Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"You're not Doudou, what do you want to add to the meal? Okay, okay, what do you want to add?"

[Cake! I want ice cream cake!]

"Eh? The one for your birthday? I remember Victoria sent a better cake. Do you like that?"

[Mmmmm. I want ice cream cake.]

"Okay. Then please keep an eye on me. And keep an eye on something else. I don't want to have just one good time. If I could get some pills from time to time to break through to the Golden Core stage, I might be able to avoid a lot of detours."

With Apollonia's confirmation, his experiment could begin.

"I'm ready. So, how do I start this thing?" He asked this crucial question before driving.

"Look carefully, is there a silver thread on it?"

Shangluo took the pill in front of him and looked carefully for it: "Yes, I found it? Then what?"

"That's a thread made of light silver. Use your spiritual power to process it and pull it out. As soon as you pull it out, this thing will activate."

"Aren't you reciting the mantra?"

"The finished version should be able to be used with incantations to control it, just like a magic weapon. This is the only way, so let's try it this way first. Prototypes are made this way. So, do you feel the pleasure of driving a prototype?"

"No, not really. Because I'm not in a rush, so whether you force me to grow faster or let me reach the top overnight, since there are no disasters, I don't feel any sense of achievement."

“In fact, there will be.”

"???" Shangluo was stunned for a moment, "Is there something else that I haven't come across?"

"Wait until you achieve fame and success before you discuss this. This isn't something a brat should be concerned about. Even if you're a celestial being, a brat is still a brat. All you need to do is eat well, sleep well, and don't overthink complicated things. When you reach my level, you won't even be able to rest."

"Ha," Shangluo sighed, "So I have to win so you won't treat me like a brat?"

"Of course, adults should be able to stand on their own two feet. Here, becoming an adult requires taking an exam—just like if you don't pass the exam for the title of scholar, you'll always be a student, a 'child' for the rest of your life. Our country practices the imperial examination system. If you can't pass the most basic citizenship exam, you won't even be considered a complete, capable person. Look at your classmate Qi Yuan next to you." He pointed at Qi Yuan:

"She's studying very hard for the exam. Her father and I occasionally talk about it."

Qi Yuan didn't say anything, but just looked at Shangluo, his face full of anticipation.

Shangluo nodded: "Okay, okay, I understand. I will try my best to win and be a decent adult."

"If you win this Formula One race, you'll be directly recognized as a Juren. This isn't just 'adulthood,' you know. This is Juren status. In principle, you can go to the Jiangning County Magistrate and discuss anything he says. If you write a petition, it can be presented directly to the cabinet elders without any approval. If you take the next step and pass the Jinshi exam, regardless of whether you rank first, second, or third, you'll have a seat in the Fengtian Hall, where the world's major issues will be decided. Even I can't speak there, because in principle, I don't interfere in court discussions."

Chapter 473 Small Zhoutian

“So this is the Imperial Examination Republic???”

"Yes, that's right. So, considering your current status as a little brat, a mere student, I won't let you take on too much responsibility even if you are a celestial being. Of course, this is a matter of the mortal realm. There are no imperial examinations in heaven, so you are still responsible for matters in heaven."

"So the disaster you just mentioned, is it from heaven or earth?"

"It comes from heaven, but it will affect everyone in the world, so I won't tell you until you are ready. And if I don't let you know, Master Sa Tianshi will probably tell you too—Xiao So, I was just wondering what you were thinking about, and it turns out you were thinking about this. You don't think you can join our republic without doing a single test, do you? Boy, hurry up and do a few big questions to calm down, and then I'll see how many points you can get."

"Tsk." Shangluo lowered the visor of his helmet. "Countdown, I'm running."

Zhu Xianxun took a step back, retreating to the most skilled technician present, dressed in formal attire. She had gotten off the car after Zhu Xianxun and was his "fellow Taoist," or "companion." Yang Jingying, a second-class Jinshi (Shaoping 2nd year) in the Imperial Examination, held an Associate Doctorate of Science degree from Jinling University, a professor there, and a Counselor of the Wenyuan Pavilion. Empresshood was only one of her identities. She had even taken on the title of professor while still a doctoral student: because professorship is a teaching position, exceptionally qualified individuals could hold it.

However, it is not so easy for her to get a doctorate degree. She has to actually complete the project at hand.

"Your project is about to begin." Zhu Xianxun said to her in a low voice.

"First of all, it's safe. I don't even know if it's safe or not."

"We are all professionals. In short, you just make the plan and let us carry it out. Although Shangluo is not an adult, she can be responsible for herself in the realm of heavenly affairs. If he succeeds this time, then our years of waiting will finally be over."

“I feel like I’m in the delivery room.”

"Just treat it as an early experience." He grabbed Liu Deying's hand, "When the project is finished, let's go on vacation together. As we agreed before, we'll go to Southeast Asia."

"Okay, Zhu Ling just told me that she wants to go."

