Dao-Companions…this means that if he dies, even if an eternity passes, you would still be unable to forget him; you would feel as though he was still alive and right by your side.”
“Dao-Companions…your other half in life! Without him, your life is no longer complete!”
The blue-robed man stared at Ninelotus, a look of unfathomable ancientness in his eyes. “Are you certain…that you would be willing to die for him? Are you certain…that for his sake, you would have the courage to slaughter Immortals and annihilate Buddhas?”
Ninelotus’s mouth opened and closed a few times.
Die for him?
Battle with all the Immortals and the Buddhas of the heavens for him?
“If you are certain of these things, if you feel no hesitation at all in answering this question, then I won’t stop you. I would only support you.” The blue-robed man sighed. “But I can see from your eyes that you are hesitating, that you are pausing…”
“If you aren’t able to treat him as the other half of your life, if you aren’t able to die for him, if you don’t have the courage to battle against all the Immortals and Buddhas of heaven for him…then why must you become Dao-Companions?”
“Without that degree of resolve, there’s no need for you to choose a Dao-Companion.”
“The path of Immortal cultivation…is a path which defies the heavens.”
“You can traverse it alone. You can also traverse it with a Dao-Companion. This is an incomparably difficult path, filled with pitfalls. Thus, if you are to choose a Dao-Companion, you absolutely must choose a Dao-Companion who will truly share life and death with him; one you would die for, and one who would die for you. Otherwise…you would be better off traversing this path alone.”
The blue-robed man gave Ninelotus a glance. “Ninelotus, what do you think?”
“I, I…” Ninelotus was completely stunned.
Had she been wrong?
“You are too young…and that Ji Ning is even younger than you. The two of you haven’t experienced enough! You two are nowhere near close to the point of selecting Dao-Companions, because your hearts are not yet sufficiently resolved; the two of you simply feel a sort of indistinct longing and affection for each other.” The blue-robed man shook his head. “This sort of indistinct longing and affection…it won’t last.”
“I won’t forcibly prevent you from being together with Ji Ning,” the blue-robed man said.
Upon hearing this, a hint of delight instantly appeared in Ninelotus’ eyes.
“But you must have patience. When you become a Primal Daoist, if you still feel that Ji Ning should be your Dao-Companion, than you can choose him. For now, however…you will have to endure,” the blue-robed man said.
“Wait until I’m a Primal Daoist?” Ninelotus was stunned. “How long is that going to take?”
“I’ve doted on you too much. Your Dao-heart truly is quite ordinary. Go to the Myriad Lotuses Cave. I’ll set down a formation; only when you can walk out of the Myriad Lotuses Cave will you be permitted to leave the Dongyan Mountains,” the blue-robed man instructed.
Ninelotus said frantically, “The Myriad Lotuses Cave? How am I suppose to break through a formation that you set down, Forefather?”
“This will just be a bewildering formation meant to help illuminate your Dao-heart,” the blue-robed man said, shaking his head. “No need to argue about it. Go.”
“I’m going to send someone to notify Ji Ning.” Ninelotus knew that refusal was not an option, and so she hurriedly switched tacts.
“Go,” the blue-robed man said calmly.
Ninelotus immediately boarded a lotus-shaped magic treasure, immediately departing and making arrangements for a notification to be given to Ning.
The blue-robed man watched Ninelotus leave, then gently shook his head. “She truly is too young. Still…Ruyin, she truly does look just like you. How long has it been…do you remember how the two of us fought, shoulder-to-shoulder, in the ‘Skylight’ major world? That battle…no matter how much time passes, I’ll never forget it. Never…”
And then, he quietly went back to his fishing. His fishing hook attracted quite a number of fish to come circling around it, but the ‘hook’ was straight. It would never catch a fish.1