Chapter 347: How Old Are You, Anyway?

The moment of departure had finally arrived.

The massive engines of the "Hope" Mother Ship emitted a deep, solemn roar, like a primordial beast awakening; the colossal hull slowly detached from the dock and rose toward the vast passage above the Base, wide enough to accommodate its passage. Beyond the passage lay the azure sky of Earth, and farther still, the boundless darkness of the universe.

Inside the bridge's Main Control Room, the atmosphere was solemn and reverent. Lei Dong, as Commander of Earth, remained stationed at the Base's center, maintaining contact with the Mother Ship via hyperspace communication. Xia Wan, as the Tiankong Guardian and operational core, stood beside the captain's seat, posture straight, eyes calm as she watched the external scenery flash rapidly across the main screen.

In her perception, the entire Mother Ship felt like a living whole—every flow of energy, every system's operation, subtly linked to her consciousness. This was the wondrous experience granted by her deep connection with the ship's AI.

Mo Yu slumped unceremoniously in a specially prepared reclining chair in the corner of the bridge, its surface lined with soft animal hide, idly tossing a Dice in his hand, looking as if he were on vacation. Xiao Bao sat beside him in a custom child's seat with restraints, happily gnawing on a giant, glowing white "Tooth Stick" (said to be the milk tooth of some cosmic beast).

"All units, final system self-check!"

"Engine power stable!"

"Shield system fully active!"

"Navigation coordinates locked—Guixu Starfield!"

"Space Jump Engine… activating!"

At the captain's steady, powerful command, the space ahead of the Mother Ship began to violently warp, forming a massive vortex radiating a ghostly blue light.

A faint dizziness washed over them; the view outside the viewport instantly stretched and twisted into a shimmering corridor of flowing light.

Space jump—begin!

This jump would last several hours. Most bridge operations shifted to automatic mode; personnel entered standby rest rotation.

Xia Wan remained standing, adapting to the temporal-spatial dislocation of the jump while maintaining awareness of the Mother Ship's overall status. This was her duty as a Guardian.

Mo Yu pulled out a bag of snacks from somewhere and crunched them loudly, swaying his chair, looking utterly bored. He glanced at Xia Wan, diligently "working" beside him, then at Xiao Bao, drooling over his Tooth Stick, his eyes darting—clearly seeking amusement.

He leaned over to Xiao Bao and poked his chubby cheek. "Son, don't just chew—tell Daddy, how old are you?"

Xiao Bao let go of the Tooth Stick, blinked his big eyes, tilted his head in thought, then held up both chubby hands, spreading all ten fingers, struggling to count: "One… two… three… seven… eight…"

By the end he lost track himself, his face scrunched up; finally, he just waved both hands wildly, indicating "so, so many."

Mo Yu burst into laughter. "Hahaha, silly son, can't even count your own age!"

When he finished laughing, he turned to Xia Wan, a mischievous grin on his face. "Little Guardian, don't just stand there—come on, chat a bit, pass the time. How old are you?"

Xia Wan was startled by this sudden question. Her age? By Earth's calendar, she had just turned nineteen. But that number, after her Bloodline awakening, the Trial, and receiving the Inheritance of the Tiankong Guardian, seemed to have lost most of its meaning.

Seeing Mo Yu's teasing gaze, she knew he was just being playful, and replied coolly: "Nineteen."

"Nineteen?" Mo Yu raised his eyebrows dramatically, counting on his fingers. "Nineteen? To ordinary humans, you're still a little girl just starting university! Tsk tsk—look at you now, shouldering the duty of guarding the Starfield, about to go fight over scraps with ancient monsters and sneaky snakes who've lived for countless years… Your life story could fill a novel!"

He shook his head, speaking with theatrical solemnity, but his eyes still sparkled with amusement.

Xia Wan said nothing. She knew Mo Yu's nature.

But Mo Yu wouldn't let it go. "Then tell me—how old is old Qin?"

This question made Xia Wan's heart jolt.

Qin Feng's age?

It was almost a taboo. She had never dared to think about it. Master's existence seemed to transcend time—eternal as the stars, coexistent with the laws of the cosmos.

Unconsciously, she glanced toward the other end of the bridge, where the tall figure sat with eyes closed, seemingly detached from the chaos of the jump.

"Master's age… how could I presume to guess?" Xia Wan whispered, her tone filled with reverence.

"Tsk, boring." Mo Yu pouted. "Guess! It won't hurt! Listen, beings like us—our age isn't measured in years, months, days anymore. It's measured in epochs, cosmic pulses, the rise and fall of civilizations!"

He sat up straight, fired up, and began lecturing: "Take old Qin, for instance—I met him when the last remnants of the previous universe's extinction hadn't even faded yet! Back then…"

Before he could finish, Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes.

His calm, unruffled gaze drifted over, landing on Mo Yu.

No warning. No displeasure. Just that plain, quiet look.

Mo Yu's words instantly stuck in his throat. He chuckled awkwardly twice, rubbed his nose, slumped back into his chair, picked up his snacks, and resumed crunching as if nothing had happened.

"Cough… uh, during jump, stay quiet, yes, stay quiet…" he mumbled, making a "zip your lips" gesture toward Xia Wan.

Xia Wan watched the instantly cowed Mo Yu, then looked back at Qin Feng, who had closed his eyes again—she couldn't help but feel both amused and exasperated.

So, Master's age… was truly a topic not to be probed?

She turned her gaze back to the main screen, where the spacetime corridor streamed endlessly.

Nineteen…

Epochs…

Cosmic pulse…

Before these vast, ancient concepts, individual age truly seemed insignificant.

What mattered was moving forward, guarding, fulfilling the mission.

She took a deep breath, pushed aside her thoughts, and once again merged her mind with the vast Mother Ship, sensing every ripple in the jump corridor.

Guixu was drawing nearer.