Purple Mist Dao Master-Chapter 158 - 139: Star Gate Prototype!

"My flying knife—"

"Can turn."

Yan Chuan stepped forward, raised his hand, and stabbed the bandit’s heart with a knife, then added one more and chopped off the person’s head.

Afterwards.

He then picked up the flying knife—

[Miracle Item·Flying Knife (Level 10): Hidden Weapon, a small-sized knife with a sharp blade, thin as paper, shaped like a willow leaf, about four inches long. The end of the handle is tied with red and green silk, each about two inches long. (Traits: Sharp, Acceleration, Turning, Qi-breaking)]

...

Level 10 Flying Knife!

Four major traits!

’Turning’ + ’Acceleration’!

Immortals can’t defend against it!

Yue Junyang thought the shield could resist all attacks; he was completely wrong!

"Nice shield!"

Yan Chuan picked up the half-person tall shield; as soon as he grabbed it, the shield was heavy, possibly weighing six to seven hundred jin. But as Yan Chuan willed—

"Small, small, small!"

The shield shrank, returning to the size of a palm, and its weight continuously reduced to two or three jin.

"No wonder!"

Yan Chuan suddenly understood!

No wonder this person, when facing pursuit, facing the dark arrow shot by Wang Kuan holding the ’Sky Shattering Bow,’ did not take out this shield to resist, resulting in getting hit for nothing.

Now it makes sense!

"Six or seven hundred jin!"

"Defense is invincible, but running away becomes a problem."

How can one run with such a heavy shield?

Yue Junyang clearly understood this situation, so he’d rather dodge, rather take a shot, than pull out the shield to slow his speed.

"This shield is probably not an ordinary limit-breaking weapon."

Yan Chuan speculated.

Just like the ’Sky Shattering Bow,’ the ’Sky Shattering Bow’ requires a limit-breaking level, preferably a limit-breaking strongman who practices muscle, to exert power.

Yan Chuan couldn’t do it.

His strength was lacking.

And this ’shield,’ most likely, is the same, maybe even requiring more than the ’Sky Shattering Bow,’ at least Yan Chuan cannot flexibly fight with a six to seven hundred jin shield; the bandit who died here was already at the limit-breaking level, but even he couldn’t do it.

Must be stronger!

"Keep it first."

"I can use it sooner or later."

Yan Chuan put the token away, then picked up the bandit’s strong bow.

Unlike the ’Sky Shattering Bow,’ Yue Junyang’s bow, though a surprise weapon, is wooden, and upon close examination, each of its six materials—wood, horn, tendon, glue, silk, and lacquer—matter.

"Zheng~"

Yan Chuan drew the bow and could pull it to a full moon. The power requirement was much smaller than the ’Sky Shattering Bow,’ but correspondingly, its power was much less too, considered a low-profile version of the ’Sky Shattering Bow’: "Just right for use."

Yan Chuan slung this strong bow over his back.

Picked up the flying knife.

Put away the shield.

Sling the strong bow.

Just as he finished these—

Boom boom boom!

Wang Kuan, Jian Rong, and Huo Zhen, three people, two in front and one behind, had already pursued up.

When they arrived, they saw Yan Chuan with a knife in his left hand, a bow on his right shoulder, and a corpse with its head separated under his feet.

Huo Zhen was shocked: "Already killed?"

That was a bona fide limit-breaking strongman, and he had already started tempering his body, a genuine limit-breaking, much stronger than someone just entering the basic limit-breaking level like him.

But such a strongman, within at most dozens of breaths, was killed by Yan Chuan?

Hiss!

Inconceivable!

Huo Zhen was stunned by Yan Chuan’s speed in killing the enemy.

Wang Kuan and Jian Rong, however, ignored Yan Chuan, overlooked the body, their gaze falling on a head-sized light cluster beside Yan Chuan, and exchanged glances, both shocked—

"This is—"

...

"Star Gate?!"

"How could this be a Star Gate?"

"Why would there be a Star Gate here?"

Wang Kuan and Jian Rong were both shocked and puzzled.

