An aeth engine was the core component of a ship, similar to how a foundation was to a rune array.
There was no lack of merchant and civilian ships in the empire, which came in various styles and were equipped with a variety of functions.
However, the ship Old Mo referred to was different from the others. It was called the Violet Hero Battleship and was an important strategic weapon for the army.
In the Ziyao Empire, battleships were categorized into three classes: small, medium and large.
For example, the Silver Eagle Battleship Shi Yu had arrived in was the newest medium-scale battleship designed by the empire’s Divine Workshop. It could carry over a thousand people and was equipped with rune battle cannons boasting terrifying destructive power.
The Violet Hero Battleship Old Mo sought to remodel was a small-scale battleship. Moreover, it was the empire's most famous and classic battleship which had been improved dozens of times over the past few hundred years and had currently reached a certain level of perfection.
In other words, the Violet Hero Battleship no longer had any room for improvement.
However, Old Mo was of a different opinion. He believed the core of a battleship was the aeth engine, and the core of the aeth engine was the rune array. Since it was a rune array, it possessed unlimited possibilities!
Old Mo was a rune grandmaster who had dwelled in the art for many years. As such, he deduced that the Violet Hero Battleship’s power would undergo a complete transformation if he could figure out a way to replace the Moonlight Array with the Treasure Light Gold Flame Array.
He had worked tirelessly on this project for several months, testing and researching various possibilities. However, all of his experiments had ultimately ended in failure.The problem did not lie in the aeth engine but the rune array.
Rune arrays were classified into four levels: basic, intermediate, advance and peak.
The Treasure Light Gold Fire Array was an intermediate-level rune array. Its most prominent feature was its ability to absorb sun and moon essences to produce a terrifying power called gold fire.
The Moonlight Array was a basic rune array that could absorb moon essence at night. Although it could also produce tremendous power, it was clearly a level lower than the Treasure Light Gold Flame Array.
Regretfully, this was the Violet Hero Battleship’s limit. Its specifications and materials made it very difficult for it to utilize a higher grade rune array.
The only way was for the Violet Hero Battleship to be completely redesigned from scratch. However, could you still call it the Violet Hero Battleship then? Moreover, it was a classic ship that had been slowly perfected over the past hundreds of years by countless rune grandmasters and was already considered perfect by many.
Even someone with Old Mo’s capabilities did not dare to claim he could single-handedly redesign the Violet Hero Battleship from scratch.
Hence, Old Mo could only attempt to find a breakthrough from the aeth engine; more specifically, he needed to find a new rune array to replace the original rune array.
However, after countless failures, Old Mo realized how difficult this was to achieve. If not for the news brought back by Xiaoman today, he would have probably given up.
This was precisely why Lin Xun’s appearance and subsequent declaration that he could solve the problem filled Old Mo’s heart with expectation.
However, it also made him feel extremely worried. He was a rune grandmaster. Moreover, it would not be overly arrogant for him to declare that he was first-class even amongst all the rune grandmasters in the empire!
Could a thirteen-year-old boy like Lin Xun solve a problem even a great master like Old Mo could not?
Although Old Mo was highly skeptical, he honestly had no options left and could only pray for a miracle.
Swish swish swish!
While Old Mo was fretting, Lin Xun picked up the rune brush, bent over the stage, and began to draw on a piece of paper.
The sharp brush tip which had been dipped in the most ordinary black ink gracefully danced on the white paper in a skillful manner with stroke after stroke practically flowing from it.
If the strokes were closely examined, one would realize that they gave off a feeling of boldness and stability with no hint of frivolous lightness.
Old Mo’s eyes could not help but brighten at this sight. Rune masters highly valued penmanship. Penmanship differed from person to person, and each individual had their own unique style such as: strangely fluttery, light and elegant, bold and gorgeous, strong and forceful, etc.
Lin Xun’s movements were carefree, graceful, agile, and skillful like drifting clouds or flowing water. The strokes he drew were modest, stable, and imposing.
This was not merely strong fundamentals, but someone who had already developed his own style!
This was rare to see!
At the very least, none of the rune masters Old Mo knew could achieve this level when they were thirteen.
Old Mo’s expectations grew, his gaze changing slightly when he looked towards Lin Xun. This is no simple kid!
However, when Old Mo saw the rune array Lin Xun was drawing, he immediately frowned and said, “Isn’t this the Qingyi True Wood Array?”
Lin Xun continued to draw, focused as if not he had not heard what had been said.
