"'Press Kun Wei needle into the field' means approaching the target from the southwest. This code is for air support! I called for bombing overhead, and they asked me to repeat it, so I repeated it."

"Then how come it came so quickly?"

"Because I called them before! Hours ago, I called the McDonald's. How dare these bastards kidnap me? I just said 'Double chicken burger, no lettuce, no salad dressing,' and called in the bombers! They seem to be here already, right overhead."

As he was speaking, a buzzing sound could be heard overhead, coming from far away and getting closer and closer.

"Bombs are falling! Stairwell! Run to the stairwell! I've seen the fire diagram. The stairwell in this building is a structural tube. Even if the building collapses, the stairwell will not collapse. The bombers of the San Francisco Garrison are all naval bombers. They drop armor-piercing high-explosive bombs that can directly penetrate the entire building from top to bottom! If we don't take shelter in the stairwell, we will all die!"

Chapter 47 Bomb

Wen Yuan had memorized the route through muscle memory, so even in the darkness ahead, he could still find his way. The statue itself became a landmark, and he dragged Shangluo to the side of the road and turned.

At the entrance to the stairwell, a white lion crouched beneath the last stone statue. Meanwhile, the bomb had already landed above.

A devastating explosion echoed through the black fog. The sound was muffled, but Shangluo still stumbled. Wen Yuan, without a word, lifted him up.

The aftermath of the explosion continued to spread, and the building above had already suffered structural damage. Although it had not yet collapsed, the ceiling and floor in the corridor were cracking. Steam pipes and gas roared in the walls, but the bombing continued.

Bomb after bomb exploded overhead, the sound growing closer with each explosion.

"Oh shit." Wen Yuan's legs went limp from the latest blow, and the ground was shaking so much that he couldn't keep his balance at all.

With a loud "bang", the floor above was smashed through by a huge object. The armor-piercing bullet had penetrated the floor and hit the floor directly.

The massive armor-piercing projectile was the size of a small car. Its hull was welded together using advanced welding techniques, and every seam was dragon-scale welded. Sunlight and flames streamed in through the holes created by the armor-piercing projectile, illuminating the dragon-scale welded surfaces with a vibrant rainbow of colors. The deep hues rivaled even the exotic hues of a Yohenchan, reaching the level of imperial artifacts.

"This is... the Imperial Guard's incendiary bomb!"

Once triggered, the sophisticated mechanism in the incendiary bomb will spray out a fuel-fuel mixture. Up to 2 tons of fuel-fuel mixture can detonate a high-temperature fireball of 2500℃ and an absolute lethal zone that sweeps across 4 football fields. Even a cultivator in the Qi training stage cannot survive such a devastating bomb.

A revolving lantern appeared before his eyes. Wen Yuan began to review his life. He realized there wasn't much to look back on. Many of his previous memories had been erased. The most important thing he could remember was submitting a lab report.

This life is absolutely miserable.

He stared at the bomb, the picture frozen there. He never imagined that this would be the last scene of his life.

There was a strong gust of wind, so strong that he couldn't open his eyes. But there was no high temperature.

"Hmm?" When he opened his eyes again, a dark figure stood before him, its back to him, its jade-like right hand extended toward the bomb. A second hole opened in the ceiling, and the dark figure stood in the sunlight. The darkness was dispelled once more, and this time he could see clearly without the need for a torch.

After casting a spell on the incendiary bomb, his jade-like right hand slowly dimmed, revealing a black military glove under the light.

Turning back, he saw his military coat fluttering slightly in the dust, yet not a speck of dust stained it. The star on his collar shone golden in the darkness.

"Who struck me with thunder? An hour ago."

"It's me." Wen Yuan raised her hand.

"Ah!" Shangluo slowly opened his eyes. A hand filled with spiritual energy appeared before him, emitting a gentle white light. A strong feeling of dizziness and tinnitus came over him, then disappeared in an instant.

"It's okay. You haven't trained before, so the ear pressure made you dizzy for a while. I helped you correct it." The calm voice appeared directly in his ears, so that Shangluo's somewhat weak nerves were not frightened.

"Thank you. Who are you?"

"This is General Bai Feng, one of the four great generals of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He's my and my master's immediate superior, and the commander of the Southern Town Embroidered Uniform Guard. General! This is the first time I'm meeting you! I'm so excited!"

"It's not the first time. We met when you were five. Why hasn't your memory recovered yet?" He extended his hand and placed it on Wen Yuan's head. "I've already replenished your spiritual energy. You just lost a lot of it. Rest well when you go back and eat more immortal roots. It's amazing that you still remember me. By the way, where's your token? Your father's token?"

Wen Yuan shook his head.

