Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

Glancing at the Colossus ‘Yin Yang’ next to them, Li Yao did not deny that he had indeed did tricks on the Colossi. He merely said, “For an expert at the peak of the Nascent Soul Stage or even in the Divinity Transformation Stage, even without a Colossus or a crystal suit, they can still be highly dangerous barehandedly!

“The most horrifying thing is not the strength of the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators and the Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators right now, but their shocking learning abilities. Once they sneak into the Star Glory Federation, they will certainly swallow everything in the modern Cultivation civilization like a bottomless hole. With their immense deduction and computational abilities, before long, they will be assimilated into it and turn into standard modern Cultivators!

“It’s impossible to control everybody just through the Colossi!”

Long Yangjun smiled, “So, are you scared after all? If the Star Glory Federation is scared of twelve locals of an ‘ancient’ world, why do you think you are qualified to compete with the Imperium of True Human Beings? Wouldn’t it be better to surrender right now?”

Li Yao smiled, too. Confident flowed out of his face, making him look entirely different from the meeting a few days ago. “Who says that I’m scared? It will be a dangerous challenge. But the federation will never refuse any challenge, be they from the Imperium of True Human Beings, the Ancient Sages Sector, or any other forces in the sea of stars!”

This was the first time that Li Yao admitted the secret that he was from the Star Glory Federation to Long Yangjun.

It was a mark that from this moment on, he would be completely dedicated to the dangerous game and secure the final victory!

“Also, you’re wrong about one thing.”

Pausing for a moment, Li Yao said solemnly, “From your perspective, you may have tricked the other ten experts into the mouth of a ferocious beast. But in fact, the Star Glory Federation is neither a dangerous land nor a ferocious beast. I have no intentions to hurt anyone at all, either.

“I have come to the Ancient Sages Sector after such a long journey because I am hoping to find some friends whom I can cooperate and fight side by side with sincerely. To this moment, I still haven’t given up the hope of ‘win-win’ yet. I believe that there is plenty of room for cooperation between Ancient Sages Sector and the federation. If we can join our hands for a common purpose, it will benefit us both.

“That’s why I didn’t object to the idea that the ten experts should pay a visit to the Star Glory Federation.

“Despite their different stances, sides and experiences, and even if many of them are not the good people in the conventional sense, I believe that they do share one thing in common. At the very least, they are not the shameless, shortsighted, selfish people who care nothing but themselves. They all want to find a way out for those around them, those who share the same destiny as themselves, in this world of chaos!

“They can never find a way out in the Ancient Sages Sector. The system and ideology of the Imperium of True Human Beings will not satisfy them, either. But I believe that after they examine how the Star Glory Federation runs and witness the charisma of the modern Cultivators, they will certainly have a lot of new feelings.

“Aside from other people, I believe that Ba Xiaoyu and Master Bitter Cicada will like the Star Glory Federation. Qi Changsheng and Wan Mingzhu, as rebellions who are born poor, will have new insights after seeing the way the ordinary people are treated in the federation. Wu Suiyun and Qi Zhongdao will be able to study the ‘Constitution of Cultivators’ of the federation carefully and see what exactly the ‘rules’ established in the modern Cultivation civilization look like.

“Meng Chixin, Han Baling, Yan Liren, Emperor Phoenix… They may discover different shining points from the different fields of the federation. Eventually, you will all come to the realization that the federation can offer the Ancient Sages Sector so much more than the Imperium of True Human Beings can!

“That’s the biggest reason why I supported the Star Picking Plan. It’s not because I wanted to fool those people into the federation to capture, enslave and force them to hand over the entire Ancient Sages Sector, which is the Imperium’s practice, not the federation’s.”

Long Yangjun raised her eyebrow. “So, this is the real you. You are indeed very confident!”

“I’m not confident about myself.”

Li Yao smiled, revealing his white teeth. “I’m confident about my country and my compatriots! I believe that the federation must’ve prospered and grown into the real future of humanity because of their hard work while I was away!

“I believe that the Cultivators of the Ancient Sages Sector who have scrambled in darkness for a hundred thousand years in darkness will not refuse the future!”

Glimmers were flashing inside Long Yangjun’s eyes, as she mumbled, “I can’t wait to see it now. However, if you are so confident about the federation, and you can control everything with the Colossi, why do I still sense unpredictable concerns from you? What are you worried about?”

Li Yao raised his eyebrow. “You’re right. If twelve locals of the Ancient Sages Sector sneak into the federation, there will be many ways to resolve the issue perfectly for a win-win. I’m not worried about Meng Chixin, Qi Zhongdao, Han Baling and the rest of them. What troubles me is something else.”

“Oh?”

Long Yangjun’s eyes were glittering. “What can possibly be more troublesome than Meng Chixin, Qi Zhongdao, Han Baling and the rest of them combined that is making such an extraordinary person from beyond the sky so ill at ease?”

Li Yao stared at his opponent. “In fact, it’s you!”

