High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 446: Chapter 284: Ancestral Master Chang Jia

In the void, countless tiny points of light, like stars, slowly flowed and rotated, forming brilliant ribbons of a Star River.

In the distance, the colossal phantom of a star hung silently, emitting a soft and ancient halo.

A sense of tranquility—grand, distant, as if he were at the very source of the universe—enveloped him, a stark contrast to the scene of destruction on the Trial Star.

’Where am I...?’ Li Wen’s wariness had not faded. He cautiously extended his Primordial Spirit’s power to probe this strange space.

Just then, not far in front of him, the points of light from the Star River gathered, and a figure coalesced from the void.

It was an old man in a simple green robe. His hair and beard were white, his face was gaunt, but his eyes were as deep as the sea, seeming to hold the ultimate truths of the universe’s creation and destruction.

He was smiling, his gentle gaze resting on Li Wen, filled with undisguised admiration and satisfaction.

Seeing the old man’s face, an image of the ancestral master’s statue he had seen in the Legacy Hall of Blue Star’s Kindling University instantly flashed through Li Wen’s mind.

His heart trembled. ”Ancestral Master?!”

The old man before him was none other than the one who had left the Kindling Legacy for Blue Star, pioneered the path of cultivation for its Human Race, and was revered as the greatest figure in Blue Star’s history—Ancestral Master Chang Jia!

”It is indeed a remnant of a thought I left behind.”

The old man stroked his long beard, his smile growing wider. His voice, carrying the profound weight of ages, resounded directly in Li Wen’s mind.

”Good! Excellent! In all the years this remnant of my thought has slumbered, I never imagined our Blue Star would produce a descendant as astonishingly talented as you.

Excellent. Our Blue Star is finally about to have its second Star Lord Level expert.

What’s especially rare is that you are so young. Your future accomplishments will be limitless!”

Once he confirmed the other’s identity, the wariness in Li Wen’s heart instantly transformed into deep respect.

He immediately composed himself, straightened his robes, and faced the figure before him. Though it was merely an incarnation formed from a wisp of thought,

this old man’s contributions would echo for millennia. With the utmost solemnity, Li Wen bowed deeply in the most formal disciple’s salute:

”Disciple Li Wen pays his respects to the Ancestral Master!”

This salute came from the bottom of his heart, filled with boundless gratitude for the great predecessor.

”Rise, rise.” The Ancestral Master’s phantom raised a hand in a guiding gesture, and a gentle force lifted Li Wen back to his feet.

”Seeing you, seeing that Blue Star has a worthy successor, brings this old heart great comfort. You now have the right to know of the wider world.

I have summoned you here today to clear your doubts and let you know what the world beyond Blue Star is truly like.”

Li Wen stood respectfully, knowing that the mysteries about the universe that had long plagued him were about to be unveiled.

The Ancestral Master’s gaze drifted toward the flowing ribbons of light in the void, as if tracing back through the boundless river of time and space. He began to speak slowly:

”First, the Blue Star beneath your feet, along with planets like Crimson Flame, Cangwu, and Ice Soul where you have fought,

are all located within a massive celestial structure known to the outside world as the Tianhe System. The Tianhe System is shaped like a vortex, and its diameter is approximately one hundred thousand light-years.”

Li Wen remained silent. He already knew this number.

He did not speak, listening quietly.

The Ancestral Master continued, ”Within the Tianhe System, the stars are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, numbering in the hundreds of billions. However, the wonders of creation are mysterious, and the conditions for life to arise are incredibly strict.

In such a vast galaxy, the number of planets that have actually given birth to intelligent life, let alone formed a civilization, is merely a few hundred. The home of our Human Race, Blue Star, is one of them.”

’A few hundred...’ Li Wen was slightly surprised.

He had originally thought that planets with civilizations like the four human worlds were as rare as a phoenix’s feather in the Tianhe System, but he never expected there to be several hundred.

