Starting with ten elixirs of immortality, I led the First Emperor to rebel against the Qin Dynasty.

As they talked, they soon arrived outside the Institute of Physics.

Upon seeing Ying Zheng and his entourage, the Meng family soldiers guarding the gate immediately bowed and opened the heavy gate.

The group had just stepped into the Gewu Institute, before they could even get a good look at what was inside.

"boom--!!!"

A deafening roar suddenly erupted from the depths of the Gewu Academy!

The entire earth seemed to tremble violently.

The sound was like the wrath of a thunder god from the heavens, making people's eardrums buzz and their minds go blank.

Even a ruler like Ying Zheng, who remained calm even when Mount Tai collapsed before him, was startled by the sudden loud noise, causing his heart to leap.

Li Si was so frightened that he staggered and almost lost his balance, his face turning deathly pale.

Wang Jian, a veteran who had fought his way through countless battles and emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, reacted immediately by drawing his sword!

"Assassins! Protect the Emperor!"

With a loud shout, he flashed in front of Ying Zheng, his tiger-like eyes scanning the surroundings warily, his whole body exuding a chilling killing intent.

However, the anticipated enemy did not appear.

On the contrary, Fusu tugged at Wang Jian's sleeve with a look of both amusement and exasperation.

"General Wang, don't be nervous, don't be nervous."

Fusu pointed in the direction from which the loud noise came, his face showing a mixture of helplessness and acceptance.

"Father, General Wang, Prime Minister Li, there's no need to panic. This...this is a gunpowder test."

"Gunpowder?" Ying Zheng frowned.

He hadn't expected this thing to make such a big commotion!

Li Si patted his chest, and it took him a long time to recover. He looked at the direction where the smoke and dust were rising with lingering fear.

"This...this is the gunpowder you were talking about, young master? Its power...is terrifying."

Wang Jian slowly sheathed his sword, but the shock in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest. He had fought all his life, heard the drums of war, the clang of halberds, and the shouts of hundreds of thousands of people, but he had never heard such a terrifying sound.

The sound alone was enough to terrify even the most elite soldiers.

If this thing explodes on the battlefield...

Wang Jian dared not think any further. He looked at Ying Zheng and found that Ying Zheng's eyes were also filled with a mixture of shock and ecstasy.

"Let's go take a look!" Ying Zheng said excitedly.

The group followed Fusu and walked quickly toward the source of the explosion.

In a clearing deep within the Gewu Academy, a crowd had gathered, all craning their necks, their faces filled with excitement and awe.

In the center of the open space, a huge pit, about half a person's height, suddenly appeared, with soil flying around its edges and wisps of smoke rising from it. Not far from the pit, a boulder that was originally the size of a calf was now shattered into pieces, with fragments scattered everywhere.

The two old men, Mo Yuan and Gongshu Che, were arguing heatedly with a group of disciples around the large pit and the broken rocks.

"My clay pot is definitely more powerful! Look at this crater, it's half a foot deeper than the one I blasted with your wooden box last time!"

"Bullshit! What's the use of depth? The kill radius is the key! Look at the caltrops in my wooden box, the furthest one flew at least thirty paces! Can your ceramic shards fly that far? Can they even penetrate leather armor?"

At the heart of their argument, a familiar figure stood with arms crossed, watching them with an air of nonchalance.

Who else could it be but Zhao Huan?

Zhao Huan watched as these two old men, whose combined age was nearly 150, argued like two children, their faces red and necks thick, and he felt a headache coming on.

"Alright, alright, stop arguing," he said, stopping them. "Each has its advantages and disadvantages. The clay pot is cheaper and has a greater explosive power. The wooden box is more expensive and has a greater chance of shrapnel damage. Let's make a few more versions and test them on the battlefield to see what works."

Upon hearing Zhao Huan's words, the two old men glared at each other and reluctantly shut up.

Just then, Zhao Huan noticed Ying Zheng and his entourage approaching.

"Father? What brings you here?" Zhao Huan was somewhat surprised, and then quickly went to greet them.

This time, his father was gone for almost a month and a half, and to be honest, Zhao Huan was quite worried.

After all, it was a rebellion, and the risks were too high.

As they walked, he looked Ying Zheng up and down. Seeing that Ying Zheng had a rosy complexion and was in good spirits, he didn't seem to have suffered outside, which put his mind at ease.

"Dad, did your trip go smoothly? Did you encounter any trouble?"

Zhao Huan asked with concern.

Ying Zheng felt a surge of warmth in his heart as he watched Zhao Huan approach quickly and listened to his heartfelt concern.

His stern face softened a bit, and he said with a smile, "It's alright, everything went smoothly."

His gaze passed over Zhao Huan and fell upon the chaotic testing ground, especially the dark crater and the shattered boulders. The light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"Huan'er, was that noise just now caused by gunpowder?"

Ying Zheng pointed to the large pit, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement.

Zhao Huan followed his finger, scratched his head, and said somewhat embarrassedly:

"Oh, that? I was just testing out my new homemade bomb. I didn't expect it to make such a fuss. I hope it didn't frighten you, Dad?"

"Not scared at all, not scared at all."

Ying Zheng spoke casually, but his heart was actually pounding.

"Excellent! Excellent!" Ying Zheng exclaimed twice, then stepped forward and patted Zhao Huan on the shoulder, his eyes full of approval. "Huan'er, you have once again rendered a great service to our cause!"

Wang Jian, standing beside him, stared intently at the large pit, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

As the Marquis of Wucheng of the Qin Dynasty, he was well aware of the value of this item.

If we had possessed such a divine object when we attacked Yingdu, the capital of Chu, we wouldn't have had to pay such a heavy price!

All it takes is digging a few pits under the city wall, burying this gunpowder, and even the strongest city wall will collapse with a roar!

This thing is enough to change the nature of warfare!

Li Si was also greatly shaken.

Gunpowder was not only used in warfare, but also in quarrying, building roads, and digging canals...

Many of Qin's massive projects will have their construction periods greatly shortened, saving countless manpower and resources.

This item is truly a national treasure!

"Father, brother, Steward Li, who is this?" Zhao Huan's gaze fell on Wang Jian.

The old man looked to be in his sixties or seventies, but he stood up straight and had sharp eyes; he was clearly a master.

Ying Zheng then realized he hadn't introduced him yet, and said with a smile, "Oh, I forgot to introduce you. This is Old Wang, also my father's business partner, and he's very skilled in martial arts."

"Old Wang?" Zhao Huan blurted out instinctively, "Old Wang next door?"

"Huh?" Wang Jian was taken aback, not understanding.

"Ahem," Zhao Huan coughed twice to cover his embarrassment, wondering why he kept blurting out whatever came to mind.

He smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Uncle Wang, my name is Zhao Huan."

Wang Jian had no idea of ​​the deeper meaning of "Old Wang next door" in later generations. He thought Zhao Huan was trying to get closer to him, and his old face immediately broke into a big smile.

"Excellent, excellent! Young Master Huan is indeed a man of exceptional talent and bearing; seeing him in person is far better than hearing about him!"