Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

For example, there were only a few preliminaries in the past, and now the finals only involve a qualifying round and a main race, and it’s all done in one day.

With so many teams staying in Yingtian City for a single day, the costs were considerable. The vehicles also had to be kept in good condition at all times, which put a lot of pressure on everyone. So, once the work was complete, the results were released on the spot, and any issues were resolved the next day, and everyone could call it a day. The pace was similar to that of the imperial examinations, which consisted of just one test.

"Well, let me tell you one last thing. I've told you this before, but I'll emphasize it again."

Qi Yuan poked his head in with a map in hand. "After we start running, follow the track directly onto the highway. The closest place to us is the Qingliang Gate Tower."

She pointed to a key spot. It was the tower next to Stone City, the starting point for the cycling race, and the track was quite open. Stone City was also a famous tourist attraction. During the Three Kingdoms period, Sun Shiwan set up his base here, and successive dynasties used it as a fortress. Now it was a bastion, so the path along the wall was quite winding, with many sharp turns.

Actually, it’s not very suitable for driving, and it’s even difficult to ride a bicycle. But because it’s the closest to the velodrome, less than 1 km away, it has the least impact on the city roads, so I chose to start there.

"The entire city wall has been renovated and is passable, but the renovation is based on bicycle standards and only bicycles can pass through. Be careful when passing through the city gate tower, as it is not much wider than a car body. After going up from Qingliang Gate, head towards Yuejiang Tower, which is north, and then--"

She drew a big circle on the map:

"You have to drive along the entire city wall, then exit from Qingliang Gate, run a lap back inside the track, and then go back out again. The entire race distance, including the city wall and the road from here to the wall, is 37 kilometers."

“It’s actually quite short?”

"Indeed. On a regular track, it's only six or seven laps. In a professional race, a race totals two to three hundred kilometers, while here the total is slightly less, but generally no more than 150 kilometers. This race is required to run three laps, which is 3 kilometers, only half of the professional race. Actually, it's just a little over a tank of gas. Our strategy is to fill up half a tank to make the car lighter, and then refuel once when you come back. We added a minimal amount of fuel in the overtime, which should give us an advantage in qualifying."

"Yeah," Shangluo nodded. "I do feel a bit of pressure. Especially during the qualifying rounds, it's hard to see other people's positions, which makes it even harder to compare."

"On the other hand, the pressure will be less. Just run as hard as you can."

"Actually, we have a problem here," Shangluo said, lowering his voice. "Our car has a trick: it sticks to other cars and then sticks to them. If there's no car in front of me to stick to, it seems like it will have a big impact on my performance."

Qi Yuan slapped himself on the head. "How did we get to this point where we have to beg others for kinetic energy to survive? But there's nothing we can do about it now. The qualifying matches are later, so it's easier for you to pick your opponents to absorb, right? It's not a big deal."

Although it’s hard to explain, as long as he can win, he doesn’t care about anything else.

"Also," Qi Yuan reminded again, "the areas where you can use spells are already marked. Generally speaking, you can't use spells on the road, but you can on the city walls. You can't use spells near tall buildings, but you can use spells near areas that are blocked. The lower half of the circle, from around Xuanwu Lake to the Xiaoling Mausoleum, is almost entirely magic-free. If we want to overtake behind others, that's where we should choose to cast spells."

"Yeah." Shangluo nodded, "But we have to choose our targets carefully."

He glanced outside the door. Xuantan Hu had already passed by, and Taishang Juechen from Wudang had also passed by. They were almost there.

"Theoretically, sucking the Xuantan Tiger is the best option; they should be the fastest. But I think sucking the autonomous car is also good; that's the least stressful. Anyway, let's see the qualifying results."

As they were talking, Wen Yuan walked in from the doorway and beckoned to them: "Come out, it's okay."

The qualifying round is not that strict. It doesn’t matter if you arrive earlier or later, because you are just competing against yourself and you will hardly run into anyone else. If you are still run into by others after only running one lap, it means that the gap between the two teams may be a bit big.

Releasing the clutch, Shangluo slowly glided to the starting point of the race. This car actually had both a gear and a throttle, allowing for control from both sides. Shangluo hadn't figured out how to adjust the throttle himself, but with Doudou controlling it, it wasn't a problem.

