However, many years ago, the gates to the new star had already closed, making it very difficult for ordinary people from the Old Earth to enter.

　　Compared to the new star, some people gradually began to refer to this place as the Old Earth.

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

　　Perhaps, it really is somewhat “old”—in many regions, there are desolate cities, overgrown with mugwort, uninhabited.

　　All of this was the result of a war from the old era.

　　When technology reaches a certain height, a hot war becomes truly terrifying.

　　A prosperous world was destroyed, becoming incomparably desolate and bleak.

　　At that time, large numbers of people fled into space.

　　In fact, humanity’s technology back then was not as brilliant as imagined; just before the war, bases had only begun to be established on the moon.

　　So, those who escaped 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 life-bearing star!

　　People on the Old Earth still find it unbelievable to this day.

　　Many can’t help but question that historical turning point: what exactly caused the sudden explosion of cutting-edge technology?

　　All sides remain tight-lipped.

　　Given the technological level of that time, neither stable wormholes nor warp engines—such black technologies—should have been possible to realize in such a short period.

　　Some on the Old Earth suspect that all the answers might be on the moon!

　　Unfortunately, the consequences of the hot war were too severe. The land was half-destroyed, and after so many years, the Old Earth has yet to recover. Technology and other fields regressed severely, and for a long time, it was impossible to reach the moon.

　　Over a hundred years have passed, and the population of the Old Earth has only recovered to about one billion, far less than before. Many places remain desolate to this day.

　　During the early development of the new star, a large number of survivors from the Old Earth were taken away, along with many talented individuals. This was one of the main reasons for the severe regression and long-term stagnation of the Old Earth, and this great migration lasted for decades.

　　It wasn’t until over a hundred years ago that the new star finally closed its doors.

　　Coupled with the devastation left by the hot war and the extremely harsh environment, there weren’t many people left on the Old Earth, making recovery all the more difficult.

　　In the hazy moonlight, David Miller was practicing “scattered techniques.” His movements suddenly quickened, and with a bang, his right hand left a clear handprint on a large tree. The tree shook violently, and a cascade of yellow leaves fell like a waterfall.

　　Brian Carter was very surprised. “Scattered techniques—you actually managed to achieve something? They’ll definitely regret giving up on you!”

Chapter 002: Fleeting Youth

　　“These old-era techniques, you really mastered them?” Brian Carter rushed over, looking at the clear handprint on the thick trunk, his expression a mix of shock and doubt.

　　The techniques scattered in the old piles of paper from the previous era, ranging from physical training to meditation, to qi-gathering and internal cultivation methods, were all recorded in a rather fragmented way.

　　Nowadays, these are called scattered techniques, though many also refer to them as old techniques.

　　Over the years, although Brian Carter had always been exposed to them, deep down he remained skeptical—could they really be mastered?

　　David Miller’s performance deeply moved him. A flesh-and-blood palm could actually leave a clear handprint on a thick, hard tree trunk. Do the old techniques… really have a path forward?!

　　“According to the old era’s standards, what I’ve achieved is nothing.” David Miller shook his head. He looked handsome and upright, appearing as if shrouded in a faint white mist under the bright moonlight.

　　Brian Carter sighed. “Don’t compare yourself to the past. I never really believed in it. In fact, many of those records have long been debunked.”

　　Brian Carter was also practicing the old techniques, and he knew how difficult it was. Some meditation methods alone were enough to cause mental breakdowns.

　　In today’s world, with close ties to the new star and dazzling technology in deep space, how many people still believe in these things? Most are already doubtful before even starting.

　　Yet, it was in this context that, when David Miller, Brian Carter, and others first entered university, someone approached them, asking if they were willing to participate in research related to the old techniques.

　　David Miller had already been exposed to scattered techniques before, so he was immediately interested and agreed on the spot.

　　As for Brian Carter, he didn’t believe in any of it at all. It was only after hearing that the research was connected to certain financial conglomerates, with reportedly huge investments, that he was surprised and decided to join with a “might as well try” attitude.

　　In the early days, they studied their original majors in their respective departments while using their spare time to participate in the so-called “old technique research.”

　　They discovered that the so-called research mainly involved having them practice the techniques themselves.

　　Special personnel even began preparing special foods for them, all to help them better master certain scattered techniques.

　　They increasingly felt that this “research” was far from simple. The two elderly professors teaching them the scattered techniques had actually been transferred from the new star.

　　Soon, some people couldn’t persist and voluntarily dropped out, as practicing the old techniques was tough and rather tedious.

　　The main reason was that, in this era, people were skeptical of the techniques buried in the old piles of paper from the past.

　　However, although many quit, even more new people joined.

　　Because the research was backed by financial conglomerates and had huge funding, efforts were ramped up to select more suitable participants.

　　Not just in this city, but all over the Old Earth, similar programs were underway, mainly targeting university students. To encourage participation, there were generous financial incentives.