Chapter 2848 - 2910: The Great Secret Within Qilian Mountains

The last person was a woman with some cultivation, although not very high, but she seemed to have the technique to maintain her youthful appearance, so it was hard to determine her exact age. She had short hair, and upon entering, glanced at Li Yifei, slightly frowning, as if questioning why there was a stranger here, and a young one no less.

"Everyone is here now," Murong Yuanqing cleared his throat and said.

The few who arrived later all slightly bowed, showing respect towards Murong Yuanqing, as did Li Yifei, nodding slightly. Like them, he felt deep respect towards Murong Yuanqing, someone who could even be considered a protector of the nation, a sentiment few could deny.

"The reason I’ve called you all here today is to take this opportunity to introduce a young successor," Murong Yuanqing stated directly.

The attention of the newcomers immediately focused on Li Yifei. Even though only one of the three had cultivation, and it wasn’t significant, their collective gaze felt like three sharp blades piercing through, making Li Yifei feel as if he was locked by an invisible force.

Indeed, none were ordinary people. Li Yifei nodded secretly to himself and heard Murong Yuanqing say, "Yifei, stand up and greet the elders."

Then he added, "His name is Li Yifei. Some of you may know him, but a few might not. I consider myself an elder friend of Yifei, having known him for several years and watched his gradual growth. Currently, his cultivation surpasses even ours, and having been the Team Leader of the Flying Hawk Squad, he has stood the test."

As Murong Yuanqing introduced him, the three people’s expressions varied. The elder in a Zhongshan suit nodded slightly with no change in expression, while the short-haired woman’s eyes lit up, entirely different from her previous cold demeanor, as if glowing. The one in a white coat stood up directly, grabbed Li Yifei excitedly, and said, "Director Murong, are you saying... his cultivation is higher than yours? To what extent?"

Murong Yuanqing raised a hand, motioning downward, and said with a chuckle, "Director Bai, calm down, calm down, don’t get excited."

"I’m not excited, I’m just... hey, Little... Little Li, right? Don’t be afraid; I just have this temperament, you’ll understand once you get to know me!" Director Bai had indeed grabbed somewhat tightly earlier and was now feeling a bit guilty.

Li Yifei shook his head and said, "It’s fine, I understand!"

"Little Bai, you can’t do this. Director Murong introduced this newcomer to all of us, not just for you; you shouldn’t claim him, not even hugging him like that," said the white-haired elder in the Zhongshan suit.

Hearing this, Li Yifei suddenly felt a chill run up his spine, a sense of foreboding loomed over him. Despite trying not to overthink, he couldn’t help swallowing hard. Their gazes were too eager, as if they wanted to devour him alive, making him feel unsettled.

The short-haired woman said nothing, but her expression said it all. Li Yifei felt like he was a gorilla in a zoo, or rather, a lab rat.

Not just these three were looking at him this way. Another person Li Yifei felt was the same, someone he had just met and talked to a lot: a sixty-something named Qiu. This person was well-dressed, perhaps deliberately for Li Yifei’s visit.

At this time, he spoke, "I’ve known Little Li for a while now, in terms of relationship, we’re closer."

Knew for a while? More like half an hour, Li Yifei thought, wanting to say something when he saw Yao Lingfu smiling and shaking her head at him. He was more certain something was definitely going to happen today.

"Alright, everyone, hold on a moment. I understand your emotions, but I brought Yifei here not just to help with experiments. He... is like my successor, though we don’t have the formal title of master and disciple. After years of testing, I’ve decided Li Yifei can enter our circle, learn more, and take on more responsibilities." Murong Yuanqing’s words were resolute, clearly well thought out. As he spoke, Yao Lingfu nodded constantly, expressing her agreement.

Li Yifei was surprised. He hadn’t known any of this when he came, merely intending to meet Murong Yuanqing, ask some questions, and share his thoughts. But now... they were talking about him being a successor. No, they hadn’t said it outright, but the implication was clear.

