Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 743
"Many of the representatives and the fellow Cultivators here must be wondering the same thing. Even if everything that I said is true, I cannot prove that I am not possessed by the Blood Stripe Virus, can I? Maybe, the so-called Blood Devil is winning everybody's trust in preparation for a larger scheme!
"I'm well aware that it is very difficult to explain, but we are running out of time.
"Therefore—"
Li Yao smiled and opened his hands. Small, glittering pearls popped up from his Cosmos Ring one after another and danced around him merrily.
Very soon, almost a hundred colorful, refreshing pearls were circling him faster and faster until they almost formed a barrier.
The three battle-type Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators and hundred Core Formation Stage Cultivators were all greatly surprised. Not knowing what Li Yao was up to, they could only activate their spiritual shield and watch warily.
Li Yao grinned. "In order to prove my innocence, over the past year, I went through a lot of trouble to collect the most rarely-seen Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and produced a hundred and eight 'Mental Devil Annihilating Thunderous Pills'!
"According to my design, the hundred and eight Mental Devil Annihilating Thunderous Pills, which were refined with the mysterious, sophisticated secret arts of the ancient times, can trigger mystic and incredible lightning that will take effect directly inside the brain and destroy all objects that do not belong to the body!
"If I cannot destroy the Blood Stripe Virus even then, I will detonate my body and soul with all my Cultivation and die together with it!
"Today, Vulture Li Yao will demonstrate my determination with my death, if that is the only way to convince you of everything that I've said!"
"What?" All the Cultivators jumped to their feet. They did not expect Li Yao to be as strong-minded!
Ding Lingdang frowned and was about to lunge forth when Wu Mayan clung to her thigh and dragged her back.
Wu Mayan rolled his eyes and said in a weird expression. "Wait, Masteress, if you recall what Master said a moment ago…"
Ding Lingdang was dazed. She looked at professor Mo Xuan, who was next to her.
As a spectral Cultivator, the professor did not have a facial expression, but the crystal cameras on his face were glittering. There was no telling what was on his mind, but he was definitely more amused than panicked.
"Don't you come close!"
The 'Mental Devil Annihilating Thunderous Pills' around Li Yao were revolving faster and faster. They released electric arcs that weaved into a golden, blinking net. The electric net ripped the air apart, generating a deep blue mist. Everything inside the mist became obscure. The only thing that could be heard was Li Yao's desperate roar. "The Blood Stripe Virus is very sordid. It might dash out of my body and run into yours!
"Fellow Cultivators, be careful not to be infected. Don't come close! Sacrifice one for the happiness of many!"
A few Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators and Core Formation Stage Cultivators were planning to go forward and help Li Yao, but they did not dare move after hearing his words.
They had no idea what the Blood Devil was exactly, much less how to resist it. Who could they turn to if they were accidentally infected?
The 'Mental Devil Annihilating Thunderous Pills' were revolving at the highest speed. The spacious hall was filled with the sound of thunder. Covered by the deep blue mist, the spectators lost track of everything inside the array.
Everybody could only hear two voices replacing each other, one of which belonged to Li Yao, and the other was extremely sharp, brutal, and cold!
"You will not escape from my body. I am going to die with you!"
"Hiss. Let me go! Let me go!"
"Haha. Hahahaha. Let's die together and finish everything!"
"You are crazy! Don't. Don't! Ah! Ahhhhhhhh!"
As the two voices echoed, bright, overwhelming spiritual waves and mysterious, unpredictable cold winds were both surging inside the array, as if two strengths, one righteous and the other evil, were having a head-on clash!
Gradually, the cold wind seemed to be eclipsing the spiritual waves!
Everybody was astonished. They were wondering what they should do when Li Yao roared from the center of the array. "Friends, compatriots, and fellow Cultivator, farewell!"
Boom!
The hundred and eight 'Mental Devil Annihilating Thunderous Pills' activated the most dazzling electric arcs at the same time and collapsed toward the center, raising a brilliant ball.
Deep inside the ball, a bloody shadow seemed to be struggling before it perished into nothingness after a scream.
