For Shuyue, the bathhouse was both terrifying and wondrous. As she lowered herself into the luminous waters, the yin-rich currents seized her body like a living tide. For a moment she thought she might drown, not in water, but in sensation — heat and frost, clarity and chaos, pressing her from every direction.
Then Haotian's yang-infused energy entered the cycle.
It struck her like lightning. Her meridians convulsed, then expanded as if awakening from centuries of sleep. The seal that once bound her heart no longer hindered her; her body welcomed the torrent greedily. Her breath hitched, her body writhed, and in that moment of surrender, something inside her shattered.
First breakthrough.
Her cultivation surged past an inner wall she had lingered at for too long, the waters exploding with ripples around her. She gasped aloud, clutching her chest, her face burning as heat poured through every channel.
Then came the second surge.
The dao clarity descending from the Heavenly Treasure pierced her mind, like moonlight illuminating hidden paths. She saw patterns in the qi, saw connections between her breath and the greater flow of the sect's resonance. She seized it, let it flood her.
Second breakthrough.
Her aura flared, steam rising around her like a halo. She cried out, the sound muffled by mist but resonant enough to shake the formation she sat in.
And then, trembling, her body collapsed into rhythm with the others. She thought it was over. But no — Haotian's presence pulsed once more, the cycle intensifying. Yin and yang, frost and fire, pressed into her meridians until she thought she might tear apart.
She endured. She embraced it. She broke through.
Third breakthrough.
When the final surge subsided, Shuyue's body floated in the water, exhausted yet shining. She had ascended to the peak of Core Condensation — three realms crossed in a single session. Her tears mingled with the steam, not of pain, but relief. For the first time in years, she felt whole.
When the session ended, the concealment arrays dissolved, mist curling away as the formations dimmed. One by one, the disciples rose from the water. Despite their flushed faces, their steps were steady; the resonance of the bathhouse left them stronger than when they entered.
All except Shuyue.
She wobbled as she stood, her legs trembling with every step. She bit her lip, trying to steady herself, but nearly stumbled. A nearby junior disciple caught her arm.
"Is… is this normal?" Shuyue whispered, her cheeks burning.
The younger girl laughed softly, helping her toward the exit. "Not bad, Senior Sister. You're walking. Many of us had to crawl after our first session."
Shuyue blinked, mortified. "Crawled?"
The girl grinned. "Crawled."
Despite herself, Shuyue chuckled weakly. Perhaps it wasn't shameful, then.
Soon the bathhouse emptied, footsteps fading beyond the soundless wards. The mist hung lower now, dissipating. No one noticed two presences had not left.
Yinxue. Ziyue.
They remained behind, still within the concealment.
And though the world outside was silent, within those barriers the chamber still rang with their voices — laughter, gasps, and the unrestrained cries of cultivation entwined with desire.
The disciples were gone. Shuyue limped away, steadier with each step. But in the heart of the bathhouse, the night's true resonance had yet to end.
When dawn rose over the Moon Lotus Sect the next day, its light revealed a transformation no sect on the continent could ignore.
The mass dual cultivation had shaken the foundations of the sect itself, and the results were undeniable: every disciple who had entered the bathhouse — save one — had broken through to the Dao Comprehension Realm.
Over seven hundred and fifty cultivators now pulsed with dao resonance, their combined aura radiating across the land like the cresting tide of an ocean. For centuries, no single sect had ever boasted such strength. Now, the Moon Lotus Sect stood as an unassailable mountain — not simply hegemony in name, but hegemony in truth.
At the center of this sea of breakthroughs stood Ziyue.
Her eyes, once a simple violet glow, now burned with crystalline light. A triple dao concept had awakened within her: the Dao of the Icewind Sword. Her aura split the air into streams of frost and razor gusts, each pulse of her breath resonating with the sharp clarity of a blade. The disciples whispered in awe; her comprehension was not gradual but immediate, a dao carried to the extreme the moment it bloomed.
