139: Chapter 139 The Third Order Appears, Overlord Body Ancestral Star

Chaos Valley, third floor of the main hall.

The star map on the dome of the tactical meeting room had switched to a different scene—no longer the high-tech star map of the Eternal Star Domain, which was as precise as a mechanical watch, but an ancient, rugged star route map that seemed to have been carved directly into the Void Realm with immense force.

Every star in this map radiated an extremely primitive, wild, and oppressive aura that made one feel involuntarily overwhelmed.

[Hegemon Body Ancestral Star · Star Route Guide]

[Type: Special Map / Legacy Clue]

[Rank: Legendary]

[Description: An ancient star map recording the path to the Hegemon Body Ancestral Star, imprinted by the sages of the Hegemon Body lineage as they traversed the Void Realm with their supreme Physical Body. Every mark in the star map is a coordinate left behind by Hegemon Body experts through fist imprints, footprints, or even the impact of their skulls against stars.]

[Interpretation Difficulty: Extremely High]

[Interpretation Conditions: Hegemon Body Bloodline (Purity ≥ 30%) or Physical Body strength ≥ 200,000 points]

[Current Interpreter: Shi Potian]

[Interpretation Progress: 47%]

Shi Potian stood directly in front of the star map.

He did not use any Spells, any tools, or any auxiliary equipment—he simply stood there, using his Hegemon Body, engaging in a dialogue with this star map from eons ago that outsiders could not understand.

To others, the chaotic and irregular star points and lines were, in his eyes, a clear string of footprints.

Each step landed on a dead, silent star.

Each punch carved an indelible road sign into the Void Realm.

This was the path to the Ancestral Star, paved for future generations by the Hegemon Body sages in the most primitive, violent, and proud way possible.

"...Here."

Shi Potian suddenly spoke, his voice low, carrying a sense of... solemnity that Lin Ye had never felt from him before.

He extended his right hand and lightly tapped his index finger on a certain spot on the star map.

Originally, it was just a dark area that seemed empty, but the moment Shi Potian's finger touched the surface of the star map, the darkness suddenly collapsed inward, like a giant beast that had been sleeping for eons opening its eyes.

A dark golden star slowly emerged in the center of the star map.

It had no satellites, no star rings, and not even any other stars nearby—as if any existence attempting to approach had been expelled by a certain savage will radiated by the ancient star itself.

[Hegemon Body Ancestral Star]

[Type: Legacy Ancient Star / Forbidden Zone]

[Rank: ???]

[Description: The origin of the Hegemon Body lineage, rumored to be a star formed by the condensation of the first wisp of the "Law of Force" when the Universe first opened. This star does not belong to any Star Domain and is not marked on any known star route maps; it can only be found through the guidance of the Hegemon Body Bloodline.]

[Features:]

[1. Gravity Anomaly: Surface gravity is 127 times that of the Big Dipper Star Field; ordinary Cultivators would have their bones shattered upon stepping onto it.]

[2. Law Repulsion: Except for the "Force" Law, all other Laws are suppressed to 10% efficiency on this star.]

[3. Ancestral Shrine Protection: The resting place of the ancestors of the Hegemon Body lineage, containing the highest Legacy of the Hegemon Body lineage.]

[4. Trial Path: To gain the recognition of the Hegemon Body Ancestral Star, one must pass nine trials. Among the generations of Hegemon Body Cultivators, fewer than thirty have passed.]

[Current Status: Located; requires holding the "Hegemon Blood Token" to open the star route teleportation.]

Shi Potian's finger remained on the dark golden star.

He did not speak, but Lin Ye could feel that the aura around him was undergoing some extremely subtle and profound changes.

It was no longer just simple "Battle Intent" or "Killing Intent," but something more ancient and essential—

The resonance of the Bloodline.

The confirmation of belonging.

The knocking of fate.

"Shi Potian." Lin Ye's voice was calm. "This is the place you were looking for."

It was not a question, but a statement.

Shi Potian was silent for a long time.

