Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 401 A Historical Treasure: A Lonely City Across Ten Thousand Miles, Filled with White-Haired Soldiers
Just as Wang Cheng, following the guidance of the "Dragon Abyss Prophecy," rushed towards the eastern side of Penglai Immortal Island, where the vitality was most abundant, preparing to take the opportunity to ambush and kill [Tiger God], Yu Xian'er's newly promoted sycophant.

If you continue eastward through the layers of mirages on the sea, breaking through this Penglai Secret Realm that connects the world inside and outside the wall, you will be able to see the true "fairyland" outside the wall.

Located deep in the vast ocean, the main body of this place is naturally the sea.

But apart from countless large and small fairy islands, secret realms, and a narrow seabed fissure that stretches five thousand miles from north to south, the closest thing to us is seven celestial treasure ships arranged in the shape of the seven stars!
The seven pieces of "Putianwangtu" were connected together to form an overseas enclave exclusively belonging to the Great Zhao Dynasty.

Above the ship, a rainbow of colors, like the aurora borealis, floated and reflected another real, miniature world.

It contains everything from people and livestock, houses, fields, workshops, rivers, mountains and forests to the like.

Of course, there are also hundreds of ancient treasure ships that have been stranded here for many years.

The ship is surrounded by the Seven Stars Celestial Array, and within it lies a portion of the Great Zhao Dynasty's Heavenly Rules and Earthly Laws, completely isolating this enclave from the "Immortal Realm".

This prevented them from being completely eroded by the six-day-old qi.

As is well known, the treasure ships commanded by the eunuch Zheng He made seven voyages, and the first six were very successful.

It wasn't until nearly 130 years ago, in the eighth year of the Xuande reign, that they returned from their last voyage to the Western Ocean.

The main force of the treasure fleet, laden with various overseas treasures, failed to return to its starting point, Liujiagang, and instead mysteriously disappeared into the depths of the ocean.

After that, the entire dynasty kept quiet about this matter, and even after more than a hundred years, it remains an unsolved mystery.

The truth has finally come out.

They have always been there, but they are trapped in this celestial realm outside the walls.

Moreover, at this time, no one knew that the straight-line distance between the treasure ship fleet and Wang Cheng, the current Imperial Envoy and Commander-in-Chief of Xuanwei, was only a few dozen miles!

"Wow—!"

A large wooden kite, made of wood, springs, and bronze gears, flapped its wings and circled around the entire fleet, inspecting each of the precious ships.

In particular, the seven national treasures that embody the essence of Chinese civilization throughout the ages are of paramount importance.

Among them, the "River and Sun Moon Ship" houses a "Dinghu Stele" from the Han Dynasty.

The inscription reads: "Wherever the sun and moon shine, it is all Chinese land; wherever rivers flow, it is all Han territory!"

It was this very sentence that gained the right to claim it to the whole world from the very beginning, and was deeply engraved in the Twenty-Four Seasonal Rhymes, which is the foundation of the existence of all the land under heaven.

Another ship, the "Lonely City Ship," flies the "Anxi Army Flag" from the Anxi Protectorate during the Tang Dynasty.

During the Tang Dynasty, there was a stele at Kaiyuan Gate in Chang'an that read: "The westernmost road is 9,900 li long, to show the Rong people that they do not travel 10,000 li."

This means that you should not worry. The western border of the Great Tang Dynasty is 9,900 li, and it is only beyond 10,000 li that you are considered to be outside the country.

Unfortunately, with the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tibetan Empire cut off the Hexi Corridor, and the four garrisons of Anxi fell one by one.

The Anxi Army, which had guarded the frontier alone for fifty years, sang a tragic historical song of blood and fire: "A lonely city ten thousand miles away, full of white-haired soldiers." The last few thousand white-haired veterans died for their country.

It was precisely because of the capabilities of this magnificent ship that the entire fleet of 27,000 crew members were able to retain their consciousness after death and remain at their posts until today.

The only difference is that the place where the soldiers were stationed has changed from the far west to the far east.

