Chapter 773: Purification Experiment

White Wolf Fortress ruins in the morning light looked like a festering scar.

The melted city walls piled up into twisted, semi-solid mud mounds.

The ground was covered with a thick, constantly writhing dark-blue fungal carpet.

The air was filled with a pungent sour-rot smell.

Zhu Yuanzhang stood on a newly built earth platform three li away.

Through the thousand-li telescope, the details of the ruins were clearly visible.

On the surface of the fungal carpet, those fist-sized sacs pulsed rhythmically.

With each pulse, new hyphae extended from the sacs, spreading outward.

"It is growing."

Liu Ji said in a low voice.

"It has only been seven days since the fall, and the contaminated area has expanded another five zhang compared to yesterday."

Zhu Yuanzhang lowered the telescope.

"Are the devices ready?"

"Ready."

Doctor Wang pointed to the rear of the earth platform.

There, three specially made carts were lined up in a row.

Each cart carried a huge casing made of an exotic iron framework and crystal lenses.

The casing surface was engraved with intricate potential energy patterns.

"According to His Majesty's design, the three 'Potential Energy Neutralization Generators' are arranged in a triangular layout."

"Each covers a radius of fifteen zhang; when overlapped, the core area covers a diameter of thirty zhang."

"This is just enough to cover the main ruins of White Wolf Fortress."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded.

"Begin."

The order was passed down.

The soldiers pushed the carts forward slowly.

They stopped two hundred steps from the ruins.

At this distance, one could already feel the skin‑tingling corrosive sensation in the air.

"Deploy!"

Doctor Wang shouted.

The casings on the carts began to deform.

The exotic iron framework extended outward, and the crystal lenses adjusted their angles.

Inside, the potential energy core emitted a low hum.

Pale golden light flowed between the lenses.

"First unit, in position!"

"Second unit, in position!"

"Third unit, in position!"

"Frequency synchronized… begin!"

Three beams of light surged simultaneously.

They converged and stacked in the air.

Forming a visible pale golden light curtain.

The light curtain slowly advanced forward.

Like a transparent wall, it pressed toward that dark‑blue ruin.

The first to contact was the outer edge of the fungal carpet.

The moment the golden light met the dark‑blue.

"Zizzi—"

A violent reaction sound exploded.

Thick black smoke rose from the surface of the fungal carpet.

The smoke carried a foul stench.

The hyphae writhed wildly, trying to retreat backward.

But the golden light kept advancing.

Wherever it passed, the fungal carpet quickly withered and charred.

Turning into a layer of black, brittle ash.

"Effective!"

Doctor Wang clenched his fist excitedly.

But Zhu Yuanzhang's brow did not relax.

He stared at the speed of the light curtain's advance.

Too slow.

At this speed, purifying the entire ruin would take at least two hours.

And the energy reserve of the potential energy core…

"How is the energy consumption?"

He asked.

Higher than expected by three tenths.

The operator stared at the gauge.

The dark energy concentration in the contaminated zone is too high; the neutralization process needs to consume more potential energy.

How much longer can the core hold out?

At most... half an hour.

Half an hour.

Even a third of the wasteland can't be covered.

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent.

He watched Huang Guang continue advancing.

Watching those vesicles burst in Huang Guang, spewing thick blue pus.

Watching the pus fall to the ground, it still stubbornly writhed, trying to regrow.

Increase the power.

He said.

Your Majesty, that will shorten the core's lifespan—

Increase.

The order admits no doubt.

The operator gritted his teeth and pushed the control lever up.

Huang Guang suddenly became blinding.

The advance speed suddenly doubled.

But the energy reading on the gauge also began to plummet.

Seventy percent...

Fifty percent...

Thirty percent...

Doctor Wang's forehead broke out in cold sweat.

And Huang Guang finally advanced into the core area of the wasteland.

The mound of mud formed from the completely melted city wall.

The mud boiled violently in Huang Guang.

Countless soft mud monsters burst from the mud, struggling frenziedly.

They tried to escape the range of Huang Guang.

But the light curtain had already closed in.

Nowhere to flee.

Ten percent!

The core is about to overload!

The operator's voice trembled.

Zhu Yuanzhang stared intently at that mud.

Staring at those soft mud monsters gradually melting and vaporizing in Huang Guang.

The last soft mud monster let out a silent hiss, turning into a wisp of blue smoke.

The surface of the mud mound began to solidify.

The dark blue light faded.

Revealing the scorched black soil and stone beneath, no longer writhing.

Stop!

Zhu Yuanzhang shouted.

Huang Guang suddenly went out.

All three generators stopped simultaneously.

The strange-iron frame became scorching hot, its potential-energy patterns dim and dark.

And the wasteland...

At the center of the wasteland appeared a relatively 'clean' area with a diameter of about fifteen zhang.

No fungal carpet.

No soft mud monsters.

Although the ground's color remained scorched black, it no longer emitted a dark blue glow.

Only around, in the uncleansed area, those fungal carpets were spreading toward the center at an even faster rate.

Attempting to retake this newly reclaimed land.

Record the data.

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was very calm.

Purified area: a circular region with a diameter of fifteen zhang.

Time taken: two quarter-hours.

Energy consumption: three generators running at full load, the core completely overloaded and scrapped.

Contamination regrowth speed: in the peripheral zone, the fungal carpet's spread rate reaches one foot per minute.

Doctor Wang quickly recorded.

His hand was shaking.

"Your Majesty…… the cost is too great."

"The cost of three generators equals that of three hundred piercing spears."

"And the purified area is still insufficient to build even the smallest outpost."

Zhu Yuanzhang did not answer.

He stepped down from the earthen platform and walked toward the land that had just been purified.

Liu Ji tried to stop him, but failed.

Zhu Yuanzhang stepped into the scorched-black area.

He crouched and grabbed a handful of soil.

The soil was still warm.

He brought it close to his nose.

The pungent sour-rot smell was gone.

Only the scorched, burnt smell of soil heated to high temperature remained.

He stood up and looked around.

Those azure fungal carpets had spread to within less than ten steps of him.

The mycelia probed the edge of the purified zone, beginning to re-root.

"At least it proves that contamination can be purified."

He said.

"But the cost is something we cannot afford now."

He turned and walked back to the earthen platform.

"Seal the data and send it back to the Investigation of Things Institute."

"Tell them the research direction remains unchanged, but the goal must be adjusted."

"Do not seek to purify a large area all at once."

"We need miniaturization, energy efficiency, and the ability to maintain a small 'clean zone' for an extended period."

Dr. Wang bowed.

"What about these generators…"

"Take them apart and recycle any usable materials."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked toward the north.

Toward the direction of Jinzhou.

"Before we find a more economical method…"

"We can only contend inch by inch."

"And defend inch by inch."

When the news reached Hetu Ala, it was already dusk.

After hearing the report, Old Saman's tentacles swayed slightly.

"The Ming emperor himself conducted a purification experiment?"

"Yes."

Amu Han lowered his head.

"Experimental result: effective, but the cost was enormous. All three of their devices were scrapped, and only a tiny area was purified."

"Excellent."

Old Saman's voice carried satisfaction.

"Let them continue the experiment."

"Continue to drain their precious resources and time."

"When they finally find an 'economical' method…"

Blue light blazed in his eyes.

"We will make them know."

"What the true 'cost' really is."