195: Chapter 195 The First Families of the Starfall World

Dawn broke.

Golden sunlight spilled over the devastated battlefield, yet it could not pierce the haze in people's hearts.

Lin Yue stood at the edge of a massive crater a hundred miles in diameter, his clothes tattered and his face as pale as paper.

Behind him was the remnant of the Human Race Allied Forces.

They had arrived as a mighty force of three thousand Cultivators; now, fewer than eight hundred remained standing.

Every person was wounded, their eyes hollow.

True Person Qing Luan had lost an arm, which was crudely wrapped in simple cloth strips, yet blood continued to seep through.

True Person Xuan Jian could only stand steady by leaning on his sword; his life-bound Flying Sword, which had followed him for centuries, was covered in cobweb-like cracks.

Sect Master Mo Chen sat on a piece of rubble, silently gazing at the center of the crater where the Burial Dragon Abyss once was—the largest convergence point of Spiritual Veins in the Southern Realm.

Now, only a bottomless black hole remained.

Along with eternal nothingness.

"The statistics are out."

Lin Cang approached with a weary body; this Grand Elder of the Lin Family looked twenty years older at this moment.

Holding a Jade Slip in his hands, his voice was hoarse: "The Allied Forces had three thousand one hundred and twenty-seven participating Cultivators."

"Killed in battle... two thousand three hundred and fifty-six people."

"Severely wounded and lost combat capability, four hundred and twenty-two people."

"Lightly wounded, three hundred and forty-nine people."

With every number he announced, his voice trembled a bit more.

Lin Yue closed his eyes.

Two thousand three hundred and fifty-six people.

This was not just a number.

It was two thousand three hundred and fifty-six vibrant lives, two thousand three hundred and fifty-six pillars of their families, and two thousand three hundred and fifty-six paths of immortal cultivation cut short.

"The assessment of the damage to the Southern Realm's Spiritual Veins is also out."

Lin Cang continued to report, his tone even heavier: "In the Burial Dragon Abyss area, seven large-scale Spiritual Veins, nineteen medium-sized Spiritual Veins, and one hundred and three small-scale Spiritual Veins have all been drained dry."

"Within a three-hundred-mile radius, the Spiritual Veins have suffered permanent damage, and the Spiritual Qi concentration has dropped to... 1.5 times that of the outside world."

"Furthermore, this damage will take at least a hundred years to potentially recover slowly."

1.5 times.

Lin Yue remembered that before the war, the Southern Realm—especially near the Burial Dragon Abyss—could reach a Spiritual Qi concentration up to three times that of the outside world.

It was a cultivation treasure land coveted by countless Sects.

Now, only a barren wasteland remained.

"I see."

Lin Yue opened his eyes, his voice terrifyingly calm: "What about the pension plan?"

"It has already been drafted."

Lin Cang handed over another Jade Slip: "According to the Sect contribution system, the families of those killed in battle will receive a pension three times their total lifetime contribution points. If their direct Bloodline descendants wish, they will be given priority for admission into the Luoxia Sect's inner gate."

"For the severely wounded, the Sect will cover all medical expenses and exempt them from contribution point missions for life."

"For the lightly wounded, all healing resources are free, with an additional reward of three months' worth of contribution points."

Lin Yue took the Jade Slip and scanned it with his Divine Sense.

The plan was very comprehensive, and also... very expensive.

With the Luoxia Sect's current foundation, taking on this pension would nearly empty their coffers.

But he did not hesitate at all.

"Approved."

"Open all the Sect's storage reserves; Medicinal Pills, Spirit Stones, and Magical Artifacts are to be prioritized for treating the wounded and distributing pensions."

"If there is any shortfall..."

He paused and looked at Lin Cang: "Use 'that reserve'."

Lin Cang's pupils constricted slightly.

That reserve was the foundation the Lin Family had secretly accumulated over many years; it was their true trump card.

Even core Elders like Lin Hu and Lin De only knew of its existence but did not know the specific amount.

"Sect Master, that was meant for..."

"Now is when it is needed most."

Lin Yue interrupted him, his tone brook no argument: "Human lives are more important than any reserve."

