Diverting Disaster Eastward

Several years later. In some remote corner of the Tree Universe. Deep within a fissure on a meteorite larger than Earth, an arm gripped a rod and pulled it free from the crevice. "Ta-da! I found the Golden-Hooped Rod!" Yu Xian hoisted the Sea-Calming Divine Needle high, muttering to himself. Shrinking the needle, he slipped it into his trouser pocket, then gazed off into the distance to his left. Now that he had retrieved the Sea-Calming Divine Needle, it was time to make his move. After all these years, no matter how low his efficiency was, he had long since picked out a viable target. ... ... Margot Moxi. Strength: Mighty One. Race: Digital Virus Entity. This individual hailed from a world composed entirely of data, and she was the bringer of that world's apocalypse. She was an apocalyptic virus. After defeating her fated nemesis, the Hero Antivirus Entity, she thoroughly obliterated her own world, thereby shattering destiny's shackles to become an extraordinary being wandering across the heavens. In truth, her ascent to the rank of Mighty One was directly tied to the Machine Race. Upon encountering the Machine Race, she discovered that their self-awareness was actually forged from data, prompting her to stage a decisive invasion into their world. From then on, there was no stopping her, and she ultimately rose to become the Digital Machine Empress. At this moment, Margot Moxi was aboard a colossal mechanical battleship. The battleship was itself a living entity of the Machine Race possessing the power of a Mighty One, yet it had been reduced to serving as Margot Moxi's personal transport. Moreover, the battleship teemed with countless members of the Machine Race. The strongest possessed the might of a Mighty One, while the weakest still held Emptiness Realm strength—an entire foundation Margot Moxi had amassed by consolidating the resources and intellect of innumerable worlds. The primary reason Yu Xian had targeted Margot Moxi was that she was constantly annihilating worlds. Wherever she went, every world would be reduced to ruins in her quest to gather Calamity Origin. This was something Yu Xian simply couldn't stomach. Yu Xian admitted he was no saint—he had destroyed worlds himself to achieve his goals—but he would never run wild without restraint like Margot Moxi. He acknowledged his own guilt, which was why he also performed good deeds to make up for it a little. ... ... Yu Xian pulled out a key. An arm promptly materialized, and he slotted the key into the palm of its hand. The very next instant, he was back on a rock near the Zhen Realm. Searching for the Sea-Calming Divine Needle had taken several years. Returning took only a fraction of a second. Mister Key's legacy truly had something to it. Yu Xian then stepped back into the little dark room in the Zhen Realm, commanding the realm to blink directly to the region where Margot Moxi was located. Within the pitch-black Tree Universe, an immense, unimaginably colossal battleship drifted forward. It was larger even than Yu Xian's original universe. Looking to the right, one couldn't see its bow; looking to the left, one couldn't see its stern. The entire vessel was forged from a pitch-black metal, with vast rivers of energy coursing through the plating. A single glance was enough to convey how indestructible the ship was. This battleship was far more formidable than the Aska. Without the blessing of transcendence-grade power, the Aska would likely be sucked into its interior the moment it drew close, reduced to a single screw within. In fact, the battleship was actively absorbing every bit of matter it encountered—drifting boulders, shattered world barriers, and the massive carcasses of monsters. Wherever it passed, countless Machine Race members flew out from various hatches, swiftly breaking down and packaging the materials before hauling them back aboard. Before this battleship, Yu Xian was so minuscule that even describing himself as a fundamental particle would be an overstatement of his size. "Hehe, truly magnificent!" "But it'll soon be mine!" After examining every detail of the battleship and wiping away his drool, Yu Xian muttered to himself. This battleship was undeniably sleek and terrifyingly strong. Its main and secondary batteries possessed the firepower to blast Mighty Ones to ash, while its remaining weapons carried world-shattering might as well. Even more terrifying was the vast host of Machine Race lifeforms inside. Once battle erupted, an enemy wouldn't be facing a lone battleship, but an overwhelming swarm of adversaries blotting out the void. Furthermore, even if someone managed to triumph over the battleship, Margot Moxi still stood behind it! Having merged with a Machine Race body, Margot Moxi's power was dreadful. Her data was unfathomably vast, and to her, data was power. Yu Xian had no doubt that Margot Moxi possessed the strength to defeat the Eye-Snatching Demon. Even so, Yu Xian was in no rush to act. He could only defeat one Mighty One at a time. If he attacked the battleship, he wouldn't get the chance to strike at Margot Moxi; if he struck at Margot Moxi, he wouldn't be able to target the battleship. Others might not know, but Yu Xian was well aware that Margot Moxi and this battleship had long since become one. Her data was split into two halves: one hidden inside the physical shell of Margot Moxi, and the other concealed within the core of the battleship. Only by wiping out both simultaneously could she truly be killed. It was worth mentioning that the battleship housed six consciousnesses inside. Margot Moxi was the absolute sovereign, alongside the battleship's original consciousness, while the remaining four were minds she had extracted and transferred from other Machine Race members. Each consciousness possessed unique abilities. If necessary, Margot Moxi could use them to take hits for her. For instance, against certain mind-targeting attacks, she could deflect them using the spare consciousnesses; even when facing instant-death abilities, she could withstand them by letting those auxiliary minds perish in her place. "The bait should be about ready by now." Lying on the sofa in the Zhen Realm's little dark room, Yu Xian gazed at the battleship and mused silently. Since he couldn't defeat her on his own, the best approach was to call in outside help. But aside from Nora and the others, who would assist him for nothing? That was why he had devised this scheme to divert disaster eastward long ago. Margot Moxi had gathered quite a bit of Calamity Origin—a prize every Mighty One fought tooth and nail to claim. By a stroke of luck, Yu Xian had secured a surplus portion of Calamity Origin from the Eye-Snatching Demon. Moreover, through another coincidence, he had obtained every single one of the Eye-Snatching Demon's abilities. Therefore... He had previously decided to send the Death Emperor to pose as the Eye-Snatching Demon and lure Li Zhenlong over. He had actually considered playing the Eye-Snatching Demon himself, but he simply couldn't replicate that uncanny, sinister aura. The Death Emperor, on the other hand, carried an aura similar to the Eye-Snatching Demon's without even having to act. Yu Xian had bestowed the Eye-Snatching Demon's abilities upon the Death Emperor, followed by the Calamity Origin, and once preparations were complete, sent him out fishing. By this point, the Death Emperor also possessed the strength of a Mighty One. Backed by the Eye-Snatching Demon's abilities, he could execute the impersonation flawlessly. Draped in an identical cloak with his face wrapped in black cloth, he showed only a pair of eyes dominated by oversized whites. Cosplaying as the Eye-Snatching Demon, the Death Emperor was at least a ninety-nine percent match! When all was said and done, Li Zhenlong had only crossed paths with the Eye-Snatching Demon once. Yu Xian was confident that Li Zhenlong would take the bait hook, line, and sinker, led along by the nose. Judging by the time the Death Emperor had set out, Yu Xian estimated that he ought to have met Li Zhenlong by now.