Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"I don't think so. If the legionaries can solve the problem here, then the Romans would just send only legionaries to do the work every time. But even if he is an extraordinary being, he will have to block a few rounds of heavy machine gun fire. If it really doesn't work, I'll shoot him and see if he can block it." As he said this, he shook the "big gun" in his hand.

This was a truly enormous gun. With the bayonet and the gun itself, it measured 1.75 meters, a fraction taller than Wen Yuan himself. The entire gun resembled a bolt-action rifle, though not a fully manual one. The stock was especially massive, almost like a blunt instrument. Its proportions didn't even resemble a modern rifle, but rather a muzzle-loader from over a century ago. In other words, it resembled the rifles used in execution lines.

"How come I haven't seen this gun of yours before?"

It's not easy for you to say that. After all, you've seen a lot of things. You haven't seen this before? Then of course I haven't seen it either. I can feel the surging phlogiston pulsating within this gun.

"This? This is an experimental torch incendiary gun."

"WTF?"

"The Torch Explosive Gun. Oh, you didn't know that. I almost forgot you just joined the group. This is a Torch weapon we've only recently started equipping. The initial theoretical research began over a decade ago, and the use of cinnabar dates back even longer. The so-called Torch and cinnabar refer to our attempts to utilize spiritual energy before you proposed the idea of bottling the Qi Sea."

"Is there any difference between these and the bottled Qi Hai?"

"The most important thing is that you can't eat it, and even if you do, it's useless. Neither cinnabar nor torch element changes the 'energy level' of the substance itself. A tank of gas should run 100 kilometers, but adding spiritual energy won't increase it to 200 kilometers. In fact, it will even shorten the distance."

"So what's the use of these things?"

"Its purpose is to mark objects with spiritual energy, allowing the Qigong practitioner's spiritual consciousness to influence the explosion process. This is because, no matter how much more propellant, chamber pressure, or barrel length you increase, the rate of expansion of gunpowder gases has a limit. This limit is approximately 1 to 4 kilometers per second. 4 kilometers is the limit of the limit, and it's just a theoretical value. This is because the relative speed of a fluid in a tube of equal diameter cannot exceed the speed of sound in the fluid itself."

"Then your gun"

"That's right. Starting with cinnabar, weapons using cinnabar can exceed this speed. This is the function of cinnabar. Although it does not change the energy contained in the gunpowder itself, it allows us to accelerate the process and even break through the physical limits. And this torch gun is an evolution of the cinnabar gun used in the past. 21 years ago, Yingtian Chemical Manufacturing Co., Ltd. developed torch technology, breaking through the bottleneck that cinnabar can only be mixed with solid gunpowder. They mixed spiritual energy and liquid explosives to make torch. Torch is much more convenient than cinnabar."

He turned the gun over:

"The bottom of the buttstock is where the torch is loaded. It does resemble an old-fashioned musket, actually. I remember some of the oldest repeating rifles used buttstocks to store bullets, and some to store gas cylinders. This buttstock is used to store the torch, but it's actually just a small bottle. Because we can control the speed of the detonation, a tiny bit of high-energy torch can accelerate the projectile to terrifying speeds."

Chapter 173 The Future of Rome

"Wait, why do I think of Lan Fang's moon cannon?"

"Yes, Lan Fang is also collaborating with Yingtian Manufacturing to develop large-scale torch equipment. Once the research is completed, they will be able to launch projectiles into space at speeds that exceed the limits of conventional explosive gases. However, since carrots are rationed, they have switched to bananas. However, the banana investment seems to be going poorly. I heard that their test base is in the Bermuda Islands, and I haven't heard any good news. However, you recently proposed the bottled Qi Hai solution. I wonder if Lan Fang's direction will change."

"So they're looking for volunteers before they even finalize a plan?"

"Well, actually, for Reiki technology, the construction of facilities can precede specific plans. This is because humans are an indispensable part of Reiki technology, and human adaptability is infinite. When pushing the limit, it is much faster to adjust oneself than to adjust the machine. If Lan Fang wanted to wait for the technology of Torch weaponization to make progress before starting the construction of the lunar cannon, they probably wouldn't have started until last month, instead of waiting for us to collect data for a period of time before starting the tanking like they are doing now."

"Oh, by the way, has anyone agreed now?"

"I was going to ask you, aren't you more informed over there? Has any celestial being agreed to be put into the barrel of the cannon?"

