Chapter 259: Going To Sea
Liu Haoxing’s situation at home could not be hidden from Father.
Xuan Chong clearly asked for secrecy, but that servant immediately informed the King of Dongtu.
Originally—these servants were exactly what the King of Dongtu used to check on his son’s situation.
In the new factory building introduced by the Dongtu Steel Mill, Liu Dangzhen was standing in front of iron water like a waterfall; golden power emanated from his body, fusing nearby powdered rare earth into it, then merging into the steel.
And after the steel was infused with golden energy, it flowed into a container nearby; after undergoing a forming and forging process, the golden power originally attached inside the iron water was extracted and returned; and the scorching steel instantly turned into cold metal color. Upon close inspection, the lattice on it was very beautiful, identical to that after repeated heat treatment and cold rolling.
Nearby large machinery placed the still heat-emitting steel material on the other side.
In one day’s work, all the important steel materials needed for a warship had been processed. Liu Dangzhen also withdrew his technique, panting, and bowed to the dragon-patterned plaque nearby—this was granted by the Son of Heaven.
The “Dragon Power” in his chest was almost depleted and could not be used again within a week.
This Vassal King got off work. After picking up the report from home, he slowly took a sip of tea, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth: “Oh? Object Manipulation? Heh, finally awakened, huh?”
Liu Dangzhen clearly did not believe that Liu Haoxing was “practicing qigong” at this time, because this was his seed.
Dragon Seed.
At this time, in the outer sea of Dongtu, a dock was being built. Large and small steamboats were docking; these ships bore black paint emblazoned with totems of dragons walking bringing rain, wheat ears growing, and flourishing six livestock.
The martial arts learned by the knights of Xian Han remained within the realm of ordinary people, while the stratum that mastered “priest rights” were the truly transcendent beings.
…The empire with its millennial ups and downs itself grasps the greatest mystery in this world…
As early as the savage ancient times, the power of Dragon Seed, along with other strange abilities in the world, descended upon this world.
As early as the Yuan Han period, there were records: “When the dragon moves, there are a hundred changes, able to glimpse the changes of all things.”
Translated: The supernatural ability system of this world has diversity. Whether swallowing the sun to condense the solar god, or skin like steel, or moving like lightning. But Dragon Power can imitate all supernatural effects.
In the records and literature of many merchants before “Zhen Han,” there were countless strange people and events in other types of civilizations across the main landmass.
But with the rise of Xian Han; treasure ships proclaiming to Southeast Asia, steel cannons shaking the waves and elephants, camel caravans with guns doing traveling merchant business. During expansion, the Han Family kings, by the Son of Heaven’s order, were enfeoffed across Under Heaven, and after abolishing licentious sacrifices, other regions’ types of “supernatural abilities” were completely swallowed up.
Xian Han has confirmed that “supernatural abilities” are related to priest. In Han Land, besides the Son of Heaven Liu Clan who master sacrificial rights, great clans with thousand-year inheritances in various places also frequently produce supernatural persons.
Because the founding monarch of Xian Han, to ensure the Liu Clan receives popular support in the “cycle of governance and chaos,” expanded the past two kings three nobles system, selecting one hundred great clans as the orthodox lineages of Zhuxia, granting them high-spec rights to priest their ancestors.
The Liu Clan of familial Under Heaven could not grasp every piece of land in Xian Han’s vast territory.
Large numbers of areas with not-so-strong control were dominated by other great clans; if not granting them priest of “their own powerful ancestors” like Li Er, King Wen of Zhou, etc., they would declare themselves kings.
Therefore, Xian Han’s political consensus of ensuring “we’re all one family” is extremely important; all awesome ancestors trace back to the Yan Huang origin.
“Priest” brings transcendence.
In the current situation of technological development, Dragon State side has begun using “technology” to analyze Ancestral Spirit Power; Europe side is also using the latest ideological revival to recognize the “Descent of the Holy Son” ritual.
