The East Sea.
The vast and magnificent sea surged with rolling blue waves.
A gigantic sailing ship was cleaving through the wind and waves. It had a heavy wooden structure, with iron plating studded with rivets covering its railings and vital points, making it look exceptionally sturdy.
It was roughly thirty zhang long and more than eight zhang wide—a massive transport vessel for ocean voyages.
Large ballistae had been installed at the bow, along the sides, and at the stern. Their bolts were over a zhang long, their arrowheads gleaming with a chilling light and looking immensely formidable. Once fired, even a Third-Order Fierce Beast would sense danger.
The ship carried vast quantities of goods: precious Glass products, paper, Snowflake Sugar, and more. Yet the largest quantity of cargo was a material called Cement.
Cement was a construction material. Whenever Profound Martial Aristocratic Clans built important structures such as houses, sluice gates, city walls, and so forth, they used a construction material called Oyster Lime.
Oyster Lime was an excellent construction adhesive. Its only problem was that it was too expensive. A single dan of Oyster Lime could cost as much as an ordinary dan of grain.
At such prices, ordinary households simply could not afford to use it. Even Profound Martial Family Clans only used this material on important buildings.
Cement was a construction material no inferior to Oyster Lime, yet a dan cost only two Big Copper—less than half the price of Oyster Lime. The instant it was introduced to the market, it became immensely popular, and the various Profound Martial Aristocratic Clans began switching to Cement one after another.
Even some ordinary commoner households would grit their teeth and use Cement when building homes. After all, it made houses more secure, sturdier, and more durable.
This massive