"The Iron Core Copper Body technique uses steel for the inner layer, with a low carbon content; Refined Iron for the middle layer to withstand pressure; and a copper sleeve on the outside to prevent the barrel from bursting. Together, they form a 'Steel Bone Iron Body' structure. The barrel walls are thin, the weight is light, and the cost is low, greatly reducing the rate of barrel explosions."
Hearing Murong Huai's words, the master craftsmen exchanged glances. They all knew iron and copper, but what was steel...?
"Um, may I ask His Highness the Holy Son, what is this steel...?"
At that, Murong Huai remembered that the Douluo Continent had no steelmaking technology yet. They only knew how to refine Refined Iron, so he gave them a rough explanation.
"Mm... steel is a metal harder than iron, and it's a type of alloy. When I return today, I'll write down the method for smelting steel, along with the structure of the new cannon barrels and shells. That's all for today."
"Yes, His Highness the Holy Son."
When he returned to Murong Mansion, Murong Huai went straight to his room and set to work drawing up plans for the new cannon barrels and the detachable carriage.
About an hour later, Murong Huai finished the plans. Next came the method for smelting steel.
"To lower iron's carbon content, we can use the Stir-Steel Method to make steel. Heat the pig iron until it's semi-molten, then use forced air or add powdered ore concentrate to oxidize and remove carbon, silicon, and other elements, thereby lowering the carbon content to obtain steel.
Ore concentrate... The gunpowder will also need some adjustments..."
Another hour passed before Murong Huai finally finished. There were sixty-eight drawings in all, covering the new cannon barrels, shells, Explosive Shells, iron and steel smelting technology, and more.
It was good to have a great power behind him. All he had to do was draw up the designs, and others would take care of the rest. If those master craftsmen couldn't build them even with the drawings in hand, they might as well go home.
After finishing everything, Murong Huai put the plans in a box and called toward the door:
"Tu Zhen, come in..."
At that, Tu Zhen opened the door and walked in.
"What are your orders, His Highness the Holy Son?"
"Take these to the West City Workshop. No one besides the master craftsmen is allowed to see them." Murong Huai handed the box to Tu Zhen.
"Yes, His Highness the Holy Son."
Tu Zhen took the box, bowed, and turned to leave. He was utterly loyal to Spirit Hall and wouldn't leak any of this.
Murong Huai yawned. "It's finally done. Being a six-year-old really isn't easy. Spirit Hall would fall apart without me."
With that, Murong Huai lay down to rest. After all, his body was only six years old, and he still got sleepy easily.
Half a month later,
On the plain outside Spirit City.
Several groups had gathered on the plain: Murong Huai, Qian Daoliu, two guardian elders, Tu Zhen and another man, more than a dozen craftsmen, and a hundred guards.
The master craftsmen had finished building everything the day before, and the Red Barbarian Cannons had undergone a complete overhaul.
The barrels used the Iron Core Copper Body technique. They were not only sturdier, with the rate of explosions greatly reduced, but also much lighter. The cannon wheels had been fitted with leather tires with ridged surfaces, making them easier to move.
Murong Huai stood atop a slope in a dark robe, his eyes bright as he scanned the three packed-earth walls eight hundred, one thousand, and fifteen hundred meters away, each with a target three or four meters high made of more than a dozen wooden stakes.
The craftsmen had built the targets overnight to test the power of the newly made Red Barbarian Cannons.
"Huai'er, let's begin. Show your teacher the weapon of war you mentioned." Qian Daoliu looked at the Red Barbarian Cannons, anticipation flashing in his eyes.
"Of course, Teacher. Just watch."
"Load! Solid Shot!" At Murong Huai's command, a craftsman quickly pushed a round iron ball into the barrel of the first Red Barbarian Cannon.
The Solid Shot weighed more than ten kilograms. Its surface was smooth as a mirror, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen in the sunlight.
Murong Huai held his breath and watched as an orange-red tongue of flame suddenly burst from the black cannon muzzle. The Solid Shot tore through the air like a meteor, hurtling toward the farthest target.
"Fire!"
