Gu Tang didn't even know when he had fainted.
In the cockpit of Star Rift, Qin Junche held him as they sat on the only chair.
And he nestled in his arms and fell into a deep sleep.
When Gu Tang woke up again, he found himself dressed in soft, comfortable clothes and lying on a clean bed.
The room was kept at a very comfortable temperature.
He was covered with a thin, warm blanket.
Beside the bed, Qin Xiao sat on a chair.
His feet were dangling in the air as he obediently looked down at the video on his personal computer.
He turned the video down to a small size, and the light and shadows playing on his face highlighted Qin Xiao's increasingly refined features.
Gu Tang couldn't hear the audio from the video, but he could see it.
Qin Xiao's eyes seemed to be red.
Gu Tang tentatively moved his fingers.
The wounds on his abdomen and legs had been treated so well that he could hardly feel any pain.
As soon as Gu Tang moved, Qin Xiao, who was still engrossed in the video, looked up.
He looked at his father, his big, dark eyes lighting up instantly.
Qin Xiao quickly jumped off the chair and rushed to the bedside.
"Xiao'er." Gu Tang raised his hand and patted Qin Xiao's fluffy head.
Qin Xiao obediently lowered his head, his little head automatically rubbing against Gu Tang's palm.
Although he still didn't speak, he had survived the ordeal and his lovely, well-behaved son was right beside him.
Suddenly, Gu Tang understood the feelings of those who are parents.
"Good boy." He rubbed Qin Xiao's head again, then propped himself up on the bed with one hand, trying to sit up.
Qin Xiao quickly reached out and carefully helped Gu Tang sit up.
"What about your other father?" Gu Tang asked casually.
"Talking to the doctor outside." A soft voice suddenly rang in Gu Tang's ears.
He paused for a moment, then suddenly turned his head, looking at Qin Xiao in disbelief.
"Qin Xiao?" Gu Tang called out to his son in a hoarse voice.
"Dad... Waaah..." That sentence seemed to be the beginning.
Qin Xiao suddenly threw herself into Gu Tang's arms and burst into tears: "Daddy... Waaah... Daddy..."
He kept repeating his name, Gu Tang.
It seems that besides these two words, I don't know what else to say.
Tears quickly soaked Gu Tang's clothes, touching his skin through the thin cotton pajamas.
Gu Tang felt as if he had been burned.
His body stiffened.
But soon, he relaxed again.
"It's alright, Qin Xiao." Gu Tang patted his son's back. "Dad's back, isn't he?"
He lowered his head, pinched his son's chin, and gently yet firmly made him look up at him: "How was it? Did you see Daddy beat up the bad guys? Wasn't it super cool and awesome?"
"Mmm-hmm." Qin Xiao nodded repeatedly.
His father is the most handsome man in the entire galaxy.
"Hahahaha." Gu Tang laughed heartily. "So Xiao'er, don't be afraid anymore. No matter what happens, Daddy will protect you."
"Mm." Qin Xiao nodded emphatically.
His eyes sparkled: "I want to protect Dad too."
"Okay." Gu Tang smiled. "Dad is waiting for you."
That's when the bedroom door was opened.
Qin Junche crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway, watching this heartwarming scene.
Sunlight streamed in from behind him, casting a halo around Gu Tang and Qin Xiao.
This moment was as beautiful as an oil painting.
[Ding—] Just then, the system's voice finally rang out: [Congratulations on completing the mission. You have gained one merit point. Having perfectly completed the mission in this world, you may choose whether to stay here and live out your life as Qin Xiao's father.]
"...Stay." Gu Tang sighed softly to himself.
The lifespan of people in this world is no more than a hundred years.
For Gu Tang, who had cultivated for ten thousand years, it was nothing more than a fleeting moment.
Seeing Qin Xiao's happy little face nestled beside him, he suddenly felt less anxious about accumulating merit points and then ascending to immortality.
Gu Tang frowned slightly, feeling somewhat strange about her own change.
