The Blade-Wielding Legend

Chapter 1434 738: The Conspiracy Revealed (Part 2)

Fatty Lin said with a bitter smile, "I search for the Taodu Mountain Wood precisely for this matter, but unfortunately..."

Upon hearing the conversation between the two, Kong Shangzhao seemed lost in thought. He took out a half-scroll of "Mountain and Sea Atlas" from his sleeve, the corners yellowed, and murmured, "This rare copy of 'Hailing General Record' mentioned 'Bohai Qiu Wood connecting to Nine Abysses', it seems to be over near Jinling."

"Oh?!"

Fatty Lin's eyes lit up, and he smiled, "Brother Kong, rest assured, leave this to me. Not only can it free you from your predicament, but also make everything rightful!"

......

The determination of Emperor Xiao Qixuan was as mighty as mountains collapsing and seas roaring.

Less than half a day after Zhao Wujiong's departure, a secret order, in vermillion and gold embossing, thundered its way to the Ministry of Revenue and the Grand Warehouse of the Inner Court. Instantly, the resources of the entire capital started pouring towards the Qiankun Academy.

The avenue from Chengtian Gate to the academy was unprecedentedly busy with carriages and horses as formidable as dragons.

Heavy wooden wheels ground over the bluestone slabs, making a continuous muffled sound. What they transported were not ordinary goods but were covered in thick felt, guarded by heavily armored, sharp-eyed elite soldiers of the Capital Camp.

A specially-designed carriage, pulled by six strong horses, slowly entered the side gate of the academy; dozens of brawny men, bare-chested, shouted in unison and gingerly unloaded a gigantic object covered with an oilcloth.

As the oilcloth was uncovered, there appeared an enormous stone, the size of a water cistern, dark as ink yet vaguely glimmered with golden threads.

This is the newly discovered Stabilizing Sea Stone Essence from Lingnan, impervious to blades and fire. More precious is that it contains a trace of Innate Water Qi, making it top-level material for crafting the pedestal of the Divine Statue.

Another team transported rare treasures encased in Purple Sandalwood boxes.

As the boxes were opened, a misty air spread.

Sheep-fat white jade, formed by the essence of millennial ice in the depths of Tianshui Kunlun snow mountains; "Cloud Thunder Crystal", forged over a thousand years beneath the Thunder Fire rock layer in Sichuan; and entire blocks of smooth, warm jade mined from ancient pits in Liaodong...

Each piece worth a fortune, yet here they were, being used unreservedly.

These items are rare Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasures.

Every piece is possibly tainted with much blood, of immense value, yet at this moment to be fashioned as ordinary materials into the flesh and fascia of the "Sui Lun True Monarch".

The once-spacious warehouse area of the academy filled up in an instant, piled high with various rare treasures, making Yan Jiuling, responsible for inventorying, shiver with anxiety.

This is no longer mere extravagance but rather a mobilization of the nation's entire strength, solely to forge, before the Post-Heavenly Hour, that statue which bears the significance of a Human Dao transformation and commands the attention of the Daluo Law Realm.

Pressure bore down like a mountain on Yuan Feng and Yan Jiuling's shoulders, permeating every inch of the academy's air.

Zhao Wujiong's words "at all costs" still echoed in their ears.

And time, only two days and nights remain.

In the core area of the workshop where the casting furnace stood, the furnace fire blazed day and night, the heat terrifyingly high.

Tao Fengchun, the Mo Sect Grandmaster, had not closed his eyes for an entire day and night, his chiseling and carving-honed muscular body showing signs of fatigue, yet those eyes, sharp as ever, burned with the fire of two spirits.

"Move quickly! You novices from the Mystical Craft Department and Doctrine Studies, mark the Sanctuary Array's triadic inlay pattern you learned yesterday onto the mold clearly! Misplace even a fraction, delaying the statue's forming, and I'll break your legs!" Tao Fengchun's roar blended with the deafening sound of iron striking, vigorous and spirited.

He understood the statue's significance.

If the forging succeeded, his name would be immortalized in history.

Even if it meant dying of exhaustion, this life would be worth it.

Countless craftsmen bustled back and forth, each with soot-covered faces, their clothes soaked with sweat and then dried by the high temperature, leaving white salt stains.

The top craftsmen from the Heavenly Craft Institute, Five Armies Commander's Mansion Construction Supervision, and even from major shipyards in the Southern regions had been temporarily requisitioned and gathered here.

Typically high-and-mighty, with intense gatekeeping rivalries, these famed craftsmen now had to put aside their pride and unite under Tao Fengchun's coordination.

Arguments and curses were inevitable, yet the efficiency was unprecedented.

