Chapter 713 — City of Doom

Daoist Master, Brother Wang, if the Little Jade Capital and the Daoist Sect have anyone versed in the Soul-Pulling Invocation, have them hurry there as well! There may yet be hope of saving them! " Everyone voiced their agreement. The primordial spirit assembly dispersed.

Shen Mu's primordial spirit returned to his body, and he immediately ordered Long Qilin to race toward Yuzhi Commandery.

After a moment, he told Long Qilin to slow down. Puzzled, Long Qilin nonetheless slowed his pace, running at an unhurried gait.

Shen Mu's expression shifted unpredictably.

Yuzhi Commandery lay on the southeastern coast of the nation of Jingping; the road was long, and a full day's run was needed to reach it. The coast was remote, and if everyone rushed there in one headlong surge, they might well fall for a ploy to lure the tiger from the mountain. If all the power-wielders versed in the Soul-Pulling Invocation gathered at Yuzhi Commandery, then should large-scale deaths suddenly erupt in the other provinces and commanderies, no one would be left to react in time.

"The common folk of a single commandery alone are likely not enough to revive a statue. More deaths are needed before a statue can be awakened. " Shen Mu's gaze flickered.

He took the geographical map of Jingping from his Taotie Pouch. Jingping was no longer what it had once been: its territory had greatly expanded, and its population was several times what it had been before.

Still, the more populous provinces and commanderies remained concentrated in the places where trade and commerce flourished. "The Yong River has the most developed waterways of all, and along its course, with its canals and roads, there are many great cities of a million souls. Next would be the Jiangling region.

But Jiangling is not too far from the capital, and the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping, the First Ancestor, and the others will react swiftly. " Shen Mu studied the map. The most suitable place was undoubtedly Yuyuan Chuyu's Lizhou Prefecture.

It was far enough from the capital, far enough from Yuzhi Commandery, and it lay in the very heart of Jingping.

"If I were Lou Yunqu, I would choose that place.

I would sacrifice every soul in Lizhou Prefecture in a blood ritual and awaken the statues. " Shen Mu's expression shifted unpredictably.

Lizhou Prefecture lay just south of the Heavenly Sage Academy, and the Yong River Academy was there as well. The High Minister Su Yunzhi was its Grand Libationer, while Yuyuan Chuyu and Yuyuan Chuyun were Libationers. "If they use the Book of Life and Death to sacrifice everyone in Lizhou Prefecture in a single blood ritual, they can wipe out the Yong River Academy in one stroke, and my Heavenly Sage Academy will be caught in the net along with it.

And destroying the Heavenly Sage Academy along the way is no trouble at all for Lou Yunqu and his lot. " "Lizhou and Bazhou have populations large enough to revive a great many statues. Once the statues revive, wiping out a few provinces and commanderies will be simplicity itself. After that they can trigger the Five Thunders Pot and other celestial-phenomenon divine weapons, bring tribulation down upon Jingping, and destroy this place utterly.

" At this thought Shen Mu immediately ordered Long Qilin to follow the Yong River downstream toward the Yong River Academy in Lizhou. Long Qilin was swift. As he ran through the air above the Yong River, the waters below surged with waves, and two giant dragons coursed beneath the surface, closely following in Long Qilin's tracks.

When they reached Dijiang County, Shen Mu ordered Long Qilin to descend.

On Baisui Mountain across from Dijiang County, a deity with a single horn on its head, a horse's head and a human body, pure white from head to hoof, gazed over from afar. Shen Mu waved a hand, and the White Crack Deity vanished at once.

The Yong River Academy stood on the riverbank. The reason Su Yunzhi had built the academy here was to draw talent from both banks; moreover, the Yong River Dragon Emperor's Dragon-Keeper Lord, the Flood Dragon King Deity, and the White Crack Deity all dwelt here, and ordinarily, inviting these three deities to give lessons required only a few offerings. The White Crack Deity in particular was the cheapest of all, costing hardly any money.

Shen Mu walked toward the Yong River Academy, and along the way he saw many novel large-scale prime soldiers parked on either side of the road.

Some scholars were teaching power-wielders how to operate them. The scholars of the Yong River Academy clearly did not yet know that calamity was at hand; the place remained peaceful and at ease. Shen Mu had Long Qilin halt, and stood watching. Some of the prime soldiers were windmills, with seven blades and a small pill furnace; by placing medicinal stones into the furnace and burning them, one could set the blades turning. As the blades turned, wind blades sliced along the ground one after another, and in no time a patch of some mu of land would be turned over.

Once the ground was broken, one could push the windmill forward and turn up the next plot. "A tool for plowing! " Shen Mu was astonished.

Under Jingping's reforms, most work was done by paying wages to power-wielders: those who cultivated wind-element arts plowed the fields with spells, likewise using wind blades to break the ground.

But now someone, he knew not who, had built these windmill prime soldiers, using medicinal stones to supply energy and letting the windmill prime soldier itself perform the art. Truly an ingenious design. He asked a scholar beside the windmill, and the scholar said, "Besides windmills, there are cloud carts, rain carts, mining carts, and smelting furnaces.

They were all designed by the Celestial Works Bureau of the Celestial Works Hall, and the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping has ordered them promoted throughout the realm. " "Could it be that Grandpa Mojiang designed these everyday prime soldiers?

But if they are promoted throughout the realm, I fear the medicinal stones will not keep up.

Growing spirit herbs takes time for the herbs to mature.

" Shen Mu asked, "Is Grand Libationer Su Yunzhi at the academy? " "The Grand Libationer is just ahead, inspecting the herb fields with the Jade-Faced Poison King of the Imperial Physician Bureau.

" Shen Mu's heart stirred slightly. "Grandpa Alchemist is here too?

Does he not have the Empress Dowager and a whole bevy of beauties already? Could it be that High Minister Su is also involved with him? Bah, bah - how can I slander Grandpa Alchemist behind his back.

. .

"