The mist in the bathhouse curled tighter as Haotian's golden eyes shifted toward Ziyue. Her violet gaze still burned with the weight of his suggestion, but her uncertainty lingered.
Haotian smiled faintly, then spoke with deliberate clarity.
"Ziyue… the Dao of Space is difficult, yes. But to understand its uses, you must think of space not as distance, but as fabric. And like fabric, it can be pulled, folded, or torn."
He raised a finger, drawing faint lines in the mist. "On its own, the Dao of Space can grant you three simple but profound abilities:
Compression. Reducing distance, folding space so that a sword thrust that should travel one inch instead cuts across ten meters. This turns any attack into a strike without warning.
Distortion. Bending the angles of space, so your opponent's strike misses by a fraction, or their defense fails because the attack does not arrive from the angle they expect.
Severance. The purest form. Using your sword to slice directly through space. Armor, barriers, flesh, even the laws of reality offer no resistance to such a cut."
Ziyue's lips parted, her breath caught in her throat. To her, the words sounded like dreams made solid.
But Haotian was not finished.
"Now, combined with your Icewind Sword…" He gestured toward her. "Wind gives speed. Frost gives weight and form. Space removes the limits. Imagine this: a blade of frost, accelerated by wind, then compressed through space. The attack lands before the enemy even perceives it has been swung."
Her fingers tightened unconsciously around the pool's edge, her heart hammering.
Haotian continued, his tone calm, but every word heavier than steel. "Or distortion. You unleash your Icewind Sword, and space bends so your enemy sees the strike coming from the front — but it carves into their back instead."
Ziyue shivered.
"Or severance." His eyes gleamed. "Your Icewind Sword, sharpened not only by frost and speed, but by space itself — a cut that ignores defenses entirely. A sword that carves directly through reality. That, Ziyue, is the apex your dao can reach."
The violet light in her eyes trembled. She had imagined pushing speed beyond wind, but never this. Now she saw vistas she could not have dreamed of.
Beside her, Shuyue leaned forward, eyes wide. "Brother… if space can bend attacks, then could it also… carry the Dao of Love? To shield? To bind?"
Haotian chuckled softly. "Yes. Love, when fused with space, becomes bonds no blade can cut. A connection that holds allies together, or entraps enemies in chains they cannot escape. Space does not only sever — it can embrace, fold, and protect."
Then Yinxue spoke softly, her black hair damp against her shoulders. "And for my dao… what then? Frost and ice, sword, piercing… and the dao of love I had wished to pursue. Can they truly be woven together?"
Haotian's gaze lingered on her, steady and thoughtful. At last, he nodded.
"Frost halts movement. Ice solidifies form. Sword cuts. Piercing ensures nothing can resist. And love… love gives purpose to all of them, binding your dao with meaning beyond destruction." His voice slowed, deliberate. "But to elevate these to their true peak, one more concept is needed: the Dao of Time."
The chamber stilled. Even Ziyue's breath caught.
Haotian raised his hand, tracing slow arcs in the mist. "Time is the perfect complement to frost. Frost halts matter; time halts existence. Together, they can suspend enemies not just in ice, but in a moment itself. A frozen eternity."
His golden eyes gleamed brighter. "Imagine, Yinxue — your blade cutting through an enemy while they are slowed by frost, pierced by ice, bound by love, and stopped in time. For them, resistance would not exist. For you, it would be as natural as breathing."
Yinxue's heart thundered. She had always thought frost and ice absolute — but this, this was beyond imagining.
Haotian leaned closer, voice low. "I name this path for you: Eternal Heartspire. Frost. Ice. Sword. Piercing. Love. And Time. A dao not of destruction, but inevitability. When you strike, the moment itself belongs to you."
Yinxue's cheeks flushed crimson, her fingers trembling faintly against the water's edge. She lowered her gaze, her composure cracking under the weight of such intimacy — and such power.
Shuyue and Ziyue sat frozen in awe. To think their elder sister's dao could ascend into something that chained even time itself.
Haotian leaned back, his smile faint but steady. "You each now see the peak of your paths. Heartveil Sword for Shuyue. Eternal Heartspire for Yinxue. And Ziyue… the choice of whether to break limits with lightning, or to walk the endless path of space."
