I want to tread the heavens

Half a month later, the courtyard was quiet, and the fragrance of herbs had not yet dissipated.

Ling Xiao sat cross-legged in the courtyard. Although his face was still pale, starlight flowed with his breath. The cracks in his meridians were gradually healing under the nourishment of the "Zhou Tian Xing Chen Dao Dao Jing" and his own origin. The jade pendant on his fingertips, which had become increasingly warm and lustrous since the underground palace, was slightly hot, as if urging him on.

Uncle Rong pushed open the door and came out. He had changed into a clean gray cloth shirt, his white hair was tied up in a bun, and although his steps were slow, he had a profound and unassuming demeanor. He carried an old iron box in his hands, walked to Ling Xiao, sat down on the ground, and placed the iron box on a stone.

"Xiao'er," he called solemnly, his gaze as deep and unfathomable as an ancient well, "there are some things I should entrust to you."

Ling Xiao opened his eyes and saw that the iron box had an ancient design, the lock was rusted, and there were traces of old soil and sand erosion on the edges, indicating that it had been buried for many years. Uncle Rong exerted force with his fingertips, crushed the rusted lock, and lifted the lid.

The box contained no rare treasures, only three items: a yellowed, blood-stained piece of silk with illegible but forceful handwriting; a letter perfectly sealed with wax; and—another jade pendant.

The jade pendant was exactly the same as the one around Ling Xiao's neck, with a yin-yang fish pattern, warm and lustrous, except for a fine old crack on the edge, as if caused by a heavy blow. When the two jades were brought close together, they immediately resonated and murmured softly, their light flowing and shifting, like a long-awaited reunion.

"This is..." Ling Xiao's heart pounded.

"Your father, Ling Zhan, is the 'Heaven-Devouring Thunder Emperor' of the Heavenly Vault Palace; your mother, Su Yingxue, is a princess of the Starfall Clan." Uncle Rong's voice was calm, yet it resonated like thunder in Ling Xiao's ears. "Seven years ago, the Heavenly Vault Demon Realm launched a massive invasion, and the border of Ziqiong collapsed. Your parents led their troops in a desperate battle, sacrificing themselves as bait to draw away the Demon Emperor's main force in order to protect your chance of survival."

He picked up the cracked jade pendant, rubbing the crack with his fingertips: "This is something your father wore all these years, tempered by his thunderous essence. Before the city fell, he entrusted you to me with this jade pendant, along with a letter written in blood. Your mother, on the other hand, tied her own jade pendant to you, which became known as the 'Star Key,' to protect you."

The blood-written letter unfolded, the handwriting wild and unrestrained, like thunder and lightning; a few words, yet utterly resolute:

My son Lingxiao:

If you see this book, your father has already sacrificed himself for the nation, not failing the common people, but only you and your mother. Your mother used the forbidden technique of Starfall to seal the gap in the heavens, but it may not be enough to ensure its safety. You bear the Starfall and Devouring Heaven veins, which are the source of hope, but also the source of calamity.

Yue Rong, you are my brother, I entrust you with my life. Do not seek revenge, do not cling to any obsession, I only wish that you—live, and live out your own path.

Though the starry sea is far away, the lightning never dies. (Father)

Ling Xiao's fingertips trembled as he stroked the dried, dark brown of the character "活" (live). Before his eyes, he seemed to see thunder raging and palaces collapsing. His father, whom he had never met, at the last moment, condensed all his domineering and tenderness onto this small piece of blood-stained silk.

"Your mother..." Uncle Rong's throat tightened slightly, "when she pushed me into the teleportation array, she only said: 'Take him away, go to a place with light.'"

Tears fell silently, dripping onto the blood-written letter. Seven years of mystery dissipated, and his true identity was etched into his heart like a knife. Sorrow surged, yet it did not overwhelm him; instead, it forged him like a tempering furnace, fusing the resilience within his bones with the protective spirit of the Starfall Legacy. He carefully folded the blood-written letter, treasuring it close to his body as if it weighed a thousand pounds.

