The First Killer God of the Tang Dynasty

A younger craftsman tactfully said to Zhang Yang, "General, you may not have much experience in forging. Such fine knives require long periods of high-temperature quenching, and the requirements for temperature and time are very high."

Zhang Yang nodded, then took out another blueprint: "I know, so perhaps we can try to improve the traditional forging furnace. For example, build this kind of blast furnace to maintain a more stable and higher temperature!"

If the blueprint for the Zhang family knife had only amazed the blacksmiths, the appearance of the blueprint for the blast furnace left them all speechless.

Zhang Yang's heart sank.

Could it be that his memories of these forging techniques from his previous life are flawed, making it impossible for these craftsmen to replicate them?

However, the next second, a craftsman slapped his thigh.

"Great! Blast furnace steelmaking—why didn't we think of that before?"

"What are you waiting for? Go try it out!"

The excited craftsmen didn't even bother to eat, thinking about bringing the blueprints to life as soon as possible.

Zhang Yang breathed a sigh of relief and led them to a pre-planned open space. The three thousand catties of iron ore obtained from the Prince of Guangping had also been delivered there, and Sun the blacksmith and his men were free to do with it.

In addition to these twenty-odd craftsmen, Zhang Yang also selected fifty skilled soldiers from the army camp to assist the blacksmith.

Soon, after several failed attempts, Sun the blacksmith found the right formula and proportions. Five blast furnaces rose from the ground, and the first batch of real 100-times-refined steel was officially produced.

After just one glance at the color, the blacksmith Sun declared, "Excellent steel! Weapons forged from this molten steel will undoubtedly be invincible on the battlefield!"

Sun the blacksmith confidently said to Zhang Yang, "General Zhang, with such a fine furnace, we guarantee we can complete the task of making eight hundred Qi family swords! We might even have a surplus!"

However, Zhang Yang shook his head: "Blacksmith Sun, there's no need for the profits. Find a few blacksmiths you trust; I have something else to tell you!"

Zhang Yang, along with several core blacksmiths, mysteriously slipped into the camp. The others outside looked at each other in bewilderment, and could only hear occasional gasps of surprise coming from inside the camp.

Wang Lie and Guo Shitou were itching to listen from outside, but they didn't dare to go up and eavesdrop.

Only after Zhang Yang personally escorted the blacksmiths out did Wang Lie curiously step forward and ask, "Besides this Zhang family knife, is there anything else you'd like to have made, brother?"

Zhang Yang smiled and said, "You'll find out in a few days."

As he spoke, Zhang Yang looked at Guo Shitou: "During this time, you and our fellow villagers are to guard this area well. Especially the Uyghurs, don't let any of them get close. Tell them it's my order. If anyone tries to force their way in, execute them on the spot."

Guo Shitou nodded: "Yes, brother! I won't let any unauthorized personnel in, not even a fly!"

Guo Shitou likes these simple and direct instructions, and he always executes them very well.

Zhang Yang then looked at Wang Lie and said, "Wang Lie, I have something else to tell you. Go to the five battalions and pick out a group of brothers with sharp eyesight and good vision."

Wang Lie frowned immediately: "Brother, the one with such sharp eyes is definitely from our archer battalion! There's no doubt about it!"

Zhang Yang shook his head: "In your archery battalion, many people are not actually good at seeing, but they are strong enough to draw a bow to its full extent. The new batch of people I'm looking for don't need to have the strength to draw a bow to its full extent, but they must have good enough eyesight."

Although he was a little confused, Wang Lie still did as Zhang Yang asked.

Five days later.

During this period, Guo Ziyi's military orders became increasingly frequent.

Supervision of daily training has become increasingly strict.

All the soldiers in the Uyghur military camp smelled the stench of blood.

The final battle is about to begin.

Even the Uyghurs, who usually enjoy singing and dancing, have issued a military order banning alcohol in recent days.

But Mo Yanchuo was surprised to find that Zhang Yang, who always focused on training, had been busy with something lately.

He often saw blue smoke rising from the back mountain west of the military camp for a long time. He had sent his men to investigate, but Zhang Yang's Zhengyang Army kept a close watch, and he found out nothing.

"What exactly is Zhang Yang up to?"

At this moment, Zhang Yang was meeting a new team selected by Wang Lie on the back mountain.

The team has about fifty people, all of whom were selected according to Zhang Yang's requirements.

Zhang Yang looked at the group and nodded: "Good. From today onwards, you will be separated from your original battalion and form the most unique Divine Machine Battalion in our Zhengyang Army!"

"The Divine Machine Battalion!"

The soldiers were buzzing with discussion; just hearing the name made them feel incredibly powerful.

Just then, the blacksmith Sun came over pulling a cart full of long, fire-stick-like objects.

A soldier with thick eyebrows and large eyes asked, "General, what is this fire poker? Are we here to fight with fire pokers after we've separated from the enemy?"

The other soldiers also showed a hint of unease in their eyes.

Many of them were previously skilled archers and wolf-tooth rake users.

Compared to a recurve bow and a wolf-tooth spear, this unassuming fire poker looks awkward no matter how you look at it.

Many people started to have doubts. If the Shenji Battalion were to use this in the future, they might as well go back to their original battalion!

Zhang Yang smiled slightly, picked up a musket, completed the process of loading gunpowder and bullets, and then aimed the musket at an eagle flying overhead.

With a bang, accompanied by a flash of fire, the eagle plummeted to the ground.

The soldiers present were startled by the sound and the light of the fire.

"What...what is this? Did it just thunder?"

"God was angry and struck down that eagle!"

Wang Lie, being an archer, also had excellent eyesight and had just seen everything clearly.

"Look at you cowardly cowards! You're a disgrace to the Zhengyang Army! This was brought down by our general using these new weapons!"

As he spoke, Wang Lie stepped forward, picked up the eagle, opened its wound, took out the bullet, and showed it to his brothers.

"Wang Lie is right. This thing is called a flintlock pistol, and it works on a similar principle to the Thunderclap Bomb, but it's far more accurate. Anyone want to try it out for themselves?"

The young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes who had asked the question earlier volunteered: "General, my name is Wang Zhun! I'd like to try out this musket!"

"Wang Zhun, what a good name! Do you see the strip of cloth wrapped around that tree a hundred paces away?"

"If you can knock that strip of cloth down, I'll make you the commander of the Divine Machine Battalion!"

Zhang Yang's move not only tested Wang Zhun's talent, but also his mental fortitude.

A single accurate shot can elevate a private to battalion commander; only those with a strong heart can withstand the immense pressure of that shot.

Soldiers with big hearts are born to lead troops!