Within the imperial palace, Emperor Xue Ye sat clad in his dragon robe. At his side stood the empire's Grand Marshal Ge Long, the crown prince Xue Qinghe, Prince Xue Xing, along with the three board members of the Heaven Dou Emperial Academy.
Looking at Chen Ming—this youth who had already created two divine-grade weapons at such a young age—Xue Ye's eyes were filled with disbelief. He simply could not understand how a child who had not yet come of age could possibly have forged such national-grade instruments.
But upon further thought, if it were not precisely this kind of young genius with no background—only talent and burning passion—then even if a Spirit Master had created such weapons, they would hardly have been so willing to directly submit them to the imperial family.
"So, you are Chen Ming?"
This meeting was a private one. Aside from the core figures of the empire, there were not many outsiders present. As such, Xue Ye did not put on any imperial airs. Instead, he deliberately adopted a solemn yet kindly elder's demeanor in an attempt to draw closer to Chen Ming.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." Chen Ming bowed slightly before continuing in a calm, steady tone. "These two weapons are indeed my creations. When I was young, I once watched hunters at work and even tried drawing a hunting bow myself—but I found that with my strength, I simply couldn't pull it open."
"I later heard people say that the stronger the bowstring, the more powerful the arrow—but also the harder it is to draw. That gave me an idea. If one person couldn't draw a powerful bow, could two people do it? But even then, the larger the bow, the harder it became to use. So I thought—why not fix the bow in place, and let several people pull it together from behind?"
"Eventually, I found the solution in millstones and rope mechanisms. By reducing the scale of the turning mechanism and enlarging the bow, then fixing it in place and adding a locking component to hold the string temporarily, the force could be increased continuously. Since the structure resembled a bed, I named it the bed crossbow."
"But then I realized that while its power was sufficient, the process of drawing it was still too cumbersome. So I rotated the bow horizontally, added stabilizing components, and incorporated a groove for better handling. This allowed it to be drawn by hand and carried easily—thus, the handheld crossbow."
"Genius… truly genius!"
Hearing such a clear and straightforward explanation, Xue Ye felt as though a fog had lifted from his mind. He clapped his hands lightly, instantly grasping the core principle behind the design.
He had drawn bows countless times in his youth—so why had such a simple idea never occurred to him?
"People have always regarded bows as crude weapons," he mused aloud. "Spirit Masters rarely use them, and they pose little threat to high-level practitioners. Aside from those whose Martial Souls are bows, few have ever paid them serious attention."
Behind him, the refined and gentle-looking Xue Qinghe spoke up:
"When one person cannot draw a bow, we instinctively assume it is a matter of insufficient strength—that the problem lies with the person, not the bow. To achieve greater power, we simply think of using a larger bow and exerting more force."
"But this young genius has taken the opposite approach. Instead of forcing the user to adapt, he altered the bow itself—making it easier to draw, and then enhancing its power through structural improvements."
"It's a truly brilliant line of thought. Perhaps only someone who has been questioning things since childhood could arrive at such a conclusion. After all, Spirit Masters tend to think in terms of increasing their own strength—while children are more likely to challenge the rules themselves."
"Indeed." Xue Ye nodded immediately, satisfied with that explanation. Clearly, it was a matter of perspective—not a failing on his own part.
Looking at Chen Ming—this boy of humble origins, yet undeniably gifted and composed—Xue Ye couldn't help but feel a growing sense of admiration.
"Grand Marshal Ge Long," he asked, turning slightly, "if these crossbows were distributed throughout the army, how much would they improve our combat strength?"
Ge Long stepped forward and cupped his fists respectfully. "Your Majesty, the impact would be immeasurable."
"To train a skilled archer requires a great deal of time," he continued, his tone firm. "But as I've just observed, these crossbows could be mastered by ordinary able-bodied men in just a few days of training."
"Moreover, the power of a crossbow is generally greater than that of a bow," Ge Long continued, his voice steady and assured. "And once it's drawn, aiming requires far less effort than pulling and holding a bowstring. It's more convenient, more stable. I would say the improvement it brings to the army's strength is far beyond what can be described as minor."
He paused briefly before adding, "And as this young genius mentioned, these crossbows can be further scaled up. The bed crossbow, in particular, could be enlarged several times over, constructed with superior materials, and fixed in position."
"In that case, a group of soldiers could work together to draw and fire it. Even a Spirit Ancestor-level Spirit Master would not be able to ignore such a weapon."
Although he was sometimes suspected of acting like an enemy spy due to his bluntness, Ge Long's military expertise was unquestionable in normal circumstances. He clearly understood the advantages of the crossbow.
He was not the type to stubbornly cling to outdated doctrines or insist that bows were superior simply out of tradition.
After all, the Heaven Dou Empire was not the Star Luo Empire. While it possessed strong internal forces, they were not fully unified under imperial command. There were many powerful Spirit Master sects, but very few were willing to serve in the military.
If not for the obstruction of the Spirit Hall, the Heaven Dou Empire might have already been swallowed by the Star Luo Empire. Because of this, Ge Long was particularly attentive to any improvements in military technology and combat capability.
"Good! Good! Excellent!"
Hearing this, Emperor Xue Ye was overjoyed.
In recent years, his health had been steadily declining, and he had delegated most affairs of state to the crown prince, Xue Qinghe. Rarely did anything bring him such genuine delight.
But now, he seemed almost rejuvenated, his aged face flushed with excitement, as though he had regained several years of youth.
"To create such a weapon at such a young age, you must be richly rewarded," he declared. "The title of baron is far too low—it cannot match your achievements or your talent. I shall grant you the rank of viscount instead."
"I am told by the three board members that you hail from a place called Holy Soul Village in Fasinuo Province. From this day forward, you shall be known as the Viscount of Holy Soul. Centered on that village, all land within a radius of fifty li (about twenty-five kilometers) shall be your territory, to be passed down hereditarily without revocation."
"And that is not all. I will also reward you with one hundred thousand gold soul coins and grant you precious medicinal treasures. Should you present further innovations in the future, I will elevate you to the rank of marquis."
In his excitement, Xue Ye spoke lavishly, his words flowing freely without restraint. He didn't bother considering whose jurisdiction Holy Soul Village originally fell under, nor the exact scope of the surrounding lands—he simply waved his hand and granted it all to Chen Ming.
While the title of baron might not rank highly within the empire, it was still far from something an ordinary person could obtain.
Typically, even a Spirit Ancestor who joined the empire would only be granted the lowest baron title—and often only as a nominal rank without any actual land. Only after rendering significant service could one hope to gain real authority, and even then, whether such a title could be passed down through generations remained uncertain.
But a hereditary viscountcy with true territorial control—that was an entirely different matter.
Especially considering that Fasinuo Province, where Holy Soul Village was located, was one of the empire's primary grain-producing regions. Chen Ming's newly granted domain not only rivaled several viscount territories combined in size, but its land was also far more fertile and prosperous than what most viscounts could ever hope to possess.