As the smoke from the white phosphorus bombs dissipated due to the intense heat, the 'Sacrifice Gate' spoken of by the saint shattered amidst the tremors of the 'Great Han' rifled cannons. Liu Xun did not linger long among the ruins. Standing beneath the remaining dome of the Hagia Sophia, he took a gold pocket watch out of his robes.
It was the pinnacle of the Great Han Academy of Sciences, and its dial was engraved with two powerful Chinese characters. 'Chang'an.'
'Your Majesty, I discovered in the Western Regions that timekeeping methods are utterly chaotic,' said Gongshu Qi, pointing to the haphazardly collected sundials and water clocks. 'The Romans observed the shadows cast by the sun; the Persians relied on hourglasses. Even the watchmen in the various provinces of the Great Han are half an hour out in their timekeeping. How can railways be built like this? How can warships coordinate their operations?"
[System Logic Correction: The Core of Industrial Civilisation — Synchronisation'.
Core Pain Point: Without a unified time system, train scheduling would become a hellish experiment in collisions, and the Han Yuan exchange rate in global trade would create an arbitrage black hole.
System reward: high-precision pendulum clock principle and global 24-hour time zone division scheme. Liu Xun initiated his top-tier performance, 'The Reshaper of Order'. He slowly closed his pocket watch, his voice like ice clattering: 'I want this world to have only one rhythm. Sunrise does not mean morning; the ringing of the bells of Weiyang Palace marks the dawn.'
Within Weiyang Palace, the Great Han Royal Standard Clock Tower, towering over ten zhang high, rose from the ground. Employing the system-rewarded constant-temperature controlled balance wheel and ruby bearings, it compressed the error to less than one second per day.'Issue the decree! The meridian on which the Weiyang Palace in Chang'an is located shall be the 'Great Han Initial Standard Line' (0-degree longitude)."
Every 15 degrees westward shall be designated as a time zone. A Chang'an timekeeping station must be established wherever the Great Han Railway reaches and wherever the Great Han warships dock." At that very moment, the wireless telegraph sounded the first note of its plan for world domination.
'Tick-tock—tick-tock—' The radio waves crossed the Pamir Mountains, passed through the Suez Canal, and reached London and Rome.
Officials, captains and station masters of the Han dynasty stationed around the world simultaneously took out their pocket watches and adjusted their hands amidst the rhythmic flow of electricity.
Caesar, in his Roman palace, stared paley at the 'Chang'an Standard Clock' delivered by the Han envoy. Not only had Liu Xun conquered his land, he had branded every second of his life with the mark of the Han Dynasty.
Hiding in the final, desolate underground palace, the Sage attempted to launch a counterattack by using an eclipse as a guise. He had calculated the exact moment that the sun would disappear into shadow, but he had miscalculated; the Han's armoured cavalry appeared at the palace's exit precisely as darkness fell.
The Sage roared in despair, 'How did you know I would launch this attack at this time?' The leading general sneered and pointed to the pocket watch on his chest. 'Sage, your astrology calculates the will of Heaven, while my watch calculates Chang'an time. His Majesty said the operation would end at 3:15 pm. Even if it gets dark, you will die at 3:15 pm.'
[Economic Harvest] The Chang'an stock market opens and global merchants must stay up all night.
[Military Myth] The Han army can achieve 'second-level coordination' across continents and seas.
[Civilisation Domestication] Western children no longer ask, 'Where is the sun now?', but 'What time is it in Chang'an?'
[System Announcement] Achievement completed: Legislator of Global Time
Civilisation stability value: 100% (overflow)
Judgement: The Han Empire has achieved "global dominance" at the physical level.
Industrial Revolution Progress: 100% (perfect).
Standing atop the clock tower, Liu Xun looked down at the bustling yet orderly city of Chang'an and whispered to the system: 'Time has been unified, as have weights and measures. The Great Han Empire is no longer just a country; it is a constantly operating, precise instrument. Sage, you can rest in peace now.'
The bells of Weiyang Palace tolled precisely, marking the pulse of the Han Empire. However, in Liu Xun's eyes, although this massive industrial body was powerful, it lacked the vital lifeblood capable of achieving explosive growth and transcending space. Steam engines were too cumbersome and gas lamps too limiting. What he needed was electricity.
