CHAPTER 441: THIS IS A FIREARM

Chapter 441: This Is a Firearm

...

"Ancestor, is there any special meaning behind the name Moon Shadow Sect?"

Su Qinian smacked his lips: "The name seems rather ordinary... How about adding the character for 'sword,' like Moon Shadow Sword Sect?"

"Why not add 'True Martial' and call it True Martial Moon Shadow Gate!" Zhang Mengchu also offered his suggestion.

"Enough nonsense! What do you fools know!" Chen Huaian snorted coldly: "It must be Moon Shadow Sect, not a single character can be changed. Trust me, in the future Moon Shadow Sect will become the number one sect in the Cangyun Realm, surpassing not only other sects but even the former Three Holy Lands!"

"Ancestor, the Artifact Sect Master Xiang Tiange has arrived."

A disciple came to report.

"Perfect timing, bring him here."

Xiang Tiange soon arrived, now treating Chen Huaian with utmost respect.

Not only because of Chen Huaian's formidable strength, but also because Chen Huaian had avenged him. He'd heard about the Burning Purity Holy Land incident. Though he didn't know where Real Person Yuyao had fled, since this Sword Pavilion ancestor had even emptied the Jade Pool Holy Land, he assumed Real Person Yuyao must be half-dead already.

"Ancestor, how may this junior serve you?"

"Moon Shadow Sect is newly established with everything to be done. I've heard you excel at building sect infrastructure, so I plan to entrust Moon Shadow Sect's construction to you." Chen Huaian got straight to the point.

Xiang Tiange was overjoyed.

He'd been worrying about how to establish connections with the Sword Pavilion ancestor - and now this opportunity fell right into his lap!

As long as he did well with the Sword Pavilion ancestor's task, wouldn't joining the Sword Pavilion... no, Moon Shadow Sect be guaranteed?

"Ancestor, rest assured, this is my specialty!" Xiang Tiange repeatedly patted his chest: "To be honest, when the Jade Pool Holy Land was first established, many parts were built by me and my disciples. Without our foundation work, the Jade Pool Holy Land would never have achieved such grandeur!

Look at the Burning Purity Holy Land - though it appears resplendent, it gives off a vulgar feeling. That's because they didn't seek help from professionals like us during its construction."

The Artifact Sect wasn't just about forging weapons.

The "artifact" character didn't solely refer to armaments.

The Artifact Sect had many specialized divisions, with weapon-forging blacksmiths being just one branch.

There were also craftsmen skilled in woodwork and stonemasonry.

These cultivators shouldn't be underestimated - though seemingly non-combative, they all mastered mechanical arts. Their pursuit of the Dao was equally a broad path, their strength no weaker than cultivators of the same realm, sometimes even surpassing them.

"Master Xiang's capabilities I have no doubt about, but my requirements differ from the Jade Pool Holy Land's."

Chen Huaian took out an object from his bag.

This item similarly wasn't permitted in the Cangyun Realm - he'd exploited a loophole by requesting it as a gift from Li Qingran to bring it in.

Xiang Tiange was seeing this object for the first time.

It looked like a blackened fire poker, but upon closer inspection, one could see intricate mechanical structures within the seams. In his lifetime, he'd seen countless mechanical contraptions of all strange varieties, usually able to discern their workings at a glance - but this fire poker left him utterly baffled.

"Ancestor, what is this object?"

"This is called a gun."

Chen Huaian picked up the M4 from the table, cocked it, and pulled the trigger aiming at Su Qinian's head beside him.

Rat-tat-tat—!

Bullets clattered against Su Qinian's face before tinkling to the ground.

Su Qinian raised a hand to rub his cheek, grinning foolishly:

"Tickles when it hits! So fun!"

Chen Huaian: "..."

Amateurs think it's fun.

Experts are already picking up the bullets from the ground for careful examination.

"Ancestor, if I'm not mistaken, these pellets were shot from that fire poker at extremely high speed, meaning the propelling force must come from within the poker...

Fascinating! Such a tiny object can impart such power to these pellets. In mortal wars, this would be a divine weapon far surpassing bows and arrows!"

"Correct. This thing's function is to shoot out these pellets as projectiles, and it can fire continuously."

Chen Huaian nodded approvingly.

As expected of the Artifact Sect Master - no need for lengthy explanations.

"But this junior has one question. While formidable against mortals, such a weapon means little to us cultivators. Any cultivator above Qi Refining should be able to block these pellets. What exactly do you intend to..."

Xiang Tiange pinched a bullet between his fingers, still unclear about Chen Huaian's intentions and not daring to speculate recklessly.

"This comes from beyond our borders - a weapon from another world called a firearm. Though its power is lacking, I believe we can learn from its construction."

Chen Huaian handed the M4 to Xiang Tiange with a smile: "Master Xiang, why not try creating a firearm native to the Cangyun Realm? Maximize its power until it can harm cultivators. Wouldn't that make for an excellent concealed weapon? Giving our sect's disciples more security when traveling!"

In his vision, every Moon Shadow Wind Spirit Sect disciple would carry an immortal firearm when going out.

Even if encountering powerful enemies they couldn't defeat, they could still pull out some American-style iaijutsu.

If successfully developed, this would be far more convenient than talismans or hidden weapons, which have long activation times.

Too often, one gets killed before even deploying talismans or hidden weapons.

Xiang Tiange's eyes lit up as he received the brand new M4: "Now I understand! Ancestor's vision leaves this junior in awe! Drawing wisdom from craftsmen of other worlds, complementing our strengths with their crystallized intelligence..."

He stroked the gun, then added: "Ancestor, I believe besides enhancing its materials and arrays, we could make it larger with bigger projectiles. Such larger firearms wouldn't be portable, but could be installed in sect formations like ballistae or catapults, serving as defensive installations for disciples to protect the sect."

Chen Huaian looked at Xiang Tiange with a strange expression.

Zhang Yibai was confirmed to be a transmigrator - was this Xiang Tiange one too?

Wasn't what the sect master described literally a cannon?

Did he really have such terrifying ability to extrapolate?

Chen Huaian stepped closer, lowering his voice mysteriously: "Odd changes, even remains?"

Xiang Tiange: "?"

"Ancestor, what are you saying? Something about chicken and duck droppings..."

"Never mind." Chen Huaian stepped back. "Anyway, your task now is researching firearms. As for basic sect construction, leave that to your Artifact Sect disciples. No problem with that? Take materials from the warehouse - I've stripped the floor tiles from both the Jade Pool and Burning Purity Holy Lands!"

Xiang Tiange's face stiffened.

Holy shit, he'd heard this Sword Pavilion ancestor left no stone unturned, but seeing it firsthand was something else...

"Senior, rest assured, even without materials we could complete basic construction within seven days. With materials, it'll only be faster."

"Excellent!" Chen Huaian nodded: "Then the grand opening ceremony will be in seven days, when Moon Shadow Sect officially begins accepting disciples!"

"As you command—!" Xiang Tiange bowed with clasped hands.

...

Chen Huaian returned to his Slanted Moon Three Stars Cave.

He still had one crucial matter to attend to today.

—Reconstructing Zhang Yibai's physical body!

...