Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"Oh, yes."

"Ahhh! Your cars! It's your cars I want to see! The top seed, the Longjiang team! And your ace tank, the Tiandao Shadow Puppet!"

"WTF?"

"The Heavenly Dao Shadow Puppet! So cool! So cool! Six wheels, a sci-fi feel, and a ghost-like stepless transmission. It corners like it defies the laws of physics! And it's silver! So cool! In the last friendly match, it completely lapped the second place team! So cool!"

[Did you come up with this cool and explosive name? ]

"How could I have known when such a shocking name would appear? I had no idea."

"White-haired, white-haired, what's your name again? Oh, right! Shangluo! What do you do in your team? You are so powerful, you must be..."

"Yes, I'm the driver. It should be me." Although he hadn't trained for a month, judging from the last situation, no one except him and Wen Yuan could afford to drive that tank, which had explosive operation and now even had an explosive name.

The car's dashboard alone was as complex as a fighter jet's. And judging by Qi Yuan's description, it didn't just resemble a fighter jet; it was likely a direct copy of the cockpit. Aside from a Thunder Cultivator like Wen Yuan and a master like Shang Luo, few could possibly drive that car.

"Ahhh! It's you! So handsome! Can I get your autograph?"

"But I wasn't driving the car in front."

"Then you're going to continue driving?"

"Correct."

"Please! Take me to see it! Please! You see, I can't do anything, and the Imperial College Affiliated High School is also very poor. I just want to see your car, let me see it!"

"Ah, this." Shangluo felt the pressure of face.

Zhu Ling, whose real name is Zhu Xianyun, is the younger sister of Zhu Xianyun. When she reaches adulthood and gets the title, she will be the eldest princess. She just wants to take a look, just wants to take a look.

"Please, let me see."

[Ha, Zhu Ling activated the Spell Card "Old Zhu Family's Face", but if Shangluo plays the Trap Card "Pass the Buck" after him, how are you going to respond?]

"Ah!" Shangluo replied, "Sorry, I can't make the decision. Go ask our team manager. She's right up front."

Chapter 232 Heavenly Shadow Puppet

"So that's it." Shangluo brought Zhu Ling to the door. Qi Yuan was already waiting there. Standing at the door was Lu Liang holding a drink.

"So, this lady would like to visit our Tiandao Shadow Puppet?"

"Oh, right." Shangluo resisted the urge to ask how the name came about. "So, squad leader... Oh no, Manager Qi, what do you think?"

"Are you a contestant? Let me see your ID."

Zhu Ling produced her entry and exit pass. It contained her photo, her name, and the school she attended, clearly stating "Imperial College Affiliated Middle School." Since it was not normal operating hours, many participating teams were training at the venue, so tickets were not available to the public. Entry required obtaining the pass first.

"Alright, you have your ID, so I can't stop you from coming in. But according to regulations, if you want to visit our Tiandao Shadow Puppet, you have to contact the school."

"But."

"I know who you are. Zhu Ling? You're the Princess, right? But rules are rules. I can't do anything about the school's rules."

[Faced with the Shangluo player's "pass the ball" attack, Qi Yuan mastered the "pass" technique. Passing such a large ball back is truly impressive!]

"Ah, that's not what I meant. Can I have a word with you for a moment?" Zhu Ling tilted his head with a pleading expression.

Qi Yuan gave her a step, and the two of them stood in the corner and whispered a few words.

"Really?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Zhu Ling nodded repeatedly.

"Okay. You can only watch for ten minutes."

"Hey, you agreed?" Shangluo didn't expect that she would agree.

"We can't help it. She gave us too much. Let's go in. Oh, and your hair is very stylish."

"Wait a moment." Lu Liang, who was standing at the door, raised his hand. "You go in first, Shangluo stay a step."

"Have you succeeded in building your foundation?" Lu Liang asked after they left.

"How did you know that? I haven't told you yet."

"Because of your hair. Your hair is the same as my master's."

"Oh, I remember now. Your master is Master Jinghai of Wudang?"

"Yes." Lu Liang reached out and touched his hair. "It is indeed the white hair of a celestial being. It feels the same as my master's hair. I really liked touching her hair when I was a child. Have you practiced any magic?"

"No. It's just a short period of time. Where can I go to practice?"

"Then you are truly unique. I've never heard of anyone starting their training directly from the Celestial Realm. Did Master Zhang Tianshi say the other day that he would personally teach you Tai Chi?"

"Yeah." Shangluo nodded.

"No wonder he's here to teach you. Zhang Tianshi himself also learned the Dao from scratch, and he never practiced any 'formulas'. Tai Chi itself is more like a spiritual practice. Although Tai Chi itself is profound, the current forms are just fragments of random movements recorded by his disciples. In comparison, it's like reading the Analects, reading the words and deeds of Confucius and his disciples, reading how others see Confucius. You can directly ask Confucius himself, just like his disciples did. Ah."

Lu Liang shook his head. "I'm truly envious. It's like asking Confucius directly if you meant 'the first terracotta warrior will have no descendants'."

"So, there are more advanced techniques that cannot be learned from classics?"

