Chapter 1028 — The Most Minute of Scales

Kaihuang's color deepened a little. The blind elder went on, "We have found that divine gold, mystic gold, and ordinary gold are in fact the same substance, and it is chiefly the difference in microscopic structure that yields the difference in properties. So we mean, with the mute artisan's forging method, to try whether the microscopic structure of mystic gold can be rearranged and refined into divine gold. Only, though the mute artisan's Heavenly Origin Grand Furnace forging method is exquisite, it cannot guarantee that every crystal in the most microscopic structure of the mystic gold can be hammered, nor that the mystic gold crystals can be struck into a single aligned orientation."

The mute artisan signed, and the blind elder repeated his words: "To brand runes and carve crystals at the microscopic scale is exceedingly difficult. And it demands that the smith possess unmatched Sage Eyes, able to see every crystal at every microscopic scale."

Kaihuang pondered a moment, then ventured, "Have you ever tried microscopic forging with spirit-consciousness—microscopic carving of runes and brands with spirit-consciousness and primordial energy?"

The mute artisan's and the blind elder's eyes lit up. They exchanged a glance. The mute artisan said, "It can be done!"

The blind elder shook his head. "There is still one difficulty: the demands upon spirit-consciousness are extreme. To cultivate spirit-consciousness to the point of seeing the microscopic scale, one must reach an exceedingly high realm; only the Undying Spirit-Consciousness of the Three Primal Gods has that capacity. And even then one must cultivate that art to a profound level..."

Kaihuang smiled. "The two of you need not worry. Heavenly Venerable Mu's spirit-consciousness is incomparably powerful; when he returns, he will teach you a method of spirit-consciousness even stronger than the Undying Spirit-Consciousness of the Three Primal Gods. This microscopic carving and microscopic branding—I believe there is a great future in it. The two of you may be said to have founded a divine art in the craft of forging. Whether in divine gold resources or in the forging of divine weapons, the prospects are boundless; it can raise the might of a divine weapon severalfold, even to surpass the power of a god-devil's own body! Only—will the Heavenly Court permit you to carry out such a reform?"

The blind elder was untroubled. "The Heavenly Court cannot reach here. Above us we have Little Shen to hold up the sky. Besides, this kind of reform does not alter the Great Dao of heaven and earth; the Heavenly Court will never detect it."

Kaihuang was taken aback. Weighing his own conduct against Shen Mu's, a thousand emotions rose in him. He asked again, "And what of Emperor Jingping? If Emperor Jingping's strength grows too great, the Heavenly Court will have him watched—even destroyed."

"You mean Emperor Yanxiu?"

The blind elder smiled. "Emperor Yanxiu is clever and quick, but his cultivation is not the strongest in Jingping; only recently did he attain the rank of Honored God. When would the Heavenly Court have the leisure to trouble itself over an Honored God? Not long ago, Emperor Yanxiu even went up to the Heavenly Court in person and haggled with the gods and devils of the Zaofu Palace, demanding that the Zaofu Palace open more spirit-energy transfer bridges, the better to haul in the resources of the other heavens and forge divine weapons."

Kaihuang's eyes went wide. It was a long while before he came to himself, and then he took his leave of the two.

The blind elder and the mute artisan tried hard to keep him. "You have a nimble mind—you are good stock for the forge. Following Kaihuang about has buried your talents! Why not stay, and together we will study this craft of microscopic forging?"

Kaihuang insisted on departing. "I still have to see how the rest of the Jingping reforms have turned out, and they are pressing me in the Worry-Free Land to return."

The blind elder and the mute artisan could only see him off. "Do not set too great a hope upon the Worry-Free Land. If things do not go your way after you return, come to Jingping. There is far too much work here for us to do. Back in the Worry-Free Land you will only eat and wait for death."

The blind elder said, "The mute artisan says that if you wish to see the Jingping reforms, go to the great academies. They are called sects now, but in truth they are still academies. That is the front line of the reform. Our village headman is teaching sword arts in the Holy Sect of the Great Academy; you must be a student of the sword yourself, so go pay him a visit—you should profit much from it."

Kaihuang hurried away.

The blind elder and the mute artisan watched him go into the distance, and sighed with feeling. "There is still talent in the Worry-Free Land. What a pity—this Ye Kai, following Kaihuang, has thrown his talents away for nothing!"

At the Yongjiang Academy, the Heavenly Dragon carriage halted. Shen Mu summoned the Dragon Keeper and asked after the state of the academy. The Dragon Keeper said, "Replying to the master, Yongjiang Academy is not called an academy anymore; it is called the Yongjiang Sect. Su Yunzhi is the sect master, Zhe Huali the vice-sect master, and I have put my own name down as an elder of the Yongjiang Sect. These past days the Yongjiang Sect has been in a great ferment: Old Master Tu of the Heavenly Blade has come, and besides the Heavenly Blade there has come a Divine Blade, who has fought Old Master Tu several bouts, whipping the disciples of the Yongjiang Sect into a fever."

"Grandpa Tu is here? Another Divine Blade—could it be Luo Wushuang?"

Shen Mu blinked. He had kicked Luo Wushuang into the Yuanmu Heavenly Palace of the Yuan Realm, and had supposed the man must have fought his way out through blood and slaughter. To think he had been hiding here all along.