I want to tread the heavens

The day of parting drew near amidst the daily grind of training. On the third night, when Ling Xiao's meridians were stable, he could freely circulate the basic cycle of the "Star Body Refining Technique," and he could also begin to control his bloodline berserk state and even clearly express "I want to eat meat, not vegetables" with his mind, Guo Yun arrived.

Instead of using the courtyard gate, she opened the old secret passage beneath the dry well. This time, she didn't bring her nanny, only a lantern, and gestured for Ling Xiao, Uncle Rong, and Fa Cai to follow.

"I'll show you something." Her voice was low, and the dim light of the lantern cast deep shadows on her face, but it couldn't hide the decisiveness of someone who had long held a position of power.

The secret passage didn't lead to the underground palace, but instead turned halfway down into a more secluded, cobweb-covered side path. At the end was a rusted cast-iron door. Guo Yun used the Third Elder's token to insert into the mechanism, and the hinges groaned shrilly as they slowly slid open.

A stench of aged engine oil, cold iron, and dust wafted towards us. Before us lay a natural grotto carved out of the mountainside, stalactites hanging from its dome, the floor roughly leveled. In the center of the grotto lay a dark, ruggedly shaped, shuttle-shaped boat, about five zhang long and less than two zhang wide.

It had clearly slumbered here for many years. Its hull was made of patchwork dark gray alloy, covered with fine scratches and repair weld scars. The engine nozzles at the tail were covered with a thin layer of dust, and the wings on both sides were folded and tucked in, like an old iron eagle that was tired but still able to bite. On the bow was a blurry emblem—stars surrounding a broken halberd, a simplified pattern of the halberd used by the first ancestor of the Guo family when he followed the Starfall cultivator.

"Boundary-Breaking Shuttle." Guo Yun raised the lantern high, its light illuminating an old scar on the side of the ship that almost tore open the port side. "Three hundred years ago, it was part of the wreckage of the starship that the Starfall senior was on when he fell into the Old Land. Our ancestors used its blueprints and gathered all the materials they could find in the Old Land, taking three generations to barely restore it to this state. It can traverse the void for short distances and withstand the aftershocks of ordinary annihilation storms, but it is not fast, and its defense is only equivalent to a full-force attack from an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator."

She approached and patted the cold hull: "The energy core is half of a 'Star Stone' that survived from back then, paired with a spirit-gathering array made from old soil. It can last for three months at full capacity. There's a small storage compartment on the ship; I've prepared some things for you."

Uncle Rong's sharp eyes swept over the engine interface and hull rivets, and he nodded slightly: "It's sufficient. It's not as good as the 'whistle' used by the scouts of the Sky Palace back then, but it has the advantage of simple structure and easy repair."

Fa Cai curiously circled the bottom of the boat, sniffing incessantly, and thought to himself, "That iron lump... can it fly? Where's the meat?"

Guo Yun opened the narrow hatch located in the hull of the ship. The interior space was cramped; the helm seat could only accommodate one person, and behind it were two simple folding berths. The storage compartment was even smaller, crammed with two sealed iron boxes.

Opening the first box revealed five hundred neatly stacked low-grade spirit stones, their color warm and lustrous, brimming with spiritual energy. "There aren't many spirit veins in the old land; this is all the inventory I can draw upon. I won't touch the books to avoid attracting attention." At the bottom of the box were three bottles of pills: "One bottle of 'Grain-Clearing Pill,' enough for three people for half a year; one bottle of 'Returning Essence Powder,' to treat external injuries and stabilize spiritual power; and one bottle of 'Heart-Clearing Pill,' to prevent the disturbance of the mind by void turbulence."

The second box contained local specialties: dozens of kilograms of dried low-level spirit beast jerky (Fa Cai's eyes lit up instantly), several jars of sealed clean water, two sets of durable coarse cloth work clothes, a set of simple repair tools, flint, rope, and a fragment of a star path map drawn on tanned animal hide.

Guo Yun unfolded the tattered map, on which the rough outlines of several star regions surrounding the Old Earth were drawn with cinnabar, marking a few known void storm belts and desolate star sectors. "This is a copy of the star map passed down in my Guo family, only extending to the edge of the 'Xunfeng Minor Realm.' The deeper parts, you'll have to find for yourselves. Remember, the starry sea changes, and the markings on the map may not be entirely accurate. In case of danger, rely first on your compass and starfall detection."

Finally, she took out a black thumb ring, neither gold nor jade, from her bosom and placed it in Ling Xiao's palm: "This is a 'storage ring,' extremely small, only one square, and it binds to its owner with a drop of blood. Inside are emergency medicines and... an old inner armor I used when I was young, which might be able to block a knife."

Ling Xiao gripped the ring tightly, feeling the lingering warmth on it, his throat tightening. These supplies were a painful sacrifice for the Guo family, and perhaps even meager for a Star Sea cultivator, but they represented all the sincerity the Old Earth could offer. "Third Elder, this…"

"Don't thank me." Guo Yun interrupted him, her gaze sweeping over Uncle Rong and Fa Cai before finally settling on his face. "These things buy peace for the Guo family, a glimmer of hope for you, and... if the Guo family ever faces trouble, will you still remember this little bit of kindness from your old home? Fair trade, no talk of gratitude."

Back on Earth, Guo Yun didn't leave immediately. Standing in the courtyard, gazing at the starry sky, she suddenly said, "I'm old, and so is this land. I can manage to preserve what I have, but I lack the strength to expand. The future of the Guo family cannot rely solely on an old woman like me."

She turned to Ling Xiao and said, "Xiao Hu is an average student, but he is kind-hearted and resilient. I have already had his mother teach him to manage the accounts of some of the medicinal fields and shops under the Third Branch. On the surface, it's training, but secretly... it's paving the way. If I clash with the eldest and second sons again, or if I'm gone one day, the Third Branch's foundation needs someone who can barely hold it together so it doesn't fall apart."

Ling Xiao instantly understood. She was leaving a way out for the Guo family, and also securing a future for Xiao Hu where he wouldn't have to depend on others. If they could truly make a name for themselves in Xinghai, Xiao Hu would be the strongest bond between the Guo family and them.

"Little Tiger... he'll understand," Ling Xiao said softly.

"Whether you understand or not, it's up to fate." Guo Yun waved her hand, turned and walked towards the courtyard gate. Her back was slightly hunched in the moonlight, but still straight. "The concealment array of the Boundary-Breaking Shuttle will be most effective at midnight three days from now. Leaving then will minimize the disturbance. In these three days, take what you need to take, and say goodbye to those you need to say goodbye to... that should be settled."

The door closed gently.

Ling Xiao looked down at the ring and star map in his palm, then gazed at the path leading down to the Iron Eagle-like spaceship. Uncle Rong silently wiped his broken knife, and Fa Cai rubbed against his leg, his resolve firm: "Fly...eat meat...together."

Three days later, a barely perceptible shooting star will grace the night sky above the old village. And in the small courtyard, the chubby boy who used to only know how to cry will begin to clumsily learn how to shoulder a responsibility he never imagined, amidst the ledgers and the medicinal herb fields.