Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 155
"The Tarantula with web, that's terrifying, that is truly terrifying!
"However, why is the ammunition cache in your Tarantula designed so big? It's large enough to carry four unit of crystals. Even if you use triple-mount heavy crystal railgun, it would be more than enough!
"Although it would improve the continuous combat ability, it would affect the speed. The loss outweighs the gains!"
Li Yao slightly smiled as he pointed at four array glyphs next to the ammunition cache as well as dozens of components connected to it.
As Jiang Shaoyang carefully observed, he crushed the paper cup in his hands immediately and blurted out, "Self-destruct system!
"You intentionally enlarged the ammunition cache and installed so many crystals, just so you can launch a suicide attack!"
As Jiang Shaoyang closed his eyes, dozens of blueprints, in the blink of an eye, integrated into a mighty Tarantula in a blazing battlefield.
If the design of the blueprints came to fruition, especially so many crystals, once the Tarantula exploded amid a horde of demon beasts...
Goosebumps exploded all over Jiang Shaoyang's body.
"Senior Brother Li, you should enter the Deep Sea University!"
Jiang Shaoyang said with excitement, "I heard, there is a bit of misunderstanding between you and some professors of Deep Sea University, but in my opinion, you are the craziest refiner!
"People like us can give up anything in pursuit of the best road of refining!
"What is a little misunderstanding? If you join Deep Sea University, you could put your talent to better use!
"Now that you are a registered refiner, there are many ways you can join Deep Sea University. You don't necessarily have to be a student.
"You can join Deep Sea University's laboratory as an assistant researcher directly. On one side you can study, on the other, you can research.
"We have a total of twenty-seven main laboratories, running hundreds of projects at the same time. If you applied, you'd be eligible to join any one of them!
"Come on, those students of Deep Sea University are like clay chickens and pottery dogs in my eyes. They don't even stir the slightest bit of fighting spirit in me. If you come over, we can exchange pointers, compete with each other, train with each other, we can advance a thousand li in one day!"
Jiang Shaoyang looked at Li Yao with an anticipating look.
Having remained silent for a long time, Li Yao finally shook his head and said, "You are wrong. Although initially, I refused Deep Sea University, which was also a freak combination of factors, I have persevered in the Grand Desolate War Institution until today and my feelings still haven't changed. And it's not because of a small misunderstanding.
"If it were someone else, I would definitely not say any more. But since it's you, you should be able to understand what I mean.
"It is indeed correct that the Deep Sea University is the best choice for a refiner from the materialistic point of view; floating mountains, teaching ability, academic atmosphere, inheritance... in regard to those things, other universities are unable to match them.
"However, I am more focused spiritually than materially. Or in your words—fighting spirit!
"Only competing against a giant like Deep Sea University can my fighting spirit be aroused to the extreme. Every minute, every second, when I think of my presumptuous declaration, every cell in my body seems to flare up, releasing light and heat. I don't dare have the slightest intention to slack off, which makes me breakthrough my limits again and again!
"Surely, you have experienced this state. You should know, having entered this kind of state with soaring will to fight, how refreshing and wonderful it is!
"By joining Deep Sea University, standing shoulder to shoulder with this giant, I would see farther for sure, but I would inevitably slack some time because I would not be able to find a target and be able to make my will to fight madly burn every minute and every second!"
Jiang Shaoyang could not help but ask, "Why do you think there isn't any target?
"I want to get rid of Novem Stellae, then defeat experts like my uncle Jiang Sheng, Professor Xie Tingxian, Professor Zhu Yueqin. I want to surpass even HoD Chu Xiohong!"
"Someday, I will become the HoD of Deep Sea University's Refining Department!
"I don't have any interest in being the HoD, I just want to prove that I am the strongest at Deep Sea University!
"This is my path; this is my target!
"What do you think? Aren't you interested in walking this road together, we can compete after a few decades and see who can be the HoD of Deep Sea University Refining Department?"
"Not interested."
Li Yao shook his head as his eyes radiated with dazzling starry brilliance, "Deep Sea University was established centuries ago, its Refining Department already had a couple dozen HoDs, and in the future, it will continue to exist for millennials, there will be hundreds of HoDs.
"There are predecessors, and there will be successors as well. Even if you persevere in the end, you will only be repeating the path that others have already taken and do what hundreds of people can and will do.
"What's the fun in that?
"I will take a different road.
"Even if I am not the last one challenging the strongest king with the worst Refining Department in the federation, in the last five centuries, it has never been done!
"Only such a road is worth it for me to persevere till the end. Only such a cause can make me devote myself to it for as long as my life endures. Only such a target can make my will to fight soar to the limit, pay with 1000% of effort, and completely burn myself out!"
Jiang Shaoyang stood up suddenly, the stool tumbled backward as he shouted in a loud voice, "Have you wondered how small the probability of you ever being successful is!?"
Jiang Shaoyang's facial features were completely distorted. He was almost screaming.
"The smaller the probability, the more interesting it is."
Li Yao continued, "Life is a battle. Obviously, only by choosing the strongest enemy will it be exciting. The probability of winning against a three-year-old child is 100%, is that the battle you want?"
