Forty millenniums of cul.., p.429
Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 429
Chapter 638: Perfect Solution! |
Li Yao did not wake up until the next morning. In his trance, he felt that his cheek was still aching, and even his burps were tasted like condiments. He was intimidated by the feast last night when he thought about it again.
He had not drunk much alcohol, even though the muscular and unconstrained Iron Plateau natives all seemed to be excellent drinkers. It was because everybody was a qi-trainer and could barely got intoxicated. Drinking alcohol was as boring as drinking cold water for them.
Therefore, the way that qi-trainers expressed their hospitality on Iron Plateau was to offer meat instead of wine.
The qi-trainers of Iron Plateau were quite old-school. They considered one's appetite a good gauge for strength. The more one could eat, the better one would be able to control their body, and the stronger one would be!
Li Yao, as the new best warrior of the six tribes of Iron Plateau, was naturally the primary target that received the most attention during the feast. Not only did the leaders and elders of the other five tribes bring the gluttons of their tribes to toast meat in turn, even many qi-trainers of the Furious Bears Tribe had gone to him with beef steaks and lamb chops, raising a civil war.
Li Yao had never been fond of liveliness, but he felt somewhat embarrassed that the five tribes had given him so many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures for free.
The trip to Iron Plateau had definitely been worth it. For him, he had looted the warehouse that stored the trophies in the battle of apocalypse. For Sparkle, it had explored Iron Plateau's underground and found a lot of relics from five thousand years ago in which many remnants of magical equipment were buried.
Right now, the five tribes had even offered their most valuable treasure that they had kept for years to him.
By Li Yao's preliminary estimation, the resources would be more than enough to establish a small sect.
Although their gratitude to Li Yao for saving their lives was sincere, Li Yao always felt that he was not justified enough to accept all the gifts. With such thoughts, how could he reject their toasts? In the end, he just let go of his self-restraint and started eating!
Li Yao utilized the Art of the Swallowing Whale to the maximum and had the biggest meal of his life. At the beginning, he had still managed to keep counting how many lamb legs he had eaten. But later after he choked the chief of the Giant Axe Tribe, he was somewhat drunk with meat and start eating carefreely.
Li Yao scratched his belly and walked out of his room, only to find that Xiong Wuji and Sha Yulan were waiting for him outside.
Since he did not intend to live long on Iron Plateau, he had been crashing at Xiong Wuji's house.
Snatching a cup of cold tea on the table and drinking all of it, Li Yao frowned and said, "Chief Xiong, please don't tell me that you didn't know they were giving me such a pillar."
"Of course, I did, but what could I say?"
Xiong Wuji shrugged and replied matter-of-factly, "You were the one who revealed the Temple of Immortals' scheme and killed Yan Xibei in front of everyone. The thousand qi-trainers on site all witnessed Yan Xibei's toughness in person. Even he was no match for you! Who else deserves to be the best warrior of the six tribes of Iron Plateau if not you?
"Iron Plateau natives never go back on their word and always pay compliments when compliments are due. Your contribution in the whole event cannot be exaggerated. Yesterday, they were only offering a little something as a signal of their gratitude. Could I say no to that?"
Li Yao felt a light headache. He said, "It sounds reasonable. But I wonder, did you receive such a giant pillar with 'Invincible in Iron Plateau' on it when you were acknowledged as the best warrior of the six tribes of Iron Plateau?"
"Then and now are different," Xiong Wuji replied solemnly. "You know our current situation as clear as I do. We lost a large number of elites in the battle of the apocalypse. Then, because of the trouble that Yan Xibei caused, we suffered even more losses. There is no telling whether or not the Temple of Immortals still has other plans, and the remaining Blood Stripe Virus might still be lurking in the Dark Continent!
"Large-scale communication with the space residents is a two-sided coin, too. Whatever the consequences are, Iron Plateau will definitely be greatly changed!
"Right now, everyone in the six tribes is anxious about their future.
