Chapter 400: New Generation
Translator: flycrane01 Editor: Millman97
Early in the morning, in Floating Spear City's Mining Clan High School, the spacious playground was packed with people.
Floating Spear City's Mining Clan High School was quite different from three years ago.
After making a fortune through the Demon Beast Detector, he had invested a large sum of money into his hometown's school. Dormitories were refurbished, the playground was enlarged, a new lab building was built, and a lot of new training facilities were added.
Right now, Floating Spear City's Mining Clan High School not only accepted the miners' children from the Limestone District, but also admitted students of no significant background citywide. The school was twice as large right now.
At this moment, thousands of students had assembled on the playground. Everybody was talking and laughing, making the place livelier than ever.
"Tang Xiao, you're not awake yet? Cheer up! A big shot is coming!"
In a corner of the crowd, a yellow-haired student tapped a drowsy, chubby classmate nearby with his elbow.
The chubby boy named Tang Xiao yawned and said with disdain, "What's so special about this big shot that they have to summon all the students here? It can't be the mayor, can it? I was practicing Thirteen Forces of War Beast until three o'clock in the morning. I don't have time for those douchebags."
The yellow-haired boy, on the other hand, was beaming with joy. He was so thrilled that even his voice had changed.
"What are you talking about? It's Li Yao. Vulture Li Yao!"
Tang Xiao's sleepy eyes had been as narrow as a line, only to be widened open by the shocking news. He almost jumped to the sky in astonishment.
"What? You mean the super genius, Vulture Li Yao?"
Li Yao was the biggest idol for the thousands of students in the Floating Spear City's Mining Clan High School. All the children from slums considered him as their role model. Besides, many of the buildings and training facilities inside their school were sponsored by Li Yao. They were very proud of him.
Almost every child had watched Li Yao's videos hundreds of times over. They even formed an association named 'Vulture Squad' which collected news about Li Yao.
Tang Xiao and the yellow-haired boy were no exceptions. They were hardcore members of Vulture Squad!
At that moment, they both shivered, feeling that their backs were cold as if someone had soaked their spine in cold water.
Looking up to the sky, an extravagant shuttle enshrouded in silver brightness had stopped overhead quietly without them noticing.
From the perfect shell spread out a dominating aura which enveloped all the students on the spot like an invisible giant net.
"Wow. What is this shuttle? I've never seen one like it before! Judging from the appearance, it is even more advanced than the Mystic Bird Armed Shuttle that is worth hundreds of millions!"
"Vulture Li Yao is so intimidating! I can barely breathe right now. Is he really only five years older than us?"
"Cultivators are really rich… and awesome!"
"I'm going to try my best to Cultivate, too, and one day I will be a Cultivator as strong as Li Yao!"
Students were all dazzled. They gazed at the sky in a trance with their mouths wide open.
The silver brightness in the sky blinked, unveiling a tall, thin man who was wearing a white robe. The belts of the robe moved without being affected by the wind, while its owner flew to the platform in the air slowly and elegantly.
It was Li Yao!
"President Mao, Grandpa Wang!"
Li Yao hugged the two old men on the platform warmly.
Although he'd only stayed for a few months in Floating Spear City's Mining Clan High School, he'd never forgotten that President Mao accepted him against pressure when he was at the lowest point of his life.
Grandpa Wang helped him even more. When he was in high school, he wouldn't have been able to pay the tuition fees without the support of Grandpa Wang.
If he'd dropped out of school back then, his life would've been very different.
Therefore, Li Yao had always considered Floating Spear City's Mining Clan High School as his mother school and the two old men as his own family.
"The main purpose of my return this time is to see whether or not we can build another training stadium in our school. I am planning to get it done according to the highest standard. It will be as good as any training stadium in the federation. Of course, as the intensity of training increases, the trainees' bodies are more prone to injuries. Therefore, we will also need to build a brand-new school hospital. It will be completed according to the standard of the field hospitals in the military frontline, which should be enough to fix all the injuries resulting from training," Li Yao said unhurriedly.
Over the past few months in Occult Orbs Fellowship, he had gained a lot of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and secret reserves. The invaluable items were all sellable.
Even contribution points could be exchanged for money, too, as a reward for each mission.
This time, he had accepted the extremely dangerous mission to Ultimacy. As a result, he had been prepaid with a large sum. Since he had no home to settle in, and neither himself nor Ding Lingdang lacked money, he decided to invest the money into his school.
Li Yao's ambition was not just his own success.
He was hoping to build Floating Spear City's Mining Clan High School into a first-rate super school of the federation where all the underprivileged students with talent for Cultivating could be raised to be Cultivators.
