40: A simple and unpretentious life

The Stellar-level Experts were arguing until their faces turned red over Chen Jun, but it seemed to have nothing to do with him.

His days at the Pillar of Leaders were like a carefully polished diamond; every facet refracted a dazzling brilliance, yet it remained as calm as a still lake.

Chen Jun lay on a reclining chair in the backyard of his manor—which was said to be made of some precious beast hide—squinting at the "sky" above, which was always azure and occasionally streaked with flowing light.

On the small side table next to him sat a glass of iced fruit juice, exuding a fresh, sweet fragrance and an extremely faint energy fluctuation—according to the attendant Lan Qing, this was a special supply from the "Heavenly Garden," and a glass a day not only tasted excellent but could also slowly nourish a Mortal Body and prolong life.

"Old Chen, enjoying your 'old age life' again?"

A booming voice came from the terrace of the neighboring manor.

Chen Jun knew who it was without turning his head.

It was his neighbor, Old Man Zhang, who claimed to be a "retired senior engineer."

Old Man Zhang was full of vigor and had a ruddy complexion; his greatest hobby every day was tending to the strange, glowing, or faintly musical plants in his yard, and teasing Chen Jun, this "young man," for being more like an old man than he was.

"What else can I do?"

Chen Jun waved his hand lazily, took a sip of the juice, and sighed contentedly, "In this place, besides retirement, what else is there to do? Should I go discuss wormhole stability with those Planetary Level big shots, or spar with the Stellar Level Old Ancestors?"

Old Man Zhang laughed heartily and threw over a golden fruit that looked like a small sun:

"Taste this, it's a newly grafted 'Dawn Fruit.' It tastes good, but be careful—if you eat too much, you'll get a nosebleed, at least for a weakling like you."

Chen Jun caught it in a flurry; the fruit was warm to the touch and radiated the scent of sunshine.

He said helplessly:

"Old Zhang, can you stop throwing these 'highly nourishing' things at me? The last 'Dragon Blood Bodhi' almost made me perform a nose-fountain on the spot."

"Tsk, young man, you can't handle such potent supplements!"

Old Man Zhang shook his head, wearing an expression that said "you don't know how to appreciate it,"

"Back when I was doing engineering construction in the 'Abyss Corridor,' we ate this stuff like meals..."

Here we go again.

Chen Jun rolled his eyes inwardly.

This Old Man Zhang couldn't go ten sentences without mentioning "back in the day," either building things in some extreme Star Domain or surveying in some dangerous forbidden land.

Chen Jun seriously doubted he was just a "retired engineer"; at the very least, he had to be a Planetary Level or higher big shot who came here to experience life.

But having stayed here for a while, he had gotten used to it.

To his left, Old Man Zhang was a "retired engineer"; the old lady to his right, who practiced martial arts in her training clothes all day, was said to be a "retired literary soldier."

The young couple diagonally opposite who spent every day glued together watching the stars introduced themselves as a "post-doctoral fellow in Materials Science" and her "artist boyfriend"...

Yeah, right!

Chen Jun had once witnessed that "retired literary soldier" old lady throw a punch that caused the space in the yard to slightly distort, scaring him so much that he almost fell over along with Chen Xingyu in his arms.

And that "artist boyfriend" had casually condensed a sculpture with energy, the Law fluctuations within which even made Qin Pojun, who occasionally stopped by, pause and watch for a long while.

This was the Pillar of Leaders.

A place where a janitor might be a Planetary Level scientist, the old man next door might be a titan of the starry sky, and even the seemingly harmless old lady might be a hidden peerless expert.

At first, Chen Jun had been trembling with fear, walking on thin ice, terrified of accidentally offending any of the big shots.

But after a while, he realized that although these neighbors were unfathomable, they were unexpectedly peaceful and friendly toward him, a Mortal.

Perhaps it was because Leader Yun Xi had personally greeted them?

Perhaps it was because of his daughters with their terrifying Aptitude?

Or perhaps, for these people who truly stood at the pinnacle of human civilization, status and strength were long since viewed with indifference, and they actually enjoyed this return to basics in neighborhood relationships?

Regardless, Chen Jun quickly adapted.

He even started to enjoy this daily routine of "talking past each other."

Listening to Old Man Zhang brag, learning a few moves of health-preserving boxing that looked like square dancing but were actually incredibly profound from the literary soldier old lady, admiring the latest creation of the artist boyfriend, and discussing with the Materials Science post-doc which alloy was more suitable for a barbecue grill...

Life was just that comfortable.

"Dad! Dad! We're back!"

A voice as crisp as silver bells broke the afternoon silence.

At the entrance of the manor, three little girls wearing uniform school uniforms adorned with star emblems flew in like three happy little birds.

It was Chen Xi, Chen Yao, and Chen Lu.

Having been at the "Qiming Academy" of the Pillar of Leaders for only a month, the changes in the three daughters were visible to the naked eye.

Their previously somewhat thin faces had become ruddy and full, their eyes were brighter and sharper, and they seemed to have grown a bit taller.

