Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

’It was just one damn trick after another.’

’God only knew what stage of development they’d reached.’

Once a civilization blended science and technology with individual might and reached a certain stage, it became nearly impossible for a single person to stand against it.

Unless that person possessed a nearly infinite lifespan and equally vast resources.

But as things stood, Li Chang’an clearly possessed neither.

If he really had to face industrialized and technologically advanced Cultivators, then even with his Heaven-defying Comprehension and vast Martial Arts Experience, it would be impossible for him to catch up to their development in the short term.

If the enemy hadn’t already come knocking, there might have been some hope for a Turning Point.

But now, they were already at his door.

The only thing Li Chang’an could do was fight them with everything he had. Whether he could win, or how long he could hold on if he did, were no longer things he needed to consider.

Upon hearing Li Chang’an’s words, the Cultivators aboard the warship fell silent for a moment, as if discussing something. After a long while, one of them stepped forward and asked, “You unified the entire Jiuzhou Continent?”

’They didn’t attack immediately?’

This was rather unexpected for Li Chang’an, as he had seen with his own eyes how they treated the inhabitants of lesser worlds.

If not quite ants they could crush at a whim, it was close.

Normally, after learning that Li Chang’an had killed the avatars of those Cultivators, they should have attacked on sight.

’Of course, it was better if they didn’t have to fight.’

Li Chang’an wasn’t afraid to die, but he hadn’t had his fill of living in this world yet!

So, he nodded. “That’s right. I unified this world!”

At his confirmation, the Immortal Ship once again fell silent.

Just as Li Chang’an was wondering what they were up to, they took the initiative and began to lower the Immortal Ship from the sky.

It was only then that Li Chang’an got a clear look at the Cultivators aboard the Immortal Ship.

White robes and garments—the classic, elegant attire of a Cultivator.

They all looked young—not just in appearance, but genuinely so, radiating a faint, vibrant, youthful energy.

They lowered the Immortal Ship until it hovered just half a head’s height above Li Chang’an. One of them looked down at him and asked, “How old are you?”

’What the hell are these guys up to?’

Li Chang’an was completely baffled, but he answered truthfully nonetheless. “Thirty!”

At his words, the Cultivators exchanged a glance. Then, from a wooden box, one of them produced a pair of glasses with a distinctly modern, high-tech feel.

The Cultivator placed the glasses on his nose and gave Li Chang’an a thorough, meticulous scan, looking him up and down, inside and out.

Afterward, he spent a long time tapping and swiping at a nearby computer terminal.

Only then did he speak again. “According to our preliminary observation, given that you are only thirty years old and your qi and blood/combat power exceeds fifteen hundred points, you meet the Immortal Palace’s standards for high-level talent development!”

“Furthermore, you possess a degree of ruling/organizational talent, which elevates your rating by an additional level. We can recommend you for advanced studies at the Immortal Palace Imperial Capital’s University of Martial Dao/Cultivation/Science and Technology. Are you willing to accept our invitation?”

Li Chang’an had expected them to say many things.

Threats, bribes, or even an outright attack.

He had never, ever imagined they would so formally invite him to an Immortal Palace university for advanced studies…

This bizarre, disorienting feeling made Li Chang’an feel like something was very wrong.

He glanced around. ’I haven’t been drinking counterfeit booze, so why am I hearing something this crazy?’

Seeing his silence, the young Cultivator, who looked to be no older than twenty, continued, “You are the native Martial Artist of Jiuzhou Continent, designation 347. The act of natives overthrowing Cultivator rule will not be prosecuted. We are extending a sincere invitation for you to pursue advanced studies in the Immortal Palace, so that you may help us face the common enemy of all beings of Order!”

Hearing this, Li Chang’an finally snapped out of his astonishment. After a moment’s thought, he asked, “I have a few questions I’d like you to answer!”

The Cultivator nodded. “As long as it doesn’t violate our regulations.”

Li Chang’an voiced his doubts. “First question: why isn’t the overthrow of Cultivator rule by natives prosecuted? And if you’re not here to prosecute, then what is your purpose here?”

Hearing Li Chang’an’s question, the Cultivator answered without hesitation. “Because maintaining the fleet requires a massive supply of resources. As the lowest tier of the production chain, it’s perfectly normal for uprisings to occur in the lesser worlds!”

“If the natives manage to overthrow the Cultivators’ rule, we simply collect taxes from the lesser world through other means. If they refuse to pay taxes, we expel them from their territory. They will then have to face the encroaching Dark Energy by themselves!”

Having answered the first question, he moved on to the second. “We are part of the Immortal Palace’s Third Immortal Ship Fleet, responsible for routine patrols of worlds 321 through 361. We received a report that the Cultivator avatars in world 347 were annihilated in an attack by an unknown entity. Our collective assessment was that it was an anomaly caused by a Dark Energy overflow. We came to investigate, apprehend the potential culprit, and bring them back for rigorous interrogation!”

His words were blunt and to the point.

But Li Chang’an was still left utterly bewildered.

His questions had been answered patiently.