At his current capabilities, he was unable to set up a complete rune array. However, drawing a sketch was child’s play.
Upon seeing that Lin Xun did not respond, Old Mo could not really say anything else. However, the more he observed the more he felt that something was wrong. When he saw that Lin Xun was going to draw a Mud-Light Dipper-Mountain Array next, Old Mo immediately slammed his hands on a table and said, “Wrong, wrong. You plan on using these two arrays as a medium to bridge the other two rune arrays right? Give up, I’ve tried this method before and it doesn’t work!”
Lin Xun frowned. He was getting annoyed by the interruptions, causing him to coldly stare at Old Mo, “Just because you can’t doesn’t mean others cannot. If you don’t believe me, I can leave!”
Old Mo’s expression froze. He forcibly suppressed his anger and said, “You’ve got balls, kid. I'm interested to see what you’re going to cook up!”
Lin Xun ignored Old Mo and returned to his work, painting a picture of concentration and focus.
He had studied runes under Mister Lu since young and it had practically been his whole life while he lived in the mine prison.
Like Mister Lu, Lin Xun hated being interrupted while drawing runes. This might also be why rune masters were known to be oddballs with strange temperaments.
Although this made Old Mo feel increasingly angry, it also increased his expectations. Is this kid really so confident?
Old Mo decided to continue observing
As time passed, sheet after sheet was quickly filled with complicated rune arrays. Four completely different rune arrays were produced in the short span of half an hour.
Old Mo grew increasingly confused, no longer able to understand Lin Xun’s intentions. What does the kid plan on doing with so many rune arrays?
Old Mo felt both bewildered and expectant. Regardless of whether Lin Xun would succeed, it was already amazing that he could so precisely and perfectly draw so many rune arrays at the young age of thirteen.
Old Mo rubbed his chin as he gazed at the side silhouette of Lin Xun’s focused figure. A question suddenly struck Old Mo: Who was the teacher of this astonishing youngster?
“Old Mo, what do you think?” Xiaoman had walked over at some unknown time. Arms crossed, she watched Lin Xun with slight curiosity.
With her skin-tight leather clothes, fair skin, pretty and sexy face, and long shapely legs, casually standing there gave her an attractive and languid charm.
This was the power of an extraordinary beauty. Every smile and every action was just somehow naturally alluring.
Old Mo secretly swallowed as eyes quickly darted across Xiaoman’s astonishing mounds. He icily snorted, “What do you mean by what do I think? This kid has such a temper, who knows what nonsense he’s up to?”
Xiaoman was surprised, “Even you can’t tell what he’s doing? Old Mo, you’re a rune grandmaster who can never shut up about how amazing you are…”
Before she could finish, Old Mu’s expression darkened as he bellowed, “What does a woman like you know about runes? Is a matter between rune masters something someone like you can comment about?!”
Xiaoman frowned and disdainfully retorted, “Stop trying to act like you’re something special. I might not understand any of this, but I do know how to dig out the eyes of a lecherous old man.”
Old Mo’s body went rigid. He embarrassedly withdrew his gaze and sighed, “Sigh, you’re too much, lass. Always dressing so provocatively when you have such a sexy body. I don’t even know where to look when you’re around.”
He acted as if he had been deeply wronged.
Xiaoman snorted in contempt, “Stop jesting. I'm asking you how’s it going.”
Old Mo looked at Lin Xun with a complicated expression, “I can only recognize the rune arrays he’s drawing but I don’t know what he intends to do with them. Nor can I figure out what relation these arrays have with the aeth engine.”
There was a rare trace of dejection in his voice.
Xiaoman was taken aback. As she watched Lin Xun’s focused face, she mumbled, “A serious man is indeed the most handsome…”
Old Mo could not help but roll his eyes, “I’m always focused on my work but I’ve never heard you say that.”
Xiaoman giggled, “You’re too ugly, you rotten geezer. How can you compare to such a young and fresh handsome boy?”
Old Mo asked, “Is this an old cow going after fresh shoots? He’s only thirteen, don’t ruin him!”
Xiaoman disdainfully said, “Just say it if you're jealous. Stop being so fake in front of me.”
Old Mu flushed in embarrassment and snorted.
He knew that he could not win Xiaoman in an argument. After all, debating with a woman was the most foolish thing someone could do.
Lin Xun suddenly stood up. He put down the rune brush, turned around and handed a stack of papers to Old Mo, “Done.”
Done?
Old Mo and Xiaoman were stunned. They could not help but stop bickering and their gazes turned towards the stack of papers.