Chapter 316: Nether Energy Armaments

False Song, Eastern Capital Bian Liang.

In the northwest corner of Huangcheng, within a newly opened area, defenses were strict.

Watchtowers stood in rows on the high walls, armed soldiers patrolled with sharp weapons, their vigilant eyes scanning every corner.

This place is not under the Ministry of Works, nor under the Armory Directorate, but directly subordinate to the Emperor's Personal Army's 'Inner Palace Direct', bearing a black-background gold-character plaque reading 'Divine Machine Workshop'.

Inside the workshop, the atmosphere was utterly different from the solemn lethality outside, revealing a suppressed dry heat and... eeriness.

Dozens of peculiarly shaped kilns were in operation, but what burned was not ordinary charcoal, but a peculiar kind of 'stone coal' that glowed with a faint blue‑green light and was semi‑transparent.

The air was filled with an icy, faintly fishy smell; inhaling it made people feel vaguely nauseous.

This is the 'Nether Energy Crystal Ore' after preliminary processing.

At this moment, inside the workshop's largest work chamber.

Dozens of top‑ranked artisans summoned for the task were bustling around a specially made furnace.

Their faces were mostly pale, their eyes betraying fear and exhaustion they could not hide.

Inside the furnace, azure‑blue flames leapt, licking the crucible.

Within the crucible was not molten iron, but a molten silver‑colored metal liquid that shimmered with specks of blue light.

"Quick! Inject the 'Nether Energy Guiding Liquid'! Be careful— the amount must not be off by even a thread!" a official in dark‑blue robes, face stern, shouted urgently; he was the Supervisor here, surnamed Hu.

An elderly artisan trembled as he lifted a specially made jade bottle, carefully dripping the viscous, dark‑blue liquid that seemed to writhe faintly alive into the crucible.

"Hiss—"

A faint strange sound.

The silver‑colored metal liquid instantly boiled, its blue radiance flaring as if countless tiny electric snakes were darting within.

A stronger chill and fishy stench surged forward; those nearby artisans involuntarily stepped back, faces grim, as if their spirits had been struck.

"Hold steady! Lift the mold up!" Supervisor Hu bellowed, himself unconsciously holding his breath.

Several brave apprentices lifted a prepared elongated blade‑blank mold, carefully aligning it with the crucible's outlet.

"Pour!"

Following the order, the strange metal liquid fused with the Nether Energy Guiding Liquid was slowly poured into the mold.

While waiting for it to cool, the workshop fell dead silent, save for the faint crackling of the azure‑blue flames.

Everyone stared intently at the slowly solidifying blade blank, their feelings mixed.

They hoped for success, yet secretly feared the unknown power.

Finally, the mold was carefully opened.

A blade identical in shape to an ordinary plain saber emerged.

Its body was dark silver; within the blade, a blue mist seemed to drift slowly, faintly tracing an ominous pattern.

It looked more refined than ordinary swords, and yet... more sinister.

"Success!" Supervisor Hu's eyes flashed with joy as he rushed forward, eager to seize the blade.

"Please wait, sir!" the elderly artisan who had earlier added the guiding liquid cried out in alarm, face full of dread: "This thing… this thing is vicious; it may backlash upon its master! I, the old man, have been unsettled in spirit and suffered palpitations ever since I touched that guiding liquid."

Supervisor Hu's motion paused, a flicker of displeasure crossing his face, yet gazing at the blade glowing with blue light, he too felt a prickle of unease.

He snorted coldly, then casually pointed at a young artisan standing nearby.

"You! Go, test this blade!"

The young artisan's face turned ashen, his legs went weak, and he nearly knelt.

"My… my lord… I… I dare not…"

"Worthless!" Supervisor Hu snapped, his gaze sweeping over the other artisans—all he saw were eyes flinching and dodging.

He was annoyed, yet dared not force them further.

Just as the stalemate continued, a steady, imposing voice sounded at the workshop's entrance.

"I shall try it."

Everyone started, turning as one to see Zhao Kuangyin in ordinary attire, who had somehow arrived there unnoticed.

His expression was calm, his eyes like lightning, and they fell directly upon the newly forged Nether Energy Plain Blade.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!" everyone in the workshop, including Supervisor Hu, hurriedly knelt.

Zhao Kuangyin ignored them, striding straight to the blade blank and seizing it in one grip!

The instant he gripped it, a bone‑chilling cold spread up his arm, while a sharp whine seemed to echo in his mind, unsettling his spirit slightly.

