56: Mindset change

Time flowed quietly. The seasonal change System simulated by the Pillar of Leaders had switched the scenery outside the window from blooming flowers to a tranquil deep autumn.

Golden-red leaves, like fragments of burning stars, blanketed the winding path outside the estate, only to be silently swept away by invisible cleaning robots, over and over again.

Three months.

For the scale of the Universe, it was but a blink of an eye. For Chen Jun, who had once struggled at the bottom and counted his life in days, it was a long time that allowed his mindset to undergo a cataclysmic shift.

In the living room, Chen Jun leaned back on that wide, soft fur recliner, a cup of steaming tea at his side—not the astonishingly energetic rarities from the Moon Essence Secret Treasury, but the most ordinary tea leaves produced on some agricultural planet. Yet, he savored it with great relish.

His gaze fell unfocused on a golden leaf spiraling down outside the window, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint, extremely relaxed smile.

Deep within his consciousness, an extremely concise system interface that only he could "see" floated:

【 system interface 】

【 Rank 】: Level 1 (0.11%)

【 Host 】: Chen Jun

【 Race 】: Human

【 Age 】: 35 years old

【 Aptitude 】: Mortal Body

【 Remaining Lifespan 】: 8 years, 187 days, 11 hours, 03 minutes, 18 seconds... +10... +10... +10...

【 Core Functions 】:

1. 【 One-Shot Soul Penetration 】: Procreation with a female results in guaranteed conception and triggers Absolute Guarantee. (Can only be triggered with an un-pregnant female).

2. 【 Absolute Guarantee 】: Consumes 10 years of lifespan to ensure the offspring's Aptitude is permanently elevated by 1 major Rank above the spouse's. Consuming 10 times the lifespan allows for an additional 1 major Realm increase in Aptitude. Function trigger must be confirmed during the convergence of life Origin.

3. 【 Multifortune 】:

【 Longevity Multiplier 】: The Host has a keen perception of lifespan fluctuations. Every living biological child automatically provides the Host with 【 1 day 】 of standard lifespan daily, settled in real-time. (Any external lifespan detection means will show the Host's remaining lifespan as a constant 6-year decline, blocking all forms of prying into 【 Longevity Multiplier 】.)

【 Multiple Benefits 】: The Host has a keen perception of beneficial state fluctuations (perception only). At the moment of natural or unnatural death of any direct descendant who is not a biological child (i.e., grandchildren and subsequent generations), the Host will automatically obtain all 'beneficial state gains' possessed by them at the time of death, including but not limited to: all Cultivation energy, life Origin, Aptitude talent, Cultivation Technique insights, combat experience, skill proficiency... and all other inheritable beneficial states. Note: Only inherits beneficial states; does not inherit injuries, curses, negative states, etc. (All abilities obtained through 【 Multiple Benefits 】 are perfectly concealed, blocking all prying, and never externally displayed.)

【 Rule Supplement 】: Gain acquisition has no distance restrictions, ignores any form of shielding or obstruction, and is transmitted directly based on Bloodline.

【 Hidden Rules 】 (Permission obtained):

【 No Kun 】: All offspring of the Host are permanently female.

【 Absolute Source 】: If remaining lifespan is less than 10 years, no offspring can be produced in any form, and the System will not execute any operations.

【 True Source 】: Only by having a substantial relationship with a female can the System be triggered; no other form can produce offspring. However, once a substantial relationship with a female occurs, no form can prevent procreation.

【 Kin Source 】: The Host's direct descendants naturally hold affinity and goodwill toward the Host, with an initial value of 60 points; direct descendants naturally hold affinity and goodwill toward each other, with an initial value of 30 points.

【 Traceless 】: The existence of the System and all its operations cannot be detected, understood, or interfered with by any form.

【 Query 】: The Host can view their own system interface at any time through inner consciousness.

【 No Mandatory Operations Currently 】

The last few digits of the remaining lifespan number were jumping one by one at a steady and intoxicating speed.

+10 seconds... +10 seconds... +10 seconds...

Every jump represented that all his children had safely passed one second, and also represented that his hourglass of life was injected with eleven seconds of brand-new quicksand.

Not deducted, but increased!

This feeling of "earning money" every second—and earning the most precious "life"—was so wonderful that after the initial ecstasy and excitement settled, it turned into a composure and peace deeply rooted in his bone marrow.

One of his favorite things to do now was just like this: doing nothing, just quietly "watching" his lifespan grow.

This was an unparalleled spiritual enjoyment.

From a discarded "tool" who lived day-to-day, fearing being drained of his lifespan at any moment, to an "immortal" holding an infinite future with time on his side, this shift in mindset was subversive.

Before, when he looked at his daughters, he was full of love but also hid deep guilt and the fear of not being able to accompany them as they grew up.

Now, looking at them, his love remained undiminished, but he had gained endless confidence and peace.

He knew he would definitely witness every important moment in their lives, whether it was becoming successful, starting a family, or even the day they grew old... he would be there.

He could clearly feel that his way of looking at his family and this world was quietly changing.

