Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

“I feel fine. Nothing special.”

Li Yao scratched his head and thought for a moment, before he said solemnly, “I’ve considered the possibility that the dragon slayer turns into a dragon after they’re contaminated by the blood of the dragon. I also read a lot of books on the deterrence theory. It’s actually not a big deal!

“At first, I was frightened by Wuying Qi 3.0’s claim, but on second thought, many dragon slayers who turned into dragons had themselves to blame. It was nobody else’s mistake!

“Those people were usually particularly unsociable and proud. They often thought that they were the only sober people in the world and that they had to save the world on their own. So, whenever they found a great secret, they would keep it to themselves while they tried to save the world in silence… until they reached a breathtaking and mistaken outcome. They were obsessed with the ecstasy of self-sacrifice.

“Also, their ‘fortresses’ or ‘caves’ were usually gloomy if not creepy and barely had any visitor. So, they lived in those places by themselves and considered how to save the world with their own brains. Come on. If it goes on, even the sanest person would go crazy. Is it really surprising that they became ‘vicious dragons’?”

Li Jialing said, deep in thought, “Brother Yao, you do have a point. I’ve been locking myself up in the past days. The more I stayed alone, the more scared I was; and the more scared I was, the less willing I was to meet other people. Had it not been Sister Long, I might have been caught in the state that you described, unable to free myself!”

“That’s right. You’re too scared to get in touch with other people or ask for their help because of Wuying Qi’s legacy on your shoulder, so you can only stay in the darkness in panic and self-pity until you walk on Wuying Qi’s path again. This is what Wuying Qi wished to see, isn’t it?”

Li Yao patted Li Jialing’s shoulder and said solemnly, “In fact, it’s completely unnecessary. However powerful we are, we are essentially human beings who have one head and two arms just like all the other human beings do. This world is too big for us to save on our own. So, we have to believe in the people, or at least our lovely family and friends. We have so many dear family members and friends helping us. How could they watch us degenerate into vicious dragons without doing anything?”

“Exactly.”

Long Yangjun rubbed her fists and said, “Even though I can watch you become dragons, my fists can’t!”

“Get away from me!”

Li Yao glared at Long Yangjun and said to Li Jialing, “I’ve given it a lot of thought. The battle against Wuying Qi’s legacy can’t be finished overnight. But we can try to make the battlefield as warm and lively as far as we can. I’m talking about the Gold Crystal Pyramid.

“Even though I have truly become the master of the Gold Crystal Pyramid, it doesn’t mean that I have to live in this dark and creepy place by myself miserably. When the situation in the capital is under control, the first thing I will do is to redecorate this place so that it will be brighter and merrier.

“The Gold Crystal Pyramid is not just Wuying Qi’s legacy for me, but also the legacy of the primeval civilizations for mankind. The secrets buried here belong to mankind. I am neither capable of nor interested in claiming the secrets for myself.

“So, I’ll establish a research institute in the Gold Crystal Pyramid. Both the Cultivators from the Star Glory Federation and the vetted Immortal Cultivators are free to explore the secrets of the Gold Crystal Pyramid. I don’t think it’s necessary to keep it to myself.

“Also, I think there’s enough room in this place for a museum, where the artifacts and books on the battle between the Supreme Emperor and the Blood God ten thousand years ago can be exhibited. We can explore the mysteries behind the collapse of the Star Ocean Imperium and learn from history so that the Imperium and the federation will not repeat their mistakes.

“Furthermore, we can even establish a large school near the Gold Crystal Pyramid for the children who were born in the Great Iron Factory and the underground shelters and who have never seen the sun in their lives.

“I have no doubt that the underground people will return to the ground one day, but they still have a lot to learn in order to live in sunlight. The experiment school near the Gold Crystal Pyramid will be the first step of the attempt.

“The research institute, the museum, and the experiment school will all be open to the public. The visitors to this place will make it warm and lively. I believe that the darkness here that has been accumulated for hundreds of thousands of years will be dissolved, won’t it?”

Li Jialing and Long Yangjun were both fascinated, not expecting that Li Yao had such a marvelous plan for the future of the Gold Crystal Pyramid.

