Rewards and Sky-Breaking

At noon, the sky was clear and the sun shone brightly.

After resting and dealing with the spoils, the migration convoy set out once more.

Standing on the Bone Shield as he flew through the air, Li Qi looked down at the winding, sprawling migration convoy. The enormous grayish-brown Drill Beast corpse was being hauled by dozens of carts working together.

Whenever Li Qi patrolled from the air, many people in the convoy below would unconsciously look up at the sky. Each time they saw that flying figure, they felt reassured.

They knew that as long as this young inspector was there, their safety was guaranteed.

After all, he was an expert who had slain a planetary-level beast!

Indeed, the news that Li Qi had killed a planetary-level Drill Beast had spread throughout the entire migration convoy, greatly uniting everyone.

And so, the migration convoy continued toward the Royce Family, arriving there several days later.

Two tribes joined them along the way, and after encountering two small beast hordes, nothing else happened.

After the several tribes that had migrated over were arranged by the family elders, Li Qi extricated himself and returned to the family.

After several days, he returned to the familiar home.

"Eleven!"

Seeing Li Qi return, his mother Winnie immediately tossed aside what she was holding and hurried over to embrace him.

"I'm back, Mother," Li Qi said softly.

"It's good that you're back!" Releasing Li Qi, Winnie's eyes glistened. "You weren't hurt, were you?"

"No. If you don't believe me, look." As Li Qi spoke, he spun in a circle.

"It's good that you're fine."

After several days apart, Winnie had many things she wanted to say to Li Qi. But remembering her husband's instructions, she could only reluctantly hold herself back.

"Your father and third brother are back. They told you to go to the main tent once you returned."

Li Qi nodded slightly. "Then I'll go now."

Leaving home for the main tent, Li Qi greeted the family members he met along the way before arriving outside it.

"Grandfather."

Li Qi called out respectfully from outside the tent.

"Eleven, come in."

A man's voice came from within.

The moment he entered the main tent, Li Qi saw several people seated inside. His father, Derrick, was among them.

The burly middle-aged man at the head had well-defined features. He was Royce, the founder of the Royce Family.

At that moment, Royce wore a faint smile. "Eleven, you've done very well!

"First, you saved Little Eighteen and Nineteen. Then you completed the patrol mission and even killed a planetary-level beast."

As he spoke, he removed a beastskin pouch from his waist and handed it to a man beside him.

The man had rugged features and an equally imposing build. He silently accepted the beastskin pouch, walked over to Li Qi, and handed it to him.

Li Qi looked at the beastskin pouch his third father Ivanko was handing him. "Third Father, this is?"

Ivanko replied, "This is the family's reward for you: two Red Dew Fruits. Old Seven will tell you how to use them."

Hearing that it was the family's reward, Li Qi accepted the beastskin pouch.

He had heard of Red Dew Fruits. They were treasures somewhat more precious than Purple Orange Fruits.

Seeing Li Qi accept the beastskin pouch, Royce added, "Oh, right. Little One has a gift for you. It's already been delivered to your home.

"I won't tell you what it is. You'll find out once you go back and contact Little One."

What kind of gift is so mysterious? Li Qi wondered.

Royce waved a hand lightly. "Go back and get some rest. Then study what you gained today. Don't waste Little One's good intentions."

"Yes, Grandfather." Li Qi nodded and turned to leave.

Ivanko's voice rang out. "Eleven!"

"Third Father?"

Ivanko said sternly, "The beast tide is about to arrive. Twelve and Thirteen will be taking part in their first beast tide trial. You will serve as the commander of the defense zone they're assigned to."

"Yes!"

Li Qi could tell from his third father's stern tone that there was no room for refusal.

He understood that Ivanko was speaking as the shelter's guardian, not as an elder of the family.

"Mm, go back and rest well." Ivanko's expression softened somewhat as he turned to Derrick. "Old Seven, you should go too."

Derrick nodded, rose to his feet, and left the main tent with Li Qi.

On the way back, Derrick asked, "You spent so many days out on the grasslands as a patrol inspector. What are your thoughts?"

All kinds of scenes from the grasslands surfaced in Li Qi's mind. After a moment of silence, he said, "It's very difficult for weak tribes to survive on the grasslands. An attack by a single beast horde could wipe out an entire tribe."

Derrick shook his head at that answer. "Not just that."

"Hm?"

Li Qi was puzzled. He did not understand what his father meant by saying it was not enough.

Derrick tilted his head slightly. "You'll understand once you've been to Zhaoguang City."

As they spoke, the two returned home.

Derrick first went into the inner room, then came back out carrying a silver-white metal case. "This is a gift from your eldest brother."

