90: For the Federation

Several days had passed since the meeting at Jingsi Hall, and the suffocating atmosphere of tragic heroism in the Core Zone of the Pillar of Leadership had already dissipated.

In its place was a forcibly suppressed, anxious anticipation—the hope that the four Sun Body Your Highnesses would successfully achieve their Breakthroughs as soon as possible.

However, beneath this peace that seemed to have returned to the right track, one person had fallen into an unprecedented internal storm.

Chen Jun, the "Living Ancestor of the Federation" whose status was nominally equal to Yun Xi's, was currently sitting alone in the Stargazing Pavilion at the deepest part of the manor.

His face lacked the usual ease and playfulness he displayed when playing the "Internet-addicted youth" or the "Father-in-law urging marriage"; instead, it bore an extremely rare look of gravity.

It's been 97 years since the Transmigration... I'm already 97 years old this year!

Ever since the System activated and I stepped onto this seemingly eternal path, I haven't gained a shred of strength... Longevity Multiplier... although it's activated... for every additional biological child, my Lifespan steadily increases by one day every day.

Even if I can live longer than a galaxy, I still have to keep up the pretense every day!

Only by activating Multiple Benefits... can I attain true carefree freedom!

That is the true accumulation of the foundation for longevity!

I've worked hard for over fifty years to find sons-in-law for my daughters... a full fifty years!

With that girl Xingyao also deciding not to cooperate... things have stalled!

Completely stalled!

I've become a joke... My Weiwei... she is truly afraid... afraid that this 'glimmer of hope' of mine will be completely extinguished in her arms.

That love is so heavy that I can't explain it... She would rather stuff me with the latest 'Dream Partner' model than take another risk... As for the others?

Even the mothers of my Sun Body daughters, like Yuehua, Xuanji, Su Yao, and Liu Ruyan... Stellar-level Experts!

Who would dare touch me?

None of them dare to bear the consequences of me suddenly popping off... I can't count on Qin Qingxuan or Su Wan either... The wrath of four Sun Body daughters is terrifying just to think about!

This is no longer a question of daring; it's a question of whether they can withstand the wrath of four Sun Bodies and the accountability of the entire Federation!

My status as the 'Imperial Father of the Federation' and the special Physique explanation I fabricated in the past have now become my greatest shackles!

Episode 2710 of If You Are the One, and I came away empty-handed!

I can't count on my current daughters anymore.

These girls are each more enduring than the last, all focused single-mindedly on their Cultivation!

Count on them to find sons-in-law to trigger 'Multiple Benefits'?

I'm afraid by the time they Breakthrough to the Star Arm Level, I still might not have held a grandson!

No!

I can't wait any longer!

I must take the initiative to break the deadlock!

I must open new sources!

Produce new offspring!

Let Weiwei know that even if my Physique reproduces, it won't be extinguished!

Facts speak louder than words!

With my current status... even if those Stellar-level Experts knew I could produce Innate Aptitude again, they wouldn't dare treat me as a tool anymore!

No one can withstand the wrath of my daughters, especially those four Sun Body daughters; they are already experts who have grown up!

I must find someone... strong enough, bold enough, and with enough reason... someone willing and able to bear the 'risks' and 'benefits' brought by uniting with me.

At this thought, his gaze involuntarily turned toward the direction of Jingsi Hall.

Yun Xi... the woman who had guarded the Federation for a hundred thousand years, rational to the point of being cold, yet showing a soft side under her Disciple's pleas.

That silly girl whose life Origin was like a candle in the wind, yet who still thought of sacrificing herself to the Dao to clear obstacles for civilization.

The woman for whom I've always felt a complex gratitude... she... is the only candidate!

Her strength and heart are powerful enough!

Stellar Level Peak, Innate Moon Body, a hundred thousand years of accumulation!

She is capable of withstanding any 'accident' and discerning enough of the truth not to panic... Given her bond with my daughters, she wouldn't act against me... As long as I hide the fact that I can infinitely produce Innate Aptitude, it's bound to be foolproof!

