1 I Want to Lose Weight! (1/2)
On a scorching summer day, east of the Federation, fog emanated through Pond Cloud Rainforest like thin chiffon. Ancient towering trees interlocked each other, and birds would occasionally flit through the lush tree crowns, chirping as they flapped their wings and flew across the horizon.
High in the sky, the sun, which had seemed capable of existing eternally, no longer appeared anything like how people remembered. Instead, it had been penetrated by an ancient greenish-bronze sword—one so indescribably massive—many years ago! Only a small portion of the sword's tip was exposed!
The ancient sword had come from the cosmos and seemed to express its antiquity. There was a potent suppressive force that formed a halo, which enveloped the firmament as though it held the land in place, letting all life revere it!
The Sword Sun and the rainforest looked picturesque from afar but was disturbed by a humming sound that came from a distance. A red hot-air balloon flew slowly toward the rainforest.
The hot-air balloon's hull was very large, capable of holding hundreds of people. In there, many young men and women in groups of three or four chatted happily.
They were new students of Ethereal Dao College, one of the four great Dao Colleges in the Federation. They hailed from Phoenix City and were onboard Ethereal Dao College's cruiser, traversing thousands of kilometers, to seek higher education.
Perhaps because they were all greatly anticipating their upcoming education—not to mention the unspoken attraction between men and women—the students had plenty of fun on the five-thousand-kilometer voyage.
Due to the long distance, the cruiser was equipped with dining halls, cultivation chambers, medical facilities, and many other amenities.
There were quite a number of students in the cruiser's dining hall. Sitting at a table was a young fatty with his belly bulging out.
He was about seventeen years old, and he wore a blue baggy robe. His tiny rotund face could barely be considered to have intricate features. As he created smacking sounds while patting his belly, he gazed at the eight empty plates in front of him, a little regretful.
I'll have gained another one and a half kilograms after this meal. Why didn't I bear with it? I can't die early if I want to become the Federation President. The fatty frowned with a grimace as he felt filled with regret, burping in the process.
The young fatty's name was Wang Baole. He was also one of the students who had recently been accepted into Ethereal Dao College. His lifelong dream was to become an official, or more precisely, become the Federation President. The reason he had such an ambitious dream was intricately tied to a childhood experience of his.
In his memories, his father would frequently pat him on the head while speaking earnestly and sighing wistfully.
”Baole, being an official is the best. Remember, although money can solve everything, you can still be bullied by others. If you do not want to be bullied, the only way is to be an official, becoming a person who lords over the rest.”
Wang Baole did not understand his father's words until he entered elementary school. One fateful day, he failed to hand in his homework on time and ended up being berated by the class monitor. Despite giving the class monitor two sweets, his name was still jotted down, and the class monitor snitched on him. All of this left a permanent mark in his young heart.
Hence, he wished to become the class monitor from that moment forth. It was not to bully others, but to ensure that he would not be bullied by others.
But as he grew up, he realized that many people bullied the class monitors. Therefore, he felt that only by becoming the highest official—the Federation President—could he ensure that no one would dare bully him. The reason he had racked his brains to enter Ethereal Dao College was because all the Federation's high officials had graduated from the four great Dao Colleges.
However, he did not lead a blessed life. His family clan's bloodline was quite an oddity. He even remembered that night one year ago when his father, who could be described as a bag of bones, had shown him the family tree.
It was the first time Wang Baole had seen it. He realized that all his ancestors had died early—before the age of thirty-five—if their body weight exceeded a hundred kilograms.
That night, Wang Baole had a dream… He had reunited with his fat forefathers before he successfully became the Federation President.
The matter of losing weight was elevated to something of great importance over the following year. The Spirit Inception Era meant rich Spirit Qi and a renewed interest in ancient martial arts; therefore, there were many weight-loss techniques. However, Wang Baole's weight remained stable, despite the new era. He even experienced a slight rise in weight even after he attempted all of them.
As his memories surfaced, Wang Baole gritted his teeth, steeling his resolve to begin losing weight the next day.