"As expected, you used the ringing token to unleash the Five Thunderbolts. What a shame! If I had arrived earlier, you wouldn't have suffered this disaster. Listen up, both of you. I have something important to discuss with you. It's related to the Foundation Establishment Pill. Lu Huaiyang sent a letter to the capital. After an urgent discussion, we reported it to the Emperor, and the Emperor reported it to Daozu."

He paused for a moment, because the news was too shocking for him:

"Daozu, I want to see you."

Wen Yuan on the side gasped: "Daozu!!! Daozu wants to see him? But Daozu..."

"Yes." General Bai Feng nodded. "The Daozu never receives anyone except the Emperor himself. Aside from successive Emperors, no one has ever seen the Daozu's true appearance, nor has anyone heard his teachings. Even we can only be considered his second-generation disciples. All of the Daozu's instructions are conveyed through the Emperor's golden words. You will be the first person in history besides the Emperor to meet the Daozu."

"Huh?" Shangluo was stunned.

He originally thought that he could "hide in seclusion in the city" and find a place to refine the foundation-building pill first.

Now everyone who needs to know knows.

"So, it's entirely because of the Foundation Establishment Pill?" Shangluo asked.

"It's most likely the Foundation Establishment Pill, but no one knows what Daozu is thinking. The Foundation Establishment Pill is written on the recipe, but no one has ever actually refined it. We initially suspected that Lu Huaiyang had misread it, but we still reported it to the higher-ups just in case. Daozu's response has never been so quick. He immediately issued a decree through the mouth of the Emperor, ordering you to return to Yujing immediately."

"But the foundation-building pill is gone."

"It's not a big deal. Foundation Establishment Pills aren't meant to be eaten anyway—wait, you didn't eat it, did you? Good god! When did you eat it?" General Bai Feng was shocked by his own thoughts. He stared at Shang Luo, afraid that he would say the word "eaten."

"No." Shangluo pointed to the stone statue next to him, "Let her eat it."

General Bai Feng finally noticed the stone statue before him. He placed his hand on the statue's head.

"So that's how it is, that's how it is." When he withdrew his hand, the corners of his mouth rose.

"Boy, your name is Shangluo, right? Your chance has come."

"what?"

"It's not advisable to stay here for long. Let's go up first. Don't move around after you go up. I'll come to find you right away." General Bai Feng took out the token, tapped it a few times with his thumb, and put the token back.

With a thud, dust swirled as a soldier fell to the ground, kneeling to cushion the impact. The impact was right next to Shangluo, and the tremor was like a bomb weighing several hundred kilograms.

Chapter 48 Returning to China

"Bang, bang, bang." A series of explosions erupted, and the floor was cracked like a colander, letting in light. All the darkness was dispelled by the sunlight. Dozens of soldiers, each weighing hundreds of pounds, pounded the floor, leaving cracks in its tracks.

The armor covering the entire body is extremely thick. The shoulder armor alone is a finger's width thick, even comparable to the armor of a chariot.

Dozens of soldiers slowly stood up, wearing heavy armor but lifting the weight with ease. They bowed in the direction of General Bai Feng:

"Greetings, General!" They were all Jinyiwei.

"Shangluo's chance lies within this stone statue. Carry it away and go back to figure out how to dismantle it. It looks like this furnace has already refined the elixir; it's incredibly hard. Take Shangluo and your fellow apprentice out as well. Oh, and this spirit beast, the lion. Take them all with you."

"but!"

Shangluo felt his feet lighten as the guard beside him dragged him upwards with both hands. The sky suddenly brightened—but the sun was obscured by thick smoke and shadows.

Heavy airships hung high in the sky, laden with bombs, parked beyond the range of all anti-aircraft guns. The leading ship, larger than a battleship, bore the emblem of the Big Dipper, symbolizing a naval flagship. The remaining six, spread out in a naval formation of flying swallows, passed over the entire city. A dense, box-like formation of bombers circled over Las Vegas, and several detached bombers had already dropped propaganda bombs. Leaflets and burning ashes danced through the air, like snow in the heat of summer.

The tanks had also entered the city. The vehicles driving along the road were heavy tanks, their tracks encircling their entire hulls. Besides the turret piercing the roof, there were also a pair of secondary turrets attached to the sides of the hull, their exteriors covered in rivets like city gates.

The Zhendong Guard's battle flag hung behind the turret, half blackened by the diesel engine. Soldiers armed with assault rifles followed the tanks, forming a battle formation.

"It's unfair! It's unfair!" The gambler, dressed as a businessman, knelt down beside him and grabbed a passing soldier to cry out, "We didn't do anything, why are you plowing the house? Why? We are wronged!"

