Chapter 106 - 106 Jiang Cheng is the Good Fortune of Lotus Cloud University
This setting was easy to understand; it was an optimization specifically made by Lotus University to reduce the difficulty of the examination!
After all, those coming to take their university’s exam were just teenagers, and it was now a peaceful era; there was no reason to create something with restricted content.
Moreover, if candidates were killed in the Illusion Realm, it could inevitably leave them with mental trauma, something Lotus University didn’t want to see.
So, they simply made it so that candidates would neither feel pain nor be killed in the Illusion Realm. After all, the test was about “deciphering,” not about testing the students’ stress tolerance.
To confirm the accuracy of “pain-free and immortal,” Jiang Cheng immediately sent a message through a talisman to senior Yue Linger.
“Yes, that’s exactly right.”
Yue Linger gave a firm response.
“Alright, thanks Yue for the trouble.”
“Hold on, why are you asking this?”
Jiang Cheng said, “I’m designing a special Talisman for use in the exams.”
Yue Linger had a bad feeling and asked cautiously, “Would you mind telling me its name?”
“Smart Puppet Talisman,” Jiang Cheng replied truthfully.
It sounded quite normal, Yue Linger thought.
She asked another question, “Um, what kind of puppet are you planning to stick this Talisman on?”
Jiang Cheng immediately replied, “On myself.”
Yue Linger:
Although she couldn’t understand what Jiang Cheng meant,
she was certain of one thing—Lotus Cloud University was about to be extremely fortunate.
Not just fortunate, but massively so!
If she were the president of Lotus University, she would do whatever it took, even at the cost of her own position, to pass on the presidency to someone else before Jiang Cheng enrolled.
Otherwise, during her tenure, Lotus Cloud University might, after Jiang Cheng’s enrollment, leave a remarkably significant mark in the history of Liang Kingdom in an astonishing way.
As for the new Talisman, Jiang Cheng’s idea was actually quite simple.
Since the three design requirements for the new Talisman were:
First, enhance physical fitness.
Second, increase combat effectiveness.
Third, prevent hands from feeling sore due to excessive sword swinging.
Then after a series of reasonable analyses, one could conclude: flesh is weak, machinery ascends!
As long as one’s body was replaced with mechanical devices, the above three issues could be perfectly addressed.
Of course, Jiang Cheng didn’t know much about machinery; neither was the world of Immortal Gods some steampunk setting.
However, in the world of cultivating immortality, Cultivators also have their own “mechanical devices.”
That would be—puppets!
Indeed, puppetry was a major branch of cultivation within the Immortal Gods setting.
A powerful Cultivator from the Puppetry Department could easily command thousands of troops, single-handedly facing down an entire army!
As a major direction in cultivation, puppetry naturally had its achievements in Talismans as well.
The Puppet Talisman was among them, the most basic and classic work.
The working principle of the Puppet Talisman was actually simple; it was akin to a “communication module” on the puppet, used to relay information between the Talisman and the Cultivator’s Divine Sense, allowing the Cultivator to control the puppet’s actions.
Of course, more advanced Puppet Talismans might have some preset programs, turning puppets into something like “vacuum cleaning robots.”
They would automatically avoid obstacles and recharge themselves when low on power.
Though puppetry might seem to have limitless prospects, in reality, there were many almost insurmountable flaws.
First was the issue of material strength: materials that were too light made for weak puppets, while those that were too heavy resulted in high energy consumption and cumbersome movements.
If one uses rare materials, then the puppet master must be wealthy enough; otherwise, they simply can’t afford to use puppets.
If one uses common materials to make puppets, they can be easily targeted by enemies.
For example, making a puppet out of iron, the enemy directly uses corrosive liquids.
Make a puppet out of wood, the enemy directly starts a fire.
Make a puppet out of clay, the enemy directly uses water to let the puppet experience what it’s like for a clay bodhisattva to cross a river.
Beyond the issue of materials, the range of connection for puppets is also widely criticized.
