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Chapter 878 Suspicion

The governing planet of the Pioneer Party was located in Star Zone 3, and the upper echelons within the party were observing the situation of the battle.

In the conference room, the upper echelons of the party were gathered, and the atmosphere was completely different from the meeting in the Ancient Emperor Party. Everyone had a bright smile on their face, with the Pioneer Party's leader glowing with radiance.

Their army had the upper hand, and it was impossible for them not to be happy.

"The Ancient Emperor Party and Descendant Party are being forced back, and the citizens are also crying out for us to overthrow the rulers. The situation is to our advantage at the moment," the staff sergeant in charge of analyzing the battle situation said.

The Pioneer Party leader had a bright smile on his face but said, "We need to be even more careful during such a moment and prevent the enemy from fighting back in desperation."

Although the situation was looking good, he knew that it was impossible for the Ancient Emperor Party to surrender. The result of losing would be extermination.

Just as everyone was discovering the situation, the internal comms rang, and it was an emergency message from the intelligence personnel.

The appearance of the intelligence personnel appeared, and he had a strange look on his face.

"Your Excellency, the Ancient Emperor Party made an announcement."

"Send it over immediately." The Pioneer Party leader raised his brows.

Very quickly, the announcement of the Ancient Emperor Party appeared on the screen, and everyone present began reading it.

In this first half of the announcement, the Ancient Emperor Party claimed that they were the rightful rulers of the Gulal Civilization and criticized the Pioneer Party for using armed forces to seize authority. They then claimed that the Pioneer Party were traitors and called for the citizens to reject the Pioneer Party. They also began hiring help from the galaxy.

The details of the public announcement were extremely ordinary. They were trying to preserve their status as rightful rulers and suppress their opponents. They had made use of such a tactic for many years already, and the upper echelons of the Pioneer Party were extremely used to it. After they won, history would be written by them, and it would be useless to call them traitors now.

The way they saw it, it was completely useless for the Ancient Emperor Party to seek aid from the galaxy. This was only a civil war, which did not go against the Peace Treaty. With the Black Star Army on their side, no one in the Shattered Star Ring would go against the Black Star Army just for a Star System Civilization.

The mercenary groups that had some size would not help them, and the other civilizations would only watch by the side. Even the Bloodshed Land would not go against their titular ally for such a small matter. Thus, it was impossible for the Ancient Emperor Party to find any aid. This was the powerful effect of seeking aid from the Black Star Army. They were able to prevent the enemy from finding any support.

The Pioneer Party's leader then read until the end and was stunned.

"Wait a moment… the Ancient Emperor Party is trying to seek aid from the Black Star Army‽"

The Pioneer Party's leader rubbed his eyes and thought that he had misread something.

To think that the Ancient Emperor Party actually wanted to employ the Black Star Army and attempted to convince the Black Star Army to help them.

The upper echelons of the Pioneer Party all looked at each other with confused looks on their faces.

Just what was the meaning of seeking aid from their enemy‽

Even if the Black Star Army was external aid, they had already signed an employment contract. Why would they publicly break the contract? Would this not be destroying their own reputation? Furthermore, the Black Star Army was a Beyond Grade A organization, and since they had already decided to help the Pioneer Party, why would they suddenly go back on their word?

Even if you want to try and rope the Black Star Army over to your side, you should do it privately, right? With the current status of Black Star, would he openly go back on his word? Do you think he will go back on his word because of money? That's impossible!

But if the objective of this is to drive a wedge between us, isn't it far too coarse a method?

"It seems like the Ancient Emperor Party has truly gone crazy," the Pioneer Party leader said with his mouth cramping up. "This should be the funniest joke that I have ever heard."

"Hahaha…"

Everyone could not help but burst into laughter.

Not too long later, the announcement of the Ancient Emperor Party was spread all throughout the Gulal Civilization.

It was not just the Pioneer Party who were puzzled. Even the Descendant Party were completely bewildered.

Are my teammates fools‽

The members of the Ancient Emperor Party felt extremely embarrassed. They were currently fighting with the enemy, but their higher ups actually tried to seek help from the enemy. Just what was this stupidity?

There were many who interpreted this as the upper echelons being pessimistic about the outcome of the battle, and morale took a large hit.

On the Black Star Army's side, the members of the army could not help but laugh.

We are currently fighting a war. Can you please be more serious and not tease us like that?

Just when everyone was laughing at the actions of the Ancient Emperor Party, the players received a different message.

The plea of the Ancient Emperor Party had actually become a mission on their interface. A Grade S mission for them to help the Ancient Emperor Party.

All the players gasped in shock upon discovering that.

"So, it turns out that this is a faction series mission. It should be a Grade S mission that can be triggered regardless of which party we aid."

"However, the army has chosen to support the Pioneer Party, so we have no choice but to choose them as well."

"Hmm, if we support a faction up into power, we will be able to successfully change the entire fate of a civilization. I think we found a way to strike it rich."

"What if we persuade the NPCs to start another party and support the party. Would it be even more fun?"

This mission attracted the attention of many players, and they began to show off their creativity as they discussed the matter.

However, the influence of this new mission stopped there. Not a single player would choose to accept it.

The players were not fools, and accepting this mission would mean that they had to oppose the army. It would probably be no different from leaving the faction. They had fought in the army for three versions already and accumulated plenty of faction Contribution Points. Furthermore, the potential for growth in the Black Star Army was also extremely high. A mere Star System Civilization was not worth them betraying the faction.

Furthermore, the chances of the Ancient Emperor Party winning were far too low. Thus, it would be much better for them to keep to the Pioneer Party mission, especially since both were Grade S missions anyway.

After a month into the employment mission, the players had an understanding of the three parties. The Ancient Emperor Party was not anything good, and there was no meaning to help them.

With Summer Night Flower as an example, the number of players in the Shattered Star Ring willing to take risks had decreased. Thus, the players were only interested in the opportunity presented to them by the Ancient Emperor Party but uninterested in actually completing the mission.

In the Black Star Army headquarters, a large assembly line ran through Han Xiao's workshop without stopping to produce various types of mechanical soldiers and equipment. Bolts of Mechanical Force could be seen running through the assembly lines to increase the quality and efficiency of the production.

In another region, all the freshly manufactured mechanical soldiers and equipment were sent over with many mechanical arms modifying the equipment.

Han Xiao would naturally modify all his mechanical soldiers as much as possible, and all the modified equipment would have their grades increased. Even the cannon fodder mechanical soldiers had been raised to the orange grade.

At Han Xiao's level, an ordinary mechanical soldier was no more than cannon fodder, but these mechanical soldiers were all elite equipment that could not even be purchased with money.

Han Xiao stood in front of a machine and personally assembled a new mechanical host while humming a tune merrily.

The sound of metal ringing could be heard all around him, and Han Xiao had already gotten used to the environment in the workshop. Creating machines was a form of enjoyment to him. As his own strength increased, Great Mechanic Han also grew to enjoy the process of crafting new equipment.

Phillip's mini projection could be seen in front of Han Xiao, and he said to Han Xiao with a babyish voice, "Master, hum… I saw an interesting piece of news. Shall I read it out to you?"

"Alright." Han Xiao wasn't distracted and remained focused on hammering the alloy before him.

"It's news from the Gulal Civilization. The Ancient Emperor Party actually made a public announcement and hoped that we will go back on our word and help them instead. Master, hum… what do you think they are thinking about?"

"To think that they will make such an announcement. Do they think I am like EsGod, without any morals?" Han Xiao laughed.

"Eh‽" Phillip was stunned, and his eyes widened. "Isn't that the case‽"

"… You have also learned how to joke, huh?" Han Xiao immediately changed the topic and said, "Although it is difficult to understand why the Ancient Emperor Party would do so, I guess it is still understandable. If not for Ceselin, I would have never come into contact with the Pioneer Party. They… eh?"

Right at this moment, Han Xiao suddenly froze in place and thought about the Ancient Emperor Party missions. He then opened the forums to take a look.

The players were indeed discussing this matter on the forums, and many of the players took a screenshot of the Ancient Emperor Party Grade S mission. His guess was not wrong, and the Ancient Emperor Party's plea for help allowed the players to trigger a mission.

Han Xiao stroked his chin and fell into thought.

Although it only seemed like a desperate move by the Ancient Emperor Party, Han Xiao could not help but think that the matter was extremely odd.

"This is an illogical plea for aid. It feels as though…" Han Xiao's eyes narrowed. "This plea for help is targeted at the players."

It was not that he was being suspicious, but there were far too many coincidences. Although the actions of the Ancient Emperor Party seemed like a joke to everyone, it was not a joke to the players but a way for them to trigger a mission.

Was this by luck or an intentional action?

Han Xiao hesitated for a moment. He had too few clues and was not certain about his own guess. However, he would always plan for the worst-case scenario to be safe.

There was a reason for this. In his previous life, there was a similar phase. As the players began to grow and move around in the universe, many galactic organizations began to pay attention to the players and analyzed their characteristics, specialties, and habits.

Even during the current version, there were many organizations that paid close attention to the players.

He had operated in the Shattered Star Ring for many years, and no one would dare steal his trump card force with his status. However, the situation of the players in the other Star Fields was different, and it was not strange for the players to attract the attention of the organizations.

He was not the only one who wanted to recruit the players.

Han Xiao was not too worried about this. The players had already invested three versions of their time and effort into the army, and they would not be so easily stolen by another. Furthermore, ordinary NPCs would only treat the players as a special force. Other NPCs did not have an interface and would not be able to obtain a massive amount of experience from the players.

However, it would also be extremely frustrating if someone really wanted to steal his vegetables.

I originally planned to ignore the Gulal Civilization mission, but it seems like I must pay close attention to it now. Someone has set their eyes on the players of the army.

A cold glint flashed past Han Xiao's eyes.

A mysterious fleet then entered the border of the Gulal Civilization. This was the Ancient Emperor Party territory, and the Ancient Emperor Party fleet was already present.

In the main flagship, the Ancient Emperor Party leader looked at the star map and heaved a sigh of relief. "They're finally here."

That mysterious Beyond Grade A had promised to provide them with reinforcements, and this fleet was the first batch of reinforcements. The Ancient Emperor Party leader wanted to guess the identity of the Beyond Grade A through the fleet but could not help but be surprised upon seeing the insignia of the reinforcements.

This was a local armed organization in the Shattered Star Ring that was managed by four Calamity Grade Supers. One of them was even a Beyond Grade A seed. As a result, the fame and size of the organization was not too small, but many people believed that they did not have any backers.

However, it seemed like this low-profile organization actually had an unknown Beyond Grade A behind them.

Just who was this mysterious Beyond Grade A. Could it be that he had more than one organization under him in the Shattered Star Ring?

The Ancient Emperor Party leader suppressed the doubts in his heart and contacted the other party.

With the aid of this armed organization, their situation will be much better.

The flagships of both parties met each other, and the Ancient Emperor Party leader's projection met the four Calamity Grade leaders.

"I am the leader of the Gulal Civilization. I thank…"

"We will help you suppress the traitors. There isn't any need to thank us as we are only fulfilling our orders." That Beyond Grade A seed interrupted the words of the Ancient Emperor Party leader.

The Ancient Emperor Party leader thought for a while before probing, "I wonder, who is the one giving the orders?"

Right at this moment, a member by the side suddenly trembled, and he was possessed by the mysterious Beyond Grade A. "Don't try to find out who I am, otherwise our agreement will come to an end."

The Ancient Emperor Party leader was shocked and immediately nodded in agreement.

"We have followed your suggestion, but the Black Star Army has shown no reaction."

"Is that so?" The mysterious individual was not surprised. "Failure cannot be avoided, and the habits that I have grasped won't always work. That's why I need to observe and experiment more."

The mysterious individual fell into deep thought. "However, it seems like Black Star doesn't only have good luck but has also grasped some of their habits like me."

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Chapter 879 End of the Penalty

With the Ancient Emperor Party receiving fresh reinforcements, the advancement of the Pioneer Party was restricted.

An armed organization being led by a Beyond Grade A seed entering the battle to help the Ancient Emperor Party? All the organizations watching the civil war were naturally shocked.

There were still those who dared fight the Black Star Army in the Shattered Star Ring? Although the Black Star Army was not the sole tyrant of the Shattered Star Ring, such an action still baffled many. After all, this was fighting the Black Star Army head on.

The Black Star Army had plenty of experts in its ranks. Where did the four Calamity Grade Supers get their courage to intervene in the Black Star Army's employment mission? Even if one of them was a Beyond Grade A seed, it still was not enough.

Han Xiao, who received news from Phillip, had his thoughts verified at that moment.

Furthermore, Han Xiao knew who the mastermind was upon seeing the armed organization.

"It turns out to be them…" Han Xiao came to a realization.

The Beyond Grade A seed of this organization was called Luthor, and he was a famous Super who was active in the Shattered Star Ring. In truth, Luthor was actually an elite member of a financial group that spanned across various Star Fields called [Limitless].

Peaceful times brought about plenty of business opportunities and many large financial groups. Limitless was a unique financial group because its leader was a Beyond Grade A Super.

Not every Beyond Grade A wanted to form an armed organization, and different Beyond Grade As had various interests and strengths. The Limitless leader was a Beyond Grade A who enjoyed making money by the name of Sorokin. He had a special position in the universe.

After Sorokin took over as leader of the financial group, he developed the Limitless Financial Group to its current scale.

This super financial group was an elite business organization that was involved in many sectors, including management, military, technological, trade, intelligence, service, and manufacturing. It had many different brands under its name, and its operations spanned across many different Star Fields. It was a conglomerate that was extremely famous and even had business dealings with the three Universal Civilizations.

The Limitless Financial Group belonged to the neutral faction and was already a listed company in the universe. Their assets were frightening, and their logo was a Mobius strip.

The armed branch of the Limitless Financial Group was not to be underestimated. With a frightening amount of wealth, the Limitless Financial Group developed many subsidiary organizations in the various Star Fields, which were akin to the military might of the financial group. Luthor's organization was such an existence.

Furthermore, Sorokin was not the only Beyond Grade A combatant in the Limitless Financial Group. Sorokin had roped in a few other Beyond Grade A allies through their stocks with a few Ancient Ones being included.

With money to open the path for them, the Limitless Financial Group's network was unfathomable.

In comparison, although the Black Star Army was also a Beyond Grade A organization, its history was far too short, and the scale was incomparable to the other party.

Luthor had only exposed his own identity in the later versions, and no one knew that Luthor belonged to the Limitless Financial Group at this moment. However, Han Xiao was different; he understood Luthor's background. As such, he immediately knew the mastermind interfering in the Gulal Civilization's affairs.

This was his unique advantage. Many 'secrets' were not secrets before his eyes.

The Limitless Financial Group seems to be extremely interested in the players, but this isn't too strange, Han Xiao thought to himself.

In his previous life, the Limitless Financial Group was a faction that players could join with their headquarters being in the Sea of Star Spirits. Many players in the Sea of Star Spirits joined the financial group during the middle phase of the game.

Even now, there was a large group of players in the Sea of Star Spirits being recruited by the Limitless Financial Group, and the Limitless Financial Group was pretty popular on the forums.

Han Xiao could guess the other party's intentions, and they probably wanted to spy on his vegetable garden.

Hmm, they should have noticed that the immortal troop is extremely similar to the players that they have recruited and sent someone to probe the players. Perhaps the Limitless Financial Group will discover some of the player's habits. For example, they only have to issue a request to the players, and even if it isn't logical, some of the players will still carry out the request. Thus, they got the Ancient Emperor Party to issue a plea for help toward the army to test the reaction of the players.

Han Xiao's guess was not too far from the truth.

If I'm remembering it right, the Limitless Financial Group was also very active in the Flickering World…

Han Xiao's eyes sparkled.

The various Star Fields had their own organizations, and they would all enter the Flickering World in Version 4.0 to become competitors. The Limitless Financial Group was one such organization.

It seems like I cannot avoid coming into contact with them in the future.

Han Xiao pondered for a moment before calling for his Black Star Guards.

Very quickly, Hila brought the members of the Black Star Guards into the workshop.

"I have a mission for all of you."

With a wave of his hands, a holographic screen appeared with Luthor's information being displayed.

"This armed organization entered the Gulal Civilization civil war and provided reinforcements to the Ancient Emperor Party. I want all of you to reinforce the front lines and get rid of the four of them. Right, the one called Luthor is a Beyond Grade A seed. Hila and Hadavy, be careful."

"Alright." Hila nodded.

"I know Luthor." Hadavy crossed his arms. "I approached him for a spar a long time ago. He is an extremely powerful Pugilist. Strange, I remember him as someone who kept an extremely low profile. Why would he suddenly go against the army?"

"Who knows?"

Han Xiao was not prepared to tell anyone else that he was aware of the other party's background.

The Limitless Financial Group probably thought that they were still operating from the shadows, and Han Xiao planned to keep things as such.

"Alright then." Hadavy did not say anything else. Although he knew Luthor, he would not go easy on Luthor since he was going against the army.

The Black Star Guards then left the room. Han Xiao opened the doors to the secondary dimension and summoned his Apostle Weapons.

"Lord."

Psionic Prime knelt so that his head was at the same level as Han Xiao.

"Take a batch of mechanical soldiers to the Gulal Civilization," Han Xiao said. "If Hila and the others do not succeed, find a chance to get rid of Luthor's group of four. Phillip will send you information about the enemy."

He could not do anything to the Limitless Financial Group as both parties were not enemies. However, exterminating Luthor's group was not an issue since it was in line with the Black Star Army's stance. Since they had accepted an employment mission to go against the Black Star Army, the other party would definitely kill members of the army.

Since the Limitless Financial Group was eyeing on his immortal troop and wanted to probe them, Han Xiao would use this opportunity to pull out the claws sent by the Limitless Financial Group. He would still be able to warn the other party even if he pretended that he was not aware of their objective. This would prevent the Limitless Financial Group from becoming bolder and sending more people to probe him.

Boom!

A spaceship crashed onto the surface of an uninhabited planet, leaving a huge crater behind.

When the spaceship stopped rolling, Luthor crawled out from the wreckage.

Hila and the other Black Star Guards descended from the sky with light injuries.

Luthor's injuries were far more severe, and he held onto his bleeding chest. His beating heart could be seen through his ribs, and his wounds were slowly healing.

"Black Star truly thinks highly of me. He sent out his entire Black Star Guards. Cough cough, it will be an honor even if I end up dying today." Luthor's face was pale, but despair could not be seen on his face. Instead, he looked extremely carefree as though he had seen through life and death.

Both parties had met on the battlefield, and the Black Star Guards had already taken out his three comrades. He was the only one left, and his time had come.

Hadavy shook his head and said, "I don't understand why you had to accept the employment mission of the Ancient Emperor Party. If it was to earn money, why did you have to go against the Black Star Army? You killed the members of the army, and His Excellency Black Star was always going to send experts after you. You definitely knew this fact."

"I do not have a habit of giving explanations to others." Luthor took a deep breath and prepared to fight to the death.

Hadavy hesitated for a moment and tried to persuade him. "Surrender. His Excellency Black Star is very easy going and treasures talents. You are a Beyond Grade A seed, and His Excellency won't make things difficult for you if you are willing to join the army."

"Ha! I am not interested in that. Either kill me or be killed by me. I am not prepared for a third choice."

"Is there really such a need?" Hadavy frowned. "There isn't any hatred between us, and it wasn't easy for you to become a Beyond Grade A seed. Why do you have to rush to your death?"

Bang!

Luthor replied with a fist to Hadavy's face.

The many Black Star Guards took action together and filled the entire planet with craters.

Even if Luthor was a Beyond Grade A seed, he could not endure such a ferocious attack. His mind, which was riddled with holes by Hila's attack, finally collapsed, and his soulless body fell to the ground.

Luthor became nutrition for Hila's Esper Ability.

Hadavy let out a sigh by the side. It was a pity that such a good man had been killed just like that.

The Black Star Guards then cleaned up the battlefield before leaving the planet. Not too long after they left the planet, Psionic Prime appeared outside the atmosphere with his mechanical troops.

"The Black Star Guards have killed the target, so we don't need to take action."

Psionic Prime had been watching the battle from the side.

"Luthor is dead?"

In the conference room, the upper echelons of the Ancient Emperor Party were stunned.

Although they knew that the reinforcements would not be a match for the Black Star Army, Luthor was a Beyond Grade A seed. They had never imagined that he would be killed so easily.

At this moment, one member of the upper echelons trembled, and his body was possessed.

In truth, this mysterious individual was the leader of the Limitless Financial Group, Sorokin. Despite being extremely busy, he had the ability to do a hundred things at once.

"It seems like our cooperation has to come to an end," Sorokin said slowly.

The Ancient Emperor Party leader was shocked. "You…"

"The reaction of the Black Star Army is far more intense than I expected. My original plan was only to probe and observe them, but the loss is out of my expectations. If we continue to work together, the cost required will be too great; this investment isn't worth it," Sorokin said calmly.

A Beyond Grade A seed was extremely rare, and Luthor's death truly made Sorokin feel a sense of heartache.

Sorokin did not know that Black Star already knew his identity. According to his plans, the Black Star Army was always going to react in some way, but he had never expected Black Star to send out the entire Black Star Guards.

As such, Sorokin's plan had failed. Although he was powerful, he could not possibly find Black Star personally for such a small matter, and he was not willing to sacrifice even more subsidiary organizations for a small experiment. Han Xiao's reaction had forced him to give up on the thought of probing the immortal troops.

His plan to test the immortal troops could only be delayed.

However, he was not someone who liked suffering a loss. Even though Black Star was not aware that Luthor was his subordinate, he was not planning to let the matter rest so easily.

Of course, Sorokin would not take revenge with force. The Arcane Church had already tried to do so and suffered a huge loss. He did not think that he would be able to match the Arcane Church in terms of high-level combatants.

However, history had proven that Black Star was an ambitious character, and Sorokin believed that Black Star would eventually have to face his Limitless Financial Group. This day might not be too long later as he was currently attempting to gain entry to the Flickering World.

Without waiting for a reply, Sorokin left the body.

The Ancient Emperor Party leader's face turned ashen.

A few months went by in a flash, and Han Xiao remained in the headquarters the entire time while observing the changes in the Gulal Civilization.

After the death of Luthor, the Limitless Financial Group retreated without any signs of fighting back.

The Limitless Financial Group wanted to hide their identity so that they would not be spotted by him. The Limitless Financial Group was a business organization and not an armed organization after all. As long as Han Xiao could make the other party pay a sufficient price, the other party would definitely give up.

Without any future reinforcements, the Ancient Emperor Party was dragged back into hell, and the civil war was controlled by the Black Star Army again.

Upon seeing that the Limitless Financial Group had given up on their attempt to probe the players, Han Xiao also stopped paying attention to the battle. As the players grew stronger, it would be inevitable for others to set their eyes on them.

The experience provided by the players was something that he needed to grow quickly, and this was a non-negotiable for him. If he did not take a hard stance, the other party would climb over his head.

After dealing with this little problem, Han Xiao turned his attention to something more important.

After a few months of seclusion, the sixteen-month experience penalty had finally ended!

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Chapter 880 Thanks, Arcane Church

Han Xiao made a trip to the combat practice room and shut the door.

Taking in a deep breath, Han Xiao opened the interface.

The '40% Experience Penalty' status only had a few minutes left, and Han Xiao could not help but become excited as he watched the timer go down.

It hasn't been easy. Sixteen months…

Sixteen months ago, he had finally stepped into the realm of a Beyond Grade A Super.

In just a year and a half, he had fought Psyker to protect the Evolution Cube before having a duel with Heber. Following which, he had headed to the Crimson Dynasty's mother planet, where he was provoked by the allies of the dynasty again. Along the way, he fought EsGod once and met with his biggest crisis not too long ago.

He had only been a Beyond Grade A for a year and a half but had met with plenty of dangers. Han Xiao could not help but feel a sense of lingering fear as he looked back.

Thankfully, my quick-witted brain and handsome appearance resolved these dangers. Han Xiao praised himself shamelessly.

Dangers also brought him opportunities, and his status had now been cemented in place. Furthermore, his experience penalty was over.

Everything was getting better!

Han Xiao rubbed his palms with a look of joy on his face.

"I am now at level 260. I increased my level hastily to deal with the Arcane Church, which resulted in me spending forty percent more experience. With the experience that I accumulated over this period…" Han Xiao looked at his stash of experience, and his eyes sparkled. "I should be able to reach level 280."

At his current level, the experience required for every level was a sky-high figure.

Without the experience penalty and ignoring all Class Advancement missions, the experience required for him to level up once should be enough for a player to go from level 1 to 160. Furthermore, the amount of experience that he needed would only increase as his level went up.

If he did not have the players to harvest experience and only relied on missions for experience, he would probably take donkey's years to reach level 280.

The only reason he was able to accumulate enough experience to reach level 280 was because of the Political Asset. The combined effects of the Political Assets was like a double experience card.

It was truly frightening!

After lamenting for a while, the experience penalty status reached the last second and disappeared from his interface.

"The side effect of the Evolution Cube is finally gone."

Han Xiao rubbed the muscles on his body and felt the activity within the cells of his body. The way this side effect showed itself was the slow adaptation to the evolution of his genes. The more powerful an individual, the more energy contained within their cells and the longer the process needed for the conversion. At this moment, the slight tinge of discomfort within his cells had finally disappeared, and their evolution was complete.

The effect of the Evolution Cube is truly amazing, Han Xiao thought to himself. He had been in a rush to use the Evolution Cube so that he could reach Beyond Grade A quickly. The side effects of using the Evolution Cube did not come at the right time. Han Xiao naturally did not plan to only use the Evolution Cube once but would choose a better time to make use of it next time. The best time for him to use the Evolution Cube would be after he spent all his accumulated experience during the version update period.

However, that was still a long way away.

Han Xiao focused on his attribute interface and began to level up.

[Lord Mechanic] leveled up to Lv.2.

360 Energy, 5 STR, 5DEX, 12 END, 15 INT.

You have received 12 Free Attribute Points and 1 Potential Point.

[Lord Mechanic] leveled up to Lv.20.

360 Energy, 5 STR, 5DEX, 12 END, 15 INT.

You have received 12 Free Attribute Points and 1 Potential Point.

A warm surge of energy flowed through his body, and his energy level was upgraded.

As his experience stash went down, his level shot up and stopped at level twenty.

Every twenty levels, there was a Promotion Mission, and a notification popped up on his interface.

You have reached Lv.280. You have triggered the Promotion Mission [A Legend Takes Flight].

[A Legend Takes Flight: Obtain 1 Universe Grade Legendary Point. Only the strong will write his own legends.

The moment this Promotion Mission popped up, it was already in a 'completable' state.

Upon looking at the mission, Han Xiao was overjoyed.

The Universe Grade Legendary Point was the highest grade, and his actions needed to shake the entire universe. A player had to complete a mission of extremely high difficulty or do something extremely ridiculous to obtain the Legendary Point. This Promotion Mission was already at the level of the later versions during the World Tree Civilization arc.

Even with Han Xiao's current status, it was not easy for him to obtain a Universe Grade Legendary Point.

However, Han Xiao did have a Universe Grade Legendary Point right now: Enemy of the Arcane!

Han Xiao's mouth contorted. Was it truly a blessing in disguise?

After roaming through the universe for so many years, he only had a single Universe Grade Legendary Point. It could be seen just how rare it was.

He did not have any Mission Completion Cards on hand, and he originally thought that he would be stuck at the Lv.280 Promotion Mission. Who would have thought that he would be lucky this time?

Han Xiao then burst into laughter.

Hehe, I really need to thank the Arcane Church for giving me a Legendary Point.

Right, I also need to thank Feidin…

Upon thinking about Feidin, Han Xiao's hands grew a little itchy.

This was a surprise that dropped from the sky, and Han Xiao chose to complete the mission without hesitation.

You have completed the Mission Requirements.

Lv.280 Promotion Mission completed.

55 END, 1 END = 410 Health = 420 Stamina

Your Energy Rank has exceeded 52,000 Ona.

You have received the talent [Strengthened Elemental Resistance]!

You have received the talent [Optimized Energy Usage]!

You have received the talent [High Grade Life Vitality]!

You have acquired the skill [Mighty Prestige]!

The effects of all your Virtual Technology skills have been increased by 40%.

Han Xiao's eyes glowed with a blue bolt of lightning, and he spat out a cloud of bluish gas.

Since there was no race evolution this time, there was not much pain throughout the whole process.

He looked down to see if there were any changes to his body. From the outside, there were not many changes. He had grown slightly taller, and his muscles looked more toned.

He then felt his head itch slightly and grabbed a bunch of hair off from his head while scratching it.

"I'm shedding hair‽"

Han Xiao was shocked and immediately summoned his mirror to take a look, but after getting a clear look, he heaved a sigh of relief.

His Promotion stimulated his metabolism and improved the cell structure of his entire body. As such, his original hair fell out, and new hair grew out. However, the hair that had dropped was still stuck in his head, which explained why he felt the itch.

"Thankfully, my thick black hair is still around."

Han Xiao heaved a sigh of relief. For a moment, he thought that he had walked the evil path of exchanging his hair for power. The balder he got, the more powerful he would become.

The upper limit of the Lord Mechanic class was level 40, and he would complete his Class Advancement when he reached level 200. The next race evolution was also at level 300, and level 280 was just an ordinary Promotion in the middle.

However, 52,000 Ona seemed to be a stable boundary. Not all Beyond Grade As were able to reach 52,000 Ona, and the few talents that he had obtained felt like the basic abilities of a new realm.

After learning [Endless Material Science] and [Virtual Creator, his Energy Rank rapidly approached 52,000 Ona, and he finally broke through the boundary after increasing his level.

Han Xiao then looked at his new abilities and verified his guess.

Although he did not experience a race evolution, every Promotion was also an increase to his realm. Going past 52,000 Ona meant entering a new realm, and every life form that reached this realm would receive the same talents.

[Strengthened Elemental Resistance] boosted his attributes like [Perfect Mechanical Sense, and its multiplier was 1.25.

[Optimized Energy Usage] reduced the energy and stamina consumption of all his skills to 27%.

[High Grade Life Vitality] increased the upper limit of his health and recovery rate. His health increased by 17%, and his recovery rate increased by 120%.

These three talents strengthened his basic ability to take damage, which was something that all classes required.

The only skill, [Mighty Prestige, was a halo type ability that could be turned on and off. A life form at a higher realm was capable of emanating pressure, and this had turned into a skill.

The suppression would cover a certain region, and the individuals within the region would be affected by it, inflicting a negative status to reduce their attributes. However, it was only useful to life forms with intelligence, and certain life forms that were immune to mental skills were immune toward it, such as Mechanical Lives. It was useless against individuals of the same level.

After thinking for a while, Han Xiao concluded that the skill was completely useless apart from bullying noobs. But if he wanted to bully noobs, a Mechanic like him would not need a halo like this. He could just have a team fight.

The three talents that he had obtained were still much better.

Although this was only an ordinary Promotion, the increase to his strength was still pretty good.

His base Endurance boost was one Endurance point to 410 Health. The increase from his other abilities included an additional 60 from [Advanced Strengthened Life, 140 from [Eternal Body, 50 from Grade S boost, 10% health from [Extraordinary Physique, 17% health from [High Grade Life Vitality, and 100 health from [Well Trained].

For his Mechanical Force, he also had various different talents and skills to convert Intelligence to Machinery Affinity.

He then threw all his Free Attribute Points into Intelligence and looked at his attributes with satisfaction.

