106: Return to Reach

The sea of stars turns, a single step spans the horizon!

As Yun Qinglan's thought, imbued with the supreme Law of Space, slightly stirred, the surrounding scenery twisted and blurred like paint being stirred by an invisible giant hand, only to instantly re-coalesce.

Chen Jun and his group had already stepped onto the land of Zhiyuan Star... There was no roar of a starship landing, nor the clamor of a Space Port.

There was only silence, and the mountain breeze carrying the fragrance of earth and a faint scent of flowers, rushing toward them.

The place where they appeared was neither the bustling Space Port District nor the luxurious villa in the heart of the city that Li Goudan later owned.

Instead, it was a tranquil mountain valley located on the edge of District Seven of Zhiyuan Star, surrounded by verdant mountains—the Li Family Cemetery.

This was Li Goudan's final resting place, and the ancestral land he left to his descendants, symbolizing their roots and glory.

Today was exactly the hundredth anniversary of Li Goudan's death.

The valley was solemn and respectful... hundreds of people stood packed together, from elderly individuals nearing the end of their lives to young children, all dressed in plain white clothes, their expressions reverent.

They were all descendants of Li Goudan.

Standing at the very front were several white-haired, imposing old men; they were Li Goudan's grandchildren, who had now also entered the twilight of their lives.

An elder in the Family responsible for presiding over the ceremony was standing before a magnificent tombstone, carved from a single piece of jadeite, slowly reciting a memorial address... recalling the legendary Old Ancestor, Li Goudan, who, a hundred years ago, had single-handedly changed the entire Family's destiny.

"...Old Ancestor Dog Egg, though born into humble circumstances, valued loyalty and righteousness. He was a childhood friend and sworn brother to Master Chen Jun..."

"...In those years past, the Old Ancestor operated a tavern on the Old Street, where he was harassed by petty villains. In his moment of peril, the Planetary Defense Force descended like thunder, bringing all the bandits to justice. Furthermore, the generous gifts of a villa in the Space Port District and core commercial properties were all due to Master Chen Jun remembering their old friendship, a result of his blessing..."

"...For the next hundred years, the Old Ancestor always held gratitude. Whenever Master Chen Jun was mentioned, his clothes would be wet with tears, and he would earnestly instruct us descendants never to forget the kindness Master Chen Jun showed to our Li Family for eternity..."

"...Although the Old Ancestor passed away a hundred years ago, his legacy and blessings have protected the Family, extending to this day. Only because of this could our Li Family reach its current scale, allowing our children to live and work peacefully and achieve success across the Federation..."

...The sounds of the memorial address echoed through the valley, clearly reaching the ears of Chen Jun and his group who had just arrived.

Chen Jun stood there quietly, as if integrated with the surrounding space.

He was wearing his Silk Pajamas, which seemed completely out of place in this solemn setting.

However, neither Mo Heng and Shi Yue, who were accompanying him, nor the Chen Xi three sisters guarding his side, made any sound.

They could all feel the deep, stagnant sorrow radiating from Chen Jun, like the sea of stars itself.

Chen Jun's gaze passed over the solemn descendants and the magnificent tombstone, fixing intently and firmly on the embedded photo, which had been technically restored to look vibrant and spirited.

Li Goudan in the photo was grinning widely, a carefree smile on his face, his eyes showing familiar loyalty and a hint of slyness, as if he were about to hook his arm around Chen Jun's shoulder and call out, "Brother Jun."

Time seemed to rush backward frantically at this moment... The dirty, damp shantytown of District Seven, the cramped home of only ten square meters that housed their Family of five... Li Goudan's characteristic loud voice, like a broken gong, rang out outside the door: "Brother Jun! Open up! Look what good stuff I brought you!" Following that was the persistent smell of engine oil on him, and the Synthetic Steak, still warm, carefully wrapped in oil paper in his arms... At the end of the dim corridor, two young men squatted on the ground, sharing the cheapest cigarette. Surrounded by smoke, Dog Egg pounded his shoulder forcefully, his voice resolute: "Why are you collapsing? You're a lucky bastard!... Just endure! You'll definitely make it through! It's right to be tired! Comfort is for the dead!"

...When he was afraid of the System consuming his lifespan and thus distanced himself from Lin Wei, Dog Egg was the first to notice. He pulled Chen Jun aside, frowning deeply: "Brother Jun, is something wrong between you and Sister-in-law? You've been acting strangely lately. If you have trouble, tell your brother! Don't keep it bottled up!"