Yan Chuan was equally puzzled: "How dare you mention the Star Gate?"

Aren’t you afraid of the ’Star Gate Iron Law’ right now?

Or is it that—

They also have Star Stones?

Yan Chuan was confused!

Wang Kuan and Jian Rong were confused!

Huo Zhen was also confused: "What is a Star Gate?"

Four people!

You look at me; I look at you!

All dumbfounded!

...

After a calm moment.

Wang Kuan spoke first: "This is a Star Gate, or, more accurately, a ’Star Gate Prototype.’ Besides it, one can bypass the monitoring of the ’Star Gate Iron Law,’ no need to avoid it."

So that’s it!

Yan Chuan suddenly understood.

This is indeed similar to the effect of Star Stones.

But Star Stones only exempt the holder, while this ’Star Gate Prototype’ exempts within a range, area-style.

Just—

"Star Gate Prototype?"

Yan Chuan looked at the light cluster, then at Wang Kuan: "Do you mean this is not a real Star Gate yet, Elder Wang?"

"Of course not."

Wang Kuan shook his head, replying instinctively, but after speaking, he was stunned and turned to look at Yan Chuan: "Have you never seen a Star Gate?"

Beside him, Jian Rong was also puzzled: "No, last month, didn’t you enter the Mountain and Sea Realm and kill Tu Lie, seizing a ’Sky Shattering Bow’?"

Jian Rong looked at the ’Sky Shattering Bow’ in Wang Kuan’s hand, nearly doubting her memory was wrong.

"..."

Yan Chuan stayed silent.

"..."

"..."

Wang Kuan and Jian Rong stayed silent.

"..."

Huo Zhen stayed silent.

The scene was momentarily awkward.

After a moment, Yan Chuan gave an awkward smile: "I misspoke. I wanted to ask Elder Wang what a ’Star Gate Prototype’ is?"

Wang Kuan and Jian Rong looked at Yan Chuan with suspicion, and Jian Rong, being straightforward, immediately asked: "Could it be that last time you entered the Mountain and Sea Realm through a ’Star Gate Prototype’?"

Only this could explain why Yan Chuan can’t differentiate between ’Star Gate’ and ’Star Gate Prototype.’

Normally, people wouldn’t ask that.

Meanwhile.

This could also explain how Yan Chuan could rise so rapidly in just half a year from obscurity to become such a strong figure now—

Killing limit-breaking as easily as slaughtering dogs!

Boxing!

Surprise weapon!

Not only is Yan Chuan’s boxing foundation strong, but he also must possess powerful surprise weapons to win unexpectedly; otherwise, there is no way to explain how he can swiftly kill at the limit-breaking level!

Wang Kuan and Jian Rong looked at Yan Chuan.

"I got through Elder Jiang; I can’t tell you the exact method, sorry, Elder Jian." Yan Chuan knew he was caught, but he held firm, obediently following Jiang Bianliu’s advice and pushing everything onto Elder Jiang.

"Elder Jiang—"

Upon hearing this, Jian Rong didn’t ask further; she explained to Yan Chuan: "’Star Gate Prototype’ is like the light cluster in front of you. It is born between heaven and earth, connecting the Mountain and Sea Realm. Initially, it is only the size of a grain of rice, can only accommodate one person shuttling, and is limited to one round trip per year, with a maximum carry of ten jin of materials, potentially dissipating at any moment. Later, by absorbing Sun and Moon Essence, the Power of Stars, and feeding it with Qi-Blood, the ’Star Gate Prototype’ gradually grows, from the size of a grain to a fist, then to the size of a head, then to the size of a grinding plate, and finally forms into a true Star Gate, in the shape of a portal, which is the ’Star Gate’ in each major academy."

Academy Star Gate!

So it grows from such a light cluster?

Sun and Moon Essence!

Power of Stars!

Feeding with Qi-Blood!

Yan Chuan was amazed: "It’s similar to Star Stones!"

