Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

“Wuying Qi placed the best interests of the civilization of mankind above his personal interests and the interests of the Star Ocean Republic’s parliament,” Su Changfa declared passionately. “For mankind, he would not concede to anyone or waver when he was faced with tough choices!

“During the Battle of Karan, other than sacrificing the 8.2 million civilians, he in fact did something else that seriously dissatisfied the capital.

“At that time, for the play that he ‘fled in panic’, not only did he leave the 8.2 million civilians to Karan, he also kept most of his starships and strategic assets in that place, too.

“Wuying Qi’s forces were thin in the first place, and they were even weaker after he lost more than half of his starships and assets.

“Although the command center and the main force fleets of the Covenant Alliance were destroyed in the detonation of Karan, a lot of soldiers still dispersed in chaos and were rushing toward their hometown.

“It was easy to defeat them, but a lot of forces were required in order to annihilate all of them. Wuying Qi’s border defense army was far from enough for the task. He could only seek help from the ten or so vassal worlds!

“However, at the beginning, the cowardly and condescending flip-floppers never believed that Wuying Qi could secure such a glorious achievement!

“Many of them had even long negotiated with the Covenant Alliance about the terms of surrender. Each having their own ill intentions, they were even less willing to cooperate with Wuying Qi!

“Speed almost matters most for an army. Wuying Qi didn’t have much time to dawdle with them!

“Thankfully, Wuying Qi had worked on the frontline for more than ten years. His Salvation Syndicate was quite an influential organization among the young Cultivators in the vassal worlds. The young generation of many sects and the middle-level and bottom-level core disciples had joined the Salvation Syndicate in secret!

“With their help, Wuying Qi cut off the communication between the vassal worlds and the Empyrean Terminus Sector, the capital of the Star Ocean Republic. Then, he declared that the country had entered the highest warring state and that the elite fleets to protect the capital city were on their way here. He claimed that he was also authorized by parliament with the power of expediency. Whoever disobeyed him would be executed by him!

“At the life-and-death moment, as the highest commander of the battle zone, he had to have the unconditional obedience of the vassal worlds!

“Wuying Qi was not simply talking.

“To deal with the governing sect of a vassal world that was the most rogue of all, Wuying Qi washed it with blood. After only one night, the sect with a population of almost a hundred thousand was entirely wiped out. Not even a chicken or a dog was left alive!

“In the other worlds, the Cultivators who had joined the Salvation Syndicate in secret also responded and went up to seize power!

“With the thunderous actions and the multiple approaches, Wuying Qi finally got the absolute support of those vassal worlds. He gathered most of their troops and formed a coalition fleet to chase after the defeated soldiers of the Covenant Alliance. Eventually, most of the invaders from the Covenant Alliance were surrounded and annihilated!

“It was just an expediency under the circumstances when he was forced to. If he hadn’t surrounded and annihilated the main force of the Covenant Alliance but simply crushed them, the Covenant Alliance would’ve been able to return and attack again at any time. Only by destroying them completely could the long-term peace and prosperity at the frontier of the Star Ocean Republic be guaranteed!

“However, the Mr. Big Shots at the center of politics and the other local leaders of the vassal worlds obviously thought otherwise.

“When two ‘unconventional things’ were combined, Wuying Qi’s tragedy was already destined!”

Su Changfa shook his head and sighed in sadness, as if he was very angry about Wuying Qi’s poignant experiences after the battle.

The mental devil was also applauding inside Li Yao’s head. “Senior Wuying Qi is truly a role model for all the Immortal Cultivators. With the fewest forces, he defeated the barbarians and awed the unruly. He saved the country and the people. How marvelous, how incredible! I hereby announce that Senior Wuying Qi will be the most admirable idol for me from this moment on!”

“Cut the cr*p!” Li Yao sneered.

Just now, Su Changfa’s sophistry and his seemingly reasonable logic made his head swirling and dizzy.

However, when the ungrounded empty talk was changed into more specific examples, Li Yao’s keen analysis and computational ability were able to function normally again.

As to exactly whether the Immortal Cultivators’ logic was correct or not, it could be discussed later.

However, despite Su Changfa’s exaggeration and distortion, when it came to Wuying Qi’s actions, Li Yao—having been taught good lessons by the old seniors such as Xiao Xuance, Bai Xinghe, Jin Tuyi, Lu Zui, and so on—saw through the truth without any trouble.

I’ve seen too many schemes. Such fancy words are not going to fool me!

Wuying Qi had obviously been planning all that for a long time. Otherwise, how could he have been able to intimidate the ten or so vassal worlds and collect all their forces so shortly after the explosion of Karan and the defeat of the Covenant Alliance’s army?

Since Wuying Qi had been working in the frontier for more than ten years, and he had been actively expanding the influence of his Salvation Syndicate, wouldn’t those vassal worlds behind him, which were far from the capital and almost independent, have been the freshest meat in the universe? Did he not want to take a bite at it when he had the chance?

