C10 The Power of Science

Shen Wuyou's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, flitting from science to philosophy. He was on the cusp of pondering the essence of the world when Chiying abruptly interrupted his reverie.

"O... Overlord."

Turning around, Shen Wuyou was greeted by the sight of Chiying's lengthy legs.

He couldn't help but marvel inwardly at their length.

Looking up into Chiying's radiant and captivating face, he remarked, "You might as well get used to calling me Crown Prince. I had intended to keep a low profile and make it on my own, without leaning on my father's name. Yet here we are, my cover blown on the very first day."

Not rely on his father?

Chiying scoffed silently. Without the backing of a powerful father, how could someone like Shen Wuyou, devoid of any cultivation, hope to survive in this world?

"What's the matter?" inquired Shen Wuyou.

"Crown Prince, the devil tide is approaching. We must make haste to Fengdu to seek refuge from the devil tide," Chiying explained. "As the son of the King of Dawnward, if you lead the townspeople to Fengdu, the city lord will surely respect your presence and welcome the townspeople in."

Shen Wuyou shook his head, "No, we can't leave. If we do, Redrock's crops will be lost, homes will collapse, and we'll have to rebuild. Once the devil tide has passed, with no food or shelter, what will become of the five thousand residents?"

Who would mine for him or labor in Redrock if it needed to be rebuilt?

"Redrock Town lacks defensive walls and a military force of cultivators. Once the devil tide hits, it will be a death sentence for everyone. Are you willing to sacrifice all five thousand lives?" Chiying challenged.

"Who says we can't withstand the devil tide? After all, I am the son of the King of Dawnward," Shen Wuyou replied with a hint of jest.

Chiying's expression turned grave as she retorted sharply, "Both of us know the truth! The Featherguard is stationed at Drakehaven, and the Sun Knights are at Solaris Pass. No one will come to our aid! On what grounds do you promise to safeguard these lives? Should all five thousand perish here in Redrock, it will surely be used against the House of Dawnward by rival factions."

"Shen Wuyou! How much trouble do you intend to cause His Highness, the King of Dawnward?"

Shen Wuyou abruptly rose to his feet, his purple eyes locking onto Chiying. As they stood face to face, their gazes met evenly, a testament to Chiying's impressive height.

He spoke calmly, "The King of Dawnward has his own methods for repelling the devil tide, and Shen Wuyou has his own ways of protecting the people... I've never sought to trouble my father."

"You..." Chiying was at a loss for words momentarily. After a brief pause, he stepped back and bowed his head, saying, "I apologize for any offense I caused earlier."

Shen Wuyou flashed a smile and gestured dismissively, "No worries. I know you're devoted to my father."

At that moment, those whom Shen Wuyou had dispatched to gather materials had all returned.

They approached Shen Wuyou and laid the retrieved items, encased in wooden frames, on the ground. Despite having completed their task, they were clueless about the purpose of these commonplace stones and charcoal and how they related to fending off the devil tide.

Shen Wuyou inspected the materials. The sulfur and nitrate were of high purity, eliminating the need for further refinement, and the charcoal was, of course, self-explanatory.

He instructed those who had collected the materials, "Grind these yellow stones, white crystals, and charcoal into powder. Then divide them into equal portions, each weighing about an ounce."

"After you've ground them into powder, mix the white, yellow, and black powders in a ratio of 75 to 10 to 15..."

"Damn it! What ratio did I just tell them?" Shen Wuyou muttered to himself in frustration.

"Mix 15 portions of white powder with two portions of yellow and three portions of black. If there's any leftover, just keep mixing in the same proportions. Got it?"

The directive remained the same.

Though its purpose was unclear, he was, after all, the son of the King of Dawnward!

They would simply follow his orders.

The townspeople promptly took up hoes, stone mills, iron hammers, and other tools, and began grinding the raw materials into powder as Shen Wuyou had instructed.

A group of townspeople immediately grabbed tools like hoes, grindstones, and hammers to grind all the raw materials into powder, following Shen Wuyou's instructions. In truth, Shen Wuyou could have easily commanded Chiying to accomplish these tasks. As a cultivator at the pinnacle of the Golden Core Realm, Chiying could have used her immortal force to turn the materials into powder in the blink of an eye. However, Shen Wuyou had the townspeople do it themselves so they could be personally involved in the process and to demonstrate that this was certainly not divine magic.

After roughly two hours, the townspeople had completed all the tasks Shen Wuyou had assigned. The powder, mixed in the correct proportions, filled seven or eight ceramic jars. "Lord Overlord! The task is complete," they announced.

Shen Wuyou inspected the powder in the jars to ensure the components and ratios were correct. Satisfied there were no issues, he had the townspeople bury the jars beneath a massive rock over a hundred feet tall. Once the preparations were complete, he instructed everyone to retreat to a safe distance. Holding a torch, he looked out at the townspeople standing a hundred yards away. After a moment's thought, he beckoned to the young man who had earlier challenged him, "Come here!"

The young man hurried over. "Lord Overlord, what are your orders?"

"What's your name?" Shen Wuyou asked.

"Reporting to the Overlord, my name is Ergou."

"Alright, Ergou, you will take this torch and light the fuse. Once it's lit, run as fast as you can. Understand? Don't hesitate for even a second."

Ergou nodded, though he was unsure of what to expect. He simply knew he had to light it and run.

Shen Wuyou then stepped back to a safe distance and signaled to Ergou, "Light it!"

Without hesitation, Ergou lit the fuse and immediately dropped the torch, sprinting away. By the time he reached safety, the fuse had only burned halfway. Thousands of onlookers watched intently, filled with curiosity and speculation about what was to come.

Suddenly, the fuse burned down completely, igniting the black powder the townspeople had prepared in the ceramic jars. An enormous explosion rocked the area, sending dust billowing and reducing the towering rock to rubble as fragments scattered in all directions.

The ground shook and dust billowed as the massive rock, towering dozens of feet high, was blasted into countless fragments that scattered in all directions. When the dust finally settled, the rock had vanished, leaving behind a crater ten feet in diameter and two to three feet deep for all to see.

Every witness was left utterly speechless, their eyes wide with astonishment. What force could possibly stand against such destructive power?

"This... this is..."

"Only a Nascent Infant cultivator, only someone with the power of the Nascent Infant, could wield such immense strength..."

Shen Wuyou was quite pleased with the reaction of the townspeople.

He approached the edge of the crater, turned back, and proclaimed loudly, "The substance that caused this explosion is called gunpowder! It was crafted and ignited by your very own hands!"

"This is not the result of divine magic, but the force of science."

With arms outstretched and a passionate demeanor, Shen Wuyou declared, "Just give me enough time, and I will teach you how to create weapons far more powerful than gunpowder! When that time comes, what will the devil tide mean to us? Even if the Ancient Gods were to awaken, I will... blow them to smithereens!"

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