Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

“That’s not what I meant!”

Meng Xiaolang blushed and said, “I just thought—I just thought—Wow, let me calm down a bit. In other words, if Grandpa invites Li Yao, this ‘Supreme of the Three Realms, Legend of the Federation’ might really come to our house for dinner?”

“Not ‘possible’. I’ve been here before. This place, of course, not your father’s splendid mansion.”

Meng Jiang said with a smile, “It’s just that Li Yao has stayed in the hibernation chamber for almost a hundred years. In terms of age, he is almost a hundred years younger than me. With my gray hair, I’m more than qualified to be his grandfather. It’s kind of… weird when we get along.”

“Wow!”

Meng Xiaolang pictured Vulture Li Yao having dinner in his grandpa’s inconspicuous salon. Maybe Vulture Li Yao was squatting right where he was. He gave up thinking and did not know what to say. “Wow!”

“What’s wrong? Don’t you hate our ‘legend of the federation’ the most? You’ve been clamoring to surpass him and be ten times better than him.

Meng Jiang intentionally asked, “How come your attitude took a 180 degree turn today?”

“That’s because I thought that Li Yao was Grandpa’s ‘unconquerable enemy’. That’s why I always wanted to avenge Grandpa. Otherwise, who would despise the great heroes of the federation for no reason? They are the symbols of our hometown!”

Meng Xiaolang was all smiles at first, but he suddenly thought of something and frowned again. He said nervously, “Not good. If Li Yao and Grandpa don’t have any conflicts and I don’t need to avenge him or avenge him, will Grandpa still support me to go to the center of the sea of stars?”

“You must ask yourself that question. Ask yourself, why did you join the army?”

Meng Jiang looked at Meng Xiaolang and said calmly, “Is it for money and status, or is it thrilling and thrilling, or is it because you want to go with the crowd, or is it because you are competitive and want to go when other people are not?”

“Well—”

Meng Xiaolang hesitated, deep in thought.

“In fact, you don’t need to ask. Grandpa has been thinking about the question for a long time. Over the past half month, the propaganda outside has been getting livelier and livelier. It seems that the federation is likely to be engaged in a new war. Even if you don’t join the mysterious new fleet but join the

Burning Prairie Fleet or other ordinary fleets, you are likely to be involved in the swirl of war.

Meng Jiang pondered for a moment and said, “Although your father was too embarrassed to come and see me, your mother sent me quite a few spiritual crane messages, asking me to give you a chance to persuade you not to serve in the dangerous army. They knew that you would only listen to me.

“However, hehe, you, your parents, and you, as well as the people on the street outside whose blood is boiling and whose spirits are low, are all new-generation citizens of the federation. Your grandfather, on the other hand, is an old fart from the ‘Old Federation’ of the Heaven’s Origin Sector.

New-generation and old-generation citizens of the federation are different. Too different. You will never understand our mentality, and our understanding of ‘war’ is vastly different.

“The new generation of the federation has grown up ina safe, stable, and prosperous environment. You’ve never experienced the feeling of imminent doom. You’ve experienced a hundred years of peace. Even during the ‘Sky Ring War’ thirty years ago and the recent ‘Federation Defense War’, the flames of

war only swept across space and were limited to the federal army and the Cultivators. It did not affect the people living on the planet much.

“Therefore, you people of the ‘New Federation’ tend to regard wars with unrealistic romance and exaggerated panic. You are too… childish, like children who cannot control their emotions and do whatever they want.

“In short, you don’t have the pain of war. You don’t know what it feels like to have a burning butcher’s knife stabbed into your internal organs.

“What about the Old Federation a hundred years ago?

“It must be hard for you to imagine that we only had one planet named Heaven’s Origin at that time, which was full of wormholes that were connected to the Blood Demon Sector. There was no difference between the front line and the rear line at all, especially on the Grand Desolate Plateau, where

overwhelming beast tides could appear at any moment and engage the brutal enemies at any moment.

“In such a harsh environment, we have no time to consider the gains and losses, the timing and price of the expedition, the strength of the enemy, and the conditions for negotiation like the people of the New Federation do today. Those things don’t exist. Cultivators, soldiers, and civilians are all the

same. Just stick your head in your pocket and do it!

“At that time, it was easier for a person to die than to die for an ant. The destruction of a city was no different from the withering of a weed. Even our civilization, the Star Glory Federation, which had been struggling in blood and flames for five hundred years, could perish at any moment.

“Faced with all this, we have neither the time nor the energy to panic, to hesitate, and to weigh the pros and cons. We can only move forward numbly and eliminate all the enemies that stand in our way. Maybe one day, we will be killed by the enemy. Survival or destruction is not a big deal.