Lin Cang was silent for a moment before bowing deeply: "Yes."

He turned and left, his pace heavy yet determined.

Lin Yue watched his receding back, and suddenly his body swayed.

"Sect Master!"

Star Radiance, who was beside him, quickly supported him.

"I'm fine."

Lin Yue waved his hand, but he felt a wave of darkness before his eyes.

Having forcibly activated the Grotto-Heaven's Five Origins and undergone the Origin recasting during his Soul Transformation Breakthrough, his body had long since reached its limit.

He was only standing by sheer force of will.

"You need to rest."

Star Radiance's voice was filled with worry; those eyes, which were usually cold and detached, were now full of undisguised concern.

Lin Yue glanced at her and suddenly smiled.

"Elder Star Radiance, your expression right now doesn't look at all like that high and mighty Seventh Star Gazing Emissary."

Star Radiance was taken aback, her cheeks flushing slightly as she released her hold on him.

But as soon as she let go, Lin Yue truly stumbled.

She quickly supported him again, and this time she didn't let go.

"Stubborn,"

she whispered, though her tone lacked its usual aloofness.

Lin Yue didn't argue further.

Because he truly was about to collapse.

"Take me back to the Sect."

"Alright."

Star Radiance supported him, and they turned into a streak of light, flying toward the Luoxia Sect.

Three days later.

Luoxia Sect, Sect Master's meditation room.

Lin Yue slowly opened his eyes.

The first thing he felt was the catastrophic state of the injuries within his body.

His Meridians felt as if they had been torn apart and then forcibly glued back together, with cracks everywhere.

In his Dantian, the newly born Soul Transformation Nascent Soul—which should now be called a 'Soul Transformation Spiritual Soul'—floated quietly, its surface covered in fine cracks.

These were the side effects of forcibly fusing the Grotto-Heaven's Five Origins to break through to Soul Transformation.

He would need at least three years of quiet recuperation to fully recover.

But Lin Yue knew he didn't have three years.

"Awake?"

Lin Cang's voice came from outside the meditation room.

"Come in."

Lin Yue propped up his body and sat against the jade bed.

Lin Cang pushed the door open and entered, carrying a cup of spiritual tea.

He placed the tea on the small table by the bed, then sat in the chair beside it, looking at Lin Yue with hesitation.

"Speak your mind."

Lin Yue picked up the tea and took a sip.

The warm spiritual tea entered his stomach, turning into a warm current that nourished his damaged Meridians, making him feel much better.

"The sparks... have returned to their places."

Lin Cang said in a low voice.

Lin Yue's hand holding the tea paused slightly.

The Spark Plan.

That was a backup plan he had secretly arranged before the war began.

Twelve disciples with the best talent and most steadfast Heart-Nature were selected from the Lin Family's younger generation, led by Lin Qing, carrying a complete copy of the Lin Family's Star Sacred Canon.

Along with the Luoxia Sect's core Legacy and a large amount of resources, they entered the Grotto-Heaven.

Their mission was simple: survive.

No matter what the situation was outside, no matter if the Luoxia Sect was destroyed, they were to cultivate in seclusion and grow within that Secret Realm.

This was the final spark Lin Yue had left for the Lin Family and the Luoxia Sect.

It was also his heaviest responsibility as Sect Master and Family Head.

"Are they... alright?"

Lin Yue's voice was somewhat dry.

"Very well."

A trace of a smile finally appeared on Lin Cang's face: "The resources in the Secret Realm were richer than expected; they haven't suffered there, and in fact... they've progressed rapidly."

"Lin Qing has broken through to the Late Golden Core Stage."

"The other eleven have all advanced by one minor Realm."

"Now, among the twelve, there is one in the Late Golden Core Stage, six in the Middle Golden Core Stage, and five in the Early Golden Core Stage."

Lin Yue breathed a long sigh of relief.

The sparks were safe.

The Legacy was not broken.

That was enough.

He reported some more progress on post-war reconstruction before getting up to leave.

In the meditation room, Lin Yue was alone once again.

He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into his body.

Not to the Dantian, but... somewhere deeper.

There was a vast world there.

