Forty millenniums of cul.., p.252
Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 252
On the other hand, Refinement and Building Foundation Stage Cultivators were small pebbles weighing dozens of kilograms.
To throw a stone as far away possible with an extremely crude catapult, of course, pebbles would be better choices.
If a giant rock were to be selected, not only might it fail to be thrown away, it also risked wrecking the catapult.
It meant that only Cultivators at the Refinement Stage and the Building Foundation Stage would be able to explore Ultimacy which was nine thousand lightyears away from the Heaven's Origin Sector and possibly had planetary magical equipment buried inside!
Li Yao finally understood why everyone was so thrilled watching the video that even their fingers were twitching.
Thinking for a moment, he further asked, "What is the estimated time of the first launch? And how many people will be teleported?"
Hong Tong replied, "The construction spot and progress are both top secrets. But all things considered, it won't be slow. By the end of this year, it will certainly have been completed!
"Because not just us, the Blood Demon Sector must be building super teleportation arrays, too. It is now just a matter of speed!
"For the construction work, three teleportation arrays in the No. 2 launch base have been dismantled. The crystal rails and all kinds of magical equipment from them have been filled into the Heaven's Artillery, just in order to be faster than the Blood Demon Sector!
"There won't be many candidates to be teleported. Impressive as the Heaven's Artillery may be, six or seven Star Teams, with dozens of members in total, tops."
Taking a deep breath, Li Yao felt that his blood was surging like tides.
"Which means we have to ascend into the top 10 of the Rank of Stars before the end of this year, right?"
"Correct!"
Hong Tong nodded his head seriously. "Elites are always the first to explore a new Occult Orb. For an Occult Orb like Ultimacy where planetary magical equipment might be preserved, nepotism and adulation will not work at all. Who's eligible and who's not will be entirely based on capability!
"Ranking in the top 10 will prove that we are the best Cultivators at the Building Foundation Stage and that we are qualified for the mission to explore Ultimacy!"
Li Yao's eyes were beaming with eagerness as he asked, "But I wonder how many secret treasures are stored in Ultimacy, and how many benefits we can gain from it?"
Hong Tong smiled and said, "Since it is unexplored, everything we talked about is just speculation. Even if planetary magical equipment does exist, it is quite likely to be well beyond our ability to manipulate and maneuver since we are merely at the Building Foundation Stage. Besides, chances are that we might be engaged with the elites of the demon clan. Although it's not possible for the demon emperors to be teleported due to the restriction of the long distance, the best silver-blood demons must be able to land on Ultimacy. Maybe, the princes of the dozens of demon kingdoms will join together.
"Therefore, although it has not been officially announced yet, the benefits of exploring Ultimacy are quite enormous.
"According to my sources, not only are the contribution points as the reward of the mission astronomical, the participants will be given a lot of Cultivation arts and magical equipment. They can even receive the personal enlightenment of Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators!
"I'm not talking about a lecture of several hours. I'm talking about a training session of ten to fifteen days during which time you will eat and live together. The Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators will teach you like teaching their own disciples!"
Li Yao raised his eyebrows. His breath suddenly turned extremely ragged.
Fifteen days of wholehearted teaching as if you were one of their disciples?
Was that even possible?
Li Yao's first reaction was that it must be a lie.
But on second thought, he realized that it did make sense.
Exploration of Ultimacy concerned the fate of all human beings in the Heaven's Origin Sector.
As the saying went, when the skin is gone, there will be no place for the hair. Strong as the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators may be, they wouldn't be able to survive by themselves if the Star Glory Federation was destroyed.
Besides, their family, descendants, and disciples were also here!
Now that the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators could not explore the Occult Orb in person, naturally, they would hope that those embarking on the trip could be as strong as possible.
For the future of the human beings of the Heaven's Origin Sector, for themselves, for their family and disciples, they wouldn't be stingy when it came to one or two Cultivation arts.
Hardly had he thought everything through when he was greatly shocked again by what Hong Tong said next.
"Not just that. It is said that before setting off to Ultimacy, all the Orb Patrollers for the mission will be blessed with a 'spiritual seed' by the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators!"
Chapter 369: Seed Explosion State |
"Nas—Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators' spiritual seed?"
Li Yao faltered, his voice shivering.
'Spiritual seed condensing' was a very rarely-seen secret art which would consume both the soul and the body's vitality a lot. Generally speaking, only those Cultivators who were equal to or above the Nascent Soul Stage were able to use it.
The so-called spiritual seed was actually part of the soul, the telepathic thoughts, and the Cultivation arts of a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator who condensed them to such an extent that they crystalized into something resembling a seed. The seed could then be planted into the brain of another Cultivator that was relatively weaker.
The entire process was very similar to the 'pouring knowledge into one's head' technology in the ancient Cultivation world.
The relatively weaker Cultivator, after accepting the spiritual seed of a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, could burn their soul and ignite the spiritual seed in the case of an emergency, thus entering a state known as 'seed explosion'.
