Lord of the Earth

Ou Yezi's forging hammer finally paused slightly, and his gaze swept over his daughter and son-in-law.

"Get up."

Then, the blame fell on Mount Tai.

A barely perceptible tenderness flashed deep in his eyes, but his tone remained calm.

"What is the purpose of His Majesty's mobilization of such a large army?"

Xia Tian smiled and said, "I have been thinking about your request the other day. I know that words are not enough, so I asked your family and your disciple to come with me. This is not to put pressure on you, but to let you see with your own eyes that they are not unknown in Qianxia, ​​but are highly valued and trusted, so that you can feel at ease."

"We hope that you can understand that their future, and the future of Qianxia, ​​are all closely related to your choices."

Indeed, Xia Tian has visited this "founding father of craftsmen" more than once.

When the "City of Saints" was being repaired, Ou Yezi had already shown his skills. As the city lord of the City of Saints, Xia Tian would naturally not let go of such a "technician" who was equivalent to a "major national instrument" in later generations.

However, the latter refused several times!
This time, Xia Tian brought along all the people in the Qianxia camp who were connected with this peerless genius, undoubtedly indicating that he was determined to win.

Mo Xie quickly spoke up: "Father, His Majesty Qianxia is eager to find talented people and highly values ​​our artisan lineage. Under the Ministry of Works, there is a 'Divine Craftsman Academy' that gathers the world's best talents and provides us with ample support. My senior brother Gan Jiang and I have been able to put our skills to good use and have recently been trying to restore the ancient divine weapon blueprints!"

Gan Jiang continued, "Father-in-law, His Majesty once said that the strength of weapons is the foundation of a nation's power. Qianxia is willing to devote the nation's strength to supporting us craftsmen in our pursuit of the highest path. Such a nation is hard to find anywhere else in the world."

Taishan raised his head and said loudly, "Master! This disciple is a rough man and doesn't understand many profound principles. But this disciple knows that in Qianxia, ​​with good materials and good blanks forging, the swords and armor forged can be immediately equipped for our human race's sons to cut off the dog heads of those alien gods! How exhilarating! His Majesty said that the best craftsmen should have the best furnaces and the best materials to forge the weapons that best protect our human race! Master, please... please come! This disciple still wants to hear your teachings every day!"

His words were simple, yet full of power and reverence for Ou Yezi.

Ou Yezi watched them silently, listening to the satisfaction, passion, and pure pursuit of craftsmen revealed in their words.

"Your Majesty has quite the methods, making my daughter, son-in-law, and disciple all submit to you."

But she didn't agree; instead, she looked at Xia Tian again.

“Master, you are mistaken. What I, Qian Xia, used was not a means, but sincerity.”

Face summer with equanimity.

“I know the master’s concerns.”

Then, the conversation shifted.

"Qianxia has already obtained your daughter and son-in-law, and has the help of a master and his disciples. The master is worried that if you join Qianxia, ​​your family will become too prominent and become the target of everyone's criticism, which may not be conducive to their future development and may also disrupt the balance of the Qianxia court."

Ou Yezi paused slightly, then finally raised his eyes, his gaze seemingly flowing with molten lava: "Since Your Majesty knows this, why persuade me further? I can still forge weapons for the human race in this holy city."

Xia Tian smiled slightly and shook his head, saying, "Master, you are mistaken. Please look at—"

He raised his hand and waved it, and the image of the Qianqi Yunhai (a type of cloud formation) was projected onto the scene.

Wu Song's divine kingdom suppressed evil spirits, Zhao Yun's divine kingdom resonated with the army formation, Lü Bu's divine kingdom was filled with killing intent, and the divine kingdoms of Wang Yangming, Fan Li, and others displayed their unique abilities.

"The founding of our Qianxia nation is not based on checks and balances, but on embracing all rivers and making the best use of everyone's talents! Every prodigy is a pillar of our Qianxia nation. How can they be bound by kinship? Your wife and son-in-law have established themselves on merit. If a master were to come, it would be because of your esteemed status as the 'God of Craftsmen,' which would be of great use to the nation. How could their future be suppressed because of you?"

"On the contrary, if you join, the Ministry of Works, the Crafts Bureau, and even the equipment of the entire army can be planned and coordinated by the master. This is the foundation of a great cause for generations to come, and your wife and son will be even more respected because of you."

"At that time, you and they will not be related by family ties, but will be pillars of the Qianxia 'Craftsmanship' lineage, standing tall in the world! A glorious achievement of three master craftsmen from one family?"

His tone became increasingly sincere.

Ou Yezi paused slightly, then finally raised his eyes, his gaze seemingly flowing with molten lava: "Since Your Majesty knows this, why persuade me further? I can still forge weapons for the human race in this holy city."

"You forge weapons here for the sake of one person; forge weapons in Qianxia for the sake of ten thousand generations! Your skills and your path must be blessed by the fortune of the entire dynasty and resonate with the beliefs of hundreds of millions of people to reach an unprecedented pinnacle!"

Xia Tian shook her head, her tone solemn.

"Moreover, Master, do you know why I urgently need your help?"

