In the eyes of the little people, the giant, golden hand inlaid with colorful gems descended with a BOOM upon the rocky ground.
The force of that single slap was terrifying.
The earth instantly caved in, forming a large depression.
Then, the golden hand swept left, then right, smoothing all the uneven terrain as easily as brushing away dust.
A collective gasp of awe rose from the crowd. "The Tianzun works his magic! Such majesty!"
Once the ground was level, the giant hand pressed down firmly, compacting the earth. Then it withdrew into the clouds. When it reappeared, it was holding a massive structure, lowering it gently from the heavens.
The building was as large as "Gao Fortress," covering a vast area. It wasn't just a main building; there were side wings too. Several structures formed a square, encircling a huge field in the center—like the parade grounds where soldiers practiced drills in a military camp.
It descended slowly, settling perfectly onto the flattened ground the golden hand had prepared. The hand gave the massive structure a final press, tamping down the soil beneath any uneven corners, then retracted once more into the clouds.
The old villagers were somewhat accustomed to such sights. Beyond their awe, they didn't react excessively. But "Lantern-Lighter" Zhao Sheng and the newly arrived teachers were another matter. They stood dumbstruck, several of them dropping to their knees immediately, kowtowing frantically toward the sky.
Only then did Gao Yiye speak. "The Tianzun says what he has just bestowed is called a 'school,' a place for our children to learn. Teachers, please take the children inside to look around."
Those who were kowtowing scrambled to their feet, leading the children as they charged toward the school.
The enormous field, the orderly classroom buildings... Entering the main hall, they found neat, bright rectangular classrooms. The teachers and students couldn't contain their joy.
It was at this moment Li Daoxuan noticed a problem.
When the little people moved about in old-fashioned, one- or two-story houses, he could see them through the windows even when they were inside. But modern multi-story buildings were different. This school was five floors high with a complex interior layout.
When the little people walked the corridors on the first floor, flanked by classrooms, Li Daoxuan could only see those inside the rooms through the windows, not those in the hallways.
This is a bit troublesome. If I introduce more buildings like this in the future, it'll be harder for me to protect them.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a flash of light emanated from the crate…
And then, he realized he could see through it.
Not exactly "see-through," but he could shift his "focus." When he thought about observing the school's corridors, a mysterious power from the crate allowed him to perceive through the walls, directly viewing the little people in the hallways. He could even fine-tune his hearing to listen only to the sounds from that specific area.
"Tsk!" Li Daoxuan couldn't help but glance at the "Salvation Index." With the arrival of the three thousand Qingjian refugees, the index had risen significantly. The crate had granted him a new function.
A very useful function.
Its applications included, but were not limited to… peeking… Ahem.
Clearly, this power required self-restraint. A gentleman does not look or listen where he should not. Li Daoxuan might not be as eccentric as Bai Yuan, but he should strive to hold himself to a gentleman's standard, to be worthy of his own conscience.
He shifted his attention back to the crate, focusing on the school's corridor…
"One classroom like this can easily hold fifty children," Teacher Wang calculated on his fingers. "We have over four hundred children now. We'd need fewer than ten classrooms to fit them all. This building has five floors, with about ten rooms on each. We could accommodate thousands more students! Amazing. A celestial realm school truly takes one's breath away."
Zhao Sheng panted, "Huff… huff… It's just… climbing stairs… is a bit… tiring… cough… This building… has five stories… so many steps… the corridors are so long too… Why is this building… so big…"
Everyone else: "…"
Teacher Wang patted Zhao Sheng's shoulder sympathetically. "Master Zhao, I think you need to do the broadcast calisthenics twice a day from now on. More than the children, you seem to need it."
Zhao Sheng wiped sweat from his brow. "Agreed… This lowly one… cough… indeed needs… to exercise… a bit… cough…"
The others broke out in a sweat. "Please, catch your breath before speaking. We're worried you'll pass out."
Teacher Wang clapped his hands. "Let's head to the workshop district immediately. We need to commission carpenters for desks and chairs. For the first batch, we need ten classrooms, five hundred sets. This is no small job. We'll need a master artisan to oversee it, hiring many carpenters, apprentices, even the labor reform convicts to help. We must get this school operational as soon as possible."
Watching the teachers bustling about from above, Li Daoxuan thought, Great. If everyone works proactively, the school will be up and running soon. Let Teacher Wang be the principal. Zhao Sheng… as the P.E. teacher? Would that be too mischievous? Pfft… hahaha!
Never mind. Let's find someone else for P.E. Zhao Sheng can be a vice-principal.
His mind was full of school planning when he saw San Shier hurry into the school grounds. Looking around in awe, he approached Gao Yiye and whispered, "Saintess, that picture-book you wanted printed… it's ready."
Gao Yiye's face lit up. "Really? It's done? Take me, take me to see it!"
San Shier glanced at the teachers and children touring the school and lowered his voice further. "You still need to relay messages for the Tianzun, don't you? Now might not be the best time…"
Li Daoxuan chuckled to himself and decided to help out. "Yiye," he projected his voice, "I'm going to visit a friend. Tell everyone not to look for me today."
With that, he decisively closed the crate's lid, cutting off Gao Yiye's view of him.
Seeing the low cloud disperse, Gao Yiye was overjoyed. "The Tianzun has gone to play with other immortals! He won't be here today. No need for me to relay messages! And… hehehe… with the Tianzun away, it's the perfect time to bring out that book."
San Shier shook his head with a wry smile. Fine. The Saintess wants to be mischievous, and I'm enabling her. Who knows what the Tianzun will think when he returns and sees that strange little book.
Well, we'll find out soon enough.
San Shier led Gao Yiye to the printing workshop.
Inside, two hundred copies of the picture-book were already stacked. They had blue covers, bound with cotton thread. The cover featured a dignified, solemn portrait of the "Daoist Mystic Tianzun" with a bold title beside it: "The Tale of the Daoist Mystic Tianzun Vanquishing Demons."
(Fact: The "broadcast calisthenics" mentioned is a real, enduring part of Chinese school life—a set of standardized exercises performed to music, originally introduced in the 1950s to promote national fitness. Teacher Wang's suggestion that the scholarly, out-of-shape Zhao Sheng needs it more than the kids is a timeless joke that would resonate with any modern Chinese student or office worker.)
(Fact: The school's rapid construction and the villagers' immediate, practical response (ordering desks, planning staffing) reflects a deeply ingrained Confucian value: 務實 (wùshí) — pragmatism and emphasis on tangible results. While awed by the "celestial" origin, their first instinct isn't just to worship it, but to make it work. This blend of reverence and practicality is a hallmark of Chinese folk religious and community behavior.)