Silence fell, heavy as mountains, as the three sisters sat in stunned realization.
The bathhouse still steamed faintly with lingering essence when Ziyue leaned forward, her violet eyes sharp with resolve. "Brother… if space can reshape the sword, and time can freeze the moment… could I wield both together?"
Haotian's golden eyes flickered, thoughtful. "Yes. You could. But remember — both space and time are among the most complex daos in existence. To wield them is one thing. To truly grasp them is another. It may take decades… even lifetimes."
Ziyue's lips pressed tight. "Even so, I want to try."
Before he could answer, Shuyue spoke suddenly, her black hair damp against her cheeks. "Then… can we all learn them? If space and time can elevate us all, shouldn't we walk it together?"
For a long moment, Haotian was silent. His gaze unfocused, his golden eyes glowing faintly as the Eyes of the Universe stirred. To the sisters, it was as if he looked not at them, but beyond them — through veils of worlds, into the strands of dao itself.
Then he smiled. "Yes. You can. And I can teach you both. But you must be patient."
The mist seemed to brighten as he began to weave their paths aloud, shaping them into destiny.
"Yinxue," he said first. "Your dao will be a seven-fold harmony: Frost, Ice, Sword, Love, Space, Time, and Piercing. A dao of inevitability — where neither distance, nor moment, nor defense can stand against you."
Yinxue's lips parted, her cheeks flushed as she bowed her head, overwhelmed.
"Ziyue," he continued. "For you: Ice, Wind, Sword, Space, Time, and Sharpness. A dao of pure velocity. Ice will form your blade, wind will drive it, sharpness will refine it, and space and time will shatter the limits of speed itself. You will wield a sword faster than thought."
Ziyue trembled, her eyes wide, her heart racing at the image.
Then his gaze turned to Shuyue.
"And you, Shuyue. Your path will be: the Dao of the Seven Virtues, Sword, Space, and Time."
Shuyue blinked, confused. "But… that's only four. It seems short compared to theirs."
Haotian chuckled, shaking his head. "Short? No, Shuyue. Yours is the longest of all. The Dao of the Seven Virtues is not one dao, but seven — Compassion, Humility, Patience, Justice, Courage, Love, and Loyalty. Seven daos, woven together. Add Sword, Space, and Time — that makes ten."
The sisters jolted, realization slamming into them.
"A ten-fold dao…" Ziyue whispered, stunned.
"Unheard of…" Yinxue added, her voice almost trembling.
Shuyue's eyes widened, her lips parting as the truth settled in. She had thought herself behind. Now she saw a path that dwarfed even her sisters.
Haotian leaned back, his golden eyes calm, but pride flickering beneath. "This is what I can offer you. But do not rush. For now, take one step at a time with your current daos. After the celebrations, we will begin private sessions. That is when I will teach you space and time, and guide you further."
The three sisters exchanged glances, awe and determination shining equally in their eyes. Their hearts burned with anticipation.
Their nightly sessions were no longer just cultivation. They were stepping stones toward daos that could shake heaven and earth.
The mist had begun to thin, but none of the four yet left the bathhouse. The cycle of dao discussion lingered, each of them still turning over the visions Haotian had laid before them.
It was Ziyue who finally broke the silence, her violet eyes narrowing. "Brother… earlier, during the assembly, you spoke of the Undying Dragon Body Sutra. You said you would teach us as part of the new seven-day cycle. What exactly is it?"
Haotian's gaze softened, but there was weight in his voice as he answered.
"The Sutra is a path of body cultivation. Most of the world cultivates only the spirit — qi, dao, comprehension. But to become truly whole, to approach immortality, one must cultivate both: spirit and body. One cannot endure the heavens without the other."
The three sisters stiffened, their eyes wide.
"Immortality…?" Shuyue whispered.
Haotian nodded. "Yes. The ancients knew it, though many paths were incomplete. Without a tempered body, even a perfected dao crumbles. Without a perfected dao, even an eternal body fades. To step beyond mortality, you must walk both together."
The sisters exchanged stunned glances. None of their sect teachings had ever spoken so directly.
