Chapter 774: Initial Success

The experimental hall on the third underground floor of the Investigation of Things Institute was brightly lit.

The air was filled with the peculiar smell of scorched strange metal, mixed with fine dust from crystal powder.

Six prototype units of the Potential Neutralization Generator, each shrunk to the size of a wardrobe, stood in a circle at the center of the field.

Each machine's casing was open, revealing the internal complex crystal arrays and strange-metal coils.

Dr. Wang's cuffs were stained with oil as he carefully adjusted the angle of a set of crystals inside the third machine with tweezers.

"Frequency fine-tuning complete."

His voice was hoarse.

"The six-machine array, its resonance mode changed to Rotating Activation."

"Each machine works for ten breaths, then goes dormant, to be taken over by the next."

"This reduces each unit's load by seventy percent, allowing total coverage time to extend to two hours."

Zhu Yuanzhang (Zhu Yue) stood on the observation platform, holding the energy curve chart just calculated.

"What about the heat dissipation problem?"

"We added copper heat sinks, paired with a water-cooling circulation."

Dr. Wang pointed to the newly attached pipes at the machine's base.

"After testing continuous operation for one hour, the core temperature stays within the safe threshold."

Li Shanchang stood beside Zhu Yuanzhang, his brows furrowed.

He held another document in his hand.

"Your Majesty, the cost of this new heat dissipation system…"

"Speak."

"Each unit adds three hundred taels in cost; six units total one thousand eight hundred taels."

"This does not yet include the infrastructure costs for the pumps, pipes, and reservoirs needed for the water‑cooling system."

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze never left the energy curve.

"If these six machines can guard a water source and protect a five‑hundred‑strong troop from contamination,"

"is one thousand eight hundred taels expensive?"

Li Shanchang fell silent.

"Begin the test."

Zhu Yuanzhang lowered the blueprints.

The order was passed down.

The pollution simulation area at the opposite end of the experimental field was activated.

It was the heavily polluted soil hauled back from White Wolf Fort, sealed in a lead box.

The moment the lead box opened, pale‑blue mycelium spread outward at a speed visible to the naked eye.

A familiar pungent odor rose in the air.

"Array, activate!"

Dr. Wang shouted.

The six machines emitted a low hum in unison.

But the light did not come on simultaneously.

The crystal array of the first machine glowed with Huang Guang.

After ten breaths, the Huang Guang began to fade.

The second machine lit up right after.

Then the third.

Like a relay, the Huang Guang rotated among the six machines.

The resulting purification field steadily covered the contaminated soil at all times.

The mycelium's growth rate visibly slowed.

In the areas continuously bathed in Huang Guang, the mycelium began to curl and wither.

"Pollution suppression rate, eighty‑seven percent!"

The observer called out the numbers loudly.

"The energy consumption rate is only three‑tenths of that of the previous large‑scale device!"

Zhu Yuanzhang stepped down from the observation platform and approached the edge of the array.

He reached out, feeling the subtle undulations of energy that accompanied the rotation of the Huang Guang.

"How long is the gap between rotations?"

"Each machine readies itself after twenty breaths of dormancy, but the array always has two machines operating simultaneously."

Dr. Wang quickly stepped forward.

"So the purification field is uninterrupted."

"Only its intensity fluctuates periodically between seventy and one hundred percent."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded.

He looked toward the edge of the contaminated soil.

There, although suppressed, the mycelium still stubbornly tried to reach outward.

Once they leave the purification field's range, they immediately accelerate their growth.

"What about portability progress?"

"We are already prototyping a single‑soldier backpack model."

Doctor Wang wiped his sweat.

But after the size was reduced, power and endurance dropped significantly.

Currently the prototype can only maintain a weak purification field for fifteen minutes, covering less than three steps.

It's enough.

Zhu Yuanzhang turned around.

If every soldier of the Purification Dust Battalion had one of these on his back.

they could establish a temporary safe point in the contaminated zone, rescue the wounded, and hold out for reinforcements.

That would be better than the whole army retreating and being slaughtered.

Seven days later.

At the Brocade Prefecture front, a small water source just contaminated beside the Daughter River.

Six new-type generators were secretly delivered.

They were emplaced on the high points surrounding the water source, forming an irregular hexagonal array.

Zu Dashou personally supervised the formation.

He stood on the earthen slope outside the array, watching the soldiers make final adjustments.

General, will this thing actually work?

The vice general asked in a low voice.

We'll know only after trying.

Zu Dashou's voice was deep.

His gaze swept over the area around the water source.

Three days ago, a squad of earth-digging beasts surged up from the underground river here and contaminated the entire body of water.

Of the two hundred stationed troops, only forty-something managed to withdraw in time.

The rest left not even their bones behind.

The water is no longer drinkable.

