Chapter 180: Chi You Soldiers
On Chi You Mountain, after three days of rest in the military camp, strictly speaking, it was Xuan Chong himself fasting and revering heaven (determining the heaven and earth coordinates).
After Xuan Chong ensured that all the several hundred precise perception indicators anchored by the Body Fixing Technique had returned to normal levels.
Xuan Chong selected twenty elite warriors to accompany him into Chi You Mountain. The group climbed up the inverted bowl-mouth-shaped mountain.
This hexagonal grid state of Chi You Mountain reminded Xuan Chong of the uranium mining scene in the northern grasslands introduced in a science popularization channel from his previous life.
This type of uranium mine did not have the usual scene of digging the ground, but instead followed hexagonal intervals with side lengths of thirty meters, drilling wells one by one, placing boxes one by one, one for infiltration fluid, one for outflow fluid. This gathering method was very clean. The mining area surface, that is, the areas between these boxes, could raise sheep and grow corn.
However, now looking at these pools barren of even a blade of grass, Xuan Chong felt this should be due to leakage, but the pool layout was still in this form.
At the foot of Chi You Mountain, everyone suddenly felt dizzy. Xuan Chong: Everyone, do not look at the mountain body, put on the anti-interference goggles.
These anti-interference goggles had frosted stripe lenses. After wearing this thing, vision became blurry, just like game pixels lowering, still able to discern target directions, but unable to identify target outlines, shielding certain special visual information interference.
Xuan Chong stared at the patterns on the mountains, besides the hexagonal rust bands, there were some regular fine patterns. At first glance, these patterns were very regular, but the pattern widths and gaps had subtle changes, causing the patterns to form areas of different light and dark, further creating a mad chaotic line jitter feeling in vision.
Xuan Chong judged that this was not the mountain body actually shaking. It was a visual illusion created by the hexagonal grid on the mountain body.
The water waves in each grid ditch rose and fell regularly, with light and dark in the ditches changing.
This happened after he stepped in; at this time, Chi You Mountain seemed to “come alive,” with some mechanisms activating.
The soldiers who followed Xuan Chong here felt dizzy and could not see through the ripples on the mountain, but for Xuan Chong, whose current perception processing speed exceeded that of ordinary people, he could still process these patterns without being dazzled by this “illusion.”
After everyone put on the goggles, Xuan Chong carefully looked at the overall illusion ripple patterns on the mountain range caused by the fluctuations in the ditches.
Suddenly, Xuan Chong determined the spreading pattern of the water wave fluctuations in the ditches and predicted the convergence point of the ripples, then drew his bow and arrow.
The first shot hit a point on the east side of the ditch, and the splashing water disrupted the ripple convergence process.
This seemed to destroy the code for the mountain body to perceive the external environment. The others who followed Xuan Chong up the mountain immediately broke free from the “mountain shaking” illusion, but the ripples in the ditches continued to weave, attempting to maintain this illusion, only to be hit again by Xuan Chong’s next arrow.
As all fluctuation sources were marked by Xuan Chong with arrowheads, suddenly all the water in the ditches in the mountain range began flowing toward one place. Following the water flow direction, Xuan Chong found the way to open the gate.
This gate was hexagonal, deeply hidden under the soil layer. When opening, even the surface soil layer was lifted uniformly.
With this two-zhang-long entrance appearing, it was like the gate of a universe base that had not been opened for a long time.
Xuan Chong paused, had soldiers mark it, then used carried weapons to jam the door, preventing it from closing after he entered.
However, just after Xuan Chong stepped into the entrance, the hexagonal red rust pattern lines on the entire mountain body disappeared.
Xuan Chong curiously touched the door frame, then immediately withdrew his hand, because the door frame was electrified.
And this platform at the entrance seemed to sense the visitor, immediately tilting toward the tunnel interior, just like a dustpan slightly tilting then shaking toward a trash can. Being in the dustpan, bah, being on the incline, Xuan Chong tumbled into the tunnel. The door closed directly but was jammed by the pre-placed saber, leaving a gap.
At that moment, the ditches began discharging, and under the reducing action of the current, metallic-colored objects appeared in the ditches.
These metal objects soon flowed, liquid metal surging along the ditches toward Xuan Chong’s position.
In everyone’s eyes, this liquid metal on the mountain body surged over like a living thing, instantly melting all the swords Xuan Chong had ordered to jam the gate.