"Let's not take her. That little girl is too noisy. Just the two of us will go."

Shangluo raised his mask again and said, "Hey, you two! I don't mean to interrupt you, but if you plant the flag like this, something bad will happen!"

"Tsk, why are you as noisy as her sometimes?" Zhu Xianxun had no choice but to let go of his hand and picked up the starting gun beside him. "Are you ready?"

"Ready." Shangluo lowered his mask. He glanced at Qi Yuan outside and said, "Help me close the hatch. Then, stand back next to them." Qi Yuan nodded and closed the hatch—and then Shangluo saw another familiar face.

The guy with glasses appeared on Bai Hongjing's windshield and helped him pull out the display frames of fuel level, wind speed and speed one by one and put them in the appropriate positions.

"Prepare for gunfire, take your positions."

With a snap, the gun went off. Shangluo pulled the trigger on [Heaven and Earth Unity], and the entire car sprang into action. The turbocharger behind it fired first, and the entire car erupted in flames from the exhaust, sprinting forward in a shower of sparks. Left, right, left-left, right-right. He knew this road like a champ. Now, without the assistance of his eyes, he could achieve his previous best result.

39 seconds. Yeah, that's pretty fast. But this is just a go-kart practice track. This isn't even close to the theoretical limit. Keep trying.

"Yeah, indeed. I feel like I could still improve my starting position a bit. Eh?"

He suddenly remembered: "Aren't we going to test it? Did something happen just now?"

[No, I feel like nothing.]

Before he finished speaking, a voice rang in his ears:

"Start!"

The sound of the starting gun echoed in my ears.

"Huh?" Zhu Xianxun asked in confusion, "You guys start the car. How can I know if it works if I don't run a lap?"

Shangluo opened the hatch, took off his helmet, and stuck his head out: "I just finished running."

"Hey, stop teasing me, just run a lap, you won't die."

However, he only said half of his words. He looked into Shangluo's eyes and found that Shangluo was serious.

Qi Yuan next to her was also stunned - she was still standing there, not moving at all.

"Did you really finish running? When did you run?" Qi Yuan asked.

"Hear the starting gun—Oh, Apollonia, did you hear the starting gun just now?"

"They started counting after they heard it, and then!!!" She also understood, "We finished a lap, and the starting gun hasn't even finished firing yet."

Until now, the starting gun in Zhu Xianxun's hand is still smoking.

"Wait a minute." Zhu Xianxun came up. "Although I trust you, I need to confirm it just to be safe. After you've walked around, do you have any proof?"

Before Shangluo could answer, an eye popped up on the screen and projected the remaining fuel level onto the white mirror on the windshield - the fuel level had indeed moved.

"Student Qi Yuan," Zhu Xianxun asked, "Is this the amount of fuel needed for one lap?"

"Yes, I filled it with oil myself."

"Well, wait a minute." Zhu Xianxun frowned. He walked back, pondering, and had a brief conversation with his fellow Taoists, his partner, and his research partners.

"Okay, Shangluo." He turned around and called out, "You can come out now. The experiment is over."

Wearing a flame-retardant suit and holding his helmet, Shangluo stood in front of the two men. "So, what happened just now? I clearly ran a lap, but nothing happened. So was this a failure? Or a success?"

"It succeeded," Liu Deying answered his question. "And this is consistent with our previous expectations—that the Jindan stage is the one that circulates the 'small circulation', not the large circulation that coexists with the outside world. You felt nothing inside because the small circulation is running seamlessly. Because it runs so normally, you don't feel anything."

"Ah, this. If I don't feel anything, then I don't have any experience, right?"

"Ah." Zhu Xianxi beside him sighed. "How should I put it? I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but at least it's a good thing for the project. The specific details still need to be tested. I don't know how much you've accelerated it—maybe you've completely stalled us. This is just a small theoretical model, not even a toy, and it has such obvious effects. This is a good thing. As long as we can complete it, it may even be possible to produce the real Taiyi Jinhua. Well, let's stop here for today. How about a meal? What do you want to eat? It's on me."

Chapter 474 Alchemy

Shangluo and Zhu Xianxun sat next to each other, and the two of them checked the video they had taken before. In front of them were French fries, hamburgers and Coke.

"I said," Zhu Xianxun asked first, "I said I'm going to treat you, and you're going to eat this?"

“I think the burger is delicious.”

"Actually, even though I'm short on money when I'm doing this, I still have enough money to treat you to a meal. After all, I earn a lot of pocket money myself."

"It's mainly to save money for the court," he said, glancing at the manager behind the counter. The manager smiled at them, then smiled at Zhu Xianxun for three more seconds before continuing to stand there, idly wiping the table and occasionally mumbling into the intercom.

"Ah, indeed," Zhu Xianxun shook his head. "This is the Jinyiwei's 'police station.' Eating here does make them feel at ease."

