Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"Huh? What's left in there?"

I don't know. But that thing is alive. It's not moving randomly. It's... it's wandering around the room, confused. It's overlapping with the Spear of Apollo, and the Spear of Apollo is on it!

Shangluo's heart sank. He was now defenseless, even the divination playing cards had fallen to the ground. If the theory of "phlogiston granting power" was true, then the phlogiston in the playing cards had probably been absorbed by Phaethon.

Don't worry about that playing card. If we survive, we can figure out how to build something even more powerful. I've got some ideas. I got some inspiration from Helios.

"Do you have anything that can improve my combat effectiveness? If someone uses something to stop me, I have to have a way to fight back."

"I think I don't. But that thing, combined with the Spear of the Sun God, is clearly also light. If it's light, then you should have a unique magical weapon that specifically controls it."

"what?"

"That hammer is the one you used to strike me. It once damaged the Shinki's main form, and now it has a 'special attack' against it. The thing blocking your path also contains a high concentration of phlogiston, otherwise I wouldn't have mistaken it for the Spear of the Sun God. Your hammer should be able to deal 'critical damage' to it as well."

Upon hearing this, Shangluo pulled out his small hammer. It was a simple metalworking hammer, with a copper handle and head, and not even a chamfered edge. He had made it himself on a lathe. For the students at Wutaishan Training School, it was just a small after-school craft for fifth graders.

"Okay." At this point, having a hammer in hand was better than nothing. He held the hammer in his hand, circled around and ran back to the side door of the office. There was more than one door in the office, and in addition to the door he ran out of earlier, he could also enter through this door.

"The light is behind." Apollonia reminded, "It seems to have discovered you. It has noticed you."

Shangluo swallowed and opened the door.

Light appeared before him—

"Huh?" He stood there holding the hammer, and made eye contact with the "light" inside.

It was the white lion, lying on top of the Spear of Apollo, its paw pressing on the hilt. Everything around it seemed to have nothing to do with it; it simply lay there quietly. However, its constantly wagging tail revealed its anxiety.

"Lolo, your name is Lolo, right?" Since they were "relatively familiar" and there was someone outside who needed help, Shangluo plucked up the courage to go over.

Luo Luo raised his head, glanced at him, and then continued to lower his head to conserve his strength. He had met Shang Luo before, and he was a "safe thing" to the white lion, so the white lion had no interest in him.

"Lolo, Lolo." He tried to squat down, lowering his center of gravity so that he wouldn't look so tall. "Can you lend me the spear you're holding down? Just for a moment, let me use it."

The white lion remained unmoved, its tail still wagging anxiously.

"Lolo? Help me? I need this spear. I need to go help Phaethon. She's possessed—possessed, you know?"

Hearing the name "Phaethon", the white lion suddenly raised its head.

"You react to the name Phaethon, right? Are you looking for him too?" Lolo nodded with sobs.

"She's right outside, can't you see her?"

Lolo didn't respond, and his tail wagged more anxiously.

It no longer recognized Phaethon. This white lion must also be Helios's pet. It used scent, not observation, to confirm Phaethon's identity. It didn't understand how Phaethon had become like that, but simply assumed he was lost. It was protecting what Phaethon had left behind, and then stayed there, awaiting his return.

"Lolo." Shangluo moved closer. "I know where Phaethon is. Lend me your spear, and let's go find her together. How about that? You don't want her to make a big mistake, do you?"

The white lion looked into his eyes, as if thinking. After a moment, it made a decision.

Lowering its head and opening its mouth, the white lion grasped the Apollo Spear with its teeth. The Apollo Spear's weight had almost faded, something even the white lion itself was a little unaccustomed to.

Holding the spear in its mouth, it looked towards Shangluo, waiting for his next move.

[It doesn't trust you, so it lets you lead the way. It wants to see Phaethon's current state with its own eyes before deciding whether to lend it to you.]

Chapter 43 The Path of Entropy

It does make you feel safer following this white lion.

A pure white mane stretches from the crown to the shoulder blades, with silvery fringe dangling from the elbows like wings. This is the characteristic of the Barbary lion, a North African breed used by the Romans for fighting since classical times.

