Chapter 670: The Charm of Calculation
The most flamboyant person in the village had originally been Blind, who loved to show off his literary skills and act refined. However, ever since Butcher emerged from his madness and regained his former brilliance, this pig-slaughtering, meat-selling butcher became so flamboyant that Blind was basically out of the picture.
United in purpose, although very few of the divine cities of Grand Heavenly Emperor could survive this onslaught, everyone’s hearts were stirred by the bold songs of Butcher and Qin Mu. The divine abilities surrounding them at this moment were like an indestructible divine city.
The First Ancestor’s Heaven and Earth Seal transformed into the sky and earth of this city, its walls and battlements, while the other gods and demons were generals reinforcing the walls. Qin Mu and the tens of thousands of cultivators were soldiers standing on the walls, resisting the enemy’s assault.
Their qi and blood were connected, their divine abilities linked, as they withstood the terrifying might unleashed by the destruction of heaven and earth.
In an instant, everyone felt an immense, terrifying pressure. Some were crushed until their blood vessels burst, blood gushing like a fountain, turning them into figures of blood. Some had their muscles and skin torn open, some had their clothes shredded, some suffered broken bones. But no one retreated. Even if both arms were broken, they did not yield, for they still had their primordial spirits and could still unleash divine abilities.
Finally, the most terrifying first wave of impact passed.
Suddenly, the First Ancestor’s legs gave way, and he knelt and fainted. A pair of arms supported him, preventing him from falling directly, and laid him flat on the ground.
Although the number of cultivators and gods present was considerable, the First Ancestor had borne over ninety percent of the pressure for their safety. He was a powerhouse at the Spirit Beheading Platform realm, far surpassing the other gods and demons by an unknown margin. Even if everyone were combined, they would be far inferior to him.
Qin Mu and the Medicine Master stepped forward to examine him and provide treatment, while the other gods and demons stood in a circle around them, blocking the aftershocks.
At this moment, Grand Heavenly Emperor was like a hell of magma. The sky rained magma mixed with black ash, along with firestones the size of mountains falling from the sky.
The scorching wind blew at speeds a hundred times that of sound, or even faster, turning the magma into towering waves that rolled violently, engulfing everything in their path.
Meanwhile, the trembling earth caused volcanoes to continuously erupt from the seabed within the magma sea, with pillars of fire reaching hundreds or even thousands of miles into the sky.
The sky had long since shattered. Colorful fragments of space, without any thickness, shimmered with strange light as they drifted through the air. Some flew at high speed, like the sharpest blades, cutting through everything they encountered.
Breathable air had basically run out. Every breath of polluted air brought in countless toxic gases, corroding their lungs. Even holding their breath, the toxins still eroded their skin.
Star Kui opened his box, took out a handful of seeds, and gently blew on them. Instantly, grass spread across the ground around them, and willow trees cast shade.
The land they protected, covering an area of about six or seven li, remained relatively peaceful, becoming one of the few pure lands in Grand Heavenly Emperor. It had not turned into a world of magma, allowing Star Kui to use his creation divine abilities to make plants grow and purify the air.
Ma Rulai gently spread his palm. The grass and pure land flew up, drifting behind his head into the shadow of the Twenty Heavens, where Buddha light nourished this sole patch of green.
Pure air spread from around him, and everyone greedily breathed it in.
“Continuing like this is not a solution.”
Ma Rulai and the monks’ Buddha light formed a huge protective barrier, shielding everyone. He said, “Even with creation divine abilities, we cannot hold out for many years. Sooner or later, the sky will turn into a black sun, with no light at all. The spiritual energy and spiritual power of heaven and earth will cease to exist. Our divine abilities will degrade, our cultivation will decline, and eventually, we will turn into piles of white bones here.”
Star Kui closed his box and suddenly said, “Chief Qin, you should have a way to build another Spirit Energy Transfer Bridge, right?”
Qin Mu, who was working with the Medicine Master to stabilize the First Ancestor’s injuries, looked up at this and replied, “Impossible. Although I have enough materials, the altar in the Great Ruins and the altar here shattered simultaneously. The influx of spiritual energy collapsed both altars at once. Without the altar in the Great Ruins, I cannot forge a Transfer Bridge.”
Star Kui frowned, looked at the shattered sky, and shook his head. “Gods and demons might survive, only gradually weakening, but cultivators cannot survive. These cultivators are all burdens. Abandon them.”
The tens of thousands of cultivators present felt a chill in their hearts upon hearing this.
Qin Mu straightened his waist, his gaze falling on Star Kui, and said calmly, “I have been to Grand Clarity Heaven, which is above Grand Heavenly Emperor. There is a passage there leading directly to the Great Ruins. Grand Clarity Heaven and Grand Heavenly Emperor have also been breached. We can go from Grand Heavenly Emperor to Grand Clarity Heaven, and then transfer to the Great Ruins. No one needs to die.”