And as Xian Han, the current entity grasps the greatest “supernatural ability” power, how could it lag behind in this aspect?
Europe side is still stuck in the cognition that “supernatural abilities” descend randomly, treating supernatural ability awakenings outside control as heresies to suppress.
Xian Han side has already detailed in the Mingde Canon: “Supernatural Power” awakening is clearly related to “enfeoffed land”; when a local ethnicity sincerely begs the heavens, then a direct-line heir in the clan who can represent the “deity” to enjoy offerings will receive the favor of “Thick Earth,” completing awakening.
In ancient times, “supernatural ability” awakening was exclusive to kings; early mythological records state that ancient emperors were born with anomalies, either driving thunder or commanding Candle Dragon.
The imperial family has a probability in grand sacrifices to commune with heaven and earth ghosts and spirits—this is Heaven’s Mandate. But if the emperor does not cultivate virtue and indulges in pleasure, Heaven’s Mandate’s attention will shift.
Therefore, to awaken supernatural ability, it’s not just about acquiring enfeoffed land, but also needing sufficient “heart tied to the land,” virtue matching position.
Since Emperor Xuan of Han, successive Liu Clan monarchs one by one neglected moral cultivation, indulging in wine and women, so the originally concentrated Heaven’s Mandate massively shifted to the four directions’ great clans. And this shift has not stopped for the subsequent two thousand years. To the point that supernatural persons in the four directions have increasingly multiplied.
And by the Xian Han period, royal family education has improved, and royal family members are often in harsh cold lands, forced to have heart tied to the land underfoot, instead now able to stably inherit Dragon Power generation after generation.
Thus, Dongtu King Liu Dangzhen felt no surprise at Xuan Chong’s current “awakening”—this was originally “Destined by Heaven.”
…Mandated by Heaven…
Xian Han has summarized “Dragon Seed Awakening.” What elements is this related to? Land, popular sentiment.
First, the land must be sufficiently large; under the same unit land area, the number of awakeners is related to the land, not to the local population.
In other words: The number of awakeners appearing in Dongtu is the same as in Huaizuo Dao. Despite the two places’ populations differing by forty times. The number of awakeners appearing in Huaizuo Dao cannot possibly be forty times that of Dongtu. Of course, larger populations often have an advantage in the “heart tied to land” metric, leading to higher supernatural ability levels for awakeners.
Very clearly, according to modern research, the awakened supernatural ability comes from some “power” in the Core of the Earth, hence related to surface area, similar to radar—the larger the receiving surface, the stronger the feedback efficiency.
This is like certain exams in the previous life: fewer people in remote areas, slightly lower admission threshold. But the true level of those admitted lags far behind those from prosperous areas.
Moreover, supernatural ability awakening probability doesn’t allow gaokao immigration.
Since ancient times, no outsiders have awakened; only clans with long-term priest of state altars can first-priority receive what “Thick Earth” grants.
In Dongtu this place, Liu Haoxing (Xuan Chong)’s clan is the ethnicity that has priest this land the longest. So this once again raises Xuan Chong’s awakening priority.
So, in Liu Dangzhen’s eyes, his “son” now turning over a new leaf, why wouldn’t he pass, hm, why wouldn’t he be favored by Thick Earth.
…Longevity and eternal prosperity…
Thus, looking again at the universe situation, this is the reason for Xian Han dynasty’s massive territorial expansion, despite the land far exceeding current industrial tech control degree—Northern eternal frozen soil fundamentally uninhabitable; and Dongtu this landmass barely habitable. But besides mining, it has no economic output value. Yet it still must be occupied.
The broader the acquired land, the more favored by “Thick Earth.”
And after this theory was verified, for Xian Han high-level, expansion became unstoppable. Large-scale land occupation, then throwing Liu Clan branches over.
In these three hundred years, city wells turned into tap water factories, long-distance transport horse carts turned into trains. Human footprints also spread across the globe.
