Noon

Zhou Leng had a dream.

He dreamed that he became a tiny diseased star. At first, he was merely cosmic dust; later, he muddled his way into becoming an asteroid, then a planet.

Finally, the universe underwent great upheaval, and somehow, he became a star.

After that, he drifted slowly through the universe.

He drifted for far, far too long, until gradually, there was nothing left but the boundless starry sky.

After a long while, Zhou Leng lay atop Dragon-Slaying Mountain and slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze was clear and faint, as still as an ancient well.

Only after a long time did a trace of color return to his eyes, slowly recovering.

He blinked once. A gleam flashed, and Zhou Leng's consciousness returned.

He took a deep breath and rose.

His expression remained wooden, but at least he had regained a little human presence.

Sitting on the ground, stars raced through his mind. Vastness, desolation, length, loneliness, and countless other indescribable sensations circled in his heart, lingering for a long time.

Only as the memories of his life surged into his heart and replaced the memories of the starry sky did Zhou Leng fully recover.

Oh, so I wasn't a star. I was a Star-Climber. I had to calm the seas and vanquish demons, had to climb the starry sky.

Zhou Leng let out a heavy breath, slowly stood, and gradually moved his body.

In his perception, he had gained a new divine ability: Great Star Patrol.

When he lifted his head and looked again at the stars filling the sky, he inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity.

It was like, after becoming an adult, walking down the road and suddenly seeing a group of students skipping and hopping along. Every one of them seemed like a childhood