by <unknown>
This time, Li Yao was truly dumbfounded. He scratched his head and said, "Captain, you don't mind that I will be leaving you?"
Li Yao had thought that they would definitely persuade him to stay in the Society now that he had shown astonishing talent.
However, not only did the captain see through his determination to leave, he had even made plans for him and seemed to be worrying that he might not be able to fly high enough.
"What is there to mind? It's great that somebody can jump to a higher platform than the Great Horn Exo Society."
Lei Dalu explained with a smile, "Ah Yao, since you've been living in the remote areas of the sea of stars, you might not be familiar with the conventions of the Cultivators.
"A long time ago, there were strict rules and laws about loyalty among Cultivators. Quitting an organization and joining another one was a taboo.
"However, there is a motivation for every decision. If some Cultivators want to switch to a different organization, they must have good reasons for that. For example, their life in their current organization is unpleasant, or they have new ambitions now.
"The outcome of suppressing their will back then was that those Cultivators would often dawdle along, which was a better-case scenario.
"Sometimes, the conflicts went public, and the sect sometimes even split apart. In the more violent cases, some Cultivators even conspired with space pirates and led them to attack the sect. These were real tragedies.
"Even if the uprisings were suppressed successfully, other people in the sect might feel unsafe and became unwilling to contribute.
"After such tragedies repeated themselves for hundreds of years, finally, everyone figured it out. Those who are forced are always the least motivated. What good is there if one's heart is somewhere else even though their body is present?
"Therefore, the transfer system has been established in the world of Cultivators. The process of a Cultivator quitting one organization and joining another one is known as 'transferring'. The organization accepting them must compensate their old sect with a sum of money according to a public standard with consideration of capability, potential, background, etc. In such a way, everybody involved is happy and satisfied!
"Hehe. When the transfer system was first put into use, some fogies didn't believe in the advantages of the system. But after hundreds of years of experimenting, everybody has come to realize that there are greater benefits in the system other than the monetary compensation.
"You also know that most people in our Flying Star Sector live on lone islands in the sea of stars. They are far away from each other and barely ever communicate. It is not uncommon for people to never visit their neighbors a few space zones away.
"But for Cultivators, the last thing they need is solitude. If everybody is hiding their own techniques, their techniques will be passed on to no one. Communication is compulsory!
"Before, people had no channels of communication, nor did they know each other's details. They had to tread lightly and reservedly when they got in touch with other people.
"But after the transfer system was established, the communication between Cultivators significantly increased.
"For example, in the past, if a certain brilliant genius from Sect A decided to quit and join Sect B. The two sects would definitely quarrel, if not waging a war at each other, would they not?
"But under the transfer system, Sect A would receive a large sum of compensation which could be used to train newcomers, purchase Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, and refine more powerful magical equipment. Of course, Sect A's attitude would be different, and they would definitely bid the brilliant genius a warm farewell and welcome him to come back to visit at any time.
"Let's say the brilliant genius grew up in Sect A. Sect A would be his hometown. It is very likely that his family and fellows all stay in the place. If his departure with the old sect is not ugly, he would definitely feel somewhat guilty and cherish his 'mother sect'.
"When the brilliant genius does well and makes his way into the leadership of Sect B, naturally, he wouldn't hesitate to converse with Sect A more. With the more frequent exchange of persons and Cultivation arts, the relationship between the two sects will be all the more intimate.
"It was not until the transfer system was established that Cultivators of the Flying Star Sector, who had used to shut their doors and mind their own business, were truly integrated. It is also the reason our Cultivation civilization soared exponentially!
"Ah Yao, with your talents, if you stay in Great Horn, without the enlightenment of more masters and without seeing a bigger world, the best hope for you is to become a second Xiong Tao.
"But if we help you move a step forward to the crystal suit centers of Heavenly Saints City or other top organizations such as the six major sects, who knows what you will grow into in a few years' time?
"By then, if the organization you are in intends to hire an Exo Society, won't you think of the Great Horn?
"Isn't helping each other how Cultivators should make friends and build new connections?
"Therefore, just take the crystal suit and train with it. There is nothing to be concerned about. Put your endeavors in the Dim Flame Belt aside. Just consider it a favor that can always be returned if you still bear the Great Horn Exo Society in mind when you rise to fame and fortune in the future!"
Lei Dalu's words rendered Li Yao speechless.
Although Lei Dalu was trying to help him, the guy had been talking in a way that it seemed to be a fair deal, if not one where he was talking advantage of Li Yao.
However, he found no solid rebuttals. He felt that his heart was hot and comfortable.
Li Yao finally realized why the defiant young men of the Tiger Killer Camp all supported and worshipped their messy 'Uncle Captain'.
On second thought, the system did make sense. The most thing about Cultivation was indeed communication.
Back in the Heaven's Origin Sector, all the Cultivation sects were on the same continent of the same planet, united against a common enemy. The communication between them had never been a problem.
