Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"That's right. This is truly the taste of a celestial being. Or perhaps it's the taste of a Tianyi noble. At their level, they savor not just the flavor of the ingredients themselves, but also the 'divine thoughts' they convey. For example, the same vegetarian chicken tastes different when it's included with a roast duck versus the one displayed on a plate at the stall."

"Good fellow, is he just trying to take advantage of the situation?"

"You could say that. At their level, the 'incense' they feel is very obvious. Right? Phaethon knows that."

"Yeah." Phaethon also nodded. "I noticed it when he started eating panda food. When I eat it, I feel like I'm calming down and nourishing my body and mind. But he eats it with great joy. I don't know what's so delicious about it. But are there any specific details?" She asked.

"Would he think that the vegetarian chicken on a white porcelain plate would taste better than the vegetarian chicken that comes with a roast duck?"

"It's not delicious, it's different. It's very complex. The perception of nature can only be understood, not expressed in words. But if I had to say it, the exquisite presentation would make him feel 'beautiful', and he could sense the chef's desire for him to enjoy a good meal. If it were given away for free, he would feel 'joyful', as if he had made a huge profit. Both would make him feel delicious."

"Wow," Shangluo exclaimed, "I didn't know it was like this."

"That's perfectly normal. Even gods wouldn't study how to arrange incense to make it tasty. Gods eat incense. Just like diners only need to know how to eat, not how to cook—but we who study talismans need to understand, just like a chef needs to know how to express sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty flavors. In short, being a celestial being is a lot of fun, so everyone should work hard. As long as you're willing to work hard, everyone can enjoy incense. Of course, you can also eat incense without putting in the hard work, it just depends on whether you eat it while sitting or in a box."

“.” is very realistic, but these words are also very realistic.

Although everyone here is under 20 years old, the path of cultivating immortals itself deals with life and death, and they all have an idea of how long they can live.

Reaching celestial status is a crucial step toward immortality. After attaining celestial status, the five decays of celestial beings continue for the foreseeable future. People who lived during Wang Yangming's Chenghua era are still "vibrant and energetic," though they simply don't face the wrath of the imperial court. The Chenghua era, however, is a completely "ancient" timeline today; even comics featuring Wang Lingguan were unavailable.

Going back further, the lifespan of the Qian Yuan period was less than a hundred years, and a few hundred years further would have led directly back to the Tang Dynasty. Compared to the infinite lifespans of celestial beings, the ups and downs of the mortal world are as rapid as a revolving lantern. And the only thing standing in the way of celestial beings is the Five Decays of Celestial Beings.

But what exactly are the Five Decays of Celestial Beings? It's still uncertain what they are, though we know there's a deadline. However, modern scientific observations have not yet revealed a single celestial being to have experienced the Five Decays of Celestial Beings, so the process of these declines is unverifiable.

Once one reaches the Golden Core stage and achieves the Small Circulation within the body, becoming a true immortal, the Great Circulation outside of the body becomes irrelevant. As long as one can maintain continuous circulation—though the conditions are very harsh, in principle, if one can achieve this, even if the Earth explodes, it will remain indestructible.

Going further up to the Nascent Soul stage, one becomes an even more terrifying existence that no ordinary person can understand.

The flavors Shangluo savored were, to some extent, the realization of the "small circulation," rather than the objective taste of the large circulation. The more profound one's cultivation, the less influenced by the large circulation, the more one transcended the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth, and the closer one came to the invisible avenue.

"So, big brother," Han Xingzhi looked at Shangluo, "you understand, right? Although you have already ascended, you are the Heavenly Sovereign, the one appointed by the Dao Ancestor. We, it really has nothing to do with you, right?"

"I can't guarantee that every one of you will ascend to heaven in this lifetime," Shangluo replied. "What I can guarantee is that if everyone, including you, can't ascend to heaven, they can still cultivate slowly in the Pure Land. Because cultivation is a personal matter, right? Ultimately, you have to rely on yourself. What I can do, or what the court should do, is give everyone unlimited opportunities for trial and error."

