The copy has 0 error tolerance, and the last words on the ground are all wrong for me.

Chapter 435 World Dungeon Begins

Wu Chang piloted the mecha, raised the mecha rifle, pointed it at the training mecha used as a target in the distance, and asked:
"May I shoot?"

He Yun said, "Of course, what type of target do you need?"

After a moment's thought, Wu Chang tentatively asked, "Is it possible to condense a target with divine power?"

He Yun said somewhat helplessly, "You really know how to give me a difficult problem. Luckily, I remembered that you have special attack methods against gods, so I added a divine energy condensation module to the target in advance."

She stared blankly at the target facing Wu Chang, standing silently in place.

A large amount of faith power surged into the target, forming a small, thin mass of divinity, containing only one percent of the divinity within the Peacekeeper's body.

“Using divinity as a target is too wasteful, use it sparingly, and also…”

Wu Chang gave He Yun a thumbs-up, and relying on his mecha piloting and firearms proficiency, he raised his gun and fired.

The bullet fired from the mech rifle, transforming into a dazzling bolt of lightning, striking the training mech's chest with speed far exceeding that of ordinary bullets—the very spot where divinity was concentrated and the mech was at its most solid.

The moment the bullet left the barrel, He Yun uttered the second half of his sentence:
"Also, the divine module is complicated to make, so don't break it."

The lightning bullet sensed the divinity, and its light suddenly doubled, erupting into a massive bolt of lightning like a thunderclap on the chest of the training mech.

When the roar subsided, Wu Chang saw that the cockpit of the training mech had been pierced. Not only was the cockpit melted by lightning, but the space behind the cockpit was also burned into a circular hole.

He picked at his ear and asked:
"That was a loud noise! ​​What did you just say?"

He Yun hardened her fist. She took several deep breaths to suppress the urge to punch Wu Chang and said:
"It's nothing. Next time you test the ability, avoid the mech's vital points and don't damage the divine module I made."

Wu Chang showed a good attitude in admitting his mistake and immediately said, "I'm sorry, I'll definitely do it next time."

After apologizing, he piloted his mech to the target and carefully examined the training mech's chest. He could sense that the divinity that had been gathered within the training mech had been completely shattered by his shot.

He didn't activate the Blasphemer title, nor did he use the Divine Mode, yet he was able to shatter Divinity with a single shot. The reason was that he had incorporated Divine Thunder into that shot.

According to normal skill upgrades, his Master-level Mechanical Piloting should have been upgraded to Grandmaster-level Mechanical Piloting, but under the Mechanical Emperor talent, his skill mutated into Grandmaster-level Mechanical Control.

From driving to mastering, it may seem like just a change of one word, but the actual difference is as described in the skill notes.

Mechanical driving is centered around machinery; all the driver can do is to perfectly utilize the capabilities of the machinery they are driving.

Mechanical control, on the other hand, is centered on humans, using human power to give the machine being driven additional power.

For example, in that shot just now, Wu Chang relied on the characteristics of mechanical control to add the power of Divine Thunder to the shot, allowing Divine Thunder to benefit from the damage amplification of Grandmaster-level mechanical control.

This is just the most basic application. The core function of mechanical control is to modify the vehicle being driven, with the driver at the center.

When Wu uses a mecha or mechanical weapon to unleash the Five Thunder Technique, that mecha or weapon will gain an additional characteristic.

This means that if the rules of the world instance prohibit technology-based items, Wu Chang can use mechanical control to give the machines other attributes, thus bypassing the restrictions of the world instance rules.

In other people's hands, mechs are technological gadgets, but in the hands of the Mechanical Emperor, they are magical artifacts.

There's no use arguing about it; that's the true value of skill mutation.

With master-level mechanical control, Wu Chang's driving skills were finally acceptable to He Yun.

In the following period, Wu Chang focused his attention on familiarizing himself with the piloting skills. Since the Guangming Society did not set up a mecha training room in the research institute, he could only rely on his own practice to quickly master the skills.

However, in the latter half of the practice, He Yun called in He Yi, who was free, to be Wu Chang's sparring partner.

This time, Wu Chang faced He Yi again and managed to fight back and forth without being at a disadvantage, achieving an overall 50/50 chance.

The only difference was that he was piloting a ten-meter-tall Peacekeeper, while He Yi was piloting a six-meter-tall, older Tyrant.

If he were to use the same training mech without using any supernatural abilities, he would still be no match for He Yi.

Even a master-level mechanical master is no match for He Yi. Has He Yi's driving skill reached the lord level?
Out of curiosity, Wu Chang asked He Yi after the sparring session what level He Yi was at in piloting the mecha and how he had trained.

To everyone's surprise, He Yi said, "I don't know what level I am at. I only know that I have never lost a mecha battle since I was five years old."

