72: Chapter 72 Common Development, Technology as a Facilitator

As the morning light just swept across the eaves of the Council Hall, Chen Wuwang flicked his fingertip, and the communication talisman he had held all night drifted lightly into his palm.

He stood up, his black robe undisturbed, his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flashing with a faint blue light, sweeping over the jade stele in the empty hall that still held the lingering warmth of the contracts—the Eight Clans had placed their seals last night, and today, it was time for real action.

He did not return to the inner hall, nor did he summon anyone to pass a message, instead pushing open the side door and walking straight toward the plaza outside the hall.

The high platform had long been prepared, and quite a few people had already gathered below.

Elder Xu stood in the front row, clutching the copy of the "Constitution" from last night; representatives from the Zhao Clan, Lin Family, and Sun Clan had also arrived, followed by the young Disciples of their respective clans.

Some had bright eyes, some looked full of doubt, and a few older deacons whispered: "They say it's common development, but I'm afraid they just want us to hand over hostages to learn how those metal contraptions make noise."

Chen Wuwang stepped onto the high platform, said nothing, and first tossed a glowing talisman board into the air.

"Hum—"

A translucent light screen instantly unfurled, clearly displaying three blueprints: a cabin body with a metallic sheen, a furnace structure resembling nested gears, and a model of a field covered in fine lines.

"Artifact Refining, Spiritual Qi fields, Formation," he said, his voice not loud, but every word hammered into people's ears. "Three major modules, technology sharing."

A commotion immediately broke out below.

"Sharing? The Chen Family's ancestral skills, why give them to us for free?" the Zhao Clan Elder frowned.

"It is not for free." Chen Wuwang raised his hand to press down the noise. "The only requirement—each clan must send at least three people to participate in the training. No resources will be collected, no mineral veins will be occupied, and no restrictions on Legacy. Once your people learn it and can build it, it belongs to you."

When these words were spoken, many people's breathing grew heavier.

Elder Xu's eyes brightened, but then his face sank: "But these... are all mechanical gadgets, which contradict the Righteous Path of cultivating immortality. Several Seniors in my clan have said that relying on external forces for a Breakthrough leads to an unstable Foundation."

"Then let me ask you." Chen Wuwang stared at him. "Breathing and exhaling for three years to reach the third level of Qi Refining, versus breaking through in three months—which is more stable?"

No one answered.

He sneered, tapped the light screen with his fingertip, and switched the image—a Body Tempering Chamber was in operation, the Spiritual Qi inside being compressed into a pale golden mist, evenly infused into the human Meridians, with an efficiency clearly more than ten times that of the traditional method.

"The first project: 'Elementary Spiritual Energy Body Tempering Chamber', one per clan within three months." He paused. "Now, watch the prototype demonstration."

As his voice fell, two Chen Family Disciples pushed over a silver-gray cabin, its entire body carved with Spiritual Qi-conducting patterns.

A young man stepped forward; he was a member of the Li Clan, trembling as he lay inside. The cabin door closed, and the Spiritual Energy started up.

In less than half an incense stick of time, the cabin door opened.

The young man stood up shakily, the Spiritual Qi fluctuations inside his body rising steadily, leaping on the spot from the second level of Qi Refining to the third!

He stood stunned in place, tears streaming down his face.

The whole place was deathly silent.

Then, the Li Clan Chief "thumped" to his knees, tears of an old man streaming down his face: "This grace... is worth more than a thousand Spirit Stones!"

This kneeling was like a stone thrown into the center of a lake. The other Clan Chiefs' expressions changed again and again, until finally someone whispered: "My clan is willing to send three people for training."

"We'll sign up too!"

"Count us in!"

Chen Wuwang did not smile, only putting away the talisman board: "Tomorrow at early morning, in the square in front of the Eastern Wasteland Technology Workshop, classes will officially begin."

After the crowd dispersed, he turned and walked toward the Technology Workshop.

Before he had even entered, he heard a muffled "boom" from inside, followed by screams.

He walked quickly through the corridor, only to see the thick smoke in the training area had not yet dissipated, a young man clutching his hand and stepping back a few paces, while a mechanical arm in front of him was crooked and smoking—he had accidentally touched the switch, triggering a small Spiritual explosion.

Several Elders immediately gathered around:

"Stop it! This thing is too dangerous!"

