Chapter 7: Dao Transformation
Chapter 7: Dao Transformation
“Mages are divided into five great realms — Spell Apprentice, Practicing Mage, Sigil Mage, Arcane Mage, Archmage!”
“Each great realm is further divided into upper and lower tiers.”
Breakfast remained Yan Zhao’s teaching time.
He had a bold and forthright temperament and loved to instruct, and Li Yi was an eager student. One was willing to teach, the other willing to learn, which only made it more tedious for Zhangsun Shenji, who found the lessons as tasteless as chewing wax.
“The same goes for warriors — Sword Song, Sword Tone, Sword Chant, Sword Chant, and Sword Saint.”
“Each great realm is distinguished by major and minor stages.”
“Sword Chant? Sword Chant? The names are quite distinctive…” Li Yi extrapolated, “What about if one uses an axe?”
“As long as they are warriors, they are Sword Chant, Sword Chant!” Yan Zhao rolled his eyes. “The Nine Provinces hold the sword in highest esteem, so of course, we use sword for the names. Following your logic, would someone using a manure fork be called Dung Chant? Or Fork Chant?”
Li Yi smiled and didn’t press the matter.
“As for people like you and me, strictly speaking, we cannot yet be called Mages.” Yan Zhao grinned, a sharp gleam in his eyes. “Only upon reaching the Half-step Tenth Layer, with an internal Magic Vortex and a connection to the heavens and earth externally, where a single thought can generate a Psychic Blast and a single finger can summon an Elemental Tide, can one be considered a Mage!”
Li Yi chewed his food slowly and nodded in understanding.
“Below Spell Apprentice, they are collectively called the Half-step. And the first five layers of the Half-step are the easiest. I am already at Half-step Third Layer!” Yan Zhao got carried away with enthusiasm and asked triumphantly, “How about you?”
The moment the words left his mouth, Zhangsun Shenji shot him a glare, and Yan Zhao regretted it slightly.
Wasn’t this just rubbing salt in the wound?
“Me? About the same as you, not much difference,” Li Yi said with a faint, noncommittal smile.
In truth, he was already at the peak of Half-step Third Layer, perhaps just a step away from the fourth layer.
Moreover, the Heavenly Prophecy Ring already contained ninety Magic Crystals. Once he deduced the Alligator-Resting Art, his cultivation speed would likely soar again.
However, he didn’t want to discourage the other two.
Yan Zhao nodded, carefully masking the meaningful look in his eyes, and didn’t ask further.
—Men, after all, cared about face. Some things were better left understood without being spelled out. Digging too deep took the fun out of it.
Amid the banter, the identity tokens of all three lit up simultaneously.
Zhangsun Shenji and Yan Zhao took a look and immediately revealed ecstatic, uncontrollable joy.
“Armament Master… recruiting assistants? Dao Transformation Armament?”
Li Yi skimmed it, doubt flickering in his eyes.
Yan Zhao was one thing, but Zhangsun Shenji was usually unflappable, rarely losing his composure like this.
“Dao Transformation… Armament?”
Reading the unfamiliar term again, Li Yi’s face showed even greater confusion, countless question marks popping into his mind.
Having been here for a month, he was no longer the greenhorn he was upon arrival.
Alchemy, Magic Arrays, arcane forging, puppets, astrology, even Super Magic Arrays — he wouldn’t claim to know them inside out, but he had a general idea.
But Dao Transformation Armament?
He truly had never heard of it.
“What on earth is that?” He stopped racking his brains and asked directly.
He was met with two looks of extreme disdain.
The looks seemed to say, as a mage, how could you not know “the Sage of Magic” Confucius?
“What’s wrong? This thing isn’t recorded in the General History of the Nine Provinces,” Li Yi said, somewhat embarrassed but also defiant. During his spare time recently, he had been studying the General History of the Nine Provinces to better understand this world.
“Of course not! The General History of the Nine Provinces ends with the ‘Twilight Campaign’ of the Qianyuan Second Era, which was the year 254 of the Qianyuan calendar. And Dao Transformation Armament happened to be born around that time.” Zhangsun Shenji explained, his face showing reverence as he spoke. “In fact, though separated by two hundred years, Dao Transformation Armament is also a legacy of Emperor Qianyuan.”
His tone held respect; clearly, he held Emperor Qianyuan in high esteem.
Xiao Changkong? Him again!
Li Yi grumbled inwardly — how old are you — and continued his shameless inquiry: “Then, tell me about it?”
“Dao Transformation Armament, to put it plainly, was a seed planted by Emperor Qianyuan that bore fruit two hundred years later.”
Zhangsun Shenji’s words were poetic, but to be honest, it sounded a bit girly.
