However, these nas were all quite unfamiliar.
Wang Jingxiu shook his head and said, "This old Daoist doesn’t know, I didn’t ask carefully."
Li Yan, lost in thought, noted down these nas.
"Let’s head to the ’Hundred Crafts Building’ first!"
Wang Jingxiu was full of enthusiasm, leading the two down a narrow path of blue stone to the left.
The path andered through a lush, vibrant bamboo grove, accompanied by the gentle babbling of a stream beneath their feet, creating a certain sense of being a world apart.
Above the stream, a corridor bridge, constructed entirely of giant raw wood mortise and tenon joints without any trace of iron nails, spanned the air.
And on that bridge, surprisingly, there were intricate wooden gears and chanisms, driven by the flow of water, using an animal skin conveyor belt to transport so semi-finished wooden components or stone carving fragnts inside.
Noticing his gaze, Wang Jingxiu smiled and said, "Just a small chanism, Master Tao’s handiwork."
"And who is this Master Tao?"
"Tao Fengchun, a Grandmaster of the Mo Sect, and the Director of the Ministry of Works. The ’Glue Rice Mortar’ used to construct the opposite Divine Machine Camp was his creation."
"Oh, I see. I am indeed ill-inford."
Upon hearing this, Li Yan’s expression imdiately beca solemn.
Though he hadn’t heard of Tao Fengchun, the gray walls of the Divine Machine Camp sowhat resembled cent...
After a brief walk, a magnificent three-story pavilion appeared before them.
Above the large wooden door hung a plaque with the three words "Hundred Crafts Building."
The entire building was primarily constructed of dark hardwood and blue stone, with a structure that exuded strength and power, and each level was equipped with large rows of windows.
At this mont, the windows were open, and shadowy figures could be seen within, the faint sounds of chiseling, sawing, and drawing echoing forth.
The door to the building was open, and before Li Yan even approached, he caught a complex scent mixed with the fine aroma of quality wood, the tang of pine resin, and mineral powder.
Walking through the doors, the center was a massive atrium exhibition area, showcasing exquisitely crafted architectural models—from miniature palaces and pavilions to structurally complex defense towers and even hydraulic gate devices capable of simulation, all ingeniously crafted and fully operational.
All around, separate yet open "workspaces" were partitioned off.
In so areas, ink-soaked, densely lined drawings were spread all over the ground...
In others, wood shavings flew as elder craftsn, with their apprentices, ticulously polished carved components...
Elsewhere, there were displays of various peculiar bronze artifacts, bone tools, and even ancient items emitting faint Gang Qi, with their purposes unknown...
In the center of the building, stood an energetic elder in simple craftsman’s attire.
Ahead of him was a giant "arched bridge" model, constructed with nurous intricately nested small wooden blocks.
The elder, looking displeased, was instructing two young craftsn, "How many tis have I told you!"
"Mortise and tenon! The beauty of a mortise and tenon lies in its natural formation, in its precision!"
"These few ’running joints’ are off by an inch, causing a three-inch deflection! If used in key places, it would an houses toppling, redo it!"
The elder puffed out his beard and glared, his face full of stubbornness.
Seeing Wang Jingxiu and the others coming in, he rely frowned slightly, nodding as a form of greeting.
Wang Jingxiu did not go up to disturb him, instead whispering, "Master Tao’s building craftsmanship is the pillar of the nation."
With that, he led Li Yan towards a quieter corner of the side wing.
In other areas, there were also many prominent craftsn, making items renowned throughout the Divine State.
The "Rhinoceros Skin Lacquer" from Huizhou was being ticulously applied to the joints of chanical puppets, claiming its "Seven Sun and Nine Shade thod," making the lacquer surface resistant to Earth Vein moisture...
The "Dongyang Bamboo Silk Weaving" technique from Jiangsu and Zhejiang was being used to craft the material for embedding talismans...
The "Embossed Tin" from Dian State was evidently being used to make bronze gears...
These nurous techniques left Li Yan and Sha Lifei dazzled and overwheld.
"Truly deserving of the na ’Hundred Crafts Building’!"
Upon leaving, Li Yan couldn’t help but voice continuous praise.
He hadn’t anticipated the Academy to orchestrate such a grand sche; in the future, various technologies in the Divine State may very well experience a period of explosive growth.
After leaving the Hundred Crafts Building, the three proceeded to the workshop area.
This place was sowhat similar to the Divine Machine Camp, but much smaller, with faint sounds of tal clinking and the scent of gunpowder in the air.
"This area is not accessible for now..."
Wang Jingxiu shook his head and was about to take them further inside.
"It’s done! It’s done!"
But just at this mont, a middle-aged man wearing a short coat stained with nitrate marks and oil, with a few black smudges on his face, rushed out in a flurry, nearly bumping into Wang Jingxiu.
He was tightly protecting a small porcelain jar with both hands, half-filled with snow-white powder like ice crystals. Without paying attention to Wang Jingxiu, he dashed directly toward an old man with a black face coming from afar, his thick Ganzhou accent bursting with sheer joy: "Master Zhao! It’s done!"
