Getting to Know Each Other

To the far right stood a man, forming a stark contrast with Xing Wuyi.

If Xing Wuyi was "stillness," then he was "motion"; if Xing Wuyi was "scholar," then he was "warrior."

A suit of black armor covered his entire body, forged not from metal, but from a black substance resembling congealed blood.

Clad in that black armor, he exuded an overwhelming aura of slaughter.

Seven irregular polyhedral fragments of dark crimson floated around him, their surfaces flowing with a blood-red light.

The Ancestor of Conquest, Xing Pojun.

His gaze fell on Gu Changyuan, not to scrutinize, but to judge.

He judged whether this man was worth drawing his blade for, whether his strength was worthy of being an Ancestor, and what the outcome would be if the two were to clash.

Standing between Xing Wuyi and Xing Pojun were two women.

To the left, one had golden hair flowing like sunlight, emitting a soft glow under the starlight.

She wore a moon-white long dress, its hem patterned with starlight-woven runes that faintly shimmered in the shadows.

A gentle yet blinding radiance of starlight surrounded her.

That light was neither strong nor dazzling, yet looking at it made one feel inner peace, purging all distractions.

The Ancestor of Radiance, Xing Huang.

Her gaze fell on Gu Changyuan, carrying curiosity, anticipation, and even a gentle, elder-to-junior appraisal.

The corners of her lips lifted slightly, her smile subtle but sincere.

To the right, the woman was entirely different from the previous three.

If Xing Wuyi was "cold," Xing Pojun was "fierce," and Xing Huang was "warm," then she was "sleepy."

Not a metaphor, but literally sleepy, much like Lan Caiyou.

Her head tilted slightly to one side, her weight shifted onto her left foot, and her stance was so lazy she looked ready to collapse and fall asleep at any moment.

Her long hair, deep purple and reaching her waist, was disheveled, as if she had just woken up without combing it.

The Ancestor of Oblivion, Xing Weiyang.

Her gaze—if the few seconds she spent looking at people with her eyes open counted as "looking"—swept over Gu Changyuan before she let out a yawn.

Four figures hovered before Gu Changyuan, four distinct auras intertwining, forming a delicate force field in the sea of stars.

After a brief silence, Xing Wuyi spoke.

His voice, like his expression, carried no emotional fluctuation, as if a precision machine were reporting data.

His speech was even, his tone steady, with each word spaced to the millisecond.

"Pleased to meet you. I am Xing Wuyi."

With that, he gave a slight nod and fell silent.

Xing Pojun spoke next.

His voice was deep and rough, and the moment he opened his mouth, the murderous aura around him thickened, while his seven dark red star fragments spun faster.

"Xing Pojun."

His gaze lingered on Gu Changyuan for a moment, sizing him up.

"Zixu's position has been vacant for a long time. I hope you won't disgrace his title."

Xing Huang spoke third, her voice warm and gentle. She drifted half a chi closer to Gu Changyuan, her golden eyes filled with unabashed curiosity and goodwill.

"I am Xing Huang."

Her voice paused, and a complex emotion flickered in her eyes.

"I thought Zixu had merely lost contact for a while, that he had gone to some place not even the Star Clan could sense, and that he just needed time to fulfill an important mission.

After all, that had always been his way—gone for many years without leaving so much as a word for anyone, only to return one day as if he had never left."

Her voice dropped slightly.

"Never expected that he had already fallen."

When she uttered the word "fallen," Gu Changyuan saw the light in Xing Huang's eyes dim for an instant.

Xing Huang drew a deep breath, suppressing the emotion that arose. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, but her smile was fainter than before.

"May I take a look at his token?"

Gu Changyuan naturally did not refuse.

He waved his right hand, and a tiny spatial rift appeared in the void.

The rift opened and then closed, and a beam of light flew out, hovering above Gu Changyuan's palm.

Luoxing.

Gu Changyuan had temporarily retrieved Luoxing from Gu Xinger in the Celestial Saint Realm.

Xing Huang stared at the familiar dagger, her eyes growing complex.

In those golden eyes, there was longing and a sense of release.

And something else—something indescribable, perhaps even beyond her own awareness.

It was farewell.

Seeing the token confirmed the death.

And the confirmation of death meant it was time to say goodbye.

Even if the one she was saying goodbye to had already been gone for many years.

It wasn’t just Xing Huang.

When Xing Pojun looked at the dagger, the fierce aura around him softened slightly.

When Xing Wuyi looked at it, his usually expressionless face finally showed a hint of change.

Even Xing Weiyang forced her eyes open.

Her deep purple eyes emerged, devoid of drowsiness or laziness—only a quiet, focused gaze that seemed intent on etching the dagger deep into her memory.

Then her eyes closed again, her head tilted to the other side, and her breathing evened out once more.

Xing Huang reached out her hand, stopping her finger an inch from the dagger.

Her hand hovered there, fingertips trembling slightly, as if hesitating whether to touch it.

Her lips moved, but no sound came out. In the end, she withdrew her hand.

"Thank you."

Her voice was very soft—so soft it seemed afraid to disturb something.

Xing Weiyang spoke last.

Or rather, she almost didn’t speak at all.

After Xing Huang finished, everyone looked at her.

She felt their gazes, but she did not respond immediately.

She was fighting off drowsiness, her eyelids constantly drooping, her head bobbing lower and lower, as if she might fall asleep at any moment.

It took several breaths before she finally spoke.

"Mmm..."

Her voice was languid and muffled.

"Xing Weiyang."

After those three words, her task was done, and her eyes closed completely.

Xing Huang smiled helplessly and cast Gu Changyuan a look that said, "Don’t mind her; she’s always like this."

Gu Changyuan kept a smile on his face, unfazed.

He had a disciple who, like Xing Weiyang, loved to sleep.

Such special individuals usually possessed innate divine abilities that consumed great energy. Their physical bodies and souls required endless slumber to nourish, repair, and restore strength—this was quite normal.

Gu Changyuan’s gaze shifted away from Xing Weiyang and fell upon the dagger hovering in the void.

"Hello to you all."

His voice was not loud, carrying a measured sense of neither obsequiousness nor arrogance.

“Gu Changyuan.”

After the mutual introductions, Xing Huang led Gu Changyuan into the depths of the starry sea.

Guiding Gu Changyuan across the Star Bridge, he came to a halt beneath a towering structure.