Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

by <unknown>

  It has taken the top Exo from one of the five major arenas more than twenty minutes to put Vulture down?

  Lone Walker was greatly astonished. He sighed in disbelief.

  …

  Li Yao was exuberant.

  Fighting at will with experts of various origins and to be killed by their ultimate skills was the greatest entertainment for a crystal suit maniac such as himself.

  "This 'Black Chess Player' is really impressive. His scheming ability is as good as mine, and his computational ability might even be higher. He truly makes a great enemy!

  "Too bad that this body is too weak. Many special tactical movements could not be supported by it. Somebody just tapped my chest and I was already dead. So unsatisfying!"

  Li Yao sniffed.

  The virtualized bodies in the World of Crystal Suits were similar to each other. They were simulations of the average body hardness of the Cultivators in the middle level of the Building Foundation Stage.

  However, Li Yao's body had been strengthened by the Thousand Tempering Hundred Refining technique. He had also activated the primordial force of the prehistoric beasts concealed inside his body's cells through the heritage of Iron God Yan Ba, a body fundamentalist. To sum up, his body was hundreds of times harder than that of a regular Cultivator!

  It was not exaggerating to say that he was a prehistoric beast wearing human skin!

  If it were in reality, his speed and strength would've been at least 60% higher than those in the virtual world. The blow that he suffered earlier couldn't have deprived him of his combat ability even if his chest was stabbed through. He had a dozen backup plans that could easily slay 'Black Chess Player'!

  However, it was not victory that he sought. He had merely been trying to familiarize himself with the fighting styles of the Flying Star Sector and see what he could learned from them.

  Li Yao was not bothered by the failure. He smiled and went on to the next match.

  From that day on, Li Yao went on a rampage on the virtual matching platform.

  Since he had a winning rate of more than 90% in the first day and defeated Lone Walker, who was a minor celebrity, his challenge requests were much less frequently refused than previously.

  However, Li Yao didn't cling to the Eight Arm Suit. He also tried some twenty classic battlesuits of the Flying Star Sector so that he could know the shortcomings of his opponents better.

  He had employed the same tactic. At first, he resisted the stormy attacks of the experts of the Flying Star Sector with his amazing defense ability, while he observed their seemingly immaculate movements until he found the brief opening. Then, he made the best use of the environment and lured his opponent to carelessly enlarge their opening. Eventually, he finished his opponent with a regular move in just one attack!

  Very soon, the name of 'Vulture' spread out in the virtual matching platform just like 'Fiend Star' did a few days prior.

  In the comment section, many people were discussing the mysterious Vulture and speculating about his real identity.

  Some other people were wondering why he never resorted to any skill cards but simply secured his victory with the most rudimental moves.

  There were even people who considered his attacks as models to study.

  The attention that he attracted surprised Li Yao. In the coming few days, he adjusted his capability on purpose. During the matches, he intentionally ignored many deadly openings that he discovered and simply kept them in mind.

  Sometimes, he slowed down and was struck by many attacks that he could've avoided in order to build up his resistance ability.

  His winning rate was maintained at around 65%. Among the Building Foundation Stage Cultivators, he was among the better ones but definitely not the best. It was enough for him to challenge most of the top experts without causing too much suspicion.

  In the meantime, he was still exchanging ideas with his fellow Cultivators in the Q&A zone under the name of 'Fiend Star' with the title of 'Specialist in classical refining theories'.

  Over the one month, Li Yao had a great time. His capability in theory and in practical combat both soared exponentially.

  Then, the Thousand Sails Space Zone was within their reach.

  "We are arriving in the Thousand Sails Space Zone!"

  Starting from executing the space pirates of Storm Prison, it had taken them more than three months to cruise through the Dim Flame Belt on the battered Gold Horn all the way to the Thousand Sails Space Zone, the camp for all the free Exos.

  Counting from the time when Great Horn Exo Society signed the contract with a bag of rice as payment, it had almost been half a year.