"Not really. The first sentence of the Tao Te Ching is 'The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao.' It's simply that the classic text that can carry the Tao has not yet been created. Tai Chi is already the closest form of expression to the Tao. Therefore, Tai Chi is always new to learn. Whether you are just beginning or after achieving the Tao, you will have a different experience. After all, it is not just a martial art; it is Master Zhang Tianshi's understanding of the Tao. Well, you can skip the text and learn directly from Master Zhang Tianshi himself. It is truly a rare opportunity."

"Has anyone else studied with Master Zhang?"

"My master only received guidance from Master Zhang Tianshi after she achieved celestial being status. However, she had already formed her own path by then, and Master Zhang Tianshi couldn't help her much. But you are different. You are now a piece of unpolished jade. You can skip the hurdles that mortals must tread and directly learn the true Taoism in one step. This is truly... This is the most enviable thing. Some people learn halfway only to realize that they have failed, but if they don't learn, they can't ascend to celestial being status. But you start directly from celestial being status, which is simply a one-step process."

Lu Liang's envy was beyond words, but she didn't look jealous at all.

"It will take me at least another 10 years to reach your level. I will strive to establish my foundation before I turn 27."

"Eh? Are you expecting this now?"

"It's mainly the space program. My master and other Jinyiwei predecessors have estimated that with my aptitude, as long as I get an unlimited supply of spirit stones, I can quickly complete the foundation building. Because the foundation building is not that difficult in the first place, the reason I can't do it now is simply because the concentration of spiritual energy is not enough. With this concentration of spiritual energy, anyone who can naturally become a Qi cultivator can easily build the foundation to become a celestial being after the spiritual energy is replenished. So I'm actually waiting for the space program, which will probably take about 10 years to complete."

Shangluo had heard this before. However, he hadn't asked one question: Is aerospace considered a matter of the heavens or a matter of the world? Is it his responsibility or Zhu Xianxun's? If we consider the participants, then it's a matter of the world. But if we consider the height, then aerospace is undoubtedly a matter of the heavens.

"This should be considered a matter of heaven," Apollonia explained, "because it's clearly related to cultivation and concerns everyone's foundation building. Besides, ascending to heaven in the physical sense is undoubtedly a matter of heaven."

"I'm thinking about how I can reach the Golden Core stage. Although there's no rush after I've established my foundation, and I always have time to figure it out, I still have to have a goal."

[At times like this, it's best to consult other people's opinions. For example, what advice did Daozu give you?]

"Car race? That was the one he arranged for me in the beginning, but I still don't see what the point of a car race is. It has nothing to do with the Foundation Establishment Stage anyway. As for the spiritual network thing, I brought it up myself."

[Well, I'm not entirely sure about the order here, but I can offer some Roman experience: Demigods are on par with celestial beings, and those who rise above demigod status must strive to acquire true divine power. The difference between the two is that while demigods possess divine power, they are not its masters. A true god, on the other hand, possesses his or her own divine power, no matter how great.]

"Is it related to divine power? Then, in this process, the golden elixir is considered divine power?"

Chapter 233 Movie

The systems on both sides are different, but they're quite similar here. So, in this process, you might be able to try to harness a certain divine power and become its master. Well, this is my advice to you. It's different from what Daozu gave you. I'll analyze it for you based on information. This is all the information I can provide.

"Well, thank you," Shang Luo said. Ever since he successfully established his foundation, their relationship had become much more relaxed. Apollonia had previously agreed to help him build his foundation. At first, Shang Luo had occasionally worried about whether she would leave after that. Now, the deal had finally been made. Apollonia, without any constraints, still had no intention of leaving, and the two of them were, for the time being, bound together.

What remains uncertain is whether their bond is temporary or permanent. After all, Apollonia must remain here because no one other than Shangluo can help her communicate with the outside world. Leaving Shangluo, she'll become deaf and blind, with no alternative but to return home. If Apollonia finds a better place to live, will she leave?

"Ah, never mind. I don't want to think about this for now."

【What are you thinking about? 】

"Nothing. The most important thing is what's happening right now. By the way, I've always been curious about what the cool and explosive name of Tiandao Yingkui means."

"Aha!" Wen Yuan and Han Xingzhi looked at each other. They knew that Shangluo must ask this.

Wen Yuan raised her right hand high. "Heavenly Shadow Puppet! Of course it's the name of Wang Lingguan's ultimate move! Haha! Isn't it super cool!"

"I should have thought of that earlier." Shangluo held his forehead. These two couldn't produce ivory from their mouths. Such a cool name didn't sound like they could come up with it on their own.

As they spoke, they began to form the Lingguan seal and recite Wang Lingguan's ultimate move:

"Liuren! Divine attack!"

After shouting, an echo came from somewhere in the garage next door, and then the second half of the sentence:

"Heavenly Shadow Puppet!"

"It's connected! Oh~~" The two of them clapped together, and the garage next door also applauded.

Shangluo was stunned. "Are there so many people who like this drama?"

"That's not just talk! It's a super popular manga, a super popular movie, and the radio drama is also a masterpiece with a single episode listening rate as high as 31%!"