Low-grade puppets have a very short connection range, and if they run a little further, they become uncontrollable. Moreover, due to the strength of spiritual power, low-grade puppet masters can’t control multiple puppets at the same time.
This leads to puppets being of limited usefulness—expensive to create, difficult to master, weak in effect and unstable. It’s even less useful than directly using two skills.
However, all of these puppetry shortcomings do not exist for Jiang Cheng.
Because in the Illusion Realm designed by Lotus University, first, one doesn’t feel pain, second, one won’t go far, and third, one can’t be killed, making it an invincible Puppet Talisman carrier!
Jiang Cheng just needs to study the drawing techniques for Puppet Talismans and design the most efficient shark-person program within the talisman. Then, when he enters the Illusion Realm and sticks the Puppet Talisman on himself, he can remove his hands from the keyboard and let the Puppet Talisman control him, turning into an emotionless, highly efficient machine for clearing levels!
Jiang Cheng bent down to find paper and pen and, at the peak of his inspiration, he wrote down his latest Talisman design proposal!
[Name: Smart Puppet Talisman
Grade: First-grade
Type: Control
Effect: Controls the person with the talisman, making them act according to the Puppet Talisman’s preset program
Caution: This talisman is quite dangerous; once controlled, it cannot be removed autonomously and requires another person to peel off the talisman to stop. Not recommended for use outside of Lotus Cloud University’s Illusion Realm examinations.]
In the setting of “Immortal Gods,” cars are not called cars but ground vehicles.
Similarly, airplanes are not called airplanes but Flying Boats.
At this moment, at the border between Liang Kingdom and Jin Kingdom, a Flying Boat was slowly flying over the tops of mountains.
Looking down from the deck of the Flying Boat, one could see a seemingly endless forest, as vast as an ocean.
The big winds blew, the branches swayed, and the green canopy rose and fell like ocean waves.
At the cargo hold on the deck of the Flying Boat, Jiang Lei, Jiang Cheng’s real father, was directing the workers.
“Check the inventory again! Double-check everything. Our buyer this time is meticulous, so be extra careful and make sure there are no mistakes!”
Jiang Cheng’s parents, Jiang Lei and Zhou Wenqi, actually run a logistics company, and what they do for work is somewhat unclear even to Sun Qing and Zhou Wen Yue.
All they know is that this couple is always on the road, hardly returning home once a year.
This can’t be blamed on Sun Qing for not inquiring, because Jiang Lei and Zhou Wenqi are in the logistics business, mainly doing purchasing for clients.
Simply put, they buy items required by their clients in Liang Kingdom from the neighboring countries.
This time, Jiang Lei and his team were transporting top-notch “Gold-Threaded Sandalwood.”
It’s expensive, can be used for decoration, and also serves as a material for refining tools.
Within Liang Kingdom, there’s always a demand but no consistent supply.
Having instructed the workers, Jiang Lei headed to the pilot’s cabin of the Flying Boat, where he said to his wife, “After this delivery, we’ll be just in time for Xiang State.”
Zhou Wenqi nodded, “I wonder how Jiang Cheng is doing.”
Jiang Lei poured a glass of water for Zhou Wenqi and handed it over, saying, “The last time I heard from your cousin’s husband, Jiang Cheng drew some Talisman and made a small sum. I hope the lad doesn’t get carried away. Tens of thousands of Low-grade Spirit Stones actually aren’t much.”
“For him, it’s already a lot. Besides, it’s better than when you were his age.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Jiang Lei said, wrapping his arm around his wife’s waist, “When I was his age, I had already found a wife. What about him? Can he compare to me?”
Zhou Wenqi replied discontentedly, “That’s all the capability you have.”
“Getting such a beautiful wife isn’t a capability? Think about the guys in your class back then; they nearly slaughtered me!”
Zhou Wenqi rolled her eyes at Jiang Lei, “What’s the use of a female Cultivator just being pretty? Right now, I just hope our Jiang Cheng finds an ordinary female Cultivator who’s kind and caring. He doesn’t need to accomplish great things, just have a stable job and live a peaceful life.”