"Dad! Look, how did I do with this 'Starlight Flicker' move?"

In the open space of the living room, Chen Lu was enthusiastically practicing the combat technique newly taught by the academy. Energy circulated around her body, and points of starlight flickered with it, quite imposing.

After finishing the move, she looked at Chen Jun expectantly.

If it were before, Chen Jun would probably have smiled and offered a few words of encouragement, but deep down, there might have been a trace of sadness at being a mortal unable to guide his daughter.

But now, he slowly took a sip of tea, sensing the strength of his daughter's energy fluctuations through 【 Multiple Benefits 】, and nodded with a smile:

"Not bad, not bad, the stance is quite pretty. However, when exerting force, keep your waist and abdomen a bit steadier, and your stance a bit lower; the effect might be better. Don't rush to seek aesthetics. Once the foundation is solid, there will be plenty of opportunities to become more powerful later. We, well, are not in a rush; there is plenty of time."

His tone was peaceful, carrying the certainty and patience of someone with experience, as if his daughter had infinite time in the future to polish and improve, without needing to fight for this momentary progress.

Chen Yao nodded, half-understanding. She felt that what her dad said seemed very reasonable, but she also felt that her dad's tone recently... was especially different, making one feel particularly at ease.

Lin Wei came out of the kitchen carrying freshly baked, fragrant energy snacks. Hearing her husband's words, she gave him a reproachful look:

"You, you don't understand Cultivate, just blindly giving directions to the child. Lu'er, don't listen to your dad, just follow what the teacher taught."

Although she said this, looking at her husband's ruddy, healthy, young, and energetic face, and looking at that lingering, leisurely, and peaceful glow in his eyes, the last bit of worry in her heart about her husband being "drained" or having a "flash in the pan" finally gradually dissipated.

Although she still didn't understand what miracle had happened to her husband, as long as he was well, she was more than satisfied.

Chen Jun laughed, not arguing, and reached out to take a snack and took a bite, narrowing his eyes in satisfaction: "Delicious! My wife's cooking is still the best!"

He now ate things not like before, always with a bit of urgency, just to fill his stomach, but truly tasting and enjoying the gustatory pleasure brought by the food itself.

The mindset changed, and everything became different.

Even his attitude toward neighbors had changed.

In the afternoon, he walked with his hands behind his back, slowly strolling to the fence of the next-door yard.

Old Man Zhang was sighing at his drooping "Seven-Orifice Exquisite Melon," muttering: "Sigh, how did the spirituality dissipate again... This is the hundreds of times already..."

Chen Jun now knew that Old Man Zhang was the Federation's top Great Grandmaster of Spirit Planting. This melon was a masterpiece of his attempt to fuse ancient civilization technology with modern genetic engineering, having failed for who knows how many years.

Before, when Chen Jun heard these things, he would only feel they were unfathomable and carried a humble filter. Now...

He leaned on the fence and said with a smile: "Old Zhang, struggling with your precious treasure again? If you ask me, you're just too impatient. These good spirit plants are like raising children; you can't rush them. You have to have some patience. If it doesn't work today, try tomorrow. If it doesn't work tomorrow, there's the day after. Your health is very robust; researching for another few hundred years won't be a problem. You'll succeed one day, why rush for a day or two?"

Old Man Zhang heard this, turned his head, and gave Chen Jun a strange look.

This kid, he used to be cautious and polite when he saw him, why is he speaking so boldly recently?

And "researching for another few hundred years"?

Easier said than done!

Does he know how many resources this project has burned for the Federation?

But strangely, these words coming out of Chen Jun's mouth, accompanied by his sincere, unhurried smile, actually made Old Man Zhang inexplicably feel... it made some sense?

"Humph, what does a kid like you know..." Old Man Zhang habitually snorted, but there wasn't much reproach in his tone, instead he muttered, "...but then again, it does seem to make some sense... I am a bit impatient..."

Chen Jun smiled and didn't say much, then wandered to the other side.

Old Madam Wang was practicing boxing. Her movements were slow, but they caused the surrounding energy to rise and fall like tides.

Chen Jun watched for a while, and when the old lady finished a set of boxing, he clapped with a smile: "Aunt Wang, your boxing is really getting more and more flavorful. It looks slow, but the power inside is sufficient. This is the foundation; it can't be rushed, it has to be slowly tempered by time, right?"

Old Madam Wang finished the move, glanced at him, and said lightly: "Little Chen has a sweet mouth today. But these words are correct. Whether it's Cultivate or health preservation, it's all hard work. Only by enduring loneliness can one guard the prosperity."

She found Chen Jun much more pleasing to the eye now. Although this kid was a Mortal Body, his mindset had become more and more stable recently, unlike some people who became arrogant with a little strength.

Chen Jun nodded with a smile, but in his heart, he was thinking: Loneliness?

The thing I lack the least now is time; I'm only afraid it will be too lively in the future.

He even had the leisure to stroll around the public area of the Pillar of Leaders.

Walking on the streets like a future city, surrounded by people in a hurry with deep auras.

