Sagman and the others were still reeling from the shock of Han Xiao's extraordinary energy fluctuations when they were caught off guard by Black Star's sudden attack. They were immediately alarmed and hastily took defensive measures.
Rumble rumble--
The next moment, more than a dozen Beyond Grade A figures were instantly submerged in the vast ocean of the mechanical legion.
As soon as they engaged in combat, the shock in everyone's hearts intensified, and they felt unparalleled pressure from the mechanical legion.
If it were an ordinary Beyond Grade A mechanic's unit, they could easily fight their way in and out. However, Han Xiao's mechanical legion made them feel as if they were stuck in a quagmire, unable to move an inch and unable to break through the blockade. Only Kasuyi and Seraon were able to move freely.
Not only was the size of the mechanical legion brought by Han Xiao himself dozens of times larger than the two mechanics present, but the combat power of the mechanical troops also exceeded their expectations. The combat power bonus that mechanical forces gave to the mechanical soldiers was terrifyingly strong, a whole level higher!
Han Xiao already possessed the [Perfect Mechanical Sense] specialization. Now, by using Nero's character card, he could stack a double Perfect Mechanical Sense, directly elevating Han Xiao's Mechanical Affinity to a new level.
Faced with this overwhelming pressure, the Beyond Grade A beings, Glory and Arcane, had no time to think about anything else and instinctively joined forces to block the mechanical legion's offensive.
Boom!
The battle broke out and quickly escalated into a fierce, chaotic melee.
Within the boundless black tide of the mechanical legion, more than a dozen orbs of light drifted in this ocean. Countless beams of light continuously converged on these orbs, which were the battlefields where the mechanical legion besieged each Beyond Grade A.
"How could his combat power have soared to this level!" Sagman exclaimed in shock.
"The last time Black Star went all out was during the Battle of Lighthouse Star. Now, more than twenty years later, this is only the second time he's gone all out, and he's become so much stronger!" Taylor was filled with doubt, panic, and envy.
More than twenty years ago, the venerable brothers from the Arcane who participated in the Battle of Lighthouse Star still vividly remembered Han Xiao's performance. Now, more than twenty years later, they knew that Black Star had become more powerful, but they never expected him to be this powerful!
"This level of pressure feels like the pressure from the Mechanic Emperor..." Kasuyi's expression turned somber.
He was also within Han Xiao's attack range, but at this moment he was mainly dodging and pacing, secretly thinking about the next move, and did not immediately launch a full-scale counterattack.
He could understand Black Star's sudden attack; as the attacked party, Black Star couldn't let them retreat easily and had to retaliate. However, the combat power Black Star unleashed at this moment exceeded Kasuyi's expectations.
Just then, Seraon spoke in a deep voice, his tone revealing undisguised shock:
"This is... Extreme Path Style: Cellular Super-Limit Resolver!"
Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback.
Isn't this a burst skill from the Pugilist Class? How come Black Star can use it too? Isn't he a mechanic?
"I wasn't mistaken. The aura Black Star exuded felt exactly like this move—squeezing out one's own potential to temporarily gain a higher level of power!" Seraon said decisively. "Regardless of why Black Star can use this move, the principle remains the same!"
This explanation was quickly accepted, and everyone's expressions immediately became complicated. Their gazes passed over the mechanical legion and fell upon Han Xiao with surprise and shock.
Does that mean... Black Star was willing to burn through his own potential just to keep us here?!
Why fight so desperately when we could have retreated on our own?!
In that case, it's not surprising that Black Star possesses this level of combat power, since it's only temporary.
--But that level of explosive power is still quite frightening!
Seeing Han Xiao's resolute attitude, many people began to have second thoughts.
Kasuyi sighed inwardly.
He was initially a little unhappy to see Han Xiao suddenly steal the spotlight and was planning to stop him, but seeing Black Star's resolute attitude, Kasuyi abandoned his idea of going all out.
Since Black Star had gone to great lengths, he decided to give him face and go along with Black Star. After all, an act has to be performed completely, and he believed that Black Star knew what he was doing.
