(I apologize to all readers for being stuck. The chapters in the past few days have been full of twists and turns, and I almost got caught up in it.)
"Steel Legion?" Wu Fanghai was thoughtful, looking at a small piece of steel plate and a knife made of steel that Zhang Hao placed on the table and thinking slightly.
Although Wu Fanghai had heard of this newly emerged ‘steel’, this was his first contact with it.
Slowly he raised his head and looked at the bustling town outside the window. This is Changshan Town. Three months ago, Changshan Town was a small town, a remote town. It was not prosperous at all. But today's town is...
It was crowded.
Of course, the current Changshan Town has become part of the Zhang family fiefdom.
These days, Wu Fanghai has not been close to the Zhang family, but has been stationed in the town, including his 10,000 elite men. This period of time is Wu Fanghai's relatively free time, and because of his close contact with the Zhang family, he has considered many things.
Wu Fanghai vaguely saw a new development direction, but he couldn't see it clearly. Until today, when Zhang Hao brought two steel samples and proposed the concept of the Iron Legion, Wu Fanghai suddenly realized it!
Yes, this is my idea - to use black iron to arm every soldier to the teeth!
"The cultivation level is not enough to be supplemented by magic weapons!" This sentence has been circulated for a long time in this prosperous age of spiritual practice. However, in the past, this statement was mostly directed at individuals; but for soldiers, this statement is a bit far away - because no country has the financial resources.
and material resources to arm every soldier.
To equip all soldiers with magic weapons, or 'top magic weapons' with magic weapon capabilities, a massive amount of more than 90% black iron is needed. This amount of black iron will definitely make people desperate.
Even an ordinary casual cultivator at the golden elixir stage does not have enough financial resources to purchase a "complete set of magic weapons".
However, the emergence and development of the Zhang family has changed the situation. It’s just that Wu Fanghai has never been clear about the cost of the Zhang family’s black iron, and he is embarrassed to talk about it. The five thousand tons of black iron supported by the Zhang family previously made Wu Fanghai a little embarrassed.
.
Looking down at the small steel plate and the steel knife on the table again, Wu Fanghai asked carefully: "The cost of this thing... Hmm... Is the Zhang family really capable of arming 10,000 elites here?
These 10,000 elites are at least in the foundation building stage and need weapons of magic weapon quality!"
"Father, don't worry about weapons and armor. The Zhang family has the ability to do it, and the Zhang family already has the technology for mass production.
There is just one characteristic of steel weapons that adoptive father needs to understand."
"you say."
"Father, steel is very hard, and only those in the Nascent Soul stage can carve formations on it. Therefore, we can provide every soldier with weapons and armor made of steel, but we have no way of carving formations on it.
Therefore, the weapons and armor we can provide... do not come with any magical powers. In other words, we can only provide whiteboard equipment! But this whiteboard is not a wooden board, but a steel plate."
Wu Fanghai was stunned for a moment, "It doesn't come with magical powers? Can it still be used?"
Zhang Hao gently pushed the steel plate and knife on the table in front of Wu Fanghai: "Father, you can try it out."
Wu Fanghai thought for a moment, pulled out the sword from his waist, and slashed at the steel plate.
"Clang!"
Sparks flew everywhere, and amid the roar, the steel plate was embedded into the table. There were almost no traces on the surface, but the long sword in Wu Fanghai's hand had already been curled.
"This..." Wu Fanghai looked at the obviously dented long sword and was really shocked.
"Father, this is steel." As he spoke, Zhang Hao picked up the knife on the table and pierced the steel plate. After hearing a harsh sound, the knife actually pierced the steel plate.
Zhang Hao said softly: "This steel plate is ordinary steel; and this knife is high-grade steel that has been folded and forged."
Wu Fanghai pulled out the knife with force, thought for a moment, gritted his teeth and slashed at his sword; but there was a muffled sound, like a knife hitting wood, and the sword was cut directly!
But Wu Fanghai did not stop. He suddenly activated a little defense on the broken sword, and a layer of formation light appeared on the surface of the broken sword. When the knife fell again, it was blocked by the formation.
Wu Fanghai looked at Zhang Hao and shook his head slightly: "Xiao Hao, if we only talk about the material, steel is indeed very good, very, very excellent. But if it cannot be engraved with formations, then... it is just flashy!"
Zhang Hao frowned, did he take it too much for granted? The world of practice... the world of practice...
"Wait... foster father, we can do it on the surface of steel... I have a way! But we need some formation masters to guide us."
"what way?"
"Father, have you ever heard of 'porcelain firing'?"
"Oh... I understand, your idea... maybe you can give it a try. I have the formation master here. Someone, go and call Cheng Tao."
After tea time, a calm, middle-aged man of average build came over. He came to Wu Fanghai and greeted softly: "Commander."
"Come on, Cheng Tao, come on.
Xiao Hao, let me introduce to you. This is Cheng Tao. He is in the early stage of Yuanying. He has been with his adoptive father for hundreds of years. He is the best formation master around his adoptive father. Moreover, Cheng Tao is very familiar with some formations used on the battlefield.
Wait, the most familiar.
Maybe Cheng Tao is not the top formation master, but he is the formation master who knows the battlefield best in Qixia Kingdom."
