Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"Well, you'd better familiarize yourself with it before your first mission. How about you try to see if you can move it?"

Wen Yuan behind him had already helped him close the back cover. Shangluo first felt the structure of the armor.

In fact, when he put on the armor, he hardly felt the weight. Through a sophisticated exoskeleton mechanism, the weight of the armor was transferred directly to the ground, rather than being borne by the person. Moving inside it was like...

Although he hates to admit it, Shangluo feels like the flesh of a lobster, driving the lobster from within its shell. This is the meaning of "exoskeleton."

The limbs are tightly wrapped, including the gloves. You can feel the damping of each joint is silky smooth, and even the movement of each finger is subtle.

The only problem is that it's too heavy.

Shangluo tried to raise his hands. He sensed the design of this exoskeleton armor—the bones of his shoulders weren't bearing any weight, but the muscles in his arms were already bulging. He exerted force like he was lifting a barbell, barely able to lift his right arm. Then his left arm, and then his head.

The movements were just as silky and smooth, but it was incredibly heavy.

He tried to lift his right foot again. His leg muscles were much more developed than his arm muscles, so lifting his foot was easier. However, as soon as his foot left the ground, he felt as if his entire body was being pressed down by a mountain, and he involuntarily tilted to the right.

Lu Huaiyang reached out and grabbed Shangluo's shoulders, straightening the staggering Shangluo.

"I was, what happened?"

"Because of the center of gravity. This armor weighs 125 kilograms, roughly the same as your own body weight, but its center of gravity is not consistent with your own. You need to adapt and practice, and control your own center of gravity based on its center of gravity - that's why it's the armor that carries the person, not the person wearing the armor. Of course, if you have the strength of a Qigong practitioner, then these centers of gravity are not a problem at all. Using the force of your waist will naturally stabilize you. Do you want to try taking a few steps?"

"No, no, no, forget it." Shangluo had no intention of trying. He nearly fell after taking one step, and the second step would probably dent the floor tiles.

"This is like a piece of fitness equipment, evenly distributing weight across the entire body. I can't even wear it right now. How thick is this armor?"

"The average thickness is 1.8 centimeters, with additional thickness in key areas, a feature designed based on actual battlefield conditions. It can withstand direct fire from large-caliber heavy machine guns at a distance of 50 meters, including the head. Small and medium-caliber rifles and pistols cannot penetrate it at any distance, including the joints. In the current battlefield environment, no one can withstand the assault of a Qigong practitioner. The only way to penetrate it is with a tank defense cannon with a caliber of 2 centimeters or more, but those bulky weapons simply cannot aim at the flexible armor."

Flexible? For a moment, Shangluo thought the word was a bit strange. But when he thought about Wen Yuan's physique, he knew that he could still move flexibly in this armor.

As an exoskeleton, this suit of armor can maximize the strength of meridians and muscles without requiring bones, the weakest link, to provide support and protection.

Even if a heavy bomb explodes nearby, the Qigong practitioner's physique and armor's defense can help the "crew" survive.

1.8cm of armor is certainly not invulnerable; it's just the armor of a typical tank. But if you add in the flexibility of movement, the situation becomes completely different. What can be penetrated is inaccurate, and what can be accurately aimed is incapable of penetration.

Shangluo thought about it and realized that the only threat to this armor was probably a large-caliber anti-material rifle. In the case of a pre-ambush, those anti-material rifles could indeed penetrate this armor.

"You may have realized that this armor is not invulnerable. So at times like this, you need to use some of the methods of a Qigong practitioner. Put down your mask, in front of your eyes."

Chapter 76 Armor

"You may have realized that this armor is not invulnerable. So at times like this, you need to use some of the methods of a Qigong practitioner. Put down your mask, in front of your eyes."

"Like this?" Shangluo tried flipping a switch on the side of the helmet—a mirror dropped down from above, blocking about 10% of his vision diagonally above. He could see his eyes and eyebrows in the mirror, which was perfect for touch-ups.

"So what's the use of this mirror?"

"Lower your head, lower the back of your neck, and don't move."

Lu Huaiyang took out his jade token and placed it on the back of Shangluo's neck.

The moment the jade token touched the helmet, an image appeared on the mirror. The same window interface, with Fetion and phone calls, and the time displayed in the upper right corner.

"This is Captain Lu! Is this your Fetion card? Can I see your image?"

"That image doesn't actually exist. What you see is the reflection of the white hong mirror, just an 'elephant'. He can integrate the functions of the Fetion card into the helmet and display them on the mirror. Through this function, we can perceive the battlefield situation in real time and communicate with other teammates instantly. This allows us to gain foresight and adapt to the all-weather battlefield environment. You can also use it to directly call for support from Qigong pilots and accurately deliver bombs to the enemy's heads."

