Chapter 170 The Peak Showdown of Thieves

In the midst of the ravaged battlefield, a second Living Artificial God suddenly appeared, its weapons and equipment nearly identical to Han Xiao's, like a copy made from his blueprint.

The replica Artificial God was expressionless, facing Han Xiao from afar, emitting waves of formidable energy.

The sight startled countless interstellar citizens, their doubtful gazes focusing on Urnos.

"Another Super-A has emerged? I don't think I've seen this person before."

"What ability is that? It looks very powerful..."

"I know him! He's the Grand High Priest of the EsGod Sect!"

Many interstellar citizens widened their eyes, the embers of hope rekindled in their hearts.

Among the Super-As, Urnos was an anomaly, his past achievements few and far between. He had secluded himself for many years, and the EsGod Sect had not promoted his fame. His presence was low-key, and some ordinary people might not even know he existed. But in the Super-A circle, he was recognized as one of the strongest.

Seeing Urnos step forward, Oulu breathed a sigh of relief, yet felt resentful.

"You're finally willing to act. I thought you would just watch forever."

*Good heavens,* they had exhausted themselves fighting Han Xiao for six days and nights, and he only showed up at this moment, likely seizing the opportunity to "turn the tide"?

Urnos surveyed the many direct subordinates and sighed. "You've worked hard. I'm enough here. Go and rest."

"You still want to fight him one-on-one at this point?" Clotti frowned.

"I don't like ganging up on people," Urnos shook his head.

"Do you think we like it?" Clotti frowned. "This is a task assigned by the higher-ups. If you participate in the siege, we have the best chance of capturing Black Star. We're still trying to fight one-on-one after all this time. Aren't you being too affected?"

Urnos glanced at him calmly. "The higher-ups just gave me a direct order, requiring me to help, but I told them that I would not participate unless it was a one-on-one fight. They agreed to my request. If you have any objections, you can report them to the Crimson Dynasty Head of State. If you don't need my help now, I'll go back and wait."

Clotti frowned, opened a channel to communicate with the empire's high-level officials, gave Urnos a deep look, and flew toward the main ship without another word.

The others also received notifications from the higher-ups, glanced at Urnos complexly, and all withdrew from the battlefield.

In an instant, besides the wreckage filling the sky, only Han Xiao and Urnos remained on the battlefield.

Han Xiao had been observing the whole time. Seeing the other direct subordinates leave the field, his eyes flashed, and he spoke.

"Your ability is quite interesting."

Urnos did not respond to the statement, changing the subject as he slowly said, "I've been observing you for six or seven days. I'm afraid you've already stepped one foot into the threshold of a higher level. I'm not a warlike person. If possible, I really don't want to fight you, but…"

At this point, Han Xiao waved his hand, interrupting him.

"We have no friendship. You don't need to explain anything to me. Many people say you are the recognized strongest Super-A, and I've always wanted to spar with you."

As he spoke, he turned to look at the other Living Artificial God that looked exactly like him, narrowing his eyes.

"I have to say, with such an ability, you indeed have the capital to be the 'strongest', but imitations are always imitations."

Just now, when Urnos used his ability, Han Xiao's interface also triggered a combat alert, indicating that he had been affected by an ability called [Deification - Apotheosis], which, though effective, did not cause him any damage or abnormal status.

Han Xiao had planned ahead. Before the Mechanic race territory was besieged, he anticipated that he might fight Urnos, so he had inquired about this person's detailed information from Cthulhu and others, and knew that "Apotheosis" was one of Urnos's abilities, which could materialize some conceptual "gods" into powerful entities called "Deified Incarnations".

The materialized Deified Incarnations were separate individuals from the main body. They were generally referred to by the name of the god that they were incarnating. They possessed all kinds of abilities that existed in the concept of this "god", but not all of them. The strength and number of abilities not only depended on Urnos's personal strength, but also on the scale and degree of faith of the worshippers of this "god".

