Chapter 248: Initial Test of the Crystal Ore

Wang Ru was rushing among the rubble of Yongtong Fang, pacifying the people.

The southeastern corner of Bianliangcheng, near the Bian River, was an abandoned grain-transport warehouse area.

Here the alleys are a tangled maze, the abandoned warehouses like massive tombs casting large shadows in the dim light, an ideal place to hide filth and corruption.

According to the death-defying intelligence sent back by Qian Gui's subordinates, a small unit that failed to withdraw in time on the night of the Blood Moon, or perhaps deliberately left behind to carry out follow-up sabotage missions, of the Iron Crow Army remains hidden here.

They lay like wounded venomous snakes, hidden in the dark, licking their wounds, waiting for the chance to deliver a fatal strike.

Qian Gui would naturally not give them that chance.

After initially stabilizing the city's situation, he immediately summoned his most elite Hidden Blade squad and a team of city defense army experts equipped with the latest "achievement" from Zhao Lao Nian's Works Department, quietly surrounding this warehouse area.

He personally took command of a high point on the perimeter, his gaze cold and sharp as an eagle's.

"Listen up,

The Hidden Blade squad leader in charge of leading the infiltration lowered his voice and said to the dozens of team members holding their breath behind him:

"The thugs inside are tough Iron Crow Army veterans, not like those mindless chargers from last night; they're likely more cunning and their methods more bizarre."

"Did you bring all those 'treasures' that Minister of Works Zhao Shangshu came up with?"

Several soldiers carrying specially made pouches on their backs at the flanks of the unit nodded solemnly.

What they carried in those pouches was not swords, spears, bows, or crossbows, but several gray-black metal chunks roughly the size of a sea bowl, irregular in shape, with crude and strange patterns etched on their surfaces.

This is the first batch of trial products— the "Disturb Crystal" device— hastily produced by Zhao Lao Nian based on the principle that Nether Energy Crystal Ore and Fortune Momentum repel each other, combined with frontline feedback.

According to Zhao Lao Nian's theory and limited experiments, the device can, in a short time, simulate a weak specific fluctuation field similar to Fortune Momentum, interfering with or even temporarily blocking the stable operation of Nether Energy Crystal Ore energy.

In theory, this could cause Iron Crow Army warriors who rely on crystal energy or drugs to suffer power disruption, slowed movements, and even temporarily lose their insensitivity to pain.

But theory remains theory.

This is their first time being deployed in actual combat.

No one knows how effective it will be.

Even whether it will fail at a critical moment or produce unpredictable side effects is unknown.

"Remember the usage: strike the protrusion on top of the device hard when within thirty steps of the target, then immediately throw it at the enemy!"

The squad leader emphasized again, his palms sweating slightly from nervousness.

"Action!"

The order was given, and dozens of black shadows, like civet cats, silently slipped into the shadows under the cover of the abandoned warehouses and debris.

The warehouse area was deathly silent, only the wind whimpering through the broken windows and the faint sound of water flowing far off in the Bian River.

The air was filled with a damp mildew smell and the scent of old dust.

The Hidden Blade team members, well-trained, worked in pairs, alternating cover, cautiously searching every corner where enemies might hide.

Suddenly!

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Several poisoned crossbow bolts shot out without warning from a broken window on the second floor of a warehouse, astonishingly fast, aiming straight for the throats of the two lead team members!

"Careful!"

The squad leader let out a low roar; those two team members reacted extremely fast, one tumbling awkwardly to dodge, the bolts sinking deep into the ground where they had just stood, their tails still trembling.

"Exposed!"

"Kill!"

Without a word, seven or eight black shadows leapt down from the warehouse second floor, wielding strange weapons flashing with a cold blue light, their eyes empty and icy, lunging straight at the nearest Hidden Blade team members!

The battle erupted instantly!

The strength of these Iron Crow Army remnants was indeed far above that of ordinary fighters.

They moved swiftly, cooperated seamlessly, their techniques vicious and tricky, and as their blue-tinged weapons swung, they brought a chilling feeling that made the heart race.

What's worse, they seemed to still retain an extremely high tolerance for ordinary damage!

A Hidden Blade team member's horizontal slash fiercely cut into an Iron Crow Army soldier's arm, nearly severing it, but the soldier merely staggered, then backhanded with a short spike from his other hand, piercing the team member's shoulder blade!

