Chapter 22: The reassembled halo

Chapter 22 The Reassembled Crown's Halo

In a daze, Mei Lun seemed to see a tiny figure—he was sitting alone on a high treetop, hugging his knees with crossed hands, whispering a soft, sweet wish toward the distant fireworks—"Zao Zao doesn’t wanna be alone anymore. Can Zao Zao have a family and become the happiest little angel?"

Little angel?

The psychic weapon in Mei Lun’s grip shattered in that instant—or perhaps it melted away.

A crown is the source of power for the Crown Clan, a reflection of their vitality, and also a limiter.

When a crown shattered completely, beyond recognition, their lives would reach their end. All crowns of the Crown Clan bore a silvery-black luster, and when they decayed, they resembled ashes after burning. After the destruction of their habitat, this mythical race was burning through its vitality every day. When the crown could no longer restrain them, outbursts would occur.

And once this limiter vanished entirely, the Crown Clan’s unrelenting, overwhelming psychic power would explode in an instant, destroying everything around them.

They’d suffered dearly when the first of the Crown Clan perished, from which moment they glimpsed the despair of their destiny.

They struggled against fate, believing they could overcome it—until the last two generations, where despair accumulated bit by bit. Though they still resisted, they gradually accepted this senseless destiny: awaiting total extinction of the Crown Clan.

Fate decreed their fall—today.

But the Saint Cas Empire still stood.

Though the empire’s founding was originally just because the powerful Crown Clan disapproved of certain interstellar factions’ actions, offering shelter to the beleaguered people of Saint Cas at the time.

Yet over thousands of years of development, it had grown into the Crown Clan’s home, and every citizen of Saint Cas inherited the soul of the Crown Clan.

They had already begun planning the path for Saint Cas after the Crown Clan’s inevitable demise.

So accept this fate…

As his crown crumbled day by day, heading toward complete destruction, Mei Lun unwillingly thought.

Until he saw the light—

Bathed in warm light was a five-year-old child—dressed in a simple white robe, his small, pale hands reaching out, soft dark curls framing a face so pale it seemed luminous under the glow, exquisitely delicate like the finest masterpiece of the empire.

The tiny crown halo above his head glimmered, his thick lashes like fans seemingly dusted with stars, his honey-gold eyes clear and bright—mirroring Mei Lun’s own haggard, broken form.

What was this? A little angel?

Wait—had anyone ever recorded that one could truly see an angel at the brink of death?

His crown shattered, his psychic power out of control, Mei Lun’s consciousness slipping into the abyss thought hazily.

Then he watched the "little angel" dart forward, reaching out to grab his "brain"... No, wait—it was golden psychic energy grabbing hold of his split-in-two halo.

Wait, hold on—can you even grab that?!

And just casually grabbing someone else’s "brain"—that’s just rude!

What, a broken halo can’t get you into heaven? Gotta patch it up before dying?

Then Mei Lun saw the little one frown, seeming to think for a moment, before tearfully pressing the broken halves of his halo back together. Golden psychic energy acted like glue, and Mei Lun felt his scalp prickle—but the sensation of losing control gradually faded, as if it had been… stuck back together.

…Stuck together??

Mei Lun: ??? Hold up—you actually fixed it?! How did it even stick?!

And what did this kid just call him…

"Old Man Mei Lun."

Hah, just like Zao Zao—call him Old Man Mei Lun...

...Huh???? Wait—wasn’t he dying???

Mei Lun’s spiritual power gradually calmed, smoothly guided by the halo of energy, and pressed back into the depths of his consciousness.

Yet the violent impact of the spiritual collapse still narrowed Mei Lun’s vision bit by bit.

For centuries, the Crown Clan hadn’t slept a single peaceful night.

Until now—it felt as if he were slowly sinking into a deep, sweet slumber.

It felt so gentle—

When fate tried to bring him down, someone clutched his hand tightly, their voice tearful and soft—

"Then let’s go watch the next snowfall together..."

"Grandpa Mei Lun!"

Xiao Chuzao was still draped over Mei Lun. He didn’t understand what was happening—his only thought was that a shattered halo must hurt so bad. If he could piece it back together, maybe it wouldn’t hurt as much?

