Resolve

"Big Brother!"

Li Qi lowered his head, covering his face with one hand as tears streamed uncontrollably down his cheeks.

He understood his big brother's choice. Love could sometimes be this unreasonable. In his previous life, he had seen quite a few news stories about lovers dying for one another.

He just had not expected such a thing to happen so close to him in this life, nor that he would lose a family member because of it!

Derrick's mouth hung slightly open, his eyes damp and his face filled with disbelief.

He did not believe it was real, but the facts were right before him, leaving no room for denial!

Huo Lu was deeply grieved and looked dejected. He seemed to have lost all spirit, like someone seriously ill and completely drained of strength.

He was Royce's eldest son. When Eric had been sent back to the family after his birth, Huo Lu had been the one to raise him. Though they were not father and son by blood, they were as close as father and son could be.

Yet now, a white-haired man was sending off a black-haired one. How could he not be devastated?

The older generation had been through much, but their hearts still ached terribly. To this family of fewer than a hundred people, every family member was an important part of it!

They tried their best to control their emotions, unwilling to lose their composure before their children and nephews.

"Waaah! Big Brother!"

Twelve's choked sobs rang out.

Soon after, Thirteen's crying could be heard as well. He was trying hard to restrain himself, his voice low and muffled.

No one spoke. They remained in the main tent, steeped in grief, for a long time.

After a long silence, Royce, the family's founder, finally spoke.

"I know Little One's departure has made everyone very sad. He was the family's pride, and he was also an excellent elder brother."

Compared to the others, Royce, as the family's founder, was calmer and more composed. He suppressed the grief in his heart.

That was also because his life had been full of hardship, and he had experienced far too much.

His life had changed when he was sold into Qian Wu Universe Country as a slave!

Had the Molten Empire not rescued him, he could not even be certain that he would have lived to this age.

Since settling down on Kuka Planet, marrying, having children, and raising descendants, he had lost two children, a grandson, and the person he loved most.

Royce comforted everyone. "Little One has already left us. With his personality, he definitely would not want us to continue grieving.

"We who are still alive must look ahead. We cannot live in sorrow."

That's right! Big Brother—Little One—would not want us to remain sad. He would encourage us to be strong and keep moving forward.

With that thought, everyone's mood improved slightly.

Royce instructed Huo Lu, "Eldest, make the preparations. We must see Little One off."

"Yes, Father."

Though grief-stricken, Huo Lu forced himself to pull himself together and called several people over to help prepare the funeral.

He had never expected that gentle and refined Little One would seem to have been cursed as well, walking down the same path to ruin as his father.

Night fell.

Everyone in the family gathered together and held a funeral.

Under the suffocating atmosphere, even the usually mischievous children did not dare cause trouble. Each one was quieter and more obedient than the last.

After the funeral, all the adult men of the family were summoned together.

Silence. Absolute stillness.

"Beep—!"

Suddenly, the communicator on Royce's wrist sounded.

The sound was rather piercing. It would only ring like that upon receiving important information.

When he opened the communicator and saw the message, even Royce, who had endured countless hardships, changed expression.

Dear three-star user, the ranch located at coordinates XXXX.XXXX on Kuka Planet is currently subject to a privilege application by three-star user Ruth Holk, who seeks to obtain usage rights to the ranch.

As you possess priority usage rights to this ranch, you may spend contribution points to freeze the ranch for five years. During those five years, its usage rights cannot be acquired by users below five-star rank.

If you do not possess the privilege to reject the application after five years, three-star user Ruth Holk will obtain usage rights to the ranch.

If you wish to spend contribution points to freeze the ranch, please reply...

Contribution points were the currency used by the Molten Empire to cultivate planets, and there were many ways to earn them.

But privilege was the symbol of having cultivated a genius. There was only one way to obtain it: cultivate a genius who entered the Stellar Training Camp!

Forcing himself to finish reading the message, Royce's face darkened like water. Through clenched teeth, he spat out a name. "Ruth Holk!"

