Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"Then you should also know why the Supreme Absolute Dust has the same lap time as them?"

"Huh? Why is there another one? Are the three of them in cahoots?"

"Probably not," Qi Yuan replied. "When we went to get the results, Lin Chengyang from Lan Fang was there too. He wasn't surprised to see the Guangzhou team had the same score as him. But when he saw the Wudang team also had the same score, he was shocked."

"Tsk tsk tsk, what's behind it?"

"We're behind you. And then there are the other teams. The gap between you and the front isn't that big, but the gap between the back is like a cliff. Luckily you're here this time, otherwise we'd probably be in the same situation as the other teams."

"Luckily, they were exposed at the last moment. Otherwise, I'd probably still be kept in the dark—but in the end, it's Wudang who really didn't understand." Putting on his helmet, Shangluo jumped into the cockpit and reached out to tie the ball to the tail wing. "Let's get started. I'm ready."

The finals began. Aside from the boxes, the spectators in the stands had already entered the city. Formula One racing was different from other races. Other races offered panoramic views from the stadium, but Formula One was only able to watch the start and finish. Many people didn't buy tickets and watched from the street. Others watched directly from their offices.

"Tsk!" Behind the starting line, Shangluo suddenly realized something. He said to Qi Yuan on the intercom, "Squad Leader Qi, why don't we have a cheerleading squad?"

"I used to have some. But then we lost so badly that it disappeared. Oh, but there are people cheering you on next to me. Zhu Ling is here, and the other teams from Nanzhili also said they're watching the live broadcast at home. Just think of them as your cheerleaders."

"Come on!" Zhu Ling shouted into the intercom, "We must win together with our share!"

"Tsk, I'll take your words for granted. But your team gave up the game, so that doesn't seem convincing. Well, if we can win this time, we can cheer for the team too."

"Probably," Qi Yuan replied. "At least everyone will have some sense of identity with us. Maybe next year we can get more sponsorship, and interested students from Nanzhili can apply to our school."

"Don't worry, the foundation of victory has been laid. Now, the only dark cloud left is Wudang."

Chapter 510: Starting

Shangluo saw dark clouds.

After the cars slowly took their positions, Shangluo spotted the Wudang Taishang Juechen. It still had the same "white model" body as before, this time still pure white. Compared to the other models, it didn't seem to be from the same era at all, and even looked more like a safety car.

However, the car was in front of Shangluo, not far away.

Because the starting positions are staggered, Shangluo is now quite close to Wudang's car and he can see the driver's face.

Zhang Baoling, wearing a white helmet, sat inside. Interestingly, her flame-retardant suit looked a bit too big and ill-fitting, as if she had rarely worn it before and only put it on because the competition required it.

"Yo~" she said to Shangluo. The Tiandao Shadow Puppet had a hatch, so it shouldn't be visible from inside or outside. However, Zhang Baoling could still meet his gaze through the one-way glass.

Inside the one-way glass, Shangluo tentatively waved at her and then made an OK gesture.

Zhang Baoling was a little confused. She followed Shangluo's lead and made an "OK" gesture with her left hand, then glanced at herself, wondering what it meant.

"She can really see. But she's also right. If she couldn't even see through glass, she wouldn't have come to this arena."

Just as he was thinking about it, Zhang Baoling opposite him suddenly stretched out his hands, flipped them over, and made a "harmony seal" gesture to him.

[Ha, she thought you were greeting her with a hand sign, so she returned the gesture.]

“Is this an emoticon?”

【Well, I guess so. 】

"Then how should I respond?"

[You can also reply with a 'harmony seal'.]

"How can I learn this? I'm not a Taoist priest!" Shangluo took his hands off the steering wheel and looked at Zhang Baoling's hands. All ten fingers were twisted together, and he even turned them over a few times.

"Puchi~~" Zhang Baoling on the opposite side laughed, put away the seal, and gave him an "OK seal" in return.

"See you later." She said to Shangluo. Although the noise of the engines around was quite noisy, the sound was accurately delivered to Shangluo's ears without any error.

"See you later." Shangluo was not willing to be outdone and sent a voice message to her Fetion card.

[Why are you guys so entangled? If you want to fight, let's do it on the track! Are you elementary school students?]

"Now my will to win is much stronger than that of an elementary school student."

The cars gradually arrived and it was time to set off. Shangluo glanced back and saw that it was another team's car.

He saw the previous appearance of the Tiandao Shadow Puppet from those cars.

Exquisitely crafted and ingeniously designed, each piece is a handcrafted work of art, the product of years of painstaking effort by a team of professionals. After all, these vehicles represent the pinnacle of excellence for high school students in a province and its "overseas branches." Shangluo spotted a vehicle painted in desert yellow, transported all the way from Samarkand, Hezhong Prefecture, a territory under the jurisdiction of the Sun family of the Pingxi Marquisate. It marks the border between Jinei and its vassal states, and is the closest stretch of land suitable for farming after leaving Yili. They had come all the way back to compete, a distance comparable to an army march, and they certainly didn't intend to come empty-handed.

