Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"Don't talk nonsense! He can hear you talking about cicada molting here. But if the molting is complete, what exactly is he busy with in the palace? It would be more convenient for him to attain enlightenment in heaven."

"It's hard to say. Anyway, bring your spear."

[That's fine. Then should this spear be equipped on you or on me?]

"You're not really playing games, so you should hold this equipment. This big golden thing is taller than me, how am I supposed to carry it around?"

[Okay, this time you use the Salted Fish Sword, and I'll use the Salted Fish Armor and the Salted Fish Spear. I feel so awesome! I've never used so much Divine Chrome before!]

"Is this thing called divine chrome really that difficult to make?"

[Nonsense. This thing can be called a gift of nature, in a sense. The only thing I have is the outer shell of my 'Golden Elixir' made of divine chrome. So, the other day, seeing the Longjiang Shipyard applying divine chrome to a warship, I was shocked. This thing's power is practically limitless; even just a single layer can unleash terrifying power. I'm not sure how they'll use it once it's applied, but the name 'Zhu Xian Ship' certainly rings true. In a way, it could unleash destructive power comparable to a salted fish sword. Anyone who sees it would be terrified.]

"Don't call that ship the Salted Fish Ship."

"I dare not. The sword in your hand is, after all, just a sword. Its only range of damage is melee, and at most, it can be used for sneak attacks. But the divine chromium on that ship allows mortals, or at least Qigong practitioners, to participate in god-level combat. That thing is truly a great blessing. With so much divine chromium, I wonder if the Dao Ancestor has a mine at home?"

"Is there such a thing as divine chrome ore?"

How would I know? Family affairs, national affairs, and world affairs—I don't know everything.

"Don't imitate Daozu's speech, or you'll get beaten."

"Oh, didn't they hit me? It seems the Ancestor doesn't care. Anyway, the Dao Ancestor has an abundance of divine chromium. Even Helios only used it to forge a spear for his daughter. There's so much here that it could be used as building material. Did the Dao Ancestor refine it himself? I remember Taoists all refine elixirs, didn't they?"

"Taishang Laojun's furnace can also refine magical weapons, not just elixirs. More than half of the top-tier magic weapons in Journey to the West are related to Taishang Laojun. Even if he pulls out a bull's nose ring, it can still make Sun Wukong fall twice. So it wouldn't be surprising if Daozu really refined some magical chrome."

[Well, while it's not an indicator of hard power, strength and the ability to flow divine chromium are often comparable. Wow, wow, wow~ I'm still far from it. But being a nobody isn't so bad. At least I can see the sights everywhere, unlike Daozu, who sits there with a sullen face, chatting with his grandson all day. Their responsibilities are too great, even Helios's. He's been supervising in Alexandria.]

"Yeah, why are you the only one who has nothing to do to come out and enjoy the scenery?"

I've already mentioned that I'm a young god-machine. Isn't it normal for children to observe and learn? I'm not like you guys, tinkering with Formula One cars at a young age. Even I'd find that outrageous. Is that something a human child should play with? The god-machine children are all here observing and learning.

"I guess Formula One racing can also be considered as learning through observation."

Before he'd experienced it, it seemed a bit outrageous. But after joining the team, he realized everything seemed quite reasonable. It's true that people's perceptions change with their status; once outrageous things become commonplace, they're no longer so outrageous.

Furthermore, for the "professionals" in the team, even greater projects await them in the future. Lan Fang alone possesses a "moon cannon" waiting for these dreamers to realize, and the imperial court certainly has even greater plans. Compared to these, Formula One racing can only be considered learning. Formula racing, after all, is about solving problems within a limited scope, and it's perfectly normal for a child to tackle them. It's just that this problem is a bit outrageous, and only those who have even half a foot in the inner world of the immortal path can handle it.

"By the way, I have a good grasp of my learning and growth here. What about yours? Can you improve on the following? I occasionally find your functions very limited. Can you upgrade them?"

[It's hard to say. I haven't found my path yet. But perhaps following you for free is also a path. Who says freeing isn't? I've been following you for so long, and I've gained more than I could have gotten from trying to figure it out on my own. Every time you're fed, I get quite a bit. Isn't this phone from freed food? Maybe after you've established your foundation, I'll be able to follow you for a bit more. Don't worry, I'll definitely be a tank and use my micromanagement skills to hold you up. I definitely won't lose.]

Chapter 146 Lan Fang's Little Secret

"Welcome all colleagues, classmates, and those eager to return home to once again choose to fly on Lan Fang Airlines' Ninghe supersonic rocket airliner. The captain of this flight is me again, my last name is Lin."

