In the morning, Chu Chen dragged his weary body back home.

Although defending the city only took a day, Chu Chen was extremely exhausted.

Perhaps it was due to the tension, but he fell asleep as soon as he got home.

After a while, the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs startled Chu Chen awake.

He rubbed his sleepy eyes and found that the sky had already turned dark.

He had slept for an entire day.

"Son, come down for dinner," Mrs. Chu's voice came from the doorway.

Upon hearing this, Chu Chen quickly responded and got up hurriedly.

When Chu Chen reached the first floor, he found Father Chu already seated at the table.

Father Chu saw his son arrive and quickly waved him over, saying, "Son, come sit down."

Upon hearing this, Chu Chen walked over. Even though Father Chu wore a smile, he could still see the deep sadness hidden in his father's eyes.

The casualties this time were great, but the City Defense Army suffered the most, and many of Father Chu's subordinates, colleagues, and friends had died.

Although Father Chu had mentally prepared himself long ago, when it really happened, it was impossible not to feel sad.

Chu Chen did not offer any words of comfort but instead smiled and asked, "Dad, now that the strength of the Star Beasts in the forest has been weakened by over ninety percent, has the City Lord's Mansion sent troops to eradicate them completely?"

Upon hearing this, Father Chu shook his head and said, "The City Lord's Mansion won't issue such an order."

"Why not? If all the Star Beasts in the forest are exterminated, we won't need to defend the city anymore," Chu Chen asked puzzled.

Father Chu did not explain but instead solemnly asked, "Based on your notion of eliminating all surrounding Star Beasts, how should our Celestial Star City develop?"

Chu Chen was momentarily stunned by those words. He really hadn't considered this matter before, but now that Father Chu brought it up, he realized this is a world where everyone is a Guardian Beast, and all occupations are closely related to Star Beasts.

If all nearby Star Beasts were exterminated, the city's entire industry would come to a halt, and Celestial Star City's development would become extremely difficult.

"I understand, but this loss of Star Beasts must impact Celestial Star City's growth to some extent, right?"

"Yes, naturally. But you don't need to worry too much. For small cities like ours, our main industries target lower-level Star Beasts. They reproduce quickly, and we just need to wait a year for their numbers to recover by three or fourfold. With the harvest from this time, we should be fine for a year. However, in half a year, you'll have to take the college entrance exams, and this will inevitably affect you."

Upon hearing this, Chu Chen furrowed his eyebrows slightly. The college entrance exams aren't just about academic scores; they emphasize practical skills too. Without Star Beasts to practice on in the next six months, it will indeed pose a significant challenge to them.

But this isn't a matter he should worry over; he trusts the school will find a solution.

"What are you two talking about?" Mrs. Chu came over bearing steaming hot soup.

"Nothing much. Thanks for today," Chu Chen said with a smile, looking at the bountiful dinner.

"It's nothing; I'm happy today because you two came back safely, and that's the best outcome." She wiped her tears from the corners of her eyes as she spoke.

Father Chu and Chu Chen exchanged glances and fell silent.

Defending the city is dangerous, but someone always has to do it, and it's unavoidable.

"We got through this time, so I believe the Beast Tides will struggle to form in the future," Chu Chen said with a smile.

"Yes, don't worry. It'll be much easier to defend the city from now on," Father Chu echoed.

Mrs. Chu smiled upon hearing this.

The family gathered around their lavish dinner, consistently wearing smiles on their faces.

The next morning, Chu Chen stretched lazily and, after breakfast, hurriedly headed out the door.

This time, he didn't go to the slaughterhouse but went straight to school.

In the near future, the slaughterhouse would remain closed, which was quite a loss for Chu Chen.

But there's nothing he can do about it now. All he can do is focus entirely on cultivation.

Walking down the streets, he found the alleys and roads unusually quiet. Occasionally, he'd see a few hurried passersby, all carrying deep sorrow on their faces. More than half of the shops were draped with white silk, and mournful music echoed through the streets, sometimes accompanied by faint sobbing.

These scenes entered Chu Chen's eyes, and his steps became somewhat heavy.

He arrived at school with a heavy heart, only to discover seventy percent of students were absent, and even half of the teachers were missing.

Those absent were mostly attending funerals, and those who did come to school seemed lost in thought, lacking any motivation to study.

Ultimately, the school had to choose to close temporarily, reopening in two days.

This unexpected vacation didn't bring any joy; the students left school with heavy steps.

After leaving school, Chu Chen did not return home but headed towards the Cyan Dragon Daoist School.

Upon arriving at the Cyan Dragon Daoist School, he found the situation similar to that of the school.

Most of the staff had taken leave to attend funerals, and he no longer felt like cultivating, idly wandering around the Daoist School.

Unknowingly, he found himself at Elder Li's room.

He contemplated for a moment before lowering his hand that was raised to knock.

Just then, Elder Li's voice unexpectedly came from inside.

"Come in."

Upon hearing the voice, Chu Chen quickly opened the door and went in.

He walked quickly to Elder Li and respectfully said, "Greetings, Elder Li."

Elder Li waved his hand in response, saying, "No need to be so polite, young fellow. What brings you here all of a sudden?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Chen scratched his head and said, "The school is on break today, and I originally planned to cultivate at the Daoist School, but I can't seem to calm my mind, so I decided to stroll around."

Elder Li nodded upon hearing this and said, "The losses in defending the city were too great this time; the entire city is shrouded in grief. Don't push yourself too hard; relaxing is also beneficial."

"Thank you for your guidance, Elder Li."

"Young fellow, no need for such courtesy."

"Elder Li, I heard that when you were younger..."

"Haha, that was many years ago. I'm old now and lack the spirit of those days. Looking back, there's a bit of regret."

"What do you regret?"

Upon Chu Chen's inquiry, Elder Li gazed at the wall in the distance, as if he could transcend time and return to those days.

"Ah! I didn't try hard enough back then. If only I had tried a little harder, perhaps I could have gone further," Elder Li sighed.

While the two were chatting, the door suddenly swung open.

Lu Hongfei walked in.

Upon seeing this, Chu Chen quickly greeted him.

"Director, you're here."

Lu Hongfei was momentarily puzzled but then smiled and said, "Why are you here, kid?"

Elder Li responded with some displeasure, saying, "What, you won't come, but others can't come either? Does a young fellow visiting me need to report to you?"

Lu Hongfei quickly waved his hand and said, "Elder Li, don't misunderstand. I was too busy before, and now that I'm free, I came to see you." With that, he took out some wine and dishes from the Spatial Ring.

Seeing this, Elder Li smiled and said, "At least you have some conscience, kid."

Seeing this, Chu Chen prepared to take his leave, but Elder Li stopped him.

"Young fellow, don't leave. Stay and have a drink with me."

Upon hearing this, Chu Chen couldn't refuse and agreed.

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