Their cars even looked more complete than the Tiandao Shadow Puppet, with numerous external cooling devices and pipes neatly arranged inside, demonstrating the high level of craftsmanship. However, all of these cars faced the prospect of falling behind as soon as they were launched.

"Because those guys in front of me are actually fighting each other. This is really unfair."

Are you sympathizing with them?

"After all, they're one of us. I'd be lying if I didn't sympathize with them, but there's nothing I can do. This lesson is for everyone to see. The dawn of a technological revolution is just around the corner. Even a slight lag will create an irreparable gap. They failed simply because they didn't receive the magic's assistance at the right time, not because of their own lack of strength. However, in future 'versions', magic will soon become a standard part of the game."

[This means that the court will soon come to an end in front of everyone. It's almost time, right? It's time to tell everyone about the immortal cultivation.]

"Of course, but not now. Until the Pure Land is ready, everything must be kept secret, just like today's competition."

Although the race hadn't started yet, and everyone had rarely raced on the same track before, by this point, each team's intelligence gathering capabilities were quite advanced. The intelligence they'd gathered from various locations was enough to tell them that the "Class A" cars ahead were completely ahead of their time. However, the race still had to take place.

The atmosphere was tense, but not overwhelmingly somber. After all, for those outside Shangluo, this was just another exam, a part of life, not its entirety. If you didn't pass this time, there were always other opportunities. If you were interested in Formula One racing, you could pursue further study at university or even in the professional racing field. It wouldn't be a big deal. After all, reaching the finals would guarantee a promising future. Rewards weren't always bestowed by the organizing committee or the Imperial College; universities would consider your performance in these areas during the entrance exams.

“I’m the only one who’s the most nervous.”

Although he now knows the tricks of the guys in front and he also knows the countermeasures, he is still a little worried.

Suddenly, Qi Yuan's voice came from the microphone - they were announcing that the game was about to begin.

Immediately, the indicator lights above our heads lit up five red lights. When all the red lights turned green, the race would begin with the sound of the starting gun.

"5!"

Shangluo made a final check: "Apollonia! Lock on the Overlord Banana!"

【Cannot lock.】

"Very good, then it is confirmed, it is indeed the case. Then there is no need to lock them, just lock the Xuantan Tiger directly."

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

At the command, fifteen racing cars from across the two capitals and thirteen provinces took off. Xuantanhu took the lead, its preheated Jusu turbofan engine blasting into full power. The car shot off like a rocket, leaving a rainbow of bright spots on Shangluo's Baihong mirror—the traces of the phlogiston imaging. Shangluo didn't hesitate, instantly locking onto the car with his peach torpedo as soon as he took off, then dashed off at the same speed.

"Good boy!" A huge force pushed Shangluo directly onto his seat. It felt as if he was suddenly back on the Ninghe, because the acceleration momentum was only comparable to that of the Ninghe.

"So that guy usually drives in conditions like this? He's not a Qigong practitioner."

So the G-suit he's wearing is genuine. Driving their car does require some assistance.

"Tsk, what a shame I got it for free. And... and this guy."

It wasn't just the two cars that rushed out, but also the Bawangjiao. The Bawangjiao clung even closer, practically rubbing shoulders with the Xuantan Tiger. It shadowed the car at every turn, clinging to it relentlessly. The Shangluo, snaking from third place, drew closer and closer. Before it could catch up with the Xuantan Tiger, it was on the verge of colliding with the Bawangjiao.

"Now!" Shangluo then stepped on the accelerator. He aggressively grabbed Bawangjiao's inner lane, performed an extremely dangerous lane change, and his rear wing directly hit Bawangjiao's body.

The part that was swept became transparent, passed through, and then returned to normal.

[Sure enough! The model is off! This car is fake!]

"Captain, we've been exposed! They discovered that our car is a projection!" In the garage, the driver reported to Lin Chengyang, the captain of the Lan Fang team.

"Tsk, they probably noticed it before. Ignore them, keep driving, and gather information for car number two. Prepare car number two, and seamlessly swap when we enter the pits, so at least the spectators won't notice. Start warming up the charging station! It's time to charge this time!"

Chapter 511 There is nothing in the first place

"Oh my~~" Zhu Xianxi, who was in the stands, had already seen through it. "My dear brother Zheng Shijie, this isn't very honest. So your car was finally discovered. So, is this considered cheating? After all, the car is fake, just a projection."

Zhu Xianxun was shocked when he found out the Overlord Banana was fake. But knowing this, the car's many previous anomalies became self-explanatory. It didn't need to be charged because the car wasn't actually running on the track; it was just a shadow. A shadow, of course, didn't need to be charged.

