29: Father and daughter have another conversation

The Shadow-class flagship silently docked at a top-secret spaceport in the geostationary orbit of Kunlun Star.

Subsequently, a small shuttle carrying Chen Jun's Family, Su Wan and her daughter, and Qin Qingxuan passed through layers of visible and invisible energy shields and spatial distortion barriers, landing deep within a vast and magnificent architectural complex on the surface of Kunlun Star.

This was the Qin Estate.

Rather than a mere residence, it was more like a self-sustaining, ultra-large city established in the most expensive district of the capital of Kunlun Star.

Classical towers reaching into the clouds blended perfectly with streamlined futuristic buildings. Sky gardens floated among the clouds, and waterfalls cascaded like the Milky Way from a height of a thousand meters, only to turn into dense energy mist as they neared the ground, nourishing the exotic flowers and plants below.

Small transport aircraft, like busy worker bees, shuttled in an orderly fashion along invisible flight paths.

Guards with steady Auras and sharp eyes could be seen everywhere; their minimum strength was at the War General Rank, and there were even War God Level experts hidden among them.

The energy concentration here far exceeded the outside world, being several times denser than even the Star Rail Headquarters. Clearly, an extremely massive energy-gathering matrix was in use.

Chen Jun's Family was settled in an independent manor deep within the Qin Estate.

The manor featured its own ecological cycle, cultivation chambers, entertainment facilities, and even a small artificial lake and forest. Both luxury and privacy reached the absolute peak.

Clearly, Qin Pojun intended to keep them firmly protected—or perhaps 'penned'—within the core of his sphere of influence.

Su Wan and her daughter were arranged in another exquisite courtyard not far away, also enjoying the highest level of protection.

As newcomers, everything seemed novel and awe-inspiring.

The children were drawn to this fairyland-like environment, temporarily forgetting the sorrow of leaving their home.

The day after they settled in, Qin Pojun summoned Qin Qingxuan to his top-secret study.

Rather than a room, this study was more of an independent small demi-plane. The surrounding walls were flowing nebula charts, and in the center floated a massive holographic projection of the Federation's Star Domains. In fine detail, one could even see the movement trajectories of certain important fleets.

The security clearance of this place even surpassed some of the council chambers of the Federation's High Council.

Qin Pojun stood with his hands behind his back in front of the Star Domain map, his gaze profound.

"Father," Qin Qingxuan greeted him respectfully.

Qin Pojun slowly turned around. His face showed no emotion, but deep within his eyes, a flicker of unbelievable excitement was suppressed!

He didn't beat around the bush and spoke directly, his voice deep and magnetic:

"Xuan'er, do you know... what Aptitude the child Lin Wei is carrying possesses?"

Qin Qingxuan was slightly taken aback and replied:

"I noticed it before, but Lin Wei herself is only a low-level warrior. Her energy-guiding Cultivation Technique is rudimentary, and her Realm is low. The 'Innate Nurturing Feedback' effect she can trigger is far less intense than what Su Wan had initially. I speculated it should be an Innate Martial Body, just like Chen Xi and the others."

This was the most logical deduction.

After all, the mother's Aptitude and Realm largely influence the intensity of the Reverse-Feed effect.

Qin Pojun, however, slowly shook his head, a mysterious smile playing at the corners of his mouth:

"You are wrong."

With a gentle wave of his hand, an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible energy fluctuation rippled from his fingertips, outlining a holographic image of Lin Wei's current physiological state in the air, specifically focusing on the ball of life light gestating in her abdomen.

"Look,"

Qin Pojun pointed at the core of that life energy mass.

"The purity and concentration of its energy spectrum, and that internal... Origin mark, which, although masked by the mother's inferior Cultivation Technique, still cannot be completely obscured!"

Qin Qingxuan's pupils suddenly constricted!

She was a Planetary Level expert; how sharp was her perception?

With her father's guidance, she immediately discovered the truly astounding essence hidden beneath the normal Reverse-Feed that she had overlooked!

"This... this is... an Innate Star Body?!"

She cried out in shock, her face filled with horror and disbelief!

A low-level warrior!

A mother who had only just awakened an Acquired Martial Body, with rudimentary techniques and a low Realm!

She had actually conceived an Innate Star Body?!

This completely subverted her understanding!

A terrifying light erupted in Qin Pojun's eyes, his tone carrying an irrepressible excitement:

"Now, do you understand? Xuan'er! His value far exceeds our most optimistic estimates! A mother at the low-level Warrior Rank can give birth to an Innate Star Body! Then..."

His gaze burned as he looked at his daughter, the one he was most proud of, who possessed an Acquired Star Body and was at the Stellar Level Peak!

"If you, a Stellar Level Peak, were to unite with him... what is conceived would very likely not be an Innate Star Body, but..."

Qin Pojun's voice trembled slightly with excitement as he spat out the words that could shake the entire Federation's Star Domain, one by one:

"In! Nate! Moon! Body!"

An Innate Moon Body!

The only existing leader of the Human Federation is an Innate Moon Body!

She had single-handedly led humanity out of their home planet, pioneered the interstellar era, and protected the Federation for nearly a hundred thousand years!

She was a living legend, the stabilizing force of the Federation!

If the Qin Family could give birth to an Innate Moon Body... the Qin Family's future would be limitless!

Perhaps... they could even surpass the glory of the Leader?!

After all, an Innate Moon Body, if properly nurtured, could become a great existence that breaks through to the Star Arm Level!

This prospect made Qin Pojun, who had lived for over sixty thousand years and was accustomed to great storms, unable to help his heart from racing and his breathing from quickening!