However, in the Flying Star Sector, everybody drifted in the sea of stars like lonely boats. They wandered in darkness aimlessly. Without sufficient communication, it was not impossible that a sect in isolation would decay and perish within dozens of years.
In such a vast world, the transfer system was a necessity to ensure that the Cultivation civilization as a whole did not retrograde.
"Captain, thank you, thank Uncle Xiong and everyone else in the Society. Wherever I go in the future, I will declare proudly that I come from Great Horn," Li Yao said solemnly.
Li Yao meant what he said.
At first, his sole purpose of staying in the Great Horn Exo Society temporarily was to study secret arts, add credibility to his backstory, and also take a free ride.
However, after sailing together in the same starship for more than a month and surviving the perils of the Dim Flame Belt, Li Yao gradually fell in love with this group of people that were somewhat special.
All the muscular, hideous-looking men were actually kind and frank, despite their intimidating looks.
The refiners in the Society never kept anything to themselves, either. They taught him all their knowledge without keeping anything from him.
The vigorous young men of the Tiger Kill Camp reminded him of his days in the Grand Desolate War Institution, too.
Li Yao felt that he was extremely lucky to make his first step in an alien world with such a unique team.
Lei Dalu patted his shoulder and smiled. "Let's cut the nonsense. The most important thing about us Cultivators is candor! Come and test the 'Eight Arm'!"
Li Yao himself was eager to try it, too. He rubbed his hands and dashed to the Eight Arm Maintenance Suit.
'Ah' has been used in previous chapters, but for those who haven't had it explained before, 'Ah' doesn't mean anything in particular, it's just an affectionate way of addres
sing someone.
Chapter 471: Different Ideologies |
This was the first time that Li Yao had put on an advanced crystal suit made in the Flying Star Sector.
His previous Rockman was just a piece of civil magical equipment aimed at ordinary people that boasted little combat ability despite his strengthening and modification. The Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures it employed and the computational ability it possessed were nothing special, either.
This Eight Arm, on the other hand, was a luxury from Heavenly Saints City. The moment he put on it, he felt that a warm spring was soaking his skin. There was not the slightest hinderance or rigidness. The crystal suit seemed to have become his second skin.
Countless streams of information flooded into his brain. His nerves were completely docked to the wires of the crystal suit.
This is awesome. The advantages of a battle suit and a maintenance suit have been combined into one crystal suit. Not only does it carry sixteen groups of cutter models, there are also seven kinds of spray guns that can spew spiritual energy of various attributes. Together with the crystal microscopes that can enlarge the picture by 120 thousand times and the micro craver made of hard crystals, I can carve a hundred rune arrays in a square inch!
This Eight Arm is indeed an extraordinary maintenance suit. Except for the lack of a refining furnace, almost all the tools required for a maintenance task can be found on it!
It's equal to a walking refining workshop!
The structure design of the crystal suit, the magical equipment it carried, as well as a lot of other information, poured down. Li Yao was fascinated as he read them. His lips curled up in excitement.
However, when he performed the most basic movements inside the training room wearing the Eight Arm Suit, he found that it was extremely odd.
The Eight Arm Suit did not inform him of everything that it had sensed. Instead, the mainframe crystal processor of the suit filtered the enormous and complicated information by itself and calculated dozens of plans according to the actual situation.
All he had to do was to pick the best plan from the list offered.
For example, when he was going to sprint forward, if he was wearing the Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit, he would have to extend his spiritual thread into every power rune array and control the direction of every spurt, sometimes requiring an angle at the accuracy of two decimal points.
However, now that he was wearing Eight Arm, all he needed to do was to think of 'move forward' and pick one of the ninety-seven patterns of moving forward. The activated level of the power rune arrays and the micro adjustments of the spurts would all be handled by the crystal processor.
In such a case, the operations of the crystal suit would be much more convenient. It would be more agile during combat, too. However, the independency of the Exo was greatly diminished.
Li Yao did not like the feeling. He thought that the crystal suit was taking over duties that it shouldn't.
Li Yao preferred to supervise every rune array and every component on the crystal suit in person. The crystal suit was just a platform of magical equipment and, above all, a tool. He had to be responsible for every detail of the combat personally.
In such a case, there would be much more information that he needed to deal with, but it was much freer, too. He could fight at his will without being bound by anything.
The ideology of the crystal suits of the Flying Star Sector has been on a different path from that of the Heaven's Origin Sector since the very beginning. People here attach much more importance to the performance of the crystal processor. When the crystal processor has enough computational ability, it can promptly assess the information, devise tactic plans, and optimize the movements of the Exo!
As a result, combat becomes easy and straightforward. Everybody will know what they are doing without any trouble. Even ordinary people can wear crystal suits with ease. Together with the 'skill cards' which store the skills of the real experts, the crystal suit will have both common strategies and ultimate ones. Its potential damage can be quite impressive, too!
This must be because of the special environment of the Flying Star Sector.
