Old Friends Always Meet Again

In the small cabin, there was a spirit tree that Chen Xia had planted some years ago.

The spirit tree was neither tall nor large, and it didn't even bear fruit. It seemed to have no intention of growing at all.

It was quite similar to Chen Xia in that regard, making them rather compatible.

In his leisure time, he would stand beside the tree, slightly taller than it himself.

This was normal, after all, how could a dozen years compare to thirty thousand?

He named the tree Bai Lu, as a substitute for his childhood chess companion.

Cultivators came and went around him, many changing over time.

Each day brings new faces, no two days the same.

Chen Xia was one of the few who remained unchanged, so the surrounding cultivators recognized him, knowing that the youth in blue robes was actually an old cultivator.

Some old neighbors would curiously inquire about Bai Lu's whereabouts.

"Bai Lu has entered the sect," Chen Xia would reply with a light smile.

"Oh," the old neighbors would respond, momentarily dazed, and then exclaim in an envious tone,

"So he's become a master now."

After their exclamations, they would look at Chen Xia with envy, assuming he too would rise to prominence alongside Bai Lu.

However, time proved this was not the case.

So the old neighbors began to speculate, thinking that Bai Lu must be ungrateful, abandoning his old friend so easily.

Some thought that Chen Xia must have offended Bai Lu, which was why he didn't receive any benefits.

There was much gossip, but Chen Xia paid no attention, letting them guess as they pleased.

Twenty years later.

The small cabin gained new residents.

Emperor Capital and Qiu Li.

Under the pretext of discussing future plans, they moved in and didn't leave. The topics they discussed were quite peculiar.

For example, Emperor Capital asked as soon as he arrived:

"Brother, should we establish a Chen family army and unify this star region? I've long been annoyed by those Saints and Great Saints!"

"Which Great Saint are you annoyed with?" Chen Xia asked sharply.

"Uh... well... I was just joking, haha," Emperor Capital laughed, rubbing his head.

Qiu Li then asked, "Since we're going back to the Blue Sky Sword Sea, why don't we bring along some of the Fourteen Sons of Vast Sky, like Li Yang and Huang Can?"

Chen Xia shook his head, "No rush. Let's wait for Chi Yu to come out of seclusion. Then the four of us can go together. Our strategy will be to overwhelm them with numbers. He'll have to agree, whether he likes it or not."

"Brilliant plan!" Emperor Capital gave a thumbs up, starting to flatter him.

"You exaggerate," Chen Xia humbly replied.

These two certainly knew how to flatter and be modest.

Qiu Li asked from the side, "What about the Great Saints? Should we notify them in advance, given the magnitude of this matter?"

"No need," Chen Xia shook his head again, "I've already thought it through. We'll first gather all the Saints from the Blue Sky Sword Sea. If any Great Saint disagrees, we'll give them a taste of the Blue Sky Sword Sea's prowess."

"What prowess?" Qiu Li asked, puzzled.

"Overwhelming with numbers, of course! How dense can you be!" Emperor Capital jumped in to answer.

Having said this, Emperor Capital was already rubbing his hands together eagerly, saying to Chen Xia,

"I love nothing more than killing enemies beyond my level. Brother, you must give me the chance to land the final blow!"

"You've certainly mastered the art of punching above your weight," Chen Xia gave him a thumbs up.

The three of them living in the small cabin made for a lively atmosphere.

Emperor Capital's strategy was to bully the weak and fear the strong. He argued with Qiu Li daily but was completely obedient when speaking to Chen Xia.

Until one day when Chen Xia asked him,

"Do you know how to play Chinese chess?"

"Of course," Emperor Capital smiled, secretly thinking he'd let Chen Xia win comfortably.

He soon changed his mind.

Except for the opening knight move, almost every move was a blunder, perfectly missing the correct moves.

The opening knight move was fine, but the subsequent series of bad moves made Emperor Capital anxious. He even wanted to guide Chen Xia's chess play.

He extended his finger, about to point and advise, when he met Chen Xia's calm gaze.

Emperor Capital swallowed his words of guidance and corrected himself,

"Ah, how could I make such a move? I'm so foolish!"

Qiu Li watched from the side, barely holding back his laughter, clearly struggling to contain himself.

As more time passed.

When the sky began to darken.

Chen Xia looked up, knowing the time was near.

Finally, the day of emergence from seclusion arrived.

He stood with Emperor Capital and Qiu Li in the sky, looking down.

The entire ancestral star's fire spirit energy began to vibrate violently, the temperature of the entire star seeming to rise, as if it had become a fireball.

In the heart of the Three Thousand Flame Feather Sect, many elders gathered, their expressions extremely serious. Led by the Grand Elder, they shouted,

"The Three Thousand Flame Feather Sect protects the Saint's path!"

An boundless formation spread out from the Three Thousand Flame Feather Sect, actually enveloping the entire ancestral star, a truly shocking sight!

"This protective formation must be a contingency left by Chi Yu before his seclusion. It's quite domineering, actually able to temporarily separate the ancestral star from the entire star region, thus avoiding a clash of destinies," Qiu Li deduced.

Suddenly, a hand appeared from within the ancestral star, as if supporting the entire star, standing tall in the star region.

"He's emerged!" Emperor Capital's expression turned serious.

Today, warm flames rained down on the ancestral star, accompanied by a cry that shook the entire celestial body.

In the heart of the Three Thousand Flame Feather Sect, a figure imperceptibly emerged from the flames, with six bright red wings on his back, each wing inlaid with fiery stars.

He walked out slowly, like a fire god descending to the mortal world.

As the flames subsided, they revealed an ordinary middle-aged face, with a hint of stubbornness between the brows. The whole person didn't appear domineering, but rather gave a sense of tenacity.

This was Chi Yu.

He stood at the forefront, seeming to sense something, and looked up to the sky, questioning,

"Who's there?"

There was no response for a while.

Then came a light chuckle of appreciation.

"Long time no see."

Chen Xia descended from the starry sky.

The world suddenly fell silent, the flames no longer surging.