Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 436
It was not until Xie Anan heard it that she realized the two of them had debated with each other on ten conundrums about the arts of refining.
Not expecting that Li Yao could win two of them, Xie Anan bulged her big eyes and gazed at Li Yao in disbelief like a squirrel that had seen a pineapple.
Xue Yuanxin's head was buried in bandages, which made his head even larger. His long and narrow neck almost couldn't support the head any longer and was shivering.
He observed Li Yao carefully again and said after a long sigh, "Other than the few old monsters in the circle of refiners, it's been a long time since I exchanged my ideas and thoughts with someone else. It is true that the new generation will invariably surpass the old!
"Don't presume that I did not see through your plan. Your proposal of the power rune arrays at ten times sonic speed looks simple, rough, and somewhat against common sense, but such a distribution could boost the utilization rate of crystals allowing the speed to be accelerated to maximum instantly!
"If super high-quality crystals with a purity more than 99% are used as the fuel, I estimate that your power rune array can accelerate to more than twelve times the speed of sound from zero within ten seconds!
"Our plans are based on different designing principles. My plan is thorough and rational, and your plan is radical and even somewhat insane.
"Although I don't think that ordinary crystal suits and Exos can withstand such a high acceleration, since we said that we were merely talking about theoretical possibilities with no consideration for practical implementation, we drew even with each other in the last round. You don't need to flatter me!"
Li Yao was quite startled hearing that.
Minimalizing the large-scale power rune arrays that were suitable for crystal warships so that they could be applied to crystal suits was his specialty.
This power rune array that had been crazily modified with a low reliability and yet could burst into thirteen times the speed of sound in a moment was a design tailor-made for himself and prepared to be installed on the Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit in the future.
The materials of common crystal suits were too weak to withstand fierce battles at such a high speed; they would likely break apart in midair.
Common Exos could not withstand the tremendous counterforce, either. The brain would lose a lot of blood, resulting in the potential loss of their sight or even the constriction of their cerebral vessels, which might lead to a coma!
However, such a design was not a problem for the Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit, refined out of the body tissues of Skeleton Dragon, and Li Yao, who was half a body practitioner and had been Cultivating with the Thousand Tempering Hundred Refining technique.
It was his own reserved design. He did not expect that Xue Yuanxin could see through it after such a short time and inferred the maximum performance based on the structural designs!
This unattractive old man was really scary!
Seeing that Li Yao did not object, Xue Yuanxin burst into laughter. But a while later, he suddenly changed his face color and started cursing. "Damn you, Wei Wenyao. Due to his inconclusive investigation, I almost thought that you were really an idiotic magnate and missed out on meeting a genius!
"How about this, Little Sand?"
With a sunny smile, Xue Yuanxin moved his giant head close. "You said that you haven't picked a main research field in Flying Star University. Are you planning to join a laboratory or to do pure theoretical research?"
Li Yao replied frankly, "I haven't decided the specific direction yet. But I'm mostly interested in solo combat magical equipment. Besides, as you witnessed just now, I'm better at practical work than theories. Therefore, I will probably join a laboratory, that is, if anybody is willing to accept me."
Xue Yuanxin found it amusing. "With your expertise, you're worrying that nobody is going to accept you? Forget it. Just come to my Ares Laboratory! As I've told you just now, I have two projects at hand. One of them is the refinement of the special material 'Super Bendable Steel', and the other is its application to a new Ares Extension in order to craft the best Ares Extension in the Flying Star Sector—the Unparalleled Extension!
"Are you interested?"
Standing aside, Xie Anan was dumbfounded. She was shouting in her heart, Master Xue is inviting Sand Scorpion to join his projects!
Everybody in the Refining Department of Flying Star University knew that, although Master Xue Yuanxin was approachable in daily life and never refused the questions of students even if they were just in the freshman year, the Ares Laboratory was his most precious treasure. Every researcher in the laboratory had been carefully selected and screened. They were the best elites in the field of refining.
