Kamal and Neelam nodded eagerly, sharing the same excitement.
Rudra bounced on his toes, shouting with pure joy, "Let's go! Land there!"
Even Astra leaned forward, her white fur catching the reflected moonlight, clearly looking forward to stepping onto a new world.
The Heart Clone smiled and focused his will on the control orb.
With a gentle mental command, the fortress began its descent.
It did not fully touch down on the lunar surface—instead, it hovered steadily fifty meters above the dusty ground, its massive shadow falling across craters and ridges like a silent guardian.
The Heart Clone turned to the family.
"Let's go outside. I've already placed protective sheild on all of you—no need to worry about lacking oxygen or the vacuum. You'll be perfectly safe."
The family nodded without hesitation and followed him to the main gate.
Sanya was the first to leap out, Rudra secure in her arms, landing lightly on the moon's surface with a soft puff of dust.
The moment her feet touched down, she felt the dramatic difference—her body had become incredibly light, gravity only one-sixth of Earth's.
She realized she could achieve impossible speeds with just a casual run.
Rudra wriggled free from her hold and placed his small feet on the ground, eyes wide with wonder at the sensation.
But the low gravity caught him off guard—his body began to drift upward uncontrollably.
Kamal and Neelam quickly reached out from behind, each placing a steadying hand on his shoulders, helping him settle back down with gentle laughter.
Sanya grinned, testing a small jump that sent her soaring several meters high before landing softly.
"Brother, Dad, Mom—I'm going to take a round of the moon! Bye!"
Without waiting for an answer, she dashed off in a blur of motion, kicking up fine lunar dust that hung in the air like slow-motion glitter.
Kamal and Neelam didn't try to stop her—they knew the Heart Clone would keep watch over her from afar.
Rudra stepped forward toward Astra, looking up at her with a mix of awe and lingering nervousness after seeing her earlier dominance.
"Astra… follow sister, please. Follow her quickly."
Astra nodded her massive head and lowered herself so Rudra could climb onto her back.
The boy scrambled up eagerly, gripping her fur, and with a powerful press, Astra launched into the air, streaking after Sanya.
The Heart Clone turned to Kamal and Neelam.
"Mom, Dad—you can explore too. There is no danger here. I'll rest and watch from the fortress."
Kamal and Neelam exchanged a smile, then activated their Void Step shoes and rose into the air, setting off in their own direction to take in the alien landscape at their leisure.
The Heart Clone remained at the gate, arms folded, content to observe.
He had already covered the entire moon with his divine sense long ago and found nothing of particular interest—just a barren, lifeless rock, silent and unchanging under the harsh sunlight.
Why barren?
Because this place didn't contain even a single particle of essence flow.
No essence moved through its soil, no energy circulated in its thin exosphere.
The Heart Clone began to ponder deeply.
Like Earth, the moon had once lacked essence flow entirely.
But now, even after Earth's awakening, the moon still showed no sign of revival.
He activated his Divine Sage profession, letting insight flow through calculations of fate, energy patterns, and cosmic cycles.
After several moments of silent analysis, the truth crystallized in his mind.
The moon would never produce essence flow on its own—not now, not in the future.
He expanded the calculation outward, probing the entire solar system.
The result was the same.
No other planet, moon, or asteroid showed even the faintest trace of awakening essence.
Only Earth pulsed with essenceflow.
Confusion stirred within him.
In the novels he had read, when spiritual qi revived, it usually spread across the whole universe—in a grand, unstoppable wave, awakening every planet, star, and hidden realm, turning the universe into a vast cultivation ground where every being could rise.
Yet here, the revival seemed strangely confined.
If this were truly a classic spiritual qi revival like the novels described, then other planets should have awakened too.
But nothing stirred.
No other Planets showed even the faintest sign of revival, nor would it in the future.
So… was this really a "revival" of spiritual qi at all?
Or was it something entirely different?
Surely there must be other places—distant stars, hidden realms, or entire galaxies—where essence had already awakened or was beginning to revive, just like the classic plots.
He pushed his Divine Sage insight further, attempting to calculate whether such places existed beyond the solar system.
But the further his vision stretched, the more resistance he met.
The calculations grew hazy, uncertain, then simply collapsed.
He couldn't pierce beyond the solar boundary—not yet.
It could be his current power was insufficient, or the distance was simply too vast for his present Stage to grasp.
Either way, the answer would come in time.
He would step beyond the solar system slowly, methodically, and uncover the cause himself.
For now, he let the thought rest.
Below him, the family explored the moon's surface—Sanya racing across craters at blinding speed, Rudra clinging to Astra's back as they soared over dusty plains, Kamal and Neelam walking hand in hand, marveling at the stark beauty of a world untouched by life.
The Heart Clone watched them with quiet satisfaction.
This was their first taste of the Universe.
And it was only the beginning.