The main body of the statue had basically taken shape, employing a peculiar "Thousand Forged Melting Golden Bone" technique: a specially designed alloy for the skeleton, mixed with Cloud Mica Glue and refined metal powders to fill and mold, the assembly components meticulously crafted by the students of the Mysterious Skill Department.

The paramount task remains the "Charging" ritual of the statue.

Normally, for a statue, charging involves placing scriptures, grains, gold, silver, and silks representing the five viscera, to invoke the presence of the divine.

However, the creation of "Sui Lun True Monarch" surpasses ordinary Mortal Gods in significance.

Its very essence is embedding the core of that primitive steam engine within the statue's abdomen, becoming the nexus for merging Human Dao reform intent and Heaven and Earth Astra Bane Qi!

This core is not small, and has applied Lu Ban Secret Technique, with unknown miraculous spiritual materials inside, once disassembled, it will be destroyed.

Yuan Feng has already figured out the properties of the treasure inside through the secret technique.

The steam engine that can drive Yin Yang Gang Sha Qi, this is the highest secret of the Academy and Mo Sect, known to only three people, who absolutely will not leak it.

Li Yan stands on a temporarily erected wooden corridor at a high place in the workshop, overlooking the scene below, bustling but orderly.

His brow tightly furrowed, his face heavy, looking around.

Even though there are so many people guarding, and even Grandmaster Huo Yin is stationed here, he still feels uneasy, a chill that seems everlasting in his heart.

The Heavenly Official's task is to guard the Divine Statue until it is stabilized.

If someone plots for this object, they can only do so during this period, once the Divine Statue is successfully forged, and sent to National Ancestral Temple for enlightenment and tribute, even Taixuan Orthodox Sect will have no choice.

Among the busy craftsmen in the distance, an old man quickly glanced at him, then lowered his head, carrying several boxes, walking toward the storage warehouse.

He is white-haired, skinny, slightly huddled.

Although not eye-catching in appearance, his background is formidable.

His name is Lu Chengye, an old Tribute of the Construction Supervision of Five Armies Commander's Mansion, also a top woodwork master of this age, especially adept at handling ancient spiritual materials full of spirituality.

When the Academy was founded, he was specially hired as a Great Craftsman.

Though not as renowned as Tao Fengchun, he is still famously prominent.

Arriving at the warehouse, security here is even stricter.

Not only are there Divine Fist Sect experts personally selected and appointed by Huo Yin, but also several inner court eunuchs, all are gloomy old eunuchs, pale as paper.

Just standing there, their gaze chills the soul.

Lu Chengye, who frequently comes and goes, naturally won't be troubled.

Rumble~

The heavy Mystic Iron door slowly opens a crack, a breath mixed with the aroma of sandalwood, sharp metal, and various unique fragrance of spiritual materials and exotic treasures gushes forth.

"Master Lu, you're finally here!"

Yan Jiuling, who is in the middle of counting, quickly walked over, helplessly said: "The court sent too many treasures, those that can be used and those that can't need to be registered and listed, and the unused ones have to be returned."

"Many things even the Hidden Treasure Man can't identify, we have to rely on you."

"Mr. Yan is too kind."

Lu Chengye nodded woodenly, then came to the pile of treasures, inspecting them one by one, his eyes focused, his calloused fingers slightly trembling.

"This is Sea Essence, from the inner treasury, I remember it was sent as a birthday gift for the Emperor by Jiaodong, a good thing, but can't be used..."

"This is Gold Stone Wood, see the Jade Insect on it? All remnants of Exotic Insect from Barbaric Era, can keep, send to Master Tao..."

"Master Lu is truly knowledgeable!"

He selected each item, drawing praises from everyone.

Finally, he arrived at the end of the batch of top-level spirit wood, where a blackened ancient wood about three feet long and as thick as a bowl is placed alone.

This wood seems inconspicuous at first glance, as though severely damaged by lightning or intense fire, its texture twisted and cracked, surface even partially carbonized and peeling.

Mixed among the spirit woods like Purple Jade Sandalwood, Dragon Blood Purple Fir, overflowing with treasure light, it seems out of place, like a substandard product.

The list also simply notes: "Spare Ancient Thunderstruck Wood", said to have Evil Exorcism and Thunder Attraction effects, temporarily requisitioned.

No one noticed, as Lu Chengye's hand brushed over this black wood, the slight tremor due to extreme fear.

Nor did anyone notice, when his fingertip touched the black, charred wood surface, a bone-chilling yet crazed desecrating intention surged through his fingertip, piercing fiercely into his sea of consciousness.

"Grandfather, grandfather, save me..."

The voice of a young girl sounded in his mind.

Lu Chengye's eyes flashed with a trace of pain, yet his face remained calm, saying: "This can be used, I will take it later, to make the Divine Lord Waist Button..."