Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 181 Who is the villain?

Xuan Chong ordered the base to send a mechanical messenger outside to inform his subordinates to calm down, and then went up the steps into the underground military warehouse.

In the center of the warehouse was a mirrored platform with a radius of fifteen meters. Xuan Chong stepped onto it; his ancient-style armor looked completely out of place. Three highly heated threads reached Xuan Chong. At first, he thought they were lasers, but after they hovered beside him, he realized they weren't light, but rather a heated substance similar to the filament in an incandescent light bulb. These threads sliced ​​through his armor as easily as a hot knife through butter or a wire through tofu.

After the armor was removed, the light filament was retracted by the force field and returned to the small mechanical hole above. The light on the platform immediately dimmed.

Immediately following, a high-precision liquid nanoparticle was revealed on the mirrored surface beneath one's feet. This material adhered to the entire body, just like wearing a form-fitting bodysuit.

Immediately afterwards, Xuan Chong suddenly felt something was wrong. A few seconds later, the feeling of being enveloped by his skin disappeared, and he was completely "transparent," as if he had suddenly become naked. But Xuan Chong could clearly feel that the layer of mass hanging on his body had not disappeared.

Narrator: This is neural docking. The liquid nano-coating precisely locates and docks with every sensory neuron under the skin, making it feel like a layer of skin. This kind of super-sensory perception can be compared to the complete VR transformation of tank cockpits in the 2030s, where wearing VR allows you to see everything outside. Visually, it's as if you're not sitting in steel armor, but in a convertible. Once VR vision is activated, the sense of security previously felt by the cramped cockpit disappears, replaced by being "exposed" to the entire battlefield.

Xuan Chong watched all of this with curiosity. Whether it was the light threads or this wrapping layer that perfectly matched the skin's external senses—Xuan Chong was certain that it was something that could not be accomplished with any material known on Earth in his previous life.

The energy density of that light filament was extremely high; even the most heat-resistant tungsten filament would instantly vaporize under such high energy. This liquid metal, on the other hand, was incredibly lightweight and carried an immense density of information. Judging from its ability to connect to every sensory part of one's nervous system, this information density would require "hundreds of nanometer-level chips" distributed throughout the body as computing hardware, while simultaneously maintaining its deformable shape.

Xuan Chong couldn't help but recall the mechanical puppets in his "steampunk" laboratory at Yongji Pass, and the train's energy system made of silk and jade.

Xuan Chong suddenly realized that although the intelligent adjutant inside the warship spoke Mandarin and used "technology" to describe the warship's manufacturing system, the warship's actual materials were genuine "spiritual materials." Even the nanosuit he was wearing was made of the same type of materials used in the cultivation world.

Immediately afterwards, a screen appeared on the platform prompting Xuan Chong to enter his name. After entering "Xuan Chong", the screen displayed: "Hello Xuan Chong, please follow the on-screen instructions to perform the static posture training."

Xuan Chong glanced at the process, which was similar to an eye exam in the 21st century. He selected a series of actions on the screen to test the specific situation of the task.

As the Xuan Chong action was completed, the perception and fluid of the Body Fixation Technique were connected; rows of spatial nodes appeared around the body and then mechanical structures emerged.

Xuan Chong noticed one of the nodes, about the size of a mobile phone, whose unfolded mechanical structure was as large as a small car. He then asked, "Is this a spatial ring?"

The warship's assistant indicated: "This is not a spatial node, but matter compression technology."

Immediately afterwards, the car-sized mechanical structure was fitted onto Xuan Chong's body, and other compression node mechanical structures were also embedded, covering Xuan Chong's entire body with futuristic armor. This process was just like the transformation of armor in a certain cartoon I watched as a child.

Finally, the compressed node was loaded into the backpack on Xuan Chong's back, and then unfolded into an energy chamber.

Xuan Chong looked at the five-meter-tall combat mech displayed in the mirror.

The ship's assistant said, "Commander, your personal armament has been loaded."

Xuan Chong thought of the word "magic weapon" when he thought about storing "mecha equipment" in his personal space.

Xuan Chong: "In this world, no one has ever seen a true immortal. There are only legends that true immortals can burn mountains and boil seas. So, is the ultimate true state of the immortal path this kind of high-tech fantasy? Or is it that the predecessors who transmigrated into this world, no, the seniors, have forged a unique 'immortal science' path in this world of immortals and demons?"

