Chapter 111: Hand‑Carved Hundred‑Million Symbol Runes… Is This Human‑Made?

A few people entered the gate, but before they had taken a few steps, a demon‑shadow body blocked their path.

We didn't expect even the Great Divination Office's cave heaven to be infiltrated like this; no wonder the main gate was sealed.

Xing's side is teeming with strongmen; a mere demon‑shadow body is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, and it gets beaten into dust in a couple of blows.

The group pressed on, and in the distance a platform revealed a massive formation, countless interwoven symbol runes swimming through the mechanisms like lively fish, operating ceaselessly, dazzling the eyes.

"Ahead is the Great Divination Office's pride, the large Jade Sign calculation terminal—Qiongguan Formation," Qingque explained proudly to the group.

"Along the way we've often heard the term 'Jade Sign.' Miss Qingque, what exactly is a Jade Sign?" Walte asked, curious.

"Jade Sign… is just Jade Sign," Qingque stammered, "Mr. Yang asks a good question; let me think a moment…"

After a moment of contemplation, Qingque said slowly: "The book *Yi Jing Kui Ao* states, 'Engraved patterns animate jade, divination scripts reveal the profound.' It's like carving a seal; the craftsmen of the celestial vessel Gong Zao Si engrave imperceptible hundred‑million symbol runes within jade crystal lattices, then embed them into various mechanisms so they operate according to the designed intent."

"Some Jade Signs are small enough to be set in bracelets or jewelry; the larger ones are installed into formations, used to extrapolate variables and discern past and future."

Qingque looked at the palace‑like formation behind them and said, "Just like this Qiongguan Great Formation, whether it's the evolution of heavenly principles or the cycle of human affairs, as long as the information is sufficient, it can answer any question."

Hundred‑million symbol runes… hand‑carved?

On Ao Cang Shan, a woman who prided herself on being renowned for mechanism symbol runes was utterly stunned. She recognized each of the six characters individually, but the combination was completely unfamiliar.

Even as an immortal with millennia of experience engraving symbol runes, one must be meticulous during practice; any mistake could render the entire rune ineffective, wasting all prior effort.

Privately she had also studied auxiliary mechanisms, but even with mechanized aid and immortal energy, she could not hand‑carve "Hundred‑million" symbol runes; the workload is far beyond what an immortal can achieve.

Even the Emperor himself would be left gaping, I suppose.

"Exaggerated, right? How could human hands possibly carve such a massive number of symbol runes?" Xueyue Zhuyang Zhenjun frowned, and as a fellow rune master, he understood the weight of Qingque's words.

Honestly, if the concept of "Hundred‑million" symbol runes were the achievement of those celestial star gods, he could fully comprehend it.

After all, whether it's the Bountiful Star God, the Protective Star God, or the Erudite Honored One, any of them producing it would be absurd. But if it were the work of human hands… he found it hard to accept.

This implies that the humans on the celestial vessel have achieved something incomprehensible even to us immortals.

"Hehe, you two, don't underestimate humans."

Li Shui Die Shan Zhenjun, sipping tea nearby, laughed, "Haven't you noticed how massive the Qiongguan Formation actually is?"

Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun followed his gesture and saw that the Qiongguan Formation appearing in the light screen was only a corner; the formation has three more formation eyes, its area so vast it almost covers the entire Great Divination Office.

"The whole Qiongguan Formation is composed of mechanism symbol runes; this is surely far beyond the effort of one or two generations of celestial vessel folk, but rather the crystallization of millennia of human wisdom."

Li Shui Die Shan Zhenjun smiled helplessly, "Even if we live longer, how can we match the wisdom and experience passed down through countless generations of humans? Moreover, celestial vessel people already live long enough…"

"Rather than questioning their wisdom, shouldn't you two direct your curiosity elsewhere? For instance, how do the symbol runes they engrave differ from ours?"

——

"It is said that the symbol runes and principles were inquired of Bian Zhi Tianjun, the Erudite Honored One. Their profundity is such that within the Great Divination Office, only the Great Divination Master himself truly grasps them."

"Isn't that just a computer?" Xing Yizhen said bluntly.

San Yueqi also responded, "Right, but 'Jade Sign' sounds much nicer. Besides, ordinary computers don't have such mysterious origins; this is technology personally instructed by the Erudite Honored One…"

"No need to quibble over names; as long as the core mechanism operates effectively, what's the difference between a Jade Sign and a computer?"

Qingque was rather easy‑going: "Just as today, as long as someone guides you here, whether it's Qingque or White Sparrow, it doesn't matter at all."

Having said that, Qingque led the group to the lower part of the Qiongguan Formation.

Fu Xuan was there conversing with Jing Yuan's projection.

"Fu Qing, how's the progress?"

Fu Xuan sighed lightly, "It rises and falls between Qian and Zhen. Actions have flaws, no benefit."

Jing Yuan, apparently accustomed, replied helplessly, "Fu Qing, speak plainly, please."

"A great disaster looms," Fu Xuan said gloomily. "The Qiongguan Formation has stalled, the symbol runes dim, the division still harbors an uncultivated Star Core demon. Cloud Riders are busy protecting the populace; I wish to restore the formation but have no troops. In this state, I still must deal with the Star Core hunters the General sent, which is indeed a great disaster."

"To suppress the future‑seeing Star Core hunters, only Fu Qing, the one who can divine ahead, can do it. As for human assistance—of course I have preparations."

As soon as the General finished speaking, Qingque had already led people to the spot.

The personnel deployment… truly worthy of a celestial vessel General, indeed called 'Temple Without Uncalculated.'

Inside Shanhu Gong, Xin Hai marveled at General Jing Yuan's planning; in his view, it seemed that regardless of size, everything was schemed within his mind, ready to be set in motion with a single move.

As the living god priestess of Haiqi Island, Xin Hai's duties aligned closely with General Jing Yuan's—responsible both for the island's civil governance and related military matters.

Xin Hai could easily understand why General Jing Yuan always seemed half‑asleep… anyone who truly experienced it would know it's a job that drains energy to the extreme.

"Lord of Shanhu Gong, doesn't General Jing Yuan carry a brocade pouch with him?" Wu Lang asked, puzzled, "In case of emergencies or unexpected changes…"

Speaking, he pulled from his chest a brocade pouch he always carried, revised over hundreds of entries.

Xin Hai blushed instantly, embarrassed, her cheeks flushing—she realized for the first time that her own painstakingly compiled brocade pouch seemed childish.

She wondered why she hadn't thought of this before… when a real crisis hits, who has the mind to flip through a thick brocade pouch?

Rather than letting Wu Lang and the others rely entirely on the pouch, it's better to have none at all.