Having made up his mind, Wang Baole immediately felt relieved. As he picked his teeth, he hummed a tune while looking at the distant blue sky outside the windows. His mind became active again.
I wonder if Physician Lu likes the gift I gave him. That is an antique I got from home. That old geezer will probably like it. Wang Baole comforted himself and guessed that if he managed to win Physician Lu's favor, it would be equivalent to him having a tiny backer in the Dao College.
Teachers have limits to their authority, but I still have to give them some gifts in the future. Being so old, Physician Lu definitely has quite a wide social circle. I have likely taken the right step. Upon thinking of this, Wang Baole felt delighted. In his mind, he was one step closer to the position of the Federation President.
In regard to becoming the Federation President, he was very confident. This confidence stemmed from his research of the autobiographies of high officials, which he had gathered from a young age. He had even figured out a few trump cards needed in order to become a high official.
He was in a good mood as he looked at the blue skies outside the window, finding it especially beautiful.
But then, his eyes suddenly widened. He noticed that a black cloud was gathering in the distant sky. It spread out, covering the sky as lightning bolts flashed within it. The cloud slowly approached, and it also gained the attention of many as they exclaimed.
”It's an electromagnetic pulse!”
Wang Baole was alarmed as well. After the Spirit Inception Era was ushered in, the appearance of Spirit Qi caused many stunning phenomena to arise in the world. Flying crafts from the past could no longer ensure safe travel. It resulted in the production of hot-air balloon cruisers propelled by Spirit Stones.
Amid constant exclamations, a rumbling thunder suddenly boomed. The black electromagnetic clouds burgeoned in size rapidly as the lightning within began spreading outward. Like a black net, it illuminated the horizons in a dazzling manner, causing the hearts of the spectators to race. Even the cruiser slowed down.
Just as people were feeling apprehensive, the door to the dining hall was pushed open. As though a cool wind had rushed in, a white-robed elder entered. His face was covered in wrinkles, but he had an ethereal air to him. His appearance exuded a feeling of propriety, especially his shimmering eyes, making him look like a person of righteousness. The moment he arrived, his domineering voice resounded throughout the dining hall.
”Everyone is to immediately report to the Spirit Cultivation Chamber. Wear your Magnetic Spirit attire, for we will be entering the electromagnetic domain in less than three minutes!”
The moment he spoke, all the students in the dining hall hurriedly stood up reverently.
Wang Baole's eyes lit up. The elder in front of him was Physician Lu, the person he had previously gifted. From how he walked with flair, Wang Baole was increasingly convinced that his investment from before was right. He thought to himself that the old man was likely someone extraordinary, and he had really made the right move.
Just as he was reveling in his delight, the old physician swept his gaze across the room and saw Wang Baole. With a snort, he walked over, took out half a black mask, and threw it at him.
”Don't waste your efforts on such inane acts when you are still so young. To think you have already learned the art of gifting before you've even entered the Dao College. I'm quite a learned person with experience. Keep the mask for yourself.” The old physician's expression was solemn. He reprimanded Wang Baole with an honest and upright demeanor, as though he expected better from him.
Wang Baole received the mask as his heart skipped a beat. He turned somewhat worried, as he could tell that the old physician was angry. Just as he was about to give an explanation, he suddenly recalled one of the trump cards he had learned from the high officials' autobiographies. One of them was that it was wise to thicken one's skin to admit one's mistakes in front of a superior. Typically, that would reduce a major issue to a minor one.
Therefore, he took a deep breath and hurriedly took on a contrite and penitent look to admit his fault.
”Teacher, you are right; I was at fault!”
The old physician turned a little intrigued. He could not deliver his planned tirade when the student had admitted his mistake so readily.
Wang Baole heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the old physician's expression. He felt a little smug, thinking how useful the high officials' autobiographies were.
The old physician snorted, raised his head, and scanned all the students in the dining hall. He raised his right hand and pointed at them.
”And all of you. All of you are future students of our Ethereal Dao College, but look at what you have been doing the past few days. You have to forever remember that, as warriors, we should first establish ourselves, watch our speech, and finally mind our conduct!”