Old Earth

The train pulled away, its rumble against the tracks stirring up large swathes of withered yellow leaves, carrying with them the bleakness of autumn.

Wang Xuan watched until the train had all but disappeared before looking away. He had seen off a few more classmates.

From this parting, they would go their separate ways, scattered across the world. He didn't know how many years it would be before they could meet again, and for some, perhaps, they would never reunite.

Around him, some people were still slowly waving, their hands lingering in the air. Others stood in silence, a deep sadness etched on their faces.

Four years of university, walked together. The bonds forged were difficult to sever.

The setting sun cast long shadows, slanting across the falling yellow leaves. The dappled light and shade wove a sense of time passing.

A delicate-looking girl turned away, secretly wiping tears from behind her glasses.

In this unique era, after graduation, they would each return to their own paths, possibly never to meet again in this lifetime.

The autumn wind blew, scattering the yellow leaves in disarray.

In this season, some found disappointment, while others found triumph.

It had been four months since graduation. Some had stayed in the city, their futures bright. Others waited with trepidation, holding on, while many more departed with a sense of melancholy, returning to their hometowns.

Wang Xuan walked on the path back, also contemplating his own future.

The streets were old, and the plane trees lining the road shed their leaves in vast quantities, covering the ground.

Someone walked beside him, indignantly saying, "Those who stayed behind without you, why is this happening? They actually abandoned you!"

As a classmate and close friend, Qin Cheng believed that as long as there was an opening, Wang Xuan would undoubtedly be chosen.

When the results came out, many were left with complex emotions. Wang Xuan had not been selected.

"Never mind me, how about you? Have you heard back?" Wang Xuan asked him.

Qin Cheng quietly told him that his family had pulled some strings, and he might be going to New Moon.

"New Moon, across the deep space. I wonder if we'll ever see each other again," Wang Xuan stopped, his good friends all about to embark on distant journeys.

He was tall and lean, but not frail, with a well-proportioned strength. In the twilight, a faint golden aura seemed to surround him, and his eyes were clear and bright.

"I'll come back. We'll definitely see each other again," Qin Cheng was an emotional person, reluctant to leave his homeland. Especially thinking that it would be difficult to see his close friend again, he felt a pang of sadness.

"Call me when you get back!" Wang Xuan clapped him firmly on the shoulder.

A choked sob carried on the wind. Wang Xuan and Qin Cheng turned to see a male classmate overcome with emotion.

His face was pale, and he cried out, shouting, "I really wanted to stay in this city. I wanted to wait for the last chance. I don't want to go back to my hometown like this!"

He had lived and studied here for four years, and he had tried his best, striving, fighting, planning for his future, wanting to find his place. But in the end, he couldn't stay.

He wept uncontrollably.

The autumn wind carried a chill, and some classmates felt their spirits sink with him.

On the other side, a couple stopped, looking at each other without a word, tears silently falling.

They were about to part, and from now on, the distance between them would not be thousands of miles, but across a vast expanse of stars. Perhaps they would never see each other again in this lifetime.

Tears streamed down both their faces. They shared one last embrace, and then, only silence remained.

This city was large, but somewhat old, retaining traces of a bygone era. Many of the ancient trees by the roadside were thick, some two or three hundred years old.

Relatively speaking, the entire city preserved the style of the past, having been preserved through the years.

In other places, some cities left behind from the old era had been abandoned, deserted for a long time, overgrown with vines and thorns, gradually swallowed by vegetation.

Back on campus, Qin Cheng was still indignant on Wang Xuan's behalf, urging him to find out why he was passed over, to demand an explanation.

Even after graduation, they were allowed to stay in the campus dormitories until all the final selections were confirmed.

This was a rare opportunity. Those chosen would stay in the city to wait, and soon depart for New Star, where some extraordinary discovery seemed to have been made.

Qin Cheng had not been chosen either. His family had tried their best, but only managed to secure him a chance to enter deep space.

He would be going to New Moon, the moon that orbited New Star, which was the most important base outside of New Star.

Qin Cheng said in a low voice, "Do you know, even with just fragments of rumors about it now, people who got the inside scoop are already getting excited. No matter what, you have to get a spot!"

Under the moonlight, tree shadows danced. Wang Xuan stretched his body on the lawn, practicing the "Scattering Arts" of the old era. They were highly practical, stirring up the large number of yellow leaves on the ground, making them fly everywhere.

He didn't stop, his movements quick but his breathing steady. "I'm waiting for the final result," he said.

Deep space was boundless, the universe vast, but it was cold and silent. Apart from Old Earth, people had only found one other life-bearing New Star.

However, many years ago, the gates for emigration to New Star had been closed. It was difficult for ordinary people from Old Earth to enter.

Compared to New Star, some people had gradually begun to call this place Old Earth.

And in the past, this place was called Earth, the birthplace of humanity.

Perhaps it was indeed a bit "old." Many cities in various places were desolate, overgrown with weeds, uninhabited.

All of this was due to a war in the old era.

When technology reached a certain level, once a hot war broke out, it would be terrifying.

The prosperous world was destroyed, becoming desolate and bleak.

At that time, a large number of people fled into space.

Actually, human technology at that time wasn't as brilliant as imagined; they had only just begun establishing a base on the moon before the war.

Therefore, those who fled could only temporarily use the moon as a foothold.

It was under these circumstances that humanity suddenly achieved a great migration, discovering and entering a new star teeming with life!

People on Old Earth still find it incredible.

Many couldn't help but question that historical juncture: what exactly caused the sudden explosion in cutting-edge technology?

Various parties remained tight-lipped.

Given the technological level at the time, black technologies like stable wormholes or warp drives couldn't have been achieved in such a short period.

Some on Old Earth suspected that all the answers might lie on the moon!

Unfortunately, the consequences of the hot war were too severe. The earth was half destroyed, and Old Earth hadn't recovered even after so many years, with technology severely regressing, making it impossible to reach the moon for a long time.

Over a hundred years have passed, and the population of Old Earth has only recovered to around one billion, far from comparable to the past. Many places remain desolate to this day.

During the early development of the new star, a large number of survivors from Old Earth were taken away, and many talents left with them. This is one of the reasons for Old Earth's severe regression and slow recovery. This great migration lasted for decades.

It wasn't until a hundred years ago that the new star closed its gates.

Coupled with the devastation left on the earth after the hot war, the environment was extremely harsh. The remaining population on Old Earth was small, and recovery was anything but easy.

Under the faint moonlight, Wang Xuan was practicing "Scattering Arts." His movements suddenly accelerated, and with a bang, his right hand left a clear imprint on a large tree. The tree shook violently, and yellow leaves rained down like a waterfall.

Qin Cheng was very surprised, "Scattering Arts? You've actually made some real progress? They'll definitely regret abandoning you!"

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