“It seems that after this four great single attribute clan gathering, I really have to go with you to metal capital Gengxin City. I hope we can reap some harvest.”
Tai Tan’s interest was already completely drawn out by Tang San,
“Young master, tell me quickly, what are the designs for this Peacock Plume?”
Tang San said:
“Peacock Plume, it’s one of the most formidable kinds of hidden weapons recorded in the secret book. It’s shape is cylindrical, one chi long, the cross section diameter three cun. Two buttons on top. The first button is used to wind the mechanism. The same principle as the Godly Zhuge Crossbow, they both fear the mechanism being wound for too long, leading to wear. Only winding the Peacock Plume’s mechanism is a lot more intricate than the Godly Zhuge Crossbow, it only needs one push to instantly complete the process. And the second button is used to shoot, difficult for supernatural beings to escape. The entire Peacock Plume has altogether three large sections. The plume, the internal mechanism, as well as the fitted hidden weapon. Among them, the most difficult to produce is the internal mechanism. It’s extremely complex. The Peacock Plume holds altogether three hundred sixty five hidden weapons, shot at once. If ejected, it can cover an area of several dozen square meters. The three hundred sixty five hidden weapons are divided into twelve types, due to volume, they’re all needle shaped hidden weapons. They’re each made from profound iron, still with some special qualities. The reason it uses profound iron, besides the hidden weapon’s own killing power, is because weight is also extremely important. Without a certain weight, after the hidden weapon erupts, its might will naturally be limited. After ejection, its might will be greatest within a thirty meter range, past thirty meters, its power will gradually drop, reaching fifty meters at most. The twelve hidden weapons included are each Bone Piercing Needles, Thunderflame needles, Armor Breaking Needles, Blade Splitting needles, Devil Subduing Needles, Overlord Needles, Deep Yin Needles, Dragon Breaking Needles, Lust Drowning Needles, Dragon Beard Needles, Meteor Extermination Needles and Seven Murder Needles.”
“These twelve types of needles practically include all the most representative and most powerful of needle type hidden weapons. Each kind is made in a different way, their style and materials used also all different. For example, the Bone Piercing Needle’s effect is mainly puncturing, the front thin and back round, made entirely from profound iron, there are eight grooves on the tiny needle. The distance between each must be exactly the same. Possesses extremely powerful puncturing capabilities. The Thunderflame Needle contains an explosive substance, its outer shell is also made from profound iron, but the explosive substance within must be highly concentrated, the explosion can shatter the profound iron at impact, vastly increasing killing power. The Armor Breaking Needle’s effect is somewhat similar to the Bone Piercing Needle, but the Bone Piercing Needle is directed at protective spirit power, and the Armor Piercing Needle aims at physical defenses. Like the Elephant Armored School’s tough skin would be completely ineffectual against the Armor Breaking Needle. Others like the Deep Yin Needle are highly poisonous, the Dragon Breaking Needle momentarily paralyses the enemy, instantly increasing blood circulation speed tenfold. If they’re not given treatment, their heart will burst. The Dragon Beard needle is made from the hair gold of the best crystals, after entering the body it will instantly curl up, making the opponent prefer to die. As for the most powerful Meteor Extermination Needle and Seven Murder Needles, they can instantly take a life. If these twelve kinds of needles are instantly fired, unless the opponent’s defense is already at a level where the Peacock Plume’s twelve needles is unable to break through, as long as one hits, they will definitely die.”
Tang San’s account really was very plain, but it still made the listening Tai Tan’s scalp tingle. When Tang San began to talk about how the Peacock Plume could destroy Spirit Sages he still didn’t believe it, but after hearing Tang San describe these twelve kinds of needles, he suddenly felt that he previously might have been viewing the sky from the bottom of a well. If this hidden weapon really could be made, then, let alone Spirit Sages, even Spirit Douluo like him might be unable to block it.
