Chapter 308

308. Chapter 305 Opening Heaven and Earth

The staff placed several small, delicate formation disc-shaped objects around the Heavenly Palace; these were brought by Dongbei Hu at Ye Qin's request, enabling the spacecraft to take off and operate normally, and were specially prepared by him for this cosmic journey.

The staff picked them up and examined them closely several times, feeling a warm sensation, but had no idea what material they were made of.

The whole body was like jade, without any impurity, as if forged from glazed tile, with intricate patterns and symbols engraved on it, obscure and difficult to understand like a heavenly script.

"Do you really think these little things will be useful? I just can't believe it."

One staff member frowned, looking at the blowing snow all around; although they had practiced basic cultivation techniques and wore protective suits, they could still work normally even in harsh weather.

But the spacecraft is different; it is a machine, and lifting off under these conditions, especially under the impact of the atmosphere and storm clouds, the pressure it would endure is easy to imagine.

His companion beside him, however, was full of confidence, unlike his attitude.

"What need is there to say? This is a product of the Longyuan Mountain Range; it will definitely work, as they specifically instructed."

"Time is urgent; let's not waste words, hurry up and finish the tasks assigned from above—Department Head Li is waiting for our report."

The staff bustled about, placing these formation discs in various parts of the spacecraft and carefully checking everything on board.

In fact, their worries were not without reason.

Now the cloud layer is excessively thick, over 3,000 kilometers; for ordinary spacecraft and rockets to break through this barrier would be extremely difficult.

Even with ample fuel, it would be hard to break through the heavy snowstorm and this bone‑chilling cold current like ice blades; mid‑flight it could easily suffer unimaginable damage.

But with these formation discs, things are different.

These were crafted by Ye Qin according to the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches and the Five Elements arts; they can form a protective shield that blocks wind, snow, and cold currents, ensuring the Heavenly Palace operates normally.

After the staff had placed these formation discs, each occupied one of the four corners—southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast.

The formation discs seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, the formation activating on its own, and several staff members instantly felt a change in the surrounding airflow.

Whether it was their illusion or not, it seemed as if the speed of the falling snowflakes all over the sky had slowed a little.

Only see the airflow surging around the white Heavenly Palace, a layer of faint golden light blossoming all around like an eggshell, firmly protecting the Heavenly Palace inside.

The staff witnessing this scene were instantly stunned.

"This is simply too miraculous; I can hardly believe my own eyes."

Someone even instinctively reached out to touch it, but felt nothing—like a flower in the mirror or the moon in the water; the pale golden light could be seen but not touched.

Even though everyone already knew of the many marvels of the Longyuan Mountain Range, each time they were still astonished anew by its continual wonders.

All professional engineering and technical personnel conducted the final inspection and operations before the rocket's launch, then immediately evacuated the site and reported the situation to superiors.

Ground monitoring is normal.

Engine is normal.

Fuel storage is normal.

Launch pad is normal.

With the reports from each department, the computer operated at high speed.

In the aerospace department's main command room, a huge electronic screen displayed everything, while everyone busily and orderly worked at the consoles, each person's expression very solemn.

Longling's avatar was also about to arrive at the aerospace department headquarters; Hua Tiancheng, accompanied by the department head Li Jianzhong and other leaders, had already come out early to greet.

Besides that, many staff members carrying video equipment were beside them, who will livestream everything, recording this scene worthy of being entered into the annals of history!

Traversing the universe with a physical body is a feat that can be described as heaven-splitting and earth-shaking, heralding a new era for carbon-based life.

Such a scene is also a precious experience for humanity.

Besides the leaders who could not arrive in time due to the distance, the viewers of the livestream also included the Longyuan Immortal Sect and the Cultivation Academy.

It is necessary to let these human cultivators witness this scene, giving them motivation and a goal for their cultivation.

At this moment, the outdoor temperature is around minus 90 degrees, the ice and snow are bitterly cold, yet everyone's hearts are boiling with passion; although they stand under the eaves, cold winds occasionally blow snowflakes over them.

As the basic cultivation technique circulates, warm currents surge through the body; although they do not feel cold, their cheeks still develop a physiological flush from the wind.

Many people gazed into the distance, awaiting the appearance of that silhouette, and even after waiting so long, they showed no sign of impatience.

Why hasn't it come yet?

With such heavy wind and snow, perhaps it was delayed; after all, it's still quite a distance from Longyuan Mountain Range to the space base.

It's here!

Someone let out a cry of surprise, and everyone immediately sprang to heightened alertness.

Wind and snow intertwined, endless white snow fell from the horizon, obscuring all outlines; the fierce wind howled like a beast, sweeping up the heavy snow and filling the whole world.

The earth covered in frost and snow was silent and profound, as if sealed in an ancient icy myth.

Suddenly, the wind and snow ceased abruptly, and an ancient presence slowly approached them; everyone seemed to sense something and instinctively held their breath.

In the blink of an eye, snowflakes drifted again between heaven and earth; the previously violent wind and snow now became extraordinarily docile, like light butterflies fluttering around that person.

