C15 Carbon Nitrogen Oxygen and Tritium

With the esteemed title of the King of Dawnward and the backing of Shen Wuyou, along with the formidable display of gunpowder they had witnessed the day before, the citizens of Redrock Town were brimming with confidence in their fight against the devil tide.

This newfound belief significantly boosted the townspeople's work efficiency.

Shen Wuyou himself made rounds, inspecting various work sites.

He first visited the cave where sulfur and nitrate were mined. This natural formation provided ample amounts of both materials, sufficient for current use. Should they require more in the future, they could resort to mining and synthesizing.

Next, he checked in on the pottery workshop. Crafting pottery was a straightforward task, and Redrock Town already had several kilns where potters were busily producing pots in bulk.

To enhance the potency of the gunpowder, Shen Wuyou intended to incorporate iron fragments into the pots. As a result, the town's blacksmiths were hard at work, transforming various iron implements into sharp shards.

He also oversaw the gunpowder mixing process, which simply involved combining several powdered materials and packing them into the pots, followed by inserting a fuse—this task was relatively simple.

While the men toiled, Shen Wuyou had Chiying summon the town's women to prepare meals, ensuring that anyone who was thirsty or hungry had access to hot food.

After all, to keep the horses running, they must be well-fed. Everything was unfolding smoothly.

If he could just fend off this devil tide, Shen Wuyou would have the time he needed to pursue his technological advancements. He planned to gradually transform Redrock Town, until one day, it would serve as the foundation for constructing a genuine nuclear power station in this world!

This was his lifelong ambition, a tribute to both his personal dreams and the memory of his mother, who passed away when he was just three years old.

However, the daytime hours in Redrock Town were regrettably brief.

The daylight faded quickly, and before long, the evening gloom set in.

By dusk, the darkness was so profound that work had to cease. Shen Wuyou had no choice but to direct everyone back to the Overlord's Keep to weigh and assess the day's production of gunpowder.

A middle-aged man, holding a scale, calculated the total weight of the gunpowder. Approaching Shen Wuyou with a look of concern, he said, "Lord Overlord, we have... only 56 catties of gunpowder."

Shen Wuyou's face took on a grave expression.

The devil tide was a mere six days away.

They needed a total of seven hundred catties of gunpowder. At a rate of fifty to sixty catties per day, it would be impossible to accumulate seven hundred catties in seven days, not to mention the time required to dig traps and set up bombs...

Time was the issue! There were less than six hours available for work each day!

The others were incessantly discussing the matter.

"What are we going to do? There's not enough time."

"The Overlord has asked for seven hundred catties..."

"If we don't have enough gunpowder, how will we withstand the devil tide?"

Shen Wuyou quickly regained his composure and called out confidently, "Quiet down, everyone! Listen to me."

The chatter ceased, and all eyes turned to Shen Wuyou.

"We will have the seven hundred catties of gunpowder we need. Don't panic. Tomorrow, we'll have more hands on deck. In fact, I've already had some people start digging trenches outside of town. Tomorrow, I'll pull them in to help make gunpowder. Also, I'll find a way to extend our working hours. Be prepared for that."

"Today, you've all done exceptionally well. Now, please form a line and collect your pay."

Shen Wuyou signaled to Chiying, who immediately had the servants bring out a chest filled with coins. Two servants took charge—one for record-keeping and the other for handing out the coins.

Once the distribution was complete, Shen Wuyou entered the Overlord's Keep.

As soon as he was inside, the townspeople who had received their wages gathered at Ergou's invitation.

"Let's brainstorm, folks. How can we produce seven hundred catties of gunpowder?" Ergou inquired.

"Even with extra hands, we won't be able to produce seven hundred catties."

"It all comes down to time."

"Maybe we could work a bit longer. Mining sulfur and nitrate has to be done during the day, but grinding charcoal and mixing gunpowder can be done with just a bit of light," Ergou proposed, looking around at the group. "I've heard that to combat the devil tide, the Overlord didn't sleep at all last night. You saw him today, running around, even skipping meals to help others with the gunpowder. To protect Redrock, we need to step up our efforts too."

Upon hearing this, the others were visibly touched.

"Absolutely, we need to step up our efforts as well."

"Come on, let's get back to work."

"To work we go! Let's all work together!"

...

Stepping into the room, Shen Wuyou let out three consecutive yawns.

He hadn't slept in two days and a night. As a mere mortal lacking spiritual energy, he was truly struggling to keep going.

Yet, sleep was not an option at the moment.

"Chiying!"

"At your service," Chiying responded, appearing promptly at his side.

"Feeling tired?" inquired Shen Wuyou.

"Not really."

Shen Wuyou nodded appreciatively. "You've been a great help today, but I need one last favor. You practice the Azure Frost Mantra, correct?"

"How low can you drop the temperature? Can you reach minus 100 degrees Celsius?" Shen Wuyou asked, his gaze intense and serious.

"Celsius?" Chiying looked puzzled.

"Apologies, the way temperatures are measured here is rather imprecise. Nitrogen gas solidifies at minus 209.8 degrees Celsius, which is the same as... well..."

Chiying grew even more perplexed. Nitrogen gas? Celsius? Divisions of temperature?

She was at a loss trying to grasp Shen Wuyou's ramblings.

"Mystic ice!" Shen Wuyou's eyes suddenly sparkled with realization. "Can you achieve the temperature that mystic ice emits?"

"Yes," Chiying confirmed with a nod.

"Excellent," Shen Wuyou said, snapping his fingers. "Chiying, I need you to extract a snow crystal-like solid from the air. This solid, you can refer to it as..."

Shen Wuyou hastily scribbled a character on a piece of paper.

"Nitrogen!"

"Egg?"

"Ah, it doesn't matter what it's called. Just help me extract nitrogen, that will suffice!" Shen Wuyou's eyes gleamed as he looked at Chiying. "You can handle that, right?"

Chiying nodded, "It can be done. However, Your Highness, may I ask what this is for?"

"You'll see soon enough," Shen Wuyou said, his smile beaming.