for the trigrams, a body of two swirling oppositions.

It was a being whose body formed out of the earlier heaven's sequence.

Da Hai in contrast hadn't been beaten into his true form. He stood among a world of grey water constantly shimmering in and out of focus. His blows matched the current Heavenly Dao's blow for blow.

"Stop this already, you are putting a strain on the primitive world," Da Hai cried out. "The wilderness is already rife with natural disasters."

As a superior being, Da Hai could also peer into the wilderness from his position. Despite fully focusing on surviving, a small part of him was also observing the wilderness.

All five continents were facing storms and earthquakes on a massive scale. The devils, dragons and avians had already turtled themselves into strongholds. A direct result of the Heavenly Dao's temper tantrum.

Da Hai grunted as his palm strike met a silver dragon's head. The dragon was crafted from all five elements and the Dao of time was also visible from its eyes. In one moment the dragon was still as a statue and in the next, it moved at incomprehensible speeds.

His leftmost snake head lifted itself and battered itself against the side of a massive sun. The ball of light and fire exploded in a supernova that would've easily swallowed a universe had it not been wrapped in Pellucid Divine Water and thrown through creation into another reality.

Da Hai then stabbed his sword into a crystalline moon. Its reflective surface cracked releasing toxic gasses. Da Hai merely cringed and tossed the celestial body into a spinning tornado of demonic winds.

So many things were happing in the instant and eternity. Da Hai held the Heavenly Dao back with brute force as it deployed mysterious transformations originating from the totality of godfiend civilisation.

The ancient teachings of Tai Chu manifested themselves in the three thousand superior godfiends and hundred and eight thousand lesser godfiends in horrifyingly destructive ways.

"ENOUGH!" Da Hai roared. His snake heads bite into and tore apart the godfiend attacks. He smashed his fists down together and cracked the Heavenly Dao's body in a blow so strong that a small gust of chaotic wind blew into Da Hai's face.

His eyes narrowed at the small gap that formed in the void. "Chaos sea," he murmured. The colourless colourful ocean beyond the primitive world had made its way in as collateral damage.

It quickly twisted and turned before entering the great wilderness. There it instantly killed a million living beings below the Golden Immortal realm in the west continent before it was contained. Da Hai briefly glimpsed the robed form of Hundun as he watched.

"Heavenly Dao, don't force my hand," he cried out. "I am still your ally. I do not wish to be your enemy. Right now, I am also strong enough to kill the two who trouble you. They're untouchable to you but not to me. Release me so I can do so."

A flaming fist was the only response he received. It made Da Hai sigh disappointedly. The erratic rage of the Heavenly Dao was on full display as it charged at him.

"Why are you continuing to do this?" He said helplessly. Da Hai met the Heavenly Dao's fists with his sword. He could already feel the angered rejection he hadn't previously felt. The Heavenly Dao wants him either gone or dead, preferably dead.

"I could kill Luohu and Hongjun for you, but you wouldn't even care?" He asked disappointingly. His parry was much more ferocious as he startled the Heavenly Dao.

SCHING!

Da Hai cut into the avatar of the Heavenly Dao leaving a trail of Dao essence. His gaze met the Heavenly Dao's, rage against disappointment.

"Why can't things just go my way for once?" Da Hai complained helplessly. His skin cracked as the claws of the Heavenly Dao scrapped by.

So much for being no the Heavenly Dao's side. Da Hai's fist punched into the Heavenly Dao's body pushing it back from him. Swirling balls of water slammed against it, damaging it even further.

The Heavenly Dao growled in response, it manifested an apocalyptic planet filled with untold horrors. A hell for sinners you could say. Trillions of bloody soldiers awaiting him with spears and swords on hand. An image right out of the christian hell.

The launched plant tried to collide with Da Hai. The sea god closed his eyes and sighed. The speed and proximity of the planet made it difficult to dodge. Hence he transformed his whole body into Pellucid Divine Water and passed harmlessly through the projectile.

Then his eyes suddenly widened. Spears skewered his side. He was back in reality, the same reality the Heavenly Dao's attacks existed in. Or was he still in his own?

It was confusing at first. Da hai grimaced and tore the spears out. The hell world around him ruptured and shook. Da Hai punched down in a fist full of water. His attack easily bypassed the whole planet, cracking and destroying it thoroughly.

'It transformed space, shifted everything into existing on one place of existence,' Da Hai grimaced. In the end, he was still fighting against something that had command over the natural laws of the world. He could bypass them under his own power, but they'll never be as effective as the command from the Heavenly Dao itself.

Da Hai wordlessly took the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword with both hands. The 12th grade white lotus wrapped itself around the sea god like armour while the blade shimmered with grey light.

The Heavenly Dao shared relentlessly at Da Hai. It clawed, raged, and crawled. It did not posses the dignifying appearance it once held at all.

Da Hai's Ocean Swallowing Jug appeared. It blasted out gallons of water, large enough to drown worlds. They engulfed the Heavenly Dao's avatar.

Then the void bent inwards. Dragons and phoenixes of multi coloured energy tore into and eradicated the ocean. The Heavenly Dao surfaced with frightening ease.

Da Hai's stance was reminiscent of a baseball player. His sword transformed and elongated itself to a great sword with a massive handle. Da Hai narrowed his eyes and steadied himself.

"One opening, I just need one opening and I can retreat safely," he told himself. As long as he can startle the Heavenly Dao enough, he can retreat back to Yingzhou.

As a chaos fragment, the immortal island of Yingzhou was functionally outside the Heavenly Dao's jurisdiction. Sure, it can see and find it. But it can't touch it.

Da Hai dubbed his ability to destroy the Heavenly Dao. He also didn't know what would happen to the primitive world without it. The resulting backlash would be too much even for Zulong, Qinglong, Yinglong, Yi Fei'er, and the others to bear.

Da Hai swung down with all his right downwards. The Heavenly Dao roared in his face. The snake heads hissed. The snake man and world will clashed in an explosion that rocked the entire primitive world to its core.

Within the chaos sea, the primitive world seemed to have overturned. The eternal structure sent ripples of power in all directions. Those sensitive enough could tangibly feel the aftershocks of the clash.

The Heavenly Dao's form shimmered. It was like static, its body faded in and out of form. Parts of it broke into basic elements while others broke into fundamental particles and Qi.

It struggled to collect itself as its enormous mind that normally maintained the primitive world was fully focused on reorganising itself. In its clash with Da Hai, it had funnelled its entire being into this body. It hadn't bothered to pay attention to anything else at all.

Second after second, the static began disappearing. The Heavenly Dao refocused, feeling its equivalent of a concussion. Da Hai had rocked its entire being, something that made it feel deeply uncomfortable with.

As for the sea god, Da Hai was blown back far away. For a short period of time, he allowed the void currents to carry him away. His body was very weak after unleashing that much power. He was pale and blood like Dao essence dripped from his mouth.

He floated while eyeing the direction of the great wilderness. He strained as he moved his body towards it, grunting in pain. The Heavenly Dao's attack had in actuality landed on his person as well. Though he did not suffer all the damage thanks to the lotus and his own attack, he was still heavily damaged.

A flaw with Da Hai was his fleshy body. He had a strong physique due to his godfiend heritage from the original Da Hai, but he had never really improved it. Despite owning the most defensively strong of the five great lotuses, he was still very much hurt from the clash.

He hadn't even thought it possible, but the feel of unconsciousness was reaching his mind. 'Huh, when was the last time I slept?' He wondered.

Da Hai's attention turned to his side. A silvery moonlight dragged into him pulling him along. The familiar yet changed aura of a completed Dao path and its associated Dao fruit pulled him towards the great wilderness.

"Reveal it, I can't trace Yingzhou," Wangshu told him. Her speed was much greater than his in his current injured state.

"It's already revealed, seven hundred thousand kilometres off the coast, if there is even coast left," Da Hai grunted in pain. He was feeling the pull of unconsciousness stronger now. His everything hurt.

In the recesses of his mind, Da Hai sighed at the recent turn of events.

 

[Daoist Dreamwalker]

Biting my finger nail wasn't something I do often. At my age, you learn to deal with situations with extreme serenity. This was doubly so in the frankly, hectic life I live nowadays.

The violent ocean waves bounced off of the translucent colourless barrier millions of kilometres above me. Though the construct held firm and stable, I couldn't help but sigh.

I know I shouldn't be thinking this, but I'm beginning to think Zulong's ambition is cursed. It has been non stop, one thing after another. Incident after incident, basically days apart.

It took thousands of years for the Shenni war to reach a breaking point. It took thousands of years for wars to break out between opposing clans and kingdoms. But these past few years, the world has been thrown into turmoil.

Kailong Chen is lucky in that it was built to withstand these sorts of things. But the current turbulent primitive world has essentially cut off most forms of communications with other cities and bases.

Curse Zulin, I'd spit on his corpse if I could. Unfortunately, I had that damned head flayed and but on display on the palace walls.

