Nuwa, the goddess of immortality, said that cultivating immortality does not require spiritual energ

After Qin Le fulfilled his promise to all beings in the Three Realms, a few more days quietly slipped by.

That morning, in the mortal realm, at Baiwei Square.

Qin Le and his childhood friends rarely get together. They sit under a parasol outside a milk tea shop, each holding a cup of milk tea, enjoying a long-lost moment of leisure.

Chen Yun took a big gulp of milk tea, chewing on the tapioca pearls, and exclaimed with exaggerated helplessness, "Damn it, I'm still stuck in the Celestial Immortal realm, and you, on the other hand, just 'whoosh,' jumped straight to the Saint realm! The difference... is simply outrageous!"

During his student days, Qin Le only told others that he had comprehended the Dao of Immortality. At that time, Chen Yun thought that he would catch up with him someday.

Later, when he learned that Qin Le had comprehended the Great Dao, he felt it was impossible.

Now, Qin Le has surpassed even the saints, reaching a height that Chen Yun could not comprehend at all... Chen Yun felt that his desire to catch up back then was simply adorably naive.

This is not even a competition on the same level!

His words immediately resonated deeply with Chu Xiaonan, Lu Qingshuang, Luo Qiuyue, Wang Zhiheng, and Li Yanran, who all nodded in agreement.

Once upon a time, they all harbored the dream of fighting alongside Qin Le.

But ever since they learned that Qin Le was on the path of the Great Way, that dream turned into a sober realization—they were no longer on the same level, and the so-called side by side was nothing but their wishful thinking.

"So what do you want?" Qin Le asked, amused, looking at Chen Yun's expression.

"What can I do?" Chen Yun slumped his shoulders, reverting to his carefree demeanor, and chuckled, "Anyway, with such a strong backer like you, why should I bother trying? Even if the sky falls, you'll be there to hold it up. I'm happy to have it easy!"

Although it was said in jest, it also carried a hint of sincerity.

With Qin Le as his best friend, he wouldn't have to worry about not having someone to back him up, no matter what earth-shattering inventions he came up with or what trouble he caused in the future.

The sense of security is overwhelming.

Qin Le smiled, then his expression became slightly more serious as he glanced at his friends: "There's something I need to tell you all."

"What's wrong?" Chu Xiaonan put down her milk tea and looked over curiously.

"Next, I will be leaving the Three Realms for a while." Qin Le paused, then added, "I won't be back for a while. So... if you have any 'wishes,' tell me while I'm still here. I'll do everything I can to make them happen. Consider it... a small farewell gift."

That was his main purpose in inviting everyone out today.

He is about to embark on a journey to explore the vast world beyond the Three Realms, and his return date is uncertain.

Before leaving, I wanted to do something more for these most important friends.

Upon hearing this, the group was taken aback at first, but then seemed not particularly surprised.

Qin Le's journey is destined not to remain within the Three Realms forever.

Chen Yun's eyes lit up, and he was the first to step forward, rubbing his hands together with a sly smile: "Any wish is possible?"

"Go ahead," Qin Le nodded firmly.

With his current abilities, it's really hard to find anything he can't do.

"Then... can I have a 'Seed of the Great Dao'? I want to study it!" Chen Yun didn't stand on ceremony and directly said what he, as a research fanatic, longed for the most.

"Sure," Qin Le replied readily.

He stretched out his right hand, and the space above his palm slightly distorted, and two ghostly crafted spheres, about the size of a human head and covered with intricate and profound Dao patterns, materialized out of thin air.

The style is similar to the one Chen Yun used to store the Immortal Seed, but the material and the level of Daoist charm are far superior.

Then, with a slight thought, Qin Le directly created two prototypes of the Great Dao Seeds at the core of the two specially made Ghost Craft Spheres—one for creation and one for destruction.

This perfectly matches Chen Yun's own expertise in the laws of creation and destruction.

"Catch." Qin Le tossed the two ghost balls, which flew in an arc and landed steadily in Chen Yun's arms.

