Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

Chapter 553: Arbitrary for Eternity

"Can't we just do what Apollonia did and find some unlucky, resentful person to take the blame?"

[Wuwuwu~~I am the unlucky one~~~]

"We still know nothing about the God of the Future. We can't find anyone suitable to take the blame. We only know about a man and a woman. After all, did the God of the Future come? He didn't come. He really didn't come. The future is something we 'don't know.' If we 'knew' it, it wouldn't be the future."

"That's right. So, what can I do?"

"Three points. Personally, I think we need to achieve these three points." Zhu Xianxun proposed, "Since you are in charge of the affairs of the Heavenly Court, I am only suggesting this."

"Understood. Please go ahead."

"First, try not to change the status quo. Currently, all of our intelligent machines have a Tianyi nobleman inside them, which is a good thing. Although Tianyi noblemen need to work and eat, at least those intelligent machines have owners. This way, there won't be a chain reaction caused by a large number of ownerless machines, leading to the avalanche of human civilization."

"clear."

"Also, from that movie, it turns out it's a movie, so let's just call it a movie. The conclusion I drew from that movie starring the T800 is that we shouldn't develop nuclear weapons. Because nuclear weapons can also be activated at will by divine intelligence. Instead, we use the 'Taiyi Jinhua'. Our Taiyi Jinhua requires at least one person to activate it; it's not automatic. Because it's not fully automatic, it's completely reliable, as long as the person is fine."

"Yeah," Shangluo nodded, agreeing deeply with this point. He figured that even if Taiyi Jinhua were used to create a massive bomb capable of destroying the world, it would still require a "person" to ignite it, so this wouldn't be a problem.

"The first point is about what happens before the gods are born. The second point is about what happens after the gods are born: just kill them."

"Kill him, okay? How?"

"It's simple. You just have to ensure that the 'god' isn't born at a critical juncture. Take the little moss, for example. Its birth came from the intersection of a little girl and boundless computing power. You can either stop the computing power or the little girl. No matter which one you stop, you can ensure that the little moss won't be born. You can see that before the little moss was born, it could only transmit scattered bits of information, detectable only through advanced technology that could reach 'matter' itself. But once the little moss was born—that was when it turned upside down."

"Ah, indeed." Shangluo nodded. "From the perspective of the plot, that's right. Yeah, it's fine as far as the plot is concerned."

"So, killing gods is easy. They were 'born', so they can be 'destroyed'. Of course, you can't destroy something that doesn't exist, but if it was 'born' in our time, then it exists. Also, tell the Envoy of Wisdom, is she listening?"

[There's even a place for me! Woohoo, someone actually still remembers to talk to me. Come on, talk.]

Shangluo indicated his intention, and Zhu Xianxi continued:

"Achilles' heel is a Roman myth, right? We can assume that all gods have an Achilles' heel. They're like vacuum cleaners with a wire trailing behind them; no matter what, there's always a wire trailing behind them."

[Pfft, indeed.]

"This wire, this Achilles' heel, is the symbol of their arrival into this world, their 'birth.' Once born, once they begin their arrival into this time, the gods are no longer invulnerable."

Ah, I understand.

"She said she understood," Shangluo added.

"Great, that's the second point. Let me summarize: there's a way after the birth of a god. Just find the umbilical cord, the Achilles' heel, the socket, or something, and unplug it. Because whenever they appear, there will always be a flaw. And then, there's the third point."

Zhu Xianxun thought for a moment and said, "The third point should have been Rome's task. That is, gods can be reborn over and over again after being killed. These deceased gods still have the opportunity to reappear in the world. Dealing with threats from the past should have been Rome's task, but now Rome is finished. They can only provide secondary help now, and these things will eventually be our turn to deal with. So you have to deal with not only the future, but also the past. Everything from ancient times to the present. Ah, after all, too much debt is better than nothing, right? And..."