...And that time, when he was so exhausted he nearly fainted on the transport platform, Dog Egg threw down his work, rushed over like a madman, and carried him on his back toward the medical station, cursing and swearing the whole way, though his voice was laced with tears: "Damn it! Are you trying to die?! Are you throwing away your life for a few Credit Points?! If you fucking die, what will happen to Sister-in-law Weiwei and the kids?!"

...The last time he saw him was at Dog Egg's sickbed, when Dog Egg was nearly 150 years old.

He lay in bed, his hair completely white, his face covered in age spots. But when he saw Chen Jun arrive, a light still burst forth in his cloudy eyes. He grasped Chen Jun tightly with his withered hand, his lips trembling, and spoke haltingly, using the last of his strength:

"Brother Jun... brother... I'm going ahead... In the next life... let's still be brothers... Seeing Xi Xi and the others... succeeding... I'm... happy... We... didn't suffer in vain..."

Scene after scene from the past, like a breached flood of the Star River, violently slammed against Chen Jun's mental defenses.

The brother who had supported him like a bedrock during his darkest, most desperate years, who had pulled him back from the brink of collapse time and again with his rough optimism and unreserved loyalty... now only remained as a cold tombstone and a smile frozen in time.

Chen Jun's body trembled almost imperceptibly.

He walked slowly, step by step, toward the tombstone.

His movements were very slow, as if every step trod upon the sharp blade of memory, so heavy that the surrounding space seemed to stagnate with him.

The Li Family descendants who were performing the rites finally noticed the group of uninvited guests.

Initially, there was astonishment. Then, when their eyes fell upon Chen Jun's face—a face that, though young, was nearly identical to the portrait of the "Benefactor" hanging at the highest point of the Family Ancestral Hall... Shock! Disbelief! Ecstasy!

A sense of awe and excitement, stemming from the deepest Family teachings, instantly overwhelmed them!

"Is it... is it Grandfather Chen?!"

The oldest man, Li Goudan's direct grandson, suddenly widened his eyes, his voice trembling uncontrollably, completely oblivious to the memorial manuscript falling from his hand.

"Grandfather Chen! It's Chen Jun, Grandfather Chen!" Suppressed cries of surprise, laced with sobs, erupted from the crowd.

"It really is Grandfather Chen! He looks exactly like the portrait in the Ancestral Hall! No, he's even more... more..."

They were so excited they didn't know what to do, wanting to step forward and kneel, yet they were intimidated by the invisible aura of immense grief surrounding Chen Jun, daring not to rashly approach and disturb him.

Chen Xi, Chen Yao, and Chen Lu, the three sisters, were already in tears.

They knew better than anyone what the person lying in this grave meant to their father and to their entire home.

He was the warmest, most reliable beam of light in the dark memories of their childhood, besides their parents.

He was "Uncle Dog Egg," the one who always found ways to bring them small snacks, who would lift them high up, and who would clumsily stroke the tops of their heads with his rough palm.

Chen Xi bit her lip tightly, her delicate body trembling slightly.

As the eldest daughter, she began forming memories when she was just over one year old, and her recollection of those difficult years was the clearest.

She remembered the old and tired figure of her father after he worked himself to the point of overdrafting his life force, a figure who seemed ready to collapse at any moment yet still struggled on.

She remembered her mother's silent sighs late at night and the tears she secretly wiped away.

She remembered even more how Uncle Dog Egg's booming voice dispelled the gloom in their home every time he visited, and how even the smallest good thing he brought could make the three sisters happy for a long time.

It was he who, through the simplest actions, taught her what "loyalty and righteousness" meant, and what "mutual aid" meant.

"Dog Egg... brother..."

Chen Jun finally reached the tombstone, extending a slightly trembling hand to gently, extremely slowly, stroke the cold Jade Monument and the familiar smiling face in the photo.

His voice was terribly hoarse, like rusted metal grinding.

"Brother... came to see you."

Just five words, yet they seemed to drain all his strength, carrying endless vicissitudes and regret.

"You've been lying here... for a hundred years..."

"Brother... misses you..."

His eyes were bloodshot, no tears flowed, but the profound sorrow was more heartbreaking than any loud wailing.

He seemed to have reverted to the young man struggling in the District Seven shantytown, needing his brother's support, rather than the guardian of civilization standing at the pinnacle of the Federation's power.

"You always said... once Brother made something of himself, you'd ride on his coattails..."

Chen Jun's voice was low, like sleep talk, as he confided in the cold tombstone.

"But now Brother has made something of himself... where are you?!"

"Brother prepared for you... prepared things we wouldn't even dare to dream of... why aren't you getting up to use them?!"

His fingers tightened sharply, his knuckles turning white from the force!

