Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

Li Yao was choked for a long time. Then he said, “Allow me to rephrase it. I can tell that you are a strong-willed man in any sense. So, why don’t we make a deal? Your goal is to be the strongest, isn’t it? I don’t know what exactly the level of ‘strongest’ is, but as long as there are enough resources, time, and refining facilities, I can help you build a super iron body whose comprehensive battle performance will be five times greater than that of your current one. It will certainly be able to keep up with your ever-expanding battle database. How does that sound?”

The Fist King’s crystal processor began to hum noisily again.

“Also, if you prefer the super large magical equipment system like Great Iron City, although I am not particularly good in that field, I can gather tremendous resources and hands to help you build a… transformable starship, if you will, when I have the chance in the future. It will be able to switch freely between the form of a starship and a super-enormous war puppet, and it will be as awesome in appearance as it is in fighting.

“This is not exactly a promise, but it is at least a possibility. After all, you will receive absolutely no help from the Imperium of True Human Beings and the Immortal Cultivators. Should you be captured by them, you will only be dismantled into the most fundamental parts for study. Every crystal chip of yours will be scrutinized until no secrets are left.

“Only in me, and the force that nurtured a monster like myself, lies the possibilities of your further strengthening and upgrading, right?”

The Fist King’s crystal processor, crystal camera, and every crystal chip uttered cracking sounds as he calculated crazily for a minute. Then he said peacefully, “I once heard a piece of interesting intelligence, which stated that the Imperium of True Human Beings was at war against the Alliance of the Holy Covenant, another super force. So, are you from the Alliance of the Holy Covenant? If the answer is yes, I cannot agree to such a deal.

“I have no opinions at all on the Alliance of the Holy Covenant, which seems to be a country where the lives of flesh and blood are refined into cold puppets like me. By the analysis of my logic circuits, it is not necessarily a solution for the survival and development of a civilization that is not worth trying.

“However, if you are from the Covenant Alliance, it will be too dangerous, and the odds of my destruction will be significantly improved if I stay too close to you. My logic circuits and my database tell me that my optimal strategy is to keep as far away from you as possible.”

“You can rest assured about that. I have absolutely nothing to do with the Covenant Alliance,” Li Yao said. “Think of me as someone from a harmless small force for now, one that is weak, unnoticeable, and insignificant.”

“You should really upgrade your deception database to make better lies,” the Fist King said casually. “But go on. What is the deal that we are talking about?”

“Help me protect the two little fellows.” Not embarrassed at all, Li Yao pointed at Han Te and Liu Li. “Until you are destroyed, you must prevent them from being killed no matter the cost. If you can make sure of that, I will not go back on my promise. You will have a much more powerful body produced by me in the future. I can even be your personal technical consultant and explore the infinite possibilities of ‘the strongest’ with you.

“You can see some of my capabilities from my current iron body. So, just boost the computational ability of your crystal processor and calculate the gains that you will earn from the deal!”

The Fist King was truly caught in a daze. Noises that were more and more ear-splitting echoed from the crystal processor. Steam was even popping out from the gaps of the metals.

Grabbing Li Yao’s metal limbs, Han Te and Liu Li exclaimed in surprise, “Grandpa Yao! Why have you asked Master Fist King to protect us? Are you leaving?”

“Yes. I have something very important that is lost in space. I must get it back immediately,” Li Yao said solemnly. “Also, we have discovered ninety-nine percent of the secrets and truths of the Land of Sins. I have some ungrounded speculations, too, about the most critical one percent that remains. However, whether or not the speculations can be proved, and how the conundrums can be resolved if they are—I can’t find the answers to the questions if I stay here.

“The Immortal Cultivators have transformed the Martial Meritocrats Sector into the Land of Sins and an impenetrable iron house that is impossible to be broken from inside. But if there is a way to jump out of the sunless iron house, it may be possible to locate its flaws and demolish it in one attack!”

“Then, take us with you!” Han Te said in excitement. “We are going to fight side by side with you, Grandpa Yao!”

“The whole sky has been blocked by the Immortal Cultivators. Even the Fist King failed to break through it with his Great Iron City. I can only try to sneak out without alarming anyone,” Li Yao said. “The two of you can neither sneak away nor live and fight for a long time in the vacuum of the space. So, it is best that you stay here.

“Staying here is another way of fighting with me. The ‘temple of Cultivators’, the control center of the global sword network, must have some special usages.

“Rest assured. I promise you that I will be back very soon—in a form that you absolutely can’t imagine!”

“Grandpa Yao…” Han Te and Liu Li looked at each other in bewilderment, feeling lost.

