Amidst the devastation of the battlefield, a second activated Mechanical Deity emerged out of nowhere. Its weapons and equipment were almost identical to Han Xiao's Mechanical Deity, as if it were a replica made based on him.
At this moment, the imitation Mechanical Deity remained expressionless, facing Han Xiao from afar, continuously releasing powerful energy fluctuations.
This scene immediately startled countless interstellar citizens, and their astonished and uncertain gazes all focused on Urnos.
"Another new Beyond Grade A has appeared? I don't think I've seen this person before."
"What kind of ability is this? It looks amazing..."
"I know this man! He's the High Priest of the Arcane Church!"
Many interstellar citizens opened their eyes wide, their hearts rekindled, and a faint hope rekindled.
Among the Beyond Grade A, Urnos is an anomaly. His past achievements are few and far between, and he has lived a secluded life for many years. The Arcane Church has not publicized his fame, so his presence in the outside world is not high. If you don't specifically look up information, some ordinary people may not even know that such a person exists in the universe. However, in the Beyond Grade A circle, this guy is recognized as the strongest.
Seeing Urnos step forward, Oulu breathed a sigh of relief, but was also somewhat indignant.
"You've finally decided to take action. I thought you'd just keep watching."
Good heavens, we've been working ourselves to the bone with Han Xiao for six days and six nights, completely exhausted, and you only just stepped in now? Are you perhaps deliberately waiting for this opportunity to "turn the tide"?
Urnos glanced at his many loyal followers and sighed, "You've all worked hard. I'm enough for you all. Go and rest."
"Even in this state, you still want to fight him one-on-one?" Clottey's brows furrowed immediately.
"I don't like ganging up on the weak," Urnos shook his head.
"You think we like this?" Clottey frowned. "This is a mission assigned from above. If you participate in the siege, we have the best chance of taking down Black Star. You still want to fight one-on-one after all this time? Aren't you being a bit pretentious?"
Urnos glanced at him and said calmly, "I was just given a direct order from above to intervene, but I told them I wouldn't participate unless it was a one-on-one fight. They agreed to my request. If you have any objections, you can report them to the leader of the Crimson Dynasty. If you don't need help right now, then I'll go back and stay put."
Clottey frowned, opened the channel to communicate with the Imperial high command for a few words, gave Urnos a deep look, and without saying a word, turned and flew towards the main ship.
The others also received the notification from higher-ups, glanced at Urnos with complicated expressions, and then left the battlefield.
In an instant, apart from the countless wreckages scattered across the battlefield, only Han Xiao and Urnos remained.
Han Xiao had been observing from the sidelines. Seeing the other direct descendants leave, his eyes flashed, and he spoke up:
"Your abilities are quite interesting."
Urnos didn't respond to that, but changed the subject, slowly saying, "I've been observing you for six or seven days. You've probably already stepped into a higher level. I'm not a warlike person, and if I could, I really wouldn't want to fight you, but..."
At this moment, Han Xiao waved his hand, interrupting the other person.
"We're not that close, so you don't need to explain anything to me. Many people say you're the strongest Beyond Grade A, but I've always wanted to spar with you."
As he spoke, he turned to look at another animated Mechanical Deity who looked exactly like it, and narrowed his eyes.
"I must say, you certainly have the 'strongest' assets to back up your capabilities, but a counterfeit is still a counterfeit."
Just now, when Urnos used his ability, Han Xiao's panel also triggered a battle prompt, showing that he was affected by an ability called [Deity Avatar - Enlightenment]. Although it took effect, it did not cause him any damage or abnormal status.
Han Xiao, anticipating a potential clash with Urnos before the Machine Race's territory was besieged, gathered detailed information about him from Kasuyi and others. He learned that "Enlighten Deities" was one of Urnos's abilities, allowing him to materialize conceptual "gods" into powerful entities known as "Deity Avatar."
The materialized Deity Avatar is an independent entity distinct from the original. It is generally referred to by the name of the incarnated deity and possesses various abilities existing in the concept of this "deity," but not all of them. The strength and quantity of these abilities are not only related to Urnos's personal strength but also depend on the scale and degree of faith of the followers who worship this "deity."
