Chapter 665

October 22, Ministry of Works office, third basement level.

Zhao Lao Nian crouched before the workbench, pinching a freshly cooled star-pattern token.

The token was dark gold, palm-sized, with smooth edges; its surface was engraved with dense silver lines—not decoration, but precisely calculated energy flow channels.

"Thirty-seventh improvement."

Zhao Lao Nian muttered softly, placing the token on the testing platform.

Fixed on the bench were six fist-sized crystals, grayish-white, their surfaces covered in fine cracks—these were the remnants of nether-energy crystals seized from Bei Jing, their energy exhausted but structure stable, suitable as test substrates.

Zhao Lao Nian activated the detector.

Hum—

In the low hum, the instrument's probe touched the token's center.

The silver lines lit up in sequence, spreading from the center to the edges at a steady, uniform speed, without a hint of lag.

After three breaths, the entire token was covered in silver light.

Zhao Lao Nian stared at the readout.

"Energy capacity upper limit increased by forty-two percent."

"Energy transfer loss reduced by eighteen percent."

"Stability... passed the critical test."

Zhao Lao Nian smirked slightly.

It's done.

This batch of star-pattern tokens finally met the lord's standard—capable of bearing higher-intensity energy flow and undergoing no structural fatigue with long-term use.

"Sir."

A young assistant's voice came from behind.

"Speak."

"The lord issued an order yesterday, demanding that all star-pattern tokens be upgraded and debugged within three days." The assistant held a ledger, "Currently, there are 1,400 tokens awaiting upgrade in stock. Only... 370 have been upgraded so far."

"Three days?"

Zhao Lao Nian straightened up, rubbing their sore waist.

"Three days isn't enough."

"Then…"

"But since the lord has spoken, it is surely needed." Zhao Lao Nian interrupted, "Go, summon everyone from Teams A, B, and C. Starting tonight, we'll work in three shifts."

"Yes!"

The assistant hurried away.

Zhao Lao Nian walked to the basin by the wall, scooped up a handful of cold water, and slapped it on their face.

The icy chill pierced to the bone, dispelling their drowsiness.

Zhao Lao Nian looked at their reflection in the water—that face still youthful, about thirty years old, with not a single white hair at the temples. This was the "gift" bestowed by the lord years ago, giving them ample time to study techniques that would take decades to bear fruit.

But time is still not enough.

It will never be enough.

"Old Nian."

A voice came from the doorway.

Zhang Cheng entered, holding a food container.

"The Privy Council just finished its meeting; I brought you something to eat on my way back." He set the container on the table. "Mutton-filled pastries, still warm."

Zhao Lao Nian wiped their face, walked over, and sat down.

"Thanks."

"How's the progress?" Zhang Cheng asked.

"The thirty-seventh version succeeded." Zhao Lao Nian bit into a pastry, the oily aroma melting in their mouth, "The load capacity increased by over forty percent—enough."

"Do you know what the lord wants these tokens for?"

Zhao Lao Nian shook their head.

"He didn't specify. But he demanded that they 'be able to bear higher-intensity energy flow' and 'remain stable long-term.'" Zhao Lao Nian paused, "I suspect... it might be related to operating across the light curtain."

Zhang Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Remote bestowal?"

"Probably not just that." Zhao Lao Nian set down the pastry, "Ordinary remote bestowal already works with the current tokens. This request seems more like... needing to transmit something far more complex and vast."

"What thing?"

"I don't know." Zhao Lao Nian said frankly, "But since the lord needs it, we must produce it."

Zhang Cheng fell silent for a moment.

"After the battle at the Bei Jing nest, the lord's system seems to have reached a critical point." He continued, "These past days he has been in seclusion in the quiet chamber. Yesterday he suddenly issued an order, demanding that we speed up the token upgrades and finish a 'major undertaking' before the year's end."

"A major undertaking?"

"He didn't say it outright." Zhang Cheng lowered his voice, "But the five ministers have all received similar hints—there will be an important 'ritual' before year's end."

Zhao Lao Nian furrowed their brows.

Ritual.

This word is rarely used in the context of the Chen dynasty.

The last time it was used was at the founding ceremony.

"What do you need me to prepare?" they asked directly.

"The lord didn't specify." Zhang Cheng said, "But I estimate these star-pattern tokens may be a key component. Therefore, they must be completed within three days."

Understood.

Zhao Lao Nian finished the stuffed pancake in a few bites, stood up, and walked toward the workbench.

Zhang Cheng did not leave; instead, he walked to the wall and looked at the light curtain map hanging there.

On the map, the west side was marked with countless red dots—those were the Nether Energy nodes known to the Iron Crow Army.

On the east side, the Chen Dynasty's Fortune Momentum monitoring station was marked in blue dots.

