All-out preparation
The news of the academic conference was like a bucket of cold water poured into boiling oil, causing an uproar throughout the entire Academy City. From the Noble Council to the tavern mercenaries, everyone was buzzing about the "Eastern Metaphysics Exhibition" that was destined to be extraordinary in three days. Supporters were eager to witness a miracle; opponents gritted their teeth, preparing to launch an attack; and many more were simply onlookers, enjoying the spectacle and already inquiring about where to get a good spot.
Amidst this unprecedented clamor, Lingyao's small building, situated at the eye of the storm, unusually fell into an extreme tranquility—a tense, impending calm, a quietude as if a storm was brewing.
Ling Yao announced—or, in Finn's stammering words—that she was going into seclusion for a while.
Upon receiving this order, Professor Eleanor immediately transformed into the ultimate gatekeeper. Clutching her thick notebook and energy recorder, she made a makeshift bed in the living room of the small building, strictly forbidding any non-essential personnel from approaching within ten steps of the second-floor laboratory. Her vigilance was comparable to that of a mother dragon guarding her eggs. Even Finn, when delivering meals, could only bring them to the stairwell, where Eleanor would carefully carry them up as if delivering confidential documents.
"Is it really necessary..." Finn muttered, looking at Eleanor's tense expression. "This isn't the first time Miss Ling has gone into seclusion..."
“What do you know!” Professor Eleanor adjusted her glasses, a sharp, academic glint flashing across her lenses. “This seclusion is no small matter! It’s strategic preparation! Every demonstration must be flawless, with no room for error! This concerns the reputation of the entire Eastern metaphysical system! Any slight interference could have unpredictable consequences!”
Finn shrank back, not daring to utter another word. He felt that Professor Silver Bud had been completely assimilated by Miss Ling, and that "King of Curry" aura was overwhelming him.
Meanwhile, in the makeshift laboratory on the second floor, Ling Yao had indeed entered a terrifying "rolling king" mode.
The long table in front of her was covered with various materials, scrolls, and semi-finished products. To the left was a small mountain of magical plants and minerals, while to the right were scattered carving knives, talisman pens, and various crafting tools. The air was filled with various strange medicinal fragrances and energy fluctuations, sometimes refreshing and invigorating, sometimes heavy and somber.
Ling Yao's first task was to adjust the pill formula.
While the previous elixirs were remarkably effective, they were ultimately designed based on the physical constitution of cultivators in the immortal realm. Although the physical structure and energy tolerance of the natives of this realm share some similarities, subtle differences also exist. For everyday emergencies, this is fine, but for large-scale demonstrations at press conferences, and even for potential on-site drug trials, absolute safety and minimal side effects are paramount.
As a result, Finn and Eleanor often witnessed the following scenes: Ling Yao would pick up a common local moonflower, sniff it, and then put it down; she would pick up a piece of hematite, crush it with her fingers, and feel the energy of the powder; she would even ask Finn to get some local foods and analyze their properties and meridians.
"Miss Ling is...tasting hundreds of herbs?" Finn stared in disbelief.
"It's an extremely precise analysis of medicinal properties!" Eleanor's eyes lit up as she tried to capture every subtle movement and energy change of Ling Yao with her recorder. "She's redefining the fundamental properties of these materials! Look! She can even distinguish the energy differences between different parts of the same plant without any instruments! My God! This kind of perception is simply superhuman!"
After repeated deductions and simulations, Ling Yao began to take action. She did not use the high-quality spiritual materials she had brought, but instead used all the materials from this world.
A gentle yet intensely hot colorless flame rose from her palm—not a magical flame, but a primordial true fire formed by condensing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth with her powerful divine sense. Hard ores and resilient magical plants were thrown into it, rapidly purified and extracted, transforming into the purest medicinal liquid or powder. The entire process was fluid and seamless, without incantations or complex rituals, yet possessing an almost artistic rhythm.
Eleanor was captivated by what she saw, yet heartbroken at the same time—so many precious materials had been disposed of so "brutally" in one go! She wasn't even allowed to record the reaction process!
Soon, several new pills emitting a strange luster and medicinal fragrance appeared in Ling Yao's hands. One was "Jingxie San," an improved version of "Qingyun Dan" with milder medicinal properties, specifically targeting dark curses; another was "Chu Neng Wan," an enhanced version of "Ling Shi No. 1" with fewer side effects; and the third was "Baihua Ning Lu," specially prepared for demonstration, with effects such as... beautifying the skin and long-lasting fragrance.
"Why are there beauty treatments too?" Finn couldn't help but ask when he saw the third one.
Ling Yao glanced at him and said succinctly, "It has a wide audience and sells well."
Finn: "..." Boss, you are truly farsighted!
The second task was to craft a demonstration artifact.
Flying swords are unusable; they're too terrifying. They'd likely be mistaken for weapons of mass destruction the moment they were used. Ling Yao decided to forge some more "accessible" gadgets.
She obtained a pile of mediocre magic cores and metal ingots from Finn. Then, to the horror of Eleanor and Finn, she pointed her fingers like a sword and began... carving the incredibly hard metal ingots with her bare hands!
Her fingertips seemed to contain the sharpest blades in the world; metals that required alchemists to process with precise instruments were molded into shapes as easily as clay in her hands. Intricate runes and miniature arrays were meticulously carved onto them, each stroke imbued with a unique Daoist charm.
