Turning his gaze away from the attribute panel, Han Xiao saw Kasuyi looking eager to test his Beyond God Grade power himself, and waved with a smile.
"Let's skip the sparring. I've only just entered the Transcendent God rank, and I'm not yet familiar with my power. If I don't control it well, I'm afraid I might lose control and kill you. That would mean I'd have to revive you and cause you more trouble."
Is that even human language?
Kasuyi tilted his head.
Seeing that Han Xiao had no intention of showing off at the moment, Kasuyi did not force him and had no choice but to give up the idea for the time being. Anyway, there would be plenty of time in the future, and he would be able to see it sooner or later.
Han Xiao glanced at the four people, smiled, and said:
"Everyone, I still need to consolidate and familiarize myself with my power, so I'll be leaving now... Oh, by the way, Urnos, just let me know when you're ready to unseal the Scepter of All Gods."
After saying this, he nodded and took his leave, disappearing from everyone's sight in a flash.
The remaining four exchanged glances, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
Black Star had demonstrated to them how to reach the Beyond God Grade, a secret whose value lay solely in the possession of the individual. None of the four were willing to divulge it; in the past, they might have considered killing each other to silence the culprits. But times had changed. Black Star loomed large, the Association had consolidated the Beyond Grade A group, and there were external enemies. They had no choice but to accept sharing this secret with others.
"Don't forget Black Star's instructions. It's enough that we know his advancement method; don't reveal it to anyone without his permission," Seraon said in a deep voice.
"Ha, do I look like the kind of person who would talk nonsense?" Milizaus scoffed.
"Black Star is the president, and we are also members of the association, so of course we won't speak recklessly. But the direct descendants of civilization may not be so." Kasuyi squinted at Urnos.
Upon hearing this, Milizaus and Seraon also turned to look at Urnos, their expressions subtle.
None of the three had any motive to leak the secret, but as a Urnos descendant of the Arcane, if the higher-ups of the civilization asked him for the method, would he keep it a secret?
As members of the association, the three considered things from the perspective of their respective factions. If the method to advance to the Beyond God Grade was solely controlled by the association, it would be a new bargaining chip to attract superhumans and would also give them an edge over the Three Universal Civilizations in terms of individual power.
Urnos remained calm, offering no verbal concession, and casually said, "I will also attempt to advance. Even if I don't say anything, they will find out eventually."
"Tsk." Seraon snorted, offering no rebuttal.
Seeing that the three had nothing more to say, Urnos did not linger any longer, turned around and transformed into a streak of light, quickly leaving.
He just wanted to get back to the Arcane Church as soon as possible and couldn't wait to study Black Star's advancement methods.
The three men, including Kasuyi, watched him leave without making a move.
"With the Black Star's successful case, the Arcane National Treasure is in this guy's hands. The Arcane will most likely not lend it to outsiders for advancement anymore..." Milizaus clicked his tongue.
"Well, in that case, I'm afraid only Urnos and the Arcane can replicate the method Black Star used. We can forget about it." Seraon nodded.
"Black Star is a mechanic, and he's reached an even higher level. Perhaps he can develop a substitute. We'll find out when the time comes."
Kasuyi remained calm.
Considering that the Arcane National Treasure was an indispensable item for Black Star's advancement, the group had a vague idea of trying to seize it. However, after thinking about it, they decided against it. Urnos was not easy to deal with, and the three of them represented the Association, so it was not appropriate to cause trouble for Black Star.
Black Star has now established a new rank, making his position as the head of the association more secure. Originally, everyone was at the same rank, so even if they temporarily obeyed his orders, they wouldn't consider themselves Black Star's subordinates.
However, as Black Star entered a new rank, the relationship subtly changed, though the three of them had not yet felt the subtle shift in their subconscious.
At this moment, Milizaus remembered something and asked, "By the way, although the advancement method needs to be kept secret, we shouldn't hide the fact that Black Star has reached the Beyond God Grade from the Association, right?"