Captain Lin's tone was even more cheerful than before, his excitement evident even over the radio. More people were choosing to travel aboard the Ninghe, a testament to Lan Fang's technology. Although the six Romans in the cabin were trembling from the neck down and shaking from the waist down, they resolutely opted for the "convenience and safety of modern technology." They could have retreated in secret, but to get Shangluo all the way to his destination, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and make another attempt.

This also fully demonstrated the bright future that the "Lanfang General Administration and Lanfang Administrative Service Co., Ltd." under the leadership of Marquis Yanping was on. Even the taciturn Marquis Yanping would smile at this.

"Hey, Captain Lin," Shangluo asked as he put on his helmet, "Are they okay in the cabin? They vomited up their leftover food the last time they went down."

"I'm the captain. I only care about what happens on the plane. It's none of my business once you've disembarked. Well, that's how it is." Captain Lin chatted with Shangluo while conducting takeoff checks. Captain Chen, on the other side, was also browsing Fetion, looking completely unnerved.

"Oh, by the way, Xiao Shang." Captain Lin suddenly turned around and asked, "Have you improved your cultivation?"

"Really? How did you know that?"

"Comfort? It's mainly about your complexion. You seem much more confident than last time. You don't panic when you see anyone."

[With the Seven-Star Sword in hand, everyone looks like Dong Zhuo. That's how it is.]

"Well, I have indeed improved a lot."

"This guy is now the chief swordsman of the Imperial Palace." Captain Chen, who was swiping the Feixin card, reminded.

"Huh? Where did you see it? Which group?"

"It's the 'Yongshou Palace is full of hungry people' group I joined last time, the dinner group around Yingtian Prefecture."

"Is the dinner group thing reliable?"

"Tsk, see for yourself. The group leader said so. You know who the group leader is, right? The one with the surname Fu, who always eats for free at Kuiguang Pavilion."

"Isn't that Senior Fu Yuanshan? Let me see." He took out his Fetion card and looked at it.

"Oh my god, it's true!" When he turned around again, his eyes were filled with horror:

"Hey, classmate Xiao Shang? Fellow Daoist Shang? Senior Shang? Who the hell are you? The position of the Chief Sword Master of the Imperial Palace has been vacant for decades, and you're actually able to get it?"

"Um, good luck, good luck."

"Are you sure you're not some hidden master? I remember there were quite a few."

"No, no, no, I really am a student. Look, I'm still wearing my school uniform." Shangluo pointed to the collar of his school uniform that was exposed from under his anti-Dutch suit.

Captain Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good, that's good. I've heard that some senior experts like to play dumb and then suddenly play tricks on us."

"Are there other people like this?" Shangluo asked.

"Yes, it's Senior Fu Yuanshan. He anonymously created a dinner group and ate with people all day long, but everyone he ate with thanked him mysteriously. Then everyone knew it was Senior Fu. Senior Fu is the kindest among the celestial beings. As long as you invite him to dinner, you can ask him for advice during the meal. If he's in a good mood, he'll even split the meal bill with you!"

"Is there such a thing?" Captain Chen asked in surprise. "When I treated him to dinner last month, the tea alone cost me half a month's salary. He never once offered to split the bill with me. Is there anything you want to say that he'd like to hear?"

"Who knows? Anyway, those who can ascend to become celestial beings are all somewhat eccentric, but they are all good people. Very few of them are too self-sufficient, and they are all happy to guide the younger generations. Tsk, for a moment, I thought Shangluo, you could guide me. It seems that you have been given some special opportunity."

"Yeah, that's right."

"That's really impressive. Luck is also a part of strength. Have you heard of Wen Yan, the leader of the previous generation of thunder cultivators? Wow, such a good person, but just unlucky. I think you're particularly lucky - if something goes wrong this time, you..." He pointed to the ceiling, "Try again?"

"Is it because of you that I was called here to sit?"

"No, no, this is a consideration for the students. Regardless of whether you can help or not, you have to sit in this seat. Because this seat is for those who have not entered the Qi training stage."

"So there's someone else sitting in this seat? And it's often occupied?"

"Tsk." Captain Chen glanced at his neighbor, who immediately understood what he meant. Without saying anything more, he took out his teacup, drank a sip of water silently, and swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

"So, this is the seat of the national surname, right?"

"Pfft!!!!" Captain Lin spat a mouthful of tea onto the floor. "Who told you that?! The number of people who know about this is less than a handful of chopsticks!"

"No one knew this?"

