Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

He looked at the screen and said, "Eyes, help me call Gao Shiyu. He should have finished running by now."

Drip—drip—

After two rings, Gao Shiyu answered the phone.

"Hello? Shangluo? You're amazing. You can call me while competing. You really have a lot of energy. What are you calling for?"

"I'm calling to ask after your arse. How was it?"

"I'm lying on a stool now. I was dragged out. I can't walk anymore."

"Huh? So how do you drive?"

"When I connected to the Torch System, I couldn't feel anything in my body. After I parked the car, I realized I was numb from the shaking. My brain was shaking. Anyway, I need to stand up and walk around a bit, or my legs will continue to be numb. Does anything look right over there? Take care of yourself. Watch out for that bend near Yuejiang Tower. I can only help you up to this point."

Chapter 506 Bend

“This pristine road surface is really exciting.”

Although the extremely intelligent Tianyi Guiren was controlling the suspension, making it soft and flexible, he could still feel a little numbness in his buttocks - but it was still bearable, similar to driving on a dirt road.

"Wow," his hands were a little numb, "this late emperor was quite amazing. He can actually ride a bicycle to lose weight on this kind of road."

He doesn't actually ride this way.

"what?"

[Records say the late emperor usually only rode his bicycle near Xuanwu Gate, where the road is paved with rubber. The brick road on this side is quite interesting.]

"So this is intentional to torment people, right?"

At a bicycle speed, this is just a bumpy ride. Don't be fooled by the unevenness of the road; maintaining the uneven surface of the city wall without causing an accident is also a kind of fun.

"Wait a minute." He glanced at the road sign that passed by. "Is the speed limit on this road only 30?"

"Yes, you're driving here at 30 kilometers per hour, which is quite pleasant. You can drive and enjoy the scenery. But you're going 230 kilometers per hour, which is..."

"It's quite impressive that they didn't fly away."

There were no cars in front and behind. The pressure of this overtime was invisible because he didn't know how far behind he was.

Below the city wall lies the Qinhuai River, with skyscrapers lining both sides. There's no natural scenery to be seen here, only the cityscape. The densely packed skyscrapers are much taller than the wall itself—if the Yingtian city wall were straight, a narrow sliver of sky would be visible ahead.

But the walls of Yingtian were originally built not as a city, but as a fortress. Their primary purpose was defense, not to house the city. The crooked wall curved a short distance ahead, and the road beneath it followed suit. From Shangluo's perspective, tall buildings lay directly in front of him, to his left, right, and front.

On the tall buildings, flashes of light flashed like waves. Inside the buildings, cameras and cameras were pointed at the track.

"Wow! Is this a fashion show? So many people are waiting here!"

[That's why the organizing committee said not to cast spells here. I'm afraid everything will be revealed by then.]

He felt like he had never been photographed so many times in his life. The decision to add a hatch was absolutely the right one. With it, those inside could see outside, but those outside couldn't see inside.

“Actually, I still have a little bit of social anxiety.”

[You, social anxiety? ]

"It's okay when there are fewer people, but I get a little nervous when there are more. Well, it's just right now, it's quite comfortable. The film on the windshield is a great invention."

After driving up the city wall, the road became much wider. After all, this is a city wall, a real "road", where cavalry used to run. Although it is not as wide as the city walls of Shuntian and Xi'an, it is definitely not a problem to drive on it. All the way north, he entered the Yuejiang Tower before going off work -

In the blink of an eye, several people carrying cameras suddenly jumped out from the track ahead, stopped in front of the car and frantically pressed the shutter button.

"Oh shit!" Shangluo was so scared that he almost turned the steering wheel off. Tianyi Guiren urgently activated the anti-lock braking system, took over the skidding racing car, and stabilized the front of the car.

Looking back, I saw those guys were still filming the car's taillights. Immediately, a dozen Jinyiwei rushed out and pinned them to the ground.

"Oh my goodness! So this is what I was supposed to pay attention to! How did these people get in?!"

I don't know, but they seem to have escaped from Yuejiang Tower? Could they have slept on the floor here the night before? This is too persistent. Now that they've been captured, where are they being sent?

"I don't know. Anyone who steals secrets will be caught anyway, and if caught, they'll be beheaded. But their level isn't high enough to warrant imprisonment, so they'll probably just be sent to the police station to cool off."

