Ficool

Chapter 232 - Magnetite – The Wasteful Elephant Armor Sect!

Inside the council hall.

With a troubled expression, Huyan Zhen accepted Ye Tian's orders.

He was to personally travel to Wuhun City and deliver false intelligence to Qianjun Douluo.

With Huyan Zhen gone, Ye Tian and his companions did not experience any decline in their treatment within the Elephant Armor Sect.

A strong, white-haired young man replaced Huyan Zhen and took charge of hosting Ye Tian and his group.

"I am Hu Yanli, the young sect master of the Elephant Armor Sect. If there is anything lacking in our hospitality, please let me know."

Hu Yanli stood respectfully beside Ye Tian, occasionally glancing at the young man who was even younger than himself.

Comparisons could be infuriating.

Hu Yanli had worked hard for years, yet he was only at the Spirit King level.

Even if he cultivated for several more years, reaching his father's strength would already be a great achievement.

However, according to his father, the young man before him was surrounded by four titled Douluo as his protectors.

With such status and power, he was likely the predetermined next Pope of the Wuhun Hall.

When he first heard this, Hu Yanli felt a bit envious.

After all, he didn't see anything particularly special about Ye Tian.

To Hu Yanli, Wuhun Hall had always been a merit-based organization.

For someone like Ye Tian, who was relatively unknown on the continent, to hold such a high position seemed excessive.

It even gave Hu Yanli the illusion that he could do the same if given the chance.

However, after just half an hour of interaction, Hu Yanli changed his mind.

He noticed that Ye Tian chatted and laughed with the titled Douluo around him as if they were close friends.

At twenty-five years old, Hu Yanli was no longer as reckless as he was in his youth.

His experience taught him that people with similar abilities naturally gathered together.

If Ye Tian were merely a privileged noble, he wouldn't have been able to befriend titled Douluo so easily.

This realization made Hu Yanli admire his father's foresight.

Before leaving, his father had specifically instructed him to fulfill any request Ye Tian made, no matter what.

In the past, Hu Yanli would have scoffed at such instructions.

After all, he was also a young prodigy—why should he bow to someone else?

But now, he understood that befriending Ye Tian could bring great benefits to the Elephant Armor Sect.

After all, in the best-case scenario, he would only become the sect master of the Elephant Armor Sect in the future.

Meanwhile, Ye Tian had the potential to rule the colossal Wuhun Hall.

Compared to that, Hu Yanli was like a mere firefly facing the radiant moon.

Reality forced him to adjust his attitude. With a professional smile on his round face, he said:

"My father mentioned that Lord Ye, you are quite interested in our sect's mineral resources."

"Since we have some free time, how about you visit our sect's workshop and give us some guidance?"

His father had instructed him to invite Ye Tian to the workshop before leaving.

The goal was to let Ye Tian witness the true strength of the Elephant Armor Sect.

After all, power determined one's position.

As for asking Ye Tian to 'give guidance,' that was merely flattery.

The Elephant Armor Sect's refining workshops ranked among the top three on the continent.

Hu Yanli found it hard to believe that a young man seven or eight years his junior would possess knowledge surpassing that of one of the continent's top workshops.

Ye Tian glanced outside at the bright afternoon sun.

It was spring, and since Elephant Armor City was inland, the temperature wasn't too hot.

According to Zhou Long's letter from the previous day, he and the Polaris Squad would arrive in Elephant Armor City today.

Since they hadn't arrived by noon, they would likely reach the city by the afternoon.

"Alright, since Young Sect Master Hu Yanli is inviting me, I won't refuse."

Ye Tian clapped his hands lightly and stood up.

He was familiar with the storyline.

The Elephant Armor Sect secretly traded weapons with the two great empires, but in terms of fundamental interests, they still sided with Pope Bibi Dong.

Therefore, Ye Tian didn't mind sharing some of his soon-to-be-outdated technology with the sect.

It would also serve as compensation for their participation in the plan to hunt down Qianjun Douluo.

The Elephant Armor Sect's workshop was not located within the city but in the western outskirts.

Looking at the rows of small workshops emitting black smoke, Ye Tian immediately understood why they were placed outside the city.

As they approached, the sound of clanging metal rang in their ears.

Hu Yanli proudly introduced the Elephant Armor Sect's refining techniques:

"We use the finest white waxwood for smelting iron!"

"Though the smoke is thick, the iron produced is among the best on the continent!"