Lu Huaiyang also elaborated on the character "澒." It's a polyphonetic character. When pronounced "gong," it's a variant of "mercury." Bai澒 is "white mercury," or mercury. When pronounced "hong," it means "the clear and turbid flow through the 澒 channel, overlapping and rising together." Bai澒 mirrors are made of mercury, but the latter meaning is used as a pun, pronounced "白澒(hong)jing."

"So, if the court wants to destroy a medium-sized country, it might choose to dispatch 5600 men from a single guard of the Imperial Guard, but it could also choose to dispatch a five-man squad of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Five people are enough, because we can always penetrate the enemy's rear at the weakest point and then use tank-level firepower to crush the defenses with ease—protection, information, and firepower, a trinity. When these three are combined, even a vast army cannot stop these five men. If the problem is minor, sending one person is enough, and that one person can destroy it. Just like a Qigong pilot can suppress a country's airspace, a Qigong fighter can directly decapitate a vital target in a nation's capital."

After saying this, he pinched two fingers:

"Destroying a mortal nation is as easy as crushing an ant in front of us. They won't know how they died until they die. They only know that their airspace will be blocked by a single or double formation, and then a ghostly squadron will descend from the sky and end all battles within five hours. It doesn't matter whether they die or not. We usually attack to save them. If they want to die, we can just let the Imperial Guards bring their artillery to raze them down."

"But why five hours?"

"Forehead"

Lu Huaiyang and Wen Yuan both fell into a long silence. This seemed to be a very complicated question.

After a long silence, Lu Huaiyang finally spoke:

"Remember what I told you at the beginning? If you have to wear it on a mission one day, you must first learn how to take it off by yourself. Because if you can't take it off..."

"Wait, there's no place to use the restroom in here, right?"

"How do you think we can go to the bathroom in here? The answer is absolutely impossible. Even Qigong practitioners eat grains and cereals, and there's a cycle of reincarnation. The problem of defecation is easy to solve. We can take fasting pills, which will keep us from being hungry for a whole day and prevent us from defecating. But there's really no way to urinate. So make it quick, or you'll have to find a place on the battlefield to take off your clothes and do it. You have to be skilled and quick."

Shangluo's head tilted and hit his helmet. Indeed, even a Qigong practitioner couldn't help someone with urgent needs. After all, Qigong practitioners were still human, and they had to go to the bathroom.

"So this is the key weakness that limits our combat effectiveness." Wen Yuan shook his head. "What kind of thing is this? We have so many extraordinary cultivators, and yet we can't even get over this problem. As long as I can take care of my three urgent needs inside, I can fight for 72 hours at a time in the armor without any problem."

"Do we have such a thing as diapers?"

"Diapers? What are those?" Lu Huaiyang asked, "Is it a magical spell? I think theoretically it could exist. But no one in the past was so bored as to invent such a weird spell. We need it now, and it would be very useful if we could invent a diaper spell."

"That's the kind I'm talking about."

Shangluo described a diaper: a small sanitary item that can hold a child and then release the child.

"No." Lu Huaiyang shook his head. "If there really is one, I think it should be given to the pilots first. At least we can find a place to take off our armor, but they can't find one at all. Taking it on the plane would require a lot of effort. The Navy, because they often fly long distances, is also researching a device called the 'Advanced Combat Extension System'. Well, that seems to rely on high-altitude air pressure, which we can't use."

This situation was indeed unexpected for Shangluo, as even a living person was nearly dying from the urination. However, solving this problem did not seem too difficult.

Apollonia

I've noted this and written it down in the log for you. You can refer to it later if you need it. I don't know why they didn't make a hole down there... but maybe it's a shield or something. It's not a big deal, just iterate it later. And when you iterate, bring him along; user experience is also very important.

Turning this over, Shangluo also noticed that there were some larger armors in the house:

"Captain Lu, what are those people doing in there?"

"Those? Those are different models. You can see the basin collar armor in front of you. That entire basin collar is not only for protection, but also a large white mirror, which can display more and more comprehensive information in front of you. The protection of those armors is stronger, but also slower. We usually use them as firepower platforms in the squad, such as the handheld tiger squat cannon firing grenades. Just one shot can clear an entire street, paving the way for subsequent advances. That one is less used. If you need it or you are confident, you can order another one. The production time is about three months."

After saying that, he thought about it and shook his head: "I was planning to let you test the weapons of the Jinyiwei again, such as various rockets. But that is different from armor, it is a bit dangerous..."

"But what?"

"Actually, there's something I want to try. Don't you have an innate spiritual treasure? I want to see what it would be like if you put it in the armor. After all, no one has tried it before. What do you think? Do you want to try it? I suggest you try the big one at the back."

Chapter 77 Iron Man

"How is it? Are you okay?" The rest of the story depends mainly on Apollonia's performance, so Shangluo plans to ask for her opinion first.

