Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

by <unknown>

  "But I don't like fighting with them. Their level may be very high, but most of them have never killed anyone or seen real blood. Too tender! It's boring."

  Wu Mayan had grown up on Iron Plateau, where the environment was extremely unfavorable. He had also engaged in two battles of the apocalypse and faced off against the super expert Yan Xibei.

  Regardless of his capability, his real-life combat experience and his calmness in a fierce battle could never be found among common college students.

  "Is that why you went to arenas and participated in crystal suit matches in secret?" Li Yao asked.

  Wu Mayan had been elaborating on his accomplishments, but Li Yao's comment suddenly made him shudder. He stuck his tongue out and scratched his head, somewhat in embarrassment. "You knew about that, Master? I only went there for fun. The opponents in the crystal suit arenas are brutal guys who have slain space pirates in real battles. Their Cultivation may not be very high, but their actual combat ability and their response to changes are far better than the performance of common college students.

  "Fighting against them is much more gratifying!"

  Li Yao could not help but smile. "The mysterious newcomer, Iron Fire, in the Heavenly Sword Arena. A winning streak of seven games. Quite popular recently. Your combat videos are on every website and always rank high in the most recommended list. It is quite annoying when the pop-up windows keep bugging me while I'm browsing the websites. There's no way that I wouldn't see information about you at all."

  Wu Mayan lowered his head and said, "I'm sorry, Master. I didn't intend to keep it a secret. I planned to tell you after I secured ten victories in a row. It would have been a nice surprise! But I ran into a real expert in the eighth game, and I got beaten the heck out of me. Haha. After that, I was too embarrassed to tell you the story."

  Li Yao stared at Wu Mayan and said, "I do not object to your participation in the crystal suit arenas. For other people, crystal suit arenas may be cruel places. But for a qi-trainer who grew up on Iron Plateau such as you, crystal suit arenas are merely parks for entertainment.

  "But I do feel that you seem a bit proud recently."

  Wu Mayan immediately put on a solemn expression. He said seriously, "It was wrong of me, Master."

  "I'm not saying you are wrong." Li Yao pondered a moment and said slowly, "Everybody's living environment and life experiences are different. Naturally, their personalities are not the same.

  "Take me, for example. I don't like putting myself in the spotlight and being observed by everyone in public. I prefer dark corners. I feel comfortable when I stay there, because darkness represents safety in the place where I grew up.

  "But you are different.

  "Your unique identity made you the most distinguished existence in the Furious Bears Tribe since childhood. You lived with everyone's attention and were faced with suspicion and challenges from other people every day.

  "You could only fight back other people's doubts with your fists and your pride in order to get what you wanted in a place like Iron Plateau.

  "I am only trying to tell you that you must keep being proud if that is what matters to you. Do not abandon your precious pride even if you are defeated, savaged, and stomped into the deepest level of hell. You must crawl out of the nether world again with your pride!

  "You are the most brilliant genius with the highest aptitude that I've seen all my life. Proud prodigies such as yourself tend to give up on themselves and brood over their failure after only one setback.

  "I saw the video of your humiliating defeat in the Heavenly Sword Arena in your eighth game. Your opponent was rather unkind. He insulted and tricked you on purpose after he defeated you.

  "I was afraid that you might have been affected by it and meant to talk sense into you. However, I can tell that I underestimated you, and you handled it just fine."

  Wu Mayan chuckled and said, "That's not a big deal. There were many times when I was mocked, bullied, and kicked down when I was a kid. If I could not stand up again after being humiliated, I would've killed myself a long time ago!"

  Weird brilliance suddenly flowed out of Li Yao's eyes, as he nodded his head and said, "Alright. If so, I think you're ready for a more crushing defeat and more brutal torment."

  Wu Mayan was confused. "What do you mean, Master?"

  Li Yao's lips curled into a cruel smile. He snapped his fingers and retrieved two metal boxes carved with runes from his Cosmos Ring.

  Wu Mayan's eyes beamed with joy. "The Unparalleled Extension!"