The Fist King listened to their conversation in silence and suddenly said, “I have finished my calculation. You are of mysterious origins that you cannot explain, and your capabilities are unpredictable and inestimable. Little data can be used for my deduction. However, by my comprehensive analysis, reaching a deal with you will expand my possibilities of strengthening and upgrading. There is a 78.5% likelihood that it will have positive effects on my goal.

“However, I must figure out one thing first, which concerns the specific methods that I will use to carry out the deal.

“The two little fellows can’t be your family or old friends. What’s so special about them that made you reach a deal with me solemnly to ensure their safety?

“Are they of unknown functions, or are they related to some powerful magical equipment that will make you stronger?”

Li Yao laughed and frankly admitted, “You have got it right this time. The two little fellows can indeed make me, and possibly you, stronger!”

“Oh?” Sharp brilliance beamed out of the Fist King’s crystal cameras as he scanned Han Te and Liu Li. “Would you care to tell me the mechanism?”

“No problem!” Li Yao replied lightheartedly. “The two little fellows are innocent, kind hearted, and lovely. Whenever I see them, I’m in a good mood and can’t help but grow the urge to protect them. If I successfully protect them, I will feel satisfied. After I am satisfied, I will have a better appetite and be more energetic in training. My fighting will be more efficient, too. Am I not stronger because of them?”

After a long silence, the Fist King said, “My self-learning and infinitely-proliferating database allows me to vividly simulate all the feelings and thinking patterns of human beings, including ecstasy, happiness, sorrow, fury, fear, and even ambition. But for me, they are just different policies for survival and fighting. I truly cannot understand the true meaning of those emotions, including the… ‘satisfied’ you mentioned just now.

“Is it important to be satisfied? In my eyes, those two little fellows are burdens for anyone trying to become stronger. They are absolutely worthless.”

“Then, I’m afraid that you couldn’t be more wrong,” Li Yao said. “They are not burdens when trying to become stronger; they are the reason to be stronger.”

“The reason to be stronger? I don’t understand,” the Fist King said.

“You are not strong enough exactly because you don’t understand that. It was also why you were blown up by a minor Manjusaka!” Li Yao poked the Fist King’s shoulder with his metal limb and said solemnly, “Look. It is because I have perceived the enigmatic principle that I am stronger than you. You wouldn’t deny that I am stronger than you, would you?”

“No.” The Fist King shook his head and asked suspiciously, “Does it involve the logic circuits and the survival policy optimization of a higher level?”

“…Possibly,” Li Yao said. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand, but a great opportunity has been presented to you. Just try your best to protect the two little fellows and consider it a new training method. When you find your reason to be stronger, I believe that you will certainly be reborn as a… well, a more evolved, advanced super artificial intelligence!”

“I do not need any reason to be stronger,” the Fist King said coldly. “I do not have emotions or self-will. I am not a real life, only a puppet and a machine. My goal is the only reason for me to become stronger.”

“That is not necessarily the case. It’s like how people who live in the darkness below the ground and never see the blue sky and the white clouds think that they do not need light,” Li Yao said with a smile. “In many cases, you think that you do not need something, but that’s only because you haven’t discovered it yet. Okay, enough talking. Do we have a deal?”

The Fist King thought for a moment and nodded, “It’s a deal. Until the Immortal Cultivators and the Imperium of True Human Beings propose more enticing conditions, I will keep the two little fellows safe.”

Han Te and Liu Li were both upset and amused, but they swallowed their words after moving their lips for a while when they saw the Fist King’s glittering iron body.

“Also, a word of advice,” Li Yao said. “Beware of Wei Longtao. Even if he does find the control center of the global sword network, don’t carelessly lead the charge. Try to keep a low profile as much as you can.”

“How can I keep a low profile?” the Fist King said calmly. “There is a ninety-five percent likelihood that the Immortal Cultivators have discovered my secrets. It’s impossible for me to keep a low profile. Why don’t I try to keep a high profile to cover your existence and operation?”

Li Yao was slightly dazed. Then he said in a low voice, “Thank you. Believe me. As long as I am here, whatever broken garbage that you are blown into, I will do my best to repair and upgrade you!”

“I can’t find any successful policy in my database. The only policy with a success rate of one percent is to trust you,” the Fist King said casually. “How are you going to leave the place?”

“I have worked everything out.” Li Yao’s soul glanced at the dozens of earthly dragons outside that were being maintained, upgraded, and refilled with ammunition and spiritual energy. “If I am not mistaken, there will probably be an opportunity very soon…”