"Brother!" Han Xingzhi suddenly jumped out. "You treated us to dinner today, so how about we treat you to a movie? We've even bought the tickets!"

"Huh? You haven't seen it yet? I thought you'd seen it all in this month."

"No, no, no." Wen Yuan patted his shoulder, "We just waited for you to come out and see it, so we haven't seen it yet."

"Yes, that's right." Han Xingzhi agreed, "We must drag you into the trap this time."

"." Having said that, Shangluo had no choice but to

He took the ticket. It depicted Wang Lingguan, his friends, and his master. The plot continued from the currently serialized comic strip. Sa Shoujian, the Celestial Master who had recently disappeared into the Huangpu River, had returned, donning a white Taoist robe emblazoned with the characters "Xuan Feng Yong Zhen."

The other side of the ticket was painted in dark red with the "bad guys." A fierce deity sat atop a black dragon, its ears drooping to its shoulders, revealing a Buddha-like deity, but its eyes and brows betrayed a fierce aura. Heroes of all stripes deployed around it, opposing the glittering protagonists on the other side.

The title of the movie is right above the ticket: "Invincible Wang Lingguan: Wang Lingguan vs. Yan Puti"

"So who is this Yan Bodhi?"

He regretted the moment he asked the question—Wen Yuan and Han Xingzhi began to set up their formations again. One stood on one leg, the other spread its wings, and began to recite Yama Puti's opening poem:

“Neither Confucianism, nor Taoism, nor Buddhism!”

"Neither human, nor demon, nor immortal or devil!"

"Lion's Swiftness!"

"All the virtues are complete!"

The two of them recited the poem one sentence at a time.

Lu Liang on the side covered her forehead with her hands, unable to bear to watch. Although she was watching too, she would not lose her temper in public.

"Cai! Cai! Cai!" I don't know who in the garage next door started chanting along and going crazy.

Shangluo didn't understand what they were saying at all, but it seemed very impressive.

"Uh" Shangluo touched his head. Since it was so popular, he didn't mind going to take a look.

"But what's the general plot? Or is there any previous synopsis? I haven't read the previous content, and I'm worried that I won't be able to follow it when the time comes."

"Ah, this is going to be exciting," Wen Yuan explained. "After Wang Lingguan battled the last of the 12 demon generals, the Blind Bear, the story unfolded in depth. It turns out the twelve demon generals who were wreaking havoc were from an evil organization called 'Vajra Continent,' and their leader, Yama Puti, was a celestial demon from beyond the realm. Each of the twelve demon generals was imbued with a demonic energy, transforming into a villainous form. Under Yama Puti's control, they wreaked havoc on the world."

"Then what is this Yan Bodhi going to do?"

"Oh, this is really amazing - to know what happens next, please go to the cinema to watch the movie."

"What a wicked production team! Why do we have to buy tickets and go to the cinema to watch a normal plot?"

"Well, Wang Lingguan requires a lot of investment, so this is the only way. The movie revenue has to be used regularly to offset the costs of big productions. You know, those TVs you see everywhere these days? It's amazing, being able to bring movie screens home. I heard Wang Lingguan is coming to TV screens and will be one of the first TV shows to be broadcast serially! Such a conscientious production, why don't we go to the cinema to support it?"

"Okay." Shangluo still hadn't quite grasped what the show was about. At first glance, it seemed like a story of superheroes fighting villains, but upon closer inspection, it seemed to have a lot of intriguing premises. This actually intrigued him.

[Actually, you also think the name Tiandao Yingkui is cool, right? Hehe.]

"I'm long past the age of Chuunibyou. I won't go crazy and scream no matter what. But, this car..."

This "chariot," named the Tiandao Yingkui, was vastly different from when he last left it. It was painted metallic, revealing the color of stainless steel. Besides the school emblem and team livery, the only other noticeable difference was the large inscription "Tiandao Yingkui" on the tail wing. It was even handwritten, slightly crooked.

"By the way, won't the other teams have any objections to your naming?"

"No, no," Han Xingzhi replied. "After undergoing enhanced modifications, the Tiandao Shadow Puppet is already the top seed. Well, while other teams won't give up easily, for us it's just a formality. It's a deal then. Let's go to Nanyang Department Store, eat first, then watch a movie!"

Chapter 234 Yujing Circuit

"So, what's the current status of the Tiandao Shadow Puppet?" It was the first time I said the name myself, and I wasn't used to it. But the two people next to me were very excited, as if they would get used to it after saying it a few times, and they wanted to bring Shangluo up to their level.

"It's basically fine." Han Xingzhi, the former Engineering Director and current Chief Technical Specialist, is extremely confident in this car. "With the experimental continuously variable transmission installed, along with the six-wheel active suspension and downforce fan we already integrated, and the Longjiang team's consistent aerodynamic design, this car is already the strongest in the history of Formula One."

"So, the current situation is that the engineering issues are basically over, right? Then what is the need for me, the Engineering Director?"

"Ahem," Han Xingzhi coughed, "Because I don't know if it will explode after stuffing all these things in. So I'll leave the rest to you, big brother. You're going to open it anyway, right?"