However, Urnos's transformation targets also included anything with "divinity", and the peak Super-A powerhouses who had begun their divinity transformation were naturally among them. When the transformed object was not a "concept" but an entity, it could directly inherit most of the target's strength and abilities, without the need for the faith of worshippers.

According to the association's executives, if they fought Urnos, the first hurdle would be to deal with a mirror-like "self", while also dealing with Urnos and other Deified Incarnations—this was one of the factors that made him the recognized strongest, with extremely elastic combat power, becoming stronger when facing stronger opponents.

What was even more perverted was that if a Deified Incarnation with an actual main body was killed by external forces, the damage would be reflected back to the main body, meaning that a peak Super-A killing a mirror-like "self" was equivalent to causing secondary damage to themselves.

Some old-timers said that long ago, Urnos's success rate in apotheosizing gods was limited, and it was not always successful relying on his own ability.

But Urnos's ability was a perfect match for the EsGod Sect. He obtained several related cosmic treasures bestowed by the EsGod Sect and established a deep soul link. The success rate of apotheosis had been fixed at 100%, which, in technical terms, meant that it directly skipped the judgment process.

Among these cosmic treasures, there was also a core treasure regarded as a "national artifact" by the EsGod Sect, which could be said to be the cornerstone of the EsGod's unified interstellar society of all religions. Urnos was perfectly compatible with it, as if he was born for it.

The only good news was that the combat information showed that after being "apotheosized" once, he gained a long-term immunity status, meaning that Urnos could not "apotheosize" the same target continuously in the short term, and the existence time and number of Deified Incarnations were also limited to a certain extent.

Even with Han Xiao's insight, he had to admit that Urnos's ability system was extremely IMBA (imbalanced), almost like he himself had a cheat!

*Terrifying, this ability is a bit like a different kind of character card. Its level of cheating is almost catching up to me…*

Han Xiao twitched the corner of his mouth, feeling a chill in his heart.

*It seems that everyone is a professional thief... Today is probably the peak duel between thieves!*

Various pieces of information flashed through his mind, but Han Xiao's actions were not slow. He gathered the remaining mechanical legions and launched an attack on Urnos.

At the same time, he manipulated the Artificial God into a charge, thrusting out the heavy spear at lightning speed.

Just then, another mechanical heavy spear slashed out from the side, intercepting Han Xiao's thrust, the tips of the spears colliding fiercely.

*Bang!!*

A fierce psionic shock wave exploded, the two heavy spears locked together, deadlocked.

"Your opponent is me."

The replica Artificial God with Urnos's face spoke indifferently, his body flashing with dark blue lightning.

"Oh, it can talk."

Han Xiao's eyes flashed. He suddenly twisted the spear shaft, the heavy spear in his hand rotating rapidly, the huge force concentrated and erupted, instantly bouncing away the opponent's spear tip. Then, like a dragon drilling through a hole, it pierced into the replica Artificial God's chest in a flash, compressed psionic energy bursting out from the spear tip, instantly splattering flesh and metal everywhere.

At that moment, the replica Artificial God seemed to feel no pain. It immediately counterattacked, the heavy spear thrusting back. Seeing this, Han Xiao instantly pulled back his spear to block, a large swath of dazzling arcs of electricity erupting at the point of impact, the surging force pushing Han Xiao away a distance.

Han Xiao looked up and saw that the replica Artificial God's chest had been left with a nearly penetrating cut, extremely tragic. However, in the next moment, the flesh and machinery at the wound began to wriggle and grow, slowly recovering.

"Tch, as expected, like me, they're all immortal cockroaches."

Han Xiao clicked his tongue.

This Deified Incarnation had also grasped the Super-A's own powerful recovery ability. The replica Artificial God also possessed an indestructible body, with only a few abilities not being copied. Although its combat power was much lower than his, it was estimated to have definitely exceeded the 100,000-level mark, stronger than the first-tier Super-As like Clotti and Oulu, and fully capable of fighting him.