  Travelling in the sea of stars could prove to be a long and tedious journey. Now that their destination was drawing near, everyone on board was ecstatic. Even Li Yao felt excited, too.

  Before he had the chance to bellow in exhilaration, Zhao Nuo and the other young warriors of the Tiger Killer Camp jumped on him. He was bearhugged by almost ten muscular men!

  "Brother Yao, we finally made it!"

  "We've reached the Thousand Sails Space Zone!"

  "Hahahaha. Hot spring, hard liquor, beautiful girls, I'm coming for you all!"

  The room they were in was surrounded by a circular light beam. As if the shell of the starship had melted all of a sudden, everyone was placed in the middle of the sea of stars.

  Unfolding in front of everyone's eyes was a space zone that was extremely lively. Starships, star fortresses, and asteroids were everywhere. Silver metal membranes extended from all the man-made celestial bodies. Their coverage was hundreds of times larger than the area of the object they were attached to. Reflecting colorful brilliances, they were like sails made of rainbows.

  They were also how the Thousand Sails Space Zone got its name.

  Sails were unnecessary during a voyage in the sea of stars. Even if one wanted to make use of the energy stored in the cosmic storms, they usually wouldn't resort to sails because meteoroid showers were often mixed inside the cosmic storms which could wreck the sails of the starship easily.

  However, inside the Thousand Sails Space Zone, there were dozens of belts where spiritual energy was extremely dense. They were like rivers of spiritual energy. The magical equipment that opened up like sails was meant to gather spiritual gas from them.

  Spiritual gas was not visible to the human eye, but it could be detected by special crystal cameras. The light beam around the room blinked. A few translucent bright belts appeared and floated in the dark space. They were various colors and flowed slowly like brooks in the universe.

  Gold Horn had been installed with a set of 'sails' that could gather spiritual energy in the previous supply point. Right now, the device was slowly opened up, too.

  Eight silver-white metal membranes that were dozens of kilometers long and carved with complicated rune arrays protruded out of the starship and shivered in a fixed frequency, while the starship dashed into a bluish river of spiritual energy!

  Hum! Hum!

  The metal membranes fluctuated and started collecting spiritual energy.

  The spiritual energy drifting in space was captured by the rune arrays on the metal membranes, transmitted into their veins, transformed in a series of complicated reactions, and drawn into the room through various tubes.

  Chi—

  The sprinklers on the ceiling of the room was turned on. The purest spiritual energy was condensed and formed into countless beads which sprayed out and bathed everyone in the luminosity of spiritual energy!

  "Nice! Nice! Nice!"

  Li Yao trembled violently. After the battle against Skeleton Dragon, the leap between two worlds, and the virtual yet fierce competitions that he participated in within the Flying Star Sector, his every cell was exclaiming in joy, and he couldn't feel better with the refreshing shower of spiritual energy.

  Everyone nearby was yelling, shouting, and dancing, their fatigue all gone.

  "No wonder the Thousand Sails Space Zone has b
ecome the camp for all the free Exos. A vacation in such a natural paradise after bloody battles is indeed the most enjoyable thing in the world!

  "I'm told that, in the hotels of certain places of interest within the Thousand Sails Space Zone, there are two faucets in each room. One of them gives water, while the other spurts spiritual gas continuously when it is turned on! What a spectacular view it must be!"

  A brand-new light beam gradually unfolded in front of everyone, displaying beautiful scenic spots, natural paradises, fully-equipped maintenance workshops, refining rooms, magical equipment stores, and arenas and matching places of various kinds one after another.

  All the information eventually gathered into a line of shining gold words:

  "Welcome to the Thousand Sails Space Zone, where dreams come true!"

  Chapter 480: Skyhill Sword Seminar |

  The Thousand Sails Space Zone was indeed a place where dreams began.

  Since the place was a camp for all the free Exos, many Exo Societies, while travelling in the sea of stars, would bring adolescents living in remote areas who had absolutely nothing except ambitions back here.

