But the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus differed from the other two great Hidden Weapons. The most difficult aspect of crafting the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus was the gunpowder formula. Ultra-concentrated gunpowder was needed to produce sufficient effect—the instantaneous explosive force required that level of power. The Peacock Plume, on the other hand, demanded the highest manufacturing standards of the three and was the most technically demanding to produce. Meanwhile, the Rainstorm Pear Needles placed the harshest requirements on materials. The three great Hidden Weapons each excelled in their own domain. Their ranking was determined by the destructive power they could unleash. As for trying to dodge any of these three—forget about it.
A faint smile crossed Tang San's face. "I'll have to trouble you with that when the time comes, Elder. If the Peacock Plume can be successfully manufactured, even just a small number of them would be enough to serve as a powerful deterrent against our opponents. Unfortunately…"
Titan asked, "Young Master, unfortunately what?"
Tang San sighed. "Unfortunately, there are still two types of Hidden Weapons that probably can't be made. If those two could be produced, they would be capable of injuring even Titled Douluo."
"What? There are Hidden Weapons like that?" Titan's face went pale with shock. He stared at Tang San, his expression turning strange. If such weapons actually existed, what point was there in being a Soul Master? Wouldn't they guarantee death no matter who you faced?
Tang San replied, "They exist, yes, but they're simply far too difficult to produce. They are the Rainstorm Pear Needles, which have the strongest single-target attack, and the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus, which has the greatest area-of-effect damage. Those two aren't part of our plans for the time being."
Titan asked in confusion, "Why? Are those two even more troublesome to make than the Peacock Plume you just described?"
Tang San said with a bitter smile, "Troublesome, perhaps not more than the Peacock Plume. All three rank at the very top among all mechanical Hidden Weapons. The Peacock Plume is third, the Rainstorm Pear Needles are second, and the strongest is the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus. But in terms of localized destructive power, the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus can't match the Rainstorm Pear Needles. Let me explain just one simple point, and you'll understand why I say these two are so hard to make. The Rainstorm Pear Needles—both the housing and the twenty-seven pear needles it fires—must all be forged from the Silver Mother of Deep-Sea Sunken Silver. Deep-Sea Sunken Silver is already a metal ten times more expensive than Mysterious Iron. And its Silver Mother? It's virtually impossible to find, let alone purchase."
Even in the legends of his previous life, only one Rainstorm Pear Needle device had ever appeared. It was precisely because of the materials that this super weapon could never be mass-produced. With ordinary materials, you couldn't even complete its internal mechanisms. The Rainstorm Pear Needles' greatest feature was the explosive force of their instantaneous burst. The Zhuge Divine Crossbow already had impressive firing power, but compared to the Rainstorm Pear Needles, it was nothing more than a firefly next to the moon.
Titan sucked in another sharp breath. He had never even heard of Deep-Sea Sunken Silver, let alone its Silver Mother. In that moment, he felt deeply disheartened—yet his gaze toward Tang San carried several new shades of admiration. So young, and already accomplished not only as a Soul Master but also so broadly knowledgeable.
Tang San smiled. "Elder, here is my plan. Right now, what matters most to us is producing a batch of Hidden Weapons capable of standing up to ordinary Soul Masters. For this, the most practical option is the Zhuge Divine Crossbow. With sufficient metal supply, the Zhuge Divine Crossbow can be mass-produced. The manufacturing process for its components isn't especially difficult—any skilled blacksmith can complete them. But the final assembly process must remain a secret, known only to you and a handful of elite members of the Power Clan, who will handle that last step. Going forward, the Zhuge Divine Crossbow will be our primary Hidden Weapon for production. Beyond that, we'll also craft some more refined pieces—weapons that are not only powerful but also practical. As for the high-end weapons, that's where I'll need your help. We'll study them carefully and only produce small quantities for the time being. They can be sold at premium prices and also serve as our clan's treasured safeguards. The main piece among these would be the devastating Peacock Plume."