During a rare, torrential downpour, the flashing icon symbolising the 'Second Industrial Revolution' was finally ignited by the fervour in Liu Xun's eyes.
Above Chang'an, inky black clouds churned as if the heavens had collapsed, and gale-force winds carrying torrential rain attempted to tear apart the newly established industrial order. Thick, bluish lightning bolts pierced the night sky, illuminating the towering chimneys and the clock tower of Weiyang Palace like ghosts. 'Your Majesty, the wrath of Heaven is unpredictable! Quickly return to the palace to avoid the rain!' Gongshu Qi stood on the terrace of Weiyang Palace, his voice small and trembling amidst the thunder.
Liu Xun stood with his hands behind his back, letting the rain soak his black robe. He activated the 'God-Level Acting: Creator Acting on Behalf of Heaven' system command, his eyes showing no fear, only an absolute desire to control the unknown power.
[System Command: Electricity Sprout Mission]
Core Objective: Capture the natural lightning in the torrential rain and successfully import it into the Leyden Bottle Module.
Risk level: Extremely High (Slight Mistake, Utter Annihilation).
Risk Level: Extremely High (Slight Mistake, Utter Annihilation).
Guidance mode: 'Lightning Protection Field' (limited to a one-metre radius around the protagonist) and 'Directional Deployment of Insulating Material' are activated.
'Gongshu Qi,' Liu Xun's voice could be heard clearly through the breaks in the thunder. 'That old man Franklin caught lightning with a kite; that was luck. I will tame it with truth!'Guided by the system, Liu Xun did not use the fragile kite. Instead, he ordered his men to bring out the Jianwu Type I Insulation Collection Device, which had been secretly developed by the Academy of Sciences.
This massive base was constructed from specially made, high-purity silicone and insulating ceramics. On top of it stood a lightning rod several metres long with a carburised steel tip, pointing straight to the sky. A thick copper cable, wrapped with multiple layers of insulating rubber, connected the base of the lightning rod to a row of neatly arranged large Leyden jars.
"Raise the flag!" Liu Xun commanded. The lightning rod, glowing with a cold light, was slowly raised to stand at the highest point of Weiyang Palace. "Boom!"
A bolt of lightning, seemingly capable of cleaving the world in two, struck the lightning rod on top of Weiyang Palace with pinpoint precision, illuminating the entire city of Chang'an as if it were daytime.
Under the terrified gaze of Gongshu Qi and countless other onlookers, the lightning rod rapidly turned crimson and streaks of eerie blue lightning spread downwards like venomous snakes along the insulating copper cable.
"Come in!" Liu Xun stood beside the insulating base. Within the system's protective field, he could feel every particle of air trembling with static electricity. He abruptly slammed shut the marble switch insulating the Leyden jar assembly. With a sharp crack, the previously empty interior of the first batch of Leyden jars suddenly burst forth with dazzling yet tightly imprisoned sparks of eerie blue electricity.
The torrential rain stopped abruptly, the dark clouds dispersed and a brilliant starry sky was revealed.
Liu Xun slowly walked to the row of Leyden jars, which were still trembling slightly. Gongshu Qi approached tremblingly and looked at the unprecedented blue light within the jars. He asked in a trembling voice, 'Your Majesty, is this the wrath of the gods?'
Liu Xun gently touched the discharge terminal of the Leyden jar and an immediate, dazzling arc of electricity appeared between the two metal spheres.
"No, Gongshu Qi." His voice echoed in the silent night sky, carrying loneliness and fervour that transcended a thousand years. 'This is called "electricity". From this day forward, it will no longer be considered the wrath of the gods, but rather the blood of the Han Dynasty — the ultimate power that will make this world submit utterly."
News of the Han Dynasty's miraculous capture of lightning spread throughout Chang'an that night. In the eyes of the people, Liu Xun was no longer a mortal emperor, but a saint who could steal divine fire from the heavens.
[System Announcement] Achievement Completed: Capturing Natural Lightning, Ushering in the Electricity Age.
Judgment: The Han Empire has unlocked the core prerequisite technology for the Second Industrial Revolution.
