Central Galaxy, the territory of the Federation of Light, the Star Cluster Abyss.
A small spaceship bearing the Legion's insignia was slowly moving through the vast starry sky; it was a force from the Black Star Army's branch stationed in the Star Cluster Abyss.
This is the territory of the Federation of Light. The Black Star Army was invited to establish a branch here more than 20 years ago. However, the market here has long been divided up by various forces. In addition, due to the sensitive relationship between the Glory and the Empire, the branch has had limited development and a small share of business in recent years.
The Black Star Army isn't popular everywhere; at least it doesn't have much prestige here. Members of its branch stationed in the Star Cluster Abyss Black Star Army n't enjoy the Legion's prestige and therefore can't experience the benefits of its influence. They are often ostracized by local Beyond Grade A forces, and their lives aren't exactly easy.
But today, everything has changed.
At this moment, in the main hall of this small spaceship, all the crew members gathered together, silently watching the virtual screen in the hall, which was broadcasting a news report.
"... This station has learned that a sudden incident occurred in the Shattered World yesterday. A total of 12 Beyond Grade A members from the Arcane Church and the Federation of Light attacked the Black Star Army's frontline stronghold in the Free Competition Zone, attempting to kill the Black Star Army's vice-commander, ' Goddess of Death ' Hila. Black Star quickly arrived at the scene after the incident, fighting against the 12 Beyond Grade A and ultimately driving away all the invaders, capturing four: one from the Arcane Church and three from the Federation of Light —'Red Devil ' Tolain, ' Aura ' Wormur, ' Lone Walker ' Jack Gonitz, and Hedis. Following this, Black Star made a long-distance raid and captured another Beyond Grade A member suspected of involvement in the incident, ' Beast Ancestor ' Gorutan, a feat that astonished the world. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation..."
No sooner had he finished speaking than cheers erupted in the cabin!
"Oh--"
All the crew members present raised their hands and cheered wildly, their excitement and joy overflowing.
"Hahaha, we've finally taught those Glory people a lesson!"
"The Legion Commander is invincible!!"
Many people came specifically to see Black Star, and now, seeing their leader achieve such a stunning victory, they couldn't help but feel a surge of fervent admiration.
This news boosted morale and became the hottest topic within the legion. The branch crew members present were even more excited. They were stationed in the Star Cluster Abyss and had often been ostracized. Now that their leader had captured three Glory Beyond Grade A, including the leader of the forces that had ostracized them, everyone felt that the legion commander had given them a great vindication.
The excitement lingered for a long time, and in this atmosphere, the spaceship arrived at its destination. It was a transit planet, a place the spaceship had visited many times before. Following the instructions, it approached and safely docked in the spaceport.
As soon as the branch members stepped off the spaceship, they noticed something amiss. Looking around, they saw that the pedestrians coming and going at the dock had all stopped at the same time. Everyone turned to look at them, the members of the Black Star Army, with complex emotions in their eyes, including surprise, fear, and curiosity.
At this moment, the airport visitor registration staff came up to greet them. Compared to their previous formulaic politeness, their attitude had completely changed. Their faces were full of eager and ingratiating smiles, a treatment that members of the Abyss of Star Cluster Abyss rarely encountered.
"Haha, look at these guys. If we don't scare them, they won't know how to respect us."
Sensing the change in the attitudes of those around them, a sense of pride suddenly welled up in everyone's hearts. They felt triumphant and honored, and they regretted their decision to join the Black Star Army even more.
The reason for these changes is naturally the Legion Commander's recent world-shaking achievements, which have established his prestige throughout the universe and caused the faction's prestige to suddenly rise to its peak!
With such a leader, the organization has a bright future.
Similar scenes are frequently playing out in various regions of the universe.
Almost all players are now on the global server, and players at the front-line strongholds have been uploading battle replays, immediately drawing everyone's attention to this exciting news.
On the forum, this incident has dominated the Shattered World section, overshadowing all other topics, with countless people discussing it with great interest.