The ball died down, and the electric arcs were no more. The hall was peaceful again, but a blackened statue was floating in midair quietly and extending its arms toward them, as if he were still not willing to leave the world. Frozen for half a second, he fell down heavily.
"Li Yao!" Ding Lingdang pinched her leg hard and ran forward in tears.
All the representatives and experts looked at each other in bewilderment, speechless.
The few members of the Patriots Partnership among the representatives were dazed and infuriated, too.
Before, they had drafted dozens of neat plans targeting Li Yao's identity as the Blood Devil. The debate and the investigation would linger for days if not months. He would not be able to explain himself.
But they had not anticipated that Li Yao would play such a move!
What was that supposed to mean? Such acting skills were too unnatural! They were not idiots!
In the dead silence, Professor Mo Xuan walked to the podium slowly. He did not look at Li Yao, who was stretching on the ground, catching his last breath at all but turned his worried eyes to all the representatives and experts in the hall.
"Fellow Cultivators."
Professor Mo Xuan was renowned in the first place, and everybody knew his legendary experience in the Flying Star Sector. Therefore, there was no need for him to introduce himself.
He sighed as if he were truly grieving and said solemnly, "Fellow Cultivator Li Yao was willing to die together with the Blood Stripe Virus in order to destroy it. It was truly admirable.
"However, we don't know yet whether the Blood Stripe Virus has been purged or not.
"Now, there are two possibilities.
"Firstly, the Blood Stripe Virus has indeed been annihilated without leaving slightest trace.
"Secondly, the Blood Stripe Virus has not been removed but is still lurking inside Li Yao's body. After all, it is very difficult for us to confirm the result with our current technology!
"Oh, right. There's another possibility. The Blood Stripe Virus is contagious. Perhaps, in the fierce fight just now, the Blood Stripe Virus, seeing that it was no good, escaped out of Li Yao's body through the bloody mist and dashed into a certain someone's body.
"In other words, all the representatives, elders, leaders, and ministers, every one of you, except for spectral Cultivators such as myself, could be… a Blood Devil!"
Chapter 1131: Good or Evil! |
Li Yao woke up slowly in the medication drugs, but he was not in a hurry to open his eyes. In the comfortable daze, he perceived the brand-new world slowly, like a butterfly that was about to break out of the cocoon or a sprout that was piercing out of the soil and smelling the warmth of sunlight.
Li Yao knew that he was totally different from the past now and that he had embarked on a completely different path of Cultivation.
Chiliu! Chiliu! Chiliu! Chiliu!
All the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures in the tank of medication drugs were absorbed by him instantly, repairing his broken organs crazily. His every cell was like a vigorous bud that would blossom soon.
The dark green medication drugs a moment ago turned as clear as water. All the ingredients had been swallowed by him.
Li Yao leapt out of the medication drugs, not raising the slightest wave. Before his feet landed on the floor, the remaining liquid on his skin had been vaporized into mist because of the high-frequency vibrations of his muscles. Surrounded by the mist, he looked rather elegant and mysterious.
Grinning, Li Yao looked at his hands in great satisfaction. He clenched his fists and felt the strength flowing among his finger like invisible dragons.
I'm finally back to myself!
The wounds previously, especially those from Diwu Jian's Five Disintegrations of Heavens and Human, have mostly recovered. In another few days, the radiation will be utterly purged from my body!
Sensing that his every vein and nerve was as smooth and stoppable as a railway line, Li Yao felt so great that he roared!
It was a pure-white, high-level ward, filled with the most advanced medical magical equipment. But Wu Mayan was the only one taking a nap aside. Sensing the quickly surging spiritual energy, the young qi-trainer was suddenly woken up. He jumped to his feet. "Master, you're awake!"
"What's happened?"
Li Yao glanced at the clock on the wall. Twelve hours had passed since he executed the Blood Devil in parliament. It was the quietest moment at night right now.
Li Yao coughed. Rubbing his temples, he frowned. "Has the Blood Stripe Virus been killed by me?"
"Master…" Wu Mayan blinked and pouted. "You are going too far. I've followed you long enough, and this is not the first time that I've seen your performance as an actor. But even if you may not like to hear it, I still have to say that today's performance was your most unnatural and unconvincing one!"
