Chapter 769 - Huge Sensation!
This chapter is updated by Wuxia.Blog
769 Huge Sensation!
Hadavy was led to a room by Hila and tied to a chair. Hila stood with her arms folded by the side, staring coldly at him.
"Wait here. Black Star will arrive in a while."
Hadavy did not struggle as well. After quietly sitting for a while, he seemed to feel that the atmosphere was a little awkward. He looked at Hila and asked, "What's your Esper ability? I've been roaming around the Shattered Star Ring for so many years, yet I haven't heard of you. Someone like you would not be able to mask the news. Which civilization are you from?"
Hila did not even bother to reply, keeping a passive expression.
Seeing that she had no interest, Hadavy could only cough dryly. "Seems like you don't like to converse."
This time, the door opened, and Han Xiao walked in, smiling. "She's from my hometown; we're both from Planet Aquamarine. Because she was learning under Ames, she only appeared recently to help me with my matters."
"The Dragon Emperor's disciple?" Hadavy was stunned, and the look he shot toward Hila changed, filled with admiration and envy.
Planet Aquamarine, a surface civilization, could actually give rise to people like Hila and Black Star. This intrigued Hadavy.
Ka-la!
Moving his hand, Han Xiao freed Hadavy from the restraints. He suddenly had a thought, saying, "Ok, you may leave now."
Hadavy was given another shock, and his mouth gaped open as he said, "You're letting me go?"
"That's right." Han Xiao smiled. "No matter what, we've fought so many times, and I respect your abilities. This time, I'm letting you go. The bet can be nulled."
"No no no..." Hadavy immediately stammered. "I'm a man who keeps his word. Since I've lost, I must accept my promise and work for you."
"Well, such a strong Super like you would not agree to simply being someone's subordinate in such a manner," Han Xiao replied, half-seriously and half-jokingly. "I might have reached the Beyond Grade A level, but to peak-level Calamity Grades such as you, I have my respect and will not force you."
Hadavy was so anxious his face turned red. He had initially thought that his plan would be successful and that he could succeed in his gamble and join under Black Star's flag. He did not expect Black Star to actually reject him, with the reason so moving that even he could not reply to that.
"I... you..." Hadavy was speechless, unable to voice his thoughts.
Should he just say that he wanted to serve Black Star? Hadavy felt that this was a little shameful, and he could not bring himself to do it. However, if he just walked away, that would defeat his purpose of going there. In that instant, he fell into a dilemma, not knowing what to do.
Seeing this situation, Han Xiao smiled. "I won't mess with you any further. If you wish to join the Black Star Army, I'll welcome you with open arms. If you are trying to use such tricks to fool me, we can stop the discussion."
Hadavy's face turned red. "You already knew‽"
Upon having his thoughts seen through, he was so embarrassed that he wished to find a hole to hide in.
For Hila, who was standing by the corner with a passive expression, the corners of her mouth curled up into a barely discernible smile.
Han Xiao raised an eyebrow, leisurely saying, "In that case, I'll formally extend an invitation to you. Hadavy, my legion requires your strength. Are you willing to come under my banner?"
Hadavy found it hard to open his mouth at this time. His mouth seemed to be glued shut, and he applied all his Grade A level strength just to unlock his jaw.
"I... I am willing..."
After saying those three words, Hadavy felt as though his entire body had gone soft. The feeling was as though he had just finished ten consecutive gladiator matches.
"Good." Han Xiao nodded with a smile. "On behalf of my army, I welcome you."
Seeing that Han Xiao was no longer fooling around with him, Hadavy finally breathed a sigh of relief, putting down the embarrassment in his heart. "What role do you require me to take?"
Han Xiao thought about it before pointing to Hila. "You can join the Black Star Guards, which is under Hila."
With Hadavy having a well-known reputation, him joining the Black Star Guards would also increase their renown.
"Black Star Guards?" Hadavy stroked his chin before replying, "That's fine, but I have a request. I hope that you will be able to impart some of your experience in achieving Beyond Grade A to me..."
Han Xiao nodded before shaking his head. "Every Beyond Grade A has a different method for their promotion, and everyone has their own path. I'm unable to pass down my experience to you, but what I can do is spar with you, allowing you to feel the difference between your level and that of a Beyond Grade A to give you more inspiration."
"This..." Hadavy shook his head helplessly. "That works as well."
While this was a little different from his expectations, being able to spar with a Beyond Grade A was also what he wanted. He originally loved to squeeze his potential out through battles.
The average person could not give him much pressure, but facing Black Star would remind him of his fear of the beasts when he was young and weak. This sort of fear would be a catalyst for growth.
Han Xiao waved his hand, allowing Hila to take Hadavy to meet his new colleagues.
He now had a total of five guards, of which Hadavy, Feidin, and Hila were the strongest, all high-level Calamity Grades. The other two were Marian and a Pugilist named Deluno. Both of their combat capabilities were average, not extraordinary in the Calamity Grade, but it was good enough to be a mini-boss. In this manner, all his guards were actually elites.
After dealing with Hadavy, Han Xiao called Sylvia over to talk about the expansion of the Black Star Army.
