Every time Master Akira heard about the void invasion eleven years ago, he shuddered. At the annual meetings every two years, his drunk seniors would ask him to demonstrate the skill he used to defeat the Void God.
Therefore, when Li Hong presented this idea, Master Akira could only hope what his next words would be.
Therefore, this old leader with quite the character glanced at him, his lips curled upward slightly. "I heard that Deputy Director Akira's Heaven Blade Parting Skill is a unique and remarkable ability. Why not perform this at the spirit sword exchange meet?"
"…"
For a long time, Master Akira was silent.
At the regular meetings in the past, when the drunk seniors would ask him about the skill, he would always have a good reason to decline. After all, they were just a bunch of drunk headed bastards. However, for the man sitting in front of him to request such a thing… God, the f**k can he do?!
He couldn't really refuse… and on the other hand, he didn't dare say anything.
He had been in fact studying this skill… but he couldn't really do it! All these years, he had been working to try and do a glimpse of it. In front of this man, he didn't know what to do!
"Hm, is there something wrong?"
Seeing that Master Akira was silent, Li Hong gave a reassuring smile. "If it's inconvenient for you, just pretend I didn't say anything. I only said it for the spur of the moment! I just thought that as the head of No. 90 High School, this skill would be an amazing performance for the audience. If you can show your talent, it would be a great encouragement!"
"Old secretary, I… don't misunderstand, that's not what I meant. I just…"
"Oh, if that's the case, then that's alright." Li Hong replied swiftly, cutting him off.
Master Akira was actually willing to do another skill, he would rather hit rocks on his knee than do the Heaven Blade Parting Skill!
However, Li Hong's firm and steadfast attitude made him completely push that idea aside.
… This time, he was truly, truly f**ked!
Master Akira sighed in his heart and sincerely felt that this was just exhausting…
He was now in a very difficult situation. If he did well and managed to please Secretary Li Hong, maybe he would be promoted — and he could say farewell to the feeling of anal beads being shoved in his ass as Deputy Director, a position he had held for a few years — and work towards a new life. However, if he didn't do well, he knew that he would be saying goodbye to this position.
"It's real exhausting to hold this position at such a young age…"
"…"
As he spoke, Li Hong stood up and solemnly patted Master Akira's shoulder.
"I know you may have concerns. You must be thinking about how you'll do, and don't want to show off in front of experts. The higher you go the colder it gets, am I right?"
"…"
"Let me tell you a story about ancient cultivation history…"
Master Akira raised his head in curiosity.
"That day, it was the last battle before the nation's founding. The War of the Iron Fist…"
Currently, the vast majority of young people that had heard about the ancient cultivation history thought this was just legend. This history, which had been sealed for centuries, wasn't something a professor would teach in class. It was only at university that they would get some understanding of it. Master Akira hadn't studied history that time, and but he had some knowledge about the War of the Iron Fist.
That battle… was just something amazing.
As Secretary Hong recalled those moments, small crystal tears formed on his eyes, as he recounted many things. "When the battle happened that day, we were blockaded by six demon kings and gods that had managed to seep through the Dimensional Barrier between Worlds. Together with the current supervisor of the Department of Energy Defense, Liu Chengtian, we were able to fight back and held fast outside the Stone Entrance Doors of Dashan Mountain."
Master Akira listened quietly with slightly widened eyes. Not everyone had this opportunity to hear this piece of cultivation history.
"There were demon gods and demon kings… they had monstrous, deadly might and regulatory powers, bleeding the world, and frightening citizens. Deaths were beyond count, even the sun sunk down with fear. From hundreds of li away, you could see that blaze over the Stone Entrance Doors…"
"The chief of the demon kings was strong. His whole being glowed as he fought, and all of Heaven and earth could hear his deadly roar. Supervisor Liu Chengtian fought with all of his strength, but in the end he was no match for the chief. However, this was only the final battle, The War of the Iron Fist. We had been charged and ordered to guard the entrance, even at that time, we did not dare yield!"
Deeply absorbed in the story, Master Akira was surprised by the way of Li Hong's storytelling. He couldn't imagine how they felt in that battlefield… even then, they remained steadfast.
And now, the old Secretary standing before him and telling him this story, who looked like a middle aged man, but was an immortal fossil… This man who had stepped out of that battlefield, unscathed… He was truly an icon!
This conversation revealed a profound sense of understanding in cultivation battles for Master Akira. As if it happened lifetimes ago.
"In the end, our strength and qi was exhausted and we all fell down before the Stone Entrance Doors except Supervisor Liu. He set his blood on fire and it glowed with otherworldly light! And at the cost of sacrificing the wanggu in his own body, he summoned the sacred Gaoxiao Long and it roared a divine flame and song which gave us strength and restored our qi! And it empowered his potential to the maximum… in the end, he used his spirit sword to slice all six demon kings and gods along with the chief! He opened the Stone Entrance, and laid Yunzhou nation's foundation! That day… was a day I will never forget!"
"So, in the end… Supervisor Liu survived?"
Li Hong smiled, "Of course he survived! At that time, his tombstone had been erected and his whole body had been buried. Only God knows why his pet parrot, Lei Chengtian threw a blade of grass on the burial mound, reestablishing his life force to the fullest. In the end, he technically got resurrected… Isn't that f**king hilarious…"
Master Akira: "…"
In this world, there is a small minority of people that calls the supervisor, "dumbass."
Li Hong cleared his throat, "So. After this story, what have you learned?" He said, looking at Master Akira.
The old secretary hadn't told this story in vain. The story's conclusion was evident and told a remarkable ending. Master Akira had mixed feelings in his heart as he heard this. "Old secretary had told me this story in order for me to learn how to exercise my willpower and perseverance in whatever I do… and to never give up, even in my last breaths. I should learn from Supervisor Liu and take his might to heart, right?"
"… Not even close, you think too much."
Li Hong rolled his eyes and explained, "What I want to tell you is to hurry up and show off whatever talent you have, it doesn't matter what outcome appears. Don't be like Supervisor Liu and hide your final power, waiting in the last moment to use it. In the end, he was almost killed! You're not Green Lantern! As soon as opportunity arises, if you can do it, just do it and don't be a p**sy!"
Master Akira: "…"