Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

An hour passed.

Almost a hundred light beams were floating above the main hall of the parliament building.

Lights were blinking, and data was pouring. All the files that Li Yao had brought back from the Blood Demon Sector and Elder Nether Spring’s memory pieces were displayed once and for all.

The representatives and leadership of the world of Cultivators held their breath and read with complicated expressions, sometimes embarrassed, sometimes frowning, and sometimes overjoyed.

They were astonished at the thoroughness and cruelty of the Patriots Partnership’s scheme. They were also impressed by Li Yao, who resolved the fatal traps like a surgeon wielding a scalpel. Many representatives were embarrassed for the wrong decisions that they had made a few days ago.

Of course, the members of the Patriots Partnership lurking among the representatives were definitely not willing to admit their failure so fast. Through clandestine channels, they reached out to each other, ready to launch a new counterattack.

Li Yao was standing on the podium with Ding Lingdang, Wu Mayan, Professor Mo Xuan, and other friends.

The evidence had almost all been displayed. Next, it was Li Yao’s turn to answer everybody’s questions.

“Go now. Tell them everything that you’ve done over the past few days and humiliate the big shots who were sitting in the parliament building enjoying the air conditioner all day!”

Ding Lingdang bashed Li Yao’s chest.

Li Yao smiled and held Ding Lingdang’s hand. Staring at her in the eyes, he said solemnly, “Of course, I will explain everything, but there might be a little ‘accident’ later. I assure you that I’m definitely going to be fine. There’s no need to fret. The only thing you need to do is trust me, alright?”

Ding Lingdang was dazed, not exactly knowing what Li Yao meant. Lu Zui had been captured, and all the evidence had been presented. What accident could possibly happen?

However, out of her trust for Li Yao, she nodded intuitively.

Li Yao turned around and said to Wu Mayan, “Ah Yan, take care of your masteress!”

This was the first time that he had ever used the term ‘masteress’ in front of his disciple. Even Ding Lingdang, who had always considered herself to be casual, still blushed.

“Master, what are you going to do?” Wu Mayan frowned and mumbled, “I feel that something is wrong. You must be planning a trick.”

“What trick?” Li Yao scratched his nose and grinned. “I am the most frank and forthright federal hero. Tricks are not my thing!”

“…” Ding Lingdang.

“…” Wu Mayan.

“What I’m about to play is a game where they can do nothing when they know clearly that I’m cheating!”

Li Yao roared and flew into the air, as energetic as ever, stopping in front of the representatives, the experts, and the leadership of Cultivators!

The Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators and the Core Formation Stage Cultivators were all wearing complicated expressions. The members of the Patriots Partnership among the representatives almost could not wait to jump out and question him.

But before they said anything, Li Yao shouted first, “There are a few words that I would like to share with you!

“The evidence that I displayed just now may be not enough to prove the sincerity of the demon race’s surrender, but at the very least, it is enough to prove that Lu Zui, as the director of the Secret Sword Bureau, Shou Yuxuan, who is the deputy director of the Capital Medical College, and other suspects knew of the existence of Elder Nether Spring and the Children of the Nether World a long time ago but kept them a secret. They even planned the operation to assassinate the Speaker and caused the deaths of tens of thousands innocent people!

“But behind Lu Zui, there is still an enormous organization named the Patriots Partnership, which loathes to see the peace between the Heaven’s Origin Sector and the Blood Demon Sector and is determined to raise a war in whatever way possible!

“Right now, the ‘expedition motion’ has been passed, and the federal army is running drills on the Grand Desolate Plateau. A great war will break out in no time!

“Therefore, I beg you to cancel the ‘expedition motion’, pause the war plan, and investigate the Patriots Partnership. Also, you can send a delegation to the Blood Demon Sector and check the situation there with your own eyes so that we will have a channel of communication with the Pantheon of Demons!”

Li Yao paused for a moment. Sensing that several representatives were looking at him sharply, he spoke in advance before they questioned him. “I know that, despite all the evidence I’ve provided, a critical question remained unanswered yet, which is whether or not I’m possessed by the Blood Stripe Virus!

“Many of the representatives and the fellow Cultivators here must be wondering the same thing. Even if everything that I said is true, I cannot prove that I am not possessed by the Blood Stripe Virus, can I? Maybe, the so-called Blood Devil is winning everybody’s trust in preparation for a larger scheme!

“I’m well aware that it is very difficult to explain, but we are running out of time.

“Therefore—”

Li Yao smiled and opened his hands. Small, glittering pearls popped up from his Cosmos Ring one after another and danced around him merrily.

Very soon, almost a hundred colorful, refreshing pearls were circling him faster and faster until they almost formed a barrier.

The three battle-type Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators and hundred Core Formation Stage Cultivators were all greatly surprised. Not knowing what Li Yao was up to, they could only activate their spiritual shield and watch warily.

Li Yao grinned. “In order to prove my innocence, over the past year, I went through a lot of trouble to collect the most rarely-seen Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and produced a hundred and eight ‘Mental Devil Annihilating Thunderous Pills’!

