by <unknown>
At first glance, the city looked like a big tree with countless fruits on it.
They'd been floating in Heavenly Saints City for more than half an hour, and yet they still hadn't reached the 'third ring' from the 'tenth ring'. Hundreds of carriers had jammed the traffic ahead of them.
Li Yao stopped staring out the window and focused his attention on the desk in front of him.
On the desk was a common watch made of 462 components.
Li Yao tapped the desk with his right hand softly. He suddenly flipped his palm, and his spiritual energy surged out toward the watch. His fingers did not move, but the watch was dismantled into hundreds of components in the blink of an eye!"
Still can't. My control over my spiritual energy is still too primitive. I cannot dismantle all of the components without touching the watch.
Li Yao slightly frowned.
It was extremely difficult to increase the hand speed after it surpassed the speed of sound. If he wanted a major breakthrough, he would have to break the limits of hands and operate on materials directly with his spiritual energy. That away, much more delicate control than hands would be achieved.
A Cultivator only had ten fingers, but they could form thousands of spiritual threads. If their every spiritual thread was nimbler than their fingers, their 'hand speed' would be increased by hundreds of times!
If the skill was adeptly grasped, it would not be impossible to dismantle a crystal suit or a starship barehanded.
Without feeling bored, Li Yao dismantled and assembled the watch time and time again. However, his thoughts suddenly flashed back to a month ago.
When he thought of everything that had happened in the Cross Wind Space Zone, he couldn't help but feel funny.
As a man born in the magical equipment graveyard, he had never been fond of being in the spotlight. Lurking in an inconspicuous corner and waiting for the prey was the most comfortable style for him.
Therefore, he had refused to go to Heavenly Saints City with the exchange students, because a huge number of reporters were definitely going to show up wherever they arrived. He did not intend to waste his precious time on meaningless social activities.
As it happened, Wu Mayan was going to his hometown to scatter his birth father's ashes, and Sha Yulan meant to visit her parents in the Cross Wind Space Zone, too. Therefore, Li Yao had decided to go with them. He had planned to go to Heavenly Saints City after all the family matters were settled.
He had been hoping to avoid trouble and had been keeping quite a low profile. However, trouble always seemed to come to him anyway.
Chapter 643: Welcome Gift! |
The trip might not be as bad as I thought.
It was a pure coincidence that Li Yao went to the Cross Wind Space Zone. He had not planned to do so in the beginning. However, he had never been a man who liked to refuse other people. Since those two uncles of the Wu family had been seeking their own doom, how could he not fulfil their wish?
He had merely wanted to take back the legacy his disciple was entitled to in the beginning. However, after investigating, he found that the Wu family was mainly engaged in the transportation industry, and most of its assets were relatively new carriers.
When Wu Mafei, Wu Mayan's birth father, was alive, he had been in charge of the transportation business of the White Dragon Society. After a few years of work, he had led his family into the transportation industry, too.
Despite his two brothers' evil characters, they were quite seasoned in the business operations.
After Wu Mafei passed away, his two brothers had continued working in the transportation industry with the connections and capital that he had left behind. In honor of Wu Mafei, the White Dragon Society maintained the cooperation with the Wu family, too. For more than a decade, the family business had thrived. No wonder Wu Mayan's two uncles were reluctant to let go of it.
After the investigation was done, Li Yao quickly thought of something and associated it with the scheme that had been on his mind recently.
Later, with evidence that the two uncles had hired muscle against himself and a series of clandestine arrangements, Li Yao kicked them out of the decision-making circle of the Wu family and helped Wu Mayan get back what should have been his all along.
Inside the Wu family, except for the two uncles, there were also many secondary members who were all quite familiar with the transportation industry. Li Yao appointed the dutiful, obedient ones and those who had been not favored by the two uncles because of their close relation with Wu Mafei as the new administration.
With that personnel as the foundation, as well as the tremendous resources that Li Yao had gained on Iron Plateau and the support of Sha Yulan's family, the 'Glorious Sunlight Group' was established!
