Ming Dynasty and New Rome and Infinite Magic Machine

Chapter 1531 The Perfect Mortal
“So, Victoria, don’t get too excited yet. There’s something I still need to remind you of,” Shangluo said. “First, you need to make sure this stuff is actually to your liking.”

"What do you mean? Do I look like a picky eater?"

"It's not because of that. Actually, we've always had a guess, or rather an assumption, that the Romans couldn't use spiritual energy. This guess has been partially confirmed: at least in the subjects we've tested, those Romans who drank the elixir didn't produce any spiritual energy at all."

Theoretically, this is believed to be due to a difference in their power systems. The two sides have different approaches to acquiring extraordinary power, hence their different power systems.

Magic is the world's response to stimuli. To put it simply, magic is much like acupuncture. It triggers a specific immune response in the world by stimulating a particular point in the world with a foreign object. This point must be precise, and the needle must strike the right spot.

This is an inflammatory response, but the inflammation is manageable.

Sometimes, this kind of penetration is not for medical purposes, but for destruction. If the foreign object penetrating the world is too large, it will trigger a violent reaction from the world. The immune system will attack it engulfed and try to expel it from the body.

This is the apocalyptic weapon of the magical side—Oteyarova, the Land of Floating White Clouds. This enormous anomaly triggered a massive immune response in the world, forming a memetic mass. When the world forgot about it, it was expelled from its body.

But specifically, whether it's ordinary magic or ultimate magic, it's all about using one's own actions to induce the world to express a certain fixed characteristic.

As is well known, acupuncture is a highly complex technique, as is magic. This act of "acupuncture" for the world does not always yield consistent results.

Ultimately, it is the world's response to a stimulus. So while the practitioner's will is important, the final effect depends on how the world responds to that stimulus.

It depends on the world, not on people themselves.

In such a power system, where does the importance of humans lie?

Sometimes, knowledge is more important than strength. But if it's just about acquiring knowledge, then knowledge is ultimately external. Those who perform acupuncture on the world are not, after all, performing acupuncture on themselves.

Therefore, in magic, power branched into two paths.

The first branch represents the majority of magicians—the very ones Shangluo encountered at the academy in Alexandria. They arm themselves with pure knowledge, magic offering them almost no benefit. Because the kind of magic that "enhances humanity by casting spells on the world" does not exist.

In the Romans' six categories of knowledge, the knowledge that relates humanity to the world was "practice," which was not magic.

The magic that truly has a direct impact on humanity is "astrology," which studies the relationship between people and symbols.

There is no magical path that directly affects humanity through the world. Because magic does not directly control the world; magic controls symbols, and symbols are the needle that pierces the world.

Therefore, if one wants to increase their power, there is only one other option in Rome—to become an alien invading the world and allow the world's immune response to manifest in one's own body.

This is what Phaethon did before, and what the phlogiston stealth forces did. This power is inherently dangerous because it requires immersing oneself in the world, making a part of oneself a part of the world.

So how much should we actually immerse ourselves in the world? This isn't so important to the world, but it's extremely important to people. Because if the power we acquire can't be used by people, it's meaningless. And the act of immersing ourselves in the world is itself a constant treading on the line of personal safety.

Immersed in too much of the world, one might not be able to escape in time. If one cannot control power with one's own will, then even achieving harmony with the Dao is useless. Because everything in this world is in harmony with the Dao, even stones are stones in harmony with the Dao—the essence of harmony with the Dao is being absorbed by the world, becoming indistinguishable from it. This is merely the natural order of things for the world, but for humanity, it means death.

This is what happened when Phaethon first met Shangluo. She was so deeply immersed that she merged with the world, and at that time, she physically turned into stone, leaving only a faint sense of self. What truly separated her from the world was the furnace and jar of the Dao Ancestor.

Of course, the power she gained by immersing herself in the world using herself as the core was akin to using herself as a base. This power, which she induced, was ultimately obtained by Shang Luo and became his Foundation Establishment Pill.

To some extent, it was indeed a success. However, it meant nothing to the caster. If one uses oneself as bait, then it becomes meaningless. Because baiting is for fishing, and if you don't catch any fish but instead feed them, it's like using power to bait the hook, attracting stronger creatures to bite.

In contrast, this power is completely different in the Daoist way—seeking the Great Dao to quell wars, transcending all things and achieving liberation.

Taoist magic has always been at odds with magic; it aims to transcend the world rather than immerse itself in it.

To some extent, the current situation on both sides is also a manifestation of two forces. Transcending the world is upward, leading to the vast starry sky. Immersing in the world is downward, passing through the infinite universe within a nutshell.

So here's the question: would the elixir that made people float work for the Romans who had already sunk?

"You mean I'm heavy?"

“It’s not just sinking. Victoria, I think you might have sunk to the bottom.”

“It’s certainly possible.” Victoria pressed her forehead. “Actually, I’ve always felt that these reactions I’m experiencing might be symptoms of sinking. My heart feels like a stone right now.”

To some extent, it seems so. If Rome were a pyramid, it would be upside down. Victoria was at the top, which means she was at the very bottom. She was immersed too deeply; what you saw before was a result of her confusion with the world. In her dreams, she could even see another world that didn't belong to them.

"I'm so heavy," Victoria said, looking down. "How am I supposed to float? I'm sinking to the bottom."

Seeing this, Zheng Shijie asked Shang Luo in a low voice, "So how did Brother Huohua get cured earlier?"

"I think a panacea cures everything as an ailment. But it probably can't reach the realm of the extraordinary."

