Chapter Ninety: Transformation

In the room, Song Yue watched his brother busily preparing the ingredients, a sudden ache rising in his nose.
“Brother…”
“Hmm?”
“The top-grade ingredients you’ve been getting for me… You bought them at a high price on Tianyue Star, didn’t you?” Song Yue asked quietly.
“Well… I suppose so. A place as barren as this—no birds, nothing at all—where would you find top-tier ingredients?” Now that his younger brother was here, Song Chao decided there was no point in hiding it.
“So all these years, you and Dad, Sister and Mom, have worked together to create the illusion that our family’s wealthy, using that money to buy me the best house in Hangcheng, to buy me all kinds of martial artists’ ingredients, and meanwhile… you’ve been desperately working for money behind the scenes?” Song Yue pressed further.
“What are you thinking? It’s not as tragic as you imagine! Our family truly is quite well-off!”
Song Chao carried over a pile of ingredients, planning to share a hotpot meal with his brother—a meal that was already considered an extravagant luxury here on Yuhuo Star.
He looked at Song Yue. “It’s really not as bad as you think. It’s just… the job is highly confidential. Ah, blame me—I really missed you, and sincerely wanted you to come for a gathering, but I knew it was impossible. No starship would dare fly here. And yet…”
Song Chao shrugged. “You’re something else, aren’t you? Not only did you get a starship to bring you here, you even waited on it. Fortunately all those people left recently…”
He waved his hand dismissively. “Let’s not talk about that. Let’s sit down and catch up—tell me how you’ve been!”
But Song Yue refused to let the topic go. Since he was here, he needed to understand the real situation of his father and brother.
He lacked neither top-tier cultivation techniques nor high-grade spiritual medicines. As for money… he still had the hundred million cash gifted by the kind-hearted Li Bing from the Li family.
If his father and brother were unhappy here, they could simply return to Earth and make a fresh start.
Why must they stay in such a desolate place?
“Brother, tell me honestly: are you and Dad free here?” Song Yue gazed into his brother’s eyes.
“Hey… what are you thinking? Of course we’re free. Otherwise, how could we possibly go back to Earth to visit you?”
By now, the water in the electric cooker was boiling. Song Chao carefully placed various ingredients inside. The unguarded look of concentration on his face made Song Yue’s heart ache.
What kind of life was this?
He had grown up surrounded by luxury, with the only absence being his family. Everything else was the life of a privileged young master. Yet his brother lived in this wasteland, cherishing even a hotpot meal.
It was sinful.
He quietly took out several large chunks of lobster claw meat and crab meat from the Jade Void Heavenly Tablet, slicing them right before his brother’s eyes.
“It’s been a while since you’ve had seafood, hasn’t it? Let’s start with some, and chat as we eat,” Song Yue said, his tone tinged with melancholy.
“You have a storage artifact? This… is seafood?” Song Chao stared in disbelief at the huge pieces of lobster and crab meat. Just how enormous were these creatures to yield such meat?
“Yes, it’s seafood!” Song Yue affirmed.
Song Yue tossed the seafood into the hotpot, and soon a rich, almost overwhelming aroma wafted through the room.
Song Chao picked up a bite with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. The next moment, he froze completely.
Staring blankly at his brother, he asked, “What level of ingredient is this? How can you be so wasteful? Pack up the rest—save it for yourself!”
“Brother!”
Song Yue’s tone grew firmer, and in that instant, a powerful aura erupted from him.
He had experienced much this past year and grown quickly. Having personally slain many foes, Song Yue’s stern expression and sudden burst of aura stunned his brother.
Seeing Song Chao’s bewildered look, Song Yue softened his tone. “I’m not a child anymore. You and Dad can be honest with me.”
With that, he dumped the remaining seafood into the hotpot. “I have plenty of this. Later, I’ll leave you a few tons.”
