I will make Qin Shi Huang immortal in the Great Qin Dynasty.

The third place is the research institute.

The people in the research institute are different from those in the previous two places.

The Yuanli Guiding Technique enhanced their mental abilities, making their minds work much faster than before.

With improved memory and clearer thinking, many things that were previously incomprehensible suddenly become clear after cultivation.

This group includes many people with ingenious ideas.

Some people are wondering if the transmission mechanism of the waterwheel can be improved further.

Some people have tried to modify the blast furnace's air intake system to a linked structure.

Someone drew a picture on paper of a new vehicle that would be several times faster than existing horse-drawn carriages.

Some people even revised the few pages of sketches about textile machines that Qin Tian gave them dozens of times, adding their own improved solutions.

They did not vie for power or profit, and had little interest in official positions or rewards.

But the effort they put into those blueprints and wooden blocks was no less than the effort the people in Qiyuan Hall put into meditation.

These three places can be said to be the most concentrated areas of Yuanli masters in the Great Qin Dynasty.

But if we're talking about the most outstanding Yuanli masters in the Great Qin Dynasty, we have to look to the palace.

The First Emperor's Imperial Guard.

Among the million-strong army of the Qin Dynasty, those selected for the Imperial Guard were already the elite, one in a thousand.

This thousand-strong Imperial Guard was selected from among the soldiers of the entire Qin army who had broken through the Yuan Tu realm.

Each one of them is a top candidate with immense strength, robust physique, and a steady and reliable demeanor.

Their only criteria for selection were their combat skills and loyalty.

Once selected, they will receive more rigorous training, better equipment, and more ample supplies.

Everything is geared towards building an impregnable protective force.

These people were tall, robust, and as solid as city walls.

Yuan energy surged through their meridians day and night. As they stood there, their minds were filled with simple and direct thoughts—protecting the emperor, fighting, and obeying orders.

All I can think about is muscles.

While cultivating the Yuan Power Guiding Technique to temper their bodies, their minds also become clear, and their comprehension far surpasses that of ordinary people.

But the people selected for the Imperial Guard were the most straightforward and honest group chosen from among a million soldiers.

They didn't dwell on intrigue or power struggles, nor did they care much about the intricate schemes and calculations within the imperial court.

Give them an order, and they will carry it out; give them a goal, and they will charge forward.

Those things that require careful consideration will be left to others to ponder.

They only cared about guarding the area in front of them, using their brute strength to protect His Majesty.

Their armor was specially made.

The most skilled craftsmen in the Qin Dynasty's industrial department used the finest steel to create a full-body heavy armor set tailored for this group of imperial guards.

From top to bottom, each armor plate undergoes repeated forging and quenching to ensure strength while minimizing weight.

No matter how much you reduce the weight, a full set of heavy armor still weighs over 500 pounds.

The thick steel plates and reinforced inner lining were draped over his body.

To wrap a person up completely from head to toe.

Ordinary swords and knives couldn't even leave a mark when they struck it, and arrows from bows and arrows bounced off with a clanging sound.

The weapons they used were also completely different from those of ordinary soldiers.

Ordinary soldiers used spears, halberds, and swords, which were light, agile, and suitable for battle formations.

The Imperial Guard used heavy weapons.

The iron hammer, iron rod, and iron halberd each weighed several hundred pounds.

Those burly warriors at the front each held an 800-pound iron hammer in their left and right hands.

The ends of the two iron hammers were each tied with a long, fine iron chain.

When not in use, the chains were wrapped around the Imperial Guards several times.

Once on the battlefield, those chains will swing loose with a clang.

The two iron hammers were propelled by Yuan energy and swung around by both arms.

It rotated around the Imperial Guards, forming a giant windmill several meters in diameter.

The windmill whistled past with a dull hum, and nothing could stop it in its path.

A mere brush against it is fatal; a mere touch is death.

The hammer swept across the shield, shattering it; it swept across the armor, denting it; it swept across the warhorse, causing it to fall.

Once it sweeps over a person, the person is sent flying and can no longer be called.

Ordinary soldiers, let alone withstand a single blow from him, would be thrown several feet away by the wind from the sweep of his iron hammer, landing heavily in the mud and unable to get up for a long time.

The heavy armor weighed over 500 jin, the two iron hammers each weighed 800 jin, and the chains weighed several dozen jin.

In total, these imperial guards were wearing more than two thousand catties of iron.

The weight of two thousand pounds would make it impossible for any ordinary person to move or even stand up.

But for them, two thousand kilograms is no different from an ordinary person wearing a cotton coat.

They walked in those metal suits, yet their steps remained as steady as ever.

He swung those two 800-pound iron hammers, his arms still moving like the wind.

When they were competing, someone could lift the two iron hammers with one finger, spin them around a few times, and then catch them steadily.

But Ying Zheng felt sorry for his bluestone slab.

The bluestone slabs on the palace floor were made of top-quality bluestone quarried from deep in the northern mountains. They were hard and dense, with fine and even patterns, and each slab was polished neatly before being laid.

When an ordinary person steps on it, it leaves not a trace.

But the Imperial Guards, clad in heavy armor and carrying heavy weapons, walked past.

The moment the ball of the foot landed, the bluestone slab beneath its feet cracked.

It may break into several pieces, sink as a whole, or crack with spiderweb-like patterns that spread from the center to the edge.

If it happened to be during the changing of the guard, a dozen or so Imperial Guards would march past in formation.

Behind them lay a trail of rubble and cracks, horizontal, vertical, and diagonal, densely packed.

Every few days, the stonemasons in the palace had to carry their tools to repair the cracked floors.

Over time, the stonemasons would stand at a distance when the Imperial Guards changed shifts, and only come over to work with a sigh after they had gone far away.

Officials from the Inner Palace Bureau, responsible for repairing the palace, repeatedly complained to Ying Zheng.

They said the palace floor couldn't be repaired anymore, so the fine bluestone material was brought into the palace, but it broke again in less than three days, which was a real pity.

Ying Zheng once sat in the palace reviewing memorials.

Suddenly, he heard a muffled thud outside the hall, which made the pen in his hand tremble.

He walked to the entrance of the palace and took a look.

It happened when two imperial guards were changing shifts; one of them placed the iron hammer on the ground too heavily during the handover.

With a loud thud, the sound of the hammer hitting the ground echoed like thunder in the square in front of the palace.

The shock caused several servants nearby to instinctively shrink back.

Ying Zheng looked at the newly formed crack on the ground and the several loosened stone slabs beside it.

He glanced at the innocent-looking imperial guard, remained silent for a moment, and finally said nothing before turning and walking back into the hall.

He then issued an imperial decree.

When on duty, the Imperial Guards are not allowed to wear heavy armor or carry heavy weapons.

Full armor is only permitted during wartime or drills.

After the decree was issued, the imperial guards, though unwilling, had no choice but to obey.

On ordinary days, they wear only light leather armor and hold standard longswords while on duty, obediently guarding the palace gates and both sides of the corridors.

The heavy armor and hammers were stored in a special armory, well-maintained and polished to a shine.

Even without heavy armor, their strength remained.

Occasionally, someone would forget to control their strength and casually touch the palace gate, causing the door frame to creak and tilt slightly.

When someone walks heavily in line, the ground will thud.

Although the work of the eunuchs responsible for repairing the palace was lighter than before, they still did not do much less.