by <unknown>
"With the integration of the Heaven's Origin Sector, the Flying Star Sector, and the Blood Demon Sector, all kinds of technology, including those regarding the brain nerves, are making breakthroughs on a daily basis. I'm certain that, in the not so distant future, cerebral sclerosis, which is an untreatable disease right now, will be dealt with through certain methods!
"Also, according to the latest news I've heard, we have made an explosive breakthrough in human hibernation. We have theoretically grasped the ability to freeze a human body at an ultra-low temperature, which allows us to freeze someone in the river of time for one to two hundred years.
"Then, let Jin Tuyi be the first person to receive human hibernation. Let him hibernate until cerebral sclerosis is curable. After his disease is treated and his most clear consciousness is back, we will give him the real punishment that he deserves. All the pain that is due for him should be tasted by him without him missing any of it!
"In my opinion, that will be a real trial and the only ending suitable for such a war criminal as Jin Tuyi!
"Of course, the human hibernation technology is still immature. Faults might occur, but the worst outcome will only be equal to a death sentence for Jin Tuyi.
"I don't see anything inappropriate in dealing with him in such a way!"
Li Yao's words raised discussions in every part of the society. After the initial shock, everybody had to admit that he did have a point.
Jin Tuyi was nothing more than a vegetative who could barely walk on his own, often urinating and defecating in his own pants.
Nitpicking a vegetative, cursing him, and even beating him hard would not cause him the slightest pain, physically or mentally.
Because of his cerebral sclerosis, Jin Tuyi's soul had been sealed in the depths of his brain. With the technology of the federation right now, it was impossible to dig his soul out through the soul searching technique.
Basically, the federation could do nothing about him except execute him directly.
However, in many cases, death was not a punishment but a relief. Somebody had also said that every problem would no longer be a problem after they died.
Even the countryfolk, in their fury, would curse other people by shouting that they would die a miserable death.
It was indicative enough that, sometimes, 'not dying a miserable death' was actually something worth hoping for.
If the ignorant Jin Tuyi died just like that, it was certainly not a miserable death, or a real punishment, but a way to solve all his problems.
It was obviously against the purpose of the war tribunal.
After a month of discussion, the nine special judges finally came to a decision. Jin Tuyi, as an ultra-level war criminal, was found guilty of all charges, but given his special circumstances, he was exempted from the death sentence for now. Instead, he would enter the hibernation state through the rapid-freezing technology until cerebral sclerosis was treatable, at which time he would be unfrozen, cured, and executed.
Such an arrangement seemed redundant, but it actually reflected the dignity of the federation and the solemnness of law. Therefore, it was an action of necessity.
The public welcomed such a ruling, too.
After the general public saw on the live stream that Jin Tuyi was just chuckling like a moron, and even trying to pee at the bailiffs at a certain point, everybody agreed that executing such a clown was definitely not the best way to conclude the war. It would only be the greatest joke.
The Blood Demon Sector had no objection to the ruling, either. The leadership of the Pantheon of Demons, including Jin Tuyi's daughter Jin Xinyue, supported the decision to perform the human hibernation procedure on Jin Tuyi and to postpone his execution.
Finally, the trial about the war came to an end, concluded by a rest that would be long enough, although not by a full stop.
Together with the trials regarding the members of the Patriots Partnership that were conducted and finished earlier, the century trials declared the Star Glory Federation's farewell to the past.
From the Speaker to the regular workers on the street, every federal citizen got rid of the burdens of the past. Holding their heads high, they strode toward the future confidently!
The future, on the other hand, immediately slammed the bumpkins living at the edge of the universe right in the head brutally and mercilessly!
"What the federation is to be faced is probably not just the superpower Imperium at the center of the universe but also the Covenant Alliance, which is even more formidable and dreadful!"
The news swept across the entire federation like a thunderstorm before it spread to the Flying Star Sector and the Blood Demon Sector too. Everybody felt that their head was dizzy in the shock!
The new federation, which was still developing, was like a small fish that had only just grown fins and scales. Yet, the fish was suddenly thrown into the surging waves of a vast ocean. The world in the eyes of the fish was enlarged by billions of times. The angry octopi, the ferocious whales… all kinds of deadly predators were appearing in the mysterious deep sea!
It remained to be seen whether or not the small fish could weather through the scourge of the tides and the hunting of the predators and grow into a dragon that dominated the ocean and a top-tier player in the sea of stars. The goal required the joint effort of all Cultivators and ordinary people!
"The much-anticipated 'Meeting of the Nascent Soul Stage' will begin in the Conference Center of the New Federation in Grand Desolate City, whose construction has yet to be finished. The meeting is…"
The butterfly was allured by the brilliantly-shining light beams and mistook them for real flowers.
She danced in front of the light beams, not having the vaguest clue what profound changes the meeting would bring to the world that she lived in.
