Breakthrough
Late into the night, the afterglow of the banquet had not yet faded, and the endless stream of delicious food made everyone linger.
The chefs in both the inner and outer kitchens were constantly busy, adding more food to the menu.
Meanwhile, Sangye and Lin Changli had secretly left the banquet hall and quietly climbed onto the roof of the palace.
A small sycamore tree grew on the eaves, gradually reaching the height of a person. The little phoenix squinted its eyes, squatting under the tree, as if it were about to fall asleep again.
"He's been sleeping way too much lately," Sangye whispered to Lin Changli.
Lin Changli glanced at the little phoenix.
"I have a New Year's gift for you." Lin Changli took out a document from his spatial storage and handed it to Sang Ye.
Sanye took it.
The document was bound in a dark blue velvet cover with a matching ribbon bow, which attracted Sango to pull it open.
Upon opening it, Sangye noticed the large filename: Black Tower Star Ownership Transfer Agreement.
Sangye was taken aback and looked up at Lin Changli.
Lin Changli's golden eyes reflected the silvery moonlight, exuding extraordinary gentleness. He gestured for Sangye to look down.
The terms are quite clear.
All black crystal mineral resources on Black Tower Star belong to the royal family, and the subsequent use and profits from the black crystals are determined by the royal family. After the transfer of ownership of Black Tower Star, territorial sovereignty still belongs to the Empire, and the Empire has the right to send troops to manage it...
All of this was within Sangye's expectations, until she saw the final transfer price—
914 Star Coins.
Sangye blinked, somewhat puzzled by the significance of the number.
Lin Changli had been hesitant to mention the price, so Sangye guessed that he was planning something big, but he didn't know what he was planning to do.
Regardless of the price, Sangye had already set a price in her mind, but she didn't understand the significance of that price.
Staring at Lin Changli's expectant gaze, Sangye forced himself to recall what day it was.
Lin Changli's gaze became increasingly meaningful, while Sangye lowered his head further and further.
Finally, he said in a low voice, like a resentful husband, "You really have forgotten."
Sangye remained defiant: "I have so many things to do every day, I'm so busy... So what day is it today?"
Lin Changli took a deep breath and decided not to argue with her: "We met around this time last year."
"Ah—" Sangye suddenly realized, and obediently lowered his head again under Lin Changli's unfriendly expression.
“Once you sign, the planet will be transferred to you. I originally didn’t want to add so many clauses, but the legal department stood by me to the end, saying that although Black Tower Star was a gift from my mother and I have exclusive rights to the profits from the Black Crystal, they absolutely would not allow the mining and usage rights of the Black Crystal to belong to an individual.”
Sangye didn't care about the black crystal; what she valued was the planet itself.
"914 star coins, really? I signed it?" Sangye leaned closer, blinking. "Once you sign it, it's mine."
Lin Changli looked at her long, fluttering eyelashes and turned his head away: "You have to make it up to me. It won't be that easy now."
Sangye pulled out a pen and quickly signed his name: "Okay, I'll owe you for now. Remember to ask me for it back."
She smiled and put the contract into a dark blue velvet sleeve, then returned it to Lin Changli.
The two sat at the highest point of the palace, gazing at the bustling capital.
“I wasn’t born here,” Lin Changli said calmly. “My mother received a fiefdom in a star cluster after she came of age, far from the capital star and far from the political vortex. That’s where she met my father. The former emperor, who was my grandmother, had a spirit form that was a white-browed spider. The biological characteristic of this kind of spirit form is that it can hatch embryos that are gestating at different times at the same time. My mother wasn’t the seventh child born. She and her sisters hatched at the same time, but she was named the seventh. She and her sisters were all eldest daughters.”
In other words, they essentially both possessed the right to inherit the throne.
The previous emperor used this method to select the strongest one to lead the empire forward.
"When the war for the throne broke out, my aunt was the first to occupy the capital planet. The capital planet was the first planet where mankind landed in the universe, and it is of extraordinary significance and a spiritual symbol. If you want to get the throne, you must take back the capital planet."
Sangye listened quietly to his past.
“On New Year’s Eve of the year of victory, my mother and I sat here, just like we are today, looking at the whole planet.” Lin Changli paused. “But not long after, she was called away. She had more important things to do and became busier. The throne is an honor, but also a responsibility.”
"I stayed on the roof alone for a long time."
Kuwano moved closer to him and leaned on his shoulder with a kiss.
The little phoenix and the little sycamore tree beside them moved over quietly without making a sound.
"You said you would compensate me," Lin Changli said, stroking the envelope. "I want it now."
Sangye nodded slightly.
Lin Changli helped her sit up and placed a kiss on her forehead: "Spend every New Year with me from now on."
*
When Sangye woke up the next day, he vigorously rubbed his sore back.
Ha, he's still celebrating every New Year. Let him get through next year on his own!
If this continues, she'll lose her back in a few years.
It's true that a man's three tears can break her heart.
The price she paid was far too high.
Lin Changli's palace is truly special.
The tower is soaring high, even taller than the banquet hall, with a huge vaulted ceiling that leaves a vast space. The top and sides are open, allowing views of the night sky.
The enormous four-poster Roman bed, adorned with gold and carvings, was placed in the very center of the bedroom; one could jump onto it from the vaulted ceiling.
The kittens and puppies sleep at the foot of the bed, completely unaware of being crushed. They rest their heads on each other, belly up, fast asleep, oblivious to the world around them.
