Chapter 685 — The Heavenly Palace Takes Shape
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
"The road from the Western Lands to the Central Lands has been severed by Taihuang Heaven. Jingping's authority cannot reach the Western Lands, and so the Western Lands will rebel. Therefore we must break through Taihuang Heaven and open a tunnel, or a teleportation formation."
Shen Mu gathered with the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping, Lin Xuan, and other masters of calculation and divination to deduce and reckon the effects of Taihuang Heaven's descent upon Jingping. The talk flew back and forth, and Shen Mu said, "Building a teleportation formation is simple enough, but maintaining one is a vast expense; it requires an ocean of medicinal stones. Breaking through a few tunnels costs greatly at the outset, but less thereafter."
Dao Lord Lin Xuan said, "Taihuang Heaven runs north to south, cutting the Central Lands from the Western Lands. It will have complex effects on the existing rivers and waterways, the movements of the atmosphere, and rainfall and snowfall. The water patterns, the atmosphere, and the precipitation must all be recalculated."
Xu Shenghua said, "We must calculate which places will suffer grave effects, and whether a desert climate will form. That is when we need a Dragon King. Jingping must have a Dragon King, or the deserts cannot be prevented."
Ling Yuxiu added, "We also need a Count of the Winds and a Master of Rain, to govern rainfall and the monsoons!"
The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping mused, "There is more. Though the primordial magnetism of Taihuang Heaven has been brought under control, both Taihuang Heaven and Luofu Heaven possess magnetic force, and we must still investigate their effects upon plants and beasts. In calculating the waters, the atmosphere, and the rain, we must also factor in the magnetic force of the two worlds, and monitor the influence of that force upon earthquakes."
Lizheng said, "Then we need Earth Lords, and a great many of them! Beneath Jingping dwell the Earthwalkers, descendants of the Earth Lords of the Kaihuang Celestial Court, who obey the command of the Human Emperor Seal. Shen'er can go with the First Ancestor to meet them."
Wang Muran said, "The vapors and clouds rise from the sea. On the sea we also need a god to govern the movements of the ocean's clouds, so that the land may have favorable wind and rain. Beyond the clouds, we must also marshal the wild winds and great waves, to protect Jingping's fishing boats."
"The work is immense, and we need someone versed in calculation to oversee the treasury. We need a God of Wealth skilled in calculation to control the national coffers!"
"Every project, the dispatch of tower ships, requires a God of Ships to direct it. In the sea there is the Great Kun, of the Kun clan, who can be summoned with the Human Emperor Seal. Only, we do not yet know who their present chieftain is."
"Heavenly crafts create things. To forge the great treasures that suppress the fortunes of Taihuang Heaven and Luofu Heaven, and to forge all manner of divine weapons to open the roads, we need a God of Heavenly Craft!"
"To control disease and plague, we need a God of Medicine!"
"To control fire and other calamities, we need a God of Fire!"
...
The debate went on in a babble of voices. After long discussion, they settled what must be done in the aftermath of Taihuang Heaven's fall, and divine offices great and small were designed. Long Qilin, whose attainments in calculation were exceedingly high, had taken part as well, and suddenly he said, "Sect Master, Imperial Preceptor of Jingping — are we not building a Celestial Court?"
Shen Mu, the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping, and the rest were startled, and hurriedly looked over the divine offices they had designed. Were these not the very prototype of the Celestial Court's divine offices?
The offices they had designed — were they not precisely the offices in the Celestial Court's system that did real work?
With these offices, the basic framework of a Celestial Court had taken shape!