Forty millenniums of cul.., p.396
Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 396
Although the six tribes were in a strange relationship, there was not much of a grudge among the young people who liked fighting more than anything else. They drank wine and ate delicious meat, while they exchanged their experience in training with each other. Very soon, everybody was familiar with each other. Li Yao remained silent most of the time and listened to other people talking about their achievements, but it was not in the least boring for him.
Before anybody realized it, an hour had passed. The colorful clouds in the sky were suddenly blown away by a weird wind, revealing the stars and the deep, dark firmament.
"The ceremony has now officially begun!"
Chapter 587: Banished! |
The people of Iron Plateau did not like unnecessary and overelaborate formalities. Besides, now that a hundred thousand qi-trainers had gathered in this place, it was impossible to arrange any complicated procedures. According to Wu Mayan, the so-called ceremony was merely watching a video from five thousand years ago together. After that, everything would be complete!
Shua! Shua! Shua!
Dozens of thick, bright pillars rose up from the periphery of the square and weaved into such an overwhelmingly vast light beam in the sky that one would be able to see it clearly from more than ten kilometers away.
Li Yao had seen such technology in the Heaven's Origin Sector when he took part in the Limit Challenge Competition for the first time. However, the light beam here was larger and had a higher resolution. A magnificent world of giants seemed to have been overturned and placed right above the head of the residents of Furious Bears City.
Wu Mayan told Li Yao that the magical equipment to project the light beam came from the golden era before the apocalypse's arrival. Only one video clip was stored inside.
Over the past five thousand years, the six tribes of Iron Plateau had spent countless invaluable resources to maintain the magical equipment. But as time went by, it still gradually wore out.
It was said that the six tribes would play the video clip on the ceremony of adulthood every year hundreds of years ago.
But as the magical equipment to project the light beam gradually degraded, they showed the video clip less frequently. Now, they only played it during the victory ceremony after the battles against the apocalypse.
The night sky was shaking like a surging ocean, while the lights were blinking like dragon scales. Soon, a black and red picture condensed in midair.
Black was a sky that was occupied by smoke, and red was a furiously burning city.
It had once been a super city ten times larger than Furious Bears City, but it was now debris in the sea of flames.
Illuminated by the red lotus of destruction were a bunch of men who seemed to have just been dug out from the earth. Their battle suits were mostly melted. They were soaked in blood, their hair burnt, suggesting that they had just gone through a bloody battle in the city rubble!
The ten thousand or so men were classified into six teams. A giant flag was flapping in front of each team with exactly the same pattern as the badge of the six tribes of Iron Plateau.
Six extraordinarily muscular men walked slowly to the camera carrying the flags. Displayed in the 3D light beam, they were like giants who were about to land on the earth from the sky.
The hundred thousand qi-trainers were silent. The millions of residents of Furious Bears City, including the old people who had watched the video before, all held their breath and observed quietly.
The six muscular men carried the flags of their respective sects to the remains before them that had collapsed.
Wu Mayan explained to Li Yao in a low voice that the city on fire had been the biggest city on Iron Plateau five thousand years ago, and it was where the coalition government of the six major sects had been located.
The remains that were about to collapse at any moment used to be the Great Congress of the coalition government. It had been the center of decision-making for the entire Flying Star Sector.
In the video clip, more than ten thousand Refinement Cultivators believing in the ideology of homers stared at the flag of their sects solemnly.
Six flags were fluttering against the blowing wind on the debris that had once been the center of the Flying Star Sector.
"I, Yang Kaicheng, secondary disciple of the Furious Bears Union, hereby announce in the name of the 4,524 disciples of the Furious Bears Union in the Refinement Stage…"
One of the six muscular men atop the debris, who had a red birthmark on his face, walked out and glanced over the disciples of the six sects with eyes as sharp as sabers. "…that Xiong Zhen, leader of the Furious Bears Union, Master Qing Feng, former leader and the manager of library of classics, Xia Houliang, Dong Jiaping, Xie Tianling, elders of the Furious Bears Union, as well as all the other members of the Furious Bears Union who escaped from Iron Plateau, are in violation of the creeds on which the Furious Bears Union was established. They are guilty of cowardice and disloyalty!