"Speaking of which, is this considered cheating?" Zhu Xianxun asked. "I wasn't involved in the specific details, I only know that your tactics passed review. How is this calculated?"

"It's real. Our car is really running in the virtual environment, exactly like the real track."

"But you don't have a real car on the track. How did you collect the track environment?"

"Well, so Neptune 4 will help us collect it."

"Huh???" Zhu Xianxun was stunned. "So you two colluded, right?"

"The rules don't say that two teams can't send data to each other. The rules don't say that."

"So your data is the same?"

"Yes, there was no way we could have surpassed Neptune 4 on the first lap because the track data hadn't been mapped yet, so we kept the same time."

"You guys didn't get caught doing this before?"

"What you see here is Bawangjiao No. 1, which is built in a virtual environment. We also have Bawangjiao No. 1, which is a real car. So we usually let the real car run a lap first to collect data, and then start the second lap with the fake car No. 2. Ugh, what fake car? It's a virtual car."

"You subconsciously think it's fake, right?"

"Look at that car. It looks real, runs real, and operates real. Isn't that just like the real thing?"

"That's a far cry! Your team members are simulating operations in the room, but what's the difference between that and shooting at a shooting range? And then you can bring the results from the shooting range to the battlefield, right?"

The results at the shooting range are completely different. Take the old flintlock rifle, for example. A skilled shooter can fire three or four shots per minute at the range, but this is the range rate of fire, excluding interference. On the battlefield, firing one shot every two minutes is considered good.

Running in a virtual environment without human interference, the car can easily reach its limit without causing any fatigue to the players. Even running the entire course is as easy as playing a game.

"Then this is compliant anyway." Zheng Shijie spread his hands. "The organizing committee said it is compliant."

"Speaking of which, how did you project that shadow with a shape and sound?"

"That's a commercial secret," Zheng Shijie refused to answer. "For technical details, please contact the Pontianak-Singapore Electromagnetic Research Collaborative Cluster's office in Pontianak."

"Hey~~What if I ask you for it?"

"Long live the Emperor!" Zheng Shijie raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "If Your Majesty asks me for it, then I have no choice but to give it to you. This entire world belongs to you, Your Majesty the Holy Son of Heaven! Isn't that right?"

"You're flattering me, aren't you?"

"You know me. If I really need it, do you think I would hide it?"

"You haven't used it elsewhere, have you? For example, you're not a fake, are you?"

"How can there be technology that can perfectly simulate a person? Wouldn't that be terrifying? It's impossible to imitate a person's facial details."

"It looks like you guys have actually tried it?"

"Yeah, but it's not very effective. Otherwise, it would be nice to use it as a body to bluff people - but then again, it went unnoticed for so long, and now it's been discovered. Sure enough, the people here have good taste."

"Actually, it was because you were so eager to win that you got in the virtual car on the first lap, so that's why you were exposed."

"Yeah, that's possible. But the strategy wasn't decided by me, it was by those brats themselves. They might have a trick up their sleeve."

"Is that so? Well, they are much better than I was when I was a kid."

"By the way, I have another question," Zheng Shijie asked. "We're revising our data with the Neptune team, iterating back and forth over and over again. This is the result of our data link. But I still don't understand why Wudang is running as fast as us? Even the data is the same. Do you have any ideas?"

"Ha, hahaha~~" Zhu Xianxi laughed, "You ask me, I don't know."

"How could you not know?"

"I really don't know! I still didn't figure out what kind of magic the 'Taiyi Jinhua' on the Wudang team was. It's a cutting-edge spell, and I don't fully understand it."

"So, what exactly is Taiyi Jinhua?"

Zhu Xianxun took a step back and handed the conversation over to Gao Jinlun, who was sitting next to him and checking.

"The so-called Taiyi Jinhua." He put down the teacup, "It is a magic spell that can achieve Taiyi Jinhua."

"Director Gao, isn't that the same as not saying anything at all? But...eh? Taiyi Jinhua means that we must at least see Taiyi Jinhua? That would mean enlightenment?"

"Yes." Gao Jinlun nodded. "We are actually studying the magic of immortals. Taiyi Jinhua is not the magic of mortals, but of immortals. When using it, it requires special conditions and consumes special costs. These spells all point directly to the great way."

"What's the one Shangluo uses?"

"It's the unity of heaven and earth," Gao Jinlun replied. "It's actually being researched as a bomb."

"bomb???"

"Of course, you can also not explode." Gao Jinlun lowered his voice, "Have you heard of it? It's the one next to Shangluo..."

"Phaethon? Isn't that his maid?"

"What maid? She was said to have entered the state of 'harmony with the Dao' at one point. At least that's what eyewitnesses described. If she had really achieved it, we probably wouldn't have seen Shangluo."

"Boy, that's a trump card, right?"