623: Chapter 618 Half of the ceramics circle has arrived.

A group of people with varied temperaments descended from their cars.

Some wore tailored suits, possessing an extraordinary bearing, looking like corporate executives.

Others wore Tang suits, fiddling with prayer beads in their hands, giving off the air of seasoned masters.

Still others had the aura of artists, with long hair tied back, their eyes showing a hint of untamed spirit.

But as they entered Gao Shou Zheng's courtyard, all their imposing auras subsided, and they respectfully called out in unison,

"Master."

These people were Gao Shou Zheng's disciples scattered across the nation.

Every single one of them was a renowned figure in the contemporary ceramics world.

When they saw Shen Yan sitting leisurely in the courtyard sipping tea, a flicker of subtle scrutiny and doubt crossed their eyes.

He was too young.

Was this the "distinguished guest" Master mentioned on the phone?

An elderly man with silver hair, dressed in a meticulously chosen Zhongshan suit, was Gao Shou Zheng's eldest disciple, Li Yuan Chao, now the chief consultant for the National Ceramics Museum.

He walked up to Gao Shou Zheng and asked in a low voice, "Master, who is this?"

"This is Mr. Shen, the one I told you about," Gao Shou Zheng's tone conveyed genuine respect.

"Come over, everyone, and meet Mr. Shen."

The crowd gathered around. Although they addressed him as "Mr. Shen," the scrutiny in their eyes was unconcealed.

They respected their master, but that didn't mean they would easily trust a young man of unknown background.

A hot-tempered man with a Qilin tattooed on his arm was Gao Shou Zheng's third disciple, Zhao Heng. He owned his own studio specializing in antique-style porcelain and was notorious in the circle as a "hothead."

He spoke in a gruff voice,

"Master, you asked us to return because you want to build a lost Dragon Kiln, and we came without a second thought. But this matter isn't something that can be solved just by having money."

These words were aimed at Shen Yan.

In their view, Shen Yan's biggest label was probably just 'wealthy.'

Shen Yan set down his teacup without speaking.

He stood up and walked to the open space in the center of the courtyard, where a massive blueprint had already been spread out.

It was the structural diagram of the Dragon Kiln he had drawn overnight based on the data provided by the system.

"You are all experts; take a look at this."

Everyone's gaze was instantly drawn to the blueprint.

After just one glance, Li Yuan Chao's brow furrowed.

Zhao Heng exclaimed directly, "What is this thing? A kiln body inclination of thirty degrees? Are you crazy! With such a steep slope, the flame tongue will rush up too fast, and the temperature field can't be stabilized at all!"

"And the design of these chimney vents, scattered up and down without any discernible pattern! All the heat will escape!"

"This is clearly something drawn by a layman. Master, don't let this kid fool you!"

For a moment, the courtyard erupted into chaos.

Voices of doubt rose one after another.

These national-level masters each possessed their own pride and established systems of experience.

Shen Yan's blueprint completely subverted their understanding.

Gao Shou Zheng's face flushed red, just as he was about to lose his temper.

Shen Yan, however, raised his hand, signaling him to remain calm.

His gaze swept over everyone, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching every ear.

"The traditional Dragon Kiln is built against a mountain, with a slope of about twenty-three degrees being the limit. This is because you cannot solve the problems of uneven heat distribution and drastically increased fuel consumption on a steep slope."

"But my design can."

He pointed to a peculiar structure on the blueprint.

"Here, I have added a vortex pressurization structure. It can make the flame form a controllable spiral airflow inside the kiln chamber, increasing thermal efficiency by thirty percent compared to traditional Dragon Kilns, while the temperature field uniformity can be controlled within plus or minus five degrees."

"As for the chimney vents," he looked toward Zhao Heng, "your so-called scattered up and down design without pattern is a matrix design that combines fluid dynamics and Bernoulli's principle. It can precisely control the air pressure in each sub-chamber, achieving precise temperature control for different wares at different firing stages."

"I don't care if it's Newton's Law or Marton's Law!" Zhao Heng stiffened his neck, "I only believe in the craftsmanship passed down by our ancestors! The things fired using your methods will just turn into a pile of scrap!"

"Is that so?" Shen Yan smiled, "Then why don't we make a wager."

"How do we bet?"

"The kiln will be built exactly according to my blueprint," Shen Yan's tone was very flat. "If even one piece that comes out of the firing is scrap, I will personally pay one hundred million as compensation for your lost time and emotional distress."

One hundred million!

The courtyard instantly fell silent.

Although they were all masters with considerable assets, one hundred million in cash wasn't something everyone could casually put up as a stake.

This young man was either a madman, or... he truly possessed a confidence they couldn't comprehend.

"And if it succeeds?" Li Yuan Chao's voice was somewhat dry.

"If it succeeds," Shen Yan looked at him, "I will revive an art that has been lost for a thousand years."

His words carried a powerful magic.

Everyone present truly loved porcelain.

Reviving a lost art—those six words held more attraction for them than any amount of money.

Gao Shou Zheng slapped his thigh.

"It's settled then! Everyone listens to Mr. Shen! Anyone who objects again will get out of this courtyard, and I, Gao Shou Zheng, will disown them as my disciple!"

When the old master spoke, the others dared not say another word.

A grand project commenced on the original site of the abandoned ceramics factory in Jiulong Mountain.

Shen Yan did not act like an absentee boss.

He practically lived on the construction site twenty-four hours a day.

Site selection, surveying, laying the foundation.

When everyone was still arguing about how to handle the soft soil of the mountain slope, Shen Yan directly provided a reinforcement formula mixing polymer cement and basalt fiber.

After the construction team followed the formula, the strength and stability of the foundation exceeded the national highest standard by threefold.

Building the kiln chamber, stacking the kiln walls.

Masters like Zhao Heng personally took action, using the 'Diamond Bricks' fired with Shen Yan's modified formula to construct the main body of the Dragon Kiln, brick by brick.

They soon realized something was amiss.

According to the stacking method in Shen Yan's blueprint, the inner and outer arcs of the kiln wall formed a hyperbolic structure they had never seen before.

At first, they thought it was a mistake in the drawing.

But when they measured it with a laser level, they were horrified to find that this structure allowed the stress distribution of the entire kiln body to achieve an almost perfect balance.

What was this? Building a kiln?

This was clearly constructing an artwork precise down to the micron level!

Half a month later, a seventy-meter-long giant dragon coiled itself upon the slope of Jiulong Mountain.

It was entirely built of grayish-white Diamond Bricks, its lines smooth and full of power.

Under the sunlight, the entire Dragon Kiln seemed to breathe, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.

All the craftsmen and masters involved in the construction looked at the masterpiece before them, their hearts surging with emotion.

They knew they were witnessing the birth of a miracle.

On the day of the ignition, half of C City's ceramics circle came to watch.