Star Kui said, “But bringing these people will only slow us down. Moreover, we gods need to protect them. In this apocalyptic world, protecting these cultivators will only drain us faster. I suggest traveling light.”
His gaze swept over everyone’s faces, and he added, “Perhaps we should even kill a batch first, make them into dried meat, so we can replenish nutrients on the road when hungry.”
Everyone felt a chill run down their spines and dared not meet his eyes.
Qin Mu said with a half-smile, “Star Kui, in my eyes, you are also a burden. If you don’t want to be a burden, then think like a normal person. On the road, help when you should and do your part. You are not the leader of us survivors, so don’t speak in the tone of a leader.”
Star Kui frowned.
Village Chief coughed and said calmly, “Star Kui, your box should have quite a bit of dried meat, right?”
Blind stroked the Dragon Abyss Divine Spear. This black dragon was as soft as a cat, slithering under his rough palm, its bones vibrating with a rustling sound, very comfortable. Blind laughed and said, “Perhaps making Brother Star Kui into dried meat would also serve as food on the road.”
Cripple, now full of courage, chuckled and said, “First, chop off both legs!”
Star Kui said calmly, “Old Sword God, you are missing limbs and are no longer my match. You can all come at me. Not to mention you, even with Brother Pang Yu added, I am not afraid.”
The Medicine Master asked curiously, “What did you say? Say it again.”
Star Kui’s eyelids twitched. After a moment, he slowly said, “On the road, I will do my part.”
Qin Mu looked at the First Ancestor. The First Ancestor was severely injured and would not wake up for a while. His body was heavy and needed True God Pang Yu to carry him on his back.
As for the other cultivators, they could walk on the magma sea, stepping on the magma and treading across the sea. That was not difficult for them. The only thing needed was for the gods present to block the towering magma waves and the terrifying hurricanes!
The hurricanes, a hundred times faster than sound, would easily fling any cultivator away, while the toxic gases mixed in the wind and the mountain-sized firestones would seriously injure or even kill them.
Therefore, gods and demons must guard the perimeter.
“The volcanoes that keep erupting from the seabed will be a bit more troublesome…”
Qin Mu pondered. Deep within the magma sea, volcanoes were everywhere. Each eruption released energy equivalent to a strike from a god or demon. The consequences of such terrifying energy hitting a cultivator were predictable.
“The Sword God and I will handle the volcanoes.”
Star Kui suddenly said, “His swordsmanship, combined with my divine abilities, will be enough to suppress the volcanoes.”
Qin Mu nodded, assigned everyone their duties, and said in a deep voice, “Everyone, Grand Heavenly Emperor has been destroyed. It is hard to leave one’s homeland, but living is the most important thing. Perhaps in the future, we will return and pacify the earth, water, wind, and fire. But for now, we need to leave!”
Sang Hua knelt down, kissed the ground, and gently rubbed her cheek against the soil. The other cultivators of Grand Heavenly Emperor knelt one by one, some kissing the ground, some embracing the earth.
The cultivators of Eternal Peace watched these people quietly. Feelings of home and country might be hard to appreciate in times of peace and prosperity. Only in moments of crisis can the deep emotions in everyone’s hearts be stirred.
After a while, everyone stood up. Gods and demons guarded the surroundings, each using their great power to stabilize the earth, water, wind, and fire. The others stepped onto the now-calm magma sea and followed those ahead, striving to move forward.
The magma sea was extremely hot, and the air was terrifyingly hot as well. Even with Ma Rulai’s Buddha light, it was hard to cool the air.
“Seal all your pores! Conserve the water in your bodies!”
Qin Mu shouted loudly. “Those with flying divine abilities, do not fly! Save your primal energy! The road is long, and we need to walk for a long time! Those with higher cultivation, take care of your junior brothers and sisters!”
He walked to the front. Cripple took out a compass. The compass was very old, with many markings on it. It should be a treasure, though it was unclear where Cripple had stolen it. The needle on the compass spun wildly like a revolving lantern, completely unable to determine direction.
Cripple sighed, put the compass away, and looked around. Grand Heavenly Emperor was now a sea of magma everywhere. The only thing that could be used to determine direction was probably the Floating Heaven, which was stuck diagonally in the center of Grand Heavenly Emperor.
Lin Xuan Dao Lord and a group of old Daoists were using the Zhou Tian Star Positioning Technique to determine direction. Suddenly, Zha Daoist said, “There are no stars in Grand Heavenly Emperor. How do we position?”
Lin Xuan Dao Lord and the group of old Daoists were stunned and disheartened.
