Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 1521
In the next second, Li Yao gritted his teeth and condensed the tremendous fundamental knowledge on refining that he knew, including the production methods of certain weapons that did not require crystals, into information streams.
He also compressed the tactics and strategies for the ordinary people to deal with trainers or for the low-level trainers to deal with the high-level trainers, as well as the guiding principles of guerilla warfare, war of attrition, unrestricted warfare, etc., before he spread all of them to all directions, sending them to the towns further away through the tunnels and the cracks in the darkness!
Naturally, the direct transmission of information would not have very promising results. Even though he had sent out astronomical information, it was possible that the ordinary people below the ground could only receive some of the broken pieces, the fuzzy pictures, and the twisted numbers, which would only be forgotten very soon.
But Li Yao believed that the mottled pieces would be seeds. As long as they were sprayed and planted in the hearts of the underground locals, even if most of them forgot the information, some of the extraordinarily-talented guys would certainly remember it and study it in the darkness, making it grow into magnificent trees someday!
"Always remember that it's not true that the ordinary people stand no chance of winning against the trainers. You are absolutely not lambs waiting to be butchered!
"The most critical factor is the cost for the trainers to take action!
"It takes massive resources and tremendous time for every trainer to stay at their current level. If they are unfortunately wounded, it will consume even more resources and time for them to recover. Trainers are extremely expensive and precise weapons that require huge investments every second!
"Take the Imperium of True Human Beings for example. Even for an Immortal Cultivator in the Refinement Stage who does nothing but conduct the fundamental training to maintain his current level every day, it will still cost him hundreds of crystal coins on a daily basis!
"If they are fully armed and march to the underground world to attack you, the cost will be increased by ten to twenty times. Even though they have so many resources, they still won't be able to make up for the time that they have wasted!
"By comprehensive estimation, if the Immortal Cultivators march tens of thousands of meters into the ground to annihilate you, the cost will be dozens to hundreds of crystal coins even if they are destroying the most insignificant of you!
"It's true that you are no match for the Immortal Cultivators, but you can try your best to increase the cost for the Immortal Cultivators to eliminate you through guerilla warfare and unrestricted warfare. If the Immortal Cultivators have to pay hundreds if not thousands of coins in order to kill one of you, then the Black Iron Group, the four Kurfürst families, and even the financial system of the entire Imperium of True Human Beings will go bankrupt!
"So, abandon the idiotic head-on clashes, try your best to preserve yourselves, and increase the cost for you to be destroyed. In the meantime, awaken as many people as possible and invite them to join your cause. Every new comrade you have will mean one fewer slave for the Immortal Cultivators and an additional cost of thousands of coins. Not a single financial system can bear such consumption. This is actually the greatest leverage that you have in the game against the Immortal Cultivators!"
Chapter 2388: Caught in a Hard Battle! |
The information above, as well as the tactics and policies that the geniuses of the federation came up with, including Jin Tuyi's ideas of transforming the Blood Demon Sector into a wasteland to resist the invasion of the federation, was propagated through Li Yao's explosive brainwaves unstoppably.
All the Nepenthe believers in the entire Great Iron Plants were bathed in Li Yao's mind ripples and ocean of information, thinking, chewing, and perceiving in a trance.
Compared to the ignorance and fearlessness a moment ago, their eyes right now were much clearer, and feeble sparks were gradually glittering in their eyes.
However feeble one spark was, they would certainly illuminate the infinite darkness when thousands of them were combined!
"Brother Yao… has truly succeeded?"
Li Jialing and Long Yangjun observed the battle from the high stance on the top of the forsaken mines to the southwest of the Great Iron Plants. They also sensed Li Yao's brainwaves that were spreading out like a rampant flood.
Li Jialing did not expect that Li Yao would choose such a surprising way to move the Nepenthe believers. He remarked in disbelief, "It's truly as expected of Brother Yao!"
"You are a fool. He is still far from success!"
