Brother, just how powerful is our family?

Five thousand years into the Yellow Emperor's era, on New Year's Day.

Yanhuang Continent, Yanhuang Square.

Dawn came exceptionally early that day. Or rather, people felt it came exceptionally early.

Because just after midnight, the square was already full of people.

They came from every corner of the Yanhuang Continent, from every ancient place on Earth, from node galaxies thousands of light-years away in the Orion Arm, and from those distant planets illuminated by the blue flag with a golden dragon.

The star gates burned tirelessly throughout the night, with shuttles emerging from the light, delivering batch after batch of descendants of Yan and Huang to this original and most sacred land.

There was no organization, no order. Everyone came voluntarily.

Today marks the first day of the five-thousand-year history of the Yellow Emperor's era.

Five thousand years.

This number is long enough in human history.

Five thousand years have passed since the legendary first year of the Yellow Emperor's reign.

Five thousand years of trials and tribulations, five thousand years of vicissitudes, five thousand years of heritage.

The descendants of Yan and Huang have traveled from a small piece of land on the banks of the Yellow River to the entire Orion Arm.

From stone tools and pottery, we've moved on to gene optimization and stargates.

From a tribe of tens of thousands of people, we have grown into an interstellar civilization of 1.5 trillion.

At this moment, hundreds of thousands of people—representatives of the 1.5 trillion people—stand quietly in Yanhuang Square.

They were dressed in formal attire, with blue and gold dragon badges on their chests, their eyes fixed on the high platform in the center of the square.

On the high platform stood a massive stone tablet. Two lines of text were inscribed on it—

"The Yellow Emperor and Yan Emperor are the progenitors of Chinese civilization. Their example will last for ten thousand generations, and their blessings will extend for a thousand autumns."

Qin Feng stood alone in front of the stone tablet.

He was also wearing a formal suit, the same formal suit as everyone else.

There was no crown, no scepter, and no decorations that symbolized power.

He just stood there quietly, like a tree, like a mountain, like an ordinary descendant of the Yellow Emperor.

But behind him lies five thousand years of history.

Before him lay five thousand years of the future.

The sky gradually brightened.

On the eastern horizon, a golden ray of light slowly rises.

That is the sun. Not some alien star, but the sun. The sun of the Chinese people, the sun of Earth, the sun that has risen every day for five thousand years.

Qin Feng raised his head, looked at the golden light, and took a deep breath.

Then he spoke.

There were no megaphones, no microphones, and no quantum communication networks.

His voice wasn't loud, but everyone could hear it. Because everyone was listening attentively.

That is the sound of five thousand years.

"On the first day of the first month of the fifth thousand years of the Yellow Emperor's era, the descendants of Yan and Huang, with the most sincere hearts, pay homage to our ancestor Yan and Huang."

His voice echoed in the square and in the hearts of everyone present.

The voice was calm and deep, like a river that has flowed for five thousand years, from ancient times to today, and from today to the future.

"Five thousand years ago, our ancestor Xuanyuan cultivated virtue and strengthened his army, mastered the five arts, and cared for the people. He initiated the making of clothing and hats, built palaces, created writing, established the calendar, and promoted medicine, boats, and vehicles. All the feudal lords submitted to him, and the world submitted to him. The roots of Chinese civilization were thus deepened, and the light of civilization shone from this point onward."

Qin Feng's voice drifted in the morning breeze.

His gaze swept beyond the crowd, beyond the square, beyond the horizon of the Yanhuang Continent, looking towards a more distant place.

That is the East.

That place is the ancient land of the Dragon Kingdom.

That's the Yellow River.

That is the land where the legendary ancestors of Yan and Huang first cultivated.

"For five thousand years, we, the descendants of Yan and Huang, have endured countless hardships, yet our flame has never been extinguished. From the Xia, Shang, Zhou, and Qin dynasties, through the Han, Wei, Jin, and Tang dynasties, to the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, and even the Republic, dynasties have changed, but our civilization has continued. Foreign invasions have occurred, but our bloodline has never perished. Every calamity has been a rebirth from the ashes. Every fall has been a rise from the ashes. For five thousand years, we have never fallen."

In the square, some people shed tears. Not tears of sadness, but tears of pride.

It's that kind of profound pride that comes from knowing where you come from and where you're going.

"One hundred and seventy years ago, the Yanhuang civilization was established. The blue flag with a golden dragon rose over the Pacific Ocean. We, the descendants of Yanhuang, are no longer 'people of the Dragon Kingdom,' no longer 'people of the Dragon,' no longer 'descendants of the dragon'—we are the Yanhuang civilization. We are the descendants of Yanhuang. We have our own nation, our own civilization, and our own starry sky."

Qin Feng's voice rose slightly, but remained calm. He didn't need to be impassioned, because the facts themselves were already compelling enough.

"In the past 270 years, we have ventured beyond Earth, beyond the solar system, beyond 100 light-years, and beyond the Orion Arm. We have destroyed Serantia, destroyed the Beasts, and destroyed all enemies that stood in our way. Our territory has expanded from an artificial island to thousands of light-years. Our population has grown from a few million to 1.5 trillion. Our lifespan has increased from decades to tens of millions of years. Our bodies have evolved from flesh and blood to the point where we can survive in space, walk on the surface of stars, and move around at the edge of black holes. We are no longer mortals. We are the descendants of Yan and Huang."

Qin Feng paused for a moment. His gaze returned from the distance to the stone tablet in front of him. The four characters "Ancestors of Yan and Huang" on the tablet shone brightly in the morning light.

"All of this began five thousand years ago. It began with you, my ancestor Xuanyuan, sowing the first seed. It began with you, my ancestor Yandi, tasting all kinds of herbs. It began with you, my ancestor Chiyou, smelting metal and forging weapons. Five thousand years of inheritance, five thousand years of accumulation, five thousand years of struggle have brought us to where we are today."

He bowed deeply.

In the square, hundreds of thousands of people bowed simultaneously. Fifteen trillion descendants of Yan and Huang, on their respective planets, in their respective homes, and at their respective posts, bowed at the same time.

In that instant, the entire Orion Arm fell silent.

Only the wind blows silently through the starry sky.

Qin Feng straightened up and continued speaking.

"Today, I stand here not to show off, not to boast of my achievements. I stand here to tell my ancestor, Xuanyuan—that your descendants have not disgraced their ancestor."

His voice trembled slightly. It was as if five thousand years of weight were pressing down on his shoulders.

"The seed you planted back then has grown into a towering tree. Its canopy covers thousands of light-years of starry sky, and its roots are embedded in five thousand years of history. Your descendants are scattered throughout every corner of the Orion Arm. They speak the language you passed down, write the script you created, and live according to the calendar you established. They remember you, remember your achievements, and remember your teachings."

"The rules you established back then—'Cultivate oneself, regulate one's family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world'—have not been forgotten by your descendants. They cultivate themselves, optimize their genes, strengthen their bodies, and elevate their minds. They regulate their families, have children, pass on their bloodline, and protect their homes. They govern the state, build civilization, develop science and technology, and expand their territory. They bring peace to the world, eliminate powerful enemies, clear obstacles, and let the banner of the descendants of Yan and Huang fly high in the starry sky."