Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

Victoria said calmly, "Perhaps there is indeed only one Earth, but its shadows are infinite. Looking up or down, we can reach infinity. By searching downward, we have found the infinite eternal night. Here, the sun never rises, and time never passes. Everything awaits us to redefine, to create, and to explore. In the endless night, we are as immortal as the celestial beings of Aurora. This is our answer to Aurora."

"You're going to abandon the material world and upload yourselves into virtual Cyberspace???"

"Not uploading, but entering. We will sink our whole body and soul into the night. Into the infinity beneath the Styx."

"But..." Shangluo recalled that feeling—the harshest cold, the most lonely. It was the feeling of drowning.

"You're going to die. You, all of you." He looked Victoria in the eyes.

"That was just a ritual death, but also the path to eternal life. Because the dead never die, and once they die, they will never die again. But it is indeed a difficult decision. After abandoning the material world, Rome will truly perish. This is the curtain call of the old Rome, but the new Rome will be reborn in the fire of Cybernia, and the phoenix will eventually break out of the ashes. So... when we choose to go into the night, everything under the sun will be yours."

"This is really shocking." Shangluo was shocked.

"It's just that our departure might not be so smooth. In return for the world, we hope that Aurora can help us at the last moment and buy us a little time. Just a little time, so that we can complete the construction of Cyberspace. Just a little bit is enough. What do you think?"

"I am shocked. I need to report this matter to the Emperor."

Slowly, she took a sip of tea. "Well, that's official business, but there are also some personal matters between friends. Finally, wish us a pleasant journey, old friends whom we have only met once. We call each other old friends because all the people of Aurora are our old friends. But we have only met once... well, not counting this time, I have actually met you before."

"Have you seen it? Where?"

"At the Constantinia airport. I saw you calmly sparring with that shirtless soldier. Your swordsmanship was as graceful as the ethereal aether. Your broad-minded eyes took in everything, and your body exuded an air of exhilaration."

"Ah, this. Thanks for the compliment."

"Actually, they asked me to go on a blind date. They hoped we could form a marriage alliance to keep the Roman royal blood within the empire. At the time, I said no. But I actually like you. I really like you."

"what?"

"I'm serious. Although it was only a vague feeling, I spent four seconds factoring it out: I saw wisdom, strength, and composure in you—the very image of the Roman Empire I dreamed of. Therefore, I developed a deep appreciation for you, and a strong emotional and spiritual attachment. This externalization of self-awareness and psychological visibility is the psychological phenomenon known as romantic love. But I also knew that Rome was about to embark on a long journey, and earthly ties no longer mattered, so I rejected their proposal. I didn't want to say this, but your celestial white hair and crimson eyes made me... made me feel another impulse, fueled by hormones."

Shangluo heard this series of words clearly.

Yet he felt no joy at all, only sadness. He knew this wasn't love at all. People might fall in love at first sight with countless people in their lives, but not everyone would act on that love. Unless... she was saying goodbye to her life, a kind of emotional catharsis.

[When a man is about to die, his words are kind. When a bird is about to die, its cry is sad.] Apollonia also understood what she meant.

Rome was about to depart from this world, and their connection with it would gradually fade away, leaving the world under the sun to their old friend, but that was the end of it.

"Wait." Shangluo suddenly raised his head, a light flashed in his eyes.

[Ah!] Apollonia also thought of it, [That! That, that, that!]

"Victoria!" Shangluo stood up, leaning against the table. "I have a question for you!"

"Ahhh???" Victoria, whose image was blue, turned her cheeks dark blue. "I... I..."

"Can you land some new people in your Cyberspace?"

"Huh?" The dark blue face returned to normal, but with a hint of disappointment. "You mean, you want to bring people in? How many people?"

"8 people!" He confirmed to Apollonia the total population of the "Kinai" area, including the two capitals, thirteen provinces, Southeast Asia, and overseas immigrants.

Chapter 253: Ten Directions Pure Land

"Eh???"

"Oh, so that's how it is." Victoria understood the situation. "So your current situation is that although the Water Dragon's plan is going smoothly, it will take some time for you to go to the moon to mine spirit stones, and it may take quite a long time. And you don't want to abandon anyone, so you are looking for a way to ensure that no one is left behind during the transition period. Is that correct?"