Longling's avatar came gracefully, its posture ethereal, stepping on the snow; its white robes fluttered in the cold wind, a visage transcendent and stunning, indistinguishable from ice and snow sculpted into form, like a Guisa Immortal, about to ascend on icy feathers in the next second.

Even though they had met before, this time they were still stunned in place, their expressions slightly losing composure.

Such a visage, no matter how many times they look, continues to give them a shock and impact that is far from trivial.

If Longling's avatar had not personally revealed its identity, they would suspect it to be a deity descended from heaven.

Still, Hua Tiancheng was the first to react, quickly stepping forward and saying:

"Demon Master, your august presence honors us; we have long been awaiting you here. All the matters you have ordered are fully arranged, and the formation disks have been placed around the Heavenly Palace."

Longling's avatar spoke succinctly: "Very good."

Since the heavenly and earthly calamity descended, harsh extreme weather has increased day by day; moreover, affected by blizzards and cold currents, during this period the Xia dynasty has had no rocket launches, and now it can be said to be the first time.

Even looking across the whole world, this is utterly unprecedented; after all, even the most technologically advanced Miguo cannot overcome this problem.

What does a blizzard cloud layer over 3000 meters thick mean? Considering that Earth's entire atmosphere is only about 1000 kilometers, penetrating this obstacle can be said to be extremely difficult.

Moreover, this is merely the first barrier; as Earth's orbit changes, the planet has moved farther from the sun, leading to many differences and various situations that could arise at any moment.

If in the past humanity wanted to ascend into space, it was not difficult; but now that the heavenly and earthly calamity has arrived, regardless of the atmosphere or pressure, enormous changes have occurred, making the danger obvious.

Due to the tight schedule, Longling's avatar didn't waste words with everyone, directly entering the spacecraft; the spacecraft's structure was extremely exquisite, everywhere showing the crystallization of technology.

Longling's avatar needed no safety measures at all, not even a spacesuit.

You should know he can physically traverse the universe; to him those things are still superfluous.

The aerospace department up and down were watching the spacecraft; not only here, but also the Cultivation Academy far away in the Longyuan Mountain Range and the Longyuan Immortal Sect observed the situation via livestream.

Longyuan Immortal Sect.

If Longyuan Mountain is like a secluded paradise, then the Immortal Sect can be said to be heavenly palaces, an earthly fairyland.

Jade halls and crystal towers, glazed tiles; as snowflakes swirl around, the whole complex brims with mystery and beauty, as if standing above the clouds, ethereal and elusive.

At this moment, in the Grand Origin Hall, the Sect Leader, all elders, and core disciples had gathered together.

The atmosphere was solemn beyond compare; the sect and elders remained composed, while the young disciples could not hide their feelings, their expressions full of excitement and anticipation.

And at the very center of the hall stood an enormous snake statue.

The snake statue was carved lifelike; amidst curling incense, its head raised high, exuding an invisible pressure, as if it would shoot straight to the ninth heaven and ascend at any second.

After Longyuan Sect's previous recruitment, several thousand new disciples joined; though the number is not large, under the sect's and the Great Demon's guidance they have become backbone members, truly excellent.

The most talented disciple had reached the peak of Grade C, while the least had already entered Grade B.

Core disciples know the origin of Longyuan Immortal Sect and also the sect's connection with Ye Qin; after all they revere Ye Qin as their ancestor, and the hall houses a snake statue of Ye Qin.

Grand Origin Hall, Origin of Longyuan — the hall's name derives from this.

"Heavens, I can hardly imagine—our ancestor is actually going to physically traverse the void!"

"What's the big deal? Our ancestor's looks are too high—this is practically a fairy descending to the mundane world; I never imagined the true form would be a snake."

"Charming ancestor, beauty and strength coexist."

"Before the ancestor's statue, don't say such disrespectful things—I heard this is merely the ancestor's avatar, not the true body descending."

"What! There's even such a thing? It's truly amazing; I'd love to get the ancestor's autograph."

"If the ancestor's avatar can cross the universe, just how strong is the true body? What level do you think the ancestor should reach?"

"How can our human cultivation levels measure the ancestor? He's probably already broken through the highest level; we too must cultivate diligently, lest we embarrass the ancestor later."

"What a pity we can't go to the scene to see it in person; I'm sure the live view would be even more shocking."

Many disciples were whispering, and the same scene also appeared in the Cultivation Academy.

Although they knew fewer details than the Immortal Sect, it did not hinder their worship of the demon masters.

After all, the techniques they cultivate and the demon teachers who came to instruct all originate from the Longyuan Mountain Range.

Moreover, these great demons' many praises and boasts about Ye Qin have made them ear‑witnesses, turning them into little fans of Ye Qin.

At this moment in the Cultivation Academy, besides the disciples watching the livestream, there were also a towering black wolf, a bear the size of a small mountain, and a nimble yellow weasel—demons.

"Black Wolf Teacher, move aside!"

"Brown Bear Teacher, if you stand in front, we big folks won't be able to see."

"Yellow Teacher, you can't not fart!"

The students' complaints rose and fell, while the several great demons in front turned a deaf ear.

