by <unknown>
Almost every child had watched Li Yao's videos hundreds of times over. They even formed an association named 'Vulture Squad' which collected news about Li Yao.
Tang Xiao and the yellow-haired boy were no exceptions. They were hardcore members of Vulture Squad!
At that moment, they both shivered, feeling that their backs were cold as if someone had soaked their spine in cold water.
Looking up to the sky, an extravagant shuttle enshrouded in silver brightness had stopped overhead quietly without them noticing.
From the perfect shell spread out a dominating aura which enveloped all the students on the spot like an invisible giant net.
"Wow. What is this shuttle? I've never seen one like it before! Judging from the appearance, it is even more advanced than the Mystic Bird Armed Shuttle that is worth hundreds of millions!"
"Vulture Li Yao is so intimidating! I can barely breathe right now. Is he really only five years older than us?"
"Cultivators are really rich… and awesome!"
"I'm going to try my best to Cultivate, too, and one day I will be a Cultivator as strong as Li Yao!"
Students were all dazzled. They gazed at the sky in a trance with their mouths wide open.
The silver brightness in the sky blinked, unveiling a tall, thin man who was wearing a white robe. The belts of the robe moved without being affected by the wind, while its owner flew to the platform in the air slowly and elegantly.
It was Li Yao!
"President Mao, Grandpa Wang!"
Li Yao hugged the two old men on the platform warmly.
Although he'd only stayed for a few months in Floating Spear City's Mining Clan High School, he'd never forgotten that President Mao accepted him against pressure when he was at the lowest point of his life.
Grandpa Wang helped him even more. When he was in high school, he wouldn't have been able to pay the tuition fees without the support of Grandpa Wang.
If he'd dropped out of school back then, his life would've been very different.
Therefore, Li Yao had always considered Floating Spear City's Mining Clan High School as his mother school and the two old men as his own family.
"The main purpose of my return this time is to see whether or not we can build another training stadium in our school. I am planning to get it done according to the highest standard. It will be as good as any training stadium in the federation. Of course, as the intensity of training increases, the trainees' bodies are more prone to injuries. Therefore, we will also need to build a brand-new school hospital. It will be completed according to the standard of the field hospitals in the military frontline, which should be enough to fix all the injuries resulting from training," Li Yao said unhurriedly.
Over the past few months in Occult Orbs Fellowship, he had gained a lot of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and secret reserves. The invaluable items were all sellable.
Even contribution points could be exchanged for money, too, as a reward for each mission.
This time, he had accepted the extremely dangerous mission to Ultimacy. As a result, he had been prepaid with a large sum. Since he had no home to settle in, and neither himself nor Ding Lingdang lacked money, he decided to invest the money into his school.
Li Yao's ambition was not just his own success.
He was hoping to build Floating Spear City's Mining Clan High School into a first-rate super school of the federation where all the underprivileged students with talent for Cultivating could be raised to be Cultivators.
"Li Yao, you've offered tremendous help to our school over the past two years. Now you are spending a huge fortune again in constructing two advanced facilities. I really… I really don't know how I can thank you."
President Mao felt a plethora of emotions welling up in his chest. "Years ago, I was just doing Old Wang a favor. I did nothing but lift my finger. I never expected that you would make it this far to be one of the youngest Building Foundation Stage Cultivators in the federation!"
Li Yao smiled.
"President, it was just a lift of your finger for you years ago, and it is a lift of my finger for me right now. The money on the training stadium and the school hospital is no big deal. I have talked with Chairman Zhao, the leader of the Disabled Servicemen Association. Later, the Disabled Servicemen Association will send a batch of skilled veterans to work as tutors in our school, who will teach students martial arts and arts of war. All the relevant fees will be paid by me.
"You know that the federation has entered the first-degree state of war. A soldier is the most respected profession. It will do no harm to the students if they can learn some battle skills!"
Li Yao had figured everything out. If he could return from Ultimacy safe and sound, naturally, money was not going to be a problem. Not just a few retired veterans, he would have enough capital to hire a special force troop.
If he failed to come back, the insurance companies endorsed by the top 10 sects of the federation would pay a large sum of compensation, which should be enough to support the construction and operation of the Floating Spear City's Mining Clan High School.
President Mao nodded his head quickly.
"Li Yao, for the students here, I won't be polite; I'll accept gratefully. It will be marvelous if tutors with military background could teach in our school!
"You know that students in our school are mostly from miner families born and raised in slums. Their talents are limited. Their education in the early years is not decent, either. It is quite difficult for them to awaken their spiritual roots and become Cultivators like you. In fact, it will be a miracle if even one of them makes it.
"However, since you started sponsoring our school, every student has been training crazily setting you as their example. Their bodies are much stronger than before. Last year, 174 students passed the test of the military and became soldiers of the federal army!"
Li Yao was amazed.
"174 of them? That's impressive!"
The Star Glory Federation honored valiance more than anything else. The social status of the federal army was very high and almost stood equal to that of Cultivators. It was quite challenging to be enlisted by the army.
