Gao Wu: A centenarian old man, many children and good fortune! Chapter 001

The crimson sunset was slowly sinking below the horizon, its afterglow reflecting on the towering metal skyscrapers.

Xiao Yan leaned alone on the suspended balcony of the eighty-eighth floor of the military family apartment building. The biting wind howled, ruffling his somewhat thin clothes.

He looked down at the brilliantly lit steel city beneath his feet. As far as his eyes could see, the flowing, colorful neon light strips were like an overturned galaxy, filling his vision.

And on the distant edge of the city, the towering alloy defense wall, reaching into the clouds, reflected a dim light in the twilight.

A crisp notification sound came from his wrist terminal.

Xiao Yan raised his hand and tapped it open. A message from the Retired Soldiers Management Office popped up on the screen: [Congratulations, Comrade Xiao Yan, on your hundredth birthday.]

“Heh, happy hundredth birthday, my ass.” Xiao Yan sneered, his voice laced with unspeakable bitterness.

This was no blessing; it was clearly a reminder that the countdown had officially begun.

For a Ninth-Rank warrior who had failed to break through to the Transcendent realm, one hundred years old was an unspoken critical point. Once crossed, the body seemed to have crossed an invisible boundary. After that, the decline of qi and blood would no longer be a slow descent but would accelerate significantly. Strength and physical functions would collapse and degenerate irreversibly at a visible rate.

Simply put, it was a cliff-like decline.

In this era where martial arts flourished and exotic beasts lurked, “warrior” was an honor and the foundation of survival.

The path of a warrior, from First-Rank to Ninth-Rank, was arduous every step of the way. And above Ninth-Rank was the “Transcendent Realm,” which countless martial artists dreamed of.

Once one stepped into it, they could break the shackles of the flesh, rekindle qi and blood, regain youth, greatly increase their lifespan, and从此与凡俗划开界限.

Xiao Yan was an old soldier in the Alliance Army.

He joined the army at the age of twenty and fought bloody battles against the tide of exotic beasts pouring out of the “Abyss Rifts.” With a fierce, fearless spirit, he stubbornly pushed himself to the peak of a Ninth-Rank warrior at the age of sixty.

However, this peak had been stuck for forty years.

Talent was the coldest and most realistic chasm that lay before countless warriors.

He watched helplessly as some of his comrades from the same period seized that sliver of opportunity early, broke through to Transcendent, and then soared, full of vigor. He also watched as some latecomers surpassed them, achieving extraordinary feats and rising to prominence.

Only he, Xiao Yan, remained stuck at the threshold of Ninth-Rank peak, day after day feeling the qi and blood in his body slowly ebb like a receding tide, and his physical functions inevitably aging.

Now, he was one hundred years old, which was tantamount to a complete end to his martial arts career.

“Sigh…” Xiao Yan sighed deeply, his withered fingers rubbing his brow.

“Brother Xiao, are you home?” A warm voice came from downstairs.

Xiao Yan quickly reined in his emotions, his voice returning to its usual calmness, even with a hint of a soldier’s characteristic steadiness: “It’s Director Wang. The door isn’t locked, please come in.”

The visitor was the director of the community’s fertility guidance center, sporting a medium-sized belly and a face full of smiles.

“Brother Xiao, sorry to bother you.” Director Wang sat down uninvited, his face full of enthusiastic smiles, “Brother, look, this is the latest fertility incentive policy document. The Alliance now encourages childbirth, especially for our warrior families. If you can have offspring with cultivation talent, the rewards are quite generous!”

Xiao Yan remained silent; he knew Director Wang’s intention.

Director Wang paused, then his tone became more subtle: “Brother, you… are a hundred years old, and your Ninth-Rank peak foundation is still there. Although, in the future… your body might accelerate in aging, a warrior’s bloodline is ultimately precious.

I have a suitable young woman here, named Li Xiuying, twenty-five years old, from a respectable family, and her appearance is proper, just from an ordinary family. This girl particularly admires combat heroes like you and hopes to contribute to the Alliance’s population continuation and future…”

By now, the meaning was clear.

While his title as a “Ninth-Rank peak warrior” was still valid, and before his body began to rapidly degenerate, he should quickly find a young woman to marry and have children.

In this era, young women, especially those from ordinary families, marrying powerful warriors was a shortcut to changing their fate.

Even if the other party was old, as long as there was a chance to give birth to offspring who inherited a warrior’s talent, it was a step up to heaven for them.

The government’s fertility rewards, especially the huge rewards for warrior descendants, were enough to make an ordinary family instantly cross social classes.

A hint of bitterness welled up in Xiao Yan’s heart.

To think that he had fought his entire life, and in the end, his greatest value was this bloodline that was about to wither.

Xiao Yan chuckled self-deprecatingly, then let it go: “…Okay, I agree.”

The wedding was extremely simple, held in the restaurant on the third floor of the military family apartment building, with only two tables of banquet.

One table was for the bride Li Xiuying’s family and relatives.

They were dressed in new clothes, their faces glowing with excitement and joy, and their gazes towards Xiao Yan were full of awe and expectation.

For them, this marriage was undoubtedly a great blessing.

And they heard that the officiant was a Transcendent-level War General, terrifyingly powerful!

On the other table were Xiao Yan’s comrades.

Seven old men, roughly the same age as Xiao Yan, sat sparsely. They were Xiao Yan’s comrades from the same batch or even the same team, all contemporaries who had failed to break through to Transcendent.