"Use the Disturb Crystal!"

Seeing this, the squad leader knew conventional means couldn't win quickly and immediately gave the order.

A soldier carrying a pouch heard the order, yanked out a gray-black metal chunk from it, and, following training, struck its top protrusion hard with the hilt of his knife!

"Hum—"

A low, resonant hum, like that from an ancient beehive, sounded.

The crude patterns on the metal chunk's surface instantly flared with an extremely faint, barely visible golden halo.

The soldier heaved it toward the center of the battle!

Everyone's eyes followed the spinning, flying "Disturb Crystal" device.

Success or failure hinges on this throw!

The Disturb Crystal device landed on the bluestone ground with a dull thud.

The pale golden halo spread out like ripples, forming an extremely thin force field about ten steps in diameter.

Within the field, three Iron Crow Army soldiers' movements noticeably stalled for an instant!

The faint blue halos on their bodies, as if interfered with, flickered violently and unstable.

One of them, mid-swing with his blade, had his arm locked in midair; the numb expression on his face twisted for the first time, as if he felt discomfort and confusion.

"It works!"

A Hidden Blade team member, seeing this, seized the opportunity and thrust his blade into the heart of that motion-stalled Iron Crow soldier!

This time, lacking the previous sensation of hacking tough leather, the blade slid in smoothly, and blood spurted out!

That Iron Crow soldier let out an inhuman howl, the ferocity in his eyes quickly fading, and he collapsed straight down.

"Success!"

This "Disturb Crystal" device can truly interfere with the power source of these monsters!

However, the joy lasted less than three breaths.

After the impaled Iron Crow Army soldier fell to the ground, the azure glow on his body seemed to be stimulated, and it violently flickered for a moment.

Immediately after, the "Disturb Crystal" device that had fallen to the ground had its pale gold halo flicker violently like a candle in the wind, then with a "puff" sound, it went out completely.

The device itself also emitted a grating "crack" sound, clear cracks appeared on its surface, a wisp of green smoke rose, obviously it was damaged.

Meanwhile, the other two Iron Crow Army soldiers inside the force field, after a brief stagnation, seemed to adapt to this interference, or perhaps the device's effect had worn off; the confusion in their eyes was quickly replaced by deeper ferocity as they roared and lunged again!

Although they no longer completely ignored damage as they did at first, their ferocity and combat power still far surpassed that of ordinary soldiers.

Damn it! This thing's effect lasts too short! And it seems… not very stable!

The soldier in charge of throwing the device turned pale.

Keep using it! Alternate use! Don't give them a chance to catch their breath!

The team leader gritted his teeth and roared.

The battle again fell into a stalemate.

By relying on the alternating use of several more "Disturb Crystal" devices, the Dark Blade squad finally managed to barely suppress this remnant of the Iron Crow Army.

Each activation of the device could create a killing opportunity in a short time, but the device's damage rate is extremely high, and its effect duration is also extremely short.

When the last "Disturb Crystal" device, after interfering with two Iron Crow Army soldiers, collapsed under the strain into a pile of metal scraps, the battle in the warehouse area also drew to a close.

Seven or eight of the remaining Iron Crow Army soldiers were all slain.

But the Dark Blade squad also paid the price of five dead and three severely wounded.

The air was filled with a strong smell of blood and a strange odor of burnt metal.

The team leader looked at the useless "Disturb Crystal" debris on the ground, then at the bodies of his fallen comrades, his feelings complex.

This thing…… is useful, but far from enough.

It proved that Director Zhao's direction was correct; the power of the Nether Energy Crystal Ore can indeed be interfered with.

But this crude prototype currently has unstable power, short duration, and seems to be a single-use consumable, fundamentally unable to support large-scale or prolonged combat.

He bent down to pick up a still-warm metal fragment and carefully put it away.

This is important combat data that must be sent back to the Ministry of Works as soon as possible.

He lifted his gaze toward the direction of the imperial palace, and also recalled the tense front lines in Hebei and Jinzhou.

His Majesty and the imperial court urgently need a more effective and reliable means of resistance.

And Zhao Lao Nian and his Ministry of Works bear an even heavier burden.