The aroma wafting from the kitchen grew stronger. Han Feng watched his father and Lin Zhengguo chatting and laughing in the living room, their familiarity seemingly unbroken by the past twenty years. The radiant expression on his father's face was something Han Feng had never seen before in his life.

"Dinner's ready!" Han's mother's voice came from the dining room.

The group moved to the dining room, where a round table was laden with home-style dishes—the braised pork belly was glistening and tempting, the steamed fish was topped with vibrant green scallions, and there was also Han Feng's favorite sweet and sour pork ribs. Lin Zhengguo's eyes lit up, and without waiting for a word, he picked up a piece of braised pork belly and put it in his mouth.

"Mmm! That's the taste!" He squinted his eyes in satisfaction. "Old Han was right, my sister-in-law's cooking is indeed excellent."

Han's mother smiled, her eyes crinkling into crescents: "Brother Lin, if you like it, eat more. There's more in the pot."

Han's father had already opened a bottle of baijiu and filled Lin Zhengguo's glass: "Boss, let's drink until we drop tonight!"

"Dad, the commander has a meeting tomorrow," Han Feng couldn't help but remind him.

"Don't call me 'Chief,' call me Uncle Lin!" Han's father glared at his son. "We don't need so many formalities in private."

Lin Zhengguo laughed heartily, raised his glass to clink with Han's father's: "Xiaofeng is right, let's just have a little today. Once things have calmed down, we'll have a proper drink together."

Amidst the clinking of glasses, Han Feng noticed his father and Lin Zhengguo exchange a meaningful glance. That kind of unspoken understanding could only be found between two people who had shared life and death experiences.

"Son, put some food on your Uncle Lin's plate," Han's mother winked at Han Feng, "Don't just eat by yourself."

Just as Han Feng was about to pick up his chopsticks, Lin Zhengguo waved his hand: "Let him hear about his father's glorious deeds first." He then turned to Han's father, "Old Han, do you remember the mission you received when you first transferred to the team?"

Han's father nearly spat out the wine he had just taken a sip: "Boss! Can we talk about this?"

Han's mother was stunned: "Didn't Lao Han say he was in the logistics support unit?"

"Yes, that's right, the logistics support unit. And because of his outstanding performance in the company, he was temporarily transferred to the armed police for a month," Lin Zhengguo coughed and explained.

Then, under the threatening look in Han's father's eyes, Lin Zhengguo winked at Han Feng and said, "Back then, your dad disguised himself as a wealthy businessman's assistant, and ended up catching the eye of his daughter, almost becoming a son-in-law of a rich family..."

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Han's father's ears turned red. "That was a special case!"

Han's mother chimed in quietly, "Oh, Old Han has such a glorious past?"

The dining table erupted in laughter. Watching his parents bicker, Han Feng felt a warm current well up inside him. He had never seen such a vibrant family atmosphere before—his father was no longer the serious businessman, and his mother was no longer the lukewarm housewife; they had both come alive.

"And then?" Su Wanwan asked, resting her chin on her hand, her eyes sparkling.

"Later," Lin Zhengguo slowly picked up a piece of fish, "this guy, in order to get away, lied and said he was gay, which angered the young lady so much that she threw red wine all over him on the spot."

Han's father groaned, rubbing his forehead: "My image...!"

"Do you even have an image left?" Lin Zhengguo teased. "Do you want me to tell you all about your past?"

Even Han's usually dignified mother was laughing so hard she was doubled over. Looking at his father's embarrassed appearance, Han Feng realized that his father, who always taught him to be "composed and proper," was also a hot-blooded young man who caused all sorts of blunders in his youth.

After dinner, Lin Zhengguo said goodbye to Han's parents, and Han Feng drove him back to the Xishan Villa. Liu Mengran and Su Wanwan stayed behind to help clean up the mess.

Along the way, Han Feng heard about his father from Lin Zhengguo, a story that was different from his own. He never expected that his father had also experienced life-and-death trials of varying degrees.

When Han Feng returned home, the two women had already gone back to their rooms. Han Feng pressed his ear against the door and could only hear their even breathing. After washing up, Han Feng also went back to his bed and began to meditate.

With his mind still on the topic he had discussed with Lin Zhengguo that afternoon—making the Dragon Abyss Warriors a force of ancient martial arts in China—Han Feng entered the cultivation space.

Within the system space, galaxies flowed and Han Feng's consciousness floated in the void. At Han Feng's call, Zero's figure slowly emerged.

"What's wrong? You don't need me to guide you in your training, do you? You've already mastered those two moves from yesterday," Zero said impatiently.

"No, I want to ask if there's any way to let the warriors of Longyuan also cultivate my Star Meridian Diagram?" Han Feng asked Zero.

Do you think a star chart is as easy as cabbage?

"Is there really no way to get the warriors of Longyuan to cultivate the power of stars? Or some other ancient martial arts energy?" Han Feng pressed on, unwilling to give up. "Even the most basic one will do."

Zero's light flickered a few times, as if in thought: "The power system of every ancient martial arts family is built upon a specific bloodline or inheritance. While the power of the stars does not depend on bloodline, it requires a special soul resonance..."

Han Feng sighed in disappointment. If he could really help the warriors of Longyuan cultivate into the kind of acquired realm experts found in ancient martial arts families, they would essentially have a means of survival in the face of future emergencies.

"However..." Zero's shadow suddenly lengthened, forming a winding band of light, "You've reminded me of a possibility."

Han Feng immediately perked up: "What?"

"When you condense your clone, how do you construct the energy circuit?" Zero countered.

"Following the flow of the stellar energy within my body, I used my consciousness to guide the energy to simulate..." Han Feng suddenly widened his eyes. "Wait, you mean—"

"Theoretically, you can temporarily construct a star network within someone else's body, much like creating a clone." Zero's light and shadow split into two parts: one simulating Han Feng's star network, and the other displaying an ordinary person's meridians. "Of course, this requires the other person to completely relax their mind, just like..."

"Like the sensation of Qi during acupuncture in Traditional Chinese Medicine," Han Feng continued, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I only need to inject the power of the stars into specific acupoints and guide the energy flow along the stellar orbit!"

Zero's light and shadow recombine: "Clever. But there are two fatal flaws."

Han Feng immediately sat down.

"First, if the recipient cannot fully absorb this external energy, it will have no effect whatsoever. After all, the star trail created in this way does not have the ability to absorb stellar power autonomously; it can only be absorbed actively by the recipient himself. Second, if the recipient has any thoughts of resistance or betrayal, the energy backlash will severely injure both of you simultaneously."

Han Feng fell into deep thought. He thought of the soldiers at the Longyuan base; every one of them was a comrade-in-arms who had shared life and death with him, and their loyalty was beyond question.

"It's worth a try." Han Feng finally made up his mind.