Xuan Chong had just stepped in with his front foot, and the door closed with the back foot, while outside the mountain body, the crowd saw this large mass of liquid metal sealing the entire door.
Xuan Chong, like Monkey King locked in the Golden Horn King’s golden hoop, kept knocking on the door, but there was no response from outside the gate.
Just as Xuan Chong prepared to pile some explosives at the door to blast his way out, lights appeared in the tunnel, and a glowing arrowhead floating in the air appeared before Xuan Chong.
Xuan Chong touched this hovering arrowhead symbol gathered from glowing stardust and murmured: Aerosol?
Xuan Chong pondered whether to use explosives to directly gut this tunnel.
But ultimately judged that there was no malice in this mountain body yet, deciding to follow the instructions downward.
Lights on both sides of the tunnel lit up one by one, as if welcoming the master’s return.
Xuan Chong went down and saw a gate, on which was exactly the same as the “illusion animation” produced by the wave changes in the ditches seen from the mountain earlier.
Xuan Chong paused and understood this was the second decryption program; as long as accurately hitting the predicted ripple convergence points, the ripples on the door would stop changing.
As Xuan Chong pressed them one by one, fixing patches of patterns, finally when Xuan Chong hit the last point, the gate slowly opened.
Then Xuan Chong was stunned; the space behind the door was also a picture composed of dense patterns.
These mechanical patterns kept changing, like digital jumps and transformations. Xuan Chong turned his head and saw this was a style full of technology creations.
Xuan Chong silently thought in his heart: “So the ‘Chi You Soldiers’ are indeed a technology product?”
His mouth tentatively asked: “Hey, is anyone there?”
At this time, a voice came from the hall: “Commander, welcome to your loyal command post.”
Master Xuan Chong’s face stiffened, because this operation platform spoke flawless Mandarin.
…The system remained silent…
Outside the tunnel, with the Wu Family Army’s camps losing Xuan Chong as their main general, the killing intent greatly decreased, and the previously scattered cultivators immediately began to come over to break the formation.
Of course, limited by the mountains and rivers stone tablet influence, their destructive spells capable of blasting a mountain were still unstable in structure, and Foundation Establishment stage cultivators began to show their supernatural powers.
In the jungle, the cultivators’ wooden mechanical puppets began to stand up, and the beasts recruited by beast-taming cultivators also began to charge, gathering darkly two to three hundred in number. In Da Yao, cultivators attacking armies was very rare, but not nonexistent.
A representative walked out from the sect and said: “Everyone, it is better to follow heaven’s will. The White Sword Immortal has been trapped by my sect’s formation. Without you having the human realm’s blessing, fighting is a dead end.”
Jia Mude: “Military order is like a mountain, I dare not agree.”
At this time, a cultivator riding on a giant wolf’s head said: “Opening this demon soldier is a dead end, do not mislead yourselves!”
Jia Mude had already dropped the command flag, arrowheads carrying killing intent rushed into the overreaching beast group, especially the wolf pack, instantly nailing them to the ground. A bear charged roaring, but was soon pierced by a spear.
The beast-taming disciples nearby hesitated, but other cultivators said: “This place is quite far from the mortal world red dust, and the enemy army number has not reached a thousand. Our numbers are more than one-twentieth of the army’s, immortal arts can withstand the military strategist killing intent in battle.”
Jia Mude’s mouth twitched; indeed so. The cultivation world also circulated such positive cases, like a group of young heroes descending the mountain encountering soldiers causing trouble, thus stepping forward to draw swords, thereby tempering their Dao heart.
These sixty-three Foundation Establishment stage cultivators (each sect had gathered ten more cultivators for support), respectively summoned spiritual artifacts to strike the military formation. Although some spiritual artifact lights penetrated the killing intent with sharply reduced power, some flying swords still carried strong kinetic energy piercing shields and cutting soldier bodies. Of course, once these spiritual artifacts were stained with soldier blood, they ceased to function.
Just as the cultivators began grouping for remote output, the Dragon Horse Cavalry corps charged three meters in the air like horses treading flying swallows. A Linjian Sect disciple: “Everyone, let us form a sword formation!” But before the words fell, the crow people in the sky threw a round of “noisy bombs.”