[Try it. I must try it! Daozu's creation is truly amazing. Even if it only lasts 10 seconds, I want to try it.]

Honestly, Shangluo wanted to give it a try. Even though that giant seemed difficult to handle, who could resist such a large armor? He simply couldn't refuse.

He agreed to Lu Huaiyang, who spread out his hands: "Then choose one for yourself."

Rows of even larger armor pieces were stored deep within the warehouse. Their collars and helmets were so thick and heavy, they resembled humanoid chariots.

"By the way, Captain Lu, what's the difference between these two types of armor?"

"The two types of armor you see come from two different sources. The one you were trying on just now was the Golden Body Armor, crafted from the General's Workshop, and originally designed for the Qigong practitioners of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The ones behind it are the Iron Man Armor, originally the equipment of the 'Lan Fang Iron Man Army'. After shining brilliantly in the Battle of Komodo, they were selected for the Imperial Guard's equipment sequence. We have synchronized technology with the Lan Fang, so we can produce the Imperial Guard's version of the finely crafted Iron Man Armor ourselves. But the Lan Fang only regards it as standardized equipment for the 'Iron Man Army', and it is all mass-produced in the foundry in Pontianak."

"Isn't this heavy?"

"It doesn't really matter whether they're heavy or not. The Lan Fang Iron Army uses warships for maneuvering, and their combat range is mostly coastal, so weight isn't a big consideration. And before the Iron Army entered the battlefield, the Lan Fang Company's battleships had already cleared the area two or three times. Their main function was to suppress riots and clear the area. Well, the Lan Fang's methods were much more violent than ours. The court wanted face, and the Lan Fang wanted money. It's always been this way."

Lu Huaiyang also knew that because of the huge cost of the "Artillery Plan" in recent years, Lan Fang was becoming increasingly short of money.

"So, even though it's a bit heavier, that's the advantage of the Iron Man Armor. Unlike our integrated design, the Iron Man Armor's unique feature is that it's a skeleton with all the components attached to it. Our current configuration is still based on the original Iron Man Armor, but we've refactored every detail to accommodate a wider range of equipment. Lan Fang is iterating its entire armor in batches, and they've now updated to the fourth generation of Iron Man Armor."

"Is the fourth generation strong?"

"No, it's actually getting weaker. Lan Fang's goal in its technological iterations has always been to make these extraordinary things fall from the sky and land in the homes of ordinary people, because extraordinary people are all stingy and don't spend money - for example, the last time they tested the rocket machine, they actually wanted everyone to be able to ride it, not just Qigong practitioners. The fourth generation is lighter and weaker than the previous three generations. It only retains the most basic frame and armor, and even the arm and leg armor are incomplete. But it can already allow mortals who have never eaten radishes to join the battle. The prototype armor later is the strongest version, and we have refined the Iron Man Armor ourselves, which is stronger than Lan Fang's."

Shangluo was silent for a while:

"Captain Lu, which side do you think is better?"

"I can answer this with a saying that the Taoist ancestor often taught us: the Yangtze River is clear, the Yellow River is turbid. The Yangtze River flows, and the Yellow River also flows. We should not favor one over the other because the water is clear, nor should we favor one over the other because the water is turbid. The imperial court is the Ming Dynasty, and Lan Fang is also the Ming Dynasty. All under heaven belongs to the king. We have enough foundation to conduct trial and error, and we are not afraid of problems. Therefore, there is no competition between Jinei and Lan Fang. We want both."

“So that’s how it is”

"So, pick something you like. Iron Man Armor doesn't have strict size restrictions, so if it doesn't fit, you can wear it. It's not a big deal."

"Then I'll choose." Shangluo's eyes wandered around the warehouse. In fact, all the armor looked similar, and it was difficult to tell them apart with the naked eye. The only differences were the color, paint job, and serial number.

But there seemed to be one exception. In the corner, a more "rustic" looking Iron Man armor stood there. Its dark black armor glowed faintly in the darkness, and the style of the helmet and armor itself was slightly different from the other Iron Man armors. Upon closer inspection, one could see the dark pattern of a lion swallowing a shoulder on its shoulder armor.

"Hey? Captain Lu, is that machine owned by someone? I want to try it out."

"That one? Ah. Sure, you can try it. Go ahead and try it."

Shangluo walked inside. Wen Yuan's expression was a little strange. He leaned over to Lu Huaiyang and said, "Master, that armor isn't the legendary divine chrome armor?"

Although she was a beat late, Wen Yuan guessed it.

"Yeah. I brought him here just to give it a try. It seems like he's the one. We're definitely destined to be together."

The two sets of armor were donned in a similar manner. Shangluo placed the "Feixin" card on the back of the helmet, opened the back, and climbed in.

"Apollonia, how do you feel?"

[I'm online and feeling good.] The armor's helmet fell off by itself, taking the mask with it.

