Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 1000
Chapter 1541: Don't Push Too Far! |
Li Yao was emotionless, but his eyes were mincing Long Yangjun's 'handsome' if not 'charming' face like two sabers, as he said coldly, "I have a question, Lord Wang. In your opinion, if the Star Glory Federation is indeed a promising new force like a rising sun, if it is willing to form an alliance with the Ancient Sages Sector on equal terms, and if we are satisfied with the offer that they make, will we be joining the Star Glory Federation sincerely, or will our surrender be a false one just to buy us more time?"
Long Yangjun smiled. "On the federation's side, genuine participation and false surrender are not contradictory!
"Just like you said at the very beginning, the Star Glory Federation's territory can't be too vast, and there can't be many Sectors. So, after we join, we will certainly boast unparalleled influence. In such a case, we will be able to buy ourselves more time through open approaches. We can assume high positions in the federation to guarantee the interests of the Ancient Sages Sector and even enforce our belief and will in the federation. Why would we bother to play any tricks and schemes when we can achieve our aims openly?
"Moreover, since we have made such a decision, we will certainly help the federation to resist the Imperium. Chances are that we will have already joined hands and annihilated the Black Wind Fleet. In such a case, we will certainly be considered a sworn enemy by the Imperium. How can we rebel again in the future?
"We are not greedy, shortsighted rats. Our ultimate goal is to ensure the survival of the Ancient Sages Sector and its assimilation into the world outside! As long as the Star Glory Federation is truly promising and satisfies our conditions, why can't we sincerely join the federation and help the Star Glory Federation rise at the edge of the cosmos and even dominate the entire universe?
"Are you satisfied with my answer, Fellow Cultivator Spiritual Vulture?"
"My satisfaction or dissatisfaction matters little," Li Yao replied drily. "Let's just wait and see!"
Long Yangjun chuckled and moved her eyes away. "What about the other fellow Cultivators?"
"I have a question." Ba Xiaoyu the Beggar coughed and scratched his messy hair. "Sneaking into and joining the federation are certainly worth considering. However, there is one thing that is troubling me. Why can't we infiltrate the Black Wind Fleet and investigate the situation on the Imperium's side in exactly the same way?
"After all, the Imperium does look more powerful right now, doesn't it?"
"The reason is very simple. It's because we don't have the ability!" Long Yangjun replied. "The Black Wind Fleet is sailing in the sea of stars. It is impossible for us to lock onto their coordinates, but they can figure out our location very easily!
"Moreover, no matter how enormous and complicated the 'living area' inside the Black Wind Fleet is, it is an army after all, and an army certainly has a strict set of rules. Those on-board will be on high alert, too. It will be practically impossible for strangers of unknown backgrounds to sneak in!
"Also, there are too many experts in the Black Wind Fleet. Should we be exposed, we will have absolutely nowhere to run and end up as meat on a chopping block.
"Lastly, a fleet in space can be gathered and also be dispersed. Even if we really control one starship, or even twelve, the Black Wind Fleet can totally sacrifice the victims and blow up their own starship together with us. It is not like the central cities with tens of millions of citizens, which cannot be abandoned!
"It means that, when the Black Wind Fleet is highly vigilant, we won't have many methods available to threaten them. How can we expect to play a game with them if so?"
Ba Xiaoyu frowned and asked, "Are the situations in the federation any different?"
"Of course," Long Yangjun said. "The Star Glory Federation is a universal country. However small it is, I believe that it must have control over multiple Sectors. The transportation and trade among those worlds must be very frequent. A lot of cargo must be sailing in the sea of stars!
"The 'Ghost Character' that I established is best at the arts of disguise, camouflage, infiltration, and assassination. Also, you all have a high degree of control over your body with your Cultivation. As long as we are teleported to an appropriate space zone at the edge of the federation, where we hijack a few cargo ships to figure out the general situation of the federation, it will be very easy for us to sneak in with false identities. I wouldn't say that there will be no trouble at all, but it is certainly going to be much more practical and realizable than sneaking into the Black Wind Fleet!"