To some extent, this car could be considered "semi-automatic," with both he and Tianyi Guiren adjusting its operation, much like two pilots controlling the throttle on an airplane. If the two pilots disagreed, a conflict could ensue. On the other hand, if one side made a mistake, it was only a half-error, not fatal.

He noticed that the staff beside him were always staring at their car. He also knew that the staff were not looking at him, but at the balloons hanging behind the car.

The ball was hanging on the back, swaying like a balloon. When the car started moving, the balloon was also pulled here.

Shangluo also suddenly thought he heard a sound, like the whirring of wind. Looking back, he saw the ball hanging above him with a happy expression, gasping for air.

[It said it was as fast as lightning~~ too fast~~]

"Please, I haven't started running yet, I haven't even stepped on the accelerator yet."

As he spoke, the lights came on. The red light flashed twice, then the green light. He remained completely relaxed, because Tianyi Guiren would help him step on the accelerator at the critical moment.

With a loud "boom", the Tiandao Shadow Puppet rushed out.

The snoring sound behind me then disappeared from my ears.

Chapter 504 Invisibility

"Hey, is he okay?"

The car started moving, but the ball at the back was no longer moving.

I asked, but there was no response.

"I'm not flying that fast. Wasn't it flying in the sky with a group of cloud whales before? Could it be flying slower than me? Then what are they flying for?"

"Yeah, it reacted, struggling to answer. It said that when it flew with other cloud whales before, it had no effort at all, just floating along."

"Huh? What's the situation?"

Perhaps the cloud whale has the ability to influence its surroundings, adapting to the high-altitude climate. Look, isn't there a whole bunch of soldiers on board? Those soldiers aren't even wearing oxygen tanks or anything. It must have suffered greatly.

"You and him don't need to stay here with me. I just grabbed him and brought him here. You'll suffer if you stay here."

"Well, it said, this is cultivation. From the beginning, it knew it would be hard. But the Cloud Whale needs cultivation to grow, so it can accept a little hardship."

"He's such a soft-headed guy, but I didn't expect him to be so stubborn. Never mind, that's fine. If he can tolerate it, I'm fine with dragging a balloon around. Then tell him we're on the straight ahead and need to sprint."

An indistinct snoring sound came from behind. It was the wind that blocked Qiuqiu's mouth when it opened its mouth.

"If Xiao Han had such a stubborn head, he would have been able to join the Imperial Guard long ago."

He'd always felt that Han Xingzhi was still far from "hardworking." He wasn't particularly interested in racing, but rather in creative pursuits, a passion of his own. Shangluo felt that the team still had plenty of talent, but they just needed some hard work. If everyone could obtain a certification from the Imperial College after this competition, it would open up a wide range of options for everyone.

Shangluo was his only choice now. He had to go to the Imperial College anyway, though he hadn't yet decided which classroom to attend. He would have to stay in this city for a long time.

Today was probably the most prestigious day since he arrived in Yingtian City, because the city had closed the road for him. Even the emperor didn't close the road when he went out, he just walked through it. But Formula One races closed the road, which was quite a big deal.

Only after learning the route did Shangluo understand why he hadn't seen any signs of a road closure during his earlier explorations—because the people who had blocked the road themselves didn't know about it. Turning a corner, he saw seven or eight people from Station 81 of the Jiangning Patrol Branch standing at the intersection. All of them were yawning; even the dog hadn't woken up yet.

Because the distance from the stadium to the city gate was less than 800 meters, advance notice was unnecessary. A single early morning order mobilized all the surrounding police stations, sealing off the road. Furthermore, since the area was already close to Qingliangshan Park and the Stone City Fortress, few people were out and about. Traffic jams were minimal, as vehicles detoured through the nearby city gate a few hundred meters away.

[It seems that in the next competition, you will not only have to collect intelligence, but you will also have to predict the topic.]

"I've long felt that the intelligence they gathered wasn't very reliable—the court was the one setting the question, and they have the Imperial Guards. If the Imperial Guards don't want them to gather intelligence, then I'm afraid no one else can. Look, there are those who might have leaked information, like Wen Yuan. She was forbidden from speaking to me before the competition."

