Many years passed.
Qingmingzi stood atop Mount Everest, gazing at the Bygone Star growing ever brighter.
Behind him stood Qianlan, Xuanlin, Dada Zhu Mihua, Ha Xiangpigou, Xing Yuanche, and Ma Rao—all the Star Marked he had personally trained. Their blue hair fluttered in the wind, their elf-like ears twitched slightly, and the cinnabar mark on their foreheads gleamed in the sunlight.
"Master," Qianlan asked, "was it worth waiting this long?"
Qingmingzi smiled.
"It's worth it," he said. "Because I'm waiting for a promise—a vow kept over three thousand years."
He looked at the star and whispered:
"When the star on the other shore shines, my mission will be complete."
It's also you, when you take on the responsibility.
He turned around and looked at them.
Remember: The Pact of Star Scar is passed down through generations. A cinnabar mark on the brow signifies responsibility; a mark in the heart represents true legacy.
No matter what happens in the future, never forget who you are.
Tianlan's tears fell.
Xuan Lin held her hand.
Dada Zhu Mihua leaned against Haxiang Pigou's shoulder.
Xing Yuanche and Ma Rao stood side by side.
They gazed together at the star, watching it grow brighter—the star on the other shore.
Then, Qingmingzi turned and walked toward the Star Gate.
His figure vanished into the light.
Only that cinnabar dot remains, gleaming on their foreheads.
Like the morning star.
Guiding them toward the future.