We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 498 [Clash of Laws] [Facing the Great Sage]

When Shane and his group reappeared from the void.

They were already in an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the [Intelligent Territory].

The surrounding rusted metal pipes and collapsed machinery wreckage formed a natural shelter.

Steam hissed and seeped from cracks in the ground, appearing particularly desolate against the dark red sky.

"We're safe, for now."

Xia En released the crew members, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Using [Void Shuttle] continuously consumes a lot of stamina, not to mention carrying so many people.

Carles' condition is also not optimistic.

The side effects of overload mode began to appear.

She knelt on the ground, her mechanical joints groaning under the strain, the dark red lines on her skin flickering.

"Carles!"

Xia En quickly stepped forward to support her.

"I'm fine... I just need to... rest for a while."

"Carles replied."

At the same time, her breathing was slowly returning to normal, which made Xia En breathe a sigh of relief.

However, Carles' next words soon caused everyone to worry again.

"Captain Shane, I can feel it..."

"There is a special connection between the fragments of God."

"And aside from Miss Lyra's [Fragment of God], the last fragment should be in the hands of the [Great Sage]."

"Moreover, the authority over that [Fragment of God] in its possession is probably..."

"【dominate】!"

Upon hearing this, Xia En raised an eyebrow.

"【dominate】?"

Upon closer examination, isn't the Great Sage's manipulation of numerous intelligent machines precisely what is meant by "Domination"?

However, this made Xia En think of something else.

That was the [Sovereign Law] that I learned in the [Dragon's Nest Secret Realm].

According to the Dragon Clan's estimate, as recorded in the "Record of the Unity of All Laws".

The [Dominant Law] is very likely the key to balancing and controlling the various laws within Xia En's body.

Right now, with Carles' breakthrough...

Xia En's overall qualities have improved once again.

[Overall Qualifications: 138 → 151!]

At the same time, he also unlocked a new law of power—

The Laws of the Machines!
However, after obtaining this law, Shane clearly felt a sense of difficulty.

It is difficult to truly grasp this rule.

This is probably because Shane is, after all, a flesh-and-blood being, not a mechanical life form.

Nature and this [mechanical law] have created some kind of conflict.

This conflict is no small matter.

This caused the fragile balance formed by the nine laws within Xia En's body to become unsustainable.

Xia En took a deep breath, feeling the restless power of the laws within his body.

Nine different forces surged through his body.

They collided and clashed with each other, as if they might tear his body apart at any moment.

In particular, the newly acquired [Intelligent Machine Law] is incompatible with other laws, and is as difficult to reconcile as an alien object.

"Captain, you look terrible."

Joey keenly noticed Shane's unusual behavior and asked with concern.

"Were you injured in the fight just now?"

No, it's not an injury.

Xia En shook his head and said in a deep voice, "It's a conflict of laws."

"Conflict of laws?"

Everyone was shocked when they heard this.

As secret guides, they naturally understood what this meant.

Moreover, the King of Ten Thousand Dragons had previously pointed out the hidden dangers of various laws within Xia En's body.

This is bound to cause concern among the crew.

"call……"

Xia En let out a long breath, and with his control over the secret power, he forcibly suppressed the power of many laws.

"Don't worry, I'm fine for now."

"However, once high-intensity battles occur again, the conflict between the laws will become even more intense."

Joey asked, frowning.

"Isn't there any way to resolve the conflict?"

At this moment, Xian Ge, who was standing next to her, also remembered the instructions of the King of Ten Thousand Dragons.

"【dominate】……"

"Perhaps, the [Dominant Law] can help the captain control other laws."

Karlless continued, "But this also means that we will have to fight that [Great Sage] head-on."

Shane and the others were undoubtedly in an extremely difficult predicament.

To resolve the conflict of laws, we must fight against the Great Sage.

However, Xia En's condition would intensify the conflict of the laws of power once the war began.

Xia En pondered for a moment, his gaze gradually hardening.

"Since we'll have to face the Great Sage sooner or later, we might as well take the initiative now."

“But Captain, your condition…” An said worriedly.

"I have an idea."

Shaun looked at Karlless: "Since you can resonate with the [Fragment of God], perhaps you can use its power to temporarily stabilize the conflict of laws within my body."

