Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 1070
"Of course. Without 'Civilization', and without the grand-unified Spiritual Nexus, there wouldn't have been the New Federation today!" Ling Xiaole grimaced at Li Yao and said, "Let's go. Didn't you say that you would like to experience the life of a normal person in the federation. I'm going to walk you through the most important ceremony that the normal people have before they play 'Civilization'!"
Jumping merrily, Ling Xiaole led Li Yao into the crowd.
Li Yao's visit was prearranged, not improvised. Therefore, the special agents of the Secret Sword Bureau in the crowd who were responsible for his safety had already cleared a channel for them so that they could move forward without meeting any hindrance until they reached a magnificent bronze statue about five meters tall in front of the 'Civilization Center'.
The statue was a man wearing a portable helmet who was playing the game wholeheartedly. Glamorous, ever-changing mystic rays painted crowded cities, blood-boiling wars, enormous fleets, and dozens of different scenes around him.
It was not very strange that a statue had been established in front of the center. What was strange was that countless people around the statue had their hands together and were mumbling prayers solemnly to the statue. It was apparently some kind of ritual!
How bizarre!
Li Yao knew that the federation was a country of atheists. When Cultivators went mad, they would kill all the gods and buddhas in their way. Who would be stupid enough to worship the groundless deities when everybody was training hard to be a Cultivator?
What was so special about the guy playing the game over there that so many people were worshipping him? Judging from their solemn expressions, they were rather pious!
Is it possible that some cult has risen in the federation and this guy is the deceptive leader of the evil cult? Li Yao thought to himself. Something wrong would always happen wherever he went. It appeared that this trip was not an exception!
"Do you want to offer your tribute? It is always efficacious!" Ling Xiaole put her hands together and mumbled something to the statue. Then, she turned around and smiled. "This is the creator of 'Civilization' and the real 'father' of the New Federation in the eyes of many avid players of 'Civilization' including myself, Li Yao!"
Chapter 1653: Mystical Question |
"F—F—Father of the nation? Li Yao?"
Li Yao was utterly dumbfounded. He examined the statue carefully, only to discover that, although the statue's face had been covered by a virtual helmet, there was indeed a small plaque below it that read:
"It is not enough for human beings to have the earth below their feet; they should also have a more brilliant future."
– Li Yao
It was like running into a ghost!
Blinking hard, Li Yao mumbled, "Wait. Let's confirm this first. This 'Li Yao' can't be the legendary 'Vulture Li Yao, the dominator of the three Sectors', right?"
"Yes, of course!" Ling Xiaole nodded. Batting her watery eyes, she looked at the statue full of admiration. "From the Old Federation to the New Federation, we have only one Li Yao, Vulture Li Yao!"
Li Yao coughed aloud again and again. "I haven't read many history books about the federation, but don't try to fool me! I know that the earliest 'Civilization' was co-created by a lot of sects and people. While Vulture Li Yao indeed proposed the original idea, it was Professor Su Changfa, dean of the Sociology Department of the Grand Desolate War Institution, who really put the design into practice! As I recall, Su Changfa was praised as the Father of Civilization at that time. How on earth did it become Li Yao? However awesome and marvelous Li Yao is, you can't just let him steal all the credit!"
Ling Xiaole opened her hands and said, "Special Representative, you are too smart to be fooled. Yes. When it comes to the earliest Father of Civilization, I'm afraid that Professor Su Changfa is more qualified than Vulture Li Yao. However, Su Changfa is an Immortal Cultivator, and not just any Immortal Cultivator but the master of the most wanted criminal in the federation. While the federation values freedom of thought, it is inappropriate for us to worship an Immortal Cultivator every day, right?
"We also have our reasons for saying that Li Yao is 'Father of Civilization'.
"I don't know how much history you've read about the development of 'Civilization', but it should be noted that the 'grand-unified virtual world' originated from the 'brainwashing delusion' of the Imperium of True Human Beings that Su Changfa provided for Li Yao.
