The dawn after the Advancement Ceremony bathed the Jin Clan's Sacred Peak in golden light.
Taixuan stood atop the peak, his robe fluttering in the cool breeze. His body was still buzzing from the immense energy coursing through him. A single night had changed everything.
He was no longer just a talented junior.
He was now the youngest Void Core cultivator in the history of his branch—and a Star Commander Warship Master.
And unbeknownst to him, far above the skies, visitors were descending.
A massive Spectral Airship, marked with the Jin Family crest—an elegant nine-pointed flame—broke through the clouds, descending toward the branch clan's main courtyard.
Its arrival was majestic yet carried no hostility, only solemnity.
The first to step out was a middle-aged man clad in silver-white armor, his presence steady and dignified. Beside him walked a woman with snow-white hair braided neatly behind her head, eyes calm yet sharp like a blade that had seen countless battles.
Behind them, a team of attendants followed, all wearing the same crest on their uniforms.
Jin Wei personally led Taixuan and the branch elders to receive the delegation.
When they met, the armored man bowed respectfully.
> "Jin Hailong, Deacon of the Main Family, pays respect to Elder Jin Wei."
> "Jin Xue, Internal Affairs Supervisor, greets the honored elder."
Jin Wei returned the bow deeply, his voice steady despite the excitement rising inside him.
> "Welcome, honored envoys. You grace our humble branch with your presence."
The ceremonial greetings were formal but sincere. No arrogance, no condescension. The Main Family treated them as true kin, not distant relatives.
After all, blood was blood.
Once formalities were complete, Jin Hailong turned toward Taixuan, his eyes gleaming.
> "Is this the young hero who stirred the heavens?"
Taixuan stepped forward, bowing low but with measured confidence.
> "Junior Jin Taixuan greets Senior Hailong."
The man studied Taixuan for a moment, his gaze like a piercing blade—assessing, measuring. Then, slowly, he smiled, a rare warmth entering his stern features.
> "Outstanding."
He turned and presented a scroll, sealed with the Main Jin Family's Blood Crest.
> "By order of the Elders' Council, Jin Taixuan is hereby invited to the Main Family to further his cultivation and receive the clan's full support."
Murmurs broke out among the branch elders.
To be personally invited by the Elders' Council—it was a supreme honor. It meant recognition, resources, protection, and a future path paved with endless possibilities.
Jin Wei's eyes glistened as he looked at Taixuan.
He had long dreamed of his descendants rejoining the main bloodline, reclaiming the glory lost because of his own past mistakes.
But he remained silent.
This was Taixuan's choice.
The armored envoy spoke again, voice firm:
> "Understand, young one. Accepting this invitation is not mandatory. It is an opportunity, not a command. Should you refuse, no grudge shall be held."
It was said with genuine sincerity.
Taixuan bowed again, deep in thought.
He understood. If he accepted, he would step onto a stage far greater than anything he had seen. Challenges would be monstrous, but so would the chances to grow.
He thought of his grandfather.
Of his clan.
Of the dreams buried in the blood of their ancestors.
He raised his head, voice clear and unwavering.
> "I, Jin Taixuan, humbly accept the invitation. I swear to bring honor to my bloodline and my ancestors!"
Cheers erupted behind him.
Jin Wei closed his eyes, letting out a long, trembling breath.
His faith had not been misplaced.
The next few days were a whirlwind.
The branch clan held a massive banquet in Taixuan's honor, with tables stretching across the mountain courtyard. Fireworks lit up the night sky, and the warships of the clan hovered above like a constellation of guardians.
During the banquet, Taixuan personally visited every elder and prominent member, showing his gratitude and respect.
Lian, now formally recognized as an elite of the younger generation, stood beside him like a shadow.
Jin Wei privately gave Taixuan a storage ring.
Inside were countless cultivation resources—star jades, gene enhancement potions, rare metals for ship upgrades.
> "This is everything the branch can offer," Jin Wei said, voice hoarse. "Go, child. Forge a future where no one dares look down on our blood again."
Taixuan knelt and bowed three times, his forehead touching the ground.
He vowed silently that he would repay this love and trust a thousandfold.
On the morning of the fifth day, Taixuan, dressed in ceremonial armor, boarded the Spectral Airship alongside the envoys.
From the highest peak, the entire branch clan stood to send him off.
The airship rose slowly, and Taixuan stood at the edge, gazing down at the sea of waving hands, at the faces filled with hope and pride.
He did not weep.
Instead, he carved the image deep into his soul.
A fire blazed within him—one that would never extinguish.
The ship pierced through the clouds, entering the vastness of the Starry Sea.
Below, the Jin Clan's Sacred Peak glowed faintly, the first light of a rising dawn.
Inside the airship, Taixuan meditated, stabilizing his newly broken realm. The Void Core within him spun slowly, harmonizing with the energy circuits of his Heavenhammer Warship.
He opened his hand, revealing a second gift given by Jin Wei: a worn, ancient pendant.
Inside it, Taixuan found old star maps, hidden cultivation techniques, and notes written in his grandfather's hand.
> "This is my unfinished path, Taixuan," the note read. "Finish it for me."
Taixuan gripped it tightly.
He would finish it.
And he would carve his own legend across the stars.
The Grand Star System was nothing like Taixuan imagined.
Massive planets linked by shining astral bridges. Floating fortresses housing millions. Colossal warships the size of cities moving in fleets through the void.
In the heart of it all floated the Jin Family's Ancestral Domain—a world of silver mountains, crystal seas, and golden palaces.
As the airship approached, hundreds of patrol crafts saluted, recognizing the sigil on the envoy's ship.
They descended into the central palace, where a crowd awaited: elders, instructors, promising juniors.
A horn sounded.
> "Welcome Jin Taixuan, son of the branch bloodline! Honor to the flame!"
Voices rose in thunderous unity.
Taixuan stepped off the airship into a new world, the pendant hidden beneath his armor, the Heavenhammer Warship orbiting silently above like a faithful guardian.
His journey had truly begun.