Long Yangjun's face was gloomy, with complicated feelings brewing inside her eyes. There was no telling whether she was wishing Li Yao to succeed or to fail. She said coldly, "No matter how I overestimate his idiocy, he always manages to break the limits of my toleration again and again. His soul was so heavily wounded in the battle against Blackstar the Great that it would've fallen apart if he were a normal Cultivator! But after the narrow escape, he does not cherish his life at all but is powering the 'super brainwave magnifier' so crazily to send out his brainwaves.
"It's like a 'magnate' who seems wealthy but actually heavily indebted and is on the brink of bankruptcy. But still, he is still doing philanthropy work without any hesitation. He is obviously flaunting himself!
"Hehe. It's been many three-minutes since he joined the battlefield. Just observe. His spiritual energy and even the fire of his soul will soon die out. On the other hand, the battle puppets in the Great Iron Plants and the stealthy Immortal Cultivators are not entirely annihilated. It is needless to say that Li Minghui's main forces have not returned yet!
"Burning himself up completely just to show off for one moment, only to be beaten into a meat pie alive later. Those idiotic Cultivators…"
Long Yangjun's words were like a cruel prophecy. Hardly had she concluded her sentence when Li Yao, who was floating above the Great Iron Plants, began to tremble and dim clearly.
Although he looked as dominant as before, and the common Nepenthe believers might not be able to tell the difference, Li Jialing and Long Yangjun sensed at the same time that the heavy wounds on Li Yao's body and soul were beyond control and had burst out at the same time!
Li Yao grunted, feeling that a black hole full of tusks was slowly surfacing inside his head and sucking his every brain cell.
Ever since he advanced into the Divinity Transformation Stage, his head had never ached as much before. It was so painful that he almost wanted to blow up his head with his own fist.
His soul that was full of "cracks" and on the verge of falling apart was seething in impatience, too. He was unable to control the veins, nerves, and muscles around his body. His internal organs, or rather, all his body parts, were cramping violently.
The circulations of spiritual energy that were operating in order a moment ago were immediately jammed like an air highway that just had a series of accidents.
He could not maintain the combat ability of the Nascent Soul Stage anymore, and his level was plummeting like an avalanche.
Is it… finally coming?
Li Yao tried to swallow the blood that was as hot as magma and grinned.
Of course, he knew how much damage he caused to himself by blowing the magnificent "Ultra-Galactic Cannon" at Blackstar the Great half a month ago.
It was already beyond his expectation to have persisted for such a long time.
However…
"Damn it. How many battle puppets are out there exactly? Why do I feel that I can never finish killing them?"
The battle puppets were certainly not under the interference of his deafening battle hymns and his blood-boiling fighting will. They were still lunging at him in teams of three to five coldly and mechanically.
Also, in the battle just now, his speed, movement, and habitual techniques had been captured by the crystal cameras of the battle puppets and sent to the super crystal processors deep inside the Great Iron Plants to analyze his weakness and the coping policies.
As the brand-new database of tactics was upgraded, the battle puppets were even more sleazy, cunning, and tricky to deal with. Also, they loosened the suppression of the Nepenthe believers and focused most of their firepower on Li Yao.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The thousand battle puppets were firing at Li Yao at the same time. The stormy barrage crazily consumed Li Yao's spiritual shield that was dimmer and dimmer, but Li Yao could not dodge at all, because countless Nepenthe believers, as well as the common underground locals who were not even Nepenthe believers, were right behind him. They were the people that he swore to protect!
He could only grit his teeth and open the spiritual shield to the maximum and push forward against hundreds of fireballs that were bursting all the time until he marched into the battle formation of the puppets and initiated the most brutal head-on clashes!
One attack! One attack! Another attack!