Players were unaware of the intricacies involved; all they cared about was the outcome of the battle— Black Star's terrifying record.
With his outstanding performance, Hila was completely ignored by everyone, who assumed that Han Xiao was taking on twelve people at once.
Even knowing that Black Star was now a top figure, this performance still exceeded the expectations of many players. They didn't understand the power levels above Beyond Grade A and found it hard to believe.
"That's incredible! I'm asking you, who else can do that!"
"I remember the Battle of Lighthouse Star was also besieged, but back then the legion commander had the help of imperial allies. This time he had almost no help, yet he single-handedly repelled twelve Beyond Grade A and even captured four. I'm speechless."
"Hey Meat Bun, wake up and make a video, hurry up!"
"I heard that this level of combat power was unleashed because the legion commander risked his life to protect Hila."
"I'm withered, maybe this is love."
"He's definitely a fiercely protective husband, I'm totally shipping this couple!"
"The legion commander is awesome!!"
Many players are discussing the incident, expressing shock at Han Xiao's performance and eagerly speculating about its potential impact.
The Shattered World is now fiercely competitive, and the Black Star Army is also in turmoil. At this critical juncture, such an event has an unparalleled effect in establishing authority. Even the combined forces of Glory and Arcane were taught a lesson by the Legion Commander. This result is enough to scare away countless covetous monsters and demons.
Moreover, the legion commander demonstrated a resolute attitude of punishing even those far away, and brazenly took down Gorutan, the one who instigated the trouble behind the scenes.
In this way, the Black Star Army's factional advantage will reach its peak. During the competition in the Shattered World, who would dare to easily provoke the Black Star?
In the eyes of Huaxia gamers, there's a saying that perfectly describes the success of Black Star's move:
--A single punch can prevent a hundred more.
In contrast, the factions warned by the Black Star Army during the recent faction war present a more stark contrast.
Because of these factions' policy of only taking hits without retaliating, the innocent casual players under their command have a deeper understanding of the importance of factions. They were already dissatisfied with their respective factions, and now, seeing the big news made by the Black Star Army, many of them are even more determined to switch sides.
As the saying goes, if you can't beat them, join them; the Black Star Army is naturally the first choice for these people to switch sides.
Players from various countries who joined the legion during this period had different feelings about this matter.
In previous versions, players from different countries roamed across different star systems, only able to observe the Black Star Army's news from the sidelines. But now, by joining the legion, they can finally participate and discuss the Black Star from the perspective of other faction members, providing a novel and exciting experience.
Before, I only watched others idolize Black Star, but now I can finally join in and shout "Legion Commander is awesome!" It feels so different.
These new legion players personally experienced what it's like to have a powerful faction leader. They shouted "Legion leader is awesome!" even more enthusiastically than the veteran players. The forum was flooded with messages from legion players, creating a celebratory atmosphere.
Veteran players, seeing the newcomers so excited, just thought these newcomers were making a fuss over nothing and couldn't help but feel a sense of superiority, thinking, "You guys are still too young," while still enjoying themselves just as much.
The impact of the incident has spread on multiple levels.
The Arcane Church, with numerous Beyond Grade A and high-ranking figures gathered via remote projection to discuss how to handle the matter.
Although the mission failed and Tolain was lost, there was little solemnity or seriousness on the faces of those present; in fact, there was even a hint of joy.
"This operation failed; we didn't manage to the Dead Sea, but we're not disappointed with the result." A high- Arcane spoke up, "Lord Kasuyi, you did a great job. You thwarted Glory's plan and even used someone else to do the dirty work, causing Black Star to lose three of their Beyond Grade A. The higher-ups are very satisfied with your temporary decision."
Kasuyi remained unfazed. "I only made a small contribution."
"Hehe, no need to be modest. Compared to Hila, preventing Glory from obtaining the Scepter of All Gods is a more important bargaining chip."
The higher-ups smiled, pleased with themselves for having tricked the Federation of Light this time.
"However, the Scepter of All Gods is still in the hands of the Glory, so it would be best to negotiate with the Black Star or the Empire to see if we can exchange the Glory Scepter of All Gods."
