Chapter 724 — The Innovator's Charisma

Di Yiyue looked at Shen Mu again, and still could find no trace of bitterness in him—only this open, hearty youth laughing uproariously with a few scholars. "He truly is a boy of extraordinary charisma.

" Di Yiyue nodded.

"Not so very handsome, but utterly magnetic. In truth, we need not go to meet Emperor's Teacher Jingping at all. This disciple of the Grand Heavenly Master alone is enough to make me willing to help Jingping through this tribulation.

" "Emperor's Teacher Jingping possesses another kind of charisma.

" The Woodcutter Sage smiled. "Once you meet him, you will understand whence that other charisma comes. In truth, encountering Emperor's Teacher Jingping and Shen Mu suddenly brought back to mind those towering years when the Kaihuang Era first emerged into prominence. Kaihuang and I and those like-minded souls met one another amidst the dead silence of the ruins of the Shanghuang. By then the civilization of the Shanghuang had been utterly extinguished, and every one of us was a survivor clawing for life amid the rubble. " He sank into recollection, his bearing serene, and said with a smile, "Who could have imagined that we, still struggling in misery, never knowing where the next meal would come from, would build a glorious Kaihuang Era? When I see Emperor's Teacher Jingping, Shen Mu, and their friends, I cannot help but think of my former self and those old comrades.

" Di Yiyue fell silent. After a moment she shook her head. "There is no need to speak of the past. Then let us go and meet him. " "Shen'er, let us be on our way!

" the First Ancestor called out in a loud voice. Shen Mu answered, ran over, and said with a smile, "I would like to stop first at the Tiansheng Academy in Bazhou.

There are some matters here I need to hand over to Old Mother Zhu.

" The Woodcutter said, "The Tiansheng Academy first, then. " They arrived at the Tiansheng Academy, and the scene there differed from that of the Yongjiang Academy.

The Yongjiang Academy was experimenting with the art of creation to cultivate medicinal herbs, supplying a steady stream of medicines and minerals to every corner of the Jingping Nation.

The scholarly atmosphere of the Tiansheng Academy, however, was even more intense. Even before drawing near, one could see all manner of strange and outlandish yuan soldiers flying through the sky and running along the ground. Now and then one that was flying aloft would abruptly plunge earthward trailing thick smoke, smashing a great crater into the ground, from which bedraggled scholars would then crawl out.

Occasionally a yuan soldier running along the ground would suddenly explode, and the scholar controlling it from within would be blown skyward, flailing arms and legs. There were also scholars gathered together testing formations and modifying all kinds of formations, which was likewise exceedingly dangerous, for the formations would at the slightest provocation spiral out of control. Some formations were sword formations, sword-light shooting wildly in every direction; others imitated the forms of gods and demons, and when they lost control, divine yuan or demonic yuan would transform into god-forms or demon-forms and relentlessly hunt down the formation's controller. And there was a group of pill masters and apprentices stationed not far off, who, once an incident had subsided, would hurriedly carry the injured away for treatment. "I told you—the arts of calculation!

The arts of calculation! " An old Daoist priest, frantic with rage, bellowed at the scholars who had failed their experiments and were being carried off on stretchers.

"The arts of calculation must be calculated with precision! You never listen!

And if you do not listen, the only ones who suffer will be you! " "Today we shall construct a god-and-demon summoning formation. According to the Shen lineage's runes of conservation of spiritual energy, we can summon a demon monster from the Dark Capital.

" On another side, a middle-aged Director of the Imperial Academy was encouraging the scholars under his tutelage, guiding them patiently: "Your teacher is right here—what danger could there be? Rest easy, rest easy.

.

. According to the Shen lineage's runes of conservation of spiritual energy, we need to use certain offerings to make the exchange. First we perform the calculations of the arts of calculation and design an altar.

. .

" "Teacher, Fifth Senior Brother has been carried off by the demon monster! " "Ha! Where do you think you're going, demon monster. . .

Rest easy, Little Five, rest easy.

Just now was merely a mistake—let us try again. . .

Don't you run!

All of you, come back here! You cannot escape your teacher's palm—" Di Yiyue looked this way and that, and could not help voicing her admiration again and again. The atmosphere of the Tiansheng Academy gave her a feeling she had not known for a long time; it had been ages since she had felt this striving, enterprising spirit.

It was only in those years when she had studied the Daoist arts and divine abilities alongside Kaihuang and the others that she had felt this way, and she had loved the feeling dearly. Later, when fame and success had come and she had grown ever busier, she had instead gradually lost her zeal for deep inquiry. Many scholars of the Tiansheng Academy were still manufacturing all sorts of everyday yuan soldiers, and here too mishaps abounded.

They passed a large supervisory workshop near the academy, where scholars were testing pill furnaces of greater firepower, relying on the furnaces to craft all manner of bizarre everyday yuan soldiers.

A scholar driving a giant mechanical beast rumbled out before them. He adjusted the pill furnace's firepower, and in an instant a hundred-odd sword pills soared into the air, a rain of swords filling the heavens.

He had actually used the giant mechanical beast to amplify his own yuanqi, increasing the might of his divine ability several dozenfold. The scholar was overjoyed and adjusted the furnace's firepower once more. Then the giant mechanical beast's hindquarters and four legs spewed fire, and it shot up into the sky. Before long a scream came from on high, and the scholar, man and beast together, crashed into a mountain peak.

"Idiot! I have never seen such a fool! " A voice came, thick and muffled.

The Woodcutter Sage looked toward the sound and saw an old man seated upon a chest, both hands cradling a jar, his face pressed to the jar's mouth as he spoke into it.

His mouth was full of every kind of cursing and foul language, perfectly articulated and spat out with astonishing speed. "That seems to be Grandpa Silent Craftsman! " Shen Mu was delighted at heart and hurried forward, saying in a loud voice, "Grandpa Silent Craftsman, has your tongue grown back? " The old man pulled his face out of the jar.

Seeing the crowd, he hurriedly rose, revealed an honest smile, and his hands flew in gestures: "Aba!

Ah, ah-ba! " "Grandpa Silent Craftsman says that it has not yet grown back.

He also says that just now he was rude and failed to see the various seniors. " Shen Mu helped translate the Silent Craftsman's sign language.

The Silent Craftsman, full of excitement, led them on a tour of the Tiansheng Academy's supervisory workshop, his hands gesturing back and forth, with Shen Mu translating at his side. After the group had made a full round, voicing their admiration again and again, they rose and walked out of the supervisory workshop, heading toward the academy.

The Silent Craftsman watched them leave. His face darkened, and with one slap of his hand he shattered the jar to pieces.

"You know too many of my secrets, so I cannot let you live.

. .