Star Stones also store energy in this way to open Star Gates. However, unlike the ’Academy Star Gate’ or ’Star Gate Prototype,’ ’Star Stones’ do not possess growth potential.

Or perhaps—

"The so-called Star Stones are just ’Star Gate Prototypes’ that were solidified right after being born?"

In an instant.

Yan Chuan’s mind was filled with countless speculations.

Star Stones!

Star Gate!

Star Gate Prototype!

Their similarities and countless intricate connections.

Yan Chuan’s thoughts raced.

Wang Kuan and Jian Rong also wondered what they were thinking.

Only Huo Zhen!

He was the most confused!

"What Star Gate?"

"What prototype?"

"What Mountain and Sea Realm?"

"What are you three cryptically discussing?"

The more Huo Zhen listened, the more confused he became.

Although he was the sect leader, like Cheng Fengxiao and Yan Chuan before, he truly didn’t know the secrets of the ’Star Gate’ and the ’Mountain and Sea Realm.’

Since they met, Wang Kuan didn’t hide it; he pointed to the light cluster and explained to Huo Zhen: "This light cluster is the foundation of the Martial Arts Academies in the world—"

"For instance, Guangling Academy, Taikang Academy, all developed from such ’Star Gate Prototypes,’ nurtured by the Qi-Blood of Inner Court elders and Capital Affairs of the Xuanwu Hall, through batch after batch of Research Students, until the ’Star Gate’ is formed and can enter a wondrous world named ’Mountain and Sea Realm’ to acquire martial arts and resources."

"After the ’Star Gate’ is formed, it can continue to grow. The more experts in the academy, the more robust their Qi-Blood, and the faster the Star Gate grows. As the star gate grows, the number of annual entries and exits and the amount of materials that can be carried will be correspondingly increased."

"The court has been implementing martial arts for ten years, and the number of peasant children enrolled in academies has also not been small. The number of people engaging in farming has actually been decreasing year by year. Yet, across the Fifteen States, there’s never been a shortage of grain. Even in recent years, even with droughts and floods, even when some state granaries have reduced yields or even failed completely, there hasn’t been a famine. Do you think that’s because of what?"

"For no other reason!"

"The Mountain and Sea Realm!"

"It’s because the land in the Mountain and Sea Realm is fertile, with extremely high grain yields. By planting and harvesting grain in the Mountain and Sea Realm through the Star Gate, we can support Great Yan, ensuring the Fifteen States never face a food shortage crisis!"

So that’s it!

So that’s it!

Yan Chuan was completely clear.

He had previously wondered how Great Yan solved the food problem with martial arts. However, he only thought about it occasionally. Without support from comprehensive data, Yan Chuan didn’t have the leisure to investigate, so he left it without delving deeper.

Listening to Wang Kuan’s explanation to Huo Zhen, he finally understood, or rather, he only then made the connection and remembered this issue.

Mountain and Sea Realm!

Storing grain!

This is the foundation of Great Yan’s confidence in implementing martial arts.

But ’Star Gates’ have a limitation on ’volume,’ and the materials that can be carried are limited. Supplying the four hundred million citizens of the Fifteen States requires an enormous amount of grain.

Thousands of jin, tens of thousands of jin!

A drop in the ocean!

Even hundreds of thousands or millions of jin are merely a drop in the bucket.

If four hundred million citizens each consume 300 jin of grain a year, they would eat 120 billion jin of grain a year.

Four hundred and twenty academies!

Each academy must transport 280 million jin of grain from the Mountain and Sea Realm annually, averaging 790,000 jin per day.

These are astronomical numbers!

Of course—

"The annual grain output from the Fifteen States is also considerable; not all grain is obtained from the Mountain and Sea Realm."

"Moreover, besides the four hundred and twenty academies’ four hundred and twenty star gates, the court also controls other star gates of unknown specific quantities and locations."

Breaking them down.

The task for each star gate, for each academy, is actually not much.

Take Guangling Academy, for example.

Annually, it only needs to supply one million jin, which converts to 10,000 shi or 500 tons, just a drop in the bucket!

...