“No wonder young master says making this hidden weapon is extremely difficult, this old man has truly had his eyes opened. Just making these twelve kinds of needles is already difficult beyond difficult, let alone making the Peacock Plume capable of holding them all. Making this thing would require extremely detailed plans. At the same time, all types of rare metals are equally indispensable. Even in the Strength Clan, perhaps only me and another two brothers have the skill to make it. Funny, just now I wanted to mass produce them. In order to produce immense power, one must pay an equally immense price!”
Tang San smiled slightly. In fact, if he was given enough time, this Peacock Plume could also be made. The Peacock Plume was originally ranked third of the Tang Sect’s three great lost mechanical hidden weapons kings, ranked second was the Torrential Pear Blossom needle, and ranked number one was the Buddha Fury Tang Lotus.
He could even research the production of the Buddha Fury Tang Lotus by himself, if he was given time, making the other two wouldn’t be impossible.
* * *
[1] Gengxin City - (庚辛城) geng and xin refers to the seventh and eighth of the ten heavenly stems, and by extension are used to denote the seventh and eighth items in lists, thus a translation might be GH City, or VII-VIII City, or 7-8 City.
[2] Defense Clan - (御之一族) or “Only Resistance Clan”
[3] Speed Clan - (敏之一族) or “Only Agility Clan”
[4] Breaking Clan - (破之一族) or “Only Splitting Clan”, the character refers to all sorts of things related to breaking things.
Chapter 170: The Three Vulgar Cheap Customers
But the Buddha Fury Tang Lotus and the other two great hidden weapons were somewhat different. The greatest difficulty of making the Buddha Fury Tang Lotus was the gunpowder recipe. It had to be concentrated in order to produce a sufficient effect. That instantly erupting power needed such capability. And among these three hidden weapons, the Peacock Plume had the highest demands regarding production, the kind with the most difficult requirements of skill. And the Torrential Pear Blossom Needle had the most pitiless material requirements. The three great hidden weapons could be called victors in their own arena. The ranking was established according to the power they produced. As for dodging these three great hidden weapons, that was of course impossible.
Tang San’s face revealed a faint smile,
“When that moment comes I’ll trouble you elder. If the Peacock Plume can be successfully produced, even a small number will be equally capable of being a formidable deterrent. Unfortunately……”
Tai Tan asked:
“Young master, what’s unfortunate?”
Tang San sighed, saying:
“Unfortunately, there are still two kinds of hidden weapons that might not be made. If those two hidden weapons could be created, even Title Douluo would be killed or injured.”
“What? There are still such hidden weapons?”
Tai Tan turned pale with fright, looking at Tang San, the expression in his eyes couldn’t help turning somewhat monstrous. If such hidden weapons really did exist, then what would Spirit Masters still cultivate? Before such hidden weapons, wouldn’t that be certain death without reprieve?
Tang San said:
“There are, but creating them is too difficult. They’re the most powerful single target attack Torrential Pear Blossom Needle, as well as the most powerful group damage Buddha Fury Tang Lotus. These are temporarily not within our considerations.”
Tai Tan puzzled asked:
“Why? Don’t tell me making these two hidden weapons is even more difficult than the Peacock Plume you just mentioned?”
Tang San smiled wryly:
“It’s not more troublesome than the Peacock plume. These three kinds are the top three mechanical type hidden weapons. The Peaco
ck Plume is number three among them. The Torrential Pear Blossom Needle is second. The most powerful is the Buddha Fury Tang Lotus. But in terms of local attack power, the Buddha Fury Tang Lotus isn’t above the Torrential Pear Blossom Needle. I’ll just explain it simply, and you’ll understand why I say making these two kinds of hidden weapons is difficult. Like the Torrential Pear Blossom Needle, not only the main part, but the twenty seven Pear Blossom Needles it fires must all be made from the silver source of deep sea sunken silver. Deep sea sunken silver is a metal ten times more valuable than profound iron. As for its silver source, it practically doesn’t even exist, let alone speaking of buying it.”
Even in the legends of his previous world, there had only been one appearance of the Torrential Pear Blossom Needle, it was the material that prevented the manufacture of this super hidden weapon. If it was made from common materials, it couldn’t even be wound successfully. The greatest feature of the Torrential Pear Blossom Needle was that instantly erupting burst power. The firepower of the Godly Zhuge Crossbow was already very powerful, but if it was compared to the Torrential Pear Blossom Needle, it was like a firefly before the bright moon.
