Destiny is ashes

Chapter 1166 Countdown (Not finished yet, please read on when it's finished)
Immortal profession.

As the name suggests, it refers to the achievements or accomplishments possessed by immortals and gods.

Regardless of the technology or principle, as long as you master it and reach that consistent result, then mastering it in itself is enough to be called a huge leap, or even an ascension.

After obtaining the certificate of immortality, one can then ascend to become an immortal.

Each immortal achievement represents a path to heaven, enough to make a god immortal, the theoretical pinnacle of a world.

It could even be said that the title of 'immortal god' exists because of 'immortal deeds'.

Because, among countless planets, countless planes, and countless worlds, the first being to reach this realm will naturally become the supreme god, immortal, or demon king in that world.

They are the overlords of heaven and earth, possessing power that is almost impossible to be defeated by beings of a lower level, thus creating natural classes and realms.

In reality, there are many kinds of immortal professions.

However, it can operate freely across almost all the heavens and myriad worlds, and only four of them have the strongest versatility.

The Way of the Spirit is one of them.

The spirit is boundless, and the energy is limitless.

That is to say...

Perpetual motion machine

An Jing finally mastered the 'Immortal Business'.

In retrospect, we should all thank the four great families for that combined attack.

Because the Spirit Path conceived by An Jing initially required an extremely high-energy environment to complete the initial data collection.

Its name is the "Reverse Time Entropy Reduction Ordering Method", or perhaps it is... "Yin and Yang, Purity and Turbidity, the Gate to All Wonders".

Just now, standing tall in the light, what An Jing did was actually very simple.

That is, by using one's own physical body as a medium, one opens the 'door' to one's own inner world.

This gate connecting the two realms is the Valley God, also known as the Gate of All Wonders. It uses the outer walls of the Great Void and the Grotto Heaven as a medium to filter all the energy that impacts it.

The self-destruction of the Heavenly Sea Giant God, with its vast and violent stream of light powerful enough to obliterate even the Heavenly Monarch's Dao Form, was essentially nothing more than a process of highly ordered spiritual energy rapidly sliding into chaos after losing control.

In this process, not all the energy is used for destruction; a considerable portion of the energy can still be reused.

Anjing used the "Way of Sex" to identify all the parts of that vast energy flow that could be tamed and utilized, and used the "Way of Law" to gather them into his own grotto.

At the same time, it rejects and abandons all other untamed, chaotic, and dissipated energies, returning them all to the Realm of Emptiness through the 'Gate of Myriad Wonders'.

In this way, two completely different worlds emerge, mediated by the 'door'.

On the Anjing Cave Heaven side, a one-sided high-temperature entropy decrease occurred, while on the Huaixu side, a low-temperature entropy increase occurred.

This dynamic balance of waxing and waning is endless; as long as there are high and low levels of energy in the universe, it will never cease.

This is an eternal and ceaseless power.

A perpetual motion machine of the second kind.

Having mastered this data prototype, even in non-high-energy environments, An Jing can extract spiritual energy from natural spiritual energy streams out of thin air. The only cost is that wherever he goes, there is deathly silence. In a sense, this can also be considered a kind of 'Mysterious Yin Frost Tribulation'.

Because Huai Xu itself is an infinite world, pouring high-entropy waste energy into the infinite Huai Xu will not affect anything. Therefore, as long as An Jing himself can maintain this state, he will be an infinite energy source for the duration of the event, and will be a true perpetual motion machine.

Of course, if that's really the case, and it operates purely through skill, then even tranquility wouldn't last long.

The 'Gate of All Wonders' may seem like a perpetual motion machine that requires no cost, but in reality, it requires An Jing to expend extremely high computing power to maintain it. In fact, it could be said that the computing power An Jing consumes may even exceed the spiritual energy that this method can obtain.

However, Huai Xu supports the "divine power of the universe".

