Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 1187
"Why didn't you ask him before?" Ding Lingdang asked in a hurry.
Bai Kaixin smiled bitterly. "This whole thing was simply too weird. How would you have asked him if you were me? Meet him at his office and ask him directly, 'Hey, are you my father?' Would that do?"
Chapter 1840: The Ultimate Evolved Space Pirate! |
"That does make sense."
Li Yao and Ding Lingdang thought carefully for a moment. The whole thing was indeed both weird and awkward. If Bai Xingjian had not completely exposed his capabilities the previous day or contacted Bai Kaixin in person, it would have been very difficult for the son to ask such an embarrassing question.
"I just don't understand…" Bai Xingjian loosened a button on his military uniform and held his head with both hands. His eyes bloodshot, he said, "Why did the personality of Yan Xinjian want to kill me? I had no grudges with Yan Xinjian! Also, how did my father Boss Bai defeat Yan Xinjian's remaining soul at the critical moment and seize completely control over the body?"
Li Yao pondered for a moment but was puzzled by what happened at that time, too.
"Isn't it simple?" The mental devil snorted deep inside Li Yao's brain. "It's true that Yan Xinjian and Bai Kaixin did not have a history, but Bai Kaixin was the greatest momentum to prompt Boss Bai to live on. Only by killing Bai Kaixin could he annihilate Boss Bai's remaining soul and control the entire body!"
Li Yao was dazed for a moment. He asked quietly inside his brain, "Were Yan Xinjian's remaining soul and Boss Bai's as incompatible as fire and water?"
"That's only natural," the mental devil said. "Both the Supreme Space Pirate and the Pirate Potentate were brutal and ambitious men. Was either of them willing to obey the other's command? Asking two great men to share one body or even completely meld with each other is like asking a tiger and a lion to share the same tiny hunting ground. How is it possible?
"Perhaps, at the very beginning when their souls were terribly weak, the two of them could still manage to tolerate each other. But after decades of rest, both of their souls slightly recovered, and their ambition and temper returned to them. Could they deal with each other anymore? No. They would certainly fight each other until one of them was gone for good.
"The winner would not only control the entire body but also swallow the memories, techniques, and secrets of the loser, thereby upgrading the intensity of their soul to a higher level. Chances are that he would make great progress in his Cultivation, too. Do you think that such enticement was enough for the two pirate heads to fight bloodily?"
Li Yao realized that it did make sense. Neither Yan Xinjian nor Boss Bai was the most lenient person in the world.
To this day, he had not forgotten the game of 'mutual deterrence' that he had played with Boss Bai in the fortress within Spider Den.
Inside the brain of the young man, Mouse Bai, the two celebrities in the world of space pirates must have been playing an upgraded version of 'mutual deterrence'.
As long as one of them grew malicious and the other one perceived it, they would be caught in a ceaseless competition.
The mental devil went on. "Both of the remaining souls intended to swallow each other and seize the whole body after swallowing the opponent. Bai Kaixin, on the other hand, was the greatest 'loophole' for Boss Bai.
"Think about it. If Yan Xinjian's remaining soul could control the body to kill Bai Kaixin, what a terrible blow it would have been for Boss Bai! I'm afraid that the moment Bai Kaixin died, Boss Bai's remaining soul would have perished, too, wouldn't it?
"On the other hand, Bai Kaixin was the source that powered Boss Bai to continue fighting. Each time that Bai Kaixin survived, Boss Bai's remaining soul would grow stronger than the last day, which would certainly jeopardize Yan Xinjian's endeavor and even be the cause of his death someday. So, it was only natural that Yan Xinjian hated Bai Kaixin's guts."
Li Yao understood everything. "I get it now. It's like if you control this body to kill… let's say Ding Lingdang, you would very likely rip apart a giant hole in my soul and seize control of the body eventually!"
"Wrong," the mental devil said solemnly. "Firstly, we share identical memories, emotions, and self-awareness. In fact, we are not technically 'dual personalities', more like two different sides of the same personality. Our case is entirely different from Yan Xinjian and Boss Bai's. Why on earth would I want to kill Ding Lingdang?
