Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

[I don't know, I've never fought against them. The number of Hydra troops is a mystery. I only know they are very small, because not all of them can adapt to the EITR agent. Only six individuals who can adapt to the EITR agent at the same time can be selected for the Hydra troops. I'm afraid neither side would agree to let the precious Hydra troops fight against the transcendent Aurora Celestial Beings.]

"Where on earth did Rome get this kind of power?"

Through a massive ritual called the 'Heroic Procession,' this is where it all comes from. This power, divided into six, comes from the blood of the Hydra. I haven't participated in any of the Heroic Procession spells, but they've clearly 'mixed' more than just the 'Hydra's blood,' but also things like the Golden Fleece and the Aegis. Roman magic, in essence, derives from the 'Golden Bough,' just as Aurora Taoism derives from the 'Taiyi Golden Flower.' You'll learn this in your Introduction to Occult course this weekend; this information is public.

"Okay, okay." Shangluo probably accepted all of this, but he still couldn't figure it out: "Will the Romans really not kill themselves by doing this?"

[Heh, now you feel the same way, don't you?] And this is just Constantinople's magic. The other five Romes each have their own methods. And no one knows which Rome first triggered the current situation, because the Romans themselves don't know when Rome was split into six parts. Their own memories are impeccable, otherwise they would have been broken long ago.]

"So, what should I do?"

"Call the police! No, 'Report Jin,' and let the Imperial Guard handle it. I'm a researcher, not a law enforcer. I don't know how to handle superpower crimes. This kind of thing should be addressed by the Imperial Guard. I assume they've dealt with similar cases before, so if they can compare two identical bodies, they'll naturally know what happened."

The police had already set up a cordon around the area, but no real police officers came forward. The poor cameraman was still lying on the ground, his blood still wet.

Lu Huaiyang, wearing a camouflaged police uniform, squatted beside the bloodstains, and Shangluo also stood in front of him.

Although it looked like an ordinary criminal case, Lu Huaiyang's brows were furrowed the entire time. There was some "progress" in the matter, but it did not make him feel relieved at all, because another victim appeared before him.

After examining the blood on the ground, he looked up and asked Shangluo:

"So you're saying there was a reversal of cause and effect? The photographer had already collapsed before he opened his mouth?"

"Yes. When I went over to check, the photographer was still breathing. He left behind the last words: 'I killed myself.' That's what I saw. Captain Lu, we should get in touch."

"Wait, my Feixin card is ringing." Lu Huaiyang stood up, took out the jade card and tapped it. Seeing the text sent by Feixin, he frowned:

"Shangluo, you seem to have seen some of Rome's top secrets just now. Constantinople discovered that someone had broken through the sympathetic detection, and they called to inquire about it. They have also requested that the Internal Guard be sent to handle this matter. The Jinyiwei will be responsible for receiving you."

"So what should I do now? Do I need to cooperate with the investigation?"

"What's the point of cooperating with them? It's their own mess, let them clean it up themselves. This has happened before, and we occasionally have 'mysteries' flowing into their side. We usually stop before each other's 'mysteries' because they can't be shared. It's different from the symbols. So don't say anything, don't tell me, and don't write it down in any written form. Tsk, things are going to be complicated. You haven't taken the Introduction to Mysticism course yet, so you don't know how to conceal yourself during sympathetic detection. Are you free tomorrow afternoon? I'll give you an extra 'Mystic Defense Class'. I'll have an expert come to the Jinyiwei to make up for it for you alone."

Shangluo thought for a moment and said, "I'm free. I've already dealt with most of the fleet's work this afternoon. Most of what I have to deal with tomorrow will be repetitive tasks."

"Very good, tomorrow afternoon then. Remember, go to bed immediately after you get back. Don't write anything down, and don't talk to anyone. Your identity, motives, and actions must be concealed. Also, turn on your Fetion card; it has an alarm function."

"Ah, yes, there is one." Shangluo checked the alarm on his phone, and it was just like the alarm clock it should have.

Lu Huaiyang came over and looked at his phone. "This is quite convenient. You can see it directly. Then please confirm the 'wake-up' function and set the time. It's 8:30 pm now. Will you go to bed when you get home?"

"Yes, I have the habit of going to bed early."

