"See boss? Naturally, I knew you'd be here, in this strange-looking chamber, in this strange-looking dungeon! Sorry if I was late, it took me a while to climb down the hidden ducts, you see! I will always find you and save you, wherever you might be, boss! Just leave it to- Oh? Boss! Is that a smile I spy? Ouch! I'm sorry boss, no need to pinch me..."

...

"See boss? Naturally, I knew you'd be here, in this strange-looking alcove, in this strange-looking temple! Sorry if I was late, it took me a while to convince the crazed followers outside to let me join the procession, you see! I will always find you and save you, wherever you might be, boss! Just leave it to me, boss! Uhm, is boss... laughing? I'm in bliss! How blissful that I got to see it!"

...

"See boss? Naturally, I knew you'd be here, in this strange-looking cave, in this strange-looking underground tunnel! Oh, this dirt? Ahaha, sorry I got a bit dirty while digging the hole to get here, you see! Sorry if I made you wait! I will always find you and save you, wherever you might be, boss! Just leave it to me, boss! Uh? Eh, is boss crying? Am I that amazing?"

...

"See boss? I knew you'd be- Agh!"

"What boss and boss! Shut up you and accept my hug, Little Lan! Oh? You're blushing now? You're just too cute, Little Lan!"

"Ouch, ou- Eh? Me? Cute? Hehe..."

...

"S-See boss? I knew-"

"Yes, yes, you knew, but you also know the drill! Bear-hug!"

“...ok...Hehe...”

...

"Uhm, the usual?"

"Yup! The usual routine! Come here, boy, I missed you.”

"Me too, brother."

...

Indeed. There was simply nowhere that the young man with purple hair wouldn't be able to find him. Similarly, there was nothing those emerald eyes wouldn't 6happily put on the line.

When the purple-haired Xiao Lan finally also stepped into the Ageless Realm at twenty-seven years of age, he caused an uproar across the land of countless planes. Even more so, the news shook the esteemed Xiao Clan.

A breakthrough to the Ageless Realm at the age of twenty-seven. It was a never-seen-before event in the history of the Xiao Clan, by a long shot too! Normally, it should have been enough reason to feast and celebrate for weeks and months, for it would have jumpstarted a period of prosperity for millennia to come.

It was just...

Why?

Just why did it have to be Xiao Lan???

Why did it have to be the same Young Master that they had expelled from the Clan just a few years prior?

Up to a dozen years ago, Xiao Lan had been a part of the Main Lineage of the Xiao Clan, as well as the publicly recognized future Head of the Clan. Then, one day, he had expressed the wish to join a certain starry-eyed youth's quest to wage war against the Heavens. He had even announced later that he would be leaving the Clan's Grounds soon. As soon as he did, his status as Young Master and member of the Xiao Clan was revoked: had a member of their Xiao Clan publicly announced his intention to fight against Tian, it would have brought disaster to them all. It would have been like a declaration of war to the Nine Heavens!

Thus, Xiao Lan had been forcibly expelled, effective immediately.

But then, at twenty-seven, he Ascended.

After his breakthrough into the Realm of the Ageless, the young man with purple hair and green eyes had also stopped aging at the prime of his years, as per dictated by his unique bloodline.

On the other hand, since the starry-eyed youth had entered the Ageless Realm at a slightly younger age, Xiao Lan actually appeared slightly older than him.

For a while after that, the green-eyed youth would often joke around, "Hehe, how is it that I'm younger than boss, and yet I look older? Do I get to be the boss now?"

This Twould be soon followed by a fierce headlock and a round of pinching on the blue-eyed youth's part, well into his fifties.

...

Twenty years after his Ascension, Xiao Lan was kidnapped by a group under the Nine Heavens; the swordsmen of the Ran Clan.

Less than a week after that, a blue-eyed demon appeared and wreaked havoc. He slaughtered all Ran swordsmen that dared to come out of their Clan Grounds, causing havoc across the Clan's territory.

This enraged their Head. Clouded by his rage, he foolishly lead the best warriors at his disposal to go after that demon for revenge.

But a few days after their departure, the elusive demon was knocking at the Ran Clan's front door.

With the absence of the only people that might have posed a threat, looking for him elsewhere, he barged straight inside.

Countless rose in flight to stop him, wielding their remarkable Ran blades. In no time, they had all fallen in a hail of crimson and shattered Starmetal. A hundred steps in, none dared hamper the demon's path any longer. Horrified by the singularity of torrential blood, the surviving Ran clansmen could only witness by the side: before their very eyes, the starry-eyed youth sighed and pinched Xiao Lan's nose in annoyance, before breaking off into a smug smirk. Just like that, the two then successfully fled before the experts could come back. Never once, did they look back.