As Sangye was complaining about the peculiar furniture arrangement, a voice suddenly came from the sycamore tree in her mind: "Sangsang! Can you feel it?"
What do you feel?
Sangye paused in his dressing, following the guidance of the paulownia tree, and continuously increased his spiritual power, just like the paulownia tree grows.
Finally, upon reaching a certain altitude, she noticed something unusual.
In the outer space of the capital planet, a powerful spiritual force swept around, constantly expanding and changing, as hot as magma.
The instant that Sangye's spiritual body touched it, it suddenly dispersed, sweeping towards the capital star and all the planets in the star cluster like a tsunami.
A tremendous bell tolled from the palace, echoing throughout the capital, serving as a warning.
Kuwano: "...Did I do something I shouldn't have done?"
The sycamore tree: "...Don't you feel that this spiritual energy is familiar?"
"Lin Changli? Why is his mental energy so hot again? Has he gone on another mental rampage?" Sangye frowned. "What about Xiao Wutong? Have you been able to contact her? What happened?"
"She said she was very quiet in her mental landscape, nothing happened, the phoenix was not there."
Just as Sangye was about to take out his terminal to contact Lin Changli, a loud phoenix cry drowned out the alarm bell. He was rushing towards the tower, his wings cutting through the flames and turning the entire sky red.
Lin Shuangqiao and Lin Yangchuan looked solemn, followed by Saiyin and Wu Jinyue. Their spiritual power, as guides, was released along the way, radiating outwards from the palace as the core.
They were all well aware of the damage Lin Changli could cause. At this moment, Alpha Fortress was still in outer space, and on the first day of the new year, there could be no casualties on the capital planet.
Lin Shuangqiao was the first to push open the door to the tower's bedroom; the heavy door seemed weightless in her hands.
"Lin Changli!" Lin Shuangqiao roared, "If you dare to cause trouble during the New Year, I'll tie your wings and throw you into outer space!"
The last syllable disappeared abruptly.
Sangye stood awkwardly at the foot of the bed.
“He’s not here.” Sangye pointed to the ceiling. “But it seems like he’ll be back soon.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the phoenix's shadow enveloped the entire palace. The tower was like a small toy under his claws, only able to withstand his weight thanks to the special metal.
His enormous head peered through the opening in the vaulted ceiling: "Hmm? Why are you all here?"
Lin Shuangqiao glared at him, and instantly his neck shrank, his body suddenly shrinking.
Lin Changli landed on the arch, and everyone looked up at him.
His hair suddenly grew to his waist, and the proportion of golden red became more prominent, as if he had done multiple layers of highlights.
He jumped down from the archway with a proud and smug smile, displaying the same lively spirit as the little phoenix.
Lin Shuangqiao was taken aback; Lin Changli hadn't shown this expression in many years.
Sangye extended his spiritual power and patted his head. Although his spiritual power was so intense that people's breath was hot and the temperature in the entire palace was approaching 40 degrees Celsius, there was no trace of rage. He was clear-headed, so his mental image was calm, which is why Xiao Wutong did not react.
"I'm fine, everyone." He smiled. "Don't worry about me, I've just broken through again."
"Hmph~" The little phoenix stood behind him, lifelike, its feathers held high and its long tail feathers constantly sweeping. "Am I amazing? I slept for a full three months to prepare for this breakthrough! I was so bored."
To prepare for this breakthrough, the little phoenix had been absorbing spiritual energy within the spiritual landscape, lingering by the phoenix tree and silently accumulating power.
The mental energy that caused the commotion was released by the little phoenix in its extreme excitement.
There was no particular intention other than to cause panic.
It's short for "eating too much and having nothing better to do".
Soon, the smug little phoenix was scolded by Lin Shuangqiao, and it shrank back down, hiding behind Sangye.
But Lin Shuangqiao was still happy about it. Lin Changli was the only SSS-level Sentinel in the Empire, and more importantly, he had gotten rid of the mental riot.
And all of this is thanks to Kuwano.
Lin Shuangqiao hugged Sang Ye and whispered, "Thank you, thank you so much."
Without Sang Ye, Lin Changli would never be where he is today.
As for Sangye, she was truly envious. If she could, Sangye didn't want to be thanked; she also wanted to advance.
Why can Lin Changli do it, but she can't?
She healed so many people, yet her mental level only reached A. Damn it, who's the one with the growth potential anyway?
The sycamore tree blushed with shame: "Don't you understand the saying 'good things come to those who wait,' and 'great things come to those who wait'? Don't envy other people's spirits; I'm already excellent!"
While she was playfully bickering with the sycamore tree, Lin Changli walked towards her carrying a large bouquet of feather flowers.
The tail feathers burned with various shades of red, imbued with the phoenix's spiritual power, which the parasol tree liked very much.
“When he broke through, his size increased, and I took the opportunity to pluck his most beautiful feathers.” Lin Changli handed the feather flower to Sang Ye.
Phoenix feathers have no fishy smell at all, but emit a faint fragrance.
The parasol tree asked Sangye to take the feather flower into the cave.
The little phoenix absorbs the spiritual energy generated by the phoenix tree and the spiritual landscape within the forest's spiritual realm. In fact, the phoenix tree is also absorbing its energy; the two complement each other. Now it's its turn to contribute to the phoenix tree.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
