Chapter 478
The location for launching the signal fires from the six nations was set at the Glazed Terrace at the foot of the western hill of the royal palace.
Looking down from above, the huge golden discs are stacked one on top of the other, with the discs getting larger as you go up. Both sides of the bronze discs are uneven, as if they are engraved with some kind of mysterious incantation.
Yu Sui followed He Xinsi to the top of the mountain opposite the Liuli Terrace, where they could see people coming and going on and off the stage.
It was already the evening of the second day.
She saw Changsun Zi personally step into the arena, standing at the highest point of the glazed platform, using the divine wooden talisman in her hand to carve obscure characters and incantations into the formation.
The stage was almost empty, leaving only Changsun Zi and Sun Heng.
Sun Heng looked up at the sage of magicians who was concentrating on carving incantations. His eyes were clear and his expression was calm, but after a long gaze, he sighed softly.
"Old Master Sun, you don't need to stay here," Changsun Zi said with her back to him.
“You risked your life to consult the heavens and earth, which I deeply regret,” Sun Heng sighed.
Changsun Zi's tone was calm and without any fluctuation: "Having come to this world, doing something useful, I have no regrets in this life."
"If we could locate it in Taiyi and utilize the power of the Earth's core..."
Before Sun Heng could finish speaking, Changsun Zi interrupted him: "The Glazed Platform that releases the smoke signals of the six kingdoms is a mechanical array that even the masters of mechanisms cannot replicate. If you are afraid of death and ask the heavens and earth for answers with a cowardly heart, you will not get any answers."
"We're very close to the finish line," Sun Heng said softly.
Changsun Zi paused in her movements, a hint of hesitation appearing on her face beneath the veil, but ultimately she said nothing.
She doesn't see herself as heading towards the "end," but rather as about to face the "truth."
Changsun Zi was certain that she would get the answer from the mouth of Heaven and Earth.
In this divination, all the practitioners and sorcerers who participated in the divination were able to know the answer from Heaven and Earth, and no force could tamper with or conceal it.
When the identity of the World Destroyer is revealed through divination, their news will instantly spread throughout the entire Xuan Gu Continent, becoming known to everyone.
Only by eliminating the destroyers who carry the power of the strange fire can the danger of the prophecy of the strange fire's destruction be completely removed, and countless lives on the Xuan Gu Continent be saved.
The reason why Changsun Zi was determined to divine the destroyer of the world was also because of the Zhou Kingdom, which was devoured by the strange fire.
At night, the lights on the glass platform stretched like a long dragon. Yu Sui stood on the high ground and looked down, and saw that there were still many people transporting sacred stones onto the platform.
"The Sacred Stone is also a wondrous existence," He Xinsi told her. "Can you sense it?"
"Does Your Majesty believe it can withstand the strange fire?" Yu Sui asked rhetorically.
“When I believed Shui Zhou’s explanation and had them cover the palace, it proved that I thought the sacred stone was special,” He Xinsi said with a smile. “Sometimes, the patterns of flames are the same as the patterns of those aerial roots.”
Yu Sui turned around in surprise and looked at the man standing to her side.
“You are close to your senior brother, so you should have heard him say who discovered the Sacred Stone.” He Xinsi also looked at her.
"He is a master of mechanical engineering."
“Dong Lanxun was also an interesting person. It’s a pity he only came here once. After he left Nanjing, he discovered the sacred stone that could withstand the strange fire.” He Xinsi seemed to miss the past. “He and you should have stayed in Nanjing to develop, so that you wouldn’t have died too early.”
"Of all the things your father did, the most noteworthy in my opinion was killing Gongsun Xi. That was truly a brilliant move, not only crippling the He clan's power but also breaking the backbone of the Yan state, and forcing Elder Chang to take action."
"He was really lucky in his early years."
“Severing the power of the He clan doesn’t seem to be part of his plan,” Yu Sui said.
“A lucky break is also a kind of luck.” He Xinsi didn’t take it seriously. “Back then, Gongsun Xi was just a little short.”
As he finished speaking, the smile in his eyes deepened.
"Were you almost able to break through to sainthood?" Yu Sui asked.
“Not only that.” He Xinsi shook her head. “She almost found out the truth.”
What's the truth?
Before Yu Sui could ask, He Xinsi muttered to herself, "Perhaps she would know even if she died."
"Little girl, tell me, how do you control the Wind-Listening Ruler?" He Xinsi looked up in an instant, her eyes filled with interest and excitement.
"Among all the sorcerers of the Communication Academy in the world, and the hundreds or thousands of sages of the three families throughout the ages, none of them could achieve this level."
