Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

“Invite, invite me to be a guest? Oh my, this, oh my, invite me to be a guest?”

Zhang Daniu’s tongue was a little tongue-tied. “Is this… also considered science fiction?”

“How funny. How is yours not science fiction?”

Li Yao sent another smiling emoji. “Didn’t you post it in the ‘science fiction section’ on the web novel website?”

“That’s true, but at that time, wasn’t it because the competition in the fantasy column was particularly fierce and there were too many gods that I had to avoid the limelight!?”

Zhang Daniu said in embarrassment, “Don’t tell me you don’t think that mine is… pseudo-science fiction or something? I’ve heard that you university students are all particular about this. You like to watch the more orthodox, mainstream science fiction. You don’t like to watch our kind of fighting pseudo-science fiction.”

This guy had some self-awareness.

Li Yao thought to himself.

But there had to be a reasonable explanation for the question. Otherwise, it would be very difficult to fool the guy out.

His pupils constricted slightly, and his computational ability soared to the maximum. The weird stories that he had just found on the Nexus were all broken into pieces and condensed into a flawless speech.

“What are you talking about? The sci-fi fans in our university are not as shallow as you think. There are so many ridiculous stereotypes. What orthodox sci-fi and pseudo-scientific? I don’t agree with such a method!”

Li Yao said solemnly, “In my opinion, the reason why our country’s sci-fi industry can’t be developed and why it’s been struggling for so many years is because there are too many people and fans in the industry who don’t focus their attention on the content and ideology of the work. They don’t want to promote it together and improve it together. Instead, they work together to condemn other people and themselves. Are these people really passionate about sci-fi? No. They are merely using something that even they don’t understand to generate a ridiculous sense of superiority and pitiful vanity.

“The temple is small, but the wind is strong. The pond is shallow, and there are many turtles. The science fiction field itself is a very small circle. The science fiction industry of our country has been lagging behind the developed countries for a long time. It really can’t be any smaller. As fans and people in the circle, if we don’t think of doing everything we can to make this ‘small pond’ bigger, to turn it into a big pond, a big lake, and even an ocean, and then introduce all kinds of strange and bizarre species to form a colorful ecological circle, we will start biting each other when we are still a small pond. We want to drive other people out of this pond and call ourselves kings behind closed doors… Can such a pond give birth to a flood dragon other than turtles?

“You don’t need to undervalue yourself. Really. I’ve seen some of the posts on the net regarding orthodox sci-fi and pseudo-scientific science fiction. It’s pure nonsense. It makes people think of the struggle for power and profit in the Little Court of South Brightness. What kind of situation is this? Who’s orthodox and who’s not? What’s the point?”

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“When it comes to your , although many people say that it is a fantasy in the skin of science fiction, I feel that it is the exact opposite. In fact, you are still a science fiction in the skin of fantasy. You are full of thoughts about human nature, history, and the universe. The brilliance of compassionate humanitarianism and ultimate care is shining everywhere. It is not hard to say that your thoughts are profound. Moreover, you can quietly integrate these profound thoughts into the soul-stirring, perilous plots one by one. Reading them is gratifying, and after reading them, the aftertaste is long and drawn out, making people unable to help but clap the table and exclaim in admiration. I really don’t know how your brain grew. It’s too awesome!”

There was no response from the other side for a long time. They seemed to be intimidated by Li Yao’s words.

“Crap!”

Li Yao was somewhat annoyed. “Such cheesy flattery is too much. Anyone can hear the sarcasm in it and know that I’m talking nonsense. Did the guy go offline because he was angry?”

Just as he was about to reply with a few words of compensation, a message came from the other side.

“It—it’s true!”

Zhang Daniu seemed to be so excited that he was about to cry. “I didn’t expect, I didn’t expect you university students to understand me so well. Aiya, aya, aya. You’ve practically spoken to my heart!”

“Huh?”

Li Yao was dazed for a long time. He mumbled to himself, “…He believed it? No way. He actually believed such shameless flattery?”

Although it was somewhat unbelievable, there was no turning back now. Now that he had come this far, he could only continue with this train of thought.

“It’s true, Master Niu. I meant what I said.”

Li Yao spat on the screen of his mobile phone. He tried his best to hold back his disgust as he typed, “Let’s take a step back. Let’s take a step back and take a step back. Let’s say that there are still some omissions in your work. With such a long length and such a fast updating speed, it’s only natural that there are some omissions. But no matter what, you’ve always been down-to-earth. One step after another, you’ve done your best to contribute to our country’s sci-fi industry and make your own contributions. As for those people who shout ‘authentic sci-fi’ all day and mock ‘pseudo sci-fi’, what have they done other than ridicule?”

“Not really. I didn’t contribute anything. I only did what I could.

Zhang Daniu said somewhat fearfully, “Then, don’t tell me that the students of your Science Fiction Association don’t find my too long-winded and… a little boring?”

