The Boy is Gone

The fireworks fade easily, and ancient waters remain still.

The years to come will be peaceful, just like before, without stirring any waves.

News spread from the Ancestral Star that the Saint was about to emerge from seclusion. When the time comes, important figures from other stars would arrive at the Ancestral Star to celebrate with the Saint.

It was considered a joyous occasion.

It was said that even other Saints would come, perhaps allowing people to witness the grand scene of Saints appearing together.

The cultivators of the Ancestral Star were naturally extremely excited, feeling that the Ancestral Star was truly the peak of the southeast star region, and proud to be native-born cultivators of the Ancestral Star.

Those cultivators who came to the Ancestral Star from other celestial bodies were not as authentic as them, and could be considered outsiders.

Chen Xia had long heard this news and mentioned it to Bai Lu beside him, asking for his opinion.

Bai Lu was carefully studying the book in his hands and hadn't paid much attention, so he asked back in confusion.

"What?"

"Nothing, carry on with your work." Chen Xia rested his head on one hand, no longer asking questions. He glanced at the book in Bai Lu's hands again and asked curiously.

"Who gave you this book?"

"I bought it from the Great Dao Arena. The Daoist master said it's a high-grade Nascent Soul mental cultivation method, very effective for cultivators at the middle stage of Golden Core like me."

"Is it effective?" Chen Xia asked again.

Bai Lu frowned, saying uncertainly, "Maybe I haven't fully grasped it yet, so the effect isn't obvious."

"Forget it," Chen Xia waved his hand. "You'd be better off reading 'Postpartum Care for Sows', at least that's a practical skill."

Bai Lu rubbed his head, replying embarrassedly, "But I still want to join a big sect, to walk the path of cultivation, to shine brightly, to..."

Bai Lu didn't continue, because he felt he had too many desires.

"Young people are still too young," Chen Xia shook his head and sighed, lying crookedly in his chair.

Bai Lu blinked and said, "Aren't you young too?"

"Yes, I'm always young," Chen Xia nodded in agreement.

Bai Lu also found it strange that after several decades, Chen Xia's appearance hadn't changed at all, still looking like a youth. He had curiously asked Chen Xia about this before, but Chen Xia had only seriously replied.

"Don't ask about things you shouldn't. You're just a kid, instead of asking these questions, why not play an invigorating game of chess with me?"

At the mention of chess, Bai Lu really didn't want to ask anymore.

"Ahhh—" Chen Xia yelled as he stretched lazily, then stood up from the lounge chair and rolled his eyes at Bai Lu.

"Stop reading this trash literature. Have you ever seen any prodigy who became great just by reading books?"

"There are! The Sea Inversing Realm ancestor of Twin Phoenix Mountain, the young sword immortal of Yellow Pool Sect at the Sea Inversing Realm, and the Heaven Mending Realm star lord of North Sky Star. They all loved reading books and cultivating when they were young."

"These count as prodigies?" Chen Xia frowned.

Was there a big difference between his and Bai Lu's understanding of what a prodigy was?

In Chen Xia's view, one should at least be a Great Emperor candidate to be considered a prodigy, with the potential to reach the Quasi-Saint level as a starting point.

"Of course they count!" Bai Lu said seriously. "In my hometown, a Sea Inversing Realm great cultivator can be the presiding ancestor of a star, and a Heaven Mending Realm cultivator is an once-in-a-thousand-years supreme talent."

"Alright, let's go with your understanding," Chen Xia nodded, then shook his head and said,

"But even if you read like this, you won't reach the Sea Inversing Realm."

Bai Lu put down the book, his eyes downcast, knowing Chen Xia was telling the truth. He felt a bit sad and said,

"But besides reading books and learning techniques, I don't know how else to improve."

His innate talent wasn't good to begin with, so naturally his cultivation progress was slower than other powerful cultivators, and he could only be considered average.

Chen Xia patted his shoulder and comforted him, "It's okay, you can play chess, right? Want to have a game with me?"

"..." Bai Lu was speechless for a moment, then shook his head helplessly after a while, "Can we not talk about chess?"

"Sure," Chen Xia nodded, then asked, "How about Go?"

Bai Lu helplessly rubbed his cheek, feeling he shouldn't have talked to Chen Xia at all.

He had figured out Chen Xia's pattern now - one out of every three sentences was an invitation to play chess.

At the same time, Bai Lu noticed something strange. Although Chen Xia didn't cultivate and had no cultivation base, he always had a calm aura about him, as if he didn't care about anything and wasn't worried about anything.