Unlock rewards: Basic DC generator blueprint, carbon filament bulb module and electrolytic aluminium technology (core material for aircraft). A crucial foreshadowing: Upon learning this news in his bedchamber and looking at the Handbook of Basic Natural Sciences in his hand, Julius Caesar suddenly let out a bitter laugh and threw the book into the fire, saying: 'Even thunder and lightning obey him... God, why do you favour the Seres so much?'
Liu Xun looked at the row of Leyden jars and issued a new command to the system: 'Order has been established; time has been unified. Now, I have seized electricity. Gongshu Qi, build me a 'DC generator'. I want Weiyang Palace to be as bright as day, without the need for coal or gas!"
The mornings in Chang'an were no longer bathed in golden sunlight. As the first rays of dawn tried to pierce the clouds, a thick, leaden-grey fog blocked them; the air was filled with the acrid smell of sulphur and the stench of coal tar. The giant chimneys that Liu Xun had once been so proud of belched "anger" into the sky like industrial monsters breathing.
'Cough, cough... Your Majesty, rumours are circulating that this is a fire from the underworld that has burned through the netherworld, attracting the vengeful spirits of ghostly soldiers.' Gongshu Qi covered his mouth and nose with a damp silk handkerchief; his face was pale. Behind him, the white marble steps of Weiyang Palace were covered in black dust. Even the grass and trees in the once pristine royal gardens were now coated in an indelible layer of grime.
[System Environmental Monitoring Plugin Alarm]
PM2.5 concentration: Severely exceeds standard (visibility in industrial areas less than ten zhang).
Social panic level: 35% (superstitious rumours abound, believing it's because he "angered the Earth Dragon").
Public health level: Continuously declining (outbreak of respiratory diseases).
Liu Xun stood atop the Star Gazing Tower and looked down at the capital city, which was swallowed by grey fog. He knew this wasn't divine punishment, but rather nature's resounding slap in the face before the Second Industrial Revolution began.
'A demonic fog has descended from the sky; surely there are evil spirits!' In the streets and alleys of Chang'an, some marginalised old Confucian scholars and traditional witch doctors began to stir up trouble. Pointing at the towering chimneys of power stations, they tearfully accused Liu Xun of 'stealing lightning and disturbing the gods'.
This kind of rhetoric was extremely popular among illiterate, low-level workers. Some factories even saw workers resign out of fear of 'divine retribution'. However, Liu Xun did not use the Embroidered Uniform Guard to suppress the rumours. He knew that the best way to combat superstition was not with swords, but with higher science and a better life.
'Gongshu Qi, I want to plant a forest under every Han Dynasty chimney.' Liu Xun activated Top-Tier Performance: Harmonizer of Nature and Civilization. He rapidly manipulated his mental database, investing his accumulated 'Civilisation Merit Points' into a niche branch of the technology tree. The 'System Reward' was 'Efficient Tree Planting and Ecological Restoration Solution'.
Core technologies: Rapid Rooting Solution (shortens the tree's growth cycle) and Urban Vertical Greening Structure.
Industrial components: Water Curtain Dust Filter Tower (uses centrifugal force and water mist to capture smoke and dust).
The next day, Liu Xun promulgated the shocking 'Great Han Garden City Law'. He ordered the demolition of the sheds surrounding the factory area and their replacement with 'protective green belts' built around the factory. Tens of thousands of special, system-modified trees that are highly absorbent and drought-resistant were planted.
Most impressively of all, he ordered flower beds to be installed on the balconies of all the concrete apartment buildings and used steam pumps to circulate water to the rooftops, creating the earliest 'vertical forest' in the Han dynasty.
Massive water curtain dust suppression towers also rose from the ground around the power plant. Generators powered water pumps and huge water curtains fell from hundreds of feet in the air. The black smoke was instantly washed away as it passed through the water curtain, turning the originally pitch-black smoke columns into light white mists.
Seven days later, an artificial rainstorm swept through Chang'an. Afterwards, the black dust was washed into the sewage ditches. The people of Chang'an were amazed to find that the air was fresher than ever before and that the previously withered vegetation had sprouted new buds thanks to the "rapid rooting solution".
'The gods are not angry; the gods are protecting the Han dynasty!' Standing on the verdant terrace of the Weiyang Palace, Liu Xun looked at the miraculous scene of chimneys and green trees coexisting harmoniously in the distance. [System Announcement] Achievement achieved: 'Garden City: Budding Ecological Civilisation'
Social panic level: Zero.