Others also tried to determine their position, but at this moment, Grand Heavenly Emperor had no stars, and the geomagnetic field was chaotic. The geomagnetism of Floating Heaven and Grand Heavenly Emperor had shattered upon impact, forming countless geomagnetic anomalies, making it impossible to distinguish direction.
Among the group were many strange beasts like Dragon Qilin and Great Deer, which originally relied on geomagnetic positioning. Now, the geomagnetic anomalies left these beasts dizzy and disoriented.
“Everyone, do not worry about direction.”
Qin Mu took out some Buddha Essence Red Chromium and Ling Buddha Mother Tree from his Taotie bag, looked at Ma Rulai, and smiled. “Master Ma, I need the most skilled carpenter in the world.”
Ma Rulai smiled and said, “That’s me.”
Qin Mu then looked at Mute and smiled. “Grandpa Mute, I need the most exquisite craftsman!”
Mute grinned, and half a tongue grew out of his mouth. “Ah!”
Qin Mu took out paper and a pen, frantically calculating, striving for precision. After a while, he drew a blueprint of a carriage and handed it to Ma Rulai and Mute. “To build this Direction-Finding Chariot, the components need to be precise down to the ksana level, so that it can travel hundreds of thousands of miles without deviating from the course.”
Ma Rulai and Mute looked at the blueprint, their expressions serious. After a moment, they said, “Worth a try!”
The two immediately got busy, striving for perfection as they forged the various parts of the Direction-Finding Chariot. After a long time, the chariot was finally forged. On it stood a golden figure made of Buddha Essence Red Chromium, raising one arm to point forward. On the golden figure’s head stood three small figures, each holding a mallet, with a drum in the center.
Qin Mu looked at Floating Heaven, first judged the direction, adjusted the golden figure’s arm to point correctly, then called Dragon Qilin over and had him pull the chariot in a few circles. No matter how Dragon Qilin turned, the golden figure’s hand always pointed in the same direction.
“Dao Lord, I understand the principle of Chief Qin’s Direction-Finding Chariot. It relies on precise bearings, gears, and wheel rotation to keep the golden figure pointing in a fixed direction.”
A young Daoist asked the Dao Lord, “But what are the three small figures and the drum on top of the golden figure for?”
Many cultivators of Grand Heavenly Emperor pricked up their ears. Over the past two years, many of them had studied calculation under the Daoist sect’s Daoists, so they were very curious about Qin Mu’s Direction-Finding Chariot.
Lin Xuan Dao Lord said, “Those three small figures are for calculating distance. Every hundred li, the small figures are driven by the gears to strike the drum once. By counting the drumbeats, you can know the distance traveled.”
“Why calculate the distance?” Everyone was surprised and asked.
Lin Xuan Dao Lord said, “Chief Qin had the Artisan and the Tathagata make the components precise down to the ksana level. But even with that precision, there will still be deviations, though extremely tiny. I estimate that after the Direction-Finding Chariot travels ten thousand li, the direction the golden figure points will deviate by a si unit. I predict that Chief Qin will adjust the golden figure’s arm after ten thousand li, turning it slightly to the right by one si unit.”
Everyone was shocked. Yu He murmured, “Is such precision really necessary?”
“It is.”
Lin Xuan Dao Lord smiled warmly. “A deviation of one si in ten thousand li becomes a deviation of one hao in a hundred thousand li, which would miss the destination by about a hundred li. A difference of a hundred li is already significant. Chief Qin strives for perfection. You can see his character from how he couldn’t stand Grand Heavenly Emperor’s original sun, so he smashed it and had the National Preceptor rebuild it.”
“So he really did deliberately smash our sun!” True God Pang Yu, who was carrying the First Ancestor on his back, muttered indignantly.
They had traveled about a hundred li when suddenly, one of the small figures on top of the Direction-Finding Chariot’s golden figure struck the drum with its mallet, producing a drumbeat.
Everyone exclaimed in admiration, “Just as expected!”
Lin Xuan Dao Lord laughed and said, “This is the charm of calculation! Calculation may seem useless, but it is actually everywhere. If you want to learn calculation more advanced than what is taught in the various academies of Eternal Peace, you can come to our Daoist sect!”
Jing Ming, the old monk, glanced at him and thought to himself, “The Dao Lord has learned bad habits from Chief Qin, starting to lure people into joining the Daoist sect. I need to talk to the Tathagata about this, to prevent the Daoist sect from poaching our people.”
They traveled ten thousand li, and the small figures struck the drum a hundred times. Qin Mu indeed stopped, opened the golden figure’s belly, carefully adjusted the gears by one si, and then continued on.
Everyone’s admiration for Lin Xuan Dao Lord grew even stronger.
———— A four-thousand-character chapter! The last day of April, asking for monthly votes!