"Look at this ’frost flower,’ see this purity! It’s at least forty percent purer than the previous thod!"
The black-faced robust man, called Master Zhao, suddenly had his eyes gleaming with excitent: "Good! Co with to test it!"
Saying this, he hurriedly walked inside. His gaze swept past Li Yan’s group, only giving a quick call to "Daoist Wang" as a greeting.
Watching the two of them rush into the workshop, Wang Jingxiu shook his head and said, "The one who just ca out is ’Zhou Bainiao,’ a hereditary gunpowder craftsman from Ganzhou Yichun. I heard he’s researching to improve new gunpowder. That black-faced old man is called ’Zhao Huogong,’ once a naval craftsman of the Dengzhou Navy, later learned the craft of Folangji firearms forging. As for what they are doing, you can probably guess."
Standing nearby, Sha Lifei turned green with envy upon hearing this.
He’d been worried about how to make a Magic Artifact firearm, not expecting such talent to be hidden within the Academy.
Li Yan patted his shoulder, indicating to stay calm, and then continued to follow Wang Jingxiu.
The Daoist seed to be well acquainted here, leading them to the "Hundred Herbs Residence," where they visited the famous doctor Ge Posheng, and t Wu Dingpan, a disciple of Yang Yunsong from Ganzhou, along with Zhao Lingtai, a descendant of the Astronomical Directorate from the Golden Tent Wolf Country, and a staff mber of the Cao Yun Governor Mansion, Pan Jixun’s student...
Li Yan was thoroughly impressed by now.
When Wang Jingxiu said the Academy has hidden talents, it was no exaggeration.
After quickly walking around, quite so ti had passed, and Li Yan hurriedly asked, "Daoist, we ca here to find Yan Jiuling, and also a brother Zhao Lvzi ca to the Academy. Do you know where they are?"
"Brother Li, Brother Li!"
Before he finished his sentence, Li Yan turned his head to look.
He saw a red-robed official leading a few people hastily approaching; it was Yan Jiuling.
"Why didn’t you let know when you arrived, Brother Li."
Slightly panting and sweating on his forehead, he first greeted Wang Jingxiu and then said, "The Academy is about to open, and we are very busy. We were just discussing important matters, and the archivist didn’t dare to disturb us—only after leaving was I inford that Brother Li had co."
"No worries."
Li Yan smiled and said, "The Daoist showed us around, and the Academy truly lives up to its reputation."
Then he asked, "What about brother Zhao Lvzi..."
"He’s fine; you’ll find out soon."
Yan Jiuling didn’t answer directly but looked at Wang Jingxiu, saluting respectfully: "Daoist Wang, I’ll take care of Brother Li now, thank you very much."
"Off you go, off you go."
Wang Jingxiu stroked his beard and smiled: "Mr. Li, since you’re in the Academy, co chat with this old Daoist when you have ti. This Academy is in every way good, except everyone’s more fanatical than —it’s quite stifling."
Li Yan quickly saluted, "I will definitely trouble the senior often."
He understood Wang Jingxiu’s intention, always wanting him to go to Ailao Mountain to seek Spiritual dicine.
But that place is no longer like the past; Long Yan’er warned them of its mysterious and perilous nature, with natural traps within traps. Even a Sect Leader of the Gu Sect once entered to find the spirit Gu and never ca out.
They have many matters at hand now and naturally can’t afford to go looking for trouble there.
After leaving Hundred Herbs Hall, Yan Jiuling led them to the rear side courtyard of the Academy.
As they walked, he whispered, "Zhao Lvzi has been hired by the Academy and is currently helping out at Bai Jianzheng’s invitation."
"Bai Jianzheng, what are they busy with?" Li Yan asked curiously.
"I can’t say; you’ll know when we get there."
Yan Jiuling maintained an air of mystery, but after a few steps, he couldn’t resist saying, "Brother Li, do you rember my speculation?"
Li Yan was slightly stunned, "Of course, I rember."
Yan Jiuling was referring to a conclusion he had reached through his research: the world had undergone two great changes.
One was Yu the Great Flood Control, and the other was the Shang and Zhou Battle of God Sealing.
After Yu the Great Flood Control, Heaven and Humanity were separated, and there was no more ’Emperor’ in the Divine State!
After the Battle of God Sealing, the Human Clan’s rituals and sacrifices gradually began to change.
Yan Jiuling nodded, with an air of pride tinged with lancholy, "My speculation has been verified."
As he spoke, they arrived at the side courtyard.
In the courtyard, they saw nurous rocks, jade ritual artifacts, and inscriptions densely arranged.
Bai Chenshan, Zhao Lvzi, and many others were busily engaged inside.
Yan Jiuling then explained, "According to the ’Seeking Immortality’ Chapter found by Brother Li, the court secretly dispatched people to excavate, and these are all items we discovered deep within ’Mount Tai’ Taishan."
"Before Yu the Great Flood Control, there truly existed a connection between Heaven and the Human World, called Jianmu!"
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