According to the degree of the seed explosion, they could be blessed with 60%, or even slightly more, of the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator's capability, and they could fully perform the ultimate skills that the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator sealed within the seed.
Although the state wouldn't last long, it could be a life-saver for the weak Cultivator at a critical moment. It was also a deadly move that no opponent could see coming.
In the seed explosion state, 60% or even more of the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator's capability could be wielded by the Cultivator. It was totally different from the attack of some magical equipment which equaled to the full-strength strike of a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator.
For example, the attack of Taiyi Lightning Railguns was as powerful as the full-strength strike of a Core Formation Stage Cultivator, but only so in regard to the possible damage.
In fact, the precision, range, stability, and reaction speed of Taiyi Lightning Railguns were far from those of real Core Formation Stage Cultivators.
Li Yao could face twelve Taiyi Lightning Railguns on a crystal warship without the least fear, because powerful as they may be, they still required manual or mechanical aiming. Those controlling the Taiyi Lightning Railguns were likely to be Refinement Stage Cultivators or even ordinary people.
The Taiyi Lightning Railguns were totally useless if they couldn't hit their target.
But if he had faced a real Core Formation Cultivator, Li Yao would have been suppressed by the accurate movements, thorough plans, and perfect rhythm of his opponent who wouldn't even have to perform a full-strength strike at all.
Therefore, even if Li Yao and his companions were to take magical equipment whose damage equaled to the full-strength strike of a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, it wouldn't be of much help to them, unless they were trying to attack a fixed target.
It was not likely that their enemy would just stand idly and let them fire freely. There was a good chance that their enemy could run, fly, or even sneak underground.
'Seed explosion state' was entirely different. In the seed explosion state, not only would the Cultivator's power be raised, the observation, computational ability, reaction, limit of speed, and everything else would also reach 60% of a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator's or even higher.
There was still more!
In Cultivation, real-life experience and understanding mattered more than anything else.
Some weaker Cultivators sensed a whole new level which allowed their Cultivation to soar, through nothing but watching a match between two stronger Cultivators.
When a weak Cultivator was in the seed explosion state, that part of the experience and understanding of the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator would be transferred to the weak Cultivator instantly.
When the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator's immense spiritual energy raged inside the weak Cultivator's body, their bones, veins, and organs would be cleansed and strengthened, to the point that their body would be entirely reborn.
Therefore, the Cultivation speed of the Cultivators who received a spiritual seed from a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator and went through the seed explosion state was often ten times higher than that of a common Cultivator. It was like the difference between a normal train and a high-speed crystal train.
In the ancient legends, a senior and a junior could sit face-to-face and press their palms against each other's. After a brief moment, dozens of years of Cultivation of the senior could be transferred into the junior's body.
It was utter nonsense that ignorant people made up for fun. Cultivation and spiritual energy were not like one's bank balance; it was impossible to just transfer them from one body to another one.
But the usage of a spiritual seed, through which a senior Cultivator could enlighten a junior Cultivator with their experience and understanding and also provide a life-saving tool for the junior Cultivator, might be the closest thing to the Cultivation transfer between two bodies.
Despite the remarkableness of spiritual seeds, there were two critical questions concerning them.
Firstly, for a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, it was very difficult to condense a spiritual seed. Since they had to split their soul by brute force in order to condense it, they would often suffer tremendous damage during the process. It would usually take a long time before they fully recovered. As the number of spiritual seeds they bestowed increased, their body and soul would deteriorate at an exponential speed. Therefore, a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator could only produce limited spiritual seeds in their entire life.
Only their closest descendant, or the disciple that was going to succeed themselves, might have the opportunity to enjoy one. Their other disciples wouldn't get the chance at all.
Secondly, for the Cultivators who received the spiritual seeds, entering the seed explosion state could be extremely dangerous.
If a Building Foundation Stage Cultivator were to wield the strength of a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, however briefly, there was a good price that they had to pay.
There were too many tales in the history of Cultivation where the Building Foundation Stage Cultivators simply self-detonated after bringing out the ultimate skill of a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator in the seed explosion state.
For those who were lucky enough to not get killed, they were mostly seriously wounded and had to take all kinds of medication for a very long time, before they could enjoy the benefit of the brand-new knowledge and the body which had been reborn.
Therefore, unless it was absolutely necessary, Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators were usually reluctant to condense spiritual seeds.
The Cultivators who received the spiritual seeds did not dare to enter the seed explosion state easily, either.
"It appears that there is far more valuable stuff on Ultimacy," Li Yao muttered to himself.
The announcement that Occult Orbs Fellowship revealed to the public was clearly not everything. It was quite possible that there were more important discoveries which had been kept secret.
"We've told you everything that we know. Over the next month, we will try to improve the team cooperation. Then, we will try to march into the top 10 of the Rank of Stars, so that we can get a chance to land on Ultimacy!"