He drove towards Qingliang Gate while looking at the map. This time, he wanted to practice his driving skills more than qualifying. It couldn't be helped; he simply didn't have time to practice; he was too busy yesterday. Fortunately, with his celestial body, one practice was enough.

I'll also help you memorize the track. They're using artificial intelligence for driving, but to me, it's just artificial idiocy.

"Are you sure your hand speed is as fast as 300 beans?"

【When the time comes】

Before he finished speaking, a streak of white light shot towards him from the distance. Shangluo focused his attention and saw that the colorful ship was the Overlord Banana. The Overlord Banana had departed earlier and was now returning from the other side of the lane.

He originally wanted to reach out and provide protection through the cockpit, but the other party came like a flash of light and left like a flash of light.

"Wow, they really are efficient."

[They seem to really want to win? ]

"Perhaps the competition in Lan Fang is much more intense. I guess it's simply because there are more opportunities, because there's more vitality overseas. Look at us, all the jobs are the same price, so you can probably guess why. Modernization here has only been around for nearly two hundred years, while it was a little later over there. There are still many areas in Lan Fang that are undeveloped."

【Is it possible that you will be classmates with them in the future? 】

"It's possible, but unlikely. Not many people actually want to go to the Imperial College."

He didn't come here to drive for the Imperial College notice, but for face. If he really let someone else win, his face would be gone.

"Well, let me take a look." He tried to look back -

[Don't look at it. I can't lock onto the rear one because the torpedo's seeker is only aimed at the front. But... there seems to be a problem. I actually tried to lock onto it just now.]

"and then?"

【And then I didn't lock onto them.】

"Huh? Why?"

[I don't know. I tried it before, and other cars can be locked. Even the Taishang Juechen, which can't see through information, can lock the location. Only they can't be locked at all.]

"Could it be some kind of radar-absorbing material? That's not right. It's painted all over with such a garbled color. It doesn't look like it."

[This isn't some kind of radar. Hey, how about peeing again? It's okay to let Aha catch up and pee.]

"Forget it, forget it. If Master Lan sees this, he'll probably burst out laughing. He can see it."

[Huh?] Apollonia was stunned for a moment. [Qiuqiu said it didn't see the car.]

"Huh? Why?"

[Qiuqiu himself doesn't know. But he says he can't see.]

"They are really invisible. Interesting. Regardless of whether I can win or not, I plan to ask them how they did it. This is very tactical. It is of great value, especially when used against the Romans." He judged that this time it would be a good opportunity to divide up several departments of the Heavenly Court.

"But the Lan Fang team seems to be quite busy. I wonder if they are willing to take over the Fire Department. They have a lot of good stuff on hand."

【What, what are you going to do? 】

"After this competition, we should probably start training. We can organize a small-scale quick-reaction force or something to demonstrate to the new military reformers, and quickly respond to emergencies around the world. It would be great if the superconducting and stealth technology on the Overlord Banana could be transferred to the Heavenly Soldiers. I'll ask them about it later."

Chapter 505 Suspension

The 800-meter race was a fleeting moment for the racers. The Qingliang Gate was just ahead.

Qingliang Gate is not very large, and it's not a massive gate like Jubao Gate, with its multi-tiered barbican. There's no ramp leading directly up the wall. However, a walking trail and bicycle path have been built near the gate, eliminating the need for the steep stairs typical of the Great Wall.

The city gates were now closed to prevent vehicles from going the wrong way. A vermilion-lacquered gate blocked the two lanes of traffic inside the city. A traffic police officer stood beside the gates, behind a barricade, pointing the way, signaling Shangluo to turn left.

"Oh my god!" Shangluo only noticed the bicycle path leading to the city wall when he walked to the bottom of the city gate. It was actually quite dangerous.

The entire bike path hugs the city wall, climbing straight up. While the slope is appropriate, it's about the width of a car—as narrow as it can be. Furthermore, because it doesn't take into account car turns, even the entrance is a 90-degree bend right next to the city wall. In Shangluo, there's even a sign next to it saying "Get off and push"—in fact, cycling isn't even recommended on this ramp; it's only recommended that citizens dismount and push.