Images began to flash across the helmet in front of him, but they didn't stop there. The entire inside of the helmet was covered in light and shadow—fuzzy at first, but gradually becoming meaningful. It was this warehouse.

The entire Zhoutian's vision was projected around Shangluo. The basin in front of him not only displayed the interface of the Fetion card, but also displayed a series of information such as maps, weather, and directions.

This is my basic function. Phlogiston converts to light very efficiently, so I can create cool light effects like this, sharing my information with you through visual effects. However, anything beyond the light effects is a bit more complex. This is because phlogiston is similar to light, while other things are not. But you can try?

"Is it okay? Are you sure?"

[Don't worry, I've been soaking up a lot of sun lately, so I can easily keep you moving for 10 seconds. Just move.]

After receiving Apollonia's confirmation, Shangluo tried to step his left foot out of the armor. A gentle force relieved his weight, allowing him to lift his leg smoothly. The initial lift was a bit difficult; the armor seemed to have been untouched for a long time, and the sole of his foot was glued to the floor. But once he lifted his foot, everything was fine.

[Wait! Stop! It's so heavy! Why is it so heavy! Phlogiston! The phlogiston is empty! Ahh ...

Before he finished speaking, Shangluo felt all his support disappear. He fell forward uncontrollably. Wen Yuan was about to step forward to help him, but Lu Huaiyang grabbed him.

With a loud bang, Shang Luo fell to the ground, creating a dent. Wen Yuan gasped in shock. After all, a fall wasn't a big deal. But if Wen Yuan had gone to help him, she would have been smashed into the floor.

Only then did Lu Huaiyang step forward to open the back and help Shangluo out - his expression was very complicated and difficult to describe. Shangluo also saw it:

"Captain Lu, what is this thing made of?"

"Ten years ago, this suit of armor suddenly appeared there after a night of thunder and lightning. Since its appearance, it has not moved an inch at all, because even four celestial beings in the Foundation Establishment Stage could not move it an inch. We tried to destroy this suit of armor with bombs, electric drills, high temperatures, strong acids, and even electric welding, but in the end, nothing was found. We can't even test the material of the armor because there are no samples. We named the material of the armor "Divine Chromium" because it is harder than the hardest known metal "chromium" and is unimaginably heavy. The most amazing thing is the base. Because it is so heavy, it didn't even collapse the floor. The base must be some kind of magical weapon. But you are much more powerful than this base. You can actually open it up a step. So, what do you think? Can you try again? Do you want to eat some radishes to replenish your energy?"

Chapter 2 will be posted during the day, probably before noon

Chapter 78 Divine Chrome

"I know you're great, but please drive it back. It's just a big word lying on the ground, and it can't be moved at all."

Lao Liu, who was watching the warehouse, came over after hearing the noise. He had already tried it with the other three people, and the divine chrome armor on the ground seemed to have taken root. The floor was pressed down a bit, and even the surrounding ground could still make crisp "crackling" sounds from time to time.

"Something's wrong, something's wrong." Lao Liu touched the floor. "It seems the weight of this thing has really taken effect since it was unseated from its base. It's still sinking. I estimate that in less than a week, the foundation of this warehouse will be crushed. Hey, Captain Lu of Nanzhen, this is public property of the entire Wei. If it's damaged, you Nanzhen people will have to pay to repair it!"

Lu Huaiyang lowered his voice: "Shangluo, can you open it again?"

Shangluo lowered his voice: "Hey Apollonia, can you open it again?"

"Ah, I'm exhausted. I need to replenish my phlogiston. Why did you leave the divine chromium in the warehouse? I'm offline. I feel terrible."

"Captain Lu, it doesn't seem to be working. We may have to wait for a while."

Lu Huaiyang slapped himself on the head and said, "I expected this to happen. The two of you will be super powerful when you are stacked together. You will tear down everything you do. But it's okay if it happens elsewhere. How can such a thing happen even under the feet of Daozu? It's unbelievable."

"Hey, Captain Lu of Nanzhen, do you have any ideas? Money doesn't really matter, but if this thing keeps sinking, the entire Jinyiwei Yamen will have to be sealed as a 'miracle'."

"Two weeks. Give me two weeks." Lu Huaiyang raised his head and replied, "I will definitely restore it within two weeks. If I can't restore it, I will take full responsibility to seal it."

"What should I do in the next two weeks? My boss has obsessive-compulsive disorder."

"Cover it up with a carpet. It will probably collapse to the ground level in a few days. If it sinks further in a few days, fill it up. It's not the first day you've been filling the floor. Aren't all the floor tiles on Suzaku Road outside repaired by us?"

"Okay. Two weeks! I beg you!" He clasped his hands together in salute. "I'll treat you to a meal if I can fix it. Definitely."

"No, no, this is my fault."