Douluo Dalu: Start with a Heavenly Fire Sacred Judgement

Chapter 483 Resource shortage
Speaking of the research progress, Xuan Ziwen's eyes changed, becoming very enthusiastic, and he said excitedly: "It's almost there! We will see the results soon. This is a result that surpasses an era. No! It's a result that surpasses several eras!"

Xu Jiujiu's eyes lit up. She had been waiting for this good news for a long time, and finally she could see the results. The Xingguan Sect had invested everything into this research, whether it was setting up laboratories, purchasing experimental materials, rare metals, and spending countless resources. The Xingguan Sect had almost used up all of its accumulation over thousands of years, and even secretly embezzled the treasury of the Xingluo Empire.

You know, it's war time now. If they secretly divert part of the resources used to support the war to research, it will be troublesome if other nobles in the empire find out. However, as a royal family, they still have a way to hide their tricks from others temporarily. But as time goes on, they will be exposed sooner or later. As long as the research is completed before that, nothing else matters.

"Great, Master Xuan, thank you for your hard work. Is there anything we can help you with?"

Xu Jiujiu looked very happy, and Ji Lin was also in a good mood.

Ji Lin was excited when he thought about what was about to be completed. He had been preparing for this day for a long time and he couldn't wait to see the finished product.

"Speaking of this, I really need the help of the Sect Master and Her Royal Highness the Princess. Although the research progress has reached the final stage and the finished product will be available soon, a large amount of rare metals are needed to make the finished product. In the past, a lot of rare metals have been consumed in the experiments, and most of them have been scrapped. If we want to make the finished product as soon as possible, or even mass-produce it, we will need a large supply of rare metals."

Xuan Ziwen made the request expressionlessly.

Xu Jiujiu's face froze, and the joy he had just felt at the news that the research was about to produce results was gone. Ji Lin looked at Xu Jiujiu. When it came to resource management, Ji Lin knew nothing about it. He didn't care how many resources were consumed in the research or how many resources the Xing Luo Empire provided. He just left everything to Xu Jiujiu and acted like a hands-off boss.

Seeing Ji Lin also looking at her, Xu Jiujiu felt bitter. The man in her family really didn't know how expensive food and daily necessities were. He had no idea how much resources their Xu family had consumed in this research, especially the rare metals. There were not many rare metal veins in the Xingluo Empire, and most of them were purchased from the black market channels from the Sun and Moon Empire, or from the Tianhun Empire and the Douling Empire.

The Sun-Moon Empire has the most rare metal veins, not only in large quantities but also in many types. This is one of the main reasons why the Sun-Moon Empire's soul guide technology is ahead of the original Douluo Three Kingdoms. A good cook cannot cook without rice. Rare metals are indispensable for the research of soul guides. The Sun-Moon Empire can also support a large number of soul guide research because of its rich rare metal veins.

No matter how talented a soul engineer is in the research of soul guides, he will be at a loss without rare metals to conduct experiments.

Seeing Xu Jiujiu looking embarrassed, Ji Lin understood that his rich princess had been drained of her wealth and became a bankrupt princess!
Ji Lin crossed his arms across his chest, supported his chin with one hand, and fell into deep thought. Indeed, without the supply of rare metals, even if Xuan Ziwen and the others developed a replica of the blueprint, they would not be able to produce it. Moreover, Ji Lin was planning to manufacture on a large scale, so at least he had to establish a soul guide team. Hundreds of pieces would be necessary, and this required a lot of resources, with rare metals being the most important.

For a moment, the laboratory fell silent. Xuan Ziwen leisurely brewed three cups of coffee and handed them to Xu Jiujiu and Ji Lin respectively. He was just a researcher, responsible for researching manufacturing, technology, and resource supply. It was not his responsibility, and he had no control over it. There was no need to worry about it. He had already achieved half of his purpose of coming to the Xing Luo Empire. He had learned the epoch-making technology and had studied the drawings that had haunted him thoroughly. The only regret was that he had not been able to make a finished product by himself and had not been able to completely reproduce what was on the drawings. For the time being, he could only settle for the second best, lower the standards and requirements, and simplify a beggar version.

Xu Jiujiu felt very uncomfortable as well. She was about to succeed and would see the results soon, but then she was told that there were no rare metals left. Now was a time of war, and even if the Xing Luo Empire had money, they could not buy rare metals. The Sun-Moon Empire was not a fool and had turned a blind eye to the black market. But now if the black market dared to sell rare metals to the Xing Luo Empire, it would immediately face a thundering blow from the Sun-Moon Empire.

Although the Xingluo Empire still has a batch of rare metals in stock in the treasury, they were prepared for this war and are urgently needed now. Not only the military, but also many nobles are eyeing them. Even the royal family cannot touch these rare metals unless they make public what they are researching. But that is impossible. For Ji Lin's plan, they need to hide this achievement for the time being.

But this would lead to a vicious circle. To research rare metals, they had to make their research public and obtain consent from the military and the nobility. But in order to keep their plans in place, they had to hide their research results. If they hid their research results, they couldn't let outsiders know and couldn't use the rare metals in the national treasury. Without rare metals, they couldn't continue their research.

