Chapter 166: Technical Breakthrough

Luochuan County, Artificer Camp.

The air was filled with the mixed smell of charcoal, hot iron, and sweat.

The clinking of hammer strikes, the sawing, and the grinding wove together into a busy melody.

Compared to a month ago, the scale here had expanded another notch.

In the newly opened sheds, figures bustled about, the atmosphere fervent.

Li Quezi stood before his personal workbench, piled with various tools and semi-finished goods.

His hands, covered in old calluses and burn scars, carefully adjusted a complex wooden bow arm and iron trigger mechanism.

His gaze was frighteningly focused, as if the whole world had narrowed to this creation before him.

This was the culmination of nearly two months of effort poured in by him and his many skilled artisans.

He referenced the various crossbow mechanisms currently in the army, then incorporated the crystallized result of countless failures and improvements—the "Divine Arm Bow".

Since Defense Commissioner Chen Wen returned, the strategy of "Deep Roots, Firm Foundation" was made clear.

And he subtly informed these chief artisans that the upper limit of the "assistance" they could receive had been greatly increased.

Li Quezi felt as if he had been thrown into the legendary Eight Trigrams Furnace.

His whole body burned with a flame eager to melt and forge an astonishing masterpiece.

That power, called "Focused Endowment" by the Defense Commissioner, he could not put into words, yet he could clearly feel it.

When that power descended, his mind attained an unprecedented clarity, and his hands steadied as if cast in iron.

Problems of mechanisms that had previously baffled him often found a solution in a flash of inspiration.

The precision and speed of the parts his subordinates produced were so fast as to leave him astonished.

He knew this must be the Defense Commissioner employing some unfathomable method.

This gratitude for being recognized, and this miraculous "assistance",

compelled him to devote all his energy to the Divine Arm Bow in order to repay it.

"Here… the mortise-and-tenon fit is still off by a hair."

Li Quezi muttered to himself, picking up a small file.

He lightly filed the critical joint a few times.

His motions were fluid and precise, as if he were not working hard wood but carving tofu.

This is the normal state under the "Focused Endowment 16x" effect—

—not only a doubling of strength and speed, but a terrifying boost in concentration, perception, and technical mastery.

"Master, the iron cores have arrived!"

A young apprentice came forward holding a wooden box, careful and cautious.

Inside were several pieces that had been repeatedly forged and heat-treated, shedding a cold metallic luster—core components of the crossbow mechanism.

Li Quezi didn't even lift his head, merely extending his hand.

The apprentice hurriedly passed the box to him.

Li Quezi picked up an iron core with his fingers; the icy, heavy sensation at his fingertips invigorated him.

He didn't even need a ruler; by feel alone he could tell this iron core's precision fully met his design requirements.

This, too, was the Artificer Camp under the "Widespread Endowment 8x" effect.

Manifesting an overall leap in skill level and quality control.

The raw materials and basic parts supplied from upstream were of extremely high quality.

For a master like him to carry out final finishing and assembly, this laid a solid foundation.

"Good!"

Li Quezi uttered a single word and slipped the iron core into the reserved slot of the crossbow mechanism.

"Click."

A slight, crisp sound of engagement rang out.

A burst of bright light flashed in Li Quezi's murky eyes.

Done! The final barrier has been breached!

He drew a deep breath, suppressed his excitement, and began the final overall adjustment.

He checked the bowstring tension, confirmed the markings on Lookout Mountain, tested the trigger's sensitivity…

Half an hour later.

An archaic-looking yet fierce crossbow, the Divine Arm Bow, finally stood complete on the workbench.

It was one size larger than a standard handheld crossbow, and its structure was more complex.

Its taut bowstring and the cold-glinting crossbow bolts silently proclaimed the terrifying power it held.

"Go… go fetch the Defense Commissioner! And also summon Old Zhao!"

Li Quezi's voice trembled slightly as he instructed the apprentice, his eyes never leaving the Divine Arm Bow on the table.

The news spread quickly.

When Chen Wen, accompanied by Zhang Cheng, Wang Ru, Zhao Lao Nian, and others, hurriedly arrived at the test field deep in the Artificer Camp,

a crowd of artisans who had heard the news and low-ranking military officers who had rushed over had already gathered here.

"My lord!"

Seeing Chen Wen, Li Quezi moved to salute excitedly, but Chen Wen caught him with a hand.

"Master Li, no need for much ceremony. Where is the thing?"

Chen Wen's gaze went straight to the Divine Arm Bow placed on a specially made wooden rack.

Even with his current experience, he could feel that this weapon emitted an extraordinary aura.

"Please, Envoy, inspect!"

Li Quezi made way, his face full of a mixture of pride and tension.

