Chapter 673: Old Nian's Model

December 24th, third underground level of the Ministry of Works.

Zhao Lao Nian crouched before the workbench, staring at six grayish-white crystal fragments on the tabletop.

These were brought back from the depths of the ruined mother nest in Bei Jing; their Nether energy was completely exhausted, but their structure remained relatively intact.

They are ideal samples for studying the energy properties of the Iron Crow Army.

Over the past month, he and his team have employed every available analytical method.

Weighing, measuring, heating, cooling, bombarding with the Qi resonator at various frequencies, and recording every subtle reaction.

The data filled more than a dozen volumes.

Finally, late last night, a vague model took shape in his mind.

"Sir, the seventh data set has been cross-checked."

The young assistant handed over a fresh sheet of notes, his voice tinged with fatigue and excitement.

"It basically matches the node resonance attenuation curve you derived, with an error within five points."

Zhao Lao Nian took the paper and quickly scanned the dense numbers and charts.

His gaze lingered for a moment on several key parameters.

"Five points……that's enough."

He set the paper down, rose, and walked to the large wooden board hanging on the wall.

The board was covered with diagrams, formulas, and messy notes.

At its center, a rough diagram of a multilayered nested sphere was drawn in charcoal.

"Come over here."

All the artisans still busy in the lab gathered around.

"This is what we've obtained this month after sacrificing sixty‑seven crystal fragments."

Zhao Lao Nian pointed at the diagram with a wooden ruler.

"The 'Nether energy' used by the Iron Crow Army is not a simple form of energy."

"It is a……composite structure."

"At its core is a highly compressed base energy with strong erosive and contaminating properties, violent in nature, similar to the raw energy we extract from our Qi crystals, but opposite in direction—it is 'destruction' and 'distortion'."

The wooden ruler moved to the second layer.

"Wrapping the core is a layer of 'information encoding'."

"This layer carries the commands."

"For example, 'catalyzing biological mutation', 'eroding material structure', 'disturbing the mind', and so on."

"Different encoding combinations cause the Nether energy to manifest different external effects."

"The outermost layer is the 'resonance conduction layer'."

"This layer allows Nether energy to be efficiently conducted between specific substances (such as crystals) and to resonate with the Iron Crow Army's Nether energy network, enabling remote control and energy transmission."

He lowered the wooden ruler and looked at the crowd.

"Before, fighting Nether energy was like using a shield to block an axe."

"We knew it struck heavy and sharp, but we didn't know why it was so heavy, or why it came at that angle."

"All we could do was endure it head‑on."

"Now we have roughly figured out part of the structure of that 'axe'."

"We know where its center of gravity lies, the blade's tilt angle, and how the swing generates force."

"So——"

He walked back to the workbench and lifted a thick cloth.

Beneath it was a newly modified Qi resonator.

Its volume is half that of the previous one, yet its structure is more complex, with several rows of adjustable knobs and dials added to the surface.

"We can now create a more targeted 'shield', and even……"

He patted the resonator's cold metal casing.

"To make something that can interrupt its swing path or cause it to veer off."

The assistants' eyes lit up.

"Sir, is this the second‑generation resonator?"

"It is one of its core components."

Zhao Lao Nian nodded.

"According to the model, I adjusted the resonator's frequency generation module."

"Now it can not only emit our own Qi resonance wave,"

"but also simulate several specific interference frequencies targeting the Nether energy's conduction layer and part of its encoding layer."

"It's like using a needle to prick a string that is being played."

"It may not break the string, but it's enough to make it go out of tune, or even stall temporarily."

He gestured for the assistant to start the machine.

A low humming sound rose.

Several Qi crystals on the instrument's front glowed with a steady blue light.

Zhao Lao Nian placed a Nether energy crystal fragment into the detection chamber.

Then he slowly turned one of the knobs.

The needle on the dial began to sway.

The resonator's sound shifted subtly, from a low hum to a sharper tone carrying a certain dissonant vibration.

Inside the testing tank, the piece of grayish-white crystal debris suddenly exhibited extremely faint, dark red light dots on its surface.

The light dots flickered erratically, extremely unstable, and completely died out after a few seconds.

"Did you see that?"

Zhao Lao Nian shut down the machine.

"This crystal stone is completely dead."

"But when I stimulate its residual structure with a specific frequency, it still responds."

"Although weak, it proves the direction is correct."

"If it were an active nether-energy crystal, this interfering frequency could reduce its energy conduction efficiency by over thirty percent, and the transmission of encoded instructions would also become garbled."

A low intake of breath sounded in the laboratory.

Thirty percent!

In a life-and-death struggle, this is almost a decisive gap.

"Sir, does this thing… produce power?" an old artisan asked in a trembling voice.

Zhao Lao Nian fell silent for a moment.

"Difficult."

"The material requirements are high, and the manufacturing precision requirements are even higher."

"Each module needs manual tuning; it cannot be mass-produced like standard crossbow bolts."

"At present, we only have enough to make twelve prototype units."

He paused.

"Moreover, this is merely 'interference'."

"To completely destroy the nether-energy structure, or to counter something stronger—like the large nether-energy aggregates we have seen in Luoyang or Bei Jing..."

He shook his head.

"Still not enough."

"The model is still rough, and many parameters are speculative."

"We need more data, more samples, especially… active, functioning nether-energy samples."

The assistants' newly kindled excitement cooled slightly.

But the fire in their eyes did not die out.

Having a direction is always better than stumbling about in the dark.

"Alright, don't just stand there."

Zhao Lao Nian clapped his hands.

"The assembly of the prototypes must not stop."

"Continue refining the model, and recheck all test data."

"Besides——"

He looked at the young assistant responsible for recording.

"Prepare a summary of the model's core and the preliminary test report of the second-generation resonator, and submit it to the Privy Council and Minister Zhang."

"Also, send a copy to the lord."

"Understood!"

The crowd dispersed and returned to work.

Zhao Lao Nian stood alone before the wooden board, looking at the rough schematic of the spherical model.

He knew this was only a beginning.

The secrets of the Iron Crow Army are far more complex than this model.

At least, they are no longer completely passive victims.

He recalled those "temporary resonance stations" being set up along the light curtain.

Those stations also employ an enhanced technology based on improvements to this model's theory.

If… if the so-called "spark" in Huai Xi truly needs to be connected,

these stations might serve as the "throat" for transmitting signals.

What he is doing now is to make this "throat" as clear, stable, and resistant to interference from the Iron Crow Army's nether-energy network as possible.

He walked back to his workstation, picked up a carving knife, and aimed at an unfinished potential-energy crystal core.

The knife tip descended, steady and precise.

Each groove could, at some future moment, become an inch-thick barrier against darkness.

He cannot stop.

The underground laboratory feels no alternation of day and night.

Only the water clock on the wall, dripping steadily, records the passage of time.

It also records a technology that could potentially change the future balance of opposition.

It is emerging from the rough model and drawings.

Bit by bit.

Becoming reality.