Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

Long Yangjun and Li Yao looked at each other, both finding it hard to believe that the Star Glory Federation’s national defense was weak enough to allow anybody to enter the border. Long Yangjun asked suspiciously, “How is it possible? Isn’t the ‘Secret Sword Bureau’ of the Star Glory Federation everywhere and capable of everything!”

“Of course, the Secret Sword Bureau is everywhere, but as I said, your identities will be ‘half legal’. So, you will not be vetted!”

Screwhead surprised everyone. “This is an unspoken secret within the Star Glory Federation, too. The federation needs the talents, techniques, and technology on Firefly, but the rightful government of the Star Ocean Republic is reluctant to be merged into the federation. Naturally, the federation has resorted to all kinds of approaches possible to attract the talents on Firefly!

“I don’t know what posts you’ve been working on, but you certainly have some secret techniques from the center of the cosmos, right? Perhaps, some techniques, technology, or magical equipment that seem common to you are what the Star Glory Federation is in dire need of. They can possibly fill in the crucial blanks in some important fields in the federation!

“A great war is to break out soon. The federation has attached great importance to the reserve of talents. You bosses are likely capable people that the Star Glory Federation dreams about. The federation will only fear that it does not welcome you warmly enough if you are willing to join the federation. Why would they set up obstacles?”

Blinking, Long Yangjun pretended to be in a dilemma. “But our government…”

“The ‘rightful government of the Star Ocean Republic’, on the other hand, naturally hates the immigration and the loss of talents. The two parties have negotiated many times and agreed that such an action should be strictly forbidden. That’s why I said that it is ‘half legal’!”

Screwhead patted his chest and promised, “The federal government will never admit that it is stealing the talents from the Star Ocean Republic on an official level. Therefore, it is impossible for you to migrate to the federation through official channels. Even if you move there, there’s still the chance that you are repatriated.

“However, in secret, many highly-influential sects in the Star Glory Federation have been working actively. They can prepare flawless new identities for you and take care of all the legal procedures, helping you join the federation under a different name!

“Those big sects are all thirsty for the talents from Firefly. If you have certain secret arts with you, you can definitely immigrate to the federation under their arrangement and live a comfortable new life. Wouldn’t it be much better than staying on the cold, dark, unpromising Firefly?”

Everybody was lost for words after hearing Screwhead’s piece.

It seemed that, although the Star Ocean Republic and the Star Glory Federation were both civilizations of Cultivators and faced with a common foe, the relationship between them was not very peaceful! Long Yangjun turned around and glanced at everyone for their opinion. After receiving an affirmative reply, she pretended to be hesitant again. “Don’t—don’t bother about where we come from exactly. We haven’t decided whether or not to go to the federation yet. For now, we’ll just spend a few days in Fish Dragon City watching, visiting, and playing!”

While talking, she threw a crystal coin that was surrounded by purple light at him.

Screwhead took the crystal coin and tapped it on his iron shell softly. Then, the brightness of the four crystal cameras immediately doubled. He smiled in great delight and said, “Absolutely. It’s indeed too important a decision to be made without more observation. There is tremendous information about the federation in Fish Dragon City. I guarantee that you will understand every detail of the Star Glory Federation after studying it. You can always decide where to go next from there!”

“Wait a moment, Screwhead!” Li Yao interjected. “When we were on Firefly, we were told that the Dragon Snake Space Zone was not in a good relationship with the Star Glory Federation. Why does it not seem to be the case with you?”

“About that.” Screwhead opened his hands and said uninterestedly, “The relationship can be good or bad, but that’s something the celebrities and the rich should concern themselves with. Do you think I’m rich, bosses?

“Most of the people in the Dragon Snake Space Zone are ordinary people and low-level Cultivators such as myself. We have to do our best just to survive. Who has the time to care about the relationship between the Dragon Snake Space Zone and the Star Glory Federation?

“All in all, as long as we have money to earn and food to eat, who cares about the federation or the Imperium?

“Besides, my hometown is the Nether World Sector, which is a world that joined the federation rather early. There wasn’t even a real war like in the Uranian Ring Sector. Who gives a damn about the grudge from decades ago?

“Alright. I think I’ve talked too much. Where do you want to visit, bosses? Do you want to grab dinner or go to a hotel first? Or, maybe you’d prefer casinos, arenas, or nightclubs?”

Screwhead rubbed his hands. Seeing that Yan Liren, Qi Changsheng, and Han Baling were all watching the most magnificent light beam in the sky, dwelling in the astounding picture displayed on it, he could not help but smile, “This is the seventh franchise of Young Wu Mayan, an immersive movie aired recently, which tells the story of Wu Mayan’s adventures on Iron Plateau when he was young. The plot is nothing anybody doesn’t know, but an immersive movie is different from the general movies in that the audience can be ‘immersed’ in the perspective, emotion, and even thinking pattern of any random character, which allows the audience to experience the thrilling and spectacular adventures in different identities and angles! How about it, do you want to have a try, bosses?”

“Wu Mayan…” Looking at Li Yao, Long Yangjun asked Screwhead, “Isn’t he Vulture Li Yao’s first disciple?”

“Exactly!” Screwhead smashed his fists in excitement. “The monstrous qi-trainer who claims to have surpassed the 1000th level of the Refinement Stage!”