Level: 280

Main Class: Mechanic

Race: Black Star Race

Attributes: 3,347 STR, 4,080 DEX, 6,129 END, 9,029 INT, 2,950 MYS, 1,163 CHA, 1 LUK

Free Attribute Points: 0

Potential Point: 21

Health: 5,137,427

Stamina: 4,417,950

Energy: 89,320 [Lv.17]

Lv.17 Energy bonus stats: 1,206 STR, 1,488 DEX, 1,890 END, 2,345 INT, 1,123 MYS, 311,520 Stamina Limit, 1,632% Machinery Affinity

Energy Rank: 53,750

Grade: S (Beyond A)

Grade S Bonuses: 50 END, 25 All Resistances. 25% Highest Attribute, 15% Other Attributes, 750 Free Attribute Points, 50 Potential Points

The future of a Beyond Grade A is like a cloud of mist. Everyone is searching for their path and will meet many bottlenecks during their evolution process. Congratulations for going past the first bottleneck.

The remark is so solemn this time.

Han Xiao rubbed his muscles and tried to get used to the changes.

Now that he was at Grade S, he was still considered Beyond Grade A despite the growth in his strength. His strength did not achieve such a huge change like when he went from the Calamity Grade to Beyond Grade A. Because there was no clear distinction between the combat strength of the Beyond Grade As and the grades within the Beyond Grade A realm being slowly figured out, the realm was segmented into mini realms.

Just like how everyone thought that the Calamity Grade was the upper limit of strength during the early days of the exploration era, the people now felt that Beyond Grade A was the limit of an individual's strength. EsGod wanted to break through the current limits just like the Primordial Ones did and raise his strength to a whole new realm.

After his promotion, the amount of experience required to level up increased yet again. Han Xiao knew that it would be impossible for him to save up enough experience to reach level 300 quickly. After all, he used the faction store to earn the players' experience, and even if he could earn experience quickly, he needed the time to accumulate it. Currently, the players had already learned plenty of knowledge, and the experience that they provided had begun to stagnate.

Han Xiao was not prepared to continue waiting. He had already been in seclusion for a few months, and it was better for him to get rid of EsGod as quickly as possible.

He had crafted many pieces of equipment that were made specially to deal with EsGod, and as long as the dynasty was willing to help him, he would have some confidence to kill EsGod.

"I haven't contacted the dynasty at all during this period. I wonder how matters are still unsettled between them and the Arcane Church. If they have come to an agreement already, they should have the capacity to deal with EsGod."

Han Xiao then took out his communicator and was about to ask about the dynasty's situation.

Right at this moment, Phillip suddenly appeared.

"Master, hum… Someone sent me an encrypted message just now."

"Sending an encrypted message to me? Decrypt it and see who sent it."

"I can't decrypt it alone; that's why I came to you."

Han Xiao's eyes narrowed. Phillip was a capable assistant, and since Phillip was unable to decrypt the information, it meant that the other party was not a simple individual. They had to be at the Star Cluster level at the very least.

"What is said in the encrypted message?"

"They said that they are the descendants of Spacetime Freezer and want to talk to you face to face."

Han Xiao was stunned, and his expression changed slightly.

When he was searching for information regarding the Spacetime Amber, he remembered the current state of the Spacetime Freezer race.

So… the Federation of Light is looking for me?

Since they have chosen to send the Spacetime Freezer race over, are they trying to hint to me that they are aware of the Spacetime Amber's origins?

Han Xiao then pondered for a moment before instructing, "Reply to them. I agree to meet them."

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Chapter 881 Whereabouts

Phillip sent out a message and received a reply a few seconds later.

"Master, hum… They would like to meet you privately. You can decide the time and place."

"If that's the case…" Han Xiao contemplated.

This matter was a little sensitive since the Federation of Light had come to find him. However, Beyond Grade A allies were not subordinates of a Universal Civilization, and he had a certain degree of freedom and rights. Even if the dynasty knew about the meeting between them, it was not a big deal.

Han Xiao thought for a few seconds before saying, "Tell them that I don't accept a private meeting. I temporarily do not wish to have a 'shared secret' with them. Invite them over to the Black Star Army as guests. They can come if they are willing, but there isn't a need to meet them if they aren't."

The other party was the one who took the initiative to find him, and he did not do anything wrong. It would not be good for him to behave sneakily. Thus, he might as well invite them over to his territory openly. If not, it would seem as though he was concocting some secret plan with the Federation of Light, which would attract more misunderstandings.

The second mission of the Spacetime Amber was for him to come into contact with the descendants of Spacetime Freezer. Because the Federation of Light was protecting that race, Han Xiao had not completed the mission yet. But since the other party was taking the initiative to request a meeting, Han Xiao treated it as a small surprise, and it would save him quite a bit of energy.

However, he could not seem too anxious. Since the other party had taken the initiative to meet him, the rules would be set by him.

After sending out an invitation, the Federation of Light did not give a reply as though they were considering it.

Han Xiao was not too anxious. He then took out his communicator and called Tarrokov.

Tarrokov appeared, and he said with a smile, "Black Star, you have the time to contact me already?"

"Haha, chief commander, how are things recently?"

"Sigh, it's still the same as always. We are still eating dirt in the Flickering World. When will you come back to continue your exploration?"

"In a while."

"Hurry up then. The first exploration phase will end in a few years, and we will enter the construction phase. We will only start off our second exploration after digesting the territories of the three Star Clusters."

Han Xiao then chatted casually with the other party for a while before saying with a serious expression, "I haven't contacted the outside world during this period, and the negotiations should have been going on for a few months already. Has the dynasty reached an agreement with the Arcane Church?"

"There shouldn't be any problem." Tarrokov nodded. "Although both parties look like they are in conflict on the surface, they have already come to an agreement in private. The only thing that is left are the details of the agreement. The Arcane Church paid a heavy price in order to ransom their experts, but the exact figure is confidential. I can only say that the other party made huge concessions in military, economic, and political affairs. They also released some of their technological skills. In any case, the dynasty promised the Arcane Church to release three Beyond Grade As—Dylan, Taylor, and Mercer. Only Sagman is still in our hands as a bargaining chip."

Han Xiao nodded.

The foundation of a civilization was their people, and the conflicts between the civilizations were usually because of status and resources. Compared to the long history of a civilization, every Beyond Grade A was no more than a shooting star in a part of their history. Returning three Beyond Grade A captives in exchange for resources was a trade that the dynasty was extremely willing to do. At the same time, it could be said that the three Universal Civilizations were on the same tide. Despite having their own conflicts, it was impossible for any party to wipe out the others. Apart from their conflicts, it was also important for them to suppress the civilizations beneath them and maintain order.

"Right, how did they deal with the Spacetime Amber?" Han Xiao asked.

As the Arcane Church researched the Spacetime Amber, the name of the Spacetime Amber had spread throughout the universe, and every large organization was now aware of it. The two Universal Treasures in Black Star's hands were the Evolution Cube and Spacetime Amber. As such, Black Star had a special status in the universe.

"The Arcane Church isn't able to break the seal and wants to invite the dynasty to help them. The dynasty dragged the matter on and didn't contact you, so you are still unaware about it."

"Does the dynasty plan to agree to it?"

"Hmm, the Arcane Church is willing to pay the price, and the dynasty is going to ask you to unseal one of the captives. They also want you to make a trip to the Central Galaxy."

"Alright." Han Xiao nodded. The players now had the Gulal Civilization and Flickering World, so they were having the time of their lives. He would not need to interfere with the players until the end of Version 3.0, so he would be free.

Furthermore, he was also prepared to head to the Central Galaxy and find some helpers to deal with EsGod.

"I would like to ask, has the dynasty found EsGod yet?"

"We have found some clues. Some eyewitnesses claim to have seen the Fallen Ark at the Primeval Star River. The wormhole cluster in the Shattered Star Ring should have sent them there."

"As long as their whereabouts are known," Han Xiao said. "The Arcane Church has already given in, and the dynasty can only channel some manpower to deal with the accomplice EsGod."

Tarrokov observed Han Xiao's appearance and said with a smile, "I feel as though you are extremely determined to kill EsGod."

"That's right. He had been eyeing up the Evolution Cube for such a long time and almost took my life. Can I not hate him?" Han Xiao shrugged.

"This isn't the same." Tarrokov shook his head but did not continue.

It was not only because of the Evolution Cube. He felt that Han Xiao's enmity toward EsGod had a sense of urgency within it, as though EsGod posed a huge threat to him.

"In any case, the upper echelons have already sent out their forces to attack the Fallen Ark. EsGod isn't in his main camp. The dynasty plans to send manpower to kill him, and you are also on the list. Even if you don't ask, the upper echelons will find you regarding this matter."

"Alright, I will be there. I can participate in this mission during my trip to the Central Galaxy."

Han Xiao then chatted casually for a while more before hanging up.

As the final boss of the evil faction, EsGod had been able to avoid death.

The three Universal Civilizations had tried to deal with him many times before but were unable to kill him. It might be possible that the dynasty only treated killing EsGod as putting up a show.

He was probably the only one who resolutely wanted to kill EsGod.

I hope that history doesn't repeat itself, Han Xiao thought to himself.

If he could wipe out EsGod this time, he would be able to resolve the threat of the World Tree entering early.

It was not that Han Xiao did not have any confidence in the three Universal Civilizations. In his previous life, the three Universal Civilizations won a pyrrhic victory, so they might not be able to emerge victorious at the moment.

A few ferocious characters from the later versions had not grown up fully yet.

Especially the players.

Ding!

Right at this moment, Phillip received the reply from the Federation of Light indicating that they would accept his invitation.

On the other side, in the Federation of Light's Shattered Star Ring stronghold, Mona placed down his communicator. He was the emissary in charge of contacting Han Xiao this time and also a descendant of Spacetime Freezer. His skin was light blue with diamond-like crystals growing on it.

"Black Star has agreed to meet us," Mona reported to the upper echelons.

"Alright, remember your mission. First, you must probe Black Star's attitude. Second, you need to investigate the origins of the Spacetime Amber. If the probing isn't ideal, do not mention the trade. Also, do not make any unnecessary moves."

Mona nodded solemnly.

The Federation of Light wanted the seal on the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter to be undone, but Black Star was an ally of the dynasty. Thus, it was unlikely for him to help them. Without sufficient benefits, Black Star would not risk offending the dynasty to help them undo the seal.

Black Star was able to get most resources from the dynasty, and there was no need to make a deal with them. Thus, the Federation of Light can only probe to see if Black Star had any special requirements.

Even if the hope was slim, the Federation of Light would have to give it a try. Bader truly could not bear to just stare at a useless Ten Thousand Deity Scepter.

Since they had already offended the Arcane Church, they could not walk out without any benefits.

"I will not make any rash moves, but His Excellency Manison…" Mona then turned to look at a mechanical host beside him.

This was Manison's Lord's Descent host that was not activated yet. Manison's consciousness had not descended on it, and it was being controlled by AI from afar.

Upon hearing those words, Manison appeared through a long-distance projection.

"You don't need to bother about me. I will be paying Black Star a visit in a personal capacity and not interfere with your affairs."

Mona could only nod as he heard that. At his level, he did not have the right to control Manison.

Manison shook his head with a strange look on his face.

In truth, Manison had been looking forward to meeting Han Xiao for a long time. He paid close attention to all the Beyond Grade A Mechanics.

Black Star's name had resounded throughout the Beyond Grade A ranks in the universe, and he had long wanted to test Black Star's strength.

Only then would he know the price he had to pay for the Spacetime Amber.

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Chapter 882 Meeting, Second Chain Mission Completed

After straightening his clothes and arranging his hairstyle, Han Xiao pushed open the door of the training room and walked out.

Outside the door was a silvery white corridor, with built-in lamps along the ceiling lighting the place with a white light. The corridor was ring-shaped, and on both sides were training rooms, with numbers engraved on the doors in black lettering. The suspended virtual screen on the side showed the user who was inside. This was a dedicated training place for the officers.

The satellite base in the headquarters was humongous, and it was divided into multiple bases. Where Han Xiao was located was the core area.

Han Xiao touched his stomach. Because he had just advanced, he was still full of energy, but he felt that he had consumed a lot of energy mentally. After thinking about it, he decided to head to the dining area to get himself a good meal. He was afraid that if he stuck to just eating nutrition packs every day, his taste buds would rot away sooner or later.

The dining area was a basic need of life. Furthermore, due to the diverse tastes of the various races, there were also chefs of various races.

Because of the size of the base, various anti-gravity suspension vehicles were used as modes of transport. They were all products of the logistics department. Within his 'home', Han Xiao would naturally not be so idle and choose to walk over. Thus, he searched for one of the vehicles and set a course for the dining area.

From afar, one could see the sea of people within the dining area. As one got closer, the din grew ever louder. No matter what time it was, the human traffic in the dining area would always be the highest.

Landing on the docking platform, Han Xiao stepped off the suspension vehicle and walked in. The army members who were idly chatting at the door after having their fill noticed Han Xiao's figure, and those leaning on the wall immediately stood upright.

"Army Commander, good day!"

"Oh, good day. Have you all eaten already?" Han Xiao nodded and greeted back casually.

Whenever he met his subordinates at the headquarters, he would definitely reply. His airs were projected only for the outsiders, and he was more casual and friendly toward his people.

Upon entering the wide hall of the dining area, many pairs of eyes immediately glanced over. The atmosphere quietened for a moment, and many of them showed a face of emotion as they hurriedly got up and saluted. Some remained sitting as they ate, only raising their head to curiously size up Han Xiao.

Following the expansion of the Black Star Army, many of the new members had never even seen their leader once. Han Xiao also did not typically appear in public areas, choosing to stay within the core areas, thus his image in the members' minds grew more and more mysterious.

Furthermore, the event of Enemy of the Arcane had given an additional halo around Han Xiao, causing his reputation to constantly rise. His image only grew bigger in the eyes of his members.

Every large organization would have internal faction disagreements, and it was the same with the Black Star Army. With its current size, the factions had also become more obvious, where different races and tribes all formed their own small pockets. Only Han Xiao was able to completely suppress all of them. As long as he was present, the army was truly unified.

"Don't mind me, just continue eating." Han Xiao helplessly waved his hands. This was the reason why he did not like to show himself.

Every time he strolled around within the base, he would seem like an inspector going about his rounds. What a lonely life.

"Teacher, here, here!" This time, Han Xiao heard a familiar voice. Turning his head, he saw Sylvia waving toward him. She was having her meal with Aroshia.

Han Xiao walked to the seat facing hers and sat down. He then picked up a drumstick from his tray and took a bite. The meat was tender and juicy, full of substance and stimulating to his taste buds. After chewing a few times, an even stronger fragrance was emitted.

"The taste is pretty good. We should raise the salary of the chefs here." Han Xiao finished his drumstick in two or three bites. He licked the corners of his mouth, savoring the last bit of taste, and he started to pick at the other dishes. "Remember to grant funds to the canteen department as well to research a new flavor of the nutrition fluid."

"I get it. You really love the nutrition fluids." Sylvia grunted as she cut into her vegetables.

"Eating a meal requires ten minutes, but drinking a tube of nutrition fluid only needs three seconds. I like the more efficient method. Learn from me, sister," Han Xiao joked.

I'm the one in charge of miscellaneous tasks, and you have more time than me. What sort of time are you trying to save? Sylvia rolled her eyes, going back to her meal feeling depressed.

Han Xiao then turned toward Aroshia. "How have you been?"

"Ah owh…" Aroshia did not raise her head, fully focused on the mountain of food in front her. Her face was expressionless, her cheeks moving like a chipmunk as she quickly chewed. The amount of food in front of her was almost ten times Sylvia's.

She had known Sylvia for a long time, and their relationship was pretty good. However, because Aroshia's combat abilities could no longer match Han Xiao's tempo, she was unable to move out on operations together with him. However, she still had a special position within the army due to her experience and popularity due to her looks. She was the crush of countless army members and had even attracted a group of fans from the players.

Because of the [Reboot] mission, Han Xiao did not wish to come into contact with Aroshia and Risda too often. At this level, ruining any chance of a relationship with the Mechanic Empire over this small issue was not worthwhile. Risda had always been pestering him, but Han Xiao currently did not have any idea how to approach this issue. His current level did not allow him to have that sort of ability.

"That's right. Since you're already here, I don't need to send out the news." Han Xiao spoke to Sylvia. "In the next few days, someone from the Federation of Light will pay me a visit. Please arrange for it."

Sylvia was startled, raising her head. "Teacher, you're allied to the dynasty. Seeing someone from the Federation of Light isn't too good."

"They asked to meet me first. At least I have to listen to what they have to say."

As Han Xiao was explaining, he suddenly got interrupted by a voice behind him.

"Black Star, I… I have something for you!"

Han Xiao turned around, only to see a male player with his ID above his head standing behind him, holding something black in his hands.

Yet another guy who thinks giving gifts will brush up my favorability…

Because the players treated him as an NPC, they thought that their favorability with him would increase when he was given gifts. Han Xiao was resigned to this.

Every time he showed himself, someone would try this method. He had long gotten used to it.

After receiving the gift, it turned out to be a slightly rare mineral.

Honestly, Han Xiao did not understand why people would send him minerals. Did they think he could not afford it‽

Gazing at the face full of expectation, the corners of Han Xiao's mouth twitched, and he endured the impulse to lower that guy's favorability, merely forcing out a smile. "Thank you."

The player waited for a while but did not see any notification about an increase in favorability. He scratched his head, looking at the rare mineral in Han Xiao's hands, his expression regretful.

"Um, can I take back my gift?"

Han Xiao's expression turned black.

Brother, you're being too stingy.

"No."

"Sigh, I lost out." The player still did not give up, however. "Is there anything you would like me to do?"

No, scram!

Of course, this was only said within his heart. He would not be so rude to the players.

"… I currently have nothing for you to deal with. If you are free, how about you proceed to the Gulal Civilization and join the war there or help with the exploration in the Flickering World? There should be something for you to do."

Han Xiao smiled innocently but with the hidden meaning of asking the player to go f*ck himself.

"Alright then…" The player left with an expression of pity and regret.

To prevent himself from being mobbed by the players, he quickly finished his meal and left the dining area as though he was flying. He went to the logistics department next to check up on Nero's studies.

[Perfect Mechanical Sense] was a Molding Talent that he had desired for a long time, so he paid a lot of attention to Nero's progress.

Reaching the logistics department, Han Xiao walked into Reynold's office and saw Nero sprawled over a table full of books.

After drinking the dragonblood potion, not only did it energize the mind, it also rejuvenated the body. Thus, Nero's little face appeared healthy. However, his expression was bitter as though he had swallowed a pile of herbs. His face was so scrunched up that it looked as though it was about to be compressed into a single point, and he wrote as though he wished to pierce his entire pen into the textbook.

"Little Nero, your godfather is here to see you." Han Xiao smiled as he walked over.

Nero did not even look at Han Xiao. He turned his head, his expression one of grumpiness.

Han Xiao turned to Reynold. "How's his progress?"

"The dragonblood potion is very useful and has saved him the time needed to sleep. His progress is also extremely fast, and he will be able to start learning the introductory theory soon. I plan to add in some practical machinery classes in the next stage of his study plan." Reynold's tone was serious.

Hearing that, Nero's hand trembled, and the pen dropped onto the table with a 'clack' sound. His entire bearing appeared to have been frozen stiff.

Han Xiao smirked.

You're truly a devil…

This time, the door opened again, and Feidin, clad in loose blue robes, walked in. Seeing Han Xiao, he was surprised but revealed a warm smile. "Black Star, you're here as well."

"What are you here for?" Han Xiao's brows rose.

"I'm here to see Nero." Feidin laughed. "And to play some cards with him."

Nero immediately threw himself into Feidin's bosom, as though he had met his savior. He conveniently turned back and stuck his tongue out toward Han Xiao.

"Cough cough, Feidin comes to play cards with Nero every now and then. That's his free time," Reynold explained.

Han Xiao had an amazed expression on his face, as though asking, You actually will give him time to play?

"Er… once every half a month."

Oh, I was wrong.

Since it was rare to have any playtime, Nero excitedly took out the Wayne Cards and pulled on Feidin's sleeves to begin. Feidin smiled and took out his cards leisurely, beginning to battle with Nero.

Seeing this situation, Han Xiao's brows twitched. He felt that Feidin was very fond of Nero. Could it be that Feidin and Chen Xing were unable to produce children?

While Han Xiao did not enjoy playing cards, he knew the rules well. Standing by the side, he could not help but suck in a deep breath.

Was this the so-called battle between two lucky stars?

He seemed to see the Goddess of Fortune playing against herself, fighting on both sides!

Seeing Nero's practiced hand movements, Han Xiao felt a little heartache.

My little cub… in the end, you have still been infected by Hadavy and Herlous.

Seems like I need to correct this.

Han Xiao endured his laughter as he threw a [Luck Curse] toward Nero. He shook his head and stealthily left the scene.

Over the next few days, Han Xiao took the time to adapt to his newly increased strength and also cleared a few miscellaneous tasks, preparing for the meeting with the Federation of Light.

The spaceship landed at the headquarters of the Black Star Army, and Mona led a group of people off the spaceship. They were led to a reception room under the guidance of the reception robot.

Seated at the reception room, Han Xiao waited for a moment before the doors opened, and the emissary team from the Federation of Light appeared. They greeted each other before taking their seats.

"The Federation of Light's Advanced Combatant Team Sergeant, Mona." Mona gave a simple introduction.

Sensing that the other party was a Calamity Grade, Han Xiao opened the interface panel to take a look. Indeed, after being in contact with someone belonging to the tribe of Spacetime Freezer, the mission of the Spacetime Amber showed a change.

The Second Chain Mission of [The Primordial Ones' Inheritance – Spacetime Freezer] has been completed!

1 Soul Connection with the Spacetime Amber.

Spacetime Amber: Current Soul Connection 2/5

The Spacetime Amber has gotten closer to you.

The buff 'Blessing of the Spacetime Amber' has been refreshed.

[Blessing of the Spacetime Amber (Lv.2): 15% Maximum Energy, 120 STR, 120 DEX, 120 END, 240 INT, 50 MYS, 50 CHA. In addition, 70% Basic Space Resistance, 30% Basic Psychological Resistance. The effect of all your spacetime related abilities are increased by 18% – 32%.

Buff Duration: Permanent

Han Xiao was overjoyed but did not show it on his face. With an increased connection to the Spacetime Amber, he had also developed a closer feeling to the amber, and from his senses, the Spacetime Amber seemed to have transformed into something that he had used for a long time.

This meant that his efficiency in creating the amber balls would also increase. However, he was now in a meeting with people and was unable to test it out.

Han Xiao glanced at the third series of the chain mission.

Third Chain Mission Requirements: Proceed to the ancestral land of the Spacetime Freezer, and take his body to visit his homeland.

Okay, so this is not a coincidence any longer… Han Xiao murmured to himself internally.

The ancestral land of the Spacetime Freezer was located within the territory of the Federation of Light. If he wished to complete the third mission, he had to personally make a visit. After all, it was impossible for the other party to bring the entire planet to him.

Closing his interface, Han Xiao cut to the chase. "The Federation of Light has few dealings with me. May I ask for your purpose in visiting me?"

"It's like this. The Federation of Light is curious about your Spacetime Amber," Mona said with a straight face. "After checking our records, we found out that the Spacetime Amber seems to have some relation with one of the Beyond Grade As in our history."

"Oh, there was such a thing?" Han Xiao feigned surprise, but he was actually shocked. To think that the Federation of Light even held secret records relating to the Spacetime Freezer and even made such an informed guess.

As for the Federation of Light expressing their interest in the Spacetime Amber, he did not find that surprising. Basically every single organization in Galaxy was curious about his two Universal Treasures and were probably researching them.

"Do you know about the Spacetime Freezer?" Mona asked.

Han Xiao had to put on a show, and thus, after a while, he nodded, his expression unchanging as he replied, "Let me check."

"Oh, now I know. What you mean is that the Spacetime Freezer and the Spacetime Amber are related, right?"

Mona had been observing Han Xiao's expression but could not deduce anything, so he could only continue the conversation.

"We cannot confirm this either, so it is only a hypothesis. I am one of the descendants related to the Spacetime Freezer, so I requested for the Federation of Light to help me get into contact with you to understand the origin of the Spacetime Amber."

"Why should I care about the history of the Spacetime Amber? How does that benefit me?"

Han Xiao raised his brows, but he was clear of the answer himself.

The reason the Federation of Light did this was because he could be considered to have picked up this Universal Treasure by luck and did not understand its history. Thus, the Federation of Light sent Mona as a descendant of the Spacetime Freezer to contact him and search for his ancestor's traces. However, the Federation of Light knew that Han Xiao would not buy this reason and thus only used it to get closer to him.

"Rest assured. Because this involves the ancestor of our entire race, the Federation of Light is only helping us to investigate it and add information of this new Universal Treasure into the public database. We have no other plans regarding your Spacetime Amber," Mona explained.

"I believe you." Han Xiao had on a straight expression. "Really."

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Chapter 883 Breaking the Ice and Setting Conditions

Mona could hear Han Xiao's sarcasm in his tone, and his face turned red, but he persevered. "In short, we hope that you will allow us to investigate the Spacetime Amber. The Federation of Light will definitely give you satisfactory compensation."

"I refuse." Han Xiao waved his hand. "I'm not obliged to cooperate."

"Then… could you allow us to take a look at the Spacetime Amber? This is a personal request of mine."

"Nope."

The atmosphere grew a little stiff. However, Mona had expected it. Black Star would naturally not allow any outsiders to come into contact with his Universal Treasures.

He pretended to take a sip from his drink, glancing left and right, before suddenly lowering his voice and changing the topic.

"Your Excellency Black Star, I'm not sure… but what do you think of the Federation of Light?"

They are finally further probing my attitude… Han Xiao thought.

"My thoughts… I should be asking you this question instead. You helped the Arcane Church during the Battle of Planet Lighthouse, and then you turned around to aid the dynasty. I'm not sure whether I should consider you guys as enemies or friends. What do you think?"

Mona thought about it before solemnly replying, "While we belong to different factions, we are very willing to befriend you, Your Excellency Black Star."

Han Xiao raised his brows. "In that case, let me be more direct. We'll always be opponents from different factions, but we can be business partners. You won't object to that, right?"

"Of course." This was one of the conditions given by the upper echelons before he set off, so Mona did not hesitate.

The three Universal Civilizations had always warred against each other; however, they also traded with each other frequently, cooperating in many industries. In this interstellar era, so long as the civilizations did not tear off all pretenses and go to war with each other, their cooperative relationship would still be maintained. The three universal civilizations were already used to this method, and in fact, interstellar integration was one of the points that bound all galactic civilizations together as this magnified the cost of them being isolated.

Thus, in terms of business and trade, a Universal Civilization would not prohibit their Beyond Grade A allies from expanding their business to profit off other civilizations. However, if they were to use the name of commerce to sell secret information to other parties, then the universal civilization would hunt them down.

However, the Beyond Grade A allies in each civilization would not easily allow outsiders to obtain a share of their pie. If one wished to develop a business in other factions, they would be pressured by the organizations of that faction. Without an official relationship, it would be hard to conduct business.

"I'm sure that you're clear about our working style. Within the three Universal Civilizations, we are the most inclusive. We welcome financial groups and organizations from all over the universe to develop, and since the Shattered Star Ring is under the jurisdiction of the Federation of Light, you could say that we've always been working together," Mona said.

Han Xiao nodded. This part was true. The Crimson Dynasty was iron-blooded, while the Arcane Church leaned toward the spiritual side. The Federation of Light was undoubtedly the richest, with lots of territory and blooming with prosperity.

"Since you wish to be friends, then at least show some sincerity. Building a relationship requires funds." Han Xiao smiled.

"If you're willing, we can help the Black Star Army to develop their business in the Federation of Light at any time," Mona replied.

Han Xiao's eyes shifted quickly.

He roughly understood what the Federation of Light was trying to do. They first mentioned the Spacetime Amber before offering a trade cooperation. The situation was very clear. They wished to borrow the Spacetime Amber in the long run. After the previous incident, their relationship was strained, so one could imagine their success rate if they came knocking to request something.

Thus, the Federation of Light made a few proposals, of which one of them would be to use a business proposal to first break the ice, warming up their relationship before proposing a future follow-up relationship. In this way, they would not attempt to achieve their goals overnight but utilize a long-term relationship to obtain what they wanted.

As the requested party, Han Xiao had the advantage, and of course, he did not need to reply immediately.

"Ok, we'll talk about this again. I don't currently have that intention."

"Understood. If you still have any other requests, we'll do our best to consider it. No matter what, the Federation of Light looks forward to working with you."

Mona retained his sincere tone; the Federation of Light was not in a hurry to unseal the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter. They could afford to wait.

"Other requests…" Han Xiao's eyes moved as he thought. He suddenly smiled. "I personally am not adverse to befriending the Federation of Light. It's just that because you helped the Arcane Church go against me last time, in addition to your sincerity, I feel you should display an apology."

He was referring to the Multi-Dimensional Sky Opening Transportation Device. That time, the Federation of Light did not expect that they would need to request something from Black Star and could be said to have dug a hole for themselves. However, if they did not do so, then they probably would not have been able to obtain the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter. There were both advantages and disadvantages.

Mona's eyes lit up. He was not afraid of Han Xiao making a request but more afraid of him not having any.

"What are you thinking about?"

"It's like this. If you could do me a favor, I'll forgive you, and only through resolving this then can our relationship truly begin."

"What do you need?" Mona sat up straight.

"EsGod also took part in the battle of Planet Lighthouse, and the dynasty has been busy with capturing those from the Arcane Church. However, they have now turned their attention toward this accomplice. I have quite a huge grudge with EsGod, and if you could help the dynasty and I with encircling the EsGod and killing him, we can wipe off all other issues and start on a clean slate. What do you think?" Han Xiao's tone grew solemn.

Mona was a little surprised. He was expecting Han Xiao to raise up some benefits for himself, but to think that he actually invited them to hunt down EsGod. It seemed like their enmity was quite serious.

"In this regard, I have no way to make a decision. I will report this upward." Mona spoke truthfully. "But from my experience, there is a high chance that they will agree."

If it was something else, the Federation of Light would still hesitate, but dealing with the EsGod had always been one of the priorities and would also benefit them.

At this moment, one of the mechanical guards from behind stepped forward and took off its helmet. It revealed the head of a mechanical host, and an electronic voice sounded from its mouth.

"Regarding this matter, I can do it for you instead."

Hearing this, Han Xiao turned around. Seeing the material of the mechanical host, his eyes lit up. He could tell that the host had high technological content, seemingly a high levelled machine made by a Beyond Grade A, much like the mechanical host that he utilized for [Lord's Descent].

"You are…"

"'Mechanic Emperor' Manison, the Ancient One, Palpatine[1]."

Han Xiao's eyes changed, revealing a wary look.

Because the [Lord's Descent] was not yet used on the mechanical host, there were no fluctuations of a Beyond Grade A coming from it. Before Manison spoke, he had still thought it was just a normal mechanical soldier. In terms of stealth, Manison truly had the advantage.

The fact that Manison had chosen to approach him was out of Han Xiao's expectations.

A person's reputation was akin to the shadow a tree cast. The reputation of the Mechanic Empire in the universe was profound, almost universally regarded as the peak of mechanics. Furthermore, he had indirectly interacted with the other party before, so Han Xiao was vigilant of the name Mechanic Empire.

Mona coughed before explaining, "When His Excellency Manison heard that we were coming to pay you a visit, he requested to move together with us."

"Black Star, in actual fact, I've always been wanting to pay you a visit. This time was just a good opportunity." Noticing Han Xiao's furrowed brows, Manison spoke without any emotions. "What, am I not welcome?"

Han Xiao's thoughts revolved quickly, and he immediately smoothed his brows over, putting on another smile as he calmly replied.