"Uncle Rong," he looked up, tears still wet on his face, but his eyes were clear and bright like stars, "thank you for protecting me for seven years."

Uncle Rong shook his head and placed the other jade pendant in his palm as well: "Only when the two jades are combined can it be the complete 'Star Key'. Your father's jade may contain traces of his thunderous Dao; your mother's jade is the guide to the Starfall inheritance. From now on, you must rely on yourself."

Ling Xiao put the two jade pendants together. The yin-yang fish pattern fit perfectly, and the flowing light suddenly intensified, transforming into a soft beam of light that shone directly onto the broken starfall compass retrieved from the ruins on the table inside the room.

The compass hummed, the dark red gem at its center shone again, and the pointer spun wildly, drawing upon the illusory star map from the inherited memories obtained from the underground palace, which intertwined and appeared before the two.

The old land, now dim and gloomy like dust, lies hidden. The compass needle traverses the boundless void, pointing to a faintly shimmering cluster of stars at the edge of the star map, marked with ancient meteorite script: "Minor Realm of Xun Wind, Remnant Domain of Shattered Stars."

Uncle Rong stared at the cluster of stars, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "The Xunfeng Realm... I remember. I heard of this region when I accompanied the lord on his border patrols. It is a broken zone on the outer edge of the Ziqiong Starfield, with sparse spiritual energy, inhabited by scattered humans and alien races, with occasional starships traveling between them. To reach the old land, if an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator were to traverse the void at such a speed, it would take about ten years. But..."

He pointed his finger to a chaotic area between the star clusters and the old earth: "There are 'void turbulence' and 'annihilation storms' here, even Nascent Soul cultivators would find it difficult to force their way through. However, the Starfall Compass points to a weak point in the spatial node, where there may be natural wormholes or remnants of ancient teleportation arrays. If we can find them, we can save ninety percent of the journey."

Ling Xiao gripped the compass tightly, sensing the faint pull of the pointer: "The star map of the underground palace's source pool also has this node mark. My mother's photograph once said, 'The star path is not severed, and the remnants of the formation can be followed.' The compass, the star map, and the star key all point to this place—this is the path to survival they left for us."

Fortune approached unnoticed, its nose lightly touching the edge of the compass, its amber eyes reflecting starlight, and it let out a low hum, as if sensing the distant call.

The goal is now set.

"When are you leaving?" Uncle Rong asked, his gaze calm.

Ling Xiao looked up at the sky. The old earth was shrouded in a gray sky, but it could not stop the call of the starry sea: "Once my meridians are stable, I can fly by the power of stars; once I recover, I can sense the fluctuations of the void; once your old injuries are healed, you can travel long distances. It will take at least three months, and at most half a year."

He paused, then looked at Uncle Rong: "You... really want to come with me? The road ahead is treacherous, far more so than the old land."

Uncle Rong smiled, his expression weathered yet open: "The lord entrusted me with this task not so that you would walk alone. My memories have returned, and my foundation, nurtured by the Source Pool, will no longer crumble. The path to rebuilding my Dao is long, but not a dead end. Besides..." He stroked the broken sword, "It's time to go back and see this old buddy."

Fa Cai nuzzled Ling Xiao's palm with its head, its tail swaying gently, its eyes resolute—where there is a place, there is a path.

Ling Xiao took a deep breath, and all the pent-up emotions in his chest transformed into soaring ambition. He opened his palm, and the power of meteorite flowed, merging with the halo of the compass, pointing towards the heavens.

"Okay. Let's go."

"Go to the Xunfeng Minor Realm, go to the Shattered Star Remnant Domain."

"Find your way home, find the opportunity to become stronger."

"Then—" his voice was deep and steady, "one day, I will return to Ziqiong and, with dignity, pay homage to my parents."

The morning light broke through the clouds and spilled into the courtyard. The old locust tree cast its shadow, as if bidding farewell.

The faint light of the old earth has not yet faded, and new star trails extend into the void from this point on.