…The model student exclaimed: "Those older folks really know how to have fun!"

An hour after Xuan Chong entered the mountain, the army formation outside the mountain was struggling to maintain its position. Twenty of the fifty shield-bearing soldiers in the front row had already fainted, while the cultivators were constructing a spiritual energy array around the center of the army formation, which covered a radius of fifty miles. Under the effect of the array, the scorching sun beat down on the army formation at the foot of Chiyou Mountain.

Cultivators cannot directly clash with malevolent energy using spiritual energy, but they can retreat far away; they can inject energy into the feng shui through water, fire, wind, and earth formations, gathering a large area of ​​heaven and earth energy. Ultimately, this will affect military strategists located in the mountains and rivers.

At this very moment, the Wu family army, who were desperately holding their ground, heard a low sonic wave from the surrounding killing formation reverberating through the mountains, causing their hearts to pound as if being clenched. Meanwhile, the dazzling light from the sky caused their blood temperature to rise.

Just as these cultivators, several kilometers away, were gloating over the effectiveness of their "spiritual attack" against the army,

Chiyou Mountain split open. This was not because the mountain peak cracked and collapsed, but because the mountain top appeared mechanical, opening up a cross-shaped opening.

Like a helicopter emerging from a dome, Xuan Chong appeared. At this moment, Xuan Chong's combat wings were fully deployed, and the rear thrusters were spewing out blue Mach rings.

Upon first use, Xuan Chong was very surprised by the mech's powerful performance, because if it were fuel-based, he would have been carrying a large fuel tank.

The fuel it carries is only the size of a thermos, except that the energy compartment is relatively large.

The display showed two lines of numbers: 298 at the top and 114 at the bottom. The numbers jumped slowly during takeoff, but the value 114 didn't even decrease by 0.01.

Based on the digital perception prompts, Xuan Chong analyzed the surroundings. A terrain model was immediately created inside the mech's cockpit.

Immediately, eight thousand unusual energy nodes in the surrounding air were marked, and the combat AI in the mech announced: "These energy nodes are the core of the current formation. They are all hostile; destruction is recommended!"

"What exactly is the foundation of formations?" When the illiterate Xuan Chong began to ask, the intelligent question-and-answer system loaded into the machine replied: "In this current interstellar physical region, active energy particles (spiritual energy, evil energy) can be more easily endowed with informational states by intelligent life (cultivators, demons, monsters). Intelligent life directly controls the energy to attach to tools, thereby strengthening them, and nodes are the points where these energy lines converge and distribute."

Upon hearing the assistant system's explanation, Xuan Chong immediately joked to his own portable dimensional system, which "doesn't do anything," "Look at that, how spot-on its answer is!"

However, even with such provocation, Xuan Chong's "history teacher" still did not respond.

…Chi You's army has appeared in the world…

His entrance was stunning and dashing; yes, his entrance filled Xuan Chong with confidence.

Xuan Chong activated the mecha's communication system and addressed the surrounding cultivators with his final warning: "I am warning you now, if you do not lay down your weapons and surrender within fifty breaths, I will take all necessary actions."

The sound waves, filled with spiritual pressure and malevolent energy, spread in all directions.

"50, 49, 48..."

Just as Xuan Chong was counting down, a flying sword attacked. However, as it approached Xuan Chong, a shield of light flashed, and the entire flying sword was instantly melted.

The sneak attack failed, and Xuan Chong's countdown stopped. In the silence, Xuan Chong's chilling response came from the hilltop, his armor flashing with electronic sounds: "Warning over. Now proceed with the punishment."

Xuan Chong muttered to himself, for these cultivators not only refused to surrender but dared to fight back.

"What a piece of trash!" Boom! The mech raised its hand and fired a blue projectile, blasting the spirit boat to pieces.

"You beast!" Beep beep beep, a small close-in weapon system fired, and Tengshe was crippled.

"Useless trash!" Boom! A burst of red explosive energy shattered the sword formation.

"Sima the Clown!" He drew his Shocking Sword and cleaved through the banner that was falling on his head with a single strike.

The cultivators scattered like rats whose homes were being destroyed by bulldozers. One cultivator who had read ancient texts shouted, "Everyone, retreat quickly! This is a creation of an ancient unorthodox sect!"