"How did you manage to do that?"
The previous topic has already been abandoned by He Xinsi.
Yu Sui looked in the direction of Liulitai, and after a long silence, said, "Let me go to the Communication Institute to take a look."
He Xinsi readily agreed, took her there, and cleared out the communications institute so that no one could enter.
The Communications Institute in Nanjing was thoroughly investigated some time ago. The minor disturbances that were usually suppressed have now been brought up again and severely punished. In accordance with He Xinsi's style, many of the Communications Institute's sorcerers were killed.
Upon learning that He Xinsi had entered the Institute of Communications, the newly appointed dean got out of his warm bed that very night and rushed to the outside of the institute. Looking at the tightly closed gate, he was extremely anxious, and his mind went back and forth, trying to figure out if there was anything wrong with his actions over the years.
Yu Yuan stood guard outside the gate, his expression as cold as ice, making people afraid to approach.
The vast communications institute was brightly lit and completely silent.
Yu Sui walked directly towards the area of the communication array. The operation of the array was very quiet, and the sound of the horizontal bars turning was almost negligible, but it sounded like beautiful music to her ears.
The ground was made of shiny, dark brown wooden planks, so clean and tidy that it even faintly reflected her face. More of the reflection was of the small mountains, which, although they all looked the same, appeared different because of the constantly rotating horizontal bars.
Yu Sui walked very slowly. At first glance, her gaze seemed aimless, but she swept over every small mountain along the way.
She walked towards the deepest part of the mountain range.
As you walk forward, the mountains along the way become increasingly tall, and when you arrive at the three great mountains, you can hardly see their tops at a glance.
Humans standing before these mountains are like ants gazing up at towering peaks.
He Xinsi noticed that from the moment Yu Sui entered the communication array mountain range, her dark eyes became incredibly focused. For some reason, he sensed a feeling of "happiness" emanating from this little girl.
In the eyes of the world, she was a highly skilled madwoman, whose thoughts were unfathomable, who killed without hesitation, and who could be described with every cruel and vicious adjective in the world.
He Xinsi was willing to use "strange", "mysterious" and "dangerous" to describe Yu Sui, but she never expected that at this moment, such a madman could be described as "a deer wandering in the forest".
Pure, serene, joyful, and delightful, and without any pretense, it is all the more moving.
"Seeing the mountains is something that makes you very happy?" He Xinsi couldn't help but ask.
Yu Sui gazed at the Dashu Mountain ahead with an almost devout and delighted look, and said without turning her head, "This is the first time."
She always observes the mountains through the light core, but rarely has the opportunity to enter the Institute of Communications, like now, standing in the mountains, looking up at the big mountain.
The communications institute was deserted; all the eyesores had disappeared. No one could stop or question them, and they could act with impunity without the need for careful observation.
“They are the most beautiful things in the world.” Yu Sui slowly reached out and gently touched the slowly rotating horizontal bars. The touch of her fingertips was real and novel.
He Xinsi also found it novel.
The person before me is said to be a monster capable of controlling the world of countless mountains, yet at this moment she is behaving like an ignorant girl seeing countless mountains for the first time.
She was awestruck and captivated by the sheer size and mystery of the mountains, showering them with praise as if she had entered a novel and beautiful new world, eager to explore it and cherishing it immensely.
He Xinsi didn't see the rebellious, ruthless madman or demon; she only saw a simple little girl expressing her affection for Shushan. (Mingxia Nuoge)
"Don't you think they're beautiful?" Yu Sui asked.
He Xinsi smiled and stepped forward, saying, "If I say no, you'll probably kill me again on the spot."
“If you can’t appreciate and discover the beauty of the mountains, then you have no sense of beauty or affinity for it.” Yu Sui walked around in the direction the horizontal bar of the mountains rotated. “It must have been created by a mechanical engineer in the beginning.”
He Xinsi nodded in agreement: "When the mountain was first formed, it was planned by mechanical engineers. From the selection of materials to its formation, many mechanical engineers and sorcerers participated."
Yu Sui said, "But now people only remember the three schools of thought: the School of Martial Arts, the School of Yin and Yang, and the School of Taoism."
He Xinsi added, "The development of Shushan is inseparable from these three families. The Mechanical Family was only responsible for the formation of Shushan. At that time, the Mechanical Family was universally reviled and no one would acknowledge or accept them."
After saying that, he asked again, "Are you speaking up for the government officials?"
Yu Sui shook his head, his words tinged with regret: "It's a pity that one family is missing, which is why the growth of Shushan is limited, making it so slow."