In the end, Xiao Chuzao shifted from a fluffy white ball back into what he believed was his little angel form. Instinctively, he reached out and, unexpectedly, grasped Mei Lun’s halo amidst the glow. Now, the child still held Mei Lun’s halo together with all his might.

He didn’t dare move, but watching Mei Lun slowly close his eyes, huge tears finally burst free, shaking with fear.

His tiny wings braced against the icy wind at his sides.

The little one looked like a bedraggled, puffed-up little bird huddled in a corner.

Around them lay ruins, the bodies of the guards. Behind him was a pool of blood, and before him was Mei Lun—unconscious, his fate unknown. All of them had stood in front of him before.

The small child had never faced such a storm. Clutching Mei Lun’s halo, he was utterly lost.

His little body trembled, whimpering softly as he murmured, "Daddy... daddy..."

He had to find Daddy—Daddy would know what to do. He could definitely help Grandpa Mei Lun…

Then, the little one felt the surge of wind behind him. Xiao Chuzao turned his head in confusion.

The enemy's bloodied body was trembling slightly, twisting unnaturally. Fractured space stones formed a small, distorted spatial void, tearing the corpse apart before beginning to devour everything around it—ruins, debris, plants, trees, the tinted snowstorm falling from the sky, even the stiffened bodies of the guards nearby.

Then, it lurched toward Xiao Chuzao.

Mei Lun’s unconscious body began to lurch forward.

What was happening?

The child didn’t understand, but he shoved with all his strength to keep Grandpa Mei Lun from falling. His strength was too weak—he couldn’t move Mei Lun at all. In the end, he flared his little wings, shielding Mei Lun.

Everything happened too fast. In an instant, the spatial void devoured Xiao Chuzao and Mei Lun whole.

The child instinctively clung to Mei Lun’s neck as everything went black.

The next moment, a blast of spiritual power descended from above, striking the spatial void. The expanding rift froze for a second before violently distorting, then erupted in a shockwave that scattered the surrounding snowstorm.

Amos appeared the next second.

Everything had fallen silent as he stood at the center, surrounded by the fallen bodies of guards.

He sensed something wrong. He had rushed back as quickly as possible, but most of the Crown Clan with combat capabilities were currently on the frontlines suppressing the invasion of otherworldly creatures spawned by unknown spatial fluctuations. Others nearby had noticed the disturbance but hadn’t arrived yet.

Perhaps it was also because Mei Lun had moved too fast—it was over in an instant, which left Amos and the others a step behind.

Before this, they believed no one would be so arrogant as to launch an attack on the royal court of Saint Cas. Even if someone dared, they would never succeed. Even the Crown Clan, their crowns teetering on the brink of collapse, remained a force to be reckoned with. What shattered was their consciousness, their "minds," their self-restraint—not their overwhelming power.

But here, within their clan, was a small—child.

Mei Lun’s remaining power should’ve been enough to protect Zao Zao. Yet, on his way back, Amos had already sensed it—Mei Lun’s Psychic Crown had shattered.

So where had Mei Lun fallen? And where was Zao Zao?

Amos prided himself on staying calm—

But his overwhelming psychic energy scanned every inch of the palace in an instant. Such a domineering move sparked irritation from the other two Crown Clan members within the palace, whose crowns were on the verge of breaking.

The remaining palace guards hurried over, stunned by the sight before them.

They saw Amos standing silently at the very center.

His snow-white wings were slightly folded behind him, his black military uniform reeking of blood and violence. In his hand, he held a gleaming silver-black Psychic Sword, its tip pointing downward, thick blood dripping slowly from its tip. He stood unnervingly still, sending chills down their spines.

They saluted.

"Your Majesty!"

"Assess their status."

Amos issued the order.

"Yes!"

The guards stationed elsewhere in the palace swiftly inspected and handled the surroundings. The bizarre deaths made their skin crawl.

"Take them to the med bay for evaluation."

Amos gave another order, though this time, his voice betrayed a flicker of unease.

Nothing—

There was no sign of Mei Lun or Xiao Chuzao nearby. Not a shred of psychic energy lingered.

Amos had to face it—his psychic energy had just destroyed something.

The development and research of space-jump technology relied on an extremely rare mineral.

The blood rain had ceased.

Someone had weaponized this cosmic anomaly, bringing harm to the imperial capital of the Saint Cas Empire.

