Wang Lin’s countenance remained serene, his gaze drifting down from the incandescent firmament above. With his cultivated senses, he clearly perceived the subtle ripples in the star-strewn void – the echoes of sorcery woven to ensnare him.

“It seems my return has stirred the attention of many…” A faint smile played upon Wang Lin’s lips. “So be it!” He possessed the strength, the cultivation, to face whatever lay ahead.

That his reappearance had been detected held no fear for him.

He strode forth, his pace measured within the vast expanse of the cosmos. Each step, though seemingly unhurried, transcended immeasurable distances. He gazed upon the familiar stars, a silent wanderer in the celestial sea.

Far ahead, amidst the stardust and nebulae, a company of nearly a hundred cultivators surged like a brilliant comet. They orbited a single, verdant cultivation star, rich with spiritual energy. From their hands, filaments of shimmering energy unfurled, weaving into a vast, intricate net that ensnared the very planet.

At the vanguard of this group stood a middle-aged man, his eyes like bolts of lightning, his cultivation at the zenith of the Nirvana Cleansing stage. His features were stern and commanding, his eyes gleaming with inner power. Arcs of crackling energy danced around his form, amplifying his imposing presence.

“Take care, all of you! Coordinate your efforts and do not damage the cultivation star! The wrath of the Thunder Immortal Palace would be a minor concern compared to disrupting Luo Tian’s war preparations. We would each be confined to our chambers!”

The man’s voice boomed like thunder, reverberating amongst the assembled cultivators, each face reflecting a mixture of relief and apprehension.

“Zhan Konglie, we face no true threat of confinement. You are the foremost of your generation in the Zhan family. Surely your Ancestor would not allow you to be imprisoned!”

“Training is one matter, but to be confined during wartime… the thought is unbearable.”

“Brother Zhan, it is said that all four Star Domains prepare for war, with the Cloud Sea Domain taking precedence. This confounds many of us. Why should we heed their commands? Do you have any insight?”

Laughter echoed through the void as the cultivators focused their combined energies, causing the cultivation star to shudder and groan. Slowly, inexorably, it was pulled from its orbit, drifting forward under their combined might.

The middle-aged man, Zhan Konglie, held a similar tether to the cultivation star. As they flew, he chuckled, “This matter was decided by our Luo Tian Ancestor, the venerable Ru Fuzi, in concert with the leaders of the other three Star Domains. My knowledge is limited. If I learn more, you will be informed, have patience.”

The name of Ru Fuzi ignited fervent devotion in the hearts of the hundred cultivators. In recent years, his legend had grown, even within the knowledge of Zhan Konglie. To them, Ru Fuzi was the bastion of Luo Tian, its unwavering protector. With him at their defense, Luo Tian would never fall!

Zhan Konglie sighed inwardly. Unlike his companions, he felt only respect, devoid of fanatical zeal. His fervor had been consumed long ago by another.

He remembered a time when he too had felt such zeal, when one word from a certain individual would have spurred him to any task.

His ardor for that person had not faded with the passage of time, but had deepened with understanding and recognition of that individual’s true nature.

“But where is he now?” A flicker of deeply hidden longing crossed Zhan Konglie’s eyes. He often recalled those distant days.

That person had walked through Luo Tian, impacting not only himself, but also Shen Gonghu. Zhan Konglie snorted inwardly, his thoughts turning to Shen Gonghu, their rivalry growing more intense each year.

The hundred cultivators soared onward, pulling the cultivation star behind them.

Suddenly, a lone figure clad in white materialized from the distance, halting at the sight of the company. The figure paused, hanging suspended in the void, silently observing.

The appearance of the white-clad figure immediately drew the attention of the cultivators, particularly Zhan Konglie, who frowned, attempting to discern any details. However, his cultivation was insufficient to penetrate the figure’s aura.

“Something is amiss. Be vigilant!” Zhan Konglie commanded, stepping forward to the vanguard.

The two groups drew closer, yet the white figure remained motionless, simply watching as the company swept past.

None could clearly perceive the figure’s features. Any gaze directed upon them seemed to twist and distort, as if the very space where the figure stood was a swirling vortex, devouring all that approached.

Only when the hundred cultivators had completely passed did they breathe a collective sigh of relief.

“That person’s cultivation is profound, it seems they are not from Luo Tian…”

“Now that the barriers between the Four Star Domains have fallen, one can traverse between them with the proper conduits. They must be from another Domain.”