Moreover, unlike the Anxi Army, whose deeds were known to the emperor and the central government and who even received imperial edicts, this treasure ship fleet that had held out for over a hundred years was completely unknown to anyone.

These "mountains and rivers, sun and moon, and a lonely city ten thousand miles away" together form the defensive core of the seven divinely crafted treasure ships, and are also the most important part of each maintenance.

Then, the wooden kite flew over the [Big Dipper Seven Star Ship], which was located at the core of the formation.

Through the porthole, I could see inside the cabin, where this magnificent ship, crafted by nature, housed a national treasure—the compass!
The main body consists of a golden bronze base and a spoon made of natural lodestone. It is the world's earliest magnetic pointer, originating in the Warring States period of China.

It can be said that the influence of this national treasure extends throughout the world and even the entire history of human civilization.

It was the treasure ship's naval commanders who first sailed to the Western Ocean with the help of this treasure, opening up sea routes for the Eastern countries, which led to the Great Age of Exploration for Westerners.

The compass and maze that navigators rely on when setting sail today all originated from this Sinan.

After all, if a person needs to eat five steamed buns to feel full, who says the first four weren't steamed buns?
As one of the Four Great Inventions, the compass ranks among the top national treasures, and unofficially, this type of treasure is referred to as a "historical relic"!
It means: to be recorded in history and to be immortalized.

Of course, this isn't the most impressive thing.

"Ding! You have veered off course. Please turn around and head due west."

Yes, He is alive, and even has his own voice prompts.

Beside the five-colored earth altar where the compass was placed, an old man reading under the lamp heard His prompting voice and flew into a rage:
"You damn brat, you're so annoying!"
I am the greatest astrologer in the world, how could I not know that we have already gone astray?

If I could go back, the first thing I'd do is throw away this useless piece of trash who only talks the talk but never walks the walk.

Furthermore, why wasn't a voice-activated shutdown function designed in the first place? You've been calling it for a full 128 years, 4 months, and 8 days; if you didn't speak, no one would assume you were mute!

The ship spirit manifested by the 【Big Dipper Seven Star Ship】 is an eight or nine-year-old child with seven small moles arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper on his fair face.

Standing in the corner, looking aggrieved, she pointed with both index fingers, but refused to give in.

Even if you are the greatest star-gazer in the world, you still went astray.

Before the old man could even glare at the ship spirit, the wooden kite that had landed on the windowsill opened its mouth and let out a sharp laugh:

"Hehehe, Old Wang, your lifelong reputation as the world's number one 'Star Gazer' has been completely ruined by the Big Dipper."

This is the official certification of the strongest talisman for suppressing evil spirits in your lineage of star-gazing officials; you can't deny it.

The world's greatest astrologer, lost for 128 years, 4 months, and 8 days.

Wang Bangyan, who was also Wang Cheng's fifth-generation ancestor, glared at the wooden kite with annoyance:
"Old man Gongshu, have you finished inspecting the fleet?"

With a leap, Mu Yuan jumped into the cabin. The spring, gears, and transmission rods clattered and transformed into a human-like shape.

He casually sat down opposite Wang Bangyan.

"Don't you trust my old-timer skills? I designed and supervised the construction of all the ships. I can tell whether these Thunder and Fire Cardinals on the ships are leaking electricity just by touching them."

He certainly wasn't bragging.

The second-rank "Divine Strategist" Gongshu Chun was the chief designer of the thirty-six Heavenly Treasure Ships. It was because of the blueprints he left behind that a series of bloody storms began in recent years, starting with Liu Daxia's "burning of the blueprints".

Snapped!
Gongshu Chun snapped his fingers casually.

The hatch opened, and a "maid" with vacant eyes walked in, bringing him a cup of lubricant with slightly stiff steps.

Gongshu Chun took the antique cup, which had been in existence for over 150 years, and took a small sip of the oil that had been recycled and refined countless times.

Looking up at the maid who appeared to be a living person but was actually a mechanical puppet, she straightened the messy gears and springs in her hair and teased:
"Hey, Xiao Cui, it's been a few days, have you missed your brother?"