Behind, they left a devastated city. A citadel of Ageless corpses, amassed in piles by the roadside.

A Clan of Immortals, reduced to rubble. Sparing it nought a glance, they had left the city of tears in laughter.

It would only be in the far future that the survivors of the Ran Clan, who had joined Tian, and the Rebels, led by the starry-eyed youth, would cross paths again on the massive battlefield that pitted the forces of Heaven against the armies of the Evil Saint.

The aftermath of that clash left Nine Heavens scarred beyond recognition, and countless in despair as their most brilliant ember was extinguished.

And just like countless others, the starmetal swordsmiths were reduced to a name in a eulogy.

...

Going forward another decade from the massacre at the Ran Clan's grounds.

On a night of full moon, the little boy bearing the surname Xiao, yet forsaken by it, achieved the unthinkable: he fulfilled his Second Ascension.

Under the glow of the Primordial Moons of the True Earth, Xiao Lan was baptised as a 'He'.

At the age of fifty-nine years old, Xiao Lan became the youngest to have entered the Immortal Realm.

Mere days later, he went back to the Xiao Clan and, with the support of the Evil Saint Xu Ling, imposed himself as the Head. He thereby announced the breaking off of the Xiao Clan from the Nine Heavens and an alliance with Xu Ling's army: henceforth, Xu Ling was to be recorded in their annals as their Ancestral Protector.

From that moment onwards, the Xiao Clan and the Evil Saint became an inextricable existence, bonded in Karma.

On that day, a pair of Bright emeralds and two breathtaking staroceans exchanged a meaningful glance.

It had been roughly forty years since their first true encounter. At that time, life had been extremely problematic for both. But now, from a group of estranged vagabonds, they had grown into existences that could shape the land of countless planes.

The first had become the head of the esteemed Xiao Clan, becoming the fastest person to have entered the Immortal Realm at the 'tender' age of fifty-nine years old. Standing on top of the Xiao Clan's Throne, the Bright Lord could simply wave a hand to deploy hundreds of thousands, millions of powerful Brightfolk: outside the Nine Heavens, 'He' ruled supreme; Xiao Lan.

The second had just as great a renown. The Child of Prophecy, the Great Sage that revolutionized cultivation, the Childe of the countless Laws that was foreseen to surpass Hundredth Xu, chief of the rebellion against Tian’s Nine Heavens and their Tyrant!

The Evil Saint with cold, yet breathtakingly beautiful blue eyes, housing a starry sky. He had eradicated countless Clans as the youngest Ageless as soon as he turned twenty-four, stepped into the Immortal Realm at sixty-one, and at eighty-five years old was the head of an army of millions of beasts, humans, and otherkins; Xu Ling!

Forty years ago, Xiao Lan had met a wounded Xu Ling and had protected him with his own life, lowering himself to using his nails and teeth to fight back, coughing blood with every breath: all to save the starry-eyed youth from impending death. He had repeatedly done so again and again for the following four decades. Even as he became aware of Xu Ling's deepest secret, his pseudo-invulnerability, Xiao Lan did not hesitate to put his life on the line if it meant it would ease His path.

All along, he had never asked for anything in return.

Finally, one faithful day forty years later, that same person he had so vehemently called "Boss" had picked him up and placed him atop one of the tallest thrones that there could be!

A friendship that spanned decades, that would last for many centuries to come and, up to the final day, the day they finally faced Tian head on, Xiao Lan had always stayed by Xu Ling's side, always there when needed…

Somehow, always aware of his position at any given time.

Somehow, always unwavering, and invincible, in the face of overwhelming odds.

A Law as sure as the waning of the Moon.

…

A thousand years had now passed.

Xu Ling had reincarnated in the body of a young child eight years old, keeping a low profile in an even more insignificant plane of existence.

He had spent the past six months exploring the four continents and making plans during the day while getting used to and developing the Spark at night.

On the other hand, six months ago, a great Lord in the highest of planes had actually ordered a prized Young Master of the Clan, his very own flesh and blood, to travel to a low-key plane of existence.

Coincidence?

Luck?

Cheng Hao smiled and his gaze grew unbearably melancholic under the curious prodding of the young Xiao Li.

He almost seemed to hear the energetic voice in his head... That voice that had been so peculiar, so mysterious, at first, and that with time had become the most pleasant of melodies… a melody from a thousand years ago that soothed one’s very soul:

"See boss? Naturally, I knew you'd be here, in this strange-looking Sect, in this strange-looking Plane of Existence! Sorry if I was late, it took a while to reach this place as it was simply too far, you see! I hope you'll forgive me. I will always find you and save you, wherever you might be, boss! Just leave it to me... my brother!”