The so-called 'Meeting of the Nascent Soul Stage', as its name suggested, was a gathering of all the super experts in the Nascent Soul Stage or the demon emperor stage from the Heaven's Origin Sector, the Flying Star Sector, and the Blood Demon Sector. The super experts would plan and discuss the future of the three Sectors so that all living souls in the three Sectors could survive in the perilous sea of stars.
The meeting that was proposed and encouraged by Jiang Hailiu, the Speaker, had been thought to be utterly impractical by many at first.
Everybody knew that, although the war between the Heaven's Origin Sector and the Blood Demon Sector had ended, the mistrust between the top experts on the two sides would not be eliminated any time soon. Most of the demon emperors were suspicious that it was a plot of the Cultivators, who were preparing to annihilate all of them in one attempt.
As for the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators from the Flying Star Sector, although they did not have trust issues, astronomical resources would be consumed for them to jump to the Heaven's Origin Sector and then jump back.
In the beginning, barely anybody except Jiang Hailiu believed that the Meeting of the Nascent Soul Stage could be convened successfully.
However, as the integration of the three Sectors pushed forward smoothly, the technological communication between the Heaven's Origin Sector and the Blood Demon Sector grew deeper and deeper. After the federal army brought the antidote to the Demon God Virus to the frontline of the epidemic in the Blood Demon Sector and helped their old nemesis deal with the plague, the tension between the two parties somewhat lessened.
The existence of the Covenant Alliance, in the meantime, cut the obsolete ideas of all the super experts into pieces like an invisible blade!
Also, after the space communication system was deployed in a hurry, which allowed the demon emperors and the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators who were unwilling to attend to the meeting in person to join it remotely, the last obstacle was cleared, too!
All the top experts from the three Sectors were finally able to gather together and fight for each other's future!
Because of the different conditions of the three Sectors, where the super experts' i
nfluence and control over the society varied, and since they were probably unable to make the most correct decision immediately regarding the Imperium and the Covenant Alliance due to the lack of information, Speaker Jiang Hailiu defined the Meeting of the Nascent Soul Stage as an unofficial caucus after much deliberation.
All the conclusions and decisions to be passed in the Meeting of the Nascent Soul Stage would carry no legal effect and could not be used to bind the Building Foundation Stage Cultivators, the Core Formation Stage Cultivators, the demon generals, and the demon kings, who did not participate in the meeting. They did not mean any obligation for the ordinary people living in the three Sectors, either.
Furthermore, for the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators who did participate in the meeting, they were free to refuse the decisions passed in the meeting if they were unsatisfied about the meeting.
Generally speaking, the meeting was going to be a seminar that focused on theories instead of reality. The top experts would discuss the most cutting-edge ideologies and the future path of the new federation.
It could not be helped. For the experts in the Nascent Soul Stage or the demon emperor stage, they could not be restrained through regular methods.
Faced with the formidable threats such as the Imperium and the Covenant Alliance, obligatory methods were also not the best choice because they would only push the three Sectors into another civil war.
As for exactly what path the new federation would take, and whether it would fight back unwaveringly or kneel down and surrender, it could only be decided by every Cultivator and every ordinary person at their own will!
Chapter 1188: Destruction of the Imperium |
"So far, sixteen experts in the Nascent Soul Stage and the demon emperor stage, including Speaker Jiang Hailiu and Li Yao, have arrived at the Conference Center of the New Federation. Through the space communication array, the rest of the super experts far away in the Blood Demon Sector and the Flying Star Sector have successfully connected, too. The meeting where more than a hundred Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators and demon emperors are gathered, unseen in the history in the history of either the Heaven's Origin Sector, the Blood Demon Sector, or the Flying Star Sector, is about to commence!"
The anchor inside the light beam could not hold back his excitement. With tears of joy, his voice shivered as he said, "Stay tuned, dear audience. We will be following the prime meeting that has gathered the best wisdom, strength, courage, determination, and even imagination of the three Sectors!"
For the butterfly that was hovering in and out of the light beam, the excitement of the enormous mammal who was wearing fiber products did not mean anything. She only sensed that the temperature around her was becoming lower and lower, and that the energy inside her body was being consumed faster and faster. The cold rain hit her wings hard, throwing her off balance nonstop.
In the brilliantly-shining and yet unpredictable light beam, she found neither food nor shelter where she could stay away from the cold wind and rain.
She was about to reach the threshold of death. The remaining energy inside her body was not enough for her to find food or shelter. She was destined to fall down like a dry leaf in the chilly rain after a moment of struggle.
Even so, the butterfly was neither frightened nor disappointed. The simple nerves that she possessed were not capable of generating such advanced feelings.
Therefore, driven by the natural instincts deep inside her genes, she simply exploited the last bit of her energy, flapping her wings and flying further toward the flowers that she could never find.
Suddenly…
At the last moment of her life, the wings of the butterfly shivered as she was enveloped by a force that was as warm as spring breeze. She landed slowly and stopped on a metal finger.
Although the finger was metal, it was not cold at all. Instead, it was full of vitality like a twig in the bloom of spring.
Spiritual energy crawled into her body carefully, filling her body with hope again!
