Chapter 0730 – The Mountain-Driving Whip

What Jiang Ni had just said struck a deep chord in Huang Chengyan and the others. From the very moment they had begun to learn about the concept of establishing a Fate Dynasty, they had inevitably studied its various intricacies. And now that they had stepped onto the path of cultivation, it was impossible not to explore the different cultivation methods.

"First fate, second fortune, third feng shui, fourth merit, fifth scholarship."

These words summarized the five major cultivation paths.

It wasn't about which was superior—ultimately, all aimed toward ascending to the pinnacle of heaven and earth. They were simply different shortcuts toward the same end.

Those who cultivated fate were enigmatic and exceedingly rare. Cultivating fortune involved establishing a Fate Dynasty, consolidating national destiny, and obtaining the position of a heavenly ruler. Such practitioners cultivated at speeds far beyond ordinary mortals, progressing by leaps and bounds.

Then there were feng shui cultivators, or geomancers. These individuals could reshape the heavens and earth, reverse yin and yang, and command the forces of nature. When situated within a feng shui formation, their power could far exceed their usual cultivation tier. They could channel the power of the heavens and earth, bending natural elements to their will.

If a feng shui grand formation were established with a Celestial City as its foundation, then the entire Great Yi Dynasty would be fortified like an impenetrable bastion. It would be exceedingly difficult for outsiders to breach. Moreover, such formations could provide substantial benefits to the cities involved—gathering heaven and earth spiritual energy, drawing celestial insight, and even generating unique phenomena.

However, the scale of such an undertaking was... tremendous!

It wasn't simply a matter of relocating cities. It required thorough geomantic surveys, environmental assessments, and even the creation of detailed maps. The layout, the alignment with earth veins, and how to manipulate natural energies had to be meticulously planned.

Wu Yong spoke up:"In this case, we must conduct extensive geomantic surveys and relocate villages and towns accordingly. This process cannot be rushed. I suggest we proceed step by step. First, elevate the villages and towns into Celestial Cities. Once the geomancy is completed, we can then consider relocation."

"To relocate a city, there exists a rare treasure—the City Relocation Token. However, this is a heavenly artifact and quite rare. Even I don't have many. Worse, its effects are unpredictable. Once used, a city might be relocated to any random location, far from what one might intend. Therefore, the only reliable method is to re-plan everything and use Village Tokens to rebuild and upgrade them to Celestial Cities," Yi Tianxing replied with a nod.

Relocation was a matter of national importance. Depending on the City Relocation Token was far too unreliable. Even if they had enough of them, the risk of towns being randomly teleported to some godforsaken place was too great. National affairs could not be left to such capricious tools.

It was like that Lao Ai, who had used a City Relocation Token and had his entire town teleported who knows where.

This matter required careful consideration before taking any action.

Then, Jiang Ni suddenly spoke:"Your Majesty, regarding the relocation efforts, I might be able to contribute something."

"Oh? What brilliant solution might Fellow Daoist Jiang have?" Yi Tianxing's interest was piqued.

"In my inherited knowledge, there is a method for forging a magical treasure known as the Mountain-Driving Whip (Ganshan Whip). This artifact can drive mountain ranges, relocate earth veins, streamline geomancy, and direct geographical features. If the Mountain-Driving Whip can be forged, we can use it to manipulate earth veins and relocate towns and villages to the desired locations. This method also aligns perfectly with the way of feng shui," Jiang Ni explained.

The Mountain-Driving Whip was a unique magical treasure. It could indeed be used to suppress enemies with mountains, but that was a waste of its true potential. In the hands of a feng shui master, it could transform landscapes, subtly lay down great formations, and modify the terrain to the user's will at any time and place.

But forging it was far from easy. Even with his current collection, Jiang Ni couldn't create it.

"A Mountain-Driving Whip? What materials are required? If they are available, I will fully support Fellow Daoist Jiang in its forging," Yi Tianxing said without hesitation, eyes gleaming.

He was not unfamiliar with the Mountain-Driving Whip. Folk legends spoke of it.

