Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

The two of them apologized to each other like bowing machines, because passing the buck wasn't important at all. Getting this thing back was more important than anything else.

Before leaving, Shangluo added Lao Liu on Fetion using a string of instantly generated numbers—since he wasn't in the Nanzhen discussion group, this was the only way they could communicate individually. His Fetion username was "Qi Liu," and Shangluo added him as "Lao Liu, the warehouse keeper."

I walked out the back door the same way I came. The back door was empty and the car was gone.

"Heh," Lu Huaiyang laughed, "I knew it would be lost again. It's always like this. Since everyone has a key, no one knows who parked the car here and just took it away. Shouldn't I put up a note next time?"

He glanced at the top of the mountain. Nanzhen and the Imperial Prison were both on the other side of Purple Gold Mountain, quite a distance away.

"Shangluo, do you have any idea about the furnace and cauldron?"

"You mean Phaethon?"

Lu Huaiyang was silent for a moment. "Shangluo, you may have to get over this hurdle. If that furnace is your opportunity, you may have to dismantle it. So don't name the food, or you won't be able to bear it when you eat it. Daoji is more important than anything else."

"I see."

He knew what Lu Huaiyang said; it was truly for his own good. But seeing her alive made him reluctant to see her die. He had seen Phaethon so vibrant and energetic, and now he was suddenly using her as a cauldron—not even the elixir itself, but merely as a tool. This truly gave him a sliver of hesitation.

The problem wasn't just that. Phaethon was also the daughter of Helios. While building a foundation was a big deal, it would be disastrous if it led to a powerful enemy. Unless they could secure the protection of the Dao Ancestor, or Apollonia could rise to prominence herself.

After analyzing the pros and cons, what remains is the issue of human relations.

Do we know each other well?

The two sides were indeed unfamiliar. Though she looked like the Mediterranean sun, she clearly lacked Helios's fortitude. Despite wielding Helios's power and possessing the Spear of Apollo, she ultimately failed to uphold her vow. Perhaps everything now was the result of that vow's backlash, or perhaps karma. The Spear of Apollo had abandoned her; that was proof.

Given her previous record of breaking the agreement, she deserved the retribution she received.

But Shangluo decided to wait until his research had made initial progress before deciding whether to forcefully open the furnace. While there wasn't much moral pressure, the hostages could be exchanged for a bounty, but if they died, they were gone. Furthermore, "fathers are responsible for not raising and educating their children," and his daughter had violated the "safety guarantee" personally given by Helios. He needed to discuss this matter with Helios, of course.

"I don't have any idea yet, but I'll find some solutions as soon as possible."

"Yes." Lu Huaiyang nodded. "We will also try to find a solution. General Bai Feng has returned. He will submit a plan to you soon. No matter how to deal with it, the final decision will be made by you. Well, I will stay in the Imperial Prison this afternoon, so you should go back first."

"How about I go and take a look?"

Lu Huaiyang hesitated for a moment.

"Actually, I did plan to take you there today. But I noticed that whenever you and Wen Yuan were together, things kept going off like triggers. There are many dangerous items in the Imperial Prison. Do you want to desensitize yourself before coming? The armor falling to the ground isn't a big deal, but if something escapes from the prison, that would be a huge problem."

"Uh" He and Wen Yuan looked at each other and nodded.

"Then next time I come to the Imperial Prison, I'll inform you privately—go back and prepare first, because you have to go back to class tomorrow morning."

"Huh." After returning from the tram, Shangluo sat back on his bed.

"Apollonia, how are you?"

[Ah, I'm so tired and hungry. I need to replenish my phlogiston.]

"Didn't you never ask for food before?"

"That's because I didn't consume it before. I could sustain my daily needs just by basking in the sun. But just now... Ah! That's Divine Chrome, divine metal! It's a body that flows directly from the Divine Machine. It might be a weapon left behind by a Divine Machine. The Spear of the Sun God is made of the same material, as is the golden ball in your phone. But this is the first time I've seen such a large piece of Divine Chrome."

"Can you control it?"

"Yes, I can control it. But I don't have enough phlogiston. If I had an unlimited supply of phlogiston, I would definitely be able to get it running. But before that, could you find me some phlogiston? Ah. My stomach is growling. I'm so hungry."

"Um, where are you going to find phlogiston?"

[Radish. The spiritual energy in those immortal root radishes is the best phlogiston. Just give me 200 kilograms of radishes, which should be enough to make up for today's losses.]

Chapter 79 Refining Medicine

"I finally waited for this line—200 kilograms of radishes, you're eating them like a meal!"

[Wait, let me check. Is this the line where Monkey King asks Laozi for the elixir? Oh, this TV show is so interesting.]

"Don't change the subject. You have to have 200 kilograms of radishes before you move?"

【It’s okay if you cough less.】

"I knew there was something fishy going on. How much do you want?"

181.29 pounds, no less. This is the minimum weight the machine needs to operate for 10 minutes, at least to get it back where it came from. I don't know how that base is made, but if left alone, it's bound to crash through the entire house's foundation, maybe even pumping up groundwater. And then further down, further down. Hehe, you guys might even be able to get underground before you reach the sky.