The universe seemed a bit more lively than he had imagined.

But the sense of life’s loneliness was still potent—hundreds of billions of stars, and only a few hundred civilizations. How incredibly rare!

”And the Tianhe System does not exist in isolation,” the Ancestral Master’s voice was tinged with the profound insight of one who understood the structure of the cosmos.

”It belongs to an even larger galactic collective—the ’Lain Galaxy Group.’ This galaxy group,

is composed of several dozen galaxies similar in size to the Tianhe System, and they all fall under the jurisdiction of a primary-level cosmic nation called the ’Lain Empire.’”

Li Wen’s spirits rose, and he focused, listening intently. This was the higher-level structure he truly yearned to understand.

”However,” the Ancestral Master’s tone shifted, now holding a note of understanding and detachment,

”the term ’jurisdiction’ is more of a formality. In practice, it’s impossible to manage everything.

A single Tianhe System is one hundred thousand light-years in diameter; the entire Lain Galaxy Group spans tens of millions of light-years.

Over such a vast territory, even the powerful Lain Empire’s reach is too short to effectively project its power and administration.

Therefore, most of the individual galaxies are basically in a state of self-governance.”

The Ancestral Master’s gaze seemed to pierce the void and land on Li Wen:

”This is one of the core reasons why Blue Star has remained isolated in a forgotten corner for so many years. Despite having a civilization, it has had little contact with the outside world, and no one has paid it any mind.”

He paused before adding another crucial point, one that Li Wen was most concerned about:

”Of course, the most critical reason is that a long time ago, I used a special method to obscure the celestial secrets of the region where the four human worlds are located,

and completely erased it from the official Star Maps and navigational records of the Lain Empire.”

Li Wen’s heart skipped a beat. ’Obscure the celestial secrets? Erase it from the Star Maps?’

The Ancestral Master saw his shock and explained,

”That’s right. When I left all those years ago, to ensure the Human Race of Blue Star could grow in a relatively peaceful environment and avoid being drawn into cosmic conflicts prematurely, I expended great effort to set up a concealment barrier,

and I pulled some strings to have Blue Star and its surrounding Star Domain hidden from the Lain Empire’s public Star Maps.

Therefore, there are only two ways to find Blue Star: one is by pure luck, accidentally stumbling into this forgotten corner of the vast Star Sea;

the other is for a powerful existence at or above the level of a Tier Six Star Lord—a realm far beyond my own—to personally search for it with their supreme might.”

The Ancestral Master stroked his beard, his tone carrying a trace of certainty.

”However, let alone an insignificant Star Domain like Blue Star’s, even the entire primary-level Lain Empire is considered an extremely remote, resource-poor backwater in the grand scheme of the universe.

It would never attract a powerful being like a Tier Six Star Lord—someone at the top of the cosmic food chain—to come here and explore.

After all, the strongest expert in the entire primary-level Lain Empire is merely a Tier Four Star Lord.

And even in the Moluo Middle-level Empire, to which the Lain Empire belongs, Tier Six Star Lords are as rare as a phoenix’s feather, their traces seldom seen.”

”I see.” Li Wen was suddenly enlightened. The confusion that had troubled him for so long was finally resolved.

Blue Star wasn’t forgotten by the universe; it had been carefully hidden away by this pioneer, the Ancestral Master.

It was like a parent protecting their fledgling child under their wing, shielding it from the storms of the outside world.

This profound act of protection sent a warm current flowing through his heart, deepening his reverence for the Ancestral Master even further.

The Ancestral Master nodded slightly and continued to sketch out the grand cosmic tapestry:

”The largest and most central part of the Lain Galaxy Group is naturally the Lain Empire’s home galaxy. The strongest expert in the Lain Empire is a Tier Four Star Lord.”

”And the Lain Empire, on the scale of the entire universe, is but an insignificant ’primary-level empire.’”