Haotian's tone lowered, more serious. "But do you know why most cultivators abandon body refinement? Because it is dangerous. True body cultivation requires facing the tribulation of Rebirth from Death. To break the mortal shell, one must die once… and rise again."
The words struck like a thunderclap.
Yinxue's breath caught. "Rebirth from death… I have heard the phrase whispered in old records. But I never thought it real."
"Real," Haotian confirmed. His golden eyes glowed faintly. "I have seen it. The path is true — but it kills more than it spares. That is why most sects have buried body cultivation. No master dares risk the lives of their disciples."
The water rippled in silence, the sisters' faces pale at the enormity of it.
Then Haotian smiled faintly, his tone shifting. "But the Undying Dragon Body Sutra is different. It is corrected. I have reforged it. With this method, you no longer need to face the Rebirth from Death tribulation. The sutra tempers the body in cycles, weaving yin and yang, bone and qi, until the mortal shell is reshaped without dying."
The sisters gasped in unison. Relief mixed with awe lit their faces.
"Impossible…" Ziyue whispered. "But if it is true…"
"It is," Haotian said firmly. "And with it, your bodies will become as eternal as your daos. Every scale tempered, every breath woven with strength. This is the foundation for those who wish not just to rise — but to endure."
Yinxue's black eyes softened, gazing at him with quiet intensity. "So even this… you've already corrected. You truly intend to carry us beyond mortality itself."
Haotian chuckled, a low, steady sound. "Of course. I do not build this sect only for tomorrow. I build it for the next age of heaven."
The mist curled around them, silence returning — but this silence trembled with something new. Not just awe. Hope.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. By dawn of the fourth, the Moon Lotus Sect stirred with life unlike anything the continent had seen in centuries.
The great courtyard had been transformed into a festival ground. Frost-veined pavilions shimmered with crystalline light, their banners embroidered with phoenixes and lotuses alike. The air itself carried faint ripples of dao energy — the result of hundreds of formations interwoven to hold the resonance of seven hundred and fifty Dao Comprehension experts. Even before the guests arrived, the very stones hummed with power.
On the high dais, Yinxue sat in her place as sect master, serene and unshaken, her black hair flowing like ink against silver robes. Ziyue took her place beside her, violet eyes glinting with quiet sharpness. Shuyue, though still shy, stood proudly at their side — her aura bright even if her dao had not yet crossed the threshold. And at the center, standing above them all, was Haotian, his golden gaze sweeping the horizon.
Then, from the distance, clouds stirred. The first delegations arrived.
Rival sects. Allied sects. Curious wanderers.
They came in waves — banners snapping, disciples marching in formal lines, sect masters cloaked in robes heavy with pride. Yet one by one, as they passed through the outer gates and stepped into the courtyard, their expressions changed. Awe flickered. Fear followed.
The air was thick with dao resonance, suffocating in its strength. Over seven hundred cultivators at Dao Comprehension Realm radiated their presence, and it was not hidden — it was deliberately displayed. The courtyard became a sea of dao, a tide no visitor could ignore.
Whispers broke among the guests.
"Seven hundred…? Impossible."
"Not a sect, but an empire."
"How could they raise such numbers in a single night?"
Haotian heard them all, but he did not answer. He simply let them feel the truth pressing into their bones.
At the appointed hour, the celebration began. Drums rolled like thunder. Phoenix-fire rose from hidden arrays, blooming into the sky in radiant bursts of red and gold. Frost-lotuses bloomed from the tiles beneath their feet, releasing a cool fragrance that swept through the crowd.
Yinxue rose, her voice calm, yet carrying across the entire continent as if the heavens themselves had leaned to listen. "On this day, the Moon Lotus Sect opens its gates to all. We celebrate not only our rise, but the unity that will be needed for what lies ahead."
Ziyue followed, her tone sharper, like a drawn blade. "Let all sects who stand here remember — the world itself teeters on the edge of destruction. In nine years, the demons will descend. If you scheme against us, know that you scheme against your own survival."
Her words struck like frost into their hearts. None could answer.
Then Haotian stepped forward. His golden eyes swept the assembly, and silence fell as though the world itself had stilled.