Boots trotted past them, and not a single soldier from the royal army stopped for them. In neutral territory, the royal army was the law. Distributing leaflets before the plowing of the city, encouraging the inhabitants to flee, was the most they could do.

"Good fellow, are we going to plow the house and sweep the holes?" Shang Luo, who had been brought out of the ground, stood by the roadside. The Jinyiwei beside him did not answer him. Instead, General Bai Feng spoke directly behind him:

"It's okay, gamblers don't die well."

"General?" He recognized the voice and turned around quickly.

"So don't overthink it. This place should have been demolished. After the Yangzhou Camp was established, this place was no longer a lawless zone. It doesn't matter if it's demolished sooner or later, so why not do it sooner rather than later?"

"The neutral zone is going to be eliminated?"

"This is the result of our consultation with Rome. These neutral zones have now become a den of filth and corruption. And as you can see, darkness has already grown here, enough to attract the attention of the Dao Ancestor. After we established the Yangzhou Camp, Rome also stationed several legions in New Antioch. We will advance from the east and west to eradicate this neutral zone. Today is just the beginning. After Beiyangzhou, it will be Nanyangzhou, and then all over the world."

He patted Shangluo on the shoulder and said, "Then it's your business. Boy, you've struck gold—your elixir is about to mature, and that 'furnace' is quite good. If Wen Yuan hadn't been by your side, I would have thought you were fishing for her, because even an evil cultivator might not be able to find such a good furnace. Besides, she dug her own grave and has the means to die, and you won't be contaminated by karma. This is a great opportunity that I envy, but unfortunately everyone has their own way of making alchemy, and I can't envy it. Well, I have something to do, so I have to excuse myself first. Also, please give Lu Huaiyang a message: next time, whoever wants to take that plane can take it, don't let me take it again."

Shangluo was about to respond when a fierce gust of wind surged up from his face. Amidst the flying sand and rocks, General Bai Feng had vanished.

"Wow, this guy can actually fly?"

"Because he is a celestial being in the foundation-building stage. He said that the furnace is a good thing, and you are probably really lucky." Lu Huaiyang's voice suddenly appeared behind him again.

"Huh??? Captain Lu, are you here?"

"Yes, I was right behind him. My uncle didn't talk to me, probably because he was angry. But that was the only flight that could arrive on time, and I couldn't arrange another one for him."

"He's your uncle? How old is he?"

Shangluo didn't notice General Bai Feng's age at all, because he looked to be between thirty and forty years old, a well-maintained young or middle-aged man, even younger than Lu Huaiyang.

"Master-uncle should be over seventy this year. He's in the Foundation Establishment stage. After building his foundation, he can return to his innate Dao body. As long as he hasn't reached the end of the Five Degenerations of a Celestial Being, he can remain eternally young and healthy—so you understand the significance of the Foundation Establishment Pill, right? Even among the Jinyiwei who serve the emperor, there are only four Celestial Beings in the Foundation Establishment stage. I don't even know how many more there are, I only know that Daozu is above all of us. Where did you suddenly pull out a Foundation Establishment Pill?"

"Um, so you guys confirmed that it's true?"

"I didn't believe it at first, because you probably don't know how difficult it is to become a celestial being. But when Daozu asked to see you right away, I finally believed you. And it turned out to be true. With such a large furnace here, I think this must be a furnace of excellent elixirs." As he spoke, he grasped Shangluo's hand. He didn't hold it tightly, but just lifted it in front of him to look at it.

"That's strange. It doesn't look like anything, and there's really no Qi flowing at all. Where did all those radishes go? Could it be that you were born with the ability to use Qi to strengthen your body? But your physique isn't that strong. After eating so many radishes, even a dog should be able to turn into a Roaring Sky Dog." He thought for a moment and then asked, "Does eating radishes cause bloating?"

"Of course I'm bloated."

"So it absorbed the radish, and it really worked. Anyway, Daozu wants to see you, and he will naturally know why this happened. Come with me to the car, pack up and send you back. The flight hasn't left yet."

"Wait. My father's store is still in San Francisco."

"San Francisco," he paused, "I'm afraid that city will also change. After the establishment of the Yangzhou Camp, the atmosphere there will no longer be as relaxed as before. I just saw the Imperial Guards' bombers passing by, and I think an Imperial Guards aircraft carrier must have docked while we were leaving. I'll notify your father, he should be returning soon."

"Okay. Then I'll go clean up."

"I've packed everything for you, and your luggage is being loaded onto the plane. The plane is refueling and will depart soon. After meeting with the Taoist Master, if he doesn't have any other arrangements, you will temporarily return to the Wutai Mountain Training Institute. You have to graduate first, and there are still three months left, so you can get your diploma first. I've also registered you for the Yingtian Tongsheng Examination in September - have you fallen behind in your studies?"