So long that Zhao Wuji began to shift uneasily in his seat, so long that Chen Hao couldn't help but want to speak and break the stagnant silence, and so long that a faint trace of worry flashed in Su Qingyue's ice-blue eyes—

He finally spoke.

"...I always thought the Hegemon Body was just a hidden Physique in a game." Shi Potian's voice was very low, so low that only Lin Ye, standing beside him, could hear it clearly.

"On the first day the server opened, the System asked if I wanted to detect my real Bloodline. I thought it was a game easter egg, so I clicked confirm."

"Then the System told me, 'Detected that you possess the Hegemon Body Bloodline, purity 41.7%. Do you wish to bind it as a hidden class?'"

"I said yes."

His voice carried an incredibly complex emotion—not regret, not fear, but a confusion that had been suddenly uncovered, one he hadn't even truly faced himself.

"For these five months, I always thought the Hegemon Body was just my class, my skills, my way of fighting."

"But now..."

He looked at the dark golden ancient star in the star map, looking at the dense, coordinate footprints carved into the Void Realm with flesh and blood.

"Now it tells me, this isn't a game setting."

"This is real."

"This star, this path, these fist imprints..."

"They are all real."

Lin Ye did not speak.

He understood what Shi Potian was feeling at this moment.

Three months ago, when he punched through a wall in reality and realized for the first time that game abilities were manifesting in reality, he had experienced similar confusion and shock.

But what Shi Potian was facing was something deeper.

It was not "game abilities can be brought into reality," but—

"You always thought you were playing a character, but one day you discover that the character is actually yourself."

"You always thought the Hegemon Body was just a game ID you made up, but one day you discover that your blood truly flows with the Legacy of a Hegemon."

"You always thought you were a modern person from an ordinary family, struggling to make a living, but one day you discover—"

Your ancestors might have come from a savage ancient star with 127 times the gravity, a place where even light had to detour.

They used their fists to carve coordinates into the Void Realm, used their skulls to impact stars to leave road signs, used their Physical Bodies to traverse the distant deep space measured in light-years—

Just so you, their descendant, could find the way home ten thousand years later.

"Boss." Shi Potian suddenly turned around.

His eyes were slightly red, but his gaze was clearer and firmer than Lin Ye had ever seen.

"I have to go."

"Not for the star token."

"It's to—"

He paused, slowly clenching his right hand into a fist, looking at the golden patterns on the back of his hand that would appear in the Hegemon Body state.

"I want to know what this actually means."

"These fists, this blood, this life..."

"What exactly are they?"

Lin Ye met his gaze.

Three seconds later, Lin Ye nodded.

"Good."

"But you must know, according to the star map's annotations and the intelligence organized by Qin Ruoxue—"

He brought up another document and projected it beside Shi Potian:

[Hegemon Body Ancestral Star · Nine-Fold Trial (Legendary)]

[Trial Name: Path of the Hegemon]

[Opening Conditions:]

[1. Hegemon Body Bloodline Purity ≥ 30% (Shi Potian's current purity: 43.2%)]

[2. Rank ≥ 50 (Shi Potian's current Rank: 56)]

[3. Physical Body strength ≥ 120,000 points (Shi Potian's current Physical Body strength: 147,000 points)]

[4. Possess "Hegemon Blood Token" (Must be obtained by defeating the gatekeeper on the outskirts of the Ancestral Star)]

[Trial Content (Known Intelligence):]

[First Fold · Rock Crushing: In an environment with 127 times gravity, shatter an Ancestral Star raw stone 3 meters high, 2 meters wide, and weighing about 47 tons with bare hands.]

[Second Fold · Stream Breaking: Use the Physical Body to forcibly cut off a lava river with a flow speed exceeding the speed of sound.]

[Third Fold · Earth Cracking: Use fist force to trigger crustal resonance, creating an earthquake of no less than magnitude 7.]

[Fourth Fold · Mountain Shaking: Use the Physical Body to impact a mountain peak over 800 meters high, causing it to displace by at least 3 meters.]