"Secondly, even if I decide to forsake all my feelings to strike your weakness in my rampage, there is no way that I would do such a thing as 'kill Ding Lingdang'. It's not like you don't know how strong the woman is. Kill her? I'd be asking to be killed, my friend!
"But it is basically what you said. The battle of the two remaining souls was all about defending their belief and swallowing each other. Eventually, Boss Bai won and devoured the last bit of Yan Xinjian's remaining soul."
Li Yao finally understood everything after the mental devil's explanation. He could not help but imagine the battlefield where the remaining souls of two pirate heads had fought each other brutally decades ago.
What a soul-stirring and world-shaking battle it must have been!
Li Yao could not begin to fathom the goriness, splendor, and magnificence of the battle.
In terms of capability, Yan Xinjian, who had gotten close to the Divinity Transformation Stage, was far stronger than Boss Bai and should have been the victor of the 'battle of remaining souls'.
But although both of them were vicious, ruthless bandits, they had one major difference.
Yan Xinjian had abandoned his humanity. In order to retrieve the treasures of the Star Ocean Imperium deep inside Spider Den, he had even killed his beloved wife and defected to the nest of the space pirates with the incident as an excuse.
Even though he had found the ultimate treasures and ascended to an unprecedented level, so what? He had always been by himself. He had no one and nothing to fight for.
As for Boss Bai, he had suffered trauma when his parents were killed by Xiao Xuance, the leader of the Cultivators, when he was a child, and he had grown into a merciless bandit in the murky, dangerous environment on Spider Den. However, deep down inside his dark heart, there was almost a tiny bit of warmth and light that lingered, which was his son, Bai Kaixin.
When the two remaining souls collided heavily, there was no one behind Yan Xinjian. He had nothing except for himself.
But no matter how weak Boss Bai's remaining soul had been back then, behind him stood Bai Kaixin, who meant the world to him!
Perhaps Extraterrestrial Devil Lu Qingchen was not wrong about one thing. The emotions of human beings were truly the greatest power in the entire universe. As long as the seal of the power was removed, all seemingly invincible enemies would be conquered!
Boss Bai…
Li Yao could not help but smile.
He would not call Boss Bai his 'old friend'. The few days when they played 'mutual deterrence' were perhaps the most thrilling and perilous time of Li Yao's entire life.
He had nearly been killed by Boss Bai many times.
However, after learning that such a strange 'old acquaintance' was still alive, Li Yao was somehow very delighted. He even had the uncanny urge to play a more exciting game of 'mutual deterrence' with Boss Bai again.
Boss Bai, I am entirely different from what I was on Spider Den, and you've been reborn and risen to a higher level after a hundred years, too.
Divinity Transformation Stage. I didn't know that you would enter the Divinity Transformation Stage earlier than me. Yan Xinjian's remaining soul should take part of the credit. Or maybe, during the process when you defeated Yan Xinjian's remaining soul, you gained some new insight and mastered strength that was entirely different from the past.
I wonder if we'll ever have the chance to have another fierce fight and continue the game of mutual deterrence that we failed to finish a hundred years ago to see who the final winner is.
Bai Kaixin took the opportunity to tell him everything that had happened when he cleared the battlefield, including the conversation between Boss Bai and him.
Hearing that Boss Bai had gathered the old, elite space pirates and their descendants, set sail for the center of the cosmos on a starship, and even challenged everyone to meet him there, Li Yao could not help but feel his blood boiling. He was so fascinated that he clenched his fists.
The center of the cosmos, the magnificent collisions of the Imperium and the Covenant Alliance, the sparkling ultimate battlefield, the Pangu Clan, the Nuwa Clan, the extraterrestrial devils, the mausoleum of the Supreme Emperor, and the heritage of the Blood God… Countless rare treasures, alien species, and 'Book of Revelations' that contained infinite techniques were all hidden there.
How could Li Yao allow Boss Bai to step forward first and claim all the treasures?