Since he had personally announced the matter of reaching Beyond Grade A, he would have to start making some big moves, increasing his influence, and making more allies in the Star Field. His plan was to make the Black Star Army reach the level of a true Beyond Grade A force.
But before that, there was still another matter he needed to address.
"Sylvia, help me prepare a fleet. I'm going out."
"Noted. Where are you going, Teacher?"
Han Xiao paused, his tone strange.
"Floating Dragon."
...
The countless interstellar news outlets released the article about Han Xiao personally acknowledging that he had broken into the Beyond Grade A class. At its peak, ninety-five percent of the entire news channels in the Shattered Star Ring were occupied by news about this matter, setting off a new storm of public opinion.
Most of the official news sources had acknowledged this matter, making it a sure bet. During this period, almost all the media outlets in Shattered Star Ring were covering the topic. With so many media channels, this was far larger than compared to the rumor and word-of-mouth influence that had spread earlier. As long as the citizens had internet, there was no one that would not have heard of Han Xiao's name!
Similarly, this sensational news had also been shared by the media of other Star Fields, and their organizations had also learned that the Shattered Star Ring had given birth to yet another Beyond Grade A Super!
The player forums almost detonated from this situation. Although Han Xiao's name often dominated the forums, it was because of the players' discussion. That day, even the players from other Star Fields could also see their news channels commenting on Han Xiao's name!
Those belonging to other Star Fields were shocked. At Version 3.0, players had yet to cross between Star Fields. In their eyes, each Star Field was currently an independent server. Now, the NPC character from the Shattered Star Ring had actually 'broken' this barrier due to his fame!
Since the previous versions, Han Xiao had constantly established his main storyline character position in the Shattered Star Ring. The players from the other Star Fields also knew of his name. This wave of public opinion had generated a strong interest within the player base. Not only was Han Xiao filling up the screen in the Shattered Star Ring news channel, his name was also within the forum channels of the other Star Fields. On all channels, he was within the top three topics.
The official news channels also had their own rules, and the various great organizations of the Shattered Star Ring responded appropriately.
...
The Purple Crystal Civilization was extremely happy now.
They had seen the potential revealed by him more than seven years ago and decided to hedge their bets on him. Finally, Black Star had stepped into the realm of the Beyond Grade A, and the Purple Crystal Civilization now had a Beyond Grade A Super just like Klent. Within the seven Star Cluster level civilizations in the Shattered Star Ring, only two of them had such powerful allies.
Their bet had truly paid off!
Furthermore, Black Star had only spent around twenty years to reach the Beyond Grade A rank, with his total age not even being close to fifty yet. With the lifespan of a Beyond Grade A Super, he was considered an infant, and this spoke volumes of his potential.
The moment Han Xiao admitted his promotion in person, the Purple Crystal Civilization had adopted a variety of measures such as adding a huge investment to the Black Star Army as well as putting out more favorable policies and resource conditions for them. They were committed to building a more stable relationship with Han Xiao as an alliance.
At the same time, the Purple Crystal Civilization also issued announcements to the entire Star Field through their media channels.
"In the name of the Civilization, we congratulate Black Star for reaching the Beyond Grade A rank!"
This sort of behavior expressed their attitude to the entire Star Field and conveyed a message that their relationship was extremely stable. Those outside parties who wanted a share of the pie should just save their energy and get lost.
Godora was unwilling to be left behind and followed suit by having Serbia The Fifth coming out to explain Han Xiao's role in saving Godora, as well as emphasizing that he was the recipient of the Golden Gal Badge. Finally, he represented all Godorans in congratulating Han Xiao on his advancement before revealing that he was planning to add a celebratory festival named Black Star Day to thank Han Xiao for all that he had done for them.
Were it any other civilization that had done this, it would have sounded very much like boot-licking. However, Godora was different, as their ties with Han Xiao ran extremely deeply. Be it the eradication of DarkStar or the Discrimination Transformation Movement, it had a huge impact for their entire civilization. Thus, a festival to thank Han Xiao was nothing extraordinary.
Purple Crystal and Godora quickly took their stand, and to jump on the bandwagon, hundreds of civilizations began to congratulate Han Xiao. This was as though they were attempting to form a trend. Most of these galaxy-level civilizations were half-allies that had chosen the Black Star Army, and they had allowed the army to set up bases on their planets. At this moment, they scrambled to speak up, as though afraid that others would not know they were in an alliance with Black Star.
The behavior of these civilizations was actually understandable. Purple Crystal was the boss of this Star Cluster and thus got the ball rolling. The other civilizations jumped on the bandwagon in order to have a good relationship with this Beyond Grade A faction, but this crazy chain left those on the sidelines speechless and shocked.
The entire Colton Star Cluster was basically standing behind Black Star, shouting and congratulating him. An entire Star Cluster was celebrating for one man!
In such a situation, those on the sidelines could not even reply due to their shock.
The reputation of Black Star in the Star Cluster was so shocking!
Even when the other Beyond Grade As had advanced, they did not receive such a resounding celebration!