"Li Goudan... my... good brother..."

In the end, all emotions transformed into this single call, filled with a hundred years of longing and endless sorrow.

In the valley, there was a profound silence, only the whimpering of the wind, as if heaven and earth mourned this brotherhood that transcended life and death.

The descendants of the Li Family had long since knelt in a heap, sobbing uncontrollably.

Chen Xi and her two sisters also supported each other, their clothes soaked with tears.

Mo Heng, Shi Yue, and the others stood solemnly to the side, their expressions complex. They could feel the immense sorrow beneath Chen Jun's calm exterior, like an undercurrent in the star sea.

Just then—

A streak of light rapidly swept in from the horizon, carrying an anxious and incredibly respectful aura.

The next moment, a figure appeared at the valley entrance as if teleporting, then almost scrambled and ran over at the fastest possible speed.

The newcomer was none other than the Governor of Zhiyuan Star, Zhou Zhenshan!

At this moment, where was even a trace of the dignity of a Planet-level Peak powerhouse, a high-ranking official governing a vast territory?

His meticulously combed hair was slightly disheveled from his hurried journey, and his face was filled with extreme panic and excitement.

He had just received an urgent report about abnormal spatial fluctuations in the Li Family ancestral graveyard, combined with the vague rumors he heard about Ancestor Chen's arrival, which scared him Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering. He immediately rushed over at the fastest speed of his life.

When he saw the familiar figure in pajamas in front of the tombstone, and Director Mo Heng, Emperor Shi Yue, and others standing solemnly around, his heart almost leaped out of his chest!

It really was Ancestor Chen!

He came! He really came to Zhiyuan Star! And he came directly to Li Goudan's tomb!

Zhou Zhenshan almost crawled on all fours to get closer, and ten meters away from Chen Jun, he dropped to his knees with a "thump," touching his head to the ground, his voice sharp and distorted from extreme fear and excitement:

"Your subordinate Zhou Zhenshan! Greetings, Ancestor Chen! I did not know of Ancestor Chen's arrival and was late in welcoming you; I deserve ten thousand deaths! Ten thousand deaths!"

He prostrated on the ground, his body trembling slightly from tension, not even daring to look up.

Chen Jun seemed not to hear his voice, still immersed in his own world, caressing the tombstone.

After a long while, he slowly turned around, his red and profound eyes falling upon Zhou Zhenshan, who was prostrated on the ground.

That gaze was calm, yet carried a power that could penetrate the Soul.

Zhou Zhenshan felt his Soul tremble under that gaze.

"Zhou Zhenshan..." Chen Jun slowly spoke, his voice still hoarse.

"Your subordinate is here!" Zhou Zhenshan quickly responded, burying his head even lower.

Chen Jun's gaze swept over the kneeling, simply dressed descendants of the Li Family, then looked at the well-maintained graveyard, finally returning to Zhou Zhenshan.

"Li Goudan's descendants... you have taken good care of them."

Zhou Zhenshan's heart suddenly lightened, as if a drowning man had clutched a life raft. He quickly said, "Reporting to Ancestor Chen! Brother Li Goudan was kind to Ancestor Chen, which means he was kind to the Federation! Your subordinate dared not be negligent! These are all part of my duty, part of my duty!"

He secretly raised his eyes, quickly glanced at Chen Jun's expression, and seeing no anger, he felt a little relieved.

Chen Jun looked at him, silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "How old are you... this year?"

Zhou Zhenshan was stunned, not understanding why Ancestor Chen suddenly asked this, but he still respectfully replied, "Reporting to Ancestor Chen, your subordinate... your subordinate has idled away his time and is already nine thousand six hundred years old."

Nine thousand six hundred years old!

For a Planet-level Peak, this was already the twilight years. Without an Opportunity, there was no hope of reaching Stellar Level in this life, only waiting for the complete exhaustion of their life Origin in a few hundred years.

Upon hearing this, a trace of reminiscence and emotion flickered in Chen Jun's eyes.

He recalled the few years he struggled at the bottom of society after his Transmigration to this time and space and leaving the orphanage.

Living from hand to mouth, being scorned by others, fighting desperately for a few credit points... that was true despair.

Looking at Zhou Zhenshan before him, although he was a Governor, under the long scale of life, he also faced a Bottleneck and an end.

He thought of Li Goudan again.

If... if Li Goudan could also Cultivate, if he had been able to forcefully Awaken an Acquired Martial Body in Li Goudan's youth... a complex emotion, mixed with memories of the past, guilt towards his brother, and a hint of recognition for this 'old acquaintance' before him, arose in Chen Jun's heart.