"Then set it to 10 o'clock. At 10 o'clock, if your settings are correct, the Fetion card will wake you from your dream—specifically, it will illuminate. The Fetion card will flash at a specific frequency, letting you know you're dreaming. Remember, you must maintain lucid dreams and continuity of consciousness throughout the night. Remember, dreams are experiential, not transcendental. If you see anything 'transcendent', wake up immediately. Don't hesitate. You'll wake up by feeling like you're falling. Do you understand?"

“It’s a bit much but I remember it.”

"Very good, then I'll take you home. You must sleep at home tonight. Tsk, why are you already in mission mode right now? You haven't learned anything yet. This world is really getting more and more outrageous. Even children have to be treated with caution. I think it's necessary to speed up your foundation building so that you can have the ability to protect yourself. Or at least let you enter the Qi training stage as soon as possible. I will bring you something tomorrow afternoon. Don't eat breakfast this morning. Remember to come on an empty stomach. Can you bear to be hungry all morning?"

"Uh," Shangluo shook his head. "I've been fed everywhere I go today, and now I don't feel hungry at all."

"See you this afternoon. I'll pick you up at the school gate. You can ask for leave from the team."

Chapter 103 Golden Branch

At 9:30 p.m., Shangluo lay in his bed. The lights were off, and his phone was set to wake-up mode. According to Lu Huaiyang, at a fixed time, the phone's light would wake him at a specific frequency, allowing him to have a lucid dream and avoid unexpected "problems" in his dreams.

"Hey, Apollonia." He suddenly opened his eyes. "What would have happened if I hadn't woken up?"

"It's hard to say. Without a proper ritual, no one knows what will happen in dreams. If dreams could be controlled, the Romans would have found the light long ago."

"The mysterious power on the Roman side is related to 'dreams'?"

To be more precise, it's about 'night.' Just as the cold sun illuminates China, the bright moon symbolizes Constantinople. Rome's mysteries are often hidden in the darkness, and the night is noble. Primitive humans simply cannot fathom what the night holds; only those who master 'light' know how to navigate it.

"So, Captain Lu's suggestion is correct?"

His advice was spot-on. In Rome, only those trained in the inner guards and others would explore this path, for the light was far less impartial than sunlight. In Aurora, as long as you consumed the immortal root, you could attempt to explore the true path. But in Rome, the light was reserved for those worthy of holding it, and the path was closed to the majority. Therefore, Lu Huaiyang's advice was spot-on: don't casually venture into the night, especially after witnessing something mysterious.

"why?"

Because what you think about during the day, you dream at night. After witnessing a mysterious event, magical "symbols" will appear in your mind, and "symbols" are the only language that can be used in dreams. In other words, this is another application of the Akashic Records: instead of simply asking "What is the Foundation Establishment Pill?" and then finding the closest answer, you first find a key, and then use the key to find the unique answer.

"Couldn't the Romans have used rituals to lock onto the content of 'dreams' and then explore within them?"

You're half right. Technically, it wasn't a 'dream,' but 'night.' Where you can't see, anything is possible. The darkness holds infinite possibilities—and dreaming is part of that, of course. But entering 'night' through dreams is incredibly dangerous, like swimming in the middle of the ocean. The Romans were incredibly well prepared. They'd prepare tokens, then use EITR potions to maintain continuity of consciousness. Finally, they'd light lamps at designated sacrificial sites to let in the night, returning to them before the phlogiston ran out. Here, you have nothing, so you need to awaken to ensure your own safety.

"Got it." He checked his phone again.

[Don't worry, you've already set this up. This trick is very useful because even when you're asleep, you can still sense light. When you know you'll be awakened by light, you'll have a hint that 'light is reality.' Actually, you could prepare a spinning top, but that takes time to patina. You haven't had long-term training, so you can't bring a spinning top or other hints. So just set the light. Now, go to sleep. Sweet dreams.]

He had never seen this dream before. The bright silver air cast dappled shadows across the woods, and countless eyes seemed to be peering into the deep, dense forest. Passing through one branch-wrapped path after another, he found a large tree in a clearing in the forest.

A great golden tree with golden branches. Yet, a chilling shadow lingered beneath the golden boughs: the Priest King, crowned with laurel, staggered beneath the tree, slowly circling. His sword was his crutch, its tip piercing the earth, offering him a small but useful support. Only with the sword in hand could the Priest King find any solace.