If it ever ran out, he could always go to the North Sea and borrow a giant lobster claw from the old dragon lobster—there would be enough to eat for ages. That creature could regrow them endlessly.
A few… tons?
Song Chao nearly lost his composure.
As a cultivator, he could instantly taste that this so-called seafood was of the highest grade. The energy within was incredibly abundant.
Looking at his own ingredients—vegetables cultivated in the base, genetically engineered synthetic meat… and the rare foods purchased from Tianyue Star, which he’d been reluctant to eat—he truly felt wretched.
At that, Song Chao smiled bitterly.
Two years had passed, and the little one had grown up—and in ways he could hardly comprehend.
“If you have concerns, let me go first.”
Song Yue retrieved a case of strong white liquor from the Tablet space, opened a bottle, filled two glasses, and gestured to his brother. He downed his drink in one gulp.
Song Chao, speechless, finished his glass as well and looked at him.
“I’m just a step away from becoming a Grandmaster.”
“As for my status, I’ve apprenticed under Master Kong, and now I serve as the head of the Hangcheng branch of the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs.”
“For great medicines, I obtained many in the Western secret realm—I’m not lacking. For ingredients, the North Sea demon clan generously gifted me several types of seafood suitable for Foundation and Penetration realms. Not lacking either. I even left Mom and Sister three large freezers’ worth recently.”
“For money, the Li family in the capital gave me a hundred million… a bit little, but I’m sure they’ll give more later. Not a bribe—just kindness, their wealth is excessive.”
“I’m now a particularly friendly associate of the Lin family of Tianyue Star. The starship parked in orbit is mine.”
“As for cultivation techniques—whatever you want, I’ll record them for you…”
Song Chao: “…”
He stared, dumbfounded, at the handsome young man before him.
If not for the familiar mannerisms and tone, and the deep familial affection in Song Yue’s voice, he might have suspected his brother had been possessed by some ancient monster.
How could it be? In just a year or two, how could his brother have changed so much?
He always knew his brother was a genius.
The whole family had spared no effort to nurture him, enduring hardships gladly.
He and their father willingly endured isolation and hardship in this godforsaken place, just to earn enough to help Song Yue climb higher and further.
He knew Master Kong treated Song Yue well and had given much, but Song Yue was family—how could he let the Master bear that burden alone?
So, they endured suffering and loneliness, doing everything possible to provide better conditions for Song Yue.
Yet every detail Song Yue had just shared seemed unbelievable.
His eighteen-year-old brother, about to become a Grandmaster?
So young, and already the head of a major bureau branch?
A friend of the Lin family, the great clan of Tianyue Star?
Given a massive starship?
Even the oldest model was worth tens of billions!
Such a gift, just handed over?
Incredible!
Song Yue refilled their glasses, raised his cup, and looked at his brother. “So it’s not an exaggeration to say I’m quite formidable now. Brother, there’s no need for you to endure anything for my sake anymore.”
“Look at what you’re eating. Even this… you probably can’t bear to eat most days, right? Is it mostly synthetic nutrition? You’re a cultivator too, brother. How can you train in such conditions?”
Song Yue drained his glass, his eyes reddening.
The truth about his father and brother’s working environment surprised and saddened him.
Song Chao silently drank another glass, his mind still replaying his brother’s words. If all of this was true, Song Yue wasn’t just impressive—he was beyond imagination.
He couldn’t even dare to dream of such things!
“We’re actually fine. Dad and I aren’t miners as you imagine, nor are we anyone’s servants.”
After two drinks, Song Chao opened up.
He admitted that their working here was indeed for the income.
But the place was a restricted zone, everything highly confidential, and any leak could mean death.
“So, even Mom and Song Yu don’t know what we do,” Song Chao explained with a wry smile. “This time, I really miscalculated. Never expected you, little one, to be so capable and bring a starship. Otherwise, you could never have reached this star system.”
