Gao Wu: You have science, and I have magic!

Chapter 278: Third gear, start!
Kucha Kucha~Woo woo woo~
In the early morning, the sound of the train arriving broke the winter tranquility.

As soon as the car door was opened, the biting north wind suddenly blew into the warm compartment, and a middle-aged man with a dignified look stepped out.

Outside the door, the bright red carpet extended all the way to the exit of the station. Soldiers in military uniforms stood on both sides like statues, their spines as straight as the steam rifles in their hands.

"His Majesty."

General Patton, known as the iron wall of the empire, stepped forward and saluted respectfully.

Blood Emperor Istar said indifferently: "Take me to the front line."

"This……"

Barton was a little caught off guard, but he did not dare to disobey the authority of the Blood Emperor, so he nodded and said, "Yes, I will obey the decree."

The group of dignitaries who came to greet the emperor could only follow closely and arrive at the front line for inspection with the Blood Emperor.

Although it is called the 'front line', it is actually just a camp for storing military supplies for the front line, and it is also responsible for the treatment and transportation of wounded soldiers.

Patton is not a fool, so it is impossible for him to really take the emperor to the front line of the battlefield where artillery fire is raging and blood is flying. Anyway, if you have to explain it, this is also the front line.

Looking at the dejected soldiers in the camp and the wounded with missing limbs, the Blood Emperor's face looked very ugly.

The war had been going on for more than half a year, but the empire had not been able to capture even one of the enemy's cities. This had never happened in the past decade.

Now that the empire has invested a huge amount of resources but has not received enough returns, there is obviously some resentment within the empire. The enthusiasm of the nobles in supporting the war is fading, which is an extremely dangerous signal.

“Why is there no progress on the battle front?”

Istar looked at Patton. Although he had read many analysis reports in the palace, they were not as real as what he saw with his own eyes.

Patton was known as the Iron Wall of the Empire and was already the best general in the Iron Fury Empire. However, when faced with the emperor's questioning, he failed to show any confidence in winning.

"Your Majesty, the enemy's fighting style is something we have never encountered before. Although they do not have powerful steam weapons, they have iron wills and iron bodies, and their tactics are very flexible. They always avoid our frontal attacks and frequently use outflanking tactics to attack our flanks and rear..."

Obviously, the invincible imperial army had never fought such a tough battle before, nor had it encountered an equally powerful opponent like the Da Qi.

To put it bluntly, the wars in the past were nothing more than the Imperial Army using powerful steam technology to unilaterally crush the feudal lords along the Black Sea and White Sea coasts, which is why they were able to win every battle.

In contrast, the Central Plains had fought large-scale wars for thousands of years, and its logistics and mobilization systems were actually more powerful. The fighting spirit of the Wuzu was far beyond that of ordinary humans, and even steam and steel could not shake it.

Istar frowned when he heard this: "How many troops did the other side deploy?"

"Not counting logistics, the main force involved in the battle is about 60,000 people."

"Sixty thousand people..."

Istar was so angry at the result that he laughed. The sound he exhaled was even colder than the cold wind: "The Empire has deployed a full 300,000 troops and mobilized more than half of the steam armor and steam tanks, but in the end, it was evenly matched with the enemy's 60,000 soldiers? Even after the weather turned cold, our army began to fall behind?"

"Your Majesty, the enemy's soldiers have super strong physiques. They can ignore the cold, but our soldiers find it difficult to adapt to the severe winter here..."

Patton was also very helpless.

Even if he could ignore the casualties of ordinary soldiers and force them to fight in the snow and ice, the pilots driving steam armor were all of noble birth. He couldn't point a steam pistol at the heads of these young masters and force them to fill the battlefield, right?

Istar's expression was grim. "I will launch a winter offensive and end our victory in one fell swoop."

"This is too risky. Your Majesty, please think twice!"

"Ah~"

Istar threw several top-secret documents he carried with him to Barton: "Take a look at them all."

After reading it, Barton was shocked: "How could this be?"

After the news of the defeat on the empire's front line came back, many old nobles in the originally conquered territories began to stir under the banner of "restorationism".