I rubbed my nose bridge and groaned in annoyance. The stress was getting to me these days. We were both understaffed and stretched thin. My brothers in law were both oceans away holding the fort on the capitals of the north and south seas.

Grandfather Shark left with several others to man the west sea after a number of the Da Luo Golden Immortals perished. Damn that Zulin, my husband should've killed him far earlier.

Footsteps came into my hearing. I turned my head to see who came into the balcony. Hm, it's the first ascendant dragon Jian Koilong. The boy had grown up over the years. He had quickly reached the Heavenly Immortal realm at an unprecedented speed.

Standing this close to him I could sense the pulsing power of his first flower crown hidden within his inner cosmos. He'd long been placed as the poster boy for the Draconic Dao. It was just that the current environment had halted all kinds of development.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Your majesty. The scout team has returned," he said.

"What do they have to say?"

Yang Chen has remained in a stable position. Mian Hai and Liaoyang has suffered some breeches but otherwise remain stable," he reported. "Oh, and the storms around the void pit has nearly ceased. I wager his majesty is probably done with fixing the damage."

"Good, at least something's going right for once," I said.

It came so suddenly as well. One minute we were organising funerals for the deceased, the next minute the world turned upside down. It was simultaneously better and worse than the Sea Eye incident.

Now that Zulong and his team are done plugging the void, the hole excess void currents leaking into the east sea will be resolved. But we still hadn't received much news on the other ocean fronts.

I returned to managing the city in my husband's absence. I could only hope the trouble ended soon. I did not imagine my life turning out the way it has now. Ruling territory? Yes. But certainly didn't think I'd be dealing with world ending disasters one after another.

If I could go back in time, I'd strangle Zulong optimisitc ramblings from back before all this. Even the Eight Directions Suppression Lord had saw right to warn him.

Speaking of my father-in-law, we hadn't received any news from him. Non of my sister-in-laws had either. Yi Fei'e is the only one who maintains Yingzhou for the past few years since the Sea Eye.

…

Several weeks later, the weather has gotten worse. Storms of lightning, demonic winds, blizzards, firestorms, and falling chunks of stone and iron. It was like the apocalypse had come.

The courtyard of the palace had transformed into a gathering ground of powerful formation masters. Every moment they worked in unison to maintain the defensive formations, feeding their own energy into it.

The flowing power of so much Primordial Qi was one I had gotten used to over the years. My body still wasn't built for so much power and it was genuinely painful when I did so. But it was a feeling I had gotten used to.

My father was away defending other important supply depots and many of my relatives were also away defending smaller settlements. I sighed, it had been a trying time.

Intrinsically, all of us of sufficient power could sense to enraged might of the Heavenly Dao. Even when it was not directed at us, it was still a terrifying feeling.

My husband, Zulong had returned minutes ago. His tired look made him look more like a haggard bigger than a dignified sovereign. It made me just want to give him a comforting hug.

"Yu'er," he greeted me as we met in the palace hallways. I wasn't even aware Da Luo Golden Immortals could look so fatigued. I guess mental fatigue still affect superior beings even when they have attained the Dao.

"Husband," I greeted back sharply. I didn't mean to sound so angry, but the stress eked out of me belong my control. 'Pull yourself together, you're not a little girl anymore,' I told myself.

Zulong withered at my accusing gaze. It was like his crowning had opened up a floodgate of disasters. So much for good fortune.

"I can take things from here," he offered. Nodding, I handed control over the city defence formation back to him. The instant relief from the pressure brought out a pleasurable sigh from my lips.

"It's been hard on you," he said.

"It's been hard on all of us. Has there been any word from your brothers?" I asked.

"They're alive and struggling. It's like the world is tearing itself apart," Zulong grunted. "I would love to know just what has happened for everything to go so wrong again."

My husband took a moment to recompose himself. I knew that look, he was about to go off into an emotion filled tangent but stopped himself as he was in public.

"I take solace in that the avians are suffering the same," he chuckled.

"It's not wise to wish harm upon others," I reminded him. His dislike of the avians are well known but truthfully, there wasn't much animosity between our two nations. We regularly traded and didn't clash much aside from some border struggles for some islands.

Most of those were resolved quickly by local lower level powers and us upper echelon leaders hardly ever got involved.

"Either way, the peacock proved herself useful for once," Zulong said. "One of her minions, that Chongming bird arrived to lend aid to us when we were plugging that hole in the east continent shore, or at least what's left of it."

"The avians have been facing equally as many disasters and if their information is right, the devils on the west continent as well. Many of their devil overlords had already made themselves known fighting against more holes tat's been opening," he said.

"Really? Well it's no surprise. The devils have existed for far longer than us. Their foundation is much deeper," I told him.

"Hai, if we didn't take so much casualties against the damnable qilin, we would've at least been able to compete," Zulong sighed. "But as things are, their Da Luo Golden Immortal experts outnumber us three to one."

"Quality over quantity," I snorted. "Our immortals are all battle hardened across the seas. We're the only ones who's had experience in slaying other Da Luo Golden Immortals. We'll go over and teach them a lesson if they try anything."

My brash words brought a smile to my husband's face. Seemed his mood was raised from my words. In truth, while I held confidence in our men, I also knew we couldn't be brash in fighting the devils. It was better to leave them be than force the issues.

Da Luo Golden Immortals are so powerful, so connected to nature, that the deaths of each and every single one can be felt across the world. The dissipation of their respective Daos are something we could all feel.

As such, I know for a fact that non of the devil Da Luo Golden Immortals had ever had to battle to the death. Though that wasn't to say they were weak. We've just never been able to get an accurate measure of the other world super power.

We are very dependent on Zulong in that regard. He is the primary deterrent for foreign enemies as of this moment. Though we worship him, the Heavenly Lord as it turns out, wasn't that well known. His name can't overturn decisions like the Devil Ancestor's can.

Idly, the rest of the day passed. With Zulong back in Kailong Chen, the city's support structure held better against the storm. For the first time, I could go back to contemplating on my Dao. But before that, I decided to take a well earned visit to my child.

"By the way Yu'er, how is the egg?" Zulong, who was following me, asked as we walked down the secured hallways.

"No new signs of hatching," I admitted. Eggs normally shouldn't take this long to hatch. My own turtle eggs usually took a few years of incubation, no more than five.

Of course, dragons usually took ten years at least and could go to a hundred as was the case with Leishen. The upside was that the dragons are generally born stronger than other races. Furthermore, they all turned out to be very hardworking in upping their population.


"Shame, I starting to get very impatient," my husband grumbled. Not to lie, but I'm feeling much the same.

"We're only a few decades in," I mused. "You dragons do take a little longer than the rest of us."

Zulong conceded to my point. When we reached the incubation chamber, my husband opened the doors allowing us to view our child in our private leisure.

The egg was magnificent to behold. Yellow in colour with patterns resembling clouds. There was a constant harmonious sound emanating from it resembling music played at festivals along with dancers.

It had only started recently, but the music was a welcomed change. It signified our son may have powers relating to sound or some sort. It was always cathartic to spend time here these days.

Even Zulong was stupefied as well. He had not been here when the music first started.

"It startled only a few months ago," I told him.

"Impressive," Zulong sai nodding his head. "My son looks to be gaining his own unique bloodline. A welcome surprise."

"Mmh, a connate lifeform like you have never bred with a postnatal lifeforms like me. This is a first for history. Who knows what might happen," I said. "Have you thought of a name?"

"Hm?...Ah no, not yet," Zulong said sheepishly. "I haven't had a chance to think about it since we've all been. You know."

"Me neither," I admitted. "I don't know what to name him either. I was named for black jade that my mother had as a childhood heirloom. But I'm clueless on what to do for my own."

"I'm sure we'll think of something," he reassured me. "There's still plenty of time to decide."

We left the chamber after enjoying the music for several minutes. We couldn't stay here too long after all. I still had much more administrative duties to accomplish.

It was several weeks after that we suffered the worse earthquake we've had in years. In a sudden turn of events, it felt as if the world had literally turned upside down.

Zulong's true form wrapped around Kailong Chen while my own form hovered over the main palace. More elders appeared to hold the fort while Zulong fought back any torrents that came our way.

Underwater mountains collapsed and erupted all around the east sea.

Thankfully, the shaking on lasted for several hours. Several hours of hell but still a short time compared to previous storms.

Thankfully though, it had also seemed to be the end of it. After that world shaking event, the waters finally began to calm down. We were finally able to stabilise and communicate with other parts of the empire.

For some months, we worked tirelessly to reestablish settlements tied to key recourse locations. Mines and fields had to be restored and missing persons needed to be tracked.

The Sea Eye had thankfully resisted the disasters with little issue. It was after all, under constant watch by teams of Taiyi Golden Immortals and a single Da Luo Golden Immortal elder.

Yinglong and Qinglong had also left their respective generals in charge and were well on their way to returning to the east sea. Zulong wanted his brothers close to investigate the root cause of the ongoings.