However, Urnos's transformations also include anything possessing "divinity," including Peak Beyond Grade A powerhouses who have undergone Divine Transformation. When the object of transformation is not a "concept" but a physical entity, it can directly inherit most of the object's strength and abilities, without the need for religious followers or faith.
According to the association's higher-ups, if they were to fight Urnos, their first challenge would be dealing with a mirror image of themselves, while also having to contend with Urnos and other Deity Avatar —this is one of the factors that is widely recognized as his greatest strength, making him extremely flexible in combat power, becoming stronger when facing stronger opponents.
What's even more bizarre is that if a deity's Deity Avatar with a physical body is killed by an external force, the damage will be reflected back to the original body. This means that if Peak Beyond Grade A being kills its mirror-like "self," it's equivalent to inflicting secondary damage on itself.
Some Ancient Ones have told a secret: long ago, Urnos had a limited success rate in Enlighten Deities, and due to his own abilities, he did not succeed every time.
However, Urnos's abilities were a perfect match for the Arcane Church. He received several related Universal Treasure from the Arcane Church, established a deep soul link, and his success rate in enlightenment was now 100%. In technical terms, he skipped the judgment process entirely.
Among these Universal Treasure is a core artifact regarded as a "national treasure" by the Arcane Church. It can be said to be the cornerstone of the Arcane's unification of all religions in interstellar society. Urnos is perfectly suited to it, as if he was born for it.
The only good news is that the battle information shows that after being "enlightened" once, he gained a long-term immunity state, which means that Urnos cannot continuously "enlighten" the same target in the short term, and there are certain limitations on the existence time and number of Deity Avatar.
Even with Han Xiao's perspective, he had to admit that Urnos's ability system was extremely overpowered, almost like his own cheat code!
'This is terrifying. This ability is like a different kind of character card, and its cheating level is almost on par with mine...'
Han Xiao's lips twitched slightly, his heart filled with dread.
It seems we're all professional sleight of hand... Today's match is probably the ultimate showdown between sleight of hand men!
Various pieces of information flashed through his mind, but Han Xiao acted swiftly, gathering the remaining mechanical troops and launching an attack on Urnos.
At the same time, he manipulated the Mechanical Deity to charge forward, and the heavy spear thrust out rapidly.
Just then, another mechanical heavy spear suddenly appeared from the side, intercepting Han Xiao's thrust, and the spear tips clashed violently.
Bang!!
A violent Psionic Energy shockwave exploded, and the two heavy spears were locked in a stalemate.
"Your opponent is me."
The Mechanical Deity, bearing the face of Urnos, spoke softly, its body crackling with dark blue electricity.
"Oh, it can talk."
Han Xiao's eyes flashed, and he suddenly twisted the spear shaft, causing the heavy spear in his hand to spin rapidly. The enormous force burst forth, instantly deflecting the opponent's spear tip. Then, like a dragon drilling a hole, it pierced into the chest of the imitation Mechanical Deity with a whoosh. Compressed Psionic Energy slashes shot out from the spear tip, instantly scattering blood, flesh, and metal everywhere.
Just then, the Mechanical Deity, seemingly impervious to pain, immediately retaliated, thrusting its heavy spear back. Han Xiao, seeing this, instantly drew his spear to block, and a dazzling arc of electricity exploded at the point of impact, the surging force pushing Han Xiao back a distance.
Han Xiao looked up and saw that the chest of the replica Mechanical Deity had a nearly through-cut gash, which was extremely gruesome. However, in the next moment, the flesh and machinery at the wound began to wriggle and grow, slowly recovering.
"Tch, just as I expected, an unkillable cockroach."
Han Xiao clicked his tongue.
The Deity Avatar. The Mechanical Deity imitation also possessed Undying Body, with only a few abilities not being copied. Although its combat power was much lower than that of the original body, it was estimated to have exceeded the 100,000 energy level, making it a level stronger than top-tier Beyond Grade A beings like Clottey and Oulu. It was fully capable of fighting him.