"Tsk, no."

"That's probably it. I guess in the end, it will probably be up to Uncle Guoxing to do it himself - if this is science, he should experiment on himself first. If his uncle can't trust him, why should we trust him?"

"That's true. What about the court's plan?"

"The court's plan is rockets. But there's a problem—rockets are propelled by energy. Even if we can change the rate of gas expansion, we can't change the total energy of the rocket fuel. The rocket itself is already fast enough, and the bottleneck doesn't seem to be how fast it burns. So even if we add torches, it will only replace the function of the pump, which will greatly improve reliability. And torches are expensive, so expensive that I don't even know how much each shot from this gun in my hand costs. Anyway, before I left, they told me not to worry about it. A single load of torches can fire hundreds of shots, so it doesn't matter if I use it casually."

“Well, the cost is a problem.”

Shangluo knew the court's habits: it was wealthy, but it didn't spend money recklessly. Before it could be certain that propellant rockets could usher in the space age, the court would hold off on lavish spending.

"But I'm afraid this matter is uncertain." Wen Yuan thought for a moment. "Well, I don't know much about this kind of thing. I'm not a researcher. Maybe you guys would know more. Are you very interested in the space program?"

"If things on earth are resolved, the next step will be heaven."

Wen Yuan looked up at the sky. The moon was bright and sparse. Although Rome cast a considerable amount of light pollution on the skyline, the moon was still clear over the tranquil and peaceful Lake Nemi. So, what was beyond the moon? Pointing cannons at the moon was sometimes seen as a sign of national hubris. However, humanity always had to take the first step into the unknown of space, and Lan Fang was ready to be at the forefront.

"The Emperor asked me to fill out a form some time ago. I believe the court's research on the rocket program will soon be concluded. Will the court compete with Lan Fang at that time?"

"Probably not." Wen Yuan shook her head. "No matter what, we are all family. Guoxing is from Fujian, isn't he? His family has always been in Fujian and never moved to Pontianak. They just registered an additional guest residence in Pontianak. We and Roma are as close as brothers, so of course we won't be strangers to each other."

"What about when we get to space? If we open up new horizons in space, will our relationship on Earth be able to continue?"

"Hmm" Wen Yuan fell into deep thought.

He shook his head. "I don't know. This isn't something a middle school student like me can think about. If I want to consider something this serious, I'll have to at least pass the Juren exam. I haven't even passed the Xiucai exam yet. But from my perspective, things aren't looking very optimistic in Rome."

"Yes indeed. But what did you see?"

"We're a long way from Lan Fang, yet we're still one, inside and out. And Rome, not long after leaving the house, cuts itself into six. What's going on? Once it reaches the sky, won't it be cut into sixty-six thirty-six, ninety-nine eighty-one? When I look up at the sky, I'm afraid it will be the moment Rome explodes into a sky full of stars. I'm not optimistic about Rome's own space program. Lights need to be gathered together to illuminate. Scattered, they're just a few stars, completely useless."

"By the way, does Rome have any specific plans?"

"I think I've seen it before." Wen Yuan thought for a moment. "It seems to be in Virginia or Florida. They're conducting experiments in the New Antioch Region, on the other side of Yangzhou. Their plan seems similar to the imperial court's, also involving rockets. Well, they're just fragile mortals. What kind of courage does it take to put themselves in front of a rocket and launch into space? If they can really succeed, I'll actually admire them. Let's not talk about what happens once they're up there, they'll have to get their tickets themselves."

"What if they can't keep up?" At this time, Shangluo knew that he was not only asking Wen Yuan, but also asking for the opinion of an ordinary "Zhendan person".

"If you can't keep up, then you can't keep up. We are not Roma's parents. Even if we are brothers, we are only sworn brothers. Besides, brothers in the same family have different heights. Wu Erlang has his own three-inch dry tree bark Wu Dalang in his family, right? Let Roma solve their own problems. We must first be responsible for ourselves."

He pointed ahead. "Look, Rome is even relying on us to solve its current problems. This time, they can offer you the golden branch, so the court sent us to harvest it. As for helping them ascend to heaven, I don't think the Romans can offer a price that will impress the court. In this kind of situation, even if we can share technology, it may not be reliable. Even if we obtain the technology, we still have to implement it ourselves. And our technology, at least for now, is built to the standards of Qigong practitioners. The mortal Romans would only crush themselves if they went in."

