Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

His fluent driving skills made the spectators wonder whether or not he could drive the scorpion-like tank on a spider’s web without breaking any of the threads!

The knight of the Burning Sun Tribe who had raced with Wu Mayan in the beginning was startled for a long time. He did not expect that there were such skilled knights in the Furious Bears Tribe. A moment later, he accelerated his tank and drew close, planning to have a duel with the knight on the scorpion-like tank.

However, the eighteen exhaust tubes in rows at the rear of the scorpion-like tank suddenly dispersed. Like two folded hands that were now opened, seven-colored mystic rays burst out and pushed the vehicle forward. The knight of the Burning Sun Tribe was left far behind, while the scorpion-like tank returned to his own tribe without even bothering to look at him.

For a moment, the Furious Bears Tribe were simmering with excitement. Nobody had anticipated that a knight of the Furious Bears Tribe could defeat the Burning Sun Tribe in a race. Cheers and applause echoed like thunder.

There was brief silence on the Burning Sun Tribe’s side, but it was soon broken by thundering ovation, too.

Valiancy was valued most in the six tribes of Iron Plateau. The knight on the scorpion-like tank had risked his own life by rushing into the nests of the Iron Ore Worms and saving somebody else. Such an insane action and his marvelous racing skills had won the fondness of the warriors of the Burning Sun Tribe.

In the other tribes, many other experts were eyeing the scorpion-like tank in amazement, trying to find out who the knight was. However, his face was covered by a neatly-forged helmet that looked like the head of a scorpion. They could only see a pair of sharp eyes through the blockage of the dust.

The knight of the Burning Sun Tribe, on the other hand, cursed and returned to his team in frustration, only to be mocked by his companions ruthlessly.

At first, he had hesitated for a moment in front of the nests of the Iron Ore Worms and did not rush inside to save the victim as soon as possible, which was a clear sign of his lack of courage. Then, when he wanted to race with the new opponent, he couldn’t even catch up with the tank’s exhaust. It was truly a humiliating failure!

The chiefs of the six tribes soon began their meeting on the top of a large spider-like war machine that belonged to the Furious Bears Tribe. Seeing the episode, the chiefs and the other experts around them were greatly interested.

Yan Zhengdong, chief of the Burning Sun Tribe, had skin and muscles as healthy and vigorous as those of young men even though his hair was white. However, embarrassment was written all over his face. He tried to make a smile and remarked, “I was told long ago that two young experts had distinguished themselves in the Furious Bears Tribe in the recent ten years. One of them is Xiong Zhenzhen, and the other is Shi Meng. Neither of them has reached forty yet, but they have both entered the 80th level of the Refinement Stage. I wonder, is this knight Xiong Zhenzhen or Shi Meng?”

Xiong Wuji grinned like a big bear who had just stolen a honeycomb and replied, “His name is Sand Scorpion!”

On the back of the scorpion-like tank, Wu Mayan waved and writhed in excitement on the seat, half lying in it. He was so thrilled that he was almost lost for words. “Uncle Sand Scorpion, you were so awesome! I didn’t know that your racing skills are so good! Even the knight of the Burning Sun Tribe did not dare step in, but you simply barged into the chaos without any hesitation.

“I saw it. I saw everything! You were driving on the back of the Iron Ore Worms and even jumped from there to the head of another Iron Ore Worm! That was so cool!

“No. You have to be my master! Recruit me as your disciple, Uncle Sand Scorpion! Teach me the secret methods to improve dozens of levels within one month and the coolest racing skills!”

Li Yao enjoyed the feeling of speed to his heart’s content that he hadn’t enjoyed for a long time. He didn’t reply until quite a while later. Then, he opened his mouth with a coarse voice. “Why did you rush out? You were no match for him.”

Wu Mayan’s joyfulness was terminated. He was silent for a long time, before he gnashed his teeth. “I know the knight. His name is Yan Chihuo. He is son of Yan Zhengdong, who is the chief of the Burning Sun Tribe! Three years ago, when the Burning Sun Tribe, the Feathered Snakes Tribe, and the Giant Axe Tribe gathered in Furious Bears City and browbeat Father Xiong into kicking my mother and me out, he was there, too, and he even pushed my mother heavily one time!

“He said at that time that the cowardly rats of space are not qualified to live in a town of Iron Plateau natives!

“I’ve remembered those words my entire life!

“I rushed out today because I wanted him to know who the cowardly rat really was!”

While talking, Wu Mayan suddenly stood up from the back seat of the tank.

Although Yan Chihuo had returned to his own team, he was being mocked by many warriors of his tribe. Bravery was the most important criterion for Iron Plateau natives. The courageous men were respected anywhere, and those who lacked guts would never be looked up to even if they were the son of the chief.

Yan Chihuo was quite angry and therefore glared at Li Yao’s tank.

Since Wu Mayan was standing straight on the seat, he was much taller than Li Yao.

He took off his helmet and scowled at Yan Chihuo while pointing at his own face.

Yan Chihuo narrowed his eyes. He was confused at first because he did not realize who the guy was. A moment later, he suddenly discovered that the one racing with him just now was the little bastard from the space.

When he thought that the little bastard surpassed him at the end of the match, Yan Chihuo’s face almost turned green in fury.

The entire Burning Sun Tribe was filled with discussion, too.

It was one thing to have been defeated by a knight of the Furious Bears Tribe and a whole different thing to have been beaten by a space resident!

