20: Su Wan was offended

In Qin Qingxuan's office, the air seemed to freeze again, becoming even thicker and heavier than before.

Chen Jun had just with difficulty revealed his half-true, half-false speculation about "special Physiques" and "consuming life force." His heart was still pounding violently from the promise of a "two-hundred-year lifespan," and his palms were slick with tension.

However, Qin Qingxuan's next move was completely beyond his expectations.

She didn't immediately respond to his question. Instead, expressionlessly, she pressed a hidden communication button on her desk and spoke in an unquestionable tone:

"Su Wan, come to my office immediately."

Chen Jun's heart sank abruptly.

Su Wan?

The teacher of Chen Xi and Chen Yao?

Why was she calling Su Wan here?

A moment later, the office door slid open silently. Su Wan walked in, still wearing the Star Rail Group uniform. Her posture was straight, and her capable temperament carried a hint of the sharp edge belonging to a War God Level expert. She first bowed respectfully to Qin Qingxuan:

"Teacher, you were looking for me?"

Then, she saw the pale-faced Chen Jun standing to the side, and a flicker of subtle doubt flashed in her eyes.

Qin Qingxuan didn't ask Chen Jun to leave, nor did she avoid him. She looked directly at Su Wan and got straight to the point, her tone as calm as if discussing an ordinary experiment:

"Wan'er, Mr. Chen just revealed an... interesting speculation to me. He suspects he possesses an extremely special Physique. During reproductive acts, it consumes his own life force and has a very high probability of improving the Aptitude of his offspring. His three daughters, Chen Xi, Chen Yao, and Chen Lu, are all Innate Martial Bodies, which serves as evidence."

Upon hearing this, Su Wan's beautiful eyes widened instantly. She looked at Chen Jun in disbelief, then at her teacher, almost doubting she had heard correctly!

Such an incredible thing... Qin Qingxuan continued, her voice still showing no waves, but she dropped an even heavier bombshell:

"More importantly, Mr. Chen speculates that the Aptitude and life level of the spouse may be positively correlated with the Aptitude of the offspring."

She paused, her gaze focusing on Su Wan like a searchlight:

"Wan'er, you are an Elementary War God and have condensed an 'Acquired Flowing Shadow Battle Physique.' Although not Innate, your Foundation is solid and your potential is impressive. If you were to unite with Mr. Chen..."

"Teacher!"

Su Wan interrupted, her voice failing her. The color instantly drained from her face, as if she had been struck by a bolt of lightning!

She simply couldn't believe her ears!

To let her... unite with this man who looked older than her father, whose Energy Affinity was only F-rank, and who was the father of her students?!

To verify an absurd speculation?!

A strong sense of nausea, absurdity, and humiliation instantly overwhelmed her reason!

"That's impossible!"

Su Wan's voice became shrill with agitation. She didn't even care about etiquette and took a sudden step back.

"Teacher! Do you even know what you're saying?! He is Chen Xi and Chen Yao's father! I am their teacher! This... this is simply..."

She was trembling with anger, her subsequent words stuck in her throat due to the immense shock and fury.

Ethics, professional morals, her personal dignity, and her aesthetic standards were all being ruthlessly trampled upon at this moment!

Chen Jun was also completely stunned, his mind going blank.

He had guessed that Qin Qingxuan might use various methods to verify it, and had even thought he might be arranged to "unite" with other strange women, but he never expected that Qin Qingxuan would directly target Su Wan!

His daughters' teacher, this young, powerful, and beautiful War God Level expert!

An indescribable sense of embarrassment, shame, and self-deprecation welled up in his heart.

Looking at Su Wan's beautiful face filled with shock, disgust, and resistance, and then thinking of his own prematurely aged appearance, he wished he could find a hole in the ground to crawl into!

Qin Qingxuan seemed to have anticipated Su Wan's violent reaction.

She didn't get angry, but merely raised her hand slightly. A gentle yet irresistible energy field instantly soothed Su Wan's overly excited emotions, forcing her to calm down somewhat, though the resistance and pain in her eyes didn't diminish at all.

"Wan'er,"

Qin Qingxuan's voice took on a tone of earnest advice, yet it remained as cold as the stars.

"I understand how you feel. But you must understand that what we are discussing now might not just be another Innate Martial Body."