Many researchers in the laboratory had the ability to conduct their own research independently. But they were still willing to work under Master Xue Yuanxin so that they could learn more from him.
But today, Master Xue was extending an invitation promptly. That was quite new!
Seeing that Li Yao did not give any response, Xue Yuanxin thought that he had other ideas and continued. "Truth be told, the thing I like most about you is not your theoretical background, but your skill in real operations based on natural instincts! None of my disciples foresaw the possible explosion of the venomous dragon bone marrow and Heavenly Fire Crystals. You were merely passing by from outside and yet you could locate the problem!
"Such intuition cannot be taught in a school. One can only expect to slowly accumulate it after thousands of instances of actual refining work. I have no idea how you got such instincts. You are truly an out-and-out monster!
"I am too old to conduct the lengthy refining jobs in person right now. I had a disciple whom I'd taught for more than twenty years, but he passed away unfortunately in the riot of the Temple of Immortals.
"If he were alive, the purification of the Green Hellish Ancient Bronze would not have gone wrong.
"If you are willing to join the Ares Laboratory, you will be asked to be in charge of the crucial work in either the Super Bendable Steel project or the Unparalleled Extension project, and you will be the third refiner, or even the second refiner, only below me, of the entire project. How does it sound?"
"I'm afraid that you misunderstood me, Master Xue," Li Yao said. "I am rather willing to join the Ares Laboratory, but I've made a deal with Hou Zitao, Long Yunxin, and a few young refiners in the department, and I will probably spend some of my time on their projects.
"Moreover, my own personal laboratory is under construction at present, and I will probably carry out a few minor projects in them. I'm afraid that I won't be fully dedicated to the development of the Super Bendable Steel and the Unparalleled Extension. Do you mind, Master Xue?"
Xie Anan's heart was beating fast. She did not know that Sand Scorpion was planning to build his own laboratory at such a young age!
Xue Yuanxin smiled and said, "That is not a big deal. We are in the middle of a crisis. Every refiner has a handful of projects to take care of. Even I have to guide the work of another six laboratories other than managing the Ares Laboratory.
"Your personal laboratory? Sounds interesting. Just tell me if you ever need anything, and I'll see if I can help."
Li Yao was overjoyed.
What he hoped to establish was the most advanced refining center. The experimental facilities and magical equipment in such a refining center were sometimes unpurchaseable even if one had enough money.
Over the last couple of days, he had asked Lei Dalu, the Wu family, and the Sha family to buy the equipment through their connections. But since they were not in the circle of refiners, it was not easy for them to find the best place for the purchase.
"Sure," Li Yao replied quickly. "If Master Xue trusts my ability, I will definitely live up to your expectations and do my best in the development of the Super Bendable Steel and the Unparalleled Extension!"
"Excellent!" Xue Yuanxin's face was beaming with joy. "If so, it is very possible that we will succeed in completing the two projects before the Edge Sharpeners' Meeting in half a year's time and awe every one of them there!"
Li Yao raised an eyebrow. "Edge Sharpeners' Meeting?"
Xue Yuanxin nodded his head. "The Edge Sharpeners' Meeting is a gala of refiners in the Flying Star Sector that is held every five years. All the renowned refiners will participate. They will comment on the latest magical equipment developed over the past five years and discuss the possibilities of future magical equipment.
"The Edge Sharpeners' Meeting this year will be even more unique. It will be the largest one over the recent hundred years.
"The scourge of space pirates and the rise of the Temple of Immortals have terribly affected the entire Flying Star Sector. Every trade has been considering the solutions to the hazards. Of course, the refiners are no exceptions.
"That will be theme of the Edge Sharpeners' Meeting this year. We will discuss what kind of magical equipment can potentially contain the Temple of Immortals and annihilate the space pirates lurking on Spider Den!
