The sound of people reading aloud filled Chang'an as the Chinese language exams at the International Pavilion were in full swing. On the bronze terrace of the 'Zu Long', a vessel suspended in the clouds, Liu Xun sat holding a scroll of liquid mercury simulating 'The Great Han Global Trade Chart'.
Sunlight streamed over the sea of clouds, casting a golden glow across the land and signifying the zenith of the Han Empire's power. However, at this moment of triumph, a piercing alarm rang in Liu Xun's mind, sounding like shattering ice crystals.
'System, why has the global average temperature dropped by 0.5°C in three seconds?'
[High-Risk Warning]: 'A "space-time disturbance" has been detected in the far south (Antarctica). Phenomenon: A 'destructive cold current', not part of this planet's climate cycle, is flowing upstream at supersonic speed through the depths of the Indian Ocean.'
The truth is that the host's forced unification of language triggered a 'civilisational resonance', which not only activated the 'Zu Long', but also lit up a 'prehistoric automatic defence outpost' buried deep beneath the Antarctic ice sheet.
Current status: The other party has determined that global civilisation activity is too high and has initiated the 'Great Cleansing – Extreme Cold Era'.
Liu Xun gripped the cold bronze armrest and looked towards the southern horizon. The once azure horizon now faintly revealed a layer of eerie, deathly leaden grey. From the other end of the communicator came Gongshu Qi's terrified cry: 'Your Majesty! Jinshanwei... Jinshanwei has ceased fire!'
The scene shifted to the steel city of 'Jinshanwei' in Australia. The blast furnaces, which had been belching flames, were instantly sealed by several metres of azure ice. The workers, clad in 'Gewu exoskeletons', were frozen solid within 0.1 seconds, still in their digging postures. This wasn't cold air, but an 'entropy reduction energy wave'.
Liu Xun activated his 'Top-Tier Performance: Unfazed Even When Mount Tai Collapses Before Him" skill. He knew that Chang'an's morale was high at that moment and that he could not allow 'doomsday theories' to shake the nation's foundations. Therefore, he slowly rose and projected his image into every corner of the city through the Zulong ship's holographic projection.
'Fellow citizens, a strange phenomenon has suddenly appeared in the south. In gratitude for the achievements of the Han Dynasty, Heaven has sent down 'Eternal Ice Marrow' to strengthen the empire. Soldiers, heed my command! Activate the 'Heavenly Purification' array. Today, I invite the world to witness the unprecedented winter sun."
'Gongshu Qi, stop howling! Reverse the overload of the gravity anchoring device beneath 'Jinshanwei' to create a thermal cavity!" Liu Xun stood at the control core of the 'Ancestral Dragon', pressing a black jade seal firmly into its slot. 'System, activate "Corona-Class Energy Release". Target: 60 degrees south latitude, indiscriminate coverage!'
The ten-kilometre-long hull of the 'Ancestral Dragon' glowed crimson as a terrifying energy simulating nuclear fusion within the sun began to build up. A massive red beam, powerful enough to alter the weather, swept across Chang'an, piercing the southern sea and colliding with the cold current. A cloud of steam erupted from the sea, obscuring the sky. However, the system scanner captured a chilling silhouette within the thick fog:
[Deep Detection]: 'A fifty-kilometre-long ice crystal mothership has been discovered at the heart of the cold current.'
Biomarker: Non-carbon-based life form containing a large number of 'silicon-based semiconductor microparticles'.
Interception message (translated): 'Low-level civilisation strictly prohibited from lighting any sparks. Reboot... Begin.'
Looking at the alien warship on the screen, which resembled a giant, cold cross, Liu Xun grinned with ferocious excitement. 'The chill of the distant sea? No, this is top-quality 'material for investigation' delivered to my doorstep.' Turning to Gongshu Qi, he said, "Prepare the 'high-voltage magnetic hook lock'. I'm going to drag this 'giant refrigerator' to Chang'an for dissection and research!"
Although the cold Antarctic current was temporarily repelled by Zu Long's crimson breath, the gloom in Liu Xun's heart grew heavier. The trace of 'silicon-based logic' detected by the system was no accident. Bizarrely, in the battle reports from the western border of the Han Dynasty, the captured Roman legions were equipped with armour made of 'carburised blast furnace steel', a technology that was not yet widespread, even within the Han Dynasty.
