CHAPTER 343: CHAPTER 297 HEAVENLY BOAT

The watchman of the Dongjun Tower was an old Doctor whose entire face was traversed by an age-old scar. Thick glasses perched on the bridge of his nose as he hunched over, flipping through an ancient book.

There was no fluctuation of Spiritual Energy in this old Doctor’s entire being, making him seem like a purely ordinary person.

He only made an appearance at the Academic Palace’s annual opening assemblies. Even students like Li Ang were unclear about his name—it seemed that he had already been at the Academic Palace when Pu Liuxuan’s generation first enrolled.

Xue Che unfastened his waist token from his belt, placed it on the old Doctor’s table, and respectfully said, "Gatekeeper, these students are here to participate in the trial."

The latter looked up at him indifferently, took up a pen, and wrote down several lines on the list.

In the next instant, the cold and oppressive atmosphere that enveloped everyone dissipated like smoke, and the uncomfortable feeling of being watched quickly faded away.

Some kind of Prohibition... meant to prevent unregistered thieves from trespassing or stealing the Mutated Objects in Dongjun Tower.

Li Ang glanced from the corner of his eye at the book in the hands of the old Doctor, who was referred to as the "Gatekeeper." He noticed there were no words on its pages.

Strange books, a strange Gatekeeper.

The group followed Xue Che through a lengthy corridor, encountering some "people" with bizarre appearances along the way.

They wore Academic Palace staff uniforms in only black, white, and gray. They moved stiffly, their expressions unchanging, and each had a string of keys hanging from their waists as they moved in and out of various rooms.

Some even pushed small carts laden with an assortment of peculiar items:

Dried crickets, smashed Jade, steaming soup with green onions floating on top, and so on.

"Puppet Servants."

As if knowing what everyone was thinking, Li Hui spoke in a lowered voice, "The Mutated Objects in Dongjun Tower are numerous and varied. Some just need to be locked in a box and sealed, and they won’t cause any trouble.

"But some Mutated Objects are active and need ’maintenance’ periodically. They must be dealt with according to specific rules to calm them down.

"Each type of Mutated Object corresponds to different procedures. The slightest carelessness can lead to disastrous consequences.

"Even scholars who specialize in this area can struggle to cover everything.

"That’s why the Dongjun Tower uses these lifeless, rule-abiding Puppet Servants to carry out the tedious and complex maintenance work."

...

Li Ang looked at those lifeless Puppet Servants, narrowing his eyes.

Puppetry Technique was a crossover of Mind Study and Talismanic Study, with numerous schools of thought. Some, like Ya Jiu, controlled others as puppets.

Then there were those like the Puppet Master brothers Yu Yong and Yu Yuan, whom he had encountered in Taiyuan Prefecture—their puppets, made with Secret Techniques, were lifelike, indistinguishable from living people.

So who was controlling these many Puppets before them? Who was providing the energy?

Moreover, Li Ang carefully observed and discovered that these Puppet Servants appeared too perfect in their external features. Whether it was the withered split ends of their hair or the pores on their skin, all seemed too real to be mere statues.

No wonder there are rumors circulating in the Ghost Market that the Academic Palace secretly transports death row prisoners from Chang’an City jails to perform experiments with Mutated Objects.

Li Ang paused for a moment. I wonder if these Puppets, when taken apart, will reveal wood, cotton, or bamboo inside.

Amidst the eerie atmosphere, the group passed through the long corridor. After pushing open a massive door, they were met with an abruptly open vista.

They had reached the other side of the mountain. High and steep cliffs flanked them on both sides, and several streams fell vertically along the craggy mountain walls, like waterfalls plunging into the deep, emerald pools below.

On the surrounding rocks, many wooden scaffolds had been constructed, forming a shipyard.

At the center of the shipyard was, naturally, a ship.

A massive wooden ship, hanging in midair.

Many students couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise; the ship before their eyes was too big, too tall.

The ship of Yu Dainiang from Jiangnan of Yu Country, renowned for carrying hundreds of crew, seemed no more than an insignificant skiff in comparison.