Hila, who had been initially shocked and excited by Han Xiao's display of power, was now completely stunned by what she heard.
The next second, Hila's eyes suddenly turned blood red, instantly filled with rage and murderous intent!
She never expected Black Star to go to such lengths, even burning his potential. Ultimately, wasn't Black Star doing this all to save her?!
A sudden, soul-piercing heartache welled up and overflowed within me.
Hila stiffly turned her head, her gaze towards Han Xiao changed, now filled with deep-seated sorrow and guilt, her emotions surging uncontrollably.
"I..."
Hila opened her mouth to say something, but Han Xiao waved his hand, interrupting her, and said casually:
"You don't need to say anything, I'm fine."
"I'm so sorry."
Hila pursed her lips, clenched her fists tightly, and charged into the battle without saying a word.
The death energy surged like a storm, rushing towards the Arcane Beyond Grade A spirit, unleashing its fury upon the enemy!
Looking at Hila's barely suppressed killing intent, Han Xiao felt helpless.
The side effect of the Extreme Path Style: Cellular Super Limits is a permanent 7% increase in character and skill upgrade costs, which is equivalent to burning potential... However, what this group of people didn't know was that Han Xiao was using the Tyrant 'Character Summon Card. Although it can only be used once, the Character Summon Card does not provide any side effects, which means there are no side effects at all.
Seraon's misjudgment caused misunderstanding among everyone.
"Let it be a misunderstanding. It's not a bad thing; in fact, it's to my advantage." Han Xiao shook his head; naturally, he couldn't explain.
Some of these character cards can only be used once, temporarily granting extraordinary combat power. Exchanging this power for permanent abilities is naturally a win-win situation.
He was now brimming with an unprecedented sense of power. The Tyrant character card had overclocked his basic attributes and abilities, temporarily bringing him to the level required for the next advancement. The dual Mechanical Sense had also caused his mechanical troops to surge in combat power. The two combined to create a terrifying level of combat strength.
The most significant enhancements were seen in elite combat forces such as the Apostle Weapon.
Brush!
Red Devil Tolain leaned back, narrowly avoiding the unadorned spear thrust of the Dark Emperor. His thick magical shield was cleaved in two, and a deep gash was torn open in his bony chest, revealing his bronze-colored sternum.
Tolain hurriedly swung its tail, using the bone spikes at the end to strike the mechanical body of the Dark Emperor. The Dark Emperor, however, remained calm, simply holding its spear shaft horizontally to take the blow head-on.
Bang!
The spears clashed, and a shockwave erupted outwards!
Tolain, a melee mage specializing in self-amplification, had stacked numerous amplification spells, making him incredibly powerful. However, the Dark Emperor, his body wreathed in golden Mechanical Force, blocked the heavy demon tail and, despite their combined strength, did not retreat.
"Help! Help! His Apostle Weapon are too powerful!" Tolain cried out.
With the added Mechanical Force from the dual Mechanical Sense, even just the Dark Emperor was enough to put pressure on him.
Moreover, he wasn't being attacked by Dark Emperor alone. There were melee fighters like Heaven Suppressing Flag and Purple Sky Spirit, as well as ranged attackers like Silver Flash and Red Fire Group. Numerous Apostle Weapon were all besieging Tolain.
Han Xiao's strategy was to use the mechanical legion to hold off the others, then concentrate the elite forces on one target and defeat them one by one.
"You're useless!" Sagman, who was also surrounded and fighting against the mechanical legion, couldn't help but feel annoyed upon hearing this.
However, he couldn't leave his own people unhelped, so he had no choice but to lend a hand amidst his busy schedule. He turned around and launched an attack on the Apostle Weapon that were besieging Tolain, unleashing a surge of light energy.
Buzz!
Just then, countless nanoparticles surged out from the central area, suddenly transforming into a large fortress that separated Tolain's battlefield.
Streams of light slid across the surface of this large mechanical fortress, quickly converging to form a pale golden, semi-transparent, arc-shaped light curtain, blocking the impact of the light energy.