"Of course not. I just felt it to be a coincidence. I also heard of your name a long time ago and have always wished to pay you a visit. It's just that I've never been able to find the chance to."

Mona stood up at this time. "This is my communicator number. Your Excellency Black Star, I'll report your intentions to the upper echelons, and you'll receive a reply soon. I won't disrupt your conversation any longer. Your Excellency Manison, we'll wait for you aboard the spaceship."

Manison's mechanical host nodded, and Mona left the room, following Phillip's directions back to the dock.

Only Manison and Han Xiao were left in the room.

"Hehe, Your Excellency Black Star, this should be our first time meeting." Manison sounded as though he was laughing, but the electronic voice did not display a single bit of emotion, making it a little frightening.

With the skills of the other party, it was possible for his host to completely mimic a person's emotions and tone, so this voice should be done on purpose.

"To be accurate, we're not considered 'meeting' yet. You've seen my face, but I still have not seen yours." Han Xiao raised a brow and spoke some mischievous words while he thought of Manison's intentions in coming here today.

It was normal for people of the same profession to converse, but he felt that Manison had a reason for visiting.

"There will definitely be a chance in the future." The mechanical host pointed toward its chest. "Do you mind if I send my consciousness over?"

Han Xiao shook his head to indicate his answer.

Boom!

The next instant, a surge of energy surged through the quantum infinite distance transmission channel, and the host's body jolted. Golden electricity spilled out from it, sizzling as Manison utilized [Lord's Descent].

The movements of the carrier instantly became a lot smoother. Manison twisted his neck, commenting, "That's much better."

Remote communication could be compared to doing a video chat. [Lord's Descent] was bringing one's consciousness into the scene, a lot more immersive.

Han Xiao smiled and did not speak, but he was full of awe in his heart.

When Manison's consciousness arrived, the mechanical force released by the host was so huge that it gave Han Xiao some pressure. To be able to allow another Beyond Grade A to feel pressure, the Mechanic Emperor was indeed unfathomable.

In all the Beyond Grade As he had seen, only EsGod's aura could be compared with Manison's… and this was only the host utilizing [Lord's Descent, not Manison's true body.

Just what level had this guy actually reached?

Thinking about it, Han Xiao tilted his mouth toward the door.

"Your Excellency Manison, how about we change locations?"

"Sure. Could you show me around your Black Star Army?" Manison nodded.

"Alright."

The two stood up and left the room while chatting.

They had only just met, so they did not talk about any sensitive topics but rather revolved around different topics such as about the headquarters, materials and technology used, and so on.

Han Xiao kept vision of the quantum network constantly active, letting Phillip maintain constant surveillance on the system.

While the possibility was low, it was better to guard against any secret Virtual Intrusion from Manison. After all, having Manison there was just like having the neighbor next door come to visit one's house. One could never know when one might be 'cucked', so it was better to deter than to resolve.

But Manison did not have such intentions. He was only focused on conversing about mechanical knowledge, as though they were really sharing technology between peers.

Just based on his technical exchanges, the Mechanic Emperor was indeed powerful. He had accumulated experience for many years and had collected all the mechanic profession knowledge. He was even at the forefront of technological innovation, having developed an unknown number of blueprints.

Just based on the main profession level, his was far off from Manison's. The other party had not lived so many years in vain.

Because this was the first time he was dealing with the Mechanic Emperor, Han Xiao constantly wore a smile on his face. However, he never lowered his guard. In addition to the preconceived notions, he also had to take into account the identity of the other party.

"Oh right, you mentioned just now that you would help me to deal with EsGod."

"EsGod is currently in the Primeval Star River. That is my base camp, and if the Federation of Light agrees to your request, it will be me who acts." Manison turned to look at Han Xiao. "Naturally, I also have my own reasons."

"What are they?" Han Xiao was curious.

"The first, I warned EsGod before that he was not allowed to wander into my territory. As for the second… hehe, I hope to obtain something from you." Manison did not bother hiding his intentions.

Obtain something from me? Han Xiao's eyes flashed. It would naturally not be his machinery, so it would most likely be the Universal Treasures. Was it the Evolution Cube or the Spacetime Amber?

However, Manison did not continue talking and only turned his head to another direction. At this moment, both of them had walked into a passageway, and surrounding them were combat training rooms.

"Since we're here, why not have a spar?" It was hard to tell what Manison was trying to do.

"Here?" Han Xiao shook his head. With our strength, we'll flip my headquarters upside down.

"Relax, I didn't bring any other mechanical units, only this host." Manison waved his hands. "You can control another host as well, and we'll stop when hit. This way, the movements are more controlled, and we will not harm our relations."

This method works… Han Xiao breathed in deeply and nodded. "… Alright then."

Since there was no need to fight with one's true body, it would be simple to repair the mechanical host afterward. It would also be safer this way. Han Xiao suspected that Manison wished to test out his combat strength based on his Mechanical Force.

Having broken through the 52,000 Energy limit, this level of Mechanical Force would not allow him to be easily abused by others. Han Xiao had the confidence to spar.

Moreover, [Lord's Descent] would also allow him to share the majority of his strength. He wished to also sneak a peek at Manison's attributes through the combat information.

[1] This used to be Papachi, but we're changing it to Palpatine from now on.

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Chapter 884 Probing and Surprise

The two of them chose a combat training room at random. Swiping his identification, the doors automatically opened for them.

There were also differences in the configurations of the combat training rooms. Only the high-configuration combat training rooms would be able to handle a stronger aftermath.

The ordinary training rooms were free for most army members and players to utilize. They could withstand the impact of a Grade B Super at most. If one wished to use a higher configuration combat room, then they had to pay the rent. According to a member's status within the army, there would be different discounts attached, and the players would use the training room to brush up their skills and experience.

The core area was equipped with the highest-level training rooms, but even then, they could only withstand most Calamity Grade attacks, and a Beyond Grade A attack would be pushing it. However, if they only were using a single host for a spar, so long as they controlled the attack power, there should not be a problem.

This top training room had a lot of space, and the ground and walls were all pure white, displaying a grid-like appearance. The material was a synthetic form of a tough alloy with polymer and plastic nanomaterials, which had a self-repair function. With a virtual reality coating applied to it, it was able to simulate different environments.

At the same time, the walls and floor were movable to change the shape of the room to match the virtual environment. This could create a battlefield environment for further immersiveness, else it would be difficult to deceive one's senses.

Of course, the battlefield simulation was not child's play, and Han Xiao had specifically forbidden the players in the guidelines of usage for training rooms from occupying the training room to be spectators.

Han Xiao allowed Phillip to randomize the environment, and the appearance of the ground and walls rapidly changed, turning into a lush forest. In the distance was an endless forest and a mountain shrouded in mist. The training room even simulated the realism of a light breeze, with the coolness of early morning rain. One could even smell the fresh air and mud, as though they were truly present.

Surveying the scene, Manison murmured emotionally, "Being with machinery every day, all I see are dull colors. Sometimes, I forget what the great outdoors look like."

Han Xiao opened his secondary dimension and withdrew a mechanical host. The streamlined human body shape was painted with the three colors of silver, black, and yellow. This was a 'Mammoth' mechanical host, updated to the RX002 Generation. Compared to the RX001 Generation, the performance was slightly different.

The Mammoth RX001 Generation was designed as a standard model with comprehensive capabilities and balanced in every respect, while the RX002 focused on reducing the volume of the skeletal structure and nano tendons. It sacrificed a portion of strength in exchange for amplified flexibility and more mechanical weapons, making it more suitable to combat.

The effect of [Lord's Descent] would vary based on the basic configuration of the host. Different hosts thus possessed different abilities and attributes when using [Lord's Descent, so it was necessary to build various types of mechanical hosts.

Han Xiao activated [Lord's Descent, and blue-gold Mechanical Force shot out, colliding with the mechanical host, bursting into an eye piercing gleam!

Buzz!

His consciousness was divided into two. One stayed within the main body, whereas the other controlled the mechanical host.

Han Xiao's true body flew up high, not participating in this battle. He controlled the host to stand opposite Manison. While they were separated by a few hundred meters, this distance was as good as non-existent at their current level.

Han Xiao eyed the host's interface. Because of the First Gen Black Star Alloy, the host had several meat shield talents, coupled with high resistance. It possessed a power amplification of 64%, flexibility of 81%, and stamina amplification of 73%.

Han Xiao twisted his neck around within the Mammoth, adapting to it. Afterward, its back armor split open, releasing micro disks to form a suspended defense array. Various psionic cannon muzzles extended out from the shoulder, chest, and abdomen areas, and it lifted the left arm in a shield holding gesture as a psionic shield formed. A metal wrist-guard was fitted on the right forearm, and it held on to a mechanical blade wrapped with energy on the right hand.

Seeing this, Manison's host also entered battle mode. It turned on the floating array, activating the psionic shield, and took out a mechanical weapon that looked like a staff, shifting to a lowered position.

Utilizing [Lord's Descent] to spar was equivalent to remote controlled combat. Even if the hosts fought brutally, there would be no losses to their bodies.

Without further words, both sides exchanged glances for two seconds before their figures blurred and viciously slammed into each other!

Bang!

The huge impact created a shock wave, felling the trees around them under the effect of realistic destruction. Even Han Xiao, who was in the sky above, had his hair completely blown askew.

The next instant, both hosts turned into a single blurry image as they flashed through the woods. The mechanical blade and staff collided thousands of times in a short period, causing sparks, electricity arcs, and lights to flash.

Dang dang dang!

The sound of wind, rain, and metal striking all entered one's ear.

Mechanical Force collided with each other face to face, exploding into arcs in front of both hosts. Wherever it landed, grooves were created, holes were bored, and trees were set ablaze.

Both of them engaged in melee combat tacitly and controlled their strength, not utilizing their strongest weapons such as the long-range cannons, or else the training room would definitely be blasted to pieces.

They were only sparring, so they did not use their trump cards. There was no need to determine a winner because a mechanic's true prowess lay in their mechanical army.

Both of them only had intentions to probe the other, seeking to understand the other party through battle. Whoever obtained more intelligence about the other would be the one benefitting.

As they battled, Manison was sensing Han Xiao's Mechanical Force intensity.

At his level, as long as he opened his senses, he could roughly pinpoint Han Xiao's current standards. While the intensity could not compare to his, he still got a surprise when faced with Han Xiao's battle strength.

He had heard of how Han Xiao had captured Dylan, and based on his hypothesis, Black Star should be similar to him, possessing the top-level Mechanical talent.

However, in reality when they crossed arms, Manison discovered that Black Star's Mechanical Force was not as strong as expected, and he did not have the top-level abilities of a mechanic.

However, Han Xiao's life level was much higher than he expected. Manison naturally knew of the first limit one would face at the 52,000 Energy Rank. Just crossing this limit was nothing to him, but the problem was how long Black Star had been a Beyond Grade A.

Black Star had only reached the Beyond Grade A level a year and half ago. In just this short of a time, he had crossed the first limit.

The time taken for a Beyond Grade A to undergo a life level transformation was typically measured in decades!

Such unbelievable growth was a first for Manison, despite his age!

Such potential and talent…

Such an astounding growth rate made referencing Black Star's current combat prowess useless.

Since he knew that Black Star had already broken through the first limit, Manison felt that he had already achieved his objective. He thought that he had profited from this exchange, since Black Star would only know that he was strong but not to what extent.

Thinking about this, he clashed once more, taking advantage of the shockwave to pull apart. Manison then put his weapon away as he said, "Let's stop here, or else the room will be destroyed."

Han Xiao also stopped. Eyeing the various gorges and grooves within the training room, he too sheathed his weapon.

His true body descended and cancelled the [Lord's Descent]. After storing his mechanical host, he let out a smile.

"Indeed, Mechanic Emperor. You're really strong."

"I must say, your abilities exceeded my expectations." Manison nodded as well.

Han Xiao smiled but did not reply, instead changing the topic. "We've already toured the headquarters. Let's go to my office. We can continue talking about the problem of EsGod there."

"Okay."

The two of them left the training area, and on the way, Han Xiao snuck a peak at the interface whilst chatting.

Manison's level was displayed as ???, which meant that the disparity between them was not small. The majority of his attributes and skills were also displayed as ???, as there were many skills that he had not used during the spar.

A mechanic's skills were infamously numerous, with many of them overlapping with each other and could be ignored. As for those that Manison had displayed in the spar, Han Xiao noticed two Molding Talents.

The first was [Perfect Mechanical Sense, which was within Han Xiao's expectations. To be able to reach the peak of the mechanic profession, Manison had to have such a talent.

The second was [Virtual Technology Innovation—Manison]. His name at the back meant that this was a Molding Talent that he himself had developed. The effect was to strengthen his Virtual Technology with an enhancement coefficient of 1.75.

While it looked lackluster compared to the strengthening coefficient of 2.5 provided by [Virtual Lord, the meaning for both skills was completely different. As long as any mechanic learned the Ultimate Knowledge [Virtual Creator, they would gain this expertise, but [Virtual Technology Innovation—Manison] was an exclusive ability, which provided an extra bonus to him. This meant that Manison had a huge advantage in virtual technology, and it was thus classified as a Molding Talent.

Furthermore, the introduction of this talent said, "After utilizing Virtual Technology Innovation, there will be special effects." This was probably referring to the core specialty of Manison's strongest mechanic troops, the Indestructible Mechanic Empire.

Manison would naturally not only possess two Molding Talents, but only these two were displayed so far.

However, based on the combat information, as well as the performance of Manison in his previous life, Han Xiao had come out with a rough estimation of Manison's battle strength.

His main profession should out-level me by at least one stage, and he should have at least four Molding Talents. In addition, his Mechanical army should outnumber mine by several thousand times… How scary. I'd better not provoke him.

Overall, Han Xiao was quite satisfied with the spar. In the intelligence area, he had definitely benefited.

The combat information had displayed some of the abilities that Manison did not display, but Manison had no interface, so whatever ability he did not display, Manison would naturally be unaware. Displaying his life level was in fact a ploy of Han Xiao's to show off his potential so that Manison would not slight him.

Because of the presence of Character Summon Cards, there was misinformation on Han Xiao's combat strength. For example, he did not display [Perfect Mechanical Sense, which caused discrepancies to appear in Manison's intelligence gathering.

The Mechanic Emperor had chosen the wrong opponent to probe this time.

The corners of Han Xiao's mouth rose slightly.

Both parties had their own inner monologue as they returned to the office.

After sitting down, Manison began to talk about his purpose.

"My reason for meeting you this time is also to see if you're welcome to the idea of making a transaction."

"Please speak."

"I'm actually very interested in your Spacetime Amber. From what I know, this Universal Treasure can create copies of itself. I hope to buy a few pieces from you as research material."

Turns out, he wanted to buy the amber balls…

Han Xiao was silent as he thought for a while before shaking his head.

"Apologies, but I don't intend to sell them outside at all."

The Spacetime Amber was one of his trump cards, and the reason he had given Austin one was to repay his debt. He did not wish to use this to gain the support of others. This item was different from the Evolution Cube; he did not wish to allow the amber balls to circulate around the universe and be utilized by others.

He was not even willing to provide them to the Crimson Dynasty, let alone to the Mechanic Empire.

While Manison's status was otherworldly, giving him face was one thing, but in matters such as these, no matter how impressive he was, it meant nothing.

"A pity, but I can understand."

Manison shook his head. His host did not reveal any expression, nor could anyone discern his emotions from his voice.

"If you change your mind one day, you may look for me."

"Then about the problem with EsGod…" Han Xiao probed.

"Hehe, no need to worry, I'll listen to the Federation of Light on this."

Manison lightly went around this topic. However, he did not mind Han Xiao rejecting him, and he did not seem to have the intention of getting up yet.

His words suddenly took on a change.

"I have a subordinate in the Shattered Star Ring called Sardeem, and he once reported something interesting to me. He mentioned that you stole his Mechanical army and even captured him alive for a period of time."

"… There was indeed such a matter. At that time, the circumstances forced me to."

Warning bells rose once again in Han Xiao's mind.

"Relax, since you did not kill him, there are no problems. I just felt that we seem to be quite connected by fate, to think that we had been linked so early on…"

Manison did not seem interested in seeking recompense.

But this next sentence caused Han Xiao's scalp to tingle!

"But talking about this, we were linked even earlier on… This reminds me, hehe, could I trouble you to return those two lost sheep to me?"

Manison's synthesized electronic tone had no fluctuations. While he laughed, one could not tell that he had a jovial intention.

The Mechanic Emperor actually knows about Aroshia‽

Han Xiao immediately forced his expression to remain straight, suppressing the turmoil within his emotions, and deepened his tone.

"… What do you mean?"

"A long time ago, there were two lucky AI life forms that infiltrated my base. One of them made off with one of my spare spaceships, while the other utilized my equipment to transform herself into an indestructible Mechanical Life. They tried to set their comrades free, but they were spotted by the firewalls within my base and chased by my automaton troops. Luckily for them, they entered a wormhole and eventually found their way to your organization…"

At this point, Manison paused.

"Surely you don't think that the two AI lifeforms were able to make it into my base on their own, right?"

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Chapter 885 Brewing Influence, Rising Waves

Han Xiao only narrowed his eyes, not speaking. In actual fact, he had also shared the same suspicions, but Risda had replied in the same manner each time he asked, making him unable to verify it.

Manison crossed his hands and calmly spoke.

"Just based on their ability, they would never be able to break through my firewall. Behind them was another Beyond Grade A Mechanic that was coveting my Indestructible Mechanic Empire and wished to wreck my trump card troops while I was not within my base. They secretly guided these two little guys that knew nothing and quietly opened the virtual data channels for them."

"A pity that his cheap trick was spotted by me, and his scheme thus failed. I actually knew that the little fellow who had turned itself into an indestructible mechanic soldier had always been residing in Floating Dragon Island. She borrowed my energy transmission channel and stole my recombination material, so I could naturally track her.

"But I didn't go and recollect it. That's mainly because I don't care about these two fellows who were wandering outside, but I also decided not to make contact with Ames due to my past relationship with Aesop. However, since I'm here today, it's just as well. You can hand both of them back over to me."

Han Xiao rubbed his temples, feeling a little helpless. Twenty years ago when he first recruited Aroshia, he had been but a Grade B Super. He was just a nobody in the universe, so naturally, Manison would not place him in his eyes.

When he discovered the origins of Aroshia later on, he had once worried about whether Manison would pursue them, but Aroshia had never met any danger, so he had thought that Manison did not know of Aroshia's position.

When he reached the Beyond Grade A level, his Virtual Technology knowledge grew deeper, and he also started to doubt the given description of their escape, but because of his preconceived notions and added to the fact that twenty years had gone by peacefully, he took it for granted.

To think that Manison had always known…

Han Xiao's brain quickly moved.

Obviously, with Manison's status, he did not care about Aroshia and Risda escaping. After all, he had an entire AI civilization as his army; just two escapees did not mean anything.

But the reason he had mentioned this was not to take Aroshia and Risda back but rather because Han Xiao had rejected his request to obtain the amber, so he decided to attack him!

This old thing… God only knows just how many cards he still has on hand.

Han Xiao frowned, pausing for a moment, before replying solemnly.

"Aroshia is a comrade of mine who has followed me for over twenty years. She has free will and is not a slave of mine. I can't just pass someone who is respected and was involved in the establishment of Black Star Army together with me. How would I answer to my officers in this manner?"

Manison wished to reclaim its escaped soldiers, but Han Xiao tweaked the situation, emphasizing Aroshia's position within the Black Star Army. Thus, he could firmly reject.

"Your Excellency Black Star, you're a really tough nut." Manison still remained calm, and he only sighed.

From the time they had met up till now, Han Xiao had always been courteous, but regarding any crucial issues, he had never given way and always had hidden needles to retaliate.

Want the amber? Not selling!

Want my people? Not giving!

Han Xiao was apprehensive of Manison's strength, but he was not afraid of the other party. It would have been one thing if he did not have any support, but the dynasty was backing the Black Star Army, while the Federation backed Manison. Both of them had prestigious backers, and there was no need to be afraid.

Since he was the one to obtain the Spacetime Amber, the dynasty did not force him to hand it over because as long as it was in his hands, it was equivalent to the dynasty's strength.

However, if he chose to deal with the Mechanic Empire, this would mean that the method of production of the Spacetime Amber would be passed onto the Federation of Light's hands. This would cross the bottom line of the dynasty, and he would suffer the consequences. Thus, not even a guarantee from Manison that he would only research it privately could persuade him.

The reason Han Xiao did not make the transaction was not just to maintain the deterrence of the Spacetime Amber but also because of the problem of their opposing factions. Even if he would end up offending the other, he could only reject. This even applied to the worst case where they turned hostile.

The atmosphere was a little heavy for a moment. Han Xiao only stared at Manison, not speaking, while Manison did the same, his mechanical host not showing any emotions.

After silence reigned for a period, Manison finally opened his mouth again. "Alright then, it seems that my request was a little overboard."

He did not insist on reclaiming the duo, maybe because he did not wish to turn hostile with Han Xiao over such a small matter. However, Han Xiao could not know if that was what he thought.

"Many thanks for understanding, Your Excellency Mechanic Emperor." Han Xiao's tone also softened. Since the other party had given him face, there was a need to respond appropriately.

"However…" Manison's words took a curve. "While I don't care if they have their own lives, there's something I need to remind you of."

"Please speak."

"Those two fellows have always wanted to free their clansmen. I hope you will not be fooled by them. The Beyond Grade A Mechanic who helped them the other time ended up as my trophy, and I don't wish to be enemies with you… or else the result won't be nice to see." Manison's tone remained calm.

Han Xiao's pupils needled. This was a pure warning!

At this moment, Manison stood up, and he expressed his intention to leave.

"No matter what, being able to come into contact with you, Your Excellency Black Star, has made this a worthwhile trip. It was pleasant getting to know you."

Han Xiao remained expressionless and stood up, shaking hands with the other.

After exchanging communicator numbers, they walked out of the room. Han Xiao personally escorted Manison back to the Federation of Light's spaceship.

Before the hatch closed, Manison turned back to look at Han Xiao.

"Since you are coming over to the Primeval Star River to deal with EsGod, if time permits, come over to my place for a visit."

"Sure, I'll try to do so." Han Xiao nodded.

Ka!

The hatch sealed itself, and the spaceship's thrusters ignited, taking off into the vast universe.

Sending them off with his eyes, Han Xiao secretly heaved a sigh of relief and murmured, "Old fox."

Dealing with Manison was really not a pleasant thing.

Han Xiao could not determine Manison's true thoughts. His attitude was also ambiguous, his every move seemingly carrying probing intentions.

This guy is not just a person who purely pursues benefits. His thinking was hard to predict, and even with Manison's deeds from his previous life as a gauge, Han Xiao still found it hard to figure out the character of this old fox.

When encircling EsGod, the battlefield will be in the Primeval Star River. There's a need to go to the territory of the Mechanic Empire to battle… From the current situation, since I rejected him, Manison will definitely be dissatisfied with me, but considering all factors, he probably won't make me an enemy for now.

Han Xiao shook his head.

Because of a conflict of interest, this meeting ended on a heavy note.

Beep beep!

This time, the communicator rang, and Mona passed on the news that the Federation of Light had approved Han Xiao's request to hunt down EsGod.

No matter what, at least I have more assurance in dealing with EsGod now.

Han Xiao regained his spirit. Regarding the Mechanic Empire, he could handle it at a later date. The pressing task at hand was to first get rid of EsGod.

He was only an ally and thus could not privately engage in a cooperation with the Federation of Light without the dynasty's knowledge, or it would be considered as overstepping his bounds. Thus, he had to inform the dynasty, which was also convenient to show the dynasty his firm killing intent toward EsGod.

Regardless of whether the dynasty was willing to cooperate, the Federation of Light would be dispatched, and the only difference would be whether they encircled EsGod together or separately.

At the same time, on the Federation of Light's spaceship, Mona approached Manison and respectfully said, "The upper echelons have accepted Black Star's request to encircle EsGod, and they hope that Your Excellency Mechanic Emperor will be able to help since the battlefield will be situated in the Primeval Star River."

"Got it."

Manison waved his hands before controlling his host to move toward the porthole, gazing at the shrinking Black Star Army headquarters in the distance.

"No wonder Sorokin suffered a loss here. This guy is one tough nut." Manison nodded.

He was one of the shareholders of the Limitless Financial Group, and he supplied the financial group with a large amount of mechanical materials yearly. Thus, he had known Sorokin for quite a long time.

The armed force that Sorokin was developing on the Shattered Star Ring was not a secret to Manison. His intelligence web was huge, to the point where even though the Calamity Grade partner of the Beyond Grade A seed Roseau seemed to be working for Sorokin on the surface, he was actually a spy loyal to Manison.

Thus, Manison was aware that Sorokin tried to probe the Black Star Army and ended up suffering in the Gulal Civilization.

Sorokin was interested in the undying troops of the Black Star Army, which were also of interest to Manison. From his point of view, Black Star's immortal troops were akin to his Indestructible Mechanic Empire, just that Manison's army was larger. Thus, he was not as eager as Sorokin was.

What he was most concerned about now was the Spacetime Amber.

As for the Evolution Cube, he was not too interested in it.

The theory behind the Evolution Cube was unknown, and it was impossible for the genetic optimization to be adjusted. He was different from EsGod in this regard; Manison did not like things that could not be controlled.

On the mother planet of the Crimson Dynasty, Urranrell put down the report in her hand. Facing the long distance projection of Tarrokov, she expressionlessly asked, "You're saying, Black Star took the initiative to contact you, saying that the Federation of Light had contacted him, wishing to reconcile with him, and he persuaded them to prepare to encircle EsGod together?"

"Yes." Tarrokov nodded.

Not too long ago, Han Xiao had contacted him once more and roughly summarized the events for him. After ending the call, he had immediately reported upward to Urranrell, conveying Han Xiao's intentions.

"Hmm…" Urranrell leaned back in her chair, her hand rapping on the table as she turned to look at her confidant, Clotti. "What do you think?"

"Black Star did not ask the dynasty in advance and privately found a collaborator without permission. He has crossed the line, forgetting his identity now that he has made some achievements." Clotti's tone was indifferent, and he did not like or dislike Han Xiao, merely speaking his mind.

"It's not that serious. In fact, it's a good thing. Plus, he reported it immediately. This minor issue is not worth pursuing." Urranrell waved her hands. "I know that he wishes to kill EsGod more than anyone else. He's probably worried that EsGod will still eye the Evolution Cube and will make a comeback."

She pondered for a while before making a decision.

"Since the Federation of Light wishes to participate, pull aboard the Arcane Church. Let's have a three-pronged operation."

Because EsGod had turned traitor, it resulted in huge losses for the Arcane Church. Thus, the Arcane Church would definitely remember this grudge. Furthermore, because they had worked together with EsGod during the battle of Planet Lighthouse, it had caused some negative public opinion within the interstellar society. There was an urgent need for them to express their position against EsGod.

In this regard, EsGod was just like a chamber pot. When there was a need, they would take it out to use, but once they had utilized it, they would find it smelly and kick it back into the corner once more.

Urranrell's idea was to drag the Arcane Church down as well, to relieve the pressure on the dynasty. If they were going to fight, all of them should do so. No one should sit by the side and watch.

Furthermore, eliminating the EsGod would also help to fulfil Black Star's wishes.

In a certain desolate universe belt of the Primeval Star River, EsGod's fleet was currently cruising along, moving toward the edge of the star field.

In the main hall of the spaceship, Fakisen came up to the throne of the EsGod, awakening the snoozing EsGod.

The dark mist swirled, forming ugly facial features. EsGod opened his eyes, gazing at his assistant before asking indifferently, "What's the matter?"

"There's a problem with our main camp. The troops we have in the Central Galaxy have been encircled by the Crimson Dynasty and the Arcane Church, and our losses are disastrous."

"Oh, is there anything else?" EsGod nodded as though he did not care.

Fakisen paused for a while before forcing a smile. "We've also angered the Arcane Church this time, and they may join hands with the dynasty to send Beyond Grade As after you. Are you not worried?"

"They're the ones that should be worried, not me." EsGod closed his eyes again, his tone akin to one dreaming. "I can also test out my strength after my evolution."

Seeing EsGod once again sink into slumber, Fakisen left the hall. As he closed the door, it covered the ferocious arc of his mouth.

Anger, glee, complacency, resignation… all sorts of complex feelings flashed across.

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Chapter 886 Borrowing Strength

Two days later, Han Xiao called all his officers to his office and informed them that he was going to the Central Galaxy.

Sylvia nodded upon hearing that and asked, "How long will your trip be?"

"I have to see the dynasty's arrangement. We will only be able to take action after they gather enough manpower."

"Alright. The affairs of the army will be managed by me, so you don't have to worry," Sylvia said.

By the side, Hila said, "I have some things that I need to pack. When will we be leaving?"

Han Xiao shook his head.

"You don't need to go. I won't be bringing the Black Star Guards this time."

Hila froze in place and asked, "Why?"

"Because I will be fighting with EsGod, and you guys won't be of help. It would be better for all of you to remain in the Shattered Star Ring," Han Xiao said.

The members of the Black Star Guards were all Calamity Grade elites, and their main responsibility was to deal with the enemies that did not require him to make a personal appearance. There was no need to bring them along to deal with EsGod; they would only be a burden to him. Thus, Han Xiao decided to go alone this time.

"… Alright." Hila grunted with dissatisfaction and left the room.

She seemed to be agitated again.

Han Xiao laughed in his heart. This was a good thing. Hila was not the crazy individual that she was in her previous life, and it would be good to provide her with timely motivation.

"My sister will be going through a devilish training regime again." Aurora then looked at Han Xiao and said with worry, "Will there be any danger if you go alone?"

"I'm not taking the Black Star Guards, but I didn't say that I will be going alone."

As he said that, Han Xiao turned around to look at Reynold.

"Hmm? Me?" Reynold pointed to himself with a puzzled look on his face.

"That's right. It's you."

"But I still have to manage the logistics…" Reynold did not understand why Han Xiao wanted to bring him along.

"Won't you get bored if you spend all your time dealing with logistics? Follow me on a walk. Right, who is the vice director of the logistics department?"

"A Calamity Grade Mechanic that joined a few years ago. This is his resume." Sylvia immediately took out some information.

The army had developed rapidly over the past few years, and Han Xiao had plenty of experts under his charge. There were more and more Calamity Grades working for him, and the number of Calamity Grades he had was more than a Star System civilization. Apart from the Black Star Guards in the Shattered Star Ring, the other Calamity Grades were scattered in other departments and had a respected position.

There were more Calamity Grade Supers who came from the outside, such as Hadavy, Lagi, and so on. There were fewer Calamity Grade Supers that were trained by the army like Herlous, Sylvia, and Reynold.

Han Xiao then flipped through the records and asked, "Does he have any record of accepting bribes, reselling the army's blueprints, or corruption?"

"No. I would have reported it to you if he did so…" Sylvia burst out in cold sweat.

You are a Beyond Grade A Virtual Mechanic and probably even know about the size of my undergarments. Is there anything in the base that is hidden from your eyes?

"Then the matters of the logistics department shall be handed over to him temporarily." Han Xiao then turned around and looked at Reynold. "Nero is still a child, and he will be traumatized if he spends every day studying. I plan to bring him along to tour Planet Crimson Ring. Of course, having a holiday is one thing, but his studies cannot stop."

Reynold then came to a realization. I see, His Excellency Black Star wants to bring Nero out on a holiday but doesn't want to let his godson relax completely. Thus, he is also bringing the teacher along.

Sylvia immediately felt her heart turn sour.

I am also His Excellency Black Star's student! Why is our teacher so biased toward Reynold? I can also be Nero's teacher!

