Tyrannical Mechanism Art

The Tyrannical Mechanism Art

The next morning, in the rear courtyard of Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.

Yan Lingji lounged lazily on a soft couch, her nine fox tails fanned out behind her, her peach-blossom eyes lowered.

She'd spent the entire night being thoroughly worked over as a sword scabbard.

Xiaomeng sat on a stone stool, sipping tea. Tide Enchantress leaned against the corridor, toying with spirit flowers, while Snow Maiden huddled in a corner, holding her flute in silence.

"Master dear..." Yan Lingji began. "It's time to organize the army today, isn't it?"

"Of course." Jiang Ce's voice rang in the women's minds. "And besides the army, we need to establish the foundations of the Net."

A tentacle slipped out from beneath Yan Lingji's skirt and patted her on the head.

"The army shouldn't be difficult." A glint flashed in Yan Lingji's peach-blossom eyes.

"I've already planted mental suggestions in those noble-born officers. They'll obey orders without question.

"An army that moves as one is far stronger than a rabble of scattered soldiers."

"Exactly," Jiang Ce said. "Mental suggestions will let them deploy battle formations and even perform Martial Soul Fusion, making them all the more formidable. But training is still essential."

The women nodded.

Xiaomeng set down her teacup. "When the Qin State swept across the six realms, it relied on the Iron Eagle Sharpshooters. They had excellent heavy armor, Qin crossbows with a range of three hundred meters and an effective killing range of one hundred and fifty.

"Crossbowmen, infantry, chariots, and cavalry each had clearly defined roles. 'Strong crossbows in front, pikes and halberds behind.' With that powerful strategy, they swept across the land."

"Xiaomeng, you know so much." Yan Lingji tilted her head.

Xiaomeng snorted and turned away.

"Simply copying the Qin army's organization won't be enough," Jiang Ce said. "We can reinforce the heavy armor with materials from this world, and tame Soul Beasts for mounts."

"You mean heavy cavalry, Master?" Yan Lingji's eyes lit up.

"Of course. Heavy cavalry have terrifying impact. Equip them with heavy crossbows, and their lethality will be even greater."

Jiang Ce considered the matter.

Armies in this world were mainly composed of infantry. Even their cavalry used only cold weapons, and bows and crossbows were not deployed on a large scale.

Little Scumbag had made his name with Tang Sect Hidden Weapons.

The Godly Zhuge Crossbow fired forty-eight bolts at once. Even a Soul Saint could suffer from it.

The hidden weapons had later been recalled and destroyed, but the idea behind them was clear.

If the hidden weapons of a second-rate sect could provide such an advantage,

then bringing over the Mohist Mechanism Arts from The Legend of Qin and the Gongshu Family's mechanism arts, and improving them with Soul Tools—

would create an army that could sweep all before it.

"But, Master dear..." Yan Lingji smiled as she stroked the tentacle in front of her. "None of us knows how to make crossbows. You'll have to figure that out."

The tentacle smacked her pert bottom. Her nine fox tails quivered violently.

"Strong bows and powerful crossbows should be made by the most suitable person," Jiang Ce said after a pause. "And we'll need mechanism arts, too."

"The Gongshu Family's Tyrannical Mechanism Art?" Tide Enchantress arched a brow, thinking of the Mohist Mechanism Arts, which were best suited to war.

"Of course."

Jiang Ce reached out a tentacle and lifted the dull gray Stone Bead.

A crimson-gold light flowed through it, and something seemed to stir inside.

Yan Lingji blinked. "Master, are you summoning another sister?"

"Summoning."

Snow Maiden and Tide Enchantress exchanged a glance.

So this bead was what had brought them here.

Jiang Ce poured his spiritual power into the Stone Bead.

Boom—the crimson-gold light burst out, illuminating the entire courtyard.

The light gathered into a vortex, stretching a link toward another world.

As Yan Lingji conquered Heaven Dou Imperial City, the map of The Legend of Qin had also expanded.

His spiritual power rapidly searched Xianyang City and soon locked onto a side hall.

A bald old man in purple robes sat at a desk, a finely crafted bronze mechanical hand in place of his left.