At this moment, the entire Star Field remembered the name Black Star. Just like the other four, he turned into an icon of the Shattered Star Ring in everyone's minds, the Fifth Beyond Grade A Seat!
However, it was at this juncture that unexpected events started to appear, allowing the public opinion to skyrocket to unpresented levels.
The Tyrant Heber and Star Pupil Psyker both openly made a declaration of battle toward Black Star!
Heber's reason was because of the secret war. Since the Purple Crystal also possessed a Beyond Grade A now, he would personally act. Because both Beyond Grade As were fighting for different sides, there was no problem with that.
However, Psyker's reasoning caused a huge outburst.
He openly admitted the existence of the Evolution Cube, announced that Black Star had taken the Evolution Cube from his hands, and requested for Black Star to return it!
The Evolution Cube is now in Black Star's hands? Two elder Beyond Grade As are challenging a newborn Beyond Grade A‽
Those two pieces of news caused a stir.
The entire Star Field burst into an uproar!
The Beyond Grade As... were going to fight openly‽
How long had it been since that last happened!
...
Just as the major organizations and those on the sidelines were shocked at all the ongoing news, Han Xiao had taken his spaceship and arrived on Floating Dragon Island.
Chapter 770 Independence
This chapter is updated by Wuxia.Blog
A large fleet appeared not too far away from Floating Dragon Island with Han Xiao's spaceship being at the very front.
Aurora was seated in the pilot's seat with Han Xiao standing behind her with his arms crossed.
Floating Dragon now had three different islands and a second field team in charge of guarding Floating Dragon. Looking out at the scenery, Han Xiao could not help but lament to himself.
"I haven't been back for quite some time, and the changes are truly great. So many years have gone by in just a blink of an eye. I still remember the first time I came to Floating Dragon..."
Du! Du!
Vilna's face appeared on his communicator, and she said, "Your Excellency Black Star, Her Excellency Dragon Emperor is waiting for you."
It seems like she knew that I would come and meet her... Han Xiao nodded.
The second field team opened a path and allowed the Black Star Army fleet to land on Floating Dragon Island.
"Black Star Guards follow me. The others remain here and await my orders," Han Xiao instructed and led Hila and the others onto Floating Dragon.
On the dock, Jenny and the other officers were already waiting for him.
"Your Excellency Black Star."
The various officers saluted him.
Although they had once been colleagues with Han Xiao, Han Xiao was now a Beyond Grade A Super, and his status in the galaxy far exceeded theirs. He was a figure who stood at the same level as the Dragon Emperor, and they could only look up to him.
Even Jenny, who had a terrible relationship with Han Xiao, also had her head lowered with a respectful appearance.
Aesop stepped out from the crowd and said with a complicated expression, "I knew that you would return. This day had to come eventually."
Han Xiao then looked around at the faces of his colleagues before looking back at Aesop. Shaking his head, he said, "Didn't you already start making preparations?"
"I just didn't think that it would be so sudden..." Aesop let out a sigh before turning around to lead the way. "Follow me. Ames is already waiting for you."
Han Xiao followed behind Aesop and entered the palace, only to see Ames seated on top of a floating throne with a calm expression on her face.
"You're here. Black Star, I have been waiting for you," Ames said as though she had already expected his arrival.
Han Xiao stood a few meters away, and Aesop's group walked behind Ames. At this moment, there seemed to be an invisible barrier separating the two groups.
Neither of them spoke immediately; they looked at each other silently instead. The Black Star and Floating Dragon officers who were by the side all could not help but gulp as their hearts tensed up.
The officers of both sides were aware of Han Xiao's intentions and could not help but feel nervous upon seeing the tense atmosphere. They were afraid that the two Beyond Grade A Supers would start fighting because of some disagreement.
The new member of the Black Star Guards, Hadavy, was probably the only exception. He was currently sizing Ames up carefully, looking as though he was eager to test her strength.
After a silent standoff of over a minute, Ames shifted her gaze toward Aurora and Hila, who were beside Han Xiao, and asked, "How have both of you been over the past few months?"
Aurora did not dare face Ames' gaze at this moment and lowered her head with guilt.
"Fine," Hila replied.
Ames showed care and concern for her two disciples but ignored Han Xiao completely. Han Xiao was not too bothered by this and watched silently by the side.
The teacher and disciples chatted for a while before Ames changed the topic. "Are you two going to stand on his side?"
Hila and Aurora's expressions changed slightly, and everyone felt their hearts tightened up slightly.
Before waiting for them to reply, Han Xiao waved to his Black Star Guards and said, "Hila, leave with them. Let me talk to Ames alone."
Hila heaved a sigh of relief. She was not afraid of facing powerful enemies, but she did not wish to be sandwiched between her teacher of ten years and Han Xiao.
Ames tacitly approved of the departure of the Black Star Guards, and upon seeing this, Aesop had no choice but to take the officers of Floating Dragon away as well.
Aesop felt that it was extremely normal for Black Star to seek independence. If he was Ames, he would not stop Black Star but provide his support instead. However, Ames was not like him and tended to act in a willful manner. Furthermore, Black Star was the subordinate who she placed the greatest importance on, and Aesop was worried that Ames' willfulness would ruin matters.