Li Yao was not scared that the Wu family would betray him, because the main advantage of the Glorious Sunlight Group was Li Yao and Wu Mayan's connection with Iron Plateau and the monopolization of resources based on it.
Without the relationship, the 'Glorious Sunlight Group' would have been nothing.
Besides, Li Yao believed that everyone would understand the dire consequences of betraying him after witnessing him blow up three crystal suits barehanded.
Li Yao's purpose of establishing the Glorious Sunlight Group was very simple. Firstly, he was hoping to make money through the trades between the Iron Plateau natives and space residents. The profits would support the refinement of his future planetary-level magical equipment and the search for the Heaven's Origin Sector.
Because of the vastness of the space, it was a money-burning task to find a special constellation between the countless stars and locate its coordinates precisely.
Secondly, since the Glorious Sunlight Group was planning to transport goods for Iron Plateau natives and space residents, it was only reasonable that it established its own team of guards or even an Exo Society, considering the chaos in the Flying Star Sector.
It was a perfect excuse for Li Yao to assemble his own armed forces.
Maybe one day, the Exo Society under the name of the Glorious Sunlight Group would go back to the Heaven's Origin Sector together with him!
Besides, right now, the newly established Glorious Sunlight Group was a great cover to hide a lot of secrets for him.
After the Glorious Sunlight Group was registered, Li Yao purchased a batch of secondhand carriers in the name of the company through online trade platforms. Many carriers had similar shapes to Sparkle.
Li Yao planned to modify the secondhand carriers to the point that they would look exactly like Sparkle. After that, he would dismantle one of the carriers and only keep its number.
In such a way, Sparkle would have a perfect disguise and become legalized. It would be able to cruise through the space routes openly. Nobody would notice anything wrong unless they boarded the starship and checked.
Other than that, Li Yao also purchased a lot of magical equipment for refiners under the name of the Glorious Sunlight Group, hoping to build the Glorious Sunlight Group's own laboratory for Mo Xuan and the other spectral Cultivators.
Mo Xuan, as the dean of the Refining Department of the Grand Desolate War Institution in the old days, had waited for too long in the long journey in the sea of stars. He almost couldn't wait to act now.
Li Yao had once discussed with them about establishing a branch of the Refining Department of the Grand Desolate War Institution in the Flying Star Sector. Right now, Li Yao had enough resources to fulfil his promise now.
The branch could be established under the name 'Research Center of the Glorious Sunlight Group'.
The Glorious Sunlight Group has been born. Although it does not boast many carriers right now, considering our monopolization of Iron Plateau, which is a goose that lays golden eggs, many sects have already proposed cooperation. A lot of profit is waiting for us.
Selling the unpurifiable ores on Iron Plateau to the world fragments in space that have the technology to refine them alone is enough for us to make a f
ortune!
Therefore, the research funds shouldn't be a problem.
As for Professor Mo Xuan, he was in charge of Project Mystic Skeleton all by himself and was one of the leading experts among the grassroots refiners. He is clearly not a nerd who knows nothing but research. With abundant resources, it should be a familiar job for him to establish and manage a research center.
Everything has been set on track. Very good. I can focus myself on training right now. I'm definitely going to form the ultimate core within five years!
The starship shivered slightly and docked at the space port.
Li Yao stretched his arms. His left hand moved softly, and the hundreds of components dancing in midair immediately rushed to his wrist, where they circled and assembled into a watch precisely.
The second hand was ticking accurately.
Li Yao walked to the exit amid other travelers.
Before, when his identity had been revealed in the Cross Wind Space Zone, the Cultivation sects there had suggested sending a starship to escort him to Heavenly Saints City.
Flying Star University had also proposed to pick him up in the Cross Wind Space Zone.
However, he had turned down the offers and decided to go to Heavenly Saints City on a regular carrier, after demanding that Flying Star University not to leak his whereabouts.