These mechanical puppets, like the Heavenly Treasure Ship, were masterpieces of Gongshu Chun, employing the most advanced secret techniques of craftsmanship he possessed.

Not only do they look almost identical to real people, but they can also perform some simple tasks according to pre-programmed instructions.

It can be said that, apart from not being able to actually give birth, they can do almost anything else in terms of life skills.

Of course, I actually did it.

The mechanical puppets, categorized into high, medium, and low grades, were distributed throughout the fleet. In the past, this was a basic perk for every ocean-going sailor, used to alleviate loneliness during long voyages. For them, it was certainly much better than the living conditions of sailors from Western countries who had to raise sheep on board.

If the patriarch of the Divine Strategist lineage knew of this scene, he would be very pleased.

Good news: at least the technology has been passed down.

Bad news: It was passed down by bad people.

After most of the crew's bodies aged and decayed over the long years, their souls remained conscious under the protection of the Anzai Army Flag.

The mechanical puppets that they lived with day and night, and which had been "refined" for many years, became the perfect dwelling place for the "undying battle spirits".

After Gongshu Chun redesigned their appearance and added extra warheads, their combat power was even greater than when they were alive.

Because they had flesh and blood in their previous lives, they attracted a large number of evil spirits to invade every night, resulting in many sacrifices. Now that everyone is a yin entity, the pressure to defend against them has actually been reduced.

It's like finding joy in hardship.

As for former living ghosts and gods like Wang Bangyan and Gongshu Chun, there's no need for such trouble.

The "celestial realm" outside this wall has neither the "Twenty-Four Solar Terms" nor the "Nüqingtian Law" that restricts the interaction between Yin and Yang.

After the physical body dies, the living spirits become spirits who use boats as temples, and can move freely. They are truly immortal and live on forever, dying but not perishing.

This is the main reason why, when Wang Cheng re-established the country for the second time, he set up five ancestral temples for the feudal lords, only to discover that the five founding ancestors might not have died (Chapter 159).

In this situation, apart from Gongshu Chun, who had a particular fondness for it, other spirits and deities naturally wouldn't need to use the mechanical puppets.

The maid Xiao Cui did not harbor any evil spirits within her body. To this day, she only possesses a low-level work module and lacks any artificial intelligence. She completely ignored Gongshu Chun's teasing and turned to leave without hesitation.

Seeing the old man get his comeuppance, Wang Bangyan also mocked him mercilessly:

"Didn't you claim to be the best in the world when it comes to the secret arts of craftsmanship? You can't even create a human wife, yet you have the nerve to laugh at me?"

When Gongshu Chun was questioned about his area of ​​expertise, he immediately jumped up from his chair:

"You don't know anything! What's so great about ordinary people creating humans? Even if you could create one, would a two-hundred-year-old old man like you even have the tools?"

I have been quietly researching miniaturized 'artificial outer shell' technology for a hundred years, which is a thousand times, ten thousand times better than the yellow waste in your heads.

It should be noted that the art of making gold and silver originally referred to the techniques for creating medicinal gold and silver, and was known in ancient times as the art of turning gold into silver.

The art of alchemy is a combination of alchemy and elixirs.

Since immortals can consume medicinal herbs, I can ascend to immortality using medicinal gold, silver, and machinery!

Gongshu Chun's two gemstone eyes gleamed with a sharp light:

"As long as an artificial [Golden Core] that imitates the external elixir is created, and the ghosts and gods who have lost their physical bodies are fused with it, not only will they not need to cultivate their life force to directly make up for the shortcomings of their physical bodies, but they will also gain additional powerful strength."

It can also make the "Twenty-Four Seasonal Rhymes" and the "Female Qingtian Rhyme" mistakenly believe that we are still alive, so that even if we return to the inside of the wall, we are not afraid of being trapped in the mausoleum.

Even once mass production begins, the water spirits and demons on the body of the Mountain and Sea Curse can be dug out and resurrected.

Even if I can't get promoted on my own in the future, it's still a hundred times better than being a brick in a wall.

The problem is the lack of experimental materials. It's not that I lack the skills, but that my teammates are incompetent!

