195: Chapter 195: Divine Punishment from Earth

The moment Jiang Ning issued the command, the crystal core at the center of that hideous mechanical skeleton far out in space suddenly lit up.

An invisible ripple, at a speed that transcended causality, instantaneously crossed the distance of 380,000 kilometers, enveloping the trembling golden light sphere above the Qingyun Sect.

That light sphere was the Inspector's origin core.

After his Law Body had been shattered by the planetary formation, his only thought was to escape. As long as he could flee back to the Great Immortal World, he could eventually recover given enough time, thanks to the indestructible nature of the origin.

However, when that invisible ripple swept over him, the core brand deep within his origin suddenly shuddered.

An unprecedented fear, rising from the depths of his soul, completely overwhelmed him.

He discovered to his horror that his faint connection with the Great Immortal World had been completely severed!

No, it wasn't severed.

It was being "overwritten"!

He felt as if he had been forcibly dragged out of a familiar, warm room and nailed onto a strange, cold iron plate.

This "iron plate" was the physical laws of the low-level world beneath his feet!

At that moment, all the traits belonging to him as a high-dimensional life form—ignoring space, distorting time, and having his words become law—were forcibly "formatted" by an unreasonable power.

He was "anchored" to this world.

He was no longer a high-and-mighty god, but had become... a "prisoner" with slightly stronger energy!

"This... what power is this?!"

"Reality Anchoring... this is a forbidden technique! It's the Mechanical Cult's 'Nail of Truth'! How could you possibly..."

The Inspector's consciousness let out intermittent roars in fear. He finally recognized the source of this power, but recognizing it terrified him even more than ignorance.

The Mechanical Cult was a terrifying civilization that even the Great Immortal World feared during the ancient era. They did not cultivate immortality or seek the Dao; they only believed in cold logic and absolute physics. They once tried to transform the entire universe into a precision machine, eventually sparking public outrage and being wiped out by a coalition.

But their technology, their "Physical Theology," had survived like a ghost, passed down through the ages.

And "Reality Anchoring" was one of their most notorious methods!

"Oh? You're quite well-informed."

Jiang Ning's voice rang in his mind with a hint of cold mockery. "Since you know what this is, then you should understand what happens next."

"No! Mercy! I was wrong! I won't do it again!"

The Inspector completely broke down and began to beg for mercy frantically. "I'm just a third-class Inspector, I was only following orders! I can compensate you! I'll give you anything you want! Immortal stones, dharma treasures, cultivation techniques... I can give them all to you!"

"Compensate?" Jiang Ning sneered. "Once we've crippled you, we'll take it ourselves. Now, enjoy the 'Heavenly Punishment' we Earthlings have sent for you."

Her consciousness issued the second command.

"Charge main cannon."

"Activate 'Logical Paradox' strike program."

On the inter-dimensional strike platform in space, the countless antennas of varying lengths began to rotate and extend frantically in a completely irregular manner.

The layered crystal rings of the central crystal core also began to spin at high speeds in different directions and velocities.

It didn't gather any energy, nor did it produce any light.

It was simply "compiling."

Compiling an "information virus" sufficient to drive even gods insane.

A set of absolutely contradictory logical instructions.

[Compilation complete: Designated target 'exists' and 'does not exist'.]

[Compilation complete: Designated target 'moves' and 'is stationary'.]

[Compilation complete: Designated target 'is' and 'is not'.]

[...]

One after another, absolutely contradictory concepts were forcibly compiled by this terrifying platform into a directional "Law."

Then, it launched this "Law."

There was no light, no sound, and no energy fluctuations.

Even Special Envoy Wang's most precise instruments failed to detect anything.

However, above the Qingyun Sect, the "anchored" golden light sphere began to undergo an extremely bizarre and horrifying transformation.

One half of it was glowing intensely, trying to prove its "existence."

The other half was rapidly becoming transparent, as if it were merging into nothingness to execute the "does not exist" command.

One part of it was moving frantically toward the east.

While the other part was nailed firmly in place, executing the "stationary" command.

Internally, countless contradictory laws were clashing, tearing, and annihilating each other frantically.

"Aaaah—!"

A scream that belonged to no language, purely the sound of concepts collapsing, exploded deep within everyone's souls.

That was no longer mere pain.

It was a torture billions of times more terrifying than being cut into a thousand pieces or having one's soul extinguished.

It was the ultimate agony of the "self" being fundamentally negated.

"Madmen! You're all madmen!"

In his final collapse, the Inspector's consciousness let out a desperate curse.

Then, before everyone's eyes, the golden light sphere—like a ball being torn apart by countless forces from within—burst with a "poof," completely shattering and annihilating into the most primitive, information-less void.

A high-dimensional life form at the Soul Transformation Stage.

Just like that... killed by a piece of "code."

He died silently, yet the sight was soul-stirring.

In the sky, after completing this fatal strike, the hideous inter-dimensional strike platform seemed to have exhausted all its energy. Cracks began to appear on its metal skeleton, and then, in a silent flash, it slowly disintegrated into cosmic dust.

Three million merit points, spent in a single shot.

Jiang Ning looked at the empty sky. While her heart ached for the cost, she also felt... it was damn well worth it.

This one shot hadn't just taken out an Inspector.

It had stripped away the last shred of arrogance and complacency from those high-and-mighty fellows in the Great Immortal World.

She believed that from today on, any visitor from the upper realm who wanted to set foot in this world would have to first weigh whether they were tough enough to withstand this unreasonable "physical salvation."

*Gulp.*

Special Envoy Wang looked at his instrument screen, where all readings had returned to normal, and swallowed hard.

He turned his head and looked at Jiang Ning as if she were a monster. His lips trembled for a long time before he squeezed out a sentence.

"Consultant... Consultant Jiang, that thing just now... was also one of our Earth's..."

"Conventional weapons."

Jiang Ning said, her face remaining unchanged and her heart steady.

"Oh, conventional weapons..." Special Envoy Wang nodded subconsciously, then suddenly reacted, nearly jumping up.

Conventional weapons?!

You call that thing that killed a god in one shot a conventional weapon?!

Then what do the unconventional ones look like? Using the Solar System as a slingshot?!

He suddenly felt that he might have a serious misunderstanding of his country's military-industrial capabilities.

On the other side, Boss Wan and the Qingyun Sect Leader were completely numb.

They had given up on thinking.

Everything that happened today had repeatedly crushed their fragile worldviews countless times.

Their only thought now was: from now on, whatever Ancestor Jiang says goes. Don't ask; if you have to ask, it's because you don't understand.

Jiang Ning ignored everyone's shock. She slowly exhaled, feeling a sense of relief.

The greatest external threat was temporarily neutralized.

So next...

It was time to harvest the spoils of war and negotiate terms.

Her gaze drifted to the spot where the Inspector had finally vanished.

There, a palm-sized token shimmering with seven-colored light was floating quietly.

That was the Inspector's identity token, and the only thing he had left behind after his death.