Leaving the Luo Family

On Earth, everyone in the Luo Family had gathered at the Luo Family Castle, and the atmosphere was heavy. Luo Feng had already told his family that Luo Zhiyuan was leaving Earth. Both his father and mother had tears in their eyes. Each held one of Luo Zhiyuan's hands, rubbing it again and again as they stared at him, as if trying to etch his image into their eyes.

Xu Xin clung to Luo Feng, her face buried against his shoulder as she sobbed aloud.

After a while, Grandpa and Grandma finally let go of Luo Zhiyuan and led him over to Xu Xin and Luo Feng. The two elders didn't say a word. They simply turned and walked out, leaving the family of three alone together.

Luo Zhiyuan wrapped his arms around Xu Xin's waist from behind and said softly, "Mom, don't be too sad. We can still see each other in the Virtual Universe whenever we want. If you miss me, you can come find me there anytime.

"Bulieni said I'll probably spend a lot of time in the Virtual Universe from now on, because he found a great place to cultivate there. Meeting in the Virtual Universe is basically no different from meeting in person."

Luo Feng patted Xu Xin on the shoulder and helped her stand. Pressing his forehead against hers, he comforted her. "Honey, Zhiyuan's leaving Earth. Don't make things harder for him because of us. We Earthlings don't have the strength to protect ourselves in the universe. Now he has a chance to become powerful, so we should treasure it and not let it slip away.

"We were the first generation to venture out from Earth. Pioneers like us have to make great sacrifices. I didn't do a good enough job, so now it's our son's turn to work hard. We should be proud of him, shouldn't we?"

Xu Xin nodded between sobs. "I know. I know all that. I just feel like Little Zhiyuan is still so young, and now he has to leave us. I'm so worried. He'll be all alone in the universe without his family. What if he gets lonely? I'm so afraid he'll run into trouble someday and we won't be there to help him. What will he do?

"And I feel so guilty. I haven't been a good enough mother to him. I've spent far too little time with him!"

Luo Zhiyuan's eyes grew moist too. During the years since he had crossed over to Earth, the Luo Family had cared for him and loved him wholeheartedly. He had long since become part of the family. Now he had to leave them to make up for the history he had inadvertently changed, and he was deeply reluctant to go.

Bulieni couldn't stand the mood any longer, so he said to Luo Zhiyuan, "Kid Luo, there's no better way. If you stay by Luo Feng's side, who knows when you might affect him again. It's better to set his original course back on track as soon as possible, then leave.

"Besides, the universe is vast. You should go see it for yourself and grow stronger quickly. That way, you'll be better able to protect Earth."

Luo Zhiyuan knew Bulieni was right. Once he had composed himself, he switched into persuasion mode. "Mom, don't blame yourself. Just look at how well you've taken care of me. I'm much bigger than kids my age, haha! Oh, and Dad has already agreed to something for me. I have one more thing to ask you. Will you say yes?"

Xu Xin turned to him through tear-blurred eyes, then crouched down and hugged him. "Zhiyuan, tell me. I'll do anything you ask, Mom."

Luo Zhiyuan smiled into Xu Xin's embrace. "Mom, you and Dad should have another child. That way, you won't be lonely while I'm away. I've already asked around: in the universe, you can choose how to have children. You and Dad should have twin boys. Name them Luo Ping and Luo Hai.

"Those are great names. That would make up for the regret you had when you gave birth to me, and they could keep you company in my place. When I come back, our whole family will be even livelier. Okay? Say yes, Mom~"

Xu Xin was deeply moved by Luo Zhiyuan's words. Even as he was leaving, he was thinking about whether his mother would be lonely. He really had grown up. Then she thought about his suggestion that she have twins, and felt a little shy. She looked up at Luo Feng.

Luo Feng nodded to Xu Xin, confirming that he agreed. Xu Xin nodded too, accepting the plan, but she still asked Luo Zhiyuan, "Zhiyuan, if I have two more sons, won't you be afraid they'll take some of Mom and Dad's attention away from you?"

Seeing that Xu Xin had agreed, Luo Zhiyuan grinned. "Why would I worry about that? We're family. They'll be my dearest little brothers. And I know you and Dad won't care about me any less. After all, we can meet often in the Virtual Universe. So, Mom, that means you agree, right? Then let's hurry and set off for Biyan Planet. We can do it there."

Luo Feng chimed in too. "Right. Let's go and come back quickly. The place Zhiyuan's going might be very far away, so the sooner he leaves, the sooner he can return. We also need to come back soon to deal with the invasion threatening Earth. Besides, Xu Xin, you've never left Earth before. We can make this a family trip."

