Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

The capital planet was the main planet or the mother planet of a sector or civilization. Generally speaking, it was the place that boasted the largest population, the densest spiritual energy, the most advanced technology, and the greatest number of experts. It was also often where the major Cultivation sects were headquartered.

For example, in the Flying Star Sector, ‘Heavenly Saints City’, the metropolis in space, was effectively the capital planet.

In comparison, the Iron Plateau Space Zone in front of them was full of stone belts. It was barren and desolate. Nobody could tell that it had once been the capital planet.

“To resist apocalypses? To resist us?”

Li Yao quickly thought of the conversation between Huangpu Xiaoya and Huangpu Shiyi days ago. He couldn’t help but ask, “What happened in the Flying Star Sector five thousand years ago? Why did the human beings of the Flying Star Sector run from the planets into space? Did an apocalypse take place here? What are qi-trainers exactly?”

Huangpu Xiaoya was silent for a moment, before she replied, “This is part of the dark story that no Cultivators are willing to talk about. I only learned a thing or two about it from the leader of my family when I became one of the stars of my generation. It’s quite understandable that you don’t know anything about it since you grew up in a remote town.

“Yes. Five thousand years ago, a destructive apocalypse fell upon the Flying Star Sector, to wit, the Iron Plateau Space Zone, the center of our civilization at the time. It turned the prosperous Iron Plateau Space Zone into what you see right now.

“However, there are many twists and turns to the story…”

Right then, Li Yao’s mini crystal processor started beeping.

“Half a minute to go!”

Li Yao plugged the last magical equipment unit into the shell of the escape capsule.

The escape capsule modified crazily by him was now completely different from before. All the units and tubes were exposed to the air and looked ugly and jumbled. Yet, they brought a weird sense of swiftness. Huangpu Xiaoya was somewhat dazed looking at the vehicle!

“Prepare to go now! We will be affected by the explosion if we don’t. If we both make it, I will come back and listen to your story later!”

Li Yao patted the solid shell of the escape capsule in satisfaction and grinned at the hideous steel beast.

“Alright. But you must not flee to the center of the Iron Plateau Space Zone if you have a choice. Also, try to keep distance from the gravity sphere of Iron Plateau. If you are captured by the gravity of Iron Plateau and land on its surface…”

Huangpu Xiaoya paused for a moment, looking for the best way to phrase it. “Let’s just say that Cultivators are not the qi-trainers’ favorites.”

“Understood.”

Li Yao reflected on the meaning between her lines, while the two of them pushed the escape cabins into the launch rails.

They seated themselves in their respective escape capsules.

“Hey!”

Five seconds before the launch, Huangpu Xiaoya suddenly shouted, “What are you exactly?”

Li Yao shut the cabin door of the super shuttle slowly, his last words rushing out of the gap before it was fully closed.

“A good man!”

…

The cockpit of Gold Horn was a mess.

Thousands of holes had burned through the control panel. Tubes were fracturing on the ceiling. Scorching steam was spurting out. Dozens of crystal wires had been torn apart by explosions, which were dancing crazily, stimulated by the spiritual energy like headless snakes.

It was indeed the picture of doom.

Everyone inside the room seemed to have just climbed out of an underground cave. All their clothes were blackened, with dried blood stains. The only things that were clean were their teeth and eyes, which were emitting cold brilliance.

They were trying their best to repair the starship. Occasionally, one of the crew members would fall to the ground silently during their work, but someone else would immediately take over their position without any surprise.

Lei Dalu’s chest was hollowed, his right arm almost entirely shattered. Scraps of his crystal suit had been embedded into his flesh and blood like broken blades.

Although simple medical procedures had been performed, some of the scraps could not be removed at present because they were too deeply embedded in his internal organs and critical nerves.

His face pale, Lei Dalu collapsed in the captain seat and grinned at Bai Kaixin. “Old Bai. Cough cough cough cough. Do you think that I should ask a fortune teller whether or not I’m born to not have brand new starships? When we were steering second-hand starships, our decades of journeying always proceeded smoothly. How come that, when we were driving starships specially made for Great Horn, we have been beaten the s*hit out of twice?”

Before Bai Kaixin opened his mouth, a brawny man who was tied up in bandages was already in tears as he cried, “Captain, why did you come out and rescue us? Everybody could tell that we were already hopeless back then!”

Lei Dalu grinned, and then grunted, as he had accidentally pulled the muscle around one of his wounds. He spat a mouthful of blood and said, “Do you know the most important thing about us Cultivators? That’s bravery! Although I’m the captain, I won’t be able to catch up with Bai Kaixin in regards of strategies and skills to command even if I study for another eight lives. How am I qualified to be your captain if I am not brave enough?”

“You were not brave. You were brainless! Too brainless!” roared the brawny man.