"It is said that several refining proposals on a planetary-level, or even quasi-stellar-level, will be put forward in the meeting. The representatives in the circle of refiners and the delegates from the six sects of Heavenly Saints City and the other important sects will gather together and discuss the feasibility of the proposals. Then, after the most excellent proposal is selected, all the resources of the Flying Star Sector will be devoted to it!"
"Quasi-stellar-level magical equipment!" Li Yao gasped and swallowed hard.
Chapter 650: Little Dummy |
At eight o'clock at night, the visiting time of the special ward ended.
Although Li Yao and Xue Yuanxin were both in good moods and willing to talk overnight, Li Yao was still driven out of the room by the resolute nurse.
In the campus, Li Yao was walking to the visiting scholars' dormitory led by Xie Anan.
"Thank you very much for your help today, Miss Xie Anan." Li Yao smiled. "You've spent an entire day accompanying me. I do appreciate it."
Blushing, Xie Anan replied, "You are very welcome. You saved me on Iron Plateau without considering your own life. I did nothing except show you around. That's not worth mentioning."
For some reason, maybe because he had saved her life before, Master Sand gave her a familiar and reliable feeling, as if they had known each other since long ago.
The ridiculous worries before she picked him up in the morning were long gone.
"You don't need to work as a tour guide in the coming few days anymore. With the help of my mini crystal processor, I will get familiar with everything slowly."
Li Yao knew that most students in Flying Star University were very diligent. Wasting too much of her time on him would do her training no good.
While talking, he noticed that the girl was looking around anxiously. Li Yao found it quite odd. "Miss Anan, is there anything else that you need to attend to tonight? If you do, you can go back now. The dormitory area is not far ahead. I can walk there by myself."
"No. No." Xie Anan's face was red. She waved her hands and replied, "I'm good. However, would you please wait for me for five minutes?"
Naturally, Li Yao nodded.
Xie Anan stood on her tiptoes and looked around. She found a small flower bed in a corner nearby. Squatting next to the flower bed, she took out a parcel of chopped meat from her pocket.
Li Yao remembered that Xie Anan had asked the kitchen to prepare it for her when they were back in the hospital.
Cultivators had different eating habits. Some secret arts required 'blood food', in other words, raw ingredients that had not been cooked. Most kitchens had a lot of them prepared. Li Yao had not found it strange at the time.
At first, Xie Anan sprayed a circle of fragrant powder on the grass. She then took out a vintage wooden box, which she opened carefully and tilted it onto the chopped meat.
From the wooden box, more than ten dark purple ants crept out.
Li Yao raised his eyebrow high. "This is…"
Xie Anan poured all the ants inside the wooden box out. There were approximately twenty of them.
The ants had been hungered for a long time. Now that they smelt the aroma of flesh and blood, they immediately feasted upon the food.
Cracking noises were echoing as if they were some twenty pinchers opening and closing instead of twenty ants. The scene was quite appalling.
Xie Anan observed the ants eating the meat carefully. Now and then, she would extend a finger and push the wandering ants back to the meat.
Her hands were quite fast. Before the ants bit her, she had already retracted them.
"They are Purple Ring Sword Ants. I've been feeding them in order to train my hand speed, but they are not so easy to deal with. They have to eat at this hour every day, or they will starve. At noon today, their feeding time was already delayed. So, sorry, I had to stop for a while. Ouch!"
While Xie Anan raised her head and explained to Li Yao, an extremely large Purple Ring Sword Ant bit her hand hard while she was not concentrating.
The girl jumped to her feet in the excruciating pain. She gasped, producing hissing sounds, and she was waving her hands faster than a fan.
However, it was much better than last time she was bitten by a Purple Ring Sword Ant, when she foamed and passed out instantly.
Seeing that she recovered after only several seconds and bent down again to organize the Purple Ring Sword Ants while gritting her teeth, Li Yao was even more surprised. He asked unconsciously, "Purple Ring Sword Ants? It must be very painful to be bitten by them. How did you come up with such a training method?"
Xie Anan focused her attention on the Purple Ring Sword Ants in front of her. In less than three minutes, the chopped meat was eaten up by them.
