Luo Feng, Hong, and Thunder God each greeted Bulieni. Then Luo Feng said sincerely, "Senior Bulieni, thank you very much for recognizing Zhiyuan. I'll be counting on you to look after him from now on. He's still young, so if he gives you any trouble, just tell me. As his father, I can still discipline him."
Luo Zhiyuan rolled his eyes. He didn't hear whatever else Luo Feng said, muttering to himself instead, Aside from making me chase balls and run laps, what have you ever done to discipline me? Most of the time, you're busy cultivating by yourself. Even my cultivation is all thanks to Babata's guidance. I'm only not calling you out because we have company. Tch~
Luo Feng didn't notice Luo Zhiyuan's eye roll. He was busy debating with himself, unsure whether what he was about to say was appropriate. After turning it over in his mind, he decided to give it a try.
"Senior Bulieni, I know what I'm about to say might seem a little presumptuous, but I'd still like to ask if you could do me a favor."
Bulieni raised an eyebrow and glanced at Luo Zhiyuan. Seeing that he had no idea what Luo Feng was about to say either, he nodded and replied, "It's all right. Just say what's on your mind. If it's not too much trouble, I'll be happy to help."
"Our home, Earth, is facing a crisis. A group of Universe Adventurers will arrive in a little over a month to plunder it. We're nowhere near strong enough to defend Earth on our own. They have dozens of Stellar Level Nine fighters, while the strongest people on Earth are the few of us.
"We have only one option left, but it requires me to break through from Planetary Level Nine to Stellar Level One. Then I'll be able to claim a portion of my teacher's inheritance. That money would be enough to buy some Stellar Level Nine slaves and resolve this crisis.
"But I'm stuck at Planetary Level Nine and haven't been able to break through. I'm afraid that if we run out of time, we'll have no choice but to abandon Earth. None of us wants to see that happen.
"So I'm taking the liberty of asking, Senior Bulieni: do you know a way for me to reach Stellar Level within the time we have? I'm willing to pay any price!"
Bulieni glanced at Luo Feng, then turned to Luo Zhiyuan and spoke to him telepathically. "Kid Luo, why didn't you tell me Earth had this problem? Old Mystic said Earth was modified by that old fellow Zuoshanke, so it's no ordinary planet. We can't just give up on it.
"I do know a way to help Luo Feng break through to Stellar Level quickly, but it would use up your only Evolution Energy Fruit. I'd originally planned for you to use it when you broke through from Domain Lord Level to World Lord Level.
"If Luo Feng uses it, you'll have to spend some time tempering yourself at Domain Lord Level Nine. You won't be able to break through to World Lord Level quickly, and it might delay you by three or five hundred years. What do you think?"
Bulieni's words stirred something in Luo Zhiyuan. He had never tried to change the plot of Swallowed Star, for fear of causing a butterfly effect. Now, this might be a good opportunity to test what would happen!
In the original story, Luo Feng would only break through to Stellar Level One as a Spirit Reader at the last moment. If Luo Feng broke through a little earlier this time, it wouldn't change the outcome, just the timing. Would that have any consequences? Should they try? Hmm, I'll discuss it with Bulieni.
"Bulieni, I have an idea. I know how this will turn out: my dad will break through to Stellar Level One at the last moment, then buy some slaves to resolve the crisis.
"But I'm wondering: if we give him an Evolution Energy Fruit and help him break through earlier, would making such a small change to what happens in the future cause any adverse effects? Should we give it a try?"
Bulieni fell silent for a moment, then replied cautiously, "Kid Luo, just how much do you know about the future? We'll talk about that later. If you want to test it now, I think it's worth trying. Old Mystic changed some things himself back then. But be sure you've considered the price, so you won't regret it later."
Luo Zhiyuan replied firmly, "It's fine. I don't mind delaying my breakthrough by a few hundred years. This is a rare opportunity. Let's see what happens!"
"All right. Let's try it!"
Bulieni turned to Luo Feng. "I have an Evolution Energy Fruit that should help you break through to Stellar Level One without a problem. How about this: send us your current location, and we'll bring it to you. I haven't traveled through space in years, so I'd like to stretch my legs, too."
Hearing that he could advance to Stellar Level, Luo Feng was overjoyed. He thanked Bulieni profusely, then asked, "Senior Bulieni, thank you for giving me such a precious treasure. What will I have to pay in return?"
"You don't have to pay anything. Kid Luo is taking the consequences on himself. This was meant for him, and if you use it, it'll only affect his cultivation progress and delay him by a few hundred years. It's nothing serious."
Luo Feng froze, murmuring, "So this will delay my son by a few hundred years. What... what should I do?" He knew his own cultivation wouldn't be too slow, but an ordinary Earthling didn't have a strong foundation for cultivation. To think that this could affect his son's future for hundreds of years made him hesitate. How could he, as a father, bear to do that to his son?
Luo Zhiyuan heard Luo Feng's muttering and stepped forward to reassure him. "Dad, what's there to hesitate about? As Earthlings, it's our duty to do what we can for Earth.
"You've always been the ones fighting for Earth and making sacrifices. Now I finally have a chance to do my part, too. So what if my cultivation might be a little slower later on? It's fine. Even at Planetary Level, you can live for a thousand years. A few hundred years is nothing."
Hong frowned beside them but remained silent. Thunder God, on the other hand, said bluntly, "Third Brother, there's nothing to hesitate about. Earth's crisis comes first. Let's get through this, and once you claim the money, you can find another Evolution Energy Fruit for Zhiyuan.
"Besides, Little Zhiyuan has great talent. He might not be held back for that long anyway."
Luo Feng nodded. Right, Earth's crisis was the most important thing. Once they overcame it and he inherited the first portion of his teacher's legacy, he'd find a way to make it up to his son!
He had always been decisive, and once he made up his mind, he didn't hesitate any longer. He simply patted Luo Zhiyuan on the head and told them his location: Biyan Planet, one of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's official outposts near the Milky Way Galaxy. It was the core planet for several nearby vassal states, with a status comparable to Yanjing Planet, the capital of an ordinary low-level civilization.
Biyan Planet was closer to Earth than Qiu Long Planet was, and the Cosmic Shuttle would take just over five days. That day, Luo Zhiyuan told Xu Xin and the others that he was setting out to deliver something to Luo Feng. His family knew it was a crucial time, so they simply told him to bring enough guards and let him go.
The author apologizes to everyone. Since I have to go to work as usual on Monday, I can only get to bed early to make sure I have enough energy during the day. That's all for now. I'll continue writing when I get home tonight, and the next chapter will definitely be out after eight tonight. I'll do my best to get it out earlier.
Also, though I hate to ask, it's Monday, so I hope you won't leave me with nothing. Feel free to show your support with votes, and add the story to your favorites, too. The first merit badge is within reach. I hope you'll help me earn it soon. My thanks to you all!
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