Xia Tian pointed to the sea of ​​auspicious clouds: "My Qianxia Divine Kingdom is based on auspiciousness and its bones are the laws, which is completely different from the way of the gods' faith. Master's 'Forging Divine Weapons Kingdom' should also be like this! Master, forging weapons requires top-grade materials, divine fire laws, and the blessing of the auspiciousness of heaven and earth."

"The holy city may be good, but it is not the foundation of the nation."

"Only by integrating with Qianxia can the master mobilize the power of the entire nation, gather rare materials from all realms, draw upon the dragon energy and military spirit of Qianxia to forge a supreme artifact that can truly suppress the nation's destiny and slay gods and demons; your 'Famous Sword Returns to the Heart' characteristic can be completely integrated with the national destiny of Qianxia, ​​with all soldiers paying homage to protect our land!"

"This is a win-win situation; the way of the master can reach perfection in Qianxia!"

He paused for a moment, his voice deep and serious.

"Now that the gods have descended, humanity is beset by crises and desperately needs a divine artifact to establish its dominance. Master, you are the god of craftsmanship among humankind. Can you bear to see your life's work go to waste? Can you bear to see the opportunity to let the art of weaponry shine throughout the world because of avoiding suspicion?"

"Qianxia is willing to devote the entire nation's resources to help the master reach the pinnacle of craftsmanship and forge an eternal legend! At that time, the master's name will not only be that of a guest minister of a nation, but also that of the 'Ancestor of Weapons' whom our human race will forever revere!"

Ou Yezi remained silent for a long time; only the roaring furnace fire and the echoing sound of hammers reverberated within the divine realm.

"Moreover, Master, do you not wish to witness firsthand what kind of earth-shattering... national treasure will be forged under your personal coordination, by combining the agility of Gan Jiang and Mo Xie, the ferocity of Mount Tai, and all your life's learning, supplemented by the boundless foundation of Qianxia?"

Strike while the iron is hot in summer.

Ou Yezi's gaze slowly swept across the faces of Xia Tian, ​​Gan Jiang, Mo Xie, Tai Shan, and others.

The raging flames within the divine realm seemed to quiet down somewhat. He saw the expectation and pride in his daughter and son-in-law's eyes, the unreserved worship and longing in the eyes of his many disciples, and even more so, the sincerity in Xia Tian's eyes!
After a long while, he suddenly sighed softly, and the divine hammer in his hand finally stopped completely, the booming sound of forging abruptly ceasing.

"That's it, that's all."

Ou Yezi shook his head, but then revealed a very faint smile.

"Your Majesty, you are well aware that 'forging a sword' also requires 'forging a heart.' This stubborn piece of iron of mine has been refined by Your Majesty's furnace, which emphasizes both 'human sentiment' and 'the Great Way.' "Throughout my life, I have forged swords, not seeking empty fame, but so that when the swords are completed, they can protect the land, slay evil spirits and demons, and allow my human race to wield them without fear."

He said slowly.

"The Holy City is indeed good, but as Your Majesty said, it is like a rootless duckweed. The fortune of Qianxia... shines as brightly as the sun, and is indeed the most suitable place for my cultivation."

His gaze finally settled on Xia Tian: "I am willing to accept the position of guest minister. But I have one request: Minister Xia, you should prioritize talent and virtue over kinship."

Upon hearing this, Xia Tian burst into loud laughter, his voice echoing throughout the entire divine kingdom.

"Excellent! With these words from the master, Qianxia is fortunate, and humanity is fortunate! From this day forward, all the troops of Qianxia shall have a common ruler!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire divine realm erupted in a chorus of roars, as if paying homage to their king and ancestor, celebrating his return to power. Gan Jiang and Mo Xie were overjoyed, and Mount Tai was so excited that he kowtowed once more.

"In this way, the God of Craftsmanship has returned to his rightful place in Qianxia, ​​and the foundation of the project is now solid! This start has been very smooth."

Summer was delighted, but not satisfied.

Currently, the Qianxia dynasty has identified eight outstanding talents: himself, Zhuge Liang, Fan Li, Wang Yangming, Bai Qi, Li Bai, Wu Qi, and Ou Yezi. This brings it one step closer to the threshold of ten individuals needed to establish an imperial dynasty.

His gaze fell upon another extraordinary divine realm within the holy city.

Leaving behind Gan Jiang, Mo Xie, and Tai Shan, Xia Tian had a long talk with Ou Yezi about the art of craftsmanship in order to further strengthen their relationship. Xia Tian moved like lightning and arrived in the area of ​​the "city of technology" left behind by the former Lighthouse Country in an instant.

The City of Technology is the "Supreme Treasure of Glass" left behind by the Beacon Nation. In order to seize the opportunity for its restoration, it is to be merged with the City of Saints...

Its unique approach to "science and technology," so different from traditional Chinese methods, has attracted a large number of talented individuals from government agencies to linger, study, and ponder its secrets here...

Furthermore, a divine kingdom was also found floating in the air within it.

Rather than a divine kingdom, it is more like a giant, living mechanical city that is constantly building and improving itself!