But this was the Saint Cas imperial capital, home to the largest concentration of the Crown Clan. Putting down the unrest was no challenge.

Roughly twenty minutes later, An Ya and Frey, posted near the front defenses and having completed most of their missions, urgently returned—they too had felt Mei Lun’s Psychic Crown shatter.

When they arrived, all they found was Amos, standing alone at the very center outside Mei Lun’s quarters.

Amos had searched the entire imperial court inch by inch, including the surrounding areas.

He found nothing.

The protector of Saint Cas, the always unflappable Alpha Emperor of the Crown Clan, felt restlessness and dread for the first time.

"Brother!"

An Ya was agitated, his eyes red as he clenched his fists.

"Uncle Mei Lun’s crown was shattered, wasn’t it? And what about that little one?! Where is he now? This definitely has nothing to do with him, right?"

An Ya had always believed Xiao Chuzao was part of a plot targeting the Crown Clan, yet deep down, he didn’t want to accept it. By all reason, Mei Lun’s psychic aura shouldn’t have shattered at this moment. He desperately needed an answer.

"An Ya, calm down."

Frey also clenched his fists, looking at Amos.

"Your Majesty."

"There’s no news."

Amos finally closed his eyes. He appeared composed, his voice calm.

If not for the flickering crown above his head and the restless psychic energy swirling around him, sending ripples of spatial distortion through the air.

"An enemy invaded, using a warp stone. Its explosion triggered a small-scale spatial warp. By the time I arrived, Mei Lun and Zao Zao were already gone. Mei Lun has a locator beacon—we’re already tracking him."

But the little cub had only just arrived a few days ago. The little one understood nothing about this world, knew none of its technology. He hadn’t explored any of it yet, and they hadn’t given the little one a proper tracking device either—though a sizable faction of the Crown Clan had sensed something amiss, most still didn’t know of this cub’s existence.

An Ya and Frey went dead silent.

A spatial warp?

Though this technology greatly shortened distances, it required precision and had strict passenger thresholds. Cubs still in their developmental stage were prohibited from using spatial warps.

Even with a starship’s protection and parental supervision, it wasn’t allowed—much less being caught unprotected in a spatial warp.

The little one could easily get injured. Without a guardian’s care, he might even get lost in the cosmos. Forget searching for him—he might be condemned to drift forever among the stars, never finding a docking point. And his physical condition was far weaker than any Crown Clan cub his age should be.

Arrogant, leisurely, coldly impervious—Amos had never experienced such a feeling before.

It was as if his heart had been viciously squeezed.

In his ears echoed the little cub’s soft, babyish mewl—*"Papa!"*

He lowered his lashes. "It’s my fault. I should have kept him close."

That would have been the safest course of action.

It was his arrogance that blinded him to how to properly care for a cub.

Frey and An Ya both looked at Amos in surprise—at least, the outwardly calm Amos.

"Brother."

An Ya, the most quick-tempered of them all, was barely holding back, every inch a furious beast poised to attack.

"The spatial rift created by the voidstone won't take you too far from here. I'll go look for it now."

Frey reached out, blocking Anya's path. "Anya, wait. At least locate Uncle Meilun's position first."

Meanwhile, aboard a starship stationed at a distance from Saint Cas, a heavy silence hung.

The video had gone completely black after their selected 'pawn' was torn apart. Although it didn’t unfold as they’d expected—causing widespread contamination and crippling the Crown Clan again—their chosen operative, equipped with their most advanced drugs, had instead focused solely on tracking down someone named Meilun within the Crown Clan, throwing their plans into disarray.

Still, that final fleeting clip revealed enough to make up for the failure.

"What was that?"

"Am I seeing things? Was that... a Crown Clan child?"

"Heh, hehehe... Seems like it really was. The Crown Clan actually has a youngling?"

"We can't let this stand—"

"There are plenty across the galaxy who hate the Crown Clan. This is a golden opportunity. I've already sent the final clip out. The right people will come looking for it. Oh, perhaps we should do some searching ourselves? Crush the Crown Clan's last hope..."

Before the words left his mouth, the video he'd sent was abruptly erased. Before he could react, the screen replaying the final audio segment suddenly flashed an alarm, emitting sharp crackling noises.