Kasuyi shook his head and said:
"If Black Star didn't specifically instruct, then it's unnecessary. Besides, there's no need to hide such a great thing. However, it should only be circulated among the association's upper echelons and not spread around. As for the Three Universal Civilizations, they will most likely find out about the situation through Urnos's relay, but they won't spread it around carelessly."
On the other side, the Arcane Church.
"What did you say? Black Star actually succeeded?!"
The leader of the Arcane Sect widened his eyes, his face showing astonishment.
Urnos, who came to report, calmly nodded and slowly said:
"That's right, Black Star has successfully stepped into a higher level of individual power, which he named the Beyond God Grade. I witnessed it with my own eyes."
"... Didn't you say that reaching a new level is very difficult, and lending out the Arcane National Treasure wouldn't be a big deal, since Black Star will fail a few times?"
The leader of the Arcane Cult stared intently at Urnos, his heart filled with a mixture of shock and anger.
"Oh, I miscalculated." Urnos said expressionlessly, without any remorse.
"That's it? You think you can just brush it off with a single sentence?!"
The leader of the Arcane Sect glared, growing increasingly annoyed.
If you hadn't repeatedly emphasized that this transaction was a sure thing, we wouldn't have lent out the Arcane National Treasure to help Black Star advance.
You're probably in cahoots with Black Star, deliberately speaking up for him to fool me, aren't you?!
I really believed your lies!
"So what do you want?" Urnos glanced at him.
The leader of the Arcane Sect closed his eyes slightly, took a deep breath to calm his turbulent emotions, and then spoke again:
"Regardless, what's done is done. Let's think about what can be done to remedy the situation."
Because of a wrong decision, he helped Black Star reach a higher level of individual power. He regretted it deeply, wishing he had refused Black Star's request!
However, now was not the time to shift the blame. He had given the order himself and could not shirk the responsibility. The leader of the Arcane Sect quickly shook off the interference of anger and regret and began to reflect on the gains and losses.
"On the bright side, at least we got back the Scepter of All Gods... provided Black Star doesn't go back on his word." The leader of the Arcane Cult shook his head.
"He has no reason to go back on his word," Urnos said calmly. "This Universal Treasure poses no threat to him anymore."
"That's true..."
Upon hearing this, the leader of the Arcane Sect felt even more uneasy, and suddenly the Scepter of All Gods lost its appeal.
This trade was a complete disaster!
But at that moment, Urnos slowly said:
"However, this wasn't without its gains. I witnessed Black Star's advancement from beginning to end and have grasped his methods. I'm no longer clueless like before. I can replicate this success and strive for a higher level."
The leader of the Arcane Sect was slightly taken aback, then his eyes lit up.
While Black Star's ascension to the Beyond God Grade is beneficial for external wars, it is certainly not a good thing for the Three Universal Civilizations in the long run. However, their own direct descendants have learned Black Star's advancement method. If they succeed, they will have another Beyond God Grade individual power to rival Black Star and form a new balance of power, so they don't have to worry about Black Star losing its control!
More importantly, the one who currently possesses this method is the Arcane. Even though the Three Universal Civilizations are closely connected, there are still differences between them. The Arcane can still overpower the other two in terms of individual power!
The leader of the Arcane Sect immediately felt better and solemnly asked, "How confident are you of your success?"
Urnos thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "There's about a 70% chance I can reach the Beyond God Grade level like Black Star."
"Good!"
The leader of the Arcane Spirit Sect was invigorated.
A 70% probability is quite high! When we chatted before, Urnos said he had no confidence at all, but now the odds have increased countless times.
In that case, helping Black Star this time wasn't a loss at all, but rather a small profit?!
Thinking a little deeper, it's fortunate that Black Star needed to borrow the Arcane National Treasure this time; otherwise, if he had secretly advanced behind closed doors, the direct descendants of the civilization would have had no way of knowing, and this advancement method would have been monopolized by the association.
Wouldn't that make the future even more unfavorable for the Three Universal Civilizations?!