Xu Jiujiu felt that he was confused. For a moment, he was completely dazed and looked at Ji Lin pitifully.

Ji Lin's mouth twitched. What is he looking at? He has been living off the princess since he was a child. Now that the rich princess has gone bankrupt, there is nothing he can do! It's ok to let him rob, kill and burn, but he really can't do anything about this matter!

Wait! Robbery!
Ji Lin suddenly had a flash of inspiration in his mind, and he quickly caught it and remembered one thing. When he returned to Zizai Gate, he received a letter brought by Meng Hongchen. The letter contained a lot of things, most of which were Meng Hongchen expressing his longing, and then there were the recent movements of the Sun-Moon Empire. Many of them were confidential information of the Sun-Moon Empire, which were passed to Ji Lin by Jing Hongchen through Meng Hongchen.

Ji Lin remembered that Meng Hongchen said in the letter that some time ago, the Sun Moon Empire discovered a super-large rare metal mine at the junction of the northern Tianhun Empire and the Douling Empire, which even alarmed Xu Tianran. After all, during this period, the Sun Moon Empire launched a war and consumed a large number of soul guides, which required more rare metals. The sudden discovery of a super-large rare metal mine was like timely help for the Sun Moon Empire. Ji Lin didn't care about this matter before. After all, he has never been interested in resources. He was really spoiled by the rich princess. Combined with the news brought by Nan Shuishui, there was an army of 10,000 people stationed outside the Dragon City of the Sun Moon Empire, led by a suspected Fire Phoenix Soul Mentor Group.

The Sun Moon Empire's Protector of the Nation did not go to the front line to attack the remnants of the Sky Soul Empire, but instead stayed near Dragon City, contrary to their usual behavior. Isn't the super-large rare metal mine that Meng Hongchen mentioned just to the north of the Sky Soul Empire? Dragon City is also to the north of the Sky Soul Empire!

Ji Lin immediately told Xu Jiujiu about this matter.

Xu Jiujiu was delighted at first, but then he lowered his head in dejection, muttering, "But, that metal mine is in the northern part of the Sky Soul Empire, too far away from us. There are also troops from the Sun Moon Empire stationed there, and even the Fire Phoenix Soul Mentor Group is in charge. We in the Xingluo Empire can no longer spare any more power to rob it. Besides, mining ore also requires manpower and time. The northern part of the Sky Soul Empire has already fallen, and now it is full of troops from the Sun Moon Empire. We have no way to deal with it!"

Xu Jiujiu looked at Ji Lin with resentment. This bad guy gave her hope, but it was a hope that was out of reach.

Ji Lin felt uncomfortable under the resentful look of Jiujiu, and asked quickly: "Sister Jiujiu, have you forgotten Xue Di?"

Snow Queen? What does this have to do with Snow Queen? Xu Jiujiu was stunned for a moment, his face full of confusion.

Looking at the clear stupidity in Xu Jiujiu's eyes, Ji Lin shook his head speechlessly. Isn't Jiujiu usually very smart? Why is she confused at the critical moment?

"Sister Jiujiu, isn't the northern part of the Tianhun Empire right next to the Arctic Icefield?"

Ji Lin didn't keep the secret and reminded Xu Jiujiu directly.

The confusion in Xu Jiujiu's eyes gradually dissipated, his IQ returned to normal, and he said in surprise: "Yes, the Far North! Snow Emperor, soul beast."

Xu Jiujiu ignored Xuan Ziwen's presence and hugged Ji Lin's head, burying it in the majestic figure on his chest, and said excitedly: "Why didn't I think of this? The Snow Queen is the master of the Arctic Ice Field. She can command the soul beasts of the Arctic Ice Field. It is definitely more than enough for her to occupy that super-large metal vein. It is not impossible to even let the soul beasts help mine the vein!"

Ji Lin smelled the milky aroma coming from his nose and felt the soft touch, and secretly sighed that with Sister Jiujiu's size, when she has children in the future, she won't have to worry about the baby being hungry.

Thinking of this, Ji Lin suddenly realized that none of the girls around him were flat. Even Xiaoxiao, now that she had grown up, had a well-proportioned figure, and she had received every bit of nutrition she needed.

Speaking of the people in Douluo Continent, because of their soul power, they grow at an extremely fast rate and mature much earlier than the people in Ji Lin's previous life. Whether in terms of height or figure, it seems that it is rare to see those short and flat girls with loli-like figures. Even if there are such girls, they are considered outliers in the eyes of the people in Douluo Continent!

Xu Jiujiu, who didn't know what Ji Lin was thinking at the moment, quickly calmed down and let Ji Lin go. Seeing that he looked so happy, he tapped his forehead unhappily and said helplessly: "In this case, I can only trouble you to make a trip, Xiaolin."

The only one who can command the soul beast clan of the Far North Ice Field to go out is the Snow Empress, and the Snow Empress is bound to Ji Lin and cannot leave Ji Lin for a long time, so Ji Lin must make a trip to the Far North.

(End of this chapter)