Only Han Xiao and Ames were left behind in the main hall. Ames controlled her floating throne to land, and she walked forward to face Han Xiao with a complicated look in her eyes.
"When I first saw you, I never imagined that you will be standing at the same height as me one day."
Upon hearing that, the scene of how he met Ames floated up in Han Xiao's mind.
Ames had been high above at that time, capable of controlling his life and death with a single thought. In comparison, he had been a small grain of sand in her eyes. Ten or so years later, he was now able to stand face to face with her as equals.
"Anything is possible in this world," Han Xiao replied.
Ames smiled and said, "I know this feeling. A long time ago, I never imagined that I would become a Beyond Grade A Super either."
Han Xiao stroked his chin and did not say a word.
Pausing for a moment, Ames then asked, "Why are you here today?"
"There are three things."
"Three things?" Ames raised her brows. "What's the first?"
Han Xiao took out the Evolution Cube and said, "This treasure is in my hands. I am prepared to allow you and all the officers of Floating Dragon to enjoy the Evolution Cube."
Ames was a little surprised but did not reply immediately. She asked instead, "What's the second matter."
"I request to leave Floating Dragon and allow the Black Star Army to gain independence," Han Xiao said without the slightest bit of awkwardness.
"Humph, this is probably your true motive, right?"
Ames let out a soft sigh but wasn't angry. She was already mentally prepared for this day to arrive but still felt a tinge of discomfort when Han Xiao said it. She then said expressionlessly, "I have something to ask you."
"What is it?"
"Were you planning to leave me from the first day you joined Floating Dragon?"
Ames' gaze was locked firmly on Han Xiao. Ever since she viewed the Black Star Army headquarters a few years ago, she had known that she was not suitable to be Han Xiao's leader. She just wanted to be certain of Han Xiao's thoughts.
"Yes," Han Xiao replied honestly. From the very beginning, he had treated Floating Dragon as a jumping board. Even if saying so would make Ames angry, he did not intend to lie.
"I thought so." Ames shook her head, and a tinge of sadness could be seen in her eyes. "I am not a leader worth following for someone like you."
She had not felt this during the initial development of the Black Star Army, but as the prestige of the Black Star Army overshadowed Floating Dragon, she had understood that a legendary character like Han Xiao was not someone she could keep.
Ames did not hesitate in the slightest and did not bother trying to keep Han Xiao. She was not that weak and said with a resolute voice, "Alright. I understand. From today onward, Floating Dragon is Floating Dragon and the Black Star Army is the Black Star Army. You are no longer my subordinate."
A notification immediately popped up on his interface indicating that he left the Floating Dragon faction.
Han Xiao let out a deep breath.
From this moment on, the Black Star Army was no longer a subordinate of Floating Dragon and was now an independent organization.
"What is the third matter?" Ames asked expressionlessly.
"I hope that the Black Star Army can form an alliance with Floating Dragon," Han Xiao said. "I hope that you will fight alongside me against Heber and Psyker."
Upon hearing that, Ames' face immediately became a little strange. She had already heard about the Beyond Grade A battle that shook the Shattered Star Ring. She was puzzled about Han Xiao's actions.
"Since you want my help, why did you choose independence? You know that I would definitely help you if you chose to remain in Floating Dragon."
Han Xiao smiled and said with a carefree tone, "I know. That's why I gave you a chance to choose."
Ames was stunned for a moment and immediately understood what Han Xiao meant.
The way she saw it, as long as Han Xiao chose to remain in Floating Dragon, he could tie Floating Dragon to him and ensure that she would help him to deal with his enemies for sure. However, Han Xiao did not choose to make use of his identity as a Floating Dragon officer but chose to request help after leaving Floating Dragon.
This meant that Han Xiao did not want to make use of her. If not, he could choose to borrow Floating Dragon's strength to deal with Heber and Psyker before gaining independence. It would be akin to making full use of her before leaving.
In truth, Ames had also considered such a possibility before their meeting. Even Ames herself did not know if she would have rejected Han Xiao if he had chosen such a route. The development of the situation was truly out of her expectations.
"Are you not afraid that I will reject you?" Ames suppressed the surprise in her heart and spoke calmly. "Your life will be in danger if you want to fight both of them alone. Aren't you afraid that you won't be able to pass this tribulation?"
Han Xiao smiled and said, "I believe that you won't reject me."
Ames' face then darkened, and she said coldly, "You are no longer my subordinate, and I haven't accepted your alliance. Do you really think that I care a lot about you, or do you think that you have some chips in your hands that I won't be able to reject? Do you want to make use of the Evolution Cube to persuade me? And go back on your word if I don't agree?"
"My promise is valid regardless of whether you form an alliance with me." Han Xiao shook his head. "That was something I brought up before leaving Floating Dragon. I am providing that benefit to you as an officer of Floating Dragon and do not plan to make use of it as a bargaining chip. You can treat it as my compensation to thank Floating Dragon for taking care of me."