In order to uncover this 'technological hidden line' spanning Eurasia, Liu Xun decided to initiate a top-level 'Oscar-worthy mimicry'.
'System, activate "Biocharge Disguise", target: Marcus, centurion of the Roman Third Legion.'
[System Command]: 'National Fortune Value' consumed 200,000 points.
[Mimicry Completed]: 'Skeletal Micro-adjustment', 'Iris Colour Change', 'Voice Cord Remodelling'.
[Current Identity]: 'A Roman prisoner of war, his face covered in blood and mentally disoriented due to defeat.'
[Translation plugin]: 'Real-time translation of Latin and Classical Chinese with an error rate of 0.001%.'
Liu Xun pushed aside the mecha offered by Gongshu Qi, donned a tattered wool robe and strode into the 'Pavilion of Nations' dungeon where Rome's top craftsmen were imprisoned. At that moment, Liu Xun's eyes revealed the despair of a defeated general, and even the elite Dragon Scale Guards failed to notice that the emperor had changed.
In the cold, damp dungeon, several of Rome's chief alchemists were anxiously attending to a pile of inferior flatbread.
'Marcus? You're still alive!' exclaimed a craftsman with calloused hands.
Liu Xun (also known as Marcus) slumped down, grabbed a flatbread with trembling hands and began his 'Ultimate Performance: The Collapse of Comrades Reunited'. He lowered his voice and roared in perfect Latin: 'Alive? The Han dragon has blocked out the sun, and our gods are silent! This steel, which can cut through the Han army's ring-pommel swords, cannot save Rome?" The old craftsman looked around, pale-faced, before leaning close to Liu Xun's ear and whispering, "That's because we haven't fully mastered the power of thunder and fire bestowed by the saint. We skipped the charcoal kiln and went straight to the altar to invoke miracles – our foundation is unstable!'
Liu Xun was deeply shaken, but maintained the appearance of a fanatical believer outwardly: 'The saint? Is it an envoy sent by Jupiter?'
"No." The old craftsman's eyes shone with fanatical adoration. "He has no name, only a code name. He built a 'Silver Tower' on the ruins of the Vatican. He doesn't need to investigate things. All he needs is for us to offer ore as sacrifices, and then he'll bestow the 'divine law' (the blueprint). The saint says that, in just ten years, Rome's steam-powered war elephants will be able to destroy Chang'an.'
[System scan notification] traces of 'exogenous nano-implantation' have been detected in the craftsman's cerebral cortex. This technology is believed to have originated from a prehistoric civilisation's 'knowledge indoctrination device'. The crisis assessment indicates that the other side is engaging in 'leapfrog development', forcibly overdrawing the Earth's crustal energy to achieve short-term technological overproduction.
Liu Xun excused himself from the dungeon. When he returned to his true form, he broke out in a cold sweat. He stood in the laboratory of the 'Ancestral Dragon', examining the Roman steel sample presented by Gongshu Qi. Its molecular structure was extremely unusual; it was as if it had been forged not by a single hammer and fire, but by some kind of "atomic recombination".
'Your Majesty, this doesn't make sense!' Gongshu Qi scratched his head anxiously. 'According to the logic of natural science, they should at least have developed high-pressure blowers and desulfurisation technology first. But the sulfur content in this steel is zero! It's like a toddler who hasn't even learned to walk suddenly running faster than a horse!'
Liu Xun gripped the Imperial Seal tightly, his eyes more solemn than ever. He realised that, somewhere on this planet, there was someone with the same 'cheat code' as him. The difference was that he was guiding civilisation's progress step by step, while that person was exploitatively destroying the future.
'Gongshu Qi, halt all civilian infrastructure construction.' Liu Xun turned around, his voice echoing in the hall. 'Activate "Gewu Armoury – Forbidden Template". I had intended to give this world a century-long peaceful transition, but since the 'Sage' wants to play with fire, I'll show him what a true 'industrial tsunami' is!"