Lei Dalu coughed and continued speaking. “It’s not the first day of my brainlessness. You guys should not feel surprised, either. You are unfortunate enough to have to listen to such an idiotic captain’s command! Old Bai, what’s our current status?”

“Very terrible.”

The Great Horn Exo Society was on the brink of doom, but the sorrow on Bai Kaixin’s face was reduced by a lot. What replaced it was madness and solemnness. He was like a brilliant chess player faced with the worst situation in a game, which he was trying to resolve with his maximum computational ability.

“The power rune arrays of the three starships are all more or less damaged. There’s no way that we can shake off the pursuing space pirates.

“The Exos on the starships have suffered great casualties. Seventy percent of the manpower has been lost.

“If the space pirates launch another assault with Exos, we can only expect to resist them with the air cannons. If so, our resources will be consumed at an unbelievably high speed. Very soon, all our crystals and fuel will run out.

“If the situation continues, our enemy will initiate the real final attack within one day. We will turn to dust in the sea of stars within several hours after that!

“But it will take at least two and a half days for the nearest reinforcements to arrive!”

Lei Dalu was silent for a long time. He took a long breath and put on a carefree smile again. “The conclusion is that we are dead anyway?”

“Yes.”

Bai Kaixin replied calmly, “The only thing I can calculate right now is how to give the space pirates the biggest strike before our eventual doom. We will drag one or two starships to the hell with us anyway!”

The heavily wounded man who had been rescued by Lei Dalu bellowed, “Captain, you were too stupid. If you were not injured, you would have been able to run away with Advisor Bai! This is the Iron Plateau Space Zone with stone belts everywhere. Your chance of escape is not slim!”

Lei Dalu scratched his greasy hair, which was soaked in blood and sweat, and said, “I didn’t expect that the space pirates would have so much manpower that, not only did they assault the headquarters of so many Cultivation sects, they also had the entire Storm Prison spare to deal with us!

“This time, I’ve really fallen into their trap!

“Song Laosi, don’t cry here as if I’m already dead! Tell you what, cough cough cough cough, I’m as vigor—cough cough cough cough—ous as I will ever be! I can even slay a few more enemies now! I’m not dead yet! If you want to cry, cry at my funeral!”

Lei Dalu rose up suddenly, not caring that the wounds all over his body were bleeding. He stared at Blood Rain, the flagship of Storm Prison, while he gnashed his teeth. “I’ve been making a living in the sea of stars for decades. There are more space pirates that want to kill me than I can count. Yet, I’m still standing here!

“Fengyu Zhong, you want to put me down? Then you’d better prepare to pay a good price!

“Old Bai, Song Laosi, ask everyone to be ready for the last battle. We will not give up until our blood runs dry and our last crystal suits are blown up!

“As long as we are breathing, miracles might occur!

“Don’t forget that how unbelievably lucky I am! Last time, when we were chasing after Fengyu Ming, you all thought that we wouldn’t catch him, and he would run away. But at the crucial moment, his Ghost Jail exploded right in front of our eyes. Hahahaha!

“Chances are that this captain of yours is destiny’s son, who was born for a special purpose. With a cough, the starship in front of us will explode! Cough cough cough cough!”

Lei Dalu finished his sentence and coughed loudly. His body bent like a shrimp. The blood was all over the ground. The guy nearly coughed his lung out.

Everything was normal on the light beam. The five starships of Storm Prison were still showing their muscles.

Bai Kaixin and Song Laosi looked at each other and sighed.

Bai Kaixin patted Song Laosi’s shoulder and said, “Go and tell our brothers to be prepared. Men of the Great Horn must die an extraordinary death!”

“Understood!”

Hardly had Song Laosi turned around when he suddenly felt that the room was illuminated. Bai Kaixin, who was best known for his serenity, was exclaiming in shock like a wuss who had seen a cockroach!

Song Laosi turned around to check what was going on, only to be dazed by what he saw.

On the light beam, Red Lightning, one of the crystal warships of Storm Prison, suddenly burst into a series of giant light balls, which raged and spread from the engine compartment at the rear of the starship. The entire starship was swallowed within a breath!

A moment later, the crystals inside the engine compartment of Red Lightning were detonated. Even more dazzling brightness broke out!

The bleeding stars were illuminated in that moment. The dark universe was as clear as daylight.

Red Lightning had exploded!

Bai Kaixin and Song Laosi were both dumbfounded. They looked at each other in bewilderment and turned their head toward Lei Dalu although their necks were basically stiffened.

Lei Dalu was staring at the light beam in disbelief. His mouth was opened so wide that an ostrich egg could be stuffed inside. He wasn’t back to himself for a long time. In the end, his lips curled as he said casually, “Like I said, I’m destiny’s son born with a special purpose. With a cough of mine—”

“Cut the nonsense!”

Bai Kaixin pushed him away and dashed to the control panel, which was still burning. “Check the replay of the explosion. Zoom in the picture and see exactly what was going on!”