43: Moonlight Trigger System

Life seemed to have returned to its former tranquility.

Leader Yun Xi's return came on a night when the starlight was exceptionally brilliant.

She brought no fruits or snacks, appearing alone and quietly in the manor's courtyard, as if she had condensed out of the moonlight.

"Leader."

Chen Jun set down his juice and rose with Lin Wei to welcome her.

He could sense that this time was different.

Yun Xi's gaze was as calm as ever, but deep within it lay a hint of unquestionable determination.

She nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over the three Chen Xi sisters in the room, who were focused on building complex models with energy particles, and Chen Xingyu, who was sleeping peacefully in a crib nearby.

An invisible barrier enveloped the couple, ensuring no one could hear their conversation.

"Chen Jun, Lin Wei,"

Her voice was ethereal, cutting straight to the point, "The 'kindling' project needs to advance. After comprehensive evaluation, Venerable Yuehua is currently the most suitable candidate."

Although he had anticipated this, Chen Jun's heart still sank.

What was meant to come had come, but he didn't feel anything was wrong; although it cost 10 years of his lifespan each time, most people would likely be willing, given the treatment his family was currently enjoying.

Lin Wei subconsciously tightened her grip on his hand, her fingertips icy cold.

Yun Xi observed their reaction, her voice softening slightly:

"Venerable Yuehua's Aptitude is peerless in the Federation, and her resolve is firm, which will ensure the excellence of the offspring and the stability of the process to the greatest extent. She has agreed that after this matter, you may choose from her ninety thousand years of collected rare treasures, with priority given to restoring your lost lifespan. Furthermore, she promises never to interfere with your family."

She paused, looking at Lin Wei with reassuring eyes:

"Lin Wei, I understand your feelings. But please believe that this is not out of selfish desire, but for the sake of the civilization's survival. Venerable Yuehua is not someone who would steal another's love; she understands the boundaries."

Lin Wei lowered her head, her voice trembling slightly:

"Leader, I understand... but..."

"I understand."

Yun Xi gently interrupted her, not letting her continue,

"Chen Jun, your wishes have always been respected. But this matter concerns the future of the Federation, and I hope you can make the choice most beneficial to our civilization."

A choice?

Chen Jun smiled bitterly to himself.

Was this really a choice?

What choice did he have?

He took a deep breath, feeling Lin Wei's grip on his hand tighten slightly, then slowly loosen.

He saw the suppressed bitterness, helplessness, and worry for his health in his wife's eyes.

"...I agree."

Chen Jun heard his own voice sound dry,

"For the Federation..."

A trace of imperceptible approval flashed in Yun Xi's eyes:

"Good. Venerable Yuehua is already waiting at 'Mirror Moon Palace'. Lin Wei, the children will stay at my palace tonight; I have some new Cultivation techniques to discuss with them."

This was a considerate arrangement.

...

Mirror Moon Palace was not a palace in the traditional sense; it was Venerable Yuehua's residence, a small piece of land separated from the surface, orbiting near Kunlun Star.

The ground was smooth, mirror-like cold jade marrow, reflecting the boundless, fake deep space above, while tiny crystals emitting a soft glow floated in the air like eternal stardust.

Venerable Yuehua stood in the center of the palace.

She was still wearing that moon-white dress, the silver patterns on its hem seeming to come alive and flow slowly against the backdrop of the environment.

She stood with her back to the entrance, her posture upright, as aloof and lonely as a snow lotus on an ancient cold peak.

Hearing footsteps, she slowly turned around.

Her icy blue eyes fell on Chen Jun, the gaze devoid of scrutiny, curiosity, or desire, possessing only a calm born of extreme rationality, as if she were examining a crucial, special instrument that needed to be handled with caution.

"You are here."

Her voice was cold and clear, echoing in this space without a hint of warmth.

Chen Jun felt the surrounding chill as if it could penetrate his clothing and pierce straight to his marrow.

He nodded, his throat tightening, not knowing what to say.

Facing an existence who had lived for ninety thousand years and whose strength was second only to Yun Xi, any words seemed pale and powerless.

"No need to be nervous."

Venerable Yuehua seemed to see through his awkwardness, her tone flat and waveless,

"This matter has nothing to do with romance. I am seizing a chance for evolution to add a pillar of support for the Federation, and in return, I grant you the hope of extended life. I will keep the process as brief as possible to minimize your discomfort."