“Using fingers as pens, inscribing arrays with the divine… This… This is simply a subversion of modern alchemy…” Eleanor clutched her heart, feeling her academic beliefs oscillating between collapse and reconstruction every day.
Soon, several small magical artifacts were freshly made. There was a "Clear Spring Ring" that could automatically condense pure water and purify pollution; a palm-sized "Small Round Shield Talisman" that could activate a weak Vajra Shield; and a "Talisman Drawing Brush" with intricate cloud patterns engraved on its body, which was said to slightly increase the success rate of drawing talismans.
These things may not sound as flashy as magical items, but the key is—they don't rely on the user's magic power at all! They only require a little mental energy to guide them! This means that even a complete magic novice could potentially use them!
Finn stared wide-eyed at the talisman-drawing pen, almost drooling. "Miss Ling... this... could this...?"
"I'll give it to you after the demonstration." Ling Yao's words made Finn so happy he almost fainted.
Finally, and most complexly, was the task of creating the composite array to be used at the press conference.
This is no small-scale maze or Vajra formation, but a large-scale complex formation covering the entire central square. It needs to simultaneously achieve multiple functions such as "gathering spirits" (increasing the energy concentration on site so that the audience can feel it more directly), "transformation" (manifesting energy for maximum visual effect), "simulation of boundaries" (briefly simulating small-scale environmental changes), and "guarding the heart" (soothing emotions and preventing disturbances).
This is a considerable challenge for Ling Yao's current strength. She needs to carefully calculate the position of each node and adjust the power output of the energy to ensure that the array operates smoothly and does not put a burden on the fragile spatial structure of this place.
Then, Eleanor and Finn witnessed another breathtaking feat: Ling Yao floated directly in mid-air, using her fingers as a brush and the surrounding天地元气 (heaven and earth energy) guided by her own immortal power as ink, outlining intricate and profound array runes in the void! Those golden runes seemed to have a life of their own, flowing, combining, and disappearing in the air, as if weaving an invisible net that enveloped the entire small building and even the space beyond.
The recorder in Eleanor's hand had already malfunctioned completely due to the overloaded energy fluctuations. She could only open her eyes wide in vain, trying to remember the fleeting beauty and complexity of that glimpse, and as a result, she almost fainted from overworking her brain.
Finn was responsible for running errands, secretly burying some small, refined magical artifacts—which served as the core of the array—in specific locations in the central square, as Ling Yao had requested. The process was as thrilling as a spy rendezvous; each time, his palms would sweat with nervousness, terrified of being discovered by the Inquisition's sentries.
Amidst this tense and busy preparation, time passed day by day.
The buzz surrounding the press conference is growing, and various factions are making moves behind the scenes. The Silas Tribunal is mobilizing its personnel more frequently; the academy's guards are increasing their patrols; unfamiliar faces from other regions are beginning to appear in the city; and there are even rumors that important figures from the capital have been alerted and may secretly come to observe.
The old dean, Maurice, was so worried that his hair had turned white. Every day he had to deal with inquiries and pressure from various forces, and he felt like he was walking on a tightrope.
The preparations inside the small building are also nearing completion.
At midnight on the eve of the press conference, Ling Yao finally completed the outline of the last core array pattern. She slowly descended from mid-air, her face slightly pale, but her eyes remained clear and bright. She raised her hand and gently gestured, and countless golden light spots in the void surged into her body like rivers flowing into the sea; these were her temporarily dispersed divine consciousness and immortal power.
The entire framework of the complex array has been quietly set up, and it will be activated instantly tomorrow with a single command, shocking the entire audience.
Ling Yao walked to the window and looked at the makeshift stands that had been set up overnight in the central square and the growing crowds that had gathered there to wait through the night. Her gaze was calm and unwavering.
Eleanor approached with a cup of energy potion, her face showing a tired yet excited expression: "Miss Ling, everything is ready! Is there anything else you need?"
Ling Yao took the medicine but didn't drink it. Instead, she looked out the window and suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question: "Do the people of this world know what... the Dao is?"
Eleanor paused, then hesitated, "The Way? Does it mean...the path? The rules? Or..."
Ling Yao shook her head slightly, offering no explanation. She handed the potion back to Eleanor, then turned and walked towards the corner where the materials were piled up, where the last bit of scraps remained.
"It's still possible to refine some small gadgets."
"It might be useful tomorrow."
Eleanor and Finn exchanged bewildered glances. Working overtime at a time like this? Do these big shots have unlimited energy?
Ling Yao picked up the scraps, and her palms ignited with true fire again. She quickly refined a bunch of colorful beads that looked like ordinary glass beads, without any energy fluctuations.
"What is this?" Finn asked curiously.
Ling Yao put the beads into a cloth bag and handed it to Finn.
"Candy beans".
"Those who are just watching the show, give it a try."
Finn: "???"
He stared at the unremarkable bag of "candy" in his hand, completely bewildered. What was this all about? Giving out snacks at an academic conference? This wasn't right!
Ling Yao didn't explain further. She slowly walked onto the balcony, the night wind blowing her clothes, making them flutter.
All preparations are complete.
All eyes are now on them.
Tomorrow will be the day we see the outcome.
She looked toward the courthouse, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing at the corners of her lips.
Hopefully, those guys will enjoy the "academic feast" she has prepared.
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