...

The starry-eyed youth had once questioned.

- What if you couldn’t come?

A pair of purple lips had parted without hesitation:

“Like there would ever come such a day, brother.”

- It will. Eventually, the countless worlds, and among them yours, will depend on it; on you.

“Naturally, I’d still come. They’ve lasted this long without us, how clingy can they get?”

- You speak heavy words for the Head of Xiao. How unreliable.

“Xiao was for you, brother. I moved solely for it to become so.”

- How selfishly selfless.

“I’ll come.”

- ...I’ll hold you up on that vow, then.

“I walk a Path of Remembrance. If anything, my every word is a promise.”

- Still, there might come the day when you’ll realize you have no choice...

“I understand you won’t budge, brother. Well then, I assure you, a trustworthy 'spare' is growing up well.”

- You shouldn’t refer to your firstborn like that, Little Lan.

“The suckers are rapidly growing in numbers. Among them too, possibly, shall also be someone worthy of the baton. Only if I’m satisfied, I might leave it to them.”

- You really shouldn’t refer to your descendants like that, either.

“Evil Saint Xu Ling.”

- Xiao Lan of Xiao.

“Heed my words, brother.”

- I’m listening well, little Lan.

“Xiao will always be there for you.”

- You selfishly selfless fool.

“Still better than this ‘Xiao Clan Head’ fade of late. So lame.”

- Childe of the Qi took a while to stick when I ascended as the youngest Ageless. Perhaps, people will come to call you Childe of the Dao soon, as the youngest Immortal.

“Still bland. The good ones were all taken by the geezers. Even Blindlight has a good few…”

- Bastard Snake?

“Hehe, that one I especially favor.”

- It’s been six years now. The geezer still hasn't realized.

"...one day."

- ...Mm?

“The day will come, I’ll have one too. A Grand Monicker.”

- ...I’ll look forward to that day, Scion of the Bright Dragons.

“Oh, that has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? As expected of the Great Sage, we’re getting somewhere...”

- now then…

“Now then.”

- follow me closely, Brightfolk.

“Needn’t tell me, brother.”

And with that one exchange, at the border between the True Earth and the Nine Heavens, two centuries of warfare ensued.

...

Cheng Hao looked up at the sky with a complicated gaze. Then, he smiled. It was a smile that looked painful yet glad at the same time. One that communicated extreme longing.

Cheng Hao wiped away the corner of his eyes with the long sleeves of his robes and then glared, a menacing expression on his face.

There is no title worthy of you, Little Lan. I can try my hand, but only if we have the chance to meet again.

You better not die until then.

Now then...

Cheng Hao smiled and patted Xiao Li's shoulder so suddenly that the other winced and almost let out a small yelp.

Shall we take a look at what's up with this little nephew of yours that you so kindly sent me?

"My bad, I was in a daze! Xiao Clan... Eh, it sounded familiar. Rather, wasn't some of that supposed to be kept a secret? It felt... important."

Xiao Li visibly paused. Then, he let out a nervous chuckle, "Ah, I guess so. Somehow, it just came out."

Cheng Hao smiled.

I'll plead guilty to that count. I almost feel bad.

"Earlier, too. Why were you chasing me?" he faked confusion as he grilled the Xiao youth.

Of course, even without asking, the perpetrator was evident. Even what the old fart hiding his Reverend Stage must have been thinking was clear as day.

If anything, at least the geezer's faction would be eating well tonight.

"Oh... that? Well, the groundskeeper assigned me to live alongside friend Hao… at least for the duration of our stay in the Sixth Ring, that is! Of, of course, I had figured that roommates shouldn't be keeping secrets from each other, so I just went ahead and started myself! That's, truly, why I said all the confidential stuff earlier, promise!"

The green eyes awkwardly darted about at the slightest falsehood, struggling to evade his gaze.

...We'll have a lot to work on, scion of the Brightfolk.

"A sign of trust between roomies?" Cheng Hao magnanimously offered him an out.

At that, the emeralds glanced back, the violet eyelashes adorning them fluttering innocently. Immediately, the purple lips struggled not to curve upward at this chance.

"A sign of trust between roomies."

Then, a thin palm reached out. "Fellow Disciple Cheng Hao, here's to a great time together."

“Likewise, you cheeky girl.”

And it was with those very same words and a kind smile, that Cheng Hao grabbed at the extended palm, turned around, and fiercely slammed the Xiao youngling into the ground.