The Heavens: A Qing, the Yue Girl at the beginning

The first incident was, of course, the hands-on operation of the "History of the Evolution of Mechanics" class, which used a small amount of low-purity mercury vapor. High-purity mercury is neither safe nor stable, and even in its gaseous state, it has the same dangers as nitroglycerin. In addition, it is a top-secret military energy source and would not be found in schools.

Caesar and another student, Byron, piloted the motor armor and practiced using the flamethrower and "Iron Fist" a few times. They quickly became familiar with it and found it easy to use. Although the recoil of the former was a considerable burden on the human body, it was nothing to the mechanical skeleton.

Meanwhile, the "sword spirits" that Zhao Qing had already inserted into the armor and were residing inside it were also playing their role, reading and optimizing various basic operations to achieve human-machine integration.

This is a gift from the world of miniature swords.

After mastering the "Reincarnation Sword Realm," which is based on chaotic growth, sword grass, and the connection between heaven and man, Zhao Qingxin created a miniature version and placed it between the eyebrows of the mirror puppet. It can not only forcibly instill the sword scripture program, but also allow the spirituality carried by the sword grass to descend to the outside and attach to various weapons, which is called the sword spirit.

Clearly, although the mobile armor is not a sword, it is still a weapon controlled by a person and can be adapted accordingly.

More specifically, the Blade & Soul are actually integrated into their "Knight's Bones" and exist in a "hard metal" environment.

To put it simply, the human skeleton is not strong enough to withstand the immense force of armor. Therefore, armor must have its own metal skeleton. The mobile armor of various countries first uses "hard metal" to manufacture the armor skeleton, and then attaches detachable plates, power cores and other components to this metal skeleton.

The so-called "hard gold" is a metal with high hardness and super toughness, which is obtained by soaking a mixture of gold, copper and trace metals of unknown composition in mercury.

In terms of strength, hard metal should be second only to "ultimate metal" and sacred equipment in this world. It is almost comparable to black iron and has reached the standard of spiritual materials.

Although the two Divine Wrath II models, Vajra Warrior and Wheel King, are only training versions with their main body material changed to a softer copper alloy, resulting in poor durability, their frames have not been compromised.

According to Zhao Qing's tests and deductions, sword spirits, as well as spirits summoned from words such as snakes, weasels, and nine-headed infants, cannot maintain their existence for long in an environment with scarce spiritual energy. In this other world, spiritual materials are required to act as carriers.

In addition, she also discovered that this kind of mobile armor, due to its fully enclosed form and the pilot's vigorous spirit, might be able to produce metal element energy more efficiently once guided by a sword spirit, especially the type with neural connections.

The two machines used as teaching aids were only operated by some teachers and students who had not experienced war after they were built, and no trace of them was found. However, a few strands of armor were found among the scrapped armor used as targets.

In a sense, the combination of human will and the material of divine weapons, along with the Qian Tian Lin Jin Qi nurtured over the years, is quite similar to the birth of the "three colors of obsession" that Zhao Qing mentioned earlier. The underlying principles are very similar, and perhaps this is the reason why it can drive "entering dreams to prove".
The second thing was that, around noon, a Mr. Dasmond, who claimed to be from Charlemagne, came to Marston with his "sister," Bernadette Camille Isabelle Sophie Veronica, the Duchess of Bristol who had autism, looking for a boarding school, and chose this place.

In the afternoon, the Duchess and her siblings, along with a considerable entourage, were accommodated in the college's best guest quarters, a detached small building. The college informed them that the Duchess would take a simple entrance assessment test next week.

However, Zhao Qingfang easily discovered the true nature of this group: they were members of the heretical organization "The Satanic Order," with Dasmond as the leader and the Duchess as a "puppet" controlled by drugs. She was a legendary "witch" who had been found in the East after much trouble, and her blood was extremely precious.

They infiltrated Marston Royal Mechanical College under a pretext, clearly harboring a huge conspiracy and bound to make a big move.

However, these people were not the true high-ranking members of the Satanic cult, nor did they possess many secrets or special methods. They relied solely on abducting a "witch" for a transaction, yet they were audacious and reckless.

It is worth mentioning that the "Satanic Order" appears to be a male-dominated sect, but it has female worship within it and regards "Lilith, the Witch of the Night" as a being second only to God. They claim that God is too far away to hear the believers' calls, and that Lilith can redeem them in God's place, while the Messianic Church is just a group of false believers.