[Fifth Fold · Stepping on Void: Without any external force, use pure Physical Body strength to step in the Void Realm 99 times in a row.]

[Sixth Fold · Star Shattering: Destroy an asteroid with a diameter exceeding 10 kilometers.]

[Seventh Fold · Defeating Self: Defeat your own Hegemon Body mirror image (the mirror image possesses 100% of the main body's attributes and all skills).]

[Eighth Fold · Inheriting Pulse: Accept the soul consciousness infusion of the Hegemon Body ancestors, enduring the impact of ten thousand years of memories and Battle Intent.]

[Ninth Fold · Asking the Heart: Face the deepest fears, regrets, and obsessions in your heart without being broken.]

[Trial Rewards:]

[1. Hegemon Body Bloodline Purity significantly increased (expected to reach 60% - 70%)]

[2. Unlock the ultimate Hegemon Body form "Hegemon Without Frontiers"]

[3. Obtain the complete Hegemon Body Legacy "Hegemon World Scripture"]

[4. Obtain star token · Three (Hegemon Body Ancestral Star Chapter)]

[5. Title "Ancestor Star Homecomer"]

[Failure Penalty:]

[1. Rank decreased by 10 levels]

[2. Hegemon Body Bloodline Purity decreased by 10%]

[3. Cannot challenge the Ancestral Star trial again for 12 months]

[Note: This trial is "Legendary." Among all known Hegemon Body players on the server, no one has completed the first three folds.]

Shi Potian read them one by one.

His expression did not change, and the focus of his pupils did not shift in the slightest.

Not until he finished reading the last line of "Failure Penalty" did he gently let out a breath.

"Rank decreased by 10 levels, Bloodline purity decreased by 10%, cannot challenge again within a year."

He repeated these numbers, his tone flat, as if he were reciting tomorrow's weather forecast.

"Boss," he looked at Lin Ye, "If I fail, the Azure Dragon Hall will need a new Hall Master."

"And then."

He paused.

"Wait for me for a year."

A year later, he would start from scratch, re-Cultivate, raise his Bloodline purity again, and stand at the starting point of the Ancestral Star trial—

Then, try again.

If a year wasn't enough, then two years.

If two years wasn't enough, then three years.

The Ancestral Star of the Hegemon Body lineage was there. The Hegemon Blood in his body was calling to him.

He would not give up.

Lin Ye looked at Shi Potian.

He remembered five months ago, when the Heavenly Court was first established, during the first core member meeting, this reticent man who barely spoke said only three sentences.

The first was: "My name is Shi Potian."

The second was: "I can fight."

The third was: "Whoever the Boss tells me to hit, I hit."

He had never asked Lin Ye for any resources, any position, or any special treatment.

He had never complained to anyone, even when he burned his Hegemon Blood during the Purple Mountain breakout battle, was critically injured and near death, and the System judged him in a "Hegemon Blood Depleted" state for 24 hours.

He had never asked Lin Ye "Why do you trust me" or "How much are you worth paying for me."

He simply stood there, in the position where the Heavenly Court needed him most—at the very front of the battlefield, facing the enemy head-on.

Using his Physical Body to hold open a safe space for everyone.

Now, he was still standing there.

Standing in front of that star map leading to the origin.

Standing in front of that gate of destiny that was about to be knocked upon.

"The Azure Dragon Hall does not need a new Hall Master." Lin Ye said.

Shi Potian looked up.

"Because you will come back."

Lin Ye's voice was calm, but carried a certain undeniable certainty:

"You will meet those ancestors who carved the star route with their fists in the Ancestral Star trial."

"You will endure the impact of their ten thousand years of memories and Battle Intent."

"You will face the deepest fears, regrets, and obsessions in your heart."

"And then—"

"You will carry through it."

"Because you are Shi Potian."

"The Azure Dragon Hall Master of the Heavenly Court."

"My brother."

Shi Potian was silent for a long time.

So long that Zhao Wuji began to shift his seat uneasily again.

So long that Chen Hao's clenched fists relaxed and clenched again.