Entering the second half of the race from Yuejiang Tower, the track transformed into a flat plastic track, with Xuanwu Lake appearing ahead. There weren't many buildings here, as the Grand Palace on Purple Mountain lay across from Xuanwu Lake. To prevent anyone from peering into the Grand Palace, the buildings in this area were limited in height. This was the time to activate the magic.

【Do you want to start now? 】

"Not really." Shangluo shook his head. "I need to run a lap myself to see if there's a gap. If so, how big the gap is. Then I can decide which method to activate based on the actual situation. Also, it's actually more convenient for us to be at the back, so we can easily choose the target to aim at. Rushing to the front would make us more likely to be targeted."

"Yes. I've already entered the routes where you can use spells. Can you take a look at them yourself?"

Suddenly, the phone rang.

【There's a call for you.】

"Please put me through. Hello?"

"Shangluo." Lu Huaiyang's voice came from the other end of the line, "Have you encountered any strange people over there?"

"Yes, he was blocking the road below the Yuejiang Tower to take pictures. My god, he scared me so much that my hands were shaking. What happened?"

"Did you use Taoism in front of them?"

“No, I haven’t used it yet.”

"That's good, then there's only one person."

"Which one?"

"Yeah, Xuantan Tiger. They filmed Xuantan Tiger activating the Torch Engine, and those two little idiots didn't even notice. I guess they're completely focused on controlling the Torch System."

"Wait a minute." Shangluo thought for a moment, "Just now, I remember there was also the Lan Fang team in front of us? Where are they?"

"They didn't." This also made Lu Huaiyang breathe a sigh of relief. "We just checked their camera and took a quick look at the film. Fortunately, they really couldn't take any pictures of the banana tree."

"Eh??? Even the camera can't take a picture? Why?"

"I don't know," Lu Huaiyang replied. "Don't ask me. I really don't know. I only know that many people have discovered the power of the banana plant. They've been asking me about it in various ways, and some have even asked me. But I really don't know."

"Phew, it's okay. What about the Tai Shang Jue Chen? I remember it was also in front?"

"They seemed to be mistaken for safety cars so no filming was done."

"what?"

"Because they looked exactly like the prototype race car, these guys didn't fail to notice them for a moment. It was only after they drove past that the people squatting on the roadside taking pictures noticed them. They only took a few pictures of their backs and didn't capture anything else."

"Boy, they must have worked really hard. Where are they hiding? How come we haven't found them?"

"The hiding place! They found a saw blade somewhere, cut through the iron bars of the hiding place, and hid inside. They weren't afraid of suffocating in there; the passages were twisting and turning, uphill and downhill, and the ventilation system wasn't working. They were really willing to risk their lives for the sake of the news."

Chapter 507 Taking Photos

"Oh, that's really, really amazing."

It turns out that no matter where you are, being a journalist is a wonderful profession.

"In short, you should pay attention. Grades are more important, but if you see anyone taking secret photos, report it immediately and we'll come and arrest them." Before he finished speaking, Shangluo heard someone shouting on the other end of the conversation: "I knew it! I knew the court has a superpower department! Superpowers! Superpowers! Wudang sword! Shaolin stick! 72-movement Xingyiquan!"

"Tsk, so noisy." Lu Huaiyang's voice trembled. "I'm going to hang up first. I need to ask which newspaper they are from. Wen Yuan, where are my bamboo sticks? Don't want the pointed ones, they'll leave marks. Bring me the round ones."

As he was speaking, the voice on the other end of the phone disappeared, leaving only the busy tone of "beep, beep, beep".

"Wow" After hanging up the phone, Shangluo was still imagining what the person on the other end of the phone looked like.

[Would you like to watch it? I can get a recording for you. Wow.]

"What are you saying?"

Doudou was there filming it, and they sent me a copy. Wow! Wow! This technique! Wow! Wow! Do you want to see it?

"I'm not that bored. But... what are you doing?"

[He's poking his nose with a bamboo stick. Wow, wow, wow, and he still hasn't confessed. It seems he's being too cautious. By the way, does this count as torture?]

"Of course it does," Shangluo replied. "But no one said the Imperial Guards couldn't torture people to extract confessions. Tsk, why mess with them?"

After making a complete detour, Shangluo didn't use any more magic. Firstly, he had wanted to try it anyway. Secondly, if he was exposed, he might have to deal with it himself later, which would be very troublesome.

After crossing the finish line, he braked in front of the pit. As soon as he got out of the car, he saw Han Xingzhi and Gao Shiyu sitting in the rest area.

"Hey, brother, you're back?"

"Yeah. What are you two doing?"

