Star Luo Crisis, Sea God Pavilion Decree
The Blood God Legion's workshops were hidden in a row of semi-underground stone houses on the north side of the main camp. The ventilation pipes extended from under the ice layer, looking like several black iron chimneys from a distance.
Even before you get close, you can hear the sounds of hammers and grinding wheels.
Before dawn, the workshop was already glowing red with heat.
Wang Weimin led Yun Jingheng to a separate Workbench at the very back.
On the table were several pieces of dismantled Abyss carapace, two standard soul-guided swords with broken blades, and a set of old armor corroded by the Bee Emperor's poisonous mist.
Several of the most experienced craftsmen in the workshop were squatting beside the platform. When they saw Yun Jingheng enter, they all stood up.
"It's a small place, don't mind it," Wang Weimin said.
His eyes were bloodshot, but he was in excellent spirits.
Yun Jingheng didn't stand on ceremony.
He opened the stack of files and then had Half-Sweet Coffee project the structural diagram onto the wall.
A blue light spread out, revealing a very simple silver-gray short gun in front of everyone.
It is not as boxy as Federation standard weapons, nor does it have many protective plates.
The barrel is slightly thick, and a semi-transparent crystal chamber is connected to the rear of the gun. The whole gun is only a little over a foot long.
This is the basic version.
Yun Jingheng pointed to the projection, "The core consists of three parts: the energy chamber, the converter, and the nozzle. The energy chamber is filled with compressed Soul Power."
"The converter is responsible for activating the energy in the Soul Power into a plasma state. The nozzle is lined with Star-Pattern Silver and covered with a layer of Scarlet Flame Copper."
"Once it's made, a single shot can penetrate a normal Abyss creature. If it's modified into a longer tube, the penetration power will be even higher."
Yun Jingheng pointed at the projection, "The core is in the converter. When Soul Power is compressed to a certain degree and then penetrates through the converter, it will form an extremely short plasma jet."
"When the jet comes into contact with the Abyss shell, it will tear apart the shell's energy structure from the inside. Therefore, its power does not depend on the amount of Soul Power, but on whether the converter can stimulate the Soul Power to a critical state in a very short time."
Wang Weimin frowned. "What if the ordinary soldiers don't have enough Soul Power?"
"That's why we need an energy capsule."
Yun Jingheng said, "Inject Soul Power in advance, compress it into a liquid state, and seal it in the crystal chamber. When fighting, only a small portion is released, so the user doesn't need to output any power themselves."
"Even an ordinary person can pull the trigger. A standard energy capsule, at full power, can fire fifteen to twenty rounds, but the power decreases as energy is consumed. The last few rounds can only penetrate, not disintegrate."
"Fifteen shots will do."
Wang Weimin's eyes lit up. "The old-fashioned Soul Tool Gun on our positions overheat after firing seven or eight rounds. This thing can fire fifteen rounds and can be disassembled. If we equip each outpost with ten, it should be enough to withstand a round of attack."
"The barrel is key."
Yun Jingheng switched the projection to the cross-section of the gun barrel. "The nozzle must be lined with Star-Pattern Silver and covered with Scarlet Flame Copper. Star-Pattern Silver conducts heat quickly, Scarlet Flame Copper is heat-resistant."
"With two layers, the barrel is less likely to explode. The inner liner also needs to be made into a cone shape, becoming thinner towards the exit. This way, the jet will continuously accelerate inside the barrel, and the disintegrating force will only truly be generated at the moment of exiting the barrel."
A bald, experienced craftsman leaned closer to examine the projection and asked, "How thin can this Star-Pattern Silver lining be made?"
"The thickest part is half an inch, and the thinnest part is no more than a millimeter."
Yun Jingheng said, "That's why we can't use a lathe. We have to forge it by hand. First, we forge it, then we cut it, and finally we use fine sandpaper to slowly finish it. How many people in your workshop can do that?"