So long that the faint trace of worry in Su Qingyue's ice-blue eyes was gradually replaced by another, warmer emotion.

"...Boss."

When Shi Potian spoke, his voice was a bit hoarse.

He blinked hard, then turned around to face the star map, with his back to everyone.

"Give me three days."

"Three days later, I will set off."

"When I come back—"

He paused, his voice very light, but every word sounded like it was hammered into a steel rod with a war hammer:

"I will bring back the star token."

"And the complete Hegemon Body Legacy."

"At that time, whoever dares to surround our Heavenly Court's people again—"

He slowly clenched his fists, and the golden Hegemon patterns on the back of his hands appeared autonomously for the first time without being in a combat state, emitting a dazzling and scorching light:

"I will take them out with one punch each."

—

Three days.

Seventy-two hours.

Four thousand three hundred and twenty minutes.

Shi Potian did not leave the third floor of the main hall.

He sat cross-legged in front of the Hegemon Body Ancestral Star map, like an old monk in meditation, not eating or drinking, not sleeping or resting.

No one disturbed him.

Chen Hao came twice every day, morning and evening, leaving a pot of spirit spring water produced by Chaos Valley at the door, then left quietly. That spirit spring water was never touched—Shi Potian did not need it.

Zhao Wuji came three times. The first time, he wanted to report the training progress of the Azure Dragon Hall, but swallowed his words when they reached his lips. The second time, he brought an "Analysis Report on the Surrounding Environment of the Hegemon Body Ancestral Star" organized based on intelligence from the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, and placed it three feet from Shi Potian. The third time, he just stood at the door, looked at that silent back for a moment, and then turned and left.

Qin Ruoxue came once. She didn't speak, but just gently placed the intelligence crystal brought back from Star Ring City, engraved with some memory fragments of the "Scavenger," at Shi Potian's feet. It contained some information about the outskirts of the Meteorite Belt ruins—perhaps it would have reference value for the future trip to the Ancestral Star.

Su Qingyue did not come.

But every late night, she would stand at the end of the corridor on the third floor of the main hall for a while. Ice-blue spirit power would lay a layer of extreme cold shield over this space with extremely weak, almost imperceptible fluctuations.

Not to protect Shi Potian.

But to ensure he was not disturbed.

Lin Ye visited four times.

The first time was the first morning. He stood beside Shi Potian for ten minutes, said nothing, and then left.

The second time was late that first night. He placed a silver-white token in front of Shi Potian and turned away.

【 Heavenly Court · Azure Dragon Hall Master Token 】

【 Type: Faction Exclusive Token 】

【 Rank: Epic 】

【 Description: Identity marker for high-ranking core members of the Heavenly Court. Holders of this token can mobilize all members of the Azure Dragon Hall and enjoy authority second only to the leader within the Heavenly Court's sphere of influence. 】

【 Special Effects: 】

【 1. Azure Dragon Protection: Passively increases Physical Body strength by 30% and Qi/Blood recovery speed by 20% 】

【 2. Hall Master's Dignity: When issuing orders to Azure Dragon Hall members, execution efficiency increases by 25% 】

【 3. Shared Life and Death: When the holder falls into a near-death state, one forced combat withdrawal can be activated (Cooldown: 30 days) 】

【 Back Inscription: Heavenly Court · Azure Dragon Hall · Shi Potian 】

The third time was the second evening. Lin Ye placed a Storage Ring into Shi Potian's palm.

Inside the ring were seventy-two 【 Hegemon Blood Essence 】 — this was the entire stock the Heavenly Court had been able to collect through all channels over the past five months.

Each Hegemon Blood Essence required killing a Rank 50 or higher Yao Beast with the Hegemon Bloodline, with a certain probability of dropping. Seventy-two meant that at least three hundred Hegemon Yao Beasts had been killed.

This was almost the entire circulating inventory of Hegemon Materials in the entire Big Dipper Star Field.

Shi Potian stared at that ring, silent for a long time.

Then, for the first time, he spoke, saying the first words in those two days to Lin Ye:

“Too many.”