"During the delusions, Su Changfa showed Li Yao the rise and decline of multiple Sectors in the past as well as the self-boasting rise of 'Blackstar the Great Wuying Qi'. He intended to transform Li Yao into an Immortal Cultivator, but how could the dominator of the three Sectors be brainwashed so easily?
"Li Yao was not tricked at all. Instead, when Kunlun was later developed, the idea suddenly occurred to him that the 'brainwashing delusions' could be turned into tools to educate the people and listen to their voices!
"It was only after he proposed the idea that other specialists such as Su Changfa implemented it specifically.
"Had Li Yao not weathered through the brainwashing of the Immortal Cultivators on Kunlun, and had he not raised the groundbreaking idea later, it would be too much to say that a 'grand-unified virtual world' of a different form would never have been developed, but the time we took to invent it could've been delayed by decades.
"After a delay of decades, without the connection of a grand-unified Spiritual Nexus, the seven Sectors wouldn't be as closely integrated as today, and seven ununited Sectors would stand absolutely no chance of winning when faced with the expedition army of the Imperium. This is the well-acknowledged result that countless players of 'Civilization' deduced on their own.
"Besides, Li Yao did not just raise the idea. He also supported the production team of 'Civilization' with his unparalleled wealth and influence in the Old Federation!
"It must be noted that even for a 'game', 'Civilization' in the early phase was still enormous in scale and had an almost infinite production cycle. It was designed to allow everybody in the world to play together from the beginning! Think about it. How much initial capital was required to create such a game?
"In the meantime, faced with the threat of the expedition army of the Imperium, the federation activated a lot of bizarre, whimsical projects in anxiety. There was also the development on Kunlun. Every field demanded money.
"Compared to the projects whose results were readily visible—such as repairing the Colossi, crafting new crystal suits, or building 'solar warriors'—the game 'Civilization' barely entailed any practical benefits other than the unsubstantial aim of 'educating the people'. It was essentially a bottomless hole that one had to throw money into nonstop but one that could never be filled.
"Had it not been for Li Yao's great support, and the Glorious Sunlight Group, Skyfire, and some other friends who were also investing for his sake, 'Civilization' would have starved long before today.
"Professor Su Changfa… was indeed a very honorable 'enemy', but however wise and great he was, he was merely a powerless captive at that time. Without Li Yao's wealth and influence, would he have had a chance to complete the earliest version of 'Civilization'?
"In short, God Li Yao was indeed a visionary and judicious sage who saw far ahead of his time! Although he is called the 'dominator of three Sectors', his influence on the New Federation hasn't been fully studied at all. In the future, as the federation marches forward and the grand-unified Spiritual Nexus is fully unfolded in the universe, he will definitely be studied by people!"
Ling Xiaole enthusiastically shared her true feelings.
Li Yao had goosebumps all over his body. He noticed that the two pointy fox ears above the little girl's head turned pink, implying that she was truly too excited to control herself.
Li Yao thought for a moment and realized that there was no need for her to act in such an insignificant detail. So, she must actually have been a huge fan of 'Li Yao'.
This made Li Yao feel even more amused. "Was he really so great? Then, let's just agree that he is the Father of Civilization. But what is 'Father of the Nation' all about? Isn't that exaggerating too much?"
"It is not." Ling Xiaole shook her head and solemnly said, "Think about it. The expansion of the Star Glory Federation, different from the Imperium and the Covenant Alliance, does not rely on conquests with brute force. Although we have assimilated four new worlds, we only fought one war in the Uranian Ring Sector.
"During the integration of the four new Sectors, the grand-unified Spiritual Nexus represented by 'Civilization' was the greatest contributor. Only when you are integrated into 'Civilization' will you really be integrated into the federation!
"One day, we will march to the center of the cosmos, but it is impossible for us to conquer all the worlds with armed forces. 'Civilization' will be the most powerful leverage for us to attract, assimilate, and govern the new worlds. It is also the greatest reliance for us to resist the Imperium and the Covenant Alliance.
