Miles Ning's ignorance of the Starlight Tier is, in truth, understandable.
After waking up, he immediately drove out his disciple Andrew Han, who had been about to explain everything. As a result, Miles Ning assumed Andrew was merely a Supreme Saint of the Law Realm, not knowing what the Starlight Tier actually meant.
"Thundercrest."
Miles Ning stood in the sky, puzzled, gazing at his old friend whom he hadn’t seen in years.
Above the Imperial Capital of Sinovera, smog hung thick in the air. The oppressive heat of midsummer blanketed the city, turning it into a giant steamer, shrouded in mist and saturated with high temperatures.
From time to time, two or three birds circled below.
At that moment—
Venerable Thundercrest waved his hand, dispersing the stifling air, and greeted Miles Ning with a smile: "Old Ning, you really don't know what the Starlight Tier means? Well, perhaps after Andrew Han revived you, he worried about hurting your pride and decided not to tell you."
Whether in the Martial Arts World or the Gifted World, every Law Realm existence deeply envied Miles Ning.
Venerable Saints were indeed formidable, but compared to Andrew Han—the unrivaled number one in history—they were as fragile as thin rice paper.
What luck this is.
A Venerable Saint who had fallen to the mortal world, yet managed to nurture a Starlight-tier existence!
Whoosh, whoosh.
High above, a thousand meters in the sky, wild winds surged as Venerable Thundercrest approached Miles Ning, intending to keep things brief. Then he saw Miles Ning scratch his pale hair and say indifferently, "Oh, Andrew Han really didn't say much."
"I found him an eyesore, so I kicked him out."
Silence.
A deathly silence.
Venerable Thundercrest was dumbfounded, standing before Miles Ning, not knowing what to say.
Come on, this is the Starlight Tier—a being above the Law Realm.
Venerable Thundercrest would never forget... That day, during the Antarctic polar day, Andrew Han returned from outer space, his entire body wreathed in gold-red radiance.
Seated upon the Starlight Throne, he suppressed Lurian.
He rose, drew forth Ten-Thousand Swords, swept aside all opposition, and struck down Lurian—almost splitting the icy Antarctic continent in two.
No words could capture the majesty of the Starlight Tier’s power, and yet Miles Ning had literally driven Andrew Han out... Venerable Thundercrest couldn’t help but swallow hard.
Gulp.
He swallowed again.
"Old Ning," Venerable Thundercrest said awkwardly, "you must have nerves of steel... That was bold, almost reckless. The Starlight Tier is above the Law Realm! It’s a status even higher than Supreme Saint!"
"You don’t know the half of it."
"The origin of all Specters and Netherfiends comes from a starry intruder named Lurian."
Fifty thousand years ago, in the age of Pangu and Nuwa, a starry lifeform—Lurian—was sealed away!
Due to the greenhouse effect, global warming, and the rapid melting of Antarctic glaciers, the seal in Antarctica began to show signs of loosening...
As Venerable Thundercrest explained, Miles Ning raised his eyebrows in surprise: "My disciple came back from outer space and killed Lurian?"
"Struck down Lurian," Venerable Thundercrest corrected.
Miles Ning paused, "Is there any difference?"
...
Venerable Thundercrest exhaled, feeling at a loss for words.
Clearly, having fallen to the mortal world, Miles Ning’s way of speaking had shifted, more in line with the current internet era than with normal Law Realm conventions.
"Alright, alright," Venerable Thundercrest said, pulling Miles Ning along as they flew ahead. "Let’s not argue about this now. We should hurry to the Elders’ Council Hall."
"What’s happened?"
"Our satellites have detected a disk-shaped extraterrestrial spacecraft. Andrew Han is confronting it in outer space."
With each question and answer, Miles Ning gradually understood.
It turned out that during his days of unconsciousness, so much had happened. The world had changed unpredictably, and the disciple who once needed his secret protection had become the foremost figure in the world.
The difference was truly enormous.
The wrinkles on Miles Ning’s aged face quivered with emotion as he pondered what attitude he should adopt—he couldn’t afford to be too aloof or indifferent.
Otherwise—
Andrew Han might just slap him.
Wouldn’t that mean his old life was wasted for nothing?
"Huh?"
"Something feels off." Miles Ning’s heart skipped twice. "I’ve long since become indifferent to life and death, with no expectations for living—so why would I fear death?"
A vague understanding began to dawn within him.
Between life and death, during those dark, silent moments of unconsciousness, it felt as if a baptism had washed away all the weariness and burdens from his soul.
...
Elders’ Council Hall.
The decor was simple and vast, a screen displaying satellite images.
Numerous Law Realm existences and Titled Sequence elites gathered, watching in fear and awe.
On screen, Monica Whitehorn raised a ten-thousand-meter Starlight chain, and then Andrew Han’s punch shook the starry sky—followed by negotiations.
Unfortunately,
All they could see were two blurs of Starlight, unable to discern the specifics.
"May the gods and buddhas protect us," one Sky-Soaring True Person blanched in terror. "Just one Lurian was enough to ravage Earth for thousands of years and survive for tens of thousands more. If a whole wave of starry lifeforms arrives, how could we possibly resist?"
Sigh.
The other Law Realm experts also sighed, exchanging uneasy glances.