Whispers rippled through the sect: Her combat capabilities rival Yinxue herself… perhaps stronger.
Haotian stood before her, golden eyes gleaming, his expression warm. "Ziyue… your dao is flawless. To take a triple concept directly into the comprehension stage… it is beyond even what I imagined. You have surpassed expectation."
Ziyue's cheeks flushed, her lips parting slightly as she bowed her head. The praise of Haotian was weightier than any acclaim from the world.
Beside her, Yinxue allowed herself a small smile. Though pride radiated in her heart, there was also something deeper — recognition that her younger sister had stepped into her own brilliance. She reached out, resting a hand lightly on Ziyue's shoulder. "Well done, Sister. The sect could not be in safer hands."
Shuyue, however, stood quietly to the side, her lips curved into a pout. Her black hair framed her flushed face as she crossed her arms. "So now I'm the only one left behind?"
The laughter of the disciples bubbled around her, affectionate but teasing.
Haotian approached, his golden gaze settling on her with that same mix of gentleness and unshakable certainty. "Shuyue… your time will come. Your breakthrough to Dao Comprehension is not a matter of if, only when. But don't rush. Before you ascend, choose carefully. What dao will you walk? That path will define your strength for centuries."
Shuyue bit her lip, but his words steadied her. Slowly, she nodded.
Haotian then turned, his voice carrying across the courtyard where hundreds knelt in reverence. "This calls for more than pride within our walls. Let it be known across the north. We will hold a sect-wide celebration, and we will invite the other sects to attend."
The disciples' eyes widened. Yinxue's brows arched. Even Ziyue blinked, startled.
Haotian's smile widened faintly, sharp with intent. "Let them see with their own eyes. Let them count our strength, hear our dao, and tremble. After this, no whisper of defiance will survive. Their schemes will die before they are spoken."
The air rippled with excitement, whispers breaking into cheers. The sect had already risen, but now their rise would be carved into history.
And in the quiet between their voices, Shuyue whispered under her breath, eyes flickering toward Haotian. "Then… I'll catch up. No matter what it takes."
Her sisters heard her, and both smiled.
The three days before the celebration blurred together in a tide of cultivation. Within the secluded chambers bound by concealment formations, Haotian guided the flow of yin and yang, weaving his energy with Yinxue, with Ziyue, and — for the first time — with Shuyue.
Their resonance was different. Where Yinxue's dao was steady frost, and Ziyue's sharp like an icewind blade, Shuyue's was wild, untempered, but filled with potential. Together, their cultivation surged like a storm contained within a furnace. Breakthroughs came swift, harmony grew deeper, and the air itself seemed to pulse with their ascension.
But of them all, Ziyue shone brightest. Her triple dao had awakened with fierce hunger, demanding Haotian's constant guidance to stabilize. Much of his attention centered on her, refining her strength into balance. Each cycle left her stronger, sharper, her Icewind Sword dao blazing to extremes no disciple in history had ever reached so quickly.
By the third morning, the room was silent save for the faint shimmer of frost mist lingering on the walls.
Shuyue stirred first. Her eyes fluttered open, and she glanced to the side where Haotian still rested, his golden gaze hidden behind closed lids. For a moment, warmth bloomed in her chest. Yet a flicker of doubt rose — when would she receive the same depth of attention her sisters did? She bit her lip, her expression soft but uncertain.
Moments later, Yinxue and Ziyue roused, stretching like phoenixes after flight. Their movements — fluid, graceful, utterly composed — shocked Shuyue. Even after nights of such intensity, their poise remained unshaken, their skill and control breathtaking. Compared to them, she felt clumsy, unrefined.
Her cheeks burned.
Noticing, Yinxue let a playful smile curve her lips. "Little sister," she teased, "you look surprised. Did you think dao comprehension was our only strength?"
Ziyue's violet eyes gleamed, amusement glinting like starlight. "Don't worry. With time, you'll learn. We can teach you."
Shuyue blinked, startled. "Teach… me?"