He looked at Zhou Zhenshan and slowly, clearly said:

"You are very good."

These three words, like three bolts of Chaos thunder, exploded in Zhou Zhenshan's mind!

He suddenly looked up, staring at Chen Jun in disbelief, his mind a blank.

Chen Jun continued, his tone flat, yet carrying an undeniable authority:

"Deliver my message."

"Effective immediately, all federal stock of origin crystals shall be prioritized for Zhou Zhenshan's use, to help him... Breakthrough to Stellar Level."

Boom—!!!!

Zhou Zhenshan felt an indescribable, scorching torrent instantly overwhelm his nine thousand years of rationality and composure!

origin crystals!

Priority supply!

Breakthrough to Stellar Level!!!

This... this... immense, unprecedented ecstasy, like a supernova explosion, erupted within him, making every cell in his body tremble and scream!

origin crystals?

One Origin crystal was equivalent to a Stellar Level Primary Old Ancestor helping him Cultivate for a year!

All federal stock of origin crystals?

More than two thousand Stellar Level cultivators were captured in the battle of the Morning Star Galaxy!

Many of them were actually Stellar Level High-grade... or even Peak!

This was equivalent to more than two thousand Stellar Level cultivators helping him Breakthrough!

A heaven-sent Opportunity! An Opportunity greater than heaven itself! This was immense fortune!

Stellar Level!

That was a Realm he dared not even dream of, a Realm he knew was hopeless even if he did dream of it!

A hundred thousand years of life! The true upper echelons of the Federation! The eternal foundation of his Family!

All of this... just because of a small kindness he extended casually back then, because of some care for Li Goudan and his descendants... this reward... this reward... Zhou Zhenshan trembled violently with excitement, tears streaming down his face. He heavily prostrated himself again, his voice choked, incoherent:

"Thank... thank you, Ancestor Chen! Thank you for Ancestor Chen's heavenly grace! Your subordinate... your subordinate... cannot repay it even with ten thousand deaths! Cannot repay it even with ten thousand deaths!"

He prostrated on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. His nine thousand years of composure and dignity vanished in that instant, leaving only the purest ecstasy and gratitude, overwhelmed by immense happiness.

The surrounding Li Family descendants, Mo Heng, Shi Yue, and others were all shocked by this scene.

A single word decided the fate of a Planet-level Peak powerhouse, granting him a broad path to Stellar Level!

This was Ancestor Chen's will! This was the authority of the guardian of civilization!

Chen Jun looked at Zhou Zhenshan, who was too excited to control himself, but there was no joy on his face.

His gaze once again fell upon Li Goudan's tombstone, the deep sorrow still thick and unyielding.

This immense fortune, he could bestow it with a mere wave of his hand!

But the person he most wanted to give it to had long since slept beneath the earth, no longer able to share the glory of the star sea with him... He slowly turned around, his back to the tombstone, his back to the excited crowd, his voice carrying a hint of unspeakable weariness and indifference:

"I'm tired."

"Let's go back."

Yun Qinglan immediately stepped forward, gently taking her father's arm.

Chen Xi and her two sisters also wiped away their tears, silently standing by their father's side.

Mo Heng, Shi Yue, and the others bowed in affirmation.

Just as the spatial fluctuations arose again, and the figures of the group began to blur.

Chen Jun seemed to remember something, his gaze seemingly penetrating layers of space, seeing the dirty and dilapidated corners of the Federation, seeing those struggling to survive at the bottom.

He recalled the few years after he left the orphanage, where he had no food to eat, no clothes to wear, and rummaged through garbage for usable parts... A complex and unreadable light flashed in his eyes, and he sighed softly, leaving behind a remark that seemed like talking to himself, yet clearly reached Zhou Zhenshan's ears:

"The Federation's lower-class citizens... are still living too poorly..."

As his voice fell, space completely warped.

Chen Jun and his group vanished from the Li Family ancestral graveyard.

Only Zhou Zhenshan remained, still excitedly prostrated on the ground, his mind echoing Ancestor Chen's final instruction and that profound sigh.

He knew that the Peak of his life, the eternal glory of the Zhou Family, had arrived!

And he knew even more that Ancestor Chen's last words would be his highest mission, which he must dedicate the rest of his life to fulfilling after breaking through to Stellar Level, for the Federation, and even more so, to repay Ancestor Chen's heavenly grace!

In the valley, the wind still blew, sweeping over Li Goudan's tombstone... sweeping over the prostrated, ecstatic Zhou Zhenshan... sweeping over the awestruck and excited descendants of the Li Family...