"So, going to the Pure Land does indeed grant one endless lifespan. But what's the difference between that and the outside world?"

"The difference lies in being controlled by others, or being controlled by others. The three flowers gathering at the top of your head are an illusion, and the clouds under your feet are not real. The Pure Land is just a box. No matter how powerful you are in the box, it is fake. Even if you reach the realm of Daluo Jinxian in it, you are no different from Wang Lingguan."

"Wang Lingguan?"

"Wang Lingguan is a character in a comic, isn't he? Even if Wang Lingguan can shatter the void or even obliterate the Great Dao, as soon as the comic stops updating, Wang Lingguan's story stops. The same is true in the Pure Land. After all, the Pure Land needs external forces to maintain it. If anything happens outside, you'll be like frozen meat in the freezer, with no way out except to rot inside."

"That's really... really cruel."

"Yes. At that point, you can only trust that the court is kind and won't unplug the power—of course, the court is kind, everyone knows that. But if the court encounters force majeure, if the situation takes a sudden turn for the worse and the candles are blown out, they may not be able to care about the people in the box. After all, you have to protect the outside world first before you can protect the world inside the box. There's only so much you can do."

Chapter 546 Shenji Camp

"But, it's better than nothing, right?"

"Yes." Shangluo nodded. "So, the biggest threat standing in our way is the unknown. The Pure Land's technology was brought over from Rome. Their technology can send our people in, and ours can get those who go in back out. Ultimately, this means we're exploring areas we haven't ventured into before, and inevitably we'll share Rome's karma. Because the laws of nature are constant, we take what's in excess and make up for what's lacking. Surplus life is also surplus."

"Ah," Han Xingzhi sighed, "It's better to live outside."

"I say, there's no need to rush," Shang Luo asked in surprise. "Are you so sure you must enter the Pure Land? From what I've observed so far, the spiritual energy in this world is so thin, yet you've all been able to cultivate to this point as Qigong practitioners. Although your cultivation levels vary, you've all reached the threshold. When the spiritual energy becomes abundant, you'll all be the first to break through. There's almost no chance of you getting stuck and not breaking through."

"Yes!" Wen Yuan suddenly remembered, "Then what are we worried about?"

"That bowl of noodles." Yanqiu shook her head. "After Shangluo ate that bowl of vegetarian noodles that was filled with emptiness, he started to feel empty. And then the two of you kept talking about him, so he got dragged into it too."

"."

Lu Liang stood up and said, "Shang Tianjun, you sit here, we'll go get the food."

"That's fine. Then give me more of the vegetarian chicken."

Several people went to get the food, only Phaethon remained sitting there.

"Tsk tsk tsk tsk." Shang Luo shook his head. "It feels pretty good to be a celestial being. It feels good to be a demigod, right?"

"Far from it. You have to understand, it's like Alexander and Achilles. Demigods are just shadows of the gods. If you're not careful, you'll slip into them—because to maintain your power, you have to do the deeds of the gods. To maintain your identity, you have to be different. But the gods... Do the gods really exist? I can't say. But the stories about the gods are obviously made up by priests, and imitating the people in the stories is too difficult!"

“Are there any specific examples?”

"It's very simple. Very simple. You'll understand if you read comics. As far as the comic creation process is concerned, you can't give everyone a different face. Comics have to tell a story, everyone has to move, and each face has to be drawn countless times. How can readers distinguish between different roles within a small grid? The answer lies in character design. Readers identify comic characters through the symbols that create character design. For example, Wang Lingguan's quintessential symbol is his towering red hair, like a dragon fruit, and his signature image is the train under his feet. But look, Nezha also has a train, right? So how do you distinguish Nezha from Wang Lingguan?"

"Nezha, your hairstyle is different?"

