Chapter 408: From now on, you must absolutely protect your brain!

Chen Yan smiled faintly, knowing the crucial moment had arrived: "Your Majesty, this armor is born from the Bright Light Armor, but has been completely renewed in material, structure, and craftsmanship."

"Whether in portability, sturdiness, or flexibility, it far surpasses the previous Bright Light Armor."

Li Shimin could no longer hold back, just like Niu Jinda and Su Ding Fang, the three of them surrounded the black armor, tapping and feeling it everywhere, occasionally discussing a sentence, the light in their eyes growing ever hotter.

Chen Yan then proposed: "Your Majesty, why don't you give it a name?"

Li Shimin shuddered all over, turned his head and gave him a meaningful look.

"You little brat, you understand things, huh?"

He pondered for a moment, "This armor is black as its base, invisible in the dark night, so let's call it...... the Dark Night Armor!"

"Good!" Niu Jinda's voice rang like a bell: "Good Dark Night Armor, with such armor, the Bannerless Cavalry will surely become my sharpest blade in the future!"

Even Su Ding Fang, such an old general, kept clicking his tongue.

They could see that the Dark Night Armor used materials obviously better than the Bright Light Armor, its details designed more reasonably, protecting more areas; if worn in battle, soldiers' casualties would surely be greatly reduced.

Just as they were crowding around the Dark Night Armor like madmen, the three Cheng Chumo brothers, unable to squeeze in, were attracted by several long-handled big swords on the nearby weapon rack.

Unlike the common spears and lances of today's army, these swords have extremely slender and wide blades, with snow‑bright edges, revealing their unmatched sharpness.

Cheng Chumo felt an unbearable itch to hold one, and couldn't help reaching out to pick up a sword.

But as soon as he took it in hand, he frowned: "This sword...... is a bit heavy."

"Heavy?" Yu Chi Bao Lin doubted, "How heavy can a sword be? Let me try."

Saying that, he also picked up one, tossed it left and right, muttering: "Indeed it's a bit heavy."

"Hmm, this sword is very heavy, and its sharpness is extraordinary!" Qin Huaidao likewise held a long sword, his gaze solemn.

Li Shimin and the other two were drawn by them, ran over, took the long swords from their hands, and examined them carefully.

Niu Jinda lightly touched the edge, his finger was immediately cut, "Hiss! What a sharp sword!"

"Zi An, what kind of sword is this?" Li Shimin likewise noticed this and asked eagerly.

Chen Yan surveyed the crowd, curling the corner of his mouth into a smile: "If the Dark Night Armor is the sturdiest shield of the future Bannerless Cavalry, then this sword is the sharpest spear!"

"Its name is——the Path Blade!"

"Path Blade." Li Shimin murmured to himself, looking at the sword in his hand.

"Not bad, Path Blade!" Chen Yan said calmly: "Sharpness is just one feature of the Path Blade; sturdiness is what truly deserves praise."

"To forge a qualified Path Blade, top‑tier artisans and complex craftsmanship are needed. From forging, quenching, to polishing the edge, each step demands extremely high standards, resulting in a very low yield."

"A skilled artisan might need several months to craft a fine Path Blade."

Chen Yan said while picking up a Path Blade, gripping it with both hands, performing a chopping motion: "And the effect is even more astonishing; if used by elite warriors, one swing can shatter both man and horse!"

"Man and horse both shattered?!"

The crowd stared in shock at the Path Blade.

"Can this sword really have such power?"

Niu Jinda was the most disbelieving; he glanced at the wooden post used for testing nearby, took a deep breath, his arm muscles bulged, and shouted loudly, bringing the Path Blade down with a fierce chop accompanied by a whooshing sound!

Only a flash of cold light was seen!

The thick wooden post, as wide as a bowl, was silently cut diagonally like a hot knife through butter! The upper half crashed down with a clang, the cut surface smooth as a mirror.

The entire backyard fell instantly silent, not even a sparrow's chirp.

Everyone widened their eyes, gazing at that smooth cross‑section, sucking in a breath of cold air.

If this were to chop a person, or a warhorse……

Such thoughts sprang up in everyone's minds, and they all shivered simultaneously.

"I dare not imagine it!"

"Good! Good Path Blade!" Li Shimin's eyes blazed, "Zi An, you've given me another surprise again."

"Your Majesty, is this just a surprise?" Chen Yan said with a hint of depth.

At this moment, not only Li Shimin, but the others also realized something, turning their gaze to the things around them that had previously been overlooked.

"Hiss! How is this bow so strange, and... why is it so easy to draw?"

Su Ding Fang picked up a composite bow to try, and exclaimed in shock.

"Moreover, this lance differs from the ordinary, slightly shorter in length but easier to handle, and its material is also quite exceptional." Qin Huaidao picked up a lance and said.

This excited the soldiers to no end; they kept testing the weapons Chen Yan had crafted, each one behaving happily like a pair of fools.

"All right, look at you guys—what kind of talk is this?" Li Shimin swallowed his saliva, feigning calm.

The crowd instantly rolled their eyes in their hearts, saying we're not making sense, but at least stop shaking your hand.

Xue Li paid no attention to their words, looking left and right, wanting to see if there were any more surprises.

Soon his gaze was drawn to the sole horse here.

Compared to the other things, this horse seemed plain and unremarkable, barely qualifying as a good horse, not worth Li Shimin and the others' attention, so it was overlooked.

But Xue Li had been by Chen Yan's side for so long, he still understood him well.

Chen Yan would never produce something useless.

Xue Li quickly walked over, examined it carefully, and discovered that something was actually stuck on the horse's hoof!

Upon that thought, he led the horse by its reins and made it take two steps.

In an instant, the clear sound of the horse's hoof striking the ground rang out, and Xue Li suddenly widened his eyes: "Lord Bo...... this horse, is the horse wearing shoes?"

His words instantly drew everyone's gaze.

Li Shimin and the others hurried over, looking at the iron horseshoe on the hoof, clicking their tongues in wonder.

Yu Chi Bao Lin joked, "Don't say it, this thing really looks like a shoe, Old Chen, why did you put shoes on the horse?"

He wanted to laugh, but noticed that everyone's faces were unusually solemn, the atmosphere seeming off.

Chen Yan gave Yu Chi Bao Lin a glance, approached Li Shimin, and said: "Your Majesty, this object is called 'horseshoe'; it can well protect warhorses, reduce hoof wear, prevent hoof cracks, and moreover ensure that warhorses tread complex terrain as if on flat ground."

「Prior to this, the Tang Dynasty's warhorses suffered enormous losses; the cause need not be elaborated. In my view, the importance of horseshoes surpasses even that of the Mysterious Night Armor! 」

「You're right! 」 Li Shimin said, word by word: 「Horseshoes are a vital national weapon! 」

He no longer knew what to say.

Excited?

Of course excited!

But more so, it was sentiment.

Compared to the Mysterious Night Armor, the Field Blade, and horseshoes, Chen Yan is truly the vital national weapon!

「Zi An, promise me! From now on, be sure to protect your own brain! 」

Chen Yan: "......"

"......"