Chapter 673: Unknown Signal

In stark contrast to Su Zhou’s stress-free family reunion, Bai Jingtiao, Gu Yaoluo, and Meng Jin were approaching the mission with the mindset that this was their last farewell; they had even written their wills. Su Zhou also got a chance to meet Old San Bai Hongbo, one of the three Bai Family brothers. The triplets looked so identical that if not for their different hairstyles, it would be genuinely easy to mix them up.

At the launch center, the four of them donned their eighth-generation Magic Artifact Level spacesuits. These were creations on par with, or even half a level higher than, the latest Exoskeleton Armor. According to the designers, they possessed a defense level that meant “you’d be fine even if the rocket exploded.” As long as the wearer had enough Spiritual Power, the suit could even allow them to single-handedly break through the atmosphere and land safely back on Earth. A single suit cost over ten million yuan.

The price for such superior performance was its appearance—the spacesuit looked like a tin can. It had a dead weight of over two hundred kilograms, and while a Transcendent could move freely in it, an ordinary person wouldn’t be able to budge an inch.

At that moment, the four astronauts, including Su Zhou, helped each other check that all their equipment was in order.

[March 10, 2017, 7:45 AM.]

Good morning, viewers. You are watching Zhengguo Central Television’s live broadcast of the lunar rocket launch.

We are now at the Northwest Rocket Launch Center. The four astronauts for the moon mission are fully suited up and will soon be heading to the far side of the Moon to explore the mysteries of the ancient Moon Palace.

As we all know, the Moon holds extraordinary significance in our ancient myths and history. According to ancient texts, numerous Immortal Gods once resided on the Moon, leaving behind many palaces, traveling palaces, and traces of their lives. This exploration…

The broadcast had begun. All the astronauts smiled for the camera in turn, with Su Zhou at the lead. However, this wasn’t an entertainment program, so there were no close-ups or individual introductions. Soon, they left the launch center and took a shuttle to the rocket launch platform.

The Shaking Light-class rocket was one of the most advanced launch vehicles on Earth. The only thing comparable was the American Federation’s “Soaring” class. Standing over 130 meters tall with a total weight exceeding 5,000 tons, it loomed over the landscape like a small mountain. In the past, its every launch had been a world-shaking event, like a meteorite in reverse, piercing toward the apex of the heavens.

Su Zhou and the other astronauts gazed up at the behemoth. But unlike the others, who looked upon this pinnacle of human technology with reverence, Su Zhou’s mind was on something else entirely.

‘Rockets are also long and thin…’ he thought to himself. Then, he spoke to Yara, who was disguised as a part of him. “Say, what do you think? If I made a new rocket-shaped True Body template in the future, a ‘Rocket Dragon’… you think that’d work?”

“Your ‘Cannon-Barrel Dragon’ works, so why not a Rocket Dragon?” the Snake Spirit’s voice echoed from within Su Zhou’s body—it was currently hiding inside his ribcage like an Alien xenomorph. “Don’t underestimate Dragons!”

“My bad, I underestimated them!”

The command module in the upper part of the rocket was their destination. Meng Jin, who had completed numerous space missions, led the others into it via a levitating elevator. Compared to the old designs from long ago, the new command module was quite spacious. Everyone had their own seat, and the various cables and instruments inside the cabin were encased in lightweight materials, clearly labeled for easy maintenance and adjustment.

On the Moon, Zhengguo’s intelligent robots had already constructed a simple forward base. Once the command module reached lunar orbit, a landing shuttle designed after the ancient ‘Flying Shuttles’ would detach. It would carry Su Zhou, Bai Jingtiao, and Gu Yaoluo to land on the Moon’s surface, while Meng Jin remained in the command module to handle mission communications and prepare for a potential nuclear launch.

If necessary, Meng Jin, under direct command from the Zhengguo Government, could launch the nuclear strike without the consent of the other three, or even leave lunar orbit and return to Earth immediately—only if necessary, of course.

“How’s everyone feeling? Scared at all?”

As the one-minute countdown began, Su Zhou fastened his seatbelt, checked that all procedures were fail-safe, and asked the others with a smile. Meng Jin chuckled and replied casually, “Feels about the same as always. I’m used to it.”

Bai Jingtiao also nodded slightly. “Compared to a plane, it just flies a bit higher.”

As for Gu Yaoluo, the slightly leaner engineer showed no fear either, though he was a little tense. “To be honest, I helped design this rocket—so in theory, I have nothing to be afraid of. But you know… that’s just in theory.”

Just then, the final ten-second countdown began outside, and the rocket’s engines started to ignite.

In that instant, it was as if a massive Fire Cloud erupted from the ground. But this Fire Cloud wasn’t the familiar reddish-yellow people were used to; it was a magnificent, silvery cyan. This was the thrust generated by a new type of rocket fuel, manufactured with modern techniques and mixed with a large amount of spiritual materials—a fuel far superior to any created by either Extraordinary means or technological means alone. This was the path the modern Earth Civilization had chosen.

For a moment, the entire launch tower was engulfed in roiling dust and Spiritual Qi. A brilliant Spiritual Light and a flurry of silvery-cyan sparks filled most of the camera’s view—and then, the rocket soared into the air, becoming a sharp arrow shooting straight into the cloudless sky.