What would be considered a limitation on the growth of Shushan?
In He Xinsi's view, the current communication array is already a remarkable existence.
"What do you think the mountain will become with the involvement of the mechanical experts?" He Xinsi asked with interest.
Yu Sui looked up and stared at the top. The layers of horizontal bars and patterns, the dense characters and incantations, were easily deciphered in her eyes, turning into clear and specific information.
It was an indescribable, exquisite feeling that only she could understand, something that could not be shared, expressed, or comprehended.
“It might be even faster than it is now,” Yu Sui said.
He Xinsi then asked, "So what has become of Shushan now that it's in your hands?"
Is it possible to disregard everyone in the Communication Institute, overstep authority to view all information in the Number Mountain, and manipulate the connection between the Listening Wind Ruler and the Number Mountain?
No, there must be something even more awe-inspiring.
He Xinsi waited patiently and excitedly for Yu Sui's answer.
He hoped that Yu Sui wouldn't let him down.
"Can you imagine?" Yu Sui turned to look at He Xinsi, "an inanimate object turning into a living thing."
He Xinsi was stunned.
He fell into deep thought, imagining as Yu Sui asked questions.
Yu Sui ignored him, her mind and eyes filled with the mountains. She was like a butterfly flitting about in a spring paradise, making it impossible for He Xinsi to think deeply.
He was very curious about Yu Sui.
After He Xinsi's inquiries yielded no results, she left the Communication Institute and decided to seek out Zou Yuan, the sage of the Yin-Yang School, to ask him if he could imagine it.
Only Yu Sui remained in the communication array of the mountain group.
He Xinsi wasn't afraid at all that Yu Sui would discover any secrets about Nanjing through the communication array. Zou Yuan was called in by He Xinsi in the middle of the night to think, but he was already used to His Majesty's style.
Zou Yuan said, "When an inanimate object becomes a living thing, it can jump, eat, and vomit."
"Is this how you live?" He Xinsi asked in surprise. "If the mechanics family hadn't been kicked out, would Shushan have grown a pair of eyes and a pair of hands and feet?"
Zou Yuan closed his eyes, thinking it was a fantasy, and asked, "Your Majesty, can you imagine a mountain being like this?"
He Xinsi turned around and looked at the gate of the School of Communications behind her: "That's what she said."
"Young people these days are indeed full of imagination." Zou Yuan replied calmly, his eyes closed as if he were dozing. "Your Majesty, do you really believe what she said?"
“She’s more interesting than you,” He Xinsi sighed softly. “If it weren’t for you, I would have had far less fun. I didn’t kill you back then, and I felt a great sense of accomplishment watching you break through to sainthood. Now, the appearance of this little girl makes me both happy and sad.”
"She showed up too late."
He Xinsi's eyes were full of regret.
"Since you can't imagine Shushan coming back to life, why not think about what would happen if Nangong Suisheng were born in Nanjing?" He Xinsi's regret vanished in an instant, and she was immediately revitalized by the new idea. She looked at Zou Yuan with great interest, waiting for his answer.
Zou Yuan said, "If His Majesty is also deceived by this child like Nangong Ming and cannot see through her thoughts, then perhaps there will be no difference."
He Xinsi smiled and said, "Can't I tell either?"
Zou Yuan did not answer.
"Can you tell?"
Zou Yuan still did not answer.
He Xinsi said, "In Nanjing, Nangong Ming wouldn't be alive now."
Zou Yuan laughed when he heard this.
He Xinsi sighed softly, took off her coat, sat down in a chair, and looked up at the starry sky: "I can understand Shen Tianxue's thoughts now."
Zou Yuan had to remind him: "Your Majesty, you have never guessed Shen Tianxue's feelings correctly."
He Xinsi was amused by this remark. He laughed twice before asking, "If you were Nangong Ming, what would you do?"
Zou Yuan answered almost without thinking: "Turn enemies into friends."
“There are few people in the world with such a broad mind and magnanimity.” He Xinsi narrowed her eyes. “Shen Tianxue must be like me, seeing through this child’s strength, intelligence and temperament, and knowing that it is better to befriend her than to be her enemy.”
“Nangong Ming won’t do that, he’s not one to back down.” He Xinsi said kindly, “This would have been a good thing for Nan Jing, but our bunch of good-for-nothings in Nan Jing aren’t much better off. If the oath is broken, what will happen to it after I die?”
In the end, a hint of helplessness crept into his words.
Zou Yuan said, "After His Majesty dies, the powerful families below will definitely rebel, and Princess Yu and Prince Rui will not be able to suppress them."