Ames had a strange look in her eyes, and she sized Han Xiao up as though she did not recognize him. "You are not someone like that in my mind."
The way she saw it, the sequence of Han Xiao's requests was completely wrong. He chose to leave Floating Dragon before seeking help and did not wish to use the Evolution Cube as a bargaining chip for their alliance but compensation toward Floating Dragon.
This was akin to surrendering his advantage and leaving the decision in her hands.
"Why?" Ames asked. Han Xiao's current actions had overturned her impression of him.
Han Xiao smiled. "I just feel that there isn't a need for there to have so much scheming between us."
Ames' expression froze in place, and her breathing seemed to have stopped for a second.
She then looked at Han Xiao deeply and took two steps back. "I don't know if the words you have said are true or false, but I can at least see some sincerity."
Han Xiao's lips curled up slightly, and he said, "It seems like we have come to an agreement."
"I agree to your alliance." Ames' eyes shone before she slowly said, "Besides, I have long wanted to have a fight with Heber. Although you are a new Beyond Grade A Super, you definitely won't drag me down with your strength."
"Hahaha, you are still the Ames that I know!" Han Xiao raised out his hand to shake Ames' hand. "Alliance mate, please take care of me in the future."
Ames looked at Han Xiao's hand, which was floating in midair, and snorted.
"Humph, you used to call me Your Excellency Dragon Emperor but call me alliance mate now."
After saying that, she raised out her hand as well.
Both of them shook hands.
Their alliance was set up from this moment on.
After shaking hands, they let go, and Han Xiao had a strange look on his face.
When they were shaking hands, Ames had squeezed hard as though she was throwing a tantrum. However, Han Xiao's physical defense was too high, and he did not feel much.
Han Xiao shook his head and looked at the door of the palace. "Still eavesdropping? All of you, come in."
Hila, Aesop, and the others walked out from behind the door with embarrassed looks on their faces.
They had all worried that Ames and Han Xiao would fall out with each other and did not go too far away. They had all been eavesdropping outside the door and were a little embarrassed since they had been caught. In actual fact, all of their actions could not possibly escape from the senses of a Beyond Grade A. It was just that Han Xiao and Ames could not be bothered with them.
Upon seeing the both of them resolving matters harmoniously, the atmosphere in the place became relaxed, and everyone heaved a sigh of relief.
Although the Black Star Army had left Floating Dragon, both parties had formed an alliance, and they were still allies. The barrier between both parties disappeared immediately, especially since the officers of both parties had a good relationship in the first place.
Aesop was extremely relieved that Ames did not lose control of her emotions, and the outcome was much better than what he had expected. For two Beyond Grade A organizations to form an alliance, they would be able to gain a huge advantage in the Shattered Star Ring, and it was extremely beneficial to both parties.
My prediction back then wasn't wrong. Ames will develop better with Black Star beside her, Aesop thought to himself. Back then, he had felt that Black Star would become the Dragon Emperor's right-hand man to support her to the next level. Although his guess was not wrong, he had gotten a small detail wrong. Black Star would not be the Dragon Emperor's right-hand man but an equal to the Dragon Emperor.
"Alright, since you are willing to work together with me, we have to decide how we should deal with Heber and Psyker," Han Xiao said.
"What are you prepared to do?" Ames said with excitement.
"It has been some time since they issued a challenge to me, but I have yet to give them a reply. It is time for me to give them a reply. Since they want to create trouble, we should muddy the waters further. I will issue a joint response with you and shake the Shattered Star Ring even more." Han Xiao's eyes gleamed.
He could also make use of this opportunity to announce the independence of the Black Star Army and their alliance with Floating Dragon.
Han Xiao was sure that this would increase his influence to the next level!
"I thought that you'd ask me to keep this matter a secret and give them a good surprise," Ames replied.
"We won't be able to hide it from them, and there isn't a need to do so. Since they challenged us openly, we can also reply to them openly," Han Xiao said. "Since they want to be high profile, we shall accompany them in being high profile!"
Ames revealed a look of interest. "It sounds very fun."
As Hadavy and the others heard that, they immediately grew excited and were agitated to the point they had goosebumps. The Shattered Star Ring had five Beyond Grade A Supers, and four of them were involved in this battle. Only the Magus was left out, and he would probably run over to join the fun. If that was the case, this battle would involve all the Beyond Grade A Supers in the Shattered Star Ring!
This was a one in a hundred years event, and it would definitely go down in the annals of history.
Just thinking of the sight of the five Beyond Grade A appearing together made Hadavy's blood boil.
At this moment, Han Xiao suddenly said, "Before that, I have to fulfil my promise."
After saying that, he took out the Evolution Cube and looked at Ames.
"Do I need to make any preparations?" Ames asked.
"You don't need to."
"Alright." Ames nodded.
Although she did not chase after strength, she was extremely curious about the Evolution Cube.
Opening the Evolution Cube, a wave of black particles surrounded Ames, and the gene evolution started.
Han Xiao looked at the other officers of Floating Dragon, and after seeing them nod, he controlled another new wave of black colored energy to evolve their genes.
