“I’m truly cursed with bad luck, to be tangled up with you.” Li Baye gritted his teeth.

“I am you and you are me, who is the unlucky one?” Li Qiye joked.

“Bah, only a lunatic would one to carve himself over and over again.” He said disdainfully.

Silence took over before Li Qiye broke it with a sigh and asked: “It’s time for me to leave, do I need to arrange anything for you?”

“No, because it will always be the same, I won’t be me, only your shadow, and you won’t kill yourself.” He said.

“If only things were that simple.” Li Qiye smiled.

“Bastard.” He cursed.

Li Qiye didn’t mind and said: “I have to go now.”

He took a deep breath and said: “Me too.”

“You can stay.” Li Qiye said.

“I’ve had enough of suffering on your behalf.” He said: “Yet you ask for more?”

“No, I leave your fate to you.” Li Qiye said.

“Bah, I don’t want this crappy fate.” He said.

Li Qiye sighed and bowed: “Goodbye.”

“Let’s not meet again.” He shook his head.

“Yes, we will not meet again.” Li Qiye complied.

He stared at Li Qiye and said: “Just be better to yourself, less of a bastard. You don’t always have to be so excellent, it’s fine to mess up.”

“I will keep this in mind.” Li Qiye said.

“I’m just wasting my breath because I can’t move your dao heart, you will stay the same.” He smiled wryly before dispersing into particles.

“Treat yourself better.” His voice echoed as he scattered into the primordial.

“Goodbye.” Li Qiye stood there for a long time, staring at the drifting particles. Before he realized it, the corners of his eyes had grown moist.

After a long time, he turned and left this area.

***

Li Qiye walked across space with Empress Hong Tian right behind him. She wanted, more than anything else, for time to stop.

Alas, once the inevitable departure drew near, she intertwined her fingers with his tightly. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

“We will definitely meet again.” She said firmly.

He wiped the tears off her face and said: “I trust that you can do it.”

“It’s a long road.” She shuddered.

“Very long, but you can do it.” He said.

“I will, I’m certain of it.” She hugged him tightly, never wanting to let go.

He returned the gesture and focused on nothing else.

“What should I do?” She broke the silence.

“Stay determined and sync the heart.” He sighed and said.

She murmured, memorizing his advice.

“Buzz.” A light imprinted on her forehead as she said this, seemingly indelible.

The two parted and Li Qiye said goodbye with everyone else - Desolate Ancestor, Origin Heaven Emperor, Bodhi Immortal, Wang Weiqiao, Sword Emperor, Immortal Emperor Hao Hai, Emperor Ye, and many more.

“Farewell.” He said softly.

“Farewell. They came closer and bowed.

“Stay determined.” Li Qiye said and an eternal light pulsed on his forehead.

“Sync the heart.” Qian Suyun reacted the quickest. Sure enough, she gained the same bright mark.

She came closer and hugged him tightly for a long time before letting go.

“Bye.” Li Qiye bowed at them before surging into the air.

“Sync the heart.” Desolate Ancestor was next to get the bright mark on her forehead. She shuddered and shouted: “Young Noble!”

One notable absence was Duality Master who left to walk in a remote world of mortals.

When Li Qiye’s forehead lit up, so did his.

“Sync the heart.” He fell on his butt and said: “The dao heart is almost perfected.”

After a long while, he shouted at the sky: “Old man, you bastard, you want me to suffer more?! No, I just want to stay here!”

Li Qiye couldn’t hear him since he was occupied with opening the gate to the high heaven. The gate closed after he walked through.