As they drew further away, Zhan Konglie turned back, gazing at the figure still watching, his brow furrowed in thought.

“That person… vaguely familiar…”

Wang Lin watched the company of cultivators, his gaze lingering on Zhan Konglie. He was older now, his features etched with the passage of time. Wang Lin smiled, recalling the time in the Thunder Pool, when the man, despite his superior cultivation, had been terrified by Wang Lin’s mastery of lightning, and had pledged his allegiance.

“To see old acquaintances is one of life’s great fortunes…” Wang Lin turned and walked into the distance.

He was happy.

Wang Lin receded into the vastness, the distance between him and the cultivators growing boundless. Zhan Konglie remained troubled, oblivious to the conversations around him, the strange sense of familiarity clinging to his mind.
A wave of recognition, unsettlingly familiar, washed over Zhan Konglie. Silently, he turned, following the other cultivators forward into the void, yet his mind remained captive to the sensation. Where had he known this feeling before?

The indistinct image of the man in white haunted his thoughts. The way his white hair had swirled as he turned away echoed repeatedly within his mind.

“I have seen him before, I know it!” Zhan Konglie rubbed his temples, and as his right hand pressed against his brow, he stilled. The hazy form in white began to coalesce, drawn towards a figure buried deep within his memory. In the instant of their complete merging, a thunderclap erupted within Zhan Konglie’s mind, shaking him to his very core!

Disbelief blazed in his eyes. He spun around, his face flushing with color, his eyes wide. A brief moment of disorientation passed as he felt the frantic drumming of his own heart.

“It…it is him!”

Without hesitation, Zhan Konglie surged forward, moving with the speed of a thunderbolt, chasing desperately after the retreating form of Wang Lin.

His sudden burst of action left the hundred or so cultivators who had been travelling with him in stunned silence.

Zhan Konglie unleashed his full power, tearing across the boundless starlit sea, yet ahead of him lay only empty space. Wang Lin had vanished.

At last, Zhan Konglie halted, a bitter expression twisting his features.

“Why didn’t you call out my name… even once?” he murmured, standing motionless for a long, silent moment.

As time slipped by, Zhan Konglie silently bowed towards the empty expanse before him, sighed softly, and turned away.

Deep within the celestial realm of Luo Tian, lay a desolate expanse of space. The spiritual energies here were meager, the cultivator stars were few, and most were lacking in vital energy. Within this region, a small star, bathed in soft light, slowly rotated through the void.

This was Qing Ling Star!

Though cultivators resided upon it, few possessed true strength. Only three had reached the nascent soul stage. Now, upon the highest peak of Qing Ling Star, these three stood respectfully before an old man.

Clad in scholar’s robes, the old man resembled a mortal scholar more than a cultivator. He sat peacefully upon a stone platform at the summit of the mountain.

Here, he had remained for eight centuries.

All due to a single sentence from his master, long ago.

“I have taken no true disciples in my life. Your path resonates with mine. I shall accept you as a disciple in name only! I gift you this mountain, called Heng Yun, to practice upon in the meantime. I will impart no spells or divine abilities, but I will gift you a single understanding!”

The old man slowly opened his eyes, not to look upon the three cultivators before him, but to gaze at the distant sunset.

“You three, withdraw,” he said. “This star… belongs to my master. Until he returns, not a blade of grass, not a drop of water, shall be taken from it.”

“But the war preparations… The Thunder Immortal Palace has issued a celestial decree, they shall arrive within three days to claim the star. We…” One of the nascent soul cultivators, his eyes filled with urgency, began to speak, but fell silent under the old man’s gaze.

A mere glance sent a tremor through the cultivator’s very soul. With respectful bows, the three turned and departed.

The old man fell silent, gazing at the layers of cloud in the sky. He remained there, unmoving, as a distant rumble of thunder grew louder, and a gust of wind howled, forming a tapestry of storm clouds that blotted out the sky and banished the sunlight.

The sound of rushing water grew closer. The rain began to fall, enveloping the land.

The rain lashed down upon the mountaintop, its relentless drumming filling the air. The world grew blurry. The wind howled, sending sheets of rain swirling around the old man, soaking his robes, yet could not obscure his gaze, fixed upon the heavens, waiting.

A sigh, as if carried by the wind, brushed against the old man’s ears. He trembled, a flicker of excitement in his eyes.

“I remember…” the old man whispered. “Your name… is Xie Qing!”