[System Announcement] Main Quest: East-West Gewu Showdown
Unlocked technologies: Heavy Tracked Land Carrier – Qilin; Basic Graphene Electromagnetic Armour.
Liu Xun's note: Accelerate! The chimneys of the Han dynasty are denser than the altars of Rome!'
The night sky above Chang'an had never seemed so oppressive. The once gentle moonlight had been shattered by the eerie blue defensive field emanating from the 'Ancestral Dragon'. Liu Xun stood alone on the highest observatory in Weiyang Palace. The system panel in his mind was no longer a calm pale blue, but a ghastly red like dripping blood. The piercing alarm, like fingernails scraping glass, almost tore through his nerves.
[System Highest Level Red Alert] A severe distortion of the global historical causality rate has been detected! Detection conclusion: Due to the Western 'Saints' activating the 'cheating' mode of 'divine technology' and forcibly overdrawing the planet's core energy, the historical causal chain has collapsed.' Forced Regression Program Initiated: If the host cannot complete the 'National Industrial Enlightenment' within 300 natural days, history will execute the 'Zeroing Plan'.
Disaster level: Meteorite-level – civilisation annihilation
Current progress: 0.1%
Remaining time: 299 days, 23 hours and 59 minutes.
Liu Xun gripped the cold jade seal, his pupils contracting slightly. This wasn't a drill or a challenge, but an ultimatum from the planet: lead humanity into industrial civilisation within 300 days or be reduced to interstellar dust alongside the Roman altar.
"System, activate 'Absolute Rationality Mode', disarm all moral shackles."
Liu Xun closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the occasional glint of 'movie star' cunning had disappeared, replaced by a chilling, all-consuming ruthlessness.
He descended from the observatory and gathered a special group of people in the liquid metal chamber, accessible only to him: his loyal brothers, forged during his early years in the underworld and now the most ruthless of the Dragon Scale Guard's henchmen.
'Zhou Meng, take my "Search the Mountains and Seas Order",' said Liu Xun in a flat, emotionless voice. 'Capture everyone throughout the land who understands physics, craftsmanship, divination or alchemy, as well as those who pursue Tao. Those who come to the capital will be rewarded, while those who refuse will have their entire family exterminated and their ancestral graves burned.'
'Your Majesty, this will cause an uproar among the land's scholars!' Zhou Meng could sense the unprecedented ferocity emanating from Liu Xun; his voice trembled slightly.
'An uproar?' Liu Xun abruptly turned, his gaze piercing Zhou Meng like a sharp arrow. 'Three hundred days from now, if there are no people left in this world, who will cause an uproar? What I want are factories, blast furnaces and industrial miracles, and I will build them even if it costs lives!'
That night, countless black figures sped out of Chang'an, the gentle facade of the Han Empire utterly shattered. Renowned descendants of the Mohist school, reclusive masters of mechanical engineering and even street vendors displaying unusual skills were brutally imprisoned in iron cages and transported to a forbidden zone called the 'Hall of Investigation', which was, in reality, a 'high-pressure laboratory'.
In the Hall of Nations, Liu Xun no longer played the role of a 'benevolent ruler'. He personally ordered all Western envoys to hand over all mineral maps of their homeland, declaring, 'Hand them over or die.'
Facing the threat of the Ark's main cannon, the envoys trembled as they signed agreements that were essentially contracts of servitude. The Han Dynasty's caravans became plundering expeditions, extracting coal, copper and rubber from every inch of land. Liu Xun understood that this destructive practice would disrupt the trade balance, but for now, he only cared about speed.
Late at night, the secret room was brightly lit. Liu Xun looked at the thick stack of 'Elementary Steam Engine Drawings' on the table. These had been derived from system simulations and personally revised by him. These blueprints bore not only his fingerprints, but also the sweat and fear of conscripted artisans from across the land.
'Since Heaven wants to play, then I'll play big,' he muttered to himself, a maniacal smile spreading across his face. 'If the sages want divine power, then I'll borrow from all living beings. In three hundred days, I'll use the black smoke of the Han dynasty to blacken the face of the Moon Palace!" He signed his name heavily at the end of the sketch, drawing the outline of a grotesque power wheel — not a wheel of redemption, but a 'historical millstone' to destroy the old era.