Lin Ye did not reply with “Not many” or “You deserve it.”

He simply said:

“Bring back what you don't use.”

Shi Potian looked at him.

Lin Ye turned and left.

The fourth time was the dawn of the third day.

Morning light slanted in from the east window, gilding the floating star map with a pale golden halo. That dark golden Ancestral Star rotated slowly in the center of the map, as if waiting for something.

Lin Ye stood beside Shi Potian.

Shi Potian was still sitting cross-legged, but his eyes were already open, gazing at the increasingly bright phantom of the Ancestral Star.

“Boss,” he said.

“Hmm.”

“When I was a kid, my dad told me a story.”

Lin Ye did not interrupt, just listened quietly.

“He said that in our family's ancestry, there was a prodigy of martial arts.”

“That person could shatter a blue brick into eight pieces with one palm, take seven steps on water without sinking, and catch a crossbow bolt shot from five meters away with his bare hands.”

“The villagers all said he was a Martial God descended to earth, wanting to send him to the provincial capital to compete, win gold medals, and bring glory to the ancestors.”

Shi Potian paused.

“But he didn't go.”

“Why?” Lin Ye asked.

“Because he discovered that those competitions... were fake.”

“The opponents were arranged, the wins and losses were negotiated, and the gold medals were bought with money.”

“The martial arts he had painstakingly practiced for twenty years were worthless there.”

Shi Potian's voice was very calm, as if telling a story unrelated to himself.

“Later, he returned to his hometown, opened a martial arts school, and took in thirty-some disciples.”

“Still later, the martial arts school closed. Some disciples went to work in factories, some went to construction sites to move bricks, and some went into business with relatives.”

“He himself... at fifty-eight, had a cerebral hemorrhage, and when he was sent to the hospital, it was too late.”

“Before he died, he held my dad's hand and said one thing.”

“‘In this life, I never fought a real fight.’”

Shi Potian lowered his head, looking at his own hands covered in calluses and thick knuckles.

“When my dad told me this, I had just gotten into university, majoring in e-commerce.”

“He was drunk, and after he finished speaking, he fell asleep on the table.”

“I stood beside him, watching his hands, which were even rougher than mine, for a long time.”

“Those hands had held me when I was little, hit me, and also cooked for me and mended my school bag.”

“But I never knew that those hands, calloused just like my grandfather's, were originally meant to hold swords and blades, not a hoe.”

“And I never knew that in our family, there really had been a ‘martial arts prodigy’.”

The morning light grew brighter.

The dark golden Ancestral Star in the star map seemed to sense something, and the halo on its surface began to pulse slowly, like a heartbeat.

“Boss,” Shi Potian stood up.

He hadn't eaten or drunk for three full days, hadn't moved his body, but his spine remained as straight as a spear, and his gaze remained as sharp as a knife.

“These three days, I've been thinking about a question.”

“If I were just an ordinary game player, and the Hegemon Body was just a hidden class randomly assigned to me by the System —”

“Then why, when I first saw the star map of the Hegemon Body Ancestral Star, did I want to cry?”

Lin Ye did not answer.

He knew that this question did not need him to answer.

Shi Potian slowly raised his right hand.

He gently pressed his right index finger into the center of the dark golden Ancestral Star phantom.

“I want to go.”

His voice was light, yet it seemed to use up all his strength.

“Not for the star token.”

“Not for the Heavenly Court.”

“It's for —”

He paused.

“My grandfather never saw a real opponent.”

“My dad never had a chance to hold a real blade.”

“I —”

His finger slowly traced a golden trajectory on the surface of the Ancestral Star phantom.

That trajectory overlapped with the coordinates engraved by the Hegemon Body predecessors with their fists eons ago in the star map.

“I want to know what the Hegemon Body really is.”

“Whose Legacy is flowing in my blood.”

“How far I can go.”

“And —”

He took a deep breath, his voice low and firm:

“When I reach the end, can I say with a clear conscience —”

“In this life, I fought a real fight.”

Hum—

The Ancestral Star map suddenly erupted with a blinding dark golden light.