Only Aesop waved his hands.
"Old man, don't you want to use the Evolution Cube?" Han Xiao asked with doubt.
"Don't need to worry about me." Aesop waved his hands. "I used it a few hundred years ago when this item was still in the ruins. If not for the fact that it was too large and I was too lazy to find someone to shift it away, it would have been mine."
Han Xiao truly did not know what to say.
...
The gene evolution continued for quite some time, and all the officers of Floating Dragon completed their evolution. Their strength experienced varying degrees of improvements, and they all had looks of joy on their faces. Only Ames was still being surrounded by the black particles.
After a few hours, Ames broke out of the 'cocoon' and experienced a huge change.
All the others had gone down to rest, and Han Xiao was the only one left in the hall. He was currently seated on Ames' throne and scrolling through the forums for entertainment. Upon seeing Ames exit, he walked forward to Ames with a look of curiosity.
"How do you feel?"
Ames did not reply, and her brows were furrowed as though she was trying to feel something. Her figure then disappeared suddenly.
Han Xiao was stunned for a moment and extended his senses to feel the undulations of space around him.
At his current level, apart from his five basic senses, he could detect other things such as radiation, energy waves, and so on.
After extending his senses, Han Xiao was stunned for a moment.
He could see Ames making circles around him in the Void Dimension.
"You are able to enter the Void Dimension?" Han Xiao asked with shock and entered the Void Dimension as well.
"It seems like this is my new ability," Ames said excitedly.
Floating Dragon Island was built on top of the skeleton of a Void Dragon, and Ames had consumed the Void Dragon Pith before. Thus, she had a trace of Void Genes in her, which was activated by the Evolution Cube.
Although they were not from the same Beyond Grade A race, they both had Void Genes, and a portion of their genes were similar.
After playing for a while, Ames left the Void Dimension and began testing her new strength.
"The effect of the Evolution Cube is truly amazing. The strength, range, and control of my Force Field have been increased, and my physique seems to have improved."
That is because your attributes have increased...
Han Xiao had some experience with this. Ames did not have an interface and could not see the changes in her body.
Chapter 771 You"d Better Not Run
This chapter is updated by Wuxia.Blog
After both parties formed an alliance, Floating Dragon changed their drifting trajectory and headed toward the headquarters of the Black Star Army. They would work together with Han Xiao during this period.
Since Ames had chosen to fight by Han Xiao's side, she naturally had to bring her personal weapon along. Floating Dragon had another two more islands, and using it to smash others would definitely be more painful.
Han Xiao then got Reynolds to inform the army's logistics department to modify some empty backup satellite fortresses. Han Xiao was prepared to give them to Ames so that she could use them as her weapon. After all, she could not always use her main camp as her weapon.
After using the Evolution Cube, everyone rested for a day before Han Xiao and Ames gathered all the officers together.
This time, it was to reply to the Tyrant's challenge.
Before announcing his response to the world, Han Xiao decided to contact the Tyrant privately.
The secret war had been fought for such a long time, and the two parties had not contacted each other before. The last time they had seen each other was more than ten years ago at the Tyrant's gathering. Back then, he had been only Ames' follower, and Heber had tried to recruit him.
Han Xiao did not have the Tyrant's communicator number, but Ames had it in her communicator. This time, he was going to borrow Ames' communicator to contact Heber, which Ames had no issues with.
Han Xiao then opened Ames' communicator and pulled out Heber's number from the blacklist. Because of Heber's pursuit, Ames had always blocked his number.
Han Xiao then sent a communication request to the Tyrant.
Beep beep!
After a few seconds, the communication request went through, and Heber's image appeared on the communicator.
"Ames? You are finally going to... Hmm? Black Star‽"
Heber immediately frowned. Ames' name appeared on his communicator, and he thought that Ames had finally thought things through and decided to agree to become his partner. However, he had never imagined that the call would be made by Black Star.
"Ames formed an alliance with you?" Heber immediately reacted.
Han Xiao only nodded.
Heber's eyes narrowed, and his expression remained emotionless.
For a few years, many organizations had been spreading rumors about the Black Star Army and Floating Dragon splitting up. When Han Xiao became a Beyond Grade A, Heber knew that both of them would definitely split up, and Heber was hoping that Black Star and Ames would become enemies as a result. The outcome that he did not want to see was the two of them becoming allies.
"It seems like the little tricks of those organizations weren't able to shake your relationship," Heber said calmly.
"You don't seem anxious at all." Han Xiao raised his brows.
"It makes no difference to me," Heber said. "Tell Ames that I will give her a final chance. As long as she stays out of this matter, I can ignore her. I will not show any mercy otherwise."
"Get your head out the clouds. I didn't ask you to show any mercy," Ames said coldly upon hearing those words.
Heber ignored her and said to Han Xiao while shaking his head, "Black Star, I gave you a chance a long time ago. It is a pity that you didn't treasure it and rejected my invitation. If you are contacting me to plead for mercy, it is too late. We are now enemies, and there isn't anything to talk about between us."
"I called you to respond to your challenge. Set a time and place," Han Xiao said with a deep voice.