"Absolutely correct." Shangluo replied.

"So you think we can use our Cyberspace as a buffer. Let all the Zhendan people who haven't yet been able to ascend to celestial beings escape into the virtual world and wait in the Cyberspace. At the same time, because celestial beings may also face the Five Decays and other unpredictable accidents, they can also enter the Cyberspace to rest and wait for the next opportunity to return?"

"May I?"

"It's a grand vision, and I admit it's far more noble than the Romans'. Technically it's not possible for now, but it's possible in principle."

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"In principle, we fully support our old friends from Aurora to join us. We originally thought this would be a lonely journey, but with you here, it's much more lively. Don't worry, the universe in a nutshell is infinite. Not to mention 800 million people, even if there were 800 million people in a year, it wouldn't be crowded. In fact, more people would open up faster. But technically, I think there are two problems—first, how to write it, and second, how to revive it. I understand that your vision is full of light, and we are happy to help, but this will also put a huge pressure on Rome. After all, we are truly not prepared to host so many guests."

"So." Shangluo looked into her eyes, "Do you want to come back?"

"Come back??? Can you come back?"

"Of course. You don't want the road to darkness to be a one-way ticket, do you? If we can let our own people out, then of course we can let you out as well?"

Victoria exclaimed, "Is it really possible?! I don't have to die?! We all don't have to die?"

[Tsk, tsk, tsk.] Apollonia shook her head. [I knew it, she knew from the beginning that this was no different from the death of all the Romans.]

"Really???" Victoria stood up, hoping to get Shangluo's confirmation: "Can you let us out again?"

"Ms. Victoria, I know you're very excited, and I am too. Let's both calm down. So the situation is this: have you confirmed that there is a way to get our people in?"

"Yes. I have an expectation of this technology. No matter how many people join in, it may even be possible to trace back to the past. What about you? Can you bring the Romans out as well?"

"Yes, I expected that, too. Haha," Shangluo realized. "We seem to have found something very powerful. Although there's still a long, long way to go before we truly transcend, we can handle it all with ease from the start. Because through this alliance, we might be able to dominate both the Yin and Yang realms, break through the six realms of reincarnation, and ascend to eternity. This is an unparalleled foundation of the Dao, a truly indestructible Dao body."

"Hahahahahahaha!!!" Victoria finally relaxed, the immense pressure and heavy burden sliding off her shoulders. "I've thought of this a long time ago. I should have talked to you guys earlier. If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have to be so depressed. This isn't like going to hell! As long as I can come back, it's like playing a game! I can fight when I want, and I can live when I want."

"So you all know you're going to the underworld, right?" Shangluo still remembered her initial determination to move forward; it was truly tragic. Now the problem was completely solved.

"Greek mythology already has Elysium, the paradise of the underworld in ancient Greek mythology. The gods reside there, and heroes and righteous people will arrive here after death to be with the gods. Although it is indeed the underworld, it is spring all year round and there are vast fields of flowers. It is the best destination we can imagine. Well, you can also call it the Pure Land of Bliss. There is a street called Champs-Élysées in Paris that borrows the name of the Pure Land of Bliss. The neoclassical buildings there imitate the streets of Constantinople. It was indeed a pure land for the Franks."

"We also have the concept of Pure Land over there." Although he hadn't read much of the Daoist Canon, he had heard of it because it was mentioned so often:

"We also have Taiyi Shifang Jiuku Tianzun and the Ten Directions Pure Land. However, rebirth in the Pure Land is not the best place, because the best place is still the human world, and we all want to see this world carefully. But if you can't ascend in this life, then the Ten Directions Pure Land is also a good place to go. Then, when the opportunity arises, go to the place where the Eastern Qingyang was born and return to the human world to continue your cultivation."

"So," Victoria looked at him, "I have the final say on the Roman Empire."

Behind Victoria, there stood a blue shadowy flag, the double-headed eagle flag of the Roman Empire.

"It seems that you still need to report it?"

