As the first rays of dawn pierced the thick fog over the sea, the lookout at the top of the mast of the Emperor Xuan roared, his voice penetrating the deck and striking every weary soul.
'Land! Straight ahead! Green! That's land!' Liu Xun strode onto the deck. The sea breeze now carried not only the salty smell, but also the fragrance of earth and vegetation. After traversing thousands of miles of waves, it was the most primal breath of Mother Earth he had felt.
[System Command] Geographic coordinates successfully matched.
Current location: 37°N, 122°W (Great Han Xinfeng Province, Jinshan Bay).
Resource scan: Highly concentrated gold veins, crude oil outcrops and an alluvial plain with sufficient land for ten thousand years of cultivation detected.
Civilisation warning: High-energy biological signals have been detected and local tribes are gathering on the beachhead.
Liu Xun squinted, his gaze piercing through layers of mist. In the wilderness known as 'California', towering redwood forests stood like giants, guarding the land. At the edge of the mudflats, countless bare-chested natives, smeared with eerie paint, stared in terror at the 'steel monster'.
'Gongshu Qi, activate the "hydraulic folding dock".'
With Liu Xun's command, the massive alloy hatch on the side of the Xuandi ship slowly descended. Several floating dock sections made of high-strength aluminium alloy quickly unfolded and locked onto the sea, forming a steel road that led directly to the beach.
Rather than boarding a small boat, Liu Xun stepped directly into a 'Xuanwu-style all-terrain command vehicle'. The roar of the engine echoed across the empty coastline, startling thousands of birds into flight.
'I say, there must be a road.' Liu Xun activated 'Ultimate Performance: The Descent of a God," and the vehicle's tracks ground across the soft sand, leaving two deep imprints that proclaimed the arrival of the Great Han civilisation in this unspoilt land.Hundreds of Native Americans (a branch of the Aroni) brandished obsidian-inlaid wooden spears that whistled through the air as they charged towards the 'extraterrestrials', their initial terror having given way to primal ferocity.
'Your Majesty, shall we kill them all?' Zhou Meng asked, gripping his electromagnetic flintlock pistol and looking coldly at the invaders.
'No, I want slaves, not corpses,' said Liu Xun indifferently, waving his hand. 'Activate "Non-Lethal Sonic Pulse".'
A high-frequency vibration, powerful enough to send shivers down the spine, instantly engulfed the beach. The charging Native Americans collapsed in droves, clutching their ears in agony and scattering their obsidian weapons across the ground. According to their basic logic, the enemy hadn't even lifted a finger; the mere 'breath of God' had destroyed their entire tribe.
Liu Xun stepped down from the command vehicle and personally planted a five-clawed dragon flag, crafted from shape-memory alloy and designed to never wear out, on the highest hill in Jinshan Bay. 'By imperial decree,' he declared, 'this place is hereby renamed "Xinfeng"; from this point onward, all that lies within sight is the Xinfeng Province of the Great Han.'
[System Notification]:
[Global Territory Expansion]: Successfully unlocked the Americas Plate.
[National Fortune Value]: Surges by 500,000 points due to the discovery of a new continent.
Unlocked buildings: Basic Oil Refinery Blueprint and High-Yield Corn Improvement Laboratory.
Just as the Han army began constructing temporary barracks, the deep geological radar system suddenly pierced through the forest and reported an extremely strange structure. A man-made geometric structure was discovered 500 metres underground in Xinfeng Province.
Material: Unknown superconducting alloy
Anomaly: This structure is emitting a directional signal into the atmosphere, targeting Vega.
Liu Xun's note: 'Host, you thought you had discovered a wilderness, but you have actually stumbled upon a "signal silo of a prehistoric civilisation". The natives are merely the guardians of this silo.' Looking at the shadowy stone pyramid deep in the forest, a sinister smile spread across Liu Xun's face.
'Guardians? My Han Dynasty specialises in 'opening coffins for gold.'" He turned to Gongshu Qi and ordered, 'Unload the heavy excavator. I want to see if what lies beneath is a god or just more rubbish.'
In southern California, on the edge of a redwood forest, sunlight filters through the dense foliage and speckles the sandy shoreline. Two hundred Han soldiers clad in carbon fibre exoskeletons and wielding electromagnetic firearms stand in a semi-circular formation. Their cold, metallic appearance creates a stark visual contrast with the primeval jungle. In front of them, several tribal chiefs adorned with vibrant feathers and covered in ochre oil paint tremble and crawl on the sand.