"His mind is in a mess and he needs me to help him straighten his heartstrings."

"what?"

"You don't quite understand Xuan Xiu's business, big brother. Captain Gao isn't actually a Qigong practitioner yet, just a half-step Qigong practitioner, just like our Manager Qi. So there are some problems he can't solve on his own, and he needs the assistance of other Qigong practitioners. I just happen to be right next to him. Ahhhh! You lost again, be more steady."

"I'm completely paralyzed. How can I stay calm?"

"Then you should go see a doctor first, why do you come to me first?"

"Because I can use my body, but I must use my brain. Can you do me a favor? One more time?"

"You guys," Shangluo asked, "how did you adjust?"

"Look, look." Han Xingzhi made room for Shangluo to sit in the middle. "Brother, come and help me. Sometimes I can't control him, so you can help him. You'll know what it means once you use it."

"Okay." Shangluo turned on his phone and joined their room.

On the screen, it appeared.

A jumble of sticks, piled together like a bird's nest.

"How to use this?"

"Here's how it works," Han Xingzhi explained. "After they connect to the Torch System, their minds and bodies are released outward, which can lead to some disturbances in their control over their bodies. His sister is already a Qigong practitioner, so she can adjust herself. It's a good thing he remembered me, and while she was busy adjusting herself, she asked if I could help. This is a simple little game that uses concentration to rebuild and organize brain function. The way to play is to pull out sticks, trying to pull out as many as possible without knocking over the pile. Other games can also have this effect, helping people concentrate."

"Hey," he looked at Gao Shiyu beside him, "Are you guys okay? It looks like it's really putting a lot of strain on your body."

Before he could say anything, Han Xingzhi muttered, "I think his inability to reach the Qigong realm is probably related to this. His heartstrings are extremely tangled, scattered here and there. It's hard to even organize them. I specially picked an easy one for him to play, and look how shaken he is."

"Alas." Shangluo sighed and put his hand on Gao Shiyu's shoulder. "Stop it, Xiao Gao. There are only magic fighters out there. You're still young, you can come back next time."

"No." Gao Shiyu lowered his voice, "This is a very important experiment."

"Are you usually participating in experiments?"

He nodded. "This competition is also part of the experiment, but I usually stay at the experimental site. What we are researching is not just this engine, but the externalization of spiritual consciousness - this is the ultimate goal. The various processes in the engine are only part of the externalization of spiritual consciousness. If all goes well, perhaps we can mobilize a larger system."

"Hey, hey, hey, is your father going to let his son conduct experiments?"

"It was me. I asked to join."

"Ah," Shangluo covered his forehead, "In that case, I respect your opinion."

He took out a Good Fortune Pill and handed it directly to Gao Shiyu.

"This is... This is the Golden Elixir of Creation! How did you get it?"

"Don't ask anymore, just eat. Eating it should help you compete normally in the next competition. For the rest, come back to me later. I'll figure out how to help you reach the Qi training stage."

Gao Shiyu turned around and asked, "Aren't you afraid of losing?"

"Ha, if you're not afraid, why should I be afraid?"

"Wuwuwuwu~~" Han Xingzhi wiped his sleeves and said, "I knew that big brother is a real man. Wuwuwuwu~~ So touching."

"." Gao Shiyu took the golden elixir, said nothing, and swallowed it in one gulp.

"Huh." He breathed a long sigh of relief. His hands stopped shaking, his whole body felt comfortable, and his mind was clear.

"Shangluo, I have something to discuss with you." Coming back to his senses, he asked directly, "Do you feel that the Lan Fang team is strange?"

"Did you find it too? Where?"

"I couldn't see him at all! My sister said they were chasing him and then caught up with him. But I didn't see even a shadow from beginning to end. He was just like that black Wen Yuan next to you, the soldier who was called something else. He looked like a wandering ghost."

"Huh? There's such a thing? And how did you get overtaken?"

"We were wondering about that too. But they seemed completely unreasonable. There was no sign of any spells being cast, yet they were incredibly fast. No matter how fast we ran, they stuck to us like the female ghosts in Liao Zhai."

[Hey, does this sound familiar? Mr. Ghost.]

"They're completely different, okay? I'm sucking in the back openly, and they're sucking in the back in the dark. How can they be the same? But it's interesting that some people choose similar tactics."

"Anyway, Shangluo," Gao Shiyu said seriously, "regardless of how we compare, I suggest you send out that dragon to get to the bottom of this matter first."