"Your Majesty, the items you sent to the Empire earlier have yielded results." As soon as Lin Qian accepted his message request, Zhuge Ming respectfully bowed and reported.
Lin Qian nodded slightly and asked, "What do you think? Is there any practical use for it?"
"The fire fruit contains the essence of flames. It naturally forms an array within itself that can absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, converting it into pure flame essence." Zhuge Ming explained the results of his research on the fire fruit that Lin Qian had previously sent to the Hua Xia Empire.
"After conducting thorough research, the Heavenly Engineering Department found that with some modifications, the array within the fire fruit can indeed achieve the effects that Your Majesty desires."
"Is that true?" Hearing Zhuge Ming's confirmation, Lin Qian's eyes lit up with excitement.
After seeing the fire fruit, Lin Qian had an idea: Could this thing be used as a light source?
Although this world had soul crystal lamps, they operated by burning soul crystals. This method was not something ordinary people could afford, and they had to rely on more primitive means, like fire.
Even soul warriors had their own concerns. Using soul crystal lamps would cause fluctuations in the spiritual energy within the room, which could disrupt their cultivation.
Stable spiritual energy was crucial for cultivation. Some people preferred to train in remote mountains where the spiritual energy was abundant and undisturbed, as long as no intense battles broke out.
While there were ways to prevent soul crystal lamps from affecting the room's spiritual energy stability, it came at a significant cost.
For ordinary soul warriors, using such lamps occasionally wasn't a big deal, but using them over a long period would be unsustainable.
Thus, when Lin Qian came across the fire fruit, he asked Zhuge Ming to see if it could be used to create a convenient light source—something with low consumption, good brightness, minimal impact on spiritual energy stability, and low cost.
Not long after, Lin Qian held an octagonal hollow crystal box in his hand. Suspended in the center was a fire fruit emitting a soft, warm light—bright but not blinding.
Clearly, this was the result of Zhuge Ming and the Heavenly Engineering Department's efforts.
At that moment, the door of a nearby human dwelling suddenly opened, and a figure dashed out.
In the settlement of the four races, although they lived harmoniously together, the architectural styles of their homes were noticeably different.
Human homes were mostly built from spirit wood, giving them a more elegant appearance, with sturdy stones used as reinforcements.
In contrast, the Redhorn Clan's homes were more rugged, constructed from massive stone blocks.
The shorter houses belonged to the Dwarves, while the simplest ones, made from bundled spirit grass, belonged to the Centaurians. Despite their simplicity, these grass homes were surprisingly sturdy.
However, the Centaurians had to frequently repair their homes since they enjoyed eating the spirit grass.
In fact, during their journey, Liu Fang had mentioned that if Lin Qian saw a Centaurian home missing pieces, it was because the owners had eaten them.
"Can't you control your appetite?" As Lin Qian wandered through the settlement, he often heard the Dwarves shouting.
After all, the Dwarves were the ones responsible for constructing most of the settlement.
The human house before Lin Qian was easily recognizable, but what surprised him was that the person who came rushing out was the child, Xiao Jiang.
Xiao Jiang ran up to Lin Qian, his skin flushed and drenched in sweat.
Seeing the boy in this state, Lin Qian immediately knew he had consumed the strengthening potion.
Unlike pills, Hua Xia Empire's potions could either be absorbed through cultivation or simply allowed to work naturally over time.
For quicker results, combining the potion with cultivation was more effective.
However, with pills, one had no choice but to enter a meditative state after consumption. If not, the effects could range from the body being overwhelmed by the pill's potency to the medicine being wasted.
But with Hua Xia Empire's potions, such concerns didn't exist—they were easy to take and effective.
"Your Majesty, thank you!" Xiao Jiang, now standing before Lin Qian, imitated Liu Fang and the others, bowing respectfully. His face was filled with excitement.
Seeing Xiao Jiang's behavior, Lin Qian chuckled and teased, "So, you don't want me to replace your Strengthening Fruit anymore?"
Xiao Jiang blushed with embarrassment, scratching his head as he apologized, "Your Majesty, I wronged you. I'm sorry, and I hope you're not angry."
"Hahaha, I'm not angry at all," Lin Qian replied, patting Xiao Jiang on the head. He then glanced at the boy's home and asked, "Is it just you at home?"
"Yes, Father went out with others to hunt nearby soul beasts, and Mother is tending to the spirit fields," Xiao Jiang replied with a nod.
Looking at Xiao Jiang and then at the modified fire fruit in his hand, Lin Qian suddenly had an idea. He asked, "Xiao Jiang, may I take a look inside your home?"
"Of course!" Xiao Jiang nodded eagerly and led Lin Qian inside.
The settlement had limited space, so the house wasn't large—just a small living room and a bedroom.
After surveying the room, Lin Qian noticed Xiao Jiang staring at the item in his hand. Amused, he asked, "Curious about how this works?"
"Yes!" Xiao Jiang nodded enthusiastically, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Lin Qian gave the crystal box a shake and then tossed it upwards. The device floated to the ceiling and gently adhered to a beam, casting a much brighter, warm light.
"Wow!" Xiao Jiang exclaimed in awe. The warm light illuminated the entire room, making it feel more alive, and he couldn't stop marveling at it.
Seeing the result, Lin Qian felt a deep sense of satisfaction. He couldn't wait for the day when the Hua Xia Empire would be illuminated by a thousand lights, shining brightly across the land.