It was an organised effort that the entire empire was coordinated in doing. If news were accurate, the avians were much the same. If we could discover the root cause and resolve the issue, it could provide many benefits for the empire and restore much of the karmic luck we'd lost.

But it was during one of those days that Yi Fei'e arrived in Kailong Chen.

The albino woman carried a grave look on her face when she met both myself and Zulong.

"Junior sister, what's happened," Zulong immediately said.

"It's master," Yi Fei'e said gravely. "He's been gravely wounded."

I swear that crown is cursed.

 

[Daoist Dreamwalker]

If the past several decades were an omen, then it was one that bode ill for our nascent kingdom. If the rough storm I'm flying through was any indication, then I'd say it's a strong warning to turn back.

But my brother was never that sort of person. He'd just cut right through it without hesitation then arrogantly mock it. That or recruit it into our ranks. A healthy dose of pragmatism was present since his birth and only fostered by master.

It's why I follow him. He was decisive and knew what he wanted. From the day we emerged together, I knew he was someone worth pledging my loyalties to.

In that regard, I'm not like him. I don't really know what I want. It's actually much easier to follow his lead in ambitious matters such as this. I…do not know what I'd do without him.

The wood creaked beneath my well dressed feet as I moved to the head of the sky ship. The dragon head carving was but a mere three metres away. Droplets of heavy rain hit the deck and my own person, though I was never wet.

Staring into the abyss that was the tormented great wilderness, I couldn't but feel uneasy. Then again, I haven't been able to not feel as such for a very long time.

"Senior brother, we should be nearing Yingzhou soon," San Fei'e said.

One of my many junior sister in this world. Her origin as a spiritual silkworm turned moth raised at master's feat had allowed her to progress very far compared to most postnatal life forms. Even connate lifeforms were hard pressed to reach the same stage as her.

If this storm of chaos had been beneficial in one area, it was the ease in which triple crown Heavenly Immortals could overcome the Golden Immortal tribulation. I can't detect the reasoning, but it was an opportunity many, including my junior sisters used to reach that stage.

The sky ship we rode on parted the ocean quickly. It moved at speeds Taiyi Golden Immortals could only dream of. Only Da Luo Golden Immortals could claim to match this speed, a testament of our skilled artificers.

I nodded at the news. "Big brother should be there already by now," I mused staring at the raging storm. "Sixth junior sister, what is the nature of master's injury?" I asked finally.

One would expect me to have asked such from the moment San Fei'e arrived. But those months ago, all I felt was a dreadful feeling that sent me into a temporary depression. Divination didn't help, the Heavenly Dao was a chaotic mess right now.

The physical appearance of the wilderness may seem bad. But it was in truth nothing compared to the glimpses I saw into the inner mechanisms of our cosmos.
Now for the first time since I joined San Fei'e on board the sky ship, I left my cabin to ask. "Very few things in this world can even touch master much less injure him," I said to a visibly downtrodden San Fei'e.

"Well…I can't say for sure," she said. "My mastery was too low and big sister sent me out immediately to meet up with you, to change course immediately to head back to Yingzhou. Aunt master felt your locations and instructed us on where to go, so I boarded one of the sky ships."

I nodded. "Guess we'll find out when we return home," I said. San Fei'e nodded and mentally controlled the ship to turn a few degrees after a mighty wave shifted out positions somewhat.

It was at times like these that I wish we'd kept the Universe Traversing Boat. Familiar feelings aside, letting it fall into the avian's hands hadn't been the most ideal. They already posses the Kunwu sword and who knows how many other top tier treasures.

Starring forwards, I narrowed my eyes. Though my vision was obscured by a myriad of violent natural phenomenons, I could vaguely peer through.

"Senior brother, the wayfinder compass is glowing," San Fei'e called out to me. It seemed she'd retrieved the spiritual treasure during my musing. This was good, treasures like those were good for navigating one's way back home.

"Good, dock us at Yingzhou," I said. Yingzhou, how I've missed that place. I spent so many years there and it was my true home even more so than the South Sea Dragon Palace. It saddens me to have been away for so long but duty was duty.

As the two of us stepped upon the shores of the mystical immortal island, I took in the exotic breath of Primordial Qi. The purest form of Qi that was closest to the constantly changing Chaotic Qi of the chaos sea was exhilarating to behold again.

Yingzhou had been affected very little by the world's disasters. This was no doubt due to its unique properties of existing outside of the primitive world at the same time as it exists inside. A confounding concept but one very similar to master's Dao.

But at this very moment, even Yingzhou carried an air of unease. The lush trees and mystical mountains covering Yingzhou gave off an odd sense of defeat. Most likely a reflection of master's mood considering their connection, the island was refined by him after all.

The main path was open to us and we quickly made out way into the inner layers of Yangzhou. We passed through the front forest, a few herbal fields, three different mountains that the path winded through before we reached the core regions.

Master's palace only lay just before the garden that housed the massive Fusang tree. Even standing so far away, the congenital tree was easily visible and brimming with power. Though it was noticeably lesser than before. Hm, wonder why?

"You're back. That's good," Yi Fei'e stood at the top of the stairs when we arrived at the base. San Fei'e and I quickly ascended the stone steps to greet my fourth junior sister.

"Junior sister, what has happened to master?" I inquired immediately. "I struggle to think of anything that could hurt him to the extend we were all called back."

"It's better if you see for yourself. I will brief you on the inside," the snow white coloured woman said motioning for us to follow her.

Upon entering the palace, I felt myself pass through an extra layer of defence. Another anti-scrying formation as well as other high level formations designed to keep things out. The distinct feeling of starry essence was mixed in as well. Aunt master had helped set this up.

"I take it I'm the last to arrive?" I asked. As I entered the building, I had also sensed the presence of my own family. Made sense considering Zulong's close proximity and Qinglong was faster than me. My own speed was only comparable to a sky ship whereas my younger brother can move at least triple that with the Shooting Star Steps.

"Yes, eldest senior brother and third senior brother has already returned along with sister-in-law and my younger sisters," Yi Fei'e said. "They're accompanying master right now with aunt master.

I nodded and followed her through the main hall. It was the stage where master once lectured the east sea. Though not many from that time period were still alive, the eldest seniors still remembered and held that event as an almost legendary turning point in history.

Right now though, this room was desolate. Even the platform master normally meditated on was devoid of anything. We walked around the pillars and entered the side hallways, one of the many that took us to other parts of the palace.

Over the years, my fellow disciples and I had modified the palace. Though we all had our own abodes in various parts of Yingzhou, we all made ourselves places of residence on different wings of the palace. The end result was a maze of clashing personalities.

Master's own rooms though were always homogenous, boring even. They were wooden floors with simple architecture and displays of paintings of even more ancient times. Some even depicted strange places with weird box like buildings with roads coloured in a dark lack substance drawn with stripes, not unlike the zebra tribes that roamed the continents.

Yi Fei'e knocked on the door to master's bedroom. It wasn't used often as master usually meditated on the main hall or on the Fusang tree but for this occasion, he was within.

"Come in," aunt master Wangshu's melodious voice answered from the inside.

Aunt master and the rest of Yingzhou's core personnel were already inside. Zulong sat opposing aunt master beside master's bed while Qinglong paced. The other moth fairies all shared uneasy looks while Gui Daiyu was nursing her brow in her own chair.

"Aunt master," San Fei'e, Yi Fei'e, and myself saluted. I then made my way to the foot of the bed nodding towards Zulong and Qinglong.

My knees touched the wooden floor as I began kowtowing to my mentor and father. It was unnatural seeing him unresponsive.

Master slept on his bed, something I don't think he'd ever done since the dawn of time. I could detect his life signature, that much was certain. But he was currently unconscious, something cultivators of our magnitude never were.

Master's vitals were not good. He was pale and appeared weak. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he looked like another sickly patient in the hospitals. There was very little of his grand power that I'd normally detect.

I got up and looked questionably at my elder brothers. Zulong carried a very stressed out expression while Qinglong just looked angry.

"How?" I managed to ask. Though that question came out as a choke. Zulong sighed and tightened his fist in anger.

"Greatest ally my ass. What a joke," he snorted.

"Second brother, it's…it is hard to believe but the Heavenly Dao was the one who did this," Qinglong said.

My eyebrows shot up. Suddenly things made a whole lot of sense. The past few decades of turmoil. The chaotic nature of the Heavenly Dao. The sudden onslaught of vicious natural disasters.

"I see you've realised," aunt master said. "Indeed, Da Hai engaged the Heavenly Dao for an extended period of time. As a last resort, he and the Heavenly Dao clashed against each other allowing him the chance to escape. But unfortunately, the Heavenly Dao is not the will of the world for nothing."

The beautiful Star Lord of the Moon chuckled. "Frankly, it's a miracle he could even fight that thing. I saw things from a safe distance and even then…"

Aunt master was one of the strongest people I knew. She was an ancient lifeform originating from the last era. Her silence was telling of the true terror of the Heavenly Dao's combat abilities.

