Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

Xie Tingxian went wide eyed all of a sudden and every wrinkle on his face began to tremble. He drew an arcane glyph with his right hand and a purple beam of light enveloped the crystal processor.

Every single breath of remnant memories from the previous repair was drawn from the artifact. A long time passed before Xie Tingxian slowly nodded his head.

“Keeping what you said in mind, I telepathically scanned this artifact again for careful analysis. I was able to sample a few places that weren’t done quite skillfully. There were a few joints that were a bit conspicuous and rough. But for a high school student to be able to reach this kind of level, it’s already quite amazing.”

“I don’t quite understand. He’s just an ordinary high school student whose Actualization Quotient can’t possibly be more than 70%. Is he that amazing?” Si Jiaxue could not help asking.

“It’s precisely because his Actualization Quotient doesn’t exceed 70% that he was able to complete a work as refined as this. This makes him even more extraordinary! What’s the name of this classmate of yours? Is he participating in this competition?” Xie Tingxian asked filled with interest.

“His name is Li Yao. I have some information here about him. Grandpa Xie can take a look.”

Si Jiaxue pulled out some videos from her crystal processor.

“Oh, so it’s this small fellow?”

Xie Tingxian stared blankly once again, and a smile continued to unfold from inside his heart. He nodded his head over and over. “This small fellow is very interesting. It seems like I need to keep an eye on him in this competition.”

……

Early morning the next day at 8:30 AM, three thousand students were congregated on the afterdeck of the Distant Expanse.

The spacious deck was packed tightly with three thousand hot-blooded youths. They created a clamor of noise so loud that it seemed the deck was about to tip over.

After experiencing yesterday’s Interactive Exchange Convention, everyone now understood the strengths and details of the Nine Elites and were looking much more greatly forward towards world of cultivation filled with its endless mysteries.

“KILL KILL KILL. I will kill to my heart’s content on Devil Flood Dragon Island. I’ll rise above the other three-thousand students, attract the interest of the Federation’s First Military College, and become a glorious military student!” a youth with a tall figure and a face covered with pimples roared in the crowd.

“What I’m most proficient in is medicinal synthesis. I’ve heard that that there are over 10,000 different types of herbs and medicinal plants on Devil Flood Dragon Island. Just let me demonstrate my skills and show off to the scout of the Empyrean Capital School of Medicine!” at his side, a girl with tanned skin and a pretty face spoke with the utmost confidence.

“I had an ambition since I was growing up — it’s to become a great general, to command a great army! If I make it to the finals, those who are in the same team as me will be quite lucky. I will certainly coordinate everybody with me to fight just like the way the Federal Army does. The enemy will be beaten to complete defeat!” This third youth was short and small, but his aura was strong as he spoke.

These 3000 youths were heavenly-blessed carefully chosen from a dozen cities. It didn’t matter how strong their actual strength was, their confidence was at its absolute peak.

The scouts from the Nine Elites, military representatives, and the teachers of numerous students came from the two sides of the ship’s hold. They came one by one, congregating together, and revealed smiles when they saw the exploding confidence in these youngsters; they were deeply moved.

“One year after another, and yet another year has gone by. Time really does go by quick. As soon as I saw these young fellows, I remembered back to that year and day when we participated in the Limit Challenge Competition ourselves. The us back then… we sure were young~!”

“Yeppers. The only reason why Star Glory Federation is able to to become stronger and stronger under the onslaught of Demon Beasts is due to the plenty amount of new blood that flows in every year!”

“Who knows how many young talents will be able to burst forth from this year’s batch of students and receive the qualifications to walk the road of cultivation? I want to get this out of the way. Teacher Zhang, I’ve already chosen exam candidate 2087. Do not, by any means, fight over him with me!”

“Haha. Number 2087? Then I’ll have to pay special attention to him later. If he really is some good talent, then depending on everyone’s resources, let’s see who can bid the highest!”

Li Yao stood calmly in the corner of the deck during this boiling and rumbling day. The white Puji Critter was very content to lay perched on his head. Its head was tilting back and forth, it seemed that it was snoring.

Last night, Li Yao was restless and was completely unable to fall asleep. So he just got up half-way through the night to study the rules in the competition. Li Yao had somewhat bloodshot eyes, but he was still energetic from being a bit too excited.

It was because he discovered what seemed to be a loophole within the rules of the competition. Perhaps in other words, it was an ‘opportunity’ that only he could exploit.