Artificial golden pills are essentially an upgraded version of the Yin-Yang Thunder and Fire Keystone. The raw materials are also very simple. There is no need to use any evil spirits or immortal scum. There are readily available high-quality materials—ascended immortals!

The Feathered Immortal is the culmination of cultivating both body and spirit, naturally balanced in yin and yang, and does not need to be re-paired. It can create a golden core by capturing one.

Wang Bangyan was speechless, looking out at the outside of the Seven Stars Celestial Array, somewhat lost in thought:

"How difficult it is to capture a Celestial Immortal alive!"

Even with the Golden Core, returning home would be even more difficult.

The layers of colorful mist on the outside connected to the water veins of the vast ocean, and nine immortals, each holding a magical banner, joined forces to form the [Inverted Yin-Yang Array].

This formation can transform Mount Sumeru into a mustard seed, and it can also transform a short distance into the ends of the earth.

For 130 years, they were isolated from the outside world and constantly refined, determined to outlast them until they were completely exhausted.

Earlier, the fleet had launched a collective charge, but ultimately failed to even enter the Penglai Secret Realm before being blocked again.

Just as the atmosphere became somewhat silent.

A flash of light appeared in the cabin, and a figure emerged who, though pale and beardless, did not appear effeminate but rather exuded an air of grandeur and majesty in every gesture.

"What discouraging things are you saying?"

Now, the Great Zhao Dynasty is in turmoil, and the first crack has appeared in the Mountain and Sea Curse Restriction. There will definitely be a second and a third crack later.

We'll have plenty of opportunities to go back.

Now that we have witnessed the secrets beneath the Ruins of Guixu, we must not allow the celestial upheaval to occur, turning our divine land into a living hell!

Upon seeing the visitors, Wang Bangyan and Gongshu Chun immediately bowed:
"Imperial Envoy, Commander-in-Chief!"

The visitor was none other than Zheng He, the Imperial Envoy and Commander-in-Chief of Xuanwei who led the first seven voyages to the Western Ocean.

They knew from inside the walls that whenever a dynasty was nearing its end, the Mountain and Sea Curse would involuntarily develop cracks of varying sizes.

I originally thought I would most likely not survive the three-hundred-year dynasty cycle and escape the day I could live.

But no one expected that the descendants of the Han family would be so incompetent, unable to maintain their kingdom for a mere two hundred years.

What seemed like a misfortune turned out to be a blessing in disguise, offering them a glimmer of hope.

Moreover, just as Zheng He said, the worse the performance of the Great Zhao, the more opportunities they would have to break through the Mountain and Sea Curse.

Zheng He waved his hand and briefly spoke to his two capable lieutenants, both of whom were at the second rank of martial arts mastery:

"Just now, I used the [Measuring Ruler] to observe the Void Secret Realm and discovered that the [Ten Thousand Miles of Mystery Array] in the Penglai Wonderland was quietly activated by the Feathered Immortal."

This indicates that outsiders entered the rift during the winter solstice and even reached Penglai Immortal Island, where the immortals are hunting them down.

My opinion is that the treasure ship's naval forces should seize the opportunity and launch another attack from both inside and outside!
Gongshu, is your anchor ready?

Zheng He's orders were given, and the others naturally had no objections. Upon hearing the question, Gongshu Chun quickly replied:
"Don't worry, it was prepared two cycles of sixty years ago."

The array of Heavenly Crafted Treasure Ships is nested in various sizes, and the more numerous they are, the stronger they become. As long as the "anchor" is sent out, and with enough Heavenly Crafted Treasure Ships to assist, they can forcibly pull us out.

We left behind the treasure map back then, but year after year we waited and no second treasure ship or fleet appeared. I thought we'd never use this anchor again.

Zheng He nodded:

"Very good, Lao Wang, you are in charge of navigation. Order all ships to turn around and speed up."

We have the [Thunderfire Cardinal] who can work non-stop without rest. Even if all the Feathered Immortals combined, their stamina can't compare to the Heavenly Craft Treasure Ship.

"Be prepared this time, don't stop, run them over!"

(End of this chapter)