"Naturally, a heroic figure such as yourself must be decorated and promoted to calm everybody down."
Li Yao was dazed for a long time before he replied, "Fair enough, Chief Xiong. However, with the giant spotlight over my head, how am I going to get away from here? You are not expecting that I stay and guard Iron Plateau under the title of 'best warrior of the six tribes of Iron Plateau', are you? That, I can't do. Besides, my identity issue hasn't been resolved yet!"
Xiong Wuji looked at Sha Yulan with a smile and said, "Don't worry about that. I've figured out everything. It's definitely a perfect solution!"
Sha Yulan projected a light beam from a mini crystal processor and showed Li Yao a proposal.
After the large-scale communications began, Sha Yulan, with her life experience both in space and on Iron Plateau, became an important official in the newly-established 'Association of Interstellar Communication'.
"Right now, the relatively simple trade deals have been settled and are about to be carried out," Xiong Wuji explained.
"For example, there are many mother lodes on Iron Plateau that we cannot exploit with our current technology, but with the space residents' help, we will be able to excavate and refine them.
"Also, Iron Plateau is a scarce planet. With enough resources and guards, it is an excellent place to develop agriculture and livestock production. For many space towns that have very limited room, Iron Plateau will be a great manufacturer of diary goods and farm products. In the meantime, the farming will gradually change the terrain of Iron Plateau, and we might flourish again like five thousand years ago.
"In short, the deals regarding resources are easy, but cultural communication is much more difficult.
"The biggest problem at hand is that space residents and Iron Plateau natives don't know each other.
"Space residents think that Iron Plateau natives are simple-minded barbarians with more brawns than brains, if not wildlings who feast upon blood and raw meat.
"On the other hand, Iron Plateau natives consider space residents all cunning, cowardly, and conceited rats.
"The thousands of years of separation cannot be filled up in only one day. Besides, there's also the competition of rightfulness between us and the six sects of Heavenly Saints City. Direct talk is not an option.
"Therefore, after a long discussion with the leadership of the two supreme colleges of Heavenly Saints City, we decided to gradually resolve the problem with the academic circle as our starting point.
"More specifically speaking, we are going to introduce a series of inter-planet study programs and visiting scholar programs. We'll send a hundred young people to study in the two supreme colleges of Heavenly Saints City as a start.
They'll get to study the advanced techniques of the space residents, and their understanding about the society and culture of the space residents will be deeper. More importantly, they are going to disseminate the culture of Iron Plateau and show the space residents that we are not primitive barbarians and that muscles are not our everything.
"Students of the two supreme colleges will all be pillars in the world of Cultivators in the future. If they have a few classmates from Iron Plateau, the communication between the two parties will be a lot easier later!"
"Wait!" Li Yao suddenly waved his hand, as he thought he knew where the conversation was going to. He asked, "Chief Xiong, you are not asking me to join the hundred students and be an exchange student, are you? I'm sorry, but I'm definitely not going!"
This had to be a joke. Even ignoring the superlative height of the Building Foundation Stage, which was of his own invention and assuming that he was merely at the peak of the Building Foundation Stage, he was still among the top experts in the world of Cultivators.
The leadership of many sects, the experienced refiners of major crystal suit centers, and the teachers and even professors in many renowned universities were merely in the peak of the Building Foundation Stage.
And now, he was going to start from scratch as a student like a rookie?
Of course, he wouldn't waste his time in such a way!
"Of course not!" Xiong Wuji immediately replied. "Right now, you are officially the best warrior of the six tribes of Iron Plateau, and you stand for the top combat ability of Iron Plateau. Asking you to be a student equals to admitting that we are weaker than the space residents. Why would we do that?
"What I was meaning to ask was whether or not you are interested in going to the two supreme colleges of Heavenly Saints City to communicate and doing the research work as a visiting scholar and a representative of Iron Plateau."
Li Yao was dazed. "Visiting scholar?"