According to the Ancient Tales Compendium, quoting The Essentials of the Three Qi, it was said:"The First Emperor of Qin built a stone bridge to cross the sea and watch the rising sun. A divine being drove stones into the sea, whipping those that lagged behind. To this day, the stones remain red, leaning eastward as if following. These can still be seen on Mount Yangcheng."

The tale spoke of Qin Shi Huang wielding such a whip to command mountains and stones.

In mythology as well, the Mountain-Driving Whip was a legendary treasure that could drive mountains and command terrain.

Clearly, once forged, this treasure would be a tremendous asset to a feng shui master.

"To forge the Mountain-Driving Whip, ideally, we would start with a whip-type heavenly treasure. If we have one, we merely need to inscribe the correct forbidden seals, and it will gain the power to move mountains. If no such treasure exists, the next best option is to use top-tier earth-element spiritual materials, combined with other five-elemental components. But even then, the result will not match the potential of one forged from a genuine heavenly treasure," Jiang Ni said with a hint of longing.

Yi Tianxing paused, then with a flash of light, a bronze whip appeared in his hand. It wasn't an ordinary whip—it was a single unified piece that resembled an iron rod. But with a flick of his wrist, it separated into 49 segments. It was both supple and rigid, able to merge or divide at will.

"This is a whip-type heavenly treasure I've been storing. It has no seals yet. Perfect for the Mountain-Driving Whip. Once refined, its potential will be vast, and its future evolution even greater. Jiang Daoist, if you join the Great Yi Dynasty, I will appoint you Official Geomancer, and this whip shall be yours. From here on, the feng shui formations of the Great Yi shall be under your command."

As he spoke, Yi Tianxing fixed his gaze on Jiang Ni.

Bringing him back from the Golden Sand Desert had already been part of a broader plan to recruit him. True feng shui masters were extremely rare, and those who had inherited proper legacies were even rarer. Missing this opportunity might mean never encountering another.

Jiang Ni's eyes flickered with indecision. Accepting this offer would bind his fate to Great Yi. Feng shui masters, being attuned to heaven and earth, drew even more attention from the Will of Heaven. Accepting the dynasty's fortune and status meant that his qi would be tightly bound to it. Severing that bond later would be near impossible.

Yet, looking at the bronze whip and the opportunity to truly apply his geomantic knowledge…

He finally exhaled, stepped forward, and bowed deeply to Yi Tianxing:"Jiang Ni pays his respects to the King!!"

It was a formal submission—a pledge of loyalty.

Yi Tianxing smiled:"Good. Rise. Your joining our Great Yi is like adding wings to a tiger."

This was something worth celebrating.

He handed over the bronze whip without hesitation.

"How long will it take to forge the Mountain-Driving Whip?" Yi Tianxing asked.

"This is a heavenly treasure, a natural weapon embryo. Embedding the necessary seals will take about three days. Afterward, it will only require continuous refinement. Even a single layer of seals will allow it to relocate earth veins and towns," Jiang Ni answered, his eyes glimmering with excitement.

After all, this was one of the ultimate treasures for a feng shui master.

"Excellent. As for geomantic surveying, worry not. If needed, we can produce complete topographic maps of the surrounding 10,000 miles in short order. This is thanks to one of Great Yi's foundational advantages," Yi Tianxing said with a smile.

That advantage was StarNet. Now integrated with the Mage's Eye and the Illusion Pearl, it was evolving. Once complete, StarNet would cover the entire Great Yi Dynasty. At that point, human civilization would experience a revolutionary transformation.

"In that case," Huang Chengyan resumed, "I believe each governor should use their Celestial City as a base. Villages and towns should be upgraded, and the city lords appointed as local rulers. However, the ranking of the city lord in the Nine-Rank Official System must be decided by Your Majesty."

This was no trivial matter. A Celestial City governed a large populace—it was a position of immense power.

Too high a rank would be dangerous. Too low, disrespectful.

Yi Tianxing nodded thoughtfully:"Let it be this way: Each City Lord, as the highest authority of their territory, shall hold a third-rank title. They were the first to join us and forfeited their chance to form their own Fate Dynasty. They deserve compensation. However, to prevent power stagnation, terms shall last no longer than ten years. Upon expiration, they must be transferred to a different Celestial City."

He had considered making it second-rank—but thought better of it in the end.