"We do not call you here to boast," he said. "We call you to witness. The Moon Lotus Sect has become the hegemony of the north. That is fact. But hegemony is not our goal. Nine years from now, demons will descend in force. Even a sovereign will fall before them. Only those who rise beyond mortality will stand."
His gaze hardened. "We will. Will you?"
The question echoed. None dared speak.
And so the celebration continued — feasts laid, phoenix-fire dances performed by disciples, dao resonance shared openly among the sects. Yet beneath the beauty, the truth pressed into every guest: Moon Lotus Sect had become untouchable. Their celebration was not merely joy. It was a warning.
And all who came left with the same thought burning in their minds: To stand against the Moon Lotus Sect is to stand against heaven itself.
The celebration roared long into the evening — phoenix-fire still painting the skies and laughter echoing through the outer courtyards. But when the final guests had departed and the last lanterns dimmed, Haotian led Yinxue, Ziyue, and Shuyue away from the revelry.
They returned to the inner sanctum, the concealed chamber warmed by the Source Crystal's glow. Within those frost-carved walls, no prying eyes could intrude. Here, the air grew still, heavy with expectation.
Haotian seated himself cross-legged at the center. The three sisters gathered before him, robes loosened, hair damp with steam from the earlier mist baths. Their faces, however, were bright and attentive — awaiting his words more than his warmth.
"Tonight," Haotian began softly, "you have seen the sect's strength displayed before the world. That was for them. Now… this is for you."
He turned to Shuyue first. "You chose the Dao of Emotions. To begin, we start with the Dao of Love."
Shuyue's black eyes shimmered. She leaned closer, heart racing.
Haotian's tone carried a patient gravity. "Love is not simply affection. It is resonance. It binds one life to another. In battle, it grants you strength when protecting, clarity when sacrificing, and bonds that cannot be severed. But it is also dangerous. Love without wisdom leads to chains. Love without courage collapses into fear. That is why Love must walk alongside the other Virtues."
Yinxue, though she had heard parts before, listened intently, her gaze unblinking. Ziyue, normally sharp and impatient, remained still — for once, quiet in pure focus.
Haotian's voice shifted. "Beyond love are the rest of the Seven Virtues. Compassion softens destruction into mercy. Humility shields against pride. Patience tempers wrath. Justice brings balance, courage sparks resolve, loyalty binds devotion. Together, they weave a heart unshaken."
Shuyue's lips parted, as if her heart itself stirred at the words.
Then Haotian's golden eyes glowed faintly brighter, and his tone deepened. "But love is only the first step. There are daos above and beyond it. The Dao of Time — to command the flow of moments. The Dao of Space — to bend distance and direction. These two, when combined, shatter nearly every limit."
The three sisters inhaled softly, almost in unison.
Haotian extended his hand, and faint ripples warped the air. A droplet of water seemed to hang suspended, unmoving. Then another vanished entirely, as though the space it occupied had been folded away. "Time halts. Space bends. Together, they are the scaffold upon which greater daos rest."
He paused, then continued, voice low, steady, but carrying immense weight. "Beyond these… there are structural daos. The Dao of Balance, the weaving of harmony and opposition. Above balance lies the twin forces of Yin and Yang — the primal division from which all flows."
The sisters trembled, sensing the breadth of what he revealed.
"And beyond even those…" His voice almost whispered now, as though speaking secrets of creation itself. "…there are daos few have ever touched. The Dao of the Universe — totality itself, the sum of all patterns. The Dao of Chaos — formless, before order. And finally… the Dao of Origin. The first spark. The foundation from which every dao was born."
Silence consumed the chamber.
Shuyue's eyes widened, her lips trembling as if to speak, yet no words came. Ziyue's breath hitched sharply, the enormity pressing into her chest like a weight. Yinxue's composure cracked; for the first time, she looked shaken.
Haotian closed his eyes, golden light fading as he steadied the room's atmosphere. "Do not reach for these yet. They are distant stars. For now, walk your chosen daos — Love, Frost, Wind, Sword. When you are ready, I will guide you further. But remember this: every dao, no matter how grand, began as a single step."
The three sisters bowed their heads. Awe lingered in their eyes, but beneath it, resolve flickered like kindling taking flame.