It is said that the origins of the Satanic cult can be traced back to the discovery of Avalon by early Messianic cult pioneers.

At that time, due to differing views on the "apocryphal" accounts of "angels" and "demons" that were not included in the official canons, a split occurred within the cult, and the Satanic cult was one of the branches that deviated from the mainstream.

They claim that before God created humankind, He created a woman who was close to Him, who was meant to be the mother of mankind. However, this woman, who was close to God, disobeyed Him because of a matter of hierarchy. God was disappointed in her and banished and suppressed her, but because she inherited divine power, she could not be completely destroyed.

Lilith resented God's abandonment, so she destroyed her own rib as material to create the devil as her race.

This means that God created intelligent life twice.

Humans are not the only ones.

And God acquiesced to this outcome.

The Liliths' ethnic group, they really exist.

They are another kind of human, very similar to humans, far from perfect, but possessing special abilities that surpass those of humans.

Humans were sinners and were expelled from Eden; Lilith was also a sinner and was expelled from Eden as well.

In this respect, Lilith is no different from humans; both are creations of God. Both are demons, and one demon is no more noble than the other.

God has not yet made a final choice among the descendants of Adam and Eve, and among the descendants of Lilith.

These are actually two competing abandoned tribes.

God once made a pact with humanity, but God also made a holy covenant with Lilith's descendants. Only one of the two pacts will take effect in the end, and only the branch favored by God will have the opportunity to stand on the judgment seat at the end of the world and enter the gates of heaven.

The "witch" and "priestess" are Lilith's descendants.

These female carriers possess mysterious powers originating from hell; they are the source and medium of all magic.

The Satanic Order stated that the forerunners discovered not only mercury and advanced mechanical technology in Avalon, but also ancient records.

On a frozen island, beneath a black iron cross, a large number of sacred texts written in brass scrolls were unearthed, recording what had previously been identified as "apocryphal scriptures" and confirming Lilith's real existence.

The sect's more radical claim is that humans are a naturally existing, evolved species, not God's creation. Therefore, God abhorred humanity and imprisoned human ancestors in the Garden of Eden.

Lilith took pity on humanity and transformed into a serpent to teach them to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. In doing so, they gained wisdom similar to that of the gods, but were punished by the gods and cast into hell to become the ancient demon Satan.

The devil is humanity's savior and has the potential to defy God's judgment.

The former belongs to the Adventists, while the latter belongs to the Salvationists. Although there are significant internal differences, they are generally in a stable stalemate.

From this perspective, Darthmond's forced control of a witch is absolutely contrary to the doctrine.

He was essentially a complete opportunist who used heretical beliefs as a pretext to recruit a group of wealthy young men, with the sole purpose of accumulating wealth, gaining fame, and satisfying his personal desires.

In contrast to the history of the Dragon World, the two narratives of the Satanic sect, especially the Salvation faction, are basically about the White King leading one-third of the dragons in rebellion, trying to win over humans to fight against the Black King, promising them freedom, and ultimately failing.

In fact, the witch we just encountered was indeed a pure descendant of the White King, proving the reliability of this interpretation.

"...However, I could sense that the 'witch' did not seem to be unwilling or resistant to being controlled and having her blood drawn from time to time."

After a brief study, Xia Mi decided not to interfere for the time being: "She is actually a pureblood, capable of being resurrected or reincarnated. 'Rather than trudging alone, it is better to sleep peacefully.'"

"The high-ranking dragons of the White King lineage, when in human form, roughly correspond to the light elves in Norse mythology. In this world where elemental power is suppressed, however, they seem to have had their dragon memories and violent emotions erased, and are constantly in a state of hyper-evolution..."

"Her blood, equivalent to the blood of a young dragon, is called 'Golden Elixir' in alchemy and is considered a panacea."

Logically speaking, the pure-blooded descendants of the White King should have been destroyed by the Black King. At most, only hybrids like the Japanese Snake-Headed Eight Family remained. Is this other world a sanctuary across eras, allowing dragons to escape Nidhogg's past judgment?
But considering that the World Tree Matrix should have been created later than the Battle of the Black and White Kings, how do we explain the paradox of chronological order?

Everyone seemed to be deep in thought.

"To be honest, this witch 'Yingluo' should know Caesar, right? Why does he look like he's seen a ghost?"