"This isn't cultivating immortality, it's risking one's life!"

"Letting the children touch these iron-headed, copper-brained things will lead to a big disaster sooner or later!"

Before Chen Wuwang could speak, a rough voice came from the depths of the workshop: "Who says this is risking one's life?"

Everyone turned around.

Chen Tiezhu walked out from the shadows, his face stained with oil, the mechanical armor on his right arm "clicked" as it detached, revealing the miniature furnace control System nested inside, with pipelines wrapped around it like blood vessels.

"Thirty years ago, I believed that fire was the Dao." His voice was hoarse. "A hammer, a furnace, even if I broke three ribs, I had to quench the sword embryo. My wife... she was burned alive by the backlash of the Spiritual fire."

The crowd went quiet.

He didn't look at anyone, just reached out and pressed the operating console, inputting commands.

A fully automatic quenching furnace slowly started, controlling the temperature, immersing the liquid, and lifting—all fluid and smooth.

Half an incense stick of time later, a Medium Grade Magical Artifact came out of the furnace, warm and smooth throughout, with even Spiritual Qi and not a single flaw.

"Now I don't need fire eyes, and I don't need to stay up all night." He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the questioning Elders. "But the artifacts I refine are ten times more numerous and ten times more stable than before."

He paused, his voice deepening: "The will to control the flame is the fundamental thing. The tools have changed, so the Dao is no longer valid? What you fear is not the machines, but your own inability to keep up with the times."

No one spoke again.

Chen Tiezhu wiped his face and turned to the group of young people:

"Starting today, we will use a rotation training System + mentorship System. Two groups per day, with practical operation as the main focus. The Elementary blueprint library is now open, and all basic equipment designs are allowed to be copied."

He pointed to a light screen on the wall: "Progress is updated in real-time. Within three days, I want to see the first Body Tempering Chamber independently assembled by someone other than a Chen Family Disciple."

The young people looked at each other, and finally someone gathered the courage to step forward and reach for the control panel.

In the afternoon, at the Alliance's temporary camp.

The Elders of the Seven Clans gathered in the Body Tempering Chamber training area, watching their own Disciples go in and out of the chambers one by one, their Spiritual Qi rising steadily, their expressions changing from suspicion to shock, and then to uncontrollable excitement.

The Sun Clan envoy stood in the corner with arms crossed and suddenly sighed: "If I had known... I shouldn't have hesitated last year. We wasted three months for nothing."

"It's not too late now." Deacon Lin smiled, holding a list in his hand. "I have already had the clan prepare the first batch of construction Materials to support the expansion of the Technology Workshop."

"Count me in!" The Zhao Clan Elder immediately chimed in. "Five carts of Black Iron Ore will be delivered tomorrow morning."

"Three tons of Cold Iron, two hundred catties of Spirit Pattern Stone, all gathered by the whole clan." Elder Xu solemnly handed over a Jade Slip. "Please accelerate the implementation of the second phase project."

Chen Wuwang took it without declining, only saying: "Register the Materials into the warehouse, and the workshop will coordinate them uniformly. The second phase includes the Spiritual Qi field irrigation System and a simple early warning Formation, which will be delivered in two months."

He turned to leave but was surrounded by a group of people.

"Clan Chief!" the Li Clan Chief bowed deeply. "I beg you... let my son stay in the core group to continue learning!"

"I also apply to send two more people!"

"Can we learn the Formation module early?"

He raised his hand to stop the noise, his gaze sweeping over each eager face: "Today's beginning is not the merit of my Chen Family, but the result of everyone working together. The road has only just begun, and no one is allowed to fall behind."

After speaking, he walked toward the center of the construction site.

Sunlight fell on his shoulders, and the communication talisman in his hand kept flickering, receiving the training lists, material lists, and site preparation progress reported by each clan.

He looked through them one by one, the corners of his mouth lifting imperceptibly.

In the distance, Chen Tiezhu crouched in front of the second batch of students, teaching them hand-in-hand how to debug the Spiritual Energy furnace parameters.

His right fingertips were covered in metal dust, and for the first time, a serious smile appeared on his face.

The Body Tempering Chambers hummed as they operated, the mechanical arms swung in an orderly fashion, and a new batch of parts was being sent into the assembly line.

In the Eastern Wasteland, the first collective construction in the true sense had quietly begun.