With a confident stride, Hu Yanli led Ye Tian into a large workshop.

Inside, three massive smelting furnaces roared with flames.

Sweaty workers continuously fed grayish-brown bark into the fire.

This must be the white waxwood Hu Yanli mentioned.

When the workers saw Hu Yanli enter, they immediately stood at attention and greeted him excitedly:

"Greetings, Young Sect Master!"

"No need for formalities. Today, I'm accompanying Lord Ye."

Hu Yanli's face, reddened by the fire's glow, smiled as he gestured toward Ye Tian.

"Y-Young Sect Master, why are you here?"

At that moment, a burly man, shirtless, ducked into the room.

Clearly, someone had just informed him of Hu Yanli's arrival.

The man bore a strong resemblance to Hu Yanli, though he was even larger.

His presence alone made the room feel smaller.

Hu Yanli introduced him in a warm tone:

"Uncle Lu, this is Lord Ye from Wuhun Hall."

Then, turning to Ye Tian, he said:

"This is Hu Yanlu, my uncle and the chief master of our workshop."

Hearing the words "Wuhun Hall," Hu Yanlu's expression flickered with surprise.

Ye Tian looked far too young.

However, he could immediately sense the presence of several individuals behind Ye Tian who could easily kill him.

Not daring to be disrespectful, Hu Yanlu quickly bowed:

"Hu Yanlu greets Lord Ye."

"No need for formalities."

Ye Tian waved his hand dismissively, shifting his attention to the furnace.

"Why aren't you using charcoal? Is there something special about this method?"

Even the driest wood contained more moisture than charcoal.

Moreover, wood had a far lower heat value than charcoal, making it unsuitable for smelting.

The continent's mainstream smelting methods had already transitioned to charcoal.

His own refineries had even begun using coal.

So why was the Elephant Armor Sect still using wood?

It was baffling.

Hearing Ye Tian's question, Hu Yanlu chuckled:

"It seems Lord Ye is well-versed in smelting. You even know that charcoal is needed for refining."

Ye Tian: "…"

That was some stiff flattery.

However, Ye Tian didn't bother correcting him. If he interrupted, it would only make Hu Yanlu uncomfortable.

Fortunately, after his flattery, Hu Yanlu proceeded to explain.

With a mysterious smile, Hu Yanlu picked up a black ore from beside the furnace and said:

"This is our Elephant Armor Sect's secret technique, something we normally never reveal."

"But since Lord Ye wishes to know, breaking tradition is no big deal."

"The reason our weapons are of such high quality is because of the white waxwood."

"According to the ancient texts passed down by our ancestors, white waxwood is a tree blessed by the gods."

"To be honest, we've tried smelting with charcoal before, but the results were inferior by at least two levels."

After speaking, Hu Yanlu made a reverent gesture as if making amends for revealing the secret.

However, Ye Tian couldn't help but smile upon hearing this.

Clearly, Hu Yanlu didn't actually understand the real reason behind their methods.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be using mythical explanations to justify them.

Ye Tian's attention suddenly shifted to Huyan Lu's hands.

He took the black ore from Huyan Lu's grasp.

His mind raced through his knowledge, and he quickly recognized it—magnetite (Fe₃O₄), commonly known as a natural magnet.

Traditional steelmaking methods mostly used red iron oxide ore.

Magnetite, however, was rarely used.

When wood is burned at high temperatures, its moisture turns into steam.

The presence of steam accelerates the reduction of magnetite.

Of course, this effect only applies at lower temperatures.

Using coke and a blast furnace would make the smelting process much faster.

But refining natural magnets into ordinary iron?

That would be a complete waste!

After all, magnets were a crucial component in building generators.

The other key component was copper wire.

With these two materials, artificial electricity could be generated on the Douluo Continent.

And electricity was a hallmark of industrialization!

Ye Tian had been stuck in East Sea City for three years, struggling due to the lack of magnets. Because of this, he had only been able to set up a few low-production workshops.

If he could get his hands on a generator, his manufacturing capabilities would take a qualitative leap!

"Can you take me to see the mining operations?"

Ye Tian's expression carried a hint of excitement, though he concealed it well.

Originally, he had planned to guide the Elephant Armor Sect's workshop in improving their smelting techniques, perhaps even teaching them the blast furnace method.

But now...

After witnessing how the Elephant Armor Sect's workshop was squandering resources, he changed his mind.