Xia Mi added, "It seems that Caesar's birth mother was definitely a witch, and her experience is a mirror image of Chu Shunhua's."

"What do you think about the repeatedly mentioned theory of the abandoned race?" Xiao Shi asked. "As we all know, for thousands of years, the dragon race has always referred to itself as an abandoned race, no longer favored by the world. 'The so-called fate of the abandoned race is to cross the wasteland, raise the battle flag again, and return to their homeland'..."

Xia Mi blinked: "...Humans and dragons are both 'abandoned races,' why should we be hostile and antagonistic? If God wants the final judgment, then let's fight God! Eden? Our army will surely retake it!"

...The third thing.

The college's provost, Poincaré, was caught and discovered to be a lieutenant colonel, a lieutenant colonel and the head of local intelligence, serving as a covert officer of the Inquisition in Marston.

Five years ago, the Papal States' military began to slowly infiltrate the city, and now, with their numbers, they could take control of the city at any time.

Given that the Papacy was designated as the current enemy and the target of conquest and trial, Poincaré was immediately detained upon discovery and dragged into a gambling table set up by Xia Mi. He was interrogated while playing cards with a human, and was punished for losing, suffering severe mental torture.

Although he was considered one of the most elite soldiers, maintaining iron discipline, a blade-like will, and beast-like vigilance wherever he went, he was ultimately unable to resist the hypnotic power of words.

"Major Lecarton, Major Malone, Lieutenant Colonel Heifetz, Major Smail, Captain Mamos, Major Herstal... They're from every profession? Even pig butchers?"

Recently in a bad mood, Xia Mi pointed to these names and then decisively wiped them all out, locking them deep inside the church. She also obtained more than a dozen Skybreaker Type IV armored vehicles and enough Red Mercury to sustain her for about half an hour of combat.

Under normal circumstances, a standard-sized mercury vapor backpack can power these 6600 horsepower engines for five minutes at full power. This value is difficult to increase because it is necessary to balance the threshold of deflagration under high purity and high pressure with the problem of overheating and overload of the power core.

These armors are all similar in their basic form, standing at 2.47 meters tall. With tactical enhancements, their height can reach 2.70 meters. They can be equipped with different weapons, such as a super-heavy handheld rapid-fire cannon, the "Libra" dual swords for close combat, and a steam-powered saw.

After being taken from the "Colonel's" mechanical repair shop where they were kept, the Skybreaker Type IVs were placed in the prayer hall, facing the six-winged angels of the Manifestation, their imposing figures standing tall, with candlelight flowing endlessly on their ferocious bodies.

The silence inexplicably carried a hint of martyrdom, or perhaps the devotion of a demon suppressed by divine power.

These elite pieces of equipment, belonging to the secret operations team of the Trial Bureau, far surpassed the performance of the teaching machines in the academy.

In particular, the integrated system of pressure sensors, torque sensors, and electromyography signals is so advanced that it seems out of place for this era, far ahead of the 21st century.

"The harvest is good."

Xia Mi casually patted the cold mask of a Blazing Iron Cavalryman beside her, producing a dull sound. Amidst the swirling pink mist—a slight leak of red mercury—she looked at the exhausted, pale-faced prisoner:

"The World Python Train? Your mission is to maintain martial law throughout the city when it travels to and from the city?"

Poincaré remained silent, staring intently at the "Wheel Chariot King's" nimble arms and fingers, gazing at its shuffling motion, as if the repetitive action contained some kind of code to liberation.

Every time he loses all his chips, he must exchange them for new ones by answering questions truthfully, and the more chips he has, the better his chances of winning.

Moreover, for some reason, he seemed to have been given a new card game personality, acting entirely according to the rules. For most of the time after being captured, he arbitrarily manipulated his memories and language, making it impossible for him to resist.

Therefore, Poincaré's main personality was essentially in a state of stagnation.

The new alternate personality dislikes talking.

“There’s no need to wait until you’ve lost everything and are completely broke before thinking about using information to exchange for those few chips,” Xia Mi said with a sly grin. “You can answer proactively sooner.”

"No matter how conflicted I am, it's just a waste of time... Could it be that I still harbor the delusion of waiting for someone else to come to my rescue?"