Carles' eyes gleamed: "Worth a try."

She raised her hand, and dark red energy patterns flowed across the mechanical arm.

"Relax your mind and don't resist."

Xia En nodded and closed his eyes.

Carles gently placed his palm on Shane's chest.

In an instant, a warm yet powerful force surged into Xia En's body.

The power of the [Fragment of God] acted like a lubricant, flowing between the nine laws and temporarily easing the conflicts between them.

Xia En could feel the restlessness within her body gradually subsiding.

"efficient!"

He opened his eyes and said with surprise.

Carles withdrew his hand: "But this is only temporary, it can only last for a few days at most."

"enough."

Xia En clenched his fist, feeling the power of readjustment.

"We must obtain the [Fragment of God] from the [Great Sage] within these few days."

Joey frowned.

"But even the previous [Six-Winged Angel] was already so difficult to kill."

"The Great Sage's strength is likely to be even greater."

Shaen gazed calmly toward the distant mechanical city.

"A direct frontal assault is indeed unwise, but we can outsmart them."

He turned to Karlless: "Since you can sense the connection to the [Fragment of God], can you trace the location of the [Great Sage] in reverse?"

Karls closed his eyes and concentrated, the dark red patterns on his body shimmering slightly.

A moment later, she opened her eyes: "Yes. It's on the top floor of the Central Sanctuary, but..."

"But what?"

"The state of that fragment is strange; it seems to be sealed in some kind of way."

Xia En pondered, "It seems that even the Great Sage cannot fully control the power of the Fragment of God."

Just then, Ann suddenly pointed to the sky: "Look!"

Everyone looked up and saw that the gear-shaped clouds above the mechanical city were twisting violently.

Countless mechanical parts fell from the clouds, like a torrential downpour of metal.

The entire city began to tremble, cracks appeared in the ground, and steam billowed out.

"The intensity of [Divine Pulse] is increasing!"

Data streams rolled rapidly in Carlsley's mechanical eyes.

"No, this is... the Great Sage is actively drawing upon the power of the Fragments of God!"

Xia En's heart skipped a beat: "What does it want to do?" "Perhaps it was stimulated by the theft of the [Fragment of God]."

"We want to completely eliminate the underground [resistance army]."

Carles' voice was grave: "I can feel the energy beneath the city converging at a single point."

“It must be stopped!”

Shain made a decisive move: "Carles, immediately pinpoint the location of the [Great Sage]!"

Carlles nodded: "Yes!"

Soon, a look of joy appeared on Carles' face.

"The Great Sage is currently located somewhere outside the city."

"Moreover, it doesn't seem to have any other guards with it!"

"Outside the city?"

Xia En frowned, immediately realizing that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Exact location?"

Carles closed his eyes and sensed for a moment, then pointed northwest: "About five kilometers away, an abandoned energy tower."

"Strangely, it seems to be... hibernating?"

"Hibernation?"

Joey keenly sensed something was amiss: "Could it be a trap?"

"This possibility cannot be ruled out."

Xia En pondered, "But right now the [Pulse of God] is intensifying, and the [Great Sage] is likely using all his power to control the fragments."

"This may be its weakest moment!"

The group exchanged glances, all seeing the determination in each other's eyes.

"Take action."

Shaun said in a deep voice, "Carles leads the way, the rest of you stay alert."

"Remember, our goal is to seize the [Shard of God], don't linger in the fight!"

Guided by Carles, the group quickly traversed the abandoned factory area.

The scenery along the way was terrifying.

The earth cracked, steam billowed, and countless mechanical lifeforms wandered the wilderness like zombies.

Their mechanical eyes flashed with an abnormal red light, as if they were being forcibly controlled by some force.

"The Great Sage is drawing their energy."

Carles whispered, “These compatriots… are being drained dry.”

Xia En clenched his fists and quickened his pace.

Soon, a towering metal tower came into view.

The tower was covered in rust, but its top emitted an eerie dark red light.

"That is where the Great Sage resides!"

Carles' voice carried a hint of tension and excitement.

Xia En narrowed his eyes, activating the [Peeping Eyes] at full power.

In his view, the entire energy tower was covered by a dense array of "dots" and "lines," making its defense system extremely robust.

Strangely, the core area at the top of the tower appeared unusually calm, as if it were a vacuum.