I also want a holiday!

"Don't worry, all of you will stay on Planet Crimson Ring when I fight EsGod, and there's no need to follow me. There won't be any danger." Han Xiao then looked at Feidin. "Follow along as well. You can accompany Nero."

"Alright." Feidin smiled. "Nero should be very happy."

I don't know if he will be happy, but I definitely am…

Han Xiao chuckled to himself.

Han Xiao mainly brought Feidin and Nero along because he believed in luck. After all, it would be difficult for him to deal with EsGod, and bringing two high grade protagonist level characters with him along might increase his chances of success.

The boost from two Advanced Luck Glows was better than an unlucky him working alone.

Han Xiao then set the departure time to two hours later.

Everyone left the room, and Hadavy dragged the napping Lagi out of the room as though he was dragging a bag of rubbish.

After the end of the meeting, Reynold immediately returned to the Logistics Department to give out his instructions before returning to his office and opening a side door.

Nero was currently doing his homework in this side room.

After drinking the dragonblood potion, he did not feel like sleeping at all. Thus, he got into the same napping posture that he had in Planet Aquamarine to try and fall asleep.

After checking Nero's homework, a bright smile of satisfaction emerged on Reynold's face. At the very start, he had only taught Nero because it was Han Xiao's instruction, but throughout the teaching process, he had truly grown to like this student of his as he saw himself in Nero.

Although Nero did not like machines as crazily as him, he was also capable of enduring hardship. Nero had a strength in that he would never skive. Even if the amount of homework that he had drove him to despair, Nero would still complete it earnestly. Reynold truly liked such a student.

After all, the Mechanic Class was different from the other classes; knowledge was power. The better the foundation, the smoother his future would be. Thus, Reynold felt that Nero would definitely be able to go a long way.

Despite having such thoughts in his heart, Reynold naturally would not say that with his personality. He then coughed dryly and said, "Stop doing your work and pack up your things. The Army Commander wants to take you to the Central Galaxy."

Nero's eyes immediately sparkled with excitement.

"Godfather is going to bring me out to play! Hahaha… I finally don't have to do homework!"

Nero then threw his pen down and was agitated to the point he almost teared up.

Godfather still dotes on me!

The tiny bit of resentment in his heart disappeared, and he almost wanted to jump for joy to praise his godfather.

"Pack your things quickly. We will be setting off very soon."

Nero's actions froze in place, and he turned around slowly. "Wait… we?"

"The Army Commander wants me to follow along to guide your learning," Reynold said expressionlessly.

Nero's face froze in place.

Han Xiao and the others then gathered at his private dock. Feidin was the first to arrive, and they chatted for a while before Reynold and Nero arrived.

Nero carried a small bag with a dispirited look.

"Everyone's here. Let's set off."

Han Xiao led everyone onto the spaceship and got Phillip to activate the autopilot mode.

The spaceship then flew into space and entered hyperdrive.

He had gone to the Central Galaxy the previous year and was already familiar with the journey.

After flying for a period of time, they arrived at the army stargate and skipped past many Star Fields to arrive at the Crimson Ring Star System. Under the guidance of the army, they then weaved through the Psionic Seal Ring and arrived at Planet Crimson Ring.

"This is the capital of the Crimson Dynasty…" Reynold looked at the various mechanical structures around him and murmured in awe.

"How magnificent." Nero looked out of the window. This was far more spectacular than his home planet, Planet Aquamarine.

As their spaceship landed, there was already a dynasty's emissary waiting for them at the dock. Bowing to Han Xiao respectfully, the emissary led the group into Tarunamir Palace.

This was the legendary capital of a Universal Civilization. Nero was extremely curious about everything, and if not for his godfather, he would never have been able to visit this place in his lifetime.

The emissary then said with a smile, "Your Excellency Black Star, we will be in charge of all of your daily needs. Please find me if you need anything."

"Hmm, then why not take them to explore this place? The mother planet of the dynasty is very big, and you can show them all the fun places," Han Xiao said.

"Godfather, aren't you going to come along with us?"

"I still have something else to do and have to meet the Dynasty Ruler."

Han Xiao waved his hands and headed toward the core political building where Urranrell was. He had already reported his arrival, and Urranrell was waiting to see him.

Han Xiao arrived outside the office of the Ruler quickly.

The secretary knocked on the door, and Urranrell's voice could be heard from the inside.

"Please enter."

The door opened, and Han Xiao walked in.

This was the second time that he had seen the Ruler, and just like the first time, only the two of them were in the room.

"Black Star, you're here. Please take a seat," Urranrell said.

Han Xiao nodded, and just as he sat down, Urranrell continued speaking.

"You rendered huge merits during the battle at Planet Lighthouse. Good job."

Urranrell had only praised him through long-distance communication previously and would naturally have to give a personal praise to Han Xiao now that they had met each other.

"I only did something small," Han Xiao replied.

"You're too humble. The dynasty will always reward those with merit, and you should already know that we will increase our support to you in terms of resources and give you some benefits when assigning the territories for the Flickering World."

Urranrell then paused for a while before slowly saying, "I can give you a heads up. After the end of the first developmental phase, we will set up various basic facilities in the different Star Clusters and assign some territories to our allied organizations. You can give some suggestions on the topic of territory assignment, and we will consider your suggestions seriously."

Han Xiao raised his brows. This was akin to letting him pick the first territory. It probably was not only for his merits but also to rope him in.

The development of a new Star Field was a long-term plan, and the dynasty was not anxious. After the exploration would be development. They would have to first develop the various regions that they had explored before expanding out into the other Star Clusters. At that time, the various allies would surely receive more than one piece of territory.

This was good for Han Xiao. He would be able to gain a territory after the first phase was over and could officially develop his Mechanical Life civilization and shift the Black Spirit Race over.

He would have a lot more freedom in his own territory compared to in the Shattered Star Ring and would not have to share a region with the other Star System Civilizations.

"I'm looking forward to it." Han Xiao smiled.

"Hmm, let's talk about some proper matters. The dynasty has summoned you this time for two matters. First, the dynasty promised the Arcane Church to help them unseal one of the Beyond Grade As, and we need your help."

Han Xiao nodded to indicate his agreement.

"The second matter is to surround EsGod. It is also related to the first matter. The Arcane Church will only agree to join in the battle if you unseal one seal."

Han Xiao was slightly shocked upon hearing that.

The Arcane Church was also dragged into it?

He did not receive news of this beforehand and was a little surprised.

"Isn't it only the Federation of Light? The Arcane Church is…"

"This is my intention. Since you pulled the Federation of Light into this, I called the Arcane Church along, and they are willing to help us."

This was an unexpected surprise. With the Arcane Church joining, the three Universal Civilizations were working together, so they would have a greater chance of getting rid of EsGod!

Han Xiao pretended to ponder for a moment before saying with a smile, "We were the only ones involved originally, but with the three Universal Civilizations working together, we can save a lot of effort."

"This isn't the only reason. It is also because of you."

"Me?"

"Yes, the dynasty can feel your murderous intent toward EsGod, and we chose to do so to fulfill your wish."

Han Xiao was truly overwhelmed with grace.

This meant that his suggestion had influenced the decision of the dynasty!

"You are an important ally of the dynasty, and we will naturally respect your thoughts." Urranrell paused for a moment before continuing. "We shall end the conversation here today. I still have some things to take care of, and the Arcane Church fleet has not arrived yet. Remain on Planet Crimson Ring for a while, and we will inform you of the exact time of the operation."

"Okay."

Han Xiao could tell that the other party was inviting him to leave.

It seems like the Dynasty Ruler is truly busy.

Han Xiao then stood up and took his leave.

Hearing the door behind him close, Han Xiao heaved a sigh of relief and was truly excited.

The Crimson Dynasty originally only planned to put up a show to deal with EsGod, but he caused the three Universal Civilizations to work together!

This situation was because of his suggestion, and the outcome was better than he had imagined!

His resolution to get rid of EsGod was recognized by the dynasty, and there was also the effect of the Political Asset.

The influence that he had accumulated over the years was finally effective!

"It's payback time." Han Xiao narrowed his eyes, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

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Chapter 887 Troops Established

Leaving the government building, Han Xiao's communicator rang. It was Milizaus who called him.

"Black Star, are you on Planet Crimson Ring already?" Milizaus chuckled.

"Yes, are you here too? I didn't see you around."

"I haven't arrived yet. We are having a long-distance gathering. Come online for a while."

"Alright." Han Xiao entered the quantum network and found an encrypted channel.

The next moment, his projection appeared in a huge room with a round table in front of him and plenty of seats around. His own projection was currently in one of the seats. Most of the seats were filled with only four empty ones at the moment.

Han Xiao then looked around and realized that everyone present was an ally of the dynasty. It was like a Beyond Grade A group chat for the Crimson Dynasty.

Without anybody organizing a meeting, the 'group chat' would usually be silent with no one online. Currently, most of the Beyond Grade As were online, and many familiar faces were present. That included 'Dragon King' Milizaus, 'Incineration' Beyoni, 'Warship Emperor' Maximiler, 'Fox Arts' Ravenlaude, 'Star Slasher' Viru, and Little Ty-Ty. 'Dark Lord' Clotti and another of the three pillars were not online.

"Haha, Black Star is here." Beyoni was the most welcoming, and he looked very happy.

Everyone then looked at Han Xiao and greeted him. The two who fought with him on Planet Lighthouse were the friendliest. Maximiler was also pretty friendly. Ravenlaude and Heber greeted him calmly, and the others had a trace of respect in their voices.

After the battle on Planet Lighthouse, Han Xiao had gained the battle record of capturing a Beyond Grade A alive, which cemented his status in the Beyond Grade A group.

Although Han Xiao had only entered the Beyond Grade A realm not too long ago, he had already gained the respect of his comrades and was officially accepted into the group. He was now at the middle rungs of the group and had an even greater status than some ordinary Beyond Grade As. At the very least, there would not be anyone who intentionally provoked him anymore.

Fists reigned supreme after all, and the Beyond Grade As only respected strength.

Facing the friendly looks on the faces of his comrades, Han Xiao replied to all of them warmly.

After which, the organizer of this meeting, Milizaus, started the meeting.

"The other four aren't coming, and there isn't a need to consider them. Let's begin our discussion. Everyone knows that the dynasty plans to send out at least three Beyond Grade As to kill EsGod and has prepared a name list. However, they would like to ask us if we are willing first. There isn't a need to talk about Black Star since he is resolute about killing EsGod. I also plan to help him. Is anyone else interested?"

A Universal Civilization could not easily order a Beyond Grade A around and would generally consider if the Beyond Grade A Super was willing to participate in the operation.

Everyone then fell into deep thought while glancing at Han Xiao once in a while.

Han Xiao looked around and felt Milizaus looking at him. He immediately understood Milizaus' intentions.

Milizaus had heard from the dynasty about Han Xiao's intention to kill EsGod and thus summoned most of the dynasty's Beyond Grade As. In fact, he was trying to find partners for Han Xiao and give Han Xiao a chance to choose his teammates.

Right at this moment, Beyoni shrugged his shoulders and said, "Black Star, you were around when we last fought EsGod. It isn't that I don't wish to help you, but I am also an Esper, and EsGod's ability is my nemesis. I shall not take up a slot in this battle."

Han Xiao nodded in agreement. Indeed, EsGod had the ability to silence Espers and was the nemesis of most Espers. Beyoni was not wrong to say that he would be useless if he went.

However, understanding was one thing, but he still had to show disdain.

Ah, little brother.

I only have a single word for you—noob!

Upon seeing the rest remain silent, Han Xiao said, "The Dynasty Ruler revealed some information to me just now. The dynasty isn't the only one taking action this time; the Federation of Light and Arcane Church will also be participating. With all three parties working together, they won't be putting up a show. There is a good chance to get rid of EsGod. I definitely won't let go of this opportunity, and I will definitely be thankful to anyone who is willing to help me."

Upon hearing that, the eyes of many lit up. This meant that they would be able to use the Evolution Cube if they helped Black Star get rid of EsGod.

"I will participate." Ravenlaude was the first to speak.

"Alright, who else?" Milizaus asked calmly.

As an Ancient One, both him and Ravenlaude were not easy to deal with. Although their relationship was not good, he also recognized Ravenlaude's strength. An ordinary Beyond Grade A was not capable of becoming an Ancient One. Milizaus would naturally be willing to select a few more powerful allies for Black Star.

There was no need to consider the other two pillars. Clotti would keep guard beside Urranrell, and the other one was guarding a Star Field.

Heber was also tempted but could not bring himself to offer help.

Some rejected and others were not too interested. Finally, more than half of the Beyond Grade As present decided to participate in the operation. Together with Han Xiao, there were seven individuals in total.

Milizaus, Maximiler, Ravenlaude, Viru, Kohler, and Lotus Swordsman—these six were his comrades participating in the operation to get rid of EsGod. Kohler was a Pugilist, and Lotus Swordsman was a female Psychic. There was not a single Esper among the group.

"Will seven of us be too many? Will the dynasty agree?" Ravenlaude asked.

"We can help him in our personal capacity if the dynasty doesn't agree. Can the dynasty object?" Lotus Swordsman said.

The Crimson Dynasty originally planned to send out three to five people, but because Han Xiao had promised to use the Evolution Cube as a reward, the troop had seven individuals, which was out of the dynasty's expectations.

However, the dynasty did not have any issue with it. After all, it would not be good for them to stop their allies from seeking help personally. Furthermore, it was not a bad thing either.

Han Xiao then sized up this female Psychic. She had long white hair and violet skin. Her appearance looked similar to that of a human, and she was considered beautiful by the standards of the galaxy. She gave out a dreamlike aura and had a unique sense of charisma.

Lotus Swordsman was her name, not a title. Swordsman was her surname, and Lotus was her forename.

She came from a special race called the Rainis Race. The members of this race did not have any gender before the age of fifteen, and their bodies would undergo a special transformation at the age of fifteen. They could become a female or male, and this ceremony would be called the 'Gender Determination Ceremony'. Once their gender was decided, they would not be able to change it in the future.

As such, the race put heavy emphasis on splitting up the workload evenly. However, because the Gender Determination Ceremony affected one's life, there were far too many people who chose to become males every year. Even if society increased the benefits and status of females, the birth rate was still falling.

As such, the Rainis Race had a quota of females to fulfill every year to ensure that their race could continue to reproduce. Lotus Swordsman was one of the unlucky candidates to be picked when she was young and forced to become a female.

Despite the Rainis Race producing a Beyond Grade A Super, they did not receive any protection. Lotus Swordsman had long announced that the Rainis Race had nothing to do with her and managed her own organization.

Their other comrade, Kohler, was a Beyond Grade A who had completely submitted to the dynasty. He did not have an organization, and although his strength could not be compared to Heber, he was still a Beyond Grade A.

"I will have to rely on all of you for help," Han Xiao said sincerely.

After chatting a while longer, Milizaus announced the end of the meeting and informed the dynasty of the outcome.

Han Xiao then left the quantum network and heaved a sigh of relief.

His teammates had already been set. With the dynasty sending out seven people, there would definitely be more than ten Beyond Grade As together with the other two parties. The scale of the battle might reach the same level as the battle on Planet Lighthouse.

But this time, all of them were going to deal with EsGod alone, and EsGod's situation was far worse than the dynasty's during the battle on Planet Lighthouse.

Han Xiao clenched his fists in excitement and prepared for battle!

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Chapter 888 Future Dynasty Ruler

The dynasty's team had been decided. A group of seven Beyond Grade As was an extremely powerful force, and the number had exceeded Han Xiao and the dynasty's expectations. The dynasty agreed to the list of members of the team and gathered their fleet to prepare for the battle.

Before dealing with EsGod, they had to first complete the trade with the Arcane Church.

The Arcane Church escort fleet was still on the way, and Han Xiao was awaiting his orders on Planet Crimson Ring. He could take the time out to accompany Nero and the others to explore Planet Crimson Ring.

Planet Crimson Ring was extremely large with plenty of floating cities in the sky. There were many sights that were famous in the universe. Furthermore, Planet Crimson Ring was the origin of the Crimson Dynasty Civilization, and many historical locations from a long time ago were retained.

Under the lead of the tour guide, Han Xiao and the others spent this time exploring many different tourist locations.

Han Xiao belonged to the dynasty faction in his previous life and had naturally explored the mother planet of the dynasty before. Because he was familiar with the situation on the planet, he was not too curious and was mainly there to accompany Nero and the others.

Planet Crimson Ring had plenty of rich mission resources, but to the present Han Xiao, the value of these missions was not great. Furthermore, his current status was different, and his every action would be watched by others. As such, it was impossible for him to become an errand boy for someone else.

Most importantly, there were many familiar missions and characters that had not appeared at this time yet.

Today, their group arrived at the Saint Palace Museum of the dynasty.

This museum was the largest one in the Crimson Dynasty and had objects from every historical period during the development of the Crimson Dynasty.

The Saint Palace Museum was a large garden with dozens of different palaces. The palaces all had different styles to represent the different time period of the dynasty.

The advantage of having the dynasty's tour guide beside them was that they did not need to queue up or buy an entrance ticket. Han Xiao led Feidin, Reynold, and Reynold to skip the long queue and entered the museum through a special entrance.

Their special privilege drew the attention of those queuing up, and everyone began whispering to each other.

"That seems to be Black Star from the Shattered Star Ring. I saw him on the news before."

"To think that we'd be able to meet such a bigshot. How lucky."

"Quick, take a picture!"

These tourists were all extremely excited and took out their cameras to take pictures. A Beyond Grade A Super was an individual who truly held great authority and was completely different from these ordinary galactic residents. Now that they had met Han Xiao, it was like meeting a famous celebrity on the streets.

These tourists came from many different races and civilizations. The Psionic Seal Ring was there to protect the mother planet but not to seal off the mother planet. At the very least, they would not do so during this generation. It was just that every visitor had to go through stringent checks and could only spend a limited time on the planet.

Every year, Planet Crimson Ring would welcome a huge number of tourists to support the local tourist industry. The dynasty was not interested in that little bit of money but in increasing the influence of the dynasty's culture through tourism.

Han Xiao and the others walked into the museum and entered the main palace under the tour guide's lead.

Compared to the bustle on the outside, the palace was extremely silent and had a solemn atmosphere.

The main palace described the development direction of the Crimson Dynasty, and everyone listened to the explanation of the tour guide as they looked through the various objects being displayed.

Nero was filled with curiosity toward the dynasty's history and looked through the introduction of every item. Feidin followed behind Nero and was also pretty interested in the items being displayed. Reynold's attention was mainly focused on the various ancient machines being displayed. Although these machines were considered outdated compared to the current technology, Reynold was still more interested in these items than the others.

Han Xiao walked the fastest and arrived in front of ten gigantic black stone slabs. The height of the ten stone slabs almost reached the ceiling of the palace, and the history of the Crimson Dynasty was written down from the beginning to now. The development of the Crimson Dynasty had not always been smooth.

The Crimson Dynasty was also once weak and had been through many struggles such as civil war and revolutionary attempts.

The advancement of their genes brought about risk of mutation. The advancement of the machines and artificial intelligence risked the betrayal of the intelligent machines. The use of heavy machines brought about changes to the environment… As their technological skills advanced, the civilization also met many different forks in the road.

There were plenty of other dangers such as the various wormholes, pandemics, exploration wars, and so on. Through the many tribulations that the Crimson Dynasty had experienced, they finally developed their iron-blooded character.

They grew from a weak civilization into one of the rulers in the universe. They had been through plenty of tribulations throughout this period, and the ten stone slabs recorded the price that they had to pay to get there.

In front of the history of an entire civilization, everyone seemed extremely small.

Just when Han Xiao fell into a daze while looking at the stone slabs, an old voice sounded beside him.

"I'm always in awe whenever I see these stone slabs."

Han Xiao turned around and saw an old man wearing the uniform of the museum. He had a compassionate look in his eyes with his back straight as though he was a soldier.

"That's right. Every civilization capable of reaching the universe level deserves to be respected," Han Xiao replied.

The old man then nodded and turned around to look at Han Xiao. With a smile, he said, "Let me introduce myself. I am the vice manager of the Saint Palace museum, Karl Fleur Wishandi. Hello, Your Excellency Black Star."

"Hello." Han Xiao also nodded, but his heart began thumping.

Karl Fleur Wishandi? This name sounds so familiar…

Usually, the names that he found familiar would be the famous characters from his previous life. Han Xiao immediately began searching through his database while talking to the vice manager.

Karl was a healthy old man who did not seem too concerned about Han Xiao's status and talked to Han Xiao on equal grounds.

"I have always been interested in the history of the dynasty and have guarded the museum for many years. I enjoy protecting the items in this place." Karl stroked the stone slab in front of him and lamented.

Han Xiao glanced at the 'Do Not Touch' sign by the side and decided to ignore the vice manager breaking the rules.

"Vice Manager Karl, did you use to be a soldier?"

"That's right. I served in the Seventh Reconnaissance Corps of the dynasty when I was young and joined in twenty-three battles. I was then transferred to become a long-distance commander before landing an admin job. I served in the army for more than half my life and applied to retire. Then, I became the vice manager of the museum."

Rather than saying that he was explaining his origins to Han Xiao, it was more like he was talking to himself and reminiscing about the past.

Upon hearing that, Han Xiao's eyes lit up, and he finally remembered who the person beside him was!

More accurately, the retired soldier beside him was not a famous NPC, but his descendant was famous throughout the universe.

Karl's surname was 'Fleur Wishandi', and one of the future Rulers of the Crimson Dynasty had such a surname!

It was very likely that the future Ruler of the dynasty was the descendant of this old man before him!

It could be said that he had met a large fish this time!

Han Xiao then turned around to look at Nero and Feidin slowly.

They are truly terrifying…

Of course, according to the time, that Dynasty Ruler might not have been born yet. However, there was still value in befriending him, and it could be said that the value was even higher.

Han Xiao then said with a smile, "I joined the dynasty recently, and I am also very curious about the dynasty's history. I wonder if you will be interested in giving me an introduction?"

"It would be my honor to introduce the dynasty's history to a Beyond Grade A ally." Karl laughed heartily.

As a retired soldier of the older generation, he was very willing to narrate the dynasty's history to others.

For the entire day, Karl snatched the job of the tour guide and accompanied Han Xiao and the others to view the other palaces.

Since Han Xiao intended to befriend the other party, both of them chatted merrily for the entire day and agreed to continue the next day.

For the next two days, Han Xiao followed Karl to explore the Saint Palace Museum and finally finished viewing all the palaces at night.

Han Xiao then invited Karl to go out for a meal, but Karl did not accept the invitation. Instead, he invited Han Xiao to be a guest at his place and said that he would personally cook.

At the appointed date, Han Xiao and the others headed toward Karl's residence.

As a retired, high-ranking officer, Karl received special treatment from the government and had a small villa on the mother planet of the dynasty. It was not too far from Tarunamir Palace and was pretty convenient to reach.

Han Xiao and the others arrived in front of the villa, and Nero knocked on the door.

Everyone waited for a while, and a middle-aged man pushed open the door.

"Hello, Your Excellency Black Star, please come in," the middle-aged man said with a face of excitement and respect.

This middle-aged man was Karl's eldest son and was working for the Crimson Dynasty. With his father's connections, he had climbed to the middle rungs but was still nothing much before Han Xiao.

Knowing that his father had befriended a Beyond Grade A Super, he was extremely excited and made plenty of preparations for the gathering that night.

Walking into the hall, Karl's head appeared from the kitchen, and he said, "Your Excellency Black Star, please sit for a while. The dishes will be served in a while."

"Don't worry, take your time. We have plenty of time." Han Xiao waved his hands.

They then sat down on the couch in the living room. Karl had another two children, with the middle child being a daughter and the youngest child being a son. The former was an entrepreneur who managed a galactic travel agency, and the latter was a sculptor. Both of them were extremely respectful and looked extremely nervous.

Looking around at the decorations of the room, Han Xiao saw the picture of a lady being hung on the wall. She should be Karl's late wife.

Karl had three children, and Han Xiao did not know which branch the future Dynasty Ruler came from. It was not that he could not remember but that he did not study the matter in such great detail in his previous life. However, according to the occupations of the three children, it should probably be the descendant of the eldest son.

Karl's eldest son intended to befriend him with a fawning tone in his voice. As for Karl's other two children, they did not dare speak up much.

Han Xiao chatted casually with Karl's eldest son for a while before Karl walked out of the kitchen with the dishes and called for everyone to come and eat.

The dishes were all common household dishes from the Crimson Dynasty and were all very tasty. Nero ate to his heart's content, and Karl's eldest son snatched Feidin's job to help serve Nero food.

After the meal, Karl's daughter and youngest son took the initiative to clear up, and the others returned to the living room. It could be seen just how happy Karl was today, and he was truly full of smiles.

"Your Excellency Black Star still has the greatest face. These three little b*stards, always complaining that they are busy every day and do not have the time to meet me. But the moment you arrived, they all ran over obediently. Especially this little brat, he is even more passionate than this old man."

Karl chuckled.

"Cough cough." Karl's eldest son coughed awkwardly.

Han Xiao then chuckled and asked Karl's eldest son, "What is your position in the Crimson Dynasty?"

Karl's eldest son immediately lit up and described his post.

"Oh, it isn't too bad for you to be able to sit on such a post." Han Xiao stroked his chin and added, "You can always find me if you need any help in the future. Give me your number."

"That's great! Thank you, Your Excellency Black Star!" Karl's eldest son was overjoyed.

He was so passionate about hosting Han Xiao so that he could receive Black Star's protection. His political sense was not too poor, and Black Star's status was extremely high. Together with the fact that the Dynasty Ruler paid close attention to Black Star, Black Star's protection would result in a positive impact for his career.

Furthermore, with Black Star's age, he would be able to protect the Crimson Dynasty for a long time and would definitely have a higher status in the future.

Karl did not like his eldest son's style and felt as though his eldest son made his friendship with Black Star become complicated. However, he would not stop his eldest son's opportunity and could only pretend that he did not see anything.

"Right, I also brought a gift for you." Han Xiao smiled.

"Sigh, a gift isn't necessary." Karl waved his arms.

"How could that do? I can't possibly come empty handed."

Han Xiao then snapped his fingers, and ten compressed orbs landed on the table.

"I personally made these mechanical guards. They are equipped with a transmitter to send a signal to me. You can press this button when you meet danger, and I will know that you guys are in danger. I will then be able to send my Mechanical Force through the void dimension to activate these mechanical guards and protect all of you. The mechanical guards that are boosted by my Mechanical Force should be able to deal with Calamity Grade dangers."

"Wouldn't this be too precious?" Karl hesitated.

Han Xiao laughed upon hearing that and said, "Hahaha, I am a Mechanic."

"Alright then, I shall thank you for your gift." Karl then accepted the ten compressed orbs.

He was already old, and even if he did not care about his own safety, he had to consider his future generations.

The mechanical guards of a Beyond Grade A had enormous value. Black Star's life span was very long, and as long as Black Star remained alive, these ten compressed orbs would be like a family heirloom!

After giving out the gift, both parties were much closer than before. After chatting a while longer, Han Xiao took his leave.

Upon leaving Karl's villa, Han Xiao's mouth curled up slightly in a smile.

He had befriended the ancestors of a future Dynasty Ruler. If he really became the senior of a future Dynasty Ruler, things would be interesting.

This small investment had a chance of bringing him huge returns, and there was no reason for him not to make such an investment.

Thinking about it, Han Xiao stroked Nero's head.

Nero enjoyed the feeling of Han Xiao patting him on the head, and he looked at Han Xiao.

"You are really my little star of fortune." Han Xiao chuckled.

Nero blinked, and although he did not understand what Han Xiao meant, he could tell that Han Xiao was in a good mood. Thus, he made use of this opportunity to ask, "Then, can my homework be reduced?"

"Sure. In your dreams."

Nero then shook his head to shake Han Xiao's hand off and placed his bag above his head to prevent Han Xiao from patting him.

Han Xiao spent the following days casually in this manner, taking Nero and the others out to tourist hotspots while farming favorability with Karl's family. After some time, the dynasty finally sent him some news.

The Arcane Church's troops had arrived at the transaction location, and he could set off.

Han Xiao left Nero and the others on the dynasty's mother planet and followed the dynasty's fleet on his own.

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Chapter 889 EsGod"s Preparation

Region 1749-C was the border between the Constellation Corridor and Silver Arm, and the Crimson Dynasty and Arcane Church had a large number of troops stationed there.

It only took Han Xiao a few days to arrive at the borders with the various stargates of the dynasty. This was the transaction location for the dynasty and Arcane Church.

Their battleship stopped beside the outpost, and Han Xiao's spaceship received a message from the outpost commander.

"Your Excellency Black Star, the Arcane Church escort fleet has arrived. They are waiting to complete the transaction with us. The location of the transaction is on an uninhabited planet between the two borders. His Excellency Milizaus and the outpost fleet will escort you to the destination."

"Milizaus is also here?" Han Xiao raised his brows.

Just when he asked that question, the old dragon's voice sounded in the channel.

"I arrived a long time ago and have waited here for a long time already. The dynasty only wanted me to come as a precautionary measure. Although the odds of anything going wrong are slim, we cannot ignore the possibility that the other party may want to snatch the Spacetime Amber."

"Hmm, alright." Han Xiao nodded. "Commander, we can set off now."

A fleet of heavy-armored battleships flew out from the outpost, and Milizaus' gigantic body followed beside them.

The fleet did not enter hyperdrive but relied on their thrusters only. After flying for a short while, an uninhabited planet appeared in their sights.

The Arcane Church and the Crimson Dynasty's fleet had already arrived on the planet, and both parties were currently in a standoff outside the atmosphere. In the middle of the standoff was an Arcane Church escort fleet with the sealed Dylan being placed on the ground.

The dynasty had agreed to unseal Dylan. The weakest individual would usually receive special treatment from the enemy.

Han Xiao first scanned the situation on the planet and confirmed that there was no trap.

However, he had been caught off guard by the Multi-Dimensional Sky Opening Transportation Device in the battle on Planet Lighthouse. Thus, he did not lower his guard.

"We have arrived. Your Excellency Black Star, let's go." In the bridge of the flagship, the dynasty emissary invited Han Xiao to set off with him.

Han Xiao nodded and left the spaceship.

The surface of the red planet got closer and closer to him.

Han Xiao landed on the ground and stepped on the sandy surface.

Walking in front of the Arcane Church squad, he looked at Dylan, who was trapped in the amber.

The dynasty emissary then talked to the Arcane Church emissary for a while before nodding to Han Xiao.

"Your Excellency Black Star, please release the seal."

Upon hearing that, Han Xiao stepped forward and stood in front of Dylan. He then turned around to look at the Arcane Church escort squad.

Great Mechanic Han then raised his brows and stomped on the ground lightly.

The next moment, the ground transformed into nano alloys, and a large metal wall was erected from the ground to ensure that no one would be able to see what was going on in the region.

Black Star obviously did not want to show others his method to unseal the seal. Everyone could only wait silently with disappointment.

After a full ten minutes, the alloy wall collapsed and returned to Han Xiao's palms. Dylan's seal had already disappeared, and he collapsed onto the ground with a look of fear in his eyes.

"Your Excellency Dylan, are you alright?" The Arcane Church escort squad immediately went to support him.

"I'm alright."

Dylan snapped back into his senses and stood up on his own while glaring at Han Xiao with enmity, anger, and fear.

"How have you been over the past few months?" Han Xiao squinted and chucked.

Dylan trembled and subconsciously took a step back.

His body had been sealed by the Spacetime Amber, but his thoughts had not been. He could clearly feel his body but was unable to control it. Such a feeling was unbearable as though he was possessed by a ghost. During the period when he was sealed, Dylan felt like every day was a year and had almost gone mad.