"Here I am. Sorry for the long wait. Here are the ice cream cones you ordered." Phaethon held up three large ice cream cones and swung them half a circle more than last time, giving one to each of Shangluo, Zhu Xianxun, and Qi Yuan who came to eat with them.

This time it's not just ice cream cones. In fact, their fries are super large, their Coke is super large, and their burgers are also a size bigger than others. It seems that they are super large sizes that are not even on the menu.

"Aren't you coming to eat?" Zhu Xianxun asked his prospective apprentice. This was still his first disciple, as he had accepted students before.

"No, I still have to work. Eat slowly~"

Watching Phaethon return to the kitchen, Zhu Xianxun muttered, "He's really hardworking. It makes me feel a little embarrassed to be his master. If she sees me slacking off every day, I won't be able to set a good example."

"Don't you make elixirs every morning?"

"Then I can't bring her with me when I refine the elixir, right? I can bring you. Daozu didn't say I can bring anyone else. But classmate Qi Yuan."

"Ah? Yes!" She almost choked on the Coke in her hand.

"You want to go to Northern Zhili to carry out a big project. That's a very good idea. Master Lan is in charge there, and many projects can be directly met with him in person. However, it seems that you are still practicing the way of the alchemy furnace?"

"Yeah, yeah." Qi Yuan nodded and replied, "But I'm not a Qigong practitioner yet."

"It's almost there, and soon everything will be the same. So, what do you think of this experiment?"

"." This question stumped Qi Yuan.

As a prospective science student, and a professional who had sharpened her own hammer at the age of eight, she could offer a few pertinent suggestions even to the White Star.

But she really couldn't offer any advice in that situation. That wasn't even metaphysics; it was pure immortality.

"Your Majesty, this Taiyi Jinhua seems beyond my comprehension."

"Ah," Zhu Xianxun pressed his forehead, "Actually, I don't understand it either, even though I did it. If I can't even understand this, what's the point of studying it?"

"How about we take a look at the video?" Shangluo suggested, "Although the human eye may not be able to see it, the Beans should have captured something."

"You have this? Then why didn't you take it out and have a look just now?" Zhu Xianxun asked.

"Because they're rendering, which takes time. I've just uploaded it to the discussion group after it's finished."

The three of them opened their phones together.

Zhu Xianxun put down his phone.

"Damn it." He cursed, "Can't you even see Doudou clearly?"

The image displayed was a high-speed camera. From the moment the starting gun was fired to the moment Shangluo realized he had returned, the entire car remained motionless on the screen, with only Shangluo's head "moving" momentarily.

"Hahahaha~~" He raised his head and laughed a few times.

"Ah, Brother, are you okay?"

"It's okay, I'm just happy. We've only recovered a glimpse of the power of the Golden Core Stage, a mere drop in the ocean. The true might has yet to be revealed. No wonder I couldn't see how powerful those masters were. It turns out they've become as ethereal as dust, completely invisible. I'm becoming more and more confident in our future path. I didn't know the Golden Core Stage was that powerful."

"Wow," Qi Yuan exclaimed, "He's truly the Son of Heaven. The more I look at him, the more confused I become."

"That's because you don't have enough information. If you knew as much as Shangluo, you'd understand why I'm so happy. But, little brat." He looked at Qi Yuan, "You haven't taken the imperial examination yet. So although I really want to tell you, a brat who hasn't taken the imperial examination can't discuss important matters with me."

"Yes, I understand." Qi Yuan nodded. "I will do my best. In time, I will definitely appear before your Majesty and take part in the palace examination!"

"I'm rooting for you." Zhu Xianxun held up a Coke. "Then I'll be waiting to drink your champion wine. Let's have a drink first?"

"Okay, cheers!" Qi Yuan clinked his Coke with his, "I want to be like Grandma Wang in the future!"

"Grandma Wang?" Shangluo asked in surprise, "Which Grandma Wang?"

"Old Madam Wang Luoying, the Minister of Works of Shuntian, a mathematician. I saw her this morning; she's probably in Tangshan soaking in the hot springs."

"Puff~~" Shangluo almost spit out the Coke, "I thought it was Grandma Wang who sells glutinous rice balls!"

"Grandma Wang is so nice!" Qi Yuan couldn't hide her excitement. "When you were away, she came to visit us at school. She graduated from our school, too! She even solved a difficult problem for us right there! Wow, she doesn't have a single wrinkle on her face."

“Do wrinkles have anything to do with solving big problems?”

"Yes!" Qi Yuan nodded. "He looks so high-spirited that you can't even notice his wrinkles!"

Zhu Xianxun took a sip of Coke and said, "Actually, I made a facial cleanser for the old lady, and it worked really well. But temperament is really important. I think if the old lady knew that you were following her example and studying hard, she would definitely be very happy."

Qi Yuan left in his father's car, but Shangluo and Zhu Xianen were not in a hurry.