There was desire in Hong Tong's voice as he continued, "Dangers are great. But gains are greater. Maybe after we return from Ultimacy, every one of us will be able to… advance into the Core Formation Stage!"
He stared at Li Yao, full of passion.
The other five of them had long reached an agreement on this. Li Yao, as the newly recruited teammate, was the only one that was new to the declaration.
To cram into the top ten of the Rank of Stars, all the six team members had to stick together. It was not going to work out if any of them hid anything.
Li Yao smiled widely, his teeth showing.
Licking his teeth and sensing the stinging from the tip of his tongue, Li Yao felt that his mouth was extremely dry. Something that resembled burning thorns filled his stomach, which was raging furiously to all his veins, organs and limbs.
It was his ambition.
Hong Tong was not exaggerating. Aside from whatever there was on Ultimacy, the wholehearted enlightenment from a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator for half a month, a spiritual seed from them, and the secret treasures and Cultivation arts in Occult Orbs Fellowship which had been accumulated for hundreds of years together were enough for anyone to break into the Core Formation Stage within three to five years.
Core Formation Stage Cultivators were definitely among the most influential people in the Heaven's Origin Sector.
The Elders and even leaders of the top 100 sects of the federation, the principals and deans of the Nine Elite Universities, and the best warriors of a military region were mostly no higher than the Core Formation Stage.
Xiong Baili, the incumbent president of the Grand Desolate War Institution, who was known as 'Volcano' in the world of Cultivators, was at the Core Formation Stage, too.
If it were in peacetime, talented as Li Yao may be, he wouldn't be able to cross the chasm between Building Foundation Stage and Core Formation Stage in ten years, even with the advantage of absorbing Ou Yezi's memory pieces every day.
If anything, he would be highly praised if he could reach the Core Formation Stage after twenty or even thirty years.
But right now, the discovery of Ultimacy had offered him a once-a-thousand-years opportunity for him to breach the barrier in just one leap. There was a good chance that he could become the youngest Core Formation Stage Cultivator before he was thirty, or even twenty-five.
If he were to let go of such a chance, he would be too ashamed to call himself a Cultivator.
To be stronger was the most primitive and the most fundamental desire at the bottom of every Cultivator's heart.
It didn't require any special reason. The reason to be stronger was to be stronger.
Just like a mountain climber who risked his life climbing a mountain thousands of meters high with no reason except 'because it's there', Cultivators did not need any reason to yearn to be stronger every second and to lead the human beings as a species to break the shackles enforced by nature, just so that they could reach new peaks and enjoy the more beautiful landscape.
If the summit of humanity's evolution was there, Cultivators would climb up the mountain and pierce a hole in the sky!
"I have no opinion about that."
Taking a deep breath, the corners of Li Yao's mouth curled up, his eyes full of hope. "An Occult Orb nine thousand lightyears away where no Cultivator from the Heaven's Origin Sector has ever set foot in?
"If I can reach a place so far away in person and fly the Rising Dragon of the Nine Stars Flag on Ultimacy, I will be content as a Cultivator even if I can't reach the Core Formation Stage!"
…
After they reached a consensus, the team had a heated discussion on the new tactical plans with Li Yao on board and settled the training schedule for the next month.
Then, it was one day of vacation time.
After all, they'd just returned from an Occult Orb. Many of them were desperate to have fun in Empyreal Star City to forget the shadows from the Occult Orbs.
Li Yao and Ding Lingdang stayed in her room.
Ding Lingdang's room was similar to her house in the Grand Desolate War Institution, both of which were littered with training machines. There was no telling that the room belonged to a girl at all.
However, Li Yao did find a toy model of the Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit.
The Star Glory Federation valued valiance and gallantry. Children started receiving military education at a very early age. Therefore, the toy models of weapons and magical equipment sold very well.
Even the toys made for girls included the models of crystal warships, crystal tanks, crystal suits, and flying swords, besides the commonly-seen dolls.
The Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit had risen to be one of the most popular crystal suit model over the recent half a year, as well as the standard crystal suit equipped for the soldiers of the federal army on a large scale. Naturally, many toy factories had been authorized by the Grand Desolate War Institution to produce toys based on it.
Many children actually got interested in magical equipment and set on the path of Cultivation because of the toy models they played with.
When Li Yao made up his mind to become a master of refining, one of his biggest motivations was the broken toy that he had picked up from the garbage heap.
But Ding Lingdang didn't seemed to be a fan of toy models. He had never seen any in her house before.
It seemed that she placed a toy model of the Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit here as a replacement for Li Yao.
Thinking about that, Li Yao looked at Ding Lingdang adoringly.
Chapter 370: Obliterating |
"Why are you looking at me in such a way? Are you not content because you were defeated? Hahahaha. I'll give you an opportunity for revenge later. However, I need to remind you that I'm at a whole new level right now. You wouldn't stand a chance even if I gave you a hundred opportunities!"
