332: Chapter 332 Developing New Techniques, Even More Powerful

The morning sunlight had just crawled over the ridge of Qiming Plain when the metal ceiling of the Technology Workshop's main control hall let out a "ding," as if struck by someone like a bronze bell.

Chen Wuwang stood before the experimental table, holding the newly generated "Magic-Technology Coupling Initial Proposal" chip, his fingertips tapping the table surface; the rhythm was slow, yet steady as a heartbeat.

Bai Ling stood beside him, her cuffs still stained with a wisp of green light left over from last night; she looked down at the data stream pulsing across the operation screen and said softly:

"Just because that 'catch a breath' protocol ran successfully last night doesn't mean it can be used in actual combat. Magic isn't a program; it changes—once emotions shift, the frequency drifts."

"I know." Chen Wuwang grinned, tossed the chip into the air, and his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye scanned it instantly, projecting the data directly onto the main control light screen, "That's why we won't wait three days; we're starting the test now."

Before his voice had even faded, heavy footsteps thundered outside the door, like an iron bull charging into the corridor.

"It's here!" Chen Tiezhu's voice arrived before he did, carrying a half-scorched cannon barrel, his face splattered with coolant.

"I welded on that flexible energy storage module you mentioned yesterday! But as soon as I charged it, the magical backlash blew the rune array apart!"

He slammed the cannon barrel onto the ground, sending sparks flying.

"This thing is alive, not a battery!" He glared, "You want to use it as a battery? Dream on!"

Chen Wuwang ignored his temper, stepped forward and crouched down, running his fingers over the crack in the cannon barrel, raising an eyebrow: "The crystallization patterns are spreading outward, which means the pressure exploded from the inside out. The problem isn't the energy storage, but the excitation frequency."

He looked up at Bai Ling: "Among the three sets of rune models you transmitted last night, which one is the high-burst type?"

Bai Ling pursed her lips: " 'Earth-Splitting Vine Vein' is a resonance technique used by the Elf Race for po shan, with extremely fierce output, but the caster must sit in meditation for three days to recover."

"Perfect." Chen Wuwang stood up and clapped his hands, "Let's try it."

"Are you crazy?" Chen Tiezhu nearly jumped up, "Installing a magic capable of shattering mountain ridges onto a mecha cannon? If something goes wrong, the entire testing platform will be blown away!"

"Then we add a buffer array." Chen Wuwang had already walked to the console, quickly pulling up the design drawings, "A twelve-stage design, with a set of pressure-relief runes engraved in each stage, winding around the cannon barrel like intestines. Do you dare to do it?"

Chen Tiezhu stared at the screen for three seconds, then suddenly laughed: "I've been practicing Artifact Refining for thirty years, and this is the first time I've heard of engraving runes like a twist. Let's do it!"

The two immediately dove into the workshop, with Bai Ling following closely behind, green light rising from her fingertips as she began to calibrate the rune fundamental frequencies section by section.

Meanwhile, a cloud of dust rose from the sword array testing field.

Chen Xiaodao stood in the center of the field, holding his long sword horizontally, the "Magic-Tech Core-I" chip on the hilt slightly hot. He took a deep breath and suddenly unleashed his sword!

"Meteor Sword Intent—Falling Star Style!"

Sword light rained down, striking toward the black iron target three hundred meters away.

But just as the sword tip was about to strike, the chip flashed green, a vine-like phantom appeared out of thin air, only to disintegrate in mid-air, with energy scattering and blasting the ground into a pockmarked mess.

"Failed again." He cursed in a low voice, shaking off the residual heat from the Mechanical prosthetic limb on his left arm.

"You're too impatient." Bai Ling's voice came from behind; she had arrived at the edge of the testing field at some point, "Magic attachment requires a resonance window; your sword speed is too fast, and the channel was torn apart before it could even form."

Chen Xiaodao sheathed his sword and turned to look at her: "Then what do I do? Wait for the sword to stop before channeling magic? Enemies won't wait for me to pose."

