The Golden Crow Legend of Another World

Warden Sabina relies on "Nirvana" for transformation; the Radiant Chanter absorbs the life force and Magic Power of the Choir members; and the Fate Manipulator neglects to hone his individual combat skills, relying entirely on the coordinated resonance of the Battle Puppet Corps to fight.

"That's only part of the reason," Dodder interjected. "You came prepared, but the Temple of Light severely underestimated your strength. This intelligence gap gave you a crucial tactical advantage."

"Moreover, the opponent's personnel configuration also has serious flaws," Jin Rongjia added. "They seem to lack a truly qualified and authoritative battlefield commander."

"Actually, there was one originally. There was a dedicated military officer in charge of defense in the Sacred Mountain area," Su Ming continued, his tone slightly subtle. "According to intelligence, this officer was quite experienced in combat and very meticulous. However..." He paused, "Unfortunately, before the battle began, a family emergency occurred, and he had to take leave and go home."

"That's quite a 'coincidence'," Jin Rongjia said, raising an eyebrow.

"It's no coincidence." Su Ming's voice deepened.

Although Katharine never brought up the specific details of the incident, Archbishop Stanton privately revealed to Zijin that on the eve of the battle, the officer's house was deliberately set on fire, and his family members were seriously injured as a result.

A glint of admiration flashed in Dodder's eyes. "This Katharine is indeed a highly competent strategist."

"But I'm not." Su Ming shrugged helplessly, his tone frank. "Every time I work with her, or even just deal with her, I feel like there's a sharp knife pressed against my back, and I could be tricked by her at any moment."

"Strong abilities are not something that Katharine should be criticized for," said Dodder.

"You'll get used to it," Jin Rongjia smiled. "Believe me, the opponents we'll face on this side of 'Earth' will be even dirtier and more despicable. Often, they won't even bother to hide it; they'll be shameless."

"I understand. Before I transmigrated, I also kept up with current events." Su Ming smiled. "Don't worry, I don't have any moral fastidiousness. But—" He changed the subject, his expression turning serious, "What I'm worried about is that, when it comes to being ruthless, I'm afraid I can't compare to these people."

There are some things that can't be achieved just by studying, and Su Ming knew clearly that he couldn't do them.

"It's alright, let's take another path then." Dodder's voice was clear and crisp. "When you possess enough power, a straightforward 'open strategy' will become the most efficient tactic!"

****

The focus of the three's discussion quickly shifted to the subsequent strategic plan.

"While the Temple of Light is a formidable enemy, it is also a huge source of 'nutrients'," Dodder's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "I suggest maintaining strategic restraint for now. Only after accumulating sufficient strength should we consider taking it down in one fell swoop."

"Pretty much, that's my thinking too," Su Ming nodded. "However, we still have to take down the naval fleet sent by the Temple of Light this time. Especially that aircraft carrier carrying the giant dragon—the ' Jade Sea and Tang Valley' —it's really annoying!"

"Blue Sea Tanggu." Dodder seemed thoughtful. "The mythical land where the sun rises in legend... This name of the otherworld is consistent with our ancient Eastern legends."

"There are still many differences," Su Ming corrected. "In the myths circulating in other worlds, three Three-Legged Golden Crow dwell on the Fusang Divine Tree. Every day, they compete to fly into the sky, their blazing light scorching the earth, causing widespread suffering and misery."

"Three suns appear simultaneously, hanging high in the sky... Is this another world version of the 'Three-Body Problem' crisis?" Dodder couldn't help but complain.

Laughter from the three men filled the conference room.

"And then? Was there another Hero who shot down two of them?" Jin Rongjia asked with great interest.

"No, in the otherworldly version, a colossal serpent, larger than the heavens themselves, descended," Su Ming recounted. "It first used its supreme power to drive away two golden crows, then bit the last one to death. Afterward, the giant serpent hurled the enormous carcass of the golden crow into the sky, commanding it to illuminate the earth by day and nurture life, and to withdraw its light at night so that all things could rest. From then on, the world returned to peace, and all living beings were able to live in harmony."

"The aesthetics of this myth... are indeed unique," Jin Rongjia commented.

"I'm incredibly looking forward to establishing stable two-way communication as soon as possible," Dodder said, her eyes shining. "If we can transmit the complete information about the other world's culture back to Earth, we're sure to make groundbreaking discoveries!"

****

The topic returned to reality, and the three continued to analyze the strategic direction.