"The future is uncertain," Shangluo shook his head. Rome's future was as cloudy and dim as the Forest King's eyes.

There was a rustling sound on the phone.

"Hello, Shangluo, how are you guys progressing?" Titus answered the radio outside the forest.

"Everything is going well. The Forest King is 200 meters away. We are setting up our position."

"Position? What position?"

Shangluo told him about the Dragon Tooth Soldiers.

"You actually found it! That bottle of dragon teeth was lost there over twenty years ago. Thank goodness you found it. That bottle of dragon teeth was in sync with the technical level of the Roman legionnaires at the time, so it should be of some help to you. The artillery group is ready as a last resort. If it can't be completed, don't force it, just withdraw and send a signal. Rome really can't retreat any further, the city of Rome is behind us."

Chapter 174 Convergence

"Confirmed."

Shangluo turned off the intercom: "Mr. Titus told us to be careful. The artillery is ready to clean up the mess at any time, so don't force yourself."

Wen Yuan was fiddling with the bayonet on the muzzle of the gun. This bayonet was not simply hung below the muzzle, but was connected to the handguard below the barrel by a tube.

"Don't worry," he replied while checking the pipelines. "According to the standards in the manual, our completion rate this time is as high as 98%, surpassing all previous Branch Breaking Teams. How can their mortal bodies compare to the cultivation of our monks? Their entire team's completion efficiency may not be as high as that of one of us. Historically, they often needed the combined efforts of the entire team to capture a single Great Spring Spirit. Taking down two teams was an exceptional performance. The mission was time-limited, and they didn't have that much time. But here, we set out from all four directions simultaneously, and all four of us took them all down. In this time, they couldn't even handle the first one."

"Wait, four? Is there one missing?"

"Is there?" Wen Yuan looked up. The three Great Spring Elves were gathered together—the one without a helmet was the one Shangluo had "invited." The one with the armor pockmarked with bullet holes was also the one Wen Yuan had "invited."

There was another one who had actually been tied up and locked in the chariot since a while ago. Han Xingzhi didn't dare to go up and cut it himself, and Mr. Fox was not the kind stall owner who would help with the processing, so he tied him up directly.

As for how the Dragon Fang soldiers were tied up, he had no idea. He hadn't even shown his head the entire time, crouching inside the turret. Now the other two elves were handling it themselves, holding one on each side.

"One, two, three, there's one missing." Wen Yuan remembered, "Where's Lu Liang?"

"Here." Lu Liang's voice came from the headphones, and also from behind a tree not far away.

"Why does it feel like you're not here yet?" Wen Yuan muttered, "The three of us are already very well prepared."

"If you're brave enough, come and fight this lady next to me! Someone come and help me, I can't walk anymore!"

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" Han Xingzhi jumped out of the chariot and ran over:

"Answer the question first! How does a fox bark?"

"I'll go to you!"

Han Xingzhi flew back in an instant and hit the sandbag next to Shangluo.

"You dare to take action directly, it's true." He touched his glasses, which were not broken yet.

"Huh?" Shang Luo only realized at this moment, "You're actually quite resilient, aren't you? If it were an ordinary person, being sent flying this far, they'd be half-dead, right?"

"Tsk." Han Xingzhi, lying on the ground, pushed up his glasses. "Don't think I can't fight just because I'm a Xuan cultivator. I'm at least a Qi cultivator."

"Then why do you stay in the chariot?"

"I'm most effective when I'm crouching in the back, that's the truth. I can't maintain my spiritual network when I'm being hit. Didn't you hear any noise in your ears when I was knocked away just now?"

"Um, it seems not." Shangluo shook his head. "Maybe the force just now wasn't strong enough. How about I hit you a couple more times?"

Wen Yuan was cleaning his gun, and he lifted the butt of the gun by the handguard.

"Oh, brother, that's alright. But you guys should go and give her a hand, she really seems tired."

"No need." Lu Liang's voice reached her. She wasn't alone; a silver-armored swordsman supported her. The pointed ears on either side of her helmet and the hole for the sixth finger on her armor revealed her identity: this was the last Great Spring Elf, Karin.

However, compared with other great elves who are almost giants, Karin is only as tall as a normal girl, just slightly taller than Lu Liang.

