793: Hate that he doesn't fight

While contemplating where to find Yu Tian, Yang Dian did not forget about Little Fatty, who was busy bragging in the corner of the square.

"Look, this is the invitation sent to me by the Expeditionary Force for the [Huaxia Expeditionary Force - Special Talent Cultivation Plan]."

Little Fatty stood in the middle of the crowd, projecting the recently arrived special talent training letter in front of him with a smug look on his face.

"How could I possibly be bragging?"

"I really saw the General and the Doctor; the General will be here soon to take me back to Earth."

"In two years, once my strength has improved, I will be the sky-supporting white jade pillar and the sea-bridging purple gold bridge of Huaxia."

Watching Little Fatty hold his head high with a look that said he was the best, the people gathered around him couldn't help but exchange glances.

"Is that for real? Is it actually a special talent training letter from the Expeditionary Force?"

"I've only ever seen people showing these off online; I never expected to see one in person."

"So many of us have immigrated to Mars over the years, but has anyone ever been selected as a special talent?"

"That’s truly one of a kind; I’ve finally seen it today."

"I always said this Little Fatty was different since he was a kid and would definitely amount to something. I wasn't wrong, was I? He actually caught the General's eye!"

"Hey, what was it you said just a couple of days ago? 'Old Li's Little Fatty does nothing but eat and sleep; he's a lost cause.' Isn't that what you said?"

"That aside, what incredible talent did Li Xiang awaken to catch the eye of the Expeditionary Force and have the General come to invite him personally?"

"Invite? I suspect General Yang saw the kid when he came here to open the portal, thought he had potential, and since he wanted to go back to Earth to work hard, the General just took a liking to him. As for General Yang coming all the way to Earth just for him? I don't think his talent is that special."

"Tsk, why does that sound so bitter?"

"Who's bitter? Who's being bitter? Who are you saying is bitter?..."

Amidst the clamor, Yang Dian silently appeared behind Little Fatty.

"Have you said your goodbyes to your family and friends?"

Upon hearing that voice—which he had only heard once in reality, yet seemed branded deep within his memory—Little Fatty was so happy he nearly jumped for joy.

"General, you're here!"

Watching Little Fatty stand beside him with an expression that said, "The General and I are best buds," Yang Dian smiled and patted him on the shoulder before turning to the old woman standing nearby, who seemed hesitant to speak.

"Ma'am, I'll be taking Li Xiang with me. I will make sure to Cultivate him well."

Liu Guifang opened her mouth, at a loss for words, before finally gripping her grandson's chubby hand tightly.

"Um, General Yang."

"Will my grandson be in any danger by joining the Expeditionary Force?"

How was Yang Dian supposed to answer that?

The world was so dangerous that even someone as strong as him could meet with misfortune at any moment; how could he promise anyone that they would never encounter danger?

He could only tell the truth:

"Danger is everywhere. Even on Mars, it's not impossible to encounter danger; otherwise, we wouldn't be in such a rush to transfer everyone to other planets."

"I can only promise you that I will do my best to ensure Li Xiang's safety and will not let him go to the front lines before he reaches adulthood."

Seeing the conflicted expression on the old woman's face, Yang Dian continued:

"Li Xiang has good talent, but even the best talent needs sufficient resources to be realized."

"Yes, he can still Cultivate after going to other pioneer bases."

"But can the Cultivation environment and teaching resources on other planets compare to Earth?"

"Take Mars, for example."

"Although you can eat high-energy food for every meal and there is no shortage of various Cultivation Techniques and instructional videos,"

"what about the Spiritual Qi?"

"Each person can only request six hours a day in a Spiritual Qi-rich environment. How can that compare to cultivators on Earth who are immersed in Spiritual Qi at all times?"

"Beyond that, what about the teaching resources and the Cultivation atmosphere? How can any of that compare to Earth?"

"The Universe is too vast, and Earth is too small. There are many existences in deep space that I cannot contend with."

"If I were to meet with an accident, and Earth or the pioneer bases were to encounter an invasion from an Alien Planet, you would ultimately have to rely on yourselves."

As soon as Yang Dian finished speaking, a commotion broke out among the crowd.

Given the organization's massive propaganda efforts to date, Yang Dian could almost be considered the faith of this era of transcendence.

Now that he had said such things himself, for most Martians who were accustomed to "lying flat" and disliked striving, it was as if the sky had fallen.

"General, you're joking, right? You're so powerful; how could you possibly meet with an accident?"

"Yeah, General! I saw the organization's promotional video last time where you blew up a planet with a single punch. Is there anyone who could be stronger than you?"

"General, you aren't just trying to scare us because you think we're lazy and lack ambition, are you?..."

Scanning the emotionally agitated crowd, Yang Dian said seriously:

"I have no reason to joke with you."

"You should be aware that the canopy over Earth is complete, and engineering robots are filling it with soil and rock to disguise it as a new crust."

"If the Universe wasn't so dangerous, and if powerful cosmic lifeforms hadn't targeted us, why would we go out of our way to undertake such a massive project?"

After Yang Dian finished speaking, silence immediately fell over the surroundings.

Then, an emotion akin to despair and resignation began to rise from the crowd.

'Is Earth doomed? What should we do? What should we do? What should we do?'

'Is it really the end of the world? I finally managed to live a few good days, and I haven't had enough fun yet~'

'Is the situation really that dire? Didn't they say we just developed Arrival Technology that allows us to soul-travel to other worlds to plunder resources? How did the situation suddenly deteriorate? The General isn't lying to us, is he?'

'Waaaah, if I die, what will happen to my Lanlan, Hehe, Keqing, Yanfei, Qiqi, Xiangling... my wives? I worked so hard to train them into the way I like...'

Sensing the information contained in the mental fragments emanating from the people around him, Yang Dian sighed inwardly.

These Martian immigrants, especially those preparing to head to the pioneer base in the Tiannan Star system, were likely a lost cause.

Their mental state was the complete opposite extreme of the Huaxia people on Earth.

If he had said these things on Earth, the Huaxia people there would have only steeled their resolve, vowed to work hard, and done everything in their power to improve their strength before the "doomsday" arrived.

But what about the immigrants?

They only thought about having one last wild party before the end arrived.

'I feel like the immigrants' children should be raised by the Machina; otherwise, if left to them, they'll ruin the next generation.'

The thought flashed through his mind, and the somewhat disappointed Yang Dian simply stopped paying attention to the others, turning his gaze to Liu Guifang, who was holding Li Xiang tightly.

But before he could speak, Liu Guifang let go of the hand she had been gripping tightly and took a step back:

"General Yang, although this old woman hasn't had much schooling, I still know that everyone has a responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation."

"I'm too old for anything, but if Li Xiang really has that talent, then you should take him with you."

"It's just... it's just..."

Seeing the reluctance on the old woman's face, Yang Dian once again promised:

"We will not let Li Xiang, or anyone else for that matter, go to the battlefield before they reach adulthood."

"Even if there is a war in the future, we will never assign them to missions that are certain death..."