"What the hell is that?"

That's the outer shell *bleeding* from the divine machine's light. Its creation is simple, like pouring concentrated sulfuric acid into an iron bucket. The reaction is rapid at first, but it tends to stagnate due to the passivation of the iron. The relationship between phlogiston and reality is similar: when phlogiston burns reality, reality becomes passivated, producing these 'divine chromiums.' But I don't know how these things are to be shaped.

“Sometimes I think you’re terrible.”

I've been told I'm a child prodigy. When someone mocked Faraday for inventing the electric motor, Faraday retorted, "What use is a newborn baby?" I think Faraday had a point.

"But you're not a kid anymore, are you? What have you been doing all these years?"

[I refuse to answer due to privacy concerns. And since there's nothing, isn't that convenient for you to customize? This is what we call a promising future.]

"Okay." Shangluo thought about it.

180 kilograms of radish is indeed expensive, but not that expensive. If we report to the Imperial Guard to transport the armor, that's not impossible. The Imperial Guard will approve it.

[But there's a problem. I don't have a mouth, so I can't just eat the radish. So I need you to extract the phlogiston from the radish.]

"You still want to be fed, right? You want to eat children's food, right?"

[Can you please be more patient with the underage Shenji? I didn't say I won't work, but I should at least be allowed to eat before I start working. This isn't how you use child labor.]

"Well, Miss Apollonia, who has a promising future, get to work. I know you're tired, but what suggestions do you have for filling your own belly?"

I suggest we start a collaborative iteration, just like with the Foundation Establishment Pill—but you asked me to do it that time, this time I have to ask you. You know, only humans have the right to ask questions of the Akashic Records, and I can only relay your questions. So please, work with me on a collaborative iteration, and we'll create this 'requirement' in the Akashic Records. I need a method to extract phlogiston from radishes.

"Well, is this difficult?"

I estimate this is much simpler than the Foundation Establishment Pill, practically child's play. We'll probably only need five iterations to create a suitable requirement and then accurately submit it to the Akashic Records. However, there's a prerequisite: collaborative iteration is me collaborating with you, so you must have your own requirements.

"But I can just eat the radish directly. I don't need to extract it. I have my own stomach. However."

Speaking of the stomach, he thought of the figure kicking the wooden stake. She wasn't alone; countless others, like Lu Liang, were struggling in the sea of suffering. They could see the door to Qigong right before them, even within reach. But no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't reach the edge of that door.

"I was wondering if I could help her along the way. Daozu was already cold-hearted even when he was still a human, and even more so after his ascension. The path he pioneered is a bit too cruel. If it doesn't interfere with our business, then I really want to help them along the way."

"That's not difficult. If you can extract phlogiston from radish, then it should be replicable. With the formula, you can replicate some of the extracted phlogiston for Lu Liang and the other potential Qigong practitioners."

"Well, let's start iterating on our needs. First and foremost, we need a way to extract phlogiston from the radish."

"The first thing to be clear about is that it must be a liquid medicine. I can't take pills, but if it's a liquid medicine, I can soak it in water and use it. If it's a liquid medicine, I need to determine the concentration factor. The phlogiston abundance of the fairy root radish itself is about 3%. How high of a concentration do you want it to be?"

"What do you think of 15% abundance?"

[A suitable ratio. If the requirements are too high, it might become very troublesome. A 15% concentration is sufficient, meaning a fivefold concentration of phlogiston. At the same time, if you also want to take the needs of the Imperial Guard into account, then this solution should also be digestible by the human digestive system, using water or other non-toxic liquids as the solvent.]

"And the taste?"

[Yes, and the taste can't be too outrageous, otherwise it's completely unpalatable. So, to summarize the current demand: a phlogiston solvent made from radish, with an abundance of around 15%. It must meet edible standards and not taste too strange. However, you must compromise on quality, price, or quantity to achieve this.]

"Then let's give up on the price. The imperial court seems to be quite wealthy, and the Imperial Guards also have funds specifically allocated for the purchase of spiritual medicines. So it's not a big problem, and the Imperial Guards can afford it even if it's a little more expensive."

[OK. This iteration was quick and pleasant. Because it's not about creating something out of nothing, but about converting something that already exists into a more 'convenient' form. So, if you don't have anything to add, we will file a lawsuit with the Akashic Records.]

"let's start."

[Okay. Take out your Fetion card. No need to go through the hassle like last time. We'll just send it directly via Fetion. I've compiled your requirements and sent them to you in the chat thread. Copy them and then talk to the Akashic Records yourself.]

"Okay." Shangluo followed his instructions step by step. It was very simple, just forwarding a Fetion message.

[Well, it seems there are results. Take a look.]

"Oh! There's a reply. Wait, why is it vibrating? Does Fetion still have a vibration function?

It's ringing again! 12345, it's ringing five times. It seems someone used the "knock knock" feature on Fetion. Strange, who sent it?

She glanced up and saw a new contact that had suddenly appeared. She looked at the name again: [Ahhhh! What should I do?]

“…” Shangluo also saw the person who suddenly appeared.