Luo Zhiyuan looked at Xu Xin expectantly. She thought a trip would be nice, so she happily agreed. Soon, Luo Zhiyuan, Luo Feng, Xu Xin, Luo Feng's father, and Luo Feng's mother set off together on a brief journey through the universe. Only Luo Hua remained behind at the Luo Family Castle on Earth.

In January 2063, after more than five days of space travel, the five members of the Luo Family arrived at Biyan Planet. Along the way, Luo Zhiyuan had eaten another Azure Fruit, becoming a Level Eight Planetary Level Spirit Reader. His Mental Power Amplitude had also reached 31.

On Biyan Planet, Xu Xin and Luo Feng's parents hadn't reached Planetary Level, so they weren't protected by the rules of the universe's civilizations. However, with Luo Feng leading several newly purchased Level Nine Stellar slaves and the Flowing Silver Guards, no one dared bully them.

The Embryo Cultivation Technique went smoothly, and Xu Xin successfully conceived twin boys. Luo Zhiyuan finally felt completely at ease.

After exploring the alien scenery of Biyan Planet with Luo Feng, Xu Xin, and Luo Feng's parents, Luo Zhiyuan prepared to part ways with his family.

Luo Feng didn't dwell on the emotional farewell. He told Luo Zhiyuan to stay safe, not take risks, and keep in touch through the Virtual Universe. Then he took his family back to Earth, leaving Luo Zhiyuan all alone.

After saying goodbye to his family, Luo Zhiyuan felt lost. He returned to the L-1 spacecraft alone, sat cross-legged in midair in the control room, and stared blankly ahead.

Seeing Luo Zhiyuan sitting there by himself, Bulieni knew this was his first time leaving his familiar family, and that he must be feeling uneasy. He tried to distract him. "Kid Luo, now that it's just you, we can get on with our plans without worrying. I think the first thing we should do is check what treasures Old Mystic left in the bank. Maybe he had some leftover snacks you can use.

"Come to think of it, Old Mystic was way too wasteful. I remember at least a dozen treasures that could let an ordinary person become an Immortal in one go, and he ate every one of them. If he'd saved them, they'd have made things a lot easier for you."

Hearing that, Luo Zhiyuan perked up too. "Bulieni, there can't be many treasures that can make an ordinary person an Immortal just like that, can there? How did Senior Chenxi find so many?"

"Hey, Old Mystic was a greedy foodie. He was a lone bachelor who only cared about filling his own belly, and he'd spent countless eras wandering the universe. He'd been through plenty of Universe Secret Realms and encountered all kinds of good stuff.

"But he ate most of it. As for treasures useful to anyone below Immortal Level, he'd only save some as snacks if they had a distinctive flavor. Otherwise, he didn't care about them.

"Listen, back then, Old Mystic and that old drunkard—Wind Beast God Chengfeng—were both famous throughout the universe. One was a glutton, and the other a drunk. They'd made off with all sorts of treasures, and the major races of the universe hated them for it.

"Those two had pretty strange personalities. Other races wanted to trade with them for treasures to nurture their younger generations, but they'd only trade if they were offered something delicious or something good to drink. They wouldn't even give anything else a second glance. And they were both pretty powerful, too. One or two Universe Masters couldn't handle them, so they nearly ended up on every race's blacklist. Haha!"

Luo Zhiyuan had never imagined the Natural Beast Gods could be so colorful. He used to think they were all cold and aloof, but this was pretty interesting. Unfortunately, countless powerful beings in the universe had joined forces to hunt them down. After all, every part of a Natural Beast God's body was a treasure. It was a crime to possess such riches.

After chatting with Bulieni for a while and hearing some stories about the universe, Luo Zhiyuan's mood lifted. He left the spacecraft again and headed to the Universe First Bank on Biyan Planet to see what treasures Senior Chenxi had stored there. He was ready to have his eyes opened.

At the Biyan Planet branch of the Universe First Bank, there weren't many people in the first-floor lobby when Luo Zhiyuan arrived, so a staff member immediately led him into a reception room.

The staff member smiled and asked, "Hello, sir. What can I help you with?"

"I'd like to check the contents of an account."

"Certainly, sir. Which account would you like to check?"

Bulieni gave Luo Zhiyuan an account number. After sitting down, he passed it on to the staff member, who began processing the request with a smile. "Please wait a moment."

But the staff member's expression soon changed to one of shock, and he began to stammer. "I-I'm sorry, honored guest. I don't have the authority to handle this account. P-Please wait here while I go ask the branch manager."

The staff member swallowed several times, then hurried out. Luo Zhiyuan felt a strange sense of déjà vu, as if he'd seen this before. Then he realized the account must have had a very high star rating. He asked Bulieni, "Bulieni, how many stars does Senior Chenxi's account have? Is it five stars? Look, you scared the receptionist off."

