Chapter 706 - New Era
Chapter 706: New Era
Translator: flycrane01 Editor: Millman97
Together with the declaration, a hundred Grand Illusionary Soldiers appeared in the darkness behind Xiao Xuance. Illuminated by the dim light, they appeared particularly high and mighty.
Different from the prototypes that had appeared in the tenth space ring a month ago, these Grand Illusionary Soldiers were much tougher and more agile. Bright gold flames were flowing on their surface like the hair of ferocious animals.
“Better late than never. After all the prototypes of the Grand Illusionary Soldiers were damaged or destroyed in the tenth space ring a month ago, all my colleagues in the Grand Illusionary Group worked day and night and built a hundred new Grand Illusionary Soldiers with tremendous Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures without caring about the cost!
“The stronger, steadier, and more aggressive Grand Illusionary Soldiers will be the standard model to be manufactured in place of the earlier prototypes!
“Meanwhile, I, Xiao Xuance, would like to make an announcement in front all the fellow Cultivators and compatriots of the Flying Star Sector!
“In order to destroy the Temple of Immortals, I will donate all my belongings to establish a fund under the name of my son Xiao Tianyang. The fund will be dedicated to the production of the Grand Illusionary Soldiers!
“It’s a great misfortune that one’s son dies when one is old. But I believe that my son Xiao Tianyang’s soul will live in thousands of Grand Illusionary Soldiers in such a way and keep on fighting the good fight!
“Compatriots and Fellow Cultivators, my personal strength is limited. The Grand Illusionary Soldier Project needs your support. The future of the Flying Star Sector needs your support!
“We are running out of time!
“What happened in the tenth space ring was unfortunate, but it might have been fortunate too. It happened to be in the periphery of Heavenly Saints City, and a lot of Cultivators were nearby during the Edge Sharpeners’ Meeting. Therefore, we reacted immediately after the arrival of the extraterrestrial devils and stopped chaos soon after.
“However, what if the extraterrestrial devils do not visit Heavenly Saints City but drop by your hometown or a remote space zone?
“An entire space town might be absorbed by the devils in a day and a night. Until the last innocent victim is possessed by the devils, not enough warriors will be able to rescue them!
“The Grand Illusionary Soldiers are the bane for the extraterrestrial devils. Only the Grand Illusionary Soldiers can rescue the Flying Star Sector!”
Xiao Xuance’s words raised whispers in the small, independent meeting rooms.
The Grand Illusionary Soldiers were different from traditional planetary-level magical equipment such as the ‘Ice God Project’.
The super projects such as the Ice God Project, which meant to build a planet into a piece of magical equipment, required a huge investment and a long working period. There would be too many unexpected factors during the project. If so much as only one tenth of the sects objected to it, the project would immediately be suspended.
In comparison, every sect and every space town could decide whether or not to join the Grand Illusionary Soldier Project on their own. It could be implemented immediately as long as one tenth of the sects were willing to give it a try.
It was the greatest feature for such a piece of ‘cloud magical equipment’.
Xiao Xuance glanced at the light beam and replied, “Many fellow Cultivators asked whether or not they could refine the Grand Illusionary Soldiers on their own.
“Allow me to repeat myself.
“The Grand Illusionary Soldier Project is a real non-profit project. The Grand Illusionary Group are pushing the project at a great cost and risk willingly!
“In fact, the productivity of the Grand Illusionary Group is limited. It is impossible for us to produce all the Grand Illusionary Soldiers!
“Therefore, we welcome all the Exos, refiners, and experts of crystal processors in the Flying Star Sector to contribute your wisdom to the research of more advanced models of the Grand Illusionary Soldiers, as long as these models can be connected to the enormous database ‘star brain’ provided by the Grand Illusionary Group.
“If you want to purchase them from the Grand Illusionary Group, you can buy them at the price of the cost to help us cover the necessary cost of labor, transportation, and waste of materials. We will not be making any profit during the process!
“The Grand Illusionary Group will list all the costs in our monthly report. I guarantee that every cent of your money can be tracked clearly!”
Many Cultivators inside the meeting rooms were greatly interested.
“The Dragon Sea Sect has two mining bases in the Overly Blue Space Zone. The environment is too harsh for Cultivators to be stationed for long. We can buy five hundred Grand Illusionary Soldiers to defend the mining bases and the transportation routes!”
“The Red Heart Sect lost an elder in the Core Formation Stage and several core disciples in the Building Foundation Stage. Right now, our strength has plummeted. We don’t have enough warriors to defend the twelve space towns under our protection. If the space pirates and the Immortal Cultivators assault us while we are weak and summon extraterrestrial devils in our space towns, the outcome will be terrible. We should buy a batch of Grand Illusionary Soldiers and increase our defense, too!”
“The Furious Flames Island has our own refining center. Although we are not capable of producing high-quality crystal suits, we have abundant experience in refining beast puppets. Right now, with slight modifications, we will be able to build a batch of soldier puppets whose cost is about the same as that of beast puppets. After they are connected to the ‘star brain’, the combat data of countless seasoned Exos will be shared with them and enhance their combat ability exponentially! This is quite a fair deal. We’re in!”