Turning his head, Wu Fanghai said to Cheng Tao: "Cheng Tao, this is Zhang Hao. You go to Zhang Hao to do a favor and let Zhang Hao introduce it to you in detail."
Zhang Hao looked at Cheng Tao, who had a resolute face and bright and sharp eyes. The gaze he looked at him was full of scrutiny, suspicion, etc.
Zhang Hao looked the other person in the eyes and spoke directly about what happened just now.
Cheng Tao first looked at the knife and steel plate on the table, frowned and thought for a moment: "Mr. Zhang, I speak straightforwardly and don't like wasting time by beating around the bush.
I'm afraid the method you mentioned won't work! Because as far as I know, the royal family has tried this idea before, but it was unsuccessful.
If you don’t say anything else, just saying that you want to ‘burn porcelain’, you need a sustained, stable, large-scale abnormal fire. This is difficult to achieve!”
Zhang Hao smiled: "Master Cheng, may I ask if your stay in the army will help the current situation in the country?"
"……No!"
"Then, how about coming with me and giving it a try?"
"Haha... interesting, I was just thinking about what method you were going to use to convince me. Okay, I'll go with you.
But judging from the current situation, the commander-in-chief may leave at any time. And I will definitely stay with the commander-in-chief! In other words, my time to stay here may not be long."
"Understood. Zhang Hao would like to thank Master first." Zhang Hao did what he said and stood up to thank you.
Cheng Tao sat generously. As an excellent formation master in the Nascent Soul stage, he had his own pride.
Wu Fanghai looked at the scene in front of him with a faint smile. To be honest, at first he was a little helpless and even a little angry when he accepted Zhang Hao as his adopted son. But at this time, he... appreciated Zhang Hao.
This young man is truly extraordinary.
Cheng Tao works vigorously and resolutely and will leave soon.
"Wait, I have another question. Foster father, I have always had a question, why do you and many military personnel rarely use flying swords when I see them? Do you prefer to use top-notch magic weapons?
Whether it is the princess, the bodyguards around the princess such as Hu Yinglan, or even many palace guards, even the foster father and the bodyguards around her, etc., all use top-notch magic weapons."
"This... haha... This is really a good question, but it cannot be explained clearly in a few words. Let's talk about it while you and Cheng Tao are walking."
Well, after Wu Fanghai said this, Zhang Hao could only say goodbye and leave with Cheng Tao.
Along the way, Cheng Tao began to explain: "Master Zhang, regarding the use of magic weapons on the battlefield, the reasons are relatively complicated.
First of all, the magic weapon is connected to the breath of the practitioner. If the magic weapon is damaged, it will inevitably affect the practitioner himself. Do you know this?"
Zhang Hao nodded.
"Then you think about it, the battle is so fierce on the battlefield. If the magic weapon is broken, won't the practitioner lose his fighting ability? After a war, broken swords will be everywhere on the ground. For this reason alone, the magic weapon cannot be used."
Zhang Hao was stunned.
"If you don't use a magic weapon, you can only choose a magic weapon, a top magic weapon.
Moreover, the magic weapon is simple to make and can maximize the power of spiritual materials; it does not require the use of precious star gold. Therefore, compared with magic weapons, top magic weapons have increased power and lower cost. This can be used on a large scale
use.
Also, after a battle, it is normal for a master to break three or five swords. A general's swords usually carry no less than ten."
"Also, you have also seen the battles between cultivators. Most of the battles between masters take place at close range, which is the so-called hand-to-hand combat.
In close combat, the speed of drawing the sword far exceeds the time it takes to use the magic weapon. If two people attack at the same time, the one who uses the magic weapon will be killed just after the magic weapon is used."
At this moment, what Zhang Hao was thinking about was the battle between Princess Liu Xinyu and He Dongjun:
He Dongjiao's flying swords were constantly knocked away by Liu Xinyu, and He Dongjiao could only fight with his empty hands in embarrassment. As a result, He Dongjiao, who was in the late Nascent Soul stage, was chased and beaten by Liu Xinyu, who was in the middle Nascent Soul stage.
At this moment, Zhang Hao's understanding of the world became deeper. After listening to Cheng Tao's words, Zhang Hao nodded suddenly: "Thank you, Master Cheng, for clearing up the confusion. It turns out that the right one is the best."
Cheng Tao looked at Zhang Hao in surprise and nodded: "Yes, the right one is the best. Just like your steel, if you just look at the spiritual material itself, it is indeed the best spiritual material I have ever seen.
Material. However, it is also the most useless spiritual material I have ever seen!
But I think your spiritual material...maybe used as a shield, armor and other defenses, which will have unexpected effects."
Zhang Hao shook his head: "The Zhang family worked hard and was extremely lucky to invent steel. I am not willing to just do defense! Master, defense...cannot save the country!"
The best defense is offense.
If you keep it for a long time, you will lose it!"
Cheng Tao suddenly fell silent. After a while, he sighed slowly: "You're right, if you keep it for a long time, you will lose!"
"So, master, please find a way to solve the steel seal carving formation."
"I'll try my best!" Cheng Tao said these three words very seriously.
Zhang Hao smiled faintly and pointed in the distance: "We will arrive at Zhang's house soon..."
"Little brother!" A shout came, and Zhang Han was seen rushing over, "Little brother, a dragon blood stone vein was discovered in 'Dakuan Town'. Dad asked me to come to you."