Thinking of this, the leader of the Arcane Sect felt relieved and finally smiled, saying:
"The Arcane will provide you with all the resources you need to help you reach the Transcendent God level. Don't hesitate to ask if you need anything!"
"Don't worry, I won't be polite."
Urnos nodded in acknowledgment.
The leader of the Arcane Sect thought for a moment and said, "Also, keep your knowledge of the advancement method a secret for now, and don't reveal it to anyone. As for Black Star's successful advancement, I will inform the leaders of the Federation of Light and the Crimson Dynasty. We share common interests in this matter, and it can't be kept secret any longer. We need to talk to Black Star."
"Whatever you say, as long as it helps me."
Urnos didn't care about these trivial matters; he was single-mindedly focused on replicating Han Xiao's advancement method. He seemed to see the higher level he had been dreaming of beckoning to him.
One day later, in the Black Star Army's territory, at their exclusive mechanical factory.
Han Xiao stared at the ball of Mechanical Force, resembling a thundercloud, floating in his palm, his pupils contracting as if he were observing a microscopic world.
After a while, he suddenly clenched his fingers, crushing it into pieces, and a ring of light golden shockwaves flashed with electricity.
"The final career stage of the Mechanic Class, the power is truly peculiar..."
Han Xiao muttered to himself in a low voice.
He spent the day testing the new abilities brought by the job change, and by now he had almost figured them out, secretly marveling at them.
[Beyond Divine Artifact] is a core specialization, an advanced version of [Divine Equipment]. It greatly increases the success rate of developing and manufacturing gold blueprints, and also has a slight chance of creating a Cosmic Wonder.
Most importantly, this specialty unlocks a higher-level special quality tier, the red "Artifact Grade". However, this item is not crafted, but rather a special enhancement of the original machinery, greatly increasing its effects. Furthermore, there is a quantity limit; a maximum of three "Artifact Grade" items can be enhanced.
However, the target that enjoys the bonus can be changed, and the mechanism is similar to that of the Apostle Weapon. If you want to upgrade the fourth machine into a divine artifact, you can simply revert to the previous divine artifact upgrade.
[Foundation of Power - God of All Machines] is also a core feat, similar to Sorokin's [Soul Energy Foundation]. The effect of this skill is that the basic unit for generating power is no longer limited to cells; machines and virtual data can also generate power.
If Han Xiao were to transform himself into a mechanical being, a virtual life form, or undergo implantation modifications, it would be no different from before, and his strength would remain unaffected—meaning that he could now exist independently of his physical body at will.
From this perspective, Hyperion's fusion of body and machine is merely an incomplete version of this ability; [Foundation of Power - God of Machines] is the final form.
In addition, this specialty also brings a huge Mechanical Affinity, which is quite amazing.
However, [Information Uniqueness·Conceptual Immortality] is not an ability brought about by job change, but a specialty of reaching the X rank. Just as Han Xiao guessed, upon entering the new rank, the form of one's own Information State existence also underwent a drastic change, gaining the power of automatic resurrection.
Whether it is a living organism or network data, as long as there are information carriers in the universe recording its deeds, as long as it has not been forgotten by everyone, and as long as there are people reciting its name, it will not die completely.
If one dies, without the need for Sanctuary Revival, one will spontaneously cause Information State Disturbance and be reborn in a certain region of the universe, approaching eternal immortality.
Most importantly, the rebirth granted by this specialization does not compromise the integrity of one's own information, meaning that unlike Sanctuary Revival, each resurrection does not result in a decrease in strength.
The only question that puzzled Han Xiao was whether the Sanctuary, being an information carrier, could be used to overcome iterations if [Information Uniqueness, Conceptual Immortality] applied to all situations.
It's unknown whether there were any Beyond God Grade beings in previous iterations. If this conjecture is true, wouldn't those Beyond God Grade beings have survived and have a greater impact on the current universe?
"It would be great if we could try it out."
Han Xiao shook his head.