The wedding ceremony began with music. A middle-aged man in uniform walked into the center of the hall, and everyone’s eyes were involuntarily drawn to the medals on his uniform.

War General!

This was one of Xiao Yan’s old comrades, Zhao Meng.

Zhao Meng walked to the front of the stage, his gaze calmly sweeping around, finally resting on the slightly constrained groom, Xiao Yan, and nodded slightly, as a greeting.

“Distinguished guests, quiet.” He spoke, his voice not particularly loud, yet it clearly reached everyone’s ears, carrying an unquestionable sense of authority.

“I am Zhao Meng, a First-Rank War General of the Alliance,” he first stated his identity, then changed his tone slightly, “At the same time, I am also the groom Xiao Yan’s old comrade and old brother.”

He paused, his gaze seeming to penetrate time as he looked at Xiao Yan: “Xiao Yan and I met in the army and fought side by side in the same unit for many years. The past is still vivid in my mind. I still clearly remember that in the extremely fierce ‘Black Mountain Blockade Battle’ back then, facing a beast tide several times our size, Brother Xiao Yan fought fearlessly. Even severely wounded, he still fought to the death without retreating, ultimately buying us precious time for our counterattack. After the battle, he was awarded the Alliance Third-Class Merit for this. He is a true hero, an old Alliance soldier worthy of all our respect.”

As soon as these words were spoken, a series of low gasps and exclamations immediately erupted from Li’s family table. Their gazes towards Xiao Yan instantly filled with incredible admiration. Even the few old soldiers at the same table had a flicker of reminiscence and shared glory in their eyes.

Zhao Meng continued: “Today, entrusted by Brother Xiao Yan, I stand here to officiate his marriage with Ms. Li Xiuying and witness their sacred union.”

He turned to the newlyweds, his expression becoming solemn: “Xiao Yan, do you take Ms. Li Xiuying as your wife, and from this day forward, in good times and in bad, in riches and in poverty, in sickness and in health, to cherish her, love her, protect her, share joy and sorrow, and walk hand in hand throughout your lives?”

Xiao Yan took a deep breath, looked at the nervous and expectant Li Xiuying beside him, and nodded solemnly: “I do.”

Zhao Meng then turned to Li Xiuying: “Ms. Li Xiuying, do you take Xiao Yan as your husband, and from this day forward, in good times and in bad, in riches and in poverty, in sickness and in health, to cherish him, love him, support him, share trials and tribulations, and never abandon him?”

Li Xiuying’s cheeks flushed, and she nodded vigorously, her voice small but firm: “I do.”

“Good.” Zhao Meng nodded, his voice returning to its previous resonant and majestic tone, “By the authority of an Alliance War General and as the officiant, I declare: Xiao Yan and Li Xiuying are, from this moment on, officially legally married! I wish you—” He looked at the two of them, with sincere blessings, “mutual respect and love, a long and happy life together, and an early birth of a child!”

The simple ceremony concluded. Zhao Meng offered his “congratulations” to Xiao Yan and Li Xiuying, then turned and walked towards the table where the seven old soldiers were seated.

Seeing him approach, the old soldiers immediately stood up. Although their movements were not as swift as in their youth, they still retained the military’s characteristic neatness.

“General Zhao!” One of the white-haired old soldiers was the first to speak, his voice carrying a hint of emotion at seeing an old acquaintance: “Your presence makes Old Xiao’s wedding much more significant!”

The others also nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with respect for the powerful, but also a hint of complex emotions at seeing their former comrade’s current achievements—perhaps satisfaction, perhaps emotion, and perhaps a trace of unspeakable melancholy.

They respectfully yielded the central seat to Zhao Meng. After Zhao Meng calmly took his seat, the old soldiers followed suit, many subconsciously straightening their backs, as if trying to regain some of their old military posture.

Zhao Meng, however, had no airs. He smiled and looked around at these familiar yet aged faces, casually chatting with them for a few moments, asking about their recent situations, his tone carrying a hint of concern for old comrades.

However, the contrast at the table remained silent and stark.

Zhao Meng’s almost overflowing vitality and steady aura, characteristic of a Transcendent powerhouse, formed an undeniable contrast with the old age, twilight, and deep-seated fatigue in the eyes of the seven old soldiers, which they could not completely hide, due to years and regrets.

Sharing a drink at the same table, comrades who once fought side by side in bloody battles were now subtly separated by an invisible chasm called “Transcendent.” On one side was the leap and continuation of life’s essence, while on the other was the helplessness of an aging hero, about to reach his end. This silent contrast was perhaps more poignant than any words.

The next morning.

The first ray of sunlight shone into the room through the curtain gap.

Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes. What he saw was an unfamiliar ceiling and his newlywed wife, Li Xiuying, sleeping beside him.

She was sleeping soundly, her breathing even, a faint blush still on her face.

Looking at this young and unfamiliar face, complex emotions arose in Xiao Yan’s heart.

“Ugh…” Li Xiuying, in her sleep, suddenly let out a soft hum, her brows slightly furrowed, and hugged Xiao Yan’s sturdy waist.

Just then, a cold and grand voice suddenly echoed deep within his mind:

“Detected successful continuation of host’s bloodline…”

“Binding conditions met…”

“The [Many Children, Many Blessings] System is officially activated!”