For underprivileged kids, joining the army was a very sensible choice. They could learn many skills in the army for free, receive abundant nutrition drugs and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures for free, and get a job easily when they retired from the army. They would be respected by other citizens, too. Once they ran into any trouble, the Retired Servicemen Association and Disabled Servicemen Association would stand up for them.
For ordinary people, becoming a Cultivator might be an unreachable dream. But becoming soldiers was an achievable goal with hard work!
In the old days, only a few graduates of the Floating Spear City's Mining Clan High School would be successfully enrolled by the federal army every year. This time, the number had increase manifold, all thanks to Li Yao's previous investment!
"Say something to the students. You are the hero of everyone here. They've been jumping up and down like restless monkeys since they heard that you were coming."
President Mao grinned.
Li Yao glanced around. The crowds below the platform fell quiet, while thousands of eyes were fixed on him hungrily. He couldn't help but smile.
He suddenly recalled that, in the playground of the Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School three years ago, his old friend Meng Jiang and he used to gaze at Fiend Blade Peng Hai in jealousy and admiration from the far edges of the crowds.
The scene was so familiar. Yet, three years had passed. How time flies!
While he was pondering, Li Yao took a step forward.
There was nothing in front of him, except the ground which was two meters below him.
But he was stepping on invisible stairs ascending to the sky slowly.
Cultivators at the Building Foundation Stage were already able to fly slowly in the air by manipulating the air with the fluctuation of spiritual en
ergy.
It was not very useful in a combat. The Cultivator would become a conspicuous target for the enemy if they just swaggered to the sky.
But right now, all the students were deeply impressed by Li Yao's performance.
Li Yao remembered the grandeur scene where Fiend Blade Peng Hai showed his strength at the peak of Building Foundation Stage. Taking a deep breath, he spread his spiritual energy out slowly.
His hair was dancing crazily. Violet purple electric arcs and bright blue fire were circling him, flying and colliding while making cracking noises.
Spiritual waves rippled out to every corner of the playground in silver rings.
"He!" Li Yao bellowed. A hurricane out of nowhere seemed to be blowing. None of the students was able to keep their eyes open. Their school uniforms were fluttering in the wind.
"Is this the dominance of Cultivators? So formidable, so terrifying!"
"I'm going to be a Cultivator like this. I'm going to fly freely in the sky, too!"
"We are all from slums. If Vulture Li Yao can do this, so can I!"
Shouts and screams from the students were caught clearly by Li Yao.
He smiled and roared, "You want to be like me?
"Then just try your best to train yourself!"
Chapter 401: Best Friend |
At night, in the gourmet street in the underground ghost city of Floating Spear City, a cozy restaurant was filled with flavorful cuisine, lively chitchatting, and colliding sounds of pans and knives. Everyone's faces were beaming with delight.
This was what one might call the joy of life.
Clink!
Two cups filled with chilled fruit wine clicked. Li Yao and Meng Jiang, his old friend from back when he was in high school, drank up the wine and smacked their lips, enjoying it very much. They looked each other in the eyes and smiled.
"It's been three years since I last came here. The mulberry wine of Old Du Barbecue is just as scrumptious as the old days!"
Li Yao licked his lip, dwelling on his past.
In the day, after he left Mining Clan High School, he'd gone to see Peng Hai, his Senior Brother. Then, the two of them paid a visit to their Enlightenment Master Sun.
Mister Sun had been just a Cultivator at the Refinement Stage with no exceptional abilities in his early years. However, his eyes were sharp enough to discover Fiend Blade Peng Hai and Vulture Li Yao when he was old. As a result, his position in the Crimson Nimbus Sect had soared.
In order to make friends with Peng Hai and Li Yao, the Crimson Nimbus Sect had been taking care of Mister Sun devotedly over the past few years. It had even arranged an excellent villa in a suburb for the old man to enjoy his retired life.
Yet, Mister Sun had always remembered that Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School had kicked Li Yao out before. He was never keen about the affairs of Crimson Nimbus Sect. Instead, one of his greatest hobbies was to wander around in slums, hoping to find the next talented kid.
Li Yao had dinner with Peng Hai and Mister Sun together. He entrusted Peng Hai to handle his shares in Dual Dragon Union. After sorting everything out, it was already nine o'clock in the evening.
He happened to hear that his old friend Meng Jiang had graduated from the vocational school after three years of study and successfully acquired the medium credential of beautician. He was idle at present.
Li Yao hadn't seen Meng Jiang for three years. They took the opportunity and met each other again in their favorite underground gourmet street.
The Goat Oil Fried Noodles with hot steam billowing up, skewers with meat that was even thicker than arms, clams which were so spicy that their tears were dripping, and the extremely fat drumsticks. All the delicious cuisines that they dreamed about in their high school were served on the table.
"I never expected that we would ever meet again. Good for you! Reaching the Building Foundation Stage after only three years. You are as famous as Fiend Blade Peng Hai now!"
