Chapter 178: Smooth as a Smooth Road, Tank as in Overcoming Obstacles

Chapter 178: The Tank of the Open Road, the Conquest of the Overcome

The instant Jin Zhong laid eyes on what he called the “Trinity Holy Elephant,” his worldview shattered completely.

In his long‑held doctrine, it was the “ultimate weapon” that only the supreme Trinity and its devout followers could wield.

Moreover, according to the records of the Mechanical Cult, since the final “Decisive Battle” a mere century ago, no moving Trinity Holy Elephant has been found anywhere in the world.

Only a few corroded, decayed husks remain, awaiting the radiant return of the supreme Trinity, that at some sacred moment they might be awakened again.

——

It should not exist.

Yet now it stands before him.

And it does so in an overwhelmingly dominant, indisputable prime posture.

Jin Zhong’s heart was flooded with a colossal shock.

But immediately after, an even greater terror surged forward.

If they can command the Trinity Holy Elephant, if they can win the approval of the supreme Trinity, if they can please the machine soul of the holy beast,

then what of the things he has ever believed in???

Jin Zhong lifted his gaze to the majestic holy beast that seemed like a war god descending, then turned to Chen Jian standing beside him.

His mouth opened, but he could not find words.

Yet Chen Jian spoke.

He said:

“Rise.”

“There is no such thing as a Trinity Holy Elephant in this world.”

“Trinity Heavy Industries never produced that contraption.”

Jin Zhong could not grasp Chen Jian’s meaning; his mind kept echoing that sentence.

“There is no Trinity Holy Elephant in this world.”

He understood the implication, of course.

“So…”

He asked, his spirit a little lost:

“If the Trinity Holy Elephant is not a Trinity Holy Elephant, then what exactly is it?”

“It is a tank.”

Chen Jian answered solemnly:

“The ‘tan’ of open road, the ‘ke’ of conquest.”

“Tank.”

Jin Zhong could not see why those two characters were paired; to him they seemed far less majestic than “holy beast.”

Yet the term itself is a transliteration.

Seeing the shock and confusion on his face, Chen Jian made no further explanation.

“It has nothing to do with you.”

“But since you’re here, remember well what you see now.”

“The religious lies woven by the Mechanical Cult are ready to be torn apart.”

“Go, take this news back to your so‑called ‘saint.’”

“Tell him we will block the Flower City.”

“No.”

“Tell him we will annihilate the madmen who come from Flower City, and fight until they never dare return.”

“In the short term ahead, we will eradicate this force completely.”

“I hope the Mechanical Cult will honor the peace treaty we have drafted.”

“Though we clash with you over many doctrines and have had many frictions before,

you are not a completely aloof organization; you have not yet reached the point of no redemption.”

“So do not think of securing the interior before the exterior.”

“Our common enemies are monsters, blood‑skull beasts, and madmen like those of Flower City who only bring harm to this world.”

“Remember, the organization has given you a chance.”

“The chance the organization gives, you must cherish!”

.Understood.

Jin Zhong rose slowly.

“May we… leave now?”

“Let’s go.”

Chen Jian waved his hand; Jin Zhong cast one last glance at the still‑roaring colossal beast, a rare flicker of doubt in his eyes.

Yet in the end he turned and walked away.

Watching Jin Zhong and his guard regiment fade into the distance, Shen Yue stepped forward, removed his helmet and asked:

“Now you get to feel good about it.”

“Do you think this brigade commander has any chance of being swayed to our side?”

“I don’t know.”

Chen Jian sighed, then said:

“But if it comes to this and he still hasn’t wavered, then I can only say that the so‑called saint truly is a god‑man.”

“Brainwashing to this degree must be stronger than a mental seal.”

As his words fell, Fuxi’s voice suddenly came through the headset. “According to the emotional monitoring system, the opponent’s thought fluctuations are intense; there is indeed a possibility of abandoning the religious faith and turning to the light.”

“What’s the probability?”

Chen Jian asked promptly.

“Seventeen percent.”

“Then it seems we must stoke the fire further.”

Chen Jian pondered, while Shen Yue laughed and said:

“Don’t talk about stoking the fire; you’ve forced the act, what’s next, how do we fight?”

“It’s said Flower City has gathered two thousand people, dragging along civilians from settlements along the way; now there must be at least three thousand, right?”

“These three thousand… how shall we strike them?”

“Turning up the heat doesn’t clash with waging war. How else could we fight? This battle bears great significance; we must flaunt our muscles.”

“No more hiding; charge them head‑on with tanks paired with unmanned combat clusters.”

Chen Jian waved his hand and said:

“The 30A is highly intelligent, bolstered by a battle helm; two of us could make it soar.”

“You and Lei Jie take the tanks and operate the unmanned clusters; He Shuo and I will don exosuits to beat the drums for you. We'll give Zeng Yi and his handful a crash course, have Fuxi coach them on remote weapons for artillery support. Though we’re only eight, we command hundreds of elite combat units; breaking through a force of three thousand shouldn’t be hard, right?”

“Don’t wait for Huang Yu and the others? They’ve already set out aboard the Mechanical Cult’s vessel, expected to arrive in about twenty hours.”

“Don’t wait for them; even if they arrive, we won’t let them board.”

Chen Jian shook his head and said:

“If we can make it in time, we’ll watch the spectacle; if not, we’ll clean up the battlefield.”

“That’s settled then—vote?”

“Agree!”

“Agree!!”

Meanwhile, thirty kilometres north of Jinling City, within Laian Town.

The queen, riding at the head of the campaign, sat upon her couch, listening to the military report.

“Our available forces have swelled to three thousand, two thousand of whom are armed with automatic weapons; all artillery and cannons are in good condition.”

“Ammunition supplies are being rushed from the Xuyi direction, expected to arrive around ten o’clock this morning.”

“When the time comes, we will deliver the final strike against the Mechanical Cult and the Holy Blood Hall defenses surrounding Jinling City.”

“The enemy’s troops are exhausted; this time we shall seize Jinling City in one fell swoop.”

“Very well.”

The queen nodded slowly, paused, then asked:

“What is the state of the Jinling ruins?”

The strategist shook his head and replied:

“Not optimistic.”

“It is said the Jinling ruins have been fully seized by those Huaxia troops.”

“After slaying the second‑tier beast, they swiftly opened the treasury and erected a perimeter defense.”

“The Mechanical Cult has abandoned the fight for the treasury; they lack the strength to continue.”

“Of course, this also reflects the extraordinary might of those Huaxia forces.”

“Perhaps they are even stronger than we imagined.”

“We cannot launch a blind assault. My counsel is to pause after taking Jinling City, regroup, then press the attack.”

His words hung in the air as the queen furrowed her brow.

“If we were to rest our warriors within Jinling City, stability would be impossible.”

“Acceptable losses are tolerable; after all, they are merely cheap civilians.”

The strategist paused, then continued:

“Moreover, these civilians were always meant to be sacrificed.”

“We must make them know fear; it will aid our later control.”

“Research on blood‑skeletal remains should use them as a base; compared with northern peoples, they are more suitable as seedbeds.”

“But after all, they are still our kin.”

The queen sighed; the strategist was about to speak further, but she waved him off:

“No need for more words; I can discern what is light and what is heavy.”

“Let’s do it that way.”

“Tonight, all warriors are to be restrained; no revelry allowed.”

“Tomorrow morning, let the most fervent warriors lead the charge.”

“Let them die first.”

“The rest—after crushing the Mechanical Cult—may storm the city and revel!”

(End of Chapter)