The "Taiyin Wuji" that all Manifestation Saints, Pure Yang Heavenly Lords, and even Lingxiao Heavenly Venerables cultivate is essentially about creating enormous causal relationships to influence and filter the future, and then "borrowing the power or methods that I may possess from the future."

This is a pure cosmic divine power, using the reverse time gate to know the answer to the future, directly borrowing the power of the void to obtain the power that one may obtain in the future.

As the holder of the Taiyin Taiyang Wuji Divine Power, An Jing is naturally able to use it.

Moreover, the causal relationships he possesses are simply unbelievably vast.

Therefore, using Taiyin Wuji to filter out the future of 'which high-energy spiritual energy can be tamed', and then using the power of Huaixu Realm itself to perform entropy processing on the spiritual evil of Huaixu, is extremely simple for Anjing.

And now.

Anjing at this moment is the result of fully utilizing the 'Path of the Spirit'.

That was what An Jing held in his hands.

A spirit stone with sides of twenty li... a regular octahedron.

The true spirit demon, the embodiment of low entropy.

This colossal object, more majestic than any mountain, is surrounded by a cloud of jade that is almost solidified air, crystal clear and shimmering with a soft blue-green halo.

The further in you go, the higher the energy becomes. At the center, one-tenth of the power of the previous attack by the Heavenly Sea Giant God is concentrated. It is practically a star; just looking at it will blind you.

A form of defense, a form of offense... a form of control over heaven and earth.

It exists continuously, and its use is infrequent.

The true essence of the Spiritual Path was thus completed in An Jing's hands.

It may seem like only one-tenth, but this is the power that An Jing directly plundered from the enemy.

Moreover, given Anjing's skill level, even one-tenth of it is more than enough.

"This is the prototype of a 'ring,' and one of the infinite prototypes of a ring."

An Jing stared at the spirit stone in his hand and sighed deeply: "I understand now. If it is the Dao Python, it can use its power of merging with the Dao to throw all the low-entropy flows to the beginning of creation and all the high-entropy flows to the end of the world, thereby achieving the 'process' of the world's eternal existence, and then achieving the 'infinite cycle'."

"This is another application of the flow of time, used to allow the world to continue itself and make existence endless—indeed, the Four Great Immortal Works are the foundation of the Ten Sacred Realms. If one is proficient in any of them, one can directly reach the essence of Lingxiao and even the many methods related to the Dao Integration Realm."

As he spoke, An Jing turned his head and looked at the many soldiers, officials and nobles of Shenjing who were on high alert: "Learning, understanding and mastering this skill, and allowing the limited self to gradually move towards the infinite, is such a pleasant thing, far better than those boring lusts and boring worldly desires."

"but."

He closed his eyes, then opened them again, his gaze like a raging fire as he looked at the four clan heads, whose combined attack had been broken and whose auras were disordered: "Have you tried to understand?"

"What...is this thing?"

At this moment, Song Shi'an had an extremely ominous feeling.

Although he possessed the strength of the Pure Yang Heavenly Lord and held the 'Heavenly Register' in the Heavenly Official system, he had not actually studied cultivation seriously.

It wasn't just because he lacked talent, was lazy, or was unwilling, but also because... the Imperial Court wouldn't allow it.

The four great families only need to enjoy wealth and luxury forever.

The title of Heavenly Emperor for generations is a privilege that only the most powerful families in the world can enjoy. Since the Great Chen Holy Ancestor Xuan Tianji bestowed titles upon the four great families, no other family has been able to produce a powerhouse comparable to their ancestor.

The path to the heavens was completely cut off for them. It was precisely because of this that the scions of noble families, knowing they had no future, chose to indulge in pleasure and revel in desires.

Even so, the 'Heavenly Register' still contains a vast amount of knowledge comparable to that of the bloodline inheritance of demon spirits, and their blood can even activate innate divine abilities similar to immortal deeds.

Therefore, even if Song Shi'an didn't understand, he could instinctively sense something was wrong in an instant and realize that An Jing's move was so dangerous that it could easily threaten his life.

"what happened!"

