While Yu Qian and Chen Xun were busy finding ways to increase the national treasury's revenue, Pan Yun was immersed in a vast sea of data and books.
The time had come. She pulled out blueprints for various machines and methods of refining materials from the spirit realm, copying them down one by one with a pen.
For instance, once railways were built, trains would be needed. Should they use the most basic steam system, or go a step further and use internal combustion engines?
Electricity...
Pan Yun decided not to think about that for now.
Her hand paused over the planning sheet, and she fell into thought. In truth, directly using electricity was not impossible. With formations and talismans, some necessary technologies and materials could be replaced, converting petroleum into electricity.
The gray cast iron needed for an internal combustion engine's cylinder block could be produced with current technology, and the crankshaft and connecting rods would not be a problem either. But the pistons required forged aluminum alloy, while the piston rings needed special alloy cast iron. Those could not yet be made with current technology.
If the refined diesel could be converted into power by another method...
Pan Yun tossed aside her half-finished plan and pulled out a blank sheet of paper to draw formation diagrams.
By midnight, she had only found a hint of an idea. It was still impossible to link formations together to replace an internal combustion engine.
Miao Zhen brought in a bowl of noodles. She casually picked up one of the formation diagrams tossed aside and looked it over. "Junior Martial Uncle, even if you can draw a formation diagram that converts energy, how many talisman masters in this world can inscribe such a formation?"
Pan Yun came to her senses. "You're right.