Chapter 261: Ministry of Works Breakthrough

Bian Liang, deep inside the Ministry of Works office.

Inside a courtyard listed as top secret, with elite Imperial Guard guarding it day and night, the lights burned brightly all night.

The air was filled with a peculiar smell of heated metal, smelted ore, and various mixed herbs, occasionally intermixed with a faint, teeth‑gritting popping sound.

Zhao Lao Nian, the newly appointed Minister of Works, now bore none of the dignity of a department head.

His hair was disheveled like wild grass, his eye sockets sunk, his brand‑new official robe stained with oil and unidentified spots, and even the cuffs bore several scorch marks from flying sparks.

He was practically slumped over a huge workbench littered with assorted odd‑shaped tools, holding a pair of tweezers inset with a magnifying crystal, carefully adjusting a complex bronze compass.

At the compass's center was not a needle, but a small slice cut into a perfect regular hexagon of dark‑red crystal.

Around the crystal lay a dense web of hair‑thin silver wiring, connecting eight tiny, rotatable jade needles on the compass's edge.

Other areas of the workbench were scattered with large quantities of discarded parts, burnt‑out silver wire, and shattered crystal fragments.

Beside it lay several open boxes holding samples of Nether Energy Crystal Ore seized from the Northern Border, varying in size, emitting a faint blue light that mirrored the dim glow of the dark‑red crystal at the compass's center, giving a vague sense of mutual repulsion and clear separation.

"Not right…… still not right……"

Zhao Lao Nian muttered to himself, his voice dry and hoarse.

"The frequency is off…… the interference range is too small, and the duration too short……"

"Where exactly is the difference……"

He had been here without rest for three days and three nights.

From the moment he received the military report announcing Hebei's Han Tong's great victory and highly praising the effectiveness of the "Second‑Generation Disturbing Crystal Disk" in actual combat, his inner sense of urgency and responsibility rose to its peak.

"The 'Second‑Generation Disturbing Crystal Disk' is merely a stopgap measure."

"It has a small range, short duration, and is consumed in one use."

"It might suffice against a small squad of Iron Crow Army diehards, but according to information revealed when His Majesty spoke with him in depth before his northern tour, the power wielded by the Iron Crow Army and its hidden master far exceeds imagination."

"They need something stronger, longer‑lasting, and even capable of area‑wide suppression!"

"Otherwise, in the impending ultimate showdown that will decide the nation's fate, the troops of Great Chen will have to pay an unbearable price."

"Sir, please take a rest."

A young assistant held a bowl of barely touched meat congee and urged him anxiously.

"If you keep going like this, even an iron‑clad body couldn't take it."

Zhao Lao Nian seemed not to hear, his bloodshot eyes fixed firmly on the dark‑red crystal at the compass's center.

This crystal was the essence he painstakingly extracted by smelting dozens of ritual vessels bearing markings from the previous dynasty and even earlier eras, each infused with a faint Fortune Momentum.

It is the core of the entire device, representing the Fortune Momentum of order, orthodoxy, and the people's will—the sole reliance against the Nether Energy that embodies chaos, cold, and death.

But the problem is, how can this Fortune Momentum be evoked more efficiently and enduringly?

The current design merely brutally triggers it via internal energy or blood, like lighting an oil‑soaked stick of wood—it burns out as soon as it's lit.

"Fortune Momentum…… Nether Energy…… repulsion……"

Zhao Lao Nian repeatedly chewed over those words, countless ideas flashing through his mind, each one dismissed in turn.

He irritably sat up, rubbed his nearly bursting temples, and his gaze unintentionally swept over the corner of the workbench.

There sat a "Pitch Pipe Instrument" used for observing celestial phenomena and tuning musical instruments, composed of twelve jade tubes of varying lengths that could produce different pitches through airflow.

"Pitch…… frequency……"

A vague notion, like a flash of lightning cutting through darkness, suddenly illuminated his thoughts!

He lunged forward to the Pitch Pipe Instrument, staring intently at those jade tubes.

Sound is transmitted through vibration.

Different frequencies produce different effects—some can cause resonance, others can cause rupture!

So, does the repulsion between Fortune Momentum and Nether Energy also possess some unique "frequency"?

If he could find that key "resonant frequency" that makes the two produce the most violent repulsion, could he then use the smallest amount of Fortune Momentum to trigger the strongest interference effect?

Just as a tiny tuning fork can shatter a huge glass goblet!

This idea made his whole body tremble!

"Quick! Bring all the Nether Energy Crystal Ore samples over here! Arrange them by energy strength!"

Zhao Lao Nian's voice turned sharp with excitement.

"Also! Fetch the legendary Dragon Tiger Drum from the armory that has been inspected by three generations of emperors! Yes, that drum skin! Quick!"

The assistant was startled by his frenzied appearance, dared not ask further, and hurried off to prepare.

Soon, the workbench was cleared.

One end held Nether Energy Crystal Ore graded from weak to strong.