It always felt like Chen Xia wasn't really his peer, but someone who had lived hundreds or thousands of years longer.

Though he looked like a youth, he had the demeanor of an old sage.

It gave Bai Lu a vague feeling that Chen Xia was like a great being who had achieved the Dao long ago.

As he was thinking this, Chen Xia's body flopped back onto the chair, lying crookedly again.

Well, now his demeanor was more like a street hoodlum.

Bai Lu shook his head helplessly, sighed a little, and picked up the mental cultivation method he had bought from the Great Dao Arena, starting to read and comprehend it again.

He needed to work hard to keep up with Yu Jun and Hao Lin. They all came from the same hometown, so he couldn't fall behind.

At this moment, the youth's heart was still full of ambition.

The four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter changed.

The important figures from other stars that the cultivators spoke of gradually arrived, saying they came to congratulate the Saint on emerging from seclusion, so they also brought many gifts.

The usually proud cultivators of the Ancestral Star also showed a rare welcoming attitude, setting up a grand reception outside the star, creating a heavenly street for these important figures to walk on.

The scale of the entire heavenly street was terrifying, paved from millions of miles outside the star, with starlight and shattered constellations forming the road, extending all the way to the outskirts of the Ancestral Star, and then from the outskirts into the interior.

It was said that several Heaven Mending Realm powerhouses from the Ancestral Star had to work together to complete this heavenly street.

Not only did it give face to the arriving important figures, but it also gave face to the Ancestral Star cultivators, who would proudly point at the heavenly street outside the Ancestral Star and say,

"Look, this is something only our Ancestral Star can do. You've never heard of such grand reception anywhere else."

The technique was indeed impressive, and they certainly gave enough face.

As the great cultivators walked on the heavenly street, they couldn't help but praise the Ancestral Star for its strong foundation and hospitality.

The important figures also had extremely impressive backgrounds, with the least being Heaven Mending Realm cultivators, such as some ancestor of a sect, some sect leader, or some long-famous prodigy.

In short, it gathered all the prominent figures from the southeast star region, and even two terrifying Quasi-Saints were invited.

Bai Lu sat in the small house, with the heavenly street right above. When the important figures entered the interior of the Ancestral Star, they would pass over their heads.

In other words, he was being stepped on by the important figures.

However, Bai Lu wasn't sad about this. Instead, he would happily call Chen Xia to come and look, pointing at the various important figures passing by, excitedly reciting their names and achievements like a connoisseur.

"That's the Black Star Ancestor, he's incredibly powerful, a Heaven Mending Realm cultivator. Wow, we can even see the Poor Mountain Immortal!"

Whenever an important figure passed by on the heavenly street above, Bai Lu would excitedly run out to watch.

But today was a bit different.

Bai Lu saw another figure on the heavenly street, he saw a childhood friend who came from the same hometown as him.

Hao Lin.

He was dressed in luxurious clothes, following behind his sect's ancestor, preparing to welcome the important figures arriving this time. Out of boredom, his gaze swept around, and suddenly paused.

He also saw Bai Lu.

Bai Lu immediately smiled and waved at him, as if greeting him.

But how could those in the heavens pay attention to those below?

Hao Lin turned his head away, as if he hadn't seen anything.

He was no longer the young man who came from a remote star.

But Bai Lu still was.

Naturally, there was nothing to say.

Perhaps there was never a deep friendship between them to begin with.

Bai Lu didn't know how to explain it, he only knew that his footsteps entering the house today were a bit heavy, his mind hazy.

Chen Xia noticed his unhappiness, so he asked with concern.

"Do you want to..."

"No chess," Bai Lu shook his head gloomily.

Chen Xia nodded, feeling that Bai Lu was truly unhappy, otherwise he would usually wait for him to finish speaking.

He also looked up at the bustling heavenly street, and immediately understood.

The thoughts of youth, clear as day.

Chen Xia had lived for so long that he had long since come to terms with these things. He didn't intend to persuade Bai Lu, but just went out for a while, then returned at dusk with a wine jug and asked,

"Want to ease the sorrows of youth?"

"Mm," Bai Lu nodded.

As they drank and exchanged cups, the candlelight flickered gently.

Bai Lu's eyes were hazy, as if he saw his former self in the candlelight, a spirited young man.

Whoosh.

The flame went out.

The sorrows of youth were eased.

Because youth was gone.