Boom! A thunderous blast shook the heavens and earth. The Solid Shot smashed straight through the target eight hundred meters away. It shattered instantly, and a two-meter-wide hole ripped through the packed-earth wall. Fragments of stone rained down, but the Solid Shot kept flying for dozens of meters before finally slamming into the ground.
"His Highness the Holy Son, this Solid Shot is about twice as powerful as the last one," Xiongshi analyzed as he watched the cannonball's impact.
Murong Huai nodded, satisfied with the result.
"Of course. The new cannonball incorporates steel, making it harder while also reducing its weight. The redesigned barrel gives it an effective range of eight hundred meters and a maximum range of one thousand. Naturally, its power has increased considerably."
"Good. The power of this cannonball is already comparable to a Soul Emperor's strike." Qian Daoliu was seeing this kind of weapon for the first time, and he was astonished.
"Teacher, this is only the most basic one. The next one is where the cannon truly shows its power." Murong Huai smiled, then continued giving orders.
"Load the Hollow Shell and fill it with gunpowder."
The second cannon was loaded with greater care. The gunners pushed a hollow shell wrapped in iron into the barrel. It was filled with gunpowder and riddled with tiny holes. Once the fuse was lit,
BOOM!!
The Hollow Shell shot from the barrel and streaked a thousand meters, hitting the target directly. It didn't break apart immediately, but tumbled for a full three zhang beside the packed-earth wall.
Then it erupted with a dull, terrifying roar. A horrifying blast burst forth, and the entire packed-earth wall shattered in an instant. Clods of earth fanned outward, propelled by the explosion's force, and smashed every nearby target to pieces.
"Beautiful! Even a mid-rank Soul Emperor wouldn't dare take that blast lightly. Excellent!"
"Its power has increased several times over. Well done..."
"..."
Without pausing, Murong Huai continued issuing orders. "Prepare the third round. Load the Explosive Shell."
Loading the third cannon was more complicated. The craftsmen used a special wooden mallet to tamp down the gunpowder inside the shell. Its body was covered in grooves, and its internal structure was ingenious, designed to split into hundreds of curved iron fragments when it exploded.
Murong Huai caught the sulfur in the air and fixed his gaze on the farthest target, fifteen hundred meters away.
Boom! Unlike the destruction wrought by the first two shots, this explosion spread in a perfect sphere of devastation. The horrifying blast burst outward, and flames and thick smoke shot into the sky.
The packed-earth wall at the target's center was hurled high into the air by the shock wave. Every target within twenty paces was flung sideways, and several of the closest ones were even melted by the heat until they became ash.
Hundreds of curved iron fragments burst from the shell, reaping everything in their path like the scythes of the Death God. The farthest fragments still embedded themselves deep in the ground seventy paces away.
Watching this final Explosive Shell, everyone was shaken to the core. Its destructive power against groups was enough to turn a densely packed enemy charge into a living hell.
Qian Daoliu, too, could not calm himself. The explosion fifteen hundred meters away had been terrifying, with power on par with a high-rank Soul Emperor, or even a Soul Saint, and it had inflicted area damage. His fingers brushed over the cannon barrel, which was still warm.
The Solid Shot's precise destruction, the Hollow Shell's tactical suppression, and the Explosive Shell's mass slaughter—three kinds of ammunition, like three sharp swords, each striking exactly where soldiers needed them on the battlefield: breaching city walls, stopping cavalry, and annihilating the enemy.
The Pope of Spirit Hall stared at the shattered targets in the distance, his heart unable to settle for a long time.
Behind him, Murong Huai was extremely satisfied with the Red Barbarian Cannons' power. Their firepower was enough to match the destructive force of Level 6 or 7 Soul Tools from the era of Douluo II. But Soul Tools needed Soul Power to operate.
These Red Barbarian Cannons, on the other hand, could fire continuously as long as they had enough ammunition. And as they developed further, all kinds of firearms would emerge. Murong Huai thought to himself:
"Since the Sun Moon Empire in Douluo II developed Soul Tools, I'll lead Spirit Hall in developing firearms and other weapons. Not just Red Barbarian Cannons... guns, hand grenades, and so on will all make their appearance.
"If no one else is bringing about change, then I'll lead Spirit Hall and usher the Douluo Continent into its first Industrial Revolution!!!"
Before you continue