The Purple Ring Sword Ants, after having a delicious dinner, immediately escaped to various directions.
However, the circle of powder that Xie Anan sprayed on the grass was the most fearful thing for the Purple Ring Sword Ants. It blocked them like an invisible wall.
The Purple Ring Sword Ants were even more furious now that they had nowhere to run. They were rubbing their tusks hard, creating strange metal noises!
Xie Anan bulged her eyes. Without blinking, she snatched the Purple Ring Sword Ants one by one and put them back into the wooden box.
"It is indeed very painful to be bitten by them. However, the improvement on hand speed is very significant, too. My hands right now are twice as fast as half a year ago!"
Xie Anan stood straight and said proudly, "This is a secret art I learned from a super refiner. He was the most brilliant genius that I've ever seen and the idol that I admired most. However, since the riot of The Temple of Immortals, he has never seen or heard anymore. Perhaps he has perished."
The girl couldn't help but pout her lips in regret.
"Well…" Li Yao scratched his chin, deep in thought. "How many Purple Ring Sword Ants can you train with right now?"
"Thirteen!" Xie Anan replied proudly, before she stuck out her tongue somewhat in embarrassment. "But I'm likely to be bitten every other minute with thirteen Purple Ring Sword Ants. Sometimes, three or four of them bite me at the same time. Hahahaha. I can only handle eleven Purple Ring Sword Ants flawlessly right now."
"Three or four Purple Ring Sword Ants biting you simultaneously?" Li Yao was stunned. "Do you not feel pain?"
"Of course, I do!"
Xie Anan extended a finger and let a Purple Ring Sword Ant crawl on it. The bouncing muscles on her fingertip and the flowing spiritual gas froze the Purple Ring Sword Ant like invisible amber.
However hard the Purple Ring Sword Ant bit, it was not able to reach her skin.
Xie Anan raised her finger and watched the glittering insect in purple armor wholeheartedly, before she said, "But this is how training works. It is either painstaking or exhausting. How can anybody succeed in training by lying on bed while eating and drinking casually?"
"But such a method of training is too cruel." Li Yao was somewhat confused. "Miss Xie Anan, as I recall, you are from a major noble family of refining, and there must be many secret arts within the Refining Department of Flying Star University, too. They wouldn't be half as painful as the one you are practicing right now.
"Why did you give up the easy secret arts in favor of such a cruel technique?"
Xie Anan slid the last Purple Ring Sword Ant into the wooden box. She took a long breath in relief and sat down beside the flower bed. She opened her hands and said, "There's no other way. Although I am from a noble family of refining, I've known that I am not gifted in the arts of refining since I was a kid.
"I've always been the least talented one compared with Sister Long Yunxin as well as the siblings and cousins of my own family, not to mention Master Sand and Master Li Yao whom I saw before.
"When I was little and trained with other people, everybody else could understand many secret arts simply by reciting them several times. But as for me, I had to cling to my crystal processor for three days and three nights trying to swallow it whole, and sometimes I failed to understand the secret arts even after doing that.
"The only shining point about me is that I am determined, and I am willing to remember many things by repeating them. When I was seven, I already memorized the entire 'Encyclopedia of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures'.
"However, by repetition, the best I can do is be admitted to Flying Star University.
"When I came to Flying Star University, I discovered that my classmates were all one-in-ten-thousand geniuses. I was no match for anybody at all. However hard I worked, I was always the tail-ender in my class.
"Nobody gave me any pressure. Even my family did not have high hopes for me. As long as I could graduate smoothly and work as a common refiner in the family business, it would be good enough for them. However, I did not want to succumb to my fate!
"Even though I cannot rise like a star in a Skyhill Sword Seminar like the super genius refiner Li Yao did, at least—at least I want to participate in a Skyhill Sword Seminar like Sister Long Yunxin. I want to feel the burning rivalry on the match field in person and the palpitation when I am competing with the best experts of the trade!