"As for how to train mecha piloting skills, I think it's all about feeling. When you're piloting a mecha, try to feel the mecha's response to you, and then just follow that response."

Wu Chang: ...

Wu Chang rolled his eyes. Asking this question was unnecessary. He was just an ordinary person who worked hard and improved himself through sweat and effort. There was nothing to say to these genius freaks.

Training time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, only 24 hours remained until the world instance began.

He estimated that it was about time, so he controlled his true self to go to Yanjing and meet Hou Jingchuan.

Hou Jingchuan responded exceptionally quickly; almost as soon as he submitted the meeting request, Hou Jingchuan read and replied instantly.

The two met in the conference room of the Administration Bureau. In addition to Hou Jingchuan, Shi Ning was also present.

Wu Chang sat opposite Hou Jingchuan. He could tell that the other man hadn't been resting well lately, and his face was full of fatigue and anxiety.

However, upon seeing Wu Chang return, the anxiety in Hou Jingchuan's eyes visibly subsided.

Wu Chang knew what news Hou Jingchuan was waiting for, so he didn't keep him in suspense and said directly:
"As expected, the mission has been accomplished; the faith virus has been successfully implanted."

When Hou Jingchuan saw Wu Chang appear, he had already guessed the answer, but when he heard Wu Chang admit it himself, he still felt relieved.

He leaned back in his chair, looked up at the ceiling, and let out a long sigh.

Such an "undignified" action is unlikely to occur in a big shot like Hou Jingchuan.

"Your Excellency Peace, I knew you would succeed!"

He spoke these words with genuine sincerity. After all, the hope of the Desolate Realm rested entirely on Wu Chang's shoulders. Even if he had doubts, he had to force himself to believe.

Wu Chang and Hou Jingchuan synchronized their progress, and then took out the divine script decipherer from their personal space and returned it to Shi Ning.

The divine script decipherer was very powerful, and if possible, he would like to keep it for his own use.

However, Shi Ning needed to use the Divine Script Decipherer itself to receive messages from the sub-device in order to judge the actions of the Light Society, so he had to return the Divine Script Decipherer first.

Once the world instance ends, given his relationship with the Order faction, it wouldn't be unreasonable for Shi Ning to help him build a divine script deciphering device, or even simply start a small class to teach him occult knowledge.

When that time comes, he will definitely ask Shi Ning what level his mysticism is and how he mastered it in the Desolate Realm.

Hmm, this question sounds so familiar. Have I seen it somewhere before?

He seemed to have just asked He Yi the same question.

Shi Ning's answer wouldn't be like He Yi's, saying that he could learn these things just by looking at them and that making a divine script decipherer was something anyone could do, and that he had never systematically studied them.

Shi Ning took the divine script deciphering device. He simply closed his eyes and sensed it for a moment, and then, as if understanding everything, he said:

"The location of the submachine is closer to the altar than I expected. You did a great job."

Wu Chang asked, "Professor Shi, aren't you afraid of being discovered by the Light Society when you collect information from the Realm of Reason in the Desolate Realm?"

Shi Ning is very skilled, but the Guangming Society is no pushover either; it also has experts in this field.

For example, when he and He Yun were seizing the Temple of Death, they encountered someone who manipulated the network and could maintain control over the Temple of Death even through private spaces.

Shi Ning said nonchalantly, "If they really had that level of skill, the hunters wouldn't have been able to sneak into the vicinity on their first attempt and film the ritual."

Shi Ning spoke the most arrogant words in the most indifferent tone. There was no emotion in his tone, but Wu Chang could tell that he did not recognize the strength of the Light Society's restrictions and was not worried at all that his little tricks would be discovered.

If anyone else had said those words, Wu Chang would have assumed they were ignorant and unaware of the Guangming Society's methods.

But since Shi Ning, as a patrolman, said such things, Wu Chang could not offer any other opinion, after all, Shi Ning was truly capable.

Seeing that Shi Ning was also present, Wu Chang took out his phone and played the video of the bronze tree that he had filmed in Xianju Forest.

He had asked the Omniscient Crystal about the existence of the Bronze Tree, but the Omniscient Crystal's answer was simple: it was just a simple energy storage device and had no other significance.

As for what lies within the tree canopy cradle, the omniscient crystal says that it is not yet fully formed and cannot be seen clearly.

But it can be seen that what is gestating in the cradle is extremely dangerous; it may bring about a global catastrophe, or it may simply not cause any disturbance.

The Omniscient Crystal's assessment of the Bronze Tree, aside from its extreme danger, offers no other meaningful reference.

This is not hard to understand. Long ago, Wu Chang discovered that the Omniscience Crystal's omniscience was not true omniscience, but rather the most accurate deduction based on existing clues.

If calculations cannot determine what's inside, then he can only try to solve it using experience.