On the very day the family had lost an important member, the Holk Family was trying to seize their foundation. Royce was furious.

Standing beside Royce, Ivanko, the third son, recalled Ruth Holk's information.

Ruth Holk, seventh-stage Stellar rank, patriarch of the Holk Family in Zhaoguang City, and a member of the Zhaoguang City Council.

"Father, we need to pool our contribution points and freeze the ranch first."

Ivanko remained fairly calm as he reminded his father.

"Third, transfer your contribution points to me."

At Ivanko's reminder, Royce calmed down.

Hearing their conversation, everyone else did not know exactly what had happened, but they could tell from their grandfather's—father's—expression that something serious had occurred.

Royce and Ivanko pooled their contribution points and applied to freeze the ranch. Afterward, they communicated privately for a moment and decided to tell everyone about the crisis facing the family ranch.

Thus, Ivanko explained the matter. "This is what happened..."

Once Ivanko finished, Li Qi shot to his feet. "Grandfather! Take me to Zhaoguang City! I want to take the entrance examination for Zhaoguang Academy!"

Everyone looked over. In fact, after this happened, Li Qi had been the first person they thought of!

Because if anyone in the family had the greatest hope of entering the Stellar Training Camp, it was undoubtedly Li Qi!

"Eleven, have you thought this through?" Royce asked.

Li Qi spoke firmly. "Big Brother entrusted the family's future to me! I will never disappoint him!"

"Good!" Royce was visibly moved. "Tomorrow, you will go to Zhaoguang City with us!"

After the funeral, Li Qi returned home.

Derrick had already been waiting for him. He patted Li Qi on the shoulder. "Eleven, the family's future is in your hands now!"

If possible, Derrick would have been willing to shoulder the family's future himself. Unfortunately, his talent was lacking, so he could only place his hopes on the younger generation, on Little One and his son Eleven!

"I will not betray Big Brother's expectations!" Li Qi nodded resolutely. "The family ranch will not fall into someone else's hands!"

"Good." Derrick nodded. "Get some rest."

After seeing his father out, Li Qi lay on his bed, his thoughts scattered. To resolve the crisis over the family ranch, I have to enter the Stellar Training Camp within five years. That is the only way!

If I can enter the universe through the Stellar Training Camp and take part in the Universe Peak Genius Battle, then perhaps if I can join the core ranks of the Virtual Universe Company or the Giant Axe Battle Arena, I might have a chance to revive Big Brother!

At that thought, Li Qi came back to himself. Big Brother may have broken through to the Stellar rank, but asking a Universe Master to revive him within ten thousand years... how could that be possible!

The Universe Masters of the Primordial Universe are such great existences. Even a genius on Kedi's level from the original work would find it difficult—extremely difficult—to ask one of them to act within ten thousand years!

But this is still hope. If I truly succeed, Big Brother can be revived! No matter what, I must work toward this hope.

Having set his goal, Li Qi fell asleep while meditating.

Early the next morning, after saying farewell to his family, Li Qi and the others flew for nearly an hour before finally arriving at Zhaoguang City.

It was an incomparably enormous city, protected on all sides by towering walls. Within it, lofty buildings could vaguely be seen rising amid the clouds and mist.

Even while flying through the air, they could not see the end of the city walls. A single wall alone would probably take a Planetary-rank warrior a long time to fly across.

Passing through a city gate dozens of meters high, Li Qi entered a world entirely different from the grasslands.

The skyscrapers were magnificent and resplendent, while traffic and crowds filled the streets!

This futuristic high-tech city surpassed even the major first-tier cities he had visited in his previous life!

He looked back. The towering walls divided this prosperous city from the cruel grasslands, turning them into two separate worlds.

On one side was heaven!

On the other was hell!

Li Qi stood there in a daze. What was this?

"The rich feast behind vermilion gates, while bones of the frozen lie by the roadside?"

At that moment, he finally understood what Big Brother and his father had meant when they spoke of going to Zhaoguang City!

He also understood why his second father wanted to change this planet!

Volume One complete. Volume Two begins tomorrow.