Throughout the long history of human civilization, our ancestors have almost never stopped gazing at the heavens.

Why do humans yearn for the sky?

Before Xu Yun traveled to the Song Dynasty, he once heard an explanation that began with material particles:

As we all know.

All elements in the universe come from supernova explosions.

They have created everything in the material world you see, including yourself.

The atoms that make up your left hand and the atoms that make up your right hand may come from different stars.

When you look up at the starry sky.

What your eyes are gazing upon may be the material from the galaxy that comprises your eyes.

Your thoughts soar as brain cells transmit neural impulses.

Every transmission of a neural impulse might be the first handshake between materials across galaxies.

You look up to the heavens.

Because you originate from the heavens.

Xu Yun does not know if this scientifically grounded theory can apply to the idealistic realm, but one thing he is very certain of:

Throughout the long history of Huaxia civilization.

There have indeed been countless ancestors who have expressed their longing for the heavens, either through words or through practice.

For example, in the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection by Jin's Wang Xizhi, it is written:

"Looking up to observe the vast universe, looking down to examine the abundance of species, allowing the mind to roam and the emotions to expand, fully enjoying the pleasures of the senses, indeed, it is delightful."

Also, in Li Bai's Song of Yuan Danqiu:

"Long revolve, tread on stars and rainbows, riding a flying dragon with ears against the wind, spanning rivers and seas to connect with the sky, I know your heart wanders endlessly."

In these poems.

The authors have directly or indirectly expressed their desire to fly to the heavens, further conveying their attitude toward life.

Looking down upon the world from high above, living life to the fullest.

While some people, unlike Li Bai and Wang Xizhi, might lack literary talent, they possess a heart for exploration.

For example, at the present moment, Xu Yun finds himself in the year 1100 AD, the first year of a new century.

According to historical trajectory.

27 years later, the Jin People would destroy the Northern Song, and the two emperors were captured.

A hundred and thirty years later, the Yuan Dynasty would abolish the Southern Song, leaving the mountains and rivers to fall into the hands of outsiders.

However, the Yuan Dynasty barely lasted a century before the sun and moon would renew the Great Song's days.

At that time, a Ten Thousand Households would emerge, named Tao Chengdao.

Tao Chengdao was proficient in gunpowder and made significant contributions during Zhu Yuanzhang's conquest, yet his own curiosity about the sky never waned.

Finally, in 1390 AD, Tao Chengdao made a decision:

He would fly to the sky!

According to Tao Chengdao's plan.

He would attach 47 rockets to the back of a serpent-shaped chair, utilizing the outward burst of gases produced by solid explosives burning inside the rockets.

The rockets would fly forward due to the reactive force of these gases, and the multiple rockets tied to the chair would propel both the chair and rockets together.

In this way, as he sat in the chair, he would be propelled to the sky by the rockets' thrust.

In addition to this.

He also arranged two giant kites on the chair.

This allowed him to fly continuously and also to land stably.

The renowned Elder Qian from later generations once described the scene of Tao Chengdao's flight attempt like this:

"At that time, his servant attendants were terrified, yet when faced with the surrounding people's concerns, Tao Chengdao laughed heartily and said, flying to the sky is the thousand-year aspiration of our Zhonghua; today, even if I am pulverized and my blood stains the sky, I must blaze a path for posterity to explore the heavens. You need not fear, quickly ignite the fire!"

Seeing this, the servants had no choice but to ignite the fire at Tao Chengdao's request.

Moments later.

With a loud bang.

Tao Chengdao was propelled into the sky by the rocket's thrust.

Following the second phase plan designed by Tao Chengdao, the gunpowder was ignited, continuing to elevate the device's height.

However, just as the disciples and servants on the ground began cheering.

There was a deafening explosion.

In the sky, Tao Chengdao and his device turned into a fireball, quickly plummeting from the air…

The first human "astronaut" attempting to ascend by rocket thrust perished thusly, and Tao Chengdao's disciples and servants buried him at Wanjia Mountain…

Yet, although Tao Chengdao tragically died in his pursuit of dreams.

His heroic deeds have continuously inspired generations of our nation's aerospace people and earned recognition in today's global space industry.

Internationally acknowledged as the first historical figure to attempt a manned flight with rocket propulsion, the International Astronomical Union even named a lunar crater "Ten Thousand Households" to commemorate this great individual.

If Wang Bing, Zong Ze, and Zhang Shuye represent the spirit of Huaxia.

Then what Tao Chengdao embodies is the spirit of knowledge exploration by the forefathers.

Among those forefathers' silhouettes, naturally, Old Su, the greatest scientist of the 11th century, cannot be absent.

Every time he gazed at the heavens, there was one thought in his mind:

If humans could fly to the sky and look down on the earth, what a magnificent scene that would be...

Magnificent landscapes, the myriad forms of life, all could be embraced within sight.

Thus, a long, long time ago.

He attempted to create a wooden kite, hoping to utilize wind power to reach the skies and try to conquer the sky.

Alas, lacking sufficient knowledge theory, the notion of a wooden kite ascending to the heavens ultimately ended in failure.

Now with his body aging, Old Su already has a premonition in his heart:

His days are numbered, and this obsession is unlikely to come to fruition.

He might have to bid farewell to this world in a year or two with regrets...

But what he didn't expect was.

With the arrival of Xu Yun, certain things seem to have subtly changed...

Airplane?

Does it refer to the flying wheel, or the flying machine?

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