"Don't underestimate the people of the federation!" Li Yao interjected coldly. "Having been able to crush a claw fleet of the Imperium of True Human Beings, the federation will certainly not be easily tricked. It's very likely that our identities may be exposed!"
"I have never underestimated the federation, but I fear that you and everybody else have overestimated the complexity and difficulty of the whole issue and underestimated ourselves, Fellow Cultivator Spiritual Vulture!"
Long Yangjun stared back at Li Yao without giving in at all.
"Let's just get to the bottom of it. The one thing that scares all the fellow Cultivators here is that we may be seen through by the Star Glory Federation after we sneak in without any support, right?
"But have you considered this? They may see through us, but so what?
"Let's put aside the fact that I can help arrange a few flawless identities and stories to explain our backgrounds. Even if we don't disguise ourselves at all but simply tell them everything honestly, what can the federation do about us?
"I'll propose an extreme, dangerous, terrible, and unlikely situation for evaluation.
"Assuming that the moment we enter the territory of the Star Glory Federation, we are discovered by them and completely seen through—
"No. This still isn't the most extreme and terrible situation, which should be that while we are discussing and making up the entire infiltration, or to wit, exactly at this moment, the Star Glory Federation has already noticed us!"
"Wait!" Ba Xiaoyu the Beggar could not help but shout. "Here and now? How can the federation possibly have noticed us?"
"This is just an assumption," Long Yangjun said with a smile. "Let's assume that an expert who is adept at the stealth arts is hiding right next to us and eavesdropping on our entire plan. He knows all the operations that we are to carry out and has sent back the intelligence to the federal government. As a result, the moment we sneak into the federation, we will be discovered and monitored by them! Fellow Cultivator Ba, Fellow Cultivator Spiritual Vulture, this should be the worst situation possible, right? There can't be a situation that is even more terrible than that, can there?"
Li Yao and Ba Xiaoyu looked at each other in bewilderment before they struggled to say, "Seems so."
Long Yangjun raised her long, narrow eyebrows. "Then, so what?"
"So what?" Ba Xiaoyu bulged his eyes. "The Star Glory Federation will lay siege to us, of course!"
"Siege us?" Long Yangjun smiled hideously, her eyes suddenly turning sharper than ever. "Ten Cultivators at the high level and peak of the Nascent Soul Stage, two in the Divinity Transformation Stage, and each of us owning a Colossus. How high a price is the federation prepared to pay in order to besiege us, and how much damage can they bear in their fierce battle against us, especially considering that they are preparing for a war against the Imperium?
"If we run a simple calculation about the comparison of combat ability, we will realize that we are definitely not as weak as we imagine!
"According to Heiye Lan's intelligence, there is one 'Blazing Tyrannosaur' Ding Lingdang in the Star Glory Federation, who is probably one step away from the Divinity Transformation Stage. It means that she is at the peak of the Nascent Soul Stage with a Colossus. Such a person is already respected as a 'legendary expert' in the federation!
"You can only have a handful of 'legendary experts' in a country. It's not like any random guy on the street can be given such a title, right?
"Alright. Like her, we are at the high level or the peak of the Nascent Soul Stage, and we can also learn to use the Colossi. There are even Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators among us. How much worse than Blazing Tyrannosaur Ding Lingdang can we possibly be?"
"I don't think that such an inference is fair!" Li Yao could not help but refute again. "I've been studying the Colossi over the last couple of days and even tried it in person two days ago. Such primeval treasures are definitely not something that can be grasped so quickly! It is possible that 'Blazing Tyrannosaur' Ding Lingdang has practiced hard for decades and completely become one with her Colossus. It's impossible for us to be stronger than her after only a few months of quick learning!"
"We don't have to be stronger than her!" Long Yangjun snapped back resolutely. "Let's just say that Ding Lingdang is a crazy devil with three heads, six arms, a green face, and a mouthful of tusks!"