At the same time, the wounded Apostle Weapon, leading the remaining mechanical legion, launched a concentrated attack on Urnos himself, raining down like a deluge of light.
Urnos calmly clasped his hands together, and strange, multicolored spiritual light emerged from his body, rapidly amplifying and transforming into luminous aphoristic patterns that formed a massive protective shield, keeping him afloat amidst the rain of light.
At this moment, he opened his palm, and eight beams of white-gold spiritual light appeared, jumping into his mouth on their own.
The next moment, eight Deity Avatar of different forms separated from Urnos's main body, all radiating powerful High-level Beyond Grade A fluctuations, and rushed towards the mechanical troops from all directions, each displaying its unique abilities.
"We'll have to start the ritual again when we get back."
Urnos shook his head; he felt a pang of regret at summoning eight Deity Avatar at once.
When he was urgently summoned a few days ago, he took the "divinity" of more than ten statues in the Temple of All Gods and stored it in the "Arcane National Treasure" in his body. If he wanted to fight, he could directly summon the Deity Avatar. If the fight didn't break out, he could put the "divinity" back.
Only he knew that each time the Deity Avatar of the statue in the Temple of All Gods was summoned, the "divinity" accumulated in the statue would be consumed, and the same god could not be summoned again in the short term. Only long-term sacrifices and prayers could restore the "divinity" of the statue and allow it to be summoned again.
The combat power of Deity Avatar also depends on the density of "divinity" within the statue. After being summoned once, it must be accumulated from scratch, which is very troublesome and time-consuming.
To him, the Temple of All Gods he guarded year after year was an armory, and the statues containing "divinity" were ammunition... But he preferred to think of the Temple of All Gods as a field, with each statue a thriving crop that needed careful daily care, and he didn't want to harvest any of them unless absolutely necessary.
He knew his own situation best. He himself couldn't easily enlighten eight deities, but the "Arcane National Treasure" had long been integrated with him. Even without actively using it, the perfectly matched passive bonus had elevated his enlightenment ability to an unbelievable level.
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes, then suddenly rammed into the simulated Mechanical Deity, pushing it aside. Drill-like machines shot out from his waist, biting into the simulated Mechanical Deity's abdomen like assault pods. The Psionic Energy decay module hidden inside immediately activated, absorbing large amounts of energy from the simulated Mechanical Deity.
Taking advantage of the opponent's distraction, Han Xiao suddenly twisted his body and swung his spear at Urnos's main body, intending to decapitate him.
Seeing this, Urnos conjured two more divine entities. This time, the two Deity Avatar that emerged did not materialize but melted and covered Urnos, as if inviting the gods to possess him.
His aura suddenly surged, his hands, enveloped in dazzling energy, were raised in front of him, neither dodging nor avoiding.
The next moment, the heavy spear swept across, the two sides were so different in size that it was like a piece of land being slammed down.
Clang!!
A shockwave erupted, but the result was completely different from that of Clottey, who was sent flying by a single blow.
Urnos remained motionless, his hands still in their stance, not even retreating an inch in the vacuum. Yet, the powerful mechanical spear stopped, visually resembling an ant supporting a collapsing Mountain —a truly awe-inspiring sight.
Urnos glanced at Han Xiao, said nothing, simply withdrew from his stance, and retreated at a leisurely pace, as if he hadn't taken the previous attack seriously and wasn't worried about Han Xiao pursuing him at all.
"As expected, it's unbreakable. No wonder it's Arcane National Treasure..."
Han Xiao frowned.
According to insiders, the Arcane National Treasure possesses the characteristic of being "unbreakable" and has terrifyingly high resistance; these abilities were also shared with Urnos.
The God's Chosen possesses immense strength, with countless components of the Arcane National Treasure. Fighting this guy is not merely a battle between individuals, but a clash with the supreme technological achievement of a cosmic civilization!