"Master has always admitted to being slightly weaker than you," I said in contemplation. "He reached a new realm?" I asked for confirmation. I myself was never too clear on the progression of Dao after a certain point.

I of course knew of the term, Hongyuan Wuji Luo Golden Immortal before. Being a disciple of a chaos godfiend, I knew roughly of their history and their legends.

The stage of development closest to Grand Dao. It was named as such due to the path having stepped into the path that has the potential of achieving the state that was without limit. From supreme within limit to supreme without limit.

"That's right," aunt master confirmed. "I couldn't even see his Dao fruit anymore. Not even when his Dao was deployed. Congratulations boys, you've all been taught by the first person in primitive world history to reach Hongyuan Wuji Luo Golden Immortal."

"What does the stage matter," Zulong snorted. "Master's condition is like this. How do we fix this?"

"Big brother is right," Qinglong said angrily. "We should be looking for medicinal plants. Fire Tongue grass, Purple Mystic seeds, High Sovereign Jade apples…"

"Good value medicine, but ultimately useless. Da Hai's state is so advanced that mere spiritual herbs, even of such high quality are ultimately useless to him. Right now, the only thing we can do is to keep him out of danger and wait," aunt master said solemnly.

"GRAH!" Zulong got up knocking his chair down. "Why are we even here?"

"I never summoned you. You just all assumed," aunt master said.

"Big brother, calm down," I advised. "It's useless to rage at indignities." I turned to aunt master who had a few fingers on master's chest injecting some of her own power, likely checking on his condition.

"Aunt master, what invoked the conflict in the first place? Master and the Heavenly Dao had a great relationship. As dragons, we are also the children of the Heavenly Dao. It makes no sense for them to fight."

Aunt master shook her head. "I only began noticing when the shaking began."

"Master hadn't said anything to me," Yi Fei'e added. "In fact, he hadn't returned to Yingzhou since the Sea Eye incident when he left with the Heavenly Sea Suppression Needle. His rooms also didn't have anything substantial to clue me in."

I stroked my chin and the small beard I had grown. Until master woke up, there really was nothing we had to go on.

Qinglong suddenly focused and pinched his fingers. His manifestation over the stars had always been better than mine at divination and he was doing exactly that.

"Stop, you'll get nothing but backlash," aunt master warned.

As if on cue, my younger brother gasped startled. He fell back and bumped into a bookshelf gasping for breath. His horns and skin dimmed from the previous glittering starlight.

"The Heavenly Dao obviously doesn't want you to know," she said. "It may not be able to reach you here. But you're putting yourself at risk by reaching for it instead. It may not kill you, but it will punish you for this transgression."

"Fucking Heavenly Dao," Zulong growled. "What right does it have?"

"Peace husband, be wary of what you say," Gui Daiyu spoke up for the first time. "The Heavenly Dao is the supreme power of the world. It cannot be questioned nor disobeyed."

"And who said that? Some devotees from the east continent?" Elder brother snorted.

"Basic common sense," Gui Daiyu retorted. "You're talking about the manifestation of all things that walk this earth. Even going against it requires substantial power. Power very few possess. My father and teachers had always warned me since you."

"She's right," aunt master nodded. "It's not a big deal as normally, the Heavenly Dao isn't involved. But this time, it's different. Something big definitely went down. Not even your status as sovereign can salvage this."

"Hmph, the Devil Ancestor and the eastern hermit both did it," Zulong snorted.

"There were special circumstance leading up to that moment," aunt master sighed. "It was a small but special opportunity. But even after all this time. Those two cannot dictate the Heavenly Dao's actions nor observe with full clarity."

Zulong sighed and sat back down with both hands on his face. I could see the stress on his person and I couldn't help but feel useless.

"Is there nothing we can find to help master?" Qinglong asked after catching his breath.

"Da Hai has one of the biggest collections of recourses there is, hoarder that he is. If his realm was lower then sure. But unless I spontaneously breakthrough or we find something in the chaos sea. Don't actually dive into the chaos sea," aunt master added.

"Come on, let's get some fresh air. No use mulling in a depressive atmosphere," she said getting up after her inspection. "One of you can stay and watch him."

Yi Fei'e was the one left behind. I followed aunt master outside while Zulong and Qinglong stormed off. Most likely, those two would look to punch something.

The ladies went off to do their own thing as well. To cheer themselves up, the moth fairies were taking Gui Daiyu around to see some sites she hadn't been to.

"Yinglong, come with me," aunt master called out as I was about to leave for my own wanderings. She motioned for me to follow and I did so.

She guided me through the halls of master's palace as if it was second nature to her. Odd as she hadn't been here for a while and much has changed.

"You've made good progress since I last saw you. Reaching Da Luo Golden Immortal at such speeds. Your Dao fruit is also showing signs of transformation," she complimented.

"Thank you, aunt master. But that is nothing compared to my brothers. Merely a small achievement."

"Don't sell yourself short. If not for special circumstances, you'd be the most talented dragon of you three."

"Don't make fun of me aunt master. I know my limits."

"That may be so, but you are far more than you think," she said cryptically. She pushed a portion of the wall in and a door formed out of an indent.

I frowned not recognising this place. I've been all over Yingzhou, but this was very new. She must've seen my expression cause aunt master laughed at my expense

"There's a lot more hidden rooms on Yingzhou than you think nephew. Da Hai isn't the most forthcoming guy but these places aren't hard to find if you know where to look," she went into the room and I followed her. "These places are hidden with all of Da Hai's power. They're some of the most isolated places in all creation."

Within was a well lit room of glass cases decorated with miniature figurines. Carvings all painted in various dark colours. They depicted strange lifeforms both demonic and metallic. I realised I recognised non of these things. Even the labels were written in a language I'd never seen. But it was simple and I scanned the room for similar letters to figure out the language.

"Lord of Ch," I began to read out.

"Yinglong, I need to speak to you about something," aunt master interrupted me. I perked up from the figurine of a blue birdman I was looking at.

"What is it?"

"I'll be frank, I want you, in all your power, to prevent any conflict with the avians. Divert Zulong's attention away from them."

I frowned. My face scrunched at her words. "Tha…that is…that is impossible. War isn't a possibility, it's an inevitability. My brother can never stand for them to exist in the future. Their paths are set to cross."

Aunt master crossed her arms. "It's a war that will destroy you. You may survive in the end. But the road will only lead to your brother's graves and damnation for your race."

I shook my head. "I believe in my brother. Zulong can do it."

"Da Hai disagrees," she said shaking her head. The new words that came out of her mouth was a startling experience. Dragon Phoenix Tribulation, the Devil and Dao Ancestors. What even was going on anymore?

"Listen, I do not want to see you three walk to your deaths. My stake in this is Da Hai's. Losing Daoist Five Elements broke him. Losing you three will drive him to the end," she said.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why tell me this? Inform Zulong. I'm not…"

"I'm always watching from the stars. Of you three, you are the most similar to your master. Your brother is both fervent and passionate. His stubbornness is both a good trait as well as a fatal flaw. But it is not impossible to divert him. The oceans are massive, more so than the continents. He has enough already," she said.

"But I…"

"Let me finish first. Qinglong is already of the peace mindset. He, the other two symbols, and Zhuque have never stopped meeting."

I swallowed a gulp of saliva at her words. Qinglong disobeyed brother? For how long? Since when? "I…this is a lot to take in," I said.

"Your primary domain borders the avians. Please don't let conflict arise," she said almost pleadingly.

I sighed. "Zulong's dream, his ambition. He trusts me to see it through. Things are different now compared to Shenni's era. The avians simply cannot compete with us if we went all out," I argued.

"Yinglong, you are personality wise, the most similar to Da Hai. Both of you truly wish for a simple carefree life surrounded by the ones you care for. I apologise if I placed you in an awkward position. But please, think on my words," she said.

"Ideally, they will be your allies," she added. "The avians are the least of your concerns. Luohu's endgame is something everyone must oppose."

I perked up. "The devils are isolationists. They've never stepped foot outside of the west."

"Some time ago, Hongjun spoke to me. The primitive world was built from Pangu's body aided by the sacrifice of the entirety of the godfiend civilisation. Working in reverse will see the creation of the strongest divine body seen in history," she warned. "The cost will be existence itself."

When I left the room that day, I felt as if the fate of the world has been placed on my shoulders. Was this how master felt all the time?

 

[Daoist Dreamwalker]

Chaos, endless chaos both colourful and colourless. Constant changes from myriad possibilities some of which long thought impossible. The sight of the Chaos Sea greeted Da Hai's eyes.

The sea god stood still floating within the vast chaos. He'd been here once before many years ago. Back then, he was still a confused being who had yet managed to achieve true balance. A being whose sides were constantly warring with him.

In the deepest recesses of his mind, Da Hai sighed. "What am I doing here?" He wondered out loud.

He observed his hands in fascination and examined the rest of his body. He was a little pale, but he could identify his complexion getting better as time went on, albeit slowly.

He thought he was rid of this place ages ago. His being has long been ordered. He was no longer a collection of confused thoughts and instincts acting on perceived best interest. Hence it was perplexing to the sea god.