They'd been located!

Someone raised a gun and fired. A deafening boom shattered the transmission hub into ruins.

"Now isn't the time to confront Saint Cas directly. For the sake of our sacred Holy Rite, we must leave immediately."

One quickly entered coordinates for departure while others seethed silently, toying with their weapons, eyes alight with malice.

"Saint Cas—Crown Clan—"

*

Amos and the other two received a message from the royal court’s intelligence division.

Though they were unaware of Xiao Chuzao, they recognized Meilun.

Any information, videos, or images related to the Crown Clan posted on the StarNet would instantly flag their surveillance system.

As the galaxy’s dominant StarNet authority, the Saint Cas Empire could swiftly determine whether such content needed immediate deletion.

Once that video was uploaded, it was intercepted—appearing online for less than a few seconds.

They quickly pinpointed the sender's location and traced its origin.

The starship wasn’t from this region of space. Previously far from Saint Cas Prime and running silent, it had gone undetected—until they tracked the signal back to it. They were familiar with this source.

It belonged to the most mysterious terrorist organization in the galaxy—the Hymn Organization.

This group operated in secrecy, fanatics devoted to their creed. They targeted all long-lived species across the stars, their ranks brimming with skilled operatives. To this day, no one knew their true leader. Many of the galaxy’s scarce long-lived races had been wiped out—until they met their match with the Crown Clan.

Since then, the Hymn Organization’s hand was behind many assassination attempts against the Crown Clan.

They had seen the contents of the video.

Meilun’s crown shattered, falling around him like black snowflakes. He pressed desperately against the door, his psychic weapon already aimed at his own throat.

Inside, the soft whimpers dissolved into hiccupping sobs, but before Meilun could pull the trigger, the sound transformed into a bright, childish voice, pounding urgently on the door.

—"Grandpa Meilun! Let Zao Zao out!!"

Until golden psychic energy blasted through the door, and the Psychic Weapon in Mei Lun's hand vanished abruptly. A lightly dressed five-year-old cub burst out, reaching out in panic—firmly pressing Mei Lun's halo back together.

“Is that... Zao Zao?”

Frey blurted out in shock.

Meanwhile, the chaotic spatial rift behind them loomed closer.

The cub clung desperately to Mei Lun’s halo, pressing close to him, whimpering softly in distress, “Papa… papa…”

Until they were engulfed completely.

Everything came to an abrupt halt.

“Your Majesty, the video hasn’t leaked yet, but someone might have already seen it.”

A Saint Cas soldier rushed to report.

“They can’t have gotten far.”

Amos said.

“Have we located Mei Lun’s position yet?”

“Still searching!”

From the video alone, they couldn’t determine whether Mei Lun was still alive or if he had failed to end himself before his crown shattered completely—if his psychic energy erupted mid-jump, annihilating everything around him, locating him would be impossible.

The space-warping psychic energy around him slowly calmed, and he appeared outwardly calm.

His crimson eyes gleamed like drawn blades as he stared at the name of the Hymn Organization, his usual laid-back demeanor vanished. The hand gripping the Psychic Weapon clenched tightly, veins bulging on its back—his rage and bloodlust were plain to see.

“Mobilize the 9th Army. Have their commander report to me,” Amos’ voice remained steady. “Continue the search—fan out and sweep the area from the Imperial Star outward. The 10th Army will hold defensive positions. Pull back the three closest armies from the field and intercept the Hymn Organization’s starships.”

“Yes, sir!”

The Saint Cas Empire sprawled wide, with numerous remote buffer planets in its periphery. The search area was enormous, and tracking signals would take time.

Before that, Amos had already boarded a starship and set off ahead.

A blast rocked a small planet at the edge of Saint Cas—technically under the empire’s protection, but too far from the Imperial Star to matter much. It was part of the buffer zone between Saint Cas and the outer territories.

The place was a lawless mess, like rogue planets, though Saint Cas' laws kept things somewhat in check.

Debris showered from the sky with a deafening roar.

Amid the wreckage, a small white figure plummeted rapidly.

Xiao Chuzao tumbled like a sock in a dryer, yet he didn’t lose consciousness. Once he grasped his surroundings, his little wings beat wildly, halting his fall for a brief moment before he resumed his descent.