Liu Xun sits on a 'floating dragon chair', which is being carried by two mechanical soldiers. His eyes are slightly closed. The system interface in his mind flashes rapidly: [System Command] — Scan current tribal civilisation level; Civilisation Level: Late Stone Age (has not yet mastered metallurgy).
Resource anomaly: the chest ornament worn by the opposing priest is a 99.9% pure gold ingot weighing approximately 1.2 kg.
Logical assessment: In the eyes of the opposing side, gold is merely 'the sweat of the sun', possessing no monetary value, while transparent silicate (glass) is considered 'sacred' by them.
Liu Xun opened his eyes, a playful smile playing on his lips. As the premier actor of the Han Dynasty, he knew that the most elegant way to conquer a civilisation, besides force, was through 'value reconstruction'.
Liu Xun slowly rose, each step accompanied by a soft white glow emanating from his nano-combat boots. He activated 'Top-Tier Performance: The Incarnation of Compassion and Majesty."
'System, activate "Holographic Light and Shadow Effects – Saint Mode".'
A faint golden halo appeared around him as the command was given, and even simulated birdsong echoed through the forest. He reached into his robes and took out a silk box containing a handful of colourful glass beads — the kind you'd find anywhere in a modern Yiwu street market.
But here and now, these 'high-precision polished' transparent spheres, refracting the seven colours of sunlight, resembled stars plucked from the Milky Way. 'This is the "Nine Heavens Moon-Grabbing Pearl",' said Liu Xun, his voice resonating with an ethereal and sacred power as it was translated through the translator. 'This pearl contains divine fire, ensuring the tribe's eternal prosperity. I bestow this gift upon you because of your unwavering loyalty.' The tribal high priest trembled as he raised his head. When he saw the dazzling rainbow light refracted from within the glass pearl, tears welled in his eyes. To him, this transparent, hard substance could only have been forged by the gods from fragments of rainbows. He hastily removed the heavy, brick-like, pure gold ornament from his chest and directed the strong men behind him to bring several leather bags filled with natural gold dust. He offered these to Liu Xun humbly.
'Gold, in my eyes, is nothing more than paving stones.' Liu Xun glanced disdainfully at the wealth that would drive later generations mad and waved his sleeve. 'Gongshu Qi, accept these "stones", and give them these "stars".'
A highly unequal trade unfolded on the beachhead: the Han Dynasty paid with industrial glass shards costing less than three qian of silver and a few rusty iron kitchen knives, and received enough natural gold nuggets, high-purity silver and "permanent mining rights to the western coast" to fill half a cabin.
[System Prompt]:
Trade Brainwashing Level: 100% (The other side now regards the host as a source of wealth).
[Resource Reserves]: Gold reserves have surged and the Han Dynasty's gold standard monetary system has been established.
[Achievement Acquired]: [Dimensional Reduction Trader]
Just as Liu Xun smiled and accepted the surrender of these 'primitive people', a faint purple ripple suddenly appeared on the system interface.[High-Risk Warning]: The host's dumping of 'modern industrial products' has disrupted the evolutionary curve of the local civilisation. Abnormal brainwaves were detected in the priest after he came into contact with the glass beads. The truth has been revealed: this gold is actually a counterweight for the region's 'prehistoric civilisation geomagnetic array', and its removal by the host has destabilised the 'gravity sensor' deep underground.
Liu Xun's note: 'Host, you took the "parts", and the "alarm" for this continent has gone off.' Looking at the heavy gold nugget in his hand, Liu Xun suddenly felt the redwood forest beneath his feet begin to tremble slightly. A dull, metallic scraping sound, not belonging to any living being, came from the depths of the forest and grew closer.
'Gongshu Qi, stop picking up the gold.' Liu Xun's eyes turned cold and he drew his plasma longsword. 'Bring the chariot over. The landlord seems to be coming to collect the rent.'
The beachhead trade in Xinfeng Province (on the west coast of America) was booming, but Liu Xun's gaze had already pierced the thick gold to settle on the untamed valley deep within the redwood forest. To him, gold was merely a means of minting coins; the green quests flashing on the system panel were the true source of the Han Empire's strength.
