Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

The question made Li Linghai smile and look at Dongfang Sheng, commander of the Deep Sea Fleet.

In a sniff, Dongfang Sheng said slowly, “The highest commander of all the fleets of the Dongfang family today is ‘Dongfang Polang’. That old fart has been the general commander of the family fleets since a hundred years ago, and judging from his vigorousness, he can easily live another hundred years.

“If such an old fart holds the position of the general commander of the family fleets for two hundred years, how can the people below him ever rise to the top?

“Besides, as one grows old, one tends to be rigid, arrogant, and without any creativity and courage to try new things. They also do not see eye to eye with the ideas and tactics of the young people. It was really a waste of life to be commanded by such an old fart and watch the family fleets grow ossified after each other, which felt worse than death.

“I couldn’t stand the old fart anymore, and I could not see any hope, fearing that he might still be alive when I died of old age. Finally, an intense conflict between us burst out, which escalated into a comprehensive competition. Later, I was wanted by the family and forced to escape. Then, I found my way to the Deep Sea Palace and served the queen as the commander of the Deep Sea Fleet.

“But my companions and friends in the past to whom I was very close are still in the family, infuriated by the old farts such as Dongfang Polang every day.

“If they by chance learn that Dongfang Polang and the rest of them are maintaining their level and strength through cannibal training, it is not strange at all that they would expose the information to the outside world in their exasperation. I would’ve done the same!”

Everybody thought carefully for a moment and nodded their head quickly.

“The evil arts that Dongfang Renxin has been studying, above all, jeopardize the interests of a large proportion of people within the Dongfang family. If the old do not die, the young will never rise. Besides, the ideas of the older generation and those of the younger generations are always in conflict. You think I am stubborn and conservative, but I think you are radical and extreme. When the old people always win the competitions, how can the young people not be angry? When their grudge is long accumulated, not just betraying the family, they will not hesitate to die together with the old people!”

Li Linghai said with a smile, “On the other hand, a confidential evil technique such as the ‘cannibal training’ is definitely not a privilege for everybody in the Dongfang family. I’m afraid that only a few central persons who are deeply associated with Dongfang Wang and Dongfang Renxin are entitled to it.

“Think about it. Suppose you are a rather capable middle-level manager in the Dongfang family, and you have a rather gifted son who crushed the kid of a certain big shot in the internal games of the family. You are very proud of him and believe that your son will lead your bloodline to a new altitude.

“However, unexpected changes take place in the family games this year. There is no telling what strengthening drugs he has been using, but the guy crushed by your son last year has made significant progress in only one year and broke all the bones of your son.

“You are angry, anxious, and in pain. In your curiosity, you investigate in secret, only to discover a great secret within the family. As it turns out, the central leadership of the family has mastered such an appalling evil technique. Henceforth, their bloodlines will forever dominate the family, and the secondary branches like you will forever be in their background and sidekicks!

“Hehe. Naturally, you want to join the little circle too, and get a ticket of ‘cannibal training’ for yourself or your offspring. But you are not qualified at all. You are even living in fear day and night, worrying that your peeping was caught and you will be killed to keep your mouth shut.

“In your anger and fear, it is almost the only option to seek help from the outside world, trying to completely expose the matter, which will at least keep the lives of your wife and children.”

Everybody looked at each other and was deep in thought.

“That’s not the end of it yet.”

Li Linghai’s smile was more and more intense. “Even the ‘cannibal training’ entails a certain extent of rejection reactions. Who do you think will trigger the minimal rejection reactions when they are eaten? Of course, judging from your look, you have all guessed it. The members of the Dongfang family themselves, of course. The same bloodlines mean the least reject reactions and the highest absorption efficiency!

“Therefore, Dongfang Renxin’s primary targets are the low-level Immortal Cultivators of the secondary branches of the family, the cannon fodder who are destined to die for the family. But it is one thing to lead the vanguard and die in the frontline, and it is another thing to be drained as a medicinal ingredient. Somebody did not want to die just like that and escaped to the outside world in their desperation only to run into me later. Is it so hard to believe?”

“Therefore—”

Considering carefully, Lei Chenghu said, “Dongfang Renxin has established the hospital in the capital, which is not under the control of the Dongfang family, instead of the Dongfang family’s own dominion, because he is worried about his own people?”

“Mostly, yes. His primary concerns are the competitors within the family. If Dongfang Wang and Dongfang Renxin run surgeries and experiments in their own nest, there will be no room of defense at all once it is disclosed.”

