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

Chapter 497 No Thoughts
Emperor Zhaoning looked at Wu Chang, who had pierced through the golden armor of the heavenly soldiers and appeared before him, and a solemn expression appeared on his usually calm face.

He had already seen the scene of Heping taking out the Mo family mechanical puppet through the Great Immortal Fate, and he also knew that Tang Wuchang was the one piloting the mechanical puppet.

But he didn't expect that the mechanical puppet that was safely retrieved would be so powerful, and that Tang Wuchang could drive it so well.

That's how people are; during the period of forbearance, they can remain calm and composed no matter what unexpected events they encounter.

But everything went according to plan, even more smoothly than he had planned. Just when he was one step away from obtaining the Great Immortal's Fate, he encountered Tang Wuchang who suddenly appeared in front of him, and he panicked a little.

As the Human Emperor who possesses the destiny of the Great Mystery and has also consumed the Heavenly Pill, he can vaguely sense the existence of Heaven's Mandate.

At this moment, he sensed that the destiny of the plane was tilting in the direction of Tang Wuchang.

He forced himself to remain calm and said:

"Sect Leader Tang, I underestimated you before. There are many cultivators in the Human Alliance. I thought that things had come to this point, and perhaps a cultivator would appear in front of me, but I never thought it would be you."

Wu Chang responded:
"I hadn't thought about it either."

He knew that Emperor Zhaoning was using the opportunity to talk to him as a way to buy time and think of a way to break the deadlock.

If Emperor Zhaoning could afford to delay, he could afford to delay even more.

Although Emperor Zhaoning appeared to have regained his composure, Da Xianyuan's support for the Da Xuan royal family was steadily shifting towards the Tai Sui camp.

The more Emperor Zhaoning feared, the less support he received from Daxianyuan, and the greater the gap between them became, the more Emperor Zhaoning feared, creating a negative cycle.

In addition, the reason he can hold out is that he is currently using his original body.

When he first greeted Emperor Zhaoning with a barrage of attacks, he mixed the Deep Water Devour into his area-of-effect attack and spread it throughout the entire Lidi Temple.

The mist rising from the rain of light hitting the golden-armored celestial soldier was the Deepwater Devourer he had summoned.

After consuming the Formless Water Demon, his deep-sea primordial bloodline was enhanced. Although the enhancement had not yet reached a qualitative change, it allowed him to merge with the water element in the world instance.

In a way, he could be considered half a water demon king, which is why he used his true self to go to the altar for the flood sacrifice.

At this moment, relying on his control over the water element in the dungeon plane, he mixed the already difficult-to-detect Deep Water Devourer into the water mist, so that even Emperor Zhaoning could not detect it.

If this drags on, by the time Emperor Zhaoning comes up with a solution, his health may not be able to support him in achieving it.

Emperor Zhaoning was unaware of the Devouring Abyss, but he sensed that the Great Immortal Fate was gradually abandoning him. He spoke as if to Wu Chang, yet also as if to himself, reaffirming his resolve to contend for the Dao, and declared loudly:
"I want to compete for this great immortal destiny, not to achieve my own Great Dao like the Demon Emperor, nor simply to ensure the eternal stability of the Great Xuan Dynasty, but to prevent the human race from compromising with any other being."

"In ancient times, the human race was controlled by the upper realm and had to exchange all living beings for good fortune. The Demon Emperor and the Seven Stars tried to struggle, but to no avail."

"After the spiritual energy was depleted, the human race became physically weak. Although there was no calamity from the upper realm, this world was not without its own calamities. Faced with various natural disasters, the human race made various efforts, but floods and droughts continued year after year."

"After the spiritual energy revived, demons ran rampant, wreaking havoc on all sides and causing widespread suffering. The Human Alliance, high and mighty, considered itself superior to all and took whatever it wanted from the world to support itself."

"People fear demons from outside, and they also fear cultivators from within."