"Well… I don't believe that she's that unbelievable."
"It doesn't matter. Let's just say that she is as awesome as that. Can we expect to kill her with three, no, six of us? If six experts attack her, even if we are not as good in the Colossi as she is, it should be enough for us to die together with her, right?
"It means that the twelve of us should be more or less enough to beat two 'legendary experts' of the national level such as Ding Lingdang!
"Alright. Do you think that the Star Glory Federation can bear to lose two 'legendary experts' of the national level now that a life-and-death war against the expedition army of the Imperium is drawing near?
"That is not counting the damage that we can possibly cause when we are struggling before our death in our desperation!
"Therefore, assuming that the worst case-scenario is true, and a 'Brother Invisible' from the Star Glory Federation is eavesdropping on our plan here and now, so what? Is he really bold enough to reveal our information to the federal government and ask the federation to besiege us at the risk of the death of two legendary experts? Is he bold enough to do so? Is he?
"Hehe. If I were this 'Brother Invisible', chances are that I would scratch my head and try my best to cover us so that the federal government does not discover our real identities, in case we go on a rampage and sabotage the federation after we are exposed!"
"Lord Wang's theory is truly insightful!" Heaven Battering King Qi Changsheng burst into laughter. "This is the simple logic of 'those who have nothing to lose fear nothing'! In the past few days, we have indeed been too worried and fretful! In fact, on second thought, we have nothing to lose. Both the Imperium and the federation should be more scared of death than we are! Let's be fearless and forge a bloody path in the sea of stars!"
"Exactly!" Long Yangjun smiled. "The twelve of us combined might not be enough to help the Star Glory Federation defeat the Imperium of True Human Beings, but we are definitely capable of dragging the federation to die with us! Such a threat that 'I can die with you' will be the greatest bargaining chip for us during our game with the federation. It will also be the 'charm' for us to live a comfortable life inside the federation. As long as the people of the federation are not entirely stupid, they won't want to reveal our identities and force us to go on a rampage!"
Chapter 1542: Star Picking Plan! |
Whispers were echoing among everybody again, this time with fewer doubts and objections but more deductions and calculations.
Brilliance was beaming out of the eyes of more and more Cultivators.
"Fellow Cultivator Wang's proposal is indeed a great eye-opener for us all!" Meng Chixin remarked. "If we abandon the Ancient Sages Sector temporarily, chances are that we can get the entire Star Glory Federation and even a vaster world beyond!
"Do any of the fellow Cultivators here object to Fellow Cultivator Wang's proposal in principle? However, there are many specific questions as to the implementation of the 'infiltration plan'! The most crucial question of all is location. Where exactly is the Star Glory Federation?
"Fellow Cultivator Wang said that we cannot lock onto the Black Wind Fleet, which is true, but we don't know anything more about the location of the Star Glory Federation, either. The universe is such a vast place. How can we expect to infiltrate them when we don't even know where they are?"
"We actually may know a thing or two about them. I think a few guesses are necessary." Long Yangjun glanced at Li Yao casually again before she turned to Meng Chixin. "Senior Meng, you mentioned three days ago that you and Senior Wu discovered certain scraps of star maps in the Nuwa warship and had a general understanding about the space zones not far away from the Ancient Sages Sector. Also, the Nuwa warship once sent a mysterious signal to a certain space zone in the universe, right?"
Meng Chixin and Wu Suiyun looked at each other and nodded.
The 'Wolf God' widened his eyes and cast a spell in silence. A primeval treasure that looked like a helmet surfaced from his 'body'.
Meng Chixin and Wu Suiyun both extended dozens of spiritual threads and operated on the 'helmet'.
As they clicked and touched like a storm, there was no telling what barrier they had unlocked, but a mystic ray suddenly shot out of the brilliant gem that looked like an eye right in front of the 'helmet' before it expanded into a dense, deep, and vast map of the universe!
The stars were shining brightly in the boundless universe right above everybody's head, bringing them all into a mysterious and yet spectacular new world!