[System Prompt]:
[Global Wartime System] Activated
[Industrial Enlightenment] Phase One: Steam Frenzy Activated
Current Resentment Value: Extremely High
Production efficiency: Increased by 500%.
Although the Weiyang Palace in Chang'an remained resplendent, in Liu Xun's eyes, this vast empire resembled a giant suffering from 'peripheral necrosis'. The Han Dynasty's banner had spread across three continents and two oceans thanks to global shipping routes. However, behind this unprecedented prosperity lay a potentially fatal curse: the vastness of the territory was sapping the will to power.
On the imperial desk lay an urgent report from 'Xinfeng Province' in the Americas, dated three months prior.
It stated that the local general, Zhou Qing, had triggered a large-scale jungle guerrilla war by carrying out an unauthorised territorial expansion and massacring a Mayan tribe that refused to hand over minerals. By the time this report, which was a mixture of a plea for help and an apology, reached Liu Xun, Zhou Qing might already have been reigning supreme on the red-hot land or he might already have been riddled with arrows by the natives.
"Three months…" Liu Xun slammed the memorial to the ground, his voice echoing in the empty hall. 'My imperial edict reached the borders, and it was too late! This isn't an empire! It's clearly just countless warlords masquerading as the Han Dynasty!'
[System Logic Monitoring] The Empire Collapse Index has risen to 15%.
Core Contradiction: The speed of administrative command transmission (horse/sail power) is far lower than the speed of geographical expansion.
Current status: Centralised power is on the verge of physical disconnection.
Liu Xun initiated his "Top Performance: The Lonely Chess Player' campaign. He realised that he could deceive envoys with his acting skills and suppress rebellions with force. However, faced with absolute physical laws, the emperor's majesty seemed so insignificant and powerless.
The territory of the Han Dynasty was so vast that, even if warhorses ran themselves to death, they could not connect Guanzhong with the far reaches of the world.
"Gongshu Qi," said Liu Xun, pointing to the huge map of the world on the wall. "What would we need if we wanted the generals of the Americas to consult us before drawing their swords?" Gongshu Qi pondered for a long time, then said bitterly, 'Unless Your Majesty can shrink the distance between land and space, or make your voice grow wings.'
Late at night, Liu Xun dismissed his attendants and, deep within his mind, pressed the button he had kept sealed for so long — a double-edged sword — [Full Industrialisation – Forced Activation].
He knew that, once activated, this module would utterly shatter the poetic, idyllic pastoral life of the Han Dynasty, replacing it with acrid black smoke, cold gears and a redistribution of interests powerful enough to tear apart social classes. But to rule this planet, he had no other choice.
'Acting skills can only conquer hearts, but only "electricity" and "fire" can transcend space and rule the world.' Liu Xun's eyes darkened completely, and the ruthlessness of someone who had 'manipulated the underworld' resurfaced.
The next day, the court and the public were shocked by an imperial edict: the rear garden of Weiyang Palace, once a royal garden filled with exotic flowers and herbs for the concubines to enjoy, had been designated a top-level 'military restricted area'.
Ten thousand craftsmen were secretly transferred there. Heavy bronze components, large quantities of magnets and rare mineral powder imported from Australia poured into the restricted area, establishing the first truly functional laboratory in Han dynasty history. Liu Xun stood in the centre of the laboratory, watching the first rudimentary 'voltaic pile' emit faint sparks in the acid.
He personally drew two parallel lines on the laboratory's blackboard: 'The first line is called "railway", which will enable my army to travel ten thousand miles in ten days.
"The second line is called 'Copper Wire', which will enable me to descend upon the four seas in an instant." He muttered to himself.
Gongshu Qi and several trembling, forcibly conscripted Mohist disciples stood around him.
'Since this territory is cursed, I will use iron and fire to forge this curse into the armour of the Han dynasty!'
[System Final Announcement] Industrial Enlightenment Mission: Prototype of Power and Communication Network Progress: 1%.
Warning: Forced industrialisation will trigger social unrest. 'Public Resentment Value' is beginning to accumulate.