Long Yangjun blinked her eyes. “Me?”

“You are too dangerous.”

Li Yao frowned and said, “I’ve been reflecting on your speech during the meeting the other day and get to know the meaning of cunningness better and better. No wonder you manipulated the court of the Great Qian Dynasty, divided the entire world of Cultivators, and even destroyed many sects without sending a single soldier!

“What you spoke to Meng Chixin and the rest of the at the meeting and what you are speaking to me right now are for exactly two opposite two purposes although their topic is the same. Who are you trying to sell exactly?

“Is it possible that I’ve been sold by you and yet I’m counting the money happily for you?

“That’s what troubles me. I’m not worried about the ‘Star Picking Plan’ itself, but you who raised it!”

Long Yangjun was amused. “Fellow Cultivator Spiritual Vulture, you are too paranoid. Meng Chixin and the other guys do not know my real identity and origins. That’s why they were misled. However, you are very clear of my purpose, which is to find a force that I can cooperate with to repair the Nuwa warship so that I can look for my destiny. That’s all.

“Right now, the Star Glory Federation is the most suitable partner for me. Under the pressure of the Imperium and the Covenant Alliance, it’s unlikely that you can infuriate me and swallow my warship, right? Then, wouldn’t it be very reasonable that I come to you for sincere cooperation? So far, everything I’ve done is in the favor of the federation. What are you suspicious for exactly?”

“Because of this.”

Li Yao pointed his temples. “My intuitions.”

“Intuitions?”

Long Yangjun laughed while she shook her head.

“Although my intuitions are not right every time, something terrible has always happened when they did prove to be right.”

Li Yao stared at his opponent’s eyes. But they seemed to be covered in a vague mist, stopping him from seeing the waves inside Long Yangjun’s head. “Meng Chixin, Qi Zhongdao, Han Baling, Emperor Phoenix… I know exactly what they are up to.

“I can guess a thing or two about the strategical purposes of Heiye Lan, the Black Wind Fleet and the entire Imperium of True Human Beings.

“However, as for you, Long Yangjun, or a certain human-shaped ‘being’ who claims to be ‘Long Yangjun’, I can’t guess what you are and what’s on your mind at all.

“I do not like such a feeling.

“Allowing the ‘ancient people’ such as Meng Chixin, Qi Zhongdao, Han Baling, and even Qi Changsheng and Wan Mingzhu, who in the eyes of the righteous Cultivators may be heinous, to enter the federation does not bother me, because I believe that they will be shocked, edified and assimilated by the federation.

“However, when I think that you, ‘Long Yangjun’, are entering the federation, I always have a bad feeling for reasons I don’t know. I feel that you are more dangerous than the rest of them combined, even if there are two Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators among them and you are just in the Nascent Soul Stage!”

Long Yangjun put on a weird smile. Not denying her dangerousness, she simply said, “However, you cannot stop me from entering the universe. If you forbid me from going to the federation, it doesn’t matter. I will find my own way to communicate with the Black Wind Fleet and return to the brand-new universe after hundreds of thousands of years.”

Li Yao stared at him, “What exactly do you want?”

Long Yangjun opened her hands. “Nothing particular. Just like all the other ‘reincarnated’ persons who have found the world utterly reshaped and everything in it changed after their prolonged sleep, I want to visit the new world and make a few new friends. That’s all.”

Li Yao put on a weird expression. “Friends?”

“Yes.”

Long Yangjun said, “Most regular human beings have friends. I have experienced the emotions such as slaughter, schemes and betrayal more than sufficiently. Now, I want to taste what the other emotions feel like, including ‘friendship’. Is there a problem?

“Right, speaking of which, from the time on the lone island in the East Ocean, we have known each other for months and learnt each other’s greatest secret. We have proved to be each other’s worthy opponents, and we are now cooperating on the same boat. I think we should be friends now, right? But while you know my real name is Long Yangjun, I don’t know what your real name is. Isn’t it… a bit unfair?”

Li Yao narrowed his eyes. “Firstly, nobody is on the same boat as you. Secondly, who can guarantee that ‘Long Yangjun’ is your real name? Thirdly, I will not tell you my real name. Just infer it if you think you are capable enough!”

“I’m sincerely hoping to make friends with you. Why do you have to be so rejective?”

Her eyes deep, Long Yangjun said calmly, “Maybe one day, you will discover that everything I have said today is true. What I want is really just to go out and observe the whole new world and new human beings.

“What a shame. When you do discover that I wasn’t lying, chances are that the situation will be… irreversible.”

Long Yangjun’s words cast Li Yao into a brief daze.

He was about to open his mouth and ask again, when Long Yangjun smiled and floated to the midair more than ten meters from the ground like a cloud into the Colossus.

The Colossus ‘Yin Yang’ was activated, the black and white scales suddenly stood erect. Deep inside the cockpit, or the spiritual residence, a mysterious sigh that had been sealed for hundreds of thousands of years came over…