"Therefore, like I said just now, 'Civilization' is the bedrock of the federation. It is even the New Federation itself!
"If, one day, the glow of the Star Glory Federation truly radiates to the three thousand Sectors and all the human worlds are included in the system of 'Civilization', is there any problem at all for Li Yao to be called the father of such a federation?"
Tilting his head, Li Yao opened his mouth and thought for a long time. "There doesn't seem to be a problem."
Ling Xiaole smiled delightedly. "Your mind is quite up-to-date despite your hundreds of years of hibernation! Even most people within the federation do not accept such a theory. Only the avid players such as us put it that way. But it doesn't matter. The future will prove everything. Praise God Li Yao!"
"Wait—wait a moment!" Li Yao felt that sweat was pouring out of his forehead. "Let's say—well, let's say that Li Yao happens to be the father of the new federation, I don't think that he needs to be addressed as 'god'. And what are all those people doing here? All the rituals and worship, isn't this a blatant personal cult? I don't think it is the best example for the spirit of equality in the federation, right?"
"Oh. I'm afraid that you're mistaken," Ling Xiaole explained patiently. "This is not personal cult, and they do not necessarily regard Li Yao as the new federation's father. However, there are benefits if you pay tribute to God Li Yao before you enter the game."
Li Yao frowned. "What benefits?"
"Better luck in 'Civilization'," Ling Xiaole stated. "After all, he is the Father of Civilization. Who else can you worship?"
"B—better luck? What do you mean?"
"Many factors in the game are random. For example, when you play the war DLC 'The Imperium's Frustration', whether or not your force can build main-force warships after one try, the crucial accuracy during engagement, the endurance after the warships are damaged… it is both luck and some sort of mystical question.
"As the predecessors tell us, if you pay tribute to God Li Yao before you enter the game, your luck will soar. You can build super main-force warships in one try or blow up the enemy's arsenal with one shot in battle. If you are playing a DLC of daily operations, there will be fewer natural disasters and more positive random events.
"On the other hand, if you forget to pay tribute to God Li Yao, it will be bad. Even if you focus a lot of your resources on the production of starships, they will often explode before they are produced for uncanny reasons. When they do reach the battlefield, their engine compartments may fall apart after they are hit for the first time. Or maybe their attacks will miss the enemy hundreds of times… If it is a daily-operation quest, the workers may go on strike all the time, the natural disasters will occur, the carriers will be hijacked by the space pirates, and all the other unfortunate incidents will happen to you!
"Everybody wants to be luckier and to accumulate more contribution points and a better completion rate. It doesn't hurt at all to pay tribute to God Li Yao!"
"Wait." Li Yao was stunned. "Didn't you claim that the game is a perfect simulation of reality? Are there so many random factors that involve luck in the game?
"A perfect simulation of reality is possible, but it doesn't mean that it has to be so complicated every time," Ling Xiaole said matter-of-factly. "Most people choose to set the difficulty at the medium level, especially during single quests.
"Besides, does luck not matter in the world of reality? A general's fame means the death of thousands of soldiers. In many cases, one success or failure, life or death, depends a lot on luck!"
Li Yao failed to come up with any rebuttal. He looked at another few guys who were worshipping his statue and even throwing coins at the head of the statue. "But… even if luck does play such an important role, isn't it absurd that paying tributes to Li Yao will double your luck? This is superstition!"
"This is occultism." Ling Xiaole smiled delightedly. "How can you call it superstition? It is more of a tradition of the people! You said that you would like to feel the local life as a regular person of the federation. That's why I've brought you to 'God Li Yao' to see what the local people do. Right. There's also Li Yao's heart-protection gold card on sale. It is said that they are built by recycling the debris of the crystal suits that Li Yao used to use and sold to better promote 'The Imperium's Frustration'. If you put such a card in your pocket, the accuracy of your starships will be doubled. Do you want to give it a shot?"