His wings ached, but his hands held stubbornly onto Mei Lun’s halo—unlike other Crown Clan, whose halos were kid-proof, Xiao Chuzao somehow managed to grip it. Even unconscious, Mei Lun’s body twitched involuntarily—Zao Zao had a death grip on his ‘mind’; resisting was pointless.

Above, debris kept raining down.

The cub wobbled, weaving through the chaos until he finally escaped the ‘debris storm.’

He touched down with Mei Lun in a clearing.

Xiao Chuzao was utterly exhausted, collapsing to the ground with a *plop*. His little wings, no longer held up by sheer willpower, drooped lopsidedly behind him.

The feathers, once carefully groomed by his parent, were now a tangled mess, bloodstains spreading across them. Tiny cuts littered his arms and back—nothing too deep, though. Aside from the serious damage to his wings from the impact, the rest of his body bore only minor injuries.

Even unconscious, Mei Lun’s years of danger reflexes had kicked in, shielding the little one before the worst could reach him. But Mei Lun was in terrible shape.

As a mythical being, even with superior physical strength, he wasn’t invincible—especially during the final stages of a Crown Clan member’s life force fading. It was like terminal illness: their defenses crumbled, immune systems failing. For the Crown Clan, it meant their entire body lost balance, their strength deteriorating rapidly.

His body was covered in deep, gaping wounds, blood soaking the ground beneath him. No longer fit for battle, he hadn’t been wearing the Saint Cas military uniform inside the royal court. Now, much of the blood on his clothes had dried, but fresh blood still flowed steadily.

His face was ghostly pale, unmoving in an unconscious state so still he might’ve been gone.

“Grandpa Mei Lun…”

Ignoring his own pain, the little one gingerly let go of Mei Lun’s halo, watching it closely.

It wavered—but didn’t shatter, as if stabilizing, slowly fading. The Crown Clan’s powerful self-healing ability was helping Mei Lun’s wounds begin to clot.

Xiao Chuzao pressed his ear gently against Mei Lun’s chest, listening hard—there was still a heartbeat, faint but there.

He exhaled shakily, all his strength suddenly gone.

The delicate five-year-old’s small shoulders trembled as he choked back tears. In the cold wind, he tucked his uninjured wing around them both, trying to keep warm.

“Grandpa Mei Lun… where are we…? Wh-where’s Papa? What do I do…? Grandpa Mei Lun, please wake up… You’re bleeding so much… Don’t die, Grandpa Mei Lun… Zao Zao fixed your halo, see…? Hic…”

He wasn’t brave by nature.

He knew that when someone bullies you, you have to be fiercer—but most of the time, he’d just hide in his safe spot and cry quietly, then avoid those scary things next time.

He always took care of himself, staying within the safety of his own world.

Now, his halo’s light was barely a flicker.

Tears welled up, fat and heavy.

The little one rubbed his eyes raw with tiny fists.

His delicate face was smudged with dirt, soft black curls a wild tangle. His golden eyes swam with sorrow.

"N-no...!"

He tried to talk himself through it.

"I *can’t* cry—"

He wiped again, harder.

"Papa said I gotta be strong now."

He had to weather worse things—he wasn’t that kid anymore. He wouldn’t run away or cry alone like before. He had to protect Grandpa Mei Lun.

It was just Zao Zao and Grandpa now.

At this thought, Xiao Chuzao looked around nervously.

He had no idea when Amos might show up, but he remembered being ordered to conceal his crown halo when Amos first brought him back.

The Crown Clan faced grave dangers in the open, and Zao Zao still wasn’t strong enough—Zao Zao remembered that clearly.

The faint glow of his delicate little halo above his head flickered out. His tiny wings tucked in tight behind him, and tucking in his drooping wings made him wince, tears welling up once more.

Xiao Chuzao stood up. No snow fell here, but it was still not warm enough.

The little cub glanced around, hoping to pull Mei Lun to safety.

But soon, Xiao Chuzao heard a deep mechanical roar.

The sound was alien to Xiao Chuzao—he didn’t know what it meant.

The little cub turned nervously—had his wings been free, they’d have puffed up in alarm by now.

A shadowy figure sped closer—Xiao Chuzao stepped in front of the unconscious Mei Lun.