Her words were brutally direct, stripping away the last vestige of warmth this matter might have retained, laying bare its cold essence.

Chen Jun was silent.

What else could he say?

Venerable Yuehua raised her slender hand slightly, and the floating moon-glow crystals gathered as if summoned, condensing behind her into a wide jade couch that seemed carved from both ice and starlight.

The couch was suffused with dense, almost liquid moon-glow energy.

"Let us begin."

She stated, her tone without a ripple.

...

The process was, as Venerable Yuehua had said, brief, efficient, and... cold.

Rather than an intimate encounter, it felt more like a precise and detached mission.

(...To avoid censorship, a million words of indescribable details are omitted here...)

Just at the moment when their life essences merged, that familiar, absolutely rational system interface once again popped up violently in Chen Jun's consciousness, its cold light illuminating his Soul:

[system interface]

...

...

...

[Current Mandatory Operation]: Execute [Absolute Guarantee] on Moon Body spouse, Yuehua.

1. Consume 10 years of lifespan, offspring Aptitude upgraded to Sun Body (Tier 4) [Confirm / Cancel]

2. Consume 100 years of lifespan, offspring Aptitude upgraded to Radiant Body (Tier 5) [Confirm / Cancel]

3. Consume 1000 years of lifespan, offspring Aptitude upgraded to Venerable Body (Tier 6) [Confirm / Cancel] ...

Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Jun's consciousness locked tightly onto that first [Confirm] option.

"Confirm..."

[Command Received]

[Rule Effective! Life Essence guiding... Genetic sequence super-optimization complete!]

[Operation Complete! Offspring expected to be born in 8 years.] [Offspring Aptitude fixed: Sun Body (Tier 4)]

Ten years of his lifespan were instantly extracted!

A familiar sense of weakness, originating from the depths of his Soul, struck him violently.

His temples turned gray at a visible rate, wrinkles deepened at the corners of his eyes, and his entire person seemed to have been suddenly withered.

Venerable Yuehua was above him, her stunningly beautiful face inches away. A ripple finally appeared in those icy blue eyes, but it was not from passion; it was pure perception and inquiry into the arcane Law contract that had just been fulfilled.

She could clearly feel that a life seed containing immense potential had been planted, but its true "nourishing Reverse-Feed" would not begin until at least a month later, when the embryo had initially condensed.

She immediately ended all contact, her movements crisp and decisive, without a hint of attachment.

Chen Jun was pushed away by a gentle but irresistible force, stumbling and falling onto the cold jade-marrow ground.

The cold instantly invaded his body, which had grown weak from the loss of lifespan, making him shiver uncontrollably, his teeth chattering.

He curled up, watching as Venerable Yuehua calmly rose, smoothed out her spotless moon-white dress, and breathed steadily, as if everything that had just happened had never occurred.

She simply felt quietly the life seed that had just been formed within her, waiting to gestate and sprout, her eyes as calm as if she were evaluating the potential of an asset.

She lowered her eyes, looked at Chen Jun, who was shivering in the corner and appeared much older, and spoke in a flat, waveless tone,

"The nourishing Reverse-Feed will require over a month. I will go into seclusion then. As for the life-extending items I promised you, you may choose them yourself during this month."

No care, no tenderness, only an announcement.

Chen Jun struggled to climb up, not looking at the high and mighty Venerable Yuehua again, and walked silently and somewhat staggeringly toward the outside of Mirror Moon Palace.

Behind him, the doors of the cold palace slowly closed.

Outside the door, the attendant Lan Qing stood quietly, seemingly having waited there for a long time, a stylized, gentle smile on her face:

"Mr. Chen, please follow me; I will take you back to rest."

Chen Jun nodded numbly and followed behind her.

The night breeze brushed past, but he felt not a hint of warmth, only a coldness and exhaustion from being thoroughly hollowed out from the inside out.

He looked at the magnificent buildings along the way and felt the abundant energy environment, but in his heart, there was no longer any comfort of "top-tier retirement."

Here, after all, was still an incomparably magnificent cage.

And he was merely the most special, and most helpless, one within it.

Returning to the manor, it was empty.

Lin Wei and the children were still with Yun Xi.

Chen Jun walked into the bedroom alone, didn't turn on the lights, collapsed onto the bed, and buried himself in the soft fabric.

In the darkness, he could still feel his heart beating, and every pulsation seemed to remind him that he had lost another ten years of his life.

He closed his eyes and sighed silently.