Her gaze became incredibly deep, and her tone took on a gravity that was almost pious:

"In the existing records of the Federation, the strongest Aptitude is the 'Innate Moon Body.' There is only one current case, and that is That Personage stationed on the Capital Star—the Supreme Commander of the Federation Interstellar Army, the First Speaker of the Federation, the greatest leader of the Federation!"

"And Mr. Chen speculates that the higher the spouse's Aptitude, the better the offspring's Aptitude may be. If he were to unite with you, an Elementary War God... is it possible for the resulting offspring to... surpass the Innate Martial Body and reach the level of an 'Innate Star Body'?"

The words "Innate Star Body" seemed to possess magic, causing the air in the office to stagnate once more!

Su Wan's pupils shrank violently, and even Chen Jun sucked in a breath of cold air!

Although he knew the outcome of his offspring through the System, he hadn't expected Qin Qingxuan to touch upon the truth in such a short time.

Qin Qingxuan continued to up the ante, her tone heavy:

"Wan'er, you've followed me for so many years; you should be very clear about the pressure the Federation faces. The Empire is aggressive, and every loss of our top combat power is an irreparable wound! What does an Innate Star Body mean? It means they are almost certain to grow to the Planet-level Peak, and even have a great hope of Breakthrough to the Stellar Level!"

"Stellar Level! A lifespan of a hundred thousand years! A strategic-level deterrent! A new Stellar Level expert might be able to turn the tide of a war in a certain Star Domain, saving the lives of hundreds of billions or even trillions of soldiers like those in the 1st Battalion, 7th Regiment, 3rd Division of the 'Hacksaw Legion'! It could prevent hundreds of billions or even trillions of families from being broken!"

She looked at Su Wan, her eyes sharp as knives:

"I know this is difficult. It goes against ethics and challenges your bottom line. But, Wan'er, think of the blood flowing every moment at the front lines, think of the tears of the families of those who sacrificed! Compared to the survival of civilization, does a bit of personal sacrifice and discomfort... seem insignificant?"

"And,"

Qin Qingxuan's tone softened slightly, carrying an unquestionable sense of control.

"If it succeeds, you will be a hero of the Federation, and the child you bear will be one of the future hopes of the Federation. If it fails... it will at least be an Innate Martial Body, which is equally precious. For you, this is not entirely a sacrifice."

Su Wan's body trembled slightly, her face as pale as paper.

Every word from her teacher was like a heavy hammer striking her heart.

The greater good of the Federation, the survival of civilization, the title of hero... these heavy words weighed on her so much she couldn't breathe.

She naturally knew the pressure on the Federation and her teacher's anxiety.

She had also felt downcast by the bad news from the front and had once vowed to dedicate everything to the Federation.

But... in this way?

To have her submit to an old man for whom she felt absolutely nothing, and for whom she even felt a bit of discomfort and disdain due to his identity and appearance?

Her students' father?

This was simply more painful than killing her!

In her mind, she couldn't help but flash through the talented young men who pursued her: some were rising management stars within the group who had reached the War God Level at a young age, some were direct descendants of certain great families in the Federation Council, and there were even outstanding talents from other forces who came for social gatherings... every one of them was powerful, well-connected, and outstanding in appearance.

Although she hadn't been moved by them, she at least felt they were people of the same world.

But now, her teacher wanted her... and this aging, F-rank Chen Jun in front of her?!

A strong sense of contrast and shame welled up again.

She looked at Chen Jun, her gaze complicated to the extreme: there was anger, humiliation, struggle, and a faint, almost imperceptible... pity?

She could see the embarrassment, shame, and helplessness in Chen Jun's eyes and knew this wasn't his intention, but he was indeed the center of it all.

Feeling Su Wan's gaze, Chen Jun felt even more ashamed. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found any words to be pale and powerless at this moment.

He could only bitterly lower his head, avoiding her gaze.

A deathly silence fell over the office.

Inside Su Wan's heart, she was experiencing an unprecedented, most difficult tearing and choice.

Qin Qingxuan stopped pressing and just waited quietly, like a very patient hunter. She knew the bait she had thrown was heavy enough, heavy enough to crush most personal persistence.

Time passed second by second, each one feeling as long as a century.

Finally, with extreme difficulty, Su Wan squeezed out a sentence almost from between her teeth, her voice hoarse and broken:

"Teacher... I... I need time... to consider..."