"I have a different opinion regarding the strategic direction we discussed earlier," Jin Rongjia's tone turned serious. "I believe that for the foreseeable future, we should avoid initiating a direct conflict with the Temple of Light. Any war carries uncontrollable risks—this is not cowardice, but a necessary risk avoidance based on a comprehensive consideration!"

Dodder initially seemed to want to refute, but after a moment's thought, she said, "From a purely strategic perspective, I disagree with Jin Rongjia's viewpoint. However—" She turned her gaze to Su Ming, "Your existence is irreplaceable in importance, so a prudent strategy makes sense. Building communication links and conducting in-depth research on dimensional portals are the priorities. Isn't your own goal to return to Earth safely?"

Su Ming's gaze swept back and forth between the two faces. "So, the consensus reached by your analysis team is this?"

"War inevitably means making enemies," Dodder stated bluntly. "If you were to encounter a meticulously planned assassination, or some other unforeseen accident, the consequences... we simply cannot bear them."

"Sometimes, concealing one's strength and biding one's time is true wisdom," Jin Rongjia added. "The strategy of patience and forbearance is not cowardice."

Su Ming suddenly beckoned with his finger mysteriously, and after the two got closer, he lowered his voice and said something.

"Really?! Is it true?!" Jin Rongjia gasped, his voice trembling with shock. "141K... at normal pressure... a superconductor?!"

"Absolutely true." Su Ming nodded firmly.

"And... you just said... it also has excellent machinability?!" Jin Rongjia jumped to his feet, his hands unconsciously slamming onto the conference table, leaning forward. "Is there any way? Is there even the slightest way to let us see actual images or videos of the object? Or, even just physical property test data!?"

The matter was of such great importance that he desperately wanted direct confirmation.

"That's why I've been urging the Sangzi team to establish a cross-dimensional communication system as soon as possible," Su Ming explained. "Then, under your guidance, we can conduct tests and analyses, and then send the data back. In case I ultimately fail to return—" He paused, not continuing, "Never mind that. In short, sending the data back ahead of time is always better."

"This matter!" Jin Rongjia rubbed his face violently, as if trying to snap himself out of the shock, then emphasized to Dodder with extreme seriousness and almost a command, "Absolutely not to leak this to any research group! Not a single word! They're already incredibly enthusiastic about their space and magic analysis projects! If this news gets out—"

Dodder shuddered as well, and solemnly nodded in agreement, "Understood, top level of secrecy!"

"At the board level, I will personally give a face-to-face report." Jin Rongjia spoke rapidly. Despite being in a comfortably warm room, he felt a surge of heat and couldn't help but loosen his collar. "Su Ming, you absolutely, positively must not reveal a single word to anyone in the research team, including Sangzi —otherwise, we really won't be able to control the situation!"

"Understood." Su Ming leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands together. "So, should we continue with the 'appeasement policy'? The core research and development data for the ' Gospel ' material are firmly in the hands of the Temple of Light. What if we're too late—"

"We must take this!" Jin Rongjia said decisively. "What resources do you need? Just name your price!"

****

The return journey was almost entirely downhill, and with the help of gravity, the train's average speed was kept stable at around 50 kilometers per hour.

Since it was going downhill, the steep uphill sections that originally required careful avoidance had now become smooth roads. The available routes were much more plentiful than on the way there. After just two days and nights of continuous high-speed travel, the "Youth Civilization" had already covered an astonishing 2,400 kilometers, completing nearly one-third of the total journey.

A fierce blizzard descended—whether it was due to the severe weather or the train simply catching up with a moving blizzard was unclear.

In the howling, biting wind, snowflakes, like thousands of moths drawn to the lamplight, pelted the locomotive's windshield with dense, heavy thuds. In the blink of an eye, the entire train was enveloped in a thick, silvery-white coat. Visibility plummeted to less than ten meters, and even the radar system suffered severe electromagnetic interference, its screen filled with swirling noise.

In the huge beam of light projected by the headlights, the swirling snowflakes cascaded down like a silver river, dancing an elegant yet chaotic waltz in the interplay of light and shadow.

"Reduce speed to 30 km/h, arrange for two people to take turns on watch, rotating every two hours," Su Ming decisively issued the order. Now there are enough people on the train, so there's no need to be as meticulous as before.

In his workspace, Su Ming meticulously organized the battle logs for the Sacred Mountain campaign, carefully archiving and preserving the detailed events. The vast amount of intelligence data he had collected was piling up, and he currently had no time to study it in depth.

Su Ming instructed Younier to categorize and organize them properly for later analysis.

The top priority right now is dealing with the new hull design proposal that we just received.