The butterfly flapped her wings in delight while she felt the new strength.
At the end of the metal finger was a metal arm. At the end of the metal arm was a splendid, artistic metal shell that was embedded with crystals and carved with spiritual stripes. On the metal skull above the shell, more than thirty-seven thousand bionic muscle fibers were twisted at the same time, giving out a vivid smile while the master of body giggled.
The metal finger snapped softly. The butterfly, revitalized, unfolded her clear wings again and flew to the sky.
Now, she was getting to know the dazzling new world.
Although she did not know where the flowers were, she believed that the flowers must be there somewhere, and she would certainly find them!
Before she flew away, the butterfly turned around and hovered around the existence who helped her, remembering the features of the particular existence.
It was an existence resembling the large mammal 'human being', but different from the normal human beings who were made of flesh and blood, it was made of bright blue metal. The high breasts and the slim waist suggested that it was a simulation of the females of human beings. The metal wings folded in its back, on the other hand, indicated that it had a heart that belonged to the sky.
The butterfly wrote all the features to the deepest part of her gene chains.
It was not out of gratitude but simply an experience. She knew that it was a 'good' existence that might sustain her life at a critical moment.
"Go now, little one."
The butterfly sensed the patterned rhythms in the air. Although she did not understand the words, she did sense yet another warm wind.
In the warm wind, she flew higher and higher toward the depths of Grand Desolate City, looking for flowers and mates to pass on her life and everything that she had just perceived.
Looking at the butterfly dancing and flying farther and father, Wei Qingqing smiled more and more delightedly. Her man-made eyes were glittering with hope.
Li Yao, on the other hand, observed her with mixed feelings.
The rural teacher from the Sky Fantasia Academy, one of the Nine Elite Universities of the federation, who was not capable of fighting at all, had been one of the most important people in guiding Li Yao to embark on the path of Cultivation.
To some extent, she was even more important to him than his senior brother 'Fiend Blade' Peng Hai and the refiner Ding Yin.
Years ago, on the crystal train north to the Grand Desolate Plateau, Li Yao, who had still been an ordinary person back then, encountered a beast tide with all the passengers on board and was grasped by desperation.
Eventually, seven Cultivators had stood up, sacrificed themselves, and saved everyone. Wei Qingqing was among them.
For the rest of the Cultivators such as Ding Yin, they had some fighting experience, and their strength far exceeded that of the ordinary people.
Wei Qingqing, on the other hand, was a pure culture-type Cultivator and had only just graduated from college. She was merely in the middle level of the Refinement Stage. Faced with the overwhelming beast tide, she was no different from the ordinary people.
If she had decided to flinch, there would have been ten thousand reasons for her to. Or rather, even without her, the other six Cultivators might still have been able to delay the beast tide long enough.
However, she still stood up without any hesitation. With her shoulders that were not very strong, she resisted the blast of the beast tide the hard way, although her orchid-like life perished on the Grand Desolate Plateau too young!
The picture was etched to the deepest part of Li Yao's soul, which had provided infinite impetus for him to awaken his spiritual root and become a Cultivator the next day.
"I am going to be a Cultivator like Ding Yin and Wei Qingqing!"
It was Li Yao's original belief.
Once a belief originated, it would not be changed easily. Therefore, of all his family and friends in the Heaven's Origin Sector, Wei Qingqing, t
he unique 'blue bird', had always been the one that he valued most.
To quote the ancient Cultivators, there was a very important 'bond' between the two of them. It was not love but a much purer emotion that transcended love.
After she turned into a spectral Cultivator, Wei Qingqing had been engaged in the education work in the Academy of Spectral Cultivators, where she taught the kids and teenagers who died too young. She was now a renowned educator in the federation. Even the most petulant young ghosts would be obedient after her lesson.
Li Yao was rather overjoyed to see her showing up with an interviewer's badge.
"Sister Qingqing, you've quit your job and become a journalist?" Li Yao asked with a smile.
The methods to resist the Imperium and the Covenant Alliance would be the topic of the meeting, which would potentially decide the roadmap of the federation for the next century.
Although all the participants were there as individuals on behalf of themselves, and the decisions to be made in the meeting would carry no legal effect, everyone knew that the decisions made by more than a hundred Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators and demon emperors would be highly influential for the three Sectors anyway.
Therefore, the meeting attracted even more attention than the century trials did before.
After all, the trials were merely about the past, but the Meeting of the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators would foretell the future!
It was for this reason that the vetting on the journalists was particularly strict. The organizer had released less than a hundred certificates for the interviewers. Only the most famous news workers from the most authoritative, unbiased media of the three Sectors had the chance to interview the participants in the meeting hall.
Wei Qingqing was not a professional journalist, but she had somehow gotten an interview certificate. That was quite unbelievable!
After a grimace, Wei Qingqing smiled. "Two reasons. Firstly, the Sky Fantasia Academy is the best school for culture-type Cultivators in the first place. Most of the celebrities in the news industry are my alumni. Also, you know that I am a reasonably good writer too."