On this day, the Immortal Sect remembered an ancient legend of the sect: besides ascending to immortality through the righteous path, there was another way: to take an external route, build an ark, and fly to the other side.

…The Ark is right beneath his feet… Faced with the rout of the immortals who were saying “Fellow Daoists, come and take my place,” Xuan Chong found the “area kill” option on the screen.

Clusters of hexagonal nanomirrors unfolded around the mecha, each mirror beginning to flash with electric arcs. Then, just like the centipede demon in Journey to the West whose countless eyes emitted golden light from all directions after shedding his clothes, these nanomirrors aimed at their surroundings and emitted light.

The sweeping fire covered a large area, but it was still very precise.

Eight thousand array points have been observed. Under the sweeping beam, destroying these array nodes will cause the array to collapse as easily as removing the load-bearing wall of a building.

Therefore, within a ten-kilometer radius, the destruction was almost like a nuclear explosion, and all the formations collapsed in an instant.

The cultivators, who had been flying around in the sky like mosquitoes, once again collapsed to the ground.

Jamud murmured, "This is the divine power of Chi You's army! The true trump card that the ancient Emperor Xi left for the human world to fight against the evil forces from other realms."

Angri, who was standing nearby, saw the powerful combat weapon flying into the air and said, "In the Haotian Realm, the Dragon Emperor dismantled the divine weapon and built the Changyuan to ensure peace for thousands of years; it seemed like a permanent solution, but he lost the opportunity to display such divine power."

The soldiers on Jiamude's side were currently looking up to a god, shouting "Victory!" But the many cultivators sent by the Immortal Sect to intercept them were now in dire straits.

The formation was destroyed instantly. Not only did the magic power suffer a severe backlash, causing the person to fall to the ground covered in blood, but the divine sense embedded in the formation was also completely annihilated before it could be withdrawn.

The leader, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Wangheng Sect, seemed to realize something and pulled out the waist token of the Da Yao Demon Suppression Division from his waist. However, faced with the overwhelming murderous aura, he smiled bitterly and withdrew the golden token he had obtained from Da Yao.

In times of peace, the imperial gold medal could suppress the menacing aura of military commanders. This gold medal contained "command" information bestowed by the Great Dynasty.

But they forgot that they had specifically come to this place outside of the Great Yao King's influence in order to launch a surprise attack on Xuan Chong.

He was able to ambush Xuan Chong's army with formations, but now, facing Xuan Chong's counterattack, the orders of the Demon Suppression Division were ineffective.

However, in the end, after "sensing" the token, Xuan Chong still "let go" of these cultivators; the side hatch of the mecha opened, sending out swarms of fine golden bees (similar to drones) to quietly follow the cultivators.

…Wu Xiaoque: This isn't over yet. …

Xuan Chong landed, and his armor system was completely retracted into the compression node, leaving only a set of nano-sized everyday clothes.

Xuan Chong pointed in the direction to Jiamude, and then the cavalry attacked and captured the cultivators who had fallen off the cliff.

As for why Xuan Chong didn't go and capture him, it's because he wasn't sure if there would be other problems with this weapon system.

Xuan Chong worriedly thought, "What if there's a chosen one on the other side who suddenly draws his sword and stabs it, blowing up our mech?" At this moment, Xuan Chong was aware of his role as a villain.

Having watched too many Hollywood movies in my past life, I remember the villains being at their most triumphant and arrogant, only to have their power shattered by the protagonist finding their nemesis. As a child, I found it quite satisfying, but as I grew up, perhaps because I matured and accumulated experience, I no longer believe in the idea of ​​"luck leading to victory against all odds."

Faced with the same Hollywood plot, seeing the villain fall only evokes a sense of regret, like "a hero in life, a ghost in death."

As Easterners, we are not as aggressive as Indo-European cultures. After gaining an advantage, the East becomes more reserved. In unnecessary confrontations, we keep our trump card hidden, maintain surprise, and achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Before long, the six injured and unfortunate immortals were brought back. After Xuan Chong interrogated them, one of the old cultivators looked at Xuan Chong and said, "General, you are a savior of the world. Do not go to the mortal realm and use this vicious weapon to start a great calamity!"