If not for the mental strength and will of a Beyond Grade A being extremely powerful, he felt that he might have truly been driven insane.

Although a few months of captivity was not enough to wipe out his consciousness, Dylan could feel his soul becoming weaker. If he continued to remain trapped, it was very likely that his soul would have been wiped out!

Such a possibility made Dylan tremble in fear.

It was not only capable of trapping his body but also capable of wiping out his consciousness. Even a Beyond Grade A was unable to resist it. The terrifying might of the Spacetime Amber truly made him tremble, and he never wanted to experience it again.

Han Xiao then looked around and suddenly said, "The seal has been undone. Where is your ambush? It's time for them to come out."

He had always felt that the Arcane Church would arrange for their troops in the nearby region, and these troops would appear right after the transaction was completed.

"We don't have an ambush," the Arcane Church emissary replied.

"Really? I thought that you guys would try and deal with me. This time, not only will you be able to snatch the Evolution Cube, you guys will also be able to get the Spacetime Amber. I never thought that there really wouldn't be an ambush around…" Han Xiao shook his head and chuckled. "It seems like you guys are really scared of me."

The face of the Arcane Church emissary turned frosty.

Black Star had already used his strength to prove himself. In consideration for the other allies that were still sealed, they did not intend to take any risks. Furthermore, they were located at the border between both the civilizations, and the dynasty still had their guard up. It would be impossible for them to prepare an ambush.

Of course, aside from all these excuses, the truth was that they were truly afraid.

It was because Han Xiao said the truth that his words stabbed right into their hearts.

The Arcane Church emissary gritted his teeth and replied, "Since our transaction is complete, we shall take our leave. I hope that we will be able to complete similar transactions in the future."

Han Xiao then stroked his chin and said, "Are you just going to leave like that, Dylan? Do you want to stay behind and catch up with me?"

The Arcane Church emissary immediately became wary and asked, "Your Excellency Black Star, what do you want to do?"

The transaction location was located at the border because both parties were wary of each other. The dynasty was afraid that the Arcane Church might launch another ambush, and the Arcane Church was afraid that the dynasty would go back on their word and capture Dylan again. With both parties wary of each other, it was extremely easy for the Arcane Church to misunderstand Han Xiao's words.

"Why are you so nervous? Are you afraid that I will snatch him back?" Han Xiao smirked.

The Arcane Church emissary remained silent and did not respond.

Dylan then gritted his teeth and replied, "I will pay a visit to the Black Star Army in the future if there is a chance!"

"Then I hope that you will come with good will." Han Xiao raised his brows. "If not, history will probably repeat itself."

Upon hearing that, Dylan shrunk back and did not say another word.

A few rays of light then landed on Dylan and the others, sucking them back into the battleship.

Han Xiao looked at Dylan ascending into the sky and the Arcane Church fleet leaving the planet.

"The transaction is complete. Let's return."

Han Xiao patted the emissary on the shoulders with a teasing look on his face.

The Arcane Church would definitely ask Dylan about how he felt when he was sealed. Dylan would cooperate, and the Arcane Church would know that the seal could cause the death of one's consciousness.

The Arcane Church originally was not clear that being sealed by the Spacetime Amber had a risk of death, and after receiving the report from Dylan, they would be anxious to release the seals on the others.

This way, they would be at a disadvantage in their negotiations with the dynasty. In order to save time, they would have to accept some more ridiculous terms from the dynasty.

Their outcome could only be described with a single word—pitiful.

"Heh, I extorted a great deal out of them again." Han Xiao chuckled.

The happiness of an individual was usually built upon the suffering of others.

The transaction went smoothly, and Han Xiao followed the fleet back to the border outpost. He then received news from the upper echelons that the Arcane Church would send their Beyond Grade A combatants to participate in the operation to kill EsGod.

The allies who agreed to participate in the operation were already headed to the gathering point before heading over to Primeval Star River together.

Milizaus then came over to Han Xiao. "Black Star, I am preparing to head over to the gathering point. Do you have anything else to do?"

"I also planned to go now."

"Alright, then let's go together. My injuries from the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter haven't healed yet. Do you still have that medicine?"

"Oh, I still have the medicine, but… you should understand the meaning of equal exchange, right?"

"Speak, how much dragon's blood do you want? Do you want mine?"

"Cough cough. Let's talk along the way." Han Xiao's mouth cramped up.

Indeed, as long as an individual broke their bottom line once, there would be a second time.

Milizaus originally refused to give Han Xiao his own blood, but after seeing Han Xiao gather quite a bit of his blood, he decided to just give up entirely. Since the other party already had his blood, a little more would not make a difference.

They did not remain at the border any longer and set off together.

The security in the dynasty was pretty good, and apart from Milizaus being a little anemic, they did not face any problems along the way. They were the first to reach the gathering point and waited for their allies to join them.

At the same time, in a desolate universe belt of the Primeval Star River, the Fallen Ark floated above a Fixed Star with its energy shield blocking out the powerful radiation.

In the command room of the flagship, Fakisen looked out of the window at a spot on the surface of the Fixed Star, which was where EsGod had landed. A whirlpool-like energy spiral could be seen with EsGod at the center.

The energy of a Fixed Star was far too blinding, and even with his Calamity Grade senses, he was unable to see EsGod's figure clearly. The large energy whirlpool disrupted all the radars on board the spaceship, and the target region was covered with EsGod's Esper Ability. No one was able to see what EsGod was doing on the Fixed Star.

"His Excellency EsGod has made us wait here for two days already. Just what is he doing?" a member of the spaceship asked impatiently.

"I don't know," Fakisen replied.

Two days ago, EsGod got them to await orders outside of this Fixed Star while he landed on the Fixed Star and absorbed energy like a bottomless pit.

At this moment, EsGod had his arms stretched out wide as he absorbed the endless energy of the Fixed Star.

He had an Esper Ability that could absorb the energy of the outside world called 'Black Hole'. He had once displayed this ability when fighting Han Xiao.

As the energy was absorbed into his body, a black fog-like figure separated from EsGod's body and transformed into a black crystal-like item that floated beside EsGod.

This black sphere was a doppelganger created by EsGod from absorbing the crazy amount of energy.

The more powerful an individual, the greater the effects of the Evolution Cube. EsGod's strength received a huge boost, but he could clearly feel that his own body had not been completely transformed. It was as though the evolution energy had sunk into his cells and was like a treasure being sealed in a box.

EsGod did not have an interface and did not know that this was the additional Race Evolution opportunity that he had obtained by using the Evolution Cube. He would only be able to trigger it with a Promotion.

But if he was able to complete this promotion, he would experience a qualitative transformation!

However, the Evolution Cube did not have the ability to increase an individual's level, and thus, EsGod did not receive this energy at the moment.

Although the evolution ability did not allow EsGod to promote, it released some of the restrictions on EsGod's body.

For example, gene load!

Because of the conflict between genes, EsGod's body was not able to contain too many different abilities at the same time. His doppelganger was able to make up for this shortcoming and store certain Esper Abilities, but his main body could not make use of these abilities.

However, there was an obvious disadvantage to this method. The doppelganger created by EsGod was not without any burdens because maintaining the doppelganger required the activation of an Esper Ability.

If EsGod was like a computer, every Esper Ability would be like a program. The upper limit of his main body would be like his RAM, and maintaining a doppelganger was like running a program in the background. It would constantly take up his RAM.

The more powerful his doppelganger and the more doppelgangers he had at the same time, the more RAM it would require.

He needed his RAM to have extra space for him to use other Esper Abilities.

Thus, EsGod would not use his doppelgangers during a head on battle mainly because of this reason. The presence of his doppelgangers would reduce the combat capabilities of his main body.

However, the Evolution Cube had changed this.

Simply put, it increased his RAM and simplified his programs.

The upper limit of his main body was increased, and the load of every Esper Ability was reduced. This meant that he would be able to use more Esper Abilities at the same time.

This strengthened EsGod's abilities to a large extent!

As such, EsGod was now capable of supporting more Beyond Grade A doppelgangers.

The change in quantity resulted in a change in quality!

It could be said that the improvement from the Evolution Cube changed EsGod's combat strategy!

EsGod was currently sucking up energy from the Fixed Star so that he could create a large number of doppelgangers and prepare for the enemy's revenge!

Since he had frustrated the Arcane Church and the Crimson Dynasty, it would only be a matter of time before both of them attempted to surround him. Since both parties seemed like they were about to take action, he naturally made his own preparations.

EsGod treasured his life a lot as he would only be able to fulfil his wishes if he remained alive. However, he was not afraid of danger either as he would only be able to become stronger by fighting.

The attack of a Universal Civilization would definitely be a good opportunity for him to test his strength. He would only be able to understand his own strength after fighting with other Beyond Grade As.

The attack this time was also an opportunity to him even though the meaning was slightly different.

This was his first battle after his evolution!

EsGod was truly excited in his heart.

He would only know just how strong he had become after testing his strength out.

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Chapter 890 Mission Triggered

The gathering point for the dynasty's troops was in a military region. This was a key Inter-Star Field Stargate relay point, and the stargate being guarded by the military would lead them directly to the Primeval Star River.

The military stargates of the three Universal Civilizations led to many different regions. With the Central Galaxy as the middle, they had stargates that could reach all the various Star Fields. This was the foundation of protecting their status as the ruler of the universe.

After waiting for a few days, the other few dynasty allies participating in the mission also arrived. After the seven of them were gathered, they boarded the main flagship for their expedition.

In the command room, the seven of them gathered together and greeted each other.

Since they were going to work together, it was important for them to know each other.

During his first trip to the dynasty's mother planet, Kohler was also present, so they had met before. Lotus Swordsman was the only dynasty ally that he was meeting for the first time.

"Your Excellency Black Star," Lotus Swordsman said with a calm expression.

"Hello. This is the first time we are meeting, right?" Han Xiao replied politely and stretched out his hand.

Lotus Swordsman then looked at Han Xiao's palms and hesitated for a moment. She then shook her head and said, "I don't like others touching my body. I'm sorry."

"I understand." Han Xiao was not too bothered and retracted his arm. There were many Beyond Grade As with their own habits, and he would respect the other party.

Right at this moment, Milizaus' magical doppelganger walked over and patted Han Xiao on the shoulder. "Her Excellency Lotus will be our sharpest sword. Her Psychic abilities are very unique and have a strong penetrative ability."

"It isn't that exaggerated," Lotus Swordsman said. "EsGod also has abilities to protect his soul."

"Compared to his other abilities, his soul can be considered a weakness."

Han Xiao nodded upon hearing that. He had fought EsGod three times in total, and together with the information from his previous life, he had a pretty good understanding of EsGod's abilities.

EsGod's most frightening advantage was his ability to collect various Esper Abilities, which allowed him to have almost no weaknesses.

He had high mobility abilities such as 'Dimension Crack' and 'Instantaneous Movement'. He also had abilities like 'Strengthened Self Recovery' and 'Black Hole' to increase his safety. On top of that, he had various powerful attacks, control techniques, defense techniques, and mental attacks. Compared to his physical defense, EsGod's soul was not as powerful. As such, it would be the most effective to launch a soul attack.

Everyone chatted for a while, and the commander of the flagship walked in. He gave a military salute to the seven Beyond Grade As and said with a deep voice, "The fleet has completed its preparations, and we shall head to the Primeval Star River if there isn't a problem."

As one of the three pillars in the dynasty, Milizaus had the highest status in the team. He looked around, and upon seeing that no one had any objections, he nodded.

"Let's go."

"Okay."

The commander then walked forward to the control panel and gave a strict order. "The EsGod encirclement mission shall officially commence. All forces set off!"

The dynasty fleet began moving toward the stargate.

Right at this moment, Han Xiao's expression changed slightly.

The instant the commander announced the commencement of the mission, two notifications popped up on his interface!

The first mission that he triggered was [The Battle of the Empire: The Fallen Ark (Repeatable)]. This was a faction mission that Han Xiao had completed before.

The mission objectives required him to kill different numbers and types of Fallen Ark members with the highest reward being for him to deal with EsGod.

He would be able to obtain a certain amount of experience and Crimson Dynasty Contribution Points if he reduced EsGod's health by a certain amount. Furthermore, he would obtain an EsGod Character Summon Card if he was able to kill EsGod's doppelganger.

The second mission was called [Archenemy of the Three Universal Civilizations].

Archenemy of the Three Universal Civilizations

Mission Introduction: Chaos breeds order, and order gives rise to chaos. Chaos and order were extreme opposites while also different sides to the same coin. The three Universal Civilizations have explored the universe and are the manifestation of order. EsGod, on the other hand, is the representative of chaos and violence. In his unscrupulous pursuit for strength, he was bestowed with the titles 'Butcher of Life', 'Guide of the Crazy Believer', and so on. All the ferocious individuals in the universe have gathered under him, and he spreads fear everywhere. The three Universal Civilizations are extremely eager to get rid of this tumor and have chosen to work together to achieve this objective. You have been chosen to participate in this glorious mission.

Mission Requirements: Follow the three Universal Civilizations to deal with EsGod.

Reward: Rewards will be given according to the damage dealt to EsGod—both his main body and doppelgangers will be included—as a percentage. You will be entitled to a Random Reward if you reach 20%, [Character Summon Card: EsGod] if you reach 75%, and if your damage exceeds 100% of EsGod's health, it will be counted as 100%.

Additional Mission Requirements: Work together with the three Universal Civilizations and capture or kill EsGod.

Additional Reward: Randomly select three of EsGod's abilities. You will be able to select his skill or talent every time, and you can choose to split it into three draws or draw them in one go.

"The mission has been assigned." Han Xiao's eyes sparkled.

Indeed, for a large event such as the three Universal Civilizations encircling EsGod, there would definitely be a mission.

He had already done the first mission before and did not pay much attention to it. The second mission was the main point, which seemed to have been triggered by the three Universal Civilizations working together.

It could be said that their cooperation was a result of his actions, and thus, he was the one who created this mission.

EsGod had a body full of treasures, and drawing his abilities would definitely give Han Xiao great rewards. Furthermore, the Random Reward this time was slightly different.

In the past, he would not be able to select the type of reward being drawn and would draw both skills and talents. This time, he was able to designate the type of ability being drawn, and the number of abilities had also increased. On top of that, he was also able to split it up into three different draws, which meant that he could increase the options from five to fifteen, thus increasing his possibilities.

However, the more plentiful the reward, the harder the mission.

EsGod's strength after evolution was still an unknown factor. Apart from being excited about the reward of the mission, Han Xiao also worried about the success rate of the mission.

Han Xiao then looked around, and the faces of the other allies were all calm. Although they knew that they were about to deal with EsGod, none of them seemed anxious. Only he knew the outcome of their actions.

This would determine the direction of the entire universe!

It also affected whether he would be able to develop safely in the future.

In order to get rid of the hidden danger of the World Tree Civilization, he had to get rid of EsGod even if there was no reward.

Thinking about this, Han Xiao calmed himself down.

The dynasty had already created an advantageous situation, so we will have to see the situation of the actual battle…

The Primeval Star River was a vast Star Field that was even larger than the Shattered Star Ring. It was split into thirty-one Star Clusters and controlled by four Super Star Cluster Civilizations. The level of prosperity in the region was comparable to the Sea of Star Spirits and belonged to the second rung in the universe. The first rung would naturally be the Central Galaxy.

Because the three Universal Civilizations controlled the Central Galaxy strictly, the second rung Star Fields such as the Primeval Star River had plenty of different civilizations and became extremely active. For example, the headquarters of the Ancient Ones were located in the Primeval Star River.

Historically, the Primeval Star River had once been glorious, and during the exploration era, the Primeval Star River was the main camp of a quasi-Universal Civilization. This civilization was a powerful competitor to the three Universal Civilizations of today but was not able to survive past the cruel exploration era.

Back then, many local Star Cluster and Star System Civilizations also perished in the war and left behind a large number of ruins. According to the number of ruins, the Primeval Star River was only second to the Ancient Star Desert. At the same time, the Primeval Star River had many desolate universe belts that were natural hiding spots.

Because they had a mission to complete, the dynasty fleet did not delay and headed straight to the gathering point.

A few days later, the Federation of Light and Arcane Church's fleets arrived and met up with the dynasty's fleet.

Han Xiao saw the manpower being sent by the other two parties.

The Arcane Church sent three.

The Federation of Light sent one.

Together with the dynasty, there were a total of eleven Beyond Grade As!

Even the scale of the battle on Planet Lighthouse was about the same.

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Chapter 891 Plan and Meeting

In some locations of the Primeval Star River, the fleets of the Arcane Church, the Crimson Dynasty, and the Federation of Light gathered together with the eleven participating Beyond Grade As gathered together in the dynasty's conference room to discuss their strategy.

"According to our intelligence, EsGod is currently at this location."

A holographic projection displayed the star map of the Primeval Star River, and a red dot could be seen in a desolate universe belt. This red dot represented EsGod's location, and the commander of the dynasty fleet described the situation to everyone present solemnly.

The objective of the three fleets was to deal with EsGod's fleet, and the commander's mission was to work together with the Beyond Grade A allies.

"Hmm, that is an ancient battlefield with many planets destroyed in the exploration era. There's a large number of meteoroids in that region." Manison nodded in agreement. He was a local of the Primeval Star River and was familiar with the situation here.

The single Beyond Grade A that the Federation of Light had sent out was Manison, but he did not go personally. He only sent a mechanical host with three mechanical fortresses, which had a large number of mechanical soldiers stored within.

Although he was alone, the troops that he had brought with him made him no weaker than the other two factions present.

An Arcane Church Beyond Grade A then knocked on the table and said, "We only received a report on EsGod's troops. Where did this report come from? Is it reliable?"

"This is the intelligence provided by a Super Star Cluster Civilization in the Primeval Star River. They have a complete surveillance system in the Primeval Star River," the dynasty commander replied solemnly. "After receiving intelligence on EsGod's fleet, they began tracking his fleet. According to the coordinates that he provided, we made use of a long-distance tracking tool to verify it, and I guarantee the accuracy of the intelligence."

The four Super Star Cluster Civilizations controlled the entire Primeval Star River and had plenty of eyes everywhere. At the request of the dynasty, they provided information on EsGod's location and worked together. However, they were not aware that the three Universal Civilizations were going to work together.

With EsGod's location locked on to, they would rush over with the stargate network to ambush EsGod.

The three Arcane Church Beyond Grade As that the Arcane Church sent out had not participated in the battle on Planet Lighthouse. Their classes were Psychic, Mage, and Cannon Master. Thus, not a single one of the eleven Beyond Grade As present were Espers.

The individual worth paying attention to was the Cannon Master who had the nickname 'Sun Hunter'. He was a member of the Ancient Ones and also the strongest of the three sent by the Arcane Church. He was old friends with Manison, Milizaus, and Ravenlaude.

His body was lean, only the thickness of a palm. However, his body was extremely tall, and he was a universal species that was endangered. He had the characteristics of a bug and was currently clad in armor.

His body was skinny, but his weapons were tens of thousands of times larger than him.

Han Xiao remembered Aesop mentioning him before and said that there were a few Ancient Ones trying to find out information about him. Sun Hunter was one of them.

He originally thought that this Cannon Master wanted to get him to craft weapons, but after considering it for a while, Han Xiao eliminated such a possibility. An Ancient One did not need to invite a new Beyond Grade A Mechanic to help him craft weapons.

At the start of the meeting, Han Xiao had his attention on the teammates from the other two factions. There was no need to talk about Manison; his mechanical body was completely expressionless. On the side of the Arcane Church, they seemed to be unfriendly toward the dynasty's allies and Manison.

Han Xiao still did not know that the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter had been snatched by the Federation of Light, and the Arcane Church was currently the most infuriated at the Federation of Light for taking advantage of their situation and hitting them when they were down. The Beyond Grade A allies of the Arcane Church naturally would not be too friendly toward Manison.

If not for the fact that they had to deal with a common enemy, both parties would probably have ended up in a fight.

"Since we have already grasped EsGod's location, the initiative of the battle will be in our hands. We need a plan," Milizaus said.

"You're right," Sun Hunter replied. Although his body was small, his voice was not soft. "Although EsGod is a battle maniac who likes fighting, he isn't a rash individual. The moment he sees the eleven of us together, he will escape for sure. As long as he abandons his fleet and escapes, we won't be able to catch up. The outcome will then be the same as before."

"With so many Beyond Grade As working together, we definitely aren't putting up a show and plan to get rid of EsGod," Han Xiao said with a solemn expression. "If we want to succeed, there are two problems we need to take care of. First, we cannot let EsGod escape the moment he sees us. Second, we must restrict EsGod's mobility so that he cannot escape whenever he wishes."

Everyone else nodded.

Although the three Universal Civilizations had failed in all their attempts to kill EsGod, an operation of such a scale was extremely rare. A portion of the Beyond Grade A allies present there were only interested in the reward, not EsGod's life or death. However, with so many of them taking action against EsGod alone, it would be pretty embarrassing if they failed.

Thus, all of them present wanted to complete this mission and get rid of this true archenemy of the three Universal Civilizations.

The will of a Beyond Grade A was extremely firm, and they would not be affected by the many past failures in history.

"It is easy to solve the first problem," Manison said. "EsGod wouldn't foolishly clash head on with eleven Beyond Grade As. We just need to split up into two groups. The first group will fight him head on and try to hold him back while the other group lies in wait."

Han Xiao nodded to express his agreement.

EsGod was not a foolish individual and would not attempt to fight eleven Beyond Grade As. Thus, despite having many combatants on their side, they could not appear all at once. If they did, EsGod would run immediately upon seeing them.

"You are right. The first batch of combatants surrounding him must be a reasonable force for an encirclement mission but not be too large that it scares him away," Ravenlaude said. "I think that it would be safer to have four or five Beyond Grade As."

"Five would be the best. EsGod received a round of evolution, and his strength has grown. He will definitely want to test his strength, and five people should be within his expectations," Han Xiao said.

The encirclement missions only had three ordinary Beyond Grade As usually, and EsGod's original combat capability was sufficient for him to take on three ordinary Beyond Grade As without an issue. He would be able to escape even when facing four or five Beyond Grade As. Things would be slightly different if the Beyond Grade As were more powerful, but as long as he wanted to run, no one would be able to keep him behind.

If there were five of them, they would be able to give EsGod pressure and incite his desire to battle but not let EsGod feel that it was too risky and make him run away immediately.

"The first batch of combatants shall be set at five. Three from the dynasty and two from the church. Let's not let EsGod know that the Federation of Light is participating in this mission."

Everyone quickly agreed with that.

Right at this moment, Milizaus suddenly said, "But if we do not restrict EsGod's instantaneous movements, the ambush of the others will be meaningless. Even if we launch a surprise attack, EsGod will be able to escape any time. Thus, it is more important to restrict his mobility, or our operation will fail for sure."

Upon hearing that, the Arcane Church's mage said, "That's right. The five people fighting EsGod head on will be in charge of tying him down and restricting his mobility shall be the job of those ambushing him. This would require spacetime magic to be cast in the battlefield to separate the region from the multi-dimensions and secondary dimension channel. We still need to stabilize the spacetime to prevent him from using any instantaneous movement or hyperdrive. Transforming the battlefield to become a locked region will require a great deal of effort."

Everyone nodded in agreement. This was the best way to trap EsGod, and it was proven by history. However, it was getting more and more difficult to accomplish such a feat.

First, this required a lot of time, and the larger the battlefield, the greater the effort required. Even a Beyond Grade A Mage would not be able to complete it in time. Second, EsGod would keep his guard up and escape before the spacetime could be locked down.

Even if EsGod fell into such a trap, it would still be possible for him to escape. He could use ordinary methods to break through the battlefield or use his Esper Abilities to create a small crack in the spacetime and escape from the locked down region.

During this limited time, it would be impossible for them to defeat or capture EsGod. He was not a fragile target, and his powerful recovery and defenses would drag the battle on for a long time.

"I have the equipment to quickly stabilize space and can reduce EsGod's Dimension Crack and instantaneous movement abilities," Manison said slowly. "I should be able to lock EsGod down temporarily and engineer the chance for an ambush."

He would be able to defeat EsGod alone, but EsGod was far too crafty, and it was difficult for him to catch EsGod. His various space-locking machines required time to activate. By the time he set them up, EsGod would have escaped already.

Furthermore, Han Xiao had rejected his offer, so Manison was not willing to give it his all. The Federation of Light's request did not have too much of a binding power to him, and he only planned to work together with his teammates.

Describing it simply, Manison treated himself as a support and not the carry of the team.

"If we want to create a locked down region, the five people fighting at the start must pin EsGod down in a certain region and not allow him to do as he wishes," Milizaus said slowly. "We have three Mages on our side and can all remain in hiding. Two of us can use our spacetime magic to modify the battlefield while the last can hide the flow of magic and reduce the chances of EsGod discovering us. The ones fighting EsGod head on will also have to work together to distract EsGod. We also need a Psychic to attack his mind to dull his senses."

"We have sufficient manpower, and this isn't difficult to accomplish. However, it won't be enough to succeed…" Ravenlaude hesitated for a moment before speaking the truth. "If EsGod falls into the trap, we will have to get rid of him using the shortest amount of time. If not, all our efforts will go to waste. However, it is extremely difficult to do so with EsGod's abilities."

The entire room then fell silent.

Everyone began to frown.

Although they had plenty of manpower this time, history would only repeat itself if they were not able to take care of this problem.

They all felt a huge headache just by discussing their strategy.

It was extremely difficult to deal with EsGod, and everyone knew that they needed some changes.

Just when everyone was thinking about how they should solve this problem, Han Xiao took a deep breath.

He had two changes in his hands.

The Spacetime Amber and Esper Silence!

These two abilities were definitely enough to turn the situation around and would also make this battle different from before.

Han Xiao then stood up, and everyone looked at him.

Looking at the others, he said slowly, "I have a plan…"

Over ten days later, in a certain desolate universe belt, EsGod's fleet continued to travel according to their designated route after spending a few days by a Fixed Star.

After travelling peacefully for a few days, the fleet's radar detected something.

A dynasty fleet had appeared right in front of them, and both parties were already extremely near each other by the time Fallen Ark detected the other party. The dynasty fleet had made use of their stealth mode to approach the enemy before revealing themselves.

The Fallen Ark fleet did not escape immediately. Instead, both parties stopped at the same time and entered a standoff.

Woo!

The alarms rang inside the Fallen Ark battleship.

In the main hall of the flagship, EsGod opened his eyes.

An expectant look could be seen on his face as he got up from his throne slowly.

"They're finally here. I hope that they can let me fight to my heart's content."

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Both fleets faced each other in a standoff in the dark universe.

EsGod's figure then disappeared from his throne and appeared beside Fakisen in the control room.

"The other party is the dynasty's armed fleet with almost five million battleships. The strength of their battleships is superior to our fleet. Since they appeared suddenly before us, it means that they can accurately grasp our coordinates. My suggestion is not to fight them but retreat immediately…" Fakisen began analyzing the situation upon seeing EsGod.

However, EsGod ignored him completely and expanded his senses. He could clearly feel three sun-like energy sources from within the dynasty's fleet.

Counting the number of opponents, EsGod revealed a look of disappointment.

"Only three of them?"

Right at this moment, the radar rang out again and an Arcane Church fleet appeared behind them.

After feeling the two Beyond Grade As in the Arcane Church fleet, EsGod's brows began to relax.

"Five people… only then will there be a meaning to fight."

"The Crimson Dynasty has indeed chosen to work together with the Arcane Church. It seems like they have already laid an ambush here and plan to wipe us out with a fleet three times our size. I recommend that we break through their encirclement and retreat immediately," Fakisen said.

EsGod did not even bother looking at him and calmly said, "Inform the fleet to prepare for battle. Hold them back, and don't let the enemy battleships disrupt my battle."

"I understand," Fakisen said with a disappointed tone as if he expected that. He knew that EsGod did not care about their lives and only treated them as tools.

Fakisen then issued an order in front of EsGod and formed a defensive formation.

EsGod nodded, and the next moment, his body appeared outside the battleship.

Following which, a wave of spiritual energy exploded with EsGod as the center. The dynasty and church's fleets had the equipment to block out a certain degree of spiritual energy, but the five Beyond Grade As received EsGod's spiritual fluctuations at the same time to build a communication channel.

Han Xiao was also part of the group, and he heard EsGod's calm voice.

"I have been waiting for a long time."

Upon hearing that, Han Xiao looked at his teammates, and they nodded to each other.

If EsGod decided to run away from the very start, it would be impossible for them to block him. Since EsGod said those words, it meant that he was prepared to stay behind and fight them. If that was the case, the first step of their plan was successful.

Looking at each other, Han Xiao's group of three left the dynasty battleship and entered the universe. The two from the church also flew out of their battleship and surrounded EsGod.

Milizaus and the other two mages hid in the darkness and began locking down the spacetime of the region. Manison also hid the fact that the Federation of Light had participated in this ambush and hid himself. He only passed his spacetime stabilizer to someone else. After some discussion, the five who were assigned to face EsGod head on were Han Xiao, Viru, Lotus Swordsman, Sun Hunter, and another Psychic from the Arcane Church.

The job of the two Psychics was to use their mental attacks. Viru served as the tank, and Sun Hunter was the main damage dealer. As for Han Xiao, his main body was present this time, and he was in charge of control, main tank, physical damage, and many other positions.

EsGod's gaze swept over everybody before landing on Han Xiao. "Black Star, it's you again."

"Since you ambushed me, this day had to come. You knew that, right?" Han Xiao raised his brows.

"Sigh, destiny is truly strange. I didn't plan on dealing with you, but you still want to pester me. You are truly taking the initiative to seek death… or perhaps it can be said that all of you are seeking death."

EsGod shook his head.

Upon hearing that, Sun Hunter could help but interrupt coldly. "I wonder if that brain of yours still remembers how many times you have been forced back by three Beyond Grade As. When facing the five of us, do you think you will still be able to emerge victorious?"

"Ah, that was the past me. In fact, I still have to thank Black Star for the Evolution Cube. The dynasty and church will regret sending all of you to deal with me."

Even before EsGod could finish what he had to say, Sun Hunter took the initiative to launch an attack, and a modified psionic Particle Cannon appeared beside him. A brilliant bolt of Mechanical Force shot out from his body and filled up the Particle Cannon, with a brilliant beam being shot out from the cannon the very next moment.

EsGod dodged the attack with his instantaneous movement, and a Fallen Ark battleship that was behind him was easily torn apart. The high-density alloy was ripped apart like a piece of paper, and the entire battleship was swallowed by the light and reduced to dust as though it had melted into nothingness.

With the first attack being launched, the dynasty and church fleet opened fire and the Fallen Ark fleet fought back. Both parties exchanged fire, and the dark universe was lit up by the exploding cannons.

The battle had erupted!

Han Xiao's group of five had also launched their attacks.

The Apostle Weapons under the lead of Psionic Prime began to encircle EsGod, Viru charged toward EsGod with his weapon, Lotus Swordsman and the other Psychic began launching their Psychic attacks, and Sun Hunter rapidly opened fire like an artillery tower.

The battlefield instantly became chaotic.

EsGod's combat method was to use various different abilities depending on the surroundings. He would not fight five Beyond Grade As head on. With his instantaneous movement ability, the encirclement of the five did not put that much pressure on him. At the same time, he was able to easily weave through the mechanical army and approach his enemies.

His powerful mobility meant that he had the initiative of the battle in his hands. At the same time, it also guaranteed him his safety as he could just leave whenever he wanted.

As such, EsGod did not intend to leave at the moment but treated the five as useful opponents to test his strength.