“The Green Feather Sect is in, too! Our mentor programs in the past decades did not go well. We have two experts in the Core Formation Stage in our sect and many Refinement Stage Cultivators, but we have few Building Foundation Stage Cultivators who are pillars of a sect.
“There are dozens of trading routes under the name of the Green Feather Sect. How can two Core Formation Stage Cultivators protect all of them? Because of the assaults of space pirates, our trading routes have been frequently targeted in the last year. The two Core Formation Stage Cultivators have continually been on the move and almost became mentally deranged. With the Grand Illusionary Soldiers, they can share the pressure of defense even if they cannot clear the enemy promptly and give the Core Formation Stage Cultivators of our sect a rest!”
“Indeed, the Flying Star Sector is too chaotic these days. Space pirates, extraterrestrial devils, Immortal Cultivators… All kinds of enemies have been showing up. After all, the Grand Illusionary Soldiers can be manufactured by ourselves. If we implement the project, we can not only boost domestic consumption, stimulate the economy, and increase jobs, but also increase the sense of safety for ordinary people and their confidence in Cultivators!”
“We’re in! The seventeen sects of the Swooping Eagle Space Zone have agreed unanimously to join the Grand Illusionary Soldier Project!”
On the light beam of Xiao Xuance’s crystal processor, the spots that represented different sects started blinking one after another.
“Everyone—”
Xiao Xuance pressed his hands and said, “Every piece of new magical equipment will be questioned and criticized when it is just born. Therefore, it is perfectly normal if any fellow Cultivators are still suspicious about the Grand Illusionary Soldier Project. I will not urge you to make any decision without full consideration!
“However, for those sects who are willing to join the Grand Illusionary Soldier Project but are in lack of funding, you can rest assured, too!
“I know that it’s been a rough year for many sects because of the savaging space pirates. Everybody has been thrifty, and no one has money to spare.
“Therefore, under my advisement, all the banks under the names of the six sects of Heavenly Saints City have introduced a new program called ‘Grand Illusionary Soldier Special Loan’, which is financed by the six sects of Heavenly Saints City to support the middle and small sects that are going through difficulties.
“As long as it is confirmed that your sect was savaged by the space pirates multiple times over the past year and is short of capital, you can apply for a loan and bring a batch of Grand Illusionary Soldiers back first to solve any urgent issues. When your trading routes are peaceful again, you can pay the loan back slowly!”
The words raised a riot among the Cultivators from many sects, especially those in the remote towns.
Shua! Shua! Shua! Shua!
On the light beam, more and more light spots that represented ‘In’ were shining like gold scales.
Suddenly, Xiao Xuance’s eyebrow raised high. Ecstasy beamed out of his eyes but was soon concealed.
“Everyone, allow me to tell you a piece of great news. Leader Si of the Star Fighters Alliance has agreed to join the Grand Illusionary Project, too!”
The light beam suddenly blinked, and an old man appeared next to Xiao Xuance.
It was Si Koulie, leader of the Star Fighters Alliance and a master in starship designs, who had confronted him in the very hall with the proposal to convert a planet into an invincible warship!
“Today, I still maintain that the ‘Ice God Project’ is a great project worthy of the resources of the entire Flying Star Sector and the endeavors of countless Cultivators!”
Expressionlessly, Si Koulie sighed. “However, the situation today has changed. The threats of the Immortal Cultivators are too imminent. We do not have several decades to build a planetary-level warship.
“Maybe, when everything is settled, we will still have chance to carry out the Ice God Project slowly.
“But right now, all the sects in the Star Fighters Alliance decided unanimously that the resources we planned to devote to the Ice God Project should be devoted to the Grand Illusionary Soldier Project in order to build an invincible legion and wage war on the Immortal Cultivators in the cruelest way!”
Si Koulie cut off the communication. His image gradually disappeared.
The somewhat depressed old man knew that the Grand Illusionary Soldiers were the most suitable magical equipment for the Flying Star Sector right now.
But with mixed feelings, he did not want to talk about it anymore.
Before his image vanished into darkness, more sects were shocked by the news and decided to join in.
“More than sixty percent of all the sects have decided to join the Grand Illusionary Soldier Project. Everybody, please bear today in mind, because it will be the most important day in the history of the Flying Star Sector!”
Xiao Xuance was so excited that he could not hold himself back any longer. He bellowed, “The Immortal Cultivators think that they can bend us with terror and slaughter!
“But they forget that human beings are the strongest fighting species in the sea of stars. We may die, but we will not be bent or scared!
“Today is the rebirth of humanity of the Flying Star Sector. From today on, the entire Flying Star Sector will be united. Everyone, Cultivators and ordinary people alike, will contribute all our wisdom, strength, sweat, and resources to establish a brand new era!”
Xiao Xuance glanced at a blinking picture on the bottom-left corner of his light beam.
It was a tall and strong middle-aged man who was grinning carefreely.
It was Xiao Tianyang, Xiao Xuance’s deceased son, as well as the agent ‘Apollo’ who had snuck into the Temple of Immortals.
Deep, complicated brilliance beamed out of Xiao Xuance’s long and narrow eyes. Tears suddenly flowed out, as he murmured to himself, “Ah Yang, your sacrifice will not be in vain.
“A new era has finally come. Our civilization has embarked on the true path. We will be greater, stronger, and more beautiful!”