Chapter 1086

From a single batch of associated titanium-iron ore, Lin Cheng only obtained a small amount of titanium. Even so, titanium's hardness is greater than iron's, while its weight is almost half that of an equal volume of iron. Using titanium mixed with other heat-resistant metals, as well as ordinary metals, he finally synthesized a new heat-resistant metal material.

In the end, a piece of jet-black metal was produced.

The instant Miss Qianhui took the jet-black metal in hand, she began activating her Unknown Fire to test it. As the Unknown Fire's temperature steadily rose, the metal stood firm and unchanged.

Even when she went all out, she couldn't melt the jet-black metal—it only grew very hot.

"Oh? This material seems rather interesting. I couldn't melt it no matter how hard I tried."

"Then that proves we've succeeded."

He sat in this tent, improving the outdated Master Jianong cannons, boosting their power, extending their range—but what was the original purpose for which they were made?

707 War! Or protection? Its essence, in the end, is still slaughter.

As a great monk once put it well: if violence is not for slaughter, then it is utterly meaningless.

"What are you spacing out about?"

Miss Qianhui's hand waved in front of Lin Cheng. Startled, Lin Cheng's wandering thoughts only then returned to him.

"Oh, uh, what is it?"

"What are you suddenly spacing out for, not moving at all, like you've gone possessed."

"Nothing, just thought of some things."

All kinds of modern wars, once merely shocking to hear of, now seemed vivid before his very eyes. He couldn't help beginning to doubt—what was the true purpose of what he was doing? Simply to display his own talent?

Drawing such attention—is it truly good for him? There was no answer.

Lin Cheng himself didn't know what he was doing this for. Perhaps it was just to leave this place as quickly as possible.

Baffled, he had no choice but to throw himself back into his work. With heat-resistant material in hand, he could now make the cannon barrel of a howitzer. Apart from the barrel's special material, the other parts could be made from ordinary metals.

"Now, let us begin the first trial."

A spell flame swiftly ignited in his hand.

Soon, relying on spell flame and refinement, Lin Cheng produced a main howitzer cannon barrel—50mm thick, with a 50mm-caliber muzzle, paired with shells of the same caliber. The rest of the howitzer was completed using ordinary metals.

After two hours of busy work, Master Lin Cheng finally completed the assembly of the first Master Jianong howitzer. What remained was the matter of the shells.

"We need saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal… go get some for me."

"Got it! Careful with the mixing—light it!"

Pop!

The amount of gunpowder on the table could be said to flash once with fire and then nothing more.

"Cough, cough… used too little powder."

The burning smoke rushed into Lin Cheng's nose, prompting him to let out a great sneeze.

"Again."

Pop!

This time it did successfully catch fire, but Lin Cheng was still not satisfied. What he wanted was not burning, but an explosion.

Throughout the entire afternoon, until night fell, the soldiers guarding outside the tent could hear the occasional blasts from within, along with the ever-present smell of burning smoke.

The mixing of gunpowder required a certain ratio. An appropriate ratio would allow the shells to unleash their maximum power. In pursuit of the optimal ratio, Lin Cheng spent nearly two days, recording several hundred—nearly a thousand—explosion tests, before finally finding the most suitable ratio.

This was Lin Cheng's fourth day since arriving at Eternal Peace City.

At the drill ground, Lord Xuan Wuji and a group of officials once again came to observe the improved power of the Master Jianong cannons. Given the previous performance with the improved trebuchet, this time no one came without expectations.

If the modification succeeded, it would mean the young Lin Cheng before them clearly belonged to the level of those master craftsmen of the Empire's Ministry of Works—even they would have to respectfully address him as Master.

This time the Master Jianong cannon would no longer be called a Master Jianong cannon, but a Master Jianong howitzer!

The number of operators required was even simpler than the trebuchet—only three people: one responsible for firing, one for carrying shells, and one for aiming. In practice, two or even one person could operate it, so long as that person knew how.

The three soldiers performing the demonstration had also been trained by Lin Cheng beforehand, so naturally there was no room for error.

"Ready!"

Lin Cheng stood on a high platform at the same level as Lord Xuan Wuji and the others. The terrain here was elevated, giving an unobstructed view of the entire drill ground.

The soldiers' "ready" call came from below. He too gathered some focus, observing the situation below. The three soldiers operating the Master Jianong howitzer were methodically loading shells and raising the gun carriage, preparing to fire at a 45-degree angle, with the target being a mountain a thousand meters away.

This was also Lin Cheng's requirement—if there was no clear target, then one could only use the mountain as the bombing target.

Moreover, the role of the Master Jianong howitzer was, more often than not, to strike fixed targets.

"Fire!"

Boom!

The entire Master Jianong howitzer, under the violent recoil, sent a conical shell hurtling forth. After tracing a long parabola through the air, it slowly descended and finally landed on the mountain a thousand meters away.