The white lion stood at a full 1.4 meters tall at the shoulder, blocking Shangluo's way like a mobile bunker. The spear in its mouth looked as small as a toothpick.

Not far ahead was the place where he and Wen Yuan separated.

Yet there was no sign of fighting ahead. The corridor was as quiet as a hospital ward at 3 a.m.

"Something's wrong. Why is there no sound? Even the black aura is gone."

[Maybe wait, you ask the lion to stop. There may be a problem ahead.]

"Lolo? Stop." He called the white lion's name in a low voice. However, the white lion just tilted its head slightly to glance at him and continued forward.

"Lolo! Stop!"

The white lion didn't respond. Shangluo wasn't its master at all. It was in a bad mood and didn't bother to pay attention to the noisy guy behind it.

[Quick! Grab it! Pull its tail!]

"Lolo!" Shangluo stretched out his hand forward, but the lion's tail disappeared into the air, along with the Spear of the Sun God.

"."

Shangluo stared at his hands. For a moment, he felt as if he had touched the coldest object in the world. It wasn't even the same sensation as touching liquid nitrogen—the skin would suffer acute damage similar to that of flames, and the sensation was similar to a burn. However, the feeling at his fingertips made him feel the real cold, transmitting from his fingertips and piercing his spine.

"What's that thing in front?"

I should have guessed it earlier. Phaethon wasn't possessed at all. She belonged to the Entropy Path, and there's no such thing as possessed. She's back to zero! So this is Dansha.

"Reset to zero? What does that mean?"

It is nothingness, the ultimate destiny faced by all beings who swear an oath to the Great Styx. The path of entropy itself signifies chance and decay, but no one can truly harness the power of entropy. Helios chooses to harness it through oaths—oaths can converge infinite possibilities, oaths can transcend endless time. Therefore, the Spear of Apollo possesses almost limitless power over the sworn, even capable of restraining events that have already occurred. Harnessing entropy through oaths is the true source of Helios's divine power, his divine power. Therefore, he is a god of contract, not a god of entropy.

"So the Dao is not completely equal to the power of the divine machine?"

Of course. Are you defined by your attributes? Just because you're Chinese, does that mean you must know Chinese Kung Fu? If Helios had chosen to fully embrace the power of entropy, he would have become omnipresent—then tantamount to nonexistence. Therefore, what defines Helios is not entropy itself, but his control of it. Just like even though they are both gods of fire, their godhood is determined by how they use fire: arson, slash-and-burn farming, or even lamps. There are countless paths to the Tao, and the divine power is born from the Tao, not the other way around. Life should be like this.

"What if she breaks her vow?"

She'd abandoned the boat Helios had provided her, and she'd drowned in the Styx. She longed for light, like a drowning person longs for oxygen. She was crying out for help. So, what exactly did you feed her? Why did it bring retribution so quickly? And how could you attract such a powerful force? Can you summon the Styx's gaze with just a single elixir? You're the God of Entropy, aren't you? How could something like this happen to you?

"How should I know! And didn't you give me the recipe? I don't even know what it is! Isn't that a foundation-building pill?"

"Doesn't that also answer your request?! This is my first time using it, too. How could something so outrageous happen?! I don't know if it's because of you or me, or if it's just us both synergizing, like my left foot stepping on my right and spiraling up into the sky. I don't even dare to calculate anymore! No, no, even if I can survive, I must first find a way to harness this power before I use it. What if I ask another question about Ragnarok or the end of the world? I'm scared. I'm scared. It's all your fault! Why do you ask such a tricky question?"

"In the final analysis, it's her fault for wanting to eat it! It's your brother's fault for wanting to snatch it away!"

"That's right! They couldn't just keep an eye on the Lighthouse of Alexandria, but they chose to come after me. I'm so pissed! It's all their fault!"

"So, what next?" After a brief silence, both of them calmed down a little, but the problem remained unresolved.

"While they are certainly to blame, the trouble is now ours. Finding the culprit here, or even fighting each other, won't help the situation at hand. We might have already fallen into her trap, and there's no way back."

"Don't talk nonsense! I calculated that you would definitely die. If you keep talking nonsense here, it might actually come true!"

