“What do you think is the greatest suffering in life?” The second Li Qiye suddenly asked.

Li Qiye pondered for a moment before gazing profoundly upward. 

“Living in futility.” Li Qiye enunciated clearly. Each word seemed to be lasting as long as an epoch.

“That’s not something I know.” The clone said.

“It’s because your suffering is over and your mission is complete. This is a full revolution of life, you won’t experience this pain.”

“And you?” 

Li Qiye’s lips curled into a smile - an expression of the bitterness accumulated for eras.

“My mission is far, far from over.” Li Qiye said softly. His destination above had no end in sight; all travelers have turned into ashes before finishing the journey.

“The path itself is long indeed, but it’s not overly difficult outside of the loneliness. You’ll be all alone.” The clone said.

“Is this payback?” Li Qiye smiled wryly.

“You deserve it for what you’ve done to me.” The clone laughed.

“At least there is an end for you, it’s rather enviable.” Li Qiye said.

The clone paused for a moment before nodding: “Right, I’ve finally finished my mission.” 

He stared at Li Qiye and continued: “No need to suffer like you, a torture with no end in sight.”

“Not everyone can be so lucky.” Li Qiye nodded.

“After you make it to the end of the world and when the dust settles, will you finally be at peace?” The clone asked.

“Peace is following what the heart wants. This is the way.” Li Qiye took his time responding.

“What comes next? Where does your heart lead you after the mission is over?” The clone continued.

“Will that day come? So many years now, it should.” Li Qiye became sentimental.

“I wonder which is better for you, victory or an early death.” The clone said.

“This is easy, if I were to be selfish, an early death is far better.” Li Qiye laughed sincerely.

“True, death is an escape as long as you can make it there in the first place. There will be no regrets.” The clone said.

“I’ll absolutely make it to the end.” Li Qiye smiled but his eyes brimmed with determination: “This is my pursuit, I must carry it out.”

“Your dao heart is your torturer, it has been tormenting you for eras now.” The clone said softly.

“You have your mission and I have my pursuit. Would you have given up if you had somehow regained your wits?” Li Qiye said.

“No, how could I have given up? All of the pain would have been in vain.” The clone shook his head.

“It’s the same case for me. I’m fully aware of this but I must continue forward in order to not waste my past and become a laughingstock.” Li Qiye said.

“True, you can’t give up now.” The clone became sentimental and tapped Li Qiye’s shoulder: “Just take your time, your problems can only be solved by you, no one else in the world can help you bear the burden.”

“They don’t need to.” Li Qiye said.

“The burden is true, don’t forget about the world and your love for it.” The clone said.

“I know, that’s why I envy you.” Li Qiye smiled wryly.

“Of course, I am about to be free.” The clone understood.

“The path is over and karmic ties have been unknotted. Everything is back to the beginning.” Li Qiye said softly.

“And that is a completely acceptable end. I leave it to you now since I must go.” The clone smiled.

“Rest assured that I’ll do a fine job. Go now, we won’t meet again.” Li Qiye said.

“I wish that you will make it to the end of the grand dao. We won’t meet again.” The clone said.

“I’ll be there.” Li Qiye said.

“Goodbye.” The clone’s figure became increasingly faint before dispersing into particles. They scattered into space before disappearing from sight.

“Goodbye.” Li Qiye whispered; his eyes became slightly moist.

He has been doing this for an epoch now. Time polished his heart as he toiled for the world.

He has grown used to saying goodbyes. For some reason, this was another departure that managed to reach his diamond heart, poking at a soft spot.

People understood themselves the most. However, how many had the chance to speak to themselves?

Alas, this only bolstered his determination to move onward. The world could collapse and times could change completely, only his destination remained constant.

He stood still like an immovable statue. Everything else seemed ephemeral in comparison.

“Remember and love the world.” After a long period, he regained his wits and murmured. This prompted him to smile. Although he kept this in mind, there was nothing in the world that could make him quit the endless journey.

His mood returned to normal so he focused on the massive Corporeal Zone. This treasure allowed its master to be safe even from dao lords and Immortal Emperors. If the users were strong enough, they could even use it to crush these top masters.

This one was hidden by the Ancient Ming for eras. Li Qiye knew the location of another - the Death Coffin.

Then there were the Longevity Grass and Myriad-thought Pot.

“Hmm, heavenly treasures. I don’t quite need it but let’s give it a better end than this.” Li Qiye said softly.

In his opinion, these treasures might not be that useful for the final battle. Nonetheless, he still wanted to collect them instead of leaving them out to rot and be purposeless.