And on the light curtain barrier, dozens of minute cracks were specially highlighted with golden thread.

"Lao Nian." Zhang Cheng suddenly spoke.

"Huh?"

"Do you think the light curtain can be completely broken?"

Zhao Lao Nian's hand motion paused.

He turned his head and looked at Zhang Cheng.

"In theory, yes." He walked to the map, "Any barrier has an energy threshold. As long as the applied force exceeds the threshold, the structure can be destroyed."

"How much force is needed?"

"I don't know." Zhao Lao Nian shook his head, "But it's definitely not something we can currently provide. A Nether Energy burst of the scale of the Bei Jing mother nest can only tear a temporary passage in the light curtain, and it soon heals."

He pointed to the cracks on the map.

"These are structural damages caused by Fortune Momentum collisions. They won't heal; instead, they will slowly expand. But to make the entire barrier collapse..." He paused, "It might require both worlds to simultaneously erupt with energy far beyond what we have now."

Zhang Cheng remained silent.

After a long while, he then said:

"The lord might be making preparations for this."

Zhao Lao Nian was startled.

"You mean..."

"I don't know." Zhang Cheng turned around, "But the lord never does pointless things. He wants this batch of high-load Star Sigils, and wants us to have them ready before the year's end—there must be a deeper meaning."

He patted Zhao Lao Nian on the shoulder.

"Seize the time. If you need any resources, come directly to me."

Having said that, he left the laboratory.

Zhao Lao Nian stood in place, staring at the cracks on the map, lost in thought.

What exactly is the lord planning?

Need high-load Star Sigils...

Large-scale energy transmission across the light curtain...

The ritual before the year's end...

These fragments pieced together in his mind, yet they could not form a complete picture.

But he trusted the lord.

Over the past century or more, every decision the lord made has ultimately been proven correct.

That is enough.

"Sir!"

The assistant led three groups of people in.

Over twenty artisans, their eyes bright, showing no trace of fatigue— they were all apprentices personally brought up by Zhao Lao Nian, pursuing technology with near-fanatic zeal.

"Is the task clear?" Zhao Lao Nian asked.

"Clear!" they all replied in unison.

"Good." Zhao Lao Nian pointed to the workbench on the other side of the lab, "There are one thousand tokens awaiting upgrade there. Team A handles re-engraving the patterns, Team B handles energy calibration, and Team C handles the final test."

He paused.

"Three days, it must be completed."

"Yes!"

The crowd dispersed, each taking their position.

Soon the lab filled with the faint sound of engraving knives scraping metal, the low hum of energy instruments, and hushed conversation.

Zhao Lao Nian walked back to his own workbench.

On the table, the thirty-seventh version Star Sigil that had just been tested successfully glowed with a dark gold sheen under the light.

He picked up the token, his fingers gliding over the silver patterns on its surface.

Cold, smooth, with the distinctive feel of precision machinery.

"Carrying a higher-intensity energy flow..."

He softly repeated the lord's demand.

Then, he took out a fist-sized crystal from the drawer—this was a Fortune Momentum Crystal produced by the Chen Dynasty, pale blue, with tiny points of light slowly flowing within.

He placed the crystal at the center of the testing platform.

He placed the Star Sigil above the crystal.

He activated the instrument.

This time, Zhao Lao Nian set the output power to the maximum.

Hum—

Silver light surged.

The entire token instantly turned incandescent white, its patterns seeming to come alive, wandering like silver snakes.

The readings on the testing platform jumped wildly.

"Load limit…… sixty percent…… seventy…… eighty……"

Assistant exclaimed: "Sir! It's going into overload!"

"Continue."

Zhao Lao Nian stared fixedly at the token.

The pattern began to redden, a sign of the metal overheating.

"Ninety…… ninety-five…… ninety-eight……"

Crack.

A faint cracking sound.

On the token's surface, a crack spread from the edge.

"Stop!"

Zhao Lao Nian abruptly shut down the instrument.

The blazing white light instantly went out.

The Star Pattern Token fell back onto the countertop, its surface scorched black, the crack clearly visible.

But the detector's final reading stalled at:

【Peak load: 217% of the standard value】

Zhao Lao Nian let out a long breath.

"Enough."

He said softly.

The load limit of 217 percent.

This means that the energy intensity this token can transmit is more than twice the current standard.

Enough to carry out some…… unconventional operations.

He collected the damaged token and looked toward the busy artisans.

Three days.

One thousand pieces.

Time is tight.

He must accomplish it.

Because the Sovereign requires it.

And what the Sovereign requires is what the Chen Dynasty requires.

Outside the window, the night grew darker.

In the laboratory, the lights were bright.

The scraping of the carving knife against metal continued all night.