Chapter 231: The Secret of the Crystal Ore

Deep within the Ministry of Works office, inside an experimental workshop marked as an absolute secret area, the lights were blazing.

The air was filled with a strange mixture of metallic, mineral, charcoal, and some indescribable chemical reagents.

Minister of Works Zhao Lao Nian, wearing a leather apron stained with grime, his hair disheveled and eyes sunken, yet his eyes shone with an almost fanatical focus.

He was intently staring at a complex apparatus on the lab bench.

The core of the apparatus consisted of several crystal fragments of varying sizes, flashing a bluish light—exactly the Nether Energy Crystal Ore seized in past clashes with the Iron Crow Army.

These crystals were carefully placed on a base wrapped with fine gold silk threads, around which several glazed bottles filled with different-colored liquids were connected; thin tubes extended from the bottles into several gauges whose needles constantly jumped.

And suspended directly above the apparatus hung an apparently ordinary black token.

That was the identity token bestowed by Chen Wen after his ascension to the core ministers; it possessed no special energy itself, but due to what it represented, long-term wear had faintly imbibed an extremely weak trace of the dynasty's 'Fortune Momentum' aura.

Zhao Lao Nian intended to use this very point to verify and deepen his earlier discovery.

"Record!"

Zhao Lao Nian's voice hoarse, he said to a young official beside him, similarly dressed in Ministry of Works attire and responsible for recording.

"The seventy-third active repulsion experiment."

"Using standard-cut crystal ore fragment No. 3, weight three qian seven fen."

"Fortune Momentum carrier, the Emperor's gift of a Profound Iron Token, placed three cun away."

"Begin injecting low-intensity earth-fire energy to simulate the crystal ore's active excitation state……"

As he spoke, he carefully adjusted a delicate valve beneath the apparatus, drawing a faint, almost imperceptible wave of heat from the earth's veins, slowly infusing it into the fine gold base holding the crystals.

Hum……

The Nether Energy Crystal fragments began to emit a low hum, their surface blue light fluctuating at a visible frequency, releasing that familiar, uncomfortable chill.

Almost simultaneously, the Profound Iron Token hanging above seemed to receive an invisible stimulus; the extremely faint aura on its surface, representing the dynasty's orthodoxy and order, rippled like tiny waves on water struck by a pebble!

The invisible repulsion field between them suddenly intensified!

The gauge needles connected between the glazed bottles and the crystals began to swing violently left and right, emitting a squeaking sound!

Even the previously calm silver liquid inside one of the glazed bottles began to churn and bubble!

"Repulsion reaction strength, level C! Exceeds expectations!"

The young official recorded nervously, his voice tinged with excitement.

Zhao Lao Nian fixed his gaze on the churning silver liquid and the wildly swinging needles, his breathing rapid.

"As expected…… exactly as expected!"

"The more active the Nether Energy Crystal Ore's energy, the stronger its repulsion against the Fortune Momentum!"

"This repulsion is not mere energy cancellation; it is more like a fundamental opposition and mutual annihilation!"

He suddenly lifted his head, eyes bloodshot, yet excited as if he had discovered a priceless treasure.

"Quick! Record the data! All instrument readings! Especially the waveform and frequency of the energy overflow!"

He seemed to recall something, quickly pulling from a nearby cabinet a long, rod-like object wrapped in thick velvet.

Unveiling the velvet revealed a peculiarly shaped curved blade, its body narrow and long with a strange arc, made of neither iron nor steel—exactly the weapon seized from a minor Iron Crow Army leader in earlier combat.

On the blade's spine, astonishingly, was inlaid a tiny crystal the size of a grain of rice—a Nether Energy Crystal!

"Fetch the tracing powder!"

Zhao Lao Nian ordered.

The young official hurriedly brought a porcelain bottle containing a pale gold powder made from ground minerals, extremely sensitive to energy fluctuations.

Zhao Lao Nian evenly scattered a bit of the powder over the blade's body, especially near the crystal.

Then he took a deep breath, holding the Profound Iron Token in both hands, and slowly, extremely closely, moved it toward the crystal at the blade's spine.

Just as the Profound Iron Token was about half a foot from the crystal, an anomaly occurred!