  In this place, the young men could receive offers and work in several Exo Societies while they underwent their training.

  When they thought that they were capable enough, they could take part in the various matches held in the Thousand Sails Space Zone or the entrance tests of the Cultivation sects which would immediately recruit them after they passed the exam.

  Other than that, a lot of bounty missions were often announced in this place, too.

  For those who were able, their future would be the last thing they needed to worry about after they arrived in the Thousand Sails Space Zone. The best of them often considered the Thousand Sails Space Zone as a platform to leap forward to Heavenly Saints City, the holy land of Cultivation in the Flying Star Sector!

  It was exactly the path that Li Yao was going to walk on.

  After the carnival, he returned to his cabin alone and connected to the local Spiritual Nexus of the Thousand Sails Space Zone with his crystal processor.

  He had been informed by Lei Dalu that there was a virtual place named 'Dream Square' in the Spiritual Nexus of the Flying Star Sector. The sector's latest news would always be updated there, including anything from sect transfer to employment, from entrance tests to the registration procedures for matches, and so on.

  Shua!

  Li Yao activated the Half-Step Great Illusionary Land mode and entered the Dream Square. He immediately appeared in a metropolis that was packed with people and vehicles. There were hundreds of thousands of citizens as far as one's eyes could see, making the city livelier than anyone could imagine.

  By scanning the information streams, one could also log in to the Dream Square, with an even higher efficiency in the information processing.

  However, the travelers to the place had all drifted alone in the bleak, cold cosmos for a long time. They had been faced with zigzagged pathways, narrow cabins, and hundreds of old faces all day.

  Joining a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people gave them the feeling that they were still part of society. It was a psychological need as well as the best comfort after a long journey of solitude.

  Taking a deep breath, Li Yao looked around. Dozens of skyscrapers were standing around the square which were displaying advertisements made of mystic rays, including a transfer agency, talents fair, information exchange center, sign-up locations for matches, and registration places for the entrance tests of various sects. There were also a lot of educational institutions such as formal universities, community colleges, vocational schools, and training centers of Cultivators.

  Li Yao was almost dazzled by what he had seen. He was having trouble deciding what to do next, when a streak of greenness suddenly darted close from afar and condensed into a sneaky, short man who observed his clothes, especially the badge on his chest. Then, the guy's eyes shined while he said with a smile, "Is my fellow Cultivator from the Great Horn Exo Society?"

  Li Yao hadn't changed his clothing when he entered the Dream Square; he was still wearing his real-life clothes. There was an emblem of a gold bull horn on his chest. Therefore, his identity was recognized without much trouble.

  Before Li Yao opened his mouth, the short man continued rapidly, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hao Lingtong, and I am a disciple of the Falcon Hunter Sect. As for what I do for a living… Haha. I'm a headhunter. It is my responsibility to help excellent geniuses such as yourself find a suitable sect. Of course, I also have in my pocket the requirements of dozens of Cultivation sects who are all horny, no, hoping to hire more talents. If my fellow Cultivator has a certain sect that you would like to join, I will definitely help you get the best package!"

  Headhunter?

  Li Yao was dazed for a moment. Then he smiled. "You don't even know who I am, and yet you are sure that I'm an 'excellent genius'?"

  Hao Lingtong rolled his eyes and replied, "It's true that I don't have the privilege of knowing your name yet, but the Great Horn Exo Society has become quite famous recently. Travelling through more than ten space zones, slaying space pirates of Storm Prison, breaking into the Dim Flame Belt, and luckily surviving the space swirl caused by a True Fusion in the end. It was an unbelievable miracle!

  "The entire Thousand Sails Space Zone, or rather, all the Cultivators of the Flying Star Sector, have heard your name! I'm told that many media outlets are waiting in line to interview you!

  "As a member of the Great Horn Exo Society, after all you've been through, you are definitely an experienced warrior regardless of your Cultivation. Many Cultivation sects are in need of seasoned hands such as yourself!