That's a false start, right? Li Yao licked his dry lips. This is a violation, Boss Bai. But it doesn't matter. After everything here is settled, I'll certainly catch up with you.
Right then, he heard the soft sound of bone cracking. He turned around, only to discover that Ding Lingdang had put on a spellbound expression, too, as if she could not refrain herself from immediately catching up to Boss Bai and turning the center of the cosmos upside down.
"Honey, don't be rash." Li Yao felt his cold sweat pouring. "This is too important an issue. We must think carefully before we leap."
Ding Lingdang sniffed and loosened her fists. "Of course. With our technology and understanding of the Imperium of True Human Beings, it is certainly not easy to jump to the center of the cosmos… Huh, speaking of which, even if Bai Xingjian is Boss Bai, or the ultimate evolved version of the two major space pirates, how is he able to jump to the center of the cosmos without any preparation?"
Thinking quickly, Li Yao noticed a lot of suspicious points, too. "Bai Kaixin, I fear that your theory is not perfect. However strong Boss Bai is, he had a fight with the Black Wind Fleet so fierce that almost all the starships of the Big Bai Fleet were wasted. Even the flagship, Infinite Fire, is a total loss now.
"Let's say that he has a starship that is not too severely damaged and can still perform a space jump—how many assets, ammunition crates, and supplies will he need?
"Also, it requires a lot of hands to pilot a comprehensive supply starship, doesn't it? A space pirate is certainly not a profession that your ancestors will feel proud of. Most of the soldiers in the Big Bai Fleet are loyal to the federation, too. Besides, after the battle, they have all become heroes of the federation, and their future is nothing but promising. Who on earth would abandon such a brilliant and glorious future and 'defect' together with Boss Bai to the perilous battlefield at the center of the cosmos where they might be killed?
"Therefore, this defection was certainly not improvised but planned. It must've taken almost ten to twenty years to screen, test, and attract a thousand hardcore followers to leave together with him.
"Here comes the question. If it was planned, it means that Boss Bai had long known that the Black Wind Fleet would choose the Heaven's Origin Sector as the point of attack, doesn't it? But how is it possible?"
Chapter 1841: Close to the Truth |
The question raised more doubts in Ding Lingdang's mind.
Unlike Li Yao, she had been involved in the battle from beginning to end. The weird and unstoppable attacks of the Big Bai Fleet had left a very deep impression on her. She could not help but feel puzzled, too.
"Boss Bai certainly had planned everything in advance," Ding Lingdang said confidently. "The Big Bai Fleet was supposed to go to the No. 2 and the No. 3 space gates to join the main force of the Burning Prairie Fleet and safeguard the arrival of the following troops from the Burning Prairie Fleet according to their order.
"But after the elites of the Burning Prairie Fleet arrived, all the space gates and even the Spiritual Nexus were seriously damaged. There were no following troops at all.
"If the Big Bai Fleet had carried out the order from the highest command center, they would've lost the best opportunity to disrupt and stall the operation of the Black Wind Fleet.
"From the very beginning, Boss Bai refused to obey the orders of the command center but made the best choice on the battlefield. But how was he so certain that he was right? Why was he so determined that he dared to defy the military order in such a crucial battle?
"Boss Bai perhaps did not care for the Star Glory Federation. He was a bold, unrestrained space pirate that was not to be bound by any country or law. But his son, Bai Kaixin, was still in the Burning Prairie Fleet on the battlefield.
"It is safe to say that he wagered all his hope to fight for the future of himself and his son!
"One other thing. When the Spiritual Nexus was sabotaged on a large scale by the extraterrestrial devils, the Big Bai Fleet kept radio silence. All connections to the outside world, including the simplest communication interfaces, were shut off.
"Even the internal communication was conducted through an obsolete wireless communication system from the Nether World Sector. Since the Nether World Sector merged into the federation, the system had been abandoned for more than fifty years and had long been replaced by more advanced interaction protocols on the Spiritual Nexus.
"The real problem is, when exactly did Boss Bai unearth such an ancient communication and commanding system, why did he replace the latest version of the interaction protocol with such an old version, and why was he smart enough to maintain the silence to the outside world, not allowing any data to flow in or out?