At the same time, the Apostle Weapons, all injured, led the remaining mechanical legions in a siege on Urnos himself, the concentrated fire raining down like a torrential downpour.

Urnos, however, did not panic. He put his hands together, and strange colorful spiritual lights emerged from the surface of his body, rapidly magnifying and transforming into glowing proverb patterns, forming a huge protective shield, protecting him as he floated in the rain of light.

Then, he spread out his palm, and eight strands of white-gold spiritual light emerged, actively jumping into his mouth.

In the next moment, eight different Deified Incarnations separated from Urnos's main body, all emitting formidable high-level Super-A fluctuations, rushing toward the mechanical troops from all directions, each displaying their divine powers.

"I'll have to perform the ceremonies again when I get back."

Urnos shook his head, feeling a little heartache summoning eight Deified Incarnations at once.

When he accepted the emergency call-up a few days ago, he had collected the "divinity" from a dozen god statues in the Pantheon, storing them in the "EsGod National Artifact" within his body. If he had to act, he could directly summon the Deified Incarnations. If a fight didn't break out, he could still put the "divinity" back in place.

Only he knew that each time he summoned the Deified Incarnations of the Pantheon's god statues, he would consume the "divinity" that had been accumulating in the statues for a long time, making it impossible to summon the same god again in the short term. Only long-term ceremonies and prayers could allow the statues to restore their "divinity" and be summoned again.

The combat power of the Deified Incarnations also depended on the thickness of the "divinity" within the statues. After summoning them once, he had to start accumulating from scratch, which was very troublesome and extremely time-consuming.

For him, the Pantheon he guarded all year round was like an armory, and the god statues containing "divinity" were like ammunition… but he preferred to think of the Pantheon as farmland, with each god statue as a thriving crop that needed to be carefully tended to every day. If it was not necessary, he did not want to harvest any of them.

He knew his own situation best. His own ability could not easily apotheosize eight gods, but the "EsGod National Artifact" had long been integrated with him. Even without actively using it, the perfectly compatible passive bonuses elevated his apotheosis ability to an unbelievable level.

Han Xiao narrowed his eyes, suddenly ramming into the replica Artificial God, drill-shaped machinery shooting out from his waist, biting into the replica Artificial God's abdomen like assault capsules. The psionic attenuation module hidden within immediately activated, sucking away large amounts of the replica Artificial God's energy.

While the opponent was being restrained, Han Xiao suddenly twisted his body, swinging his spear toward Urnos's main body, planning to rush in and behead him.

Seeing this, Urnos created two more strands of divinity. This time, the two Deified Incarnations that emerged did not materialize, but instead melted, covering Urnos's body, as if a god had possessed him.

His entire aura suddenly soared, his hands wrapped in dazzling energy, guarding his front, neither dodging nor evading.

In the next moment, the heavy spear swept across, the size disparity between the two like a continent slamming over.

*Clang!!*

The shock wave erupted, but the result was completely different from Clotti, who had been sent flying with one blow.

Urnos's hands remained in the same stance, his entire body unshakeable, not even retreating half a step in the vacuum. The powerful mechanical heavy spear stopped, the visual effect like an ant holding up a collapsing mountain, incredibly shocking.

Glancing at Han Xiao, Urnos said nothing, simply withdrawing his stance, maintaining a slow and steady pace as he retreated, as if he did not take the attack to heart, not worrying about Han Xiao's pursuit at all.

"As expected, I can't break through his defense. He truly lives up to the EsGod National Artifact…"

Han Xiao frowned.

According to those in the know, the EsGod National Artifact had the characteristic of "indestructibility", its resistance terrifyingly high, and these abilities were also shared with Urnos.

The Chosen God's strength was largely due to the EsGod National Artifact. Fighting this guy was not just a battle between individuals, but also a clash with the supreme technological achievements of a cosmic civilization!