"Yes, so this is character design. Similarly, this was practiced in Rome. For example, if you look at those ancient Greek statues, they actually all have fixed templates. The faces of different deities are basically exactly the same, with a few facial templates for 'sheng, dan, jing, chou' and so on. Ultimately, what distinguishes the characters is their character design. For example, a girl in a long skirt with a snake next to her is Athena, while a deer is Diana. Even without weapons or armor, the pets next to her can be used to distinguish them. And then there's the most difficult part."

She paused. “How do you tell the difference between Hera, the Queen of Heaven, and Demeter, the Earth Mother?”

"Oh, I seem to have seen this in a book. How do you divide it?"

"Often it's impossible to tell them apart, because both depict middle-aged women wearing crowns, and sometimes both are bare-handed. So how do you tell them apart? Look at their movements. The one with the solemn and majestic appearance is Hera, while the one who keeps looking back is Demeter. This is because Hera is catching Zeus in adultery, and Demeter is looking for her daughter, Persephone. The demeanor of a wife is different from that of a mother."

"Ah, what about you?"

"That's the problem. I don't have my own personality. As a demigod, I didn't create my own story at all. This is very dangerous in the long run. Perhaps the choice I make now is better for me. At least here, I truly have my own life."

"That makes your life full of chores. I'm really... a little sorry."

"Nothing, I'm quite enjoying it. At least it feels like life. Compared to my previous life of eating olives and grape juice, these are two extremes in the world. But I still like it. I like everything here."

"Me too," Apollonia replied. "The problem I face is actually similar to Phaethon's. Unlike Phaethon, she faced a lesser power, still possessing a physical form. I harness the immense power of the Lord, and I lack a face of my own. Honestly, I'm in greater danger, as I could be annihilated into Apollo's godhead at any moment—though, of course, that's no longer a concern. Apollo doesn't get to eat boiled eggs."

She also posted this on the public channel so that Phaethon could hear it. Phaethon also agreed. Speaking of danger, Apollonia was in greater danger.

"Wait, what will happen if you fail?"

"Become like Helios," Apollonia privately messaged. "Like Helios, completely transformed into a puppet of divine power, no different from a server. His remaining human form would transform into a beast to accompany him. If I became like that, I'd probably become the crow that accompanies Apollo. Well, if I had to become a crow, I'd choose a white one."

“That’s really scary.”

"Did Apollonia tell you? We have quite a few examples of this. It's like that, always trying to understand the infinite with the finite." Phaethon shook his head. "Fortunately, those days are over. But looking back, it's precisely because these approaches are problematic that there's a split in Columbia. Who knows if there's indeed a problem, it's just that the Senate, the Oracle, and the Muses are all in agreement on this point. Those who don't want to be tied to the gods have gone to Columbia to seek their own future. I hope they succeed."

Judging by the news, their space program is progressing steadily. Furthermore, their rocket is smaller, making it much quicker to prepare than the Water Dragon. Even now, they could be conducting a second test launch at any moment. Victoria must be worried about this, too, as she sees a more practical problem. With Columbia going it alone, ties with the New World will be severed. While there are still resources in Africa to provide a backup, the production cycle doesn't just rely on a 'baseline'.

"But no matter what, they must stay until the very last moment," Phaethon added, "because Rome isn't ready yet, and too few people can immediately enter the 'Pure Land.' They need time to complete this project, or at least ensure that the empire doesn't collapse immediately. If necessary, will you lend a hand?"

"I will," Shangluo replied. "In the past, we kept to ourselves, but now we're on the same path. So if the problem isn't serious, I can help you out, to some extent. If I need help, I won't use the imperial army, only the troops of Heaven. Specifically, the Thunder Master of the Thunder Department. Hmm."