As he listened, Titan nodded repeatedly. Tang San's vision was extremely practical. Titan had seen the Zhuge Divine Crossbow—though its craftsmanship was impressive and its materials were made of Iron Essence worth its weight in gold, extracting Iron Essence was no great challenge for the Power Clan. As for the Peacock Plume, Titan had grown somewhat obsessed with it after Tang San's introduction. If not for the assembly they were obligated to attend, he would have wanted Tang San to sketch out the blueprints and begin trial production immediately.
For a blacksmith, what could possibly be more exciting than forging a powerful weapon?
In the world of Soul Land, a realm that belonged to Soul Masters, weapons had never been given much respect. If Hidden Weapons could change that, then, as Tang San said, the future of the Power Clan would be limitless.
Unable to contain his eagerness, Titan began asking Tang San about the specific manufacturing methods for the Peacock Plume. These methods were already etched into Tang San's mind, so he simply explained them in detail right there in the carriage.
Poor Ma Hongjun and Tairon were unceremoniously shooed by Titan into another carriage, giving Tang San enough room to explain. After all, neither of them could understand any of it—they'd just be in the way.
When they stopped at a rest city along the way, Titan rushed out to buy paper and pen. Discarding any notion of master-servant hierarchy, he had Tang San start sketching blueprints inside the carriage while he himself pondered the fabrication process, unwilling to let even the smallest detail slip by.
Tang San cooperated fully. Though the carriage jostled somewhat, his strength meant the minor bumps had no effect on him at all. In Titan, he seemed to see a reflection of himself from his previous life. Beyond his respect for the elder, the bond between them was growing ever warmer.
When two obsessives found each other, time flew. While Tang San and Titan—the young and the old—were deep in spirited discussion, their destination, Longxing City, was nearly upon them.
"Grandfather." Tairon's voice called from outside the carriage.
Titan snapped back in displeasure, "Didn't I tell you not to bother us unless something's wrong?"
Outside, Tairon couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. They'd been traveling for nearly half a month. Aside from necessary restroom breaks, Tang San and Titan hadn't even stepped out of the carriage to eat. Late into the night, their heated debates and even arguments could still be heard. Whenever they hit a critical manufacturing issue, neither the old man nor the young man was willing to concede. Tairon secretly thought that anyone who didn't know better might assume Tang San was Grandfather's real grandson.
"Grandfather, we've reached the empire border. We need to pass through the checkpoint. The border soldiers need to inspect the carriages—they'll require both you and the Young Master to step outside."
Titan looked up and exchanged a glance with Tang San. Though they'd rested little these past days, their spirits were better than everyone else's. Over these ten-plus days, both Titan and Tang San had thrown themselves into a state of fervent obsession. It was the first time Tang San had experienced this sensation since arriving in this world—the fervent, all-consuming research of his former life revisiting him once more. Though the two often argued, each debate always brought unique insights that left both parties feeling enlightened. They only wished they'd met sooner—that was their sole shared sentiment.
Titan chuckled. "It is time to get out and stretch these old bones of yours. Can't keep up with you anymore. Come on, Little San, let's go get some sunlight."
The two had gotten into such a heated debate during one session that tempers flared and the address changed along with it—Titan had started calling Tang San "little brat," and Tang San had retorted by calling him "old ape." The topic they'd been debating was whether composite materials could be used to manufacture the Rainstorm Pear Needles.
Tang San's position was that they couldn't. Titan believed they could—he had years of research into alloys made from composite materials and was confident. However, in the end, Tang San won the argument. When Tang San laid out the formula for the force that the Rainstorm Pear Needles' internal mechanisms would need to withstand, Titan carefully calculated it and realized he'd been thinking too simply. It was only after seeing this formula that he truly understood just how terrifying the Rainstorm Pear Needles' power really was.
Of course, Titan wouldn't admit defeat. His final words on the matter had been: "That thing just isn't something humans can make."