They were either walking briskly to the laboratory with thick energy data boards, or discussing the defense deployment of a certain Star Domain with colleagues in crisp uniforms, or immersed in personal terminals calculating complex formulas...

Everyone was busy, everyone was contributing their wisdom and strength to some field of the Federation, their footsteps almost bringing up the wind.

Only Chen Jun, with his hands behind his back, walked at a steady pace, looking here and there, like a retired old man inspecting his own backyard.

He saw a public art installation on the roadside that simulated the changes of the starry sky with energy. He could stop and watch for a long time, and even tried to strike up a conversation with a middle-aged scholar next to him who had also stopped but was clearly calculating the energy loss rate of the installation:

"Buddy, look at that nebula, doesn't it look like a crouching cat?"

The scholar was stunned for a moment, pushed his glasses, looked carefully at the data stream, and frowned:

"According to energy fluctuation simulation and spectral analysis, its structure is more consistent with the early characteristics of the NGC-2392 nebula, and the similarity to the biological form of felines is less than 1.3%..."

Chen Jun: "...Oh." Then he walked away sheepishly.

He wandered to a top-tier public library, where it was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard, and people were reading or recording at high speed using Divine Thought.

He found a corner and tried to use the ancient paper recording method—pen and notebook—wanting to write a novel.

As a result, just after writing the words "Chapter 1: Transmigration," he felt several curious and probing Mental Energy and gazes sweep over, seemingly very interested in his "primitive" recording method.

Chen Jun was startled, quickly closed the notebook, gave a dry laugh, and slipped out.

Only then did he deeply realize that in this world where extraordinary power and top technology coexist, he wanted to post online like on the Blue Star network.

"Help: Just obtained an immortality System, how to develop steadily? Waiting online, quite urgent," or writing a novel was simply a suicidal act.

On Blue Star, that era where the extraordinary was not apparent and materialism reigned, netizens would only think the poster or author had a wild imagination, eagerly replying or commenting, and would never think someone had truly obtained a System.

As the old saying goes: Three cobblers are better than one Zhuge Liang!

Maybe there could really be some substantive advice...?

But here, any abnormal move could be interpreted by these elites with highly developed brains in countless ways, such as cosmic wonders, high-dimensional products... these, combined with his special Physique, could really attract unnecessary attention.

"Sigh, still have to lay low." Chen Jun sighed silently in his heart, missing the time when he could just talk nonsense on the internet on Blue Star.

However, this "laying low" was completely different from the previous "laying low" where he lived day-to-day and was terrified.

Now, he knew he possessed an infinite future, so he chose to be low-key, enjoy life, and observe the world.

He even began to have the leisure to think about some deeper questions.

For example, looking at the steadily jumping lifespan on the system interface, he would occasionally get lost in thought.

"System... what exactly is your Origin?" He asked silently in his heart, "High-dimensional creation? Incarnation of Universe rules? Or... an even more incredible existence?"

"Letting me Transmigration, binding this System, what is the purpose? Just to 'spread branches and leaves'? Let a certain Bloodline continue?"

"This 【 Multiple Benefits 】 function... inheriting all beneficial states at the time of the descendant's death... this... thinking carefully, it's a bit..." He frowned slightly, an indescribable feeling swept over his heart, but that feeling was too fast to catch.

"However, regardless, for now, it seems beneficial and harmless to me." He suppressed that trace of anomaly, and his attention returned to the constantly jumping numbers.

+10 seconds... +10 seconds... +10 seconds...

Watching the number slowly jump from 【 8 years, 187 days 】 to 【 8 years, 188 days 】, an indescribable sense of satisfaction and security welled up.

This feeling of becoming stronger every second, although now it was just that his lifespan was getting longer, was more fascinating than any earth-shattering adventure.

He was no longer anxious, no longer afraid.

He began to truly and calmly plan... or rather, enjoy the initial stage of "immortality."

Watching the children grow up every day, chatting and laughing with his wife, chatting and joking with the old man and old lady next door, strolling around this top-tier "community" of the Federation, reading books, although most of them were professional works he couldn't understand, spacing out, and... most importantly, admiring the eternally jumping, beautiful numbers on the system interface.

The days were as calm as a pool of warm spring water, flowing slowly, nourishing his once riddled heart.

Until this day, he was leisurely sitting on the swing chair in his yard that the intelligent robotic housekeeper had recently installed, swinging while watching little Star Language stumbling as she learned to walk.

The attendant Lan Qing's figure appeared silently at the entrance of the courtyard, her face still wearing that stylized gentle smile:

"Mr. Chen, the Leader would like to see you."

Chen Jun's swinging chair slowly stopped.

Leader Yun Xi wanted to see him?

For the past three months, this top leader of the Federation seemed to have deliberately given him enough space and time, never disturbing him.

Today, a sudden invitation...

Chen Jun's state of mind was long different from the past; there was no panic, just some curiosity.

He patted the non-existent dust on his body, stood up calmly, and smiled slightly at Lan Qing:

"Okay, let's go."

He wanted to see what this great leader wanted with him, an "idler."