Within the void outside the Dao Domain, on a ruined planet, a surge of Dao resonance exploded into the sky. In the midst of this resonance, a graceful young woman appeared.
The woman sat at the center of the Dao resonance, the energy swirling around her like a celestial goddess, making her appear ethereal and transcendent.
In the distance, a young guardian watched this extraordinary beauty, overwhelmed by endless shock. He had spent countless days and nights with Serena Cheng, knowing better than anyone how ordinary she once was. His affection for her was never about her looks—there were countless women in the vast cultivation world more beautiful than Serena Cheng.
He liked Serena Cheng because they shared a genuine resonance of the heart. With her, he always felt at ease. They had fled together, cultivated together, and faced life-and-death trials side by side.
Yet he had never imagined that after Serena Cheng stepped into the Second Step, her appearance would become so stunning and otherworldly. Even Dylan Lethe, always proud of his cultivation, had never felt inferior about his own looks—until now. Lowering his head, he glanced at his ordinary cultivator boots, suddenly feeling unworthy of the barefoot Serena Cheng.
Serena Cheng gazed at her own hands, overwhelmed with excitement. Upon advancing to Dao Origin and stepping into the Second Step, it felt as if she had shed an old skin; not only was she completely transformed, but even her complexion and appearance were entirely different.
In that moment, an endless flood of memories surged forth. Two sets of memories began to merge—her previous life's soul memories fusing with her current soul.
A full hour passed before Serena Cheng finally let out a long breath. Her gaze was no longer soft and gentle, but now carried an air of supreme pride.
Her true name was Cynthia Xing, once the master of the Genesis Lotus. Even the Lotus Saint Lord fell to her hand, yet she was ultimately driven to exhaust her final Genesis Lotus reincarnation by Nick Ning and Joe Di.
Nick Ning, she could let go. Her current strength was still several ranks below his. But Joe Di...
Thinking of Joe Di, Cynthia Xing's gaze fell upon the young man in the distance who was guarding her. His name was Dylan Lethe, and Joe Di was his father. At this moment, Joe Di was probably still in the Dao Domain. She wondered if, the next time they met, Joe Di would regret not having killed her, Cynthia Xing.
Looking at Dylan Lethe, who hung his head in apparent shame, waves of killing intent surged in Cynthia Xing's heart. This killing intent was not aimed at Dylan Lethe, but at Joe Di. Though she could not yet do anything to Joe Di, she could at least take some interest first—by killing Dylan Lethe.
"Serena, congratulations on successfully reaching the Second Step. Your talent far surpasses mine." Seeing Cynthia Xing approach, Dylan Lethe hurried forward to offer his congratulations, his eyes filled with joy, but also a hint of uncertainty.
Cynthia Xing's steps faltered slightly. Her cultivation speed was indeed astonishing, largely because her Dao foundation remained intact. However, over seventy percent of the credit for her rapid progress belonged to Dylan Lethe. In truth, Dylan Lethe's talent was not inferior, but of all the cultivation resources they obtained along the way, eighty percent went to her, while Dylan Lethe received only twenty percent.
On this ruined planet in the void, the two of them found a Wayfruit Tree bearing Azure Veil Dao Fruits—there were only three fruits on the tree. To help her reach the Second Step, Dylan Lethe did not consume a single one, giving them all to her. After consuming all three Azure Veil Dao Fruits in succession, she finally broke through to the Second Step.
But these were not what helped her most. The greatest help came from Dylan Lethe's cultivation method. His technique had opened another door for her, allowing her not only to step into the Second Step, but also to gain insight into how to pursue an even higher Dao.
"Thank you. If it weren't for you, I likely wouldn't have advanced to Dao Origin so quickly." Cynthia Xing sighed inwardly as she spoke.
She realized that, after her final reincarnation, she had become hesitant in her actions. In the past, she would have already dealt with Dylan Lethe—there would have been no room for such indecision.
Dylan Lethe was slightly taken aback. He sensed the change in Serena Cheng. In the past, she would always yield to him, addressing him as 'Brother Lethe' at every turn. He could even clearly see the reliance and admiration in her eyes.
But now, just from a single sentence, he could tell that Serena Cheng had changed—she was no longer the Serena Cheng she used to be.
A sense of sorrow welled up in his heart. Did greater cultivation always mean that one's eyes must look higher?
"What's wrong with you?" Cynthia Xing asked with a gentle smile, noticing Dylan Lethe's dazed expression.
Dylan Lethe quickly shook his head. "Oh, it's nothing. I just miss my family a bit, that's all."
He truly was thinking of his father. Though his memories held almost no trace of him, he always felt as if his father had been with him during his childhood. That impression was shaped by his mother, who endlessly described his father's image to him and to Autumnwater, gradually forming a picture in their minds.
In his memory, his father was never the type to think himself superior just because his cultivation was high. When his father met his mother, his cultivation was already extraordinary by the standards of any mortal on Earth, yet he never looked down on her.
He had gone through life-and-death struggles with Serena Cheng for so many years. Truthfully, he cared for her even more than for his own sister, Diana Di. But why did Serena Cheng change so much after advancing to the Second Step and gaining an ethereal beauty? Do people really change so quickly?
"Do you know where your mother is?" Cynthia Xing asked. She knew Dylan Lethe did not know Joe Di's whereabouts, but she did. Still, she would not tell him. Her question about his mother was because she suspected Joe Di had given many treasures to Dylan Lethe's mother. If she could find Dylan Lethe's mother first, she could collect a considerable interest.
Before Dylan Lethe could answer, the shadow of a spaceship flashed by in the distance.
"Lord Nightshade?" Cynthia Xing was stunned. She was certain that the fleeting light was Lord Nightshade, the very person she was searching for. How could she let him escape?
"Wait here for me. I'm going to chase an acquaintance. Remember, don't leave until I return..." Cynthia Xing couldn't decide whether to kill Dylan Lethe now or have him help her find his mother first. Lord Nightshade's escape was too swift, so she could only tell Dylan Lethe to wait, confident that he would do so, as always.
Cynthia Xing sped away, her movement faster than lightning. Watching her vanish in an instant, Dylan Lethe felt even more lost.
He wondered whether he should leave, but he knew that if he did, he and Serena Cheng would never have any connection again. After so many years of life-and-death struggles together, he couldn't bring himself to leave her.
Standing on the ruined planet, Dylan Lethe gazed in the direction where Serena Cheng had disappeared, hoping she would truly return and not keep him waiting too long. He also hoped her recent attitude was just excitement from advancing to the Second Step.
After only half a day, another streak of light flew past. This light originally swept straight past Dylan Lethe's ruined planet, but as it passed by, the newcomer seemed to spot him, circled around, and returned.
It was a long-haired wanderer of the stars, his bronze face marked by years of drifting among the cosmos. Judging by his cultivation, he seemed not to have reached the Second Step.
"Brother, what are you staring at? You look like a woman waiting atop a Husband-Watching Stone." The long-haired youth landed before Dylan Lethe, sized him up, and joked with a hearty laugh.
Dylan Lethe shook his head instinctively. "I don't know. She said to wait here for her, that she'd be back soon."
"A woman?" the star wanderer asked.
Dylan Lethe nodded and said nothing more.
"There aren't many sentimental souls like you in the stars, but I've heard that those with deep feelings are never mediocre. Let me introduce myself—I'm Ye Nianxing, from the Sacred Dao Domain," the long-haired youth said with a broad smile.