Li Qi accepted the metal case and opened it. Inside was a neatly arranged row of silver-white blades.

With a sweep of his psychic power, he counted twenty blades in the row.

The twenty blades came in different shapes. Some were uniform in thickness, while others went from thin to thick.

Although the blades differed in shape and thickness, they shared one common feature: sharpness!

A sharpness visible to the naked eye!

"Is this a psychic weapon?"

Li Qi turned to his father, his expression delighted.

"I'm not sure." Derrick shook his head. "We'll have to ask your eldest brother."

As he spoke, he removed the communicator from Li Qi's wrist and made the call.

"Beep..."

After several rings, a light screen appeared.

On the light screen, an unfamiliar face appeared before them.

Li Qi and Derrick looked at each other when they saw that face.

Because the owner of that face was not Li Qi's eldest brother, Ailik Ron Royce.

The person on the light screen was a woman, a young and beautiful woman!

"Are you Ailik's family? He's taking a shower. I'll go get him."

The view pulled back, revealing the woman's upper body clad in a dark green combat uniform.

She looked valiant and heroic, with a seductive figure. When she brushed back her long hair, she was utterly captivating!

Tilting her head, the woman called out, "Ailik, your family is looking for you."

From the other side came his eldest brother's voice. "Wait a moment, I'll be right there."

Hearing Ailik's response, the woman returned to the light screen and introduced herself. "My name is Daya. I'm Ailik's friend, and also his teammate at the United Training Camp."

"I'm Ailik's seventh father, Derrick."

After introducing himself, Derrick pointed at Li Qi beside him. "This is my son, Li Qi. He's Ailik's eleventh younger brother."

"Hello, Seventh Uncle." Daya was poised and gracious.

After greeting him, she turned to Li Qi. "Eleven, I've often heard Ailik talk about you.

"He said you're a genius and that you'll enter the United Training Camp like us in the future."

Finally, she smiled somewhat mischievously. "I didn't expect you to be not only a genius, but also such a very cute boy."

"Uh..."

Li Qi blushed slightly. Being called a cute boy was so embarrassing!

At that moment, Ailik entered the light screen bare-chested and wearing only shorts, his hair still slightly damp.

"You should head back first. I have something to discuss with them. I'll come find you once I'm done."

The moment he appeared, Ailik spoke softly to Daya.

"Fine..."

Daya was clearly reluctant and seemed to want to stay a little longer, but she obediently left anyway.

Watching Daya leave, Li Qi and his father Derrick noticed something. The two people on the light screen interacted very naturally!

Derrick teased, "Little One, that girl Daya from earlier... could she be your future wife?"

"Daya will become my wife in the future."

A smile appeared on Ailik's handsome face as he admitted it openly.

"Heh, you really are like your second brother..."

Derrick seemed nostalgic, but stopped halfway through the sentence.

"I heard Grandfather talk about Father and Mother. They fell in love at the Stellar Training Camp, and then they had me."

Ailik sank into his memories. "Actually, when I first entered the United Training Camp, I was focused entirely on training. I never thought about romance."

"But after meeting Daya..." At this point, a bitter smile appeared on Ailik's face. "I understand a little now."

"Little One, you..."

Derrick wanted to offer some comfort, but he was stopped.

"Enough, Seventh Father! Let the past stay in the past." Ailik interrupted Derrick.

Then he turned to Li Qi. "Eleven, did you receive my gift?"

"I did." Li Qi placed the metal case in front of him and asked, "Are these blades fragments of a psychic weapon?"

"Haha! Eleven, you think too little of your eldest brother!" Ailik said with a laugh. "These aren't fragments of a psychic weapon. They're an incomplete psychic weapon!"

"What's the difference between psychic weapon fragments and an incomplete psychic weapon?" Li Qi asked in confusion.

Ailik explained in detail, "A psychic weapon consists of dozens or even hundreds of basic components. Once it is missing components, it becomes incomplete, and its power decreases. Usually, that kind of damage can be repaired.

"But if too many components are missing, the remaining components can no longer unleash even part of the psychic weapon's power. Components in that state are fragments. They can only be used as sharp weapons, with very little value for repair or use.

"However, if these components can be assembled together and unleash part of a psychic weapon's power, then they form an incomplete psychic weapon. It has a certain degree of value for use and repair."

Ailik continued, "Don't underestimate incomplete psychic weapons!

"I learned from friends in the Virtual Universe that some low-grade psychic weapons are simplified versions of high-grade psychic weapons. They can also be regarded as incomplete high-grade psychic weapons."

After saying that, he pointed to the metal case in front of Li Qi. "What I gave you is an incomplete psychic weapon made up of twenty basic components—the Sky-Breaking Sword!"