Li Yao's face remained unchanged. "Was it?"
Wu Mayan nodded. "Yes, it was! Such foul acting skills did not even fool me. You didn't think that the shrewd representatives, elders, and leaders would be tricked, did you?"
With a chuckle, Li Yao put on his coat with Wu Mayan's help. Then he smiled. "You must think about it from a different perspective. Yes, my performance at that time was truly tawdry. It is the greatest stain on my acting career. Even the hundred and eight thunderous something pills were actually made by tearing down the beads of several bearings that I bought in a random hardware store. They indeed did not seem convincing enough to execute the Blood Stripe Virus.
"However, how can you prove that it was not yet another trick of the Blood Stripe Virus?
"Perhaps the Blood Stripe Virus wanted everybody to continue suspecting me while it took the chance to sneak into another victim's body!"
Wu Mayan was dumbfounded. Hesitating for a long time, he said, "I have to prove that, too?"
"Of course!" Li Yao nodded solemnly. "You also know that the Blood Stripe Virus comes and goes without a trace. Whoever gets infected can only curse their bad luck! I was infected uncannily years ago, too. You were there to witness it in person!
"Therefore, no matter how foul my performance was, as soon as I point the fact out, the most powerful representatives, experts, and leaders will have to be faced with the same problem: how could they prove that my 'foul performance' was not the camouflage of a 'marvelous performance' and that the real Blood Stripe Virus has not snuck away to their body?
"Let's take you for example. Suppose you are a representative in parliament, how can you prove that you are not infected by the Blood Stripe Virus?"
Wu Mayan jumped up and scratched his head for a long time, only to come up with nothing.
Li Yao laughed. "You can't prove it. The representatives and leaders couldn't, either, just like me."
Wu Mayan raised his arms to surrender. "Master, you are losing me!"
Silent, Li Yao smiled.
"Master!" Wu Mayan glanced at him. Hesitating for a moment, he summoned his courage and asked, "Although it does make sense, I still want to know the truth. Has the Blood Stripe Virus been eliminated by you, Master? Will it jump out and cause trouble again sometime in future?"
"Does it really matter whether it is eliminated or not?"
Soft redness was flowing deep inside Li Yao's left eye, as if it could be completely melted with the blackness in the depths of his right eye. Pondering for a moment, he said slowly, "It's true that the Blood Stripe Virus seems bad and dangerous. Yan Xibei, years ago, even caused the doom of Iron Plateau after he was infected by the Blood Stripe Virus!
"Therefore, after I knew I was infected, I panicked every day and considered it a great enemy.
"However, after the incident recently, it has occurred to me that Lu Zui, who was in no way infected by the Blood Stripe Virus, almost caused the doom of the Heaven's Origin Sector, the Flying Star Sector, and the Blood Demon Sector, just like Yan Xibei, didn't he?
"Tell me. Is there a fundamental difference between Yan Xibei, who contracted the Blood Stripe Virus, and Lu Zui, who didn't?"
Wu Mayan was deep in thought.
Li Yao smiled and continued. "To this last second of his life, Yan Xibei still wouldn't accept that he was infected by the Blood Stripe Virus. He swore to me that he was Yan Xibei and that it was he who had been pushing forward the plan the whole time.
"At that time, I was not convinced. I thought that the real Yan Xibei was already dead, same as you did. I thought that our enemy on Iron Plateau was merely the Blood Devil that was using Yan Xibei's body as its shell.
"But now, I've changed my opinion. Perhaps he wasn't lying, and he was indeed not manipulated by the Blood Stripe Virus. Perhaps the so-called 'Blood Stripe Virus' is neither kind nor evil. It has always been us, our own heart, that can tell kindness from evilness. The Blood Stripe Virus is a catalyst at best.
"The Blood Stripe Virus did not manipulate Yan Xibei; Yan Xibei swallowed the Blood Stripe Virus and used its strength to carry out his crazy will!"