Boom boom boom--
All of Sagman's attacks struck the pale golden light screen, instantly sending out arcs of electricity and dazzling light!
Soon, the light from the explosion subsided, and the light barrier remained unmoved, its radiance flowing and flickering slightly, having blocked the attack and protecting the mechanical fortress completely.
"Such strong defense!" Sagman exclaimed in surprise.
This mechanical fortress is one of Han Xiao's Apostle Weapon, named the Heaven Defense Wall. This light screen is similar in nature to the Dark Emperor War Spear, and is also an accompanying weapon of the Apostle Weapon, named the "Wall of Defense," which is mainly for defense.
However, Heaven Defense Wall possesses more than one accompanying weapon; it also has another offensive weapon called "Ion Green Flame."
The fortress extended numerous cannons, spewing out beams of green light as it unleashed a barrage of fire at Sagman and his men. This was his unique "Ion Green Flame," a special type of plasma energy that not only possessed destructive power but also had various secondary effects.
"Oh no, I'm isolated." Tolain panicked at the sight and was trying to break free and rejoin his teammates when a chilling sense of unease suddenly washed over him.
In an instant, a thin, dark beam of light stealthily emerged from the gaps in the surrounding mechanical troops, easily piercing through the mana shield. Tolain hurriedly dodged, but was still struck in the shoulder by the beam.
BOOM!!
The next moment, a huge gash suddenly exploded in Tolain's shoulder, running from front to back, and he was hit with true damage.
He covered his wound and dodged, glancing in alarm at the direction from which the light was coming. He saw a dark, humanoid Apostle Weapon holding a peculiar gun pointed at him.
As Tolain looked over, the Apostle Weapon suddenly became invisible and vanished without a trace.
--Dark Sky Shadow, a Sniping assassination type Apostle Weapon, accompanied by the "Divine Concealment Coating," which has extremely powerful stealth, invisibility, camouflage, and environmental concealment functions. The weapon it wields is also a highly concentrated Sniping rifle, which has extremely high lethality against single targets.
"Damn it, what kind of weapon is this? My regenerative abilities are suppressed..."
Before Tolain could catch his breath, the Mysterious Energy Envoy arrived and unleashed a thick beam of light from a distance, Tolain could only barely deploy a magical shield to defend against.
However, the Chaos Mysterious Energy also possesses a spiritual attribute. Although Tolain blocked the attack, his soul was also impacted, interrupting his spellcasting.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Hila showed no mercy, unleashing Rainstorm of death energy that pounded into Tolain's body, leaving him battered and covered in blood.
"Why is everyone attacking me?" Tolain was on the verge of tears.
Looking around the room, he was undoubtedly in the most dire situation.
I'm just a fresh-faced, tender freshman with Beyond Grade A, you're bullying me!
Tolain was in Danger at Every Turn, and Sagman and the others were extremely anxious, discussing countermeasures:
"Black Star's mechanical legion is too numerous and too powerful. We can't let them hold us back here. We must attack Black Star himself. Taylor, use the forbidden spell scroll on him."
"He possesses Undying Body; can he be harmed?"
"We have no choice but to make it now. There's no better way. We'll coordinate our forbidden spells and focus our fire," Sagman roared.
Upon hearing this, Taylor did not hesitate to tear open an offensive forbidden spell scroll.
whoosh--
Black magical meteors shot out from the scroll, piercing through the Psionic Energy shields along the way, heading straight for Han Xiao's body. This spell had extremely strong energy penetration, high defense-breaking ability, and powerful attack power. It was originally intended to be one of Hila's trump cards to severely injure her.
Sagman and the others didn't sit still. They coordinated with forbidden spells and focused their attacks on Han Xiao. Light energy shocks, martial arts fluctuations, high-risk spells, and Psionic Energy cannons were all thrown at Han Xiao, forming a powerful offensive tidal wave.
The intense energy fluctuations attracted the attention of the Glory warriors who were engaged in fierce combat not far away. They all turned to look at the situation of this concentrated attack and were secretly alarmed... If they were facing such an offensive, most of the Beyond Grade A warriors present would have to temporarily avoid the attack.
