“`
“Chi’er, since you’re reluctant to show your edge in front of others, the family will not force you. However, remember one thing: hiding your abilities does not mean you have to endure grievances. If you encounter something outside that you cannot resolve, or if someone uses their power to bully the weaker, do not keep it to yourself. Speak up.
We have many elders in the family who are more than capable of protecting you!”
Grandma, who was usually a very gentle person, spoke these words with unusual firmness, giving Song Chi an inexplicable sense of confidence.
After he nodded, the four of them left the secret room one after another.
…
Soon, two days passed, and Grandma’s grand 200th birthday celebration officially began.
On this day, the courtyard of the raging lions was bustling with guests coming and going, and hundreds of tables were set up for the feast, brimming with liveliness.
The Qian family from Baihe City, led by family head Qian Fei, presented birthday gifts including 10 strands of Third Rank Floating Land Origin, 200 strands of Second Rank Floating Land Origin, and two white warship components.
Jiangyuan City’s Tianyu Mining Company, directed by Jin Lie, presented 200 strands of Second Rank Floating Land Origin and one blue warship component as birthday gifts.
The First Torch Academy of Jiangyuan City, led by Dean Lin Yecheng, presented 100 strands of Third Rank Floating Land Origin and two blue warship components as birthday gifts.
…
As each of the distinguished guests presented their gifts, the atmosphere at the birthday banquet was completely set in motion.
At the outermost perimeter of the courtyard, where the guests of the lowest status and in the largest numbers were seated, everyone’s faces showed a mix of surprise and envy.
With the Floating Land Origin threading from the Second to Third Rank and warship components of blue quality, any one such gift could significantly enhance their ships’ combat power. And yet, by now, the Song family had already received more than a dozen blue-quality components.
However, what truly shocked them was yet to come. The climax was the arrival of the legendary Defender of the White Tower Floating Continent himself.
Above the Vault of Heaven, a terrifying warship over three thousand meters long tore through the clouds and hovered directly above Baita City, making the Torch Bureau’s decree that forbade Torch Warships from entering the city area seem nonexistent in front of this imposing vessel.
Even the director of the White Tower Torch Bureau, who was already seated at the main table of the banquet in the Raging Lion’s courtyard, kept silent at this moment, for the individual above them was a formidable presence that reigned over the entire White Tower Floating Continent.
The Defender’s warship, the Fourth Rank Zhulu Warship “Deep Sea Vast Sky,” was now visible to the assembled guests.
As the guests looked up and caught sight of that sky-blocking behemoth, their eyes filled with utter astonishment.
This was the Zhulu Warship, capable of mobilizing the very origin consciousness of the entire White Tower Floating Continent, a ship powerful enough to truly suppress an entire Starry Sea Floating Land.
For a moment, everyone felt a deep chill and gained a new understanding of the Song family’s energy.
With the White Tower Defender personally attending the birthday banquet, the Song family’s backing seemed to far exceed the ordinary.
In addition to the White Tower Defender, several Torch Ship Captains of the Third Rank Level also attended. In short, Song Mingsong had quite the clout.
Of course, these were only the thoughts of the lower and middle-class people. For the true upper echelons of the White Tower Floating Continent, what really mattered to them were four words:
“Dinghai Song family!”
…
On the outskirts of Baita City, at the warship docking square, eight uniform Pentium III kinetic vehicles slowly descended from low altitude, forming a single-file line at the entrance of the square, attracting many curious citizens.
Ten Pentium III kinetic vehicles made quite the scene, and everyone was curious about who these arrivals might be.
As figures began alighting from the ten vehicles, some sharp-eyed citizens recognized the identity of the convoy.
“The Raging Lion Song Mingsong, from the Song family, no wonder!”
“They say the Song family is awesome, even the White Tower Defender himself came to attend the birthday banquet.”
“I tried to remember, the last time the White Tower Defender personally attended a banquet, it was for the wedding of Dean Lin from Jiangyuan City.”
…
At the forefront of the motorcade, Bai Xiuqin and Bai Rong stood together, with Song Mingsong accompanying them on one side.
“Fourth Sister, it’s time to prepare for an attempt at the Third Rank. I have a drop of Starry Marrow Fluid for you which, even if you fail to break through, will save you the long recovery time of the Seed of Torch. You’re now 200 years old, and with the use of two longevity-extending Strange Objects, there’s a good chance you’ll get a second opportunity to break through.
Mingsong, you should also take this to heart.”
In the crowd, Song Chi watched discreetly, his gaze flickering. Over the last few days, he had finally learned the identity of this woman, who had previously sat next to his grandaunt Zhao Hongxue.
She was from Grandma’s own family, named Bai Xiurong, the elder sister of Grandma Bai Xiuqin. The proud woman known as “Bai He” from the projection room was her granddaughter. Song Chi couldn’t help but feel guilty upon recalling how he had once surreptitiously assessed this woman’s figure.
Upon seeing Song Mingsong nod, Bai Xiurong spoke again:
“Let’s consider that settled, then. We’ll act together in two years, and the specific meeting place can be discussed later.”
After speaking, she gave the young girl by her side a meaningful glance.
Seeing this, the girl, named Bai He, stepped forward.
“Great-Aunt, Great-Uncle, I’ll visit you again next time. Take care of yourselves.”
After her words, black energy flowed around Bai Xiurong, and in the next moment, this dark energy gradually expanded until it enveloped the two of them. Then, they slowly rose into the air and quickly vanished behind the gates of the warship docking square.
Watching this scene, the younger generation of the Song family, Song Qi, Song Wen, and others, all revealed a hint of envy in their eyes. Only by refining the Spectral Energy Guidance Technique to the Third Rank Level could one freely externalize spectral energy from the body.
This not only allowed for hovering and windriding but also the formation of a Spectral Energy Defence field, greatly enhancing both combat power and defensive capabilities.
“`