Tai Tan drew a cold breath once again, let alone seeing it, he hadn’t even heard of something like deep sea sunken silver, and even less of silver source. For a moment, he couldn’t help being greatly disappointed. At the same time his gaze at Tang San also grew somewhat admiring. At such a young age, not only was he accomplished as a Spirit Master, he was still so erudite.
Tang San smiled:
“Elder, my plans are like this. To us at present, what’s most important is to make a hidden weapon that can contend against common Spirit Masters. Among these, most practical is to rely mainly on the Godly Zhuge Crossbow. With the support of enough metal, the Godly Zhuge Crossbow can be mass produced. Furthermore, the making the components isn’t all that difficult, all skilled blacksmiths can do it. But we have to keep the assembly techniques secret, they can only be known by you and a small number of Strength Clan clansmen to complete that final procedure. In the future, the Godly Zhuge Crossbow will become our most principally produced hidden weapon. Next, we’ll create some elaborate hidden weapons. Not only powerful, but also useful. As for high end hidden weapons, I’ll trouble you for that. We’ll research it carefully, as long as we can make a few within a short time we will. Not only can they be sold for a high price, at the same time they can be used to safeguard the sect. Among these we’ll rely mainly on the formidable Peacock Plume.”
Listening to Tang San, Tai Tan nodded again and again. Tang San’s vision was very practical, and he had also seen the Godly Zhuge Crossbow. Even though the artistry was notable, and the material was also the refined iron more costly than gold, to the Strength Clan, refining iron wasn’t any difficult matter. As for the Peacock Plume, Tai Tan was already somewhat obsessed thanks to Tang San’s introduction. If he didn’t have to participate in the approaching gathering, he really would like Tang San to immediately draw out the designs so he could start trying.
To a blacksmith, what could move his heart more than producing formidable weapons?
In the Douluo Continent, this world belonging to Spirit Masters, weapons had never been regarded as important. If he could change this through hidden weapons, then, just like Tang San said, the Strength Clan’s future was unlimited.
Impatiently, Tai Tan began to question Tang San for the concrete details of making the Peacock Plume. These manufacturing methods were already branded in Tang San’s mind, so he might as well give Tai Tan a detailed explanation in the carriage.
Pitifully, Ma Hongjun and Tai Long were directly driven by Tai Tan over to the other carriage, giving Tang San enough room to explain. They couldn’t understand what they were hearing anyways, so they could only be in the way here.
Once they reached a rest town on the way, Tai Tan impatiently went to buy pens and paper, without caring anything for master and servant relationships, had Tang San start drawing out the designs for him right in the carriage. He then began to ponder how to make it. He didn’t want to let even a bit of the details slip past.
Tang San was also extremely cooperative. Even if the carriage would shake a bit, with his strength, he naturally wouldn’t be influenced a bit. From Tai Tan, he seemed to see himself from his last life. Besides respect for his senior, the relationship between the two grew more and more familiar.
When the two nerds came together, time passed with lightning speed. When Tang San and Tai Tan’s research was in full swing, the destination of their journey, Rising Dragon City, was swiftly approaching.
“Grandpa.”
Tai Long called out outside the carriage.
Tai Tan resentfully and angrily said:
“Didn’t I say not to come bother us.”
Outside the carriage, Tai Long couldn’t help a wry smile. In close to half a month of travel, besides necessities, Tang San and Tai Tan hadn’t even stepped out of the carriage to eat. Even late at night, the two could still be heard loudly haranguing, even to the extent of argumentative tones. When faced with some key problem of manufacturing, neither old or young would agree to compromise. Tai Long thought to himself that, if someone didn’t know better, they might think it was Tang San who was his grandfather’s grandson.
“Grandpa, we’ve already reached the imperial border, you have to come out. The border guards will inspect the carriages. I’ll have to trouble you and young master to leave the carriage a while.”