"It was because of the precautions that the Big Bai Fleet was not corrupted by the virus on the Spiritual Nexus and stabbed into the belly of the Black Wind Fleet bloodily.
"It was almost like he not only foresaw that the Black Wind Fleet would assault the Heaven's Origin Sector but also knew that the extraterrestrial devils would destroy the Spiritual Nexus, right?"
The questions from the two of them made Bai Kaixin sigh gloomily and shake his head. "There's more to it. You are not commanders of a fleet. So, it may be difficult for you to understand how terrifying my father was yesterday. He truly exploited all the potentials of the fleet without leaving any drop behind.
"But the problem is, teamwork and cooperation matter a lot to a fleet in a battle, and an epiphany and the hot blood of the commander himself are far from enough. It requires the neat cooperation from the commander, the Chief of Staff, the captains and chief mates of the starships, every soldier, and even the mechanics in the engine compartment in order to carry out a brand-new tactic.
"The fluent and flawless tactics that they demonstrated yesterday couldn't have been improvised at all and used for the first time. It must've been trained repeatedly in drills. They came fully prepared. That was how they accomplished what they accomplished.
"The communication system from the Nether World Sector involved some very ancient communication magical equipment, which must've been installed in secret during the last year, too.
"He secretly prepared an intact comprehensive supply starship and tremendous assets that were enough to support a space jump. He also recruited a large batch of subordinates who had the destiny of space pirates on their shoulders and were unwilling to be curbed by the notions of army, law, or country… All the work couldn't have been done overnight. He must've spent years if not decades on the preparation.
"The drill last year was the last step of his whole scheme. Who knows where he took the Big Bai Fleet, what kind of subjects they trained themselves in, and what else they did?"
Li Yao and Ding Lingdang looked at each other and asked at the same time, "So, Boss Bai learned a lot of things several years ago? That's unbelievable. How could he have seen it coming?"
Bai Kaixin shook his head and hesitated. Looking at the door, he said, "Supposedly, a certain person can tell us the answer, but…"
Jin Xinyue opened the door and walked into the room at this moment.
The Black Wind Fleet had been defeated, and the federation had seized the initiative. Demons had greatly distinguished themselves in the battle.
Although the 'wormhole bomb' had failed to directly teleport Black Swirl to a distant alien world, it did heavily damage the flagship of the Black Wind Fleet and create advantageous conditions for the thunderous strikes of Li Yao, Boss Bai, and the rest of them.
Eighty percent of the 'Dim Moon Plan' had worked out, and demons had truly played an irreplaceable role in the battle that marked the rise of the federation. Jin Xinyue's own innocence had been proved, and the fatal mistakes that she had made were perfectly rectified. She should have been jumping in joy or at least chuckling at the fact that her scheme had proved effective.
Jin Xinyue, however, had red and unfocused eyes. She looked so lonely and vulnerable that a gentle breeze might blow her down.
"Master…" Jin Xinyue called him pitifully in the voice of a chicken, and tears were rolling inside her eyes.
Li Yao was immediately at a loss.
What was going on? She had not been like that when Li Yao spoke to her in the communication channel earlier.
At that time, there was still thirty percent prudence, thirty percent cockiness, and thirty percent expectation of being complimented in her eyes. Pride was beaming out of her big shining eyes as if she were saying, "Look, Master. I did quite a good job in the hundred years while you were away, didn't I?"
Ding Lingdang jabbed Li Yao in the back quietly and said to him, "Why don't I give you a special permission to hug her and comfort your little disciple?"
"Well…" Li Yao opened his arms. "Don't cry. You are a girl more than a hundred years old now. Whatever is troubling you, just tell your master. Your master and your masteress are in your back. We can certainly take care of anything for you."
Before his arms really reached her, however, Jin Xinyue gave the answer while sobbing. "My—My father is gone."
Li Yao was utterly dumbfounded and froze.
Looking at Bai Kaixin and then at Jin Xinyue, he could not help but suspect that the two of them had come intentionally to puzzle him.