"Huh? Ahahahaha~~ It didn't fall, it definitely didn't fall."

"I told you not to bring you here at the beginning, so that you could study hard. But your father insisted on bringing you here. I'll hire someone to help you cram for the next few months. You can't possibly fail the exam to become a scholar, right? Huh?"

Shangluo's expression was indescribable. He hadn't really studied very well here, but his skills hadn't fallen behind.

"Tsk, judging by the look in your eyes, there's probably something wrong with you. Anyway, listen to Daozu's instructions first. Daozu won't let you starve to death. And that... that stone statue, my uncle told me to pack it up and take it away. What the hell is that? There's a bunch of talismans stuck on it, and it's tied up with red ropes. I don't dare touch it. Do you have any clues?"

Chapter 49 Airport

19:00 Army No. 116 Airport

This is the San Francisco Garrison's own airport. Because it can accommodate heavy bombers, it is even larger than the San Francisco Airport on the other side of the city.

However, because of the need for two special groups, the "military households" and "artisan households," to travel on official business, Airport 116 still has a terminal. Every seat here is a VIP seat with a sofa, free snacks and tea, and you can eat as much crab roe cake as you want, even though it's expensive elsewhere. The only thing that's not free is radish, because it's really expensive.

“It turns out that radishes are so expensive even in their place of origin.”

Lu Huaiyang sat back in his seat, still mumbling to himself. He was holding a radish wrapped in a cardboard box. There were no fancy markings on the outside, just a "San Francisco Military Settlement" print and a radish-shaped pattern.

"Captain Lu," Shangluo, who was sitting next to him, asked quietly, "How much is this? I've been here for many years, but I've never bought one myself."

"This bag contains 4 jin and 2 qian of radish, which costs 55 taels of silver after rounding off."

"So these radishes are so expensive? Are the Jinyiwei paid very well?"

"Tsk." Lu Huaiyang laughed. "Our wages are only a few cents, just a fraction of yours. The Jinyiwei's salary is very meager, just enough to keep us from starving."

"But why? Obviously, there are rich people everywhere, why do the Jinyiwei have no money?"

"The Imperial Guards have no money because the Imperial Treasury has no money. Our salaries come from the royal treasury, but the royal treasury is limited, and the emperor's finances are tight. The bulk of the funds are used to purchase consumables for cultivation, so the wages we receive are just a token of our gratitude."

"If the Jinyiwei themselves purchase elixirs, then what are these radishes for?"

"I bought this for my daughter. I can't eat it and take it home, right? I have to buy my own portion. My daughter's spiritual roots aren't very strong, but she practices very hard. We don't want to give up on the path of cultivating immortality, because there's always one person in a generation who can successfully build a foundation and ascend to a celestial being. But the older you get, the harder it is to rely on spiritual objects to maintain your innate body. She's already 16 years old, and these radishes are only enough to cover her expenses for a few months. The family has already taken on quite a bit of debt."

After saying this, he looked at Shangluo:

"So, when I heard you were refining the Foundation Establishment Pill, I immediately reported it to the court. Please don't blame me. We all want to establish our foundation so badly. The path to immortality is so long, it takes almost an entire generation for one person to succeed. If you can't establish your foundation, you will ultimately be just a mortal. Only after you ascend to the Celestial Realm can you hope for immortality."

"Like General Bai?"

"General Bai? Which General Bai?"

"General Bai Feng?"

Lu Huaiyang shook his head. "Bai Feng is the general's title. After being promoted to a Celestial Being, the imperial court will grant him a title. The general's surname is Fu, and his taboo name is Yuanshan. He is the youngest Celestial Being, and he was only 49 years old when he established his foundation."

"So he's the generation before that? What about the generation before that?"

"The previous generation was Wen Yan, my senior brother. You may have noticed that he was Wen Yuan's father. However, he failed in his foundation-building efforts and died. The Dao Ancestor felt deeply sorry for this and posthumously bestowed upon him the title of General 'Yun Tuan'."

"No wonder he was so concerned when he saw me refining the Foundation Establishment Pill."

"He was probably afraid you'd go astray and be unable to deliver. That kid has good talent and works hard, but he's just unlucky. Luck is his biggest weakness, because luck is also part of fate. Even if he has the talent to be called a celestial being, he still needs a great opportunity to build his foundation, because we have never lacked geniuses. Every one of the Jinyiwei is a dragon and phoenix among men, there is no one who is not a genius. Among so many people, it still takes only one generation to produce one. If possible."

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