Chapter 532: Those who gain an advantage while pretending to be innocent will face retribution
In this experiment, Han Cheng observed clearly that the Kongming lantern only flew to a certain height before falling because the flame began to diminish at that moment.
One significant reason for the reduced flame was that the cloth was not burning sufficiently.
Han Cheng, who had previously worked with Hei Wa on kiln-making, did not have to worry about ensuring the cloth burned more completely.
All he needed to do was to create a few openings, neither too big nor too small, in the container holding the cloth to allow for ventilation.
As this thought arose, Han Cheng felt another wave of joy because he remembered another advantage of doing this.
That was, creating openings could greatly reduce the weight of the Kongming lantern.
With a larger flame and a lighter container for the flame, it would be strange if the Kongming lantern couldn’t fly under these circumstances.
This was truly a win-win solution…
Nightfall again enveloped the land, casting it into a vast expanse of gray.
There was no wind, and the surroundings appeared quiet.However, quiet did not mean that the tribe's members had gone to sleep; on the contrary, many people were standing inside and outside the Green Sparrow Tribe's walls at this time.
This included a lot of sleepless individuals in the two small slave courtyards.
Despite this, no chaotic sounds could be heard as their eyes were captivated by a few figures and a flickering light above the courtyard walls.
Not long ago, the esteemed and wise Divine Child had announced to them that there would be a flying demonstration tonight.
Most people had learned about this over the past few days and knew that the Divine Child and others had been preparing for it.
Some had even seen the miraculous object that flew up and then fell. Still, they were extremely excited and somewhat in disbelief. After all, it was about flying upwards!
How could this be something that humans could achieve?
On the wall, Shitou held the Kongming lantern with an excited expression. After all their hard work, the Kongming lantern was finally about to be completed.
Han Cheng held a burning stick in his hand. Naturally, he, as the Divine Child, had to be the one to ignite the first Kongming lantern released in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
By the light of the flames, he could see the structure beneath the Kongming lantern.
The flame container was no longer the original bowl or a modified flat pottery pot; instead, it was something resembling a sieve made of steel wire in a spiral pattern, similar to those in later generations.
It was pretty large, with a diameter exceeding ten centimeters.
At the edges of this ceramic sieve-like object were four sticks the thickness of chopsticks.
Each ten centimeters long, these four sticks were arranged in a cross shape.
One end was inserted into the sieve, while the other was tied with a rope and secured to the framework of the Kongming lantern.
It resembled a half watermelon with four chopsticks inserted horizontally at the cut.
Initially, these four sticks were also made of pottery.
However, after some experiments, it became clear that pottery was not suitable for this purpose; if the sticks were too long and thin, they would break easily, and if they were too thick, they would be too heavy.
If they were shortened, the rope tied to them would quickly get burned by the fire.
So, after several experiments, these were replaced with wooden sticks.
The burning stick was not a very good lighting tool, and its flame could easily diminish after being separated from the other firewood.
Han Cheng then decided to stop hesitating and moved it closer to the "sieve."
The flame from the burning stick quickly ignited the cloth soaked in pine resin through the openings, and within moments, it turned into a fireball.
The upward air flow generated by the heat quickly filled the Kongming lantern.
Feeling the Kongming lantern stirring restlessly in his hand, Shitou, already experienced, tentatively let go.
When he let go, the Kongming lantern did not fall; instead, it paused for a moment in place before rising slowly into the air.
The snake-skin lantern carried the orange-red flame as it leaped over Han Cheng and the others, continuously ascending.
It flew higher and farther, the outline of the lantern disappearing, leaving only a point of orange light in the night sky, merging with the countless stars as if it had genuinely flown into the distant and profound night sky.
Shitou tilted his head back, gazing longingly at that point of light. Perhaps the starlight mingling with it made his eyes appear bright and sparkling, with light swirling within.
Han Cheng lowered his head from its raised position, a smile appearing on his face; this was by far the most successful Kongming lantern he had made in this era.
Shaman's murky eyes also sparkled with brilliance. That was the dwelling place of the gods! The Divine Child indeed was the Divine Child; he could create miraculous things that could reach there.
If they could make a larger Kongming lantern in the future, could he perhaps sit on it and fly up to the sky, visiting the deities who had always ignored him?
This sudden thought made Shaman's body tremble slightly with excitement.
Seeing the deities? This was incredible!
Han Cheng was unaware of Shaman's thoughts then; if he had known, he would have scoffed at him.
Every time they ascended a hundred meters, the temperature dropped by 0.6 degrees. Sitting in a hot air balloon and flying higher would only result in being covered in moisture and shivering from the cold—there was no other outcome.
Where would one be able to see the deities?
Well, if they flew even higher, they might be able to see the deities…
Inside and outside the tribe, there was a silence, with many people looking up in amazement and yearning, constantly gazing at the sky.
The tribe's elders recalled the Divine Child's story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.
They wondered if they could see the lantern released by their tribe, whether they could follow the lantern to see their tribe…
At that moment, shock filled the hearts of everyone except Han Cheng, who had seen the world.
This was especially true for those in the slave courtyard who had been there for only a short time and knew little about Han Cheng, the so-called Divine Child. Having seen so few miraculous things, they were overwhelmed by seeing something clearly beyond human capabilities. The strength of their astonishment was unimaginable.
This was true divine power!
The previous shaman's methods in the tribe were so trivial compared to the great Divine Child that they were hardly worth mentioning.
There was simply no comparison between the two.
They had originally thought their perception of the Divine Child was already high enough, but after this experience, they realized they had underestimated him far too much.
The Divine Child was not something they could even begin to imagine!
"Divine Child! Divine Child!"
It was unclear who led the call, but after that point of starlight completely vanished, a uniform shout rang out in the night.
The voices were loud, gathering together like thunder rolling in the distance.
Those with sore necks shouted with all their might, as if only by doing so could they express their astonishment and reverence.
Was it just a Kongming lantern? Did it deserve such a huge reaction?
Standing with his hands clasped behind his back, Han Cheng, the Divine Child, wore a confident and composed smile, while internally, he thought shamelessly.
Showing off should attract lightning strikes, especially for those who benefited and pretended to be virtuous; they were the prime targets for divine retribution.
After enjoying a moment of the crowd's admiration, Han Cheng was just about to speak up to ask everyone to stop when a shadow fell from the sky at a relatively swift pace, landing squarely on his forehead.
Heaven seemed unwilling to accept his Kongming lantern and threw it back at him…