But the three downstream forts and their five thousand soldiers and civilians all depend on this river.

The Qing army knows we've lost the water source.

The vice general said.

The scouts report that the battle slaves are massing downstream, apparently waiting for us to run out of water and fall into chaos before launching a full-scale attack.

Zu Dashou said nothing.

He merely stared at the six machines that had already been activated.

Huang Guang began to rotate.

Like six breathing lamps.

On the first day, the pollution concentration at the center of the water source dropped by twenty percent.

On the second day, it fell another thirty percent.

The sticky, gloomy blue scum on the water began to dissipate.

At noon on the third day.

The soldier in charge of monitoring burst excitedly into the tent.

General! The water… the water is drinkable!

Zu Dashou sprang to his feet.

Has it been tested?

We tested it with silver needles, with live fish, and even had two death-row inmates try it personally!

Apart from a slight earthy odor, there's nothing abnormal!

Zu Dashou strode out of the command tent.

He came to the riverbank.

He squatted and scooped up a handful of water.

The water was clear.

No gloomy blue, no strange smell.

He brought it to his lips and took a small sip.

Indeed, it was just an earthy odor.

Order the downstream forts: the water source has been restored; draw water according to the set quota.

Also, send a company of the Purification Dust Battalion to take up positions around the array.

The Qing army won't just watch us retake the water source.

His judgment was correct.

That night, at midnight.

Downstream, the gloomy blue mist began to drift upstream.

Within the mist, the silent figures of the battle slaves could be seen advancing.

Their goal was clear—to destroy those six glowing machines.

The battle erupted three hundred paces outside the array.

The Purification Dust Battalion soldiers, relying on makeshift works, blocked the attack with armor-piercing spears and improved hand cannons.

The battle slaves' charge was more frenzied than ever.

They seemed to have received a death order, disregarding all cost.

But this time, the Ming army had confidence.

Because behind them, the water source was clean.

They need not worry about wound infection from injuries, nor worry about poison in the water they drink.

"Hold the formation!"

The colonel leading the troops bellowed.

"The formation stands, the water stands!"

The battle lasted half an hour.

The battle slaves left over twenty corpses behind and finally retreated.

And all six generators remained intact.

Only the outermost one had its casing gouged by a stray arrow, leaving a deep scar.

When Zu Dashou inspected the battlefield, he lingered long by that machine.

He reached out and touched that scar.

Then he turned and said to the messenger:

"Send a victory report to Ying Tian."

"Just say..."

His voice trailed off.

"The new device is just completed, the water source has been restored."

"Soldiers can give their lives, the people can drink in peace."

"This battle has a turning point."

When the victory report reached Ying Tian, Zhu Yuanzhang was reviewing memorials in the Wuying Hall.

Liu Ji presented the battle report, his eyes glowing with a long-lost light.

"Your Majesty, Jinzhou is secure."

"The five thousand troops and civilians of the three downstream forts have no water worries."

General Zu Dashou requested permission, asking whether the next batch of generators could be prioritized for the Jinzhou defense line.

Zhu Yuanzhang finished reading the battle report and set it down.

He did not answer immediately.

Instead, he walked to the huge map of Bei Jing at the side of the hall.

His finger slowly moved from Jinzhou.

It passed over the Daughter River, then over the red zones just marked as "contamination areas".

"Tell Zu Dashou: the second batch of twenty generators will be delivered within ten days."

"Moreover..."

His finger stopped at a certain point on the map.

That was a key ford in the middle reaches of the Daughter River.

"Have him set up another formation there."

"Link the purification zones into a line."

"Expand the safe zones bit by bit."

Liu Ji bowed to take notes.

"Your Majesty, Lord Li Shangchang will likely complain about waste again..."

"Let him come see me."

Zhu Yuanzhang turned around.

"I will tell him myself."

"Every extra tael of silver spent now will save ten soldiers' lives and prevent the loss of a hundred li of land in the future."

"How should this account be calculated?"

At the same moment.

Underground at Hetu Ala.

The Old Manchu's tentacles slowly retracted from the monitoring node.

"The Ming's new device, is it in rotation mode?"

His voice was icy.

"Yes."

Amuhan lowered his head.

"Improved energy utilization efficiency can maintain the purification field for extended periods."

"Our tactic of contaminating water sources is losing its effectiveness."

"Then let's change tactics."

Blue light flickered in the Old Manchu's eyes.

"Since they want to connect the safe zones into a line,"

"we will focus on striking their 'line'."

"Order the burrowing beasts on the front line."

"Starting tomorrow, we will no longer concentrate attacks on fixed targets."

"Disperse, roam, and randomly create contamination points along the entire defense line."

"I'd like to see how that works out..."

Azure light flickered around him.

"How many machines do they have that can keep up with our pace?"