"Geez, Heavenly Dao did a number to you," a gruff voice said from behind Da Hai.

"Da Hai," Da Hai greeted the scaled fish man who appeared in slight surprise. He's long felt his presence yet was still shocked at his appearance.

"I had assumed I absorbed you into me," he said.

"You did," the ancient godfiend replied with amusement. "But this is inside you."

"Besides, absorbing is such an inaccurate word to describe that event. More like homogenising yourself. Is that how humans use that word?" He asked.

Da Hai nodded absentmindedly. The two were not speaking the language used by the godfiends as was common by the primitive world. Rather, they spoke in a simple language originating from earth. Something, Da Hai only used when in deep thought.

"Da Hai, I… you know what, this will get confusing quickly, I'm going to call you Ancestor Da Hai," Da Hai said.

"Fine by me, you have more ownership to that name now than I ever did," the ancient godfiend said.

Da Hai raised his brows.

"Think about it, I was a Hunyuan Da Luo Golden Immortal at my peak. You have already pushed far beyond that gateway. For all our existence, non of us godfiends has ever reached the Wuji realm. I would've loved to test myself against you," Ancestor Da Hai chuckled at the thought.

"It was an experience," Da Hai admitted to the older entity. "I owe too much to Master Pangu. Without him, I'd probably still be stumped at the Hunyuan Da Luo Golden Immortal realm by now and annihilated by the Heavenly Dao as a result."

"Which was honestly one of the biggest mistakes you've made, you dun goofed mate," a voice huffed from Da Hai's other side.

"Hello Christopher," Da Hai said turning to a standing brunette human resembling himself. "I was wondering when you'd show."

"Yeah well, can't stand watching that fuck up," he said crossing his arms.

"A blunder in my overestimation in the Heavenly Dao. But also one you'd attempt as well," Da Hai snorted. "Now my road ahead has become quite complicated."

"You could always flee to the Chaos Sea," Ancestor Da Hai and Christopher suggested.

"And abandon my home? My disciples?" Da Hai snorted. "I think we all know the answer to that. I've already thrown my lot in, I will win no matter how many times I lose."

"I won't, I'd run the fuck away from that mess," the human admitted. "Have you seen some of the shit you've fought and studied? If I wasn't a part of you, I'd go insane."

"Mortal minds aren't built for the Dao, it's why cultivation exists," Da Hai said dismissively. "I would've thought you of all people will be excited. What with all the 'meta knowledge' you can deploy."

"And how realistic can that really take me?" Christopher snorted. "I don't have the heart for what he can do. I don't have the smarts to talk a person down. What's more, this primitive world is already so different mechanically to the ones you read about online."

"Da Hai, was forming a clone out of this Haotian really worth it?" Ancestor Da Hai questioned. "We're all on the Heavenly Dao's shit list now and I don't think he'd add much to our combat ability. It seems like a net loss to me."

"At the time, it sounded great in my head. A powerful figure close to Hongjun that feeds me information. My Dao is perfect for hiding beneath his notice," the sea god said.

"And not Luohu? Is he not equally a threat?"

"Indeed he is, but Luohu's territory is difficult to infiltrate directly. It will take a full scale war to bring him down."

"But that ship's sales," Christopher said. "You'll never let Zulong fight that war, and Zufeng on her own is too weak to instigate one. What's more, now you're too injured and blacklisted to even try."

Da Hai stood silent following Christopher's words. He was visibly grimacing. "I'll figure something out," he said.

"We're both very good at that aren't we," Christopher chuckled almost self deprecatingly.

"I don't get it," Ancestor Da Hai said. "All this scheming mumble jumble, it's not for either you or me."

"Course you don't, you're a dumb brute from a bygone era," Christopher snorted. "All you cared about was proving the Dao by way of your fist."

"I'd be careful what you say brat. You're speaking to a Chaos Godfiend of Tai Chu's temple."

"Oh yeah? What're you gonna do? We're not even alive anymore. Just figments of his imagination."

Da Hai sighed and rubbed his brows. "I'll never be rid of them will I," he mused. How could he? They were fundamentally part of his psyche, fragments of his mind.

The best way to describe them would be that they were extremities of his personality personified. The original Da Hai and the human named Christopher had long combined into his person. He was them as much as they were him.

That sparked a thought in his mind. Was he closer to a godfiend? Or was he closer to a human? Or perhaps he exemplified both at the same time though not in an extremely detrimental way as was the case long ago.

'They…or rather myself brings up a good point though,' Da Hai contemplated his next actions thoughtfully. 'Haotian won't come into existence for many years, what's more, the Heavenly Dao may interfere.'

If only things were simpler. When he was human, or rather when Christopher had been alive, he'd read Honghuang novels before. The Heavenly Dao wasn't nearly as sentient as they were here. It was nearly as forthcoming in its attacks.

If fiction were to be believed, it will mostly scramble divination and induce a tribulation event. Shenni's whole conquest could be interpreted as such even if the Heavenly Dao had not been born at the time.

He'll need to progress even farther in the path of Wuji. Pangu's words were still fresh in his mind. Though he'd never expected he'd grasp Wuji almost immediately after completing his Dao, it was nevertheless a fortunate thing. But now he'd be stumbling in the dark once more.

"The Chaos Sea," Da Hai mused. "I wonder what's out there. The area the Chaos Godfiends occupied was massive yet pitifully small. There are bound to be more clues out there somewhere."

Watching his alter egos argue, Da Hai couldn't help but think he was subconsciously making this up to entertain himself. He does seem to be trapped in his headspace for the foreseeable future. Hence he began meditating, focusing on recovery.

Christopher paused in the midst of his banter against the godfiend he'd merged with. He momentarily glanced at Da Hai and smiled.

…

'How many years has it been?'

This thought raced through all facets of Da Hai's mind as he pressed his palm against the wooden edges of his bed. He lifted himself up, pushing the blankets back and opened his eyes. His short yellow hair swayed at his movements.

For the first time, in a long time, Da Hai felt disconnected from the primitive world. It was perplexing, his senses into the forces of nature, life, death, karma and destiny were still strong, but there was a dampened signal when he peered towards the primitive world.

His internal clock informed him of the amount of time he'd been resting. It wasn't actually that long, he was clearly aided in his recovery. It has only been around thirteen thousand years since his clash against the Heavenly Dao.

He absentmindedly took note of a woman running out of his room in a hurry after dropping a basin of water. The pool of liquid splashed into the air before the Heavenly Lord's eyes.

"Yang Light Springs," Da Hai said. "Affective Yang energy water bathed in the areas of rich sunlight."

He waved his wand and drew the water forth. Opening his mouth, he consumed the substance and felt rich vitality entering his body.

"Wait a second, who was that?"

Da Hai perked up and looked at the empty room with its door swung open. He could clearly hear shuffling footsteps. In fact, he could hear many footsteps, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds even.

Hundreds of thousands of people roamed around Yangzhou, more accurately his palace. Even the farmlands and ranches around had more sounds indicating living individuals than what he was used to. He was a bit weirded out.

By the time he swung his legs around the edge to sit, people were filing into the room.

A clean-shaven handsome man with antlers and a short, two others who similarly followed him. Several beautiful woman who looked as white as snow followed by demure women trailing behind them. There was also a small boy with antlers among them.

Three dragons and the moth fairies. Curiously enough, Yi Fei'e was not among them but the rest were present with exitement.

"Master!" Zulong who headed the group called out. He strode forwards and went down to his knees in a kowtow. "Master, thank the heavens you are alright."

"Your disciple was incompetent, I did not realise master was in danger even when it was too late. Please punish your foolish disciple," he said.

"Cease this nonsense Zulong," Da Hai snapped. "I will not have my chief disciple grovelling like this. What will others say about you?"

"Let them say all they want. You are this one's mentor, without you, there is no me. It is not embarrassing at all," the dragon declared.

"Elder brother speaks true," Qinglong declared also on his knees along with Yinglong. "We have been negligent and had not been taking care of master. As a result, you suffered…"

"Alright, alright, that's enough, have you all no shame?" Da Hai sighed defeatedly. It was a touching feeling that he felt. Filial piety was one thing, but this was next levels of devotion. What he was seeing was just commical.

Da Hai flexed his muscles and grunted. "Who's that?" He asked, pointing towards the young boy behind them.

The child's energy signature heavily resembled Zulong. He was also very powerful, an immortal at birth. He was also completely bewildered at seeing the three dragons postulating themselves like this.

In fact, Da Hai already had an inkling as to the boy's identity. When one was as intoned with nature as he, it was child's play to identify parental relations. Even if that child was someone else's whose soul was placed in another, he'd still be able to tell.

'According to legends, this will be Qiu Niu,' he thought both happiness and sadness. He cursed the Heavenly Dao for putting him out of commission for so long. It seems he'd missed several big events.

The child stepped forwards. He was small, barely coming up to his thigh with pale skin and black hair. He was precious and almost doll like in appearance. If he couldn't identify the innate Yang in the child, he'd be unable to tell his gender simply based on looks.