Chapter 1654: Legend of the Mortal Immortals |
Veins bulged out of Li Yao temples as he declared, "As a Cultivator and an atheist from the rightful government of the Star Ocean Republic whose loyalty has been well-tested, I will never take part in the activities that are related to personal cults and superstition!"
Hardly had he concluded his sentence when a coin flew above his head and landed on the smooth helmet of the statue precisely after drawing an elegant curve.
Cheers echoed behind Li Yao. "You made it! You made it!"
Ling Xiaole was delighted, too. "Haha. This is a tradition here. If anyone can throw a coin onto the head of 'Li Yao' without using their spiritual energy but purely with their hand-eye coordination, they will be unbelievably lucky today. Even bystanders such as us will benefit a lot from it!"
"…" Li Yao.
Ling Xiaole stuck out her tongue. He was about to speak when the sky suddenly grew dim, as if a dark cloud was collapsing. A magnificent if not ear-splitting marching song was echoing nearby, making whoever heard it ill at ease.
The crowd was in a riot. Everybody was looking at the sky. A lot of people were even booing the newcomers.
The 'sky'—or rather, the man-made dome—split from the center. A small assault warship dived down in the middle of lightning and clouds. On the two sides of the warship were the 'trident lightning' emblem that represented the Imperium and the 'crossed swords and black storm' emblem that represented the Black Wind Fleet. The warship was emitting hideous brilliance under the contrast of artificial lightning. Boosted by the sounds and visual effects as well as the illusions of more than a hundred starships of the Imperium projected by the enormous light beams, the tiny warship seemed to be a magnificent army.
A—army of the Imperium?
Blinking rapidly, Li Yao could not have been more confused. What was that all about?
Naturally, he knew that it could not be a real invasion of the Imperium, but the scene was rather overwhelming nonetheless. Most of the people there were raising their middle fingers at the sk, but a tiny proportion of the young men and women in fancy clothes were shrieking in excitement.
Seeing her 'compatriots', and hearing the military hymn of the Imperium, Heiye Lan felt so astounded that she almost lost control of herself.
Thankfully, Li Yao sent a stream of spiritual energy from underground and stimulated her spinal nerves. She was suddenly woken up and did not reveal any flaws.
The 'warship of the Imperium' hovered in the sky above the square in front of the 'Civilization Center'. The cabin doors on the two sides were opened one after another. Dozens of Exos in standard crystal suits of the Imperium that were white from head to toe leapt out of the vehicle, waving their chainswords, vibration sabers, and high-heated axes.
In the burning sky, against the countless starships as background, the fire and brilliance gradually condensed into several aggressive words.
"Storm Assault Team!"
The boos of the crowd were even louder than before. Some of them seemed to be shouting 'come on, thieves of the Imperium, and be killed by the warriors of the Uranian Ring Sector' and such. However, part of the crowd showed great welcome for the newcomers. The crowd appeared to be divided into two groups, one against the Imperium and the other in favor of it.
"Well…"
Li Yao felt that he knew what was going on now.
He could tell that the crystal suits and blades that the 'soldiers of the Imperium' were using were quite similar to the most advanced gear of the Black Wind Fleet that he had looted from Heiye Lan earlier. But other than the power rune arrays, the equipment was not installed with any attack units. They were nothing more than empty shells.
The chainswords and vibration sabers were false, too. They were just props that could only trigger the captivating sound and visual effects but did not boast any actual damage.
"Who are those people?" Li Yao asked. "Actors invited for the release conference of the latest version of 'The Imperium's Frustration'?"
"Not actors. The 'Storm Assault Team' is a group of very famous experts in the game nationwide who are from the core worlds!" Ling Xiaole said. "The game experts of the team are best at 'The Imperium's Frustration'. Their win rate in the DLC is among the highest. Their performance is always splendid and enjoyable, and they are very good at instigating the audience to hate them. They are like a super band or superstars and popular among teenagers. Their every live stream has tens of millions of viewers!"