If it were just them, it would be easy to deal with. After all, the steam armor and steam tanks left behind in the country are enough to easily crush these backward scum.

The bad thing is that the intelligence network left by Wang Junfeng before he left is still in operation, and the martial arts heritage of Xinwumen has begun to spread in the Land of Sunset.

Especially those old nobles who lost their territories joined the Xinwu Sect and embarked on the path of martial arts practice.

With the power of martial arts, they have mastered the means to fight against the Empire's steam army. Even though they are still very weak at the moment, this trend makes the Blood Emperor Istar worried.

"There is an old saying in the East that a single spark can start a prairie fire."

Istar stared at General Patton with a firm gaze: "The Empire is in urgent need of a victory now. Only with victory can we suppress these restless remnants of the old nobles."

Then, Istar's tone became sonorous, full of courage and determination that could not be questioned: "This time, I will lead the army in person, and I will not return until Shattered Ye is destroyed."

Although he did not want to make such a military gamble with no 100% certainty, the signs of civil unrest in the empire had already emerged and there was no time to hesitate.

"Your Majesty, I will do my best to win a glorious victory for the empire!"

"Hahaha, this is my loyal and faithful minister."

…………

Capital, Luoyang.

In the harem, Ye Qingzhou was watching the snow with Queen Shen Jingyi. The four women accompanying them were Imperial Concubine Wu Ya and the three princesses who were newly admitted into the harem.

Concubine Shu, Evelyn.

Virtuous Princess, Alia.

Concubine Anna.

When the three of them first arrived, they were unfamiliar with the place and were very nervous.

But after entering the palace, they soon became addicted to the luxurious and exquisite life. Compared with their lives now, their past lives were like living in the countryside.

Anyway, they don’t miss their hometown at all now, and they will get angry with anyone who dares to ask them to go back.

buzz~
The Xuanyuan Sword in Ye Qingzhou's arms suddenly vibrated. He then stroked the sword and said, "It seems that I should move as well."

Shen Jingyi showed a worried look: "Swords have no eyes, my husband must be careful."

"I will."

After Ye Qingzhou finished speaking, he soared into the sky holding the Xuanyuan Sword, flying all the way west.

At this time, on the battlefield at the front line of Suiye City, Istar's plane and the imperial flag suddenly appeared, successfully boosting the morale of the imperial army.

Inside Suiye City, in front of the watchtower, Nie Shixiong, Xu Buyi and Zhang Shunchen, who had arrived upon hearing the news, all looked towards the battlefield with serious expressions.

Wang Junfeng recognized the imperial flag of the Iron Wrath Empire at a glance: "Blood Wing Dragon, this is the Blood Emperor's plane, it looks like he's going to take action himself."

"Emperor-class steam armor?"

Nie Shixiong clenched the halberd in his hand: "It looks like we're going to have a tough battle."

In previous battles, everyone had seen the Empire's Glory-class, Dreadnaught-class, Golden Lion-class and King-class steam armor.

They can still deal with the King-level ones, and Wang Junfeng has experience in dealing with the Emperor-level steam armor.

The three looked at Wang Junfeng, who shook his head: "The last time I met him, I couldn't even block his sword. That's a fighting power that surpasses the Eight Gates. I guess only His Majesty can fight against it."

"No matter what, Suiye City must not be lost."

Then the four of them faced off against this unprecedentedly powerful enemy.

The four men joined forces to fight with spears, halberds, swords and bows, but they were still no match for Istar.

As an emperor-level steam armor, the Blood Wing Dragon is superior to other steam armors in terms of mobility and defense. The Blood Emperor himself has undergone many spiritual sublimations and possesses terrifying perception and reaction abilities, allowing him to manipulate the huge steam armor with ease.

"You four have managed to hold on until now with your flesh and blood. Your fighting spirit is truly admirable. Submit, and I can spare your lives and even allow you to become generals of the empire."

Istar stood proudly on the battlefield, looking at the wounded Wang Junfeng, Nie Shixiong, Xu Buyi and Zhang Shunchen, and couldn't help but admire their talents. Such loyal and brave people actually came from Daqi instead of the empire, which made Istar very upset.

