Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

The sound… was thick, stagnating, slow, and deep at first, as if were rising from the bleak land covered in mist to the sky that was rife with dark clouds.

The night sky where dark clouds were rolling was too dark. Nobody could tell whether the sound would be completely consumed by the dark clouds or rip apart the seal on the firmament.

Hearing the sound that was so familiar that it had almost been melded into their blood and marrow, the souls of all the ordinary people and Cultivators began to vibrate. Before they realized what was going on, their instincts had driven them to vibrate at a similar frequency. With Li Yao’s soul, the source of the sound, as the center, the waves from countless souls congregated into each other like thousands of brooks merging into a crushing river.

All the experts from the Ancient Sages Sector observed, listened to, and sensed everything, stunned.

What was happening in front of their eyes was something that the seasoned, battle-tested Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators and Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators had never experienced before.

The reverberation of the souls of thousands of ordinary people and low-level Cultivators was also brand-new strength that they had never seen!

In the unified chant and reverberation, the sound, like a disobedient beast, finally crashed into the night sky that was full of dark clouds after a high-pitched roar, introducing a glorious morning glow!

It was the darkest moment before dawn.

But the morning glow was even more brilliant in contrast to the darkness of the night sky. The blood red crimson soon illuminated half of the dark clouds, turning the tiny section of the sky in the east clear and bright!

The dark sky was raging, hoping to besiege and swallow the tiny hope.

But the morning glow and the sun behind grew brighter and brighter and more and more unstoppable!

The two forces, bright and dark, fought in the bleeding sky. The soul-stirring and awe-inspiring music turned into an ineffaceable scroll in front of the eyes of the experts from the Ancient Sages Sector after they heard it. Golden sunlight ripped dark clouds as well as the dense fog that enshrouded the bleak land into shreds like sharp blades, illuminating a troop that was marching forward in silence on the ragged mountain roads and the rough cliffs. Every set of armor and every sword was shining brilliantly, and every determined and resolute face was highlighted!

The collisions of blades and armor, the thuds of horse hooves, and the breathing of the soldiers were in the same rhythm, as well as the fluttering sound of the bloodstained flag in the wind. All the noises became part of the music and melded into the magnificent march perfectly!

“Why—why is there music?” Meng Chixin and Han Baling looked at each other in bewilderment.

“This—this sounds like the national anthem of the Star Glory Federation!” Emperor Phoenix and Qi Zhongdao realized what it was at the same time. They were both interested in the political structure of the modern Cultivation civilization. The national anthems, national flags, and many other things were an important part of their investigation.

“Are you serious? Is it really possible to boost morale by singing the national anthem?” Ba Xiaoyu looked at Li Yao in bewilderment.

Along with the reverberation of everyone’s soul, the feelings, will, mind, and soul of everybody all turned into waves that were attracted by the source of vibration and gathered in Li Yao’s right hand, which was raised high in the sky.

There, a ball of light that was too dazzling for the naked eye was already born, and it was expanding quickly accompanied by the greatest battle hymn of the federation. It was growing more and more scorching and powerful.

Even the entire dark void was twisted uncontrollably because of the interference of the ball of light.

It was then that Ba Xiaoyu realized that Li Yao had not been joking when he proposed to boost morale by singing a song.

It—it was indeed his ultimate move!

All the experts from the Ancient Sages Sector could not help but murmur at the same time, “This is too unbelievable!”

But the next, the pitch of the song did not rise higher and higher and enter the most blood-boiling and grandeur climax as they expected. Instead, it dropped down and became slow and gentle.

The slow tune unfolded another scroll in front of their eyes. The zigzagging rivers, the rippling wheat that was flowing nonstop, the peaceful villages that were dotted along the rivers and wheat lands, and the people who were smiling and singing happily and looking forward to the harvest full of expectation.

Therefore, the experts of the Ancient Sages Sector understood the force that the song was praising. They realized what the troop in the song was fighting for and where they were going!

This place—the rivers, the wheat fields, and the villages—was their hometown.

They were going to fight the most terrible enemy and the deepest darkness in the universe in order to protect the precious land and their wonderful home!

Their lives, children, and parents were staring at them from the back. The hot, fragrant homemade food was awaiting them below the red bricks. The wheat fields, the rice flowers, and the rivers were all supporting them!

Under the support of such forces, in the slow and mild section, the troop, the marching song, and the unbendable spirit had been fully charged with strength. After a deafening drumming, the music abruptly reached the climax. The troop charged at the sky suddenly, striding toward the rumbling thunder and the rolling dark clouds. The people in the frontline and in the hometown, the people in illusion and reality, men and women, old and young, ordinary people and Cultivators… everyone was singing together aloud.

“In the middle of the lightning, can you see—

“What makes us so proud?

