Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 789
After all, they were merely talking about the possible paths today. Everybody could think more carefully after they were back.
"Fellow Cultivator Yan's words do make sense. We can communicate further after the meeting and see how we can promote the body fundamentalist ideals! Fourthly, we have another great advantage, which is the relic of the Pangu civilization!
"In the former half of the meeting, Senior Gui mentioned that the Covenant Alliance has possibly excavated relics of the Pangu civilization and was therefore dreadful and invincible!
"But don't forget that we have such a relic, too!"
Chapter 1205: Developing Pangu's Relic! |
While speaking, Jiang Hailiu glanced at Li Yao.
Li Yao had never been a man who preferred keeping everything to himself. Also, different from the ancient times, the exploration of relics, the production of magical equipment, and the perfection of Cultivation arts nowadays could not be completed by an individual or a single sect. They could only be done with the joint effort of a country or even a Sector.
Therefore, after the situation in the federation stabilized and his identity was confirmed, Li Yao had publicized the Star Map of Kunlun that had been left by 'Chaos' Ba Yanzhi, making it a treasure for everybody in the federation.
'Chaos' Ba Yanzhi was the only Cultivator whom Li Yao admired in the endless wars forty thousand years ago. He was also the first Cultivator who had really fought to his last breath for humanity!
Li Yao felt that only by releasing the Star Map of Kunlun to public would he deserve the soul of the predecessor. If he kept it to himself in secret, it would be a great insult for the name 'Ba Yanzhi'.
Of course, the Star Glory Federation would not neglect the contribution of the Ultra-Level Federal Hero, either.
According to the law of the federation, the discoverers of mother lodes, former residences, and prehistoric relics would boast a special position that was protected by law. Once the findings were developed on a large scale, the discoverers would be entitled to part of the profits.
The law partly protected the interests of the treasure hunters who often went through so much trouble before they finally found something, and it partly encouraged all the treasure hunters to submit their findings to the government instead of keeping the information to themselves selfishly so that the findings could be developed faster and in a more organized way. It was a win-win for everybody.
Right now, the Star Map of Kunlun was being parsed and analyzed in the computation center of the federation and the Star Prier's House in the Flying Star Sector simultaneously. Li Yao had heard from Professor Mo Xuan before the meeting that a significant breakthrough had been achieved.
Once the legendary 'Kunlun' was located, an exploration team would immediately be sent. After the basic situation about Kunlun was figured out, large-scale development would be underway!
No matter how many items were excavated in the future, Li Yao would be granted with his fair share. For a person who was too lazy to operate everything on his own, it was definitely the best choice.
Many Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators and demon emperors had heard of 'Kunlun' before. They were quite interested in the mysterious place that was claimed to be a relic of the Pangu civilization.
"Right now, we don't know anything about 'Kunlun', but some basic facts are still obvious," Jiang Hailiu said peacefully and calmly. "Firstly, this relic of the Pangu civilization will not be hard to develop. If it can be compared to a mother lode, it will be a fine one buried on the surface of the earth, if not exposed to the air directly!
"The reason is simple. Ba Yanzhi, an ancient Cultivator forty thousand years ago, was already capable of discovering and developing Kunlun. How difficult can it be?
"Secondly, by the same logic, since Kunlun was already developed once by Ba Yanzhi, who shipped a lot of goods to the Blood Demon Planet, it means that the defense system of Kunlun, if there was one, had lost effect or was destroyed by Ba Yanzhi. So, as a senior, Ba Yanzhi has already paved a way for us, the juniors. All we need to do is to follow the road he explored before!
"Thirdly, judging from Ba Yanzhi's research, the Pangu civilization and the civilization of mankind should be compatible. The arts, devices, and classics of the two parties are not contradictory or incompressible to each other. Even Ba Yanzhi was able to absorb nutrition from the Pangu civilization and conduct his dazzling research.
"It is perfectly normal, too. Our civilization and the Pangu civilization are of the same lineage after all. The living environment and the biological structure of the two parties are not vastly different. It is very likely that we have directly succeeded the Pangu Clan's genes, too. So, it's only natural that we can make use of our parent civilization's legacy.
"If it were a civilization with metal as the body and with light as the food source and the means of attack, there would be absolutely nothing we could do even if they sent their relic right to us!"
His words raised a round of laughter.
Jiang Hailiu smiled casually and said, "It means that the Pangu civilization's magical equipment and techniques are very likely to be directly utilizable for us!
"Fellow Cultivators, think about it. In the classics of the ancient Cultivators, legends about the top ten marvelous weapons of the primeval era are recorded, including the Pangu Axe, the Donghuang Bell, the Xuanyuan Sword, the Kunlun Mirror, and so on. They are all destructive, world-transforming ultimate treasures!
"If we can get access to such marvelous weapons, do we really stand no chance of beating not the entire Imperium of True Human Beings, but a secondary troop from the Imperium that comes to us after a long expedition?"
The Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators' eyes were glittering even more brightly than before. Their breath was so scorching that the temperature of the hall was raised by more than ten degrees!
The legendary weapons in the primeval era! The Pangu Axe, the Xuanyuan Sword, the Shennong Cauldron, the Donghuang Bell!