That light did not come from the screen, from the projection, or from any technological device, but from the fingertip of the finger Shi Potian pressed into the Void Realm —

From the 43.2% pure Hegemon Body Bloodline flowing in his body —

From the golden Hegemon pattern phantom that slowly emerged behind him, almost visible to the naked eye —

All erupted simultaneously!

【 System Prompt: Your teammate “Shi Potian” has established a deep resonance with the Hegemon Body Ancestral Star map 】

【 Bloodline purity temporarily increased: 43.2% → 51.7% (Resonance State) 】

【 “Path of the Hegemon” trial prerequisites detected as met 】

【 Star Path coordinates locking... 】

【 Locking complete 】

【 Coordinate transmission... 】

【 Transmission complete 】

【 You have obtained: Hegemon Body Ancestral Star · Precise Teleportation Coordinates 】

【 These coordinates have been stored in Shi Potian's personal star map. You can use the “Ancestral Star Summoning” ritual once to open a single-player teleportation channel 】

【 Teleportation channel duration: 30 seconds 】

【 Teleportation target: Hegemon Body Ancestral Star · Outer Perimeter · Gatekeeper's Altar 】

【 Warning: This teleportation is one-way. To return, you must find the teleportation array inside the Ancestral Star yourself 】

The golden light lasted for seven full seconds before gradually receding.

The star map returned to calm, and that dark golden Ancestral Star continued to rotate slowly in the center, as if the violent resonance had never happened.

But Shi Potian's finger remained pressed there.

The aura around him had undergone a subtle change.

It wasn't the attribute growth brought by a Rank increase, not the leap in combat power brought by skill comprehension, and not even the physical strengthening brought by Bloodline Awakening.

It was —

A wanderer who had drifted for twenty-three years had finally received the first letter from home.

—

The dusk of the third day.

In front of the main hall of Chaos Valley, all core members of the Heavenly Court assembled.

It was not for a campaign; it was a farewell.

Shi Potian stood in the center of the teleportation array.

He had put on the 【 Azure Dragon Battle Armor 】 that Lin Ye had personally awarded him after he made the first major contribution in the first faction war during the early days of the Heavenly Court. That armor had been severely damaged in the Purple Mountain breakout battle, and Zhao Wuji had worked overnight, mobilizing the best blacksmiths in the entire chamber of commerce to complete repairs and upgrades within 24 hours using the Star Brilliance Alloy Type II brought back from the Eternal Star Domain.

Hanging at his waist was the 【 Hegemon Blade 】 obtained in the Bronze Ancient Palace dungeon, which had followed him in battle for five months. The blade was covered in fine battle marks, the edge had seventeen notches that had been re-sharpened, and the handle's wrapping had been changed four times.

In his chest pocket, he had three things.

One was the 【 Heavenly Court · Azure Dragon Hall Master Token 】 that Lin Ye had given him.

One was the micro-storage crystal containing the “Hegemon Body Ancestral Star Outer Perimeter Environmental Analysis Report” compiled by Qin Ruoxue.

One was his own mobile phone — the one from the real world. The screen was lit, and the wallpaper was a photo of him and Chen Hao with their arms around each other's shoulders at the Chaos Valley Martial Arts Practice Field, with the sky full of fire clouds that evening in the background.

“Potian.” Chen Hao walked up.

He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say a lot, but ultimately only managed to squeeze out one sentence:

“Don't die.”

Shi Potian rarely curled the corners of his mouth: “Can't die.”

Chen Hao nodded forcefully and stepped aside.

Zhao Wuji walked over, took a silver-white metal card from his Storage Ring, and stuffed it into Shi Potian's hand.

“An emergency rescue communicator universal in the Eternal Star Domain, 32-layer encryption, personally modified by Sister Qin.” He spoke very fast. “When you get to the Ancestral Star, don't rush to attempt the trial; find a safe place to test the signal. If there's still internet...”

He couldn't continue.

Shi Potian put the communicator into his inner pocket and patted his shoulder.