Gongshu Chou.

The current inheritor of the Tyrannical Mechanism Art.

"You'll do," Jiang Ce murmured. "Fairy, come with me."

Yan Lingji was pulled into the vortex.

Xianyang City, side hall.

Gongshu Chou was sketching on a blueprint when a breeze suddenly swept through.

He looked up, his cloudy old eyes flying wide.

A woman had appeared in the hall.

She wore a black-and-red dress, with fox ears and tails. Her peach-blossom eyes tilted upward, and her red lips curled in a half-smile.

From head to toe, she radiated the allure of a bewitching enchantress.

"This—" The charcoal pencil slipped from Gongshu Chou's hand and hit the floor.

Before he could say another word, the fox-spirit beauty's eyes suddenly shone blue.

Heavenly Illusion.

Gongshu Chou's consciousness sank into chaos, and his body went rigid.

Black tentacles surged from Yan Lingji's chest and touched his forehead.

Memories copied. Abilities copied.

The blueprints for Earth-Breaking Three, the improvements to the Hundred-Battle Divine Crossbow, every secret of the Tyrannical Mechanism Art...

Jiang Ce read them all.

"The Gongshu Family's Tyrannical Mechanism Art is ours," Jiang Ce said, satisfied.

At the same time, he felt the repulsion of this time and space.

An invisible force squeezed him, trying to drive him out.

"Looks like you'll have to seize more luck and national fortune—or grow stronger—if you want to stay here permanently," Jiang Ce said. "We're leaving."

Yan Lingji flashed away, vanishing from the hall.

A moment later, Gongshu Chou slowly opened his eyes and groggily rubbed his head.

"A fox spirit?... Was I dreaming? Her figure was too blurry to make out." Muttering, he bent to pick up his charcoal pencil. He had the strange feeling that something had been copied from him, but he couldn't say what.

He shook his head and bent back over his work.

Rear courtyard of Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.

Yan Lingji reappeared, her nine tails swaying and her peach-blossom eyes smiling.

"Master, we're back."

Snow Maiden and Tide Enchantress hurried over. "What just happened?"

"Obviously, I went to get something good." Yan Lingji's lips curled. "The Tyrannical Mechanism Art is ours."

The women drew in sharp breaths.

"The Gongshu Family's closely guarded secret?" Tide Enchantress's pupils contracted.

"Exactly." Jiang Ce's tentacles swayed.

"With it, we can build an invincible army."

The Tang Sect was only a second-rate sect, and some warriors who practiced body-tempering arts could even ignore hidden weapons.

Yet in this world, Zhao Wuji—a level-seventy-six Soul Saint with the Vajra Bear Beast Martial Soul—

had been pierced by Ox-Hair Needles wielded by a level-twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster.

They said the Ox-Hair Needles could break through the inner force of a body's protective aura.

But the truth was, the Mysterious Heaven Skill and mechanism arts of a second-rate sect could run rampant in this world.

He gathered his thoughts, and his voice rang in the women's minds. "The Tyrannical Mechanism Art isn't limited to powerful bows and crossbows."

"Earth-Breaking Three—tunnels underground to breach cities, unstoppable."

"Hundred-Battle Divine Crossbow—one bolt splits into many; they explode on impact and cover a terrifying area."

"Earth-Breaking Seven—can infiltrate, crack mechanisms, gather intelligence, and serve as a deadly assassination weapon."

"Mechanism Warships and Three-Zhang Bat Wings—sea and air superiority, three-dimensional warfare. They can even let ordinary soldiers fly."

The women's eyes gleamed.

And with the Tyrannical Mechanism Art as a foundation, Jiang Ce could combine his modern-day insights with this world's Soul Tool technology and create even more terrifying weapons.

Mechs.

Tanks, rocket launchers, drones.

It was time to give the local natives a taste of a crushing technological advantage.

Yan Lingji seemed to sense something. She turned toward Jiang Ce, her peach-blossom eyes full of mischief. "Master dear, are you thinking up another bad idea?"

"Enough chatter." Jiang Ce cleared his throat. "My little enchantresses, it's time to get to work."