"Look into my eyes!"
Right when Heiye Lan was shouting hysterically and excitedly, and there was no telling whether she was hypnotizing Li Yao or herself, Li Yao suddenly raised his voice out of her expectation. His sharp eyes pierced into Heiye Lan's pupils like two icy sabers!
Heiye Lan shuddered. Tides were raging inside her brain. She was deeply awed by Li Yao's magnificent soul.
"Fellow Cultivator Hei, we are both high-level Cultivators, and this is not the first day of training. There is no need to talk about 'inevitable victory'!"
Li Yao said coldly, one word after another. "Touch your belief and tell me the truth. According to your studies on the territory, military, national strength, and will of resistance of the Xing Yao Federation, what are your odds of winning in the war between the Black Wind Fleet and the Xing Yao Federation?
"If you are really confident in the true path of immortality and the Imperium of True Human Beings, there is no need for you to lie to me or to yourself. Your odds of winning are unlikely to be 100%, right?"
Heiye Lan was rendered speechless.
It was true that she could not fool Li Yao, who was three levels higher than her. Even if she could fool Li Yao, she would not be able to fool her belief, which was wavering.
She calculated in silence for a moment and raised her head again. Biting her lips, she said, "I don't know the capability of the Burning Prairie Fleet, but no matter how exaggerated they are, the odds of winning of the Black Wind Fleet are at least ninety percent … no, eighty percent!"
"Okay."
Li Yao nodded and said thoughtfully, "So, there is at least a ten percent chance that you will fail, too?"
"It — it can't be helped," Heiye Lan said gloomily. "I don't want to lie to you, Master Spiritual Vulture. The development of the Xing Yao Federation is indeed beyond our expectations. When we set off a hundred years ago, we could not have foreseen that the Xing Yao Federation would discover a precious relic on Kunlun, which allowed them to reach or even surpass us in certain techniques and magical equipment.
"The technological development and the leap of civilization on Kunlun raised a chain reaction that helped them find and conquer four new Sectors. Their territory and national strength were greatly improved!
"In any case, the outcome of a war between civilizations of similar levels is always unpredictable. A ninety percent chance of winning is not much different from a 'sure victory'."
Li Yao shook his head. "The reason is not important. I only need to know that there is a ten percent chance that you will fail. That is enough.
"Fellow Cultivator Hei, in the past half year, you have been inculcating me with the true path of immortality. You seem to think that it is only natural that the strong prey on the weak and that the losers will be swallowed by the winners. Then, according to your own theory, if the Black Wind Fleet runs into the 'ten percent chance' and loses to the Xing Yao Federation, it will mean that you are the weak and the Federation is the strong. Then, it will only be natural that you will surrender to the Federation, integrate into the Federation, and even practice the 'path of the Cultivators' of the Federation, right?"
Heiye Lan was dumbfounded. Blushing, she stammered, "Of — of course not. How — how can it work? You can't understand it that way!"
Li Yao slightly frowned and scratched his chin, as if he were greatly confused. "What? Is there anything wrong with my understanding? Even you said yourself that you have a 10% chance of failure. Isn't it true that 'the winner is the king and the loser is the thief'?"
"We …"
Heiye Lan replied quickly. "Even if I admit that there is a ten percent chance that the Black Wind Fleet will fail, it will only be a tactical failure. We are just one fleet of the Imperium that has gathered the forces of a few Sectors. However, the Imperium of True Human Beings has controlled hundreds of Sectors since a hundred years ago. We are just a drop in the ocean!
"If we fail this time, His Majesty will certainly send more fleets and mobilize the forces of dozens of Sectors. It is certain that the Xing Yao Federation will be crushed. There is no doubt about that!"
Li Yao shook his head and said solemnly, "That's not right. There are hundreds of Sectors in the Imperium of True Human Beings. If the Imperium of True Human Beings mobilizes all its forces and attacks the seven Sectors of the federation together, it will certainly win. However, such a victory will be considered unfair, and it will not prove the superiority of the true path of immortality!
"On the other hand, if the Federation is given hundreds of Sectors to attack the seven Sectors of the Imperium of True Human Beings together, it will certainly win. Does it mean that the path of the Cultivators is more awesome than the path of immortality? I don't think so, Fellow Cultivator Hei. "
Heiye Lan shook her head subconsciously. "Well … of course not."
"That's right!"
With his hands behind his back, Li Yao paced up and down in the Yuanying suite unhurriedly. "After much consideration, I have come to the conclusion that the battle between the Black Wind Fleet and the Xing Yao Federation is relatively fair. It is easy to tell which is more awesome, the path of the Cultivators and the path of immortality!
"Look. The Xing Yao Federation boasts seven Sectors, but they are located at the edge of the cosmos and have relatively few resources.
"The Black Wind Fleet, on the other hand, is a collection of the troops of the five prosperous Sectors at the center of the cosmos. However, they are all defeated soldiers who have come here after a long journey.