Yinxue chuckled softly, her voice laced with mischief. "Yes. And as for a test subject—" she glanced toward Haotian with a sly smile, "—we already have one."
Before Shuyue could respond, a sharp smack echoed.
Haotian's hand had landed squarely across Yinxue's rear.
She yelped, eyes flashing, as her hand flew to rub the reddened spot. "Haotian!"
He opened his eyes, his expression mock-stern. "You didn't ask."
Yinxue's cheeks flushed, but her smile returned quickly, defiant. "As if you would ever refuse."
Haotian tilted his head, golden eyes narrowing — then smirked faintly. "Fair enough."
Ziyue laughed softly at the exchange, while Shuyue stared wide-eyed, completely unprepared for her dignified senior sister's flustered pout.
Haotian leaned closer, brushing a kiss against Yinxue's lips. His voice softened. "Still… I suppose I owe you some attention this morning."
Yinxue's indignation melted as she leaned into him, her black hair tumbling forward. And for the first time, Shuyue witnessed the warmth of her senior sister not as an untouchable sect master, but as a woman — cherished, teased, and adored.
Her heart stirred. Perhaps… her turn would come.
Morning light spilled into the grand assembly hall of the Moon Lotus Sect. The space was alive with quiet anticipation: over seven hundred disciples now sat in ordered rows, each one radiating dao resonance that had shaken the continent only days before. Frost-veined pillars glimmered with silver light, and the vast dome above was etched with dao runes that pulsed faintly with power.
At the highest dais, Yinxue sat at the center, her presence as calm and commanding as winter's moon. At her right hand sat Ziyue, violet eyes steady, her aura sharp as a drawn sword — the brilliance of her triple dao still fresh in the memory of every disciple present.
Then Haotian rose.
Golden eyes swept the hall, and silence deepened until even breath seemed restrained. When he spoke, his voice carried with ease, as though dao itself bent to spread his words.
"Until now, the sect has followed a four-day cycle of cultivation. It has served you well. But the sect has grown beyond what such a cycle can offer. From this day onward, we will walk a seven-day path."
A ripple of murmurs passed through the disciples, quickly silenced by Haotian's raised hand.
"On the fifth day," he continued, "you will spar. Every disciple, every elder. Through matches, you will not only sharpen your blades, but sharpen your dao. In combat, dao reveals itself in its purest form — under pressure, in critical moments. Some of you will glimpse your dao more clearly. Others may find your dao resonate with another, opening the door to dual concepts."
The disciples exchanged wide-eyed looks. The thought of finding resonance through combat electrified the air.
"On the sixth day," Haotian said, "you will gather. Not to fight, but to speak. Reflect on what you have experienced in sparring. Share your insights, your strengths, your weaknesses, and your feelings toward other daos. Remember this: even if two of you walk the same dao, your path will not be identical. By sharing, all of you will rise together."
Disciples leaned forward, some already whispering of the dao connections they might hear from their sisters. Elders nodded in approval; such communal reflection had never been attempted at this scale.
"And on the seventh day…" Haotian's voice deepened, his hand raised slightly. "You will temper your bodies. I will personally teach you the Undying Dragon Body Sutra. With this, your flesh will grow resilient, your bones unyielding, your hearts like burning furnaces. This sutra will carry you through storms no mere dao alone can withstand."
The hall trembled as if in response. A thousand eyes blazed with renewed fire.
Haotian let the silence stretch, then finished:
"Seven days. A complete cycle of spirit, dao, and body. This will be the rhythm of our sect. But we will not begin today. First…" He paused, his golden gaze sweeping across the rows of disciples. "We will hold the celebration. Let the world see what the Moon Lotus Sect has become. Let them understand that to stand against us is to stand against heaven itself. After that, we begin."
The silence broke into thunder. Disciples bowed low, voices rising as one, the frost-veined pillars quaking with the sound.
"YES, SENIOR BROTHER!"
On the dais, Yinxue glanced at Haotian, her lips curving faintly in pride. Beside her, Ziyue's eyes glimmered with sharp amusement — sparring day would be her battlefield, and none doubted she would stand among the brightest.