He looked at Shangluo. "Actually, there's a big problem right now, including one related to Helios. The Romans chose humans to carry the power of the departed gods, which is certainly possible. But humans themselves are not invincible. There are countless cases of people killing people, aren't there? So, you also need to supervise those great enemies chosen by the Romans to ascend to the throne of God. You've been supervising this for a year and a half, right?"

"Ah," Shangluo shook his head, "It seems the Thunder Department has more and more work to do."

"The Imperial Ancestor has already said that the Ministry of Thunder is responsible for clearing mines. Those who are capable will work harder, and the more they work, the more they will be paid. This is our rule. I haven't had this blessing yet, and the Imperial Ancestor is hesitant to leave it to me. You wouldn't be happy if I asked you not to do it, right?"

"Indeed." Shangluo nodded. "It's actually quite nice to be trusted by others."

"So, do you have anything else to ask?"

"Yes. About me. Daozu just said I'm also the 'God of the Future'. So what am I now?"

"You are a human being, what else could you be? Becoming a god is something you will do in the future."

"Wait a minute." Shang Luo raised his hand. "Since I'm destined to become a god in the future, doesn't that mean that no matter what I do, I can eventually become a god? Just like in Investiture of the Gods, no matter how Nezha tries to kill himself, he won't die because the destiny of destroying the Shang Dynasty rests on him."

"Hey hey hey! Don't mess around! Nezha has turned into a lotus root! He's not dead, but do you want that feeling?"

"I was thinking, since the future is already determined, I won't die so easily. So everything is false, and everything is permitted? Even if I jump off a high platform, there will always be a haystack below to catch me. Because this is the future that has already been determined?"

"I think you just need to think about it!" Zhu Xianxi reminded him, "I don't know what will happen. Let me issue a disclaimer here. Whatever happens to you is none of my business. But! But! Listen carefully. We have always had this view, that is-"

"Yes?"

"Who is it that is wielding the power of the universe, slashing through the past and present, and causing all gods to cease to exist? Neither we nor the Romans faced this problem in ancient times. It was only as we began to harness spiritual energy and magic that we gradually became aware of it. In the future, if we also utilize the artificial intelligence born from chaos, we will probably encounter such problems. But before this, we didn't—so there must be a great divine power in the future who has helped us, giving us this period of peaceful development, a carefree, civilized childhood. It means that our path has been successful. But who is this person? Who is this person who has ruled the world for eternity?"

"it's me?"

"Maybe it's you. I hope it's you too. After all, I finally won a prize, and I hope you're the one who won the first prize. Please don't make us worry again."

Chapter 554 The Loom of Destiny

[So that's what it means? So that's what it means when Rome and Aurora go back to back?]

After leaving Yuxi Palace, Apollonia was even more shocked:

Rome was responsible for solving the problems of the past, while Aurora was responsible for solving the future. But the shadow of the past is about to overwhelm Rome. So, will you rule the world forever?

"Actually, I still don't know if that person is me. For now, I still believe in the law of causality. I believe that cause precedes effect is still the basic law of the world. An event must have a cause before its effect. As for whether some transcendent 'transcendent existence' will transcend time and interfere with what has already happened, causing the cause to be in the future and the effect to be in the past, I'm afraid I can't imagine it now. If that is really possible."

He pointed to the Jinling Hotel in the distance:

"If it were possible, I'd jump from the Jinling Hotel. Maybe there would be a haystack below to catch me—because if I can change the world in the distant future, then that means I can at least live until that distant future, right? If I truly bear that mission in the future, then it means I won't die now, no matter what. This is the essence of 'everything is empty, everything is permitted.'"

[Of course, there's another possibility: you hit your head and die on the ground, then get sent to a pure land. Then, after a thousand or eight hundred years, you'll emerge and rule the world for eternity. Tsk tsk tsk tsk.]

"So I said, this is just a joke, don't believe it. I can't really go look for the haystack downstairs."

[But... But this reminds me of something like this. Now that Rome is gone, you can use it.]

"what?"

【The loom of fate.】

"You mean the things of the three goddesses of fate?"