He felt that the Sanctuary, which was "beyond the Three Realms and outside the Five Elements," probably did not belong to the information carriers that allowed [Information Uniqueness, Concept Immortality] to take effect. The scope of this expertise should be limited to this universe and Secondary Dimension World.
Even so, it is powerful enough. Just as the attribute panel notes say, all things in heaven and earth are one with me, and the Information State is the root of the existence of the _book_. As long as nothing unexpected happens, it can really live to the end of the universe.
All three specializations are very useful, and several skills are equally extraordinary. Among them, [Mechanical Deity - Supreme Heavenly Venerate] is an advanced version of the Mechanical Deity... No, rather than an advancement, it's more accurate to say that the original Mechanical Deity is just the basic prerequisite for this skill.
Mechanical Deity can change their structure on their own, and they also have the concept of blueprint templates. Some specific forms of Mechanical Deity have additional bonuses to their basic performance.
[Mechanical Deity - Supreme Heavenly Venerate] is one of the final forms of the Mechanical Deity, and its power is much greater than that of the "Advanced Mechanical Deity" created by Han Xiao. They are not even in the same league.
The skill descriptions show that the three Mechanic Class branches all have different skills at this stage. [Mechanical Deity - Supreme Heavenly Venerate] is a virtual branch, while the armed branch and energy branch are [Mechanical Deity - Cosmic Emperor] and [Mechanical Deity - Origin God], respectively, corresponding to different final forms, which sound very powerful.
Moreover, through his core feat [Foundation of Power - God of Machines], he discovered that when he transformed into Mechanical Deity, he no longer needed a physical body as the core to provide Mechanical Force; he could directly transform the machine into his own body!
This means that once you truly become Mechanical Deity, you no longer need to consume energy. Even without a way to quickly regenerate mana, you can almost maintain the Mechanical Deity state Infinite and live in this form!
In addition, [Life Transformation - Virtual] and [Life Transformation - Myriad Machines] have similar effects. Both of these abilities can change one's own life form and are blessed by [Foundation of Strength - God of Myriad Machines], so the physical body is no longer a cage.
Furthermore, these two skills can not only affect oneself but also others. As long as the judgment is successful, the target can be transformed into virtual data or mechanical beings in an instant, changing the other party's form of existence. It is possible to turn the entire population of an entire planet into mechanical beings or virtual life forms, which is almost close to the power of "god".
[Virtual Genesis) ] is even more incredible. According to the skill description, this ability is somewhat similar to the World Tree's ability to transform the virtual world into reality. It can transform things created in the virtual world into physical objects, just like a true creator god.
However, the reason this ability has the suffix "pseudo" is that it has many limitations. First of all, it cannot be transformed into a series of items that do not exist in reality, that one does not know about, or that violate the laws of nature.
Secondly, conversion requires an equivalent amount of resources. For example, to copy and paste the data of a mechanical army in the virtual world, you need to prepare the corresponding materials. Then, by using this skill to convert it, you can directly skip the manufacturing process, which is very suitable for mass-producing troops.
It is also very useful in manufacturing; even Universal Treasure that one knows about can be mass-produced using this method, with a success rate of almost 100%.
However, the third limitation is the biggest problem: the transformation is temporary. Once the time is up, it will disintegrate on its own and cannot last.
"This ability is considered Cosmic Wonder by most people. Although it's called virtual technology, it's more likely an Information State- based capability, and it requires further research..."
Han Xiao let out a breath.
[Virtual Genesis) ] is amazing, but due to these limitations, it's not quite useful, yet it has some use. It can temporarily produce troops through [Divine Body Fortress], but it's still far inferior to a true Cosmic Wonder like the World Tree.
"However, this ability is quite similar to the World Tree; could there be some connection...?"
Han Xiao's eyes flashed, and he seemed to be deep in thought when he had a bold idea.
Perhaps if the World Tree devoured him, it could make up for its own deficiencies; conversely, if he uprooted the World Tree, he might also be able to complete this ability and remove the skill's suffix...