The test field had already been set up.

In the distance stood a wooden human-shaped target wearing double-layered lamellar armor.

Even farther away there was also a reinforced earthen wall.

Under Li Quezi's guidance.

A selected, strong-armed crossbowman stepped forward.

He strained to press the crossbow's stirrup with his foot, pulling the bowstring with both hands, accompanied by a grating string-pulling sound that made the teeth ache.

He hooked the bowstring onto the crossbow's trigger mechanism.

Then he picked up a specially made bolt, thicker and heavier than ordinary crossbow bolts, and placed it in the bolt groove.

Everyone's gaze focused on that bolt.

The crossbowman aimed at the wooden target eighty paces away, wearing double-layered armor.

He pulled the trigger!

"Thud—!"

A deep, muffled yet extremely penetrating string sound exploded!

The bolt turned into a black line barely visible to the naked eye, instantly covering the distance of eighty paces!

"Pfft—!"

A ripping-like crisp sound!

Only to see that the bolt directly penetrated the first layer of lamellar armor.

The arrowhead dug deep into the second layer of armor plates, almost making the whole target shudder backward!

"Hiss—!"

The scene filled with the sound of people sucking in cold air.

Eighty paces, piercing double-layered armor! What terrifying power!

At this distance, ordinary bows and crossbows that can barely pierce one layer of armor are already considered elite.

And yet this divine-arm crossbow has such penetrating power!

"Change to the 120-pace target! That earthen wall!"

Chen Wen gave a solemn command, his eyes likewise flashing with shock and delight.

The crossbowman again readied the bow, this time aiming at the farther earthen wall.

The second bolt shot forth!

With a "duk" muffled sound, the bolt actually sank more than half its length into the reinforced rammed-earth wall, its tail still violently trembling!

This time, even the well-informed Han Tong widened his eyes.

He had come today to observe, but he hadn't expected to see this scene.

"Good fellow! If shot at the city wall, it could probably nail in and be used to pull oneself up!"

"If it hit a person… wearing iron armor would be no different from wearing a layer of paper!"

Li Quezi, excited, his face flushed red, explained incoherently.

"Envoy, officials! This… this divine-arm crossbow is strong in power, its range far exceeds ordinary crossbow bolts, and its accuracy is also high!"

"It's just… just that drawing the bow is quite laborious, the rate of fire is slower, requiring coordination with shield bearers or use in defended positions…"

"No problem!"

Chen Wen waved his hand, finally showing a hearty smile.

"This is an armor-piercing weapon, a treasure for assaulting fortifications and breaking the vanguard!"

"Slower is fine; a volley is enough to break the enemy's spirit! Master Li, can this be mass-produced?"

"Can! Can!"

Li Quezi nodded repeatedly.

"The key mechanism has been solved, and the production process is now smooth."

"As long as materials keep up, there's an old-timer and several capable apprentices overseeing."

"Relying on the existing strength of the artisan workshop, twenty can be produced within a month! Once proficient, output can be even faster!"

"Good! Excellent!"

Chen Wen gave Li Quezi's shoulder a heavy pat.

"Master Li, you have rendered great service! All artisans involved in this will be richly rewarded!"

His heart surged with excitement.

The success of the divine-arm crossbow means his Peaceful Stability Army has taken a huge leap in long-range strike and anti-heavy-armor capability.

In future hard battles that may occur, it will be one of the decisive forces.

"Envoy, it's not just the divine-arm crossbow."

Zhao Lao nian stepped forward at the right moment, his face also showing delight.

"At the armor workshop, referring to your previously mentioned 'cold forging' concept, we have conducted repeated trials."

"Having improved the forging and quenching techniques, the iron armor produced now, at the same weight,"

"Its protective power has increased by at least twenty percent compared to before!"

"The new heavy crossbow mechanism, thanks to improved processing efficiency of several key components, has also doubled its output!"

Chen Wen surveyed this thriving artisan workshop that continually brought surprises.

Feeling within himself the evident vigor arising from the great leap in the faction's technical strength.

The Fortune Momentum vortex seemed to have grown a bit heavier, and a strong confidence welled up spontaneously.

This is the foundation!

This is the capital for him to establish himself in this chaotic era and then realize his ambitions.

The technical breakthrough brought not only military advantage, but also a qualitative leap in overall strength.

「Come, let's go check out the cold-forged armor and heavy crossbow! 」

Chen Wen was in high spirits and led the way to the armor workshop.

He seemed to already see a force equipped with these weapons.

And under his Ability Granting, the rigorously trained strong army is quietly taking shape.

He is about to sound his own, world-shaking voice in this Five Dynasties chaotic era.