Li Yao chewed on Li Linghai’s words and looked at the white-haired witch’s glittering eyes, feeling that they were like two holes on the infinite ice leading to somewhere deep and mysterious. He couldn’t help but sense that something was not right.
Training with the soul mark of the experts was not an unusual technique.
In his younger years, Li Yao had received the transplantation of the spiritual seed in the Star Glory Federation, where a Nascent Soul Stage expert would melt the soul, strength, and a lifetime of experiences into a spiritual seed before instilling it into the brain of a junior. It was a secret technique for the most rapid growth.
It was exactly because of the secret technique of “transplantation of spiritual seed” that Li Yao’s combat ability was strengthened instantly, and he survived the cruel battles on Boneyard.
It was needless to say that training with such secret techniques was highly dangerous. One might be badly hurt with one moment of carelessness. Therefore, even in the Star Glory Federation, it had to be done under the thorough protection of the experts.
The legendary soul mark of the Supreme Emperor was even more of a dominating and majestic being that no common trainers could bear easily.
However, Li Yao had advanced into the Divinity Transformation Stage, and he was a refiner adept at all kinds of magical equipment himself. He also had the memories from Earth deep inside his brain, as well as the weird creature that was the mental devil to share his pressure. Therefore, he was not concerned about the side effects of the Imperial Fire Pearl.
He somehow felt that Li Linghai’s peculiarity was not aimed at him.
That made it even more strange.
Thinking quickly, Li Yao simply held the Imperial Fire Pearl in his palm and smiled. “Your Grace, you are too generous. I almost feel that I don’t deserve such a treasure!”
“Don’t be happy too soon. There is one condition.”
Indescribable brilliance flowed out of Li Linghai’s eyes that looked like frozen springs, mixed with both ruthlessness and a hint of… embarrassment. She gnashed her teeth and said, “Bring Li Jialing with you in the operation. Since this Imperial Fire Pearl has been divided into two pieces, one large and the other small, you may have the large one for your own training, which should be able to help you improve at least one minor level very soon, and you will give the small one to Li Jialing and supervise him while he absorbs the enormous strength contained inside.
“You should’ve sensed the overwhelming and aggressive spiritual energy stored inside the Imperial Fire Pearl. With Li Jialing’s Cultivation right now, it is very possible that he will be badly wounded if he were to train recklessly. His mind may even be affected by the power of the Imperial Fire Pearl. But if he is protected by a great expert in the Divinity Transformation Stage like you, it will definitely be much safer.”
“That explains a lot!”
Li Yao was greatly enlightened. Li Linghai had the feelings of a mother after all. She offered such a piece of ultimate training magical equipment because she was considering it for her own son.
So, he simply said with a smile, “Why don’t you give it to Li Jialing in person and even watch over him yourself so that he will know that you care for him?”
Li Linghai was silent for a moment. Her lips trembled nervously, and her eyes were even deeper than before. Still, complicated brilliance beamed out of the abyss as she said coldly, “Cut the nonsense. Are you willing to do it or not?”
“Yes, of course I am!”
Li Yao was more or less puzzled why Li Linghai changed her mind so quickly and was pushing himself and Li Jialing far away when she obviously planned to keep the two of them by her side in the beginning.
However, on second thought, he did not see many harms in the arrangement, so he simply nodded quickly.
Holding the Imperial Fire Pearl in his hand and putting the two pieces together flawlessly, Li Yao observed the magical equipment carefully for a moment, even more impressed by the marvelousness of the treasure.
Then, Li Yao thought of another critical problem. “Your Grace, since the mausoleum of the Supreme Emperor is hidden in the Empyreal Transcendence Sector, and it contains all kinds of ultimate treasures, why don’t we develop it on a large scale to arm the reformists? Wouldn’t it significantly increase the odds of our success?”
“It will be developed on a large scale, but not now.”
Solemnly, Li Linghai said, “To this moment, the secrets of the mausoleum are limited to you, me, and Li Jialing. In the past decades, I always explored the mausoleum of the Supreme Emperor in secret on my own when I was free. Even if I collected almost a hundred Cosmos Rings through all the trouble, I could only bring part of the treasures out with me.
“Before, I was still too weak. If I recruited people and developed it on a large scale, should the four Kurfürst families discover it, all my endeavors would’ve been with their help.
“Besides, to reach the core at the deepest part of the Supreme Emperor’s mausoleum and to dig out the enormous starships and massive magical equipment of the Star Ocean Imperium, I am still short of half of the most critical key.
“Right now, we are already strong enough. After we defeat the Dongfang family, the most powerful one of the four Kurfürst families, and we take our seats in the Council of Elders, we will naturally teleport the entire Deep Sea Fleet to the mausoleum of the Supreme Emperor to build the strongest fleet in the entire universe with the legacies and magical equipment there!
“Hehe. Never would the old guys in the Council of Elders have thought that we had such trump cards, would they?
“On the other hand, it will also be our greatest leverage to resist the Alliance of the Holy Covenant!
“Naturally, your role in the plan is crucial because you have the other half of the sky. Just like what I said, as long as you are loyal to me, I will not forget our promise to each other, and I will share the secrets of the mausoleum of the Supreme Emperor with you!