"The Former Sui’s Heavenly Boat: one hundred zhang long, fifteen zhang wide, and nearly eighteen million jin in weight, made with Kunlun Ruo Wood for the dragon bone and Mystic Iron Mountain Copper for the frame," Xue Che said, his tone complex and subtle. "According to its blueprints, the Heavenly Boat could carry more than twenty kinds of flying Exotic Beasts and hundreds of war-faring Mutated Objects, with a full crew of over ten thousand. It was the most insane and grandiose fantasy of the Emperors from the Former Sui Dynasty, a creation brought together by their collective obsession."

"Sui Dynasty’s Heavenly Boat..."

A Jing Country student’s mouth was agape, his eyes nearly popping out. "It’s actually real."

Li Ang and Pei Jing’s Academic Palace Disciples couldn’t help but take a deep breath. Some unofficial histories of the Former Sui recorded that Emperors of the Sui Dynasty were fixated on searching the Endless Sea for a divine mountain—a Divine Island that could grant immortality.

They dispatched countless Cultivators, scholars, and ships to the Endless Sea in search of this Divine Island.

Sadly, no matter how enormous the ships were, they couldn’t traverse the perilous Endless Sea, teeming with terrifying demons.

Therefore, they decided to pour their nation’s resources into building an unprecedented giant ship, based on some war constructs from the Pre-Qin Period, employing unspeakable forbidden arts.

Only the Sui Dynasty’s Imperial Family and the families of servants who had proven their absolute loyalty would be passengers on this mammoth vessel.

The Emperor of the Sui Dynasty would personally board the giant ship, leading the Royal Family and his subjects across the Endless Sea to the fabled paradise, the Immortal Island.

As for the ending, as described in the national history of Yu Country, the last Emperor of the Sui Dynasty died unexpectedly, and the empire crumbled overnight.

Xue Che continued, "After Emperor Sui died without an heir, the Former Sui Imperial Family selected a new young Emperor. Faced with uprisings from all corners, he decided to mobilize this unfinished Heavenly Boat to suppress the rebellion.

"Unfortunately, before this could happen, hundreds of Sects had already jointly broken through Chang’an’s Grand Array, causing rampant destruction and plundering.

"The Heavenly Boat was buried under a mountain cliff during the chaos of war, never to set sail before the fall of Sui Country."

He then let out a rare emotional sigh and led the group onto the creaking wooden planks to board the enormous ship.

Mountain Masters, Faith Cultivation Cardinals, and other representatives from various countries had already gathered at the prow.

As always, the Faith Cultivation Cardinal remained calm and indifferent, while the smiles on the faces of the Jing Country Imperial Uncle and the Nanzhou National Master were somewhat stiff.

The Heavenly Boat was the pinnacle of Sui Country’s national strength. Some of its constructs and Arrays were guarded secrets of the Former Sui Imperial Family, meaning contemporary crafters couldn’t replicate or use them. Additionally, the Exotic Beasts and Mutated Objects mounted on the Heavenly Boat as weapons were mostly damaged.

Yet, such a majestic vessel, if it were capable of levitating and flying, would be a colossal threat to all countries—the mere presence of the Heavenly Boat gliding over a battlefield would be enough to collapse the enemy’s morale during a standoff.

"Is everyone here?"

The Mountain Master scanned the numerous students boarding the ship, looking here and there, and gave Sacrificial Officer Chen Danqiu a nod.

The latter nodded back, removed an ancient-looking Jade Pendant from his belt, and placed it into the central slot of the flat ship’s rudder.

HUM—

A glow emanated from the rudder, and the seven sails rose by themselves, fluttering in the gorge’s strong wind.

The dozens of heavy iron chains affixing the ship to the railings and docks also untangled themselves, releasing the giant vessel.

The wooden deck creaked continuously, not with the groans of a decaying ship near death’s door, but like a war behemoth that had slept for ages, now breathing and awakening.

The Heavenly Boat was activated.

Aside from a few Candle Cloud Cultivators, everyone instinctively grabbed onto the ship’s railings to brace against the violent shaking beneath their feet.

Li Hui raised an arm, unleashing Telekinesis to shield those above from the falling stream water.

A Disciple from Nanzhou on the opposite side of the deck reacted too slowly and was drenched like a drowned rat by the waterfall.

The steep cliffs receded slowly.

As sunlight generously poured down, the view ahead suddenly cleared:

Forests, fields, paths, towns.

Breathing in the fresh morning breeze, Li Ang looked down upon the Yu Country landscape.