The Berserk energy rushed towards him, but Han Xiao remained calm and unmoved. With a wave of his hand, spherical mechanical discs rapidly assembled, each containing a piece of Space-Time Amber, instantly forming a double-layered shield wall in front of Han Xiao.
brush--
All the ranged energy attacks were like water flowing against a reef, sliding off the Space-Time Amber sphere and failing to harm Han Xiao in the slightest.
Upon seeing this, everyone felt a pang of unease, filled with envy.
The existence of the Space-Time Amber is no secret, and Han Xiao's arrival signifies the arrival of this almost unsolvable Universal Treasure.
He could even withstand the attack of the Scepter of All Gods, so the threat of ranged attacks to Han Xiao's body had been reduced to a minimum... and even without the Space-Time Amber, his own physical strength was enough to withstand the attack.
It's too difficult to harm Black Star himself!
"We can use mental attacks to deal with his physical body!" Hedis said hastily.
Both Crystal Soul and Hedis were telekinetic masters, and they gathered their strongest telekinetic power to attack Han Xiao's mind from a distance. Seeing this, Kasuyi thought for a moment and also made a show of it, giving Han Xiao a mental attack that he had held back.
A psychopath is an expert in mental attacks, capable of striking the soul of a target out of thin air, making them extremely difficult to defend against.
"I've already made up for my weaknesses."
Han Xiao remained expressionless and directly activated Sisko's character card, [Psychokinesis: Wall of the Heart]!
He remained unmoved, while Crystal Soul and Hedis, who had been attacking with all their might, were violently shaken, their mental power suddenly weakened, and they suffered a severe mental blow.
Sisko's character card can significantly reduce the actual damage of mental attacks, while also reflecting some of the damage. Crystal Soul and Hedis didn't hold back and took the hit themselves, while Kasuyi was just putting on an act and didn't suffer any misfortune.
Crystal Soul fared relatively well; he was stronger and possessed the Star Power Crown, a psychic Universal Treasure power, so his injuries were minor. However, Hedis, lacking in strength, suffered a significant loss.
"He can even reflect psychological damage?!"
Hedis turned pale and was taken aback.
Does this guy have no weaknesses? How can he do everything?!
Each person and each crystal refused to believe in evil, but the more they attacked, the more mental damage they reflected back. Han Xiao remained calm and composed, while the two psychic masters were injured by their own attacks.
Master Han, with his mental resistance, could withstand a lot of mental damage, but it was better to reflect damage than to take it. Facing more than a dozen opponents, he did not let go of any opportunity to weaken the enemy's combat power.
After a brief but intense battle, many of the powerful warriors from both the Glory and the Arcane were on the defensive, trapped in the vast sea of mechanical legions and unable to move an inch.
With such a massive mechanical force, coupled with Han Xiao's true damage expertise, their effect on Beyond Grade A goes beyond mere containment. If the group is not careful and tries to withstand a few rounds of concentrated fire with their bare hands, they will be instantly killed. Therefore, everyone's nerves are on edge.
Against an ordinary mechanic, a dozen or so Beyond Grade A mechanics would have already charged in, but against Black Star, most people simply couldn't muster the desire to charge.
--It's too succulent, so succulent that I can't even think about anything else!
However, this does not include Seraon. As a Peak Beyond Grade A martial artist, he can still charge through the highly enhanced mechanical legion with unparalleled skill.
Like the Tyrant, he possesses the True Damage Immunity feat, which allows him to ignore the concentrated fire of the mechanical legion and unleash his power amidst the horde of machines. However, the number of mechanical soldiers he kills is but a drop in the ocean compared to the overall damage output.
Seraon's arm muscles bulged as he unleashed a martial arts wave at Han Xiao, powerful enough to destroy a star. However, it was still deflected by the Space-Time Amber and missed Han Xiao completely. Seeing this, he gritted his teeth and calmly spoke to Kasuyi.
"Let's cooperate. You use your telekinesis to restrain the mechanical legion and help me get closer to Black Star. You know my explosive power. I'm not asking to kill him, just see if I can control Black Star."