“Right, speaking of which, I think you can find some classics and files regarding the mausoleum of the Supreme Emperor and study them first. For thousands of years, from the Star Ocean Republic to the Imperium of True Human Beings, countless historians, archaeologists, and adventurers have been trying to locate the mausoleum of the Supreme Emperor. Countless exploration squads spent their entire lives searching for it, only to find nothing in the end. They have left countless notes, journals, and adventure files, in which certain very interesting knowledge was recorded, including some ridiculous tales. Try to study them!
“Remember, it is very important. Do as I said, or you will regret it.”
Li Linghai looked at Li Yao thoughtfully again and took a deep breath, as if something was left unsaid.
But she did not say it out in the end.
Before Li Yao figured out the meaning between her lines, she had already patted Li Yao’s shoulder and left the Godly Might Prison for her own Deep Sea Fleet to further planning for the reformists.
Li Yao was left alone in the secret chamber in astonishment.
“This is… so weird!”
Li Yao opened his hands again and released a stream of feeble spiritual energy, allowing the Imperial Fire Pearl to float and revolve above his hand like a tiny sun.
Even the most insignificant spiritual energy was enough to raise a tsunami inside the Imperial Fire Pearl with the sounds of galloping troops in Li Yao’s ears.
Li Yao mumbled, “Hey, do you feel that the queen is rather weird today? There is something different about her, as if she has some sort of scheme.”
Blood streaks flowed out of Li Yao’s left eye, condensing into a tiny, red Li Yao, which dashed to the Imperial Fire Pearl in a hurry, only to be shrieking hard as it was burned by the scorching air around the Imperial Fire Pearl. Circling it for three rounds and still unable to find a flaw to sneak in, it could only drool at the Imperial Fire Pearl greedily.
“It is not strange that the queen has a scheme.”
The mental devil wiped its drool while it sniffed. “What is weird is that the queen acted like ‘you’d better be wary of me because I have a scheme’. That is quite uncanny!”
“Yes. That is exactly the feeling. Her behavior today was too unusual.”
Li Yao focused his eyes on the Imperial Fire Pearl. “I thought that she would just offer me some common Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to appease me. But as it turned out, she gave me such an ultimate treasure of the ultimate treasures. What exactly is her purpose? Is there something wrong with the Imperial Fire Pearl?
“Is it possible that part of the Supreme Emperor’s personalities will be absorbed if I train with the soul mark of the legendary Supreme Emperor, to the point that I will become the Supreme Emperor? Is this ‘possession’ of a different form?”
Li Yao was greatly alarmed.
“Well, I think you are overthinking. Who is the Supreme Emperor? Only the greatest hero of mankind of all time. He is an upright, chivalrous, generous, benevolent, sympathetic, and flawless man who was worshipped by countless people.”
The mental devil said solemnly, “Just rest assured. It is absolutely, absolutely, absolutely impossible for you to become the Supreme Emperor however you train yourself.”
“Is that so?”
Li Yao was more or less relieved. Then he realized that it did not sound right. “What are you implying?”
“Nothing. I am just saying that, since this Imperial Fire Pearl was just a piece of magical equipment that the Supreme Emperor carried personally, it could’ve only stored 1% of his strength even if it was polished by him day and night, right?”
The mental devil said, “Even if it is entirely swallowed, it will not be enough to recreate the Supreme Emperor’s character. On the other hand, the pearl has been broken into halves, and its strength will be even weaker.
“Therefore, it is absolutely impossible to recreate the Supreme Emperor’s character with this pearl. The real Supreme Emperor must still be sleeping on the ‘Gold Throne’. If he can be reborn so easily, he would’ve returned to the human world thousands of years ago!”
Li Yao thought for a moment and realized it did make sense. Scratching his chin, he said, “I seem to be indeed overthinking.”
“Besides—”
The mental devil said solemnly, “From whatever perspective, the Supreme Emperor was a great hero that greatly helped the civilization of mankind. It is not necessarily a bad thing for the Supreme Emperor to return to the chaotic universe today that is dominated by the Covenant Alliance, the extraterrestrial devils, the Immortal Cultivators, and other crazy creatures! It is not a bad deal to trade a Vulture Li Yao for the greatest savior of mankind, right?”
“It seems not.”
Blinking his eyes, Li Yao frowned quickly. “Hey, this is not about if it is a good deal but about what scheme the queen has and why she let us think that she was hesitant, troubled, and embarrassed!
“Do you not feel that she looked at me in a very strange way just now, not the creepy cold way in the past but in a way that was almost some kind of cry for help?”
After saying that, Li Yao was blushing, feeling that he was flattering himself.
Li Linghai, as the queen of the Imperium, boasted the mausoleum of the Supreme Emperor and the Deep Sea Fleet. She could slay a Divinity Transformation Stage expert easily, like butchering a chicken. Did she need to ask for the help of a Mr. Nobody from nowhere like Li Yao?
But thinking again, Li Yao still believed that his instincts were right. Li Linghai intended to tell him something but did not say it out for some reason!