They opened the carriage door, and warm sunlight washed over them. The Xing Luo Empire was in the south of the continent, so the temperature was slightly higher than in the Tian Dou Empire to the north. Once outside, Tang San and Titan instinctively did the same thing—spreading their arms wide and stretching their bodies vigorously.
At that moment, the two carriages had arrived at the border checkpoint. Stopping them was a patrol squad of a hundred Tian Dou Empire soldiers. Of course, these so-called empire soldiers didn't truly belong to the Tian Dou Empire—they were directly under some subordinate kingdom. But Tang San had spent the past days locked in heated debate with Titan inside the carriage, paying no attention to the outside world. He had no idea where they were or which nation these soldiers served.
Several soldiers approached and climbed into the carriage Tang San and Titan had been riding to conduct their inspection. Naturally, they found nothing. All the blueprints had long been stored inside Tang San's Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlit Night.
Tang San gently stroked the fur of Xiao Wu curled in his arms and whispered softly, "I'm sorry, Xiao Wu. I've neglected you these past days—you haven't had any sunlight at all. I'll be more careful from now on."
Perhaps because she spent most of her time eating and sleeping, Xiao Wu's body had grown slightly plumper, and the life energy emanating from her had become even richer. At the roots of her lustrous fur, a faint golden hue had begun to appear.
The Lovesickness Crimson Heart was a supreme among immortal herbs. Though it couldn't restore Xiao Wu's soul, it continuously transformed her physical form. In terms of life force, even in her rabbit form, Xiao Wu now rivaled a ten-thousand-year divine beast. This undoubtedly laid an essential foundation for her eventual resurrection.
Under the sunlight, a trace of fatigue gradually appeared on Titan's face. Though his cultivation was deep, he had entered his twilight years after all—how could his stamina compare to Tang San's, whose body had been mutated to such an extreme degree?
"Little San, what do you think of my plan to upgrade the Zhuge Divine Crossbow?" Titan couldn't help but continue their earlier discussion.
Tang San nodded. "Theoretically, it's viable. But if you want to modify it, the cost of your alloy won't be low—it's several times more expensive than Iron Essence. And the actual power output remains to be seen. You wouldn't just be modifying the crossbow mechanism; the bolts would need to be redesigned too. Otherwise, no matter how strong the firing force, it's useless if the bolts can't withstand the impact."
Titan chuckled. "That's certain. I already have ideas—not only will I make the bolts from the alloy, but I also plan to carve blood grooves into them, based on your Bone-Piercing Needle design. That way, the penetrating power can be maximized. I reckon that would pose a real threat not just to forty- or fifty-level Soul Masters—even sixty-level ones would have to take it seriously."
Tang San laughed despite himself. "And next you'll be saying we should replace the Peacock Plume's materials with your alloy too?"
Titan scratched his head. "That probably won't work, will it? My alloy can't match Black Patterned Iron in weight, so the impact force would fall short. The Peacock Plume needs to hold as many as three hundred and sixty-five individual Hidden Weapons at once—individual weight is still quite important."
Tang San chuckled. "Modifying the Zhuge Divine Crossbow isn't impossible, but it would make production even more difficult. I think we should keep the original design as well—after all, for mass production, the per-unit cost can't be too high. We can research an alloy-enhanced version too. But once you pass the fifty-level threshold, each level of a Soul Master's advancement brings a qualitative leap in power. The modified Zhuge Divine Crossbow might not be as effective as you're imagining. However, dealing with Soul Masters around the fiftieth level shouldn't be a problem."
Titan said somewhat unconvinced, "Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. Let's wait until we've tested it."