Thick smoke and piercing shrieks enveloped the entire sword formation, accompanied by military strategist killing intent disrupting the resonance between spiritual swords. The cavalry charged over, three Immortal Sect disciples instantly sent flying.
Soon, Wangheng Sect threw out poles of formation flags, covering within fifty zhang around the cultivators; these Heaven Net maze formations disrupted the charging cavalry group’s direction.
With no choice, Jia Mude could only sound the gong to retreat the cavalry, who exited the formation in groups of three or two.
Three cavalry were knocked off their horses by magic, instantly burned to charcoal by spells.
Soon the knights gathered together to reform the formation, killing intent recongealing, and the situation changed again. The numerous cavalry confirmed that as long as they formed a battle formation, the power of these Daoist magics would be reduced to only one-tenth.
Fireballs that could instantly burn elm wood to flying ash in the human world left only scorch marks on the cavalry armor.
The cavalry began repeated pull-back charges, preemptively avoiding formation areas, both sides constantly pulling and tugging. The wooden mechanical puppets had transformed into giant snake state. This giant could not be dealt with by sabers, spears, swords, and halberds in a short time.
Ang Ri suggested to Jia Mude: “Mu De, do not entangle with them, we just need to wait for the general to exit the mountain.”
Jia Mude nodded upon hearing this, ordered the troops to gather, and shouted at the rosy clouds-covered formation: “You self-proclaimed prestigious sect hypocrites! Today’s matter is the cause for breaking mountains and toppling temples tomorrow!”
…The corps was still waiting for the main general’s news…
At this time inside the base, square frames appeared on the platform around Xuan Chong.
The Chi You Five Weapons system displayed, different from what Ang Ri had once informed as “bow, club, spear, halberd, pike,” the five interfaces now were “missile ammunition,” “single soldier mecha,” “land war chariot,” “ocean fleet,” “space star net fleet.”
The surrounding dark patterns moved, respectively completing the unlock for these five types of weapon equipment. And this Chi You Mountain body itself was a starship inserted into the planet’s interior.
The inverted bowl state hill on top was merely an entrance fortress repaired by nanorobots; below this fortress was a thirty-kilometer interstellar warship, which currently had umbilical-like deep wells connecting the crust, continuously obtaining energy through groundwater cooling for self-sustenance.
This fleet’s assistant, um, not a projected “image assistant,” but in the command room, dark patterns slightly wriggling to form a mechanical human face. This display technology was somewhat creepy.
Xuan Chong: “Show me the current situation.” (Switched to Sichuan dialect)
Assistant: “According to the orbital year cycle of this planet around the star, Plow Heaven Type Armor 3443 ship has been dormant here for thirty-six thousand years; currently all production and construction facilities in various parts are in deep dormancy. Commander, please complete energy accumulation for the fleet.”
Xuan Chong paused slightly, realizing this warship even had a model and number, meaning it was a mass-produced type thirty-six thousand years ago.
Xuan Chong switched to Yu dialect: “I just arrived, can’t remember so much, you tell me, what was the situation thirty-six thousand years ago?”
The assistant still responded in Mandarin: “Sorry, Commander, the war information from thirty-six thousand years ago has been sealed by the Heavenly Court side; this fleet’s related data has been destroyed. If you want to know the truth, please return to the Red Heaven Star Region, Ding 3343 star’s command post for verification.”
At this time, the dark patterns simulated a star chart, and after this star chart appeared marking and annotating the star positions, Xuan Chong did not change tone this time, but solemnly asked: “Is it this star?”
Assistant: “Yes.”
After Body Fixing Technique training, Xuan Chong’s perception and memory greatly improved, his sensitivity to heavenly stardust like spots of dead mosquitoes on his own wall plaster.
Xuan Chong: “At this star’s position now, there is only a crab claw-shaped nebula.”
The assistant was silent for a moment, then changed the star originally marked as command post on the star chart, labeling it “destroyed.”
Xuan Chong began to lay cards on the table: “Assistant, why recognize me as commander.”
The assistant changed images and text on the wall, with ripples radiating, obviously scanning Xuan Chong again. Then responded: “You do not have the inheritance appointment instruction from the starry sky command post, correct?”
Xuan Chong: “Yes. So I want to inquire about the situation.”
