Ageless Realm;

Primordial Beasts, beloved firstborn of Heaven, could freely shape the appearance of a second form, such as a human clone, upon Ascending as Ageless.

One step below the Primordials, Heavenly Beasts would have the age of their secondary vessels set by the world. In the case of a human vessel, that was, as decreed by the laws, at the prime age of a human's physique, in their mid to late twenties. Even if the Heavenly Beast's true body was thousands of years old, they'd hardly look any older than thirty as humans. Were they to miraculously transcend Mortality earlier than their main body's thirties, their human body would continue growing until that prime was hit. Naturally, such cases were far, far too rare...

With a bloodline far removed from their blessed Ancestors, Spirit Beasts without a considerable heritage would either have to break into the Ageless Realm before the age of thirty, or get stuck with increasingly decrepit bodies, unfit for battle. Just to restore a human's youth and mould them into battle-ready vessels required significant funds at the time of Ascension. Still, at least it remained possible.

Finally were the common humans, with short lifespans and fast proliferation. A species of diluted blood. Far removed from their Ancient ancestors, they had lost all grace from the laws. Their physical age for the rest of eternity was set in stone upon Ascension, and their hair would be fully dyed a pristine white.

A starry-eyed young man once broke through the Ageless Realm at the record age of twenty-four.

The young man was hardly a pure human, but neither did he harbour a bloodline blessed by the Laws and Heavens.

Though his black hair hadn't experienced the whitening, his body hadn't aged a day since, falling just short of a human body's zenith.

In a way, it could be said his unprecedented feat as the youngest to have accomplished his First Ascension had been immortalized in his evergreen looks.

It had been almost nineteen years since the time he Ascended.

On the day of his fourty-third birthday, the eternal youth celebrated by assassinating a Patriarch of a renowned Family.

This assassination attempt had been akin to a suicide mission so, as per usual, he had chosen to undertake the ordeal himself and had infiltrated the mansion alone. Even before he became aware of his innate immortality, he had always been reckless.

Sure enough, the Patriarch was miraculously assassinated.

However, the hardest part would begin then.

The starry-eyed youth was closely trailed: he couldn't directly retreat to headquarters without compromising its position. To shake off his pursuers, he had even gone as far as running away to other Planes of Existence. Even there, he was followed and was ultimately cornered.

A week had passed by then.

Although the few opponents that had caught up were far below his regular self, at the time his wounds had prevented him from using the full extent of his power. Furthermore, having to run away and defend around the clock, he had neither the time nor the energy to heal himself.

By the time he finally came face to face with the just as tired, but even more so incensed, avengers, he barely had the strength left to stand.

Just as he was about to be caught and experience hell, the figure of a purple-haired boy with emerald eyes suddenly appeared!

...

When this person had first jumped out, the starry-eyed youth had momentarily failed to recognize the young man. It was only later that it would dawn on him: this child, still in his late teens, was none other than the youngest, newest member of his band of ragtag rebels. Being still in his late teens and yet to step into the Ageless Realm, what could that Mortal youth possibly do to stand in the way of several powerful Ageless Realm cultivators?

And yet…

Two interminable days and three everlasting nights later.

The weakling had stood his ground.

Dozens, hundreds of enemies flooded him from beyond the world's boundary each morning. And with gritted teeth, the boy faced them all in battle.

A plane of existence, razed to the ground by the onslaught of the Ageless. And in that hurricane, was a single, untouchable eye.

The third morning came. Somehow the young man's emerald eyes glowed Brighter than any dawn, even as he fell to his knees, spent.

It was more than enough.

By then, the blue-eyed youth with a starry sky in his gaze had recovered, and the ocean of enemies was expunged up by sunset.

"...How did you find me?" the blue-eyed youth had asked in puzzlement. In his arms, the grievously wounded, purple-haired, green-eyed boy. "And how… Why would you go so far for me?"

"What do you mean ‘how’ and ‘why’, boss?" had replied the boy while smiling brightly. "I'm your number one stalker and self-proclaimed number one fan, boss! I have your presence memorized by every single cell in my body! Of course I'd know where you'd be! Naturally, I knew you'd be here, in this strange-looking gorge, in this strange-looking mountain range! Sorry if I was late, it took me a while to catch up to you, you ran really fast, you see! I will always find you and save you, wherever you might be, boss! Just leave it to me, boss!"

And with that, a well-deserved rest took over him. The delight of sleeping in the arms of his dearest idol had him in utmost, palpable bliss.

Thrown off, the eternal youth could only stay as still as he could, silently healing the kid's dreadful wounds to the best he could manage.

In that silence, many moons passed as the green-eyed boy slept.