The trouble he was trying to avoid was not just reporters, who were literally everywhere, but also the Temple of Immortals, which was lurking in the darkness.
After the incidents on Iron Plateau, Li Yao had no doubt that his name was on the top of the blacklist of the Temple of Immortals.
Although he was not scared of the Temple of Immortals, it would be quite a bummer and a waste of his time, which he could've used for training, if a bunch of assassins were asking for his trouble all day.
Seeing no reporters outside the space port, Li Yao was greatly relieved. He squinted and looked for his ride.
Soon, he saw three men wearing the badge of Flying Star University.
However, the three of them seemed too muscular, and the aura around them was ten times sharper than that of common refiners.
The two parties looked at each other. The three men hesitated for a moment and raised their wrists to check the photo on their mini crystal processors before they finally strode toward him.
Li Yao frowned and thought to himself, Are you kidding me? Assassins of the Temple of Immortals are outrageous enough to do their job in Heavenly Saints City openly? No. Although the three of them look quite capable, they do not seem to be assassins.
"Master Sand, greetings!"
The three of them walked to Li Yao like three mobile radiation sources without hiding their provocative aura at all. The one in the lead was quite hefty and more than 2.2 meters tall, with acne all over his face, clearly a guy who wouldn't enjoy a day until he had experienced a satisfying fight. He grinned and said, "I am Liao Guohui, a teacher of the Combat Department of Flying Star University. I'm from the Furious Bears Union!"
"My name is Cai Yu. I also work in Flying Star University." The second young man, who was slender and looked like a snake, smiled and said, "I am a disciple of the Feathered Snakes Brotherhood."
The third young man was stout, with a neck thicker than his head and a long bag on his back. His eyes were big, but his pupils were small, from which needle-like brilliance was beaming out. He eyed Li Yao up and down rudely and said, "I am Feng Kaixuan, a secondary researcher of the Flying Sword Department.
"I'm from the Heaven Wolves Fortress."
Li Yao was dazed and realized what was going on. "Nice to meet you, fellow Cultivators. But I seem to recall that it is the Refining Department that was supposed to pick me up. Most of my research will be conducted in the Refining Department, too. I wonder…"
"Master Sand, you are the best warrior of the six tribes of Iron Plateau, and the three of us are more or less known in the younger generation of the six sects of Heavenly Saints City, too."
Snake-like young man Feng Kaixuan said in a smile, "We were all excited to learn that you were coming to Flying Star University as a visiting scholar. We thought that we finally would have the opportunity to experience the marvelous skills of the legendary qi-trainers. But we didn't expect that you would choose to go to the Refining Department!
"However, it doesn't matter. The main reason that the three of us have come here to greet you is to let you know that the Combat Department, the Battlesuit Department, the Flying Sword Department, and the other departments related to fighting welcome you to come at any moment to exchange our thoughts and ideas.
"The six sects of Heavenly Saints City and the six tribes of Iron Plateau are in a subtle relationship. Everybody knows that. But we are young people after all, and we should not refrain from talking to each other because of shadows of the past. Don't you agree, Master Sand?"
Li Yao smiled. "Of course. I would like to communicate with the teachers and students of the Combat Department, the Flying Sword Department, and the Battlesuit Department if possible, too."
Feng Kaixuan smiled and extended his hand to Li Yao. "Alright. We don't have any other purposes. We are merely here to give Master Sand a warm welcome."
"That's very kind of you."
Li Yao looked at Feng Kaixuan's hand.
The right hand he extended seemed to be carved out of a huge rock. There was not the slightest hint of flesh and blood at all.
Li Yao did not say anything and simply shook his hand as if it were nothing unusual.
Feng Kaixuan's face immediately froze.
As if suffering from an electric shock, his hairs all stood up.
Chapter 644: Your Fists Are Too Strong |
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
The bones all over Feng Kaixuan's body was emitting crackling noises as if they were fireworks, his teeth clattering.