The more Li Yao talked, the more excited he became. “Besides, we can establish a fancy entertainment center in the Gold Crystal Pyramid, with all kinds of nightclubs. Jialing, we will enjoy ourselves every night in those places. Let’s see how we can possibly turn into vicious dragons if we are happy every day!”

“Of course.”

Long Yangjun said, “In such a case, it won’t be you who will turn into a dragon, but your wife.”

Li Yao blinked his eyes and shivered hard. “You’re not wrong. Fine. No nightclubs. But I’m sure that you see my point now.”

Li Jialing had heard of Ding Lingdang many times. He couldn’t help but ask, “Sister Long, what kind of person is my… sister-in-law? Why is Brother Yao so scared of her when he is already beyond the peak of the Divinity Transformation Stage?”

“Don’t be silly, little guy. You think you are stronger just because your level is higher?”

Long Yangjun said, “Strength is just strength. Some people are strong even though they’re only in the Refining Stage, but for people like Wuying Qi, they are weaklings even though they’re in the Divinity Branching Stage.

“As for Li Yao’s wife, let me put it this way. Even if you know that she can’t, you will somehow believe that she can destroy the whole Empyreal Terminus Sector without a Gold Crystal Pyramid. She’s as strong as that.”

“That is…”

Li Jialing was rather shocked.

“You’re only exaggerating it. My wife is gentle, loving, and very reasonable, alright?”

Li Yao clenched his fists determinedly. “For her, I won’t allow myself to turn into a vicious dragon!”

“I bet you won’t.”

Long Yangjun said casually, “If Ding Lingdang were here to ‘wake you up’, I don’t think she would’ve been as gentle as I was.”

Li Yao coughed and said, “Alright, enough of this discussion. Xiaoming and Wenwen are here.”

The three of them left the Gold Crystal Pyramid, and Xiaoming and Wenwen were leading the battle puppets that had been defending the royal palace here to better protect the Gold Crystal Pyramid. They were all the most advanced models in the Imperium of True Human Beings.

Xiaoming and Wenwen were definitely among the greatest winners in the battle of the capital.

When the solar storm swept across space, and when Li Linghai and Wuying Qi, the two leaders of the reformists, were unable to command the troops of the reformists on the ground anymore, the reformists could barely put up a fight.

At that moment, only the spiritual puppets were carrying out their missions dutifully, but Xiaoming and Wenwen hacked their control network and claimed them all.

When Wuying Qi’s two personalities perished, their legacies for Li Yao and Li Jialing included the permissions for the control system of the royal palace, as well as the ultimate password that could mobilize multiple puppet legions.

With the help of the permissions and the ultimate password, Xiaoming and Wenwen were able to hack any database in the royal palace. Before the power of the solar storm ebbed, they collected a lot of secrets when most crystal processors were seriously affected. Naturally, they also controlled the tremendous and most advanced battle puppets and drones.

The whole capital planet was under their control.

For Li Yao, it was better to ask Xiaoming and Wenwen to control the capital planet than to let the planet fall into anarchy.

Also, the influence of the solar storm on the capital planet was not over yet. The relief after the war would be a massive, complicated project. More people could be saved if Xiaoming and Wenwen were there to help.

So, Li Yao transmitted Wuying Qi’s legacies to the two little guys who called themselves information lives, making it easier for them to control the planet.

Li Yao had never doubted Xiaoming and Wenwen, his children who were connected to him by blood.

However, when he watched Xiaoming and Wenwen leading thousands of battle puppets that had been armed to the teeth, he couldn’t help but have a strange feeling.

It was not fear or vigilance, but the comfort and vague jealousy when a man in his prime years watched the younger generations grow and thrive vigorously.

Li Yao did not consider himself a vicious dragon, but he was certainly not a young dragon slayer either; he was a ‘middle-aged dragon slayer’ at best.

Li Jialing, Xiaoming, and Wenwen were actually the hope of the civilization and the new-generation dragon slayers.

Li Yao had a lot of complicated feelings when he thought about that.