Wang Junfeng was furious when he heard this: "A loyal minister should not serve two masters. If you want us to kneel to you, you are dreaming!"

"If you won't surrender, then die."

Istar raised the steam chain sword in his hand, ready to deliver a fatal blow to end the battle.

Suddenly, the sky was filled with wind and clouds, lightning and thunder, and a proud figure holding a holy sword on his back descended on the wind: "Today, you can't kill anyone."

"Your Majesty!"

"The emperor has come to lead the army in person!"

Ye Qingzhou's arrival greatly boosted the morale of the defenders of Suiye City, and Wang Junfeng and others rekindled their hope.

"Are you the emperor of Da Qi?"

Inside the steam armor, Istar looked at Ye Qingzhou with a serious expression. He felt an unprecedented pressure and crisis. The boiling spirituality told him that the creature in front of him was incredibly powerful.

Ye Qingzhou also looked at the Blood Wing Dragon, his sight piercing through the thick titanium steel and landing on Istar, and he said in telepathy: "I have been waiting for you to show up."

"You knew I was coming?"

Istar's mind kept warning him that even if he was driving the empire's most powerful steam armor, he could not feel safe at all.

"Of course, I have waited too long for this day."

Zheng~
The sound of the Holy Sword Xuanyuan stopped the moving clouds and officially started the battle.

Ye Qingzhou slashed with his sword, tearing the sky apart. The clear sky seemed to be cut open in an instant, revealing the magnificent and vast starry sky in front of everyone.

Istar reacted quickly and immediately raised his sword to counterattack, trying to suppress Ye Qingzhou with attack.

clang clang ~
The huge chain sword is more than eight meters long, and it is extremely powerful when swung. Even a martial arts expert who has opened all eight gates would not dare to take such an attack head-on.

But for Ye Qingzhou, who was holding the holy sword Xuanyuan, the opponent's sword skills were too weak.

"Your attack is full of flaws, like a reckless man with only brute force."

Facing Istar's counterattack, Ye Qingzhou responded with ease and was able to meet it with ease. From time to time, a few sword energies bypassed the opponent's defense and hit the blood-winged dragon's outer armor, cutting it into pieces.

"impossible!"

Istar began to panic. Ever since he obtained the Blood-Winged Dragon, he never thought he would lose.

But right now his spirit was telling him that he was doomed to fail. The strength of his opponent left him no chance of a comeback: "I don't believe it! I am the emperor, how could I lose!"

"emperor?"

Ye Qingzhou sneered: "You are just my whetstone. This dispute was caused by me, so naturally I have to end it myself."

Zheng~
Zhu Xian Sword!

The sword moves that combined the Great Way of Destruction and the Great Way of Water and Fire underwent another transformation. With one slash of the sword, the heaven and earth were destroyed. The water and fire were merciless, and the surging force shattered Istar's steam chain sword and blasted his steam armor to the ground, creating a deep pit the size of a football field on the battlefield.

Ye Qingzhou used the power of water and fire to make all the cells in his body resonate together, sublimating his life to the extreme, and finally successfully developed the third gear.

The first gear is the opening and closing of Dantian.

The second gear is the overclocking of the physical body.

And the third level is the resonance of cells. Relying on his powerful spiritual realm, Ye Qingzhou allows his spiritual thoughts to perform molecular-level operations, thereby squeezing out the full potential of his own cells.

With a casual stroke, the thick titanium steel armor was cut open by the Xuanyuan Sword like cutting tofu, revealing the seriously injured Istar in the cockpit.

The almighty Blood Emperor of the Iron Rage Empire bathed in his own blood for the first time.

At this moment, he was unwilling to accept the result of failure: "Impossible, how can you be so strong?"

"You are too weak."

Ye Qingzhou looked indifferent: "Your fragile body can't bring out the full power of the steam armor. The strength of the Titanium God Steel is enough to pose a threat to me, but as the 'wetware' of the armor, your fragile body has become its biggest weakness."