“Tm saying all this because I want to tell you that I will absolutely not stop you from going to the battlefield just because of your safety. We, the people of the ‘Old Federation’, have long grown indifferent to life and death. Even the destruction of the Federation is something that has occurred to us

countless times over a hundred years ago. It’s still the same old saying. We live and work. We die. It’s no big deal.

“But I still hope that you can think clearly, think calmly for a few days, listen to the voice in the deepest part of your heart, and find your own answer. Why do you want to go to the battlefield? What kind of person do you want to be? What kind of life do you want to live?

“Grandpa…”

‘Meng Xiaolang didn’t know what to do. He didn’t expect his grandfather to be so serious all of a sudden.

“To tell you the truth, when I was the same age as you, I was once confused, too. Speaking of which, I was a bit influenced by ‘Vulture Li Yao’—when you have a high school buddy like Li Yao, it’s hard for you not to be disturbed and be influenced by him.”

Meng Jiang pursed his lips into a smile and said, “Although I’m a little embarrassed, Grandpa still has to tell you. At that time, Grandpa was very envious. He was even jealous of ‘Vulture Li Yao.”

“Well…”

Meng Xiaolang took a breath. He thought for a moment and nodded. “Alright. If I were Li Yao’s high school classmate, I’m afraid I would be jealous of him, too.”

“Jealousy is jealousy, but our relationship is still very good. Besides, I know that my talent is limited, and I can’t compete with him in the path of Cultivation. So, I’ve decided that I must be the best in my own business and be the best in the federation. That way, I will be able to hold my head high in front

of him.”

Meng Jiang took another sip of wine and let the hot and spicy taste return to his throat. He said in a low voice, “You probably know what happened later. After I struggled day and night, my business grew bigger and bigger. The brand of ‘Wave’ expanded to the entire federation and even across several

Sectors. We even had franchises on the most remote resource planets. I was getting closer and closer to my goal, but I neglected my family, and the distance between me, my wife, and my children grew larger and larger.

“Over the past few years, your grandma, your father, and I were in a bad relationship. In fact, it’s hard to say whether or not your father was influenced by my early years. But I was still obsessed with the vows I made to my best friend.

“It was not until your grandma was seriously ill and was on the brink of death for an entire year that I came back to myself and realized my mistake.

“What is the most important thing in my life? Is it just a promise with my best friend and not the people around me? Is it more important to hold my head high in front of my best friend than the happiness of my family? Besides, Li Yao is not that kind of person at all. He doesn’t care how big my career is.

Whether or not I am the ‘best image designer of the federation’, we will always be best friends! I—I am not competing with Li Yao at all. I am competing with myself, my mental devil, my vanity, my inferiority, and my jealousy. In the end, I almost lost my wife and my children!

“From that day on, I was enlightened.

“How Li Yao lived his life had nothing to do with me. The first label of my life was ‘Meng Jiang’, not ‘Li Yao’s best friend’. Li Yao had his adventures, and I had mine. My adventures included meeting your grandma, your aunt, and your father, who were… dogs, and of course, your sister and you.

“Compared to the fortuitous encounter that the heavens bestowed upon Li Yao, | feel that this fortuitous encounter bestowed upon me by the heavens is even more precious. I already have my own fortuitous encounter, so why must I compete with Li Yao?

“After I realized this, a new chapter of my life began. Although my career didn’t reach new heights, I can proudly say that I lived every day honestly and happily. I didn’t let down the fortuitous encounter that the heavens bestowed upon me. I cherished my family and enjoyed my current happy life. I lived

my true self. I achieved 100% Meng Jiang, just like Li Yao lived 100% Li Yao.

“Do you understand? You are Grandpa’s most beloved grandson. Grandpa supports all your decisions. I only hope that you don’t act on impulse, that you are not swayed by the media’s propaganda, that you are acting for some ridiculous reason like ‘become a super hero ten times stronger than Li Yao’, or

that there is a voice in the depths of your heart that is encouraging you to fly to the center of the sea of stars every second. No matter what setbacks you encounter or even the threat of death, you will never give up.

“Everyone has their own path in life. If you hear such a voice, it will prove that you have taken the right path. The heavens will prepare a fortuitous encounter exclusive to you on this path. You will bravely welcome it and live to be ‘100% Meng Xiaolang’. Remember, you are you. You are Meng Xiaolang, not

‘grandson of Li Yao’s best friend’. Don’t even think about living to be ‘1000% Li Yao’. That would be boring. I only want to see ‘100% Meng Xiaolang’.. Do you understand?”