"Oh? And what treasure would that be? If it's effective, the Heavenly Works Pavilion shall receive great merit, and all involved will be duly rewarded."Yi Tianxing's interest was clearly piqued. If Great Yi's departments could truly offer solutions to current problems, it was naturally something to be welcomed.
"Please have a look, Your Majesty."Gongshu Lin immediately presented an item that appeared quite simple.
It was a long metallic needle, slender and elegant. At its base was a smooth spherical node, inside of which faintly radiated traces of mysterious Daoist charm. Though the item didn't appear especially impressive, it held an odd uniqueness.
"A lightning rod."
Yi Tianxing recognized it instantly upon seeing it.
"Your Majesty, this item is called a Lightning Rod. It can protect against lightning strikes—even in areas with heavy thunder and lightning, this rod will draw the energy in, safeguarding the populace from harm."
Gongshu Lin began his explanation:"This rod is made of a special material called Thundersteel, which we developed in Great Yi. It has a strong natural affinity for lightning—drawing it in like a magnet. This long needle, made entirely of Thundersteel, is highly conductive. And this sphere here is the core—it's what we call a Lightning Core Reservoir."
"All the lightning energy drawn in by the rod gets channeled into the reservoir. Within it is a complex rune formation that quickly refines the lightning into stored energy. The protective field generated by one lightning rod covers an area of one thousand kilometers."
As he spoke, Yi Tianxing silently nodded in approval.
He was gaining a clearer understanding of this magical lightning rod. Compared to modern lightning rods, this was far more advanced. Not only did it adopt the strengths of conventional rods, but it also utilized Great Yi's rune technology and imagination to take it further.
By now, Great Yi's rune-tech arts had grown immensely. Runes were extracted from talismans, analyzed one by one, with each rune's function and traits carefully recorded and archived into the Scripture Vault.
Entire research efforts focused on how runes combined into formations, and how to create new effects. Both the Heavenly Works Pavilion and the Academy of the Undying took part.
Countless students and artisans invested themselves in the art of rune-craft, offering bold innovations. Every day, new rune combinations and formations were born—sometimes even entirely new runes were discovered.
For example, the Hawkeye Rune granted eagle-like vision, expanding one's range of sight significantly.
Now, rune-craft had permeated every aspect of Great Yi society—from daily life to weapons, from agriculture to warfare. Runes had become a "universal solvent," infusing old crafts with new life and sparking civilizational revolutions.
The lightning rod before him—its formation was built around a Lightning-Gathering Rune Array.
"What a treasure! An incredible treasure!"
"This is wonderful. With lightning rods, Great Yi's cities will no longer fear lightning storms."
"What's the difficulty in making these rods? Can they be deployed en masse?"
The court burst into excitement. Ministers immediately peppered Gongshu Lin with questions. If these rods could suppress lightning and thunder, it would resolve the majority of the current disaster—even if some problems remained, they would be manageable.
"Forging lightning rods isn't difficult. Especially with our Universal Fabricator. Mass production is fully feasible at any time,"Gongshu Lin declared confidently.
Naturally, if he dared bring it forth now, he had the confidence it would work.
"Though these lightning rods solve the current crisis, could they be improved even further? For example, can they be fitted with flight formations to float in the sky? The higher they're placed, the better they'll draw in lightning. Also, instead of just absorbing energy, could they be modified to release it—turning them into offensive tools as well? If so, lightning rods could become the first line of defense for every Immortal City."
Yi Tianxing spoke thoughtfully.
One must not be satisfied with maintaining the status quo. Real innovation requires bold thinking—the spark of true civilization.
If runic technology had been integrated, it should be pushed further.
"Adding flight formations is simple enough. As for transforming the rods into offensive weapons—yes, but it will require reverse engineering the array and additional testing. It's certainly achievable."
Gongshu Lin pondered briefly, then responded.
"The Academy of the Undying is willing to collaborate. If we succeed, the lightning rods can not only fortify city defenses, but also elevate the overall safety of Great Yi to a new level,"Cai Yong added with a nod.
"Excellent. Begin development immediately. Mass-produce lightning rods as soon as possible," Yi Tianxing ordered."But this only treats the symptom—not the root cause."
"Great Yi cannot simply endure disasters passively."
"According to my investigation, this current disaster stems from several Innate Deities who have entered our domain. They are manipulating the weather directly."
"I've attempted to locate them—but they've already fused into the void itself. Their essence is like a law, invisible and undetectable. Unless we shatter the very fabric of space, there's no way to force them out."
Yi Tianxing had already tried finding the Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning Deities. But even he couldn't locate them. They had merged with the heavens themselves, altering the skies through sheer divine will.
Without breaking the laws of nature, there was no rooting them out.
That was why the Nine Heavens Dao Sovereign had chosen them. And the Four Deities themselves had agreed—because with the Four Deity Formation Diagram, they could fully integrate with the world, becoming part of its very structure.
It wasn't true Dao Fusion, but it was close.
Even though Yi Tianxing knew they were inside Great Yi's borders, he could do nothing about it.
"Your Majesty, a curious rumor has recently spread among the people."
Su Shi stepped forward again.
As Minister of Rites, it was his job to gather rumors, evaluate their impact, and report to the court.
"Oh? Speak."
"The people say this heavenly disaster is divine punishment for some crime Great Yi has committed. That to dispel the disaster, an auspicious marriage ceremony—a Chongxi—must be held. The joy would purify the air and wash away misfortune."
Su Shi reported solemnly.
"Chongxi?"Minister of Rites Mao Sui immediately objected.
"That is a superstitious folk custom—at best, it might boost morale a little. But to treat it as a serious countermeasure against heavenly calamities? That would be childish and disrespectful to imperial ritual."
He was clearly upset.
To decide matters of cosmic importance based on old wives' tales? That would make the entire Great Yi Imperial Court a laughingstock.
"If such talk spreads, will we have any dignity left as ministers?"
"When did this rumor begin? Where did it start? Have the Six doors Division and the Calamity Hall investigated?"
Yi Tianxing's eyes flashed.A rumor like this—especially now—would never just appear on its own. There had to be intent behind it.
"Your Majesty, the rumor surfaced very suddenly—there were no signs. It seemed to begin with casual discussion among the people. Whether or not someone is secretly behind it… we will need to investigate further."
Zhuge Zhengwo furrowed his brow.
At first, no one had taken it seriously. After all, Great Yi allowed freedom of speech—idle gossip was not a crime.
"The rumor spread naturally. There were no clear flaws. But I believe it carries hidden meaning,"added Tong.
The Calamity Hall had looked into it, and found nothing overt. It was dismissed as harmless chatter—something to joke about and forget.
"Heh… looks like someone is very concerned about My harem."
Yi Tianxing smiled meaningfully.
This rumor had appeared too conveniently.Its purpose?To urge him to perform a Chongxi?
What does that require?
Selecting new consorts.
Someone was trying to interfere in his private life.
"Regardless of who's behind the rumor—the goal is obvious: to push the Emperor into selecting new concubines. Since that's the case, why not go along with it? Issue an imperial decree. Hold a consort selection. Not only would it expand the harem—it would help us trace the source of the rumor."
Zhuge Liang fanned himself and smiled.
"Your Majesty governs billions across the vast Hanhai domain, yet the number of imperial consorts remains small. In these troubled times, a consort selection framed as 'Chongxi' might lift the people's spirits—and bring prosperity to the imperial bloodline."
Jia Xu agreed with a smile.