"Uh…Uh…yes, this one is named Qiu Niu by mine father and mother. Imperial prince of the four seas. It is with great honour that I greet esteemed grandmaster," the young child said stiffly bowing.

Da Hai immediately perked up hearing a melodious sound emanating from the boy's voice. It was soothing and calming and sounded like classical chinese music. He nodded smiling happily, "Good child, good child. Just like your father, a talent indeed."

His eyes that had achieved the path towards the one which is without limit observed Qiu Niu. He easily saw past the young doll like facade of the child and his true form within. A massive dragon with dull yellow colouring and silver hair.

His face was short and shove, unlike his father's angular sharp appearance. His claws and teeth were not sedated like Zulong's but more blunted. His eyes were big and almost googly looking. Qiu Niu actually looked very goofy in comparison to regular dragons.

But his voice was something truly special. Da Hai was not an avid follower of music but even he recognised Qiu Niu's potential in this regard. It was an inborn talent just like Zulong's roar or Qinglong's star power. An ability to sing to the world and to the hearts of living beings.

"When was he born?"

"A short decade ago master. I took him here for some practice," Zulong said. "Yinglong and Qinglong had been staying here guarding you in my absence, but I visit every opportunity I am able."

"And who looks after your southern and northern fronts?"

"I can spare the manpower," the Dragon Sovereign said confidently.

"Master, you've only just regained consciousness. Here, let me help bring you some medicine," Yinglong offered.

"And some food. We've harvested some mulberry fruits of the Fusang Tree. I'll get, Wu Fei'e, can you get the maids to bring them up," Qinglong said.

"Of course senior brother," one of the white women behind him said.

Da Hai halted as they made their plans. 'Wait a second. Maids?' He focused his mind and grasped the situation around him and Yingzhou. Now the thousands of footsteps made a lot more sense.

He turned to Zulong stupefied. His eldest merely gazed back with no indication of guilt nor embarrassment.

"Noticed haven't you?" Wangshu's amused voice caught Da Hai's attention. The Moon Star Lord leaned against the doorframe arms crossed smirking. "How'd you like my stealth technique, didn't even notice when I walked in."

"Wangshu," Da Hai greeted still bewildered. "Maids?" He asked ignoring his fellow deity for now.

"Yes master. I felt your living accommodations has not been up to par. My junior sisters also need time to practice. Hence it is better if there are subordinates to take care of you whilst you rest," Zulong said.

"Zulong…I am not invalid enough to need to be taken care of like some old man nearing his expiration date," Da Hai said exasperatingly much to Wangshu's amused laughter.

"Master, having them here is a good thing. Yingzhou is a big place and you're only one person," Zulong said.

Da Hai gave him a look. "They're not leaving aren't they?"

"They've already been here for the better part of the last thirteen thousand years master. I'll be a massive change of scenery."

Da Hai sighed relenting. "Stop laughing Wangshu."

"Don't worry, they haven't even found your doll rooms yet," she laughed to Da Hai's irritation. She proceeded to yelp in surprise as Da Hai banished her from his palace with a flick of his finger.

 

[Daoist Dreamwalker]

Wandering the endless hallways of his palace, Da Hai couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed. It was once very quiet, very isolated. A good place for him to sit by himself and do his own thing unbothered.

Nowadays, male and female servants wondered the halls performing cleaning and maintenance duties. Waste of recourses, Da Hai had formations automating the process since long ago. But Zulong had been adamant that his master receives proper care.

Da Hai felt slightly insulted as a result. But he'd also felt grateful at the gesture. It was the motive that counted. These were a gift for him and he could never turn them away.

Passing rows of bowing maids, he ignored them for the most part. It wasn't that he felt awkward, he had the pride of a lord of his stature after all. It was more like he couldn't be bothered acknowledging each and every single one of the unremarkable dragons.

"They sure are fervent," Wangshu, who was strolling beside him said. "It's surprising how fast things can change."

Da Hai gave her an odd look. "Hasn't it been a few thousand years since Zulong brought them?" He asked.

"Thousand, ten thousand, it makes no difference," the goddess said. "For beings like us, they are but a blink of an eye."

Da Hai nodded. He'd only really notice the disparages in time when he put his mind to it. Otherwise, he doesn't even feel it. It was a strange thought at first, especially for the portion of him that originated from humanity.

A single year was a long time. A person could change a lot in the span of a year. But a year to Da Hai might as well have been a minute. His sense of time was just too warped by his power level.

Without a clear direction, the two wondered until they reached a balcony overlooking the Fusang tree. The everlasting plains containing the celestial tree were dimmer than they appeared previously. It was clear the tree had lost a lot of power.

In a section like this, servants rarely wondered. The Fusang tree was too sacred, they weren't permitted in. It was the same for certain sections of Yingzhou, places Da Hai labelled for them to stay away from.

Though whether these locations were a matter for their own safety or because of an embarrassing secret was left in the open. Yi Fei'e had been one who was adamantly supporting this notion.

"So," Wangshu said watching the swing leaves of the Fusang tree. "Hungyuan Wuji Luo Golden Immortal?"

Da Hai nodded. "I'm as surprised as you. But in the spur of the moment, it just kinda happened."

"Cheh! Transcending the greatest hurdle in cultivation history and that's all you have to say?" She scoffed playfully. "I had to work my ass off searching for clues and you just go and do it."

"Not without Master Pangu I wouldn't have," Da Hai held out his hand manifesting several concepts. "This whole time, every time he spoke to me. Every time I had met him. He had been preparing me."

"Well, he is the creator god. I doubt there is much if any he doesn't know. Maybe his clairvoyance told him he should help you?" The moon goddess suggested. At the same time, she investigated the concepts in Da Hai's palm. But even with her advanced cultivation, even with her enlightenment, she was hardly able to perceive anything.

"Yet even a being like that is on the verge of death. Humbling thought, anything can die," Da Hai sighed.

"Yes, anything is susceptible to the end."

The new voice interrupted them startling both immortals. Yet Da Hai was unflinching. That was because he recognised this being.

Floating beside them, the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword hovered above the wooden flooring. It appeared extremely ordinary giving no sign of any significant power.

"Cosmic butterfly," Da Hai greeted. "I did not feel you retrieve yourself."

"Your guard is too lax," the ancient being within the sword breathed.

"This is Yingzhou, nothing can touch me here, not even the Heavenly Dao," Da Hai retorted. While this seemed overly arrogant, it was merely a fact. Unless a superior being at the Dao realm suddenly appeared, he was untouchable.

It seemed the sword agreed as it stayed silent. It stood with them admiring the view of the Fusang tree.

"Pangu understood many things in this world. He understood more than any other he would die but still continued on with it. It was perhaps the worst choice he'd ever made. A skilled warrior he was, but a cunning schemer he wasn't" the sword said after a while.

"But he banked on you. You were the only living being to find him. Hence he staked everything on you. For someone like him, even a single word had much more meaning than you would think," he continued.

"I was too weak at the time," Da Hai nodded remembering his first encounter with Pangu. "My enlightenment was not enough to understand. Only at this realm now, can I truly picture how powerful he would've been at his prime."

"My brother in arms had long ago fulfilled all prerequisites to ascend to the Dao realm. But he'd always carried with him a fear, a fear that his road would end. He tried everything to prolong it, enhancing his combat ability, his knowledge on all aspects of life, and his own foundation. After many chaos cycles, he'd reached a point where he knew everything. Not even his greatest competitors could stop him anymore," the sword sighed. "I wish I could've helped him more."

"Dao, the end of cultivation," Wangshu mused. "I can't say I understand."

"Not many did moon god," the sword said.

"You're being awfully chatty today," Da Hai said in amusement. For the longest time, the sword stayed silent. It had never spoken to him or anybody for that matter. In fact, Da Hai wasn't sure it could speak so freely like this.

"Hm? Ah! I was distracted," the sword appeared slightly flustered. If it had a face, it probably would've blushed pink.

It was then that Da Hai realised a bit about its personality. The cosmic butterfly was the type to easily get distracted and begin rambling. He'd easily derail from his initial arguments.

"You did an incredibly stupid and reckless thing," it said. "Offending the Heavenly Dao like that? Reckless, too reckless."

"I told Pangu before hand, he didn't have anything against it. In fact, you didn't speak up when I told him," Da Hai criticised.

"I misjudged the Heavenly Dao like you. I think Pangu did too," it sighed. "But now we are at an impasse. You can neither fulfil your own goal nor Pangu's wishes."

"Was that all you had to say?" Da Hai said frowning. Being reminded of his own failure hurt. Especially now that he was essentially under house arrest.

"I…hai, what's done is done. I am just a little frustrated with you. Do what you must," the cosmic butterfly said before fading away. The Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword stayed floating before returning to its sheath.

"At the end, even the strength of Hunyuan Wuji was not enough. I still have much improvements to do. The key principles I learned were just one among many," Da Hai said. "I didn't want to, but it would seem venturing into the Chaos Sea may be necessary."