Liu Xun stood on the top terrace of the 'Emperor Xuan', the system's cold, mechanical voice ringing in his ears:
[System Main Quest]: Find the 'Gift of the Gods'. Target items: [Native Potato], [High-Yield Corn] and [Drought-Resistant Chili Pepper].
Task rewards: Basic Fertiliser Production Line, Fully Automatic Threshing Machine Blueprint, 1,000,000 National Fortune Points.
Host Notes: Although the Han dynasty rules over all nations, Guanzhong is frequently plagued by droughts and floods. Only such divine grains can ensure the people are free from famine.
'Potatoes, corn...' Liu Xun stroked the hilt of the plasma sword at his waist, a burning glint in his eyes. 'In that time and space, these two things nourished billions of people. In this time and space, they will provide the Han cavalry with the energy to conquer the stars and the sea.'
Liu Xun once again activated 'Top-Tier Performance: The Prophet Guiding Civilisation', summoning the high priest who had been brainwashed by the 'glass bead'.
"I saw two sacred artefacts hidden here in the movement of the stars," said Liu Xun in a deep voice carrying an undeniable divine authority. 'One lies beneath the earth, shaped like a bird's egg and capable of sustaining all people. The other towers high in the wilderness, its ears of grain golden and capable of replenishing vital energy.'
Upon hearing this, the High Priest prostrated himself in terror: 'By the Sun God! Are you speaking of 'Tears of the Earth' and 'Firstborn of the Wind'? They are forbidden in the wilderness; only the bravest hunters dare to collect them at the foot of the sacred mountain.'
'My soldiers are divine warriors,' said Liu Xun, waving his hand. 'Lead the way, or my thunder will level this mountain.'
In order to shorten the search time, Liu Xun activated the 'Low-Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Swarm - Hive System'.
[Reconnaissance Bees] — hundreds of small aircraft traversed the dense forest, using infrared spectral analysers to scan the leaves of plants.
[Lumberjacks] Giant hydraulic saws flattened the ancient trees blocking the way, forcibly carving a 'Great Han Highway No. 1' through the Grand Canyon. 'Found it!' Gongshu Qi shouted, staring at the monitor. Fifty miles from the camp and halfway up a mountain, a patch of wild, overgrown vegetation displayed a unique energy distribution in the infrared image.
Liu Xun went to the scene personally. Rather than instructing the soldiers to do anything, he used his plasma sword, capable of cutting through steel, to gently pry open a patch of black, fertile soil. As the soil was turned over, several pale yellow tubers, about the size of an adult's fist and smelling of mud, were revealed. The system identification indicated: Native Andean Potato (Mutated Enhanced Version).
Characteristics: Cold-resistant; high starch content; estimated yield per plant six times that of wheat from Guanzhong.
On the other side of the valley, wild corn, taller than a person and topped with golden 'whiskers', swayed in the wind. Liu Xun picked one, tore open the husk and found neatly arranged golden kernels inside, gleaming in the sunlight.
'Gongshu Qi, look.' Liu Xun held up the potato, his eyes devoid of their usual mockery and filled with a profound sense of responsibility. 'With this,' he said, 'my people will no longer have to resort to cannibalism during years of famine.'
[High-risk warning] The host's forced collection of 'divine food' has triggered the local civilisation's 'genetic lock'. Detection: As potatoes and corn are 'reserve nutrient packs' left behind by a prehistoric civilisation, their collection has awoken the 'biochemical guardian' at the foot of the mountain.
Codename: Forest Giant Ape. Height: 5 metres. Skin covered in nanoscale defensive scales.
Liu Xun snorted coldly, stuffed a potato into his pocket and turned to look at the pair of glowing blood-red eyes of the giant ape in the forest.
'Trying to steal my crops? Gongshu Qi, activate 'Gravity Trap'." A ferocious smile appeared on Liu Xun's face. 'Today, I will take not only the divine food, but also a prehistoric creature specimen back as a teaching aid for the Imperial Academy in Chang'an!' "
As Emperor Xuan, spewing pale blue ionised smoke, slowly approached the jungle- and pyramid-covered coast of Central America, the overwhelming power of the Han Empire broke through the abyss.