Kasuyi: "I'm out of energy."
Upon hearing this, Seraon nearly choked on his breath.
You were full of energy when you were fighting me, your mana seemed inexhaustible, and now you're saying you're impotent? You're kidding me!
Seraon was furious. He abandoned Kasuyi, knocked away the mechanical soldiers along the way, and charged towards Han Xiao. His four arms were wrapped in highly concentrated martial arts flames, as if they were coated with a layer of black paint.
"Hmph, I knew you'd try to bluff your way out."
Han Xiao raised an eyebrow, already prepared, and immediately activated his skill. A group of mechanical soldiers flew towards him and quickly assembled.
The Mechanical Deity that traverses the universe descends once more!
The moment it appeared, the Mechanical Deity twisted its hips, swung its arm, and threw a punch at Seraon. The punch was shrouded in a white, hazy ball of light, a fusion of Psionic Energy and force field.
Four pitch-black fists collided violently with a mechanical Iron Fist hundreds of millions of times larger.
BOOM!!
A colossal circular shockwave exploded outwards, spreading wildly throughout the universe!
The Mechanical Deity's outer armor, struck by the impact, rapidly disintegrated, spreading towards its shoulder, with numerous mechanical parts exploding. Seraon, due to its smaller size, was sent flying an unknown distance by the punch, even faster than when it arrived.
In terms of strength, the two sides were evenly matched.
"If I threw that punch, I could probably pull out a star core. This guy, Seraon, can take it head-on. He truly deserves to be called Peak Beyond Grade A martial artist."
Han Xiao's mind stirred slightly.
At that very moment, Francisco, the Mechanical Catastrophe, saw the Mechanical Deity appear, and with a flash of insight, immediately contacted the Glory Mechanical Queen Mornisa.
"He's used Mechanical Deity. This is our chance. You, me, and Rama providing remote assistance—the three of us can join forces to launch a virtual intrusion against the Mechanical Deity. Even if Han Xiao is a virtual mechanic, he'll have to be careful in dealing with our intrusion."
"Okay." Mornisa nodded solemnly.
At this critical juncture, the Beyond Grade A of Glory and Arcane had no choice but to temporarily join forces, each displaying their unique abilities to resist the ultimate boss, Black Star, who possessed "burning potential."
The three mechanics quickly joined forces at the virtual level, unleashing a torrent of green data that attacked Han Xiao's virtual firewall.
Han Xiao immediately noticed the enemy's movements and smiled knowingly.
"Oh, you want to hack into me?"
With his virtual specialization and the advantage of dual Mechanical Sense, Han Xiao's virtual technology is now extremely powerful.
Of the three enemy forces, only "Guardian" Rama is a virtual mechanic; the other two specialize in other fields. Rama did not send Dominion clones here, so while he is capable of defending against the main AI, his effectiveness against virtual intrusion is much lower.
On the virtual level, Han Xiao and the three immediately engaged in a silent battle. The three kept trying to invade, but Han Xiao's defenses were as solid as a rock, firmly guarding the back door.
Instead, Han Xiao used the link to virtually infiltrate the three of them. Glory had two people on their side, and with the main AI's computing power, they were barely able to block Han Xiao's data probes.
However, Francisco the Mechanical Catastrophe was alone, outnumbered and outmatched, and not a specialist in virtual technology. His defenses were weak, making him a prime target for Han Xiao, who exploited his weaknesses.
His mechanized troops defected one after another, becoming Han Xiao's reinforcements and turning against his teammates.
"I can't take it anymore!" The Mechanical Catastrophe Francisco couldn't bear it any longer, and even the movements of the Dominion's clone became sluggish.
Just then, a gigantic mechanical hand, as large as the sky, reached out and grabbed the Francisco Dominion clone that couldn't avoid it, then squeezed it hard.
Click!
Francisco's Dominion clone instantly turned into a pile of scrap metal, its vessel shattered, and the descending power automatically withdrew.
Han Xiao curled his lip and casually tossed away the remains of Francisco's clone.
