The spark will never die, and the dream will live on forever.
Time flies, seasons change. Mo Xiaoyu's footprints have covered many corners of the new world. Finally, like a weary bird returning to its nest, she returned to the starting point of everything, the place where her bloodline originated—Starfall Lake.
The lake and mountains remain unchanged, the starlight as brilliant as ever. The world within the barrier seems to exist independently of the outside world, maintaining its eternal tranquility and peace. The people warmly welcomed her return. Seeing the deep sense of history and serenity in her eyes, and feeling the profound aura emanating from her that blends with heaven and earth, they knew that this century of wandering had truly transformed and matured her.
Mo Xiaoyu placed Xie Yunzhi's Zhan Yuan Sword on the ancient altar in the center of the lake, which was adjacent to the star core. Although the sword was dim, it resonated faintly with the soft starlight emanating from the star core at the bottom of the lake, like a sleeping guardian resting in eternal slumber. She did not recount much of the turmoil in the outside world or the earth-shattering sacrifice, but simply buried that heavy memory and unfulfilled emotions deep in her heart.
She took over Granny Mosang's responsibilities, becoming the new guardian and guide of Starfall Lake. She recounted Xie Yunzhi's story—that magnificent epic of truth, sacrifice, and rebirth—to the young people in a calm and solemn tone. She told them that protection was not about hiding from the world, but about choosing to shoulder responsibility even after understanding the truth, even at the cost of one's own life. A small spark can ignite the sun and moon; a distant dream can be achieved with determination.
Under her guidance, the legacy of Starfall Lake has been continued, and the power and beliefs of the guardians have quietly taken root and sprouted in the blood of the new generation.
Time continued to flow quietly, and countless years passed. Granny Mo Sang had long since passed away peacefully, and the young clansmen of yesteryear now had gray hair. Nourished by the Star Core and the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl, Mo Xiaoyu's cultivation had already reached the late Golden Core stage, but she could sense that her physical lifespan was nearing its end. It wasn't the exhaustion of her lifespan, but rather a natural return to a state of fulfillment.
That night, the sky above Starfall Lake was exceptionally clear, with countless stars scattered across the heavens like shattered diamonds. The starlight, like water, poured onto the calm lake surface, reflecting the light from the star core at the bottom of the lake, making the entire secret realm look like a dreamlike fairyland.
Alone, Mo Xiaoyu arrived at the blue stone by the lake where she had first stood. She had changed out of her usual elegant blue robe and into a dress as black as ink, as if to blend into the night. She sat down slowly, composed, her gaze gently sweeping over the land she had protected for so many years, over the lake surface rippling under the starlight, and finally settling on the Soul-Stabilizing Bead in her palm, the one that had accompanied her throughout her life and was now radiating an unprecedented warmth and brightness.
She could feel the breath of life slowly being drawn away from her body, but her soul felt an unprecedented lightness and peace.
Scenes kept flashing through my mind uncontrollably.
It was a glance that the aloof young man cast unintentionally by the cold pool.
Outside the alchemy room, he stood in front of her, enduring the pain of the Soul-Locking Talisman.
It was by the campfire that he solemnly made the promise to "protect you for the rest of my life".
It was the Swamp of Ten Thousand Bones, and his eyes, though dim, were still gentle when they met again.
It was on the banks of the Heavenly River, before he vanished in a wisp of light, that his last words were, "Let me see the world after its rebirth..."
Tears fell silently, no longer tears of sorrow, but tears of burning relief and longing, brimming with all memories.
“Yun Zhi…” she whispered to the void, to the starry sky, to the presence that seemed to be watching her from the shadows, “I have seen the world you showed me. It is beautiful and peaceful. It was worth your sacrifice back then, and it is worth my years of protection.”
She paused, feeling the life force draining from her body, but the smile on her lips grew even gentler and brighter.
"Now, it seems my journey is coming to an end. This time, I don't want to enjoy the scenery alone anymore."
She gently placed the Soul-Stabilizing Bead on her chest. The bead seemed to have a life of its own, its light growing ever brighter, and its warm aura enveloped her soul.
"Soul-Stabilizing Pearl, take me to him... no matter where he is, no matter how many reincarnations have passed..."
Her voice gradually weakened, her consciousness began to blur, and her body became light, as if she were about to ascend to immortality. In the instant before she completely lost consciousness, she seemed to see the Starfall Lake and the countless stars in the sky before her, all connected with the light of the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl, transforming into a warm path of light leading to the depths of the endless starry sea.
At the end of that road, there seemed to be a blurry yet incredibly familiar figure, smiling and reaching out to her.
Mo Xiaoyu closed her eyes contentedly and completely.
Her body, bathed in the brilliance of the starlight and the glow of the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl, began to dissipate like snow in spring, transforming into countless shimmering particles, pure, peaceful, and without a trace of pain. These points of light did not fall, but rose slowly, perfectly merging with the starlight of Starfall Lake, the primordial star core at the bottom of the lake, and the spiritual energy of the entire world.
The moment her body completely dissipated, the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl erupted with a gentle yet heaven-and-earth-piercing pillar of light, which then transformed into an eternal radiance, merging into the vast starlight.
She did not die.
Her physical body returned to heaven and earth, while her soul merged completely with the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl, the origin of Starfall Lake, and the new world they had saved together. She became part of the guardian will of this world, transforming into an eternal, gentle law, like a silent drizzle, like a gentle breeze, continuing to silently and eternally gaze upon and protect the world she and Xie Yunzhi had deeply loved.
Where she vanished, beside the bluestone, a tender green sapling, shimmering with faint starlight, burst forth from the stone. It grew and stretched at an astonishing speed, transforming in the blink of an eye into a towering tree with lush foliage, its entire body sparkling with dreamlike starlight. Its canopy, like a magnificent parasol, connected with the starry sky, as if telling a story of sacrifice, protection, and eternity.
In that distant world, in that ordinary little village by the Qingtian River.
The boy who used to play under the locust tree has now grown into a handsome young man. He didn't embark on the path of cultivating immortality, but instead became a skilled carpenter, living a simple yet fulfilling life. This night, he is carefully polishing a nearly finished wood carving under the lamplight, carving the old locust tree at the village entrance that has witnessed the growth of countless children.
Suddenly, he felt a sudden, inexplicable tremor in his heart, as if he had lost something extremely important, or as if he were being embraced by an incredibly warm and familiar aura.
He put down his carving knife, walked to the window without thinking, opened the window, and looked up at the dazzling starry sky.
In the night sky, countless stars twinkled silently, and a magnificent Milky Way stretched across the heavens. For some reason, his gaze was drawn to two exceptionally bright stars that seemed to be nestled together. Those two stars radiated an indescribable, gentle, and enduring light, giving him a sense of inexplicable peace and a faint, lingering longing, as if accumulated over countless years.
He gazed at the pair of stars, lost in thought, and remained motionless for a long time.
Outside the window, a gentle night breeze carries the fragrance of distant mountain flowers and the murmuring sound of the Qingtian River. Moonlight and starlight intertwine, scattering across the calm river surface, shimmering like shattered silver, or like countless unspoken dreams, quietly flowing into the distance.
The spark will never die, and the dream will live on forever.
In this world, perhaps there will never be another Mo Xiaoyu and Xie Yunzhi.
But everywhere in this world, there is proof of their existence, echoing with their unfinished love and eternal protection.
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