“Can you resign?” Song Yue asked. “Let’s quit. When Dad returns, let’s all go home together! You’ve raised me for eighteen years; from now on, I’ll take care of this family!”
Now, Song Yue had enough confidence and resources to say this.
For interstellar trade, the Lin family was a natural partner. For business on Earth, he had plenty of top-grade medicines. When he entered the Ninth Gate world, he could bring back more resources.
All he wanted was for the family to reunite, to live and cultivate happily, not to be constrained by money and lose their freedom.
According to Song Chao, they had leave to visit Earth, but could never speak of anything here.
Even now, Song Chao hadn’t revealed any details about the minerals or operations, strictly keeping to the rules, guarding secrets, fearful of implicating his brother.
Song Yue had no interest in the secrets here, nor did he have the power to challenge an organization that treated Yuhuo Star as its private mining zone. He just wanted to get his brother and father out.
Song Chao shook his head, smiling bitterly. “Resign? It’s not so easy. Dad and I signed a thirty-year contract. We’re not even halfway through…”
“Fifteen more years in this hellhole?”
Song Yue frowned.
If not for his brother, he wouldn’t want to spend another minute here.
Song Chao nodded, and began to eat the seafood from the hotpot with gusto. The ingredients were so exquisite—the best he’d ever tasted!
He didn’t stand on ceremony with his brother, especially since Song Yue had promised him tons of it… That really startled him.
Watching his brother devour the food, Song Yue lost his appetite.
He put down his chopsticks and started drinking in silence.
The thought that his father and brother had fifteen more years here made him feel miserable.
A family split in two for his sake—husband and wife separated for years, surely their bond would suffer, no matter how deep.
Mom had even asked him to check if Dad had any little fairies at his side…
The more Song Yue thought, the worse he felt.
Just then, an alarm suddenly sounded in the room.
Song Chao froze, his expression shifting slightly as he activated a virtual projection.
Outside the base, seven or eight small aircraft were parked.
Song Chao frowned and said to Song Yue, “Stay here. I’ll go deal with them.”
“Brother,” Song Yue stopped him, “those people came because they detected my presence and want to cause trouble, right?”
Song Chao hesitated, then nodded. “But you can’t go out, and you absolutely mustn’t confront them. Otherwise, there’ll be real trouble!”
He looked at Song Yue. “Don’t worry, I can handle it!”
Song Chao knew his brother’s temper well. From childhood, Song Yue was a brawler—he hadn’t calmed down even in Hangcheng, leaving students at the cultivation academy with psychological scars.
So he couldn’t let Song Yue get involved. If he clashed with these people, things would get messy.
He went out, brought the aircraft into the base, closed the gates, and waited.
Soon, a dozen or so people stepped out of the small aircraft, all with unfriendly expressions.
One, a young man of twenty-eight or twenty-nine, immediately accused, “Song Chao, who’s the visitor? You’ve got guts, letting outsiders in without permission. Are you trying to drag us all down with you?”
The others glared coldly. Someone sneered, “There’s a brand-new, unmarked starship parked outside. Song Chao, you’re something—selling off minerals while the administrator’s away?”
Song Chao frowned. “Don’t make wild accusations. Be responsible for what you say. I’ll explain to the administrator—there’s full video evidence, I haven’t revealed any base secrets. So please leave. This has nothing to do with you; you won’t be implicated.”
The young man responded coldly, “Easy for you to say. When one gets in trouble, everyone is punished. The rules aren’t yours to make! Now you’ve brought in outsiders—what are you going to do about it?”
Song Chao looked at him. “What do you suggest?”
The young man said, “One hundred million star coins, and we’ll pretend we saw nothing.”
Star coins were the interstellar alliance’s universal currency, equivalent to seven or eight hundred million yuan on Earth.
Song Chao looked at him as if he were an idiot. “Are you insane? Do I look like someone with a hundred million star coins? Chi Mingyu, we’re all from Earth. Is it meaningful for you to extort me like this? You know one gets in trouble, all are punished. What good would it do you to report me?”
