Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

Li Zhi nodded and sighed, "My system told me. It said that a very powerful senior has been watching me. Although the 'Lying Flat System' can make me stronger, it also lets me know who the real powerhouses in this world are, and that our dynasty is nothing in the eyes of those major sects."

He Damin laughed: "Have you ever thought about breaking free from the sect's control and taking charge of your own affairs?"

Li Zhi's eyes lit up instantly, and he leaned forward slightly: "I've thought about it! Of course I've thought about it! I've dreamed about it! But it's impossible. The sects are too strong. Just the Qingyun Sect alone has several Mahayana stage experts, and even some old monsters in the Nascent Soul stage. On the imperial side, I'm the only Mahayana stage expert who can fight; the others below me aren't very strong. Even if my cultivation is higher, I can't possibly fight against the entire sect's power by myself."

"What if a sect supported you?" He Damin looked at him and said slowly.

Li Zhi was stunned for a moment, somewhat incredulous: "Who? Which sect would support me? I'd be lucky if they didn't suppress me."

"The He Clan Immortal Sect," He Damin said, enunciating each word clearly. "The sect I founded."

Li Zhi remained silent for a long time. The imperial study was quiet, with only the sound of eunuchs' footsteps outside. After a while, he finally raised his head and looked at He Damin with a complicated expression: "Senior He, why are you helping me? We are not related."

He Damin stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the pavilions and towers of the palace outside. "Because I want this world to have a dynasty that truly belongs to the Chinese people. Not a vassal of sects, not a puppet of cultivators, but its own masters. So that we, who came from Earth, can have a place to settle down and live, and pass on the legacy of our ancestors."

Li Zhi was startled and stared at He Damin: "You...you are also Chinese?"

"Yes." He Damin turned around and looked at him. "I come from Earth. Like you, I was reincarnated into this world with my memories intact."

Li Zhi's eyes instantly filled with bloodshot veins. He stood up excitedly and bowed deeply to He Damin: "Senior He! Li Zhi is willing to obey your orders! As long as we can establish a dynasty of our own, Li Zhi will not hesitate to sacrifice himself!" For three hundred years, he had always felt lonely, like an outsider. Now he had finally found his people!

He Damin quickly helped him up: "This isn't an order, it's a collaboration. You establish a dynasty, and my He Clan Immortal Sect will support you. We'll provide manpower and resources as needed. Once the dynasty becomes powerful, we'll undertake another major undertaking."

"What's the big deal?" Li Zhi asked curiously.

He Damin raised his head, looking at the sky with longing in his eyes: "Launch a satellite. Send a satellite into space and establish a communication network covering the entire Xuan Tian Continent. Let information no longer be monopolized by sects, let ordinary people know what's happening in the world, and let our Chinese knowledge and culture spread throughout the entire continent."

Li Zhi was completely stunned, his mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg: "Satellite...? You mean the kind of satellite that flies in the sky, like those on Earth?" Back on Earth, he was a modern person who had watched television and used the internet, so he naturally knew what a satellite was.

"That's right." He Damin smiled. "When I was on Earth, I participated in the construction of satellite networks. I can build it here just as easily."

Li Zhi took a deep breath, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. He had initially thought He Damin would at most help him fight and kill, but he never expected him to have such a grand plan! "Senior He, you...you've thought so far ahead."

"How can we not want to go further?" He Damin patted his shoulder. "We can't just be satisfied with surviving in this world. We have to live well, live with dignity, and keep our roots."

They talked for a long time in the imperial study, starting with the establishment of the dynasty, how to win over the people, how to reform the system, how to cultivate their own cultivator ranks, and how to deal with the suppression from sects. He Damin shared his experience in developing Hong Kong, such as how to develop the economy, how to build schools, and how to develop infrastructure, with Li Zhi. Li Zhi listened intently, occasionally picking up a pen to jot down notes, feeling as if he had opened the door to a new world. Before leaving, He Damin left a message: "Come find me when you are ready. The He Clan Immortal Sect will always be your strong support."

Li Zhi nodded emphatically: "I will. Don't worry, senior, I will prepare as soon as possible!"

Back at Tianzhu Mountain, He Damin stood atop the peak, gazing at the surging sea of ​​clouds in the distance, his heart filled with turmoil. Chen Xueru walked to his side and draped an outer robe over him, as it was a bit chilly in the mountains at night.

"Brother Damin, are you really planning to launch a satellite?" Chen Xueru asked softly, having just overheard her disciple talking about it.

"Really." He Damin nodded.

"This world has cultivators, formations, and even divine sense communication. Satellites... are they really useful?" Chen Xueru was a little confused. A cultivator's divine sense can cover thousands of miles, but it has its limits and is mentally taxing. Satellites are different; they can hover in the sky, working day and night, covering the entire continent without any blind spots. Moreover, they don't need to cultivate, they don't need to rest, and they won't slack off because a cultivator is in a bad mood. Most importantly, they can break the information monopoly. Currently, sects control cultivation resources and information; ordinary people and junior cultivators have no idea what's happening outside. With satellites, we can establish our own communication channels, spread our ideas and knowledge, and let more people know that this world isn't just ruled by sects."