The Starfall Small World.

An area of ten thousand square kilometers, complete with mountains and rivers, but lacking the most important thing—living beings.

Aside from a thousand-zhang-tall primary World Tree and a slightly smaller secondary time tree beside it, flowing with ripples of time, the entire world was empty.

It was terrifyingly silent.

"Master."

A cold, nearly emotionless voice echoed in Lin Yue's consciousness.

It was Hao Tian.

The intelligence of the Grotto-Heaven World Tree, now the embryonic 'Heavenly Dao' of the Small World.

"Report the situation."

Lin Yue's consciousness manifested, appearing beneath the World Tree.

Hao Tian revealed his form—a blurry humanoid figure condensed from starlight.

"The Small World has consumed fifty percent of its Origin due to the Banishment Great Formation; growth is temporarily stagnant."

"To resume growth, it needs to be replenished with Origin power of corresponding attributes."

"Additionally..."

Hao Tian paused, his starlight-condensed hand rising to point toward the time tree.

Lin Yue looked in that direction.

He saw three silver orbs of light slowly rotating on the canopy of the time tree.

The light orbs were roughly the size of a fist, their surfaces flowing with star-like patterns, and a faint heartbeat seemed to come from within.

"This is..."

Lin Yue's eyes widened slightly.

"After the secondary World Tree matured completely, it resonated with the primary tree, spontaneously condensing these 'Star Spirit Seeds'."

Hao Tian explained calmly: "These are the first batch of embryonic Innate beings naturally birthed by the Small World."

"They contain a faint intelligence. If allowed to hatch naturally, it would take... one hundred years of Small World time."

One hundred years.

Calculated at the Small World's current maximum time flow of five hundred times, that was about two months in the outside world.

Not long.

But Lin Yue couldn't wait.

Because he clearly felt that what was coming from those three Star Spirit Seeds wasn't just the ignorance of a new intelligence.

There was also a hint of... a familiar aura.

It was the last bits of true spirits left behind by those Cultivators on the battlefield who had sacrificed themselves willingly and possessed pure Divine Souls.

They hadn't completely dissipated; instead, they were captured by the Small World's laws and integrated into these Star Spirit Seeds.

"What if... I use the pure remnant souls of the fallen Cultivators as a catalyst to accelerate the Fusion?"

Lin Yue asked softly.

Hao Tian was silent for a moment.

"It is possible."

"But it requires the Master to personally act, using the authority of the Grotto-Heaven's Dominator to guide the Fusion of the remnant souls with the Star Spirit Seeds."

"The fused Star Spirits will inherit some memory fragments from the souls' previous lives, as well as... absolute loyalty to the Master."

"Because the first thing they see upon birth will be you."

"You will be their... Father God."

Father God.

The term made Lin Yue's heart tremble.

But he did not hesitate.

"Begin."

"Those heroic souls who died fighting to protect these mountains and rivers... should not just dissipate like this."

"Give them a new beginning."

"And give this Small World... its first batch of subjects."

Hao Tian bowed: "As you wish."

Starlight surged.

Both World Trees swayed simultaneously, scattering a rain of light across the sky.

The three Star Spirit Seeds drifted down from the time tree's canopy, floating before Lin Yue.

At the same time, the Small World's laws began to operate, capturing three wisps of pure remnant souls from the void—they were three Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Luoxia Sect who had died in battle, loyal disciples who had willingly offered their souls to the Sect in their final moments.

The remnant souls and the Star Spirit Seeds began to slowly approach and fuse.

Lin Yue reached out, activating his authority as the Grotto-Heaven's Dominator.

"In my name, I grant you new life."

"From now on, you shall be the first batch of Kin in the Starfall World."

"Named—Star Spirits."

Light flooded the entire world.

And just then.

Faint footsteps came from outside the meditation room.

Along with a voice Lin Yue was incredibly familiar with, which now carried a sense of exhaustion.

"Young Friend Lin, I... have brought some news that isn't exactly good."

It was the Star Track Pavilion Master.

Lin Yue's consciousness returned, and he opened his eyes.

He knew that his brief rest was over.

The true challenge had only just begun.