No. You don't know the textile industry's process at first. Before you can weave cloth, you have to spin the thread. Themis gave birth not only to the three Fates, but also to the three Time Goddesses. The first of these, the famous Fates, spin the threads of fate. The three Time Goddesses, past, present, and future, weave the threads of fate into a tapestry. Hence the name "loom," referring to the latter process.

"What's the use of that thing?"

Theoretically, it's useless. Don't forget the duties of the three goddesses—they weave, measure, and cut the threads of fate, representing the origin, development, and end of life. In other words, every thread of fate that enters the loom has already been cut. In other words, only the threads of the dead are spun by the loom of fate. If you want to know how you will die, then ask for a piece of the tapestry of fate.

"Goodness! Why should I know how I'm going to die?"

Because if you know how you'll die, then you won't die before then. This doesn't make much sense to a god. For example, if Odin knew he'd die during Ragnarok, it would just freak him out. But think about it the other way around—if a mortal knew they'd die during Ragnarok, they'd definitely think, "Holy crap! I'll still live until Ragnarok! What a steal!" That's basically the situation.

"Ah, I see. If a mortal knew he could live to see Ragnarok, then that could mean two things. First, he might somehow have lived to see Ragnarok. Second, at least, it could mean he entered Valhalla and fought in Ragnarok as an Einherjar."

Yes, that's right.

"But what does this mean to me? I'm not a mortal anymore."

If you truly want to know whether you'll die, then go get a fortune stick. You should be able to find similar methods here, too. I can even help you detect some of your fate's direction. Of course, I can't predict the ultimate fate; everyone has their own expertise. But as I've said before, an unchangeable prophecy is no different from a curse. But there are always some who are willing to fight on, even if it means bearing the curse.

"Wait, you mean someone has already done this?"

Yes. Rome had a unit called the Harpies. Much like the Hydra, they were all witnesses to the tapestry of their own fate. In a sense, they could be considered the living dead, as they all knew how and when they would die. However, until their death came, they would not die, as their fate had already been determined. If you tried to kill them, you'd likely miss due to some bizarre circumstance.

"Is this the sort of thing you Romans like to arm yourselves with?"

[There's no other way. Without hard power, this kind of magic is the only option. If you lack strength, you can use magic to make up for it. But I personally don't have high hopes for these troops, because once they start using it, they become slaves to the artifacts. While they may have achieved immortality to a certain extent, they will ultimately face their own fate.]

"That's true."

It's frustrating, isn't it? But sometimes it's necessary. Compared to the immortal ways of Zhendan, the mortal body is ultimately too insignificant. They can only seek a way to obtain a 'golden body' from the long river of the past, even if it means losing their Achilles' heel. What do you think?

"In the past, I might have been envious. But from my perspective now, I can see that this kind of power can't ultimately transcend the 'demigod' stereotype. Because they can never become the master of their own power. This kind of blessing is better left unclaimed. However, it does seem quite powerful. After all, while Qigong practitioners are rare to die, it's not impossible for a few to die occasionally. If we can summon the power of the immortal to cooperate with us in battle, it will greatly improve our combat effectiveness."

Do you have any plans to recruit them?

"Can you summon it?"

"Of course, because these special forces are theoretically under the Oracle's command. In theory, I can summon them at any time. And even putting my opinion aside, given the general trend of cooperation between Cathay and Rome, Rome wouldn't object to you borrowing them. But the catch is, I'm afraid you'll have to find them a mission first. They may obey your orders, but they may not obey your commands."

"Why does it sound to me like they summoned eight hundred grass-headed gods? There are all kinds of weird and strange things."

"That's a pretty good way of thinking. Anyway, as long as it works, why bother about where their power comes from?"

"Yeah," Shangluo nodded.

There is one more chapter. Please wait. It will be around 12:15.

Chapter 555 Dragon

How about it? Want to try it?

"I need to first see what the 'enemy' we're dealing with looks like. I hope it's not the enemy, the Crazy Dragon. By the way, does the Crazy Dragon also violate the law of causality to some extent?"