At this point, Emperor Zhaoning took a deep breath and said in a resounding voice:

"If I can obtain the Great Immortal Fate, I can use this power to suppress the world, so that the human race will no longer fear the Upper Realm, no longer fear the Four Calamities, no longer fear the Immortals, no longer fear demons and cultivators."

"Only in this way can the human race control its own destiny and be called the most intelligent of all beings."

As Emperor Zhaoning revealed the Dao that had been hidden in his heart, the Great Immortal Affinity Dao attached to the Great Xuan Imperial Family stopped flowing away.

He looked at Wu Chang and said:

"Master Tang is single-mindedly focused on eliminating demons, disregarding his own gains and losses and the consequences. Isn't that why he is doing this?"

"Why not join my Great Xuan Royal Family instead of opposing me?"

Wu Chang was just a player, not a sage who descended to the mortal realm to save all living beings.

While transcendence may bring chaos, under Emperor Zhaoning's leadership, being elevated to a world instance plane of the Realm of Reason might be better than having spiritual energy wither again.

He didn't know, nor did he care, whether following the Demon Emperor, Emperor Zhaoning, or Anrong was the right thing to do in the future of the world's dungeon dimension.

This matter was too profound and beyond his capabilities.

At most, he can only help the world choose one answer that is not wrong, not one that is right.

Rather than measuring which is better, he cares more about which offers the higher price.

It now appears that An Rong offered the highest price, so he is on An Rong's side.

He gripped the mecha's longsword tightly and said:
“What you say is very good, but you can’t even clear away my obstacles now, so how can you guarantee that you can clear away all obstacles for the human race in the future?”

"I..." Emperor Zhaoning wanted to refute, but was interrupted by Wu Chang as soon as he opened his mouth.

Wu Chang said, "If you can do it, then prove it to me."

As he spoke, he activated the divine mode of the peacemaker.

"Item Skill: Divinity Mode"

"Skill Description: Removes the limiter from the Peacekeeper, enters Divinity Mode, and gains a demigod state. If the pilot possesses Origin Power, it will be transformed into divinity based on the Origin Power injected by the pilot, thus activating True God Mode."

"Currently stored divinity: 100/100".

After the Kaiyang Immortal Fate was fully activated, the "Martial Luck" he obtained from it was not only a talent, but also represented the root power of martial arts.

Only the power of the root of martial arts can enable him to learn thousands of martial arts techniques in a short time and master them quickly.

Therefore, when facing Emperor Zhaoning, he did not choose the power of spatial origin or the power of mysticism, but instead chose martial fortune.

The source of martial fortune was infused into the peacekeeper, and a unique, truly divine aura emanated from within the mecha.

Her divine aura remained at the level of an Archangel, only slightly stronger than the girl with the tiger teeth. In terms of divine realm alone, she was far inferior to Emperor Zhaoning, who was between an Archangel and a Virtuous Angel.

However, divine strength is just divine strength and never represents combat power.

Wu Chang, who had transformed his martial prowess into a divine quality, seemed to be possessed by the God of War. In his eyes, Emperor Zhaoning was full of flaws and vulnerabilities.

Emperor Zhaoning felt uneasy under Wu Chang's gaze, but he knew Wu Chang was right. Since they couldn't reach an agreement, they had no choice but to take action.

Although his cultivation level was not at the Grandmaster level, the effort he put into cultivation was no less than that of a Grandmaster.

He has mastered almost all the spells in the Great Xuan Treasure Vault. With the help of the Heavenly Pill, he can fully utilize all his knowledge from the perspective of the Heavenly Dao.

He waved the imperial edict flag, commanding the surrounding spiritual energy, which flowed continuously into his body, making his spiritual power seem inexhaustible.

Immediately afterward, he flicked his command flag, and in an instant, seventeen or eighteen different spells were launched at Wu Chang, each with different characteristics.

Different spells can be combined to form new spells.

For example, Emperor Zhaoning's Five Elements Technique, which combines golden light, wooden thorns, cold air, fire, and sandstorm according to the mutual generation of the five elements, forcefully blends five A-level skills into the power of a domain-level skill.

