Chapter 840: Starry Sky Martial Arts Ceremony (III)

"We have only just reestablished external contact, and according to the company's statement, the galaxy has long forgotten us. Why did Xianzhou send a letter to a place as obscure as ours at the very first moment?"

Pei La said from the side, "I guess it's because before the Cold Wave arrived, we had contacts with many worlds. Lu Ka, have you heard the story of 'Yi Ge Er Ha Fu Te'?"

Lu Ka's eyes lit up instantly, "You mean that legendary warrior? Of course I know! I've never grown tired of hearing the tale of the Eighth Iron Army he led fighting bravely against the invaders from beyond the heavens!"

"That's him. While the Cold Wave receded, Ling Bao… ahem, Ling Ke has been exploring the ruins of the ancient city 【Ma Si Lie Ni Cha】. A few months ago, she found a tomb that stood apart from the public cemetery there."

Pei La took out a treasured box, inside which lay a broken piece of jade.

"There was no corpse in the tomb, only a mechanical arm and a broken gemstone pendant. The company's people said the arm was technology from the Old World era, and the gemstone was a Xianzhou artifact called a Yuzhao."

"I've heard! Miss Ling Ke thinks it's Yi Ge Er Ha Fu Te's burial mound!"

Pei La smiled and nodded, "That's right. The epitaph makes clear that the boxer Yi Ge Er Ha Fu Te left Ya Li Luo-Ⅵ before the legion's invasion, but later he returned to his homeland and took part in the war resisting the legion's invasion. No one knows what he did after leaving Ya Li Luo-Ⅵ, nor why he chose to come back."

Lu Ka couldn't help but speculate, "... perhaps Yi Ge Er Ha Fu Te reached Xianzhou? That's why they sent us an invitation?"

"Yi Ge Er Ha Fu Te might even have taken part in the Martial Arts Ceremony. Xianzhou people's lifespans are long, so for them it isn't that long ago."

——

Death God.

"Ya Li Luo being sealed by ice and snow must have been seven or eight hundred years ago... that's an extremely long time even for Xianzhou people."

Jing Le Chunshui gently swirled the wine glass in his hand; as someone who also possesses a long life, when the scale of life stretches to hundreds or thousands of years, changes in time become less perceptible. Seven or eight hundred years ago on Luo Fu Xianzhou, Jing Yuan seemed to be just a fresh recruit who had just joined the Cloud Cavalry.

Growing from a mere recruit to a general of the Xianzhou Alliance, time truly can change many things.

"What are you getting sentimental about here?" Gengmu Jianba curled his lip, lifted his head and downed a sip of wine, "Isn't it a good thing to have a chance to join the Alliance's Martial Arts Ceremony? I'm quite envious of that kid Lu Ka."

"You're just itching to fight, aren't you?" Chunshui said lightly.

"Seeing an event that gathers the universe's top masters, how could anyone not be excited?" Jianba smirked, "But they seem to care a lot about rules and form, which makes them restrained in a fight. Real combat should be like beasts—ripping, roaring, until one side can no longer get up."

"…"

Sitting on the floor of the wine table, Dong Shi Lang slowly lifted his teacup. Though he had long known that Gengmu Jianba was a combat fanatic, he couldn't help but sigh, "Are you a reincarnation of a Stepaway person? The Martial Arts Ceremony is meant for competition and exchange, not for a life‑or‑death brawl; it emphasizes stopping at the right point. If you want to fight like beasts, perhaps you should go to the battlefield and have a deep exchange with those Stepaway folk."

——

"To make a long story short, whatever the Xianzhou Alliance's reason for inviting us, taking part in this Martial Arts Ceremony is of great significance to Bei Luo Bo Ge," Bu Luo Ni Ya said, "It contains an opportunity for the entire galaxy to recognize us again—a heroic nation that survived the legion and the Cold Wave."

"Moreover, if we can use this chance to establish simple exchanges with the Xianzhou Alliance, it will give us more leverage when dealing with the Company."

Lu Ka scratched his head a bit embarrassedly, "Mistress Bu Luo Ni Ya, I haven't really gone to school much, so I don't quite grasp these grand matters... I only understand that I must win honor for Bei Luo Bo Ge!"

"Well said! I almost forgot! Xi Er has something today and can't attend this meeting, but she asked me to leave a message for you, ahem—" Bu Luo Ni Ya cleared her throat and began mimicking Xi Er's tone, "\"What the heck is that guy Jie Pa De up to? Lu Ka, you better fight well—if you lose, I'll beat you mercilessly! \""

"…"

This was Lu Ka's experience in Bei Luo Bo Ge; the next day he boarded the Company's transport ship and arrived at Luo Fu Xianzhou. In addition, to give the younger generation some exposure, she also arranged for Ling Ke and Hu Ke to travel with him. But considering that the three of them didn't know how to deal with galactic civilization, she even instructed Shi Wa Luo, the big boss, to come along as a knowledge guide.

But she didn't expect that when the Heavenly Shipping Department processed the entry procedures, an unexpected new situation arose.

Xi Kui examined the date on the invitation letter, then politely handed it back to Lu Ka, "We've double‑checked. This invitation does indeed come from Luo Fu, but when we compared its seal... it's already more than four hundred years old."

For a moment Lu Ka's eyes widened, "Four hundred years ago?! How is that possible? This invitation was clearly just received by us not long ago..."

Shi Wa Luo said, "Let's temporarily assume the result is—this invitation was backlogged and delayed during transmission, and only reached us after communications were restored recently."

"I'm afraid that Mr. Golden Man is right; you received an invitation that arrived four hundred years late."

——

Cheng Long's Adventure Chronicle.

"If we can't compete, we could go sightseeing!" Xiao Yu almost jumped up from the sofa, "I suggest we go to the ancient sea for photo ops, or have the Gong Zao Si people remake a mechanical arm for Lu Ka? Let him experience Xianzhou technology!"

"Hold on, hold on!" Cheng Long raised his hand, trying to interrupt Xiao Yu, "... Xiao Yu, did you forget? This is Lu Ka's memory; he actually already took part in the Martial Arts Ceremony. Moreover, if you're coming to Xianzhou for tourism, there's an important issue to resolve!"

"An important issue?" Xiao Yu paused, then quickly caught on, "Uncle Cheng, you mean a guide, right? Indeed, when you arrive at an unfamiliar place, a guide who knows all the local sights and cuisine is essential! Like last time we went to Australia, because we didn't have a good guide, we were besieged by the land's gray kangaroos! And the time we went to Hawaii—"

"No, it's money, it's money! Even a single coin can stump a hero!" Cheng Long corrected, "I recall that Luo Fu Xianzhou's currency is a coin shaped like a bow and arrow, while Bei Luo Bo Ge uses Winter City coins; both must be exchanged into credit points. Moreover, Bei Luo Bo Ge is far behind Xianzhou, so local prices might be astronomical for them..."