"No need to report." Shangluo untied the ribbon on his chest, shook the Taichang flag in the air, and the Spear of the Sun God broke out of the boundary.

He stood up, grasped the spear handle, and stuck it into the flag base behind him - the room was symmetrical, there was a base for the eagle flag opposite, and there was also one on this side.

"That's the Taichang flag? You actually carried it with you all the time?"

"I couldn't agree to your request just now because buying time for Rome would require mobilizing the entire world's forces, which requires negotiation. However, establishing the Ten Directions Pure Land to alleviate the suffering of sentient beings in the six realms of reincarnation is a matter of heaven and my duty. I can promise you right here—yes, this is my answer. This will also be the Daozu's answer."

The Taichang flag dangling from the flagpole radiated a divine light. Above and below, in all directions, were all phantoms, but this Taichang flag alone was unrepeatable. Among this infinitely extended array of forms, only the Taichang flag remained unrepeatable.

Opposite the Taichang flag, which shines with infinite golden light, is a double-headed eagle flag formed by countless overlapping shadows, unfolding in the quiet breeze of the ether, and a sea of pixels rises and falls on the flag.

[Okay, everyone's happy. Everyone's happy. But Shangluo, you seem to have forgotten one thing.]

"what?"

"You were trying to show off by opening the flag just now, weren't you? Did you forget what you stuffed inside the flag? You thought you couldn't get to it with your hands, but at least if you opened the flag, everything would come out, right?"

"Yes! The window! And the cabinet! And the teapot! It's all in there. That's all."

[This is over. This is too much fun. I have no idea how to get it out now. I should go back and ask the old man.]

Chapter 254 Three-Legged Golden Crow

Cathay and Rome, two ancient empires united in the distant past, unstoppably ruling the world.

This is where the nightmare begins.

Vesna, backpack on her back, sat on a hill in the Caucasus. The breeze from the Caspian Sea blew over, bringing with it the pungent odor of the Baku refinery. Having lived here her entire life, Vesna was accustomed to it, but the traveler next to her wasn't quite used to it.

Lin hid her ears in a knitted cap. She also covered her mouth and nose with a scarf and her eyes with goggles. But the pungent smell still stung her exposed cheeks. Having spent her entire life in the royal court, she wasn't used to the poor air quality.

"Oh, let's not talk about Aurora. Sister Lin, have you really been to Rome?"

"I've already said that I'm a Roman."

"Ah Rome, it's so far away. It feels like it's on the other side of the world."

"The crow's-eye distance from here to Constantinople is less than 2000 kilometers. It'll only take two or three days to get there by car."

"So Rome is so close? But it always feels so far away. Sister Lin, how long will you stay here?"

"Stay here for a while. If I don't find the person I'm looking for, I'll move on to the next place."

"Oh, it seems you are different from Master Aulus."

"Who is that?"

"The tax collector of this region. He wears a very long robe that glitters. He only comes to collect tithes, and he carries a golden staff in his hand."

"With a golden staff? What's it for?"

"He would have the villagers drive their sheep over one by one and then count them. The tenth sheep or ox that passed under the battlements, regardless of whether they were good or bad, would be offered as a sacrifice to Rome. Tell me, was the Roman emperor really fat? Why did he eat so many sheep?"

"Wesna." Lin turned her head, "Do you hate Rome?"

"Hate Rome? Ah. What a strange question."

"Don't you hate it?"

"It's hard to say I don't hate it." She clutched the strap of her schoolbag, dangling her feet on the rocks. "Well, it's just like I don't hate the sun, the sea, or the mountains. The sun rises on time, and the Romans come to collect taxes on time. This is how we've lived since my great-grandfather's great-grandfather, and my great-grandfather's great-grandfather."

Lin nodded. She understood this mentality: in the eyes of many, Rome was simply part of the world order, dominating the world from an antiquity so immeasurable it was impossible to even tell which came first, the sun or Rome. As for Cathay, on the other side of the world, it existed only in legend.

"Hey~~Sister Lin, have you heard of the immortals in Zhendan?"

"Not only have I heard it, I've also seen it."

"Ahh! Can the immortals of Zhendan really live for hundreds of years? Can they really fly? Can they breathe fire?"