Judgment: The Han Empire has successfully resolved the environmental crisis of the early stages of industrialisation, unlocking the following achievements: basic air filter technology and the catalytic converter principle for internal combustion engine exhausts.
Liu Xun gently plucked a sprig of new greenery and said to Gongshu Qi, 'Superstition is stopped by the wise, and the environment is protected by governance.' Go and prepare. From dawn onwards, let's show the world at the World Expo what it means to 'dwell poetically in a steel jungle'."
The smog in Chang'an was purified by the 'water curtain dust removal' and 'vertical forest' systems, transforming it into the fragrance of grass after rain. However, the air at the Daming Palace training grounds on the outskirts of Chang'an was heavy and suffocating today, with Liu Xun's golden dragon and black military banner fluttering in the wind. In the stands, the Caesar of Rome, the Sultan of Parthia and the kings of the Western Regions sat nervously in a row. Instead of the traditional cavalry charge, before them was a massive barrier made of high-quality steel and an unprecedented 'steel box'. With a muffled whistle, the training ground began to tremble slightly.
Two enormous black figures slowly emerged from a warehouse covered in silk. They were not carriages or wheels, but were clad in blackened, carburised steel armour. Their feet creaked on metal tracks and thick black smoke billowed from their heads.
[System Armament Module: Land Warfare Pinnacle (Basic Version)]
Power System: Compact High-Pressure Steam Engine (Fuel-Assisted Heating)
Running Mechanism: Wide Heavy Tracks (Ignores Mud and Barbed Metal)
Firepower: 57 mm frontal cannon + two twin-shot crossbows on the flanks (future machine gun space reserved).
Codename: 'Xuanwu' Steam Tank
"What... what is that? Is it a mountain made of iron?' A king from a small western region kingdom trembled, oblivious to the Han Yuan gold coins falling to the ground.
Liu Xun waved his hand expressionlessly. In the centre of the training ground, two hundred enemy soldiers, who had been prepared for execution, held heavy shields and formed the proud 'tortoise formation' of the Roman army. But against the 'Xuanwu' tank, these tightly packed shields were like children's building blocks, shattered with a loud crash.The 'Black Tortoise' did not fire its cannons; instead, accompanied by the roar of its tracks crushing the earth and the weight of its twenty tons, it rammed straight into the enemy. The sound of metal and bone shattering was particularly jarring in the empty training ground. Heavy shields that could have withstood powerful crossbow bolts were instantly reduced to twisted scrap metal under the weight of the Black Tortoise's tracks.
'Its leather armour can't even withstand a heavy catapult?' Julius Caesar stared intently at the 'steel monster' that remained motionless amidst the rain of arrows.
His hair stood on end when he saw the 'Black Tortoise' rotate its heavy turret and point its blackened cannons at the stone fortress below the stands.
With a deafening crash, the 57 mm direct-fire cannon opened fire at close range; the thunderous roar caused the envoys in the stands from various countries to stagger backwards.
The sturdy granite fortress instantly collapsed in an explosion of fire, shards of rock sweeping across the field like meteors.
A 57 mm direct-fire cannon opened fire at close range, the deafening roar causing the envoys from various countries in the stands to lean back simultaneously. The sturdy granite fortress collapsed instantly in a fiery explosion, scattering debris across the arena like meteors.
'Drip... drip...' The once silent stands were suddenly filled with the sound of dripping liquid. The Parthian envoy beside Caesar slumped to the ground, his eyes vacant. Beneath his opulent robes, a pool of bright yellow liquid was trickling down the wooden steps — he had wet himself in the horrifying violence, which seemed anachronistic.
Liu Xun slowly rose to his feet. He didn't even glance at the disgraceful envoys, simply dusting his hands off calmly.'Gentlemen,' he said. 'My "Black Tortoise" can travel a hundred li a day, crossing mountains and valleys as though they were flat ground. I'm not showing off my military might. I simply want you to know that so-called 'border walls' and 'heavy cavalry' are no match for industrial power."
He turned, his cold gaze sweeping over Caesar's pale face. 'Now, do you intend to return and reinforce your city walls, or will you sign this "Global Reciprocal Tariff Agreement"?'
That day, the dust settled on the training ground.