Worth mentioning, Xian Han originally intended to enfeoff a king in Dragon State. But traditional forces remaining there with “Ancestral Spirit Power” made Xian Han feel somewhat “heretical.”
However, before the Xian Han Imperial Court could act, internal groups in Dongyin suddenly backstabbed within this century, but not completely betraying, maintaining ambiguous distance; Xian Han was busy dismantling European Banners, so could only set it aside.
Abolishing licentious priest is not only done by Xian Han, Eastern Shu as a Zhuxia branch is also playing it.
Eastern Shu was not polite toward Pengzhou side, while helping locals resist Europe lowlands kingdom invasion, thoroughly cleansing the locals, ensuring ideology tilts toward itself.
Whether “Ancestral Spirit Power” or “Descent of the Holy Son,” and now “Dragon Seed Awakening,” essence is the same, all grants from some existence in the planet’s internal core.
And the differences in these three powers lie in surface ethnicities’ understanding and control usage of them.
Misuse of supernatural abilities produces bad consequences; all major civilizations have mechanisms to constrain supernatural abilities, ensuring inheritance does not cease.
For example, in Xian Han, “Dragon Seed” awakening can be stably produced, with a standard ritual and law system for control; every Dragon Seed after awakening receives “jade ornament” personally granted by the Son of Heaven, then sent to certain departments to work.
Thus, “Dragon Seed” awakeners rarely appear before the public.
They only appear in corresponding factories, e.g., rooms for “special tech component loading” on large battleships, or “super energy equipment” in fortress bases, where Dragon Power Users appear.
And every such place has a plaque personally designated by the Son of Heaven.
Every Dragon Power action triggers the plaque, reported to the Son of Heaven.
Dongtu King Liu Dangzhen is just like this; Dongtu this place originally is not suitable for shipbuilding industry.
But for the need to constrain “Dragon Seed,” the imperial family side through commerce appropriately relocated some industries there, letting Liu Dangzhen’s Dragon Power operate on designated tasks. —What, factory too costly? Unwilling to give this bit of money, Northern region out of control costs even more.
Therefore, all awakeners of Xian Han undergo the “Ranked among the Immortals” registration ritual, mobilized by the Son of Heaven to serve great unification.
“Ancestral Spirit Power” is random awakening; Dongyin side formed multiple factions.
…Interest class in classroom…
On the sports field, Xuan Chong was running and jumping. At this time, Xuan Chong’s steps were very light; under the elastic energy storage assistance of dashed buffer lines, Xuan Chong was like on the moon, leaping fully four meters high, and most importantly, Xuan Chong could precisely control the landing point, toes steadily stepping on the plum blossom piles, despite not seeing with eyes.
At this time, in Xuan Chong’s perspective, various torques were drawn on his body, and countless dashed lines extended outside the body, these dashed lines forming a web like a spider.
After dashed lines hit obstacles, they compress, simultaneously feeding back some force; of course, to prevent the fed-back force from injuring himself, this force is only one-tenth to one-ten-thousandth of the real collision. The farther the distance, the weaker the fed-back force.
Torque can not only reinforce movement but also become “Radar Network.”
For example, if a large truck hundreds of meters away crashes over, hitting the dashed line, Xuan Chong could feel hundreds of meters ahead the force of a breeze brushing his face.
At this moment, Xuan Chong perceived substances within a few hundred meters around as clearly as a tongue licking over.
Body Fixing Technique requires a “perception assistance system”; sure enough, with the pencil case’s help, Xuan Chong discovered he could “draw.”
Xuan Chong: “I gotta program!”
After dashed lines receive force, they form “Density Wave”; “Density Wave” can make individual small squares rotate—these small squares, if small enough, equate to integrated circuit potentials; and clusters of dashed lines stacked become integrated circuit “channels.”
However, while programming, Xuan Chong suddenly realized: Since movements can be programmed, why not directly program another “self-controlled skeletal action torque”?
This set is the “reinforcement technique” that San Gu from the Da Yao plane gave him.