Arriving at a safe location, the two men collapsed onto the ground with a thud, supporting each other back to back. Their armor was riddled with scars. Lu Liang's arm armor was gone, while Karin's armor was covered in the dense bruises of a thousand-forged iron pot. Her sword had also broken in two, dangling from her waist as she dragged along, leaving a trail of ditching marks on the ground.

"I have a bad feeling." Han Xingzhi looked at the two of them. "Their current state is just like our Longjiang team's performance in previous years. They beat each other down in the preliminaries, but in the finals, they were completely exhausted."

"That's you guys." Wen Yuan shook her head. "You're representing Jiangning in the competition, after all. Can't you be more prepared?"

As he spoke, he whistled. From the woods, a swift, white shadow burst forth from the darkness. A white horse dashed before him, its movement eerily like a passing phantom, clearly faster than its own hooves. From a Taoist perspective, it seemed the horse had just used some kind of "shrinking the earth" magic.

No, this is not a horse. Shangluo noticed that this "horse" had a horn on its head.

"Is this a unicorn?" Shangluo asked.

"Yes, it's written in the mission log, Unicorn. So, Mr. Unicorn, please do me a favor.

The unicorn nodded. Like the fox, the spirits of this forest could understand human language, though not all of them could speak it.

He walked to Lu Liang's side and touched her forehead with his horn, then Karin.

"Yeah, I'm getting excited." Lu Liang stood up. There were no special effects, no unicorn tears or blood. After the touch, the two of them returned to their energetic state.

"Okay, thank you very much. Goodbye then." Wen Yuan waved at the unicorn. The unicorn, which could restore people's energy, was also part of the mission, but it could only help once.

Just as the two of them regained their energy without warning, they turned around and saw the unicorn's horn fall off without warning.

The detached horn wasn't bloody like deer antlers; it was just an ordinary horn. It seemed as if all the medicinal properties had been used up. There was even a soft "puff" sound when it hit the ground. The horn itself had become a hollow tube.

Looking down at his fallen horn, the unicorn sighed—and seemed to be relieved. He winked at Wen Yuan:

"For me? A souvenir?"

The unicorn nodded.

"Ah~~Thanks. I didn't expect to get a souvenir after completing the mission. I'll definitely frame it when I get home."

The unicorn watched him pick up his horn and then leave like a gust of wind, as if in a hurry to get off work and not wanting to stay even a second longer.

"A great harvest, a great harvest." He put the horn into his backpack. "By the way, why do I seem to be the only one doing the quest?"

Chapter 175: Starting

He looked at Shangluo first - there was nothing to say about Shangluo. His mission was to bring the big spring elf from the south. Nothing else, he had done it.

He looked at Han Xingzhi again.

"I don't know." Han Xingzhi shook his head. "Anyway, the number of Dragon Tooth Soldiers outside is slowly increasing. Mr. Fox told me that the mission was completed, and then I realized that only the Dragon Tooth Soldiers were left."

"So, Squad Leader Lu, is everything okay on your end?" He lowered his voice, not daring to speak too loudly when asking.

Lu Liang was stretching his muscles. "No, there's only this one. It's not my fault. All the tasks had been completed when I arrived."

"Done? Who did it?"

"I see tracks on the ground, those in front." She pointed to the tank in front. "They're as wide as the tracks of that tank."

"Wait a minute," Han Xingzhi suddenly said. He lowered his head and flipped through his notes. "I was wondering, why did I always feel like the route wasn't right? Turns out Mr. Fox took me all the way to the end of the notebook. What a bargain! Mr. Fox actually did what he was paid to do!"

"The spirits of this wood have indeed calmed down."

Karin, the real Karin, spoke, and her voice was exactly like the Karin at home.

"You are..." Shangluo stepped forward and asked, "Are you Karin?"

"Thank you very much. I knew everything from the moment you entered the forest. But I couldn't do anything. I also want to thank Miss Lu."

"You're welcome." They touched arms in the air. Although their armor hadn't been repaired yet, their spirits had recovered.

"Is she here?" Karin asked. She looked at Shangluo and asked the question. Her helmet covered her eyes, so her expression couldn't be seen.

"She's over there. She's unbinding the last elf. Do you have anything to say to her?"

"We'll talk about it later." She brushed aside the heavy topic with a single sentence. "Right now, I just want that 'king' up there to pay the price. Are you ready?"

Shangluo confirmed with Han Xingzhi and then replied: "No problem, everything is ready."