According to the Aztec astrological calendar, this year was supposed to be a cycle of world destruction. However, as the enormous steel behemoth tore through the sea fog, obscuring the sky, the entire city of Tenochtitlan fell into a deathly silence.
Liu Xun stood atop the main gun turret, the sea breeze billowing his black cloak. The system was rapidly analysing the local faith wavebands in his mind's eye:
[System Command] — High-density collective subconsciousness detected: Feathered Serpent God Quiztecatl, matching degree 98% (characteristics: fair skin, bearded, East Asian features, riding the waves).
Suggested solution: Activate the 'Visual Enhancement Module' to solidify the 'Return of the Gods' persona. Additional reward: Successfully taking over the Aztec altar will unlock 'High-Purity Obsidian Refining Technology'.
'Gongshu Qi, activate "Aurora Rendering".' A hint of Oscar-worthy compassion flickered across Liu Xun's lips. 'Since they want gods, I'll give them gods made in the Han dynasty style.' The once clear sky was instantly covered by artificial clouds created by the system. Then, the 'Xuan Di' ship's 'Sound and Light Array' activated at full power.
[Void Thunder] — not real lightning, but [high-frequency microwaves] piercing the air and generating golden, net-like arcs of electricity.
[Wings Unfurled]: Using a large holographic projection, a pair of enormous wings, thousands of metres long and shimmering with azure scales, were constructed above the Xuan Di ship.
Whispers of the Gods — Using an 'infrasound amplifier', Liu Xun's voice was transformed into a powerful pressure that resonated in the hearts of all people, forcing them to kneel in submission.
At that moment, the Aztec warriors on the coastline discarded their obsidian saws. The high priest knelt on the bloodstained altar, pounding the ground frantically and roaring the name that had been passed down for millennia: 'Quetzalcoatl! The god has returned!'
Liu Xun did not board the landing ship, but instead activated the "gravity reversal module" on his mech. He stepped onto invisible air currents and landed smoothly on the sea, a hundred metres below the ship's side, under the watchful eyes of the crowd. He then walked onto the beach step by step. With each step, miniature thrusters beneath his feet stirred up a ring of pure white mist as if the seawater were paving a path for him.
'I have returned from where the sun rises.' Liu Xun activated the 'holographic real-time voice translation' function. He walked over to the high priest and extended his gloved nano-alloy hand, gently pressing it against the other's terrified forehead.
'The sacrificial slaughter ends here.' Liu Xun's voice tolled like an ancient bell. 'From this day forward, this land no longer needs human blood to appease the heavens. The 'divine food' (potatoes and corn) that I have brought will be your eternal offerings.' The speed of the Han Dynasty's administrative takeover under the guise of divine authority was appalling.
[Demolition of the Altar] Gongshu Qi directed heavy excavators to demolish the eerie human sacrifice altar within half a day and rebuild the 'Elementary School of Physiology' on the site.
[Gold Exchange]: tons of gold ornaments accumulated by the Aztecs over millennia were sent to the furnace of the 'Emperor Xuan' in exchange for 'alloy machetes' capable of cutting wood and 'self-charging flashlights' that could illuminate the night.
[Genetic Registration]: A second-level citizen file was established for all the indigenous people using a portable bio-scanner.
Just as Liu Xun stepped into the secret chamber of the highest Aztec pyramid, the system's alarm suddenly sounded shrilly.[High-Risk Discovery]: A prehistoric cryogenic chamber that perfectly matches the description of the 'Feathered Serpent' has been detected 300 metres underground.
Status: Awakening in progress.
Truth warning: The true 'Feathered Serpent' is not a deity, but a 'bio-mechanical pilot' who was exiled here 20,000 years ago. Due to resonance between the host's 'miracle' frequency and the facility, the 'true god' is about to awaken.
Liu Xun gripped the hilt of his sword as he watched blue light patterns begin to move across the walls of the secret chamber. He sneered, 'An acting contest? On this planet, no one can steal the show from me.' He turned to Gongshu Qi and ordered, "Prepare the 'electromagnetic suppression bombs'. If the thing underground doesn't obey, send it directly from 'sleep' to 'scrap'."