"No one asked you to stop." Bai Ling walked a few steps closer, "At the moment the Sword Intent forms, inject a fluctuation of a specific frequency, just like... tuning an instrument before striking a bell."

"How do I inject it?"

"Using sound." She said, "There is a short incantation in the ancient Elf Race language: 'Aier Suo'en,' which means 'Let the wind stop.' It doesn't attack on its own, but it can create a brief stasis field, perfect for building a bridge."

Chen Xiaodao frowned: "Chanting while fighting? People will think I'm possessed."

"You can just move your lips without making a sound." Bai Ling demonstrated, her lips moving slightly, green light flashing at her fingertips, "Trigger it with your intent; as long as the System captures the frequency, it will work."

Chen Xiaodao was silent for a moment, then suddenly nodded: "Fine, I'll try."

He closed his eyes, took three deep breaths, and when he opened them again, his pupils were tinged with a hint of silver-white.

"Meteor Sword Intent—Condense!"

The sword had not moved, but the intent arrived first. At the very moment the Sword Qi formed, he parted his lips and silently chanted: "Aier Suo'en."

Hum—

The air seemed to have been pressed with a pause button, and a pale green ripple spread from the tip of his sword.

Immediately after, he swung his sword!

"Star Flow—Vine Binding Array!"

Three layers of sword shadows crisscrossed, each sword carrying vine-like green light, tracing complex trajectories in the air, and finally interweaving into a giant net in front of the black iron target, exploding with a boom!

With a rumble, the black iron target, along with its base, was sent flying ten zhang, and the wood-type spirit runes on the cross-section were clearly visible, still slowly writhing.

"It worked!" Chen Xiaodao panted, the corners of his mouth lifting.

On the distant observation deck, Chen Wuwang saw it clearly and couldn't help but slap the railing: "Good lad! This is the true Fusion!"

He turned and ran toward the heavy mecha debugging platform.

Over there, Chen Tiezhu was sweating profusely, lying beside the cannon barrel, having finally finished engraving the last set of runes.

"Done!" He wiped his face, "All twelve stages of the buffer array are complete, and the excitation frequency has been adjusted to the standard value for 'Earth-Splitting Vine Vein.' It all comes down to this shot!"

"Stand back." Chen Wuwang ordered in a deep voice.

All personnel evacuated the platform, and Chen Wuwang personally initiated the charging sequence.

Hum—

The spirit energy circuit opened, and magical energy slowly flowed into the cannon body along the flexible energy storage module; the runes lit up section by section, the green light shifting from slow to rapid, finally converging at the muzzle.

"Target locked—rock peak five hundred meters away!"

"Fire!"

Boom—!!!

An emerald green beam two meters thick shot out with a roar, twisting the air where it passed, cracking the ground; the entire rock peak was pierced through within three seconds, its top exploding, and rubble fell like rain.

The whole place was silent.

Three seconds later, Chen Tiezhu jumped up violently and grabbed Chen Wuwang in a hug: "It blew! It really blew! My cannon can spit magic!"

Chen Wuwang laughed and pushed him away: "Don't hug me, you're covered in oil."

Bai Ling walked over, looking at the cannon muzzle still emitting green smoke, and said softly: "This is no longer a mecha... it's a giant that can cast spells."

"No." Chen Wuwang shook his head, "This is a new beginning."

He looked up and surveyed his surroundings: Chen Xiaodao stood at the edge of the testing field, sheathing his sword, the Mechanical prosthetic limb on his left arm still holding residual heat;

Chen Tiezhu crouched by the cannon, his hands covered in coolant, grinning foolishly;

Bai Ling's skirt hem retained lingering magical light, and the vine scroll in her hand was glowing faintly, as if she were organizing new data.

No one left; they all stood there quietly, as if waiting for a word.

Chen Wuwang walked to the front edge of the observation deck, looking down at the orderly operation of the Technology Workshop; his voice was not loud, yet it reached the entire venue:

"With these, the Chen family will fear no challenge."