Chen Yun caught it like a precious treasure, his face beaming with joy: "Hehehe! Great! Now I have a new project to explore! The power of the Great Dao... I wonder what fun things I can create..."

Seeing his eager and gleaming eyes, Qin Le couldn't help but remind him, "Take it easy, and be careful to control the 'dosage' and 'scope.' The power of the Great Dao is not to be trifled with; don't actually blast a hole in the Heavenly Dao."

"Don't worry, don't worry, I know what I'm doing!" Chen Yun patted his chest to assure him, although his smile made him seem less confident.

Qin Le shook her head and turned to the others: "What about you? What do you want?"

Chu Xiaonan was the first to smile and wave her hand: "I don't really want anything for now, things are fine as they are."

Following closely behind, Luo Qiuyue, Wang Zhiheng, and Li Yanran also shook their heads, expressing similar sentiments.

They currently have no particular desires, and their advancement in spiritual realm tends to rely more on their own cultivation and enlightenment.

Since they have already achieved immortality, even if Qin Le has been gone for a long time, they will still be able to meet again when he returns. There is plenty of time in the future.

Lu Qingshuang pondered for a moment, then raised her head and looked at Qin Le with clear eyes: "If possible... I would like some 'pure yang power'."

This request surprised Qin Le slightly, but he didn't ask any further questions and just smiled.

On the palm of his hand, light flowed and quickly condensed into a palm-sized, warm and translucent piece of white jade.

Inside the jade, it seems as if a miniature sun is sealed, with the purest and seemingly endless yang energy flowing slowly within.

"Here you go." Qin Le handed over the white jade.

"Thank you." Lu Qingshuang accepted it, carefully put it away, and a gentle smile appeared on her face.

Although the others were curious as to why Lu Qingshuang suddenly needed the power of Yang, they tactfully refrained from asking further questions when they saw that she didn't elaborate.

Qin Le naturally knew the reason—Lu Qingshuang had finally decided to begin cultivating the dual cultivation technique obtained from the Source of Law Stele, which required the assistance of the ultimate Yang power.

As for why she suddenly changed her mind, Qin Le didn't delve into it, nor did he need to.

He offered his support as long as she could speak up; that's all there is to friendship.

The group strolled around Baiwei Square, eating and drinking, until the sun set and the golden-red afterglow bathed the streets. Only then did they reluctantly disperse and return home.

On his way home, Qin Le's phone vibrated slightly. He took it out and saw it was a message from Luo Qiuyue.

Luo Qiuyue: Qin Le, can we talk alone? I'll be waiting for you by the South China Sea.

Qin Le was somewhat surprised, but quickly replied.

Qin Le: Okay, I'll go there now.

After replying to the message, he had a sudden thought, and his figure disappeared from the bustling city streets.

The next moment, they appeared on a quiet, deserted beach.

As night fell, a cool, salty sea breeze blew. Luo Qiuyue stood alone on the beach, gazing at the shimmering black sea, her long hair gently swaying in the wind.

Qin Le walked to her side, stood shoulder to shoulder, looked in the same direction, and asked softly, "What do you want to talk about?"

Luo Qiuyue turned around and faced Qin Le.

In the darkness, her eyes shone brightly, filled with a resolute seriousness. She took a deep breath, and her voice rang out clearly and steadily:

"Qin Le, I want to... be your Daoist partner."

Upon hearing this, Qin Le was slightly taken aback, then a gentle yet clear apologetic smile appeared on his face, and he shook his head:

"I'm sorry, Akizuki. I... have no plans to find a cultivation partner."

"Just as I thought..."

Upon hearing this, Luo Qiuyue's face showed a faint hint of disappointment, but it was quickly replaced by a relieved smile of "I knew it."

She had expected it, so she wasn't particularly heartbroken.

However, this feeling that had been buried deep in her heart for many years prompted her to want a definite answer when she knew that Qin Le was about to leave and his return was uncertain, so as to put an end to this silent unrequited love.