"Huh? Is there such a thing?"

[Feel forward. It's where you were just now.]

Shangluo stretched out his hand, and his fingertips could still feel the biting cold, but it seemed closer than before.

"That cold barrier that made the white lion disappear is closer than before."

[Wait, don't move yet, try to move back.]

"Behind." He stretched out his hand, and the same chill came from his fingertips.

"We're surrounded. We don't know when. And maybe we've already entered some kind of loop."

"That's impossible. I am Apollonia, the Infinite Divine Machine. I stand at the pinnacle of divinity! I cannot be deceived by mere illusions. Not even dreams or time loops can break my eternal observation. Therefore, the chill has circled around us, unable to penetrate—only if you decide to enter can you truly set foot in this icy realm."

"Now, is it too late?"

Phaethon hasn't come out to find me yet, which means she's been dragged in as well. But she definitely didn't succeed, as the white lion named Lolo hasn't finished the fight.

"Then there's only one way left." He looked ahead. There was still no sign of fighting. The corridor was as quiet as a hospital ward at 3:0 AM.

Shangluo took a step forward. The lights went out, and everything around him was plunged into darkness. The spot he had just stepped on was like a spotlight on a pitch-black stage, only that part of the light was bright. But piercing the darkness, two white figures suddenly sprinted through the lightless space. One on two legs, the other on four. The two-legged one moved so fast that the four-legged one couldn't keep up.

Chapter 44 Xiaoyao

The two-legged one looked over and said, "What are you two doing?! I feel like you've been standing there for a century! Why did that white lion bite me?! Weren't you going to call for help? Why did it keep chasing me?"

"It's only been 10 seconds! I was keeping time!" Shangluo kept counting. His previous conversation with Apollonia had been conducted solely through the flow of information in his head, so the two of them communicated incredibly quickly. A few hundred words could be conveyed in just 10 seconds.

"10 seconds? Do you know how I managed to get through these ten seconds? This lion is running faster than my master! I can't hold on any longer! Make him stop!"

"Lolo!" Shangluo called out, and the white lion finally stopped. The Spear of the Apollo was still in its mouth, and when the lion's head turned back, its face was still covered with the ferocity of a wild beast.

Seeing Shangluo, a familiar figure, the lion's expression softened slightly. He left Wen Yuan behind and stalked towards him. His eyes fixed on him, his body frozen in place, his four legs raised to a tiptoe, a near-cat-like gait. This was a common stance used by cats both large and small, ready to attack.

It's very angry, and it thinks you're lying to it. It's here to settle the score, but it seems to still have a little patience, intending to listen to your explanation before biting you.

"Lolo! Calm down for a moment! Can you understand what I'm saying? If you're willing to listen to my explanation, just stand there and wait!"

He still didn't know how much the lion could understand. Phaethon was a son of God, a demigod. A demigod's pet had to have some human qualities, not just a beast.

This lion, named Luo Luo, had previously climbed through car doors and retrieved items on his own, and he also knew how to guard his owner's belongings. His obedience surpassed that of many dogs, at least far exceeding the average level of a Husky.

But obedience does not mean intelligence. He was not sure if the lion could understand what he said -

Luo Luo paused, frowning as if he was thinking.

Now Shangluo was sure that this guy could understand, because ordinary lions couldn't have such rich expressions.

After a little thought, Lolo still walked over, but the "lock" on his neck was released and his feet were all on the ground.

"Huh" Shangluo, who had fed the cat before, knew that this big cat at least did not treat him as a mouse for now and would not pounce on him at any time.

"So this lion is the one she raised?" Wen Yuan, who was approaching, was still a little frightened. "I'm telling you, this lion is definitely not an ordinary one! An ordinary lion can't grow this big, nor can it run this fast!"

"I know. It still holds a grudge. So what happened? Why is it all black?"

"Dan Sha has been killed by the heavenly thunder, and everything is normal. However, the previous evil spirit has not been completely eliminated, so we have to find a way to get out. Besides, Dan is still here. Follow me, it's at the fork in the road ahead, not far from the elevator. Watch your step. Although it's dark here, we are still in that basement. Just hold on to the left wall and follow behind me. Don't worry if you see me disappear, it's because I turned a corner. As for the lion."