"In absolute terms, it's still quite small, probably a few dozen." Apollonia added, "I just checked, and very few people know about this. Even with the keywords, I couldn't find anything. But anyway, this kind of thing can't be kept secret, especially with so many Qigong practitioners around. I guess Guoxing is very concerned about this."

Captain Chen, standing by, had been frozen since he heard the word "national surname." It was only then that he remembered the flaw in the story and turned back to ask Shangluo:

"Is it His Majesty the Emperor who said that?"

"Oh yes, that's what he said."

"Really?" Captain Lin covered his forehead. "They were college classmates. It's said that when they were doing the banana experiment, the Emperor personally refined a furnace of elixir for him. It was a miracle. It's a pity that it hasn't been replicated until now, and even the Emperor himself feels very sorry. It's said that they successfully concentrated the spiritual energy to 14.8% abundance, and even allowed Guo Xing, who has no spiritual roots, to complete a cycle of enlightenment. Not many people know about this, but the Emperor is one of them."

"So you're not collecting bananas to make atomic bombs?"

"Cough! Cough cough cough!" Even Captain Zheng couldn't help himself. "Why do you say such ruthless things? Who told you that?"

"You guys are really making an atomic bomb!"

"Keep your voice down, keep your voice down." Captain Lin held down his hand. "We're still experimenting. Ever since the atomic model was proposed, some have suggested it could be weaponized, but it's only a theoretical prototype. We haven't yet verified how to disintegrate the nucleus. Guo Xing is optimistic, though. We're working on solving the power issue. Once that's resolved, we can begin testing multiple schemes simultaneously. But right now, simply concentrating the spiritual energy is already overwhelming us; the power consumption is unprecedentedly terrifying. If it weren't for Guo Xing's unwavering support, these plans would have been aborted long ago."

Chapter 147 The Little Secret of the National Surname

"The court, do you know everything?"

"Everyone knows. At least the Emperor must know. Guoxing and the Emperor have a good relationship and they often exchange information. As for whether the Emperor has told others, that's up to the Emperor himself—in short." Captain Lin glanced to the side and said, "Old Chen, let's delete this cockpit recording. Let's have a unified story and say it was a malfunction and didn't start."

"Yeah." Captain Chen nodded. "It would be terrible if anyone heard this. Anyway, this aircraft has all sorts of minor glitches all the time. After we get a unified story, no one will know."

"That leaves only this." Captain Lin looked at Shangluo. "Shangluo, please, please, please, don't tell anyone. The atomic bomb and the like don't matter; they're just empty talk. But the fact that Koxinga can't practice Qigong must not be leaked. It would have a very negative impact. People would think Koxinga is investing so heavily in cutting-edge technology to compensate for his own physical shortcomings. Let me be clear, I didn't propose this! I was just relaying what others had said."

Captain Chen added, "This wouldn't be a big deal for anyone else. But the Emperor should have mentioned it to you—Lan Fang is the greatest inner vassal state, far larger than the likes of Anxi, Beiting, and Yangzhou. Lan Fang is home to countless powerful generals and wise men, practically a branch of the imperial court. Guo Xing grew up surrounded by Qigong practitioners, hoping to use his spiritual roots to prolong his life. However, he doesn't have any spiritual roots at all, and has been frail and sickly since childhood, even requiring a wheelchair during his university years. Guo Xing is now very concerned about others bringing this up, especially when his past experiences are linked to his current R&D investments. That's what he hates to hear the most."

"I see. Someone will check this recording when it's released, right?"

The two nodded.

"It's better to delete it as soon as possible." Shangluo didn't want anyone to remember that he knew these "little secrets". Although many people knew about it, one more was still too many.

"Come on, eat some jelly." Captain Lin immediately opened a box of jelly and handed it to Shangluo. "I'm scared of you. I really am. Are you really not here to tease our celestial beings? How come you are so well-informed?"

"Really not, really not." Shangluo took the jelly and said, "Is it not okay for me to eat jelly?"

There was no need for him to say anything more, as he had asked all the questions he needed to ask.

4 hours later.

Slurp, slurp. Shangluo finished his second box of jelly. His second ride was much better than the first. The combined effect of the anti-gravity suit and the seat helped him maintain a good spirit throughout the ride, even allowing him to enjoy the scenery while eating jelly.

"By the way, the jelly here is really delicious. The flavor is very delicate. The juice has a very rich flavor. The grape has a grape flavor, and the strawberry has a strawberry flavor. This banana flavor is even better."

"It's made with a centrifuge, so how could it not be delicious? Every grape and strawberry is crushed with precision. You're holding weapons-grade, high-enrichment juice, and the taste is weapons-grade too. Guoxing loves it himself, so I brought a lot. This jelly is the best of all the food on this plane."