What should I do? What should I do? Apollonia was almost incoherent.

"Go to bed, now, right away." Shangluo turned over and turned off the lights.

Yes, yes, yes, go to sleep. Go to sleep. Sleep as long as you can.

Five hours later, Shangluo saw the Yuxi Palace at 5 a.m.

He stood at the door with an immortal look on his face, and it seemed that he was not far from the realm of the Taoist Ancestor.

After he stopped, he shouted inside, "Daozu, you told me to wait here at dawn. I only slept for two hours that night and then rode my bike here. I brought flour, soybean powder, and honey for refining radishes. Are these the ingredients?"

Boom————

The distant sound of chimes pierced through the gates of Yuxi Palace. Daozu gave a positive answer.

Chapter 80 Alchemy

"So, Daozu, you want to teach me how to make pills?"

【no. 】

"Then." Shangluo was about to ask when a familiar voice appeared beside him:

"The Emperor doesn't like people asking him questions. He feels the same way about me."

"Your Majesty? Why are you here?"

"Me~~" Zhu Xianxun walked over yawning and took out his keys as he walked.

"I was wondering what you were doing here at four in the morning? Aren't you supposed to be in class today?"

When he got closer, he saw Shangluo's face:

"My goodness, you look like an immortal. Are you going to become an immortal? Did you stay up all night last night and solve the riddle?"

Zhu Xianxun was referring to the passage "Clouds in the blue sky, water in the bottle." But this riddle was not a problem for Shangluo—the riddle was very clear: it was from Li Ao's "Presented to the Eminent Monk Wei Yan at Yaoshan" in the Tang Dynasty.

This quote comes from Volume 17 of "Song Gaoseng Zhuan" (Biography of Eminent Monks), which tells the story of the meeting between the prefect Li Ao and the eminent monk Wei Yan. When they met, Li Ao had already arrived, but Wei Yan, still with his head down reading, ignored him. Li Ao was somewhat displeased, thinking that this eminent monk might be rude and arrogant, exaggerating his words. This led to the following conversation:

Ao was narrow-minded and impatient, so he said, "Meeting in person is not as good as hearing about you." Yan called out, and Ao responded. He said, "Why do you value your ears more than your eyes, Governor?" Ao bowed and thanked him, then asked, "What is the Tao?" Yan pointed to the sky and the pure bottle and said, "The clouds are in the blue sky, and the water is in the bottle."

So this poem was originally the words of the mountain monk Wei Yan. Li Ao asked Wei Yan, "What is Tao?" Wei Yan's answer was: Clouds are in the blue sky and water is in the bottle.

In other words, the riddle of this poem is: What is Taoxie?

This was to get Shangluo to express his own views on the Dao. Obviously, there was no standard answer to this question, and Shangluo felt that he needed to meet some more people.

He had already seen Lu Liang, who was diligently practicing to cultivate her Qi, and her worried old father, as well as the unlucky Jinyiwei, and many others. But just seeing them, it seemed that he could not give his own answer.

This was also what he had confirmed with Daozu during their first meeting: One must not value hearing over seeing. Hearing from others doesn't count; seeing for oneself is what counts. Daozu also hoped that he could see the world for himself before offering his own answer. From the perspective of longevity and vision, the purpose of immortality is to see long, to observe the world carefully—but on the path to immortality, isn't observing the world carefully necessary?

"That riddle, it will take me some time to answer. But I will have the answer."

"Ah~~ No hurry, no hurry." Zhu Xianxun yawned, "Look, I've been kept in the dark by the Emperor all day long, and I've lived quite comfortably. The more I know, the more tired I get—but he must have had some deeper meaning in calling you here."

He thought for a moment and murmured, "Did I choose this time so that you would come to see me? Because I come to Yuxi Palace at this time every day."

thump—

The chimes were struck inside, and that is exactly what it meant.

"It's true. The Emperor really likes you. He barely talks to me twice a day, yet he's so concerned about you."

thump -- thump -- thump --

There were three knocks from inside.

"Ah!! I was wrong! Grandpa Huang, please don't be angry! I just said it casually. Ah Shangluo, what's wrong with you?"

"It's because of this." Shangluo opened his phone and adjusted it to the line of text that asked the question.

"I see. You asked questions about the Myriad Heavenly Book, right? And after the Emperor read it, he felt that you needed to come to me."

"The Book of All Things?"

"It's the Akashic Records, as the Romans called it. We call it the Universal Book. It's a collection of all experiences, and the emperor focused most of his energy on it, so he spoke very little. He was searching for 'Tai Chi' in the Universal Book, because the Universal Book records everything in the past: Tai Chi gives birth to two opposites. One gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things. As long as we can find the original 'Tai Chi' of Hunyuan, we can understand the truth of the universe. But he hasn't forgotten us. I will come to listen to the lectures on Hunyuan Daoguo regularly, and then pass them on to those who need to know. But your matter..."

"Is there a play?"

"It's not a big deal. You need to compress the immortal root, right? And you want it to taste better? Do you want to eat it yourself?"

Shangluo described what he saw in Lu Huaiyang's house.