This sentence was the last straw, it completely defeated Jiang Shaoyang's spirit.
His face became pale and sat back down, but he had never noticed that the stool had already fallen and he fell flat on the ground.
"Are you ok?"
Li Yao was stunned. He bent over the table to look, but only saw Jiang Shaoyang lying flat on his back, looking towards the sky, with no intention of getting up. Every facial muscle on his face twitched, his eyes turned quickly, he seemed to mumble, like crying while smiling, "I understand, this is your big secret!
"Spirit, fighting spirit, will to fight!
"I grew up in the Deep Sea University's residential area for staff, magical equipment components were my toys, the repair workshop my paradise. Every day, most profound algorithms and theories would ring next to my ear!
"Materially, I am hundred times better than you, but I still suffered a crushing defeat!
"What I lack is the will to fight burning in my soul every second and every minute! You are right, you are totally right!
"Target, damn with this target!
"The target I set myself is much smaller than yours. Yes, yes, the Deep Sea University Refining Department already had twenty-two HoDs, one-hundred-and-thirty-five associate HoDs, even if I became one of them, what's amazing about that!
"No wonder, I am getting more and more bored. So, it was like this, the target I chose is too weak!"
Jiang Shaoyang behaved weirdly for a long time before the paleness on his face became ruddy in excitement as though he was burning.
Like a zombie, he stood right up, took a deep glance at Li Yao before suddenly turning around, flinging his long hair and running out.
Until he reached the end of the hallway, did a frantic shout came, "I have realized, I have finally realized!
"Thank you, Senior Brother Li!
"Tomorrow, tomorrow morning, I will come find you and have a duel!"
Goosebumps exploded all over Li Yao's body.
'Oh God, what in the bloody hell did this guy realized!'
Chapter 222: The Birth of the Sun |
Next morning, at the military mess hall, thousands of examinees were having breakfast.
The Deep Sea University students occupied a corner. The atmosphere was a bit strange.
"Do you know, Jiang Shaoyang didn't sleep last night, he was just sitting on the roof!?" a student said in a low voice.
"I also saw. Moreover, after midnight, he was running along the roof edge at an amazing speed, like a maniac!"
Another student took over the conversation, shook his head immediately and said, sighing, "Jiang Shaoyang took a big blow. He was thoroughly defeated in public, which for someone as proud as him, who has carried the aura of a genius from childhood, was simply insulting. I am afraid he will never recover from this setback..."
Before he could finish his sentence, many people sensed a mass of burning hot aura approaching gradually. It felt as though they were inside a crafting furnace thousands of degrees hot. They were even unable to breathe.
The first student turned his head and gasped suddenly.
The second student turned his head and his eyes became so wide that they seemed bigger than the egg in his hand.
The third student turned his head and his hands shook, the entire bowl of tofu in his hands fell between his laps. At the beginning, he still didn't feel anything, only after two seconds did he stand up immediately with a shout.
This shout attracted everyone's gaze.
When everyone got to see who was there, they were completely flabbergasted. They became dumb as a wooden chicken.
It was none other than Jiang Shaoyang, but he was completely different from yesterday.
Yesterday, Jiang Shaoyang was like a star hanging high above the sky, he was lonely, cold yet proud, immersed in a world of his own. He didn't bother paying attention to people around him.
Watching his fellow students, the look in his eyes wasn't that of contempt but of complete disregard!
In contrast, at this moment, it seemed the shackles in the depths of his heart were broken, and the seals restricting his soul had been blown away. From inside to outside, every cell in his body was releasing an inexhaustible amount of energy, turning him into a blazing...sun!
That's right, it was the sun, the burning hot sun, incinerating everything in its path and nothing could stop its wild march!
No one among his fellow students dared to stand within a range of two meters of him.
A feeling emerged from the bottom of everyone's hearts, so long as they were within this range of two meters, they would be engulfed by him; even ashes would not be left behind.
Jiang Shaoyang took a glance at his fellow students' faces.
No one dared to look directly at Jiang Shaoyang. Everyone was thrown into panic.
Because they discovered that the look in Jiang Shaoyang's eyes was no longer that of indifference, but his eyes seemed to radiate a savage glint filled with hunger and intense murderous intention.
But the biggest change was undoubtedly...
"Shaoyang, did you actually shave your head?" a student cried out involuntarily.
Under the lights, Jiang Shaoyang's head shone brightly. His shiny, long, and black hair was missing; not a single hair was there to be found.
This fierce style and yesterday's fluttering long hair were simply like two different people.
Jiang Shaoyang dismissively glanced at the student who had just spoken, which forced the student to retreat two steps. Slowly and calmly, Jiang Shaoyang walked to the students who were chatting at the beginning, before stretching out a finger and shaking it, "You are wrong about one thing.
"I never carried the aura of a genius.
"I am a genius!
"This is one of the most basic facts that does not change just because I was defeated in a fight. Dark clouds occasionally cover the sun but the sun exists forever!
"Only those who pretend to be a genius, those ordinary people who only carry the aura of genius, would brood over a defeat in a contest.