  "The Unparalleled Extension is sort of co-developed by the Glorious Sunlight Group and the Ares Laboratory. Many technologies are shared by the two parties. I have made a deal with Master Xue Yuanxin that the Glorious Sunlight Group will reserve the right to produce the Unparalleled Extension and all derivative models," Li Yao said.

  "Come on. Here is an Unparalleled Extension as well as your favorite Thunderous Fire Battlesuit, containing the most advanced skill cards. Put on them, and let's have a match."

  Wu Mayan was dazed and scratched his head with a smile. "Master, this extension does not seem to be the beta model. Its activation level of spiritual energy is 100%. My control over the Unparalleled Extension is not flawless yet. When the battle is too heated, I'm afraid that I won't be able to restrain myself."

  Li Yao laughed. "You're worrying that you might hurt me?"

  "You are a great expert in the superlative height of the Building Foundation Stage, Master. I'm told that you persisted for a long time in a match with a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator of the Combat Department a few days ago. Naturally, I'm no match for you!"

  Wu Mayan blinked his eyes and said, "I believe that you can punch me into pieces barehanded even if I'm in the Thunderous Fire Battlesuit.

  "But it's completely different with the Thunderous Flame Battlesuit and the Unparalleled Extension combined. You know the power of the Unparalleled Extension better than anybody else. This afternoon, I blew up forty Exos in total. Even a Core Formation Stage Cultivator could not withstand my one punch!

  "Master, you are, of course, far stronger than the Core Formation Stage Cultivator, but he failed to resist the Unparalleled Extension when he was in his crystal suit!"

  "Okay," Li Yao said slowly, "I didn't say that I wouldn't wear a crystal suit."

  "You must be joking!" Wu Mayan laughed hard, holding his belly. "Crystal suits are vastly different from the True Qi armor that we wore on Iron Plateau. They are a hundred times more difficult to use! What you wore previously could only be called True Qi armor at best. The Apocalyptic Extension that you were in when you fought against Yan Xibei was not a real Ares Extension, either!

  "Since you have never learned the real arts of crystal suits, it might be a burden for you if you put on one!"

  Li Yao smiled and pressed his forehead with his finger. Green brilliance quickly blinked around his body, which was soon covered in a green crystal suit.

  Wu Mayan exclaimed and said, "So, Master has learned how to wear a crystal suit."

  But then he could not help but laugh.

  Li Yao was wearing a 'Green Wolf Battlesuit'. Designed for middle- and low-level Cultivators, it was simple in structure and convenient to use. Even many strong ordinary people could make use of them. It was one of the most basic models of all crystal suits.

  It was not hard to guess the performance of such a cheap product.

  The parameters of the Green Wolf Battlesuit were less than one third of those of the Thunderous Fire Battlesuit that Wu Mayan liked best, not to mention the Ares Extension.

  Although his master seemed to have modified the Green Wolf Battlesuit significantly, Wu Mayan did not find many traces of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures on it.

  Besides, the framework of the crystal suit was too weak. How much improvement could be made even if it was modified?

  "Master, let's be serious. If you really want to enjoy a fight, how about we swap the suits? I will wear Green Wolf, and you can
wear Thunderous Fire and the Unparalleled Extension!

  "But the control system of the Thunderous Fire is quite complicated. Can you handle it?"

  Li Yao bounced up and down and warmed up his wrists and ankles, while he smiled. "It's alright. I merely intend to test the performance of the Unparalleled Extension in person so that I can collect firsthand data for the next modifications. If you are too worried that you might hurt me, you can stay there and take a few punches from me first."

  "Alright."

  In Wu Mayan's eyes, Li Yao was the most reliable man except Father Xiong.

  Now that his master was determined to enjoy himself, he would gladly let him.

  Wu Mayan put on the Thunderous Fire Battlesuit and activated the Unparalleled Extension, which then dismembered itself and enshrouded itself in countless electric arcs before they were attached and fixed to the Thunderous Fire Battlesuit.