Almost everybody felt that their head was dizzy, and it was difficult to breathe. They were unable to free themselves from the sea of stars!
Long Yangjun was staring at the star map, too, as if she had found part of the ancient memories that had been sealed for hundreds of thousands of years. After falling into a momentary daze, she calmed herself down and said, "Senior Meng, can you deduce the direction that the signal from the Nuwa warship was sent in?"
Meng Chixin nodded and said, "Wu Suiyun and I have studied the star map for decades. Mottled and incomplete as it may be, we are certainly able to tell the general direction!"
"That will suffice." Long Yangjun coughed and continued her analysis. "Since the Nuwa warship sent a signal to that particular space zone, it is very possible that the place used to be a mother port of the Nuwa warship. There should be a habitable planet with a suitable environment, right?
"Both the Pangu Clan and the Nuwa Clan were both of flesh and blood despite their bizarre appearances and body figures. Also, they were supported by many human soldiers, too. Therefore, the planets suitable for their survival are probably suitable for the survival of human beings. Can you accept that, everybody?
"Alright. Let's think about what Heiye Lan said.
"This is the edge of the cosmos, which is short of resources and spiritual energy. Few planets here are suitable for the survival and reproduction of human beings. Every one of them is too precious to be forsaken!
"If we take all the factors into consideration, isn't the answer obvious? If there is indeed a country named 'Star Glory Federation' that is capable of universal voyaging nearby, it certainly would've discovered the mother port of this Nuwa warship and left traces there during the development. Or maybe, it could've originated from the very mother port itself!
"Therefore, as long as we find a way to sail to the destination of the signal, which was the mother port of the Nuwa warship, there will be a good chance that we can get in touch with the Star Glory Federation!
"Fellow Cultivator Spiritual Vulture, you are a specialist of magical equipment. Come here and take a look at this magical equipment that can activate the star map. Do you think that my theory makes sense?"
"I don't know!" Li Yao snapped coldly. "I'm a specialist of magical equipment, not a specialist of space navigation. How on earth would I know whether or not the suspected mother port of the Nuwa warship is within the territory of the Star Glory Federation? Everything is just your speculation, Lord Wang. What if you are wrong?"
"If I'm wrong, I'm wrong." Long Yangjun smiled, not thinking that it was a big deal. Pointing at the star map, she said, "Although the star map is incomplete, the basic sailing routes and the introduction to the planets have been depicted. A planet that can support the survival of billions of people is certainly unusual. Let's just jump over and search for it slowly according to the star map!"
"What if you can't find it after dozens of jumps?" Li Yao asked.
"Then, we will have no choice." Long Yangjun looked at him and said sincerely, "We will have to stick to our original plan and ask Heiye Lan to contact the Black Wind Fleet to surrender to the Imperium!
"After all, our original plan was exactly to surrender to the Imperium. We are simply trying a new possibility by doing this. Even if we fail, we will suffer no losses!"
"Fair point. However, even if we do discover the Star Glory Federation, how are we going to sneak in? After all, we are nothing like that world!" Meng Chixin observed calmly.
"That's simple, too," Long Yangjun said. "We don't have to directly jump to the mother port of the Nuwa warship. We can jump to the edge of the Star Glory Federation first and capture a few business starships of the Star Glory Federation one way or another so that we can figure out the general situation of the local area!
"Or, we can fabricate a new identity. For example, we can claim that we come from a world oppressed by the Imperium of True Human Beings and have fled all the way here after slaying the local officials from the Imperium in our place.
"The Star Glory Federation is in peril right now. Such reinforcements who share a common foe with them must be desirable for them. Will they be skeptical about us?
"All in all, as soon as we get somewhere close to the Star Glory Federation, there will be countless tricks that we can employ. If we are left with no choice, we can always turn to our last resort and demonstrate our real Cultivation in the peak of the Nascent Soul Stage and in the Divinity Transformation Stage. Should we worry that the Star Glory Federation will not treat us as honorable guests?"
