"Blaming me for her own carelessness," Su Chen muttered to himself as he closed the door. "Grinning from ear to ear like that. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she’d gone crazy."
Shaking his head, Su Chen walked away. Only now did he have the time to reflect on his clash with Qin Yun. "Although my Professions have merged into one, Limit Release can still take effect and forcefully elevate it. However, the resulting backlash is also borne by the unified Profession.
"Originally, Limit Release only elevated physical Professions, leaving Spiritual Professions unaffected. But to me, it doesn’t really matter. The burst lasted for a very short time and didn’t have much of an impact. It shouldn’t take long for me to recover.
"As for the Celestial Mark, not only is its consumption absurdly high, but it also can’t be sustained indefinitely..."
The temporary command post was bustling with activity. Due to the crisis of the Royal Court’s attack, numerous emergency orders had been issued earlier. Now, while maintaining their vigilance to prevent a surprise counterattack from the Royal Court, they were gradually lifting these orders. At the same time, they had to recall the personnel who had already evacuated and distribute the news that the danger was over to the Life Stars in various domains as quickly as possible to prevent panic and riots.
There were simply too many things to do. It seemed like everyone had their hands full.
However, when Su Chen came downstairs from the second floor, he still caused quite a few people to stop and stare. Even the youngest Sect members present were several generations older than him. Seeing Su Chen—so young, vigorous, and full of vitality, much like a newly reignited Flame Fire—filled their hearts with emotion.
Su Chen paused, spotting Ku Baiye being placed into a coffin.
"Senior Brother Qing Cang was right. This can be considered a happy funeral," Lin Langtian said in a low voice, standing beside him. "For someone like Senior Brother Ku, being able to burn for the Sect one last time before death is already a great comfort."
Many others could only wait to die in obscurity at the end of their lives, their eras having long passed. Only during their funerals would the younger generation realize that such a figure had once existed in a certain era.
"Chairman Lin," Su Chen greeted him, speaking softly. "Birth, aging, illness, and death. It’s the cycle of life."
Even Tier Nine Professionals, Morning Stars, and even Moonlights could not escape it.
Although Morning Star and Tier Nine appeared to be the same Tier, many people rarely grouped them together for various reasons. Lifespan was undoubtedly one of the most important factors. The 400-year difference in their average lifespans was equivalent to two-thirds of a Tier Nine Professional’s entire life.
He wondered if infinite lifespans existed. Humans were naturally greedy, and Su Chen was no exception.
Lin Langtian looked at Su Chen with a complex gaze. He vividly remembered the first time he met Su Chen, right after the young man had emerged from the Desolate Planet. Back then, he had even suspected that his daughter was romantically involved with him. At most, only four or five years had passed since then.
Seeing that Su Chen showed no signs of arrogance despite having just withstood a strike from Qin Yun, a sudden thought popped into his mind. He wondered how wonderful it would have been if his daughter had actually been involved with him back then.
What a pity...
Su Chen naturally had no idea what Lin Langtian was lamenting about. Curious, he asked, "Chairman Lin, what exactly happened during the Royal Court’s attack? How did Qin Yun get released?"
The moment he exited the Flame Space, he was met with a head-on strike from Qin Yun. He still didn’t know the exact details of what had transpired outside.
Lin Langtian was more than happy to explain it to him. The two found a quiet spot, and he gave him a general rundown of the events.
"Star River Throne?" A sharp glint flashed in Su Chen’s eyes. "To think the Royal Court actually possesses such a thing. It’s a shame we couldn’t make them stay."
"Indeed." Lin Langtian nodded, then smiled. "However, it wouldn’t have been that easy to keep them here. After all, that was just a phantom of the Ancient King. If we had actually gone out to pursue them, the risks would have been too great. Forcing the fall of the Profound Turtle King is already a pretty good outcome.
"That old turtle..." Lin Langtian paused. "Although he looked ancient and decrepit, I estimate he could have lived for another three to four hundred years."
"Hundreds of years?" Su Chen was astonished. That was almost half the lifespan of a Morning Star.
Lin Langtian nodded. "That’s exactly how the Longevity Profound Turtle Profession works. Its combat power isn’t high, but its lifespan is incredibly long. If supplemented by certain special Professions, it can be extended to a terrifying length, perhaps even surpassing that of a Moonlight.
"Its popularity within the Royal Court far exceeds that of Professions like the Rebel God. It will probably trigger quite a scramble. However..." Lin Langtian looked a bit puzzled as he continued. "Although the phantom of the Ancient King must be treated with caution, they still had the Star River Throne. If they had coordinated properly, having the three Morning Stars take turns, there was a chance they could have all survived and retreated at ease."
"Maybe they were afraid we still had other tricks up our sleeves to forcefully keep them here," Su Chen speculated.
Lin Langtian nodded. "That is indeed a possibility."
The matter had already passed, so he didn’t dwell on it. His gaze landed on Su Chen, carrying a hint of solemnity. "I guard the outer borders year-round and rarely get the chance to return. I wonder when Star Seed Su might have the time to join me for a casual meal.
"My daughter, Lin Yue, is an old acquaintance of yours."
His invitation appeared quite formal, as if he didn’t treat Su Chen as a junior at all.
Su Chen was surprised, but then he smiled. "Whenever you prefer."
"Brother Chu is here!"
In the conference room of the Royal Court’s flagship, the moment Chu Lingyuan pushed the door open, he saw the Prison King’s enthusiastically smiling face. "Please, have a seat."
He personally pulled out a chair for Chu Lingyuan, inviting him to sit.
Soon after, Li Qingyi, Wu Yue, and the others began to trickle in one by one.
The Prison King’s expression sobered. He had only invited Chu Lingyuan privately; this group had clearly shown up after hearing the news.