And in the crowd, Shuyue clenched her fists. She alone had yet to step into Dao Comprehension, but Haotian's words lingered in her heart. Choose your dao. Choose… emotions?
Her path had not yet been spoken aloud. But she would find it.
The seven-day cycle had begun.
That night, the bathhouse shimmered with mist, the Source Crystal glowing faintly as it drank from the Frost Vein below. Its yin essence flowed into the waters, harmonizing with Haotian's yang qi. Above, the suspended Heavenly Treasure shed threads of dao clarity, weaving the chamber into a perfect crucible of cultivation.
Haotian, Yinxue, Ziyue, and Shuyue entered together, their steps vanishing into the veil of concealment. The bath's glow wrapped around them, qi currents thrumming in resonance. When they settled into the water, Haotian's presence guided them, yin and yang intertwining in endless cycles.
The night pulsed with intensity, their cultivation building like a storm tide and ebbing into moments of warmth. For Shuyue, it was her first time fully immersed in the rhythm alongside her sisters. Every breath drew her deeper, every ripple felt like an awakening.
When the final waves of qi ebbed, silence fell. The mist clung heavy to the air, broken only by the sound of steady breathing.
It was Shuyue who spoke first. Her cheeks flushed, her voice trembling yet firm. "Haotian… I've decided. For my path — my dao. I wish to walk the Dao of Emotions."
The bath stilled.
Yinxue's eyes widened faintly. Ziyue tilted her head, violet eyes sharp with interest. Both sisters exchanged a glance, realization dawning.
"The heart-seal you once carried…" Yinxue said softly. "Perhaps it always pointed to this."
But Haotian's gaze turned serious. He leaned forward, the golden glow of his eyes catching in the mist. "Shuyue… the Dao of Emotions is vast. More vast than most can endure. It is not one path, but many — countless dao threads tied together. Some are radiant, some are dangerous."
He lifted his hand, water dripping from his fingers as he spoke slowly.
"There are the positive daos, known as the Seven Virtues:
Compassion
Humility
Patience
Justice
Courage
Love
Loyalty."
Each word seemed to ripple through the water, stirring warmth in the disciples' hearts.
"But there are also the negative daos, the Seven Desires:
Greed
Envy
Wrath
Lust
Pride
Sloth
Gluttony."
His voice dropped low, weighted with warning. "If you take this path, Shuyue, these will all pull at you. If you feel jealousy, you may slip into the Dao of Envy. If anger grips you, Wrath may consume you. Emotions are not easily contained — they shape you, whether you will it or not."
Shuyue swallowed hard, her eyes shining with a mix of fear and determination. "Then I will choose only the positive. I will focus on compassion, patience, justice — I won't let the others sway me."
Haotian's lips curved, though his expression remained steady. "It isn't so simple. Emotions are tangled — one leads to another. But… if you want to begin with the positive side alone, then you must treat each virtue as its own dao. Cultivate them one by one. When you have comprehended all seven, you will have walked the greater Dao of Emotions — not through chaos, but through light."
Shuyue's breath trembled, but her resolve solidified. She nodded slowly. "Then that is the path I will take."
Yinxue's hand rose from the water, brushing lightly against Shuyue's fingers. Her black hair clung to her shoulders, her voice soft but certain. "It suits you, little sister. You feel more deeply than anyone — now you will make that your strength."
Ziyue smirked faintly, violet eyes glinting. "Just remember — even virtues can test you. Courage without wisdom is reckless. Love without strength can bind you. Don't stumble, or I'll be the first to call you out."
Despite the weight of the moment, Shuyue laughed quietly, her voice soft but free. "I'll remember."
Haotian leaned back, his smile faint but warm. "Then it's decided. Your dao will be emotions. We'll walk with you as you forge it."
The mist thickened once more, curling around them. And in that hidden pool, a path was chosen — one as perilous as it was radiant.