These are only five of the spells. Almost every spell used by Emperor Zhaoning was combined with other spells, such as yin and yang, heaven and earth, wind and thunder...

In an instant, Wu Chang was surrounded by at least seven domain-level skills.

This is the function of the imperial edict flag; it can command various energies and arrange them according to its own needs.

Emperor Zhaoning did not need to personally unleash these spells. He only needed to think about the composition of these spells, and the spiritual energy would automatically condense under the control of the imperial edict flag.

During the duration of the Heavenly Elixir's effect, Emperor Zhaoning is the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao, and the rules of the world instance plane obey him.

As long as he wants to combine several spells, that is what the Heavenly Dao desires. The various rules within the plane will spontaneously cooperate, without him having to expend any effort. The spells will automatically combine without any mistakes.

All it takes is a single thought, and it can all happen naturally.

Wu had seen many people who called themselves magical machine guns, but their speed was nothing compared to Emperor Zhaoning's; they weren't even as fast as water guns.

Upon seeing this, Wu Chang realized that Emperor Zhaoning not only had a powerful army of 16,000 heavenly soldiers, but his own strength was also not to be underestimated.

If it weren't for An Rong and his interference, Emperor Zhaoning's true strength would be no less than that of the Three-Legged Golden Crow.

All I can say is that the Guangming Society really struck gold by choosing this dimension to cause trouble.

If the Heavenly Pill paired with the Imperial Edict Flag represents the ultimate in complex attacks, then Wu Chang, entering a state of martial arts divinity, represents the ultimate in simplicity.

Whether it's wind, rain, thunder, lightning, or the five elements of heaven and earth, in his eyes they are all reduced to combinations of spiritual energy.

Although the various spells were perfectly integrated with the help of the Heavenly Dao, the spells themselves were only A-level, not perfect.

He could easily spot the flaws in these spells and strike at the most opportune moment in the most suitable location.

In a daze, he recalled the battle between the Lord of the Deep Sea and the wooden sculpture of Wuqu Star Lord. He remembered the movements of the wooden sculpture of Wuqu Star Lord, and the movements of wielding the mecha longsword in his hand changed accordingly.

With each swing of his sword, he could precisely deflect the spells attacking him with the simplest and smallest movements.

Paying attention to the changing trajectories of more than a dozen spells, identifying their weaknesses amidst these changes, and planning how to break them requires a great deal of mental effort.

At the same time, the martial arts divine ability allows him to break through spells with martial arts skills, but breaking through spells requires a lot of physical strength.

Normally, even if he activated his martial arts divinity, he would quickly exhaust his mind and physical strength, overwhelmed by endless spells. But with the Unyielding effect, his body would not feel fatigued, and his mind would not feel weak, forever remaining in its most perfect state.

No matter how the spells roared around him, he stood firmly in the midst of it, unshaken in the slightest.

At first, he needed to use his eyes to see and find the weaknesses of the spells, and use his brain to think about how to attack most efficiently.

But once his body got used to the martial arts divinity of combat, he began to close his eyes. He no longer needed to use his eyes to confirm; his intuition could capture the weaknesses of spells instead of his eyes.

He doesn't need to think; his inspiration and fighting instincts are enough to create the most reasonable sword trajectory.

And so, he entered a state of self-forgetfulness.

If the martial arts fanatic who died at the fifth level of Kaiyang Immortal Mansion were to see this scene, he would surely be resurrected from his resentment out of jealousy, and then die from a heart attack.

The state of selflessness where the mind and the Tao merge into one is a state that every martial artist dreams of.

However, reaching this state is not easy; even martial arts prodigies can only achieve it for a short time during life-or-death battles.

Either they kill their opponent by entering a state of self-forgetfulness, thus escaping the life-or-death crisis; or they exhaust their mind and strength by being lost in a moment of self-forgetfulness, dying at the hands of their enemy or being subdued by them.

But even these moments of self-forgetfulness are enough for a martial artist to break through their bottleneck and reap great rewards after the battle.