But he could not have a moment's peace. Because anyone who climbed and plucked the golden bough was entitled to seize his crown, he had to patrol here day and night. Especially at night - yes, at night. Every night, there would be speculators who took advantage of the cover of darkness to try to pluck the golden bough.

"I'm talking about you!"

The Priest King suddenly stopped and looked over here. His cloudy eyes carried an ancient malice, a final warning to the usurpers.

Suddenly, a pair of hands held his shoulders from behind and brought him back to the forest, giving him a moment's respite.

Looking back, I saw that there were six identical people, each holding a lantern in their hands.

The man dragging Shangluo glanced at him and said, "Strange, how could he be a Zhendan? Come quickly, Raven! This is not an apprentice, this is a Zhendan! And a child!"

"A Chinese from China? How did he end up like this?"

The one called "Raven" stepped forward. Although they all looked the same, the Hydra troops used code names to distinguish them. Raven was the original, while the others were given code names like Lion, Crocodile, Dolphin, Snake, Lobster, and Snail, depending on the situation.

"Hey, kid, are you in Delphi? Are you taking part in the trials?"

He and Shangluo exchanged a glance: "No, he's dreaming! He didn't even drink the potion, he's not awake."

"Dreaming? But dreams are based on experience. Zhendan has no experience with these symbols, so there's no way they could have come here. Raven... Anyway, we need to get him out of the woods quickly. It's dangerous here, and it's dangerous for us too. We need two people to watch him, and we even have to blink alternately to keep him in sight."

His concerns were justified. Protecting a dreamer in the woods was incredibly difficult. Dreams lacked continuity, and a blink could easily vanish from view. And everyone blinks. However, the Hydra troops were technically "one person," so they could at least maintain a continuous gaze by blinking alternately, preventing their target from losing sight.

"It's really weird! Why didn't anyone who should have come come, and someone who shouldn't have come came?" muttered the lion holding the sword.

Raven glanced at him and asked, "How do you know he shouldn't come?"

"Do you want him to take the Golden Bough?"

Raven was silent for a while: "Has something happened in Zhendan recently?"

The wise Dolphin provided the answer: "The Ripper is over there. The VI Squadron is preparing to go to Aurora. They have already reported to the Royal Guards. A rocket plane will be coming to pick them up."

"Why is Aurora always using rocket planes to pick people up lately? Luckily, we're not on a field mission this time."

"Raven, what about this child?"

"Give me an old branch and let him choose for himself." He took a withered branch from behind, helped Shangluo up, and handed the old branch to him:

"Listen, child. Take the Old Branch. This is the golden branch from the previous tree. Go out and find out the meaning of this place. If you are really sure you want to continue, then use the Old Branch to enter the dream. But you must drink the EITR potion. This place is dangerous, very dangerous, very dangerous. Do you understand? We will guard here until the trial is over. Next time, if you are ready, come to us with the Old Branch."

Shangluo nodded.

"Then wake up!" He suddenly let go of his hand, and Shangluo, who was supported, fell down because he lost his support.

"Bang!" Shangluo woke up after hitting his head on the desk.

The whole class was quiet and the teacher looked at him.

His nose hurt, and Shangluo woke up completely. He wanted to rub his nose with his hand—but when he stretched out his right hand, he was holding a golden dry branch.

Chapter 104 Night and Dream

At lunchtime, Shangluo served a bowl of radish soup. He had asked Lu Huaiyang if he wanted to eat anything, and he could only eat the radish.

He took a sip of the soup while it was still steaming. It was indeed hot.

But at this time, the feeling of heat can make people feel more at ease.

"Fortunately, this isn't a dream. It wouldn't be this hot in a dream."

After waking up, he felt a little uneasy. The source of his uneasiness was the branch he had placed in the package.

He shouldn't have been sleeping in the morning. But the "wake-up function" last night was so effective that he was actually awakened in his dream.

But once awakened from a dream, it was difficult to maintain it. He would wake up naturally. According to Lu Huaiyang's instructions, he had to reset the wake-up function and go back to sleep. Sleep, wake up, wake up, sleep again.