It was so unexpected. Although Li Yifei had considered it and even prepared himself somewhat, he hadn’t been ready to take up Murong Yuanqing’s mantle. Compared to Murong Yuanqing, Yao Lingfu, and others, he felt lacking in every way.

Everyone was looking at him, and Li Yifei’s expression was somewhat stiff as he shook his head, saying, "Elder, this is too much for me, I’m afraid I can’t."

Murong Yuanqing chuckled and said, "I’ve seen everything you’ve done, and young talents like you are very rare these days. Besides, our era has changed. Handling things has become increasingly difficult for our old generation. We need young people like you to join us. Don’t worry, I’ll still be around for a while, I can guide you."

"This... the burden is too heavy," Li Yifei said with a wry smile. He knew he wouldn’t be able to refuse, even if Murong Yuanqing had warned him beforehand instead of catching him off guard.

"Precisely because it’s heavy, others can’t bear it; only you can," Murong Yuanqing said, then changed the subject, "The introductions have been made, so Yifei is not an outsider. His presence here is justified!"

The others nodded, the directors looked at Li Yifei with different eyes now, still fervent, but with more hope.

"Now, let me introduce you to this place," Murong Yuanqing paused and said.

Li Yifei felt like he was being pushed onto the stage without preparation, but he had no choice but to nod, indicating he was listening.

Murong Yuanqing chuckled and said, "Don’t feel pressured, you can just listen first. I have great confidence in you, knowing you won’t speak out."

"En." Li Yifei nodded again.

"Every country has secret research institutions, like the Atomic Energy Research Institute, the Aerospace Research Institute, and other high-tech fields. Especially back then, when the world was blockading Huaxia, none of these things were allowed to be exported to us. What could we do? We could only rely on ourselves... Initially, our great ancestor instructed us..." Murong Yuanqing paused briefly before continuing, "Instructed us to research mysterious cultivators. To the average person, such things seem unfathomable yet conceivable, after all, the mythological system in Huaxia spans thousands of years, with stories of ordinary people attaining immortality. So, our great ancestor tasked us with exploring this mystery to see if ordinary people could acquire these abilities."

"Imagine, if we succeed, ordinary people could cultivate too, not just a select few. Think about our vast population. Even if not everyone could cultivate, suppose half, no, even just one percent, it would be terrifying, even enough to dominate the world. After all, in the global scope, there aren’t many cultivators." Speaking of this, Murong Yuanqing’s eyes sparkled as he imagined this splendid outcome.

Li Yifei couldn’t help but nod in agreement. If it were as described, it would be a world miracle. And he held immense admiration for that generation; having such ambition in their time is commendable. More so, the idea that Murong Yuanqing and others had begun this secret research long before he was born was shocking. By now, many who started might have passed away, having researched their whole lives... and yet not succeeded, highlighting the difficulty!

Others also nodded, some lost in memory, others still fervent, while Murong Yuanqing continued, "The research is extensive. Once successful, it would benefit the nation and the people greatly. Even unraveling the secrets to health, alleviating diseases, would be significant. Or discovering the secrets of longevity, likewise a great achievement. Imagine, life expectancy increasing by ten, twenty years, with improved health as well. What a scene that would be."

Truly, Murong Yuanqing’s description painted a grand picture, one that would make anyone’s blood boil with excitement. Of course, it would also be extremely challenging. The requirements for cultivation are numerous, which Li Yifei understood well. Even with talent and technique, one needs opportunity and sufficient comprehension.

"Thus, our research base has persisted to this day. We somewhat owe it to the people’s trust, as current research has barely scratched the surface. None of the original research directions have succeeded... although there has been some progress, it’s not enough." Murong Yuanqing laughed here and pointed at the directors, "That’s why upon hearing your cultivation has surpassed ours, they’re so eager. After all, no one of your caliber has visited here, perhaps you can give them hope."

Preparing to wrap up, jotting down key points of the next Chapter to update before ten o’clock.