  "Don't hurry to turn me down yet. Whatever your reason for coming to the Dream Square is, it won't cost you anything to listen to my introduction for half a minute, will it?"

  Hao Lingtong waved his hands. Multiple light beams appeared around him, and countless information streams poured down, as he explained casually, "Look. This one. Dual Poles Island. 27 posts are open for talents of various backgrounds, including tutor for saber arts, public relations officer, accountant, and chef. Even if you are just a cook of the Great Horn Exo Society, you can be sold at a high price with my help!

  "Look at this one, Red Glow Sect. It has excavated an asteroid with enormous mother lodes and established a new branch and a new route for it. Right now, it is recruiting guards for the route. As long as you sign the contract, apart from the salary, you will be free to read 70% of the books and Cultivation arts of the Red Glow Sect. It is very suitable for you!"

  A plump, middle-aged female Cultivator whose arms were blinking in redness floated close. She glared at him and yelled, "Hey hey hey, Hao Lingtong, you again! We have rules that forbid anybody from opening personal light beams inside the square. Do you not know? So many people are coming and going. You are blocking everybody's way!"

  "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Sister Sun. I've met a true talent and got really excited. Turning it off, I'm turning it off!"

  Hao Lingtong reduced the light beam to the size of the palm and handed it to Li Yao's nose. He said, somewhat embarrassedly, "My fellow Cultivator, what do you think…"

  Li Yao was amused. He had no opinions about headhunters, but Hao Lingtong did not look like a proper headhunter at all. It was quite likely that the guy was merely a middleman who gathered information and earned money on both sides.

  However, such a person must be a native of the Thousand Sails Space Zone and have a lot of connections. Li Yao thought for a while and said, "How about this? I'll pay you five hundred Flying Star dollars for ten minutes of your time. You will give me information that I'm interested in. If the duration of our conversation exceeds the limit, I will pay you a hundred Flying Star dollars for every extra minute."

  Hao Lingtong blinked and said, "Deal!"

  The two of them moved to the edge of Dream Square, where it was less populated. Li Yao pondered for a moment and asked, "I'm a
refiner, and I've completed most of the fundamental training sessions. Now, I want to get in touch with the most up-to-date, state-of-the-art theories and techniques, preferably the more practical ones. I also want to communicate with other experts in Heavenly Saints City more often and improve my capability as soon as possible. Are there any places that I can go to?"

  Hao Lingtong quickly tapped his light beam. A lot of new information immediately popped up. He answered, "Of course there are. There is everything in the Thousand Sails Space Zone!

  "Speaking of the most up-to-date, state-of-the-art theories and techniques, the best places to go to are, of course, Flying Star University and Heavenly Saints Institute. My fellow Cultivator, you said that you've completed the fundamental training sessions. I assume that you are older than twenty? If you don't want to take the exam, you may consider applying for the graduate schools of the two colleges to be a graduate student of a certain professor!

  "The two best colleges are home to some of the sector's greatest Cultivators. Many professors there are Core Formation Stage or even Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators. To be their graduate students is like being the 'true disciples' in the ancient Cultivation world! You'll definitely have access to the most advanced theories!

  "May I ask what my fellow Cultivator's degree is?"

  Li Yao coughed and said, pretending to be cool, "I'm a self-taught student."

  "Self-taught? Well, well, it's not a big deal. There are many Cultivators who have undergone fortuitous incidents and become real experts. Many professors do not mind the degree when they are recruiting graduate students! Look, this is a list of the professors related to refining in the two supreme colleges and their respective admittance information.

  Li Yao glanced through it and noticed that most avatars on the list were grey, indicating that the professors all had certain demands on the degree.

  For those who had no requirements on the degree, their academic level was relatively low, and the fields they worked on were rather unpopular, too.

  It was true that fortuitous incidents happened to a lot of Cultivators, but such persons were often less scrupulous during their Cultivation due to the lack of a formal, academic education.