Although it has only been used on a few people so far, Shang Luo can generally see the limitations of the panacea. He explained to Zheng Shijie, "You see, Miss Yanqiu also used the panacea when she was sick. But in the end, the panacea didn't actually cure her toothache; it kept recurring after the inflammation subsided. In Victoria's case, the panacea seems to have only made her symptoms disappear, but it didn't actually cure her."

Curing mortal diseases is, of course, a piece of cake for a panacea. Although it hasn't been actually used on mortals yet, Zhu Xianxi has already begun animal testing during this period—of course, as always, testing on Qi cultivators precedes the animal testing. This is also a major role of Qi cultivators within the Ming Dynasty. As test subjects, extraordinary individuals like Qi cultivators are truly remarkably durable.

Once experiments are conducted on ordinary people, there is no turning back. Such experiments typically seek subjects among patients who can understand medical principles and have no other treatment options.

However, Zhu Xianxi is quite optimistic about this. After all, it's a panacea, and panaceas have a wide range of inhibitory effects on diseases of ordinary people. Just like penicillin was able to sweep across the land after its discovery. In fact, not only penicillin, but even a large bowl of sugar water and eggs were used as an adjunct to medical treatment in ancient times.

The panacea works its magic on this level. It transcends the mortal realm, using extraordinary means to suppress earthly ailments. If the recipient is an ordinary person, its powerful healing effect can quickly eradicate all diseases. But if the recipient is an extraordinary being, then the panacea faces the same challenges as ordinary medicines.

It now appears to be quite effective in reducing inflammation and relieving pain. It also initiated a long-lasting effect in suppressing Victoria's symptoms.

But if Victoria wants to achieve immortality as well, she must step out of her current comfort zone.

“Miss Victoria,” Zheng Shijie said in a deep voice, “I don’t understand Rome very well, but there is one thing I do understand—everything in this world decays, and only by transcending the mundane can one achieve immortality. If you seek power downwards, wouldn’t that be a more orderly way to die?”

"Perhaps we were wrong from the start. But at least we found an alternative: Cybernia can achieve immortality in the virtual world."

"Then you..."

"I don't want to go there yet. I haven't seen enough of the sun."

“Then I still recommend that you drink the elixir,” Zheng Shijie said in a deep voice. “It might be painful, because it will start to shake your current position. But if you can change direction, you should be able to secure your own future.”

"If I cultivate two skills at the same time, wouldn't that make me a protagonist template?! Dual professions!"

“Miss Victoria, we generally believe that the idea of ​​playing too many video games is unfounded. If you choose a lifestyle, then you can only retain one kind of power.”

“But,” Victoria said, her head bowed, “I can’t do that. My father put me in this position because he trusts me. If I turn back, wouldn’t I be betraying his trust?”

"So, you also have your own responsibilities, right? Is that what you expect yourself to have?"

“I don’t know, but I’m used to it. My father handed all this over to me without asking for my opinion. But after all these years, I feel that everything is fine.”

Zheng Shijie was silent for a while: "You and I are very similar. Back then, I also stepped into my current position without being prepared. We are different from Huohua. Huohua was born for the throne from the beginning. But we are not like that. We were born a long way from our positions, and we are not ready. I always feel that you are like my sister on the other side of the world. We both have a mysterious father. My father told me yesterday that he is going to sell all our family property."

He was referring to Ao Zang. He was now almost certain that his father was in the Dragon Palace, and that Ao Zang's decisions were often made by his father.

“I will help you,” Zheng Shijie said in a deep voice. “Everything will be alright. If you want to take it slow, we have a method. Lanfang, aside from anything else, has plenty of spiritual liquid. And also…”

"and?"

"And if you dive too deep, there are ways to go. Yes, transcending the mundane world isn't just about going up. It can also be about going down."

This made Shangluo sit up straighter: "For example? What method?"

“Transform into a dragon. A dragon is a creature in accordance with the laws of nature. If Miss Victoria is willing to transform into a dragon to some extent, it seems that many problems can be solved—at least it will make you live longer, which will not be a problem.”

"Wait a minute. I think I know something about this plan. In our land, becoming a demigod is also a way to achieve immortality."

"Then why don't you give it a try?"

Victoria shook her head and said, “My situation is a bit special. Given my position, the divine power I can use is limited—Phaethon is also the son of the sun god, so it is more convenient for her to take on an incarnation. I am a monarch, and the symbol of a monarch is Zeus, which is not something that can be transformed into at will.”

Shangluo suddenly spoke up: "I'm just asking you, do you want to do this? If you do, we'll help you."

"Of course I want to, I want to live a good life."

“Okay,” Zheng Shijie nodded. “Then let’s do it this way. I’ll only consider you my sister. Lanfang’s assets in the mortal realm are no longer important; I will assist you. Of course, we’ll mainly rely on Shangluo. After all, he’s in charge of these matters.”

"Have you made up your mind?" Shangluo asked her. "If you've made a decision, there's no going back."

This is the path Phaethon took before. It wasn't a bad thing; on the contrary, it was quite powerful. But it was clearly a very difficult path.

But this was also part of the reclamation of Roman assets. Rome had once created many powerful forces in the world, forces that could be harnessed by humanity. It's just that Victoria hadn't been prepared for this before. After all, with Cybernia already in her possession, she had no need to take any risks.

But now, she has made her decision. She doesn't plan to go to Cybernia, or at least not to stay there permanently. Ultimately, she still wants to live in the sunlight.

"The campaign against Europe continues. However," Shangluo thought for a moment, "if you need, after initially pacifying a portion of the elves, we can focus our next offensive on Egypt. There, we still have an enemy we haven't faced yet."

(End of this chapter)