Therefore, when Beyond Grade A fighters compete against each other, Urnos is rarely included, because it would be considered bullying!
Just then, the replica Mechanical Deity broke free of control and launched another fierce attack, entangled Han Xiao's Mechanical Deity and unable to escape.
After six days and six nights of fierce fighting, Han Xiao was not unscathed either. His mechanical troops also suffered heavy casualties, with the vast majority being sent to the Dimensional Factory for emergency repairs. At this point, only two or three tenths of his troops remained as combat-ready units, and most of them had undergone several rounds of Scrap Modification, leaving them battered and bruised. Facing the vigorous Urnos and his group of Deity Avatar, they were struggling for a time.
Han Xiao, dealing with the frenzied attacks of the imitation Mechanical Deity, glanced at the unfavorable battle situation and narrowed his eyes.
"Urnos lives up to his reputation; this looks like it's going to be a tough battle... Luckily, I had a backup plan; I also know the tricks of stealing men!"
The main ships of the Three Universal Civilizations, along with their direct-lineage Beyond Grade A destroyers such as Clottey, had their wounds treated and gathered on the bridge to watch the fierce battle between Black Star and Urnos.
Seeing Urnos and Black Star, who had exhausted them, fighting to a standstill, left everyone feeling a little uneasy.
"It's been so many years since we've seen God's Chosen make a move; their strength is truly terrifying." Guzar stroked his long beard, looking quite impressed.
"Hmph, if I had Universal Treasure like Arcane National Treasure, I could be just as powerful." Oulu's tone was sour.
"Provided that the Federation of Light can build it." Francisco shrugged.
"Who do you think you are?" Velina snorted resentfully.
The group chatted amongst themselves, which eased the heavy atmosphere somewhat.
Oulu turned his head and found Clottey standing to the side without saying a word, and couldn't help but speak up:
"We've worn down Black Star for six days and six nights, Urnos is only now coming out for a one-on-one duel. Maybe he wants to reap the rewards of victory. If he defeats Black Star, he'll not only monopolize the fame but also use us as a stepping stone. Aren't you angry?"
Clottey glanced at him, expressionless, and said indifferently, "I don't care about these trivial details. As long as the mission from above is completed, it doesn't matter who ultimately defeats Black Star."
"Tsk, if word gets out that the opponent we couldn't handle with our group was taken down by Urnos all by himself, we'll lose face big time. You may not care about your reputation, but I do!" Oulu gritted his teeth.
Clottey gave him a strange look. "You were utterly humiliated by Black Star's one-on-one fight, what are you thinking about?"
"... Damn it!"
Oulu was still trying to be stubborn, but then, a sudden change occurred!
Suddenly, the Black Star in the arena erupted with an even more astonishing aura, and the energy fluctuation readings surged at a visible speed, setting new records every second!
The Black Star Mechanical Deity's output surged, and in the next second, the massive body of the replica was thrown out, crashing into the fleet formations of the Three Universal Civilizations, crushing rows of warships, leaving a trail of sparks and lightning!
The Apostle Weapon and mechanical troops seemed to have taken a powerful tonic, their firepower suddenly increasing dramatically. The Deity Avatar, who were originally charging back and forth, suddenly found themselves stuck in a quagmire, struggling to move and suffering rapidly increasing injuries.
Immediately afterwards, Han Xiao turned around and swung his spear, smashing it down with a deafening roar. The Deity Avatar seemed to evaporate into thin air, instantly shattered into pieces, and instantly killed, exploding into countless fragments of light!
"Huh?!" Urnos's composed expression vanished instantly.
The sudden turn of events startled Clottey, Oulu, and the other Beyond Grade A members. Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the berserk Han Xiao, and they all widened their eyes in astonishment.
Black Star's energy level surged dramatically in a very short time; he was even able to unleash a burst of power?!
They're clearly holding back some resources!
At that moment, everyone suddenly realized something, a chill ran down their spines, and they were suddenly a little stunned.
"We've worked ourselves to the bone for six days and six nights, and we still haven't forced him to use his full strength?!"