This went on and on, and he was in a light sleep state the whole night, and didn't sleep well at all. He got up early at five or six in the morning to go to school.

He wasn't that sleepy at first. But skipping breakfast that morning left him feeling a bit dizzy. He managed a nap during the break, but by the third period, he couldn't hold out any longer. He dozed off, briefly, without even the teacher noticing. Then, the mysterious dream took advantage of the situation and led him to visit the Priest King.

Even with the help of the Xudela troops, he still wondered if he was in a dream, even after drinking the soup. Is it true that you can't eat hot food in a dream?

Burning is pain, a sense, and senses are ultimately something that can be simulated in the brain. If dreams were truly real, then they would naturally feel hot.

[Are you still worried? ]

"Well, that dream was so real, so real it almost felt like the real thing. It's just that I couldn't take any effective action at the time. It was like I was watching myself from a third-person perspective. Those guys from the Xudela unit, they were pretty good, right?"

They have a great deal of responsibility, and with that comes a high sense of morality. While this isn't always the case, the one you met is pretty good.

"I'm not worried about them, I'm worried that they haven't sent me out of the dream yet."

[I already said it wasn't a dream, it was night. How can there be any 'night' in broad daylight? If you don't believe me, just verify it yourself.]

"Hmm." He glanced at Qi Yuan across from him.

"Squad leader, pinch my face."

"what?"

"Pinch it and see if I'm dreaming."

After wiping his hands with a tissue, Qi Yuan reached across the table and pinched his face 270 degrees.

"It hurts, it hurts, it's okay, it's okay. How come you're so strong?"

"I do have some true qi after all, but I haven't reached the Qi training stage yet. All these years of eating immortal roots have not been in vain."

"Is everyone like this?"

"Yes." Qi Yuan nodded. "People in the Jinei region who have been eating the Immortal Root Radish since childhood will basically never get sick as long as they have the Innate Dao Body. Their minds will be sharper, and their hands and feet will be more nimble. That's why high-level competitions like Formula One racing must be held when students are in middle school. It's because the Innate Dao Body is at its most stable at this time. It becomes very troublesome when you get older. Those who haven't been able to establish a foundation to become a celestial being will slowly fade away."

"After all, the Immortal Root Radish is still just a radish, right? The power of a radish is limited after all."

"Yeah. I heard Lan Fang was trying to cultivate a new variety of banana, but it seems to have failed, so they had to use it for other purposes. What a shame, otherwise a banana would be a nice addition to lunch—so why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

"Nothing. I just want to ask, monitor, if you think you might be dreaming, but can't tell the difference between dreams and reality, what would you do?"

"Of course, find a calculator and try it. Dreams can't go beyond your experience. If you can't calculate something while awake, you certainly can't calculate it in a dream. So try a three-digit multiplication problem and see what the calculator says. Then try to calculate it carefully yourself."

"Yeah, that makes sense." He took out his cell phone.

"Do you really have to use it now?"

"I'm a little panicked."

"Okay." Qi Yuan pushed the plate across and sat down next to Shang Luo. "You can use it. I'll block it for you. Cultivating immortals can be confusing sometimes. Just don't go astray."

"Thanks."

Qi Yuan was blocking the way beside him as he took out a calculator from under the table.

A minute later, he calculated the same result using scratch paper. The calculations on the scratch paper were done at his desk. Studying without sleep is a good thing, after all—even though these multiplication problems were only first-grade math.

"So do I have any quick way to judge in the future?" he asked Apollonia.

As I've said, night and dreams are different. Dreams are based on experience, so you can judge them based on experience, in a variety of ways. Night, on the other hand, is transcendental, but it must occur at night. This is the underlying setting of the symbol "night." It's impossible for daytime to become nighttime.

"But aren't morning classes during the day?"

"Because it was night in Rome. There's a time difference, idiot."

"Ah!" Shangluo suddenly understood. "I was half asleep and didn't think of that. But it turns out it's calculated according to local time? Where is that?"

So what did you see? You were in the dream so briefly that I didn't notice. Did you get an old branch? Did you see a golden laurel tree?

"It's the Golden Bough and the Priest King."

[That's the shrine at Lake Nemi, in Italy—but it's amazing that it can connect to such a long distance. Usually, only shrines can connect to other shrines.]

"That can be teleported?"