"The 4,524 Refinement Stage disciples of the Furious Bears Union have ruled unanimously that—
"Xiong Zhen, leader of the Furious Bears Tribe, shall be banished and never allowed to return!
"Master Qing Feng, former leader and the manager of library of classics, shall be banished and never allowed to return!
"The three elders and all the other members of the Furious Bears Union who defected shall be banished and never allowed to return!"
Below him, countless disciples of the Furious Bears Union were roaring thunderously.
Yang Kaicheng waved the flag hard and retreated.
A second muscular man, whose hair had been burnt, strode out, the giant flag flapping in the wind like a blossoming flower. "I, Xu Haoyan, Level 9 Deacon of the Burning Sun Alliance, declare on behalf of the 6,725 Refinement Stage disciples who are still striving on Iron Plateau…
"…that the members of the Burning Sun Alliance who absconded to space have defied the rules of this Alliance. Their crimes shall not be pardoned.
"The following sentences have been unanimously agreed upon.
"Fei Zhengyang, leader of the Burning Sun Alliance, shall be banished and wanted for the rest of his life. Once the criminal returns to Iron Plateau, all the disciples here shall work together to execute him!
"The five elders of the Burning Sun Alliance shall be banished and wanted for the rest of their lives. Once traces of the criminals are found on Iron Plateau, all the disciples here shall work together to slay them!
"All the members of the Burning Sun Alliance who have deserted to space shall be banished from the Alliance and never be admitted again!"
Xu Haoyan waved the Burning Sun flag hard, too. Countless men in crimson robes echoed in acknowledgement.
The representatives of the Refinement Stage disciples of the Giant Axe Hall, the Feathered Snakes Brotherhood, the Silver Moon Sect, and the Heaven Wolves Fortress followed and waved the flags of their sects, announcing the eviction of the leaders, elders, and members of such sects who had fled to space in the name of the low-level disciples!
Yang Kaicheng, a Cultivator of the Furious Bears Union who had made the declaration first, walked forward again and spoke.
"Right now, there is not a single Building Foundation Stage Cultivator on Iron Plateau. We Refinement Stage Cultivators, the small fries in the world of Cultivators before, are the only protectors of the planet now!
"But, so what?
"We are all human beings. The Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators don't have any more arms than we do. If anything, I think they might be short of balls!"
There was laughter in the crowd.
Veins bulged out on Yang Kaicheng's neck. His face turned red as he yelled, "Those spineless Core Formation Stage Cultivators and Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators have all run away in fear! But the Refinement Stage Cultivators are still fighting on Iron Plateau! They are terrified by the apocalypse, but we are not. We will fight the apocalypse at the cost of anything for a thousand or even ten thousand years without giving in!
"Maybe we will fail. Maybe we will die. Maybe our civilization won't last long in the desolate land, and we might end up being barbarians like those at the beginning of our civilization again.
"But, so what?
"A hundred thousand years ago, the ancestors of human beings started from scratch and understood the mysteries of Cultivation by fighting against the harsh environment. They built a brilliant and prosperous civilization from the barbaric tribes.
"Even if we are really forced to go back to the era of tribes, we will simply walk through the path of evolution again!
"I announce today that the Furious Bears Union will be renamed as the Furious Bears Tribe. We will thrive and rebuild our civilization against the harsh environment like the primitive savages a hundred thousand years ago!"
"I announce today that the Burning Sun Alliance will be renamed as the Burning Sun Tribe!"
"I announce today that the Feathered Snakes Brotherhood will be renamed as the Feathered Snakes Tribe!"
The six sects that lingered on Iron Plateau started calling themselves tribes, a sign that they had completely separated from their compatriots in the space.