Xiong Wuji smiled and said, "Yes. We have come to an agreement with both Flying Star University and Heavenly Saints Institute. In the next five years, we will send at least ten visiting scholars to Heavenly Saints City.
"The visiting scholars are all the well-known experts on Iron Plateau. Naturally, their expertise and their jobs are different from the students'.
"According to our agreement, the visiting scholars can choose designated projects based on their interests and specialties and work with the most talented geniuses in the world of Cultivators.
"They can also teach courses in their special fields.
"Faced with the threat of the Temple of Immortals, the two parties are both genuine about the agreement. We will exchange techniques for techniques. The two supreme colleges will provide the best treatment for our visiting scholars. All the research programs will be open for you. As long as you prove yourself to be capable enough, all the project teams will welcome you, and all the available resources will be at your disposal."
"Is that so?"
Li Yao was greatly interested. His lips curled up into a smile.
If the two supreme colleges that represented the highest academic level of Cultivators opened all their resources and programs for him, becoming a visiting scholar seemed to be much a better choice than working in the three crystal suit centers.
After all, most of the cutting-edge theories, advanced experiment facilities, and talented geniuses were all gathered in the two supreme colleges.
Even the experts in the three main crystal suit centers were mostly the professors or visiting professors of the two colleges.
"I've given it a lot of thought. This is the best choice for both you and Iron Plateau," Xiong Wuji explained. "Since the moment you slew Yan Xibei, you have been destined to become the strongest expert on Iron Plateau and the center of admiration. Can you vanish quietly? How will I explain it to all the Iron Plateau natives when they find out that you're gone?
"The identity of visiting scholar, on the other hand, gives you a perfect excuse to leave Iron Plateau for Heavenly Saints City.
"In a few years, after the chaos on Iron Plateau is settled and new experts emerge in the six tribes, their memory of you will gradually fade.
"At that time, you can live in Heavenly Saints City and choose to not come back to Iron Plateau again as an ambassador of Iron Plateau. It won't feel strange anymore, will it?
"On the other hand, if you are all by yourself, even though you are the super refiner Li Yao whose both hands can surpass the speed of sound, it's very possible that you won't get access to enough resources. You will most likely end up being an ordinary worker in the three main crystal suit centers if you file your applications.
"But everything will be different if you are a representative of Iron Plateau, won't it?"
Chapter 639: Ridiculous Appointment! |
Li Yao's interest was greatly piqued.
Although he had distinguished himself in the Skyhill Sword Seminar, he was still a young man in the world of Cultivators. He would have to start with the secondary projects and gain his seniority even if he were to join the three main crystal suit centers under the identity of Li Yao. It would take him forever before he got to do what he wanted.
The wait would naturally be much shorter if he represented Iron Plateau. It was quite possible that he would get in touch with the real high-end projects in advance.
Pondering for a moment, Li Yao frowned and said, "What about my identity? Nobody is a fool. Rumors are already spreading out. Bai Kaixin, the vice-captain of the Great Horn Exo Society, has been asking to have dinner with me all the time lately. Perhaps he already started doubting me."
Xiong Wuji smiled casually. "Don't you see? If you are a Mr. Nobody, naturally, many people will question your identity. But right now, you are the best warrior of the six tribes of Iron Plateau. Behind you are thousands of qi-trainers. Excluding crazy lunatics, who can doubt you, dares to doubt you, and is willing to doubt you?"
Li Yao was dazed. He thought carefully for a while and made up his mind. "Alright, I will go to Heavenly Saints City as the best warrior of the six tribes of Iron Plateau and work as a visiting scholar!"
Xiong Wuji smiled. "This is the first time that space residents have ever seen us in the past five thousand years. Your behavior will potentially influence how space residents take Iron Plateau natives. To be honest, I wouldn't be as relieved if it were anybody else. If they made a joke of themselves, every Iron Plateau native would be disgraced. You are doing me a great favor by going there first.