The tremors beneath the pyramids gradually subsided amid the hum of electromagnetic suppression missiles. Liu Xun stood in the dusty, sealed chamber, with a completely destroyed prehistoric cryogenic chamber at his feet. Ignoring the remains of the 'false god', he focused his gaze on the sealed, eerily green biological breeding box in Gongshu Qi's hand.
The box contained the first seeds of the Great Han Empire's future conquest.
'System, initiate highest-level gene locking.'
[System Command]: 'Scanning target...'
[Confirmed items]: 'Native high-yield corn (mutant strain), Andean improved potato, long-staple cotton seeds, wild cocoa beans.'
[Storage status]: 'Entered vacuum cryogenic dormancy.'
[National Fortune Bonus]: 'The integrity of the Great Han agricultural system has increased by 300%, completely eliminating the "famine cycle law" of agrarian civilisation.'
Liu Xun extended his fingertip and gently touched the transparent outer shell of the breeding box. In this moment, he was not just an actor, but a creator who had laid the foundations for the empire's eternal stability.
With these resources, the Han army would no longer be constrained by provisions and would have the most solid logistical support for its conquest of the stars and the seas.
On the ruins of the Aztec temple, Liu Xun summoned all the local tribal leaders and began his 'Grand Performance: The Wise Men Tracing Their Origins'.
'Do you know why my fleet was able to traverse thousands of miles of waves and find this place so precisely?' He waved his hand and a desolate holographic projection appeared in mid-air: a surging sea, a torn flag and thousands of warriors fleeing eastwards in simple wooden boats.
'Three thousand years ago, the rulers of the Central Plains changed and your ancestors, the army of the Yin Shang, crossed unimaginable oceans to settle here and preserve the flame of civilisation. You are not the children of barbarians, but rather long-lost compatriots of the Han dynasty!' These words caused an uproar throughout the hall.
Looking at the ancient warriors projected onto the screen, who had skin and hair similar to their own, the Aztecs felt profound loneliness and isolation, which were instantly overwhelmed by the 'system-faked historical resonance'.
To facilitate governance, Liu Xun ordered the establishment of the 'Descendants of the Shang Dynasty Office.' Although the name might sound like a family-finding agency, it was, in reality, the highest military and administrative body of the Han dynasty in the Americas.
The 'Bloodline Tracing Plan' stipulated that local residents only needed to learn Chinese, get a haircut and adopt a Han surname to obtain a 'Certificate of Descendant of the Shang Dynasty', which would give them the same status as second-level citizens of the Han Dynasty.
'Productive Aid': The office's first task was to distribute 'high-manganese steel farm tools' and 'basic antibiotics', ensuring that these 'distant relatives' became dependent on the Han Dynasty's industrial supplies.
Gongshu Qi led his team of researchers in using prehistoric alloys salvaged from the original pyramid site to build the first 'solar-powered automated greenhouse'.
'Your Majesty, these "divine crops" are growing extremely fast here,' said Gongshu Qi, pointing excitedly to the sprouting corn seedlings. 'As long as nothing unexpected happens on the return voyage, once we return to Chang'an, we can serve the officials steaming bowls of mashed potatoes in front of the Weiyang Palace.'
Liu Xun stood in the greenhouse, watching the tender green shoots unfurling under the ultraviolet lights. He knew that these fragile lives were more deadly than the Xuan Emperor's ship's main guns; they would completely alter this planet's population density and power structure. The moment the first seeds broke through the soil, the global map on Liu Xun's retina fluctuated violently.
[System Notification]: 'The sense of identity as "descendants of the Yin Shang" has been achieved; the "fog of civilisation" over the Americas has been completely dispelled.'
Detected: From Alaska in the north to Tierra del Fuego in the south, the Han Dynasty's 'administrative base station signals' have been connected.
'Hidden threat: host, you have "lit up" this landmass, causing the "prehistoric automated defence system" hidden beneath the Antarctic ice sheet to determine that global civilisation has achieved initial integration.'
'System Prediction: It's about to launch a 'cleansing signal.'" Liu Xun's eyes narrowed slightly. He held a handful of soil, carrying the scent of the New World, in his palm and felt the slight tremor.
'Trying to cleanse my harvest?' He sneered as he strode out of the greenhouse. 'Gongshuqi, forget about the crops! Order the entire army to preheat the engines of the Xuandi! We need to get to Antarctica and dismantle it before the signal is launched!"