However, it was impossible to win against five Beyond Grade As single-handedly. This was a feat that no individual in the universe was capable of accomplishing. It was not just a simple comparison of battle prowess. The dense attacks of five Beyond Grade As would result in an individual being only capable of defending but not attacking. At this moment, EsGod had the initiative and could appear and disappear like a ghost. However, Han Xiao's group of five could support each other, and he was not able to defeat each of them individually.

The battle immediately fell into a stalemate.

Han Xiao had his guard up against EsGod, afraid that EsGod's strength might have improved greatly. But after exchanging a few blows with EsGod, Han Xiao was no longer that worried.

During the battle on Planet Lighthouse, Han Xiao had fought EsGod before and was familiar with EsGod's strength. Although EsGod did have some improvement in strength, it had not reached a qualitative change.

It seems like the Evolution Cube was not sufficient to cause an earth-shattering change in him, and he still belongs to the Beyond Grade A rank.

Han Xiao heaved a sigh of relief.

If EsGod really broke through the Beyond Grade A rank and entered the so called 'new realm', his combat capability would definitely soar greatly, and there would be a huge gulf between them.

Thankfully, although the Evolution Cube was powerful, it was not sufficient to allow an individual to break through into the next realm.

As he planned for this operation, he had tried his best to overestimate EsGod's strength, but the current strength that EsGod displayed did not reach his expectations. This way, Han Xiao had greater confidence in succeeding.

The other four also had similar thoughts. If EsGod's strength did not exceed their expectations, they would not have too much trouble holding him back.

However, an abrupt change happened!

EsGod used his instantaneous movement to avoid a wave of fire and suddenly sent out a message to Han Xiao and the others.

"Warm up is over."

The moment he said those words, he shot out black spheres from his body. These black spheres were the doppelgangers that he had prepared, and they all transformed into fog-like bodies emanating with energy.

Every doppelganger had a different Esper Ability that EsGod obtained and had a quasi Beyond Grade A strength. Furthermore, there were dozens of these doppelgangers around!

"Why does he have so many doppelgangers‽" Sun Hunter cried out with shock.

Information about EsGod was no secret. Everyone knew that his doppelganger ability had an obvious upper limit, and he was not capable of creating too many doppelgangers. This was already in their records!

Upon witnessing such a scene, Han Xiao's heart shuddered, and he immediately understood what was going on.

The Evolution Cube did not allow EsGod to break through into the next level but expanded his strength at the same realm. It did not increase his 'depth' but increased his 'breadth'. Compared to the other classes, a Mechanic understood just how frightening numbers were. A Mechanic relied on a large mechanical army to increase their strength and achieve a qualitative change.

The upgraded EsGod was also similar in this regard.

EsGod's main body did not achieve a breakthrough in strength, but his ability to produce doppelgangers was improved. There were tens of Beyond Grade A doppelgangers present, and every doppelganger was like half a Beyond Grade A. Even if his doppelgangers were fragile, they had many different Esper Abilities and were still a powerful army.

This meant that the number of Beyond Grade As that Han Xiao's group had to face had increased by dozens of times!

The threat that they faced had also increased greatly!

The three Universal Civilizations had tried to surround EsGod many times before. It was not that they had not sent out more than five Beyond Grade As before, but even if EsGod could not win, he could still retreat.

This time, EsGod already had the strength to deal with five or more Beyond Grade As head on, and he was not satisfied with escaping. If he could fight back or even kill the five Beyond Grade As that the Universal Civilizations sent, his own record would be broken, and he would be able to shock the entire universe.

However, EsGod did not know that he did not only have five opponents but another six hiding in the dark, waiting to ambush him.

The majority of the doppelgangers began to split up and surround Han Xiao's group of five. Instead of the five surrounding EsGod, it was now EsGod surrounding the five.

The remaining doppelgangers entered the battlefield of the battleships and used their Beyond Grade A strength to rapidly wipe out the dynasty and church's fleets. The Fallen Ark fleet that was originally at a disadvantage was gradually regaining ground.

Han Xiao and the other four felt a huge increase in pressure. It was akin to fighting tens of Beyond Grade As with different Esper Abilities at the same time. If not for the aid of the mechanical army, it would have been impossible for the other four to hang in there.

Through his doppelgangers, EsGod could unleash all his Esper Abilities without any restraint. His main body reserved the use of 'Strengthened Self Recovery' and 'Black Hole', and his other doppelgangers had many different Esper Abilities.

In the chaotic battle, Han Xiao looked at EsGod's main body, which did not participate in the encirclement, with a grave look.

EsGod's current appearance truly lived up to his nickname.

The god of all Espers!

Of the five of them, Han Xiao was still alright as he was sufficiently tanky. However, his mechanical army was rapidly being wiped out under the attacks of the many Beyond Grade As, and even his Apostle Weapons were trapped in a bitter battle.

Han Xiao originally wanted to save his 'Perfect Mechanical Sense' Character Summon Card, but he knew that it was impossible for him to do so right now. He immediately activated the Perfect Mechanical Sense Character Summon Card, and his Mechanical Force became thicker.

Han Xiao then endured the crazed attacks of EsGod's doppelgangers and got his mechanical army to open fire at EsGod's doppelgangers.

Every Esper Ability could only be used by a single doppelganger, and most of his doppelgangers did not have tanky abilities and were all very fragile. As such, the rapid attacks of the mechanical army were effective.

Rays of blue light struck the black fog like figures, and a quarter of EsGod's doppelgangers were wiped out.

However, the next scene immediately caused all of them to become nervous again.

EsGod then made use of his Black Hole ability and sucked in all the attacks to create more doppelgangers and replenish the fallen troops.

Everyone's heart sank as they witnessed this scene.

"We're in trouble now…"

"They're in trouble…"

On the other side, the six Beyond Grade As waiting in ambush had also formed a mental network through the Psychic. Their hearts all sank upon finding out about the ability that EsGod had displayed.

"EsGod's doppelganger ability has been strengthened, and even if we are able to successfully lock down spacetime, he would be able to make use of his doppelgangers to drag for time. This plan will not work," Ravenlaude said with a grave tone.

Their plan was to lock down spacetime to trap EsGod and control him according to Han Xiao's plan before he could escape.

However, the strength that EsGod had displayed was out of their expectations. Even if they were able to temporarily trap him, they could not control him before he escaped.

"We still have to give it a try. Don't stop." Milizaus was not confident but could only continue according to plan. They did not have any other choice.

"I wonder how much longer they will be able to hang in there," Manison said calmly.

They could not enter the battle before the trap was complete, and holding EsGod back could only be left to the group of five.

The six of them in ambush were not sure if they could hold on until the trap was completed.

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Chapter 893 Appearance

Sharp pugilist flames cleaved EsGod's doppelgangers one after another and reduced them into black mist.

Viru's body was ignited with flames, and he weaved through the battlefield like a meteor. He accurately killed plenty of EsGod's doppelgangers under the cover of the mechanical army and was currently riddled with injuries.

"This fellow has too many doppelgangers, and it is impossible for us to kill them all. Furthermore, he is even able to make new doppelgangers. It will be pointless regardless of how many doppelgangers we kill. At the same time, we will be severely wounded if we are careless, and we are currently too passive," Viru said with a deep voice as he raised up his blade to block an attack from one of EsGod's doppelgangers.

On the other side, Sun Hunter was controlling his fortress-like artillery equipment to rain down fire on EsGod's doppelgangers. His face was extremely ugly, and he replied, "I am exhausting energy too rapidly in such an intense battle. I am not like Black Star and don't have the ability to recover energy so quickly."

The combat capability of EsGod's doppelgangers was not that powerful and was largely decided by the Esper Ability of each doppelganger. EsGod's doppelgangers definitely were not an opponent for a Beyond Grade A, and Psyker had once killed two of EsGod's doppelgangers single-handedly.

However, the situation was now different. The dozens of EsGod doppelgangers brought about immense pressure, and it was akin to facing dozens of Beyond Grade As at the same time. Furthermore, it was impossible to completely wipe out the enemy. It was truly troublesome.

Facing the encirclement of the doppelgangers, everyone was riddled with injuries, and apart from Han Xiao, the other four had limited recovery ability. Furthermore, such an intense battle also drained them of their attention and energy greatly. Apart from Han Xiao, the other four were gradually slipping up.

Han Xiao's brows were locked tightly as he controlled the mechanical army to block EsGod's doppelgangers. His mechanical army had been reduced to scrap many times over, and he used [Waste Modification] to send them back into the battle over and over again.

Mechanical soldiers were not afraid of death, and with their dense psionic cannon attacks, the mechanical soldiers killed far more doppelgangers than the others.

Thankfully, his mechanical army, which had been strengthened many times, had powerful attributes, which reduced the loss of the army. With the aid of his four teammates, they were still barely able to achieve a stalemate.

However, the upgraded EsGod was far more frightening in terms of sustained combat. As long as he was given enough time, the entire mechanical army would definitely be wiped out. Han Xiao had no choice but to admit that it would be extremely difficult for him to win against EsGod if he fought EsGod alone.

However, this was not a one-on-one battle, and he did not need to defeat EsGod alone. His current mission was to hold EsGod back and restrict him to this battlefield. They only needed to hold on until their teammates were done setting up the trap.

Han Xiao was extremely clear that if the five of them could not hold EsGod back, forcing the six in ambush to come out and save them, it was very likely that EsGod would escape immediately. The trap was not set at the moment, and if they could not hold EsGod back, the operation would fail for sure.

Han Xiao then turned around to look at EsGod's main body, which was seated crossed legged in space. New doppelgangers were formed every second.

After using his doppelganger technique, EsGod's main body retreated to the side and did not participate in the battle personally. As his doppelgangers engaged in a bitter battle with the enemy, he watched with interest.

He did not need to take action personally; just his doppelgangers were enough to reduce the five Beyond Grade As to such a pathetic state. EsGod enjoyed such a feeling of strength.

Sun Hunter and Viru had tried to break out of the encirclement and approach EsGod, but EsGod's instantaneous movement made it impossible for them to approach him. Even Han Xiao could not attack EsGod's main body, so he had plenty of abilities that could not be used.

He could only wait for EsGod's instantaneous movement to be restricted before he had the chance to make use of his trump cards.

With his current strength, even if he did not use any Character Summon Cards, Han Xiao's personal strength was sufficient to last a long time. His new talents brought his health up to about 5,000,000 HP, so he was extremely tanky.

Only Lotus Swordsman and the other Psychic could restrict EsGod slightly. They continuously unleashed their mental attacks on EsGod with their attacks being like swords stabbing at EsGod's mental defenses.

Regardless of how many doppelgangers EsGod had, he only had a single soul, and the two's Psychic attacks were effective against his main body.

However, EsGod also had Esper Abilities to guard his mind and repair any soul damage. Although he would suffer from mental damage, he would not be so easily restricted by the two.

Because the two Psychics possessed a certain degree of threat toward him, EsGod's main target was not Han Xiao, Sun Hunter, or Viru. Instead, it was the two Psychics. Thus, Han Xiao got his Apostle Weapons to lead a special team of mechanical soldiers to guard the two.

Psionic Prime's spear stabbed the core of EsGod's doppelganger, Mad Sky Hunter chewed on the head of a doppelganger, Silver Flash opened fire at a doppelganger, and Giant King Kong used his Divine Giant Armor and large body to protect the two Psychics and other Apostle Weapons.

The Apostle Weapons also had quasi Beyond Grade A battle strength, and they engaged EsGod's doppelgangers in a bitter battle.

A portion of EsGod's doppelgangers entered the dynasty and church's fleets to destroy their battleships.

One EsGod doppelganger shot through the shield of the battleship and pierced through the battleship.

Right at this moment, countless dark energy cannons shot over from all directions and reduced this EsGod doppelganger to dust.

In the flagship, the dynasty commander said with a solemn expression, "The damage of the fleet is increasing, and we aren't able to destroy the Fallen Ark fleet with these doppelgangers distracting us. Things will be bad if they continue to drag on."

Since the five Beyond Grade As could not hold EsGod back, the fleet would suffer from the attacks of the Beyond Grade A doppelgangers. The EsGod doppelgangers then weaved around the fleet and caused a great deal of chaos while disrupting the battleships in battle. As such, the fleet led by Fakisen was barely able to hold on and not get wiped out.

The Fallen Ark fleet formed a defensive formation in the center and endured the attacks which came from all directions. Fakisen directed the fleet while paying attention to EsGod's battle.

"His Excellency EsGod's strength is becoming more and more frightening," Fakisen said with hesitation.

"That's right. He is able to deal with five Beyond Grade As so easily. He is EsGod indeed," a vice commander said with reverence in his eyes.

Fakisen then said with a strange tone, "Even five Beyond Grade As aren't able to win against EsGod, and this isn't even His Excellency EsGod's limit. The three large civilizations sent too few people and have truly underestimated him. Tsk tsk."

Fakisen then summoned an officer.

"You shall take command of the fleet now."

"What do you want to do?"

"Ah ah, I still have something else to do. This is a secret mission that His Excellency EsGod handed over to me."

Fakisen then turned around, left the command room, and headed to a spaceship hangar.

He knew that EsGod was already beginning to become suspicious of him. After EsGod took care of the present danger, he would probably be next. EsGod would never need evidence when getting rid of his subordinates.

Besides, regardless of whether EsGod was able to survive this encirclement, Fakisen was not planning on remaining by EsGod's side.

The intense battle lasted a long time, and apart from Han Xiao, the other four were riddled with injuries. The mechanical army had also suffered great losses and was gradually becoming weaker.

EsGod looked at the few who were extremely pathetic and sent out a mental message with satisfaction.

"Black Star, do you see this? This is the strength that you have given me. What do you think about it?"

Han Xiao then used the amber ball formation to block an incoming attack and snorted in response. "It isn't much."

EsGod was not bothered by the reply and continued, "Ah, although I haven't broken through the Beyond Grade A limits, my strength should already be the peak of the entire explored universe. The five of you do not even have any chance of fighting back before me."

As Sun Hunter heard that, he immediately aimed his cannon at EsGod and fired.

This time, EsGod did not avoid the attack but used his body to receive the attack. He then activated his Black Hole ability and absorbed the attack to create a few more doppelgangers.

The remaining force from the attack charred his skin and disfigured him completely.

But the next moment, his injuries recovered rapidly, and his appearance went back to normal. His recovery speed was no slower than Han Xiao.

"A useless attack." EsGod glanced at Sun Hunter before looking at Han Xiao. "Black Star, you are not the only one with an indestructible body."

Han Xiao replied with an expressionless face, "Every time you repair your body, your cell's activeness will be exhausted. When your cells reach their upper limit, your life span will also come to an end. This is the disadvantage of a self-healing ability."

"That's right. I am already old. Every time I fight, my lifespan would be burnt up," EsGod said calmly. "However, your Evolution Cube increased my life span by a great deal, and it is enough for me to use. At the very least, you won't have a chance in this battle."

EsGod's current strength came from the evolution energy, and thus, he treated Han Xiao differently.

"Do you really think that you have won?" Sun Hunter interrupted coldly.

"Oh? Please give me a good surprise if you guys still have any unused trump cards. In a while, you guys won't even have the strength to escape," EsGod said with confidence in his voice. "After getting rid of the few of you here, the Arcane Church and the Crimson Dynasty will definitely be infuriated. I also do not have any interest in facing the next wave of enemies, so letting all of you go will be the best option. However, if all of you do not wish to escape, I don't mind killing you."

Through this battle, EsGod had already tested his own combat strength, and defeating this wave of enemies was sufficient to prove his strength. As long as he did not kill them, the three great civilizations would not bother him for a period of time. He wanted to remain low profile for some time to familiarize himself with his strength after the evolution. Thus, he truly did not wish to kill Han Xiao's group.

If not, a Universal Civilization would not let the matter rest after suffering such a huge loss, and that did not suit his current objectives. Thus, he hoped that Han Xiao's group would willingly retreat.

Han Xiao then looked around at his comrades. They had injuries all over their bodies and were not in good states.

Just as EsGod had said, it was impossible for the five of them to do anything against EsGod. If the battle continued, their lives would possibly be in danger.

Right at this moment, Han Xiao suddenly laughed and said, "EsGod, do you know that I am extremely clear about the threat you pose?"

"My threat?" EsGod raised his brows. "My deeds are spread all across the universe. Is there a need for you to emphasize on them?"

"No, I am not talking about that." Han Xiao narrowed his eyes.

"I don't get what you are talking about," EsGod said.

Han Xiao chuckled and was not planning to explain himself.

EsGod purposely revealed information about the wormhole because he wanted the other organizations to investigate the matter together with him. However, he hid information about the World Tree Civilization, and EsGod thought that he was the only one who knew the existence of the World Tree Civilization.

In truth, EsGod was not wrong in thinking so. No one else apart from Han Xiao knew about this secret and would fall for EsGod's trap to help EsGod research this wormhole. EsGod's wish was to open this channel and fish for benefits from the side.

However, EsGod could not have known that Han Xiao also knew about the existence of the World Tree Civilization. He was the second person in the explored universe to know about this, and EsGod was still in the dark regarding this.

It was because of the lack of information that EsGod was not clear about how resolute Han Xiao was about killing him. According to his past experience, there should be four to six Beyond Grade As coming to encircle him, so five was within his expectations.

As such, he never imagined that there would be far more than five Beyond Grade As coming to encircle him!

Right when Han Xiao finished what he had to say, an abrupt change happened.

EsGod's expression changed greatly as he could clearly feel a spacetime magic spreading out to cover the entire region. The secondary dimension was cut off, and spacetime was locked down. The space in this region became extremely sturdy without any cracks.

At the same time, Han Xiao also activated the space stabilizing equipment that Manison had given him and covered EsGod within it to prevent EsGod from escaping before the trap was formed.

Losing the ability of instantaneous movement, EsGod no longer had the initiative. EsGod then detected another six energy sources appearing from afar, rapidly approaching him.

Milizaus' group of six appeared on the battlefield and surrounded him.

Upon seeing that, EsGod's expression darkened, and a look of shock could be seen in his eyes.

"Why are there another six more‽"

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Chapter 894 Key Variable in the Operation

Everyone was treated equally under the spacetime lock. Mechanics were unable to open their secondary dimension channel, and the Dimension Crack and teleportation of EsGod also lost its effect.

With the universe continuously being explored, the three Universal Civilizations had recorded all sorts of Esper Abilities and had developed counters or restraints toward most of them. Except for some Super High Risk Esper Abilities, there was no unsolvable ability.

"Turns out, this was a trap. You guys are really willing to pay."

EsGod was surprised but quickly regained his calm.

This was also not the first time he faced such danger, so he did not panic. While the number of the enemies was more than what he expected, with not only the Crimson Dynasty and the Arcane Church, even the Federation of Light was also involved.

There were eleven Beyond Grade As surrounding him, which outstripped his expectations.

If it were not for the fact that the Universal Civilizations had sent out enough manpower this time, it would have been difficult to make him fall into the trap. Just to fight him head on and not make him think it was a trap would already require at least four to five people, and there was still a need to ensure three mages could set up the spacetime lock secretly. That meant at least seven to eight Beyond Grade As were needed to complete the entire ambush. This was a completely different concept from having seven to eight ordinary people.

Upon realizing that he had fallen for the trap, EsGod did not talk further and immediately reacted.

He would not sit there and await death. While his teleportation was blocked in this area, he could still fly. As long as he flew in the opposite direction of Han Xiao and the others, the moment he escaped the range of the spacetime lock, he would be able to teleport again.

He was not an iron-headed person. When facing eleven other Beyond Grade As, he had no plans to fight them head on.

The six people involved in directly fighting him at the start were still chasing him, and they had yet to completely surround him. Because of the spacetime lock, they were unable to activate the hyperdrive to arrive immediately, so there were only five people who were able to suppress EsGod at the moment.

Han Xiao did not speak further, ditching Sun Hunter and the others, and pouring all of his energy into the mechanical suit propulsion module.

A blue flame burst out from the thrusters from his back, elbows, and feet, and his entire figure shot forward in pursuit of EsGod, leaving a dark blue arc in the universe like a comet.

The spacetime lock did not differentiate between allies or enemies, so his hyperdrive and Void abilities could not be used.

Many of EsGod's doppelgangers turned to hold Han Xiao back, stopping him from pursuing the true body.

While he had fallen into the trap, EsGod did not mind it too much.

He might have been in danger before his evolution, but things were different now. A large number of his doppelgangers were enough to contain his pursuers and give him enough time to escape the spacetime lock.

"Don't let him get away!" Sun Hunter shook a doppelganger off before unfolding a gigantic sniper rifle. He aimed it toward EsGod and fired.

A golden energy beam blasted out, with a tracking function toward EsGod. The speed of the beam was obviously faster than his flight speed, and the distance was quickly shortened.

EsGod frowned, only having the time to deploy a shield before the beam hit.

He originally wished to utilize the repulsion force to retreat even further, but the firearm used by Sun Hunter was not offensive in nature. The moment the beam hit EsGod, it swelled violently, turning into a ball of energy with a powerful suction force, dragging EsGod toward it. EsGod's speed dropped sharply, and the latter had no choice but to continue struggling to get out of the gravitational range.

Ranged attacks were the strength of a Cannon Master, and among the team, Sun Hunter's skills had the best effect against restraining escaping enemies. Furthermore, a Cannon Master did not only have one weapon. They were good at using a variety of firearms, not only offensive ones but also crowd control ones, such as the beam used against EsGod previously.

EsGod could not teleport, so his evasiveness was lowered. Being harassed by Sun Hunter, and with Han Xiao's mechanical suit speed originally being quicker than EsGod, their distance gradually closed.

Luckily, Milizaus and the mages did not underestimate EsGod, and thus, they purposely enlarged the area of spacetime lock, ensuring that there was enough leeway to chase him down.

As EsGod's back slowly grew bigger in his field of vision, Han Xiao estimated the distance before taking out a compressed orb with a flip of his palm. It transformed into a hexagonal alloy board, tens of meters in length with a slight curve to it. It was powered by a core of sub-psionic energy.

This was a Unidirectional Adsorption Gravity Device that Han Xiao had spent a few months creating. It could adjust the direction and strength of gravity, and it was mainly used for attraction.

Based on his tests, at full power, the gravitational force generated could reach the level of a planet's gravity. This gravity was enough to peel off the crust from a planet and achieve the power to tear apart the surface of a planet.

Even for a Beyond Grade A, this was an extremely strong means of crowd control, many levels higher than the spaceship traction beam.

Han Xiao activated the equipment, and a strong attraction force covered the entire area in front of him. EsGod only felt a huge pulling force acting on him, as though an entire star wished to devour him.

EsGod frowned, and with a thought, he split out another new doppelganger, which threw itself toward the attracting force, rushing up to Han Xiao to obstruct him.

This doppelganger only had the goal of destroying the gravitational attraction equipment, so it flew along with the attraction, its flight speed not affected.

Han Xiao activated his psionic shield, blocking the advance of the doppelganger. However, the doppelganger also possessed a battle strength at Beyond Grade A, so it was not so easy to deal with. Han Xiao's speed also took a hit. EsGod shot out a timely black and red energy beam to hit Han Xiao, conveniently using the repulsion to move further away.

"EsGod can continuously produce doppelgangers. The moment I come too close, I'll be obstructed by the doppelgangers. If I cannot hold him, I can only watch as he escapes," Han Xiao murmured, and having made his choice, the Mechanical Force around his body immediately flickered and condensed into a large arc of electricity that bound up EsGod's doppelganger.

The next moment, Han Xiao's consciousness stretched into the quantum network.

Soul attacks, I can do that too!

You have utilized Virtual Soul against EsGod!

Attribute Judgment in progress…

Character level judgment failure, -30% success rate.

LUK Attribute judgment failure, -20% success rate.

MYS Attribute judgment failure, -30% success rate.

INT Attribute judgement Success, 40% success rate.

One of the above four judgments is effective. Skill is successfully launched!

Based on your Virtual Technology level, the basic success rate is 424%. After taking into account various judgements, final theoretical success rate: 384%

Calculation of the opponent's abnormal status resistance in progress… Calculations complete, final success rate: 76%

Final Judgment in progress… Judgement successful

Skill (Virtual Soul) is effective.

In front, EsGod's body suddenly lurched to a stop. His soul was virtualized by Han Xiao, thrown into the quantum network and hence lost control of his body. The attracting force pulled him backward once again.

EsGod's weakness lay in his spiritual level. Because his doppelgangers and true body all shared the same soul, the [Virtual Soul] skill that Han Xiao utilized on the doppelganger could also be effective on his true body.

Because of the large difference in attributes, the duration of [Virtual Soul] was only for a short while and even had a cooldown of fifteen minutes. But this was enough for Han Xiao to close the remaining distance.

The quantum network was Han Xiao's home field, and his consciousness transformed into a luminous giant that covered the sky and the sun. He grabbed onto EsGod and pummeled him, all attacks converting into spiritual damage to EsGod.

The duration of [Virtual Soul] ended quickly, and clarity shone again in EsGod's eyes, but the soul damage he received made him look weary.

Upon surveying his surroundings, EsGod discovered that his true body was now in front of Han Xiao. Without any additional words, Han Xiao pounced on him.

Seeing this, EsGod knew that he could not escape anymore. The reason he escaped was not because he could not fight them off but because remaining within the trap would leave him the passive one.

As they fought, EsGod continuously released doppelgangers to strengthen his damage output. However, Han Xiao was akin to a sticky plaster. His HP and resistance was too high in addition to having the amber ball as a shield. EsGod got more frustrated the more they battled, as he was fully held back by Han Xiao.

"You irritating fool!" EsGod thundered.

"Thank you for the praise." Han Xiao smiled, his hands suddenly jetting out a Psionic Impact, directly shattering a doppelganger.

At the same time, the six involved in the ambush had started to surround them, and Sun Hunter's side had also eliminated several doppelgangers.

Because all the new doppelgangers created by EsGod were trapped by Han Xiao, there were no new reinforcements on that side, so they could catch up with EsGod after being relieved of the pressure.

Before long, all the Beyond Grade As arrived, each one taking a position and surrounding EsGod. Han Xiao's mechanical army and Manison's Mechanic Empire stood at each path of escape.

Seeing this, Han Xiao also stopped attacking for the time being, retreating into his mechanical army formation.

EsGod was completely surrounded, and from his position, he could only see densely packed mechanical soldiers. The energy signatures of the eleven Beyond Grade As burned his olfactory sense organs. His doppelgangers were recalled back, stationed around him for protection.

In the distance, the fleet of the Federation of Light also appeared. Without EsGod's help, the Fallen Ark fleet was quickly eliminated by the Universal Civilizations. The battleships burst into flames one after another, the light from the explosions illuminating the faces of everyone present.

Glancing at his destroyed fleet, EsGod turned toward Manison, speaking through the spiritual network. "Manison, I didn't expect you to also have come to deal with me."

Among the eleven, EsGod only respected four of them—Manison, Milizaus, Sun Hunter, and Han Xiao. All of them had fought with him at some point, with Manison being the person he most respected.

"It was a transaction. Besides, I've warned you before about not stepping into the Primeval Star River." Manison's tone was calm.

EsGod nodded before surveying the rest.

While he was surrounded, he did not display any panic, instead calmly saying, "Even if you have the numbers, it won't be so easy to defeat me."

He had two escape plans. One was to escape from the area that was locked by spacetime. Since that had already failed, he had to choose the second method, which was to use his own spatial Esper ability to penetrate the spacetime lock, drilling a gap to teleport away.

For this plan to work, he needed to stall them for long enough.

The assurance of EsGod in surviving mainly lay in his doppelgangers. Even if he was surrounded, he could still use them to fight against everyone. Coupled with his own regeneration and energy absorption abilities, he could survive for quite a period of time, so he was not worried.

Everyone present however knew this and knew that every second was precious. Thus, they exchanged a glance and nodded.

"Begin the operation."

"We're relying on you, Black Star."

The next instant, everyone attacked at the same time!

Faced with ten other Beyond Grade As, the doppelgangers died extremely quickly, but EsGod continued to produce more doppelgangers using his energy absorption, succeeding in holding off all the Beyond Grade As! While it was taxing on him, this was already shocking enough.

Even the Beyond Grade As encircling him could not help but sigh at his battle strength.

The evolved form of EsGod was really a freak!

If it was not for Black Star's suggestion for them to join hands and deal with him, who would still threaten this fellow in the future?

Han Xiao weaved through the battlefield, shuttling through the heavy blockade of the doppelgangers to get closer to EsGod.

Because EsGod had already fought with Han Xiao before, it did not suspect him and immediately rushed forward to challenge him.

However, when the two of them made contact, EsGod felt a strange power surge out from Han Xiao's body and into his own.

The next instant, it was as though a tranquilizer had been injected into EsGod, and his abilities all went silent.

"This is… Esper Silence‽"

EsGod's expression changed, and it finally turned into suspicion. He did not understand why Han Xiao had his ability.

"It's effective!" Seeing the notification on the interface, Han Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.

During the pre-war conference, Han Xiao had discussed this strategy with the rest, and the moment they surrounded him would be the time he unleashed the Esper Silence Character Summon Card.

Han Xiao had always hidden this move, just waiting for the opportunity.

The moment Esper Silence came into effect, all the doppelgangers froze, and without the ability to maintain it, the doppelgangers exploded and dissipated into black mist.

Because of their disparity, the duration of Esper Silence was at the lowest, but this instant was enough to disintegrate his doppelgangers!

Everyone was long prepared and took the advantage when EsGod lost his abilities. The three mages threw the restraint magic they had prepared, the psychics interfered with his mental state, the pugilists used force to suppress him, and Han Xiao also gave EsGod an injection, implanting him with nano-level cytostatic fluid to reduce his vitality.

This single instant was enough for EsGod to fall under heavy restrictions. With so many Beyond Grade As acting in concert, there was no way he could struggle free in a short while.

When his strength recovered, he tried to free himself, but the control skills were like shackles, binding each of its limbs and nailing him in place.

Under so many effects, the energy within his body stagnated, and he was unable to utilize it to activate his abilities any longer.

EsGod stared at Han Xiao, his eyes displaying puzzlement.

"How are you able to use my ability?"

"You'll have a lot of time to slowly think about that in the future." Han Xiao did not hesitate, immediately taking out the Spacetime Amber and pointing it toward EsGod. After entering its second layer of Soul Connection, the production of amber balls had sped up.

The Spacetime Amber was the key to this plan!

The people present might have been able to restrict EsGod, but they could not keep gathering forever. EsGod had too many Esper abilities, and there was no guarantee that he could not run after being locked up.

The only guaranteed way was the Spacetime Amber, which could restrict EsGod.

They had already decided that Han Xiao would be the core behind the operation this time, and everyone's responsibility was simply restricting EsGod.

Without Esper Silence and the Spacetime Amber, EsGod would likely manage to escape. They were the key variables in this operation.

EsGod was sensitive toward space and felt the space around him start to warp. A look of astonishment was seen in his eyes.

"So, this is the effect of the Spacetime Amber from the legends. What a miraculous Universal Treasure." EsGod paused for a while, reluctantly twisting his facial muscles. "I never thought that I would end up in your hands."

Han Xiao was deeply aware of the possibility of receiving a counterattack if one talked too much and did not answer, focused on creating the Spacetime Amber.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, EsGod stopped struggling, staring indifferently at Han Xiao.

"Black Star, we will meet again."

"That will be left to when the three Universal Civilizations see fit to ask me to release you."

Han Xiao's eyes flashed, and he suddenly cut the energy supply.

EsGod's entire body was sealed within the Spacetime Amber!

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Chapter 895 Success, Return

The moment the Spacetime Amber was formed, all energy was isolated, and everyone let go, surrounding it and gazing at EsGod, who was trapped within the amber curiously.