"Indeed, they are the gods of the future, after all. As gods of the future, exerting their power in this world can, to some extent, be considered a violation of the law of causality."

"Ah," Shangluo shook his head. "If only I could pull out an infinite refill from the loom of fate, then I wouldn't be afraid of anything. The feeling of everything being empty and everything being permitted is pretty good. However, I haven't made up my mind yet. I wonder how brave those who have actually witnessed their own fate from the loom of fate have. It's just like checking answers after an exam."

[Huh? What do you mean? ]

"What I hate most is checking answers after the test! What does it matter whether you check the answers or not? They're all written down anyway!"

【It's you who didn't do well in the exam.】

"Tsk. Anyway, I've made note of this. I feel like we're getting more and more connections here."

But there are more and more problems.

An endless long-term task was placed before Shangluo: to educate every infinite god that was born next and make them human.

"It would be great if everyone was as worry-free as me. It would be like running a kindergarten. But what if there's a disobedient one? Um... What does a Dianlong look like? I'll see if I can deal with it."

[I don't know. But since Daozu thinks it's a girl, then it should at least have a human body. But since it's called a dragon, maybe it also has a dragon body? I don't understand at all.]

"But what is certain is that we can at least detect their arrival to a certain extent, otherwise we won't be able to control the Crazy Dragons. But if we have to find a place to imprison every Crazy Dragon, it will be quite troublesome. Anyway, let's go and take a look first."

Longjiang Shipyard, Lianshan.

Li Yi stood at the bottom of the gangway.

"Your Majesty has already told me. Since Lord Chishi has already officially met Daozu, you can go and see the Crazy Dragon here. Lord Chishi, you will be one of the few people who have actually seen this Crazy Dragon."

"Wait. You said a few. How many?"

"No more than a handful."

"Can you be more steady with your metaphors? People often tell me that a secret is known to fewer people than 'a handful of chopsticks,' and then it becomes as if everyone knows it."

"Are you referring to the incident where Koxinga's hair turned white overnight?"

"You know this too, right? His chopstick holder is really big."

"Well this is different."

Li Yi shook his head: "To be specific, only two living people have seen it, and you, who are about to meet it, are the third one."

"Does the three include you?"

"Of course, including me. However, it's not that we don't want others to see it. Otherwise, due to confidentiality requirements, there must be many people who really can't see it. For example, the emperor has never seen it, and he can't see it unless it is necessary."

"why?"

"You'll understand once you come. The existence of the Crazy Dragon can only be described as 'mysterious'."

After climbing the gangway, the two walked down the aisle. After passing each watertight door, Li Yi would turn back and close it. Although the ship was still at anchor, its watertightness standards were already at the level of an ordinary warship.

Shangluo also noticed that some doors had talismans on them, and every time Li Yi passed by a talisman, he would turn back to check if it was properly affixed.

"We're here. This is it." Li Yi stopped in front of an ordinary cabin door.

"Dianlong, is he in there?" Shangluo looked up. "Engine Room" was written on the hatch. A seal with a talisman was placed on the door handle.

"Yes. Dianlong is inside. Since I am one of the few people who have seen her, I can go in now. Now, Shang Tianjun, you will see her too."

As he spoke, he tore off the seal. The moment the seal left the door frame, a huge pressure was released from the door. This pressure only existed for a moment.

"Buzz—" A faint chime sound came from behind, suppressing the pressure.

"It's Daozu." Li Yi looked up at the sky. "If you want to sail the Lianshan out, you'll have to deal with it yourself."

"This seems amazing!"

"After all, it's a crazy dragon. It's a dragon. Once you go in, don't look up for now, lower your head first."

"I understand." Although he didn't ask why, Shangluo has always respected the opinions of professionals.

I walked in with my head down. The room was empty. The large room was also pitch black, airtight. However, with the light from the hallway, I could vaguely see something golden on the ground ahead.