Through his Observer's Mark, Han Xiao knew that Psyker had contacted Heber privately and invited Heber to work together with him. However, the Tyrant rejected and insisted on dealing with Black Star alone but did not stop Psyker from going to view their battle. Thus, both parties had issued separate challenges.
Han Xiao also understood Heber's thoughts from the conversation between the two. Heber did not only want to take revenge but also want to establish his prestige with a new Beyond Grade A Super. Heber wanted to have as many people paying attention to this matter as possible and thus publicly set a time and invited the various organizations to watch the battle.
"Alright," Heber said resolutely. "The time will be set twenty days from now. The location will be in the desolate universe belt between the Colton Star Cluster and Seoul Star Cluster. I will announce the coordinates publicly."
Choosing a neutral region between the two made it convenient for Bloodshed Land to send out their army and create a confrontation between Purple Crystal and Klent. It was still equivalent to both the civilizations fighting a proxy war.
Heber set the date twenty days from then so that the news would be able to spread throughout the Star Field and attract more people to witness his battle with Black Star. However, he would not drag the battle on for too long as he did not want to give Han Xiao too much time to prepare. He also did not want the matter to die down and wanted to establish his prestige when Black Star's influence was at the peak.
If Black Star wanted to back out of the battle, Heber would not lose out either. Heber could just say that Black Star was afraid of him and did not dare appear for their battle. He would also be able to build up his prestige as well and have a reason to visit the Black Star Army headquarters.
"Alright, you'd better not run when the time comes," Han Xiao said without much hesitation.
Han Xiao then hung up without waiting for Heber to reply.
"This fellow is still as domineering as usual. How annoying," Ames said with her eyes narrowed and her force field energy being gathered in her palms. Every time she saw the Tyrant's annoying face, she had the urge to smash her Floating Dragon down on him.
"In any case, the time and location have been decided. We just have to show up when the time comes." Han Xiao looked at all the officers. "You lot heard the conversation, right? Announce it to the public in the name of the Black Star Army."
"Understood." Sylvia nodded and started a long-distance conference. As the Chief Administrative Official, public relations was her job.
"There's still twenty days..."
Han Xiao's eyes glimmered. It seemed like this would be all the time he had for preparations.
...
The challenge given out by the Tyrant and Star Pupil created a huge commotion in the Shattered Star Ring, but Black Star had not given an official response. Many individuals had their appetites whet and were looking forward to the development of the matter.
Because of the storm created by the battle, many Supers who wanted to join the Black Star Army controlled themselves and waited to observe what happened. Thus, there were not too many who applied to the Black Star Army during this period. However, Han Xiao was also aware about this and thus did not start his recruitment.
Seven days after the challenge was issued, the Black Star Army finally made a response.
Black Star accepted the challenge!
Not just that, the Black Star Army had also announced a shocking piece of news.
From that day on, the Black Star Army would leave Floating Dragon and gain independence!
Many organizations had intentionally spread rumors that led many to believe that the Black Star Army would cut off all ties with Floating Dragon after gaining independence.
However, the truth had shocked many. The Dragon Emperor Ames had actually chosen to form an alliance with Black Star and deal with the Tyrant and Star Pupil!
This was something that no one had expected. Black Star had to fight alone originally and face the challenge of the Tyrant and Star Pupil single-handedly. Many individuals could not help but break out in cold sweat for this newly ascended Beyond Grade A. However, the interference of the Dragon Emperor immediately leveled the playing field.
A total of four Beyond Grade A Supers had entered the fray!
This was like a stimulant that caused the entire Star Field to blow up with excitement!
Regardless of whether they were ordinary citizens or members of large organizations, everyone was extremely clear about one thing.
A huge show was about to erupt in the Star Field!
...
In the Palace of Hidden Spells, Austin looked through a report on his communicator and thought to himself, Black Star accepted the challenge officially? He's even taking the Dragon Emperor...
It was now a two-on-two battle, and the Shattered Star Ring had five Beyond Grade A Supers.
This meant that his presence would influence the direction in which this matter developed, and everyone else knew that as well.
"It seems like there will be people looking for me very soon." Austin shook his head.
Beep beep!
Just as he thought that, Psyker called him.
Austin let out a helpless chuckle and accepted the call, hanging up after chatting for a short while. Just when he hung up, another call arrived. It was Han Xiao this time.
"It has been a while since I last saw you. You didn't disappoint me indeed, Black Star."
"I actually have to thank you." Han Xiao smiled.
"Thank me for what?"
"If not for you telling me about information regarding the Evolution Cube, I may not have been able to obtain this item."
"Oh, I see." Austin smiled and said straightforwardly, "I know why you called. Psyker called me before this."
Han Xiao's eyes glimmered, and he did not beat about the bush. "Since you already know our intentions, what do you plan on doing?"
Both parties wanted to attract Austin to their side.
Austin's eyes narrowed, and he said, "Although I have some ties with Psyker, he never agreed to lend me the Evolution Cube. Now that he's lost the Evolution Cube and this chip is in your hands, are you prepared to use it in exchange for my help?"