"Is it done?" Sun Hunter tapped the casing of the amber ball, gazing at the motionless EsGod. His eyes carried some surprise.

Before the operation, they had estimated that the success rate would not be low, but now that it had been completed, the Beyond Grade As found it unbelievable.

EsGod was famed in the universe and had escaped the grasp of the three Universal Civilizations time and again. Now, it had truly been caught!

Furthermore, the operation had gone quite smoothly.

"Once trapped within the Spacetime Amber, time and space will be frozen. EsGod still retains his consciousness but can no longer move his body. We've succeeded," Han Xiao summarized.

"Humph, to think this day would come." Milizaus shook his head.

"With eleven of us, it would be an embarrassment if we failed." Manison's expression was calm, but he felt emotional at the loss of someone he knew.

But just as this feeling surfaced, it was immediately suppressed down when his gaze shifted to the Spacetime Amber that Han Xiao was holding. Everyone also looked at the Universal Treasure.

The capture of EsGod filled everyone with surprise, but this did not last long as they were all Beyond Grade As. What they were more interested in was the Spacetime Amber.

Due to the rumors of the battle of Planet Lighthouse, the Spacetime Amber had entered the sights of the various Beyond Grade As, and they were interested in something that could easily imprison another Universal Treasure. Now that they saw it in person, feeling envious was only natural.

Black Star had the means to restrict a Beyond Grade A's abilities, which posed a threat to most of them present. Everyone had to reconsider their evaluation of Black Star's strength. His position was unique.

Sensing their gazes, Han Xiao's brows furrowed, and he put the Spacetime Amber away once again with a flip of his hand.

"What a good thing." Sun Hunter sighed. "Black Star, your luck is good to actually possess two Universal Treasures."

Han Xiao raised his brows in response. He was the happiest whenever someone praised his luck.

After all, something intangible had to be emphasized by others, just like how ordinary people liked to be called 'handsome' or 'beautiful'…

After pausing for a moment, he did not respond but rather changed topics. "Now that EsGod has been caught, the operation is complete. I'll take EsGod back to the dynasty. Any objections?"

Manison shook his head. He was interested in EsGod's body, but it was a pity that he could not open the Spacetime Amber.

The trio from the Arcane Church, including Sun Hunter, thought about it before finally agreeing to Han Xiao's request as well. The Arcane Church wished to take EsGod captive, but the situation always trumped one's desires. With seven Beyond Grade As from the dynasty present, there was no guarantee they could snatch it, and there was also no need to.

"Since everyone is agreeable, then leave it to us." Milizaus nodded. "Black Star, your contribution was the biggest in the operation this time. The dynasty will cooperate and announce your deeds."

"Alright." Han Xiao smiled.

EsGod and the Fallen Ark fleet were quite well known in the universe as notorious villains, frightening countless interstellar citizens. Now that this guy had been caught by the dynasty, it would definitely be big news. The dynasty would not let go of this opportunity to announce in public their 'contribution to maintain peace in the universe' by eliminating a scourge that threatened the citizens' safety.

As the promoter and biggest contributor to the operation, Han Xiao would naturally be the key figure of this propaganda. When the news was spread, his reputation would also rise, and it would most likely become one of his defining battle records. The influence of this event would not necessarily be lower than the battle of Planet Lighthouse.

For someone such as EsGod, he might not be able to obtain any political assets, but he should definitely get Legendary Points.

Of course, when compared with the hidden dangers of the World Tree Civilization, these were trivial things. It was more important to eliminate the hidden dangers. At least the citizens would not receive a sudden alert that a World Tree was invading when they were on the toilet one day. That would probably scare the sh*t out of them.

Without the threat of EsGod, the spatial research of the three civilizations would also be lowered somewhat, and the Fallen Ark would also not continue launching attacks without a leader. Thus, the time when the World Tree Civilization would be linked with them would be delayed.

Since he had captured EsGod at this stage, the storyline of EsGod would disappear, but compared to the disaster brought about by the early invasion of the World Tree, this consequence was worth it, and it would win him more time for a stable development.

In the future, the three Universal Civilizations and the World Tree Civilization would definitely notice each other, and there would be a cosmic disaster. Han Xiao was accumulating strength for this, so to him, the later it happened, the better.

That's right, EsGod said that he would meet me again.

Han Xiao's eyes flashed. Just now, he was busy trying to seal EsGod and did not pay attention to his words. Now that he had relaxed, all sorts of hypotheses began to float up.

EsGod also knew of the existence of the World Tree Civilization and was definitely certain that there would be a war between the two. His meaning was—would they let him out when they realized that they would require his strength?

Han Xiao shook his head. It was unknown when that would happen, and by then, it was hard to say that EsGod's consciousness would still be sane after the long period of captivity.

This time, the Lotus Swordsman opened her mouth, coldly remarking, "There's something I must remind you of. When I was interfering with EsGod's soul, at that instant when he was sealed, I felt an extremely strong mental fluctuation.

Han Xiao's expression stiffened. "What sort of fluctuation?"

"The mental state of EsGod exploded out at that time, and his resistance increased manifolds, as though he wished to use his mental energy to incite his body and remove his restrictions. However, he did not succeed, and the Spacetime Amber enveloped him shortly after, bouncing my psychic powers out."

"Ok, I got it." Han Xiao was silent for a while before he nodded.

It sounded like EsGod's last gamble, but he had seemingly failed. It should be very normal.

No one argued over the rights to hold EsGod, and they quickly reached a consensus.

Everyone then turned back to look at the battlefield. The three Universal Civilization's fleets were still clearing up the remnants of Fallen Ark, but no one intended to help.

They only had EsGod in their eyes. Now that the main evil had been cleared, these small fries were not worth moving.

Han Xiao remembered that the Contribution Points awarded by [Dynasty Battle Operation: Fallen Ark (Repeatable)] and thus split apart some of his mechanical army to hunt down the fleet.

The moment EsGod was caught, the rest of the Fallen Ark members also gave up resisting. No one surrendered since they were wanted criminals but fled in all directions. There was almost no one left on scene.

While waiting for the battle to end, Han Xiao opened the interface and viewed the large number of prompts that had popped up just now.

[Dynasty Battle Operation: Fallen Ark (Repeatable)] would soon end, and the few missions regarding facing EsGod directly had been completed. Just the reward for the experience measured up to thirty billion and was enough to level up a few times even at his level of 280. Of course, the premise was destroying his doppelgangers. Be it in the early or late versions, the number of players who could achieve that were few, but to him, it was not much effort.

The Contribution Points of the dynasty also surged up, crossing the ten thousand mark, almost nearing the amount where he could purchase two Ultimate Knowledges.

Very rewarding!

At the same time, a brand new [Character Summon Card—EsGod] also fell into Han Xiao's hands.

However, EsGod had too many abilities, and the chances of drawing Esper Silence were low. This time, his draw was ordinary, and he only got teleportation. He could use it about ten times, and its effect was pretty good, but it was chicken feed for him, given that he already had Void Hyperdrive.

However, Void Hyperdrive was a little less flashy, and having more methods would also be good.

This time, Han Xiao had spent a lot to deal with EsGod. He had completely used up his Esper Silence skill, so this sure-kill ability against Espers was gone. Furthermore, the number of [Perfect Mechanical Sense] uses had dropped by one.

He still had one final blank Character Summon Card, which he could use to produce another [Perfect Mechanical Sense, but he did not plan to do so currently.

The battle at Planet Lighthouse and with EsGod was enough to give him a strong reputation, and it was estimated that no one would come and provoke him for a period of time. There was no need to think about using the blank Character Summon Card.

The other mission, [Archenemy of the Three Universal Civilizations, also showed a 'completed' status.

By capturing EsGod alive, he had fulfilled the additional requirements of the mission, and thus, he could draw three abilities from EsGod, which was much better compared to the Character Summon Card.

His Molding Talents were all practically drawn in this manner.

Han Xiao did not accept the reward immediately. Such precious reward, if he did not go back and touch Feidin and his godson first, would he not waste his chances‽

Just based on his own face, he would probably draw something nasty out!

Other than the reward, Han Xiao also obtained a great amount of experience in killing enemies. Killing a doppelganger would net him a lot of experience, and since the doppelgangers came unceasingly, it allowed him to obtain a ton of experience.

While gazing at his interface, the battle finally ended.

Han Xiao looked toward the other two universal civilizations.

"Our cooperation ends here. I thank you all for your help."

"There's no need to be polite. If there's time, you can come over to my territory for a visit." Manison sent another invitation to Han Xiao.

"Not today. I still have to escort EsGod back," Han Xiao said. "Let's do it another time."

"Next time then."

Manison shook his head regretfully before turning to leave.

Sun Hunter exchanged communicator numbers with Han Xiao before leading the rest of the Arcane Church members back to the main flagship. Han Xiao took the captured EsGod and followed Milizaus and the rest back to the dynasty's flagship.

The eleven of them returned to their respective factions, and the three civilizations left.

At the same time, the operation's report was also sent to the upper echelons of the three Universally Civilizations.

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Chapter 896 - Talent Upgrade The Legendary Mechanic

"EsGod was really captured?"

Urranrell received a report from the fleet commander within the Ruler's office and was a little surprised.

The Ruler was busy with official business, so after a simple meeting to form a cooperation between the three civilizations, Urranrell did not continue to pay attention to this operation.

Urranrell had attached importance to Han Xiao's determination to get rid of EsGod, but she did not care about the operation that took place. This mentality was just like a billionaire taking out a hundred thousand to make an investment. It was purely to test the waters, and whether it succeeded or failed was relatively unimportant. Having received the report of success, however, she was pleasantly surprised.

EsGod, who had constantly given them a headache, was finally removed.

The existence of EsGod had always been the bane of the three Universal Civilizations, it represented chaos and lawlessness, and it was a firm enemy of order. Both sides had clearly demarcated their boundaries, but in some cases, the three civilizations would rely on its strength.

The notoriety of EsGod came from its atrocities, and although it was tyrannical, it would definitely not come to rile the three civilizations up without a valid reason. The targets of its crimes were mainly some star cluster or super star cluster level civilizations, and rampaging about in these territories was actually a benefit to the three civilizations.

On the other hand, the Fallen Ark fleet attracted thugs and wanted criminals from all over the universe. The disadvantage was that the power of EsGod was repeatedly increasing, which made him harder and harder to deal with. The benefit in this was that because all the wanted criminals were gathered in one place, it became easier to control them and keep tabs on them, increasing their security.

Of course, this was under the premise that EsGod was sufficiently strong. If he was not so difficult to deal, the three civilizations would not have left him alone.

Now that Black Star had really captured EsGod, getting rid of this tricky enemy, they were obviously pleased.

This was equivalent to capturing the head of the terrorists, and it showed that the anti-terrorism measures of the three civilizations had an effect. The greater the shadow EsGod had left on the galactic residents, the more reputation they would gain.

Urranrell nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent, Black Star did not waste my efforts. He did well."

"EsGod was likely careless, or else, with his strength, there's no one in the Universe that would be able to capture him," Clotti said calmly.

He had also faced EsGod a few times, and his judgment was accurate. If EsGod ran the moment he faced a blockade, no one would be able to capture him.

A pity that all of this was only hypothetical. EsGod's behavior would never allow him to perform in this manner; he would definitely engage in battle first. If he only knew how to run, there was no way that he would have been able to reach his current strength and infamy. He would have long been removed by the three civilizations.

"No matter what, Black Star did not let down my expectations."

Urranrell was getting more and more satisfied with Han Xiao. From viciously beating up the Arcane Church in the battle of Planet Lighthouse to getting rid of the Archenemy of the three Universal Civilizations, he had brought much fame and benefits to the dynasty.

While the dynasty fleet was on the journey back, they received a reply from the upper echelons of the dynasty.

In the center of the command room, a remote projection appeared. It was Urranrell. Seeing this, everyone got up to salute, and Han Xiao as well as the other Beyond Grade As also symbolically bowed their heads.

"All of you did well this time. You have made a tremendous contribution to the dynasty. The dynasty will not be stringy with the corresponding reward."

Urranrell stood with her hands behind her, her tone full of praises.

Facing the leader of the dynasty, everyone maintained the aloofness of a Beyond Grade A and only nodded, accepting her praise.

"If not for Black Star managing to convince the Federation of Light to participate, I would not have been able to contribute much to this joint operation. I've seen the report, and Black Star had the biggest part to play in the capture of EsGod. The dynasty plans to announce Black Star as the core of our publicity stunts. I believe no one will object to it," Urranrell said.

Capturing EsGod was a frightening battle record, and Urranrell was ready to put the credit on Han Xiao's head, helping him to spread his reputation.

"Of course not, this is the truth." Milizaus laughed.

He had been heavily injured in the battle of Planet Lighthouse, and he had always remembered this grudge. Seeing that EsGod had fallen into their hands, he felt so pleased, as though he was offered a cold refreshing drink on a hot summer day. His goodwill toward Han Xiao increased even further.

The rest did not have any objections. They were still waiting for the use of the evolution cube, so no one was willing to fight with Han Xiao for credit.

"Then, I'll thank the dynasty in advance." Han Xiao laughed.

"Good, you guys quickly bring EsGod back. The dynasty will lock him in the most secretive location." Urranrell paused for a moment. "That's right. Black Star, you mentioned that those that are sealed by the Spacetime Amber will have their souls slowly die off due to the long captivity, right?"

"That's right." Han Xiao nodded and understood her intentions. "Does the dynasty wish to study EsGod?"

"Yes, it has high research value. After so many combinations of gene chains, it has mastered all kinds of abilities. If this can be cracked, the genetic technology of the dynasty will have progress, and the number of Supers will also increase." Urranrell did not conceal it. "Of course, only when his soul dies can we begin the research. How long do you think we need?"

Han Xiao stroked his chin. "I recommend at least five hundred years to start with."

Urranrell stood in deep thought for a moment before nodding. "That works. Although the period is a little long, let's play safe."

Five hundred years was nothing to the Crimson Dynasty. Their period of existence far surpassed that number, and some war preparations even took units of a hundred years as a gauge.

After a few more side conversations, Urranrell hung up, and the dynasty soldiers present returned to work.

Ravenlaude now turned to Han Xiao. "Since EsGod has already been caught, it's time for you to uphold your end of the deal."

Han Xiao's mouth widened in a smile. Raising his hand, nanoparticles surged, and the Evolution Cube was brought to his palm.

"Relax, I value credibility, and since everyone here has helped me in solving my issue, I won't cheat you guys."

The three Universal Civilizations reached a consensus, and only after their fleets returned did they announce the arrest of EsGod. Because the fighting took place in the desolate universe belt where there were limited human traces, most major organizations did not know anything about their encounter.

A little over half a month later, the dynasty's fleet smoothly returned, and there were no unexpected incidents.

Han Xiao passed EsGod to another dynasty fleet, who locked EsGod up in a secretive location.

The other Beyond Grade As had also obtained their evolution and left satisfied, leaving Han Xiao as the only one who returned to Planet Crimson Ring.

He immediately contacted Feidin and the rest. After a month apart, they were finally reunited.

His goals for going to the Central Galaxy this time had been achieved. Han Xiao announced the end of the vacation before taking them back on his own spaceship, departing back for the Shattered Star Ring.

In the spaceship, Han Xiao took the excuse of not meeting them for a long time to have a meal and thoroughly 'molested' Feidin and Nero.

Feidin was used to it and just had a face of helplessness, but Nero squirmed left and right, not used to Han Xiao's 'passionate' self. He was dizzy from all the 'love' given by Han Xiao's big hands.

Reynold thought that he would undergo such a treatment as well and took a deep breath, psychologically preparing himself, but Han Xiao only turned and left, as though not interested in him. This made Reynold feel a little depressed.

After recharging his luck, Han Xiao locked himself in the room and opened the interface to complete the mission [Archenemy of the Three Universal Civilizations].

The mission [Archenemy of the Three Universal Civilizations] has been completed.

Your cumulative damage to EsGod is calculated as 100% (up to the maximum limit). You will obtain the corresponding reward.

You have been awarded 20,000,000,000 experience, x1 Random Reward, x1 [Character Summon Card—EsGod].

[Character Summon Card—EsGod] Esper Ability—Ability Enhancement. This can only be used on Espers that are lower than your current level. It allows the potential of the ability to receive a permanent upgrade. Each target can only be promoted once. Uses: 0/3

Han Xiao's eyes sparkled.

This skill… is a little overpowered.

If a civilization's Beyond Grade A has this ability, it would be equivalent to an unlimited number of Esper Ability Potential Enhancing Fluid shots. Even if this could only be used on Espers, it was enough to raise the prowess of the Espers in the entire civilization by one whole level.

This was a strategic level ability!

A pity, the one who obtained this was EsGod. With his stingy character, chances were low that he would help his subordinates raise their strength.

EsGod had collected all these abilities, which was equivalent to killing off a lot of potential geniuses. If the original owners of this ability did not fall to EsGod, it was likely that they would have become distinguished guests of the Universal Civilizations.

Additional mission requirements have been completed.

You have received an additional reward: Random draw of three skills of EsGod (Talent/Ability)

Alert: EsGod is an Esper. Part of the possible abilities have been automatically adjusted to your class.

You have three chances to draw, and at least one ability will be randomly selected each time. Please select your type of draw (Talent / Ability / Both).

Han Xiao rubbed his hands, choosing the Talent option.

Since the Esper class was incompatible with his due to the different sources of strength, he knew that many Esper Abilities could not be extracted.

Since he could obtain abilities this time, he should by right utilize it. However, it would likely be more beneficial for him to obtain a good talent first.

Randomizing… complete.

Please select one to three options from the five below as the reward:

1. Talent: Particle Structure Reinforcement - Immunity to True Damage.

2. Talent: Crazed Devotee - 20% Resistance to abnormal mental status.

3. Talent: Cell Division Control - Consumes energy to stimulate cell division and achieve powerful self-healing properties. Converts energy into HP at a 1:3 ratio, capped at 15% HP per second.

4. Talent: Endurance Enhancement - 40% Physical and Energy resistance.

5. Talent: Combat Instincts - Upon entering a combat state, 1% to all attributes, capped at 12%.

Han Xiao's eyes sparkled. He drew two Molding Talents this time, which were the first and third options.

His gaze was firmly locked on the [Cell Division Control]. This talent should have been converted from the 'strengthened self-recovery' of EsGod, which was similar to his [Middle Grade Cell Proliferation Control]. It was just that the efficiency was not as high as his.

His own HP had now broken through 500,000, and even if he converted all of his energy, it would not even reach ten percent of his total HP. It was far from achieving the cap of twenty-eight percent per second. Thus, he would benefit by increasing the efficiency of the conversion.

As for the ability to be immune to true damage, he already had it, and there was no need to reselect it.

You have chosen [Cell Division Control].

Your [Middle Grade Cell Proliferation Control] is similar to [Cell Division Control, and the two talents will be combined.

Talents can be upgraded! Han Xiao was excited.

Certain similar talents could be merged together to form a stronger talent, which was equivalent to an upgrade.

Combination complete.

You have lost [Cell Division Control].

Your talent [Middle Grade Cell Proliferation Control] has been upgraded to [High Grade Cell Proliferation Control].

High Grade Cell Proliferation Control: Make use of energy to proliferate cells, heal wounds, and convert energy into HP at a ratio of 1:9. Recovery rate capped at 35% of total HP per second.

His conversation rate had now increased from 1:5 to 1:9, almost doubling the recovery speed. The cap had also increased from twenty-eight percent to thirty-five percent.

Han Xiao exhaled before continuing with the second draw. He still stuck to the Talent option.

Another five random talents were drawn, and after a glance, Han Xiao chose the Talent [Spiritual Onsen, which gave him an added twenty percent psychological resistance, as well as accelerated the removal of any abnormal mental statuses and soul damage.

Mental attacks were his shortcoming, so there was a need to stack his psychological resistance.

For his third draw, he still chose Talent. Sweeping the randomized reward, his eyes lit up.

Among the five, one of them seemed to be the adjusted version of EsGod's Esper ability [Black Hole, which could convert a portion of the incoming damage into energy values.

After choosing this talent, the [Intermediate Energy Absorption] combined with this to form a new talent.

Your [Intermediate Energy Absorption] has been promoted to [Expert Energy Absorption].

Expert Energy Absorption: When subject to any physical, energy, magical, or other attacks, incoming damage is reduced by 25% and converted to energy. The absorbed damage value is not counted as offset by resistance, and the remaining 75% of damage received will be used to calculate the resistance instead. 60% of the damage offset by resistance will be converted into energy.

Han Xiao roughly did a calculation.

"If I count it like this, my efficiency in converting damage to energy will have increased by more than 1.5 times, and the upgraded talent now offers twenty-five percent more absolute resistance."

With the addition of the [Black Hole] specialty, it directly converted part of the damage into energy, which was equivalent to saving the energy required to restore this amount of HP.

If his resistance was fifty percent and he received ten thousand damage in theory, then the initial talent effect would mean he received five thousand damage and absorbed three thousand energy.

After the upgrade, the effect now was receiving 3,750 damage and absorbing 4,750 energy.

The energy obtained was more than the HP lost!

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897 The Fall of EsGod Even

After the three rewards had been drawn, miniscule Mechanical Force arcs swam on the surface of his body, and he felt numb. The cells started to subtly change, and from Han Xiao's senses, he could feel that they had become even easier to control.

Because there was a base version, the upgrades to the talents were not uncomfortable and were actually quite pleasant.

Han Xiao heaved a sigh of relief, clenching his fists and feeling the endless strength surging in his body, as well as the vibrant vitality.

Following the evolution of the talents, Han Xiao's self-healing abilities had also risen to a new level. For the current him, having such strong vitality was not disadvantageous since he was holding onto two coveted Universal Treasures, or else he might end up being captured like EsGod one day.

"With my current self-healing level, so long as I'm not like EsGod being beaten up by so many Beyond Grade As, there should not be any problems."

Now that his HP and energy conversion rates were high, Han Xiao had plans for his subsequent advancements. Since the upper limit of his HP would increase with every level up, there was no need to pay attention to it. What he needed was to continue improving the energy attribute, as this affected his total energy as well as the speed of conversion.

In terms of his Mechanic class, he had to acquire advanced mechanic-related talents, learn more Ultimate Knowledges, research more blueprints, improve his machinery, expand the size of his mechanical army, and nurture a mechanical civilization… While he was resistant to attacks, this only ensured his tankiness. The main method of combat still had to rely on his Pay-to-Win… cough cough… his mechanical army.

The siege this time was considerably less risky than the battle at Planet Lighthouse. At Planet Lighthouse, they were the passive party under attack and were outnumbered. But this time, they were on the active side and outnumbered the enemy. His situation was not so dangerous because even if the operation failed, it would not have been life threatening. Thus, the pressure was lower.

As the interface for ability extraction disappeared, Han Xiao glanced and noticed another reward notification for this mission.

[Dungeon Copy: Fall of EsGod]

Han Xiao's eyelids jumped.

"D*mn, the difficulty of this dungeon will be through the roof!"

EsGod was considered one of the end game bosses of the evil faction, but receiving the dungeon copy was something Han Xiao expected. However, those players who dared enter such a dungeon would be masochists.

Ignoring the players, even if it was Han Xiao himself, if he attempted to solo this, he would end up being pummeled by EsGod. Luckily, he only distributed the dungeon crystals and did not use them himself.

"Oh, this copy can actually be used to display my heroism…" Han Xiao could not help but think about the professional boot-licker Bun-Hit-Dog.

Putting his thoughts away, Han Xiao then glanced at his notifications to make sure he had not missed any rewards.

"Such a notorious guy like EsGod should give me some Legendary Points. I believe when the three Universal Civilizations announce this, the points will be delivered."

There were two ways to obtain Legendary Points. One was the reward upon completing a mission, while the other was not part of the reward but more of the news being circulated around the universe, which would still award them with Legendary Points. Since Han Xiao had obtained Legendary Points in both ways before, he was not surprised.

Han Xiao could not help but think about the future developments, sighing internally.

"Now that EsGod is trapped, the unstable variable that is the World Tree Civilization has been resolved. Even if the Crimson Dynasty manages to crack the wormhole coordinates, as long as I'm operating, the Crimson Dynasty will then pay attention to hiding itself and will not lead them here. Rather, they will explore the World Tree Civilization in advance and obtain the initiative.'

Because of the coordinates from the wormhole, the storyline of the World Tree Civilization would inevitably change. The timeline being brought forward was a definite, but in his previous life, the World Tree Civilization had first discovered the three Universal Civilizations and seized the initiative. This time, however, Han Xiao estimated that it would be the three Universal Civilizations that would first discover the World Tree Civilization.

In this manner, the situation would change. The three Universal Civilizations had progressed all the way from the dark ages and definitely understood the importance of concealment. They would make a plan first before taking action. Han Xiao himself was also clear of the style of the World Tree Civilization, and there was no way both sides could co-exist. War was inevitable.

But who the invading party would be this time was difficult to say.

Han Xiao remembered that there was still another set of the wormhole data in the hands of the Tyla Civilization, and this would require the Crimson Dynasty to recollect it themselves. This was not a huge problem. With the ability of a Universal Civilization, it was likely that they would crack it before the Tyla Civilization, and then, the dynasty would take the initiative.

Furthermore, EsGod was now out of the picture, so it was likely that this set of data would hold less of an attraction toward the researchers since there were so many other research topics to work on. They would not spend so many resources on an unknown wormhole. Therefore, based on Han Xiao's expectations, even if the storyline of the World Tree Civilization was brought forward, it would not be so soon.

"Without their leader, the Fallen Ark should disband quickly, no longer being a paradise for thugs. Those players who like to pillage and kill will also have one fewer place to go," Han Xiao mused.

The storyline of EsGod could be said to have been completely subverted, and the destinies of many people would be rewritten. Most of them would lead better lives. With fewer planets being destroyed, they also would not meet with grisly ends due to EsGod. The number of lives saved would probably number in the billions.

This could be considered as doing a good deed, saving a wave of characters. Han Xiao stroked his chin, and the corners of his mouth curled up.

"After getting rid of EsGod, I can now lie low. There's nothing much for me to do. I can safely tide through Version 3.0."

Han Xiao heaved a sigh of relief. Thinking back, ever since Version 3.0 started, he had always been into dire straits and had faced many big issues. It seemed like he would finally welcome a long period of stability, where he could relax and slowly develop.

Just as Han Xiao was preparing his blueprint for the Black Star Army, Reynold took Nero to another machinery modification room.

Reynold came to a modification table, and his fingers marked several golden operation marks on the panel. The table was switched to a manual assembly mode, and on the clear surface of the table, several gaps appeared in which metal plates opened into arms for support.

"Since this vacation is over, I hope you can return to your studying mode as soon as possible. Theoretical knowledge is only the basis of a mechanic. The mechanics who are unable to turn this knowledge into actual manufacturing capabilities are considered failures. You have learned enough theory, and thus, starting today, you'll need to add the operation training of primary machinery into your curriculum."

Nero's spirit was refreshed. Studying theoretical knowledge was dry and boring, and having actual practical lessons would at least be more interesting. He had been interested in building machinery from the start, which was why he had chosen to become a mechanic.

Pressing a few buttons of the modification station, a virtual screen popped up, in which there were many low-level machinery assembly methods recorded.

This machinery modification table belonged to Reynold, and within it were a lot of low-level blueprints.

"Let's start from the simpler ones," Reynold said. "Okay, take this. The classic exoskeleton mechanical suit, with a technical difficulty of D1, at the weak planetary level. This is the technology of Planet Aquamarine, and the parts have already been produced. You just need to assemble them."

Nero settled down, recalling theoretical knowledge that he learned and applying it. He would watch the operation video whenever he was confused.

"Right now, we're training you on your familiarity with assembly. This is the basis of a mechanic, and even His Excellency Black Star started off the same way." Reynold stood by the side to provide guidance. "Don't just simply follow the steps to assemble. Use all your sensory organs to detect the machinery's structure. Use your mechanical force to penetrate it, touch it, and perceive it."

"Understood."

Nero focused, and the clearer a picture he got of the machinery, under the effect of the Advanced Luck Glow, his Middle Grade Mechanical Sense was slowly moving toward the advanced level.

In a certain restricted area of Constellation Corridor, a dynasty battleship landed on a huge mechanical space fortress. This fortress was in the shape of a cube, with a structured layer and covered with heavy armor. A large number of defensive weapons were arranged on the outside, arming it to the teeth.

This sort of armed space fortress was specially designed by the dynasty to hold prisoners who were powerful supers. It possessed powerful defense capabilities, enough to blow up an entire fleet, and a huge prison space. Only one Beyond Grade A was detained there, and all those facilities inside were to prevent the person from escaping.

"Please confirm the code and key of the imprisonment project… Procedure complete."

"The prison is being activated. The core is currently being opened, and smart docking is underway."

"Docking complete. The imprisoned cabin is ready to launch. Counting down… three, two, one, launch."

From within the dynasty battleship shot out a small egg-shaped cabin. Its body was silver and black. It was ten meters long, and EsGod, wrapped in amber, was locked inside.

This egg-shaped cabin possessed independent power propulsion, jetting out flames as it smoothly flew into the gap exposed by the prison fortress. The body fit perfectly, and the mechanical structures on both sides locked to complete the fitting.

The prison then closed and folded upon itself, turning back into its original cuboid shape.

This was where EsGod would be locked for the next five hundred years.

Some days later, a piece of news shook the entire Galaxy.

The three Universal Civilizations jointly released a news report that the criminal EsGod had been captured!

They had hunted EsGod multiple times, all of which had ended in failure, and the infamy of EsGod had long pierced deep into the citizens' hearts. For them to have suddenly captured EsGod shocked all the citizens.

Countless galactic residents thought that EsGod would remain unpunished, and many conspiracy theorists even believed that the three civilizations were secretly backing EsGod, but they were all equally shocked by this news.

After the initial shock came the cheers.

EsGod had been captured; everyone cheered!

After years of poisoning the universe, EsGod had caused a lot of tragedies. He had always remained the most dangerous criminal in the eyes of the galactic residents, and now the three Universal Civilizations had fought against this terrorism and captured the criminal.

The three civilizations' joint operation, in the eyes of many people, sent a signal to the outside world that the conflicts arising from the Battle of Planet Lighthouse had been resolved, and they were trying to promote their relationship now. The interstellar environment had returned to stability.

As for the joint operation, the three civilizations also announced the details. The eleven Beyond Grade As involved were introduced, and they emphasized on Han Xiao's merits, even calling him the core of the operation as well as its initiator. This further highlighted his contributions.

With the number of people being aware of EsGod, it was equivalent to Han Xiao stepping on the infamy of EsGod to boost his own renown.

Even before the topic of the 'Enemy of the Arcane' had disappeared, another matter that represented Han Xiao had appeared.

The universe termed this as the 'Fall of EsGod', and as the leader of the event, Han Xiao left an even deeper impression in the hearts of the galactic residents.

Various star fields and countless victims who bore hatred toward EsGod gave rise to emotions of gratitude toward Han Xiao.

The Shazik Planetary Transit station was a neutral planet that offered various services, located in the dangerous Central Galaxy desolate universe belt. It was a rare occurrence, and it provided people with venues for smuggling, repairs, and entertainment. The target of their service was the wanted criminals, including Fallen Ark.

Only people who were not afraid of death would establish a planetary transit station in this area. Those with no backer would be long looted by the mobs, so Shazik had linked up with the Fallen Ark, providing them with a large amount of protection fees in order to prevent being plundered.

The owner of this planetary station was also called Shazik. He was a Calamity Grade Super and had established cooperative relationships with a number of armed forces, including Fallen Ark. He was considered a middle level character in the desolate universe belt.