But San Gu’s system “Torque Structure” is rigidly connected to Xuan Chong’s bones and muscles; whereas the “torque” Xuan Chong made can transform between “rigid and flexible,” more muscular than muscles.
And Xuan Chong felt that torque control is connected to his mind, meaning he can move with a thought, no delay.
For example, San Gu’s system lacks system control, like a hand-crank tractor; before the tractor turns, need to grip and crank the handle; slightly careless, hand easily hurt by accelerating handle. (This equates to bones and muscles directly hooked to torque).
Whereas now this set is electric vehicle control system, just press a button to start, then push-pull control. Xuan Chong sits in the vehicle’s buffer seat, directly perceiving vehicle speed, voice remote control.
“Dashed lines” are compressible buffer lines, “solid lines” are rigid lines.
Now Xuan Chong’s body is in a buffer zone constituted by “dashed lines”; even in large-scale overload maneuvers, Xuan Chong is in a “sofa” of flexible force field, weakening the pulling sensation.
Line after line drawn, making Xuan Chong involuntarily recall his previous life as a youth, drawing various complex little figures on books.
…In the exam…
Just as Xuan Chong was excitedly drawing diagrams and lines, the butler came before Xuan Chong: “Young Master, Master wants you to come over.”
Upon seeing Liu Dangzhen, Xuan Chong lowered his head.
But he glimpsed the golden deity plaque hanging at Father’s waist, not knowing its function.
Liu Dangzhen saw his son, looked at the plaque, but it seemed to have no reaction, so he frowned.
But then relaxed, saying in a barely audible voice that Xuan Chong could just hear: “No need to become dragon or phoenix, just pull yourself together.”
Thus, the conversation began.
Liu Dangzhen: “You can’t stay in Yandu’s Army, go to the Southern Navy school.”
Xuan Chong: “I go to the South—will the southern university accept me?”
Liu Dangzhen: “I’ve already arranged it. Remember, work hard, don’t mention your identity anymore.”
Xuan Chong nodded. He of course knew to keep a low profile, because 99% of Xian Han navy officers have their own backgrounds; Navy is solidly a nobles gathering place. And the South, that’s very prosperous.
As for Navy’s political influence on Xian Han? Inferior to Army, but in economy far surpasses Army. Navy radiates control over big cities that pay taxes and tribute to the dynasty.
And in landmass central mountains, remote land power, established control systems are often reclamation groups, needing to build railways. Series of advancement costs too high. So Xian Han Army still retains massive mules and horses staffing quota.
Although nowadays major powers’ military experts are starting to focus on “armor forces,” to date universe major forces’ similar prototype tech are around ten-ton light tanks.
This isn’t Army poorer than Navy issue, but current railway infrastructure can’t compare to the era of ten billion tons steel, million tons cement bridge clusters and road networks. Even if sixty-ton heavy tanks are made now, they can’t be transported. And using massive steel to build railways? Train tech not like later generations, can’t recoup economically like steamboats.
Navy side could only tearfully allocate ten times the steel to Army.
Xuan Chong heard he could go study in the South, clearly feeling this was “deliberate” arrangement. He was fine in Dongtu originally, why drive him out of home?
Xuan Chong looked at this cheap dad, but couldn’t see any answers from his face. This rigid demeanor just like that Teacher Gao.
…From icy seas to West Lake…
Enrolling again, arriving at Hangkou Naval Academy, the receiving officer looked at Liu Haoxing, very approving; not the fat rich young master from rumors. —As long as no excess fat on body, ruddy complexion, then can withstand sea winds and waves, become a reliable hand independently on ships.
Xuan Chong carrying schoolbag arrived at dormitory, looking at school’s high-rises, then registered.
Then, took out “ruler” and gestured at the battleship in distant military port, scale infinitely extending, perspective carefully probing inside the cannon barrel.
Preliminary data understood: Captain 261.8179m, beam 45.4545m; mast height 53.4441.
With the ruler, Xuan Chong became quite interested in data.
