Even though he now knew that Noah was an incarnation of Carlos, Starlight felt no pressure. Instead, it felt like he was walking alongside an old friend he hadn't seen in years.
He found their lighthearted bickering quite amusing. As they walked and talked, the journey ceased to be monotonous.
Thinking back to his days in the valley, he rarely exchanged more than a few words with Carlos in a single day. This new dynamic made his current mood far more pleasant.
During their travels, the boy and the book also discussed Starlight's future plans.
When it came to this, the inexperienced Starlight was completely in the dark, having no clue where to start. Noah’s presence was undoubtedly a huge help.
“Starlight, kid, do you have any idea how high the goals Carlos set for you are?” Noah’s sudden question left Starlight a bit confused, and he could only shake his head blankly.
“You mentioned that before he disappeared, he told you not to seek revenge and that you must at least reach the Saint Rank or higher, right? But for you to reach the Saint Rank, you might have to put in far more effort than anyone else.”
“Why? Didn't Master say I have great talent? It shouldn't be that hard to increase my strength, should it?”
Seeing the boy’s confusion, a hint of smugness crept into Noah’s tone as he continued to explain.
“I have a general idea of your talent. You seem to have an extremely high affinity for most elements, which is undoubtedly a very rare constitution.”
“In your case, reaching the level of an ordinary human powerhouse isn't difficult at all. But that's only in terms of raw power. For you, the truly difficult part is the step to break through to the Saint Rank. The Saint Rank is like an insurmountable chasm that blocks the path of the vast majority of experts on the continent. Once you reach the Saint Rank, even the very level of your life itself undergoes a transformation.”
“Most Saint Rank experts on the continent usually have their elemental affinity limited to one or two types—like Carlos with Light and Dark, or your father who specialized in the water element. This is not only due to the limitations of talent but also because human energy and life are ultimately finite. However, if you want to master all elemental categories simultaneously, the time and effort required are beyond what an average person can achieve.”
“This is something many long-lived races can't even manage, and in your case, the problem is even more severe. If you want to take that step, it means you likely need to have all your elemental powers break through to the Saint Rank level.”
Hearing Noah’s explanation, the boy couldn't help but frown and mutter, “According to you... will I never be able to reach the Saint Rank in this lifetime? Does Master mean he wants me to never seek revenge?”
“Hmph, so you finally realize the difficulty of this task. But you're lucky—now you have me traveling with you. I carry the entirety of Carlos’s learning process from his youth to his prime, which is enough to help you avoid many detours on your path of cultivation.”
Noah spoke proudly as it looked at the frowning Starlight.
Even though its body as a book lacked direct combat power, Carlos’s vast knowledge and rich experience were priceless treasures. This was perhaps one of the reasons Carlos had left it to his disciple.
“Then what do I need to do? Wait... what’s that up ahead?”
Starlight was about to ask more when his attention was drawn to a cluster of shadows in the distance.
At the end of the road stretching into the distance, he caught his first glimpse of other humans—a long procession was slowly advancing along the highway like a winding black python.
It was a merchant caravan traveling between different parts of the continent. Camelbeasts were the caravan's common means of transport; they moved slowly under the scorching sun, every step appearing solid and steady. Their backs carried heavy goods, yet they seemed tireless, as if long accustomed to such long and arduous journeys.
“Wow! Are those Camelbeasts? They're so tall and mighty! Hmm... maybe even a bit bigger than that Shadow Leopard?” Filled with curiosity, Starlight hurried forward to get a closer look at these massive creatures he had never seen before.
There were about fifty people in the procession, leading roughly a hundred Camelbeasts, making it a medium-sized caravan.
When sounds came from the rear of the group, the caravan guards immediately grew alert, instinctively gripping their weapons. After all, they were still some distance from the Violet City-State, and the possibility of encountering mountain bandits or highwaymen was not small.
However, when they discovered the newcomer was just a handsome youth, their tension eased slightly. Although the boy's outfit was quite strange, he looked to be only in his teens and likely posed no threat.
Starlight walked up to the guards, and seeing them look as if they were facing a formidable foe, he couldn't help but feel nervous himself. This was, after all, the first time he had seen humans other than Carlos.
Just then, as if sensing the small commotion, the door of a carriage in the center of the caravan suddenly opened, and an old man wearing a grey robe stepped down.
“What is it? Did something happen?”
Though the old man looked quite elderly, he appeared very spirited. His greyish-white hair seemed to take on a golden sheen under the sunlight as he questioned the surrounding guards with a resonant voice.
Following the guards' gazes, the old man noticed the strangely dressed youth not far away and couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.
“Why would a boy suddenly appear in such a desolate place? And alone? ...And that hair color, he's clearly not a local.” The old man muttered to himself. Though full of doubt, he still spoke to Starlight.
“Young man, where are you from? Is there something you need?”
Starlight was startled by the sudden questioning and was momentarily at a loss. He quickly turned slightly and whispered to Noah at his waist for help: “Noah! Quick, tell me, how should I answer them?!”
However, Noah, who was usually talkative, seemed to have fallen asleep and gave no response, making Starlight even more anxious.
The old man’s brow furrowed deeper at Starlight’s odd reaction, and a trace of suspicion rose in his heart: Could this boy be a scout sent by bandits? Have bandit groups started using members this young now?
“That... that, I'm sorry! It's just my first time seeing real Camelbeasts, I wanted... to come and see... I'll leave right away!”
After calling for Noah several times without a response, Starlight could only wave his hands in a panic and apologize for no apparent reason.
Seeing Starlight’s youthful awkwardness, the old man’s furrowed brow relaxed slightly.
Based on his years of experience traveling far and wide, the boy before him indeed did not look like someone with malicious intent. However, the continent was not peaceful these days; how exactly did such a solitary boy suddenly appear here?
“Forget it, it's not my concern. Since he has no ill intent, we'll leave it at that.” The old man thought to himself, then nodded to Starlight, indicating he didn't need to apologize and that it was just a misunderstanding.
Seeing that the other party wasn't making things difficult for him, Starlight breathed a sigh of relief, but in the next second, he felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of crisis coming from behind him.
Suddenly, a series of sharp whistling sounds accompanied by several piercing shouts cut through the air. Immediately following that, a large volley of arrows rained down from the forest on the side, targeting the caravan like a dense downpour.
Caught completely off guard, several caravan members and Camelbeasts were struck, falling to the ground with painful groans. The interior of the caravan instantly fell into a state of chaos and terror.
People looked around in panic only to see a group of bandits armed with bows and long sabers swarming out of the nearby forest. With cruel smiles on their faces, they approached the caravan step by step.
“Bandits! Assemble quickly, protect the cargo!” The old man was greatly alarmed, but he quickly calmed down and loudly commanded the caravan members to gather.
But that very shout served as a beacon for the bandits. A second wave of arrows whistled through the air like bolts from a bow, heading straight for his position.
“It's over!” Looking at the sky full of arrows, the old man felt utter despair. Evading them was already impossible.
Just as he reached the brink of despair, a burst of fire soared up in front of him, exploding in mid-air. The scorching flames burned more than half of the wooden arrows to ash in the sky, and the powerful hot wind and shockwave from the combustion blew the remaining arrows aside.
It was Starlight who had acted. He watched with a cold gaze as the bandits completely surrounded the caravan, instantly entering a combat state.
Regardless of anything else, the fact that the first volley of arrows had included him in its range was enough for him to immediately classify those cruel-looking bandits as enemies.
In Carlos’s teachings, one should go all out against enemies; otherwise, it would surely be oneself who suffered. This was one of the ironclad rules he had lived by for all these years.
Rate on N.U.