The breakthrough between life and death refers to entering a state of selflessness, the moment when one sees the true essence of martial arts.

Many martial artists would risk their lives to enter that moment, but Wu Chang couldn't stop once he went in.

The tireless Wu Chang, together with Emperor Zhaoning who even swallowed the Earth Pill in order to capture Wu Chang, maintained the state of selflessness for a full three minutes.

Wu Chang regained consciousness three minutes later, not because he couldn't hold on, but because his Exia-level martial arts divinity was only enough for him to comprehend this much.

The moment he regained consciousness, he looked at the attribute panel to confirm his gains in the state of selflessness.

His master-level combat skills and master-level use of melee weapons have all vanished at this moment, condensed into a new skill in conjunction with his insights gained in a state of selflessness.

Skill Name: Wuxiang

Skill Level: A (Upgradeable)

"Skill Description: You can see the essence and weaknesses of moves and spells, and predict the opponent's attacks to a certain extent. The degree of prediction depends on your Inspiration attribute."

"Note: When you see through the meaningless appearances and look directly at the source, you have already embarked on the path to martial arts."

The skill description of Wuxiang is very simple, and the simpler it is, the more it proves its extraordinary nature.

Entering a state of selflessness for three minutes, and combining the results of his two master-level passive skills, Wuxiang's skill level reached an upgradable A-level.

He had a premonition that when he activated his martial arts divinity, this skill would be upgraded from A-level to S-level.

For him, who already possesses the seed of martial arts divinity, it can be said that it is destined to become an S-rank skill.

He turned his gaze away from the attribute panel and looked at Emperor Zhaoning, who was still diligently casting spells.

My brother is so loyal. His true self, as a celestial being, had already gained many benefits from Emperor Zhaoning when he worked for him. Now that they are enemies, Emperor Zhaoning is still so generous.

Although he entered a state of selflessness, the peacekeeper recorded the changes in the outside world for him.

In order to constantly increase the pressure on him and keep him in a state of selflessness, Emperor Zhaoning, fearing that he would not live long enough, even specially ate an Earth Pill.

Without saying anything more, regardless of whether Emperor Zhaoning acknowledges it or not, he has accepted the other party as his brother.

But brothers are brothers, it's time for this battle to end.

He activated his mindlessness and looked at Emperor Zhaoning.

Various flashing cracks appeared on the countless spells surrounding him; these were the weakest points of the spells, and if they were hit, the spells would collapse.

He could not only see the weaknesses of magic, but also predict the direction of those weaknesses to a certain extent based on how the magic worked, and calculate how he could get close to Emperor Zhaoning.

It sounds complicated, but in practice, he doesn't need to think. In just a moment, his inspiration will plan the route for him.

In Emperor Zhaoning's eyes, Tang Wuchang, who had been trapped and unable to move, suddenly changed his aura.

Immediately afterwards, Tang Wuchang, who had been unable to move an inch for three minutes, took seven steps in succession. With each step he took, the magic around Tang Wuchang would inexplicably shatter.

His seven steps drew an arc, the trajectory of which resembled the constellation of the Big Dipper.

The seven steps were executed in one smooth motion, and by the time Emperor Zhaoning reacted, the peace envoy was already in front of him.

The massive mecha blade deflected the imperial edict flag from his hand, hovering above his head. Tang Wuchang's icy voice emanated from within the mecha.

"You lost."

Emperor Zhaoning clenched his fists, closed his eyes, and said with some resentment:

"Master Tang broke through in the midst of the battle, his martial arts skills are profound, my defeat is not unjust."

He closed his eyes and waited for a moment, but the fatal blow did not come. He grew impatient and opened his eyes, only to see that the huge long sword that had been hovering above his head had been withdrawn.

He said unhappily:

"What does this mean?"

Wu Chang said matter-of-factly:
"The debate over the right path is a debate over ideas. We have no deep-seated hatred for each other. All I need is for you to admit defeat. There is no need to kill you."