In telepathic communication, he urgently inquired of his colleagues: "Didn't An Jing only break through to the Divine Realm during the Scale-Illuminating Banquet? When did he acquire such power?!"

"Who knows!" Guang Daoquan gritted his teeth: "His strength cannot be simply compared to Manifestation Saint and Pure Yang... Although he did control a part of the Divine Capital Grand Array through the Imperial Blood Authority, which was most likely provided by Princess Mingjing, he shouldn't have been able to unleash such power without the 'talisman' to activate it!"

"Unless... he has everything except for accumulation and spiritual energy!"

At this moment, in their eyes, An Jing truly possessed the qualities of the Heavenly Venerable Lingxiao.

Taiyin Wuji is the core of cultivation above the Manifestation Golden Elixir level. Its essence is to borrow power from the present to the future.

A martial artist's great achievements and accomplishments can be linked to an infinite future through cause and effect, generating more variables or energy for their own use.

In this way, one can bypass heaven and earth and condense one's own unique 'power'.

With his unique 'Taiyin Merit Power', Xian Sheng can condense his divine will into the true will of heaven and earth, and turn the water of the great world into ice.

Similarly, relying on this unique power of achievement, Chunyang also condenses his own unique Chunyang Dao image, reflecting the heavens and presenting his 'Dao'.

But Anjing is the mandate of heaven, naturally in harmony with heaven and earth, and his Dao form has long been forged, namely the [Heavenly Punishment Emperor who brings down calamities and inflicts punishment].

He doesn't need to go through those long periods of accumulation and enlightenment; as long as he has enough power to fill himself, he can transcend those realms and possess real and authentic power.

Yes. An Jing wasn't lying.

He can truly ascend from divine hiding place and divine manifestation to the highest heavens in a single step!
And now, enough power has arrived.

They gave it to him themselves!

After realizing this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

At that moment, An Jing lifted the spirit stone and placed it in mid-air, and then the light within it grew brighter and brighter.

The enormous cyan-blue octahedral spirit stone suddenly began to flow, silently unfolding, its edges and planes changing like flowing water. In an instant, it transformed into a strange star-shaped dodecahedron, and then bloomed, turning into a flower, a giant sword lotus.

But this was not the end; it was still undergoing drastic changes. The solid spirit stone flowed like liquid under the immense force, and terrifying spiritual energy gathered in the center, becoming increasingly bright.

Buzzing sounds filled the air as beams of blazing white light emanated from the core of the sword lotus, resembling tentacles. Wherever they passed, solid rocks melted, buildings vaporized, and the earth, streets, and cities were swept across, leaving behind streaks of crimson melting light.

Anjing's calm voice rang out, resounding throughout the entire capital.

"Ten breaths."

He said, without raising his voice, yet his words reached the ears of everyone in the entire capital: "I give all life in the capital ten breaths to think."

"To leave, or to die."

There is no third option.

In that instant, the capital city fell silent.

"ten."

As the countdown began, not everyone panicked. Streams of light shot into the sky from all over the capital, belonging to spies from various forces who had already sensed something was wrong and were lurking in the shadows, or the strongest individuals who reacted the fastest.

Without hesitation, they used various escape techniques and fled towards the outside of the capital without looking back.

"Nine."

The first moment of unease triggered panic in the second. Seeing some people take the lead in fleeing, many more people suddenly realized what was happening.

Screams rose and fell as many martial artists in Shenjing, or families possessing magical weapons and artifacts, did not hesitate to flee. Some wealthy families even activated their private flying shuttles. The sky above Shenjing resembled a roadside lamppost at night, with countless mosquito-like points of light scattering in panic.

They may still be hesitant, but there is no doubt that they want to live more than they want to think.

"Eight."

Some people wanted to escape, but even in the capital, there were families with limited assets, and some who didn't know how to leave or find a way out for the time being.

