Zane was captivated by the ease with which his internal Qi improved daily, a sensation that made him completely fail to grasp the true difficulty of cultivation. He was still an infant, not even a year old, a fact that would have astounded figures like Guiguzi and others of the Hundred Schools of Thought.
As he carefully sensed the Qi within his body, a slight frown creased his brow. He was a Great Grandmaster, but he couldn't even begin to calculate how long it would take to advance to the mythical Immortal Master Realm. The ancient bamboo slips provided a roadmap for the lower realms, but they were completely clueless about the rumored Immortal Master Realm. He wasn't clear on the specific changes or powers he would gain. "I can only take it one step at a time," he mused. He had reached his current level in just a few months, so he was confident the Immortal Master Realm couldn't be too far off. "Two or three years at most, perhaps?" he thought, his eyes filled with anticipation.
He realized his power was incomplete. He had a great deal of internal Qi but lacked corresponding offensive techniques. He immediately began to peruse the bamboo slips, but the internal Qi techniques he found were rudimentary, lacking any miraculous qualities. After an unknown amount of time, his Extraordinary Comprehension took over once more.
You possess Extraordinary Comprehension, comprehending the knowledge of the Hundred Schools of Thought from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and have independently comprehended the internal Qi technique: Sword Qi.
He raised his hand, and a transparent Sword Qi shot out, piercing through the brick floor of the main hall with a "puchi" sound, leaving a finger-deep hole. The sound alerted the guards outside, who, being Innate Realm cultivators themselves, were greatly alarmed. They thought something had happened to their "Heavenly God" prince. Zane quickly stopped them before they could burst in. The guards were left with a mixture of confusion and awe.
Zane, however, looked at the hole with dissatisfaction. "No, it's too ordinary. What I want to comprehend is something similar to a Spell." He returned to the bamboo slips, his mind racing. Time flowed by, and his Extraordinary Comprehension went to work again.
You possess Extraordinary Comprehension, comprehending the knowledge of the Hundred Schools of Thought from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and have independently comprehended the method of water control.
His eyes lit up with comprehension. He mobilized his internal Qi, and the water in a nearby basin formed thin streams that flew up and revolved around his body. The sight was otherworldly, and he looked more extraordinary than ever. The water droplets then shot toward the ground, leaving a dense pattern of holes. Zane observed the power. If these water droplets hit a person, they would be turned into a sieve. This was the beginning of something truly supernatural. He was one step closer to becoming the rumored Immortal Master. He knew that further research would only yield minor techniques, so he once again closed his eyes and fell into cultivation. He needed to reach the Immortal Master Realm to truly be extraordinary.
The Unbelievable Truth
While Zane was silently cultivating, hoping to reach the Immortal Master Realm sooner, the rest of the world was reeling from the "truth" about the waterwheel's inventor. For three months, King Qin Ying Ji, Xun Kuang, and others in Qin had been trying to uncover the identity of the genius who had invented the waterwheel. They believed the inventor had to be an older, more experienced craftsman, perhaps a Great Master from the Hundred Schools of Thought. The notion of Ying Zichu inventing them was ludicrous.
They were right; the tools were not invented by Ying Zichu. However, the answer they received was even more shocking and unbelievable. According to Ying Zichu, the waterwheel and other tools were invented by his "Heavenly God" son out of compassion for the people of Qin.
Xun Kuang, Li Si, and the King were all in utter disbelief. How could an infant, barely able to understand the world, invent such complex and ingenious tools? Li Si shook his head, saying, "Teacher, why is Ying Zichu fabricating such a lie for a child?" He felt that Ying Zichu was foolish to think a mere waterwheel could maintain the pretense of a child being a god. The inventor behind Ying Zichu would need years to create something so complex, so how could this facade be maintained? Because of Ying Zichu's actions, Xun Kuang and others began to consider leaving Qin.
The news spread to the other great states of Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, and Wei. They were all shocked and dumbfounded, then incredulous. "Born with divine peculiarities is one thing," the King of Wei laughed heartily, "but a mere infant can also create waterwheels and other objects? Does he really want us to believe that the child is a Saint or a Heavenly God descended upon the world?" The rulers of the other states agreed. It was a preposterous claim. If the child truly possessed such a genius mind, he would have to be a Saint or a Heavenly God.
However, one thing greatly surprised them. No matter how their spies investigated, the news they received was always the same. The waterwheel and other objects seemed to have genuinely originated from the palace of that child. They didn't believe it, of course, and concluded that Ying Zichu's methods were superb and that Qin was stubbornly covering up for the child. They continued their relentless search for the master craftsman they believed was truly responsible for the miraculous inventions.