Anger flashed in Emperor Zhaoning's eyes as he said:

"Is Sect Leader Tang trying to humiliate me?"

There was a question he didn't voice: he wanted to ask Tang Wuchang, "What do you consider the dispute over the right of way?"

Unexpectedly, Tang Wuchang spoke the words that Tang Wuchang hadn't said.

Wu Chang said, "What do you take this dispute over the right of way as?"

Emperor Zhaoning almost laughed out loud in anger. He said:

"What does Sect Leader Tang think the struggle for the Dao is?"

Wu Chang said, "The struggle for the Way is not about a breath of air, nor is it about winning or losing a contest between you and me. It is about who holds the world in their hands and who will make the future better."

"Even after the Heavenly Gate closes, the Great Mystery will still be your Great Mystery."

"If you want the human race to be unafraid of the upper realm, immortals, cultivators, and demons, after the Heavenly Gate is destroyed, the spiritual energy will be depleted, and these will naturally cease to exist."

"As for the Four Calamities, even if humans lack spiritual energy, they can still transform the world with their mortal bodies without fear of the Four Calamities."

Emperor Zhaoning did not believe it. He asked, "Without spiritual energy, how can we overcome natural disasters?"

Wu Chang said, "There are many methods, and one of them is right in front of you: the art of mechanisms."

"The mechanical arts of the overseas immortal mountains can still accomplish what only cultivators can do, even without the participation of spiritual energy. Without spiritual energy, it may take a long time to defeat the Four Calamities with human strength, but one day we will be able to reach them."

"Does the loss of spiritual energy mean you've lost the courage to be an emperor?"

Emperor Zhaoning's father was incompetent and tyrannical, leaving him a mess when he died. At the beginning of his reign, he wanted to work hard to govern the country and restore order, but he happened to be caught in the revival of spiritual energy.

Without him lifting a finger, the world was restored to peace in the hands of the cultivators, but he was thus sidelined and could only watch as the Human Alliance ran rampant in the world that belonged to him, like an incompetent husband.

Wu Chang's words at this moment awakened his confidence in restoring the country after he had just ascended the throne.

After a moment of silence, he said:

"I lost this dispute, and I accept it wholeheartedly."

The moment Emperor Zhaoning conceded defeat, Wu Chang's title "Destiny Predator" was activated.

"Title Effect: Wearing this title will grant players a hidden attribute, Luck. Players will gain a portion of Luck by taking actions that can alter the course of a dungeon or by defeating a key figure in the dungeon who is destined for greatness. When a player defeats the Chosen One, they can take over that position and become the Chosen One of this plane."

The golden dragon of human destiny surrounding Emperor Zhaoning glanced at him with some reluctance before coiling around Wu Chang's main body.

"The player defeats Emperor Zhaoning and becomes the chosen one of destiny in the 76271st plane of the Wilderness."

"Players help the Tai Sui faction fight for the right path, greatly altering the course of the plane, and players gain a lot of fortune from the changes."

"Player in the Wasteland - Dimensional Luck +150".

As Emperor Zhaoning conceded defeat and withdrew from the struggle for the Dao, the golden dragon of human destiny shifted, Emperor Zhaoning's arrangements were lifted, and the 16,000 golden-armored heavenly soldiers dissipated.

In the Great Immortal Fate, the share that originally belonged to the Great Xuan Royal Family was also transferred to the Tai Sui camp.

The high regard they received from the Great Immortal Alliance allowed them to leverage its power to a certain extent, just as the Demon Emperor and Emperor Zhaoning had done before.

For example, they only need to think about it to see the giant dragon that Da Xianyuan has transformed into. If they want to come to Da Xianyuan's side, they can instantly return from the sacrificial altar to the Heavenly Gate.

An Rong returned to the Heavenly Gate immediately. Looking at the Demon Emperor, who had lost the advantage of the Great Immortal Fate and was on the verge of defeat, he thought to himself that it was time to end all of this.

(End of this chapter)