Wang Weimin glanced back and called out two names: "Old Zhao, A Yuan. They have the most meticulous hands. Before the Federation cut off supplies, they were the ones who repaired the Legion's high-level Soul Tool."
"Can."
Yun Jingheng looked up at them, "I won't hold back. I'll do the first one. You watch and see how, then we'll split up and do the rest."
When Yun Jingheng returned to his residence, it was already very late at night.
The Blood God Legion assigned them to a row of houses on the inner side of the main valley. There were stoves in the houses, and the doors were not tight, so cold winds blew in through the cracks, making the fires flicker.
Xie Xie and Yuanen Yehui hadn't returned yet, and Xu Xiaoyan was dozing off on her bed against the wall.
Tang Wulin stood at the doorway, his back to the inside of the house, talking to someone on a communicator.
He lowered his voice, but Yun Jingheng could still hear the urgency in it.
"Are you sure? When did this happen?" Tang Wulin asked.
He seemed to have been talking for quite a while, and he hummed in agreement a few times, but his hand clenched tighter and tighter.
Yun Jingheng didn't go over, but simply nodded to Ye Xinglan.
Ye Xinglan was adding charcoal to the stove when she saw Yun Jingheng return, so she pushed a wooden cup over to him.
The cup contained hot water, and it was still steaming.
Yun Jingheng took the drink, drank a sip, and sat down by the door.
He noticed that Tang Wulin's profile was very tense, completely different from the gentle and composed young man he used to be.
After a short while, Tang Wulin ended the call and walked in.
Xu Xiaoyan woke up too, rubbing her eyes as she looked at him.
Xie Xie and Yuanen Yehui just pushed the door open and came in, and saw Tang Wulin sitting on the edge of the bed, head down and not saying a word.
The group exchanged glances but remained silent.
"What's wrong?" Yun Jingheng asked first.
Tang Wulin raised his head, his Adam's apple bobbing. "The Tang Sect's people in the Star Luo Empire have found my parents. They... are in western Star Luo Empire, being held captive near the border."
"They're doing alright for now, they haven't suffered too much, but they can't get out. As soon as Star Luo Empire and the Federation went to war, the borders were all sealed off. They originally wanted to use the fake identities given to them by the Tang Sect to return via Star Luo Empire, but they were detained."
"Who detained them?" Yuanen Yehui asked.
"The Star Luo Empire border guards aren't targeting them; that area is now under military control, and all trade routes have been cut off."
"They couldn't leave. My parents were afraid of implicating others, so they handed over their identities themselves."
Tang Wulin said. His voice didn't tremble, but anyone could hear the underlying tension.
"Do you want to go to the Star Luo Empire now?" Ye Xinglan asked softly.
"I have to go," Tang Wulin said.
He looked at Yun Jingheng, his eyes filled with guilt, but even more so with a resolute determination that refused to back down. "I originally wanted to stay in the Far North until the very end. But those are my parents. I can't let them be locked up at the border, waiting for the two sides to start fighting."
Yun Jingheng didn't speak; he looked down at the gradually fading steam in the cup.
Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan exchanged a glance but remained silent.
Everyone knows that leaving now means that the Abyss will be one less capable fighter when it attacks again.
But the message from his parents was there, and no one could bring themselves to ask him to stay.
"It's alright, go ahead. Take care of your parents first. We'll handle things here."
Yun Jingheng stood up, patted his shoulder, and a glimmer of light flashed.
"Good."
Tang Wulin nodded, his eyes welling up with tears. "I'll be right back."
"Xiao Yan, Xie Xie, Yuan En." Yun Jingheng pondered for a moment and took out a jade token from his Storage Soul Tool.
The three of them were startled and stood up abruptly.
"I took over this position the night I left Shrek, and it's been some time now. As the current Sea God Pavilion Master, I'm arranging for you all to accompany Tang Wulin. Do you have any objections?"
No! ×3