“I will bring back the star token,” he said, “and the complete Hegemon Body Legacy.”

“By then, I'll be responsible for checking the Azure Dragon Hall's mecha squad myself.”

Zhao Wuji froze for a moment, then nodded vigorously.

Qin Ruoxue did not step forward.

She just stood at the edge of the crowd, nodding slightly to Shi Potian.

Shi Potian nodded back in return.

Then, he looked at Lin Ye.

Lin Ye stood at the edge of the teleportation array.

He didn't speak, didn't move, and didn't even have any expression.

He just watched Shi Potian.

Shi Potian watched him back.

Seven seconds.

Then Shi Potian took a deep breath.

He turned around, facing the golden rune in the center of the teleportation array that was slowly activating, converted from the star map coordinates.

“Heavenly Court,” he said in a low voice.

His voice was light, but in this quiet dusk, every word was crystal clear:

“Azure Dragon Hall.”

“Shi Potian.”

“Departing.”

The golden rune erupted with a scorching light, completely swallowing his figure.

Three seconds later, the light dissipated.

In the center of the teleportation array, there was no one.

Only the phantom of the star map flashed one last time in the dusk — that dark golden Ancestral Star seemed to brighten slightly for an instant.

Then everything returned to calm.

Lin Ye stood in place, watching the empty teleportation array.

For a very, very long time.

Until the dusk sank completely into the night, until the first star lit up above Chaos Valley.

He did not speak, did not turn around.

No one disturbed him.

In the distance, the Mecha Workshop's mechanical arms were still operating methodically.

On the Martial Arts Practice Field, the shouting of the Azure Dragon Hall members during evening training was still deafening.

The humming of the Spirit Gathering Array, the communication signals of the Eternal Star Domain fleet, the keyboard clicking of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion intelligence officers' encrypted data transmission...

Everything continued quietly, outside that dark golden, distant, 127-times-gravity Ancestral Star light.

Like eternity.

Like daily life.

Like every dusk waiting for a returnee.

—

Seven days later.

Third floor of the Chaos Valley main hall, tactical meeting room.

Lin Ye stood by the window, gazing at an unknown, exceptionally bright star in the night sky.

Su Qingyue walked behind him and gently placed a newly received encrypted communication Jade Slip by his hand.

There was only one line of text in the Jade Slip:

“Arrived at the Ancestral Star outer perimeter. Gatekeeper defeated. Hegemon Blood Token obtained. Entering the first trial tomorrow.”

— Shi Potian.

Lin Ye finished reading and tucked the Jade Slip into his bosom.

Outside the window, that star was still bright.

He suddenly remembered three days ago, the question Shi Potian asked him in front of that star map that didn't need an answer:

“Why did I want to cry when I first saw the star map of the Hegemon Body Ancestral Star?”

Lin Ye had no answer.

But he knew, at this very moment, on that savage ancient star with 127 times gravity, where even light had to detour —

There was a man named Shi Potian.

He was standing on the trial path carved by the Hegemon Body ancestors with their flesh and blood eons ago.

He was holding the 【 Hegemon Blood Token 】 pulled from the Gatekeeper's corpse, still dripping with golden blood.

He was raising his hands — covered in calluses, with thick knuckles, exactly the same as his grandfather's and his father's —

Preparing to knock on that door that hadn't been opened in twelve thousand years.

Lin Ye closed his eyes.

Three seconds later, he opened them and turned to walk toward the tactical table.

“Chen Hao, we need to add a few more contingency plans for the exploration of the Meteorite Belt ruins.”

“Zhao Wuji, the review of the Star Domain trade license should have results today.”

“Qin Ruoxue, continue to dig deeper into the ‘Scavenger’ identity clues in the Eternal Star Domain.”

“Qingyue —”

He paused.

Su Qingyue looked at him.

“...three days later,” Lin Ye said.

“We're going to the Meteorite Belt.”

Su Qingyue nodded.

The night star outside the window was still bright.

That might be the direction of the Hegemon Body Ancestral Star.

Or perhaps, it was just Lin Ye's illusion.