He looked at the lion, then at Shangluo: "Can it understand me? It must be a spiritual beast."

"It can, but it may not be willing to do so. That's fine. It followed me, which means it's willing to do so."

Two with two legs, one with four legs, and one without legs—four "people" totaling eight legs—groped their way through the endless darkness. This was indeed the same basement; they could even feel closed doors around them, and occasionally, they could kick something soft. But all the light had been sucked away, and they could see nothing.

There were only four of them left with light.

"Here we are. This is it. She has become like this." Wen Yuan held onto a corner of the wall in the dark and pointed to an even darker place.

Shangluo walked behind him and saw the culprit of all this——

A life-sized stone statue stood at a three-way intersection. It had three faces, each facing the three directions of the intersection. Each of the three faces held a torch in its right hand, while its left hand held a book, a dagger, and a rope.

Shangluo also saw another bright light: at the end of the corridor, the wall still bore traces of lightning strikes, and the lightning still danced in the darkness. The light there hadn't been sucked away either.

"Is this Phaethon?"

"Yes." Wen Yuan nodded. "The situation was like this - I used the token to cast the Five Thunders spell. The token was made by the Taoist master himself. Even a rookie like me can unleash the power of the Five Thunders spell of the Golden Core Stage. That's why she was struck like this."

"and after?"

"Then I just stood here. It was pitch black and I didn't dare walk around. I just waited for you to come back. I waited for a while, and then I saw a flash of golden light from the corner of the wall. I thought it was reinforcements, but this guy was so stupid. As soon as we met, he chased me and bit me! As if I had killed his father!"

"Hey, calm down! It understands! Mr. Luo Luo, you too..." He turned around and prepared to pull the bad-tempered lion back, but Luo Luo ignored him. Seeing the statue again, he silently walked up to it and crouched beside it. Just like before.

"He recognized him." Shang Luo shook his head. "But then again, I still haven't recognized him. Is this Phaethon? Why doesn't he look like him at all?"

"I saw her become like this with my own eyes, otherwise I wouldn't believe it."

Ah, this. She has indeed strayed deep into the path of entropy. This is the appearance of the three-faced Hecate—the three-faced Hecate, the goddess of luck and decay, the goddess of night in ancient Greek mythology. Her statue would be placed at a crossroads, governing luck, the night, the soul, witchcraft, and the dead. She has completely fallen into the abyss of the path of entropy. In other words, she has merged with the Tao. The goddess of luck and decay is actually the goddess of entropy.

Shangluo shared this information.

"Harmony with the Dao? Ah, so that's how it is." Wen Yuan was the first to understand. "The spirit of the weapon told you that? She seems to understand it very well. The ultimate goal of the path to immortality is to achieve the state of refining emptiness and merging with the Dao, that is, to merge with the Dao, becoming one and the same. Reaching the ultimate state of 'I am the world, the world is me'. But this alone is meaningless, because being everywhere is the same as not existing. The key to merging with the Dao is to maintain the existence of the 'I', so that one can achieve the ultimate state of freedom and ease, and become a saint within the Dao."

“That’s why she’s like this.”

"They've all turned into stone statues. This is obviously not free and easy. If you don't reach a certain level and suddenly merge with the Dao, you'll end up like this. The sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers—they're all Dao. But you want to turn into a mountain and stay there? Pitiable. It's a pity that she's pitiful, but she's also implicated us. We have to find a way out. We can't turn into stone here with her. In addition, we have to take out your opportunity. This is an opportunity that can lead to 'merging with the Dao', an unparalleled foundation for the Dao, but the elixir has not yet found its rightful owner. Take it out and put it away quickly, and consume it when the time is right. Tsk, I've invested a lot of money this time, it's very expensive! You must practice hard, and don't let down the lightning bestowed by the Dao Ancestor."

Chapter 45 Aura

5 minute later.

"No, I can't break it." Shangluo struck the statue's surface with the hammer for the 20th time. The statue didn't budge at all; the hammer didn't even scratch the stone.

He leaned against the statue to catch his breath, then realized his hand was not in the right place and took it back.