The simple tea inn of Solar City was unusually lively that morning.
It was nothing more than a two story wooden structure with faded red pillars and a tiled roof darkened by age.
Steam rose gently from kettles behind the counter, carrying the fragrance of coarse spirit tea leaves mixed with roasted grains.
Outside, the city bustled as always vendors shouting, cultivators passing by flying artifacts, guards patrolling the streets but inside the inn, every table hummed with the same topic.
'The Zhao family'
At a corner table by the window sat a boy dressed in plain white robes. His clothes were clean and unadorned, yet the fabric was of extraordinary quality, soft as flowing clouds.
A long sword, wrapped in pale cloth, was tucked calmly across his back. From his waist hung a simple but ancient-looking token engraved with the emblem of the Eternal Sect. On the chest of his uniform, embroidered in subtle silver thread, was a single word:
'SWORD'
Lin Feng lifted his teacup, his movements unhurried and elegant. The tea was ordinary, far inferior to what the Eternal Sect provided, yet he drank it without complaint. His expression was calm, almost detached, as though the noise around him had nothing to do with him.
"…I heard it with my own ears!" a burly cultivator at the next table said in a hushed but excited voice. "In just one night—no, one day—the entire Zhao family was erased!"
Another man leaned forward eagerly. "Impossible! The Zhao family had an ancestor at Nascent Soul Realm, fourth level! And more than twenty Golden Core elders!"
"Not just that," the first man continued, eyes wide. "Four thousand disciples, stewards, outer elders—none survived! Even their Shadow Squad!"
At the mention of that name, the surrounding tables grew quiet.
"The Shadow Squad…" someone whispered. "Thirty cultivators at peak Foundation Establishment. Those monsters were famous even beyond the western region."
"They're all dead," the burly man said, swallowing nervously. "Not a single corpse left intact. The Zhao estate itself was sealed off. They say the ground is still stained with residual sword intent."
A chill ran through the inn.
Many glanced around subconsciously, lowering their voices, as if afraid the killer might overhear them—even though no one knew who that killer was.
Lin Feng gently set down his cup.
His long black hair was tied neatly with a white ribbon, a few strands falling naturally by his temples. His face was youthful, refined, and strikingly handsome,
yet there was a faint sharpness to his eyes, like a blade resting in its sheath. Though he was only fifteen, his presence was steady, carrying an unspoken authority that most people instinctively avoided.
To everyone else, he was merely another disciple of the Eternal Sect passing through.
No one could imagine that the destruction they were whispering about had anything to do with this quiet boy.
At that moment, the chatter abruptly faltered.
The door of the inn creaked open.
A young woman stepped inside, and the atmosphere subtly changed.
She wore flowing red robes embroidered with golden sun patterns. Her long hair cascaded down her back like a dark waterfall, partially tied with an ornate jade ornament.
Her features were exquisitely beautiful delicate yet dignified and her eyes carried a natural nobility that could not be concealed, no matter how simply she dressed.
Behind her, the noise of the inn softened.
Many recognized her instantly.
"That's… that's the princess!"
"The only princess of the Great Solaris Kingdom!"
"She's a Golden Core expert, isn't she?"
The Great Solaris Kingdom was an eighth-tier low-rank kingdom small in the grand scheme of the Human Federation,
yet still a sovereign force in the western region. And its only princess was famous not just for her beauty, but also for her cultivation and intelligence.
She ignored the gazes around her.
Her eyes scanned the inn briefly before settling on the boy in white by the window.
She walked toward him without hesitation.
Lin Feng felt her presence before she reached him. He lifted his gaze calmly as she stopped in front of his table.
To the astonishment of everyone present, the princess of the Great Solaris Kingdom clasped her hands together and bowed deeply.
"Your Highness," she said respectfully, her voice clear and composed. "May I speak with you for a few seconds?"
Silence fell like a hammer.
Every cultivator in the inn froze.
'Your… Highness?'
They stared at Lin Feng in disbelief.
'Who was this boy?'
Some noticed the Eternal Sect token. Others noticed the Sword Peak insignia.
A few sharper individuals caught sight of the faint pressure emanating from him a pressure that did not belong to an ordinary core disciple.
Lin Feng blinked once, then gave a small nod.
"If I'm not mistaken," he said softly, "you are the girl who accompanied Zhao Yan at the Ten Thousand Pavilion that day, correct?"
The princess straightened slightly, surprised that he recognized her.
"Yes," she replied honestly. "My name is Zhao yue ( Solaris yue ) , the only princess of the Great Solaris Kingdom."
Her lips pressed together for a moment before she continued, "I wish to speak with you about something important."
Lin Feng gestured lightly toward the empty seat across from him.
"What is it?" he asked, his tone calm.
She sat down carefully, maintaining her dignity even as countless eyes watched them. Taking a breath, she asked in a low voice, "Your Highness… are you the one who eradicated the Zhao family?"
A sharp intake of breath echoed from several nearby tables.
Lin Feng raised an eyebrow slightly. A gentle smile curved his lips, neither admitting nor denying anything.
"Why?" he asked. "Are you here to arrest me for that?"
Zhao Yue's face changed immediately. She waved her hands in panic.
"No, no! Of course not!" she said quickly.
"Your Highness, the Zhao family betrayed humanity. They colluded with the Nether Bat Race ,those filthy extraterrestrial creatures.
