On the vast continent at the very center of Maple Leaf Star, a magnificent palace complex covering millions of square kilometers stood proud. This was the imperial palace of the Maple Leaf Empire.
Lu Qingshan had few children. After his wife Catherine passed away at the end of her lifespan, he had never remarried, leaving him with only one son, Lu Lingxiao.
The imperial bloodline, however, had already spread its branches and leaves.
Over thirty thousand years, the princes and princesses living in the imperial palace had grown to number in the tens of thousands. Counting all direct descendants, their population had long since exceeded a hundred million.
Among them, many imperial descendants who received little attention had been assigned to every corner of the empire. Except on remote planets, members of the Maple Leaf imperial bloodline could be found on almost every administrative planet.
Most of these imperial family members were little different from ordinary imperial citizens, enjoying only a few conveniences when doing business or entering politics.
Some had even squandered their entire fortunes and ended up on the streets, worse off than commoners.
For these sprawling collateral branches of the imperial family, their greatest hope was for a dazzling genius to emerge among their descendants. Only then could they regain the clan's favor and reclaim their privileged status.
"Father, you... you broke through?"
Deep within the imperial palace, the reigning emperor, Lu Lingxiao, wore a gold-embroidered python robe and an imperial crown. His voice was filled with incredulous shock.
He knew his father's circumstances better than anyone.
His foundations had been damaged in his early years, leaving little hope of breaking through to Domain Lord. Over the years, Lu Lingxiao had poured the empire's accumulated resources into helping him, more out of filial devotion than any real expectation. Yet now, his father, a genuine Domain Lord expert, stood right before him!
"Lingxiao," Lu Qingshan said calmly, "a while ago, I bought a bottle of Heavenly Purifying Water at an auction. With it, I repaired most of my foundations and was fortunate enough to enter the Domain Lord realm."
Even to his own son, Lu Qingshan did not reveal the whole truth. Fortunately, his purchase of the Heavenly Purifying Water could be traced, giving his breakthrough a reasonable explanation that no one could question.
Wild joy surged across Lu Lingxiao's face. "Congratulations, Father! Congratulations! Now that you've become a Domain Lord, you'll have a long life ahead of you. If Mother knows in the world below, she'll surely be happy for you."
He knew well that his father's lifelong wish had been to become a Domain Lord. For that goal, he had even sacrificed much of the time he could have spent with his wife and son.
Now, at last, his wish had been fulfilled.
Moreover, his father's breakthrough would bring tremendous benefits to the Maple Leaf Empire.
Why had the Maple Leaf Empire's territory previously encompassed only a single galaxy? Because the empire had no Domain Lord expert. Now, even if they expanded their territory, the neighboring nations would have little grounds to object.
Besides, his father's strength had rivaled a Domain Lord's even at the Universe Level. Now that he had broken through, he was probably beyond comparison with low-stage Domain Lords.
Lu Qingshan's gaze lingered on his son for a moment, and he sighed inwardly.
"Now that I've become a Domain Lord, I will no longer draw upon the empire's resources. They will all be left for you to allocate."
He had sought out his son after emerging from seclusion for two reasons: to share the good news of his breakthrough, and to see what aptitude his son possessed.
Lu Lingxiao was at Universe Level Seventh Stage, and his talent was not poor. If the system rated him as a third-class genius, Lu Qingshan would certainly take him as a disciple. Who said his own son could not become his disciple?
Naturally, his heart favored his only flesh and blood. Unfortunately, Lu Lingxiao's potential failed to meet the system's standard for a genius. Lu Qingshan could not help wondering just how high the threshold for a third-class genius was. Did it require the potential to reach World Lord, or even a sliver of potential to become an Immortal?
"Father! You've only just become a Domain Lord. This is precisely when you need vast resources to consolidate your realm. How could I..." Lu Lingxiao said urgently.
"Say no more." Lu Qingshan raised a hand to interrupt him, his tone allowing no argument. "From today onward, I will no longer concern myself with not only the resources, but also the empire's future course. Where this mighty ship, the Maple Leaf Empire, sails will be entirely up to you, its helmsman."
"Father, are you planning to leave the Maple Leaf Empire?"
A hint of disappointment appeared in Lu Lingxiao's eyes.
He had intended to use the prestige of his father's breakthrough to expand their territory. He had not expected his father to leave the Maple Leaf Empire immediately after breaking through. Naturally, his plans for territorial expansion would have to be put on hold.