The Elephant Armor Sect was completely unfit for metallurgy.

These mines would all belong to him.

Hearing Ye Tian's sudden shift in interest, Huyan Li and Huyan Lu exchanged glances and secretly sighed in relief.

They weren't afraid of Ye Tian taking a casual look around.

They were only worried that he would develop an interest in metallurgy—

And before leaving, take away dozens of their craftsmen.

If that happened, the entire Elephant Armor Sect would be in tears.

But now, it seemed their worries had been unnecessary.

Huyan Lu was the first to step out of the workshop and lead the way.

"The mine is just one kilometer ahead, Lord Ye Tian."

"Alright." Ye Tian followed with an eager expression.

"Ah, so boring," the Sea Witch muttered behind them, yawning softly.

She dusted off her clothes, shaking off the fine dust that had settled on her inside the workshop.

"I really don't get boys' interests."

Xiao Bai moved closer and agreed with a helpless sigh.

"Maybe it's because I've spent too much time in the ocean."

"But I seriously don't understand what's so fascinating about these furnaces and mines."

At these words, the specter-like Ghost Douluo chuckled softly.

"They may seem useless now," he said,

"But when war comes, mines and smelting workshops become strategic resources."

"Without them, soldiers would have no weapons."

"It's like… losing our martial souls."

"Huh, that does sound pretty important." The Sea Witch yawned again, watching Ye Tian's distant figure.

She then turned to the silent Daiya and took her hand.

"Dai Ya, let's go take a walk by the city walls."

"On the way here, I saw a rushing river nearby."

Hearing the word "river," Xiao Bai's eyes lit up.

"Great! I haven't bathed in open water in ages."

The Sea Witch chuckled.

"Don't regret it later."

She clearly remembered that the riverbanks had been bustling with people.

If Xiao Bai bathed there, it would definitely cause a spectacle.

The Sea Witch waved casually at Ghost Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo.

"I'll leave protecting Ye Tian to you two big guys."

"You both like ores anyway, don't you?"

"Haha, I wouldn't say I like them," the older Porcupinefish Douluo said, waving his hand.

However, before they had left the Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong had specifically instructed him and Ghost Douluo—

No matter what, they had to ensure Ye Tian's safety.

So, despite the Sea Witch's teasing, he still agreed.

"Fine, if you two want to go for a stroll, go ahead."

"Lord Ye Tian will be safe with Ghost Douluo and me."

Ghost Douluo nodded in agreement.

Before Qianjun Douluo arrived,

There were no Titled Douluo-level powerhouses anywhere near Elephant Armor City.

With both him and Porcupinefish Douluo guarding Ye Tian, it was more than enough.

Unaware that the Sea Witch and the others had already left, Ye Tian had arrived at the mining area.

Gazing at the vast expanse of pitted ground, he was thrilled.

He hadn't expected this magnetite deposit to be an easily accessible open-pit mine.

If that was the case, large-scale magnetite extraction could be possible in a short time!

However, as Ye Tian examined the uneven landscape, Huyan Lu sighed regretfully.

"Unfortunately, the terrain here is too low."

"Every mining pit we dig quickly fills with underground water."

"All of these nearly hundred pits were abandoned because of the water seepage."

Huyan Li, his expression identical to Huyan Lu's, added:

"It's truly a shame. We barely excavated the surface layer of rock, and as soon as we reached the ore, the pits became unusable."

Ye Tian smiled.

"As I recall, groundwater seepage isn't that fast. Couldn't we just pump out the water and continue mining?"

From Ye Tian's perspective, a few water pumps would easily solve this problem.

And there were already water pumps available in the East Sea City farms.

It was hardly a big deal.

Hearing Ye Tian's casual remark, Huyan Li and Huyan Lu exchanged bitter smiles.

Clearly, Lord Ye Tian was too high up in the hierarchy to understand the struggles of ordinary people.

Shirtless, Huyan Lu pointed at the mining pits and explained:

"These pits are mostly over ten meters deep. If we wanted to keep mining, we'd need at least thirty strong laborers working nonstop just to remove the water."

Huyan Li continued,

"And opening a new pit only requires forty workers. It's simply not worth it."

Now, Ye Tian finally understood.

It wasn't that they couldn't mine—

They were just so rich in resources that they didn't bother with inefficient methods.

This was good news.

It meant that the surrounding ore deposits were incredibly abundant—more than enough for him to build a generator.

(End of Chapter)

More Chapters