"I am a true genius, how could stay down after a single defeat in a fight? The more frustrating it is, the more courageous I will become; I will get stronger and stronger in a fight.
"Because I'm sure, no matter how many times I face failure, I will win in the end for sure!"
Everyone had been deterred by his imposing attitude. A brief silence enshrouded this corner of the mess. Only after a while, someone asked, trembling, "Shaoyang, are you really okay? Did something happen?"
"Of course something did happen."
Jiang pursed his lips as a smile crept upon his face. "I broke through."
"What!"
Everyone stood up.
"Failure is the mother of success, in the past, I never understood this sentence. Because from childhood, I have never truly experienced failure."
Jiang Shaoyang, in a not too fast and nor too slow manner, took out a bunch of small balls of steel from his pocket, each one no more than a millimeter in diameter. It was no different than clutching a handful of rice.
"Yesterday, when I suffered a crushing defeat and had a talk with Senior Brother Li Yao, only then did I realize my own flaws."
Jiang Shaoyang flicked his fingers ever so slightly yet dozens of steel balls nimbly jumped between his fingers and their speed got faster and faster by the minute, they were like dozens of streams of silver light dancing.
"Before, I'd set a few targets for myself, but those targets were too simple, too boring, and too easy to achieve. They simply didn't drive me to release 100% of my strength.
"It was me myself who had sealed my own true strength!"
Dozens of silver streams of light gathered into a silver ball of light, no one could trace their trajectory clearly. All one could hear were faint whizzing sounds, as though a small tornado had formed in the palm of Jiang Shaoyang.
"His hands are faster than yesterday!"
Everyone had only taken a few glances, yet they felt dizzy.
Even if it was someone with better dynamic vision, they were unable to capture the actions of Jiang Shaoyang.
"However, now, I have found a new target, and it is deserving of me to burn myself every minute and every second, and unleash 100% of my strength, no, 1000% of my strength!
"The moment I found this target, I could feel an invisible chain shackling my entire body breaking off. The energy which used to be hidden within the deepest recesses of my cells surged turbulently like the floodwater bursting the dike, and made me breakthrough in the blink of an eye!
"Senior Brother Li didn't lie to me, what he said was indeed true!"
Jiang Shaoyang shouted as the ball of silver light in between his fingers, suddenly broke into dozens of streams of light and shot towards the surroundings at lightning fast speed.
A lot of people were caught off guard. They stepped back instinctively to dodge but still believed the steel balls would hit them.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Shaoyang's right hand disappeared, in the blink of an eye, and transformed into a mass of faint mist that enshrouded dozens of high-speed, shooting steel balls completely.
His hands seemed to be magnetized as dozens of streams of light were sucked into his hand in the blink of an eye.
When he opened his palm, dozens of small balls of steel were revolved around and lightly collided with each other, making "ding ding" sounds.
"God-like hand speed!"
Everyone forgot to breathe as the same sentence circled around their brain.
"In one night, the limit of my hand speed has improved by 11.3%," Jiang Shaoyang said calmly as he put the balls of steel back into his pocket. He took a glance around and locked on to a target before walking towards the other end of the mess hall.
"Shaoyang, where are you going?" a fellow student could not help but ask.
Everyone was completely dumbfounded and amazed by Jiang Shaoyang's transformation in one night.
Jiang Shaoyang raised the corner of his lips, revealing his snow white teeth as he said, smiling, "This breakthrough of mine is all thanks to Senior Brother Li Yao. So of course, I'd better pay my gratitude to him and also while I'm at it...
"Let Senior Brother Li Yao have a taste of crushing defeat!"
Jiang Shaoyang's final words detonated the passion in everyone's heart. Every examinee from the Deep Sea University stood up immediately.
"Tenth Star! He truly deserves to have the name Tenth Star! In one night, he's become a new person; his strength had improved incredibly!"
"Jiang Shaoyang and Li Yao were almost on par with each other. Even the yesterday's defeat was mostly due to Li Yao's insidious tricks."
"Overnight, Jiang Shaoyang's hand speed has improved by 11.3%, how can Li Yao be his opponent? He will definitely be suppressed by Jiang Shaoyang!"
"Let's go and take a look!"
Jiang Shaoyang approached Li Yao step by step and followed him was a long line of optimistic people afar.
The military mess hall was huge. It could easily accommodate over ten thousand people at the same time. The two sides of the mess were separated by a few hundred meters. Li Yao was sitting at the corner of another side where he was thoroughly engrossed in his food. He did not care about the commotion taking place a few hundred meters away.
However, he also happened to be thinking about Jiang Shaoyang.
"Interesting guy. If he and I could compete occasionally, it would really improve our strength greatly!"
While squeezing the soy milk, Li Yao recalled the soul-stirring competition between the two.
The most memorable wasn't the duel between the Wolf King and Tarantula but the toothpick contest between the two instead.
"My assumption at the beginning might've been too conservative. The limit of that guy's hand speed might be more than 97% of mine. If he trained for a few more days, his hand speed could surpass mine!
"Interesting, it is really interesting. I am truly lucky to find such a rival among my peers. I will definitely train more madly than him, my hand speed absolutely cannot be any worse than his!