He looked at Qin Qingxuan, his tone incredibly fervent:

"Xuan'er! This is a once-in-a-thousand-years—no, a once-in-an-eternity opportunity! For the sake of the Family..."

However, before his persuasive words could fully leave his mouth, Qin Qingxuan suddenly looked up and interrupted him.

The initial shock and horror had already vanished from her face, replaced by an extreme rationality, even a solemnity carrying a martyr-like holy glow.

"Father! Say no more!"

Qin Qingxuan's voice was cold and firm, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness.

"I understand! I fully understand what this means!"

Her gaze turned toward the vast Star Domain map of the Federation, her eyes becoming incredibly deep and distant:

"This is not just about the rise and fall of the Qin Family; it is about the survival and future destiny of our Human Federation!"

She raised her hand and gently brushed across a corner of the star map—the area representing the territory currently controlled by the Human Federation, spanning about 100 light-years.

"Father, look. Our Federation, after nearly a hundred thousand years of development, possesses 99 star systems, a territory spanning about 100 light-years, and a population of over 120 trillion. It seems massive, but on the scale of the entire Universe, how small is it?"

Her finger pointed toward the even more vast and boundless structure outside the star map, labeled as 'Eternal Seat Supercluster - Kaleidoscope Galaxy Group - Liuli System - Sagittarius Arm'.

"Just this 'Sagittarius Arm' we are in is over ten thousand light-years long! Its territory is more than a million times larger than our Federation's!"

(One hundred times larger in length, width, and height means the volume is a million times larger.)

"And the Liuli System we are in has a diameter of over a million light-years! Its volume is again a million times that of this arm! Galaxies like the Liuli System are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges in the Universe!"

Qin Qingxuan's tone became increasingly heavy, carrying a strong sense of crisis:

"The Tristan Empire has been entangled with us for ten thousand years. Though it seems powerful, its territory is only slightly larger than ours, and its strongest individual strength is speculated to be at the Stellar Level Peak, just like our Leader. Without the birth of a second Innate Moon Body, we can still barely contend with them."

(The first Innate Moon Body was not nurtured, and relying on instinct, there is basically no hope for the Star Arm Level, only natural growth to the Stellar Level Peak. However, a second Innate Moon Body would certainly be nurtured with the entire nation's resources to reach the Star Arm Level.)

"But, Father!"

Her voice suddenly rose,

"The Universe is so vast. Who can guarantee that in other corners of the Orion Arm, in other arms of the Milky Way, or even in other galaxies, there aren't civilizations ten thousand, a hundred million, or a trillion times more powerful than the Tristan Empire?"

"A single Innate Moon Body could create a hundred-thousand-year Federation miracle! If we encounter a civilization with multiple Innate Moon Bodies, or even... the legendary Innate Sun Body, how would our Federation conduct itself? Would we also become dust in the Universe, like those extinct ancient civilization ruins we've discovered?"

Her gaze refocused on her father, her eyes shining with a rational and noble light:

"So, Father, if my sacrifice, my... submission, can exchange for a new Innate Moon Body for the Federation, even if there is only a sliver of hope, I will do it without hesitation!"

"This is not for the Qin Family, at least not entirely!"

She said decisively,

"This is so the Federation can have a stronger trump card, so our civilization can better endure in an unknown and potentially dangerous Universe! One thrives in adversity and perishes in ease! The protection of Her Majesty the Leader for over ninety thousand years must not be cut short because of our shortsightedness and complacency!"

Qin Pojun stared blankly at his daughter, unable to speak for a moment.

He had originally prepared many persuasive arguments, including using the Family's greater good and the temptation of the Stellar Level Dao to move her.

He never expected that his daughter's level of thought and perspective would be far deeper and grander than he had imagined!

She had already transcended the scope of Family interests, casting her gaze toward the long and uncertain future of the entire civilization!

At this moment, looking at his daughter's beautiful and determined face, what welled up in his heart was not just a father's pride, but also a trace of indescribable shock and... awe!

"Xuan'er, you..."

Qin Pojun's voice was somewhat dry.

"Father, I know what to do."

Qin Qingxuan interrupted him calmly, a faint smile even appearing on her face.

"Compared to the survival of the Federation, my personal discomfort and ethical embarrassment are insignificant. I even feel fortunate to have such an opportunity. As for Su Wan, and Chen Xi and her sister... I believe that one day, they will understand. If... if such a day truly comes when the Federation needs them to make similar sacrifices, I believe that once they understand all this, they will make the same choice."

Her tone was so calm and matter-of-fact, as if she were stating a universal truth.

For the survival of civilization, individuals can be sacrificed.

The immense determination and spirit of devotion contained within this absolute rationality moved even Qin Pojun, a veteran Stellar Level expert who had lived for over sixty thousand years.

He remained silent for a long time before finally nodding heavily, his eyes filled with complex emotions:

"Good... good! Xuan'er, Father is... proud of you! The Federation will also be proud of you!"

Qin Qingxuan bowed slightly:

"This is my duty. Father, if there is nothing else, I will go and prepare..."

"Go then."

Qin Pojun waved his hand, watching his daughter's upright and decisive back as she turned to leave, remaining speechless for a long time.

In the study, only the vast star map continued to flow silently.

Qin Pojun stood alone, looking at the tiny point of light representing the Federation, then toward the boundless, unknown depths of the starry sky, murmuring to himself:

"Sagittarius Arm... Liuli System... Kaleidoscope Galaxy Group... Unknown civilizations... Xuan'er, perhaps you are right... our gaze should indeed be set further..."