  The Unparalleled Extension, almost four meters tall, revealed itself again!

  "Are you ready?" asked Li Yao casually.

  "What's there to be ready for? Just bring it on, master!" Wu Mayan patted his breastplate hard, producing clanging sounds.

  Taking a deep breath, Li Yao set himself in the sprinting posture, but he suddenly raised his head and asked, "Right. Ah Yan, do you know why I suggested you pick the Battlesuit Department?"

  "Huh?" Wu Mayan grunted. "I don't. Why?"

  "Because," said Li Yao with a smile, "I need a sandbag."

  Chapter 659: Air Change! |

  "What!"

  Wu Mayan's pupils shrank so much that they almost vanished.

  Every pore on his body seemed to have been pierced by an icy needle!

  Although protected by two layers of armor, he still felt the deepest fear to the bones!

  The Green Wolf Battlesuit was gone.

  A giant pit almost ten meters in diameter appeared where his master had been standing, as if it had been bombarded by a cannon!

  Was this caused when Master stomped on the ground?

  It was not until this moment that the earthshaking explosions reached him. Although filtered by both the Unparalleled Extension and the Thunderous Fire Battlesuit, the noises still made his ears ache.

  Wu Mayan raised his hands to resist the attack out of intuition. Yet the space in front of him was empty. He could not sense where his master was at all.

  In the next 0.01 seconds, the sensors on the back of the Thunderous Fire Battlesuit uttered earsplitting shrieks!

  Something was charging at him from behind at a velocity five times the speed of sound!

  When did Master reach behind me?

  Wu Mayan's brain was almost frozen. A horrifying picture popped up in his head beyond his control. He seemed to have become a docile lamb whose neck was about to be bitten by a giant, green wolf. He was about to be mauled and eaten as a whole!

  In that moment, Wu Mayan abandoned the idea of behaving nicely and taking a few punches from his master.

  Is this really happening? Since when did Master grasp such terrifying combat skills with crystal suits?

  In the next moment, Wu Mayan's chest was smashed heavily like a comet hitting the sun!

  It's impossible!

  He was aiming for my back. How did he come to the front?

  Unparalleled Extension, activate and stop him!

  Wu Mayan was almost shocked out of shape. He finally saw the shadow of the Green Wolf Battlesuit for the first time, but his master had already kicked his breastplate brutally.

  Thankfully, the front side of the Unparalleled Extension was stocked with a lot of Super Bendable Steel, which absorbed most of the strength in the kick.

  Even so, the Thunderous Fire Battlesuit still uttered beeps in alarm, and a tiny crack appeared on his breastplate.

  Such enormous strength. Thank god I have the Unparalleled Extension!

  Just when the idea popped up in his head, Wu Mayan sensed that something was wrong.

  His master's kick had not ended yet. The leg of his master had turned into a cluster of green mist as if it were a vibration saber.

  Before the first wave of attacks came to an end, the second and the third bombardment of spiritual energy arrived!

  Pa! Pa pa!

  Fulminations were bursting out on the front side of the Unparalleled Extension. The ripples on the Super Bendable Steel were chaotic. The surface of the strengthening plugins were simmering as if they had been boiled!

  Wu Mayan felt that a weird strength pierced deep into his heart through his spiritual shield, his Unparalleled Extension, and his Thunderous Fire Battlesuit!

  He recalled the recruitment ceremony more than half a year ago, where his master had shown a technique in public. After one punch, the spiritual energy penetrated through three layers of iron planks and left countless holes in the last one.

  Pu!

  Wu Mayan felt that his heart was riddled with holes, too, and vomited a mouthful of blood.

  After only one kick, the Unparalleled Extension, which was four meters tall, was swept almost a hundred meters away by the Green Wolf Battlesuit, which was only two meters tall. It rolled around a number of times on the ground before it was able to get back on its feet again.

  On one knee, Wu Mayan breathed heavily and stared at Li Yao in shock and suspicion.

  Terrifying! Too terrifying!

