Chapter 134

Facing Facing Cang Luo felt this trip to Shen Bing Fang was more than worth it.

Not only had he gotten his equipment forged, but he'd also witnessed how smiths forged gear and how array masters inscribed arrays onto them.

Moreover, research on the Yuanli Battery had made a breakthrough—just a little more was needed.

Zhang Han was a Grade-Yellow Array Master, looked quite talented; surely he knew how to gather and control energy?

Facing Facing Cang Luo looked at Zhang Han with eager anticipation, hoping he had an answer to share.

Opposite him, Zhang Han frowned in confusion—he didn't understand why Facing Facing Cang Luo had suddenly asked this.

He wasn't cultivating, wasn't mastering his cultivation art, yet wasting time studying arrays.

But the question he asked was worth deep thought—it seemed to have some research value...

Concentrate the lightning energy of the Lei Guang Array into one point?

Compress the lightning to increase its power?

Zhang Han's eyes suddenly lit up—he had a gut feeling that if he delved into this problem and expanded upon it, he could greatly elevate his array mastery.

Perhaps even create an entirely new type of array mechanism.

At this moment, Zhang Han was thrilled!

He felt as if he'd just opened a door never before opened...

"Brother Zhang?"

Seeing Zhang Han distracted, Facing Facing Cang Luo softly called out.

"Huh?"

Zhang Han snapped back to attention, glanced gratefully at Facing Facing Cang Luo, thought for a moment, then said: "There's a way—just modify a few runes."

He pulled out a sheet of paper and sketched his idea, then handed it to Facing Facing Cang Luo after finishing.

Facing Facing Cang Luo glanced at it—it wasn't just a simple rune modification; even the shape of the rune chain had changed. Though he didn't understand it, he still thanked him and used the other side of the Black Obsidian Steel slab to re-inscribe it.

Two hours later, Facing Facing Cang Luo finished the inscription.

Meanwhile, Zhang Han had also completed inscribing the entire main armor of the Iron War Chariot.

Facing Facing Cang Luo didn't know what to say—he'd nearly broken his fingers inscribing just one, yet Zhang Han had inscribed at least ten in the same time!

Indeed, one shouldn't challenge a professional's expertise with one's own hobby; once the Yuanli Battery was made, he shouldn't waste time on arrays anymore.

Arrays were convenient—there were attack arrays, defense arrays—but they were never his own power; they were external tools.

As a martial artist, improving his own strength was the most important thing.

Time spent learning arrays was better spent cultivating his art.

Now he thought about it, he'd never seen anyone fight carrying a pile of array scrolls—maximum one rune weapon.

No further thought—he'd finished inscribing the array; now he needed to test its effect, but there was no one around.

It was nearly noon.

So Facing Facing Cang Luo made an excuse to go eat, found a nearby inn, rented a room, connected the two Black Obsidian Steel wires to the array, then activated it.

After more than ten minutes, the Lei Guang Array flashed blue and activated.

Facing Facing Cang Luo felt uneasy—was Zhang Han's method effective? He immediately inserted a Superior Yuan Stone into the recess at the array's core.

Then he activated the array again—the moment he did, the Superior Yuan Stone as the energy source instantly glowed.

Next, the runes forming the Lei Guang Array lit up too, but their glow was faint, pale blue—the energy of Thunder Attribute Yuan Qi.

The pale blue Thunder Attribute Yuan Qi surged rapidly along the rune chain, finally converging onto the two connected Black Obsidian Steel wires—throughout, not a single drop leaked out...

At this moment, Facing Facing Cang Luo laughed—laughed wildly, laughingly entranced!

The Yuanli Battery was complete—just connect it to the positive and negative terminals of a battery, and it could charge.

He had invented a brand-new, unprecedented energy source: small in size, immense in power, pollution-free.

Facing Facing Cang Luo could imagine—once the two worlds connected next year, and if no war broke out but peace prevailed—the Yuanli Battery would become the greatest, most valuable invention and product of the twenty-first century.

The Yuanli Battery would be applied across every industry, every field—military, civilian...

If it could charge electric motorcycles, it could charge cars, trucks, tanks.

Even power exosuits—and Iron Man armor!

If Earth could obtain vast quantities of Yuan Stones, the Yuanli Battery might replace oil—and even nuclear power!

Facing Facing Cang Luo couldn't imagine how much change the Yuanli Battery would bring to Earth.

And how much profit it would bring him...

"Shouldn't I get a share of next year's Nobel Prize?"

"Once back on Earth, I must immediately patent the Yuanli Battery—then becoming Earth's richest man will be a matter of minutes..."

Thinking of this, Facing Facing Cang Luo was thrilled, overwhelmed with excitement.

After sitting in the inn room, grinning like an idiot for half an hour, Facing Facing Cang Luo carried several jars of wine and a few small dishes back to Shen Bing Fang—he had to properly thank Zhang Han.

Without him, Facing Facing Cang Luo could never have developed the Yuanli Battery so quickly.

He arrived at the back courtyard forge workshop—fewer people now, only a few apprentices tidying up; the smiths were probably eating, but Zhang Han was still there, still inscribing arrays.

Facing Facing Cang Luo couldn't help but sigh—eighteen, Martial Spirit Third Layer, yet still so diligent—what a pity he was an array master.

Possessing such abundant Yuan Qi, yet unable to use martial techniques...

Hmm? Weren't the Iron War Chariot's armor plates all inscribed already?

Then what was he inscribing now? Had other equipment been forged?