The vehicle moved swiftly across the empty plain, churning up dust in its wake until it came to a stop not far from the little cub.

—A hulking transport vehicle.

At the front was a massive cargo bed, sleek black from head to toe, with a flag that looked somewhat familiar to Xiao Chuzao planted on it.

Two figures hopped out—a man and a woman, their features slightly similar.

One headed toward the pile of ruins, while the other noticed Xiao Chuzao and Mei Lun and walked over.

"Huh? Swore it was those Thieves again, raising hell like this. Turns out not them, huh? Now that I think about it, what caused such a big commotion?"

The man appeared to be in his twenties, wearing a black fitted top and dark blue sweatpants with loose cuffs, silver threads glinting faintly as he moved.

Sensing Xiao Chuzao's wariness, he stopped at a distance and smiled. "Hey there, little one. How did you end up here?"

Holy—!

As Wen Qingfeng approached, he realized just how ridiculously cute, almost unreal, the little cub was.

His voice instinctively softened further, and he glanced at the unconscious man the cub was shielding.

"Where is this place?"

Xiao Chuzao blinked, putting on his most serious tone, though his voice stayed sugary.

But his tiny, honeyed tone was too endearing, and his earnest expression was heart-melting.

"This is Saint Cas’s Mining Planet No. 78. We're residents here. Did you run into trouble during space travel and crash-land here? That's my sister, Wen Qingyu. I'm Wen Qingfeng—you can call me Uncle Wen..."

Still in Saint Cas—thank the stars!

Xiao Chuzao relaxed slightly at that.

"Just unidentified wreckage—maybe from a building or... a starship? I can't be sure. It's still falling, like some freak space phenomenon."

The other person, having finished inspecting the area where debris was still raining down, cut in, striding over. She looked at Chu Zao and the unconscious Mei Lun behind him with surprise.

"Did you fall with all that? You’re covered in blood..."

"I, I," the little cub faced the strangers, summoning all his courage. "Can we contact the Saint Cas imperial capital from here?"

"Contact the imperial capital?"

Wen Qingfeng raised his eyebrows.

"You're from the imperial capital? It's way too far from here. We scattered residents have no way to communicate directly with the capital. You'd need to go to the Saint Cas regional garrison in the south—though 'south' here actually means the other half of the planet. This area is mainly for mineral exploitation. With the transport we have here, it’d probably take two days and a night."

"Oh..." Xiao Chuzao nodded blankly. "We... are technically from the imperial capital."

Except they lived in the royal palace.

The cub was only five years old—far too young—and the adult who could speak for him seemed severely injured and unconscious.

Their hearts softened a little. Plus, a little one like this immediately trying to contact the imperial capital almost certainly meant they were Saint Casians. Being fellow Saint Casians, they let their guard down a bit.

Still, both the locals and Xiao Chuzao remained somewhat guarded toward each other.

Still scared from earlier, the cub held back his halo and stayed watchful.

"Hey kiddo, how about this?" Wen Qingyu suggested. "We’ll get you and your family member treated and bandaged first. He’s bleeding pretty bad. Once he’s stable, we’ll get you to the southern garrison, alright?"

"Of course, there are starships out here heading elsewhere, but out here in the middle of nowhere, they only leave every two days, and the starport’s really far away. This is no-man’s-land—mineral thieves used to sneak in and strip-mine illegally. We’re volunteer patrols. Every scrap here belongs to the Saint Cas Empire—not a speck goes missing. We offer glory to the Sacred Crown!"

She got a little fired up but caught herself.

She nudged her brother with her foot so he’d grab the medical kit from the vehicle.

Xiao Chuzao blinked, still sitting on the ground, his face smeared with dirt, looking utterly miserable.

Wen Qingfeng grumbled, scratching the back of his head as he handed the medical kit to Wen Qingyu.

Wen Qingyu approached the cub with bandages, checking for hesitation before glancing at her foolish brother.

"Brother, patch up his guardian. That wreck reeks of blood—let’s not risk infection."

Wen Qingfeng agreed and instinctively reached for Mei Lun.

The next moment, Mei Lun’s arm shot up, blocking him.

"Ah!"

Wen Qingfeng flinched.

The little cub, who had been holding out his hand for Wen Qingyu to bandage, spun around. "Grandpa Mei Lun!"