"I think it's good enough for us to be friends like this," Qin Le said honestly, his eyes sincere.

He refused, not because of anyone else, but simply because he himself had never entertained the idea of ​​finding a Daoist partner.

"Yes, I understand." Luo Qiuyue nodded, then a hint of apology appeared on her face: "However, there's something... I still have to apologize to you for."

"Why?" Qin Le asked curiously.

Luo Qiuyue smiled, with a touch of nostalgia: "Back then... the reason why Wang Zhiheng hated you so much was actually... a big reason why I was too harsh and cruel when I rejected him."

"Oh?" Qin Le's curiosity was piqued: "What... exactly did you say to him back then?"

The deep-seated hatred that Wang Zhiheng harbored for him back then truly left a deep impression on Qin Le.

Later, Wang Zhiheng realized his mistake and apologized, and the two reconciled. Qin Le then stopped asking about the reason.

Now that Luo Qiuyue brought it up, he was genuinely curious to know what kind of harsh words could provoke such a strong reaction.

Luo Qiuyue blinked, her expression a mix of mischievousness, as if she had just pulled off a prank, and self-deprecation: "I told him back then... I'd rather be your dog than let him touch me."

"..."

Qin Le's lips twitched uncontrollably, and for a moment he didn't know how to react.

Would you rather... be his dog?

This extreme, almost grotesque contrast and rhetoric instantly reminded Qin Le of Ye Hongli, that crazy woman.

In their daily interactions, Luo Qiuyue struck him as rational and intelligent, making it impossible to associate her with such extreme and biased views.

Qin Le rubbed her temples, somewhat speechless, and asked, "Back then... how could you have had such an extreme thought? And at that time, I seemed to be far inferior to you in every way, right?"

He was indeed very puzzled.

When Luo Qiuyue secretly loved him and rejected Wang Zhiheng because of it, Qin Le was just a mortal who was unable to cultivate but possessed extraordinary comprehension.

Luo Qiuyue is already a recognized genius girl with a bright future.

From any perspective, he at that time was unworthy of the extreme metaphor of "preferring to be a dog"—a metaphor that belittles himself and elevates the other person.

Luo Qiuyue looked at Qin Le's "Are you alright?" expression and couldn't help but laugh, her tone tinged with nostalgia:

"I feel like I'm not good enough for you. And, you might not have realized it yourself, but in the eyes of many of us... back then, you were practically a 'saint'—in a different sense. You had a terrifying level of understanding that no one could comprehend, yet you were willing to guide everyone in their cultivation without expecting anything in return, helping so many people without asking for anything in return... You had a kind of... otherworldly aura about you. I feel like I'm too far removed from you."

Qin Le was speechless again.

So, his good-natured behavior back then has become a saintly halo in the eyes of others?

This is quite a big misunderstanding.

"So now... why have you changed your mind and want to become Daoist partners?" Qin Le asked another question.

The gap today is much larger than it was back then.

"Because we've gotten to know each other better," Luo Qiuyue said candidly, her eyes bright. "The halo has faded, and I've seen a more authentic you. Although you're 'stronger,' we're also 'closer.' So... I wanted to try and see if I could make it work."

She paused, then chuckled self-deprecatingly, "It might be a bit shameless, but what if you agree? Losing face is no big deal."

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs".

"Fine." Qin Le was completely speechless and could only offer a helpless smile.

When it comes to matters of the heart, you can't force them, and you can't measure them by common sense.

The two chatted casually about the past and their current situations. As the sea breeze picked up, they said their goodbyes and disappeared into the night.

a few days later.

Qin Le bid a warm and formal farewell to her family.

There wasn't much sadness or sorrow about parting; instead, there was understanding and support. They knew that the child's horizons had long since expanded beyond this small world.

Finally, Qin Le turned around, his gaze seemingly piercing through the rooftop, looking towards the boundless void.

With a single step, his figure vanished silently, completely leaving the Three Realms and heading towards the chaotic Daoist temple where those pioneers resided.