Records of Mysterious Things in the Southern Dynasties

Chapter 386 Need for Speed
Gao Huan was incredibly capable. No one knew what methods he used or where he amassed the necessary materials, but they were delivered to Zu Geng's workshop in a continuous stream.

In the workshop, Zu Geng officially began construction. He wanted to use the materials of the "super invincible thunderbolt car" to create an unprecedented flying divine weapon.

"These are two completely different things. Can the materials be used interchangeably?" This was beyond everyone's imagination. Taking advantage of Gao Huan's absence, they couldn't help but ask.

"Can we hide it from people once we've made it?" Ren Yuan was worried that they would find out. "Gao Huan is no ordinary person; he has a sharp eye."

“Yes.” Zu Geng gave an affirmative answer: “Because the inspiration for the flying divine weapon comes from the ‘Qigong Flying Chariot’ in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Both are chariots, so many parts can be used interchangeably, and the shapes are not much different.”

"I see." Ren Yuan suddenly realized. Now that he knew the contents of the Classic of Mountains and Seas by heart, he immediately recalled the passage in the "Classic of Mountains and Seas: Overseas Western Regions":
'The country of Qigong... its people have one arm and three eyes, are skilled in craftsmanship to capture hundreds of birds, and can build flying chariots that travel far on the wind. Tang obtained one in the border region of Yuzhou, but immediately destroyed it and did not show it to anyone. Ten years later, when the west wind came, he rebuilt it and sent it away.'

This means that the people of Qigong had one arm and three eyes, were ingenious, and could build flying chariots that could travel far on the wind. During the reign of King Tang of Shang, one of their chariots flew to Yuzhou, but Tang dismantled it so that the people could not see it. Ten years later, when the east wind came, the people of Qigong rebuilt the chariot and returned.

"The core of this Yanhuang Flying Chariot that I built consists of four major mechanisms. The first is the power mechanism," Zu Geng said, listing them off as if they were his own treasures.

"The Earth Fire Stone is smelted into a more powerful Crimson Fire Essence, which is then embedded in the Bagua Fire Furnace at the rear of the vehicle. By striking the lightning-struck wood, the energy within is released, spewing out a stream of crimson flames that allows the flying vehicle to propel itself into the air."

"When flying continuously, the fuel is changed to a mixture of sulfur crystal powder and realgar blocks, and one hundred catties can sustain the flight of one incense stick."

"Such a huge consumption?" Everyone was astonished.

“That’s for sure. How can such a heavy machine fly in the sky and carry people? It needs a powerful engine.” Zu Geng said matter-of-factly, “Moreover, this flying car is extremely fast. It can travel a thousand miles in half an hour, so it doesn’t need to fly for too long.”

"Amazing!" Upon hearing that it could fly so fast, everyone felt that this method of energy consumption was quite normal.

"The second part is the flight mechanism," Zu Geng continued. "On both sides of the flying vehicle, there is a pair of peach wood kite wings. When in flight, they can be extended to two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters). They are engraved with flight formations. When encountering strong winds, they automatically trigger the 'Xun Gua' runes, helping the flying vehicle to glide with the wind and greatly saving fuel."

"It seems that the Lu Ban Wing works on this principle?" Ren Yuan said softly.

“The Luban Wing is the one I reconstructed based on the legend back then,” Zu Geng said calmly. “But that was just a single-person flying machine, much simpler than this. The driver of this flying vehicle needs to control the kite wings through the dragon sinew reins to make the machine fly like a bird.”

"Of course, it takes repeated practice to master the operation; driving recklessly can easily lead to a crash." He also reminded everyone, "So please, don't try to drive it secretly."

"Understood." Ren Yuan nodded, thinking to himself that flying a plane is indeed a technical job, unlike driving a car, where you can just talk...

“If a high-ranking monk could inscribe the Great Garuda Mantra on both wings, under full power, this chariot could even briefly break through the third heaven. Of course, neither the physical body nor the primordial spirit could withstand the fierce winds of the nine heavens, and the cultivation of the people on the chariot must be sufficient,” Zu Geng added. “Then what about landing?” Ren Yuan asked. At least he could ask a few questions, while the other three could only listen to the excitement from the sidelines, feeling both impressed and bewildered.

Zu Geng then explained, "The wheels have been modified from 'tiger claw wheels' to 'cloud-grabbing claws.' They retract during flight and extend before landing, serving not only for landing but also for deceleration."

"Impressive." Ren Yuan couldn't help but give a thumbs up. The landing gear and spoiler were combined into one, which was truly impressive.

"The third part is the navigation mechanism, which is also very important. Low-altitude flight is not only energy-intensive but also extremely dangerous, making us easily spotted and attacked. Therefore, we need to fly above the clouds," Zu Geng continued.
“But then there are no reference points, especially at night when it’s pitch black. Who knows where to drive? So we need a ‘locating compass’.”

"The positioning compass and the enemy-finding compass of the Thunder Chariot may seem similar, but they are actually worlds apart. It not only has a north-pointing function, but also has an embedded 'Starry Glass Mirror'. The mirror reflects the light of the Big Dipper, which can not only accurately indicate the direction, but also automatically calibrate the course through linkage with the dragon tendon reins!"

"This is amazing!" Ren Yuan was full of admiration. They had managed to develop the Beidou system and assisted driving.

"Finally, there's the combat equipment. Considering we'll almost certainly be pursued by demigods, this part is crucial to our survival and must be prioritized." Zu Geng added solemnly.
"The combat mechanism consists of two parts. The first is the defense system, which can directly adopt the defense module of the Super Thunderclap Car. However, the Thunderclap Car does not need to protect from below, while the flying car needs all-around protection. Therefore, the 'Fire Shield' needs to be upgraded to the 'Circular Fire Shield',"

"The formations that protect against high-altitude cold fronts and thunderstorms also need to be upgraded to ensure the safety of the flying vehicles around the clock and without any blind spots," Zu Geng explained.

"In addition, there are invisible illusion mechanisms made with lunar phosphorus powder, which may be surprisingly effective in escaping pursuit."

"What about the attack system?" Chen Baxian was more concerned about this; passively taking hits was not his style.

"As for the attack system, given that there are limited means to threaten demigods, quality is more important than quantity. I have prepared three divine crossbows. If we still haven't used them, then we can only hope for the best," Zu Geng said with a wry smile.

Ren Yuan had witnessed several duels between demigods and wholeheartedly agreed, saying, "Instead of fantasizing about defeating demigods, we should focus on figuring out how to avoid them."

“That makes sense.” Zu Geng agreed wholeheartedly. After a moment of thought, he said, “Then relying solely on the Taiyin phosphorus powder is not enough. We also need Gao Huan to find another Kui Niu eyeball. Only then will we have a chance to escape from the demigods.”

"A Kui Niu eyeball? Good heavens, that's an ancient mythical beast..." Chen Baxian exclaimed in astonishment, "Does he really have to make things so difficult for this guy surnamed Gao?"

"Don't worry, he'll find it." Yang Zhong was quite confident. For hundreds of years, demons and gods had roamed the Northern Dynasty, and various ancient beasts were commonplace, only gradually being slaughtered to extinction in recent years. But there should still be some in stock, right?
“That’s right.” Zu Geng nodded and said, “The rebels have been running rampant in Yan and Zhao for years. If you don’t push them, you won’t know how many good things they have looted.”

"Alright, let's all get busy!" Ren Yuan clapped his hands and said, "We only have seven days to manufacture them, so we must race against time!"

(End of this chapter)