"What's the difference between a Cultivator and a pest if they cannot protect their home and their people? This apocalypse has disgraced the name of 'Cultivator' and made it into a synonym of cowardice and defection!
"Let those rats flee desperately in space under the name of Cultivators! From today on, we will abandon the title of Cultivators. We are qi-trainers!"
"Qi-trainers!"
"Cultivators can get the hell off the planet as far away as they want. The qi-trainers will guard Iron Plateau for all eternity!
"Qi-trainers! Qi-trainers! Qi-trainers! Qi-trainers!"
In the beginning, only the ancient qi-trainers five thousand years ago were shouting in the giant light bean on the night sky.
But at some point, the qi-trainers on the ground had started echoing the name, too, with their face red and tears blinking in their eyes.
In the end, the entire Furious Bears City, regardless of their age and sexuality, and no matter whether they were qi-trainers or ordinary people, were chanting the same word.
Furious Bears City turned into an ocean of roars.
…
Late at night, the ceremony that had lasted more than half a day finally ended. Although there were still drunk and cheerful people on the street, Sha Yulan's hospital was quite peaceful.
In the back of the hospital, beside a clear pond, Li Yao, Xiong Wuji, and Sha Yulan were strolling in the moonlight.
Crack!
Xiong Wuji sprayed spiritual gas out of his wound and controlled the artificial arm to pick up the pebbles on the road and toss them into the pond. He smiled in great satisfaction as the ripples spread out in the pond.
"Thank you very much, Li Yao."
Xiong Wuji said sincerely, "You've helped me too much, both in the battle of apocalypse and with the artificial arm!"
Li Yao smiled and replied, "I said that I would show Chief Xiong what a real Cultivator looked like, but I was actually the one who was awed in the battlefield. Chief Xiong has shown me what a real qi-trainer looks like!
"The artificial arm is about nothing else. It was merely a gift that I made in admiration of your valiancy. You deserve to be the best warrior of the six tribes of Iron Plateau!
"Right now, the artificial arm is merely made of common metals. It's probably enough for temporary use. When the trophies of the battle of the apocalypse are distributed, I will see if I can strengthen it with the metals retrieved from the corpses of the apocalyptic beasts. I cannot guarantee that 100% of your capability can be restored, but I'm confident a majority of it will come back!
"If I return to space one day, I may be able to produce an even stronger artificial arm for you!"
Li Yao was not lying. He had devised quite a few plans to make artificial arms. However, they all required precise facilities, Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, and special alloys that were non-existent on Iron Plateau. Therefore, he could only craft such an artificial arm with iron as the main material for now.
Xiong Wuji stopped by the pond. His face suddenly turned serious, as he promised solemnly, "Rest assured. You will return to space one day."
The corner of Li Yao's eyes jumped. He put on a series expression, too, as he asked, "I remember that Chief Xiong mentioned that you would talk about a big deal with me after the battle of the apocalypse. Has the time for making a deal come yet?"
Chapter 588: Reincarnation! |
Xiong Wuji sat on a green rock next to the pond, his artificial hand knocking the rock softly. He gazed at the reflection of the moon in the pond before he opened his mouth a moment later. "The purpose of our meeting today is exactly the big deal. However, before we get into the details, I would like to know whether or not you have a new understanding of the apocalypse.
"Last time we talked about the apocalypse, you were merely listening to Sha Yulan's narration. But now that you've experienced the full outbreak of an egg of apocalypse. I wonder, as a space resident, can you explain the mystery of the apocalypse from a new viewpoint? What is the so-called apocalypse exactly?"
Li Yao found a smaller rock near Xiong Wuji and seated himself on it. He kicked a pebble below his feet into the pond. After a 'plop' sound, the reflection of the moon broke into pieces of silver brightness, as if the pond were a breathing universe.