"You brats, still daring to shout here—do you think today's training was too little? Then I'll add three hours of extra training!"

The original complaints instantly turned into wails of lament.

"No way, teacher, on this exhilarating, heaven‑opening day, you're actually so ruthless, cold‑hearted, and unfeeling—do you still have any humanity left?"

The black wolf grinned, flashing eight bright, sharp teeth: "Sorry, we truly have no humanity—after all, we're not human."

Many students looked at each other, revealing a wry smile; there's nothing to be done—who made these great demons the teachers?

"Extra training it is, but we must finish watching this livestream—even if the sky falls, we can't be stopped."

"You brat still dare to set conditions!"

"Brown Bear Teacher, just move aside; we also want to see the demon teacher's demeanor—I'm not saying this, but you really ought to lose weight."

"Good, your name is Zhao Quan, right? I've memorized you—you'll get another two hours of extra training!"

"Help, I was wrong—Brown Bear Teacher, you don't need to lose weight; this build is quite good, looking at it brings great fortune."

Other students, seeing Zhao Quan's plight, burst out laughing unkindly.

In the Cultivation Academy, laughter and cheer floated in the air; amidst the falling snow everywhere, it felt especially warm.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the aerospace department was also nearly ready, everyone standing by in solemn readiness.

In the launch control room, the commander stared at the electronic clock's time readout, listening to every word of each operator's report.

"Ten minutes preparation"

"Five minutes preparation"

"One minute preparation"

……

As the final seconds arrived, everyone's hearts rose to their throats; at this moment Hua Tiancheng and the others had already withdrawn to a safe distance, eyes fixed unblinkingly on the distant massive launch pad.

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"Ignite!"

With a command, the operator pressed the button calmly and decisively; accompanied by a huge roar, the launch pad emitted continuous, tremendous booming.

The sound was like a collapsing mountain, like a tsunami, making even the earth tremble; the huge rocket shot up from the ground, countless snowflakes around it swept up, forming towering white waves.

The rocket rose slowly, its tail spewing brilliant flames straight to the heavens; because the surrounding temperature was excessively high, those snowflakes instantly melted into water, then turned into various white vapors.

White mist curled and entwined around the rocket; the scene was most magnificent, as if a small celestial palace were shooting straight to the firmament.

After a few seconds, the vertically ascending rocket began to turn; the expelled gas condensed in the air into mist, like a white silk ribbon piercing the entire sky.

As the rocket kept rising, the surrounding pressure and the blizzard also suddenly intensified; those cold currents turned into icy shards filling the sky, like a ferocious beast roaring toward the spaceship.

A cloud layer several kilometers thick is no trivial matter; the spaceship soon encountered resistance.

Upon sensing the threat, golden light suddenly blazed; the formation disks set up around the spaceship burst forth with unparalleled light, firmly enclosing the spaceship within and isolating it from the wind and snow.

The dazzling golden light resembled a sun slowly rising, giving everyone a sense of long-lost brightness.

Since the Earth's orbit changed and it drifted away from the solar system, with no sunlight shining, the whole world was shrouded in darkness.

Yet the power emanating from this small formation was truly awe-inspiring; even from a distance, they could feel a continuous pressure radiating from it.

Ancient symbols and patterns intertwined, radiance spreading outward, aura permeating.

Everyone looked up at the cluster of golden light overhead; because it was too blinding, they couldn't help but raise their hands to shield their eyes, their hearts shaken.

They didn't know whether it was excitement or physiological stimulation; some even had tears streaming down.

The golden light pierced the entire sky, tearing open a passage through the thick storm clouds; the surrounding wind and snow could not avoid it in time.

Even from far away, one could see that passage flashing with brilliant radiance.

The spaceship shot straight into the heavens, extending toward the southeast; finally, in the vast expanse of the horizon, it gradually became a tiny point of light, piercing the atmosphere and disappearing from sight.

After a long while, everyone gradually came to their senses, asking, "Was this a success?"

"Was a storm cloud layer over 3000 meters thick just broken through like that?"

Even having seen it with their own eyes, the personnel of the space department still felt it was somewhat unbelievable.

Everyone hurried back to the command center, where Li Jianzhong asked the staff, "How is the spaceship's situation now?"

The modern communication equipment in the command center could precisely measure, record, and report the spaceship's flight speed, altitude, and attitude at every moment.

Every second, a large amount of measurement data was gathered from all directions into the tracking and control data exchange center, while cameras inside the spaceship recorded everything.

Through various precise devices and lines, the command center promptly collected and exchanged data among the participating units, enabling it to grasp the spaceship's flight data in a timely manner.

"Tracking is good!"

"Operations normal!"

"Flight normal!"

As the staff reported the situation, Li Jianzhong looked at the various data, and his anxious heart finally settled completely.

In the control center, on the large operating screen, colorful numbers constantly shifted; the automatic recorder lightly traced the curve of the spaceship's flight path on the display board.

It vividly told everyone that the instruments inside the spaceship were working normally, the flight was normal, and it was about to leave Earth! (End of chapter)