Li Linghai said calmly, “But more importantly, it is meant to collect more varied raw materials. The low-level Immortal Cultivators of the Dongfang family are not all perfect matches. Also, they boast the same genetic deficiencies. Training with their own kin all the time is like intermarriage, which will lead to an outburst of genetic deficiencies someday.

“Therefore, a lot of fresh blood from the outside world is required as supplies. Such external experts are not easy to find in the Dongfang family’s territory, and even if they are found, it won’t be convenient to attack them. In the messy, murky capital that is nominally under His Majesty’s command, there will be no such concerns. Countless Immortal Cultivators go missing in the lawless land below the ground every day. Who can possibly find them?

“When the Imperium’s counterattack comes, many heavily wounded soldiers from the frontline had to retreat to the rear for surgeries, but they cannot suffer too many space jumps. So, they often chose to jump to the capital in one jump for treatment. The Empyreal Terminus Sector is an intersection of the universe and the easiest place to jump to after all.

“The Heavenly Star Hospital admitted tremendous heavily wounded patients. Those people had mostly been blown into a mess by cannonballs and spiritual energy, and their death rate was extremely high in the first place. Even if some tricks were played on them, or certain patients that could’ve survived passed away with incomplete bodies, it would be perfectly understandable, right?”

Lei Chenghu’s eyebrows were furrowed like raised sabers. “The patients that retreated to the rear for treatment included experts from the other three Kurfürst families. Dongfang Renxin was bold and insane enough to touch them?”

“That is exactly why we have chosen this matter as our ‘detonator’!”

Li Linghai said with a smile, “If they had only butchered hominoids for training, it would’ve been perfectly normal. Nobody cares about the deaths of a few hundred hominoids.

“If they had only trained with some low-level Immortal Cultivators of unknown backgrounds, Dongfang Wang and Dongfang Renxin still could’ve taken care of the aftermath with their influence.

“However, what they have been training with are the experts from the other three Kurfürst families, which, once exposed with solid evidence, will definitely be a fatal blow to Dongfang Wang. Nobody can expect to save him. Then, it will be the landslide of the entire family!”

Lei Chenghu shook his head slowly. “I still find it hard to believe that Dongfang Wang and Dongfang Renxin would be unwise enough to lay fingers on experts of the other three families.”

“Greed can never be satisfied. Practicing the evil arts is like doing drugs. You will only be mired deeper and deeper with greater and greater addiction, until you completely go mad in the end.”

Li Linghai sighed and said, “General Lei, please imagine this. You are now a dying old man catching your last breath, and it’s been a long time since you fell from your peak state. Only in your dreams can you taste the feeling of the Divinity Transformation Stage. All the juniors are watching you like voracious wolves, ready to lunge forward and bite your body. Your offspring, on the other hand, are just mediocre. Your bloodline will completely fall as soon as you die.

“At such a moment, if somebody can make you return to the peak state and your children reborn with the most excellent talents… whatever the prices may be, and even if you have to piss off the other three families, would you reject the offer?

“Such evil arts are obviously not a one-time thing but have to be practiced regularly. Also, the dosage required will be larger and larger to keep your best state. Then, addicted and unable to free yourself, will you quit halfway and degenerate into what you used to be in only a couple of days, aging and weakening?”

After a long daze, Lei Chenghu shook his head firmly. “No, I will never do that. It is the most shameless betrayal on the true path of immortality!”

Pausing for a moment, he said in frustration, “But I can understand why some people in the Dongfang family are so bold and inconsiderate.”

“Now, you have all understood why I choose this matter as the ‘detonator’, right?”

Li Linghai concluded, “This matter also involves few people of the Dongfang family. The pressure we are faced with is not very huge. Also, the nature of the case is so ghastly that everybody will stand on our side once the truth is revealed. For their reputation, it is absolutely impossible for the other three families to negotiate and make deals with the Dongfang family.

“After we completely unveil Dongfang Wang and Dongfang Renxin, revealing the truth that they have been ‘possessed by the extraterrestrial devils’, we will naturally present our finding of the ‘incident of the Blood Oath Alliance’. Even if all the pieces of evidence are ‘created’ by us, who will suspect them? In short, if a wall starts tottering, everyone will give it a shove!

“As long as Dongfang Wang’s cabinet completely collapses and more and more big shots of the Dongfang family are involved, the other three families will certainly attack the Dongfang family together. In the dog-eat-dog battle of the noble families, the reformists will be able to take the most advantageous location, carry out our ideas, and realize our purpose to ‘renew the Imperium’.

“This is all I want to say. Any questions?”