"Oh? You figured it out already? I was going to see how you'd react. You're no fun! Hmph. Even if Old Mystic had tossed in just a few things, they'd be enough for a five-star account. What's there to ask?"

Luo Zhiyuan was genuinely speechless. He still wasn't used to having a powerful backer on his side, and he hadn't gotten used to all the surprises that came with it. A five-star account—this branch had probably never dealt with a client of such high standing. Who knew how panicked they were right now? Whatever. He'd just have to take things as they came.

After waiting for more than ten minutes, a capable-looking, three-eyed man suddenly hurried in. A clearly visible badge on his chest read, "Branch Manager, Biyan Planet Branch of the Universe First Bank."

The branch manager said, both respectfully and nervously, "Honored guest, it's a great privilege to meet you. However, I don't have sufficient authority, so I'd like to invite you to move to another room. We have a special service robot to assist you."

Luo Zhiyuan stood up without a word and followed the branch manager to the top floor of the Universe First Bank. A robot with an appearance similar to that of an Earthling took over from the branch manager and led Luo Zhiyuan to a lavishly decorated reception room.

After showing Luo Zhiyuan to a seat, the robot said respectfully, "Welcome, honored guest. I'll be handling your business today. Please tell me what you need."

Luo Zhiyuan repeated the account number, then said, "I'd like to check the account first and see what it contains."

The robot extended a hand, revealing a hollow in its palm. "Certainly, sir. Please place the key in my palm for verification. Once it's confirmed, please provide the password."

Following Bulieni's instructions, Luo Zhiyuan used his Spiritual Force to remove the World Ring from his hand and place it in the robot's palm. After a ripple of energy, a cube appeared in front of the robot. Each of its six faces displayed a different unlocking requirement, and Luo Zhiyuan had to solve them all in sequence.

Once all six sets of passwords had been verified, the robot returned the World Ring and smiled. "Welcome, honored guest. Your account currently contains approximately 52.782 billion Hunyuan Units in deposits, as well as one World Ring. Is there anything else I can help you with?" It also displayed a detailed breakdown of the deposits in front of Luo Zhiyuan.

Luo Zhiyuan was stunned by the amount in the account. He'd known that a five-star account must hold a great deal of money, but he hadn't expected more than 50 billion Hunyuan Units. To him, that was an enormous fortune.

After all, those 50 billion units were Hunyuan. The Hunyuan was a unit used for major transactions in the universe. One Hunyuan equaled one trillion Universe Coins, and one Universe Coin equaled more than 3,000 Ganwu Coins. One Ganwu Coin was worth about 1,000 Black Dragon Coins. Not long ago, Luo Zhiyuan had still been using Black Dragon Coins to buy things. The jump in scale was simply too huge.

How could he put it in perspective? A galaxy cost only between 100 billion and one trillion Universe Coins. In other words, Luo Zhiyuan's current fortune could buy hundreds of billions—or even a trillion—galaxies!

The sudden windfall left Luo Zhiyuan dumbfounded. He stared at the long string of numbers in front of him, unable to come to his senses for a long while.

Bulieni couldn't take it anymore and teased him. "Kid Luo, you're stunned by a little pocket money? You really haven't seen much, have you? Haha! I think you've forgotten the most important thing—the World Ring! That's what's really valuable. This pocket money Old Mystic left behind can't compare to what's inside it!"

Luo Zhiyuan took a deep breath, feeling embarrassed in front of Bulieni. But he couldn't be blamed. The money he'd seen across both his lifetimes wasn't even a fraction of this.

Once he'd recovered, Luo Zhiyuan said to the robot, "I'd like to transfer the money in the account to an account linked to my Spiritual Imprint, and I'd also like to retrieve the World Ring."

"I'm sorry, honored client. The World Ring isn't being stored on this planet. If you wish to retrieve it, you'll need to wait about seven days. However, I can process the transfer for you now. Please wait a moment."

Luo Zhiyuan had already guessed the ring wasn't on Biyan Planet, so he wasn't surprised by the wait. He agreed to the robot's arrangement.

Soon, the robot told him the transfer was complete, congratulated him on becoming a five-star client of the Universe First Bank, and asked for a delivery address for the ring.

Luo Zhiyuan was only staying on Biyan Planet temporarily and didn't have a suitable delivery address. The robot told him he could wait in the reception room for the next few days. All his needs would be taken care of free of charge, and it also explained some of the privileges available to five-star clients.

Luo Zhiyuan didn't have anywhere else to go for the time being, so he stayed at the Universe First Bank. He planned to continue cultivating while he waited for the ring to arrive.