"Li Yao, you've offered tremendous help to our school over the past two years. Now you are spending a huge fortune again in constructing two advanced facilities. I really… I really don't know how I can thank you."
President Mao felt a plethora of emotions welling up in his chest. "Years ago, I was just doing Old Wang a favor. I did nothing but lift my finger. I never expected that you would make it this far to be one of the youngest Building Foundation Stage Cultivators in the federation!"
Li Yao smiled.
"President, it was just a lift of your finger for you years ago, and it is a lift of my finger for me right now. The money on the training stadium and the school hospital is no big deal. I have talked with Chairman Zhao, the leader of the Disabled Servicemen Association. Later, the Disabled Servicemen Association will send a batch of skilled veterans to work as tutors in our school, who will teach students martial arts and arts of war. All the relevant fees will be paid by me.
"You know that the federation has entered the first-degree state of war. A soldier is the most respected profession. It will do no harm to the students if they can learn some battle skills!"
Li Yao had figured everything out. If he could return from Ultimacy safe and sound, naturally, money was not going to be a problem. Not just a few retired veterans, he would have enough capital to hire a special force troop.
If he failed to come back, the insurance companies endorsed by the top 10 sects of the federation would pay a large sum of compensation, which should be enough to support the construction and operation of the Floating Spear City's Mining Clan High School.
President Mao nodded his head quickly.
"Li Yao, for the students here, I won't be polite; I'll accept gratefully. It will be marvelous if tutors with military background could teach in our school!
"You know that students in our school are mostly from miner families born and raised in slums. Their talents are limited. Their education in the early years is not decent, either. It is quite difficult for them to awaken their spiritual roots and become Cultivators like you. In fact, it will be a miracle if even one of them makes it.
"However, since you started sponsoring our school, every student has been training crazily setting you as their example. Their bodies are much stronger than before. Last year, 174 students passed the test of the military and became soldiers of the federal army!"
Li Yao was amazed.
"174 of them? That's impressive!"
The Star Glory Federation honored valiance more than anything else. The social status of the federal army was very high and almost stood equal to that of Cultivators. It was quite challenging to be enlisted by the army.
For underprivileged kids, joining the army was a very sensible choice. They could learn many skills in the army for free, receive abundant nutrition drugs and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures for free, and get a job easily when they retired from the army. They would be respected by other citizens, too. Once they ran into any trouble, the Retired Servicemen Association and Disabled Servicemen Association would stand up for them.
For ordinary people, becoming a Cultivator might be an unreachable dream. But becoming soldiers was an achievable goal with hard work!
In the old days, only a few graduates of the Floating Spear City's Mining Clan High School would be successfully enrolled by the federal army every year. This time, the number had increase manifold, all thanks to Li Yao's previous investment!
"Say something to the students. You are the hero of everyone here. They've been jumping up and down like restless monkeys since they heard that you were coming."
President Mao grinned.
Li Yao glanced around. The crowds below the platform fell quiet, while thousands of eyes were fixed on him hungrily. He couldn't help but smile.
He suddenly recalled that, in the playground of the Crimson Nimbus Second Senior High School three years ago, his old friend Meng Jiang and he used to gaze at Fiend Blade Peng Hai in jealousy and admiration from the far edges of the crowds.
The scene was so familiar. Yet, three years had passed. How time flies!
While he was pondering, Li Yao took a step forward.
There was nothing in front of him, except the ground which was two meters below him.
But he was stepping on invisible stairs ascending to the sky slowly.
Cultivators at the Building Foundation Stage were already able to fly slowly in the air by manipulating the air with the fluctuation of spiritual energy.
It was not very useful in a combat. The Cultivator would become a conspicuous target for the enemy if they just swaggered to the sky.
But right now, all the students were deeply impressed by Li Yao's performance.
Li Yao remembered the grandeur scene where Fiend Blade Peng Hai showed his strength at the peak of Building Foundation Stage. Taking a deep breath, he spread his spiritual energy out slowly.
His hair was dancing crazily. Violet purple electric arcs and bright blue fire were circling him, flying and colliding while making cracking noises.
Spiritual waves rippled out to every corner of the playground in silver rings.
"He!" Li Yao bellowed. A hurricane out of nowhere seemed to be blowing. None of the students was able to keep their eyes open. Their school uniforms were fluttering in the wind.
"Is this the dominance of Cultivators? So formidable, so terrifying!"
"I'm going to be a Cultivator like this. I'm going to fly freely in the sky, too!"
"We are all from slums. If Vulture Li Yao can do this, so can I!"
Shouts and screams from the students were caught clearly by Li Yao.
He smiled and roared, "You want to be like me?
"Then just try your best to train yourself!"