He just didn’t know if the battle tactics he formulated from focusing on the “loophole” would be effective.

If he was successful, he would seize a 90% chance of storming into the top 50 of the finals!

While he was mulling things over in his mind, the lighting in his vision turned dark. A tall silhouette had suddenly appeared, towering over looking down at him.

It was… Helian Lie!

“Fellow Student Li Yao, Devil Flood Dragon Island is a very large place, yet at the same time, it’s also very small. I hope you retire from the competition as soon as possible. You wouldn’t want to run into me on Devil Flood Dragon Island,” Helian Lie paused after each word, firmly squeezing out a somewhat sinister smile.

Li Yao looked at him unperturbed. After sometime later, he fished out a pair of earbuds from his ears. Wild music was blasting out from the earbuds.

“Huh? Fellow Student Helian Lie, what did you say just now? I’m terribly sorry, I was listening to music. I couldn’t hear you clearly. Could you repeat that again?” Li Yao said somewhat perplexed.

Helian Lie’s face reddened. With a cold snort, he turned around to walk away and merged into the crowd.

Li Yao watched Helian Lie’s back with special attention and then chuckled. A trace of the malevolent “Vulture” could be faintly seen in his smiling expression.

“Actually, I really look forward running into you on Devil Flood Dragon Island too~ Fellow Student Helian Lie!”

Right at this time, a large hologram flared at the front of the deck.

As if carved by a blade, a weathered and experienced face appeared in the center of the hologram. The pair of eyes set deep in their sockets seemed to contain the entire universe. 100,000 stars flickered with radiance in those eyes.

“It’s Xu Haoran. It’s the Federation’s Chairman, Xu Haoran!” Quite a few students let out cries of excitement.

“Each and every student, we have reached yet another year of the Limit Challenge Competition. Today, you all are baby hawks having yet to spread their wings and soar in the sky. You all have yet to step onto the road of cultivation!”

“But soon in the future, you will become pillars of our nation. You will defend our homeland, defend our Federation, and defend the hopes, dreams, and sanctity of our Human Civilization!”

“Therefore, struggle and fight! Fight for yourselves, and fight for the future of the Federation! The future of the Human Civilization!”

“Remember this. Humanity is the strongest race of war in the endless sea of the stars. And Cultivators… are the dazzling blades of Human Civilization! These blades will slay fiends and purge demons. Break mountains and topple temples. Exterminate nations and raze countries. Expand our borders and enlarge our land until we conquer the entire cosmos!”

“I hope that you all will become cultivators like these. To become the blades of the Human Civilization. I wish you all every success!”

The Federation’s Chairman, Xu haoran, stood up from behind his office desk. He retreated a step and, with a solemn expression, performed the official military salute towards the 3000 youths.

Demon Beasts ran rampant in the Heaven’s Origin Sector. Star Glory Federation was founded based on martial might. The highest leaders are also military personnel. The military salute was the most majestic of etiquettes, representing unsurpassable respect.

“Federation Chairman Xu Haoran actually performed the military salute to us high school students?”

“For the sake of the Federation’s future… For the sake of Human Civilization’s Future… Do we… Do we have that much power?”

“Of course we do! Right now, we may be ordinary high school students, but think about those Core Formation Stage cultivators, those old Yuanying Stage monsters… Which one of them didn’t start from elementary school, to middle school, to high school on their road to being a cultivator? Who can possibly become a Yuanying Stage monster as soon as they’re born! If they can be what they are, then obviously so can we!”

“There will be a day when I will become a great cultivator whose power shakes and radiates everywhere. To slay Demon Beasts. To defend our Federation!”

“Slay fiends and purge demons. Break mountains and topple temples. Exterminate nations and raze countries. Expand our borders and enlarge our land. And conquer the entire cosmos… Too awesome. This is precisely the path I wish to walk. This is precisely the destiny of cultivators! I really can’t wait much longer!”

The entire atmosphere was ignited with a single salute by Xu Haoran, causing three thousand youths to all enter into a state of zealotry.

Similar scenes could be seen simultaneously at the other exam regions. The blood of countless youths were heated to the utmost boiling point!

An officer dressed in black with the emblem of the skull of a Demon Beast on his shoulders stood on the upper deck. He saw how the morale was already excited to the highest point and announced in a loud voice:

“The 137th Annual Federation Youth Limit Challenge Competition officially begins now! All competitors, prepare yourselves!”