Liu Xun's note: Let public resentment rage even more fiercely! The moment the telegraph machine ticks, I will become the one true god on this planet.'
In the imperial court of Weiyang Palace, the scent of ambergris that had once symbolised power had been replaced by a pungent, metallic odour. The screen at the centre of the hall was no longer adorned with gold and jade; instead, a bizarre, black, armoured beast covered in gears and copper wire stood there. The civil and military officials held their breath; the white-bearded scholars gripped their tablets tightly, their eyes filled with fear and disdain. They were convinced that His Majesty was about to unleash another of his wasteful, extravagant 'illusions'.
The side door of the hall opened and Liu Xun came into view.
Much to everyone's astonishment, he was not wearing the flat-topped crown and wide dragon robe bearing twelve imperial symbols, but instead a narrow-sleeved, dark-black, checkered robe with a leather belt around his waist and his long hair neatly tied back. He looked less like an emperor holding court and more like a strong, capable craftsman preparing to work in the fields.
'Your Majesty, this is a grave violation of propriety!' An old imperial censor stepped forward, trembling and ready to plead for his life, but was met with a cold glance from Liu Xun. It held none of his usual feigned politeness, only absolute rationality and ruthlessness, which caused the old censor's throat to tighten and his words to die in his mouth.
Liu Xun walked straight to the black machine — the first hand-cranked DC generator of the Han dynasty.
'My dear ministers,' he began, gripping the crank with tense muscles and a terrifyingly calm tone, 'you always say that fate is unpredictable and the spirits are indistinguishable. Today, I will show you the true power of "man".'
As he frantically turned the crank, a series of clicks and claps filled the air as the internal gears meshed rapidly and copper wires cut rapidly between the magnetic poles, creating tiny, crackling blue arcs of electricity in the air.
[System real-time monitoring]
Speed: 1,200 RPM
Voltage: 110 V (stable)
Energy conversion rate: 65%
Host status: [Top Performance: Pioneer of Science] Full effect:
The side windows of the main hall were covered with thick black cloth, instantly dimming the light and creating a deathly silence. Liu Xun connected two charcoal-black wires and a crystal-clear vacuum tungsten filament bulb, with fine metal wires coiled inside. Located beside the dragon throne at the top of the hall, the bulb emitted its first soft sound. Initially dark red, it then turned a brilliant orange before finally transforming into a stellar-level beam of light capable of piercing the darkness and illuminating the day!
'The Sun God has manifested!'
"A miracle! His Majesty has awakened the sun!' Civil and military officials knelt down in a clamour. The Confucian scholars, who usually spoke of the divine mandate, trembled with fear as they frantically kowtowed before the light. In their eyes, only a god could create light out of nothing. 'Rise, all of you!' Liu Xun roared, his voice like thunder echoing through the court. He stood under the lamplight, half his face illuminated like a god's and the other half shrouded in the shadows of industrial civilisation. He slammed his hand on the cold metal casing of the engine and pointed at the light bulb. His eyes were sharp as knives. 'This is not a miracle, but "investigation of things"! There are no gods or ghosts here, only cold, hard magnets, copper wires and the sweat of mortals!'
He surveyed the trembling ministers, his words ringing out: 'From this day forward, the Han Dynasty will not worship ghosts or gods, nor will it pray to Heaven! I want this entire land to be a city that never sleeps. I want this vast land to be conquered in an instant! Anyone who obstructs the investigation of things will be considered a traitor and their entire family will be exterminated!'
The light from the bulb was reflected in Liu Xun's dark pupils. It was not just light; it was the spark of civilisation's evolution. [System notification sounds]: 'Congratulations, Host! The main quest, 'Industrial Enlightenment', has been completed perfectly. The historical causality correction is complete and the 'Meteorite-level Disaster' alert has been lifted. The achievement reward, 'Complete Set of Design Blueprints for a Primary Steelmaking Furnace (Open-hearth/Converter)', is loading.'
Current Era Marker: Industrial Revolution – The Beginning of Steam and Electricity. Liu Xun looked at the blueprints slowly scrolling across the screen, a ferocious and fanatical smile spreading across his face. From this moment on, he knew that the Han Dynasty would shed the burdens of the old era and race towards the stars.