"Why do you suddenly ask this?"

"Look, look, this is last night's newspaper."

Vesna opened her bag and pulled out a crumpled newspaper. On the front page, the Roman Emperor Victoria III stood at a window, announcing something to the public. A white-haired, black-clad, sash-draped Chinese man flanked him, his expression grave. The content was equally shocking: "Shocking Change in the Empire! The Emperor has ordered the 13th Legion, the "Twin Legions," to withdraw to Hadrian's Wall. The British Auxiliary Corps is undergoing a rotation."

"The adults at home said that the white-haired brother next to me is an immortal from Zhendan. Oh, he's even more handsome than my sister. Can he breathe fire? If so, does he breathe fire from his mouth or nose?"

"Ah, this... He doesn't seem to be of this nature. But he has ascended to heaven so quickly."

"Eh? Sister Lin, do you know him?" For some reason, Weisna's intuition was exceptionally sharp. Although she still hadn't recognized the girl in the newspaper as the emperor, she could pick up many subtle clues from the conversation.

"Uh..." Lin didn't know how to answer for a moment. She came here to get information and didn't want to hand it over directly.

"By the way, Sister Lin, I have a treasure from an immortal. It fell from the sky."

"Treasure? What treasure?" Lin wasn't here for tourism. She was searching for the target she had been pursuing: the power of the Wild Hunt. If it really was a treasure...

"Look, this is it!" Weisna pulled out a piece of metal. There was a string of fancy words on it, but it was hard to tell what it was made of, probably just a fragment of something's shell. The edges of the metal were polished to a bright shine, as if it had been used as a knife. But it didn't seem to have been used to cut anything, just a toy knife.

"This is a treasure that fell from the sky. Every week, the Zhendan Immortal would fly over our heads with a golden crow, whooshing past. It's definitely not an airplane. My grandfather said only angels could fly that fast. But I know it's not an angel because once, I saw with my own eyes a golden crow with three legs extended. So it must be the three-legged golden crow of the gods, used to pull the sun chariot! Then this treasure came crashing down on the mountain ahead."

"But why crows?"

"Because it's so loud, it must be a crow, eh?"

Suddenly, Vesna stopped and pointed to the western sky: "Golden crows! Golden crows! They used to come on Thursdays and Fridays, but they came so early this week!"

Lin looked in the direction she pointed:

A bright, glittering point streaked across the deep blue sky, seemingly at least in the upper atmosphere. For that altitude, the craft's speed was incredibly fast, reaching directly overhead in a matter of seconds. In the distance, birds were already taking off from the mountains.

Suddenly, without any warning, a thunder boomed from the sky.

"Reach twice the speed of sound and continue climbing." Captain Lin kept his hand on the throttle handle. Although the Ninghe had already exceeded its normal operating speed, it could still accelerate further.

Shang Luo, sitting in the back, was looking down at a newspaper. This time, he was much calmer than before, and he could still function normally without the pressure suit—though that was also because the cabin wasn't shaking as much as before.

"Oh, right, Shangluo." Captain Lin suddenly said, "What exactly are you going to transport this time?"

"It's a secret." Shangluo didn't look up. "By the way, why aren't you shaking this time?"

"It's a secret." Captain Lin imitated him.

"Don't try to imitate me, you who are in your forties...Okay, I'll tell you the truth, it's not a secret anyway. Daozu asked me to come to Rome to discuss something, and I thought it would be easier for me to explain the situation if I brought this thing back. It's a black stone, a sacred object of the goddess Cybele. I couldn't carry it back by myself, so I asked you to come. So why is the Ninghe not shaking?"

"Because it's using the new fuel, it can stop trembling. In early tests aboard the Shuilong, the fuel performed very well. So Guoxing went to Shenyang in northern Zhili to purchase some and asked us to try it. The results were indeed very good. This pulse detonation engine also adapts very well to the new fuel."

"Oh~~ Then passenger transport will be available soon, right?"

"Fuel costs are 9.4 times higher than before," Captain Lin replied. Even he, who didn't have to pay, felt a pang of pain. They were already burning through money, and this time it had doubled.

".Forget it then. By the way, what time will we arrive?"