Above The Sky
Chapter 686 - 686 619 The Azure Star that Guides the Way 2nd Update 5600_3

686: Chapter 619 The Azure Star that Guides the Way (2nd Update, 5600)_3 686: Chapter 619 The Azure Star that Guides the Way (2nd Update, 5600)_3 A gentle breeze blew by.

In an instant, he felt as though he stood atop a high mountain, with boundless white clouds spread out beneath his feet.

The youth stood alone in the vast world, with howling winds blowing down from above, shaking the firmament, accompanied by rumbling sounds from the Earth’s core reverberating through the mountains.

And there, on the peak of this boundlessly solitary yet world-adjacent mountain, a small Gansong tree took root in the crevices, swaying with the wind.

Ian saw this little Gansong tree and suddenly felt a sense of tranquility from his heart, as if the entire world was left with only himself, with all foreign objects, all others independent of his self, blown away with the wind, never to be seen again.

Ian’s spirit and soul kept plummeting, falling…

until they neared the Domain of Void, until he found himself amidst a hazy illusion.

He fell into a dream.

This dream lasted but a moment, like raindrops suspended in the wind, like dust floating in the valleys.

Ian dreamt about the endless rain in Harrison Port, a vast storm, a tired and weak woman stroking his head, then closing her eyes forever.

He saw the old Knight chopping wood in the backyard, imparting to him the most precious knowledge of the world, a vast scroll unfolding as the Knight narrated.

He dreamt of a sword.

A pitch-black, immovable iron sword.

He never loved swords, never liked fighting, but this world demanded he raise a sword to speak of anything else.

If that’s the case, then wield the sword, sever the chains that bind the world.

Ian felt his being infinitely expand, the anxiety and sorrow that plagued him finding some peace.

He dreamt of fragments of yesteryear that had passed away, the Dark Moon unrest that buried the sun of an era, the shaking Imperial Capital, the tumbling Solitary Mountain.

He saw Heavenfall upon the world, the New Moon shatter, the fire trails of meteors streaking across the summit of the firmament, a doll and a hand buried in the ruins of the city, narrating the end of a beautiful age.

Such events could happen again, a second time, a third, until all beings are completely destroyed, with no more hope or future to speak of.

Ian’s mind gradually became clear and tranquil.

He finally understood that all these were marks on his heart given by others, his mother and his teacher, battles and anxieties; both the Dark Moon unrest and the Calamity of Heavenly Fall were the same.

He dreamt of things that might happen in the future.

Swarms screaming above the Azure Sky, churning at the Earth’s Core, scalding blood flowing between teeth, yet unable to satisfy the innermost desires; the Spirit Disaster’s behemoths breaking free from the eggshell forged by the planet, rushing towards the distance, but with endless regrets in their hearts.

These were all dreams.

He did not want to let them become reality.

He pondered a future where he could peacefully pursue the distance, where he could look up at the stars above.

Ian slowly opened his eyes.

For a moment, he saw nothing, but it was as if everything about him was before his eyes, the palpitations that occurred in the Central Research Laboratory in Avak, in the deepest part of the Subspace Labyrinth during battle, appearing once again.

He saw a star.

A blue star.

The guiding light leading to the distance, an eternal star hanging high in the sky.

A sense of enlightenment emerged in his heart, as if the dust within was wiped away, the mirror shining bright and clear once again, like a cup of clear water when thirsty, finally bringing tranquility to the body.

But Ian suddenly stepped back.

He broke free from the illusion.

A chill wind suddenly rose, kicking up dust and fallen leaves on the streets; Ian and Mentor Gansong’s clothes fluttered, and Ian, with a clear gaze, once again met the eyes of this calm and indifferent Fairy Instructor.

“You have a very strong obsession…”

Gansong sensed her Spirit Energy had been resisted, yet she wasn’t surprised, and the Fairy Instructor flew around Ian, thoughtfully saying, “As expected.”

She spoke with conviction, “You already have a Heart Light Body— but you are resisting it.

It’s not the resentments of the Lost Souls that are hindering you from understanding your Heart Light Body, you understand it better than anyone, that’s why you’re unwilling.”

“Why is that?

You’re more talented than everyone imagines, yet you’re still not satisfied?”

Ian was silent for a while before he deeply bowed to Mentor Gansong, “Thank you very much for your guidance and help…

If it wasn’t for my resistance, my Heart Light Body would have probably emerged.”

“Hmm.”

The white-haired Fae hummed softly, neither surprised nor bewildered, clearly her Spirit Energy could lead other people’s Heart Light Bodies to manifest themselves, truly worthy of the name Fairy Instructor.

At this moment, Gansong was smiling as she gazed at Ian, her eyes revealing curiosity, “You actually feel resistance towards your own true self—only the smartest Sages and the most foolish idiots do that.

The former greedily thirsts for a better future that is out of reach, while the latter is ignorant to the point of not even recognizing oneself.”

“You obviously aren’t the latter.

So, I am wondering, what kind of dream you are really yearning for.”

“…The Azure Star that guides the way forward, indeed that’s my heart’s desire.”

Saying so, Ian closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, his gaze was as profound as a deep spring, “But the meaning of the starry sky is the multitude of stars.

The Galaxy I long for should definitely not have just one star.”

“The Azure Star shouldn’t only have one.

Everyone should have one.”

“That’s right.

The difference between what I have and what I yearn for is so immense.”

“It seems you don’t need my help.

You want to carry everything on your own, even the convictions others have left for you.

Then, press on, it’s been a pleasant meeting.”

Gansong sighed lightly; the Fairy Instructor was quite carefree, her wings spinning like crystal versions behind her.

She turned around, waving goodbye to Hua’an, preparing to leave: “Hua’an, I have now seen the Frost Butterfly, it looks like there really is a large, well-developed fairy gathering place in the South Sea Great Labyrinth.”

“This is a great opportunity for us to expand our manpower in this branch, don’t fall behind now.”

Only then could the exchange between her and Ian be heard by others.

Before then, all sounds and the movement of the wind had been bound, only now returning to freedom.

“Instructor—”

Hua’an stared blankly at the disappearing back of Gansong, the black-haired Fairy Miss’s eyes gradually widening, her voice trembling, “But what about the funding?!

Didn’t you say that seeing the Frost Butterfly would get me new funding!”

“Instructor, don’t go!

The money to assemble the Labyrinth Exploration Team is already running out!”

The indifferent and carefree Fairy had already left.

Clearly, Gansong was a good instructor.

But as Hua’an had often complained about in the past.

She didn’t have funding.

“…What are you going to do next?”

Yisen Gard approached slowly at this moment, feeling that Ian seemed a bit different from before—a white-haired young man as always with clear goals and a clear plan, but now, he seemed to have finally let go of some worries.

Thus, he did not ask what the two discussed; Yisen simply asked what they were going to do next.

“I won’t sleep tonight.”

Ian was calmly watching the end of the nighttime street, that dark path leading into the unseen depths, “I once told a guy whose morals needed to decrease that he couldn’t rest yet…

Now it seems, nor can I.”

“The Fae’s banquet is over, I am happy, and it’s also time to continue working, to prepare the Armor Suit’s blueprints and tools.”

He turned his head, looking at his friend, and invited with a smile, “Want to join me?”

Yisen Gard was initially stunned but then, he too, smiled, “Of course.”