"I fell into a trance during the battle of the apocalypse. Several hours of high-intensity combat only lasted five minutes in my perception. I felt that I had turned into an entirely different species, and I was completely captivated."
Li Yao was deep in thought. "After the battle of the apocalypse, I discovered that, although my level had no significant improvement, my skills in killing had made great progress, and the lust for killing had been lurking inside my body all the time.
"I have become better at fighting and slaughtering!
"It did not happen to me alone. Wu Mayan, who took part in the battle of apocalypse for the first time, had a similar experience. He made a major breakthrough in the battle and reached the 16th level of the Refinement Stage!
"We must note that he is not even fourteen years old yet!
"Such odd phenomena have been baffling me.
"I've been reflecting on the entire process of the outbreak of the egg of apocalypse and the significance of apocalypses at night sometimes. I pondered why it launched such complicated, inefficient attacks to Iron Plateau. The outbreaks of the eggs of apocalypse are not destructive events at all; they are merely… rehearsals!
"This morning, a very bold assumption that could explain the whole thing suddenly occurred to me!
"I would've discussed the matter with you even if you hadn't summoned me."
Xiong Wuji's eyes suddenly rolled. He asked, "What's the assumption?"
Taking a deep breath, Li Yao replied, "Many people consider apocalypses as doom or weapons that the more developed civilizations utilize to destroy mankind. But I don't think that theory is valid. It cannot explain all the different types of apocalypse, either.
"There are many legends in the ancient Cultivation world about experts fighting against apocalypses. It is said that such experts would ascend to a holy land where they would meet many bizarre-looking deities after they successfully resisted the apocalypses.
"If the purpose of apocalypses is destruction, how can you explain the holy land and the deities?
"As for the assault against the Iron Plateau Space Zone, although the apocalypse almost wiped out Iron Plateau, the previous knowledge of the Titan Warriors was transported here, too!
"Therefore, my assumption is that the apocalypse was indeed launched by the Titan Warriors. But their purpose was not destruction, but the dissemination of their civilization in a certain way!"
"Oh?"
Xiong Wuji tried to hold back his surprise and observed, "That is very illogical. Why would a civilization leak their precious knowledge to someone else randomly? What benefits could the Titan Warriors get by offering their knowledge to us?"
Li Yao nodded and said, "The motivation of the Titan Warriors troubled me for a long time. It is definitely absurd under normal circumstances. A Nascent Soul Stage harassing an unfamiliar young man he met on the road and insisting to offer all his Cultivation to the stranger is bizarre; how could such a thing happen?
"But then, I come up with an explanation.
"What if the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator is about to die?
"What if the civilization of the Titan Warriors is on the brink of death or has already fallen?"
Li Yao's eyes glittered as he mumbled, "Survival, continuity, and expansion are the instincts of every civilization. Generally speaking, the Titan Warriors will in no way pass their knowledge to somebody else easily. However, if their civilization has encountered a catastrophe and the experts among them find it impossible to avoid the disaster, then…
"Hide the tinder of their civilization in materials like meteorites and let it roam about the universe, searching for an appropriate planet and species to accept the gift.
"Isn't it a plausible possibility?"
Sha Yulan couldn't help but interject, "If it were a gift, why did they give it to us in such an extreme and cruel way?"
Li Yao smiled coldly. "If you have experienced the Titan Illusionary Land, you will know that the Titan Warriors are definitely not at all kind. To fight is their natural instinct, and their civilization is based on fighting, too!
"Therefore, their knowledge must be passed on in the most rough and brutal way, because they were trying to pick out the most coldblooded and ruthless warriors!"
Sha Yulan was curious. "But what if we failed to persist and were entirely destroyed?"
Li Yao answered, "If we were destroyed, we were destroyed. I imagine that we are not the only subject that the Titan Warriors' knowledge was sent to. Chances are that many other 'apocalypses' are still floating in the sea of stars. They are tests for civilizations, and only the species that have passed the test are qualified to accept their knowledge!