  It was totally different from the battle in the test field during the day.

  At that time, he was very confident even though he was faced with forty opponents led by a Core Formation Stage Cultivator.

  However, although he had put on the Thunderous Fire Battlesuit and the Unparalleled Extension and was merely faced with a beginner-level Green Wolf Battlesuit, he was still overwhelmed with horror!

  Li Yao walked slowly to his disciple as he recorded on the crystal processor of the Green Wolf Battlesuit with his telepathic thoughts. "The standard model of the Unparalleled Extension's waist and shoulders are too fat. Although the defense ability is improved, it is very difficult to change the direction. When faced with an agile opponent with a high speed, the user will be caught in an awkward situation and have no ability to fight back if the user is not strong enough.

  "In the modification for the 'extreme model', the redundant shoulder pads and skirt armor must be cut off even though the defense ability will be slightly reduced."

  "Master, I'm going to fight back!"

  Wu Mayan burst into fury.

  It was not his style to be attacked passively. With the Unparalleled Extension, he would slay all the deities in the world if he had to!

  He stomped on the ground and rushed forward. Every step he made raised an earthquake in the world fragment. He reached Li Yao's front in the blink of an eye, and his right leg jerked at Li Yao's face like a cannonball!

  Li Yao's body instantly turned into a cluster of green mist. Before Wu Mayan's leg drove away his blurred shadows, he had drawn close to Wu Mayan and returned an identical kick to Wu Mayan's groin!

  "Ah!" Wu Mayan screamed miserably, his eyeballs almost flying out of his head!

  "The defense for the genitals is too weak." Li Yao frowned and noted on the crystal processor, "But it can't be helped. Too much protection around the genitals will affect the movement of the legs and reduce the agility.

  "The balance between the defense of genitals and the agility of the legs has to be further optimized. Maybe we should remind the user to pay special attention to the lower half of their body."

  "That's outrageous, Master!"

  Gritting his teeth, Wu Mayan extended a heated saber, shrouded in orange brilliance, from the front end of his right arm. However, his abdomen suffered a third strike when his blade was only half out.

  BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

  Wu Mayan felt that he had been hit by a thousand lightning bolts simultaneously.

  Without the restriction of his crystal suit, the hair all over his body would have been standing on end right now.

  He finally realiz
ed that the size of the Unparalleled Extension had become a burden when his master drew close to him and waged a gapless, head-on battle.

  His master was like a green ghost with unpredictable movements. The dozens of shadows that he produced all seemed to be real.

  The Unparalleled Extension was sturdy enough to resist most of the attacks from his master. But he could not even touch his master's shadow.

  He was now completely trapped in his master's pace. Under the continuous strikes, the Thunderous Fire Battlesuit witnessed a significant decline in its performance parameters, which had mostly turned into a dangerous red by this point.

  "The weaponry system on the two arms is too slow to react. In the extreme models designed for high-end users, such a design can be removed. For the real experts, it is much faster to draw their own swords than to wait for the automatic activation of the weapons."

  Li Yao attacked while noting the shortcomings of the equipment. "The ratio of the weight of the upper body to that of the lower body can be adjusted, too. Otherwise, the drawback that the top half is heavier than the bottom half will soon be revealed when facing a real expert.

  "The arc-shaped design that mimics the shells of insects can offset most attacks, especially the remote ones. But in comparison, its performance is not so satisfying in head-on battles.

  "However, this is quite a dilemma, and there's barely any room for improvement. We can only pay special attention while we are using it. We must maintain a certain distance from the enemy and avoid head-on battles. Three to ten meters should be the best range of attack for the Unparalleled Extension."

  Li Yao suddenly discovered that Wu Mayan had become silent after he was punched more than a thousand times and half buried in soil.

  "Huh?"

  It did not befit Wu Mayan's personality.

  Li Yao's eyes suddenly shone. He noticed that the Unparalleled Extension had absorbed tremendous spiritual energy from the previous punches. It had turned from an unattractive silver grey to a glittering bright gold!