Wuying Qi’s subordinates, namely the Cultivators of the Salvation Syndicate, must’ve deeply infiltrated those vassal worlds!

The massive attack of the Covenant Alliance was just an excuse. With or without the war, Wuying Qi would’ve swallowed the vassal worlds one way or another!

However, a great opportunity had presented itself so that he could justify his cause!

Wuying Qi gave false orders from the capital and executed the local magnates who disobeyed him when he actually did not have permission. When the Cultivators of the younger generation who were loyal to him filled in the power vacuum, a lot of blood must’ve been shed during the process. With dirt all over their hands, the Cultivators who recently rose to power could only follow Wuying Qi to the end!

Hehe. For such a great man like Wuying Qi, who probably would not spit out any bone when he devoured someone, is it possible that he would return the forces of the vassal worlds when he already had them?

Before the battle, Wuying Qi was merely in control of a border defense army which belonged to the country, and he was just a common general in the ranks of the army. The army was loyal to the Star Ocean Republic, not himself.

After the battle, however, Wuying Qi had taken over more than ten remote Sectors. He also boasted the magical equipment, starships, and captives that the Covenant Alliance left behind during their defeat. His capability had significantly soared. He was already a local warlord who was qualified to wrestle with the capital!

What a delicate scheme! He was truly a smart guy!

When he figured everything out, Li Yao examined Wuying Qi’s decision to ‘sacrifice’ 8.2 million civilians. He soon thought of something and was greatly enlightened!

The devil was in the details!

The key point was not the death of the 8.2 million civilians that Su Changfa highlighted and elaborated on but the fact that he understated in the end, which was that ‘Wuying Qi left most of the starships and strategic assets on Karan and had to borrow troops from the vassal worlds because of the shortage of soldiers on his side’!

If Wuying Qi had only left empty starships and assets, why on earth would he have been short of soldiers?

There could only be one answer. What Wuying Qi left behind on Karan were not just 8.2 million civilians, the starships, and the strategic assets, but also numerous troops of the border defense army!

Only by leaving the border defense army behind on Karan to ‘resist with their full might’ would the Covenant Alliance really be deceived!

Then, what kind of specific troops did he leave behind intentionally for the suicidal mission?

Of course, the troops that were absolutely loyal to the Star Ocean Republic and not to Wuying Qi himself!

It was an out-and-out purge!

By borrowing the cleavers of the Covenant Alliance, Wuying Qi slew all the forces that objected to him in both the border defense army and the vassal worlds and realized the complete unification of the frontier area!

Chances were that even the ‘invasion of the Covenant Alliance’ was within Wuying Qi’s calculations. He had carefully calculated and guided every step that the two parties made. He fabricated an irresolvable dilemma where the 8.2 million civilians had to be sacrificed in order to cover his real purpose of purging and swallowing those ten or so worlds!

Even if the purge was discovered, he could still argue justifiably that the soldiers had to be sacrificed for the salvation of the country!

So sordid! So shameless! So cunning! He was even more dreadful than Xiao Xuance, Bai Xinghe, Jin Tuyi, Elder Nether Spring, and Lu Zui combined!

Cold sweat was pouring in Li Yao’s heart.

After he thought everything through and came back to himself, when he listened to Su Changfa’s enchanting persuasion again, it was like when his blood was boiling and he was seething with libido after seeing a sexy beauty, he accidentally saw her test result for STDs, with the dozens of items on it all being positive.

Then, no matter how beautiful, sexy, and attractive she was, it was still enough to calm and even freeze the most lustful man!

Li Yao coughed lightly and pretended that he was slowly convinced. With deep acknowledgement appearing on his face, he went on listening to the hearty tutelage from Su Changfa.

But he was actually sneering in his heart. Brag. Just keep bragging. Let’s just see what kind of flower you are going to decorate such a scumbag as Wuying Qi into!

Su Changfa was quite satisfied that the new recruit was actively changed. He said with mixed feelings, “Wuying Qi was a man who did not care about his own reputation for the sake of the country. After finishing the Covenant Alliance’s invasion through thunderous approaches, he already vaguely had the feeling that he would be berated by everybody in the world.

“However, at that time, he was still under the illusion that the public opinions would be 50/50. Some of them would support him while some would object.

“Also, parliament would let him go considering the great contributions that he had made.

“After all, his contributions could be used to offset his wrongdoings. He could even be sentenced to prison for a few years. Then, he could retire and focus his attention on the Salvation Syndicate. That was what Wuying Qi had in mind at that time.”

Li Yao almost failed to stifle his laughter. After figuring out the truth, Su Changfa’s story was indeed interesting in a different sense!

“Therefore, after receiving the subpoena of the parliament, Wuying Qi returned to the capital without any hesitation.

“Never did he anticipate that what awaited him there would be overwhelming curses, criticism, and vilification, as well as the immediate arrest and trial of the authorities, instead of any flowers or cheers!”