Assistant: “Your body development follows the human base theory framework, proving you are orthodox starry sky race. Now your inner heaven status matches this planet’s all negative entropy cycles, proving you have completed environmental adaptation to this area, conforming to war zone command authority inheritance program. Your carbon-based genes are implanted with Vermilion Bird level energy armament, and firewall stabilizes physiological state, can be judged as starry sky military group trained reserve.”
“You have reached the core threshold of interstellar inspector assessment, hence, though you have not received starry sky appointment, this ship obeys your command.”
Xuan Chong rubbed his hands: “Um, can I open the weapon depot here?”
Assistant: “Yes.”
Xuan Chong excitedly said: “Can I order this warship to take off?”
Assistant: “Yes, but currently lacking ‘exotic matter fuel,’ need to restart heavy nuclear atomic furnace production line to prepare sufficient energy blocks. Currently this production line lacks raw materials.”
Xuan Chong looked at a bunch of labels, scratched his head: “Can’t the existing nuclear power system work?”
Assistant: “Steam engines cannot support rocket liftoff, even linked in series no matter how many.” — Xuan Chong understood: This was an energy density issue; sufficiently high-energy material was needed to propel such a large flying ship into the atmosphere.
Xuan Chong: “What is needed now to unfold the atomic furnace production line?”
Assistant: “Need the planet to complete level three industrialization. Specific industrialization indicators are as follows.”
Xuan Chong glanced and immediately stopped. Good grief, this required four billion population. And each person carrying information system for highly digitalized organizational scheduling.
Not to mention the related social organizational capacity, even the equipment for everyone to be digitalized, he could not produce at all.
To complete the above work, the minimum social startup standard was to unify a certain cultural area on Xi Ren Star, then farm for several hundred years.
Xuan Chong suspected that the humans on this Xi Ren Star were partly human seeds dropped from this flying ship back then; after so many years, instead of returning to modern civilization society, they turned into feudal dynasties. Speaking of which, this was not restarting the warship takeoff? But restarting civilization.
Xuan Chong closed the weapon interface. Sliding the production interface to unlock, found that to start the surface production base, needed one million “first level realm” (university-level engineering talents). Then swiped away again.
Xuan Chong feared swiping too slowly, the system would assign him tasks. (System floated a line of small text: You think too much)
The civilization corresponding to this fleet was the outer path among Xi Ren Realm cultivators; relative to cultivators’ “qi refinement, spirit refinement, void return”; outer path also had three levels “seeing mountain as mountain, seeing water as water,” “mountain not mountain, water not water,” “mountain still mountain, water still water.”
Speaking of which, these three levels were not that complex. Using “why can airplanes fly” could illustrate; elementary students shout Bernoulli principle, university students say fluid dynamics, as for professors?
The fleet data library had “cultivation methods” directly reaching the three levels, but Xuan Chong carefully looked and found the first level had many things he did not understand, the second level’s internal math formulas were pure abstraction.
Xuan Chong looked at the so-called “second level” data and felt dizzy; speaking of which, even if he really apprenticed under great masters like Qian Xuesen, Hua Luogeng, whether he could enter still depended on his own comprehension. Also thanks to now being “history class,” the system would not go off-script assigning “understand these” tasks. (System: Just say your cultivation aptitude is insufficient!)
Skipping a bunch of unstartable gray options, searching below for green options, finally found ones that could be started.
Xuan Chong exhaled silently: “Ling-level air-space mecha, can be started, armament is one Yi-style level three electromagnetic cannon.”
Assistant: “This cannon’s conventional range is six hundred seventy kilometers, three thousand four hundred kilometers when firing extended range projectiles.” Currently projectile guidance heads remaining three hundred forty rounds, part of debug production line can start; if supplied sufficient rare earth materials, produce twenty-four projectiles per month.
However, before touching this button, Xuan Chong paused slightly, asked the system: “Hey, is this against the rules?”
System: “You saying that reminds me.”
Xuan Chong’s mouth twitched, wishing he could slap himself.
The history teacher solemnly explained: “This set of armament ‘electromagnetic weapon system’ is not allowed to be used on cold weapon human battlefields against mortal targets. Limited to fighting cultivators, fighting Evil Moon demons. If violated, academic credits deducted based on impact level.”
Xuan Chong pondered slightly, exhaled, nodded: “That’s right.”
Xuan Chong turned around looking at the slowly unfolding warship internal passage and said: “Using this thing to bully ancient people who are striving self-improvement under heaven’s movement, indeed too immoral.”