Its scale was magnificent, even surpassing many districts of the holy city below, blocking out the sky and casting shadows full of metallic texture and geometric aesthetics.

Inside the divine kingdom, instead of the usual clouds and holy light, a dynamic spectacle beyond imagination unfolded:
Countless gears of varying sizes mesh precisely, moving ceaselessly like the rotation of stars; massive bearings and connecting rods drive complex springs to operate automatically, emitting a deep and rhythmic roar.

The energy conduits crisscross like blood vessels, flowing with liquid radiance or scorching steam; the towering towers, moving platforms, and patrolling sentries are all mechanical creations radiating various spiritual lights or purely physical power!

At first glance, everything appears lifelike and full of the rhythm of life.

The crane gracefully preened its feathers, each one gleaming with a cold light; the agile leopard-shaped mechanical beasts moved silently through the complex jungle, their muscles, made of cold metal, exuding power; there were even tiny mechanical sprites, holding tools, busily maintaining the teeth of huge gears, making a crisp clanging sound.

These vibrant creatures are, in essence, ingeniously crafted "mechanical creations"!
Moreover, many of the patrolling behemoths and the giant soldiers guarding key points emitted energy fluctuations that were at least at the Saint level, numbering in the thousands!

This divine kingdom itself is a magnificent war fortress and city of craftsmen, constructed and operated in concert by countless powerful mechanical beasts!
The master of this place—a tall, middle-aged man—stood beside one of the largest core furnaces.

The furnace is not a burning flame, but a convergence of brilliant starlight and flowing electric arcs.

He was completely focused on adjusting the final joints of an enormous dragon-shaped mechanical beast.

Only part of the dragon-shaped mechanical beast's torso was exposed, while the rest was still wrapped in complex support frames and energy pipes, but its size was already breathtaking.

Each dragon scale is a massive shield engraved with countless runes. The dragon's claws are chilling, as if they could easily tear through space. The dragon's eyes are not inlaid with gems, but with two miniature stars that are constantly collapsing and releasing terrifying energy.

Although the pressure it exudes has not yet been fully activated, it has already subtly surpassed that of ordinary gods and is approaching the level of top-level gods!

"Congratulations, Master Lu! This 'mechanical' divine kingdom has reached its full potential!"

Summer spoke up.

Indeed, this man is none other than Lu Ban, the ancestor of carpenters, the ancestor of opera troupes, and the master craftsman!

With unparalleled mechanical skills, it can manipulate the "laws of creation." Everything here can operate on its own without the need for spiritual power, relying solely on ingenuity and machinery. Such mastery of "creating a divine kingdom with ingenious craftsmanship" is indeed the work of an "unparalleled genius."

"It seems that our research on this 'city of technology' these past few days has yielded fruitful results... The wonders of this place are truly ingenious, surpassing even the past, and are even more exquisite than the city of technology itself."

Summer exclaimed in praise, her voice filled with genuine amazement.

"You flatter me, Lord City Lord..."

Lu Ban was slightly distracted, but his gaze remained mostly on the dragon joint.

"The Beacon Country's ability to become a superpower in later generations is due to its extraordinary and all-encompassing power. Its ingenious structure is already a masterpiece of nature... However, its most extraordinary core lies in its power! It uses the power of thunderclouds, earth fire, and gale winds that have traveled through the nine heavens to transform into 'electromagnetic divine power' as its core. The energy is incredibly fierce, enough to push the upper limit of its creations to the ranks of the supreme gods!"

He sighed softly, and with a flick of his divine hammer, a faint light entered the dragon's joint, producing a crisp snapping sound.

"Looking back at the beings of my divine kingdom, and even this 'Spine of the Sky'..."

He pointed to the enormous dragon beast, "Its form, body, structure, and even its initial spiritual essence are all complete. The only thing missing is a 'heart' that can match it—a stable, powerful, and controllable source of energy."

"I have deduced that if the 'Earth's Heart Fire' is used as the core, its power is wild and difficult to tame, which may damage its fineness; if the 'Power of the Stars' is used, although it is vast, it is ethereal and difficult to unleash instantly... Combining the two may solve the problem temporarily, but at most it can unleash 50% of its divine power, merely having the form but not the soul."

Lu Ban finally raised his head completely, looking intently at Xia Tian with the persistence and longing of a top-level technical expert encountering a bottleneck.

"If this 'Azure Dragon' is to truly come to life and possess power comparable to those top-tier deities, it must be integrated with a powerful 'Earth Dragon Vein'!"

"Only by taking its vast earthly essence as its heart and its immortal dragon soul as its intention can one achieve both form and spirit, and attain divine creation!"

He shook his head, his tone filled with obvious regret.

"However, the dragon vein is the foundation of a dynasty, the lifeblood of an empire, and is related to the rise and fall of its fortunes, its stability and destiny. Even for a powerful dynasty, possessing one is already a stroke of luck, something to be cherished as life itself... How could anyone bear to remove it and place it within a mechanical construct? Alas, in the end... it's impossible to have everything." (End of Chapter)