There is a conveyor belt similar to an escalator on one side of the ramp. After you pull the car up, you can step on the brake and the car will be pulled up by the conveyor belt without having to push it yourself.

"This thing is quite sophisticated! I often find that many places in this city are inexplicably ingenious. The main means of transportation in the city are not bicycles, but subways and trams. This thing seems like a toy for everyone to repair?"

[Have you noticed that there are inexplicably many Chui Wan (chuiwan) and related facilities on Purple Mountain?]

"Wait, I guess it's a certain former emperor..."

[Yes. Your senior brother's grandfather loved cycling, and he also liked everyone riding together. That's why there are excellent bicycle facilities in the city. Your senior brother's father loved playing Chui Wan, so there are a lot of Chui Wan carts on Purple Gold Mountain. Your senior brother himself likes to make elixirs, so you can see that the alchemy of the Jinyiwei is really flourishing.]

"Not bad. Actually, it's quite normal for the Zhu family to have special hobbies. Did the late emperor who rode a bicycle also ride very fast?"

[No. Although he actively participated in various open-wheel cycling races, he never won a single prize.]

"Tsk, that's nothing special."

【But he succeeded in losing weight by cycling! 】

"???" Shangluo was stunned for a moment. "That's quite the determination. But did he also build this bike path to use as a gym?"

[He didn't charge any money anyway.]

"Then he comes to torment me, right? If he hadn't built this trail, I wouldn't have to tormented by this city wall track."

He steered and drove into the bike lane. The entire slope was painted red, a warning to motorists not to drive up it. He had to drive straight up, following the warning sign. There were traffic police standing nearby, and he was a little nervous—because he was still unlicensed and couldn't drive anything other than this racing car.

As soon as I pulled into the driveway, Eyes popped up from the corner of the screen and displayed a graphic: the entire car's suspension was automatically raising.

"Very high. Thank you very much." He didn't need to operate the car himself; Doudou inside the car took care of the tedious details. This included adjusting the transmission for climbing hills, which Doudou also took care of. The continuously variable transmission was perfectly suited to this kind of "semi-autonomous" driving. Shangluo only had to handle the physical work of steering, accelerator, brake, and clutch. Doudou handled all other operations that required only the push of a button.

"Speaking of which, this car is truly the ideal state of the automobile. If we could switch to an electric car and omit the clutch, it would be the ultimate evolution of the automobile. What do you think?"

"I do have a say in this matter, because our cars are way ahead of the competition here. Without even using a Tianyi Guiren, our cars can autonomously avoid obstacles, prevent locks, spin in circles, and even float if they fall into water."

[Are you sure you're not kidding? Hey, I'm not kidding, I thought it was a cartoon.]

“Things in cartoons can come true.”

But actually, if Doudou existed, artificial intelligence wouldn't be that necessary, right? I think Doudou is much smarter than artificial intelligence.

As he was speaking, a bunch of beans popped up all around the screen, poking their heads out to look around.

"Beans are too smart! Our artificial intelligence may be stupid, but at least they don't complain about being hungry."

As soon as he said this, the Beanies all retreated their heads. Eyeboy, however, remained there—it had nowhere else to go except this screen. Its function here was to serve as an interactive medium between Shangluo and the entire car, conveying Shangluo's wishes to the other Beanies through it.

The boy with eyes suddenly raised the icon again, this time he was adjusting the softness and hardness of the suspension.

Before Shangluo could figure out why, a series of frantic jolts erupted from beneath his seat—clatter, clatter, clatter—as the wheels rolled over the uneven bricks of the city wall. The bricks were designed for bicycles, not perfectly smooth, and stable enough at bicycle speeds. But once the bike reached the slope, it began to sprint at full speed, magnifying the tiny bumps in the bricks.

Shangluo's buttocks were completely lifted off the ground, and he could even feel his seat belt and helmet moving.

Fortunately, as the boy with glasses raised his sign to signal, the bumpy feeling gradually eased.

[Oh, they're starting to take over the suspension system, and now the tires on this car are starting to adapt to the road surface - this is really amazing, so I said, this is the direction of automotive development.]

"I'm suddenly curious about how the other teams managed to hold on. Wait."