That was why Super-As rarely counted Urnos in their duels, because it was simply bullying others!

At that moment, the replica Artificial God broke free from control and pounced again, launching a barrage of attacks, entangling Han Xiao's Artificial God and preventing him from escaping.

After six days and nights of fighting, Han Xiao was not unscathed. The mechanical troops had also suffered huge casualties, most of them being sent to the dimension factory for emergency repairs. At this time, only 20-30% of the combat troops remained, and they had basically undergone several rounds of scrapping and refitting, scarred and battered. Against the vigorous Urnos and a group of Deified Incarnations, they were struggling for a time.

Han Xiao dealt with the replica Artificial God's frenzied attacks, glanced at the unfavorable battlefield situation, and narrowed his eyes.

"Urnos lives up to his name. It seems like it's going to be a tough battle… Fortunately, I still have tricks up my sleeve. I also know the skills of a thief!"

…

On the three major civilizations' main ships, Clotti and other direct subordinate Super-As had already treated their wounds and gathered on the bridge, watching the fierce battle between Black Star and Urnos.

Seeing Urnos fighting evenly with the Black Star who had exhausted them all, everyone felt a little uncomfortable.

"It's been many years since I've seen the Chosen God take action. What terrifying strength," Guzar said with emotion, stroking his beard.

"Hmph, if I had a cosmic treasure of the same nature as the EsGod National Artifact, I could be this powerful too," Oulu said sourly.

"The premise is that the Federation of Light can create one," Fransco shrugged.

"Who are you looking down on?" Verina retorted unwillingly.

The group chatted, diluting the heavy atmosphere a little.

Oulu turned around and noticed that Clotti was standing aside without speaking, so he couldn't help but say:

"We exhausted Black Star for six days and nights, and Urnos only ran out now to fight one-on-one. He might be trying to reap the rewards of victory. If he defeats Black Star, he'll not only take all the fame, but also treat us as stepping stones. Aren't you angry?"

Clotti glanced at him, expressionless, and said indifferently, "I don't care about these trivial matters. As long as we complete the mission from above, it doesn't matter who ultimately repels Black Star."

"Tch, if word gets out that an opponent we couldn't handle as a group was defeated by Urnos alone, it'll be a huge embarrassment. You don't care about your reputation, but I do!" Oulu gritted his teeth.

Clotti gave him a strange look. "You were beaten and fled by Black Star in a one-on-one fight. Your face was already lost. What are you thinking about?"

"...Damn it!"

Oulu wanted to argue, but at that moment, an unforeseen event occurred!

Suddenly, the Black Star in the field erupted with an even more astonishing aura, the energy fluctuation readings soaring at a rate visible to the naked eye, setting new records every second!

The output of the Black Star's Artificial God skyrocketed. In the next second, the replica's huge body was thrown out, crashing into the three major civilizations' fleet formation, crushing rows of battleships, sparks and lightning all the way!

The Apostle Weapons and mechanical troops seemed to have taken a great tonic, their firepower suddenly skyrocketing. The Deified Incarnations, who had been rushing back and forth, seemed to be instantly stuck in a mire, struggling to move and increase their injuries rapidly.

Then, Han Xiao turned his spear and slammed it down, a Deified Incarnation being smashed to pieces as if it had evaporated into thin air, instantly killed, exploding into a sky full of shattered light!

"Hmm?!" Urnos's composed expression disappeared in an instant.

The sudden change startled Clotti, Oulu, and the other direct subordinate Super-As. Everyone's eyes were immediately drawn to the rampaging Han Xiao, each widening their visual organs in astonishment.

Black Star's energy level skyrocketed in a very short period of time. He could still erupt?!

He clearly had reserves!

At that moment, everyone suddenly realized something, a chill running down their spines, and they suddenly felt a little confused.

"We fought desperately for six days and nights, and we haven't even forced him to use his full strength?!"