Most importantly, it was their spirit and vitality—that kind of confidence and energy from within was incomparable to their time at the school in the upper district of Zhiyuan Star.

"Yo, our Family's three little top students are back?"

Chen Jun sat up with a smile,

"How was school today?"

"Super great!"

The youngest, Chen Lu, was the first to pounce over, dancing with excitement,

"In physical education today, the teacher taught us the 'Star Brilliance Breathing Method,' and I learned it instantly! I feel like my energy absorption speed is much faster!"

Chen Yao was more reserved, but the corners of her eyes and brows also carried pride:

"The theory class covered the 'connection between Universe energy gradients and planetary gravitational fields,' and I got the highest score in the class. The teacher even praised my deep understanding."

As the eldest sister, Chen Xi was the most composed; she put down her schoolbag and added softly:

"In the Martial Skill class, we had group sparring. I was in a group with Yaoer and Lu Lu, and we beat the group of upperclassmen who had enrolled a year before us."

"That impressive?"

Chen Jun was a bit surprised.

He knew his daughters had good Aptitude, but Qiming Academy gathered the most top-tier seedlings in the entire Federation.

"Don't look at who our father is! And the energy environment here is so good."

Chen Lu blurted out,

"Cultivating here feels ten times easier than outside! No, a hundred times!"

Chen Yao nodded:

"And the classmates are all very nice. I made a new friend named Xiaoya; she is actually the great-great-great... I don't know how many generations granddaughter of Dean Xuanji! She knows so much!"

Chen Xi also smiled and said:

"My deskmate is a child from the Family of the Master of the Sky-Patrol Pavilion; she gave me a star core fragment as a gift, saying it would help me comprehend the power of the stars."

Listening to his daughters chatter about their school life, getting to know the descendants of those big figures they had only heard of in the news, and being able to associate with them equally or even superiorly, Chen Jun felt a mix of emotions in his heart.

There was gratification, pride, and a hint of indescribable trance.

Once upon a time, their greatest wish was for their daughters to be well-fed and clothed, find a stable job in the future, and not struggle at the bottom of society like they did.

And now, they were discussing the power of the stars, associating with descendants of pavilion masters and deans, and aiming to become War God Level, Planetary Level, or even higher...

This world was changing too fast, so fast that even he, as a father, couldn't keep up.

"Good, good, all good."

Chen Jun pulled his three daughters to his side and patted their heads one by one,

"Good grades are important, but you also need to rest well and get along with your classmates, okay?"

"We know, Dad!" the three sisters said in unison.

"Oh right, Dad,"

Chen Xi seemed to remember something and took an exquisite metal box out of her schoolbag,

"This is an energy biscuit made in science practice class, using grains produced in the Heavenly Garden and low-activity energy crystal powder. The teacher said it's very suitable for Mortals to replenish Origin Qi. Would you and Mom like to taste it?"

Chen Jun took the box, feeling warm in his heart.

His daughter had grown up and knew how to care for her parents.

At this moment, Lin Wei also walked out of the house holding the babbling Chen Xingyu.

After Awakening her Acquired Martial Body, she looked even younger and more beautiful, standing by the flowers holding the child, like a beautiful painting.

"Mom! Little sister!"

The three sisters immediately surrounded them, vying to hold the little sister.

Watching his wife and daughters laughing together, enjoying this top-tier environment, top-tier resources, and top-tier security, Chen Jun leaned back on the reclining chair and sighed with satisfaction again.

Retirement?

If this is retirement, it seems... actually quite good.

At least, his Family is safe and happy.

...

Time slipped away quietly in this quiet and beautiful atmosphere.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period, Leader Yun Xi came several more times.

Sometimes it was in the evening, appearing quietly in the sunset, like a neighbor visiting, bringing some fruits or specialties newly produced in the "Heavenly Garden."

Sometimes it was in the afternoon; she would sit in the garden with Lin Wei, watching Chen Xingyu sucking her fingers in the stroller, chatting about parenting, or listening to Lin Wei shyly tell funny stories about their time in the shantytown.

She had no airs of the supreme leader of the Federation; her tone was always so peaceful, her smile always so warm, especially when looking at the children, the love of a true elder flowing in those strange eyes.

Once, she even played two games of ancient Earth-era chess with Chen Jun—the wild style Chen Jun learned from the old men in the park on Blue Star, and he was beaten to a pulp.

"Leader, your chess skill... living for a hundred thousand years really makes a difference."

Chen Jun looked at his checkmated general and smiled bitterly, throwing down the piece to concede.

Yun Xi smiled gently, her slender hands arranging the chess pieces:

"Living a long time is nothing more than seeing more and learning more. It's you, your chess style is unrestrained, often with unexpected moves, but your Foundation is still shallow and needs polishing."

She paused, looked at Chen Jun, and her tone became more serious:

"Chen Jun, are you used to it here? Is there anything you need? Or... any worries?"

Chen Jun scratched his head and said truthfully:

"Used to it, too used to it, so used to it that I'm about to forget who I am. It's just... sometimes I feel a bit unreal, like a dream."