Chen Xueru thought about it and felt it made sense: "Then how do you plan to build the satellite? There aren't any factories or materials like those on Earth here."

"We have enough materials." He Damin said confidently. "This world has many treasures that Earth doesn't have, such as spirit stones and spirit crystals, which contain energy far stronger than batteries on Earth. There are also various materials from demonic beasts, some harder than steel, and some that can block spiritual detection. Satellites built with these materials will definitely perform better than those on Earth."

"Then who will build it? Are the disciples capable?" Chen Xueru was still a little worried.

"I'll do it myself." He Damin laughed. "I've studied weapon crafting for three hundred years, from basic magic robes and artifacts to complex array plates and alchemy furnaces. What haven't I crafted? Building a few satellites is a piece of cake for me."

Looking at his confident demeanor, Chen Xueru smiled and said, "You always think further ahead than others, and you always manage to do it."

"How can we not want to go further?" He Damin held her hand. "We came into this world, we can't let it be in vain."

In the days that followed, He Damin immersed himself in the weapon-refining room. He first unearthed all sorts of materials he had collected over the years, filling the room to the brim. Then he began designing the satellite blueprints, combining Earth's satellite technology with this world's knowledge of weapon refining, array formations, and talismans, drawing and revising them again and again. The satellite he designed was called the "Spirit Crystal Satellite," using spirit crystals as its core energy source, array formations to control its attitude and orbit, and talismans to receive and transmit signals.

Once the design was complete, he began the crafting process. Although the satellite was small, it contained thousands of parts, each requiring meticulous craftsmanship. He used the hardest "Mysterious Iron Essence" to forge the outer shell, mixed "Star Sand" with spirit crystals to create the core energy source, and used "Thunder Silkworm Silk" and "Array Pattern Silver" to inscribe the internal array circuitry. The most challenging part was creating the miniature talismans, smaller than a fingernail, with runes finer than a hair. He had to hold his breath and meticulously draw each stroke with a specially made fine needle.

And so, they forged parts by day and drew talismans by night, occasionally stopping to deduce the operation of the formation. After three whole months, the first spirit crystal satellite was finally completed. It was only the size of a fist, entirely silver-white, and covered with fine runes. It looked like an exquisite little ornament, but it felt heavy in the hand, containing surging energy.

He Damin reached the mountain peak, took a deep breath, channeled his inner energy, and gently tossed the satellite into the sky. The satellite "whooshed" into a streak of light, breaking through the clouds and soaring into the heavens. Soon, it entered its designated orbit, hovering thousands of miles above the ground like a small star, slowly rotating and emitting a faint silver glow.

"It's done!" He Damin looked at the sky, a relieved smile on his face.

Chen Xueru stood beside him, craning her neck, trying hard to see the satellite clearly, but it was too far away; she could only see a tiny dot of light. "Brother Damin, can it really transmit messages?"

"Try it and you'll see." He Damin took out a palm-sized jade tablet from his pocket, which was a specially made communicator. He input a wisp of true energy into the jade tablet, and it immediately lit up, displaying Lin Feng's portrait.

"Master, you wanted to see me?" Lin Feng's voice came from the jade pendant, as clear as if it were right next to his ear.

Chen Xueru's eyes widened in surprise: "It really works! That's amazing!"

He Damin laughed: "This is just the beginning. Once I've refined the remaining satellites and formed a complete constellation, we'll be able to cover the entire Xuantian Continent. At that time, no secret of the Xuantian Continent will be able to escape our notice."

He looked up at the satellite shimmering in the sunlight, as if he were seeing a brand new world. He thought of the Starfire communications constellation on Earth, the satellites that covered the globe, and the information and knowledge that spread freely on the internet. Now, he was going to rebuild all of that in this strange world of cultivation.

"Brother Damin, what are you planning to do next?" Chen Xueru leaned on his shoulder and asked softly.

He Damin thought for a moment, his eyes softening: "Once Li Zhi establishes the dynasty, once those Chinese souls can gain a foothold in this world, once our satellite network covers the entire continent, allowing information to flow freely, then I will retire."

"Retire?" Chen Xueru was somewhat surprised.

"Yes, retirement." He Damin looked at her, his eyes full of tenderness. "Hand over the sect to disciples like Lin Feng, the dynasty to young people like Li Zhi, and the satellite network to the descendants of the He family. Then, I'll take you traveling, to see the scenery of this world, and to see the stars in the sky. We've been busy for so long, it's time for us to take a good rest."

Chen Xueru's eyes welled up with tears. She nodded vigorously, leaned against He Damin's chest, and whispered, "Okay. I'll wait for you to take me to see the stars."

A mountain breeze blew by, carrying the fragrance of medicinal herbs. The sea of ​​clouds in the distance continued to surge, and the couple on the summit of Tianzhu Mountain were filled with hope for the future.