Li Yao's strength had dropped to the superlative height of the Core Formation Stage. The ways of fighting in the Core Formation Stage and those in the Nascent Soul Stage were different. They were much more direct, cruel, and bloody, allowing Li Yao to wave a saber no longer than three meters as if it were more than ten meters long. Wherever the shiny edge of the saber reached, the broken limbs made of iron were flying randomly while all the battle puppets were cut into pieces by Li Yao!
However, Li Yao did not stay long at the superlative height of the Core Formation Stage. As the mechanical debris around him grew more and more, his level soon dropped from the superlative height of the Core Formation Stage to the general peak and then the middle level of the Core Formation Stage. Soon, he could barely keep himself in the Core Formation Stage anymore!
Clang!
For the first time, Li Yao's indestructible saber was blocked by the blade claw of a battle puppet.
A second battle puppet took the opportunity to ambush Li Yao from his flank. Its saber completely broke Li Yao's spiritual shield, leaving a hideous mark on the surface of the crystal suit.
The broken pieces of the spiritual shield dispersed like butterflies that were almost transparent. Li Yao was completely exposed to the edges and barrels of the battle puppets. It was needless to say that countless Immortal Cultivators were impatient in the darkness. Those guys who had been hiding so far all noticed Li Yao's weakness and that he seemed to have marched into the battlefield on his own without any reinforcement. Rolling their eyes quickly, they were all growing determined to kill him again.
If they could slay such an expert who emerged out of nowhere, it would certainly be a great accomplishment.
Besides, judging from the quality of the man's crystal suit, he must be in possession of many ultimate treasures. Now that Li Minghui was not back yet, if they could kill him and loot his treasures…
From the nostrils of the Immortal Cultivators that were expanding, bloody air was spurting out.
"Sister Long, Brother Yao really can't hold on anymore!"
Hiding in the forsaken mine high on the wall, Li Jialing saw everything clearly. He asked, his voice shivering, "What-What do we do?"
"What do you mean by 'what do we do'? He had it coming. If he wants to die, he is free to do that!"
Her face full of coldness, Long Yangjun gnashed her teeth and said, "What, are you thinking to rescue him, or rather, die together with the dummy?"
Looking at the heated battlefield and Li Yao who was glowing at the center of it, Li Jialing was somewhat in a trance and confusion. He mumbled, "I don't know. It's true that I have never gotten in touch with anyone as… unique as Brother Yao before.
"Perhaps he can be innocent and childish sometimes, and he doesn't look like a renowned expert in the Divinity Transformation Stage, like Li Lingfeng and his lot, at all.
"However, when I used to be with Li Lingfeng and the other Immortal Cultivators, my nerves were tightened every second, and I had to be wary of the schemes and clandestine all the time. My life at that time was truly tiresome and devastating.
"But when I am with Brother Yao, my days are very relaxed and happy, and I do not need to worry about a thing. That is something that I've never experienced before. I do not want Brother Yao to die here in such a way!
"Please, Sister Long, come with me to help him!"
"Help him?"
Long Yangjun sniffed and eyed Li Jialing up and down. "It seems that idiocy is truly contagious. Are you an Immortal Cultivator or not? Since when have you learned 'altruism'?"
Li Jialing blushed and thought in a daze for a long time. Not denying it at all, he simply said, "I've killed people and helped people. Before I killed anyone, I had imagined the feeling of killing people countless times, and I thought that it would certainly be wonderful and gratifying.
"But after I did kill someone, it occurred to me that it was not wonderful and gratifying at all. Instead, it felt much greater to help other people and hear their gratitude and see their smiles.
"Sister Long, you must've killed a lot of people. Is it really fun to kill people? More fun than helping people?"
Frowning, Long Yangjun said coldly, "I don't know. I've never helped anyone."
"Yes, you have."
Li Jialing said solemnly, "Didn't you say that you once helped the workers of the Great Iron Plants get rid of the shadow of extraterrestrial devils when you just got to the underground worlds? They must've thanked you from the bottom of their hearts, didn't they? Were you not happy to hear their gratitude?"