Their destruction was punishment they brought upon themselves."
Her eyes hardened briefly. "They deserved to die. I'm not here to question your actions."
After a short pause, her voice softened.
"I… I need help."
Lin Feng studied her quietly.
"What help do you need from me?"
Zhao Yue hesitated.
She knew exactly who was sitting in front of her.
This was not merely a Sword Peak disciple.
This was a seventh-tier citizen of the Human Federation a status so high that even the heads of seventh-tier sects had to tread carefully. More importantly, this boy had been personally verified by at least one Galaxy Sovereign, one of the fourteen supreme rulers of humanity.
Compared to him, even powerful sect patriarchs were nothing more than registered names in an administrative system.
Taking a steady breath, she said,
"Your Highness… our kingdom is the only sovereign dynasty in the western region. We have full authority over ninth-tier sects and families within our borders. However, eighth-tier sects are different. They merely reside in our territory, but they are already above our laws."
Her fists clenched slightly.
"There is an eighth-tier sect called the Barbarian Sect. They dwell in the forestlands near our borders. They never truly belonged to our kingdom, but recently they've begun invading our lands. They want to control the region… to enslave the mortals and cultivators living there."
Her voice trembled faintly.
"If this continues…"
Before she could finish, Lin Feng interrupted gently.
"Why don't you contact Goddess Nexus?" he asked. "She oversees every citizen and living being on this plane. Surely she can resolve this."
At the mention of that name, reverence flickered across many faces in the inn.
Goddess Nexus,
The supreme artificial intelligence created jointly by the thirteen Sovereigns of humanity. The mind that protected the Human Federation, governed its systems, and defended it against extraterrestrial races. To humanity, she was omnipresent, omniscient almost divine.
Zhao Yue smiled bitterly.
Your Highness," she said softly,
"this is merely a conflict between a sect and a kingdom. Even if an entire eighth-tier sect or kingdom were wiped out, she would not interfere."
She was right.
To the grand machinery of the Human Federation, eighth-tier forces were insignificant. Ants, at best.
Lin Feng leaned back slightly.
"Then why do you believe I can help you?"
Solaris Yue met his eyes and smiled faintly.
"Because you are a seventh-tier citizen personally employed by the Human Federation," she said. "If someone like you cannot help us… then no one can."
For the first time, a genuine surprise flashed across Lin Feng's face.
"How do you know that?" he asked, his voice low.
Solaris Yue looked even more surprised.
"Your Highness… didn't you know?" she asked. "After the Zhao family incident, we went to investigate the Zhao estate. When we attempted to access the Nexus Net for information, we were blocked."
Her eyes darkened.
"The system showed that the incident involved a seventh-tier citizen verified by the Federation. Our authority level was insufficient to obtain any further details."
She paused, then continued, "That's when I remembered the conflict between you and Zhao Yan at the Ten Thousand Pavilion. So I came to you… and you've already given me the answer yourself."
Lin Feng fell silent.
He hadn't expected Nexus to seal off the Zhao estate so thoroughly.
Even the princess of an eighth-tier kingdom couldn't access the records.
Slowly, he looked out the window at the bustling Solar City.
The tea in his cup had long gone cold.
It seemed that, without him realizing it, the weight of his existence had already begun to ripple across the lower tiers of humanity.
Lin Feng's gaze rested calmly on the girl in red. For a brief moment, the lively tea inn seemed to fade into the background the clinking cups, the murmurs of cultivators,
even the heated discussion about the Zhao family all became distant echoes.
He looked at her as if weighing something unseen.
"If I help you," Lin Feng said slowly, his tone carrying a faint note of inquiry rather than greed, "what can you offer me in return?"
The question struck Solaris Yue unexpectedly.
Her expression froze for a heartbeat. Until now, desperation and hope had driven her actions; she had come seeking help from someone far above her station,
never truly considering what she could give in exchange. As the only princess of an eighth-tier kingdom, she was used to others offering her everything not the other way around.
A faint flush crept up her cheeks.
She lowered her gaze slightly, then gathered her courage. Even knowing she might be overstepping her bounds, she spoke honestly.
"Your Highness… our Great Solaris Kingdom is famous for one thing," she said softly. "Solar Jade."
Her voice grew steadier as she continued. "Within our royal treasury lies a Solar Jade vein that only produces a single complete jade once every thousand years. That jade has just matured."
A quiet stir passed through the inn.
Solar Jade.
Every cultivator knew its name.
A supreme treasure infused with pure solar fire essence capable of greatly enhancing fire-attributed cultivation, refining meridians, strengthening cores,
and even aiding breakthroughs. To fire cultivators, it was priceless.
Solaris Yue clenched her hands beneath the table.
"If you truly help us resolve this matter," she said firmly, "I will offer that Solar Jade to you."
Lin Feng's eyes flickered.
For the first time since the conversation began, he genuinely considered her words.
Solar Jade…
His thoughts drifted to a fiery figure clad in crimson robes Huo Ling'er, his martial sister from the Fire Peak of the Eternal Sect. Her cultivation path relied heavily on pure fire essence.
With Solar Jade, her foundation could be further solidified, perhaps even allowing her to leap over a bottleneck that had restrained her for years.
This was not a meaningless offer.
It was sincerity and sacrifice for Zhao yue,