Tai Tan raised his head to look eye to eye with Tang San. Even though the two of them hadn’t rested much in these days, their minds were still better than anyone. In these more than ten days, whether Tai Tan or Tang San, both had been thrown into a kind of fanatical world. This was the first time Tang San had this kind of feeling since coming to this world, the once hard working researching, the once zealotry appearing once again. Even though the two were frequently at odds, often arguing, the counterpart’s unique point of view would give them both a kind of feeling of a wide panorama opening up. Their only current thought was regret for not having met earlier.
Tai Tan laughed out loud, saying:
“I should step down to stretch a bit, these weary old bones can’t match up to you. Let’s go, little San, we’ll go out into the sun.”
Due to the two fiercely arguing the light of heaven and depth of the earth amidst their research, their terms of address had also subsequently changed. Tai Tan had at that time called Tang San ‘little brat’, and Tang San had without any trace of politeness also called him ‘old orangutan’. What they debated at that time was whether to use composite materials to make the Torrential Pear Blossom Needle.
Tang San’s point of view was that they couldn’t, Tai Tan’s was that they could. He had researched composite materials for many years, and was completely confident in them. However, the final winner of the debate had still been Tang San. After Tang San gave Tai Tan a detailed account of the forces the Torrential Pear Blossom Needle would have to bear when wound, Tai Tan had made careful calculations, discovering that his thoughts had been somewhat simple. It was also when he saw these equations that he truly came to understand just how frighteningly powerful the Torrential Pear Blossom Needle was.
Of course, he still wasn’t convinced, and Tai Tan’s final words at that time was that this thing wasn’t something that could be made by humans.
Opening the carriage door, warm sunshine fell on them. The Star Luo Empire was in the south of the Continent, and temperatures were a bit higher than in the northern Heaven Dou City. Stepping down from the carriage, Tang San and Tai Tan unconsciously made the same action, spreading their arms and exerting themselves to stretch.
By now, the two carriages had arrived at the frontier checkpoint. Blocking them was a small patrol unit of a hundred Heaven Dou Empire soldiers. Of course, these so called imperial soldiers didn’t really belong to the Heaven Dou Empire, but were rather directly subordinate to some subordinate kingdom. Only these days Tang Sa
n had always been shut in the carriage lost in research with Tai Tan, without paying any attention to the outside. He didn’t know where this was, or which kingdom those soldiers belonged to.
A few soldiers walked over, climbing over the carriage Tang San and Tai Tan sat in, starting to inspect it. They of course wouldn’t find anything. Tang San had long since placed all the plans in the Twenty Four Moonlit Bridges.
Softly caressing the fur of Xiao Wu in his arms, Tang San said in a low voice:
“I’m sorry, Xiao Wu. I’ve wronged you over these days, not even going out in the sun. I’ll definitely pay attention later.”
Whether because she spent the majority of her time eating and sleeping or not, Xiao Wu’s body had grown a size plumper, and the aura of life she exuded had also grown richer. At the roots of that shiny fur, there was already a faint golden color.
The Yearning Heartbroken Red was top quality among immortal herbs. Even though it couldn’t return Xiao Wu’s soul, it still constantly transformed her body. In terms of breath of life, even though Xiao Wu was currently only a rabbit, she already wasn’t weaker than ten thousand year old mythical beasts. This was undoubtedly a good foundation preparation for her future resurrection.
In the sunshine, Tai Tan’s face gradually appeared a bit exhausted. Even though his cultivation was deep, he had after all already stepped into his old age, how could he compare to the abnormally transformed physique of Tang San in energy?
“Little San, what do you think about that plan to strengthen the Godly Zhuge Crossbow?”
Tai Tan couldn’t help continue discussing some issues the two of them were researching.
Tang San nodded, saying:
“The theory is sound. But if it’s remodelled, the cost of that alloy of yours won’t be low, even several times higher than refined iron. But it’s still hard to say concretely how strong it will be. It’s not only the crossbow mechanism being changed, the crossbow bolts are equally being remodelled, otherwise, no matter how powerful the firing force, it’s useless if the fired crossbow bolts can’t withstand it.”
Douluo Dalu - Volume 01-48 Page 301