After pondering for a long time over the meaning behind the words of this child that had called him boss so enthusiastically, the blue-eyed youth had a lot of time to think.

Luck, he ultimately concluded.

Just that, and nothing more.

...

Years later, the now forty-five-year-old, starry-eyed cultivator had fallen to a scheme of some shrewd adversaries, had his strength sealed, and was thus caught and soon to be 'executed'.

Just as the axe was raised, a purple-haired youth, a Mortal not twenty just yet, appeared!

Without any regard for the countless injuries he received, he rushed inside. Countless enemy cultivators moved to intercept him, but for the brief duration of his charge, he was unstoppable!

After bathing the floor with blood, much of it his own, the young man's steps came to a weary stop. A path that didn't exist, he had carved out himself. And at the end of it, an astonished, starry-eyed youth in chains. Just as strength left him, the bloodied kid swung his final blow. Amidst horrified, dreadful gasps, the restraints shattered into countless pieces.

The damaged figure of the purple-haired boy as he fell entered the unchained's eyes.

A torrentail rain of crimson raindrops followed.

The emerald-eyed young man panted as he was gently held: "See boss? Naturally, I knew you'd be here, in this strange-looking hall, in this strange-looking castle! Sorry if I was late, it took me a while to get past the guards outside, you see! I will always find you and save you, wherever you might be, boss! Just leave it to me, boss!"

"..."

...Once again, he had been 'lucky'.

Next time, he might not have such luck!

Although by then he had an inkling he might not truly die, he would still drag others down in his place! He could never bear eyes of those who followed him devoutly, just like this child's two emeralds, turning lifeless...

He would have to be more careful in the future.

...

...Again!

He had let down his guard, again!

The starry-eyed youth's travels had brought him to an underwater ruin full of precious texts from a lost Era. But then, he had carelessly fallen into a sealing formation.

Alone, no guide… Eh!

Honesty, what exactly was he expecting?

Ever since he confirmed his invulnerability, he had only grown more and more reckless, it was obvious it would come to bite him back someday.

Just, he hadn't expected it would be so soon...

And now, he was trapped in a neigh-Indestructible Seal, in an archaic Tomb at the depths of an ocean. The starry-eyed eternal youth fast approaching his fifties could only sigh as he began to ration his meals: he could only hope for a miracle now.

Suddenly, mere hours after the activation of the death trap, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed throughout the darkness of the Tomb.

Then, a familiar cascade of purple strands hastily entered the imprisoned youth's field of vision...

The blue-eyed man was shocked beyond words.

...But he could not afford to lose his calm now.

First things first, he checked whether he could somehow grab the attention of the green-eyed youth...

Negative, nothing worked.

The intricate seal blocked light, sound, smell, and even his Will from passing through to the outside.

Ahh...

In the end, the boy would probably leave, wouldn’t he? After all, why would he even stick around? He was not even aware of the existence of this formation. It was just by chance that he had entered this room first.

Chance; that had to be it.

He'd better brace himself now, rather than harbour any vein hope.

However, the blue-eyed man’s thoughts turned out to be mistaken: even after six days had passed, the purple-haired youth still had yet to leave the small room.

Instead, he had spent all that time scouring every inch of it, like a madman!

Looking at this unbelievable scene from behind the walls of the invisible formation, a pair of blue eyes containing the starry skies followed the young man's movements.

Finally, on the dawn of the twentieth day.

The youth with purple hair had figured out how to locate the formation.

One hour later, and he had deactivated it.

As a Mortal, with no food, no water, not blinking, not resting for twenty days straight: the green-eyed young man immediately collapsed on the ground.

"Just..." The blue-eyed youth had muttered as he held the exhausted youth in his arms, "How?"

So young. So weak. And yet, you always, somehow...

"See boss?" A weakened voice rang out. "Naturally, I knew you'd be here, in this strange-looking room, in these strange-looking ruins! Sorry if I was late, it took me a while to find the switch, you see! I will always find you and save you, wherever you might be, boss! Just leave it to me, boss!"

The blue-eyed man fell silent and used a special method to allow the other to quickly fall asleep peacefully.

Only then, he allowed himself to shed a single, prideful tear.

Luck?

How could he possibly think of this as being 'Luck'?

How could he discard this child's efforts as them simply being the fruit of something as feeble as 'Luck'?

He would not insult him like this, after all that he had done and sacrificed for him.

"Leave it to you?" He chuckled bitterly and then nodded, caressing the sleeping youth's head of violet hair. "Fine. I'm counting on you… Xiao Lan."

"You're my self-proclaimed number one fan, you say."

Drop, drop, drop.

A stream of hot tears began to fall. "Very well, I accept it. Because I now understand what it's like to have an idol."