With a broad smile, Meng Jiang poured wine into Li Yao's cup, while he observed, "I'm just an ordinary man, and I doubt I will achieve anything special in my entire life. The only thing that I'm proud of is that I have such a good friend like you! I didn't expect that you would still remember me as your old friend now that you are a Building Foundation Stage Cultivator, and that you are willing to meet and have dinner with me in such an unattractive place! I'm so happy!"
"Meng Jiang, you will always be my best friend! How can I forget you? Years ago, when I was seriously wounded on Devil Flood Dragon Island during the hunting trip, everybody said that it was impossible for me to wake up again. It was you who had been defending me in the campus. You even had quite a few fights with other people. I never forgot that, not even for a second!"
Holding his cup tightly, Li Yao said, somewhat embarrassedly, "But you know that once you set off on the path of Cultivation, you can only try your best to move forward. I've been spending almost 24 hours a day in training. Sometimes, I have been summoned to various battlegrounds where I engage in furious battles that can last for months. There really has been no time for me to reunite with my old friend!"
"I totally understand. The situation is quite intense nowadays. Cultivators are busier than ever! Now that you've embarked on this path, just dedicate yourself to it and climb upward! I'm waiting to drink with you again when you reach the Nascent Soul Stage!"
Meng Jiang grinned. "But don't keep me waiting for too long! If I am already an ugly old man when you become a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, it will be too embarrassing for me to take a picture with you!"
Li Yao grinned, too. "Rest assured! I won't keep you waiting for that long!
"Right, what about you?
"I know that your dream is to become the best beautician in the federation. You've been working hard enough to acquire the medium credential that many experienced beauticians find difficult to get. What are your plans next? Go job hunting or start your own business?"
Meng Jiang smiled and said proudly, "I'm going to join the army."
Li Yao was dazed for a moment. "Join the army?"
"Yes."
Meng Jiang nodded. "Of course, I want to start my salon. But you know my family's condition. There is barely any money for that. My father has never been supportive about my career, either.
"Now that the federation is in the first-degree state of war, the benefits of the soldiers have significantly improved. The standard of enrollment has been lowered, too. After three years of service, I will be able to apply for a sum of loans to realize my dream!
"I'll let you in on a secret. I took the military test a few days ago and passed it. As long as the vetting of my files is fine, I will become a glorious soldier of the federation!
"Haha. Even my father doesn't know it yet. He will be so furious when he hears the news!"
"So, that was the case…"
Thinking for a moment, Li Yao took out a black, dull polish Gold Transfer Card from his pocket, put it on the oily desk, and pushed it over.
Meng Jiang was dazed for a moment. There was hesitation in his eyes. Drinking up the wine in his cup, he pushed the card back after a deep breath.
Li Yao frowned and said, "Meng Jiang, we are best friends. You don't have to be courteous with me. The money inside should be enough for you to start a medium-size salon. You will be able to save yourself the trouble of serving in the army. It's really dangerous to be a soldier right now!"
Glancing at the Gold Transfer Card, Meng Jiang seemed somewhat regretful. But his eyes turned determined again, as he smiled and said, "Li Yao, I know you mean well, and the money matters little to you.
"However, I have always considered us to be best friends. Our friendship can be traced back to our high school. It's the purest of all and I value it more than anything else!
"Therefore, I can't take your money to run my business. If so, our friendship will not be pure anymore, but flawed and sour.
"What's more, compared to an effortless success, I'd prefer to buil
d a business of my own with my own hands!
"Only in such a way can I feel confident about myself when I look back at my past after I establish a splendid empire from nothing!
"When you become a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator one day, I will still be able to eat and drink with you confidently with my head held high!"
Li Yao pondered for a long time. Then he scratched his head and smiled.
"Well said, Meng Jiang. You've improved a lot over the past three years!"
"Of course!"
Meng Jiang grinned, his eyes beaming with pride. "With such a super genius like you as my best friend, I'm under a lot of pressure. Of course, I need to try my best to improve myself, so that the distance between us won't be too big!
"Since my talents are limited, I will remain an ordinary man for my entire life because it's very likely that I will never awaken my spiritual root. I told you when we parted last time that ordinary people can made their own achievements, too, which will be no less impressive than those of Cultivators'!
"Maybe, I cannot become a Cultivator in everyone's eyes and shock the entire federation with my name. But at the very least, I can be a Cultivator of my own life and steer my own fate!"
Li Yao was greatly touched.
Illuminated by the burning furnace, his old friend Meng Jiang's face was gleaming, full of hope for a beautiful life in the future, determination to achieve it with everything he could, and confidence to break the shackles of life.
Li Yao was very delighted to see his old friend's new change. He raised his cup again.
"Remarkable, Meng Jiang. We are all Cultivators of our own life. Now that we've set off on the path of our own will, we should spare no effort in walking forward one step after another, never to give up no matter how bitter, no matter how hard, no matter how exhausting the journey is!"
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
…
Three days later, at the location of the Heaven's Artillery on a vast desert in the northwest part of the Star Glory Federation…