War debris is everywhere in the Flying Star Sector. There are countless different kinds of advanced magical equipment and crystal processors. Therefore, the Cultivators of this Sector were bestowed with crystal processors possessing amazing computational ability from the very beginning. It's not unusual that they focus their attention on crystal processors!
However, in such a mode, there is barely any room for an Exo to perform at will. They would be like puppets hiding in crystal suits without any creativity. All they need to do is to select different tactics in the proper order and release the skills when the timing is appropriate.
It's indeed convenient. However, the strategies optimized by the crystal processor must have certain patterns. If the opponent sees through the patterns, it will be a disaster!
All roads lead to the heavens. Li Yao wouldn't say that the ideology of the Flying Star Sector was wrong, but he was not particularly fond of it, either.
As a man growing up in a magical equipment graveyard, Li Yao valued versatility more than anything during combat. Even the same skill would be adjusted according to the conditions of different environments and enemies.
Before he came here, Li Yao had hardly used fixed moves.
The 'Thunderous Tornado Saber Art' of his own invention was just a state of mind. As to exactly how the saber should be slashed out at a particular moment, it would be dependent on the actual situation.
Therefore, Li Yao, who was manipulated by 'Eight Arm' in this place, was always going against the crystal suit's choices and tried to walk in the way he thought was the best.
In Lei Dalu's eyes, Li Yao was stumbling unnaturally in the new crystal suit.
Lei Dalu didn't see anything wrong about it. On the contrary, he thought that it was quite normal.
The Eight Arm Suit was an advanced model even in Heavenly Saints City. It was only logical that Li Yao failed to grasp it in such a short amount of time.
Lei Dalu smiled. "Ah Yao, I also bought you three skill cards. They've been inserted into the crystal processor. Have a try!"
Li Yao nodded. He glanced at the bottom-left corner of the light beam and was dazed for a moment. "One gold card and two silver cards?"
Skill cards were classified into regular, silver, gold, and platinum.
Regular cards stored the skills and telepathic thoughts of the Refinement Stage Cultivators and allowed the user to carry out the moves of the Refinement Stage.
Silver cards were made of Building Foundation Stage Cultivators and entailed the abilities of the Building Foundation Stage.
Gold cards were refined by Core Formation Stage Cultivators and contained their moves, which could be quite destructive when they were carried out!
As for the platinum cards, they were the ultimate devices produced by the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators. When they were inserted into a crystal suit, the Exo would be able to wield the skills of the Nascent Soul Stage!
Of course, to wield a certain skill card, one's own capability must not be too low. The gap between the Exo and the producer of the skill card could not be too wide.
Ordinary people could only use regular cards; Refinement Stage Cultivators could use silver cards; Building Foundation Stage Cultivators could bring out the damage of the gold cards; only the Core Formation Stage Cultivators were capable enough of utilizing platinum cards at will.
But now, Lei Dalu had prepared three skill cards, one gold and the other two silver!
If the Eight Arm Suit was a reward for Li Yao's contribution to fixing the spiritual shield generator and helping Gold Horn run away from the Dim Flame Belt, the three skill cards would be too big a favor for him to return.
Li Yao selected a move named 'Morning Glow Saber Art' from a silver card and activated it.
The Eight Arm Suit immediately sped up. Hundreds of rune arrays
glittered suddenly. Circles of brightness crowded around his right arm in spirals and formed a dazzling saber in front of his fingertip. Then, it rushed out and hit a metal target in front of the room brutally, leaving a deep crack on it.
Li Yao secretly frowned, not very satisfied about the result.
It was for the same reason. As a seasoned Exo who had abundant experience in fighting, he had his own styles and principles and detested the notion of being commanded by a crystal suit. Therefore, when the crystal suit was activated, his body resisted the enforced movements subconsciously, making the movements not as perfect as they were supposed to be.
Li Yao did not see eye to eye with skill cards, either.
In his opinion, to bring out the maximum damage of a skill, one must really comprehend the inspiration and mysteries of the skill, analyze its spiritual energy circulation and triggering models, and reconstruct them in the most suitable way for oneself.
Only by learning a skill in such a way could one really grasp it!
Otherwise, one would only be mimicking the experts. Their movements might be alike, but the true essence of the skills had been lost.
It seems that the fighting pattern of the Flying Star Sector's crystal suits is not agreeable with me.
But it doesn't matter. I'm a refiner myself anyway. I can always modify the crystal suit and redistribute the computation ability of the crystal processor. The filtering procedure can be canceled, too. That way, it will be the same as the crystal suits of the Heaven's Origin Sector.
As for skill cards, I can use them to sense the profoundness of the top experts during my daily training. But in real combat, I think it's still best to rely on myself, Li Yao thought.
In the communication channel came Lei Dalu's voice that seemed to indicate he was having a toothache. "Ah Yao, it seems that you are not gifted at wearing a crystal suit. According to my calculation just now, the sync rate between you and the crystal suit is only 37%. It is… quite low actually."