"Apart from anything else, the taste is truly 'weapons-grade'." This description struck Shangluo as very fitting. He had never tasted juice this good before.

"The taste this time is also... well, the signal is coming."

He picked up the intercom and switched to Latin:

"Taranto area, Lan Fang 1002, altitude 12000, under your command."

The reply from the ground control tower came over the intercom:

"Lanfang 1002, Taranto area, cleared to Lake Nemi along the flight plan route, descend to 5700 and maintain."

"Descend to 5700 and maintain, Lan Fang 1002." Captain Lin repeated the tower's instructions.

"Lan Fang 1002, contact Roma 001.01, bye."

The tower passed the instructions to the "Special Air Traffic Control Area 001.01" ahead, which was over Lake Nemi and not under the control of the Civil Aviation Administration.

"Rome 001.01, Lan Fang 1002, goodbye."

After saying that, Captain Lin put down the walkie-talkie.

"Shangluo, after we descend and level off, you can go to the cargo hold and prepare. Captain Lu knows how to get in. The target is in the suburbs of Rome, so be cautious when you parachute and don't land on people's roofs. I've packed some jelly for you and put it in your luggage. It will be airdropped later."

In the cargo hold. The plane's belly wasn't big, and the hold was quite cramped. When he arrived, Wen Yuan and the others were already there, ready. Everyone was already wearing armor, and the Roman Internal Guards were also in their stealth suits. Everyone had a parachute on their backs, but the armor and the parachute were heavier and larger.

There was a large box mounted on a cargo chassis at the rear of the cabin, containing the Divine Chrome Armor and other heavy weapons. It would be airdropped down with the others shortly.

"This is yours!" Lu Huaiyang pointed to the one next to him. "It's been slightly adjusted to your size. Try it."

This was the golden armor he had seen last time, made by the Chief of Crafts for the Imperial Guard. Compared to the Iron Man Armor, it was much lighter, at least not so heavy that it prevented him from walking.

After putting the armor back on, he felt much more balanced than last time. Although it was still just as heavy, the joints at least aligned perfectly with his own, giving him a more stable center of gravity.

【I'm online and feeling good~】

Apollonia projected the image onto the telescope. After several corrections, the current altitude was 3000 meters and the speed was 512 kilometers per hour. For Ninghe 2, this was already quite slow.

Also projected were the time, temperature, humidity, and a map of the area. The designated drop zone at Lake Nemi was not far ahead, with a 20-minute arrival time. The map also showed a dense network of radio towers, along with two Harpy single-engine fighters escorting them. In the distance, a larger group of aircraft, including several Griffin twin-engine heavy fighters, was hovering.

Standing behind the hatch and waiting, there was a red light above the hatch.

"Just one last confirmation." Lu Liang stood at the side and looked at Han Xingzhi: "Can you dance?"

"No." Han Xingzhi shook his head.

"It doesn't matter. The parachute opens automatically anyway. You, a Qigong practitioner, won't die from the fall anyway."

She walked over to Shangluo and said, "You don't know how to parachute, right? Wen Yuan will be jumping with the cargo later, so I'll take you. Don't move while you're in the air, just listen to my instructions. I'll protect you until you're about 20 meters above sea level and help you activate the reverse thrust rockets. Just hold your position and don't move, or you'll fall. Don't worry about me, I can land directly, and I'll catch you on the ground in advance."

Chapter 148 Nemi Lake

Lake Nemi was once, and still is, called the "Mirror of Diana." The town of Aricia, which has existed since classical times, is located on the north side of the lake, and further north is the sacred grove of the temple of Diana, the moon goddess.

The low, loud humming sound of the pulse detonation engine startled the water birds on the lake and even the nearby seismic observatory received the detonation signal. However, they immediately received an order from higher-ups to delete the signal record.

A dark figure flew over the town, dropping a series of parachutes. It then accelerated and rose, creating a sonic boom in the distant sky. It continued its sprint toward the dawn, leaving behind a series of intermittent, knot-like condensation trails.

The Legionnaires on the ground immediately set out and rushed to the parachute drop site. When they arrived, several human-shaped dark shadows cut the parachute ropes from a height of 50 meters, ignited the recoil rockets, and slammed into the ground in a flash of light and dust.

Lu Huaiyang dusted his knees and looked at the legionnaires who had gathered around him. A technical officer, accompanied by a centurion, came out to meet him. After confirming the mission commands, the two sides exchanged military salutes.