He looked up and saw Qin Junche leaning against the doorway, smiling at the two of them.
Meeting Gu Tang's gaze, Qin Junche shrugged and muttered something in a low voice.
However, Gu Tang did not hear it.
Later imperial history books recorded this century as a time when truly brilliant generals shone brightly.
Mecha innovation has given rise to a host of geniuses.
Gu Tang, Qin Junche, Han Xuan, Han Fengting, Qin Xiao...
Each of these names has left behind achievements that future generations can look up to for a lifetime.
Especially Qin Xiao.
He not only possessed S-level mental strength, but also grew into the Empire's most outstanding S-level mecha warrior.
With the help of his two fathers, he revolutionized mecha technology.
It not only greatly enhances the combat power of mechs, but also gradually makes mechs a tool that ordinary people can use in their daily lives.
He made immortal contributions to the empire and brought great convenience to the lives of the people of the empire.
Qin Xiao truly became a legendary figure, with countless people from the military to ordinary citizens genuinely loving and being grateful to him.
Of course, no one remembers anymore the young Qin Xiao who never spoke, always with a sullen face, walking alone in a corner of the campus.
What people remember is the later version of him, who, although still not very talkative, had a warm smile and was a gentle and polite gentleman.
However, that's a story for another time.
*
When Gu Tang woke up again, he was not in a new world as he had imagined.
He stood at the foot of a green mountain, wearing the clothes he wore when he first began his cultivation, seemingly slowly ascending the steps.
The path beneath his feet, though narrow and in some places even dilapidated, led straight to the summit of the green mountain.
Suddenly, Gu Tang had an idea. He lifted his foot and easily climbed more than a dozen steps.
However, the higher he went, the more apparent a huge resistance seemed to be preventing him from continuing upwards.
"Who is Qingcheng?" A voice suddenly rang in Gu Tang's ears.
He paused for a moment, then turned to look around, but couldn't see anyone at all.
"Who is Qingcheng?" the voice asked again.
Gu Tang pondered for a moment, then said calmly, "A friend."
"Just friends?" the voice asked again, grand yet ethereal. "You failed your tribulation entirely because your Great Dao was flawed. Your Dao was incomplete from the very first step you took, do you know that?"
The voice paused, then continued, "You spent over eight hundred years painstakingly collecting his remnants of soul, thread by thread. Then you used your destiny to mend his fate, attempting to recreate life. Going against the will of Heaven, you damaged your own foundation of the Great Dao. Was it worth it?"
This time, Gu Tang heard it clearly.
The voice seemed to come from the mountaintop, ethereal and otherworldly, yet it carried an inappropriate anger within that ethereal sound.
“I know.” Gu Tang slowly took another step forward.
He persevered under pressure, climbing step by step, his slender back always standing straight.
He said softly, "But I do it willingly."
"You?!" The voice from the mountaintop seemed even more shocked and angry, its original tone barely concealed.
"When you failed to transcend the tribulation, did you come to my rescue, senior?" Gu Tang asked loudly.
He paused, and without waiting for a reply, continued, "Thank you for saving me, senior, and for guiding me on the path to rebirth and tribulation. But if you feel it's not worth it, you can give up on me now."
Gu Tang cupped his hands and bowed respectfully to the ground: "I dare not have the slightest complaint."
"Hmph!" A cold snort echoed from the mountaintop. "Don't even think about it!"
A white mist suddenly rose, enveloping the entire green mountain.
Gu Tang's vision blurred again.
*
When Gu Tang woke up again, a small voice beside him was anxiously calling out, "Your Highness! Your Highness! Ninth Prince, please wake up!"
"Hmm?" Gu Tang opened his eyes and looked at the curtain in front of him.
The green hills before me are long gone, and the voice that asked me if it was worth it is like a dream, as if it never existed.
but……
He raised his hand, looking at his left hand with some surprise.
With abundant spiritual energy within his body, Gu Tang carefully sensed it and felt that he had recovered more than two percent of his former strength.
I want more.