But Mei Lun remained motionless, showing no reaction except slowly lowering his arm after hearing the cub’s voice.

"Damn, what reflexes—"

Wen Qingfeng shook his numb arm, amazed that someone unconscious could still exert such force.

Mei Lun hadn’t been active on the frontlines for a long time. Much of the Crown Clan’s records and footage were periodically sealed. His last known activity was over twenty years ago—before these two were even born. In such a remote place, they were too busy with daily grind to waste time on the star-net.

Among Saint Cas’s Crown Clan, they only recognized the currently active members and had no knowledge of Mei Lun.

This time, Wen Qingfeng approached more carefully.

But Mei Lun must have heard the little one's voice, and this time he put up little resistance to Wen Qingfeng’s approach, though his body tensed instinctively like a coiled spring.

—"The wounds are deep and numerous. We can only give first aid here—"

Wen Qingfeng worked carefully.

—"I think we need to take him to our makeshift camp for proper treatment. This place is no good—the environment is too poor, and there's a risk of infection."

There, young people from the miners' families had gathered together to guard this mining area.

Though most were just temporary shelters, it was far better than treating injuries in the middle of nowhere.

Xiao Chuzao only let Wen Qingyu briefly disinfect his wounds before curling his small body against Mei Lun's shoulder, calling out in a tiny, trembling voice: "Gramps Mei Lun, are you awake? Talk to Zao Zao..."

His tears stubbornly refused to fall.

—"Daddy will come soon... Once Daddy gets here, everything will be okay. For now, Zao Zao will protect you..."

The little voice made everyone’s heart ache.

Wen Qingfeng wiped his eyes.

—"Come on, little one, follow me. Little Sis, give me a hand here."

They helped the unconscious Mei Lun up and into the truck, while Wen Qingfeng picked up the little cub and placed him inside as well.

Before loading Mei Lun onto the vehicle, they carefully checked the flag on it before boarding.

Not far away, the wormhole from the jump was gradually closing, and falling objects had decreased. The roaring sound of mechanical engines filled the air as the hulking machine deftly reversed, turned around, and kicked up a cloud of dust, barreling toward their gathering spot.

Meanwhile...

Countless starships fanned out from the Imperial Star, sweeping through the vast cosmos inch by inch.

The Empire hadn't seen a mobilization this large in a long time.

Amos stood in the starship's command center, his eyes dark as he stared at the screen.

At the same time, his immense psychic powers flared out uncontrollably across the void, searching for any possible trace—scouring every inch.

No results. No leads—

Where had that chaotic spatial jump ended?

No one knew. There were no reports.

It was entirely possible they had fallen into the cold vacuum of space.

If Chu Zao had survived the jump but landed in open space, with his physical condition, he wouldn’t survive two days.

Two days...

Amos’s hand at his side slowly clenched into a fist.

His distress had overwhelmed him, and the reckless use of his psychic powers was already causing a throbbing pain in his head.

His vision blurred—

A little white fluffball nestled in his hands, contentedly nibbling fruit. Then, upon returning, holding up his bottle proudly—"Meow!" Daddy, Zao Zao drank it all!

He anxiously curled into a ball to sleep, only to be jolted awake by a dazed, whimpering cry searching for him—“Papa?”

…

Eventually, it all transformed into that vulnerable young cub, trembling pathetically, calling his name again and again—

What exactly was this feeling?

Amos felt as if he were being tortured into madness.

Even during psychic eruptions, he had never experienced such agony.

And there remained no trace of Mei Lun’s location—there were two possibilities.

Either Mei Lun’s psychic energy had imploded, triggering a violent explosion that shattered his body beyond recognition.

Or they had stayed in hyperspace too long, and the signal hadn’t returned from the jump yet.

But every rational thought told them the first scenario was far more likely—Mei Lun had already slipped into unconsciousness at the end, incapable of self-destruction. His Psychic Crown had shattered before their very eyes. A Crown Clansman with a shattered crown was destined to perish…

Amos clenched his jaw almost imperceptibly.

“Continue searching outward—expand the search range—”

Suddenly, an urgent voice burst into his ear:

“Your Majesty, sir!!! Prince Mei Lun’s signal has been located!!! On Saint Cas Mining Planet 78!!”