He grunted low; the potent inner force born of his hatred and the Iron Crow Army's secret technique surged on its own, suppressing the discomfort.

He tightened his grip on the hilt, his gaze sweeping to a nearby iron rod used for testing blades.

He made no extra motion, merely flipping his wrist and casually chopping downward.

Hum—

The blue mist within the blade surged faster, emitting a low hum.

An arc of azure‑blue blade light flashed, as if tearing the air, then vanished!

There was no deafening clang of metal.

Only a soft 'crack' was heard, and the arm‑thick iron rod snapped in response!

The break surface was smooth as a mirror, showing an unnatural gray‑white hue as if frozen by extreme cold.

The blade itself suffered no damage; its flowing blue glow seemed to intensify a bit.

A chorus of gasps for cold air rose within the workshop.

Everyone was stunned by the sinister weapon's razor‑sharp edge.

This was far beyond what ordinary refined steel could achieve!

Zhao Kuangyin gazed at the blade in his hand, his eyes blazing with fervent light.

This is power!

Power beyond the ordinary!

If we equip our troops with this, what's to stop us from crushing the false Chen and wiping out our shame in blood!

"Good! Good! Good!" he exclaimed three times, finally revealing a hint of a ferocious smile on his face.

"Supervisor Hu, I am very pleased with the power of this blade! Immediately accelerate production, prioritize making arrow clusters; I want to form a 'Divine Ether Archery Corps'!"

Upon hearing this, Supervisor Hu's face showed difficulty, and he cautiously reported:

"Your Majesty, although this blade is sharp, … but … it is extremely difficult to forge."

"The etheric fluid merges with metal, which is extremely hard to control; succeeding once in ten attempts is already lucky."

"Moreover, … the craftsmen report that prolonged exposure to this causes mental fatigue, physical weakness, and illness; several have already fallen sick..."

"More importantly, this object's energy is extremely unstable; while Your Majesty's divine might naturally poses no problem, if ordinary soldiers were to use it, there is a risk of explosion!"

He steeled himself and laid out the difficulties and risks one by one.

Zhao Kuangyin's smile gradually faded, replaced by an icy coldness.

"Difficulty?"

"I don't want to hear about difficulties!"

"Mental fatigue? Reward their families!"

"Weak and sickly? Keep them going with ginseng soup!"

"Risk of explosion? Then find a way to stabilize it for me!"

"I don't care what methods you use; within one month I want to see a thousand qualified ether arrow clusters!"

"If you cannot do that..." Zhao Kuangyin stared at Supervisor Hu with a grim gaze, "then your tenure as supervisor ends here."

Supervisor Hu trembled all over, cold sweat beading on his forehead; he dared not speak further, only able to kowtow and accept the order.

"Your servant... your servant obeys the command!"

Zhao Kuangyin no longer looked at him, lowering his gaze to the ether‑glimmering broadsword in his hand, his knuckles whitening from the grip.

The flames of hatred burned fiercely in his chest.

Chen Wen… and your false dynasty… just wait.

When my etheric divine troops are complete, that will be the day you are reduced to ashes!

He seemed to already see countless arrows flashing with etheric blue light, like a deadly rain, pouring down upon the Chen dynasty's troops.

He saw the sturdy walls crumble under the bombardment of etheric weapons.

He saw Chen Wen beneath his feet, wailing in agony…

Thinking of this, the ferocious curl of his smile widened even more.

However, just as his heart surged and he was immersed in his revenge fantasy,

a eunuch rushed in, panting, his face panicked, whispering a few words in his ear.

Zhao Kuangyin's face instantly darkened, as if water could drip from it.

He violently flung the etheric broadsword from his hand onto the ground, producing a sharp "clang."

The blade struck the blue‑stone floor, and the flowing blue light flickered violently a few times, seeming extremely unstable.

The surrounding artisans were startled, their hearts jumping again.

"Trash! A bunch of trash!" Zhao Kuangyin growled lowly, not giving the Divine Machinery Workshop another glance, and strode away with his sleeves flung.

Only the silent artisans and officials remained in the workshop, along with the etheric weapon lying still on the ground, emanating an ominous aura.

Supervisor Hu watched the emperor's retreating back, then glanced at the blade on the ground; the color drained from his face, leaving only endless fear and despair.

He knew that the one‑month deadline was like a death warrant.

And these etheric armaments—are they truly divine weapons of vengeance, or… the abyss of destruction?

He didn't dare to think further.