“The 1000th level of the Refinement Stage!”

Qi Zhongdao, Yan Liren, Han Baling, Qi Changsheng… All the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators almost laughed out aloud.

Li Yao coughed lightly, too, and his face turned weird.

Blinking, Long Yangjun asked suspiciously, “Why are there no movies about Vulture Li Yao when his disciple already has so many?”

“There are!” Screwhead replied. “There are already more than a hundred and twenty productions in the ‘Chronicles of Vulture’ franchise. As for the prequels, sequels, side stories, and other kinds of cr*p, there are hundreds of them. Even the stories when Li Yao was in the magical equipment graveyard when he was young have been made into quite a few dramas. The audience already had enough of such shows decades ago. Who dares invest in such cheesy shows today? However, if you intend to appreciate the charisma of the dominator of three Sectors, I can take you to some old-fashioned theaters. I guarantee that you wouldn’t watch the same series for a second time in a whole year!”

Even the wise and smart Long Yangjun was dazzled by the glittering torrents of information in midair and at a loss as to where to go next.

Right then, dozens of light beams suddenly displayed the same picture after blinking quickly for a moment.

On the picture, in a crowded meeting, a majestic-looking old man was speaking to thousands of anxious people loudly and bowing, as if he were very sorry about something.

“Breaking news!” Screwhead held his head and cried, “Su Chenzhou, the candidate from the Alliance of the Nine Sects, has officially admitted his failure and will withdraw from the election for the Supreme Speaker of the Star Glory Federation. He also asks his supporters to support the Venomous Witch Jin Xinyue! The Alliance of the Nine Sects has agreed upon a strategic cooperation with Skyfire, making them the largest force in parliament!

“We’re done! We’re truly done for this time! Even the well-renowned Su Chenzhou has surrendered. This election has turned from a competition of multiple candidates into a competition between two. Jin Xinyue’s chances of being elected are very high. This is truly the end of the world!”

As he expected, soon after Su Chenzhou announced that he would quit the election, the dozens of pictures blinked and were shifted to a hall that was large in scale and had an even more heated atmosphere.

At the center of the hall, in the middle of thousands of cheering supporters, Jin Xinyue was standing quietly and elegantly like an angel, not affected at all.

Jin Xinyue had been a ‘demon king’, which was equivalent to the Core Formation Stage, a hundred years ago. The passage of the hundred years had not left any marks on her at all, except for making her watery eyes even deeper and more unpredictable than before.

She was wearing a moon white linen robe, which made her appear both graceful and inviolable.

Perhaps because the new Speaker of the Federation needed to show toughness now that the army of the Imperium of True Human Beings was approaching, she had added a golden belt outside of the long robe, which carried a longsword with the Rising Dragon of the Nine Stars emblem. Her figure and her stunningly long legs were even further accentuated.

Holding the longsword with one hand and extending her other hand to the people, Jin Xinyue put on a sincere smile.

In a trance, Li Yao felt that he saw someone else in the smile.

It was Jin Tuyi, the most dreadful opponent and even probably the only one whom he had failed to defeat completely!

Jin Tuyi, your Red Tide Plan is close to success after all! Li Yao thought to himself with mixed feelings. A hundred years after the Blood Demon Sector surrendered, your daughter has finally fulfilled her promise to you, to me, and to herself and stood on the stage to campaign for the position of Speaker of the Federation. She has also defeated almost all the strong rivals and is only one step away from the leadership of three… no, seven Sectors!

However, while the plan a hundred years ago is about to become reality smoothly, and Jin Xinyue should be the best candidate to resist the Imperium of True Human Beings, why do I still feel something is wrong?

The mental devil crawled out inside his head. “Are you worried that something will go wrong at the most crucial moment?”

“Exactly,” Li Yao replied. “Based on the experiences in our previous adventures, Jin Xinyue can’t be elected as the Speaker of the Federation so easily! Even if she does make it to the end smoothly, a soul-stirring scheme that may overturn the entire federation can still happen!

“However, it doesn’t matter because we have returned in time!

“Hehe. If the scheme this time is similar to the schemes that took place in the Flying Star Sector, the Blood Demon Sector, and the Heaven’s Origin Sector, the mastermind of the scheme should be obvious now!

“Jin Xinyue probably wouldn’t betray me and the federation. She is loyal!

“Then, her competitor—no matter how selfless, decent, and devoted they appear to be—must be vicious despite all the illusions. They will be the planners of the scheme!

“It’s like Xiao Xuance in the Flying Star Sector, Elder Nether Spring in the Blood Demon Sector, and Lu Zui and Zhou Hengdao in the Heaven’s Origin Sector. The more powerful a person is, the greater damage they can possibly cause!”

“Fair point!” the mental devil replied.

Li Yao smiled confidently. He asked the tour guide, “Screwhead, you mentioned just now that the federal election has turned into a competition of two. You meant that there are only two candidates left now, right? One of them is Jin Xinyue. Who’s the other guy?”

“Why, it is ‘Blazing Tyrannosaur’ Ding Lingdang,” Screwhead replied. “Who is qualified to compete with Jin Xinyue other than her?”

“…” Li Yao.

“…” The mental devil.