The Ancestral Master’s voice held a depth that seemed to see through the cosmic hierarchy. ”Above it is the even more massive ’Moluo Middle-level Empire.’

The Moluo Middle-level Empire is composed of hundreds of primary-level empires like the one based on the Lain Galaxy Group.

The diameter of the territory it rules already exceeds one hundred million light-years!”

”And above the Moluo Middle-level Empire, there are even more powerful ’high-level empires.’” The Ancestral Master’s voice was like a guide describing the rungs of a cosmic ladder.

”The high-level empire to which the Moluo Middle-level Empire belongs is called the ’Alka High-level Empire.’ Its jurisdiction is the entire ’Alka Supercluster’!

The entire Alka Supercluster, in turn, contains hundreds of middle-level empires like Moluo’s.”

Finally, the Ancestral Master used a stark number to illustrate the terrifying scale of the Alka Supercluster for Li Wen:

”Within the Alka Supercluster, there are more than one hundred thousand ordinary galaxies like the Tianhe System!”

Li Wen’s mind reeled, as if he were seeing a cosmic tapestry of unimaginable vastness, woven from countless spiral arms of starlight, slowly unfurling before him.

Blue Star, the Tianhe System, the Lain Galaxy Group, the Moluo Middle-level Empire, the Alka High-level Empire...

The hierarchical structure of the universe was like an infinite set of Russian nesting dolls.

Layer within layer, each one containing an uncountable number of stars and civilizations.

He stood in the void, feeling the tranquility and grandeur of this strange space.

As the Ancestral Master’s description of the cosmic order echoed in his mind, an unprecedented desire to explore surged within his chest.

The universe was far vaster than he could ever have imagined.

...

After explaining the different tiers of cosmic nations, Ancestral Master Chang Jia went on to describe the situations within some of them.

He spoke for a good half hour.

As Ancestral Master Chang Jia continued his explanation, his figure, formed from pure thought, grew increasingly faint within the strange space, as if it might disperse with the wind at any moment.

His profound gaze fell upon Li Wen, carrying with it a hint of imperceptible expectation.

”Kid, the time remaining for this remnant of my thought is short.”

The Ancestral Master’s voice was still calm, but it had taken on an ethereal quality, like time running out. ”I have told you the basics. Do you have any other questions? Ask them now, while I am still here.”

Hearing this, Li Wen’s spirits lifted once more.

This senior Star Lord from Blue Star possessed knowledge and experience that would be a priceless treasure, nearly impossible to find on Blue Star or even in the starry sky he was about to enter.

The opportunity was fleeting, and he dared not waste it. He immediately asked the question that concerned him most at the moment:

”Ancestral Master, this disciple plans to leave Blue Star soon and venture into the Star River to seek a higher breakthrough. But the universe is vast and full of unknowns. Where should this disciple go? I ask for the Ancestral Master’s guidance.”

Ancestral Master Chang Jia stroked his illusory beard. He seemed to have already prepared an answer, as he spoke without much deliberation:

”Since you were able to awaken this remnant of my thought, it means your strength has reached a point where you are invincible within the Saint Realm, and only a single step away from the Star Lord level.

But you have not yet reached the Star Lord realm... I suggest you first go to the heart of the Lain Empire—the planet Lain.”

Li Wen listened respectfully.

The Ancestral Master continued, ”As the core of a primary-level empire, the planet Lain is a hub that gathers the top resources, information, factions, and a platform for the strongest experts from across the empire to interact.

For a cultivator at your level, it is expansive enough to let you encounter a broader range of cosmic civilizations and acquire the resources needed for your breakthrough to the Star Lord level, without you falling into unnecessary danger due to a massive disparity in power.

Once your strength has advanced further and you have truly stepped into the Star Lord realm, or when you feel that the planet Lain can no longer meet your needs, it will not be too late to explore the wider cosmos, such as the Moluo Middle-level Empire or even the Alka High-level Empire.”