She is bold enough.

For the Federation, she even dared to use Nirvana Starburst; what else wouldn't she dare to try?

If uniting with my 'special Physique' could produce an offspring, its Aptitude... would be unimaginable!

After all, they have always speculated that the better the mother's Aptitude, the better the child's... this temptation is great enough!

And!

She has enough reason!

She needs to extend her Lifespan!

She needs a Breakthrough!

And my 'special Physique'... perhaps, is the closest and most likely Breakthrough point right before her eyes!

The Innate nourishment and Reverse-Feed brought by conceiving an Innate Sun Body or something even higher... that is a Heaven-Defying Opportunity that could let her Breakthrough to the Star Arm Level and increase her Lifespan by another nine hundred thousand years!

Nine hundred thousand years!

Enough for her to personally witness the Federation grow into a true Star Arm Level civilization!

She won't be able to resist this temptation!

Although I know there's no difference between an Innate Moon Body and an Acquired Moon Body for the mother, they don't know that!

As long as I am certain that an Aptitude at the level of Innate Sun Body or higher can be born, she definitely won't be able to refuse this temptation!

Let's do it!

On the path to longevity, how can one be timid and hesitant?!

Compared to pretending... I would rather not eat humble pie!

I must break the deadlock!

Having made up his mind, Chen Jun took a deep breath. A flash of determination crossed his eyes, which he quickly masked, reassuming that slightly 'melancholy' and 'weak' expression.

He straightened the pajamas that read [Seeking Worthy Son-in-Law! Urgent! Waiting Online!] to make them look more 'pitiful,' and then stepped toward Jingsi Hall... Jingsi Hall.

Unlike the main hall where the supreme meeting had been held a few days ago, this place was even more tranquil. The flow of energy was like a trickling stream, possessing a strange power to soothe the mind.

Yun Xi still sat upright on the prayer mat in a plain white dress, her bare feet hovering off the ground. The decaying aura around her seemed slightly more apparent than it had been a few days ago.

She hadn't used any longevity treasures at all and was currently closing her eyes to regulate her breathing, seemingly making some final preparations... Chen Jun's arrival did not surprise her.

She slowly opened her eyes. Those eyes, where clarity and the passage of time intertwined, fell upon Chen Jun, calm and rippleless.

“Chen Jun,” she spoke, her voice ethereal and carrying a hint of weary hoarseness. “What is the matter?”

Chen Jun didn't answer immediately. Instead, he walked to a spot not far in front of her and sat down cross-legged, mimicking the manner of the big shots, though he would have preferred to lounge.

He worked hard to squeeze a complex expression onto his face—a mix of 'hesitation,' 'trepidation,' and a hint of 'going for broke'—putting his full acting skills on display.

“Leader...” his voice was low, with just the right amount of hoarseness. “I... I might have felt... that my body seems... to have undergone some changes again.”

Yun Xi's gaze shifted slightly. She didn't interrupt, just watched him quietly, waiting for him to continue.

Chen Jun took a deep breath, as if he had made a final decision, and continued:

“As you know, my Physique... is very special. Previously, because my Origin was depleted, it had been in a dormant state. But these past few days, I don't know if it's because... because Yue Xi and the others often nourish me with Solar Radiance, or... for some other reason...”

He paused, observing Yun Xi's reaction. Seeing her remain calm, he cautiously continued:

“I feel... that the long-dormant special Origin within me that can... can conceive offspring with Innate Aptitude... seems... to have a trace of activity again!”

The words “can conceive” were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing a ripple to spread through Yun Xi's ancient-well-like state of mind.

Her eyes instantly sharpened, her gaze seemingly able to pierce through Chen Jun's mortal shell and look directly into the deepest part of his life Origin.