At the other end lay a large drum skin, dark in hue yet faintly glowing with flowing brilliance—one of the substances currently available that contains the richest and purest Fortune Momentum.

Zhao Lao Nian drew a deep breath and picked up the smallest fragment, a grain‑sized piece of Nether Energy Crystal Ore.

Then he took the finest jade tube, brought it to his lips, and gently blew a perfectly steady single tone toward the crystal fragment.

Hum——

The jade tube emitted a clear, resonant tone.

Almost the instant the sound reached the Nether Energy Crystal Ore, the grain‑sized blue crystal flickered, its light dimming by an imperceptible amount!

Effective!

Zhao Lao Nian's heart pounded!

He suppressed his excitement, switched to a slightly thicker jade tube, and blew another pitch.

This time, the crystal's flicker became noticeably clearer!

He proceeded like the most devout seeker, trying one jade tube after another, blowing different frequencies and carefully observing each crystal fragment's reaction.

From the tiniest fragments to fist‑sized core crystals radiating strong energy waves.

Inside the workshop, various monotone tones of different pitches reverberated.

The assistants and other artisans held their breath, watching this scene in disbelief.

They didn't understand what the Minister was doing, but they could sense that a profound and mysterious exploration was underway.

Time passed bit by bit.

Zhao Lao Nian's lips cracked and bled from constant blowing, yet he was completely unaware.

All of his focus was immersed in the subtle interplay between countless frequencies and the Nether Energy fluctuations.

He gradually discovered that, for different intensities and purities of Nether Energy Crystal Ore, the frequencies that provoked the strongest repulsion also varied.

Yet they all seemed to follow some inner, peculiar mathematical law.

It was like a lock that corresponded to a unique key.

Finally, when he picked up the jade pipe of moderate length, its pitch at the exact center of all the pitch tubes, he unconsciously adjusted his breath, giving the sound a peculiar, almost soul‑resonating tremolo frequency.

Woo—hum—

A low, resonant sound, like an ancient sacrificial horn, rang out slowly.

When this sound reached the strongest, purest piece of Nether Energy Crystal Ore on the workbench—

A sudden aberration occurred!

The crystal stone that had been steadily emitting a cyan‑blue light, like ice tossed into boiling oil, instantly cracked open with countless fine fissures on its surface!

Sizzle—sizzle—sizzle—!

The rich, bone‑chilling blue energy, like a runaway wild horse, surged wildly out of the cracks, yet upon touching the range of that special sound wave it melted away like snow under sunlight, vanishing instantly!

At the same time, the drumhead of the 'Dragon Tiger Drum' placed at the opposite end seemed to be pulled by some force; its dull luster suddenly flared, becoming warm and blazing, and a majestic, dignified aura that inspired awe spread forth on its own, forming a stark contrast with the vanishing Nether Energy.

The repulsion effect was amplified by more than tenfold!

Within the whole workshop, blue and red light intertwined, cold and warm contended, forming a splendid yet eerie spectacle!

Everyone was stunned by the sight before them!

Zhao Lao Nian abruptly stopped blowing, gasped heavily, and stared fixedly at the Nether Energy Crystal Ore core now covered in cracks and utterly dimmed.

Success!

He had found that crucial 'resonance frequency'!

No, more precisely, he had found the 'key' that triggers the Fortune Momentum's power, causing it to repel the Nether Energy most violently!

It was not a simple clash of energies, but finding the conflict point in their inner rules and, with the utmost cleverness, leveraging the balance!

"I understand… I understand!"

Zhao Lao Nian trembled with excitement, muttering to himself.

"It's not brute force… it's rules! Using their own rules to attack each other!"

He whirled around and lunged back to the unfinished bronze compass.

His eyes burned with fervor, his thoughts clearer than ever before.

"Redesign the structure!"

"Add a sound‑resonance chamber! Use mechanisms instead of manpower to steadily emit that specific frequency!"

"Change the activation of the Fortune Momentum crystal from energy infusion to frequency resonance!"

"This way… we can use fewer materials to craft a device with stronger effect, wider range, and longer duration!"

He seized a charcoal pencil and began to draw rapidly on a blank sheet.

The lines flowed smoothly, the structure ingenious, and a brand‑new design blueprint, which he tentatively named the 'Resonance‑style Wide‑area Crystal Disturbance Tower,' gradually took shape.

This was no longer just personal equipment, but a strategic‑level weapon that could be deployed in key areas to carry out sustained regional suppression!

"Quick! Gather all master craftsmen!"

Zhao Lao Nian gave the order without looking up, his voice full of fatigue yet even more brimming with unprecedented excitement and hope.

"Immediately, follow the new blueprints and build the prototype!"

"We must have this ready before His Majesty needs it!"

"Yes, sir!"

The assistants shouted their assent, each face glowing with zeal and vigor.

They knew that a breakthrough capable of changing the war's landscape had been born in this unassuming courtyard.

Outside the window, the sky was about to brighten.

The dawn's light seemed to foretell as well, that in the struggle against that icy, dark power, a new glimmer of hope had finally arrived.