77. Flintlock
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"Thank you for your hard work, Blacksmith Yuan. None of this would have been possible without your contributions." Quan Yi sincerely expressed his gratitude to Blacksmith Yuan.
For the past six months, Blacksmith Yuan had spent every day locked in his workshop, tirelessly studying the production of iron guns, often neglecting food and rest.
"The young master praises me too highly; this is merely my duty," Yuan Xing replied modestly.
Though he took great pride in his forging skills, he understood that it was only thanks to the young master's guidance that he had been able to complete this weapon. In the process, he had also gained valuable insights from the ingenious design hidden within such a seemingly simple object.
"Young master, this is Iron Gun No. 12, crafted according to your specifications. After extensive testing, it meets all the requirements you set forth," Blacksmith Yuan reported as he handed the iron gun to Quan Yi.
Su Ling'er's sharp eyes quickly scanned the wooden target, her curiosity piqued by the weapon's potential.
Her eyesight was exceptional—she could see clearly from a distance of fifty meters. However, when her gaze landed on the target, her pupils contracted in shock.
What she saw left her mind reeling.
Behind the target stood a thick brick wall. To ensure the durability of the test range, it had been constructed using extremely dense stone—so tough that even an ordinary sword would struggle to leave a scratch.
Yet now, a clean circular hole marred the wall, and embedded within it was a small iron ball.
Was this truly a gun?
She had previously witnessed Quan Yi using a shotgun, but she had assumed its devastating power stemmed from his unique first spirit ability.
Yet Yuan Xing had managed to replicate that same destructive force without the aid of spirit abilities—something that completely defied her understanding.
Quan Yi grasped the firearm, its cold metallic surface and the faint scent of gunpowder evoking a strange sense of excitement in his heart.
The gun was entirely metal, and more importantly, its structure was that of a breech-loading firearm—a flintlock.
In his past life, Quan Yi had never conducted in-depth research on firearms, but he had a general understanding of their evolution.
Early firearms required ammunition to be loaded from the muzzle, with a slow-burning fuse igniting the gunpowder. Before firing, soldiers had to light the fuse, aim at the enemy, and wait for the flame to travel down the cord to ignite the charge, propelling the bullet forward.
But the weapon in his hands was a flintlock gun—a product of the mid-to-late stages of firearm development. Unlike its predecessors, it allowed for ammunition to be loaded from the breech and fired with the pull of a trigger.
This design not only significantly improved loading efficiency but also enhanced the gun's stability and accuracy.
Initially, Quan Yi had intended to develop a matchlock musket, but he soon realized that the existing craftsmanship on the Douluo Continent was more than capable of producing a superior flintlock firearm.
"It's truly exquisite... a masterpiece of craftsmanship," Quan Yi murmured in admiration as he examined the trigger and hammer mechanisms.
Beyond its lightweight construction, the gun possessed an elegant aesthetic, vastly different from his original crude design. It was evident that Yuan Xing had poured considerable effort into refining every detail.
Moreover, Quan Yi could see that the manufacturing process had far surpassed the previous iterations of his 'shotguns.' The joints at the rear of the barrel, in particular, were seamlessly fitted with no margin for error—clear evidence that Yuan Xing's forging skills had reached an even higher level over the past six months.
"Skills of this level can be achieved by a blacksmith only after decades of practice. However, what truly matters is the young master's creativity. Without your guidance, no matter how refined my craftsmanship is, I could never have created this weapon."
"Moreover, the most critical component—gunpowder—was also invented by you. Without it, no matter how intricate the iron gun's design, it would be nothing more than a hollow iron tube—completely useless."
Although Yuan Xing was pleased by Quan Yi's praise, he did not dare to take too much credit. After all, the most vital part of the musket had not come from his hands.
Gunpowder was undeniably the heart of an iron gun.
At the same time, it was also Quan Yi's most significant invention in the past six months.
Saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal—these three ingredients formed the foundation of gunpowder.
However, Quan Yi's knowledge of gunpowder only extended so far.
Fortunately, these materials all existed in abundance on the Douluo Continent and were relatively easy to obtain.
The only problem was the exact ratio, but that could be solved through experimentation.
Thus, Quan Yi entrusted the research of gunpowder to his mother, asking her to conduct secret experiments in a separate location.
With time, financial investment, and the experimental methods provided by Quan Yi, they quickly discovered an optimal formula.
Meanwhile, Quan Yi and Yuan Xing focused on perfecting the design of the iron gun. With both aspects progressing in tandem, they successfully developed the flintlock gun within just six months.
Yet, Quan Yi did not stop there. He continued refining materials and searching for better resources across the Douluo Continent, anticipating the eventual creation of even more powerful gunpowder.
To maintain secrecy, all gunpowder research was conducted away from Yuan Xing's workshop, so even the blacksmith himself was unaware of the exact manufacturing process.
Now, with Quan Yi's gunpowder and Yuan Xing's forging expertise, this formidable weapon was finally born.
And this was only the beginning—there was still vast potential for further development.
"Can I try it?" Quan Yi's eyes gleamed with eagerness.
"Of course," Yuan Xing replied confidently. He had used the finest materials available and was not concerned about safety risks.
In front of them stood a large table, upon which rested a box of gunpowder and several round iron balls.
Although this was the first live test, as the weapon's designer, Quan Yi was naturally well-versed in its operation.
With practiced movements, he poured the gunpowder into the barrel and loaded the bullet into the chamber from the rear.
Then, he positioned the iron gun, aiming at the wooden target in the distance.
The weapon weighed dozens of kilograms. For durability, Yuan Xing had used the highest-grade iron concentrate as the primary forging material. This ensured excellent toughness and moderate hardness, but the density made the gun exceptionally heavy—so much so that an ordinary adult would struggle to lift it.
However, for Quan Yi, this weight was insignificant.
Unlike a shotgun, which relied on explosive fragmentation for area damage, this weapon required precise aim.
Aligning the front sight with the target, he steadied his grip.
Then, without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.
The flint struck against the hammer, generating a spark that ignited the gunpowder.
A muffled explosion erupted as pressurized force propelled the iron bullet forward.
Bang!
In the blink of an eye, the iron ball tore through the wooden target and embedded itself deep into the stone wall behind it.
Crack! Clang!
Two distinct sounds followed—one from the wooden target shattering and the other from the bullet striking the hardened stone.
As the echoes of the gunshot faded, Quan Yi lowered the iron gun.
Yet, Su Ling'er remained frozen, her mind unable to calm down.
Having witnessed it firsthand, she realized that the musket's lethality was on par with a second spirit ability.
Its speed and range were exceptional—so much so that even a Spirit Grand Master might struggle to evade it without proper defenses.
A single flintlock gun could allow an ordinary person without spirit power to kill a Spirit Grand Master.
What did this mean for the future?
Su Ling'er dared not dwell on the implications.