“Sir, are you still there?”
Qingqiu’s eyes shimmered with a trace of memory…
Back then, she was still young, and it was her first time meeting Sir.
In her heart, Sir was the foremost figure in the Fallen Star Sea, unparalleled in cultivation, character, and talent. It was a pity she had only ever seen his back.
A white robe billowed, spotless, radiating a faint divine glow. He stood ethereal and transcendent in the starry sky, expounding the Dao to a multitude. Among those listening were Supremes, Star Venerates, Myriad Phase Realm cultivators, Ancient Ancestors… even Great Emperors. Here, it seemed, all were taught without discrimination. There were no rigid hierarchies.
Qingqiu felt a pang of regret; she had been too young then, barely able to grasp what Sir was saying. Yet, Sir’s ‘Dao’ and ‘aura’ were as gentle as a spring breeze. To Qingqiu, Sir was the gentlest soul in this world. Sir had three thousand disciples!
Though no news of Sir ever came again, his influence in Qingqiu’s heart was indelible. As the saying went, “One should not encounter someone too astonishing in their youth, lest they become trapped by their memory.” Qingqiu could never forget Sir. Even her father, the Star River Alliance Leader, and figures like Shenwu Emperor Tianye, had once been among Sir’s listeners.
This time, she had heard that a White-robed Star Venerate had shattered the Fourth Star Ring. This reminded her of the time the Star Rings were first established… Back then, Ju Shou had proposed constructing the Star Rings to solidify the power structure of Ancient Ancestor-level forces and stabilize the Dark Void’s influence. She had opposed it. After all, in Sir’s eyes, all sentient beings were equal. The emergence of the Star Rings had divided the beings of the Fallen Star Sea into rigid classes, making it nearly impossible for new Ancient Ancestors to rise in the starry sky.
Sir had vanished. In the eyes of most, his influence had also faded. Numerous Ancient Ancestor-level forces had burned all of Sir’s Dao scrolls and teachings, so much so that after countless ages, very few in the world even knew of “Sir’s” existence.
Thinking of this, Qingqiu’s eyes grew slightly moist. She recalled the first time she saw the White-robed Star Venerate upon arriving in this starry sky, a moment of fleeting disorientation.
“Sir?”
But after conversing with the White-robed Star Venerate, she shook her head. “He is not Sir.” Firstly, the White-robed Star Venerate lazily reclined in a chair, reading storybooks. Sir would never do such a thing; Sir upheld the Way of Propriety, his every action a paragon of conduct. Secondly, the White-robed Star Venerate’s entire being seemed riddled with flaws, whereas Sir’s body and Dao were one, resonating with the entire starry sky. So, he was not Sir. It was just that, at first glance, their backs truly bore a resemblance! This was also why she had been willing to exchange a few words with the White-robed Star Venerate. Otherwise, if anyone else dared to ignore her or speak to her in such a manner, they would have long since perished beneath her spirit sword!
A moment later, Qingqiu composed herself. “Even someone as mighty as Sir vanished into this boundless starry sky, nowhere to be found.”
She looked towards the Tai Chu Realm and slowly said, “Heavenly Dao, come forth!”
Hearing this, the Green-skirted Girl rubbed her sleepy eyes. She sensed a powerful aura—an aura that surpassed her own! Dressed in a green skirt, she slowly appeared above the starry sky. Her exquisite figure had matured, making her appear graceful and elegant, no longer the child she once was.
The Green-skirted Girl looked at Qingqiu. “Who are you?”
Qingqiu remained silent, a wisp of divine sense extending to continuously scrutinize the Green-skirted Girl. Then, her body stiffened slightly. The Green-skirted Girl bit her lip. “What’s wrong?”
Qingqiu’s delicate body trembled slightly, and the spirit sword at her waist hummed. Her voice quivered, “Sir’s aura!”
The Green-skirted Girl was puzzled. “Sir?”
Qingqiu’s beautiful eyes furrowed as she carefully sensed this wisp of aura. Alas, this was a wisp of aura from an extremely ancient epoch, now almost annihilated within the River of Time. It had become incredibly faint. Even Qingqiu, powerful as she was, could not reconstruct this aura through heaven-defying means. When she tried to forcibly seize this wisp of aura, it instantly turned to dust like a withered flower, scattering with the wind. Qingqiu felt a profound sense of loss.
The Green-skirted Girl asked again, “Who is Sir?”
Qingqiu replied, “The strongest person in the Fallen Star Sea!”
The Green-skirted Girl pouted. “Huh? Isn’t Lu Xuan the strongest person in the Fallen Star Sea? If he made a move, even the First Star Ring would shatter, and the entire Fallen Star Sea would be destroyed.”
At these words, Qingqiu was utterly stunned. Meanwhile, far away within the Third Star Ring, Lu Xuan sneezed. “Who’s secretly discussing my handsomeness?”
A moment of silence.
Qingqiu shook her head, her tone firm. “Sir is the strongest person in this world!”
The Green-skirted Girl pouted. “Lu Xuan!”
Qingqiu insisted, “Sir!”
The Green-skirted Girl retorted, “Lu Xuan!”
Qingqiu stopped arguing, shaking her head. She was actually debating this with the Heavenly Dao of this realm. Sir’s power was beyond words. Just now, she had used a supreme secret art to see that Sir had once appeared in the Tai Chu Realm. This was understandable, however. After all, the Tai Chu Realm had once flourished and been incredibly powerful; Sir’s appearance there was to be expected.
Just then, the Green-skirted Girl sniffed. “You must have met Lu Xuan already, right? He really is incredibly powerful.”
Qingqiu nodded. “I cannot see through him. But that doesn’t mean he is invincible in the Fallen Star Sea.”
The Green-skirted Girl said, “Alright, I’m not talking to you anymore. You’ll know eventually, Lu Xuan is invincible!”
Qingqiu was speechless.
A moment later, Qingqiu’s jade-like hand gently waved, and a Star Core appeared. She said softly, “The Tai Chu Realm has reappeared near the Dark Void. I wonder if this is a blessing or a curse? You are currently undergoing an upgrade; take this Star Core for your use.”
A flicker of desire appeared in the Green-skirted Girl’s eyes, but she resisted. Star Cores? Lu Xuan had plenty of those. She didn’t need to take risks for this! This beautiful woman was too enthusiastic; she might have ulterior motives. After all, one must be very careful when encountering beautiful women; none of them were simple characters. Like Ji Fuyao. Like Xuanji Holy Lord. Like Liu Ruyan. Like this woman herself.
Seeing the Green-skirted Girl resist the temptation, Qingqiu was slightly surprised. She said softly, “Giving you this Star Core is also related to the Lu Xuan you spoke of.” She once again recalled the first time she saw Lu Xuan’s back. When she had just arrived, Lu Xuan had his back to her, and it had to be said, he bore some resemblance to Sir.
Hearing this, the Green-skirted Girl darted before her like lightning and snatched the Star Core. “You should have said it was because of Lu Xuan earlier! Otherwise, I would’ve felt a bit awkward taking it.”
Crunch! The Green-skirted Girl tossed the Star Core directly into her mouth. If it was related to Lu Xuan, then she wouldn’t stand on ceremony! Hehe.
Qingqiu was speechless.