The envoys from various countries were helped back to their lodgings and did not leave. That night, the post stations in Chang'an were filled with the frantic scribbling of secret letters, all bearing a strikingly similar message. 'Give up resistance. The Han Dynasty has acquired the power to destroy the gods.'
[System Announcement] Achievement Completed: [Iron Deterrence – Dimensional Reduction Drill]
Global Situation Assessment: Tendency towards complete submission Unlocked rewards: Large-Scale Oil Refinery Blueprint, Basic Metal Track Automated Production Line
Industrial Revolution Progress: 100.1% (entering a state of frantic overflow).
Standing by the window, Liu Xun watched the tanks return to their hulls on the drill field and whispered to the system, 'The age of firearms is now completely secured. Gongshu Qi, take those iron lumps to be melted down. Since they're already afraid, our next step should be more elegant. Bring out that sound projector. I want them to see 'moving pictures' at the World Expo.'
The winds of Chang'an howled atop the towering 'Great Han Tower', which exceeded a hundred zhang in height. This marvellous structure, supported by reinforced concrete and adorned with white marble and rosewood carvings, was not only the world's tallest skyscraper, but also the backbone of the Han dynasty's industrial civilisation, reaching towards the heavens.
Liu Xun stood with his hands behind his back on the top-floor observation deck. Below him, the lights of Chang'an stretched out like a sea, and in the distance, the railway tracks appeared to lead to the ends of the earth. From this height, the former class distinctions and conflicts had become the lubricant between gears.
[Industrial Heart] — Hundreds of chimneys, aided by dust removal and purification systems, emitted thin white smoke, while the hum of generators echoed deep within the earth.
On the Suez Canal, ironclad warships flying the black dragon flag tirelessly transported global wealth day and night.
[Civilizational Brain] — The standard chimes of the Weiyang Palace, transmitted via radio waves, were calibrated every second from Rome to Luoyang.
Within his sea of consciousness, the long-dormant system interface erupted with a dazzling golden light, like a supernova.
[System Announcement: The First Phase of the Industrial Revolution in the Great Han Empire — Fully Completed.
Civilisation level: Forcibly upgraded from Primitive Agriculture to Peak of Modern Industry/Primitive Electrification
Productivity leap: gross national product (GNP) increased by 12,000% compared to the first year of the Jianyuan era
Popular power: [Popular Faith: Science and Imperial Authority] has reached its maximum value.
Global situation: The 'unipolar world with multiple powers' has ended and the world has entered the 'Great Han Order' era. 'Mortal, you have taken the first step on the path to godhood.' The system's voice was no longer cold, but trembled with almost awe.Liu Xun closed his eyes and images from the past floated into his mind: noblemen sent deep into coal mines; the first generation of craftsmen who died in a laboratory explosion; the remains of a saint who tried to stop tanks with incantations; and countless new citizens who stood up straight, put on work clothes and started learning to read.
He began his 'Grand Performance: The Solitude of a Peaceful Era'. Reaching out to touch the flowing lightning, he murmured to himself, 'I've rung the bells of this world, seized the lightning, and laid the rails. Now, am I a 'god'?" At that moment, in the plaza beneath the Tower of Babel, the first Universal Exposition reached its climax.
Julius Caesar knelt before the first Great Difference Engine (a rudimentary mechanical computer), watching as it calculated Rome's annual tax revenue in a single minute. He finally broke down completely: 'This isn't human wisdom... this is Heaven using Liu Xun to reshape the universe.'
Instead of dissipating, the golden light of the system coalesced into a new, profound blue vortex as deep as deep space. [Next Stage Milestone: Unlocked]
[Mission Objective: Internal Combustion Engine Revolution and Global Electricity Grid'.
[Ultimate Reward: Blueprint for the First Rocket Launch and Long-Distance Radio Communication Technology'.
System prompt: 'Lord Liu, once this planet is invincible, are you ready to conquer the stars above?'
Liu Xun slowly opened his eyes. The lights of Chang'an's myriad homes and the cold, clear light of the moon palace were reflected in his pupils. He pushed open the railing of the observation deck and issued the final decree of this chapter to the empty sky: 'Gongshu Qi, instruct the Academy of Sciences to cease their research into blowing up the city walls and instead focus on sending the "Xuanwu" tank to the moon.'