"Mr. Hou, Professor Shi, we discovered this bronze tree not far from where the Brightness Society was setting up its ceremony. It has absorbed a vast amount of faith power, and the faith power gathered inside is unbelievably immense. Perhaps you know what it is." Hou Jingchuan glanced at it a few times, then looked at Shi Ning with a wry smile, awaiting Shi Ning's answer.

Wu Chang believed he might be able to provide the answer, which showed how much Wu Chang valued him. Unfortunately, the things in the video were too far removed from the Desolate Realm. He was just an ordinary manager of the Desolate Realm Administration Bureau. Divinity and the power of faith were far beyond his reach.

Shi Ning observed for a longer time, and although he couldn't give a specific answer, he had some guesses about the bronze tree, saying:
"This bronze tree is merely an energy transition facility; it has nothing special about it. Perhaps you could start with the anomalies in the world instance. Mobilizing this level of energy is not easy; you must make arrangements in advance to coordinate with it."

"If we can find the world's copy plane, the one who is closest to the Light Society and has received the most benefits will most likely be involved in the arrangement of the Bronze Tree."

Wu Chang raised an eyebrow. Shi Ning's analysis reminded him of the mysterious figure communicating with Mercury on the stone altar.

Perhaps finding that guy will lead to clues about the Bronze Tree.

Twelve hours before the start of the world instance, Wu Chang's original body returned to reality and appeared in Wanghai City.

His reason for returning to reality was simple: Director Gao and the others were about to come back.

World dungeons are already among the most difficult dungeons in the Wasteland, and with the participation of the Light Society this time, the "one of" suffix may be removed.

From ranked players to newbies who have just met the requirements for world dungeons but haven't reached the maximum talent level, no one can guarantee that they will leave a world dungeon alive.

The twelve hours remaining until the world instance is likely to be their last twelve hours in the real world, a period the Administration has reserved for them.

Let them use this last bit of time to try not to leave any regrets in their lives.

As Director Gao's flight landed, they saw Wu Chang holding a sign to welcome him as soon as they got off the plane.

Director Gao strode towards Wu Chang and exclaimed in surprise;
"What have you done, kid? Why has Wanghai City been so quiet lately?"

Apart from the operation to wipe out the "Totem" organization, the members who participated in the special training camp spent the rest of their time undergoing special training in a private dimension controlled by the Administration Bureau, and were unable to access news from the real world.

On their way back, as they looked at the recent changes in reality, they felt as if the sky had fallen.

Natural disasters and man-made calamities have been occurring constantly around the world, including in the Xia Kingdom.

Leaving aside the increasingly intense conflict between ordinary people and extraordinary individuals, the out-of-control wild extraordinary individuals and the extraordinary disasters caused by the erosion of the instance have led to a series of emergencies in various places.

However, according to the information they received, Wanghai City seemed to be completely unaffected. Not to mention the eroded dungeons and wild superhumans, even the crime rate of ordinary people had decreased by several percentage points, reaching the lowest level in the history of Wanghai City.

At first, everyone thought it was a statistical error and that Wanghai City had reported incorrect information. However, as the plane was about to land and they looked at the peaceful city below, they realized that Wanghai City was indeed not in danger.

Wu Chang curled his lip and said, "Nothing happened in Wanghai City, so why do you all look so regretful?"

Director Gao laughed and said, "You kid, don't forget I'm still the director."

Wu Chang said, "What else can I do? Perhaps it's because our Wanghai people are honest and kind, and the land is blessed with outstanding people, so the erosion dungeons and supernatural disasters all avoid us."

"What else can we do? We can't expect the Wanghai branch to keep all the dangers out of Wanghai City under my leadership."

Director Gao was taken aback by the question. He turned around and exchanged glances with Lei Huo and the others. Yes, let's not even talk about whether Wu Chang would give up his own advancement and continue to maintain peace in Wanghai City.

Even if he did do that, and even if he immediately organized a team to conquer the erosion instance as soon as it appeared, he should have left a trace in Wanghai City.

Lei Huo wasn't fooled by Wu Chang and said:

"But according to the data we have, the crime rate among ordinary people in Wanghai City has also dropped significantly. How can we explain this anomaly?"

Wu Chang glanced at Jian Xing behind the group out of the corner of his eye. He wondered what the guy was thinking. Instead of staying at the Yanjing headquarters, he went back to Wanghai City with Director Gao and the others.

With this problem, he can't simply make up lies to fool a few people; it's too much trouble.

Fortunately, he had a solution.

He chuckled and said, "It's too complicated to explain. You can look at it yourselves on the way back to the station, and you might find the reason."

The airport is located on the very edge of Wanghai City, just outside the Kingdom of Erin.

Wu Chang led everyone onto the bus. The moment they left the airport and entered the Kingdom of Erin, the doubts in their eyes vanished instantly.