"What!"
Cai Yu was greatly surprised. He was hesitating whether or not he should interject, but then Li Yao let go of Feng Kaixuan's hand and extended it toward him.
Cai Yu sniffed. Brutality suddenly shone in his eyes, as he extended his right hand, too.
He had made full preparations. Veins were bulging on his right hand, and electric arcs were vaguely dancing among his fingers!
The two hands grasped each other slowly but surely.
The electric arcs among Cai Yu's fingers were crushed as if they were several ants.
Cai Yu grunted. The skin all over his body suddenly turned blood-red. His eyeballs protruded out and were soon occupied by the exponentially growing streaks of blood.
Li Yao was still smiling. He shook Cai Yu's right hand for a while, before he let go of it and extended his hand toward Liao Guohui.
The hefty guy, Liao Guohui, was from the Combat Department. There were hints on his body that suggested he was a body practitioner or body fundamentalist. He was the strongest of the three when it came to empty-handed fights.
However, he was soaked in cold sweat when he saw what had become of his two good friends, whose capability was very close to his own. He did not dare underestimate the plain-looking best warrior of the six tribes of Iron Plateau. Gritting his teeth, he snatched Li Yao's right hand with both of his giant hands while he bellowed, "Master Sand, welcome to Heavenly Saints City!"
BOOM!
The black hair on the two giant hands almost completely devoured Li Yao's right hand.
Liao Guohui's teeth were emitting rubbing noises; he was shaking Li Yao's hand so hard that he was grinding his teeth into pieces.
Holding one hand with two hands. Other people who did not know what was going on might think that Li Yao had done Liao Guohui a great favor and that Liao Guohui was trying to express his gratitude by such a way of handshaking.
Li Yao frowned and couldn't help but grunt. His muscles were rigid for a moment, before they were relieved again. In embarrassment, he said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, Mister Liao. You are too strong. I could not reserve anything."
Lia
o Guohui stood stiffly as if he were a willow tree that had just been hit by lightning.
Li Yao's right hand slithered out of Liao Guohui's hands like a loach. He said solemnly once again. "I'm sorry, Mister Liao. It was not intentional. Your fists were really too strong!"
While talking, Li Yao nodded at the other young teachers, before he picked up his suitcase and strode off.
He soon merged in with other travelers, and none of them could see where he was anymore.
The fulminations inside Feng Kaixuan's body did not die down until five seconds later. His cold sweat seemed to suggest that he'd been interrogated for three days and three nights. He managed to raise his right hand, only to discover that it was trembling violently beyond his control!
"Ho—horrifying! It was not a handshaking. I felt like my right hand was placed in the mouth of a demon beast that bit it hard!"
Still in shock, Feng Kaixuan looked at his good buddy Cai Yu next to him. The redness over Cai Yu's body had only just faded, but his right hand, with which he had shaken Li Yao's hand, was expanding at a visible speed until it was three times the usual size. It was translucent and an alarming red, like a weird balloon.
"I—I can't feel my right hand now. Is that guy a human being? Even the few Core Formation Stage Cultivators in our department are not as intimidating as this!"
Cai Yu's face collapsed while he gazed at his right hand in disbelief.
Feng Kaixuan touched his palm gently, and he immediately screamed like a pig being butchered.
The two of them looked at each other in bewilderment, as if they were in a match of cold sweat.
The freezing wind blowing in the space port was almost turning them into ice creams.
"Brother Liao is indeed the strongest of us!" Feng Kaixuan took a breath and commented, "As expected of a man from the Combat Department. You drew with such a monster in a head-on clash!"
He seemed to forget that Liao Guohui had held Li Yao's one hand with two hands of his own.
"The best warrior of the six tribes of Iron Plateau has indeed got something about him. We were too careless. Thankfully, Brother Liao managed to defeat the guy in the end. Otherwise, it would've been a major disgrace for us today!"