"The escort you're meeting, is it 'Faceless' Belon? Deputy Director 'Crimson Reaper' Licinius? Or perhaps, the Grand Master of the Seraphim Knights, known as the 'King of Knights' Rundstedt? The 'World Serpent' is scheduled to pass through Marston Station at 11:00 AM sharp, and you should be there by 10:55 AM to provide support."

"But the 'Slay the Phoenix' mission can't wait..."

The so-called "killing the phoenix" refers to the decapitation operation plan targeting Chu Shunhua, the "Great Xia Dragon Sparrow". The dragon sparrow is a phoenix species with a dragon neck and dragon head.

The "Phoenix Slayer" plan was devised, and only Seraphim can carry out this mission. A hundred years ago, it was the Seraphim who forged the destiny of the Papal States and ushered in a new era. A hundred years later, it will once again represent the destiny of the West and clash with the destiny of the East.

"Don't overthink it! Focus on practicing your card skills! You're always getting crushed by the AI," Xia Mi said casually at the end. "Someone has already gone in your place. She wants to see what the Papal States' top-secret weapon, the strongest first-generation 'Seraphim,' really is all about."

"Relax, our power is enough to suppress the entire area instantly. No divine armor will be of any use, and there will be no additional casualties..."

She glanced at Poincaré, who had been silently counting down the seconds for over ten hours: "It's 11 p.m. now. Torrential rain, thunder and lightning, truly... perfect weather for a funeral for the old era."

"Who...who are you? Witches? Eastern Star Seers? Is this some kind of evil magic?" The Dean of Studies and Chief Intelligence Officer finally lost his temper and roared in a low voice, losing all his usual composure: "The Inquisition has been completely unaware of this for so many years?!"

At this moment, he even forgot to ask what the other party meant by the even more astonishing "Seraphim." The immense fear and the shock of faith had thrown him into complete disarray.

No wonder the Vatican has spared no effort in burning accused heretics and witches throughout its history; it turns out that there really is a force in the world that can so easily manipulate people's hearts and distort reality!

So evil, and so beyond the comprehension of ordinary people!

"A witch?" Xiao Shi chuckled from the side. "I told you long ago, the 'angels' on our side clearly represent holiness and salvation, okay? And they're 'archangels' of extremely high rank!"

……

It blows down even more, and the stars are like rain.

The sound of rain pattering between the mountains filled the air.

Looking back from the speeding World Python train, Marston grew smaller and smaller, and the city lights were soon swallowed up by the darkness.

The carriage's matte black surface was completely unreflective and devoid of any markings. Only a thin layer of white frost clung to the outer walls, revealing the extremely low temperature of the storage, giving one a chilling sensation.

It runs extremely quietly, the steam engine puffs out thick white smoke, and the intricate machinery emits a delicate, velvety friction sound.

The train sped through the mountains, and night fog rose from the valleys, breaking through the thick rain curtain like a winding black dragon.

“Let’s begin inspecting the goods.” Nodding to the air beside him, Belon jumped off the roof of the vehicle.

He took out a black metal cylinder, twisted the ring at the end, and the front of the cylinder popped open, revealing an eight-pointed star-shaped tooth pattern.

The key was inserted into the lock next to the carriage gate, and with a forceful turn, the gate slowly lifted, and a rush of cold air came out.

Zhao Qing, however, had already been inside the car, calmly gazing at the large black iron coffins.

They are slender hexagons, with sacred words and emblems engraved on heavy iron plates, as well as some intricate patterns, resembling a group of intertwined snakes, ancient and ominous.

Through the coffin and the thin layer of ice, the true nature of the goods could be seen... The metal demon slept quietly beneath the ice, its iron surface shimmering with a cold light, its dark eyes like abysses.

Flame-like patterns and gleaming bronze pipes entwine it, and its hands form an ancient holy seal, pressed against its chest.

That was undoubtedly some kind of mobile armor.

Yet it is so beautiful, so sacred, and at the same time so ferocious, like the remains of a god or a demon. Its mottled surface has a peculiar texture, like the living scales of some otherworldly creature. At first glance, it is bronze in color, but when viewed from the side, it presents an extremely dark gold.

"Seraph, the prototype of all mobile armor in the world...?"

She spoke softly, watching as a faint, dark purple light gradually appeared in its black eyes: "So... that's how it is."

Among the existing known dragon alchemy techniques, Zhao Qing found an answer that was closer to its inner essence: Corpse Guardian.

...(End of chapter)