Facing Facing Cang Luo quickened his pace—and sure enough, on the ground he saw spears and triangular flying daggers, plus several external attachments for the Iron War Chariot.

There were ten triangular flying daggers total; Facing Facing Cang Luo set down the wine and dishes, picked one up to inspect—it matched the blueprint exactly, the tail fins movable.

He glanced left and right—ten meters away stood a tree.

The next instant, Facing Facing Cang Luo hurled the triangular flying dagger—it struck the tree trunk dead center.

Facing Facing Cang Luo nodded, picked up another three-pronged flying dagger, slightly adjusted its tail fin, then threw it.

The three-pronged flying dagger, with its adjusted tail fin angle, flew in an arc toward the same tree again—but missed, scraping past the trunk and striking the wall.

Facing Facing Cang Luo frowned slightly, picked up another three-pronged flying dagger, closed his eyes to sense it, then adjusted the tail fin angle and threw it... still missed, and even farther off.

Facing Facing Cang Luo smiled unconcernedly—he knew it wouldn't be that easy; he needed diligent practice.

After retrieving the thrown three-pronged flying daggers, Facing Facing Cang Luo picked up the long spear meant for Miss Bai Li and asked suddenly, "Brother Zhang, how do you engrave arrays on a rod-shaped spear?"

Zhang Han looked up and pointed at a piece of Crimson Flame Gold being engraved: "Engrave it onto a piece of Crimson Flame Gold first, then attach it to the spear shaft. The Qi-stone slot goes at the spear's butt."

"So that's how!" Facing Facing Cang Luo nodded, opened a jar of wine, and thanked, "Brother Zhang, you've worked hard—haven't eaten yet? I brought some wine and food; take a break?"

Zhang Han took the wine jug, hesitated, then suddenly said, "Brother Cang, I'd like to learn weapon design from your master. Could you introduce me?"

Right after Facing Facing Cang Luo left, Wang Zhonghu had delivered the forged spear and three-pronged flying daggers for him to engrave arrays.

He had watched for a while, marveling at the design of the air channels and mortise-and-tenon joints, deeply impressed.

Then, a sudden insight struck him—he turned sharply toward the "Mechanical Vehicle" armor, and remembered Facing Facing Cang Luo's idea about compressing Lei Guang arrays.

He thought of a possibility.

Could he design a fitted set of rune armor, easily detachable and combinable at will?

When not worn, store it in a Storage Ring; when needed, pull it out and don it instantly?

Then he'd have combat power.

If forged with fifth-rank metal, he'd possess Wu Zong-level combat power.

If forged with sixth-rank metal, he'd possess Wu Zun-level combat power...

If he obtained ninth-rank metal and forged a ninth-rank rune armor, wouldn't he possess Wu Di-level combat power?

And not just any Wu Di—the mortise-and-tenon rune armor could swap parts at will, different armor for different enemies...

Thinking of this, Zhang Han was thrilled—and that was how he came to want to learn weapon design from Facing Facing Cang Luo's master.

Facing Facing Cang Luo froze. What now? I don't have a master!

Facing Facing Cang Luo wanted to find an excuse to refuse, but remembered how Zhang Han had improved his Lei Guang array, helping him complete the Qi battery early—he couldn't bring himself to refuse.

After thinking, Facing Facing Cang Luo hesitated: "My master won't take any more disciples... but..."

"But what?" Zhang Han stared eagerly at Facing Facing Cang Luo—he knew that without a teacher, self-study might take years to design the armor he envisioned.

Maybe a year. Maybe ten. He couldn't wait!

Facing Facing Cang Luo smiled: "But I can teach you."

Zhang Han's face lit up—someone to teach him was enough. He thought a moment and said, "Brother Cang, if you teach me weapon design, I'll engrave arrays for you free of charge from now on, how?"

He didn't want to owe Facing Facing Cang Luo; since he was learning the designs, he must offer something in return.

Facing Facing Cang Luo was also delighted, and without hesitation agreed—he'd just gained a free vehicle mechanic!

The two clinked wine jugs, took a sip each, and both were pleased.

As they drank, the steward He Jiu appeared.

Zhang Han suppressed his excitement, set down the wine jug, and resumed engraving arrays. Facing Facing Cang Luo walked toward He Jiu, assuming he'd come to tell him the guest smith's salary.

"Steward He, good day." Facing Facing Cang Luo bowed.

"Young brother, likewise..." He Jiu bowed back, then smiled: "My lord has decided to hire your master as a guest smith at Shen Bing Fang, at a monthly salary of one high-grade Qi-stone."

Facing Facing Cang Luo frowned slightly—it was too little. Converted to low-grade Qi-stones, that's only a hundred per month, and he could earn more than that on a single trip into the Beast Mountains.

But then he thought: it's a guaranteed wage—even if he does nothing, he gets paid. Fine, better than nothing, and he still gets a cut from weapon designs.

Facing Facing Cang Luo asked: "What cut does my master get for weapon designs?"

He paused, then added: "We could also buy the design blueprints outright—price negotiable."

He thought royalties were slow and tied to sales; outright purchase might be better.

He Jiu smiled: "The monthly one high-grade Qi-stone is the outright purchase. Your master must deliver at least five design works per month to Shen Bing Fang."

For every design under five, deduct two medium-grade Qi-stones per missing item."

"Of course, for every extra design beyond five, we pay two additional medium-grade Qi-stones."

At these words, Facing Facing Cang Luo froze.

No royalties?

And one high-grade Qi-stone per month to buy five design works?

Were Yang's and Feng Lin Huo Shan's designs worth so little?