These words completely shattered Ishtar's heart.

The power that he had always been proud of was so insignificant in front of Ye Qingzhou.

“People who are close to power always think they have power, but in fact, you are nothing.”

Ye Qingzhou swung his sword and cut off Istar's head. In an instant, the two auras that gathered above the battlefield began to merge, and finally gathered on Ye Qingzhou.

"The battle for the great road is destined to be a winner-takes-all game."

Feeling his own mind and spirit constantly sublimating, Ye Qingzhou's pair of starry eyes became brighter and brighter. After a long wait, he finally reaped the most fruitful results.

In the war of iron and blood, the two civilizations of the East and the West of the Cang Yuan Realm finally merged into one after a fierce collision.

The blooming flower of civilization finally condenses into a fruit that embodies the wishes of all living beings - the Tao fruit.

After swallowing this Dao fruit, Ye Qingzhou suddenly realized and saw clearly the layout of Emperor Xuanyuan Huangdi: "So that's how it is. The Holy Sword Xuanyuan is actually a seed. It recreated the Dongji Kingdom in the Cangyuan Realm, which was originally just a primitive and wild place, and finally harvested the Dao fruit."

There is no doubt that as something that the Taixu Divine Dynasty desires very much, the preciousness of the Tao Fruit is far beyond imagination.

What made Ye Qingzhou feel even more incredible was that the seed of Dongji country's civilization could actually replicate itself in another world. This was undoubtedly extremely special.

"It seems that the civilization of Dongji Country is different from others. No wonder the Emperor Mie of Taixu Divine Dynasty is willing to use reincarnation to occupy the magpie's nest and rob it."

After the Dao Contest ended, Ye Qingzhou, who had devoured and digested the Dao Fruit, had already understood many secrets: "The essence of Dao is rules and order, and the ultimate form of civilization is also like this. Therefore, the civilization form that advocates rules and order is more likely to condense Dao Fruit."

Ye Qingzhou thought about it at this moment and found that even if Istar won the Dao dispute, the Tienu Empire would most likely annex Da Qi, absorb the knowledge of Xinwu Sect, absorb the historical experience of Central Plains, and eventually evolve into a higher form of civilization.

Although Ye Qingzhou won this battle easily, he did not underestimate the technological power of his opponent. Instead, he could not help but have a new idea in his mind: "Steam armor is a powerful combat weapon, but its only weakness is the driver. So how about letting Wuzu act as the driver?"

Obviously, the Da Qi Wuzu and steam armor are the perfect combination.

Wuzu has a strong physique and keen perception, can withstand greater loads, and exert the steam armor's stronger combat effectiveness.

The existence of steam armor greatly increases the lethality and destructive power of Wuzu.

When Ye Qingzhou pulled Istar's body out of the cockpit, the army of the Tienu Empire collapsed immediately. Countless soldiers knelt on the ground and begged for mercy from the Emperor of Da Qi.

The few who resisted stubbornly were strangled to death by the Wuzu.

The war between the two civilizations has already been decided.

In the end, the Empire's ironclad General Patton personally offered his sword and knelt down to surrender, declaring defeat and submission.

Ye Qingzhou looked at Barton: "Take me to the God-Forged City. I want to see your miracles with my own eyes."

Although the war was won, Ye Qingzhou was still very interested in the supreme will of the gods that the Sunset Land now believed in.

"Yes."

Patton lowered his head humbly. As a loser, he had no room for refusal.

In the current situation, unless the Supreme Will personally drives the steam armor down to earth, the Imperial Army has no chance of turning the tables.

The news of the defeat was like a tornado, blowing from the front line to the rear. The empire, which had been forcibly held together, fell apart in just a few days.

Countless steam legions declared their independence one after another, using all kinds of dazzling banners to prove the legitimacy of their power.

Even the remnants of the conquered old nobles in the Sunset Land launched a restoration, wanting to restore their former glory.

The endless civil war and unrest were a feast for the ambitious to divide up the empire's heritage, but Ye Qingzhou didn't care about it. He had only one goal, which was the steam battleship picked up by Istar.

(End of this chapter)