"Seven remote small Sectors are waiting for the enemy to attack them. Let's assume that the two parties are on par with each other in terms of material strength, shall we?"
Heiye Lan pondered for a long time and managed to nod her head. "… Yes."
"If the two parties are on par with each other in terms of material strength, what will decide the outcome of the battle will be the system, spirit, and will of the two parties."
Li Yao said. "Therefore, if the Xing Yao Federation wins the battle, it will prove that the path of the Cultivators is better than the path of immortality and represents the future of mankind. Is there a problem?"
Heiye Lan bulged her eyes and thought for a long time. "… I don't think so."
Li Yao continued. "If you really believe in the philosophy of 'survival of the fittest', you will naturally surrender to the path that is really powerful. It is only natural for you to switch sides and join the path of the Cultivators now that you have failed in the battle, right?"
"I — I'm a bit confused," Heiye Lan said weakly. "I need to think about it. Think about it carefully!"
"I'm a bit confused, too. It doesn't matter. Let's learn from each other and study it slowly. You help me sort it out, and I'll help you sort it out. The more we sort it out, the clearer our beliefs will be!"
Li Yao scratched his chin and said, "Fellow Cultivator Hei, after spending more than half a year with you, I've discovered that you are not a psychopath who likes to ravage and abuse the ordinary people."
Heiye Lan frowned. "Why do you say that, Master Spiritual Vulture? The Immortal Cultivators will not intentionally abuse the hominoids for fun! A real Immortal Cultivator, especially the noble nobles among the Immortal Cultivators, should treat the hominoids like a shepherd treats his lambs. It is one thing to cut the wool and kill the lambs for their meat, but it is another thing to abuse and ravage them!
"Even if we do have to kill the lambs, we are all humanitarians. We will try to make sure that the lambs die cleanly and painlessly.
"As for the few mischievous guys who enjoy playing and ravaging the hominoids, we despise what they have done, too. But it can't be helped. There are always bad guys. There are bad guys among the Immortal Cultivators, and there are bad guys among the Cultivators. Hasn't the Xing Yao Federation been involved in a lot of shocking crimes committed by the Cultivators? Isn't there the 'Third Division of the Secret Sword Bureau' that specializes in dealing with the crimes committed by the Cultivators? "
Li Yao nodded. "Very insightful, Fellow Cultivator Hei. Therefore, personally, you will not abuse the hominoids for no reason, nor do you object to the hominoids living a happier life. However, do you believe that the hominoids can only provide incessant fuel for the advancement of the civilization of mankind by exploiting them?"
"Yes."
Heiye Lan replied resolutely, "There is no doubt about it!"
"No, there is doubt about it. At the very least, there is a small 10% doubt about it right now."
Li Yao said, "What if — what if there is another path that can open the wisdom of the hominoids, inspire their courage, and develop their vision and sense of responsibility so that the 'hominoids' can fight side by side with the 'true human beings' such as us and wield greater strength together, pushing the civilization of mankind to a new peak? If such a path does exist, you won't turn it down, will you? "
Heiye Lan blinked hard, not knowing how she should respond. Thinking for a long time, she finally asked, "Master Spiritual Vulture, are you a Cultivator?"
Li Yao shook his head and bullshitted without changing his expression. "I am neither a Cultivator nor an Immortal Cultivator. I am an ancient Cultivator.
"Both the Immortal Cultivators such as you and the Cultivators of the Xing Yao Federation have been immersed in each other's systems since you were born. Naturally, you will have all kinds of preconceived opinions and gradually develop an unshakable belief.
"But the ancient Cultivators from the Ancient Sages Sector like us have never been in touch with modern civilizations before. We are almost completely neutral without the slightest bias. Therefore, we can observe the advantages and disadvantages of the 'true path of the Cultivators' and the 'true path of immortality' from a relatively objective perspective.
"In fact, I really need to thank you.
"Half a year ago, before you showed up, the ancient Cultivators like us were all ignorant and acting purely based on our instincts. Despite our immense strength, were we any different from the barbaric, primitive dinosaurs?
"When you first showed up, you intimidated us with the dominance of the Imperium of True Human Beings. We agreed to surrender to the Imperium and cooperate with you out of our survival instincts.
"However, in the past half year, thanks to you, I've learned the true meaning of training, the 'path' of the survival of a civilization, and the path of self-sacrifice. It has truly enlightened and enlightened a village bumpkin such as myself!
"Yes. The ancient Cultivators like us should not be so selfish as to only consider the safety of our own small world. We should consider the problem from a higher perspective, right?
"If the Imperium of True Human Beings represents the future of mankind, we should certainly help the Black Wind Fleet to go on a killing spree within the Federation without any hesitation and turn the Federation upside down!
"But what if, in the 10% odds, the path of the Cultivators is correct and the Star Glory Federation represents the future of mankind?
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