“If we report proactively, we won’t be punished. Don’t bother with the Earth compatriot talk. If you don’t pay up, no one will let you off today,” another mocked.
Quietly following Song Chao out and standing at the corner, Song Yue understood. These bastards… they were here to extort his brother!
Song Chao had dared to let him in because the administrator wasn’t around. He hadn’t expected others on Yuhuo Star to notice and band together to blackmail him.
Song Yue didn’t rush out. He didn’t want to cause trouble for his brother.
But if they went too far, he wouldn’t stand by and let Song Chao suffer!
Song Chao felt helpless. These people were too sharp. This whole area was managed by him and Dad, nothing to do with the newcomers. He’d gambled on letting his brother in for a meal, only to run into this mess.
Chi Mingyu looked at Song Chao. “Your face is flushed—so there’s a woman among the guests, right? Bring her out so we can see!”
“That’s right. Judging by your excitement, it must be a woman. Bring her out so we can see who’s bold enough to come to Yuhuo Star!”
“Why don’t we all go in and share a meal?” someone suggested.
“I agree! Visitors must have brought fresh ingredients, right?”
They said this as they tried to barge in.
Song Chao blocked them, his voice stern. “Do you think I’m easy to bully?”
Chi Mingyu smiled. “We don’t think you’re easy to bully, but with such leverage, it’d be a waste not to use it.”
“One million star coins,” Song Chao said coldly, “take the money and get out!”
Everyone laughed loudly at that.
Chi Mingyu looked at Song Chao. “One million? Are you kidding?”
Others scoffed, “Ridiculous. Trying to buy us off with a month’s wages? Who hasn’t seen a million before?”
“Song Chao, don’t push your luck. If we report you, you’ll lose your life! Understand?”
Song Yue couldn’t bear it. He slipped back to his brother’s room, picked up the smart device Song Chao had left there, activated it, and quickly searched for what he needed.
He found it, scanned it, memorized it, and walked out again.
Song Chao was still sparring with the group.
He knew Chi Mingyu and the others were after money; they were unlikely to actually report him.
Their talk of proactive reporting for immunity was nonsense. If the administrator were reasonable, Song Chao wouldn’t have rushed his brother away when he arrived.
A hundred million star coins was just extortion.
Song Chao’s real bottom line was ten million.
He’d pay to avoid disaster.
Although seeing his brother cost him ten million star coins, the blame was his—he hadn’t expected Song Yue to be so capable as to actually arrive. And after hearing Song Yue’s achievements, Song Chao felt more confident!
But first, he had to haggle with them, never letting them see his bottom line.
Just then, a soft, icy voice sounded behind him.
“So lively? Seems you all have time to go visiting.”
Song Chao jumped, then turned in disbelief.
The others saw before he did—they looked as if they’d seen a ghost, tongues tied, unable to speak.
“Administrator…?”
Chi Mingyu sank to his knees.
He really knelt, dropped with a thud, kowtowing frantically. “I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have wandered around!”
The others also knelt one after another, their scalps tingling, cold sweat pouring, utterly terrified!
The administrator, who was supposed to have left, had returned in an unmarked starship and appeared at Song Chao’s base… There had to be some illicit dealings between them!
And now they’d come to extort him?
It was over.
They were finished!
Song Chao was stunned.
For a moment, he nearly acted.
How could the administrator be here?
Where was his brother?
Only when the group behind instantly knelt, and the “administrator” winked at him and turned to leave, did Song Chao recognize the walk—it was Song Yue!
He didn’t know how it happened, but he instantly understood.
He turned, put on a stern face, and silently regarded the kneeling crowd.
After a long time, someone dared to lift their head and saw the administrator was gone. But that was the administrator’s usual style—cold, silent, ruthless.
So their terror only deepened, nearly exploding.
Song Chao sighed.
“How should I deal with you all?”
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