Somewhere in the cosmos, a spacecraft traced an elliptical path around a star, bound by the inescapable pull of gravity.

This was the vessel carrying Zhong Yun and Yu Daoqing, now reduced to the last two souls aboard, save for the captain—forgotten and clinging to life—and the ship's lone doctor.

The pitiable doctor was the only one left in the entire ship, too overwhelmed by his tragic fate to even weep. He understood nothing of the craft's operation. Fortunately, although a large portion of the stores had been annihilated in the explosion, what remained would sustain him for decades alone.

His quarters remained untouched, all systems still functional.

Though Zhong Yun had shut down the main drive, the vessel’s good fortune in drifting through space without striking a single meteoroid, pulled only by various gravitational forces, was truly remarkable.

A month later, just as the doctor was on the brink of succumbing to the maddening isolation, his salvation arrived.

A colossal starship approached the derelict vessel floating in the void, halting nearly a thousand kilometers away before unleashing hundreds of landing craft.

Once landed, the boarding party turned the derelict inside out, finding the doctor in a state of frantic delirium and the captain near death inside a stasis pod.

They extracted both individuals, and the immense ship departed. No one aboard noticed the tiny, sleek scout ship that had already firmly attached itself to the hull.

Zhong Yun awoke from a profound slumber, feeling an unprecedented surge of vitality coursing through him.

He opened his eyes to familiar white metal, a flicker of confusion crossing his mind. Wasn't this the residence on Qi Yun Star? How did I get here?

I remember being ambushed.

He recalled the moments before he lost consciousness. Xiao Ling must have healed me, right?

"Show me my current appearance," Zhong Yun murmured. A panoramic image materialized before him. It was still the same face. He sighed, disappointed. Couldn't it have been switched for a handsomer one?

Despite his internal complaints about the lack of handsomeness, the thought of undergoing cosmetic surgery never crossed his mind. He couldn't afford the embarrassment.

Simultaneously, a wave of relief washed over him. If his face had changed, he wondered if his girlfriend would even recognize him. Having finally won over such a stunning woman, he would surely weep himself to death if she rejected him over a new visage.

After a flurry of musings, Zhong Yun swung his legs over the edge of the bed. After washing up, he left his quarters.

Zhong Yun’s breakfast was prepared by a dedicated robotic chef. While the cuisine wasn't exactly authentic, on this primitive planet, enjoying such food was a luxury. A salute to the humane services of the Omi National Administration Company—to maintain such standards across interstellar space was truly impressive; true craftsmanship shone through in the details.

He resided at the very core of the base, adjacent to the super-intelligent computer that managed the entire facility’s operations. After breakfast, he headed over to find ZER.

"Xiao Ling," Zhong Yun called out.

ZER's silhouette appeared in the room, a faint, pale blue light emanating from its optical sensors, enveloping Zhong Yun’s body. After a moment, the blue light receded. "Your physiology has returned entirely to normal."

"I feel fantastic, better than ever. I feel like I could take down a tiger barehanded," Zhong Yun boasted, striking a pose to flex his muscles.

"With your established combat proficiency, you were capable of killing any large feline barehanded six months ago."

"It was a metaphor," Zhong Yun conceded, feeling defeated by the AI's literalism. "Please, could you try to grasp a sense of humor?"

"My system includes an emotional module, but it is deactivated to conserve energy," ZER replied evenly.

In the past, Xiao Ling's dry retorts would often leave him speechless for extended periods, but now he was accustomed to it. He let out a sigh. "Never mind that."

"Right, what about my companion who arrived with me?" Zhong Yun remembered Yu Daoqing, realizing he hadn't seen her since waking. "Has she gone out?"

"Follow me," ZER replied instead of answering directly, already gliding out of the room.

Puzzled, Zhong Yun trailed behind. After several turns, ZER opened a heavily sealed door.

Staring at ZER’s black form against the background, Zhong Yun suddenly wondered how it was able to manifest here. Previously, it couldn't move far from the main system’s core. Strange.

Stepping through the threshold, the sudden wave of cold inside made the unprepared Zhong Yun shiver. "What the hell is this place? Why did you bring me here?" he complained, rubbing his arms vigorously.

Xiao Ling offered no reply, floating directly to the center of the chamber.

It was a vast room, Zhong Yun estimated over a thousand square meters, with a dais placed in the middle, nearly three meters high. On top of the platform rested an enormous metal containment unit, seemingly the source of the biting cold.

Seeing ZER ascend to the platform, Zhong Yun followed cautiously, an inexplicable sense of dread tightening in his chest.

Upon reaching the top, he saw the metal container was about the size of a double bed, standing perhaps one and a half meters tall. It was a pale, yellowish color, emitting a cold, spectral glow.

Its lid was transparent, allowing a clear view of the contents within.

Zhong Yun swallowed hard and approached the container. The moment he registered the scene inside, he gasped, a sharp intake of breath. "This... this..."