"Something's wrong..."

Shaun whispered, "The defenses at the top of the tower are too weak, it's practically like—"

"It's like they deliberately let us in."

Joey took over the conversation, his brow furrowed.

"But we have no way out."

Shaun took a deep breath and looked at Karlless: "Can you sense the exact location of the [Fragment of God]?"

Carles closed his eyes for a moment, then pointed to the top of the tower: "It's right there, but... its condition is strange."

"It's like being bound by some kind of force, unable to move freely."

"Bondage?"

A thought flashed through Xia En's mind: "Could it be that the Great Sage is also suppressing the power of the Fragment of God?"

"possible."

Karlless nodded: "I can sense that the [Overlord] authority within that fragment is extremely violent, something that ordinary mechanical lifeforms simply cannot withstand."

"So that's why the Great Sage needs to hibernate periodically to balance the power of the fragments?"

An suddenly realized.

"exactly."

A glint of light flashed in Xia En's eyes: "This is an opportunity!"

"If the Great Sage is currently weakened, we might be able to seize the fragment in one fell swoop!"

The group quickly devised a plan.

Carles and Shane led the attack, with Joey and Ann providing support, while String Song and the Ghost Star couple kept watch on the perimeter to prevent reinforcements from the Templars.

The action begins!
The dark red patterns on Karl-Lewis's body suddenly lit up, and the steam core roared.

She leaped up suddenly, her mechanical fist slamming heavily against the outer wall of the energy tower!
"boom!"

A large hole was blasted into the metal wall.

Xia En followed closely behind, his [Void Power] transforming into a jet-black longsword, destroying all the defensive systems along the way.

The two charged straight to the top of the tower with unstoppable momentum.

Strangely, the expected resistance did not materialize.

The entire interior of the energy tower was empty, with only the faint hissing of steam pipes.

"It went too smoothly..."

Alarm bells rang in Xia En's mind, but the die was cast.

Finally, they arrived at the core compartment at the top of the tower.

The hatch slowly opened, revealing the interior—

A massive mechanical throne stood in the center, upon which sat a figure.

Its head drooped, and the light in its mechanical eyes dimmed, as if it had fallen into a deep sleep.

At its chest, a dark red crystal fragment floated, emitting a chilling aura.

"That is the Great Sage... and the Fragment of God!"

Carles' voice trembled slightly.

Xia En carefully observed his surroundings and, after confirming that there were no traps, slowly stepped forward.

"Be careful, it might be in disguise."

Carles nodded, and the data stream rolled rapidly in the machine's eyes.

"It is indeed in a dormant state, but..."

Before he finished speaking, a sudden change occurred!
The Great Sage's mechanical eye suddenly flashed a blinding red light!

"The intruders... have finally arrived."

A cold and powerful voice echoed in the cabin.

Immediately afterwards, countless pipes emerged from the ground and walls, attacking Shane and Karl-Heinz like living creatures!
"Back off!"

Shane swung his sword and severed several pipes, but more pipes kept pouring in.

Karls charged directly at the Great Sage, his fist, crackling with dark red energy, slamming into its chest!

"boom!"

With a muffled thud, the Great Sage's body swayed slightly, but he was not substantially injured.

"Foolish traitor."

The Great Sage slowly stood up, and the Fragment of God on his chest shone brightly.

"Do you think that by stealing a fragment, you can defy the authority of the [Overlord]?"

It raised its hand, and an invisible force instantly imprisoned Carles!
"Ugh—!"

Karllais emitted a painful, mechanical sound, and the dark red patterns on his body began to flicker erratically.

"Carles!"

Shane immediately used [Void Travel] to arrive next to Karlless.

At this moment, the Great Sage also noticed the restless power of the laws within Shane's body.

The Great Sage laughed and said, "Interesting... a body of flesh and blood actually contains so many laws."

"But your body will soon be torn apart."

The fragments on its chest shone even brighter: "Why don't you let me help you find release?"

A terrifying suction force suddenly came.

Xia En felt the power of the laws within his body begin to leak out uncontrollably!

"Oh no! It's extracting my laws!"

Xia En's expression changed drastically as he tried his best to suppress the agitation within his body.

The power of domination is truly bizarre!

(End of this chapter)