The Power of Black Powder

Next, Murong Huai wrote down the formula for the gunpowder on another sheet of paper: a ratio of 75% saltpeter, 10% sulfur, and 15% charcoal.

"Next, I need to prepare the gunpowder and craft the cannonballs."

Murong Huai set down his pen. Without realizing it, several hours had passed, and the sky was already growing dark, so he lay down to rest.

--The next day.

Murong Huai rose early to begin mixing the gunpowder. He intended to focus solely on manufacturing the Red Barbarian Cannon over the next few days; skipping his cultivation for a few days would have little impact on him, and his top priority now was to successfully build the Red Barbarian Cannon.

Grinding the three ingredients into granular form, he then measured and mixed them according to his ratio. Murong Huai was highly skilled in these tasks, and before long, a batch of Black Powder was ready.

"Holy Son, is this the Black Powder you spoke of?" Tu Zhen asked, looking at the powder, which appeared different from ordinary gunpowder, with a puzzled expression.

"Indeed, Black Powder. It is far more powerful than standard gunpowder. Let's test it and see." As he spoke, Murong Huai scooped up a portion of the Black Powder, poured it into a mold, attached a fuse, and placed it against a wall.

"Everyone, stand back! Don't get too close!"

Murong Huai ordered the guards to retreat five or six meters before igniting the fuse with a fire starter.

The fuse burned down bit by bit until it vanished into the mold. Three seconds later, under Murong Huai's expectant gaze, a deafening boom erupted. The mold exploded with tremendous force, sending a shockwave of air surging toward the sky.

"What was that!"

"It sounded like it came from the backyard!"

"Oh no, the Young Master is in danger!"

Following the explosion of the Black Powder, the servants and maids within the Murong Mansion activated their martial souls and rushed toward the backyard. It was only then that one could see that dozens of the servants and maids in the Murong Mansion were all at least at the level of a Soul Elder.

In the backyard, the scene was one of utter chaos. The wall where the Black Powder had been placed was reduced to rubble, and the air was thick with the acrid smell of smoke.

In the second before the blast, Tu Zhen had already stepped in front of Murong Huai and erected a defensive barrier, leaving Murong Huai completely unharmed.

The other guards were not as fortunate; they were blown backward by the force of the explosion and collapsed to the ground. Fortunately, they had maintained a distance of five or six meters, otherwise, their armor would likely have been shattered to pieces.

Seeing the power of the blast, Murong Huai was somewhat surprised.

Good heavens, that was only a small amount of Black Powder, yet the power is this great? Could it be that the environment of the Douluo Continent is different, and with the nourishment of soul power, the quality of the raw materials is superior?

Regardless, it was a success. The Black Powder research is complete, and its power is comparable to the self-detonation of a Soul Ancestor! If I increase the quantity, the power should be even greater.

If such a small amount of Black Powder could produce such terrifying power, then with a full load and the Red Barbarian Cannon, the destructive potential would be—tsk, tsk, tsk...

"Ho, Holy Son... this..." Tu Zhen was also stunned by the power of the Black Powder. Just as he was about to speak, a beautiful figure appeared in the backyard, followed by the rest of the household.

The person who arrived was none other than Wu Xianyun. She surveyed the wreckage in the backyard and then looked at Murong Huai, saying anxiously:

"Huai'er, what happened? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Mother. I was just researching gunpowder," Murong Huai replied, shaking his head.

Hearing this, Wu Xianyun was taken aback and asked in confusion:

"Ah? Gunpowder? You say this is gunpowder? It has such immense power?"

"Yes. Fireworks use ordinary gunpowder, but this is Black Powder. Its power is several, if not over a dozen times greater," Murong Huai explained, then continued:

"If I can build a cannon and fire this Black Powder, it will absolutely be a weapon of war."

Upon hearing Murong Huai's words, Wu Xianyun pondered for a moment. She quickly realized the value of this Black Powder. She looked at the people around her, and suddenly, her soul power surged. Eight soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black—descended, and the Nine Profound Sword appeared in her hand. The pressure of a Soul Douluo erupted instantly.