The mist still hung heavy in the bathhouse when Haotian turned toward Shuyue, his golden eyes calm but searching.
"Shuyue," he asked, "which of the Daos of Emotion will you begin with?"
She hesitated, her black eyes falling to the rippling water. Silence stretched as she considered each path he had explained. Compassion. Patience. Justice. Courage. Humility. Loyalty. At last, her lips curved into a quiet smile.
"The Dao of Love."
Yinxue inhaled softly, surprised. Her hand paused at the water's edge, ripples spreading. "Love…? That was the one I had intended to walk next as well."
Haotian's lips curved into a low chuckle. "Of course. The Dao of Love is… special. It is unlike the others. Love reshapes everything it touches. In cultivation, it can temper wrath into resolve, envy into admiration, pride into confidence. It does not erase the other daos of emotion — it transforms them. It is one of the most difficult to master… and yet, one of the most profound."
Shuyue's cheeks warmed, but her eyes shone with determination.
Haotian lifted his hand, his voice steady with clarity. "For you, Shuyue, I will forge a path. A triple dao concept: the Dao of Love, joined with the Dao of the Sword, and supported by an auxiliary dao of balance and support. Together, they will form your foundation."
His golden eyes gleamed as he shaped the thought aloud. "It shall be called… Heartveil Sword."
The name echoed in the mist, ringing like tempered steel wrapped in warmth. Shuyue pressed a hand to her chest, trembling. Yinxue and Ziyue both widened their eyes, stunned by the weight of the concept.
For Yinxue, however, Haotian's gaze lingered longer. "You already hold the Dao of Frost and the Dao of Ice. They are steady, crystalline, absolute. But to climb higher…" He paused, thinking, then spoke with conviction. "I will forge a five-fold dao concept for you: Frost. Ice. Sword. Love. And the supporting Dao of Piercing."
His voice dropped lower, almost reverent. "This shall be called… Glacial Heartspire."
Yinxue's breath caught. Her cheeks flushed crimson despite the icy chill of her aura. She lowered her eyes quickly, embarrassed, but her heart raced. Ziyue and Shuyue exchanged glances, stunned at both Haotian's insight and the intimacy of the dao he had given.
Then Haotian turned to Ziyue.
"Your Icewind Sword is already extraordinary," he said, his tone shifting. "You use frost to form the sword, and wind to accelerate it. But the base of speed is still limited by wind. To go further, you must transcend it. Wind alone can only carry you so far."
Ziyue's violet eyes flickered sharply. His words cut directly into her hidden thoughts, the ambitions she had not yet spoken aloud. "Then… what?" she asked.
Haotian smiled faintly. "To break the limits of speed, you must add another force. Lightning — or better still, Space itself."
Ziyue's breath hitched, her body stiffening. He had spoken her very intention aloud. "How… did you know?"
He chuckled softly. "I can see it in you. The way you wield speed, the way your dao yearns forward. Wind is only your starting point. But the Dao of Space…" He let the words linger. "That is the ultimate path. Yet it is also one of the most difficult in all the heavens. Many cultivators spend lifetimes and do not even pierce the first layer."
Ziyue clenched her fists, torn between yearning and doubt. "Then… should I pursue lightning? Or space?"
Haotian thought deeply, then nodded. "Lightning will serve you well. It is powerful, accessible, and can harmonize with wind to amplify your speed. But Space…" His eyes gleamed with dangerous certainty. "If you dare to endure its difficulty, I can teach it to you. The Dao of Space can serve as both an attack and a support. It will either cut through enemies like reality itself — or shield you by bending the world around you."
Shuyue perked up at his words, her voice rising softly. "Yes… I can see it. The Dao of Space… that would suit her perfectly."
Ziyue's violet eyes widened, her heart pounding. To wield space itself…
Haotian's voice echoed through the mist, calm and final. "These are your paths. They will test you, break you, and elevate you. But if you can endure them — if you can see them through — then not even sovereigns will stand before you."
The three sisters sat in silence, breath heavy, hearts trembling with awe.