Yun Xi nodded understandingly:

"The sudden change in environment indeed takes time to adapt to. Don't worry, here, you and your Family are first and foremost protected citizens of the Federation, and guests I have invited. Your safety and wishes are the priority. No one, no force, can force you to do anything, including me."

Her words were light, but carried an unquestionable power and sincerity.

"I established the Federation and protect civilization so that billions of people can live better, not to create new oppression and sacrifices. If even the most basic individual dignity cannot be guaranteed, such a civilization might as well vanish into the star sea."

Chen Jun looked at the leader with the appearance of a young girl in front of him, feeling touched.

He could feel that these words were not hypocritical comfort, but the beliefs she truly upheld.

"As for Xi'er, Yaoer, and Lu Lu,"

Yun Xi's gaze turned to the three sisters practicing a newly learned boxing technique on the grass not far away, her eyes soft,

"They are all good children with superb Aptitude and pure Heart-Nature. I have already instructed the academy to lay the most solid Foundation for them. When they all advance to War God Level, I will personally teach them and lead them to a higher Realm. This is the future they deserve, and it is also the future the Federation needs."

She looked at Chen Xingyu in Lin Wei's arms again, a hint of expectation flashing in her eyes:

"This child Xingyu has even better Aptitude. But she is still young. These five years are the time she needs her parents' company the most. Cherish this time well. Five years later, she will also need to leave your side and be guided by me personally. Of course, you can come to see her anytime; she will always be your daughter."

Yun Xi's arrangement considered both the children's future and the emotions of being parents.

Chen Jun and Lin Wei looked at each other, and the slight bitterness caused by the children about to be taken away was smoothed out, replaced by gratitude and peace of mind.

With Leader Yun Xi teaching them, what else is there to worry about?

After several contacts, the couple's impression of Yun Xi was excellent.

A truly great, wise, and humane leader.

Consequently, he also developed a deeper sense of identification and belonging to the Human Federation protected by such a leader.

...

However, Chen Jun did not know that while he was enjoying his quiet and peaceful "retirement" life and marveling at the greatness of the leader and the beauty of the Federation, a storm sparked by him, limited to the very top level of the Federation, had just subsided.

The "dispute" that day at Jingsi Hall did not have a clear result in the end.

Venerable Yuehua, Marshal Xuanji, Chief Su Yao, Venerable Qinglin... the four female Stellar-level Experts could not completely convince each other.

Yun Xi ultimately did not make a decision on the spot.

She only gently but firmly appeased all parties, emphasizing that the "kindling" project concerned the future of civilization and must be cautious, requiring deliberation and comprehensive consideration of all factors.

She promised to set up a special assessment team as soon as possible to conduct a comprehensive assessment of all applicants, including but not limited to Aptitude matching, physical condition, psychological state, time window, and maximizing contribution to the current Federation, etc.

Although this decision did not immediately satisfy any party, it at least maintained a superficial balance and gave everyone a step down.

Several Stellar-level Experts temporarily ceased their activities, but the secret competition and preparation work would never stop.

Venerable Yuehua announced a short retreat after returning to adjust her state, striving to bring her body and mind to the perfect Peak.

Marshal Xuanji strengthened the offensive against the Empire's front line, seemingly wanting to use more dazzling military exploits to increase her bargaining chips.

Chief Su Yao plunged into the laboratory, starting to frantically model and analyze various data, trying to prove with "science" that she was the most suitable candidate.

The youngest, Venerable Qinglin, began to frequently ask Yun Xi for advice on cultivation, working hard to improve herself, and at the same time seemed to be quietly learning some... um... knowledge on how to get along with men?

Undercurrents were quietly surging beneath the calm and peaceful appearance of the Pillar of Leaders.

Chen Jun knew nothing of this.

He had just sent off Leader Yun Xi, who had come to visit again and given Chen Xingyu a small bracelet that could spontaneously condense pure star energy as a full-month gift, and was happily calculating whether to juice the "Dawn Fruit" sent by Old Man Zhang tonight, or use the "Dragon Blood Bodhi" sent by the literary soldier old lady to soak in wine.

"Sigh, this happy trouble..."

He hummed a ditty from Blue Star, crossed his legs, and once again immersed himself in his "top-tier retirement" life.

Outside the window, the artificial sunset of the Pillar of Leaders slowly descended, dyeing the sky into a gorgeous crimson, and the stars began to appear one after another, indicating that another energy-filled night was about to arrive.

In the manor, the three Chen sisters were sparring on the lawn, with energy light flickering; Lin Wei was holding the babbling Chen Xingyu, watching them with a smile; the smart housekeeper had already started preparing a sumptuous dinner, with curls of aroma...

Everything looked so beautiful, quiet, and full of hope.

Chen Jun yawned, thinking that perhaps tonight he could try to ask his "artist boyfriend" neighbor for advice on how to use energy particles to build a Blue Star game console model to pass the time.

Life was just this simple, unadorned, and boring.