Chen Jun gritted his teeth and, following his pre-prepared script, “explained” with a mix of truth and lies:

“But this activity... is very weak and extremely unstable! It feels to me... like... like a flickering spark that might only have one chance! After that one time, regardless of success or failure, this bit of activity will be completely extinguished and can never be ignited again!”

He looked up at Yun Xi with a “sincere” and even slightly “tragic” gaze:

“Leader! I know my body is useless, just a hollow shell kept alive by everyone. But this might be the last... the last chance I have to contribute to the Federation!”

“One chance...” Yun Xi softly repeated those two words. Her eyes were lowered, hiding her expression, but the originally steady flow of energy around her showed an extremely subtle disturbance.

Chen Jun's heart rose into his throat.

He knew the most critical moment had arrived.

He had to throw out the “bait” that Yun Xi could not refuse.

“Leader,” his voice grew even softer, yet carried a strange allure. “Do you... want to see... what an Aptitude beyond the Sun Body... looks like?”

“Do you... want to personally feel the... Innate Reverse-Feed... brought by conceiving such a being?”

“According to my... vague intuition... if successful, that power of Reverse-Feed... perhaps... might be enough... to help you break through the shackles of the Stellar Level and touch that legendary... Star Arm Realm!”

“Star Arm Realm... nine hundred thousand years of Lifespan...” Chen Jun's voice was like a demon's whisper, stirring up massive waves in Yun Xi's heart, which had been silent for a hundred thousand years!

Yun Xi's face could no longer remain calm. Her expression was complex, and her heart even more so... Aptitude beyond the Sun Body...?

Star Arm Level...?

Nine hundred thousand years of Lifespan...?

Every word was like a bolt of Chaos thunder, exploding in her Soul, which had long since tied life, death, and her own value entirely to the Federation!

Absurd!

Simply absurd!

I, Yun Xi, have guarded the Federation for a hundred thousand years. How can I, for personal gain, do such an... such an absurd thing?

Unite with Chen Jun?

If word of this got out... where would the leader's dignity remain?

Where would my teacher's face be?

But... the Star Arm Level... that is the chasm that has troubled the Federation for nearly a hundred thousand years, and has troubled me for nearly a hundred thousand years!

If I can break through, it's not just nine hundred thousand years of life... it's a complete leap in the level of power!

It's an absolute elevation of individual might and civilization Rank!

At that time, the Empire will no longer be a threat. The Federation can truly gain a firm foothold in the Sagittarius Arm, and even... look forward to more expansive Galaxy Level civilizations!

This... this... this is for the Federation!

Yes!

For the Federation!

If an offspring beyond the Sun Body can truly be born, their Aptitude will surely shock the universe and become an even more solid cornerstone for the Federation's future!

This is not personal desire...!

This is... a strategic investment!

It is using the smallest price to exchange for the greatest guarantee of the civilization's future: a Star Arm Level expert and a super-offspring with infinite potential!

I have observed that Chen Jun's vitality has not been extinguished for decades. Given his past pattern of consuming ten years of life Origin at a time... what Chen Jun says... might be true...!!!

Then this 'one chance' has a strategic value that even exceeds me launching 'Nirvana Starburst' ten trillion times!!!

A hundred thousand years of rationality clashed violently at this moment with the yearning for a higher level and a longer life, stemming from life's instinct!

In her mind, the faces of Yue Xi and the other three, full of power and conviction, surfaced.

The Star Domains where the Federation's hundred trillion citizens lived surfaced.

The unfathomable territory of the Sagittarius Arm surfaced... and so did... the irreversible decay of her own Origin... If things followed the usual course and she waited for the four Sun Bodies to Breakthrough, there were too many variables and time was too tight!

And right before her eyes... there seemed to be a... shortcut where both risk and reward were immeasurably high?!!!

Yun Xi slowly raised her head. In those eyes that had seen the birth and death of stars for a hundred thousand years, all the struggle and all the hesitation finally turned into a decision that was cold to the extreme and firm to the extreme!

For the Federation!

And also... to personally see that... broader starry sky!