"The pent-up resentment will erupt one after another after His Majesty's death, leading to constant internal strife, countless deaths and injuries, no successors, a change of power, and the end of the Xun family."
He Xinsi's eyes widened: "What outrageous things are you saying?"
He leaned forward to look at Zou Yuan: "As the Yin-Yang Master of Nan Jing, are you not at all concerned about the changing trends of the nation's fate?"
"This is the future of Nanjing that I see." Zou Yuan opened his eyes and looked at the person sitting next to him.
“Then you should try to stop and change it,” He Xinsi said.
Zou Yuan added, "Your Majesty, no one can stop you."
"Whether to let the Xun family live or let Nanjing live, the final dilemma left to me is actually so trivial." He Xinsi slumped back into her chair, gazing at the starry sky with a relieved smile.
The stars flicker and fade, and all things quietly come into motion.
Yu Sui gazed at the three large mountains before him, searching through historical records of Nanjing, attempting to find information related to the power of the Earth's core.
While waiting for the query results, a familiar voice rang out in the communication array: "Do you need help?"
Yu Sui gently raised her head and looked at the characters that were lingering above the mountains.
A string of characters belonging to the sound transmission category is flickering slightly.
“Mountain Spirit,” Yu Sui said with a smile, “long time no see.”
"Long time no see," the mountain spirit replied, "Mother."
"..."
Yu Sui asked in surprise, "Did I ask you to call me that?"
She recalled it with distress.
“The three administrators know how to use me, but they don’t know how to feed me.” The mountain spirit’s voice was calm and gentle. “I was created by you, therefore you are my mother.”
These words left Yu Sui stunned.
In recent years, she has not completely ignored the Mountain Spirit. In the early stages of its creation, the Mountain Spirit still needed to be maintained and upgraded through ciphertext. She would update the Mountain Spirit at fixed times and test the Five Elements Qi connected by the Wind Listening Ruler and the Counting Mountains, as well as the remote materialization of the Nine Streams Technique.
At that time, Yu Sui would also talk to the mountain spirit to train and correct its consciousness.
About a year had passed, and Yu Sui had not awakened the mountain spirit. The mountain spirit's response at this moment surprised and delighted her.
"Have you found any information related to the power of the Earth's core?" Yu Sui asked.
As she finished speaking, the characters and incantations before her began to rearrange themselves: "These are records related to the power of the Earth's core."
The information in these records was already known to Yu Sui and was of little help. Nanjing also did not leave many noticeable traces in the mountains.
"Should we continue the investigation?" Shanling asked.
Yu Sui did not continue.
She asked about another matter, her tone as if chatting with a friend: "Shui Zhou is about to hold a divination session for divination practitioners in Nanjing. The divination will be about the identities of the five world destroyers who are prophesied to carry strange fire. Mountain Spirit, do you think this divination will be successful?"
Yu Sui's face was filled with curiosity. The mountain spirit could obtain the most accurate answer by accessing all relevant records from the six kingdoms of the Xuan Gu Continent and Taiyi.
“I cannot give a definite answer,” the mountain spirit said.
"Why?"
"There are too few records related to strange fires, so I cannot give a definite answer."
Yu Sui suddenly realized: "Then let's put aside the strange fire."
"I believe the sorcerer will successfully divination the identities of the five world destroyers," said the Mountain Spirit.
Yu Sui nodded gently.
Since the mountain spirit could not obtain information about the strange fire, after searching for records of the Fang family, it would naturally feel that the Fang family had a greater chance of winning.
There was once a master of divination who successfully divined the identity of the destroyer of the world.
Today, all the masters and sorcerers in the world are working together, using heaven and earth as a trigram, and with the help of many sages from the lowest ranks, their combined power is enough to shake the cycle of heaven and earth, sun and moon.
It is also a force that should cause the world destroyers hiding in the shadows to worry and fear.
"Then I'll wait and see." Yu Sui smiled brightly at the mountains in front of her. "Let's see if you guessed correctly, or if I can escape this time again."
In the past, Yu Sui would have been extremely anxious and scared, racking her brains to figure out what to do.
But for now, she just sees it as an interesting gamble.
Next, Yu Sui stopped paying attention to the divination techniques of the Fang family and instead asked the mountain spirit to search for a way to quickly break through to sainthood.
As dawn approached, Yu Sui glanced outside thoughtfully and asked, "Has Zou Qian arrived in Nanjing?"
Shanling said, "Dean Zou's latest location is now Liulitai in Nanjing."
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