"Heh, little crispy treat."
These mechanics who use Dominator's Descent are impossible to catch; their skills can be dispelled at any time. To make them leave the field, simply destroy their Dominion clones.
After all, not every mechanic's Dominion clone can be as tanky as him.
Seeing this, Mornisa reluctantly abandoned her idea of invading and could only focus on strengthening the defenses and trying her best to prevent Han Xiao from breaking through.
But at that moment, the battle situation suddenly changed.
Under the combined attack of numerous Apostle Weapon and Hila, Tolain was utterly unable to withstand the onslaught.
The surrounding mechanical legion dealt the majority of the damage, and Tolain, lacking True Damage Immunity, saw his health Berserk under the mechanical legion's focused fire. Meanwhile, his other teammates were tied down, unable to provide support despite their best efforts.
Thump thump thump--
"Ah!!"
Tolain was once again engulfed in artillery fire; he was at his limit, and this time he had finally reached his limit.
Almost every inch of his body was intact; his demon horns were broken, and his mind was tormented by Hila and the Mysterious Energy Envoy, leaving him in a state of prolonged confusion and severely injured, rendering him unable to fight.
Hila was filled with murderous intent and was about to strike when Han Xiao had the Mechanical Deity extend its hand and separate her from him.
"Don't kill anyone."
"Why? They ruined you..." Hila gritted her teeth, unable to continue.
"It would be more valuable to capture them."
Han Xiao shook his head, grabbed the almost unconscious Tolain in his hand, absorbed him into the Mechanical Deity's body, and transported him from the inside to his main body.
Han Xiao flipped his hand and took out the Space-Time Amber, directly sealing away the defenseless Tolain.
Seeing the guy's frozen expression of pain, Han Xiao revealed a satisfied smile, like an old farmer inspecting a year's harvest.
"The first one."
"Tolain has been captured!"
Sagman was filled with shock and anger as he stared at the Mechanical Deity who had taken his teammate away, yet a sense of panic welled up within him.
He knew without a doubt that Tolain was about to experience the taste of the Space-Time Amber, and couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow for the passing of his comrade.
Due to Black Star's exceptional physical strength, the group couldn't use the same methods against ordinary mechanics. The only option left was the most arduous one: to annihilate Black Star Black Star's mechanical army.
However, Black Star was fighting on home ground and had unleashed its full potential. Combined with the unique combat style of the Mechanic, the power it unleashed was extremely terrifying. It could be divided into three main combat forces: first, the Mechanical Deity itself; second, elite subordinates such as Apostle Weapon; and third, the massive mechanical legion.
The Mechanic's late-game power comes from his multi-front warfare mechanism, which creates an effect of fighting against many enemies by allocating combat power. The Mechanical Deity and Seraon are evenly matched, holding back a Peak Beyond Grade A, while the Mechanical Legion holds back many Beyond Grade A, and the elite Apostle Weapon can then be divided and defeated by concentrated fire.
If the fight against Black Star continues, he doesn't know how many of his men will be lost here.
Previously, Black Star was only known for its strong regenerative abilities, but now its combat power has increased significantly, making it a truly overwhelming and despair-inducing force in the eyes of Sagman!
"Lord Kasuyi, what should we do now?"
Sagman couldn't help but look at the captain.
At this moment, he trusted his boss the most... but little did he know that the water released by Kasuyi was enough to form a vast ocean.
"Black Star burned its potential to gain this power, but it can't last. The operation has failed, and continuing to fight is pointless. Let's retreat," Kasuyi said slowly.
"What about Tolain? Should we just leave him be?"
"You're not even sure if you can leave, yet you have the time to worry about others." Kasuyi shook his head.
Although he was the team leader, he didn't mind Black Star venting his anger by arresting a few people. In his view, Black Star had burned his potential, so it was only right that a cosmic-level civilization should give him some compensation... anyway, it wasn't his money.
This group of Beyond Grade A soldiers who came to attack Hila have already offended Black Star. If they don't let him vent his anger, it would not be in line with the wishes of the Mechanic Emperor and him.