Lu Qingshan saw what his son was thinking but said little. He needed to seek disciples in places where geniuses gathered, so naturally, he had no time to attend to the Maple Leaf Empire's trivial affairs.
He paused, then added, "After I leave, visit your maternal grandfather more often."
Lu Qingshan had been a renowned Giant Axe Warrior back then. How could his wife have come from an ordinary background?
Lu Lingxiao's maternal grandfather was none other than the Domain Lord expert on Qiu Long Star. Not long ago, when purchasing the Heavenly Purifying Water, Lu Qingshan had borrowed a hundred billion Universe Coins from his father-in-law.
With this veteran Domain Lord expert looking after things, the Maple Leaf Empire would have no problems even if Lu Qingshan left Human Territory in the future.
Afterward, Lu Qingshan summoned his disciple, Lei Ming.
Over these three years, he had not remained completely shut away in seclusion. Each year, he had still made time to instruct Lei Ming once and give him a treasure.
It would have been a real pity to miss these free opportunities for returns.
Over those three years, he had taken three treasures from the imperial treasury and given them to Lei Ming: a saber suited to the Lightning Domain, a suit of protective armor, and a pair of boots.
All three were Tier 3 Force Weapons, perfectly suited to Lei Ming's current realm. Having touched upon a trace of the mysteries of a domain, he had no trouble wielding Tier 3 Force Weapons. Lu Qingshan had likewise received three identical weapons, except that their tiers had risen to Tier 4.
"Teacher," Lei Ming scratched the single horn on his head, which flickered with tiny arcs of lightning, looking somewhat uneasy. "This disciple seems to have hit a bottleneck recently. I'm clearly only a hair's breadth away from truly entering the first level of the Lightning Domain, but no matter how hard I try, I can never take that final step across the threshold... I've failed your efforts to nurture me."
He felt ashamed. Over these three years, curiosity had led him to investigate just what the breakthrough elixir his teacher had given him back then was, but he had found nothing. Its value was clearly far beyond his access privileges.
Although his domain had yet to reach the first level, his strength had soared to Star Level 5, leaving the other four who had come to Maple Leaf Star with him far behind. Of those four, only one had broken through to Star Level, and that person was still at the first stage.
"There's no need to rush." Lu Qingshan reached out and gently stroked his disciple's head with a measure of affection. "You're only in your early thirties. A domain isn't something you can cultivate through sheer desperate effort, and building a cart behind closed doors is even less advisable."
Even his own son, Lu Lingxiao, had failed to qualify as a genius in the system's eyes, showing just how high its standards were. Lei Ming's potential rose another notch in Lu Qingshan's estimation. To Lu Qingshan, who had lived for ninety thousand years, the thirty-year-old Lei Ming was no different from a newborn infant, needing patience and guidance.
"Teacher, what should this disciple do?" Knowing how rare this opportunity was, Lei Ming hurried to ask for guidance. His teacher was a Giant Axe Warrior who had lived for ninety thousand years, someone even Domain Lord experts had to treat as an equal.
"Then go out and see something of this boundless universe..." Lu Qingshan's tone was calm, yet allowed no argument. "I will be leaving Maple Leaf Star for a while in the coming days. You will come with me."
Far from resisting his teacher's decision, Lei Ming's face filled with excitement. "Really, Teacher? I can go traveling around the universe with you?"
"For training, not for fun," Lu Qingshan corrected him. "If your progress fails to satisfy me, I will order you to return to Maple Leaf Star alone."
"Yes, Teacher! This disciple will give it his all!" Lei Ming nodded firmly, not daring to slacken in the slightest.
A year passed in the blink of an eye. During that time, Lei Ming returned once to his homeworld, Horned Thunder Star. Returning as the disciple of the empire's patriarch, he received the finest treatment-a homecoming in embroidered robes.
Next, Lu Qingshan returned to the underground cavern and summoned the Star-Eating Grass, which had broken through to Domain Lord Ninth Stage with the help of eight Life Fruits.
The enormous, resilient plant life-form flowed and reformed like liquid metal, finally becoming a close-fitting suit of vine armor. Suppressing all its immense aura, it quietly covered Lu Qingshan beneath his battle armor.
Not long afterward, a spaceship bearing a golden maple leaf emblem slowly rose from Maple Leaf Star, became a streak of light, and finally vanished into the depths of the boundless sea of stars.
(End of chapter)