Shangluo nodded. "It's not just the Roman side. As our grand plan unfolds, I do need a mobile force to deal with unpredictable situations. Just by accumulating these cards in my hand—I seem to have gradually accumulated a considerable force. The Heavenly Soldiers brought in from the iron cans, the Yue Soldiers mobilized from the boxes, the Lianshans sponsored by the court, and all of you present here. Hmm, perhaps it's time. This force should be moderate in size, able to deal with operational-level emergencies, and react quickly. It can be a mix of Qigong practitioners, Heavenly Soldiers, and Yue Soldiers. Of course, there should also be top-tier combat power, including Miss Apollonia."

[Oh~~ What's the name of this unit? ]

"I've been thinking about it and it seems we could call it the Shenjiying. Hmm, Shenjiying is a good name. Is it still used by the court?"

[No, the Shenji Battalion is no longer used. The three major battalions were all eliminated in the last military reform.]

"Since no one wants it, it belongs to me. Three major battalions, right? I'll slowly restore it during this military reform."

Chapter 547 Eel

After being deprived of the right to take food, Shangluo just sat there waiting to be fed.

Phaethon was taking notes. She had to write down what she had just said about the Shenjiying Camp; it was part of her job.

With a crisp "dong" sound, Lu Liang placed a rectangular plate not far from Phaethon.

She looked up and saw that the ones on the left were tall and clear, each one sprinkled with pepper. The ones on the right were delicate and soft, also in the shape of long strips of fish, but soft and tender, lying on the plate.

"Isn't this fried crispy eel and stir-fried soft-shelled bun?"

"Oh, yes. This is it. Where did you eat it before?"

"Yanqiu treated me to a meal at the Jinling Hotel. Wow, these two are both Huaiyang cuisine banquet dishes, right? The fried crispy eel is made from the eel's belly and body, fried and then glazed with red sauce to set. The fried soft bun is made from the strips of meat on the eel's back. Is this a mock meat dish?"

"Yeah, imitation meat. This dish is fake."

Shangluo also looked over there.

"Huh?" He was stunned for a moment, then opened a forum and searched. Fried crispy eel and stir-fried soft buns are famous Huaiyang dishes, and someone had posted pictures of them.

"Aren't they exactly the same? How can they be fake?"

"The appearance is the same and it's relatively simple. Yeah, the main thing is the taste. Which of you two would like to try it?"

"Let me do it." Phaethon picked up the chopsticks. "He hasn't eaten it before. I've eaten it at the Jinling Hotel."

She first picked up a piece of crispy eel and took a bite.

"???"

She picked up another piece of fried soft-fried pork with chopsticks and took a bite.

"?????"

She put down her chopsticks.

"How is it?" Shangluo asked.

"The shape, 10% identical. The seasoning, 9%, almost identical to Jinling Hotel. The taste, 8%. If you're prepared, you can tell it's imitation meat. But if you don't tell others, you probably won't be able to tell."

"Hey guys, let me take a look."

He picked up a piece of crispy eel and placed it before his eyes. The eel's skin was black, and after frying, it curled up along with the flesh—which was also black! Around the curled flesh was a black edge that resembled fish skin.

He took a bite.

"??????"

He was completely dumbfounded. This was the taste of fish, even the texture was very similar - although it was only 80% the same, but if someone who didn't know the difference ate it, they might not be able to tell the difference in one bite.

"How is this done?"

"I don't know." Lu Liang shook his head. "I just ate."

"Wow, this one can even imitate the black edge of the eel. How did they do that?"

Ah, I found it. A mock meat version of crispy eel. So, here's how it's made: What you just ate was actually a piece of soaked shiitake mushroom. When the mushroom is fully softened, it develops a unique umami flavor that masks the mushroom flavor, giving it a fish-like flavor.

"What about the taste? And this black rim?"

After soaking the shiitake mushrooms, their fibers taste very similar to fish fibers. As for the black edge, the mushrooms also have a black edge on the outside. This black edge is trimmed off the mushrooms bit by bit with scissors. The biggest flaw in this dish is that each "eel" is too short, because the trimmed mushrooms can't be as long as the eels. Also...