Of course, they were not really axes or swords but a certain stronger super magical equipment system that could suppress an entire Sector. Although the specific content about such systems was unknown, the side descriptions in many ancient classics were already soul-stirring enough!
If the federation had access to an ultimate treasure such as the Pangu Axe, which was bound to be more advanced than any stellar magical equipment, it was truly not going to be a problem for them to crush an expedition fleet!
Li Yao's nostrils were fully opened, too, from which hot air was spurting out.
As a refiner, his passion for magical equipment was deep to his bones. If he could see the ultimate treasures left by the Pangu civilization and even manipulate the weapons such as the Pangu Axe or the Xuanyuan Sword personally, he would die a happy death even if he kicked the bucket the next second!
"All in all, the New Federation, with the four advantages, is definitely in a hopeful position, but hopeful doesn't mean victorious. Victory will not come on its own but requires the joint effort of every fellow Cultivator here and the people of the three Sectors!"
Jiang Hailiu waved his arms hard, as if he were drawing a burning, shining path in a gloomy future. "We have talked a lot optimistically just now. The ideas such as playing the balance strategy in the war between the Imperium and the Covenant Alliance are all based on the same premise, which is we are strong enough!
"If we want to influence the balance of a scale, we must be at least a feather. If we are just speck of dust, it will mean nothing to either side!
"Only if we are strong enough ourselves, and we are capable of crushing the large-scale strategic attack from either the Imperium or the Covenant Alliance, will we really catch their attention and even become important factors that can decide the outcome of the war. That's the only way we can take advantage of both sides!
"Nobody will care about an ant that they can step on casually. If we are an ant, we will be taking advantage of nobody and having enemies who can stomp on us all around us!
"Therefore, let's strive with the four advantages as the foundation! Burn our lives, dedicate our souls, and work hard for a hundred years, for our family, homeland, and descendants, for our glory in the past and to come, and for a new federation and new future!
"Close your eyes and think about it, fellow Cultivators! In a hundred years, we will boast seven to ten Sectors, we will combine the training system of spiritual energy with the training system of biochemistry with the knowledge in the Pangu civilization's relic, and the ratio of Cultivators to ordinary people will be ten times higher than present day. We will even have unparalleled experts in the Divinity Transformation Stage!
"Such unparalleled experts will be piloting the super large warships that is ten times, if not a hundred times, larger than Burning Prairie, manipulating the legendary weapons such as the Pangu Axe and the Xuanyuan Sword, and patrolling in the sea of stars!
"Even if the expedition army of the Imperium does come, so what? Let's show them the real strength of the federation!
"As long as the expedition fleet of the Imperium is crushed, we will be able to retrieve tremendous techniques and technologies of the Imperium of True Human Beings. We will also have a lot of intelligence about the Imperium as well as captives!
"Then, it will be the moment when the federation goes against the current, marches to the center of the universe, and competes with the Imperium and the Covenant Alliance!
"Only we are the rightful heir to the spirit of the Star Ocean Imperium and the last guardian of humanity! I believe that the fire of humanity will definitely burn more and more fiercely in our hands, until the infinite universe is all illuminated!"
Although most of the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators were around two hundred years old and were usually indifferent to the change of surroundings, they still felt that their blood was boiling, hearing Jiang Hailiu's speech. For a moment, applause was thundering.
For a Cultivator, was there anything more meaningful than raging in the sea of stars and spreading their will, ideology, and belief to the entire universe?
Life was limited, but ideology was not. Carrying out one's will in all the three thousand Sectors and changing the fashion of the entire civilization so that the civilization of mankind could laugh in the universe for a million, a billion and a trillion years, that would be true immortality!
"Regarding the development in the next hundred years, many fellow Cultivators have carefully prepared their strategies and plans. Please feel free to speak whatever is on your mind, everybody!"
Jiang Hailiu bowed and cleared the podium.
Of the two hundred or so participants, around fifty of them had prepared their plans. According to the order decided by drawing lots beforehand, they went to the podium one by one.
Professor Mo Xuan was the first to present his ideas.
The spectral Cultivators had only the soul but not a body, and their ways of training were different from those of regular Cultivators. However, after experiencing the weird cosmic storm, melting with liquid metal, turning into star spirits, and swallowing the immense computational ability of the star child, Professor Mo Xuan's computational ability had been soaring nonstop to an incredible level. He was in the Nascent Soul Stage from whatever aspect!
Hiding inside a normal artificial body, Professor Mo Xuan bowed courteously. Then, from every gap on the body, his real body, which looked like mercury, flowed out to the skull where it condensed into an absolutely perfect silver ball. Supported by spiritual energy, it floated to the midair.
Such a weird phenomenon made a lot of demon emperors exclaim in shock.
"Now, I would like to introduce to you the 'Spiritual Ghost Plan'!"
From deep inside the silver ball, Professor Mo Xuan's half passionate and half peaceful voice echoed.
Chapter 1206: Army of Star Spirits |
Light and shadows were changing behind Professor Mo Xuan while data and files as boundless of an ocean emerged. Together with his immaculate body made of liquid metal, they inevitably brought a sense of mysteriousness.