Narrowing her eyes, Long Yangjun stared at Li Jialing with dominating air beaming out of her eyes. "Kid, are you giving me a lecture?"
"Sister Long, you are angry."
Summoning all his courage, Li Jialing looked back at Long Yangjun. "Are you mad at Brother Yao's stupidity or at yourself because you do not have the courage that Brother Yao has?"
"I am mad at your idiocy!"
Long Yangjun dragged Li Jialing, who was about to lunge out, back. "Don't underestimate your damn 'Brother Yao'. You think this is enough to push him into a dead end? He still has trump cards, and he does not need you to add to his trouble!"
Chapter 2389: The Gold Lion's Decision! |
"Trump cards?"
His eyes widened, Li Jialing mumbled to himself in disbelief while he stared at Li Yao's fire that was burning out in the iron torrent, "His soul is about to be exhausted, his Colossus is on the brink of destruction, and he lacks enough spiritual energy to power his crystal suits even if he still has any. Does Brother Yao… still have trump cards?"
…
Huchi! Huchi! Huchi! Huchi! Huchi!
Li Yao, who was sweating blood, naturally did not hear Li Jialing's mumble. He simply bulged his bloodshot eyes and stared at the battle puppets, which were stepping over the debris of their companions and surrounding him, as well as the Immortal Cultivators who were hiding behind the battle puppets hoping to take advantage of the situation.
At such a close distance, he could see the hideous grin of the Immortal Cultivators clearly and perceive their ravenousness.
Those jackals and hyenas must've thought that he was exhausted, didn't they?
"Hehe."
Li Yao vomited the most intense blood and spoke to the other party in his mind. "You are quiet for a long time. This does not look like your style. Why did you not persuade me to give up?"
"Did it ever work?"
The mental devil sighed and said, "We've been entangled for a long time. Do I not know you at all? I've already given up trying. You can do whatever you are happy to do!
"Besides, the doctrines of Nepenthe are in direct contradiction with my beliefs, too. Don't forget that I'm more inclined to the extraterrestrial devils and feed on intense feelings and desires. Naturally, I do not want to see everybody to be 'emotionless and free from worries'!"
Li Yao smiled. "So, you are going to help me?"
The mental devil was silent for a moment before it snorted, "It won't happen again!"
When the voice was still echoing, a bloody sprout emerged at the center of Li Yao's forehead where the conarium and the spiritual root were located. Expanding and splitting instantly, it enshrouded Li Yao in infinite brilliance of blood.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Li Yao let out inhuman roars. The extremely lackluster gold flames around him turned into an even more dazzling red, stretching out tentacles to all directions like an undersea monster. He was on a rampage again!
The crystal suit that was on the verge of destruction completely fell apart, and he switched to a second battlesuit in the color of blood. The sixteen bloody wings on the back that looked like those of a bat were stretched out to the maximum. It was like the ghost from the deepest level of hell had crawled out of the bottomless abyss back to the human world for revenge!
"What—"
All the Immortal Cultivators who had left their shelters were dumbfounded; their minds completely overwhelmed by the brutal vibe around Li Yao. They could barely keep themselves on their feet!
"M-Master!"
Some of the cleverer Immortal Cultivators immediately kneeled, pretending that they were here to surrender to Li Yao instead of ambushing him, but it did not change their ending at all. Before their regrets and fears spread to their entire bodies through the nerves, they had already been completely swallowed by the storm of blood!
Five minutes. For the next five minutes, the only thing that could be seen was a streak of golden brilliance reflecting in the entire Great Iron Plants nonstop. Wherever it reached, the battle puppets all exploded into the tiniest pieces, while the Immortal Cultivators became blood blocks mixed with metal scraps. His attacks were even more aggressive and brutal than before. Even the Immortal Cultivators who were hiding in the corners were found out and crumbled by the bloody claws.
Under the illumination of the magma, the entire Great Iron Plants became a real slaughterhouse brimming with dead bodies, and the only butcher was Li Yao!