He spun around to face ZER, who hovered near the edge of the platform, his face a mask of shock, disbelief, and terror. "What happened? What is wrong with her?"

He turned back to the transparent lid. Inside, a woman lay perfectly still, her form as exquisite as the most delicate artwork imaginable. Her expression was serene and composed, like a noble princess in deep slumber.

She wore a dress of pale moonlight white, and her skin possessed a translucent paleness.

"Xiao Ling, this isn't funny," Zhong Yun managed, bracing his hands on the cold edge of the metal box. The chill seeped into his core, making him tremble. "Wake her up. Stop this ridiculous joke."

"Her life force is completely depleted," ZER’s voice was barely a whisper.

"I told you to wake her up!" Zhong Yun slammed his fist onto the transparent lid, roaring in fury. He whirled around, fixing a savage, crimson-eyed glare upon ZER—like a wounded wolf.

"She performed a life sacrifice for the World Tree," ZER explained, its voice distant and ethereal, as if echoing from beyond the stars. "Using her vitality as the cost to nurture the World Tree..."

"Stop talking," Zhong Yun cried out, clutching his face in agony. He slid down the side of the metal box until he was sitting heavily on the floor.

"...Ultimately, she exhausted her life force, pushing the World Tree into its nascent form, successfully opening the spring source, and using its waters to eliminate your backlash state..."

"I said stop!" Zhong Yun lunged at ZER, his features contorted in rage. He passed straight through the AI's projected shadow, tumbling off the platform and landing hard on the floor below.

ZER floated down from the dais, hovering before him. "You are injured."

Zhong Yun lay motionless. Crimson blood streamed from his head, dripping steadily onto the dull, brownish-green floor, pooling slowly.

After a long, long silence...

"Can she be saved?" Zhong Yun finally spoke. He lifted his head; the wound on his forehead had stopped bleeding. "Can she be brought back?"

ZER’s response remained mechanical. "Once your Yuan reaches Level Three, there is a fourteen percent chance you can revive her."

"That means she can be saved," Zhong Yun declared. He wiped his face, smeared sticky with blood, stood up, and walked toward the doorway, not glancing back once. He heard the heavy door seal behind him.

"I will come back for you," he vowed. "Just as you saved me."

Returning to his room, Zhong Yun locked himself in. For ten full days, he did not take a single step outside.

On the eleventh day, he emerged. The optimistic and easygoing Zhong Yun seemed to have returned, his smile unchanged.

Yet, in moments of quiet reflection, the heavy shadow in his eyes revealed that he was no longer the carefree youth he once was.

His first act upon emerging was to meet his dependents—a collection of obedient, well-behaved children. Zhong Yun toured their classrooms, where they spent half their day in study.

The children’s instructor was a virtual projection; its true body resided in the base's supercomputer. Education was the paramount priority of the base, as the future development of the planet would rely on these children and their descendants—and only high-quality education could cultivate sufficient talent.

Beyond imparting knowledge, the most crucial element taught in the classrooms was idol worship. The idol, naturally, was Zhong Yun himself. This was deemed essential for fostering the children’s sense of belonging and unity.

Leaving the classrooms, Zhong Yun proceeded to the farm. The caloric needs of five thousand people were substantial; achieving food self-sufficiency as soon as possible was vital. Furthermore, to cultivate the children’s practical skills and independent character, they were required to work here for three to four hours daily.

Admittedly, with mechanical assistance, this labor was not overly strenuous.

In addition to study and production, there were numerous extracurricular activities. Overall, the children’s lives were rich and varied. The sole tragedy was their lack of parents, which cast a shadow over their development.

The base operated with steady efficiency. The most dramatic change was the lake—once beautiful and verdant—which had been replaced by a towering, colossal tree nearly a hundred meters high, its trunk requiring five adults to encircle.

This was only the World Tree in its infancy; one could only imagine its mature form.

Gazing upon this World Tree, Zhong Yun’s emotions were complex. Until yesterday, he had longed for it to grow quickly. Now...

The one-year deadline was fast approaching. Xiao Ling had already repaid the one hundred billion credit debt owed to the Omi National Administration Company. The payment due in the second year was two hundred billion—a direct doubling.

It seemed he would have to scour the entire galaxy for "Black Mandrake" upon returning to Davor. Hearing that astronomical figure, Zhong Yun couldn't stop scratching his head.

After staying at the base for two more days, Zhong Yun decided to return to Davor. He boarded the Mars, taking the still-unconscious Yu Daoqing with him.

A few days later, just as they neared the border of Davor, the Mars suddenly halted.

"Two fleets are engaged in combat ahead," Xiao Ling’s voice announced in the main control room, stunning Zhong Yun.

That was within Davor’s territory. How could fleets be fighting there? Zhong Yun’s mind spun. "What exactly is happening?"

"One of the warring parties belongs to the Davor Republic, and the other belongs to the Hong Xian Federation."