They were bewildered and helpless. They went out the door and wanted to go to the left, but found that the right side was the way out of Shenjing. However, when they went to the right, they found that the road was blocked. So they ran to the left again, but the left road had long been blocked by all kinds of ruins, debris, and fissures in the ground. This sense of being trapped and having nowhere to go made them feel desperate.

However, above the sky, the enormous blue-green sword lotus shimmered with light, and beams of light descended, enveloping those who desperately wanted to run away but were unable to leave. As the void rippled, their figures vanished.

"seven."

As the most resolute, the most eager to live, and the group of people who couldn't find a way to survive left, the wave of escape from Shenjing experienced a brief pause.

"Heavens above, Earth below, why are we so unlucky!"

Some people stopped and stubbornly stood guard at their doorsteps or in front of their mansions.

After a brief struggle, the wealthy families, dressed in their finest attire, still couldn't make up their minds. They turned back, weeping, and hugged the stone Pixiu statues in front of their doors, crying out, "This is our ancestral property! Land in the capital is incredibly valuable. How can we, their unworthy descendants, just abandon it like this?!"

"I paid off this house with a 50-year loan; I'd rather die than destroy it!"

Others held a more forceful view: "Nonsense! Under the Emperor's nose, how can the Divine Capital's Grand Array be just for show? If the Imperial Guards can't handle it, the Imperial Court will protect us!"

"six."

As the sword lotus hanging in the sky grew ever brighter, casting shadows that enveloped the entire city, a series of curses erupted, one after another, hysterical: "Fuck you, I'm not leaving!"

"I refuse to believe you can wipe out everyone in the capital!"

"Anjing! You son of a bitch! What grudge does Dachen hold against you? Why do you insist on attacking Shenjing?!"

"Aren't you the Lord of Heavenly Sword Mountain? The imperial court has already bestowed titles upon you, so why are you here to bring trouble upon us!"

"How are you any different from a demon when you treat us like this!"

The martial artist remained unfazed by the curses and insults: "Five. Four."

Aside from those who have completely lost their minds and rationality due to fear, entanglement, and choices, and have begun to scream and curse wildly, there are also many people who are having an internal struggle.

Their reasoning was undoubtedly clear: they had to escape. Even if Anjing was suppressed by the power of Dachen, his resistance and his offensive before that suppression would be enough to destroy half of Shenjing.

This is also why there is a balance of power among the major forces. If a Sage goes mad, he will cause irreparable and enormous destruction in the border regions. If a Pure Yang goes mad, even the capital city will not be spared. And if Ling Xiao goes mad... the entire continent will face a catastrophe.

Although An Jing's strength is not as good as Ling Xiao's, it is still much stronger than that of an ordinary Manifestation Saint. Staying in Shenjing is simply courting death!
However, the turmoil in their minds prevented them from taking a step.

"If I leave now, won't I be seen as a traitor?"

"If the imperial court were to settle scores with me in the future, would I still be able to keep my official position?"

"If I run away, what will my colleagues think of me? Will they say I'm a coward who's afraid of death and lacks courage?"

"What if... what if this is just a bluff? If I leave, wouldn't I be giving up my household registration and family business in the capital for nothing?"

The martial artist was well aware of these thoughts, but he simply calmly counted down: "Three. Two."

"one."

Amidst all the hesitation, wishful thinking, fear, and greed, a most deeply rooted emotion occupied the hearts of the vast majority of those who remained.

It was a kind of... trust in Da Chen.

A near-foolish, ingrained faith.

"Everything will be alright." An old man, holding his grandson, murmured to himself, "This is the capital, a land protected by the Holy Ancestor. The Great Chen Dynasty has stood for 30,000 years, what storms haven't we weathered? A mere madman can't turn the world upside down!"

"Yes, Da Chen will protect us! The Imperial Court will never stand idly by!"

—If it were Da Chen, he could definitely protect himself!

In an instant, everyone, all those who had chosen to stay, raised their heads in unison, casting all their gazes, prayers, hopes, urgency, and impatience toward the civil and military officials at the execution platform!

The countdown is over.

(End of this chapter)