She added, "To achieve this, we need to use specially cultivated basswood mushrooms, as basswood grows plumper and more tender mushrooms, which swell even more after soaking in water, allowing us to process this simulated eel meat to a normal size."

"How can people go this far just to eat? What happens next?"

[The following steps are the same as for the regular version of crispy eel, and the seasoning is the same.]

"Hey, what about the fried soft-serve next to it?"

Let me see, this is quite impressive. This uses fresh bean curd sheets to mimic the texture of fish skin, while the fish meat is truly remarkable, blending wood ear mushrooms, soaked shiitake mushrooms, and shredded dried tofu in appropriate proportions to create the texture of "tender eel meat." This imitation is slightly less precise, as eel is black and bean curd sheets are white. This recipe was originally used to recreate the texture of yellow croaker meat in "Vinegar-Stir-fried Yellow Croaker," as bean curd sheets can be easily recreated. This recipe also underwent minor adjustments when recreating eel meat. The flaws remain the same as before: if the eel meat is stir-fried, the soft-fried bun will be quite long, while this one is much shorter.

Shangluo took a bite——

The first thing that comes into my mouth is the freshness, the taste of the eel, and the fish meat that has absorbed the light of the sun and the moon, swimming leisurely in the Yangtze River. The taste of the fish meat jumps vividly in my mouth, and the several wonderful tastes do not cover each other, but blend in.

[Hey, let me interrupt you. Yellow eels live in paddy fields and streams, not in the Yangtze River. Yellow eels are freshwater bottom-dwelling fish that can't swim well. They'd be swept away by the Yangtze River.]

"What do you know? You have to say something like that at this moment. Anyway, this is... this is really similar! Really similar! Too similar!"

"He's been 'obstructed' by his celestial senses again," Lu Liang explained. "If we give him a bowl of plain noodles and silently recite 'eel noodles, eel noodles, eel noodles,' he'll be able to taste the eel noodles. Even if he's never had them before, he'll be able to imagine them."

"Wow, he's quite crazy."

"No, I've only seen him with such rich senses and emotions. I've also met the Jinyiwei and several celestial beings from Wudang Mountain, and they were all quite normal. But he can eat a mushroom with such enthusiasm, he must be really easy to satisfy."

"Ah," Phaethon covered his forehead, "I just remembered that when I went to buy ingredients for steamed bread, the police thought I was raising chickens at home, so I bought chicken feed. When I told them it wasn't chicken feed but panda feed, they refused to let me go. Later, they believed me after I showed them my ID."

"Anything else? Bring it up quickly."

"Oh, have you guys had yours yet?" Han Xingzhi came back with a plate. "Oh, this is it. It's a really similar fried crispy eel, right? Oh~~ Even the fried soft buns are so similar, that's amazing. I got some other snacks that aren't meat-like, like this mushroom-flavored and mushroom-shaped bun."

The mushroom buns were perfectly reproduced, even the cracks left by the mushrooms puffing up were perfectly restored. Shangluo took a bite and found the outer layer was made of batter, and the inner layer was filled with mushroom stuffing.

Oh~~ This is another area of pastry: pastry fruit. They imitate real fruits and ingredients, recreating their appearance and flavor as closely as possible. If they were brought to Rome, they'd probably be a huge hit, because the Romans really love dishes that imitate fish and chicken. There's also dishes that imitate fish and potatoes. Wow, if this temple opened a branch in Rome, it would be packed. It would be great if they could also move this bathhouse there, making it look exactly like it.

Chapter 548 Steamed Buns

"It's so powerful, so powerful that I suddenly feel that the ticket price is worth it."

After realizing this, he tried to block out his subjective feelings and just taste the food objectively. However, the dishes still didn't lose their flavor, and instead, he could taste the ingenuity of the food through its more authentic taste.