Wu Mayan winked at him again before he put on his helmet and sat down again. He begged for a second time, “Uncle Sand Scorpion, please recruit me as your disciple! I can endure any pain or suffering as long as I can become stronger than right now. Next time, not counting on you, not counting on Father Xiong, I’m going to teach those condescending bastards a good lesson on my own!”

Li Yao was quiet in the blowing sandstorm for a long time before he slightly sighed and answered, “After the battle, if both you and I are alive, and you pass my final test, I will recruit you as my disciple.”

“Really?”

Wu Mayan was so excited that he almost started performing backflips on the rear of the tank. Then he yelled, “What kind of test? Just bring it on! I’m scared of no tests!”

Li Yao smiled. “It’s simple. You will only be gnawed by a few ants for a while.”

…

It was late night when the qi-trainers of the six tribes reached the area of the egg of apocalypse after a long expedition of four hundred kilometers through a sandstorm.

The apocalypse cloud had consumed the sky above their heads. It was emitting bleak, gloomy, bluish rays. Illuminated by the light, every qi-trainer looked like a dead body.

This was a great canyon hundreds of meters deep. One could not help but wonder whether or not it had been created by the giant falling meteorites thousands of years ago. The bottom of the canyon had turned into a lake because of years of sinking rainwater. At this moment, the lake was bubbling and raising fuzzy fog. There was no telling how large the lake was.

Li Yao looked far ahead and found an extremely high mountain vaguely visible in the middle of the fog. Bizarrely-shaped, daunting rocks covered the mountain. Some of them protruded out of the mountain like the teeth and claws of animals, making the mountain look like a caltrop, just billions of times larger.

Large clusters of black smoke popped out of the gaps of the rocks and soared to the sky, joining the apocalypse cloud continuously.

BOOM CRACK! BOOM CRACK!

Rumbling noises echoed nonstop inside the apocalypse cloud, and brilliant lightning danced crazily, adding to everyone’s uneasiness.

The beasts tamed by the Feathered Snakes Tribe sensed danger, too. Although they were restricted by their masters through secret arts, they were still grunting in low voices nervously.

Sensing that a large batch of human beings had drawn close, the apocalypse cloud shrank violently. It started raining suddenly, but the rainwater was extremely stinky.

“Hu—Hu—”

The apocalypse cloud was rolling and constricting. It swept over toward the canyon and wreathed the entire meteorite mountain, making it look like a gargantuan black heart that was beating and emitting dull ‘LUM DUM’ noises. Everybody felt that their own heart was grasped uncomfortably.

“Eggs of apocalypse can sense the existence of strangers. Since so many vigorous human beings have gathered in this place, the egg of apocalypse will be stimulated, and its maturing will be accelerated!

“Every sign indicates that the egg of apocalypse will explode before dawn!”

Wu Mayan was extremely happy after getting Li Yao’s promise, so he explained the situation to him respectfully.

This particular egg of apocalypse was at the bottom of the great canyon. The terrain was very much in the six tribes’ favor, because they could block all the apocalyptic beasts born from the egg as long as they guarded the two ends of the canyon.

The east side of the canyon was relatively narrow; it was not suitable to deploy large armies there. Therefore, the Furious Bears Tribe, the Silver Moon Tribe, and the Heaven Wolves Tribe were stationed in the west, while the Burning Sun Tribe, the Feathered Snakes Tribe, and the Giant Axe Tribe established their camps on the east side. Everybody was ready for battle.

The apocalypse cloud covered more of the meteorite through the beams of smoke with each passing minute. By five o’clock in the morning, the meteorite mountain had lost all its shape and was completely enveloped by the apocalypse cloud. It had truly become a wriggling egg of demons.

When the first blood-red ray of sunlight pierced through the sky and reached the egg of apocalypse, earsplitting shrieks burst out of the egg, as if the wraiths in the deepest level of hell were crying. In the dense smoke, thousands of black streams spurted out and spread to the entire canyon!

“Let it begin!”

More than a hundred thousand qi-trainers roared at the same time. Their voices almost broke the canyon apart!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM BOOM!

The True Qi artillery deployed behind the battle formations of the qi-trainers launched the first bombardment controlled by ordinary people!

The True Qi artillery could throw crystal bombs weighing hundreds of kilograms several thousand meters away with a reasonably high precision by detonating super-compressed air.

However, the bodies of the eccentric beasts born in the apocalypse were extremely sturdy. They wouldn’t be hurt at all if the bombs did not explode right on their critical parts.

Besides, the True Qi artillery would consume a large number of resources. Also, due to the underdeveloped technology in the production procedures, many components would be loosened after each firing, therefore affecting the airtightness of the firearm. The second firing required tedious preparation before it could be carried out. So, the True Qi artilleries could not bombard the enemy continuously.

In light of the shortcoming of the True Qi artillery, they were often used to launch one bombardment when the egg of apocalypse was about to explode and all the apocalyptic beasts were still gathered.

After that, the qi-trainers would be engaged in head-on bloody battles to secure the final victory!

Flowers of flames blossomed in the black smoke and soon wreathed the egg of apocalypse, transforming it into an orange super large fireball.

However, the fireball was collapsing inwardly nonstop. After each collapse, a large cluster of smoke rushed out!

The giant lake in the center of the canyon had been enshrouded in black smoke. The bubbling sound of the lake water was getting louder and louder, as if the entire lake was being vaporized.

Screams that nobody had heard, even in their worst nightmares, echoed from the black smoke!