Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:
patreon.com/ZeroMoney
I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated.
******
Dai Weisi suggested, "Since Master Lou Gao has already completed the research, Father, why don't we go take a look?"
"Of course," Dai Pojun said with a smile. "As your father, I naturally want to see what kind of weapon could seriously wound a Soul Douluo."
Ever since witnessing the power of firearms firsthand, Dai Pojun had kept them under the strictest secrecy. Once these powerful weapons were developed, no one was allowed to take them out of the Forgemaster Association without his explicit orders.
Whenever he wanted to witness the firepower of the new weapons, Dai Pojun would personally go to the Forgemaster Association and have Master Lou Gao demonstrate them.
This had been the case with the anti-air cannon, and it was the same earlier with the repeating flintlock.
Father and son quickly boarded a carriage and set off for the Forging God Mountains—the place where Lou Gao and the other forgemasters developed their weapons.
A week later, the two finally arrived. Lou Gao hurried to the base of the mountain to welcome them.
Upon seeing Dai Pojun and Dai Weisi arrive, Lou Gao immediately cupped his fists and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor! May you live ten thousand years! Congratulations on your successful ascension to the rank of Titled Douluo!"
"Greetings to the Crown Prince as well!"
Dai Pojun laughed and said, "There's no need for such formality, beloved subject. Quickly, rise!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"I heard you've successfully developed the anti-air cannon. Hurry and give Us a demonstration, will you? We can't wait to witness the power of such a heavy weapon!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Lou Gao nodded solemnly, though his eyes sparkled with barely contained excitement.
He had created a powerful weapon capable of seriously injuring a Soul Douluo, and its low production cost made mass manufacturing entirely feasible. Just for this achievement alone, he could secure a place in history—his name remembered for generations!
With a grand wave of his hand, Lou Gao commanded his eldest disciple: "Si Long! Why are you still standing there? Hurry and bring out the cannon! We must show His Majesty and the Crown Prince its might!"
"Yes, Master!"
Lou Gao glared and corrected him, "How many times must I tell you? Use formal titles when we're working!"
"Yes, President Lou... cough, I mean, President Lou Gao!"
Si Long said no more. With an eager expression, he and several other disciples went to retrieve the weapon. As Lou Gao's top disciple, Si Long naturally felt honored that his master had created something so powerful.
Soon, a heavy cannon was rolled out, instantly drawing the full attention of both Dai Weisi and Dai Pojun.
The cannon barrel was forged from a special copper alloy—far harder than regular iron, with several times the strength. Even detonating three kilograms of mixed explosives on its surface would leave it unscathed, perhaps only scratching it slightly.
The cannon barrel was three meters long and weighed over three hundred jin (approx. 150 kg). It was securely mounted on a wooden carriage, needing only two ordinary warhorses to haul it across the battlefield. If they used a robust Blackscale horse instead, even one would be enough to pull it with ease.
As the cannon was wheeled into position, Lou Gao excitedly began introducing it to Dai Weisi and Dai Pojun. "Your Majesty, this is the cannon I've developed.
"To fire it, simply load the modified black powder—developed by the Crown Prince—into the barrel, followed by a solid iron ball, then ignite it. The cannon has an effective range of up to two thousand meters, and its power is enough to deal serious damage to a Soul Douluo. Beyond that range, the destructive force gradually decreases.
"If deployed in sufficient numbers, a volley could even threaten a Titled Douluo."
With that, Lou Gao personally conducted a demonstration. He aimed the cannon at a small mountain in the distance, loaded two kilograms of mixed powder into the barrel, followed by a cannonball the size of a basketball, and then ignited it.
BOOM!
As the powder ignited, an ear-splitting blast erupted. The cannonball shot out instantly, slicing through the air with a chain of sonic booms, striking the small mountain 1,500 meters away with pinpoint precision.
CRACK!
Upon impact, the cliffside shattered like parched earth, deep cracks spreading like a spider's web.
A massive crater formed on the rocky face, and the solid iron ball embedded itself deep within.
Had that shot struck a person, their entire body would have been mercilessly crushed—killed in a storm of excruciating pain.
After witnessing the cannon's power, Dai Pojun nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad. Very strong destructive force. Even a defensive-type Soul Douluo, if directly hit, would likely suffer serious injury in an instant!"
At this, Dai Weisi asked, "Master Lou Gao, what is the cost to produce one of these cannons?"
"Your Highness, because this cannon is made from a special alloy, the cost is somewhat high—each cannon requires about two hundred Gold Soul Coins."
Two hundred Gold Soul Coins—roughly the same price as Tang San's Zhuge Divine Crossbow—but the difference in their firepower was like night and day!
Dai Weisi didn't worry about the cost at all, for he had forty million Gold Soul Coins in compensation from the Spirit Hall. He wondered how many cannons could be manufactured with that.
"Master Lou Gao, is it possible to increase the cannon's range? The farther, the better—ideally, it could hit enemies even in the sky," Dai Weisi inquired, thinking of the Spirit Hall's Angel Legion.
Soul Masters selected for the Angel Legion all possessed Spirit Saint-level cultivation and could fly freely high above the heavens.
Against such a formidable foe, even the Gale Legion formed by the Min clan members would be no match. Dai Weisi knew he had to prepare a countermeasure in advance.
Lou Gao, however, had already anticipated this. With a smile, he nodded lightly and said, "Your Highness, please rest assured. I've already made preparations."
He then took out a cannonball from his Spirit Device. Compared to the previous solid iron ball, this new projectile was somewhat larger.
Dai Weisi looked puzzled, prompting Lou Gao to explain, "Since Your Highness ordered me to extend the cannon's range, I not only improved the barrel but also upgraded the ammunition. This is the result of my research.
Unlike a solid iron ball, this shell contains gunpowder and ten smaller iron balls inside, all wrapped in a metal with better heat conductivity.
When the cannon fires, the shell is propelled forward. The heat-conductive metal ignites the gunpowder inside mid-air, causing a secondary explosion.
Afterward, the smaller iron balls scatter like petals thrown by a celestial maiden, raining down on enemies. The maximum range reaches three thousand meters. Even flying enemies can be struck, although the destructive power is somewhat weaker—but still enough to injure a Soul Douluo!"
"Excellent! Master Lou Gao, you've done a marvelous job!" Dai Weisi said excitedly. As long as these cannons could be mass-produced, he felt confident in facing the Spirit Hall's Angel Legion.
Now that the cannons had been developed, it was time to form a powerful new army that never failed an assault or lost a battle.
Once trained, this force would become a sharp blade for the Star Luo Empire. In the future, whether dealing with the Spirit Hall or annexing the Heaven Dou Empire, it would instantly become the Grim Reaper's scythe, reaping the lives of enemies!
(End of Chapter)