This was a big problem.

Li Yao thought for a long time but failed to come up with a response. It was indeed lame. How the f*ck was he supposed to flatter it?

Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration. His fingers were like flowing water as he sent out lines of information:

“I remember that in one of Mr. Feng Zikai’s essays, he once said—in his hometown, the water-grilled rice cake is a very nutritious thing, but the rice cake made from glutinous rice is too solid. Even if it is cut into pieces the size of fingers and cooked, it is still difficult for the elderly and the children to digest. Eating it can easily hurt their stomachs. They can only eat 3-5 slices at most before putting it down.

“However, if the rice cake is sealed with a ‘explosive rice cake’ and processed at a high temperature and high pressure, the rice cake as thick as a finger will explode into the size of an arm and turn into food.

“A bento the size of an arm has the same nutritional value as a rice cake the size of a finger, but it is more likely to be absorbed by the human body. It is an appetizing fruit for the young and old. Even many people who don’t like rice cake in the first place like to hold a few bento rice cakes and taste the slightly sweet flavor… Don’t you understand the logic?

“The so-called orthodox science fiction and hardcore science fiction are, in fact, the rice cake. Of course, its nutritional value is very high, but it requires a certain degree of scientific literacy and aesthetic interest in order to enjoy it. The threshold is too high. Many people will be scared away after seeing it.

“As for your , I can’t go against my conscience and say that it doesn’t have the slightest bit of water. However, it just so happens that this water changed it from a ‘annual cake’ to a ‘bumpy rice cake’, allowing more readers to accept it. It even caused readers who were originally completely uninterested in science fiction to gradually fall in love with the sea of stars. They fell in love with the universe. They fell in love with thinking about the past, present, and future. From then on, they stepped into the temple of science fiction and slowly came in contact with more science fiction works… Just think about it. You have so many readers. Even if only one tenth of them were influenced by you and became true fans of science fiction, you would still have made a great contribution to our country’s science fiction industry!”

“Ouch! Ouch!”

Zhang Daniu said, “Even I didn’t know that my ‘40,000 Years of Cultivation’ had this much significance?”

“Of course you don’t. I can tell from your words that you are too humble.

Li Yao said, “It’s alright for you to be humble, but we, your loyal readers, will not allow you to suffer the slightest grievance. How about it, Master Niu? Come and be our guest and guide us. The students really want to meet the legendary Master Niu!”

The other side was silent for a while.

Li Yao’s heart was in his throat again.

“In fact, I’ve been quite busy recently. As you know, many seminars and seminars are asking me to join them. There are also reception parties for some publishing houses, charity events, and charity events. Of course, I have to think about the important questions about humanity and the future of our civilization.

Zhang Daniu’s words almost caused Li Yao’s throat to burn. He could not wait to reach his hand into his phone and ruthlessly pull this fellow over. Fortunately, this fellow’s next sentence was, “However, since our fellow students are so enthusiastic, how can I say this? For the sake of our country’s science fiction career, I have a successor, right? No matter how busy I am, I will definitely make time to support my fellow students! Tell me, what time should I directly come to our Normal University?”

Li Yao took a long breath in relief and wiped off the sweat on his forehead.

“Not at all. I’m here to see you first. How about dinner?”

Li Yao said, “Do you live in the downtown area or somewhere else? You’d better find a place that is closer to your house. Don’t waste Teacher Niu’s precious time!”

“Alright, how about tomorrow night?”

Zhang Daniu said, “You are a student and don’t have any income yet, so you don’t need to treat me. Let me treat you. Do you know of the hidden crane cuisine in the city? Let’s meet at seven o’clock tonight, alright?”

Li Yao knew that it was a newly opened high-end restaurant with an elegant and famous environment.

This guy was quite generous!

“Alright, Master Niu.”

Li Yao sent another emoji of a rabbit with starry eyes. “Seven o’clock tomorrow night. Hidden Crane cooks. See you there!”

After ending the conversation, Li Yao went to the toilet and vomited for five minutes before deleting all the conversation logs.

It was too embarrassing. Nobody was allowed to know about it. Whoever did would be executed!

As for tomorrow, it was impossible for Li Yao to play the role of the ‘rabbit in the sea of stars’ anymore. After all, he had locked onto the author and there was no way that he could run away!

Li Yao looked at himself in the mirror and grinned hideously.

He roared and exerted his strength. Muscles that looked like bombs bulged out of his body and tore his short-sleeved shirt apart. Veins and veins ran through his body like boas under his bronze skin. Scorching air was spurting out of his pores. He had torn the dumbbell into two halves!

“Zhang Daniu…”

Looking at the super muscular man in the mirror who had almost doubled in size, Li Yao grinned hideously. “Wait for me at seven tomorrow night. I’m coming!”