As they approached the city center and the crowds grew denser, people looked out at the peaceful and serene atmosphere and couldn't help but sigh:

"It seems that Wanghai City is truly a treasure land; the more severe the disaster, the more peaceful it becomes."

Jianxing suddenly realized, "No wonder I chose to come back with you. It turns out that Wanghai City is also a reason. Staying here makes me feel at peace."

Wu Chang tried his best to keep a straight face and hold back his laughter, nodding in agreement, "I told you, you'll understand once you've seen it with your own eyes."

You want an explanation? Go ahead and explain it to me using my highest-level temporary management privileges in the Wilderness.

Do you understand what absolute rationality means?

Infected by the divine kingdom, the people began to lower their guard and truly relax.

Director Gao pointed at Wu Chang and said with a smile, "Wanghai City is indeed a blessed place, but you are definitely a lucky general as well. I am at ease entrusting Wanghai City to you."

"Originally, a few of us were thinking that if there was an erosion instance in Wanghai City, we would take advantage of the last 12 hours to break it. We would treat it as a warm-up and also as a final act of service for Wanghai City."

"Everything turned out to be so peaceful that we were a bit presumptuous."

Seeing that everyone was looking rather downcast, Wu said in an attempt to lighten the mood:

"I heard that Guyang City, which is next to Wanming City, is under threat from an A-level erosion dungeon. If you have too much energy, you can go and try to conquer that erosion dungeon."

Director Gao's sigh came to an abrupt halt, and he gave Wu Chang a helpless glare.

The unexpected peace in Wanghai City left everyone with nothing to do for the last twelve hours.

It's as if they've gone from working like cattle on a 007 schedule to fast-forwarding to retirement.

They either experience the life of retired cadres in advance, making tea and playing chess, or they meet up with friends for outings and small gatherings.

Immersed in the peaceful atmosphere of Wanghai City, the imminent life-or-death crisis seemed to have suddenly receded from them, allowing them to steal a moment of peace.

As for Jianxing, the outside helper, Wu Chang accompanied him.

Wu Chang originally planned to take Jianxing to visit the famous scenic spots in Wanghai City, but Jianxing suddenly had a whim and wanted to climb a mountain, so Wu Chang had no choice but to accompany Jianxing to climb Lingquan Mountain in Wanghai City.

The hill, a little over a thousand meters high, was just a warm-up for the two of them; they wouldn't even break a sweat.

Jianxing stood by the spring at the summit of Lingquan Mountain, looking at the other climbers on the mountain path. His gaze lingered on a family of three, and he said:

“I have been in poor health since I was a child. I get a minor illness every three days and a major illness every five days. I catch a cold almost as soon as I see wind. I rarely go out. If I have to go out, I am wrapped up more tightly than a cold mountain.”

“When I was about eight years old, my health improved slightly and I was able to go out with my parents for the first time. My parents took me to a temple in the mountains to burn incense and pray that I could grow up strong and get rid of my illness.”

"At that time, I thought, if I could be like ordinary people and spend more time with my parents, every day would be like the day of climbing the mountain."

"That day at the temple, I met my master. He said I had a talent for swordsmanship and wanted me to train with him. He also said that as long as I followed him, I could do anything, not only improve my health."

"At first I thought he was a teacher recruiting students for a martial arts school and I was going to refuse, but after he demonstrated flying on a sword in front of me, I agreed."

Wu Chang slightly tilted his head, revealing the expression of the old man on the subway's phone, and thought to himself, "Where did this protagonist template come from?"

Sword Star continued:

"My initial wish in learning swordsmanship was that time could slow down, allowing me to experience the world like an ordinary person."

"But ever since I started learning swordsmanship, my life has been in constant motion: training, sparring, dealing with wild superhumans, and joining the Abyss Game."

"Only now have I truly calmed down and recalled my original wish."

At this point, the sharpness of the sword-based power within Jianxing's body actually became hidden.

This is not a decline in his skill level; on the contrary, it shows that he has begun to truly control his swordsmanship and can freely control the sharpness of his blade.

The current Sword Star's internal source power is no less than that of God's Tongue, and he can definitely occupy a place among the ranked players.

Wu Chang, who witnessed the whole thing, was dumbfounded. "No, dude, you geniuses can break through just by climbing a mountain?"
If breaking through is so easy, then what are the hardships I endured in the training room to adapt to agility and endurance?
Jianxing spent the entire afternoon lost in thought on the mountain. By the time he and Wu Chang returned to the Administration Bureau, it was already evening.

That night, Director Gao hosted a farewell banquet, wishing all members of the Wanghai Branch, whether they were about to enter the world instance or would continue to stay in the Wasteland, smooth sailing in the future.

As midnight struck, all players who had qualified for the world instance faintly heard a bell ringing in their ears.

The world instance is about to begin.

(End of this chapter)