“Oh?” Li Yi silently criticized in his heart but knew well enough to keep his mouth shut.
“Our Divine Land continent has never lacked talent in secret arts! We needn’t even mention summoning magic. Setting aside Lu Shang’s six War Beasts, in epics, when have ‘Black Lightning’, ‘Red Hare’, and ‘White-hoofed Crow’ ever been absent? In terms of sheer power, who could rival Li Bai’s ‘Starry Vault Overturned’, which fell like a silver river? Speaking of defense, who could break Du Fu’s ‘Wall of a Thousand Hairs’, said to shield the heavens and earth?”
It was rare to see Zhangsun Shenji so animated and eloquent.
It seemed his admiration for Emperor Qianyuan was extraordinary.
Li Yi listened carefully, his thoughts racing, countless ideas surfacing.
“But for thousands of years, the Divine Land continent always had one weak point — magical side professions.”
Yan Zhao nodded with deep understanding.
“Since ancient times, magical side professions were never valued. Alchemy, Runes, prohibitive formations, all were like this. — Mo Di was called a beast, Lu Ban was looked down upon as a lowly craftsman. Consequently, magical mathematics stagnated. For thousands of years, there was only one barely passable work, ‘The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art’.”
“On the surface, it seemed harmless. But think about it: with the Tang’s wealth and power, they could only create three Heroic Spirit Golems — ‘Qin Qiong’, ‘Yuchi Jingde’, and ‘Zhong Kui’. Many dynasties had none at all! Yet the long-term impact of a single Heroic Spirit Golem far exceeded that of a Heaven’s Decree or Heaven-Mandated Powerhouse with a limited lifespan.”
“All this was forcefully reversed by one man!”
Zhangsun Shenji paused, his voice impassioned, his eyes slightly bright.
“After Emperor Qianyuan ascended the throne, he first advocated for equality among the four classes, elevating the status of artisans. Then, with his heaven-sent talent, he successively authored works on spatial topology, planar geometry, arcane constants, and spell functions, becoming the founder of new magical mathematics! At the time, his works weren’t understood, but looking back now, they were almost miraculous!”
His voice rose like an aria, climbing higher.
“What followed was basically a chronicle; it boils down to ‘accumulating strength to erupt,’ no need for details.”
“First, Heroic Spirit Golems, Arcane Puppets, and Arcane Energy Automatons thrived in planar warfare.”
“Then, these three in turn nourished alchemy, Runes, and prohibitive formations, causing rapid revolution.”
“Next, Super Magic Arrays appeared.”
Li Yi’s heart stirred; he had absorbed much common knowledge: composite magic formations exceeding six were called Magic Arrays; exceeding twelve, their power could move mountains and seas, surpassing common magical sense, comparable to divine feats, hence called Super Magic Arrays. Not to mention others, the terrifying might of the “Well of Stars” and “Void Lung” were likely unattainable even by gods.
“Next, the counterpart to Super Magic Arrays appeared — Rune Matrices.”
“Finally, a genius used a theoretical thread to string together alchemy, magic formations, prohibitive formations, and Rune Matrices, creating Dao Transformation Armament.”
“The first Dao Transformation Armament was named ‘Whale-Throwing Hand’. It claimed to have the power to throw a Dragon Whale alive! Today that seems exaggerated, but back then, it was like a sudden peal of thunder from a clear sky!”
“After that, how should I put it? It was smooth sailing…”
“The profession of Armament Master holds a status in the Empire above even Heaven’s Revelation powerhouses!” Yan Zhao added from the side. “In the entire Empire, genuine Armament Masters… are there twelve, or thirteen?”
“Twelve,” Zhangsun Shenji confirmed. “Only about seven can truly be considered grandmasters. Master Wu Yi from our academy is among them, though his ranking isn’t high.”
“So few?” Li Yi felt a pang of alarm. His mind already sketched a vague outline of Dao Transformation Armament — it seemed like some kind of equipment. “How is Dao Transformation Armament different from ordinary equipment?”
“Do you remember the reward for first place in the Martial Display two months from now?” Yan Zhao smiled and asked in return.
“Of course, the Guardian Ring — ‘Grip of Serenity’,” Li Yi replied, quite tempted by it. Equipment that enhanced meditation effects was never too much.
Yan Zhao guided patiently, continuing his question: “What is its greatest advantage?”
“Its advantage lies in its material being Fusang fallen branches, and its magical effect comes entirely from the material itself.” A month wasn’t long, but it was enough for Li Yi to accumulate much common knowledge. “With appropriate enchantments, magic formations, prohibitive formations, and Rune Matrices as support, its magical effect could be amplified several times! This way, its quality wouldn’t just double…”
“Then, what if the carrier is the human body itself?”
Li Yi’s eyes widened.