I gain ten years' worth of cultivation every day, and even geniuses will only see my doorstep!

Behind them, the black flames slowly died down. The Sanctuary of the End had completed its mission and could rest.

At the end of the Sacred Realm of the End, there is a curtain of light. Beyond the curtain of light, there is not a new Sacred Realm, but an endless starry sky.

The moment Qin Yuan stepped into the starry sky, he sensed something different. Every star here was a complete world, with mountains and rivers, all living things, and the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. He could see everything in those worlds—not with his eyes, but with his heart. The aura of those worlds, like countless threads, surged in from all directions, wrapping around him.

"Is this the pinnacle of all realms?" Lin Qing'er looked around, somewhat uncertain.

There were no continents, no palaces in the starry sky, only countless stars. They were densely packed, like diamonds scattered on a black velvet cloth, some large, some small, some bright, some dim. The brightest stars shone dazzlingly, like tiny suns. The dimmest ones were almost invisible, with only faint halos to prove their existence.

"No," a voice came from afar, "the pinnacle of all realms is still up there."

Qin Yuan looked in the direction of the sound and saw a person.

It was an old man, wearing a tattered Taoist robe with several patches of different colors, as if cut and sewn together from different garments. He sat on a shooting star, just big enough for him to sit on. The shooting star moved slowly across the sky, without a fixed trajectory, like a small boat drifting with the current.

The old man held a fishing rod in his hand. The rod was made of bamboo, very thin and long, with a line hanging from the top. The line wasn't transparent, nor was it white; it simply didn't exist—there was no line at all. The top of the rod was empty, completely bare.

He was fishing. His fishing rod had no line, no hook, and no bait.

Qin Yuan flew to the old man and landed on a star. "Are you the Lord of All Realms?"

The old man looked up at him. His eyes were old, his eyelids drooping, and the corners of his eyes were covered with wrinkles. But his pupils were bright, like two freshly washed black gems.

"Lord of all realms?" The old man thought for a moment. "You could say that. But I prefer to be called 'the gatekeeper.' I am the one who guards the gate to the pinnacle of all realms."

He pointed into the depths of the starry sky. Qin Yuan followed his finger and, at the end of countless stars, vaguely saw a door. The door was small, only about the width of an ordinary house's front door, and entirely white, its material unknown. Two words were engraved on the door—"The Journey Home."

"Is that the entrance to the pinnacle of all realms?" Qin Yuan asked.

The old man nodded. "Want to go in? First, find the 'way home'."

Qin Yuan asked, "Where is the way home?"

The old man said, "In the starry sky. Find it yourself."

He stopped talking and continued fishing. The fishing rod swayed gently in the air, as if on a windy day.

Qin Yuan glanced at Lin Qing'er, who nodded. The two flew into the depths of the starry sky.

The stars twinkled around them, each one calling out. These calls weren't sounds, but emotions—some warm, some sorrowful, some passionate, some cold. They were like countless hands, trying to grab Qin Yuan's attention.

Qin Yuan approached a large star. The star was pale blue with white cloud-like patterns on its surface. When he got close enough, the star suddenly magnified, engulfing him completely.

He stood by a stream.

The stream was crystal clear, with a few fallen leaves floating on its surface. A girl with her hair in two buns squatted by the stream, washing a handful of medicinal herbs. She looked up and smiled at him.

"Brother Qin Yuan, you're back?"

Qin Yuan was stunned. This was the Xuan Yuan Sect. This was the back mountain. This was the place where he and Lin Qing'er first spoke.

He wanted to reach out and touch the girl, but his hand passed through her body, as if passing through a wisp of mist. This wasn't reality; it was memory—the stars were playing his past.

The scene shifts, and he stands before the gates of the Taiyi Sect. Lin Qing'er stands before him, her eyes red-rimmed, and hands him a brocade pouch. "This was embroidered by me. Inside is a seed from the Qingmu Sect. Take it to Nanzhou and plant it there. When it blooms, I will come to find you."

The scene shifts again, and he stands beneath the old plum tree of the Qingmu Sect. The plum blossoms are in full bloom, the tree laden with blossoms. Lin Qing'er stands beneath the tree, smiling at him. "Brother Qin Yuan, I've come to find you when the flowers bloom."

Scene after scene, each frame a moment he shared with Lin Qing'er. Those scenes were so beautiful, so beautiful that he didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay in those scenes forever, never to go out.

"Brother Qin Yuan!"

Lin Qing'er's voice came from a great distance, as if through a thick wall. Qin Yuan suddenly awoke. He realized he had been standing among the stars for a very long time, so long that his feet were covered in stardust.

He broke free from the stars' grasp and flew out.

Not far away, Lin Qing'er was also captivated by a star. Her eyes were unfocused, and a smile played on her lips; she was clearly lost in beautiful memories.

Qin Yuanfei went over and pulled her out of the stars.

Lin Qing'er regained consciousness and, seeing Qin Yuan, felt somewhat embarrassed. "I just saw what happened when we were at the Xuan Yuan Sect."

Qin Yuan said, "Me too."

The two continued flying through the starry sky. But with each approach to a star, they were pulled into memories. Each attempt to break free consumed a great deal of their mental energy. They flew slower and slower, growing increasingly exhausted.

After an unknown amount of time, Qin Yuan stopped before the brightest star. The star was golden, its light dazzling. He saw the scene within it—Lin Qing'er stood by a stream behind the Xuan Yuan Sect, washing spiritual herbs and humming a song.

That was the most precious image in his heart. He stood there, unwilling to leave.

Lin Qing'er flew to his side and whispered, "Brother Qin Yuan, we can't stop here."

Qin Yuan did not answer. He gazed at Lin Qing'er amidst the stars, his eyes as gentle as a pool of spring water.

Lin Qing'er reached out and covered his eyes. "Don't look. That's fake. I'm here, really here."

Qin Yuan took her hand and slowly lowered it. He looked into Lin Qing'er's eyes, those eyes were exactly the same as those in the stars, but more real and warmer.

"You're right," he said. "No matter how beautiful a fake is, it's still fake. No matter how ordinary the real thing is, it's still real."

He turned away, no longer looking at the star. He took Lin Qing'er's hand and flew into the depths of the starry sky.

The starry sky has no end, but Qin Yuan knows the direction.

He didn't look at the stars, nor at his memories, only at Lin Qing'er. Her silhouette was his only guiding light. When she walked fast, he followed. When she walked slowly, he followed. When she stopped and looked back at him, he smiled at her.

"What are you laughing at?" Lin Qing'er asked.

Qin Yuan said, "I'm laughing at your good looks."

Lin Qing'er blushed. "What time is it? Why are you saying such things?"