The pale gold tracing powder on the blade's body, as if driven by an invisible force, instantly retreated from the crystal's position, forming a clear blank area on the blade!

And the grain-sized crystal's own light suddenly flickered, like a candle in the wind!

Even an extremely faint 'crack' could be heard from within the crystal, like ice splitting!

"Look! Do you see it!"

Zhao Lao Nian's voice trembled.

"Not only is it an energy field repulsion! Even solid matter, under this strong repulsion field, gets pushed away!"

"The crystal's very structure is also under tremendous pressure!"

"My earlier hypothesis was correct! This Nether Energy Crystal Ore and the dynasty's orthodox Fortune Momentum, the people's will, are naturally antagonistic, like water and fire!"

He abruptly stepped back a few paces, setting the Profound Iron Token aside.

The tracing powder on the blade slowly settled back, the crystal's light gradually stabilized, yet upon close inspection its interior seemed to have acquired an imperceptible crack.

The young official stared agape, then after a moment muttered,

"Sir…… this, this is astonishing!"

"If so, could we utilize this property to manufacture…… manufacture devices that could interfere with or even destroy the Iron Crow Army's power?"

Zhao Lao Nian paced excitedly around the workshop.

"Exactly! This is the direction!"

"The Iron Crow Army's power core must be intimately linked to this Nether Energy Crystal Ore!"

"Their unsettling 'killer qi' and their superhuman combat prowess likely stem from some means of guiding and harnessing the crystal's energy!"

"If we could create something that amplifies the Fortune Momentum's repulsion and interference effect on the crystal……"

He suddenly stood firm, eyes blazing.

"Then on the battlefield we could greatly weaken the Iron Crow Army!"

"It might even cause their power to backfire on themselves!"

Just like what His Majesty did in the Northern Frontier! But His Majesty relied on himself to harness the great trend, we……we want to create a 'weapon' that ordinary people can also use!

This idea made him extremely excited.

But he soon calmed down again, his brows furrowed.

The difficulty lies in……how to steadily obtain and store the power of 'Fortune Momentum'?

This thing is profoundly mysterious, invisible and intangible; only His Majesty and a few who bear great qi fortune naturally have it surrounding them, or like this token, it acquires a trace through symbolic meaning.

Wanting to extract it on a large scale, store it, and even make it into objects……it's difficult, difficult!

He sat back down at the experimental bench, bitterly pondering the complex apparatus and the large amount of data recorded.

Perhaps……we don't need to directly use 'Fortune Momentum' itself?

Since we have already observed the existence of the repulsion field and can record its energy dissipation waveform and frequency……

A bold idea gradually took shape in his mind.

Can we……imitate this waveform?

Create a device that can actively emit vibrations with a frequency similar to the repulsion field of 'Fortune Momentum'?

This imitated vibration may be far weaker than the genuine 'Fortune Momentum' repulsion, but as long as the frequency is close, it should also produce a certain interference effect on the Nether Energy Crystal Ore!

Just like……just like using a specific sound to shatter a glass cup!

This idea suddenly enlightened him!

Although this remains an extremely difficult topic, compared to directly controlling the illusory 'Fortune Momentum', imitating its vibration frequency seems closer to the realm of craftsmanship he can understand!

Quick! Bring all the previous records of the repulsion field's energy vibrations!

Zhao Lao Nian threw himself back into his selfless work state, urgently instructing the young official.

We need to analyze the most core vibration pattern!

Also, go invite the most skilled craftsmen from the Ministry of Works, bringing their tools for handling precision instruments and acoustic resonance!

We might try to make a 'bell' or 'chime' that can emit a specific 'sound'!

His eyes burned with the flame of creation and challenge.

Time is short; we must produce some clues before the Iron Crow Army's next large-scale operation!

This might……be the key to countering those sneaky fellows!

Inside the workshop, the sounds of tools clattering and discussion rang out again, continuing through the night.

In this seemingly inconspicuous office of the Ministry of Works, a technical breakthrough that could change the future battlefield is proceeding tensely.

Zhao Lao Nian knew that what he was excavating was not only the secret of the crystal ore, but possibly a path to victory.