The guards and servants present were immediately pressed to the ground. Wu Xianyun looked at them coldly and said:

"From this moment on, until I return, no one is allowed to leave the Murong Mansion. Anyone who disobeys will be executed on the spot!!"

"We will strictly obey the Hall Master's orders."

"Yes, Madam."

Afterward, Wu Xianyun withdrew her pressure and looked at Murong Huai, saying:

"Huai'er, come with me to the Pope Palace. Tu Zhen, guard everyone here. If anyone dares to leave, kill them immediately!!"

"Yes, Hall Master Wu."

With that, Wu Xianyun hurried away with Murong Huai. As a Platinum Bishop of the Martial Soul Hall, Wu Xianyun possessed a sharp eye; she could see at a glance that the value this Black Powder brought to the Martial Soul Hall was immeasurable.

If it weren't for the fact that everyone present was loyal to the Martial Soul Hall and the Murong Mansion, she would have executed them all without leaving a single survivor.

Pope Palace.

"What? Hall Master Wu, is this true? You say the power of that Black Powder is comparable to the self-detonation of a Soul Ancestor!!"

Wu Xianyun had brought Murong Huai to the Pope Palace to report the incident to Qian Daoliu.

"That is correct, Your Holiness. I saw it with my own eyes."

"Yes, and that wasn't even the maximum amount," Murong Huai added. Seeing that Qian Daoliu still looked somewhat skeptical, Murong Huai took out another portion of Black Powder, pulled out his fire starter, and whispered:

"Uh, should we test it again? This amount is even larger."

The group exchanged glances and nodded.

BOOM!!!

Smelling the acrid smoke lingering in the air, Qian Daoliu was filled with astonishment. Although the power was not overwhelming, if every soldier in Martial Soul Hall were equipped with it, then...

Thinking of this, Qian Daoliu looked at Murong Huai.

"Huai'er, can this Black Powder be mass-produced?"

Murong Huai nodded. "Of course. The raw materials are inexpensive, so mass production is no problem at all. If we can manufacture the Red Barbarian Cannon I designed, the two combined would increase the power several times over, allowing us to slay enemies from thousands of meters away."

"Red Barbarian Cannon? What is that? Slaying enemies from a thousand meters away?" Qian Daoliu asked, puzzled.

"Well... it is a tool I designed to launch this Black Powder, capable of being mounted on warships."

Hearing this, Qian Daoliu's eyes lit up. If such a weapon could be mounted on warships, the success rate of attacking Sea God Island would increase significantly. After pondering for a moment, he said:

"Huai'er, are you certain this Red Barbarian Cannon has such power?"

Murong Huai nodded. "As long as the manufacturing goes well, absolutely. I have already drawn up the blueprints, though I haven't had the chance to have them forged yet."

Upon hearing this, Qian Daoliu stated directly:

"Good. In that case, I will assign several master craftsmen to you and open a separate workshop to assist you in forging this Red Barbarian Cannon."

Initially, Qian Daoliu had not paid much attention to Murong Huai's previous words, assuming they were a joke. But now, having seen the power of the Black Powder, he had to take it seriously. If he could obtain such a weapon of war, what did losing a few warships matter?

"Thank you, Teacher!" Murong Huai felt a surge of joy.

Qian Daoliu nodded, then recalled something and asked:

"By the way, who else knows about this?"

Hearing this, Wu Xianyun replied:

"Your Excellency the Pope, do not worry. Those who know of this are subordinates of the Martial Soul Sanctuary and servants of the Murong Mansion; they are all trustworthy."

Hearing Wu Xianyun's words, Qian Daoliu nodded. "That is good. Mighty Lion Douluo, for this period, you will follow Huai'er and ensure his safety."

Mighty Lion Douluo, standing to the side, hurriedly cupped his hands.

"Yes, Your Excellency the Pope."