"However, bear this in mind. After you reach Heavenly Saints City, you will certainly meet a lot of people from the six sects of Heavenly Saints City. Many of them may not have forgotten the competition of rightfulness yet and will likely to provoke you. We are in troubled times…"
"I understand." Li Yao suddenly interrupted him. "I'm not a man fond of quarrels. I'll try to restrain myself for the big picture. I won't get into conflict with them easily."
"Why not?" Xiong Wuji raised his eyebrow and said, "What I meant was that, if anybody provokes you, you must fight back brutally and teach those blind idiots what an Iron Plateau native looks like."
"…" Li Yao was rendered speechless.
"Right. One more thing. Did you really recruit Ah Yan as your disciple?"
"Yes," Li Yao admitted honestly. "He is very similar to myself ten years ago, but with a much higher aptitude. I recruited him as my disciple wholeheartedly.
"However, since we have over-planet study programs right now, I suggest Wu Mayan goes to study in Heavenly Saints City, too, to broaden his horizon and make him gain more experience, so that he can progress further in his training.
"There are still two months until he is fourteen years old, but he has already entered the 16th level of the Refinement Stage. I think neither Flying Star University nor Heavenly Saints Institute will reject such a treasure."
Xiong Wuji smiled. "Alright. That is exactly what was on my mind. I meant to send Ah Yan to study in Heavenly Saints City, but I thought that I'd better hear your opinion first since you are his master. It's all good then if you have no objections!
"However, you and Ah Yan are both special. According to him, he kneeled before you beside the pond as a gesture of acknowledging you as his teacher. That won't do!
"You are now the best warrior of the six tribes of Iron Plateau. It's a big deal that you have recruited a disciple. We cannot do things so inappropriately.
"How about this. I'll have everything prepared. Before you set off, experts of the six tribes and Cultivators who are still on Iron Plateau will be invited to join the ceremony. He will be acknowledging you as his master in public. It will also be a demonstration to the Cultivators of your prestige on Iron Plateau."
Li Yao was going to say no, but he soon realized that Xiong Wuji was trying to promote his name, and it would be beneficial for his future development.
Feeling the warmth in his heart, Li Yao nodded with a smile. "Alright. Whatever you say, Chief Xiong!"
…
Half a month later, in Flying Star University inside Heavenly Saints City…
Flying Star University was located on the third orbital ring, the one closest to the downtown area of Heavenly Saints City. Inside the orbital ring, there were natural landscapes that simulated mountains and rivers, as well as central business districts that were full of skyscrapers. Laboratories and teaching buildings could be seen everywhere, too.
The spiritual energy transmission tubes on the wall of the orbital ring continued releasing spiritual energy into the air and built a man-made paradise inside the third orbital ring where the students and scholars of Flying Star University could train themselves at will.
At this moment, in the natural landscape area of Flying Star University, next to a spring lake, an old man wearing a cloak was fishing. His fishpole was shivering slightly, and he looked half asleep, but he was quite enjoyed himself.
However, the old man's good mood was disrupted by the buzz of his mini crystal processor. After the old man read the message, his face turned darker than ever.
"Ridiculous appointment!" The old man threw the fishpole to the ground and asked gravely, "President Shang, may I ask who came up with the idea of letting the so-called best warrior of the six tribes of Iron Plateau work as a visiting scholar in the Refining Department of Flying Star University? What place do they think the Refining Department is?"
The old man was Wei Wenyao. He was one of the best masters of refining in the Flying Star Sector as well as the dean of the Refining Department of Flying Star University. He was a well-respected authority in the circle of refiners.
President Shang, whom he was speaking to, was merely a deputy president in charge of administration and human resources. He was not famous in the academic circle and did not have any projects that he should be proud of. Moreover, he was almost forty years younger than Wei Wenyao.
As a renowned scholar, Wei Wenyao did not care about his title at all. He berated ruthlessly, "President Shang, Flying Star University is not a random community college where anybody can work as a visiting scholar or visiting professor!
