Pathway

As she sat down at the table, taking her time to relish the aroma of the food, Zhang Xiu Ying couldn't help but be appreciative outwardly. She had really missed the cooking of her mother. The enjoyment of eating together with them. The satisfaction she always get from the beautiful moments. She had missed them all.

"Hmmmm, smells soooo good."

"I agreed with you, Xiu Ying. Ever since your mother brought home that recipe, I often smell her food in my dreams."

"Hehehe."

The two of them bust into soft laughter as Zhang Wang Jing smilingly shook her head. Oh, she had missed her daughter so much. What would be the joy of a mother more than seeing the happiness on the faces of the ones she really loved?

"Are you two going to eat or you'll just continue smelling the food?"

"We wil, mother. The aroma of a good food must be properly appreciated, inorder to prepare the body and soul for the incoming food."

Answered Zhang Xiu Ying to more laughter from her father.

Since her mother brought back the cooking recipe from the market, she couldn't have enough of her mother's cooking. Where in titan's torso, did the recipe even came from? Well, no matter where, it was really a divine blessing.

Zhang Xiu Ying took a bite of the fowl meat and exclaimed with delight.

"Hm...hm...hm. Soo delicious."

***

As the sun began to set at the horizon, spreading its largess into a grateful sky, rich hues of red blended with oranges, purples and crimsons. 

Zhang Xiu Ying stared at the beautiful sky, captured in its serenity. That was no time to reminisce about the events of the past or think about the future. That was a moment in time for a soul to experience the harmonious peace of the universe. Lost in the wonder of the sky, she closed her eyes as the serene feeling encased her nascent soul. But immediately, her closed eyes flew wide open. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it, quietly. The moment was gone but not before she could grasp a thought. Although it was for a fraction of second, she laughed softly.

'Hehehe.' 

Zhang Xiu Ying was still laughing while staring at the sky, when she heard her mother's voice to her to her right. The voice she had lovingly grown up to hear.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Still smiling herself, Zhang Xiu Ying turned to the sight of her mother's own beautiful smile. A smile she had been seeing ever since the day she was born. She knew her mother's love for her couldn't be more obvious. She nodded in answer before turning her gaze towards the sky as her mother continued.

"The true joy of a sunset is something we no longer understand. Only the mind of the discerning ones, when there were no lights, could understand the true joy of a sunset."

"True words, Wang Jing. True words."

Mother and daughter, directed their attention towards Zhang Li Qiang, who was staring at the sky with converged insight.

"Sunsets and sunrises are the moments of transitions. Though they are beautiful to behold, they carry with them hidden secrets, obscured information and aspects of the universal truth. When a soul discerns any of these, it attains some form of enlightenment. This is a step closer to being one with the universe. A complete oneness with the universe brings the true immortality."

Lowering his gaze from the sky, he watched his wife and daughter for a time before letting out a long breath of sadness. He knew life of a cultivator was a dangerous one. Those who were in the line of the martial arts knew the danger of it. Many had died. Only those that stayed focused on immortal cultivation could live to tell the tale. 

"This discernment and insights are the most difficult parts of a cultivator's life. The reason why many cultivators focused on immortality instead. I do not blame them. Immortality without anyone killing you, is good enough for any cultivator. And as you know, Zhang Xiu Ying, immortality starts from the nascent soul. That is why your mother and I, are also striving towards forming our nascent souls."

"True, and we are on the right path. The crystallines have been a great help to us since we came to this cave. I'm already a middle-stage golden core while your father is a late-stage golden core. Surely, we are on the right path."

Reaching where his wife and daughter were standing, he put a hand over Zhang Xiu Ying's shoulder while holding Zhang Wang Jing with the other.

"Indeed, we are. But we must always keep this in mind, immortality doesn't come into account when facing a more powerful entity. Even a celestial, can easily go into reincarnation."

"Yes, we know. Before any combat, always know your way out. If there's none, you run." 

Zhang Xiu Ying said, resting her head on her father's shoulder. Her son could have been here too, enjoying this with them, but he had now gone back to his sect. Let him continued to learn, knowledge was too important to ignore anyway. Moreover, the sect premises was more safer for him for now, especially when uncle Luoyang wasn't around. Her mind would be peaceful if she should undergo the taking, knowing her son would be protected in the face of any attack, as much as possible.

Her thoughts were disrupted by the voice of her father.

"Not really running, Xiu Ying. It's simply 'staying alive'. Staying alive to enjoy the beauty of nature like this."

They continued to enjoy the scenery, until Zhang Wang Jing brought them back to reality.

"We should go inside now, before the food looses its aroma."

"The smell of the food can't even let me concentrate on the beauty of the sky."

Bemoaned Zhang Xiu Ying jokingly, as they all laughed while walking back into the cave.

She had a perfect family. Loving parents and a loving son. Her family was once bigger than this. She used to have a loving husband too. Although not from their clan, he had been a really good husband. Until, he died during the attack of the antramental demons on their village.

Could it?

Not now. She took her mind of it as she looked at her parents before turning to the contents on the table.

Sitting on the table, was a large pot of steaming mountain fowl meat. One of the ocassional change in meat since the discovery of the pond turtles. Accompanying it, were one smalk container of goat milk and two large containers of grubs and lily tubers layered with wasp honey. The aroma of the food, filled the whole interior of the knoll. This was due to a new cooking recipe that Zhang Wang Jing bought from a food merchant, a week before.

As she sat down at the table, taking her time to relish the aroma of the food, Zhang Xiu Ying couldn't help but be appreciative outwardly. She had missed this. The magical cooking of her mother. She never had enough of it.

"Hmmmm, smells soooo good."

"I agreed with you, Xiu Ying. Ever since your mother brought home that recipe, I often smell her food in my dreams."

"Hehehe."

The two of them bust into soft laughter as Zhang Wang Jing smilingly shook her head. She was happy to see them enjoying the time.

"Are you two going to eat or you'll just continue smelling the food?"

"We will, mother. The aroma of a good food must be properly appreciated, inorder to prepare the body and soul for the incoming food."

Answered Zhang Xiu Ying to more laughter from her father.

Since her mother brought back the cooking recipe from the market, she couldn't have enough of her mother's cooking. Where in titan's torso, did the recipe even came from? Well, no matter where, it was really a divine blessing.

Zhang Xiu Ying took a bite of the fowl meat and exclaimed with delight.

"Hm...hm...hm. Soo delicious."

She closed her eyes as she savoured the taste of the food. She couldn't believe she had only been gone for around twelve hours in Lorra's time. But due to the Forsaken Palace, she knew she had missed several days of her mother's cooking. Several days! How could that be? There was no doubt in her mind that she had spent several days in the palace. Not that she was totally complaining of her time at the forsaken palace. Afterall, what she took back with her from the place was more than she bargained for. The treasures were simply astonishing despite the dangers of getting them. Treasures that she couldn't be able to get on the planet of Lorra.

The palace was really something profoubd. And after remembering the palace being a divine spacetime artifact that had been reworked over the years by many including the celestials, she sighed inwardly.

'The extreme power of Spacetime.'