“According to my design, the hundred and eight Mental Devil Annihilating Thunderous Pills, which were refined with the mysterious, sophisticated secret arts of the ancient times, can trigger mystic and incredible lightning that will take effect directly inside the brain and destroy all objects that do not belong to the body!

“If I cannot destroy the Blood Stripe Virus even then, I will detonate my body and soul with all my Cultivation and die together with it!

“Today, Vulture Li Yao will demonstrate my determination with my death, if that is the only way to convince you of everything that I’ve said!”

“What?” All the Cultivators jumped to their feet. They did not expect Li Yao to be as strong-minded!

Ding Lingdang frowned and was about to lunge forth when Wu Mayan clung to her thigh and dragged her back.

Wu Mayan rolled his eyes and said in a weird expression. “Wait, Masteress, if you recall what Master said a moment ago…”

Ding Lingdang was dazed. She looked at professor Mo Xuan, who was next to her.

As a spectral Cultivator, the professor did not have a facial expression, but the crystal cameras on his face were glittering. There was no telling what was on his mind, but he was definitely more amused than panicked.

“Don’t you come close!”

The ‘Mental Devil Annihilating Thunderous Pills’ around Li Yao were revolving faster and faster. They released electric arcs that weaved into a golden, blinking net. The electric net ripped the air apart, generating a deep blue mist. Everything inside the mist became obscure. The only thing that could be heard was Li Yao’s desperate roar. “The Blood Stripe Virus is very sordid. It might dash out of my body and run into yours!

“Fellow Cultivators, be careful not to be infected. Don’t come close! Sacrifice one for the happiness of many!”

A few Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators and Core Formation Stage Cultivators were planning to go forward and help Li Yao, but they did not dare move after hearing his words.

They had no idea what the Blood Devil was exactly, much less how to resist it. Who could they turn to if they were accidentally infected?

The ‘Mental Devil Annihilating Thunderous Pills’ were revolving at the highest speed. The spacious hall was filled with the sound of thunder. Covered by the deep blue mist, the spectators lost track of everything inside the array.

Everybody could only hear two voices replacing each other, one of which belonged to Li Yao, and the other was extremely sharp, brutal, and cold!

“You will not escape from my body. I am going to die with you!”

“Hiss. Let me go! Let me go!”

“Haha. Hahahaha. Let’s die together and finish everything!”

“You are crazy! Don’t. Don’t! Ah! Ahhhhhhhh!”

As the two voices echoed, bright, overwhelming spiritual waves and mysterious, unpredictable cold winds were both surging inside the array, as if two strengths, one righteous and the other evil, were having a head-on clash!

Gradually, the cold wind seemed to be eclipsing the spiritual waves!

Everybody was astonished. They were wondering what they should do when Li Yao roared from the center of the array. “Friends, compatriots, and fellow Cultivator, farewell!”

Boom!

The hundred and eight ‘Mental Devil Annihilating Thunderous Pills’ activated the most dazzling electric arcs at the same time and collapsed toward the center, raising a brilliant ball.

Deep inside the ball, a bloody shadow seemed to be struggling before it perished into nothingness after a scream.

The ball died down, and the electric arcs were no more. The hall was peaceful again, but a blackened statue was floating in midair quietly and extending its arms toward them, as if he were still not willing to leave the world. Frozen for half a second, he fell down heavily.

“Li Yao!” Ding Lingdang pinched her leg hard and ran forward in tears.

All the representatives and experts looked at each other in bewilderment, speechless.

The few members of the Patriots Partnership among the representatives were dazed and infuriated, too.

Before, they had drafted dozens of neat plans targeting Li Yao’s identity as the Blood Devil. The debate and the investigation would linger for days if not months. He would not be able to explain himself.

But they had not anticipated that Li Yao would play such a move!

What was that supposed to mean? Such acting skills were too unnatural! They were not idiots!

In the dead silence, Professor Mo Xuan walked to the podium slowly. He did not look at Li Yao, who was stretching on the ground, catching his last breath at all but turned his worried eyes to all the representatives and experts in the hall.

“Fellow Cultivators.”

Professor Mo Xuan was renowned in the first place, and everybody knew his legendary experience in the Flying Star Sector. Therefore, there was no need for him to introduce himself.

He sighed as if he were truly grieving and said solemnly, “Fellow Cultivator Li Yao was willing to die together with the Blood Stripe Virus in order to destroy it. It was truly admirable.

“However, we don’t know yet whether the Blood Stripe Virus has been purged or not.

“Now, there are two possibilities.

“Firstly, the Blood Stripe Virus has indeed been annihilated without leaving slightest trace.

“Secondly, the Blood Stripe Virus has not been removed but is still lurking inside Li Yao’s body. After all, it is very difficult for us to confirm the result with our current technology!

“Oh, right. There’s another possibility. The Blood Stripe Virus is contagious. Perhaps, in the fierce fight just now, the Blood Stripe Virus, seeing that it was no good, escaped out of Li Yao’s body through the bloody mist and dashed into a certain someone’s body.

“In other words, all the representatives, elders, leaders, and ministers, every one of you, except for spectral Cultivators such as myself, could be… a Blood Devil!”