Kays Translations

Chapter 33: Electricity is not electricity

“What is this? What’s electricity?”

The next morning, everyone was filled with curiosity—about Li Xian’s bandaged head and how he had rapidly advanced from the seventh to the ninth layer in just half a year.

But the greatest intrigue surrounded the crude one-meter formation Li Xian had brought out and his mention of the strange term—electricity? They had heard of spiritual energy, immortal energy, demonic energy, and monster energy, but suddenly there was this “electricity.”

“Why not call it electrical energy?” Xu Ren always seemed to hit the nail on the head.

“Unlike spiritual or immortal energies that diffuse in the world like air, electricity cannot be treated the same way. So I named it ‘electricity’,” Li Xian said, delivering a rather shaky explanation with confidence.

Of course, such reasoning wouldn’t fool Xu Ren, but it was enough to provide a semblance of understanding. After a few repetitions, everyone accepted it.

“Can this really solve the wire issue?” Tang Rong, the leading researcher under Li Xian, asked with curiosity. He understood the relationship between wires and industry better than anyone, sharing Li Xian’s strategic concerns over the wiring dilemma.

Li Xian surveyed the room. Those who could enter this research space were the core team, but he still felt it necessary to set the stage. “Everyone, before I explain and we delve into electricity, I need to make a small request.

Electricity is going to be crucial for our future. Therefore, I ask that you all swear not to disclose a single piece of knowledge about electricity without my permission.

I mean it—this is about the knowledge of electricity.

Anyone who joins the electricity department in the future must adhere to this rule as well.”

Seeing the seriousness in Li Xian’s demeanor, everyone sensed the gravity of the matter. Given that it directly impacted their future and their unity with Li Xian, they raised no objections and swore their oaths. Even Xu Ren complied without hesitation.

Li Xian immediately smiled. “Thank you, everyone. Moving forward, whoever excels in research will be appointed as the head of the electricity department. This department is set to become one of our core divisions, potentially rivaling our current research department.

Alright, everyone prepare yourselves. I’m about to close the switch, and there’s a good chance our first product may explode.”

Everyone quickly ducked behind the stainless steel protective panels. After the last explosion from the Spirit Gathering Array, the research department had prioritized safety. Since then, there had been multiple instances of explosive danger during their experiments, and now it had become a conditioned reflex for the team: any research that seemed dangerous prompted everyone to hide behind the steel panels.

Once everyone was safely in position, Li Xian confidently closed the switch.

The Spirit Gathering Array activated first, drawing in spiritual energy from the surroundings. The Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water formations began to operate sequentially, creating a scene reminiscent of the world’s creation. After a while, the first bolt of lightning erupted, followed by an increasing number of lightning strikes weaving through the array.

“It worked!” many cheered.

However, Li Xian’s expression suddenly changed. Before he could react, the rudimentary four-element formation… exploded again! With a deafening roar, electric snakes danced through the entire research room. Chaos ensued as the lightning struck, making the room resonate with panicked cries—lightning was different from other attacks; it could bend and twist!

Although the steel panels absorbed some of the strikes, the remaining bolts still caused the researchers to scream in agony—the sensation of being electrocuted was far from pleasant. The small sparks of electricity swirled like angry bees, seeking out their targets.

Fortunately, the storm of lightning came and went quickly, leaving the room in disarray. Many of the researchers were now wearing trendy, torn clothing.

“How could it fail? It clearly succeeded!” several people asked, their curiosity piqued. Having experienced numerous research failures before, they quickly fell into a discussion about the mishap.

“Cough, cough…” Tang Rong emerged, his face slightly singed and smoking, having stood too close.

Li Xian, feeling a rare flush of embarrassment, said, “It’s nothing. The array itself is fine, but I forgot to redirect the lightning generated by the Spirit Gathering Array. As the lightning built up, it ultimately resulted in an explosion.”

“How can we guide the lightning out?” the team asked, confusion etched on their faces.

Seeing their distressed expressions, Li Xian felt a surge of satisfaction. “Ha! You don’t know yet, do you? Hmph, I won’t tell you. You can figure it out on your own while I bask in my triumph.”

“Directing electricity is simple. No need to rush. I’ll handle it. In the meantime, focus on perfecting the four-element formation and create a real product.”

Tang Rong chuckled wryly, “Young Master, you’ve got the order all mixed up. If we can’t draw out the lightning, we can’t conduct any research.”

“Oh right… heh heh… It’s actually simple. Just draw four lines from the corners of the Yin-Yang formations, the Heaven’s Yang and Earth’s Yin, at the four poles.”

“Then twist the four lines from each formation into one strand. Just make sure the lines from Heaven’s Yang and Earth’s Yin don’t touch each other. Finally, bury both lines in the damp soil.”

“Oh, and remember, the lines need to be made of metal. Song Gang, get a few copper wires made at the foundry.”

“Master, don’t forget, if it’s just plain copper wire, a spell would suffice,” Tang Rong gently reminded him.

Li Xian felt a bit embarrassed. “I… uh, fine. Let’s stick with copper wire for now, about the thickness of a toothpick. Wrap the copper wire with the cheapest burlap.”

“The lightning will travel along the copper wire, and the current will be highly concentrated. Everyone, be careful not to touch the copper wire, or it could be life-threatening.”

“Life-threatening?” Li Xian’s words sent a chill through many of the researchers.

“Of course! Lightning is a force of the heavens. Don’t you see, when ascending, there’s that purple divine thunder? While this isn’t the same as divine thunder, it’s still lightning—a power from above. So, everyone must be cautious, more than cautious!”

“Oh…” After his explanation, rather than feeling pride or excitement, the team was instead filled with trepidation.

Even Xu Ren trembled slightly, “Master, if we’re harnessing the power of the heavens, won’t we face divine retribution?”

Li Xian stumbled a bit at this reaction. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go—weren’t they meant to cheer? But seeing the anxious expressions on their faces, he finally understood—indeed, the world of cultivation was full of complications.

“Well, everyone, we aren’t stealing the power of the heavens. We’re creating our own. As long as we use this power ourselves and don’t leak it, we won’t face divine retribution.”

“Oh oh oh…” The researchers, albeit still anxious, began to delve into their studies.

As Li Xian stepped out, his mouth twitching, he realized that the world of cultivation also harbored ignorance and superstition. However, perhaps this would encourage them to keep things confidential. Ha! There’s a silver lining!

What was Li Xian off to do next? Quite simply, light bulbs! Now that they had glass, they could make filaments out of stainless steel for now. That would be enough to show everyone what they were working on. Once they refined some higher-grade materials, he could definitely find better options for filaments.

“Ha ha, everything is looking so bright. La la la, I’m really happy today…”

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