Xuan Chong looked at the cultivator and said, "Then let me ask you, can you pass on a message for me?" Xuan Chong replied, "If the Wangheng Sect declares to the world that they are not our enemy, then we can settle our grudges."

A soldier standing nearby cried out urgently, "General, you can't—"

However, after being glared at by Xuan Chong, he fell silent under the intimidating aura.

Xuan Chong had no intention of reconciliation at all. The so-called reconciliation was just a way of deliberately setting conditions that crossed the other party's bottom line. The most fatal condition of Xuan Chong's was that he wanted Emperor Hengzong to announce it to the world.

This situation of shouting for the destruction of evil spirits was created by Wang Hengzong. Now, if Wang Hengzong is asked to call for reconciliation, it is as if he himself is using his reputation as toilet paper.

Historical records of international conflicts show that when a leader makes absolute statements about "fighting to the death" and guarantees all his underlings' rights, his reputation will collapse the faster he later eagerly runs to make peace.

The idea of ​​"fighting without breaking apart" is not contradictory to the fact that "they actually act viciously."

The old cultivator stammered, "Sir, you rely on unorthodox and heretical teachings, bringing disaster to the world. Our sect can never stoop to their level."

Xuan Chong glanced at the indignant expressions of the many soldiers around him and burst into laughter. Turning to the old man, he said, "When the people were suffering, you were unwilling to help! When we came to help, you pointed fingers and gave orders. Now you want to arrange things for us in the name of 'the greater good of the world,' and after that, you want to label us as bandits. Ha, you've put me in a very difficult position."

The old monk clearly felt that as he confronted Xuan Chong face to face, the murderous aura of the surrounding soldiers became increasingly intense.

Furthermore, without needing to perform any divination, he could predict that once these words reached Zhendi, the human realm in the western states of Da Yao would inevitably "become murderous, and the world would be turned upside down!"
As for whether "Chi You's soldiers" are actually defined as "vicious weapons," that's no longer important at this point.

Because Wang Hengzong, who labeled Chi You's weapons as malevolent weapons, is problematic!
Xuan Chong: "In propaganda warfare, when the opposing faction has problems that are intolerable to our side, then nothing the opposing faction says will make a difference."

At this moment, in the eyes of their own soldiers, the so-called immortal sect was a hypocrite.

So, was Xuan Chong's recent "peace plea" an admission of weakness? No, it was a strategic retreat. By exposing the enemy's ugly face, he aimed to dispel the doubts within his own group regarding the "Chi You soldiers."

Xuan Chong dared to guarantee that if he silently took back the Chi You soldiers, those immortal sects would inevitably connect the imbalance of the Heavenly Dao and the bloodshed in certain places with his taking the Chi You soldiers.

Xuan Chong had seen these shameless arguments in his previous life. "If we don't control the desert, sandstorms will plague the world; if we control the desert, atmospheric transparency will increase, exacerbating global warming." Back then, they hadn't won a single propaganda war.

It's important to understand that many small countries that embrace Western humanism deeply believe in the "reputable schools of thought" portrayed in their media. If the US hadn't ultimately tarnished its credibility on the squid issue, offending what most regions considered "intolerable," and hadn't followed up with a strategy of starting with the easy targets and then slashing at the stands, those onlookers would likely have been happy to see the "big brother suppressing the second-in-command" scenario unfold.

After releasing the old cultivator and the captured cultivators, Xuan Chong said to the soldiers, "On the way back, we will tear apart this hypocritical net."

After a round trip of twenty days, Xuan Chong returned to the city of Lelang.

Everything in the city remained stable. Yao San Niang's lotus lantern still shone brightly, and the fiery Vermilion Bird energy pierced down from the stars in the sky, stabilizing the area.

All the demons and monsters formed by the projection of the evil moon will be burned as soon as they show themselves.

Of course, in the eyes of the Immortal Sect, to solve the problem that Xie Yue was paying attention to, they still needed to send enough "materials" to Xie Yue. —The Immortal Sect didn't shift their focus; they considered Zhenzhou the problem, so they became Zhenzhou's problem.

Xuan Chong arrived riding a peacock, and the people of the city eagerly awaited his arrival.

After glancing at Lelang City, the peacock circled for a while, then, like a young lady disgusted by the dirty ground, carefully lifted her skirt and headed straight for the lotus platform formed by the lit lotus lantern.

(End of this chapter)