28: The Enlightenment Star System and the Leader

The Phantom-class flagship sailed steadily and rapidly through the boundless sea of stars, like a silent black bolt of lightning.

The living areas inside were extremely spacious and comfortable, simulating the most suitable environment, making it almost impossible to feel that they were undergoing interstellar travel.

Chen Jun's family, Su Wan and her daughter, and Qin Qingxuan were all aboard this ship.

The journey was expected to take three months, which was an incredible speed for distances measured in Light Years.

The journey was long, and most of the time was spent resting or Cultivating in their respective cabins.

Occasionally, the family would gather in the Observation Hall, watching the rapidly shifting star map outside the window and chatting to pass the time.

On this day, the three sisters, Chen Xi, Chen Yao, and Chen Lu, were leaning against the giant porthole, looking at the nebula outside, which resembled stretched colored ribbons, their small faces filled with excitement and curiosity.

"Wow! It's flying so fast!"

Chen Yao exclaimed in awe,

"It's countless times faster than the fastest 'Star Shuttle Type VII' training vessel in our academy's simulation cabin!"

Chen Xi was older and more composed. She looked at the real-time speed and warp jump countdown displayed on the navigation screen and said thoughtfully:

"The navigation shows we are performing a Hyperspace Jump. The books say that the most Advanced mass-produced Warships in the Federation can only jump about 1 Light Year at a time, and they require a long charging period. The straight-line distance from our Zhiyuan Star to the capital Kunlun Star is over 80 Light Years. If we took a standard Warship, even jumping constantly and including charging time, it would probably take several years."

"80 Light Years?"

Chen Lu blinked her big eyes, having no concept of the number,

"What is that?"

Chen Yao eagerly explained, having done well in her academy's geography class:

"A Light Year is the distance light travels in one year! The speed of light is 300,000 kilometers per second! In a year, it travels... um... anyway, it's super, super far! The distance from our Zhiyuan Star to the 'Qiming System,' where Kunlun Star is located, is about 80 years of light travel."

Chen Xi added:

"I heard Teacher Su mention that our Human Federation currently has about 99 Stellar Systems like the Qiming System, but most are concentrated within a 100 Light Year radius. Because if it were any farther, travel would be too difficult for Mortals. Even taking an immigrant spaceship that can reach sub-light speed, flying 100 Light Years would mean 100 years have passed for the people on board—almost an entire lifetime."

Chen Jun and Lin Wei sat on the nearby sofa, filled with emotion as they listened to their daughters' conversation.

They were once low-level Mortals who had never even left Haixuan City, but now they were traveling across dozens of Light Years and witnessing the vast sea of stars.

"That's why the Federation's focus has never been on infinitely expanding its territory,"

Chen Xi continued, relaying the knowledge she learned in school,

"Especially after the discovery of the Tristan Empire more than ten thousand years ago, all technology and resources were prioritized for military defense and weapon development. Civil aviation development was neglected, and Hyperspace Jump technology was mainly applied to Warships and a few Advanced spacecraft."

Lin Wei couldn't help but ask:

"Then... how can this ship be so fast? It can travel 80 Light Years in three months?"

This time, Chen Yao answered, saying with a look of adoration:

"Mom, this is a 'Phantom-class' flagship! It's one of the most powerful spacecraft in the Federation! Only the big figures in the Supreme Council and Stellar-level Experts like Grandpa Qin are allowed to ride it! Its Warp Engine is the most cutting-edge technology; it can jump many Light Years at once! And the charging time is super short! The exact figures are a military secret, not even written in our textbooks!"

Qin Qingxuan also arrived at the Observation Hall sometime, and upon hearing the children's words, she smiled faintly and did not disclose the specific data, only saying:

"The existence of the Phantom-class itself is to deal with emergencies and ensure the rapid mobility of the highest-level personnel."

When the children saw Qin Qingxuan, they all politely bowed and greeted her.

The topic subtly shifted from the spacecraft to their destination—Kunlun Star.

"Aunt Qin,"

Chen Xi asked curiously,

"We are almost at Kunlun Star. Could you tell us the story of Kunlun Star? History class always says it is our Mother Star, the cradle and heart of the Federation."

Qin Qingxuan nodded, looking at the children's eager eyes. Her gaze drifted toward the deep starry sky outside the window, as if she could pierce the endless distance and see that azure planet.