“Dawn is born in the middle of the dark sky.

“Who is surfing in the sea of stars?

“Nothing rumbles as loudly as the Star Glory Federation!

“Whether or not the angry tides in the universe have died down,

“On the glorious land, and in the sky of freedom, let’s march forward, federation. Let’s march forward, federation!”

The song that continued to rise, just like when it had been sung countless times in the past six hundred years, would never be stopped by anything once it began!

It was the battle hymn roared by the warriors who fought through death and blood after collisions of blades and bones when they charged at death and destruction side by side. It did not require a touching melody or a professional singer. It was unnecessary to find the correct beat. As long as a hundred people, a thousand people, a million people burnt their lives and ignited their soul, they would be able to bring out the voice of a nation, a people, and a civilization!

The experts from the Ancient Sages Sector were not very familiar with the battle hymn that had been passed on for almost seven hundred years at first, but for some reason, the battle hymn felt like iron torrents that were crushing their souls and pressing on their hearts. Their every finger, every toe, and even every strand of hair was shaking together with the rhythm.

“What—what kind of technique is this? Why do I feel that my blood is boiling?”

Ba Xiaoyu widened his eyes. The fire of his soul was burning brighter and brighter and had finished all the tentacles that constrained him without him knowing. It seemed attracted by the voice inside Li Yao’s soul and bounced at the same frequency as the beat of the song!

“But it doesn’t feel bad at all!” Ba Xiaoyu clenched his fists, and his fists were beating powerfully like two hearts. “Without me knowing it, the fire is burning all the way from my toes to the top of my head. It’s been a long time since I last had such a gratifying feeling. Is—is this a sign of a breakthrough?”

“Li Yao…”

Ba Xiaoyu and the experts from the Ancient Sages Sector stared at Li Yao, the source of everything.

For Li Yao right now, his entire right arm and even his entire upper half body had been wreathed in the ball of light that looked like a supernova outbreak. It had taken over the ‘domain’ of the extraterrestrial devil and become the absolute center of the dark void!

“Is this the real ‘Vulture’ Li Yao? His strength is truly immeasurable and unstoppable!”

Even Meng Chixin and Wu Suiyun, the two Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators, found it practically impossible to keep their eyes open under the dazzling light released from Li Yao’s right hand.

In the echo of ‘March forward, federation! March forward, federation!’, the troop that jumped up from the bleak land had completely ripped apart the darkness and the clouds. There was no telling whether the sunlight donned each and every one of them with glamorous armor or their shining sabers and swords had turned into sunlight that sprayed on the earth and guarded the human world!

“It’s impossible!” The extraterrestrial devil’s scream could clearly be heard from the golden sunlight. “This is my world. Nobody can destroy me in this place. Nobody—”

“Li Yao!” Professor Mo Xuan shouted desperately again. Torn by almost five false ‘Professor Mo Xuan’s, he looked more painful than ever. However, he simply held onto the shell of the silver ball and unveiled the dark red light spots at the most central part. “Now is the time. Don’t worry about me. Bring it on!”

“Professor, I’m sorry!”

Li Yao gritted his teeth, with tears flowing on his face.

“I’m the one who should be sorry.” Professor Mo Xuan laughed miserably, as if a great burden had been relieved. “I was wrong. I hope that there is still time. Now, let’s fix the mistake!”

“It’s impossible! I can’t fail! No, no! Why? Why is this happening?”

The extraterrestrial devil struggled hard and cried at the top of its voice. Countless flagella and tentacles were waving futilely and pierced through Professor Mo Xuan’s body, but they could no longer corrupt the slightest bit of the clear and determined will and belief that belonged to a human being!

“Do you still not understand, scumbag?” Li Yao laughed through his tears. “You think you can calculate and control everything with a few super crystal processors and an enormous database!

“But the feelings of mankind are incalculable, the will of mankind is uncontrollable, and the spirit of mankind is unstoppable!

“Even if you devote the computational ability of the entire universe, you will not begin to estimate the limits of the civilization of mankind. However many dark, cruel, and ugly things we may encounter on our way forward, we will press on and resolve everything with our courage and wisdom. We will never seal ourselves in tiny crystal chips in the illusions of ‘absolute peace’ under fantasized rules!

“Sister Qingqing is not under your control. Professor Mo Xuan is not under your control. None of the Spiriters are willing to be under your control or bound by your limits and rules. You failed from the very beginning, *sshole!

“Don’t you feed on the feelings of mankind? Then enjoy this. The outrage, the pride, the joy, the songs and roars, and all the other emotions of human beings!

“The world is ours. You can go to hell now!”

The ball of light that condensed the will and dignity of countless people exploded!

The dark void exploded immediately. The fire of souls that was incalculable, inestimable, uncontrollable, and limitless covered the entire world within a moment!