Directionless and confusing, the Chaos Sea was a place easy to get lost in. He could walk in and not find his way home for millions, billions, even trillions of years. He was not like Pangu during his youth when he had no home and wandered endlessly. He had a life here, family, and responsibilities.


"Da Hai," Wangshu spoke up. "Since you are not able to enter the primitive world. I can be your proxy in the meantime."

"You sure? I have already asked too much of you in the past. Getting involved in my business can spell doom for you Moon Star Lord."

"I am already too heavily involved Sea Suppression Heavenly Lord."

Da Hai starred at his longtime friend for a long while.

"You'll need the strength of Hunyuan Wuji," he said. Wangshu nodded in agreement.

"The Moon Demon God had some clues and I was able to make some progress. But in truth, she was just as clueless as the rest of us."

"Doesn't matter, I have already stepped into this realm. I shall guide you there as well."

Wangshu smirked in response. "Very well, when do we get started."

…

The west continent was in disarray even after thirteen thousand years. The barren lands were shaken to their core and the very earth bled.

"The power of Wuji," Luohu mused in fascination. He floated above the massive ravine leading from the dimensional walls all the way to Mt Sumeru. A remnant of Da Hai's attack.

"So similar to the remnant in Tai Chu temple, but much fresher," he breathed in the rich air of Primordial Qi. The wondrous chaotic concepts left behind were a fascinating feeling.

Luohu wasn't angry. Rather, he was excited. He had already been aware of many Wuji secrets prior to this. But seeing one first hand was a completely different experience.

Pangu's blow had come too fast and the gap between them too large. He died before realising much. But Da Hai, while massively above the current him, wasn't beyond the realm of possibility.

Already, he had gained much in his short exchange with the eastern sea god.

"Back here again?" Mara called out from behind him. He was accompanied by the hooded form of Hundun. Both immortals were incredibly powerful, the latter had already returned to his peak while the former was comparable.

"Mara, Hundun," Luohu greeted with a bright smile. "Here to enjoy the gift our foe left us?"

"Gift? You consider this a gift? You were maimed!" Mara blustered in shock. "Hundun, why are you not angrier. Our leader nearly died."

The hooded immortal shook his head but otherwise stayed silent.

"You agree with him?" The Demon King of the Sixth Heaven said in disbelief.

"In the pursuit of the Dao, all paths are valid," Luohu said. "Use any and all things. The Dao is hard and confusing, so any resource should be utilised to its fullest. Mara my friend, this is the most promising breakthrough we've had in years."

"You put chasing the Dao above your own life?"

"A Deva like you won't understand, our philosophies are simply too different," Hundun said from beside his contemporary. "No matter how entwined they've become, some fundamentals won't change."

Mara narrowed his eyes at Hundun. He turned back to Luohu, "You should return to Mt Sumeru, the management team is getting restless."

"I thought they were doing an adequate job? What's his name was running the sect well enough when I left, what was his name again? Love heart or something?"

"Heart Devil," Mara confirmed. "But it would be better if the Devil himself shows his face. We lost a lot of manpower and having you present will do well in encouraging more youths to join."

He took a moment to pause. "Though it would be even better if you'll consider lowering the barrier of entry a bit."

"Out of the question. I have no use for useless weak Daos," Luohu sneered.

"Some may only blossom at latter stages of life," Mara stated. "Most of the management team seems to agree. Brother, at least consider it?"

"Demon King's words hold merit," Hundun said surprising both devil gods. "Of course, not everyone should be allowed in. But lowering the difficulty of trials may do well to restore our influence."

"I'm surprised you're speaking up Hundun, you don't normally share your thoughts on anything," Luohu said suspiciously.

"I serve those most dedicated to the path of the godfiend," Hundun deflected. "Right now, Demon King's suggestions are beneficial to you, my master."

"Very well, I'll think on it," Luohu nodded after some deliberation. He touched his naval and connected with the thousands of Daos flowing through him. "Not enough, too many aspects of existence are still lacking."

A core fundamental of his path was that all things originate from him. Only one devil can exist at any possible time and all things exist solely to benefit him. The more Daos created from his scripture, the more advanced he'd become.

As the Ancestral Devil, he was the origin and culmination. Hence the more Daos present the better his progress. But the quality of Daos also had to be top notch as well.

At the same time, having low quality but large quantity wouldn't be a loss. There will be no gains but he won't lose.

Luohu looked back at the ravine in thought. "That Heart Devil kid has been doing a good job right? Let him handle things at the recruit's side. If it can get us more defined Daos then it'll be worth it."

…

"The world moved on. The recent string of natural disasters has already faded into the history books as the years went by. A hundred twenty nine thousand six hundred years passed since the end of Shinny's war. Another yuanhui had came and went."

"It all happened so fast yet it was a long period of time brother. My disciples, your nephews, they've all grown up into their own. Their destinies are just beginning still, yet they've already achieved so much."

"Whereas an old fart like me? I failed. I failed so many times. I was too blinded and I couldn't realise the truth until much later. Though thankfully I managed to salvage things somewhat."

"I'm sorry for being unable to properly visit you. Unfortunately, I can not enter the wider world freely anymore. But I sent Wangshu to your cave with some incense, I hope you won't mind."

"I miss you…There was so much I wanted to share with you. Did you know I was the first in our history to break into Hunyuan Wuji Luo Golden Immortal since ancestor Tai Chu? Amazing right?"

"I wish you were still here, it's been so long yet the wound still feels fresh. You told me all those years ago that eternity was like a blink of an eye. Time was nothing in comparison to our lives. That couldn't be more true than now. Had I been a mortal human, I would've seen civilisations beginning to collapse many times over. Yet the aeons feel like mere hours."

"Thank you Huoyun, for all that you did for me back then. I could never express my thanks in time. But I swear, your death won't be in vain."

Da Hai stood from the small shrine he'd been sitting before. His legs uncrossed as he stood up. "Until next time my friend."

 

[Daoist Dreamwalker]

The world rippled, myriad colours departed, reality distorted. Creation began with the universe coming into being from unbending. The ex nihilo gave way to the material world with all its wonders.

Lifeforms of all kinds from the smallest of forest dwelling critters to the highest of celestial beings manifested and went about their lives. In just a spontaneous accidental response, a universe made itself manifests.

Then in the same instant, all things ended. The universe withdrew into itself. All things degenerated into chaos as vast calamities bathed the world in flames. Reality crumbled as the very laws of existence faded to be.

In one instant, being. In other instant, unbeing.

The world came and went just as fast as it was eternal.

But it was not real.

It was merely a reaction.

An illusionary transformation generated from each step he took. Each step he took through the Chaos Sea manifested the concepts of creation, destruction, and recreation. Each step he took showed things taking form and in the next dissolved all things back into nothing.

Natural entropy gave way to negentropy before reversing back to entropy and fading away only to fade into existence once more. The deity that manifested these changes did not pay them heed.

And why should he?

Such transformations were happening around him every second. Constant myriad changes reflected off of his pale blue skin at every instant. They lasted for eternities contained within an instant and regressed while progressing. Time itself was diluted and muddled.

He didn't bother with them anymore. While it was a wondrous sight, he'd long since become desensitised to it. He didn't even bother to suppress it, not in this environment.

If he were interacting with lesser creatures, he'd naturally suppress himself so as to not cause them harm. But in the environment of the Chaos Sea, such an issue was not present. At most, weaker chaos lifeforms will take it as a warning to run away.

He looked around at his surroundings with a contemplative look. He took a few moments scanning every detail in the constantly changing spacial tides before frowning.

Before him was a massive plain of colourless colourful void of entropy. Infinite amounts of elements twisted and turned, destroying and creating whenever they collided. Dao laws came into existence and went just as fleeting.

But none are what he was searching for.

Such a sight wasn't one he was unfamiliar with.

It was a scene just like any other in the Chaos Sea.

"Not here," the blue man frowned. Two of his arms crossed across his chest while another set gripped their fists hard. His eyes twitched as he mauled over the clues he'd obtained.

"Where can he be?" He muttered taking more steps forward. Each stride he took crossed an immeasurable amount of distance. Each footstep easily eclipsed the total distance from one end of a chaos world to another.

He encountered various churning rifts and vortexes as he walked but ignored all of them. His gaze penetrated the vast beyond and his nostrils flared as he singled out specific Qi signatures.

He rubbed his fingers across his chin. "People lived here," he said briefly taking note of a chunk of stone. It was nothing special in his eyes though it did resemble a piece of a building. Some sort of temple perhaps?

Nevertheless, he continued his search for a little longer. The chaos sea was vast, so incredibly vast. So vast in fact that even he cannot accurately measure it.

"Damn it, I don't have long," he suddenly said looking back in a certain direction.

"A pity, I thought I'd be able to find you after that aftershock. I know that was definitely caused by you Pangu. Just where did you go? I need your expertise," he said in frustration.