As for his origins, they were a secret, and the criminals there did not and would not care.

However, Shazik was no criminal but rather had his hometown ravaged by EsGod. He had developed a strong hatred, and thus, he had chosen to become an avenger, building a transit station there to look for opportunities to deal with Fallen Ark.

Upon receiving the news of EsGod being captured, he immediately called for a secret meeting.

"The moment EsGod falls, there will be no one keeping the insane Fallen Ark members together. They're sure to disband. We'll also be embroiled since our backer has fallen. There are too many fellows that want to plunder us," one of his close aides said.

"That's right. We cannot stay here any longer. We need to leave."

"Boss, what are you going to do?"

Shattered Star Ring solemnly said, "Bring all of our things. We'll go to Shattered Star Ring and look for the Black Star Army."

"Why him?"

"I made a promise to the gods before. Whoever could get rid of EsGod, I would serve under him." Shazik's expression was set.

Ever since his hometown was annihilated, he had only had revenge left in his life. However, EsGod was too strong, and revenge was out of the question. Now that Black Star had finished his life's work, even if it was not for revenge, Shazik also felt gratitude toward him and decided to use his strength as a form of repayment.

"With someone at Black Star's level, will he even want us?"

"That's why we have to bring a gift." Shazik lowered his voice. "Over the years, we've bribed several of the Fallen Ark members and have also sent in a lot of undercover spies. Now is the best chance. When the Fallen Ark is in chaos, they'll steal a portion of the riches, and this will be our basis to enter the Black Star Army."

Everyone's eyes lit up. They had spent so many years here and also gotten to know the Fallen Ark well. While they were a chaotic and loose organization, they also had a lot of valuable items, such as the trophies EsGod had stored over the years—secret intelligence reports, failed experiments, and even special prisoners that were locked up.

Now that EsGod was gone, they were definitely not the only ones looking to plunder the Fallen Ark. This was the best time to fish in muddied waters!

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898 Impac

The members of Fallen Ark were originally criminals that came from different star fields. Some of them were the crazed worshippers of EsGod, while others did it to obtain the protection of EsGod.

Now that EsGod was gone, without their strong leader, no one had the qualifications to step up, so the lawless criminals also lost their reason for banding together.

The criminals knew that without their leader, the next move of the three Universal Civilizations would be to bring the knife to them, completely cleansing the desolate universe belt.

After EsGod fell, the powerful Fallen Ark also began to split apart into countless smaller groups, and one by one, they started to raid all the Fallen Ark's treasuries.

The desolate universe belt in the Central Galaxy was actually the territory of the Fallen Ark and had maintained a very thin line of balance between all the forces, but now, it had become even more chaotic and dangerous, with the criminals killing and plundering each other.

At this moment, there were more than a thousand battleships surrounding a desolate planet and undergoing a battle.

This planet was one of the secret research facilities established by EsGod, and it stored various valuable materials, technology, and special products. The thousands of battleships belonged to the divided criminal groups, and their purpose was to snatch the results of this Ru0026D base. One of the teams belonged to Shazik.

The surface of the planet had turned into an intense battlefield. Most of the battlefields were not equipped with annihilation weapons but rather only used their battleship cannons to attack. The plasma beams interlaced with each other, coloring the dark universe with bright stripes, as though paint on a canvas. Hulls melted wherever it passed, turning into red hot slag that became obstacles in the battlefield.

The battle continued for a period of time, and finally, the victors were decided. Shazik's team was one of them, and they raided this facility before leaving in satisfaction.

The inky black blade sliced across the throat, and fresh red blood seeped out, splattering on the bloodied cabin wall.

Plop!

A gray-skinned creature with dense compound eyes fell over, clutching his bloodied neck, revealing the killer behind.

It was a humanoid creature with a long blade wearing a hood and a black mechanical mask that only revealed a pair of scarlet eyes.

This was a tattered ship cabin, the walls of which were covered with slash marks and electrical arcs. Lying on the ground were hundreds of dead bodies of different species, and the ground was solidified with colorful blood scabs. Only the killer was left standing.

"Number 11,570…"

His voice was hoarse, sounding like a pair of worn bellows. With a flick of his wrist, the blood on the blade disappeared, and he sheathed the blade before pressing on his mechanical mask, sending a message to a number labelled 'employer'.

"Objective complete."

Very quickly, the employer replied, their tone filled with gratitude.

"Thank you very much, Mister Lothaire. Thank you for taking revenge for us. Without you, we would forever be…"

"This is a transaction. Remember to pay up."

Lothaire indifferently cut the other party off.

He was a lone bounty hunter, but his hunting targets were limited to members of the Fallen Ark.

Lothaire was born in one of the colonial planets of an advanced civilization and had grown up in a peaceful environment. However, the Fallen Ark fleet descended upon them one day, bringing death and destruction.

He had thought that he would die, but somehow, a hidden Esper Ability within his body burst out at the juncture of life and death, allowing him to escape from his fate… but resistance was futile, as they captured him and offered him to EsGod.

Thus, Lothaire met EsGod and had his newly awakened Esper Ability torn away from him, becoming a dying person, his life force flickering like a candle in the wind.

Normally, those whom EsGod had stolen abilities from would either be made into food or thrown out into the universe. Maybe Lady Luck was smiling at him, but Lothaire was thrown out into the universe. While ordinary people could not survive in the universe, he found out that the Esper Ability had changed his body structure, allowing him to survive even in the vacuum of the universe.

After the Fallen Ark fleet had left, the civilization's rescue force managed to arrive before Lothaire died, making him the only survivor. He held an extreme hatred toward EsGod and Fallen Ark, and under this drive, Lothaire, who had lost his Esper ability, experienced mortal hardships, embarking on the path of a pugilist and becoming a Super.

After his training was completed, he became a bounty hunter.

The members of the Fallen Ark were all criminals, and they fled under EsGod's umbrella to avoid being hunted by various civilizations. Lothaire was specialized in hunting down such criminals, and he made these self-confident fugitives pay their blood debt. Thus, his employers were usually victims of Fallen Ark.

As of today, the number of Fallen Ark members who had fallen under Lothaire's blade was in six digits, but Lothaire was still unsatisfied. He was just like an ascetic monk that continued to grind his strength in order to complete his hidden goal—assassinating EsGod!

His experience of meeting EsGod had always been his nightmare, bringing him endless fear and causing him to wake up from his sleep. But even though he knew it was impossible, he refused to give up on his ultimate goal.

Without caring about the ground strewn with corpses, Lothaire walked toward the control room of the spaceship. Suddenly, his communicator notified him of a news flash, which was the joint report by the three civilizations.

"EsGod has been captured?"

Lothaire's expression changed, and he stopped walking, concentrating on the news report.

After a while, he let out a long, relieved sigh. Suddenly, he felt a bit lost, as the goal in his heart had suddenly disappeared.

But very quickly, Lothaire regained the light in his eyes and muttered to himself, "The guy who caught EsGod is called Black Star…"

On one planet where the people were living like nomads, less than a tenth of the population remained after being attacked by EsGod.

When news of EsGod's capture reached this tribe, the people shed tears of joy.

"EsGod has been captured!"

"Wu wu wu… we've waited so long for this day!"

"All praise Black Star!"

"Long live Black Star!"

The same scene was being repeated on many different planets.

The news of EsGod's arrest incited joy but also alarmed a few secret organizations.

"EsGod was too violent in his bearings. I knew this day would come for him."

"Now that EsGod is gone, the Fallen Ark also won't exist. There's no one else to take away the attention of the three civilizations. This is disadvantageous to us."

"Continue maintaining a low profile and accumulate strength. We're not as unbridled as EsGod, so it's hard for them to focus on us."

"This is also a chance. We can accept those under EsGod as well as his inheritance and use it to bolster our forces."

"Yes, send someone to the Central Galaxy. There will be a lot of people who think the same way, so don't fall behind."

In the orbit of Planet Aquamarine, the Floating Dragon Island drifted.

Ames stood at the edge of Floating Dragon Island, overlooking the panoramic view of Planet Aquamarine.

Footsteps sounded behind her, and Ames turned to see Aesop walking to her.

"There's big news." Aesop shook his head. "EsGod has been captured by the three Universal Civilizations."

"What happened?" Ames' brows raised up.

"See for yourself."

Aesop put the communicator on her hand.

After glancing through, Ames returned the communicator, a smile on her face.

"He really can't sit still."

"Black Star went and did something big again. He's becoming stronger and stronger." Aesop felt a little emotional.

Throughout his long life, he had experienced the age where EsGod was the craziest. He feared EsGod somewhat, but to think that this fellow actually was captured by a newbie Beyond Grade A.

Although this was a siege, he also saw the extent of Han Xiao's current connections and influence from the lineup of the three civilizations in this operation. Even when he was part of the Ancient Ones, he probably did not have a reputation like Han Xiao's.

"Yes, he is becoming stronger."

Ames smiled but went a little silent. She still remembered the time she fought EsGod together with Han Xiao. At that time, his strength left her with a deep impression, but now EsGod had actually fallen to Han Xiao. This meant that Han Xiao's overall strength should have surpassed hers.

While she had always been pursuing strength, watching her subordinate catch up to her left her with complicated feelings.

She was originally high up above, but later on, Black Star reached Beyond Grade A and sat on the same level as her. However, whether it was in position, strength, or influence, Black Star had completely surpassed her, completing a counterattack under her watch.

While she was also improving, the majority of it was because of the evolution that Black Star had given her.

Their roles had swapped.

Ames stretched before lightly blowing out.

"It seems that I've been too lazy these years and not exercising properly. I should look for a time to have a good fight with Black Star."

Following the news, Han Xiao who was on the journey back also received a long-awaited notification.

You have received 1 Legendary Point.

Universe Legendary Point: The Fall of EsGod—The notorious leader of the Fallen Ark, the 'Butcherer of Life' EsGod, has finally been captured by the three Universal Civilizations. As one of the participants, and even the leader, countless races are grateful for your contribution and will remember your name.

Universe Legendary Point? Han Xiao whistled. The infamy of EsGod was really carved into everyone's heart.

As one of the end bosses of the evil faction, EsGod had quite the reputation. The sensation caused by capturing him was no less than the Battle of Planet Lighthouse. Since EsGod's influence covered the entire universe, he was given the highest legendary point rating.

Closing his notification, Han Xiao opened the forums. Everyone was discussing the fall of EsGod.

He had obtained reputation from this event, and this also seemed to have affected the players' gaming experience.

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899 Popularity and Recognition

The social media transmission within the galaxy was quick, and this explosive news quickly went around to various star fields. As for the players who also carried a communicator, they naturally did not miss out on such news.

Within the forums for the Shattered Star Ring, there were many players fervently discussing this incident.

After going through three versions, the players were already familiar with the erratic whereabouts of NPCs. Except for functional NPCs such as merchants, most of the characters would not stay within the same place all the time. A player could talk to a character and come back later to see that they had left for another place.

While this was a little inconvenient, the majority preferred such a characteristic, as it gave off a high sense of realism.

Following the expansion of the Black Star Army, the contact that Han Xiao had with the players had also begun to decrease. Ever since Version 2.0, he had adopted an image of a faction commander, and thus, the players were now used to not seeing a trace of their army commander and suddenly finding out news about him.

Discussing the deeds of the army commander became one of the pastimes for the players.

Many players were creating posts to discuss the fall of EsGod. At this stage, their level was too far from EsGod's; he was a character toward the mid-late versions. As such, there was little interaction between the character and the player. The players only knew that he had a badass introduction, and he was from the evil faction, nothing else.

Only the players from the three star fields in the Central Galaxy knew more, especially those chaotic players who had taken part in looting and pillaging without taking up any storyline missions. They had gone to the desolate universe belt to join the Fallen Ark, but they did not have the qualification to see EsGod, only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

Because they were limited in their understanding of EsGod, the impact of EsGod falling was not as great, and its significance could not be compared to the battle at Planet Lighthouse. After all, Planet Lighthouse involved two Universal Civilizations, and to the players, that was end game content.

As for the fall of EsGod, the majority of players did not experience it and did not know the significance of this matter. They just thought that a big shot character had been caught.

The reply that Han Xiao saw was thus a routine spit on their army commander.

"The Army Commander ran off to do something again. He seems very free."

"Sigh, I also want to go to the Central Galaxy to take a look. This abominable contractor, throwing us at the Shattered Star Ring to slave away while he goes to explore places leisurely."

"Will this lead to a new storyline?"

"I doubt it. I think this was supplementary to the battle of Planet Lighthouse. EsGod took part and thus got caught. Since there's nothing that us players can do, it's most likely a backstory."

"What a trash game. It's all just CG."

"Ah, there are no cutscenes to see. I'm going to die."

"I'm EsGod. I got captured yesterday by the three Universal Civilizations and require 5,000 Enas to bail me. Someone, please bail me. When I'm out, I'll bring you to explore the world. My account number is 480xxxxxx…"

"D*mmit, I'm part of the Fallen Ark faction. You guys captured my leader. All you Black Star Army dogs, eat sh*t!"

"Central Galaxy dog, scram!"

"The Constellation Corridor is shivering."

Seeing all sort of cr*p on the forums, Han Xiao's mouth curved into a smile.

Just as he was scrolling through all the posts of these moronic players, he discovered that one of them was actually pushed to the top, with the topic of 'The meaning behind the Fall of EsGod'. The post's popularity was flying up quickly.

As he clicked on the post, he saw the player's ID, 'Army Commander's JJ' [1. For those of you who need a reminder, JJ basically means the third leg.].

"… Crazy!"

Han Xiao's face began contorting.

Being perverts was certainly a strong point of the players. He was ashamed that he could not be like them.

Taking a deep breath to calm down, Han Xiao began to read the content.

"Brothers in the army, it seems as though many of you do not view the fall of EsGod with importance. I started off like this, but today, I met with a miraculous incident that changed my mind.

"It goes like this. I actually accepted a small employment mission some time ago and acted as a temporary escort for a long-distance travel spaceship, responsible for escorting them through the Giberian Star System. You guys know, all the Galactic Travelling Agencies now like to employ us Black Star Army people. As long as we are onboard, the pirates will not attack.

"Anyway, there was nothing to say about the journey. It was relaxing. But after we disembarked, a few of the other visitors from another star field stopped me, giving me some stuff and asking me to pass them to our Army Commander.

"[Picture Attached]

"[Picture Attached]

"As you can see from the pictures, they weren't anything valuable, just some handmade stuff, and the flavor text read 'This is a gift that is full of gratitude'. It triggered a corresponding mission.

"[Picture Attached]

"I had never interacted with them before, but they took the initiative to find me. These passengers said that their civilization had once been attacked by EsGod, and many people died. They were extremely grateful to Black Star for eradicating him, so they made the gifts to express their gratitude. They saw me as a member of the Black Star Army and wanted to ask me to deliver them to the commander.

"This is the rough idea. During the conversation, this group was enthusiastic, holding my hands as they laughed and cried, continuously murmuring thanks toward the Black Star Army. I've recorded the video here, and the emotions are very contagious…

"[Video]

"While this is just a small task, I feel that the meaning hidden within is not simple.

"Within the entire universe, how many people would have been harmed by EsGod, and how many wish to thank our commander! This number must be frightening! From this, you can tell that the true meaning behind the Fall of EsGod is not just a simple backstory but rather the dawn of justice shining upon many destroyed races and families!

"The Army Commander did a great noble deed, and honestly, seeing the gratitude on the NPC's faces gave me a feeling of satisfaction.

"Brothers, I've said too much. Let me be the first to conclude: the Army Commander is awesome!

"PS: To reflect my admiration to the commander, I've decided to go to the cash shop to buy a 'Name Change Card'. I'm going to add an additional 'Big' word to my name!"

Han Xiao scrolled down. This post had attracted a lot of players, and there were a lot of replies to it.

"It's ok to add a 'big' word. But it seems that the OP[1] is a troll."

"I suspect that you are guiding us somewhere, but I have no proof."

"I just saw the video. It's full of emotions. I give 100 points."

Some players ridiculed the poster, and some agreed with him.

"This made me remember the Mutation Disaster. In order to save his mother planet, the Army Commander actively went into the galaxy to gather reinforcements. He has always had a sense of responsibility."

"That's right. While Army Commander is a profiteer, he can still be relied on. I remember his speech. My goodness, so inspiring!"

When players chose a camp, other than just benefits, they also paid attention to the values it displayed. The players would often seek psychological satisfaction.

Han Xiao had always given the players a good impression, so many of them stayed in the Black Star Army not just because of the high welfare but also because they recognized Han Xiao as a leader.

Now that Black Star had received the gratitude of countless races, the players also felt honored being related to him. Many of them had a sense of honor and achievement.

After reading this point, Han Xiao scratched his head, and he found out that even he himself had underestimated the influence of this incident.

Just as the post had said, there were countless races that EsGod had trampled on, and now they saw him as their savior.

This popularity was different from the normal reputation. The ones before stopped at the level of acknowledging his strength and status, but everyone only knew him as a powerful person, having high influence. What the EsGod incident gave him were the hearts of the commoners and the recognition of the galactic residents.

One of these functions would attract more talents to take the initiative to join his faction. After all, some people would never be persuaded by benefits, and they were likely often talents.

A Universe Legendary Point was indeed not simple, and this EsGod could be said to be a treasure to Han Xiao. He was now in a good mood.

"EsGod has made countless enemies, and there are so many that want revenge on him. I wonder if those NPCs that would have attacked EsGod in the future versions will lean toward my faction."

Han Xiao stroked his chin.

After travelling for a few days, the spaceship finally returned to the headquarters of the Black Star Army, entering through the dedicated personal dock.

The moment Han Xiao exited, he saw Hila waiting for him.

"Hey, you personally waited for me?" Han Xiao smiled as he waved.

"Humph." Hila did not deny it, brushing aside the red stray hairs that covered her eyes, and slowly scanned Han Xiao. "Seems like EsGod didn't give you much trouble. None of your limbs are missing."

Han Xiao raised his brows before sniggering. "Were you worried about me?"

"This is my duty as the Black Star Guards captain." Hila remained expressionless.

Han Xiao smiled, turning back to bid goodbye to Feidin and the others, before leaving. He gestured for Hila to follow.

"By the way, I've brought you a present."

"Not interested." While Hila said that, her body was more honest, immediately following behind Han Xiao.

The two of them came to a combat room, and Han Xiao locked the door before turning to Hila, who was hugging her waist.

"I got something interesting from EsGod. It seems like it can strengthen Esper Abilities. With your Beyond Grade A potential, this gift could make your road to Beyond Grade A even smoother, increasing your upper limit."

Hila fiercely pursued strength, so she immediately felt emotional. "But such a good thing, won't you give it to my teacher to use?"

"Oh, she probably can't utilize it." Han Xiao shook his head. "Furthermore, you're my first choice. The first person I thought of was you."

[Esper Ability Strengthening] from EsGod Character Summon Card only had a total of three uses. Han Xiao had already thought about it. Hila's potential was exceedingly high, and coupled with the fact that she was his close aide, he would also obtain the benefits.

"Humph." The corners of Hila's mouth curled up in an arc of joy, and she put her hands behind. "Ok. What I need to do?"

"Don't move. Let me handle it."

Han Xiao activated the Character Summon Card [Esper Ability Strengthening]. The shadow of EsGod appeared behind him, and dazzling white energy particles floated around his palm.

He came up to Hila's side and tapped on her forehead. The energy particles streamed into Hila's seven orifices and circled around in her brain.

Hila groaned and shivered, immediately fainting. Han Xiao moved fast and caught her.

After checking her condition, he estimated that she would not wake up for a period of time.

"To actually faint, I thought it would be the same as the Esper Ability Potential Enhancing Fluid."

Gazing at Hila who was leaning on him, Han Xiao shook his head and carried Hila off like a sack of potatoes on his shoulder.

After leaving the combat room, he approached Hila's room, and hacking into the system, he unlocked her door and went in.

Hila's room was as sparse as Han Xiao's, and after he placed her on the bed and tucked her in, he caught sight of three photo frames on her desk.

He took a closer look. The three were respectively Hila and Aurora, her with Ames, and a picture with him. Other than that, there were no other decorations.

Standing silently for a while, Han Xiao stretched out his hand, taking the photo frame and lying it on the desk. He then switched off the lights and exited the room.

After a while, Hila finally opened her eyes and discovered that she was in her room.

"Did he bring me back?"

As her hazy brain cleared, Hila stood up and rubbed her eyes.

She revolved her Esper Ability, feeling the changes, and her eyes widened.

"This is as amazing as the Evolution Cube. The pathways are much smoother, and my upper limit has also increased… Oh, not sure how long I've slept. Better go find him."

As Hila prepared to leave, she noticed an incongruity in her room. Gazing at the three photo frames, she noticed that one of them had fallen.

She realized that it was the photo of herself and Han Xiao upon closer look.

Hila's eyes twitched, and the good mood she had gotten from strengthening herself dissipated in a flash.

"…Humph!"

[1] Original Poster

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In the following month, Han Xiao remained within the headquarters to sort out his gains.

His Contribution Points in the dynasty had increased by another ten thousand or so, and with his original eleven thousand, he had more than twenty-two thousand. He used that to purchase one new Ultimate Knowledge from the dynasty.

Right now, the tumor that was EsGod had already been removed, and the external environment had also settled down and entered a stable development period. The pressure on him was greatly decreased, so he did not have to rush and gather more knowledge.

Han Xiao had currently grasped three Ultimate Knowledges: [Endless Material Science, [Mechanical Life Tinder, and [Virtual Creator]. There was one from each of the branches.

The Materials, Information, and Energy Branches had always been the Three Chariots of the Mechanic Class. He had obtained both material and information branches, so he chose to fill up the final branch with [Eternal Power Source].

This Ultimate Knowledge's title was just a sham. Its effect was not so exaggerated as to provide an 'eternal' source. It was not literally inexhaustible energy. The name came from the significance it held toward a Mechanic's combat strength.

The Cutting-Edge Knowledge [Abnormal State Energy] allowed a Mechanic to master the technology for safely extracting Psionic, dark matter, antimatter energy, and more. [Eternal Power Source] allowed these new energy sources to be utilized to elevate a Mechanic's abilities. At this point, one would see that technology and magic had started to blend into one, and like a mage, a mechanic would also begin to wield multi-dimensional energy.

However, this did not mean a difference in energy levels. Multi-dimensional energy did not mean that it was stronger than Psionic energy. It was just an increase in the variety of energy that a mechanic could wield.

The real focus of [Eternal Power Source] was not mastering new energy but improving the technology of the mechanic such that it was able to welcome the energies.

Just like the progress from nuclear fission to fusion, learning a more advanced energy extraction method would create a new generation of Psionic and dark matter energy reactors, which would increase the power output and stability.

The result would be a comprehensive increase in weapon power, shield durability, and machinery performance, which was the improvement brought about by energy technology innovation.

The new Ultimate Knowledge also gave Han Xiao a new talent and ability.

[Advanced Energy Control: When utilizing advanced energy, x1.15 Attack Power Bonus, x1.2 Shield Durability Factor, 30% Machinery Core Efficiency, 20% Output Efficiency.

[Energy Innovation: Passive Ability. This Ability will only be upgraded with each increase in level for [Eternal Power Source]. Every level up will unlock additional advanced energy technology as well as reactor blueprints.

Energy was just too important, so no matter which Mechanic branch one belonged to, they had to max out the level of [Eternal Power Source]. This was also one of the culprits behind the players' Enas hemorrhaging.

If one did not choose to specialize in the Energy Branch, the tripled cost of Potential Points needed would make people feel like dying!

Even Han Xiao himself felt the difficulty. Even at Level 280, he only had twenty-one spare Potential Points. Learning this knowledge would require twenty-four points, and even if he maxed out a few of his abilities to make up for the lack of points, maxing out [Eternal Power Source] from Lv.1 to Lv.5 would require another ninety-six Potential Points, which was equivalent to raising the level of ninety-six blueprints to the maximum.

The experience needed for this was even more frightening than what was needed to level up!

The strength of a mechanic was derived from knowledge, and blindly levelling up was insufficient. Only by stacking up the various knowledges would they then have a stronger combat capability among their peers. This was the foundation of a mechanic.

Han Xiao's four Ultimate Knowledges were all at Lv.1. After raising his level, he had to consider raising his Ultimate Knowledge level. Because of his unique advantage of having leeks, he had decided to raise all the levels of his Ultimate Knowledges as much as possible. This was destined to be a long project, but upon completion, his combat capability would be off the charts.

In addition to his own growth plan, Han Xiao also took care of the officers. The [Ability Enhancement] Character Summon Card was utilized on both Hila and Aurora, as the former had a Beyond Grade A potential, whereas the latter had a strategic level ability.

The last usage was left behind. Because both Ames and him were in the S grade, it was impossible for him to use it on her. He prepared to save this chance for another time.

In the next month, Han Xiao settled a few more official matters. The most important was the business cooperation with the Federation of Light. This was the deal that they had agreed upon.

Their method of cooperation was to help Black Star by opening a branch in the Abyss of Stars. Han Xiao coordinated with a deployment team and arranged for several satellite bases to be sent over.

Those who went over as the deployment team did not include the players, however. The Great Mechanic Han did not have the habit of transplanting his own leeks into another person's farm.

Currently, there were two major events for the players to participate in—the Gulal Civilization war and the exploration of the Flickering World.

Moreover, the promotion for the Pro League had already begun, and because Version 3.0 was the time where the volume of players shot up rapidly, there were far more newcomers. The volume for this Version's Pro League was much greater than in the past, and every player that intended to participate was actively preparing.

Based on Han Xiao's estimates, the enthusiasm of players had risen by 47.5%.

Thus, the players could be left alone. Han Xiao had recently been more concerned with the follow-up events of EsGod's fall. The impact of the event had already begun to ferment, spreading to the whole universe.

The three Universal Civilizations had begun a new wave of cleaning up the evildoers, and the Fallen Ark that had threatened the entire Central Galaxy had now completely disbanded and scattered. Many of the criminals had left the Central Galaxy, choosing to roam through the universe. Some of the other organizations were actively recruiting such criminals, dividing up EsGod's manpower.

The Fallen Ark was one of the most famous criminal organizations of this era, but it was not the only one. With the vastness of the universe, there were other large criminal organizations active in the major star fields, and it was these people that were taking in EsGod's manpower and legacies.

The Black Star Army had also received the same treatment. From Sylvia's report, there was a spike in newcomers registering, and this should be because of his reputation in the universe.

While the majority of them were victims of EsGod, there were two people who attracted Han Xiao's attention.

In the reception room within the Black Star Army Headquarters, Shazik and Lothaire sat in front of Han Xiao. The three of them sized up each other.

Han Xiao's gaze swept across the two of them. His expression was unreadable as he spoke. "Both of you are Calamity Grade Supers. Are you serious about joining the Black Star Army?"

Shazik nodded and solemnly said, "EsGod destroyed my entire hometown, and my reason for living was to take revenge on him. I once swore that if someone could help me take revenge, then I would follow him."

Lothaire had half of his face covered, and he only coldly nodded in response. He did not talk much.

"If that's the case, then on behalf of the Black Star Army, I formally welcome you two aboard."

Han Xiao smiled. A Calamity Grade was a high-level combatant and could live a life of luxury in any organization. Thus, he definitely would not reject them.

The reason these two caught his notice was not just because they were Calamity Grade but because they were famous NPCs.

In the past, EsGod had rampaged in the universe for many versions and made many enemies. Both Shazik and Lothaire were people who appeared in the storyline of EsGod, and they were both enemies of EsGod.

Shazik ran a gray transit station in the Central Galaxy's desolate universe belt, and while it looked like it provided services to the criminals, it was actually a venomous snake in hiding.

During the time he was in business, he secretly bribed the people in Fallen Ark, collecting intelligence to disclose to EsGod's enemies while also quietly sheltering the various organizations that sought to take revenge against EsGod. He provided them with weapons and spaceships, and players who had joined the universal civilizations could accept missions from him.

Shazik used all sorts of methods to nibble away at the influence of the Fallen Ark, but what the universe did not lack was crime, and thus, his speed of destruction could not overcome the speed at which they recruited.

In the end, because players who accepted asylum from him posted about it on the forums, his behavior alerted a player of the Fallen Ark faction, who then revealed his identity. He died at the hands of a bunch of criminals.

As for Lothaire, he was even better. This was a madman that dared to try assassinating EsGod. He had a mid-level Luck Glow around him and was a revenge-type template of a main character.

Lothaire was a bounty hunter who specialized in assassinating members of Fallen Ark. In the middle versions, he had established a secret organization named 'Assassin's Society'. It was not a large organization, but all its members were elites, possessing some reputation in the universe.

This was a hidden faction, and only players who had passed the test would be able to enter. Within, they would be able to obtain the subclass [Galactic Assassin] and could learn all sorts of assassination related skills from the members present. There was also an S ranked mission, [Assassinate EsGod].

In the past, the Assassin's Society had high popularity because a large portion of lone wolf players liked the feeling of being assassins. This was especially so if one was an assassin in the universe, as they could assassinate all sorts of great characters, then watch the chaos it brought.

Lothaire had the strength of a Beyond Grade A seed at his peak, and he appeared and disappeared like a specter. As an assassin known for his lethality, his deterrence force was even stronger than a normal Beyond Grade A seed. He far outstripped Hadavy in terms of strength and was ranked at the forefront for assassination in the universe.

A pity that, because he could no longer withstand the fear he got from his nightmares of EsGod, he finally attempted to assassinate EsGod alone. With that, the strongest assassin never returned, dying at the hands of EsGod.

Based on their past records, Han Xiao looked more favorably on Lothaire's strength. If he could obtain his loyalty, there was a lot of value in grooming him.

Upon recalling Lothaire's past, Han Xiao had an idea.

I can create a small squad within the Black Star Guards, which need not stay near me, but move out on black ops. They will only answer to me, and I can call them the Shadow Guards or Shadowers…

This would allow Lothaire to once again create an assassin group similar to his past life. This might allow him to attract lone wolf players and use them to complete some shady objectives.

Just as Han Xiao was absorbed in his thoughts, Shazik took out a data storage device and placed it on the desk.

"Your Excellency Black Star, this is my greeting gift for you."

Hearing his, Han Xiao tilted his head, asking curiously, "What's inside?"

"A portion of EsGod's legacies," Shazik said in hushed tones. "Before we left the Central Galaxy, I mobilized all my undercover agents and seized a few of EsGod's research bases. From there, we took their inheritance. This is my offering for joining the Black Star Army."

Han Xiao's eyes sparkled, and he looked at Shazik with praise.

This leek truly knew how to do things and even brought fertilizer for him.

He was reliable in doing things, a talent!

The various organizations are now trying to divvy up EsGod's inheritance. I didn't expect that by sitting at home, I would also receive a copy.

Pointing with a finger, he shot out a ray of nanoparticles, which entered the port of the data storage, directly linking to the stored data within.

"Phillip, read the data inside."

"Roger, hum…"

Han Xiao closed his eyes, reaching into the quantum network. His brain, under the guidance of Phillip, quickly downloaded all the various information within.

There were quite a few goodies within, such as intelligence on certain civilizations, blueprints from lost civilizations, and special technology research reports.

After browsing for a while, Han Xiao found traces of the Evolutionary Civilization and was overjoyed.

With the instructions from the Evolutionary Civilization, he could now manufacture the containment block by himself, which solved one problem. Now, he need not be afraid of destroying the containment block to release its actual shape, and there were more methods to utilize it.

This information was priceless to him!

"What good stuff." Han Xiao suppressed his excitement, quickly flipping through other reports.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. A certain report had captured his attention.

Oh, this is… a Super High Risk Esper Ability‽

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