"It is well known that spectral Cultivators are vulnerable to the interference of magnetic fields and radiation because of the lack of a physical body. They can possibly perish and disappear forever because of such interference!
"Therefore, the ancient ghosts often extended their own lives through vicious approaches such as absorbing other people's vitality and even possessing someone else's body.
"Nowadays, a kind of great magical equipment named 'artificial body' has been invented, which provides a metal shell for the spectral Cultivators, thereby significantly improving the longevity and life quality of the spectral Cultivators!
"However, the artificial bodies have their shortcomings. To say the least, in a war, compared to the bodies of Cultivators, the artificial bodies are very weak, and they can only make use of spiritual energy in a monotonous way!
"It is because the artificial bodies of the present day are all made of normal metals that have their own restraints. However, my four students and I, after being baptized by the cosmic storm by accident, turned into star spirits, new-generation spectral Cultivators, by hiding inside the liquid metal!
"Compared to regular artificial bodies, the liquid metal has too many advantages. We can change our physical form however we want. We are compatible with most magical equipment, crystal processors, and warships. We can even directly hack and corrode hostile crystal processors and warships!
"In the war to settle the riot of the Immortal Cultivators in the Flying Star Sector, we five star spirits snuck into the mainframe crystal processor of Heavenly Phantom, the predecessor of Burning Prairie, with the body of liquid metal. We stole tremendous computational ability and helped Li Yao and the fellow Cultivators defeat the magnificent star child indirectly!"
Behind Professor Mo Xuan, pictures about the riot of the Immortal Cultivators popped up. Explosions and ear-splitting sounds of metal being twisted were immediately echoing inside the hall.
Professor Mo Xuan went on. "As a scholar, I don't believe in coincidences. Anything that happened will definitely happen again, however low the odds are!
"So, if my four students and I can be melted into the liquid metal perfectly, why can't the other spectral Cultivators?
"The so-called 'Spiritual Ghost Plan' is exactly for such a purpose! We will establish an enormous 'cosmic storm laboratory' in the Heaven's Origin Sector to simulate the cosmic storms and everything that my students and I experienced that day. We will explore the patterns by which the remnant souls are melted with the liquid metal. In the end, we will get the technology to produce star spirits on our own!
"By then, we will be able to pour the remnant souls into liquid metal as conveniently as we pour them into the artificial bodies right now!
"Today, more than fifteen million spectral Cultivators live in the Heaven's Origin Sector and the Flying Star Sector. Taking the 'ghost demons' in the Blood Demon Sector into account, the number can easily surpass twenty million! Our ultimate goal is to melt a hundred thousand or even more of them into the liquid metal and build an enormous 'army of star spirits' in the next hundred years!
"Think about it, everybody. Let's leave the application of the 'army of star spirits' in peacetime aside for a moment. When the expedition army of the Imperium comes at us aggressively, the hundred thousand star spirits will sneak into the starships of the Imperium of True Human Beings without alarming anyone. We will infiltrate their mainframe crystal processors, swallow their computational ability, and even completely take over the starships!
"What a great help it will be for the victory of the war!"
The 'Spiritual Ghost Plan' that Professor Mo Xuan proposed with consideration of his own situation was truly enticing. Many Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators nodded in approval. They were apparently quite interested.
Professor Mo Xuan took the opportunity to look for patrons. "To realize the 'Spiritual Ghost Plan', we will have to conquer thousands of technological obstacles. For now, the most important thing for us is to establish a 'cosmic storm laboratory' in outer space, which is a huge investment that requires more than fifty billion dollars to initiate. The Grand Desolate War Institution alone cannot afford it!
"After the Meeting of the Nascent Soul Stage, we will host a 'Spiritual Ghost Plan Press Conference' and tell the public more details about the project. If you are interested, fellow Cultivators, you can come and join the event!"
Dozens of Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators behind were waiting to speak. Therefore, Professor Mo Xuan only gave a general picture and a brief introduction.
After sending the detailed files to the crystal processors of the two hundred participants, Professor Mo Xuan bowed and left the podium.
Li Yao immediately sent a message to him. "Professor Mo Xuan, what's the progress of the 'Spiritual Ghost Plan' right now? Are there any theoretically irresolvable conundrums? Let's talk in private after the meeting and see if the Glorious Sunlight Group can invest the project directly and secure strategic cooperation with the Grand Desolate War Institution!"
Li Yao and Professor Mo Xuan had been through life and death together. Naturally, Li Yao would give his full support to Mo Xuan's project.
It did not matter how much money the Glorious Sunlight Group was really investing. After the news that the Glorious Sunlight Group was now cooperating with the Grand Desolate War Institution, a lot of sects in the Flying Star Sector would certainly be willing to join the project.
Professor Mo Xuan replied to Li Yao with a thank-you emoji. They did not have time to pursue any further because another expert had begun his introduction. It was another of his old acquaintances, the Fire Ant King!
"What I am going to introduce is not a systematic plan but a series of research fields—the treasures left by 'Chaos' Ba Yanzhi!