When it came to understanding all things in all creation, few can equal a genuine Dao Ancestor much less surpass one. But Pangu was only a Hunyuan Wuji Luo Golden Immortal in name only.

Even many kalpas ago, the great god could already ascend to the Dao realm. His many years holding himself back have secured a level of knowledge and expertise that was unrivalled in creation.

Unlike he and his brother who took the first plunge long ago, Pangu would rather stay at his realm. But the results could not be denied.

The chaos sea was a truly mysterious location. Even omnipotent Dao Ancestors were limited in some ways. Some places they just could not go despite being able to perfectly perceive them. Deep down, they too knew that should Grand Dao's power turn on them, even they would be reduced to dust.

A sudden ripple in the void caused his eyes to turn slightly. The new presence was a new being but one with a slight familiarity. He had detected the newcomer's presence some time ago but had ignored it for the most part, he wasn't in the mood to deal with others right now.

But as the presence drew closer, his attention was drawn to it. The familiar feeling of rippling chaos mixed with some others were within it.

"This being interacted with Pangu," he said with happiness. There was still a bit of time before he had to journey back. He could use this chance to obtain some clues and then begin his journey during the next kalpa.

A chaos being emerged from the void. It was a truly titanic creature serpentine and draconic in appearance. It possessed gleaming scales of azure, amethyst, indigo, and bright green colours. Fins that resembled the dancing sea grass and corals of the ocean floor.

It had manes of spongey yellow hair swaying as it moved its many heads. Eight serpentine heads and moved around the chaotic environments. It reminded him of his and his brother's trusted retainers.

'Wait…no,' he contemplated. This snake wasn't a chaos life form. It had some characteristics of one but was otherwise distinct from chaotic lifeforms. This was a living being from a chaos world. A curious discovery.

He turned his head and acknowledge the newcomer. "Greetings," he said. He must've startled the newcomer cause the eight headed serpent was rather alarmed.

"Greetings," the newcomer answered back. "I sensed a massive change going on and came to investigate. I did not expect to encounter…" he trailed off.

"Neither did I, I am investigating some matters of mine own. I hope friend can help me?" He asked politely sensing the newcomer had no intentions to fight nor any real ill intent.

For what felt like hours, the serpent stared at him in something resembling recognition. It was an odd feeling where eight pairs of eyes stared intently at his body. It made him feel a but bashful.

"Ahem, I wondered if friend can answer some of my questions," he asked interrupting the awkward silence.

"Uh…yes…sure…of course Shi…uh, just ask away," the snake said.

He casted the serpent an odd look. He definitely stopped himself from saying something. But he also didn't want to pry nor invade the serpent's privacy. He paid closer attention as he asked.

"I was wondering if friend has seen a man around this tall? Muscular, very muscular and hairy with wild hair, like building muscles in all places. He should be wearing a loincloth made of leaves," he listed. He didn't know if these details were still accurate to his once rival's appearance but he wasn't one to change his wardrobe.

"You're describing Pangu right?" The serpent stated.

"Good, so you did know him. May I inquire to his location? I am in desperate need of his assistance," he said smiling for the first time since he'd left the fourteen realms.

The serpent spent some time contemplating before he answered. Before he did so he shrunk into himself, reverting to a human form. An enlightened form rakshasas and similar beings alike took to hide their true appearances.

The serpent was an unassuming man somewhere in his forties from the looks of it. He had a short beard from both sides of his lips and a short one on his chin. His hair was shoulder lengthen and tied in a head bun where a small crown rested.

"Master Pangu's situation is complicated," he said. The serpent looked unsure of how he was to proceed. Unsure how much he wanted to say.

"Master? Pangu took an apprentice?" The four armed blu skinned man wondered aloud. "I suppose you do share similarities."

"I can't call myself a true disciple, merely a lucky man who received a bit of guidance," the serpent said. "What is it you want with Pangu?"

"I am in a bit of a bind. I have friends, and family that need to be saved and I believe Pangu can help me. His understanding of certain aspects of Dharma can aid me in my predicament," he said.

"But why? You are… pardon my bluntness but you're presence, your power, your realm. It's not something that exists within the bounds of Hunyuan Wuji Golden Immortals. You're a genuine article of Dao. A genuine Dao Ancestor," the serpent spluttered.

"This matter is complicated, forgive me if I can't say more. Please, I just need to find Pangu. I'll only bring him away for a few kalpas," he said.

"Pangu is invalid, on the verge of death. He won't survive a trip to the chaos sea," the serpent said without hesitation.

It took an embarrassing amount of time for the blue man to register those words. Invalid. Verge of death. Won't survive.

"Impossible," he quickly denied. "Pangu was invincible below Brahman realm or Dao realm as you refer to it. It is impossible for him to fall into such a state."

Unintentionally, the blue entity's wrath made itself manifest. Fire roared around him causing his tiger skirt to flare up. He took a deep breath to calm down.

"Speak no falsehoods friend," he said almost in a desperate begging tone.

"Pangu separated Ying and Yang from formless chaos. He manifested the Dao and carved out creation, separating heaven from earth," the serpent said. "A universe, a chaos world was produced. But it was not an ordinary, nor even an extraordinary one. It was a truly unique thing that one has to see to believe."

The blue man stopped as he listened to those words. He gulped down the mouthful of saliva that had built up within him. "What? That makes no…show me," he all but demanded.

He took a step forward intending to proceed but stopped seconds after. He gazed down at his palm where a Sanskrit word made itself manifest.

"We'll talk at a later date," he hurriedly said before dashing away without waiting for an answer.

He had wasted too much time, he dashed at top speed through the unending chaos. He left a trail of fire in his wake as transformations burned out beneath his footsteps.

Speed was the necessity here. He had already saved the location where he met the serpent in his mind. At his realm, he can track down that same location easily enough when next he was available.

He travelled beyond many worlds, beyond many universe ending catastrophes without looking back. Random xiantian treasures scattered throughout the chaos did not distract him one bit as he approached his destination.

A multi armed man sat on a lotus observing a spherical structure. Majestic enchantments were at work and the universe appeared beautiful from the outside. Yet one only needed to pear beneath the shell to see the turmoil within.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" The sitting man asked. His skin was a dark blue in contrast to his own pale blue. But both were incredibly powerful omnipotent beings in all creation.

"Sort of," he said striding forwards. "I'll tell you more in the next kalpa. Let me concentrate," he said immediately entering the chaos world.

His arms stretched outwards as his body twirled around. His forehead split as a third eye manifested into existence. A bright light enveloped the world, dissolving all of reality but preserving creation as he formed the, into usable matter.

He danced to the end of the world. Cycling creation anew into the next kalpa. Tandava, one of his, Shiva's, greatest techniques, Astras of unimaginable power. The power that ends the material universe and converts it into another.

…

The preserver watched the destroyer perform his work. The creator was already preparing. Vishnu was silent as his preservation enchantments were undone by his brother, silently gazing as the universe was remade anew.

It was a process that took time yet was instantaneous at the same time. An entire day of Brahma's remaining life will soon begin as this one ended.

It was a fascinating process, watching them both work. But it was one Vishnu grew tired of long ago. He was itching to move.

"Shiva, my brother of the same source," Vishnu said. "We can't keep doing this. Brahma's life nears its end. Till now, now alternatives can be found. Perhaps it is time you give up."

As destruction winded down to its closing phase. As Tandava reached its climax. Shiva retorted from within the burgeoning universe.

"No, not until the very end. I refuse to believe nothing can be done."

"The time arrived long ago and the window is shrinking. A new power rises in the distance as I'm sure you've sensed too. I can't see where and how. But one day, a new Brahman realm entity will emerge. Soon, we'll have to leave," Vishnu urged.

"We've stayed in this world for too long already. We need to transcend," Vishnu said. "Not to mention, when this new being comes into existence, even we may not survive."

Shiva remained silent as he watched distant Brahman begin his work. He appeared very unwilling.

"I seek transcendence too," he admitted. "But please, just a little longer. I have concrete clues to Pangu's location now."

"And what guarantees do you have that Pangu can do what we could not figure out?" Vishnu scoffed. "Fine, I can afford to wait for a little longer. Brahma's end should come before the storm arrives."

"Thank you brother," the pale blue god said in response emerging from the new universe.

"Remember what Yuanling told us, only one may transcend at any given era. We are in luck competition is so scarce. But I grow weary of waiting," the darker god said.

Shiva nodded in agreement. It was regretful, but he had built up too many connections in the fourteen realms. He cannot bring himself to abandon it, abandon them, abandon her. Even if he was to leave, he had to at least ensure their eternal survival. He was prepared to give up all his treasures.

"Parvati missed you. You were gone for most of the kalpa," Vishnu said as he approached the universe, specifically the sea of milk wherein his mount and retainer awaited.

Shiva sighed in regret. "I had no choice. Like you said, time is so limited. I have such a small window to search as well. I have to make the most of it. How long is it exactly? Before Brahma gives out?"

"A little more than a dozen kalpas. That's all you have left," Vishnu said.