"That's right." Han Xiao nodded. Austin was no fool, and there was no need for Han Xiao to waste his time explaining it to Austin.
Unexpectedly, Austin shook his head and said, "I am very willing to provide compensation for using the Evolution Cube, but I cannot agree to this matter."
Han Xiao's heart sank.
However, Austin added, "Don't worry, I don't intend to help Psyker either."
"You want to remain neutral?" Han Xiao was surprised.
Austin smiled and said, "The silent Shattered Star Ring has been stirred up again after so many years. How can I allow this wonderful show to end prematurely because of my interference? Hahaha!"
This darn old man just wants to watch the world burn... Han Xiao gritted his teeth.
Austin wanted to be a spectator and watch the show by the side. Furthermore, he felt that there would be a chance to use the Evolution Cube in the future based on Black Star's character. Thus, Austin was not prepared to join any side this time.
To a Beyond Grade A Super like him who was used to maintaining his neutrality, he was willing to give up some benefits to remain on the sidelines and watch the show. At his current level, he did not have to restrain his own personality and preferences.
Furthermore, both parties were Beyond Grade A Supers, and he would offend the other party if he chose to get involved. Austin was no fool; remaining neutral was the best choice for him.
Austin's attitude was resolute, and it would be impossible for Han Xiao to persuade him. Thus, Han Xiao hung up after a short casual conversation.
Although he did not manage to bring Austin to his side, Han Xiao was not too disappointed. He had never planned to have Austin on his side from the very start. It would be a pleasant surprise if he could succeed, but his failure was well within expectations. At the very least, Psyker also did not manage to pull Austin over to his side.
The situation was already clear, and the division of the Beyond Grade A Supers would not change. If that was the case, Han Xiao could only find aid from other organizations.
...
In the Crimson Dynasty embassy on the mother planet of the Klent Kingdom...
"Ah, Klent wants us to help them deal with Black Star?"
Within the office of the embassy, the Crimson Dynasty envoy Zoel looked at the Klent emissary with a smile.
"That's right. Black Star is in the Purple Crystal faction and killed a few dozen of our Calamity Grade Supers, dealing a huge blow to our high-level combatants. Now that Black Star is a Beyond Grade A Super, he will become a bigger obstacle to us. Our strength is limited, and we hope that the Crimson Dynasty can provide us with some aid," the Klent emissary said respectfully.
Zoel tapped his fingers on the table and looked at the party silently without talking.
He was the envoy that the Crimson Dynasty had sent to Klent, and he had been there for many years. He was also the envoy who Han Xiao had met at the Tyrant's gathering many years prior.
The life span of the Crimson Dynasty race was extremely long, and ten years was not much to them.
Over ten years ago, when Klent openly submitted to the Crimson Dynasty, Zoel had surfaced from the dark and built an embassy on the Klent mother planet. This represented the diplomatic ties between the Crimson Dynasty and Klent.
At the same time, he had the authority to mobilize any army that the Crimson Dynasty stationed in the Shattered Star Ring.
The three Universal Civilizations had their own secret factories in every Star Field, and the army that they had stationed in every Star Field was enough to start a war with two to three Star Cluster Civilizations at the same time.
The authority to control the secret armed force of the dynasty was enough to show how high a status Zoel had in the Shattered Star Ring. He was the individual with the highest authority in the envoy party.
Zoel thought for a while before saying, "I will consider Klent's request. Please leave for now."
Upon hearing that, the Klent emissary could only take his leave.
"Black Star..." Zoel muttered.
Zoel naturally had some understanding toward this new Beyond Grade A Super who had created a huge commotion in the Shattered Star Ring recently. In truth, Zoel had been constantly updating Black Star's shocking battle record in the dynasty's database over the past ten years.
Klent did not wish for Purple Crystal to have a Beyond Grade A ally and requested for the Crimson Dynasty to help them get rid of Han Xiao completely.
As an envoy of the Crimson Dynasty, Zoel's sights were naturally set at a very high level. It was not that he was being full of himself. Even if there were many Beyond Grade A pillars in the Crimson Dynasty, he would not underestimate other Beyond Grade A Supers. It was because he understood the strength of a Beyond Grade A Super that he knew that a Beyond Grade A should not be provoked easily.
It was not that Zoel did not want to help Klent deal with a local Beyond Grade A Super but that he had an interest in Black Star.
"He completed his Beyond Grade A journey in twenty years, and he is the first in history to accomplish such a feat. He still has a long life ahead of him, and his potential is immeasurable."
Furthermore, such a character had snatched the Evolution Cube, which was hidden by the Arcane Church.
Perhaps I can find the opportunity to interact with him.
As for the thoughts of Klent... As an envoy of the dynasty, why did he have to give a Star Cluster civilization an explanation?
Right at that moment, his communicator rang, and the face of his subordinate surfaced.
"Your Excellency Zoel, a special individual wishes to speak with you. Should I patch the communication through?"
"Who is the other party?"
"Black Star."
He actually took the initiative to find me?
Zoel paused for two seconds before nodding.
"Patch him through."