Wu Mayan stammered, "Master, you are saying—"
"What I'm saying is, maybe, there is an abyss in everyone's heart and a Blood Devil lurking in the deepest part of the abyss. Anybody—including someone like Lu Zui, who is absolutely not infected by the Blood Stripe Virus—might be accidentally swallowed by the abyss and fall into the control of their natural-born Blood Devil!
"If that's the case, does it really matter whether or not the Blood Stripe Virus was purged by me?"
Wu Mayan gasped. "Then, what should we do?"
Li Yao snapped his forehead and said, "If you're worried, go and look for the abyss and Blood Devil in your heart. Slash it every once in a while after dinner or sleep. That will be enough. Isn't that the best sense of Cultivation?"
Holding his forehead, Wu Mayan was deep in thought, or rather, he pretended that was thinking hard.
Such ideas were not readily understandable for a young man less than twenty years old such as himself.
Right then, the door of the ward was thrown open. Ding Lingdang rushed in like a tornado and jumped into his arms.
Li Yao felt that an erupting volcano had just been thrown to him. He felt happy, stunned, and a bit suffocated.
Professor Mo Xuan looked at them from aside with delight.
"Should I give you ten minutes?" the professor asked thoughtfully and hinted at Wu Mayan.
"That's unnecessary." Ding Lingdang let go of Li Yao after pinching his chest hard. "You've been through this, too, Professor. We've been apart for ten years. What can we do in ten minutes? Also, the room here is too small. Not suitable for us."
"Cough, cough. Cough, cough, cough!" Li Yao coughed loudly. Rubbing his ribs which were nearly broken by Ding Lingdang, he asked solemnly, "Professor, I've slept for half a day. What happened outside?"
Professor Mo Xuan smiled and brought three pieces of news.
Firstly, after learning that the Blood Stripe Virus was perhaps fleeing in the parliament building and might even have infected a random representative, expert, or leader, the federal government immediately took action with the cooperation of the Cultivators. In only a few hours, the best doctors, Meditation Healers, and refiners had worked out a standard procedure to identity the Blood Devil. The correction rate of the identification was one hundred percent.
All the representatives and experts who had been present, including Li Yao himself, passed the test. None of them were infected by the Blood Stripe Virus.
All of them agreed unanimously that the Blood Stripe Virus had been completely purged by Li Yao and would cause no further trouble.
It was truly a relief for everybody!
"Did they?" Li Yao frowned. "Is the identification procedure reliable or not? Is there any error? For safety reasons, we might as well quarantine all the representatives, leaders, and myself and observe the suspects for ten years. Isn't that better?"
"Rest assured. It is absolutely reliable!" Professor Mo Xuan replied solemnly. "The identification procedure was approved by all the representatives, leaders, and specialists. It means that the authorities of the Heaven's Origin Sector have guaranteed that anyone who passes the test is absolutely not infected by the Blood Stripe Virus!"
"That's good." Li Yao was finally relieved. He asked again, "Then, if I run into any trouble in the future, nobody will accuse me of being the Blood Devil again, right?"
"Definitely not!" Professor Mo Xuan answered quickly. "Everybody in parliament today could've been infected by the Blood Stripe Virus. If anybody suspects you, they will be suspecting everybody in the parliament building, won't they?
"Therefore, after you executed the Blood Devil and fell into a coma, all the representatives, experts, and leaders agreed that the infection of the Blood Stripe Virus should be concluded now. Whoever dares to accuse other people of being infected by the Blood Stripe Virus will be a scoundrel fanning the flames and destroying the stability and harmony of the federation. Such people can only be spies sent by the Imperium of True Human Beings!"
Chapter 1132: The Key to the Nascent Soul Stage! |
The greatest burden on Li Yao's heart was relieved. He felt much better and asked with a smile, "What about Lu Zui?"
"That's the second great piece of news. Lu Zui is now under arrest. The 'expedition motion' has been paused, too."
Lu Zui's lies were full of holes when faced with the files and evidences brought by Li Yao, especially Elder Nether Spring's memories. When the footage that recorded him ordering the shooting of the crystal railgun on 'Hidden Star' at thousands of civilians was sent to parliament, all the representatives and experts were greatly shocked.