Tang San smiled. "Though the Zhuge Divine Crossbow's upgrade potential is limited, hearing your ideas just now gave me a new thought. The difficulty of manufacturing the Peacock Plume stems mostly from the twelve Divine Needles inside it, aside from the internal mechanisms. The needles are tiny, and the crafting requirements are extremely precise. I think we could not only convert the Zhuge Divine Crossbow's bolts into Bone-Piercing Needle variants, as you suggested, but also into several other needle types—except they'd become bolts. With the increased size, manufacturing would be much easier. That way, we could have twelve different versions of the Zhuge Divine Crossbow. Combined with the alloy-enhanced firing power, we'd be able to deliver truly unexpected blows."
Titan's eyes blazed with excitement. "Brilliant idea, kid! Let's work this out carefully when we get back. That way, our Zhuge Divine Crossbow wouldn't be so one-dimensional. Yes—why didn't I think of that? By using different bolts, the power and characteristics would change. All we'd need to do during manufacturing is adjust the firing slots. And if all twelve versions of the Zhuge Divine Crossbow fired at once—wouldn't that be an enlarged Peacock Plume? The launching power might not match the Peacock Plume's close-range burst, but the range would be far greater. Against large numbers of enemies, the effect would definitely be superior."
Standing nearby, Tairon and the dumbfounded Ma Hongjun both felt a familiar wave of helplessness. They could see the burning light reigniting in Tang San's and Titan's eyes. Ma Hongjun couldn't help but mutter, "We're done for. Looks like we're stuck in that front carriage for the rest of the trip. Those two—the old one and the young one—go absolutely crazy the moment someone mentions Hidden Weapons."
Hearing Ma Hongjun's words, Tang San held up a fist in his direction. "Fatty, you just don't get it, do you? The line between genius and madman has always been razor-thin."
At this, everyone burst into laughter. The Power Clan members who had accompanied Titan to the assembly couldn't help but marvel—they hadn't seen the old Clan Leader this happy in a very long time. The warmth with which he regarded Tang San far surpassed anything he showed his own grandson. The real grandson had long since been forgotten.
Just then, the soldiers who had climbed aboard to inspect the carriage came back down. Their gazes swept over Tang San and the others, and one of them spoke. "You, you, and you—hand over all your Soul Guides. We need to check whether you're carrying any contraband."
This abrupt voice cut through the group's relaxed mood. Titan frowned. "When did border patrol start doing this? I've never heard of any checkpoint inspecting Soul Guides."
Soul Guides were items typically owned only by nobles and Soul Masters, used to carry important personal belongings. They were not things one would casually hand over to anyone.
The soldier who spoke snorted and raised his hand in a signal. Instantly, all the soldiers at the border checkpoint swarmed forward. Over a hundred soldiers drew their weapons and nocked their bows in the blink of an eye, surrounding both carriages and Tang San's group entirely.
The soldier who had spoken appeared to be their captain. He gave a cold snort. "I'm the one giving orders here. Never heard this rule before? Well, you've heard it now. Hand over your Soul Guides, or don't blame us for getting rough."
What kind of man was Titan? The Clan Leader of the Power Clan—the Power Clan didn't have many people known for their patience, and he was no exception. He let out a chilling laugh. "Well now, aren't you bold. You've got the nerve to try this on me. Let me see how exactly you plan to take our Soul Guides today. Show them what we're made of."
Including Tairon, all five Power Clan members responded in unison. Dense Soul Power erupted from their bodies like an explosion. Their muscles swelled as if pumped with air, terrifying flesh tearing through their shirts. Towering already, they now radiated an overwhelming aura of brute strength.
The Power Clan were pure-strength Soul Masters—their power was unmatched among Soul Masters of the same rank. Five of them: four Soul Kings and one Soul Ancestor. Their combined imposing aura forced the surrounding soldiers stumbling backward.
In an instant, every soldier's face drained of color, and the hands gripping their weapons began to tremble.
Tang San studied the soldiers with a thoughtful gaze, his mind racing. Normally, border inspections were strict, but they never went so far as to inspect Soul Guides. Those who owned Soul Guides could be nobles—or they could be Soul Masters. Did these soldiers really not fear running into a Soul Master? No—there was definitely something more going on here.