"Kunlun Star was not called by this name a long, long time ago."

Her voice carried a hint of the long stretch of history being recalled,

"In the Ancient Era, the people living on that planet observed the world with their naked eyes. They believed that the sky was round and the Earth was square, known as 'Heaven is Round and Earth is Square.'"

"Later, with the progress of civilization, they finally realized that the land they lived on was not flat and boundless, but a giant sphere. Thus, they commonly began calling the planet they resided on the 'Ball of Earth,' or simply 'Earth.'"

Qin Qingxuan explained,

"This name appeared similarly in many ancient civilizations; it didn't refer to a specific legend but was a universal naming convention at that stage of understanding."

"Even later,"

Qin Qingxuan continued,

"When our civilization finally gained the ability to leave Earth and step into the starry sky, we discovered the vastness of the Universe. For distinction, we named the Stellar System where Earth is located the 'Qiming System,' signifying the true dawn of Human civilization. The ancient name 'Earth' was gradually replaced by the more symbolic name 'Kunlun.' In ancient mythology, Kunlun is the Divine Mountain connecting heaven and Earth, symbolizing supremacy, sanctity, and origin."

"Wow! So that's how it is!"

Chen Yao exclaimed in surprise,

"How big is Kunlun Star now?"

"Very big."

Qin Qingxuan smiled slightly,

"After nearly 100,000 years of development in the Interstellar Era, our Environmental Modification and Planet Expansion Technology are very mature. The current Kunlun Star, having undergone multiple planned expansions and ecological transformations, now has a surface area thousands of times that of Ancient Earth. It can easily accommodate over 10 trillion people while ensuring extremely high quality of life and ecological diversity. It is the Federation's undisputed center for politics, economy, culture, and technology."

The children gasped in surprise; 10 trillion people was a number too vast for them to imagine.

"Then... what about Leader Your Majesty?"

Chen Xi's eyes sparkled, filled with admiration,

"The history books say that Leader Your Majesty originated from Kunlun Star, and she is already over ninety-nine thousand years old! She is the one who led us into the sea of stars!"

When the Supreme Leader of the Federation was mentioned, Qin Qingxuan's face also showed genuine reverence.

"The life of Leader Your Majesty is a legendary epic in itself."

Her tone was full of respect,

"She was born in Year One of the Star Calendar, a dark age when humanity had not truly entered the Universe. It is said that her Talent was unprecedented throughout history; she reached the Warrior Rank by instinct at the age of one."

"Warrior Rank at age one?" Lin Wei exclaimed.

"Yes, Warrior Rank at age one."

Qin Qingxuan affirmed,

"In that era, when even the most rudimentary Energy Guidance Cultivation Techniques did not exist, it was simply a miracle. At the age of ten, she naturally stepped into the War General Rank; at thirty, she had already become a War God Level Expert purely by instinct!"

Qin Qingxuan's tone held immense longing:

"But the real miracle began after she reached the War God Level. Having gained a lifespan of a thousand years and thought speed and physical quality far exceeding ordinary people, Leader Your Majesty's wisdom was completely unleashed! She single-handedly drove the civilization's Technological Big Bang! Mathematics, physics, energy, Materials science... countless fields achieved Breakthroughs! It was she who truly led us out of the Qiming System and ushered in the magnificent Interstellar Colonization Era! Therefore, the Federation designated the year of her birth as Year One of the Star Calendar!"

The Observation Hall fell silent; everyone was deeply shaken by this piece of history.

"At ninety, Leader Your Majesty successfully stepped into the Planetary Level! Technology leaped forward again, and the prototype of Hyperspace Jump technology began to appear. At two thousand years old, she achieved the Stellar Level! To this day, she has protected the Federation for nearly 100,000 years!"

"She is not only the Federation's most powerful Guardian God but also a great Scientist and Leader. Many of the foundational Cultivation Techniques we now Cultivate and many of the core technologies we use stem from her early groundwork and guidance."

The children's eyes shone with aspiration, and even Chen Jun felt a surge of emotion.

This Leader's experience was even more legendary than a novel protagonist!

"We will be arriving at Kunlun Star soon."

Qin Qingxuan concluded,

"That place is the heart of the Federation and where Leader Your Majesty resides. When you arrive there, you must work even harder and not fail your Talent and... the Federation's expectations."