Kasuyi nodded slightly. "Although the operation failed, we have offended the Black Star Army. The success rate of negotiations is not high, but it's worth a try."
"Hmm... By the way, you said that Black Star demonstrated a kind of high-dimensional teleportation ability in front of you, sending Hila back to the base despite the spatial blockade. Is that true?"
"Of course it's true, I can't be mistaken."
Upon hearing this, the high-ranking Arcane figure pondered, "In that case, we'll have no choice but to cancel all our plans against Hila..."
Since Black Star possesses teleportation technology that ignores spatial blockades, targeting Hila is pointless, as she can escape at any time.
Han Xiao's demonstration of the Sovereign Mecha's capabilities completely thwarted all of the Arcane ' attempts against Hila, and only now is she truly safe.
Seeing the reaction from the higher-ups, Sagman and his fellow former inmates exchanged glances, their eyes revealing complex emotions—the helplessness of knowing revenge was impossible, and the relief of having escaped this time.
"Let's put aside Black Star's technology for now; the real headache is Glory. I just want to ask, what do you think of Black Star's strength?" At this moment, another high-ranking member of the Arcane spoke up; he was a member of the Bishops' Council.
The numerous Beyond Grade A exchanged glances, and finally all looked at Kasuyi.
Kasuyi pondered for a moment and said, "Black Star's achievements this time are astonishing. However, we are participants and know the inside story. Although Black Star's combat strength is not as terrifying as the outside world says, it is still enough to rival the Tu Shu. Hard strength is secondary; his almost flawless fighting style is what makes him the most troublesome. His Undying Body makes up for the mechanic's biggest weakness, and with the assistance of the Space-Time Amber, his actual combat ability far exceeds his own realm level, making him difficult to judge... Starting from this incident, we need to look at Black Star from a new perspective and divide him into two forms: normal and explosive. The latter's combat strength is a level higher than the former."
Although Black Star has unleashed his full potential this time, he can unleash it a second time if he can do it once. Among all Beyond Grade A, very few can guarantee a victory against Black Star in his burst form, so it's best not to push him to that point again.
After hearing these words, the high-ranking Arcane exchanged bewildered glances.
The implication is that we should stop provoking Black Star.
On the other side, the Federation of Light also held a similar meeting, the atmosphere of which was completely different from the relaxed atmosphere of the Arcane Church, and was very serious and heavy.
President Bader surveyed the entire room and solemnly declared, "Three Beyond Grade A beings have fallen into the hands of the Empire. Can anyone tell me why things have turned out this way? Can any of you give me an explanation?"
The numerous Beyond Grade A remote projectors present were speechless, and couldn't help but look at the few empty seats.
Bader felt as uncomfortable as if he had suddenly stepped on a dog's poop while walking down the street.
Before setting out, he felt that the operation was a sure thing. Even if he failed to capture Hila, with the mobility of six Beyond Grade A and the High-Dimensional Apocalypse Teleporter, escaping unscathed would not be a problem. But he never expected that the losses would be so great.
This result made him wonder where things went wrong.
Bader turned to look at Seraon and said in a deep voice, "You are the leader of this expedition, and I had high hopes for you. Now, do you have anything to say?"
Hearing the reproach in the President's tone, Seraon's face turned ashen, and he roared, "It's all Kasuyi's doing!"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the high-ranking executives at Glory Entertainment present were not pleasant.
During the Battle of Lighthouse Star, the Glory took advantage of the situation and severely wronged the Arcane, but now they have been Arcane in return.
What goes around comes around. Many people now feel that fortunes change, and they finally understand what Arcane felt back then.
At this moment, Manison spoke calmly:
"The intervention of the Arcane was an important reason, but fundamentally, Black Star had anticipated this and deliberately misled the outside world with false whereabouts, while his true body secretly hid nearby, catching Seraon and the others off guard. In addition, the fact that they were in enemy territory and could not engage in prolonged battles prevented them from exerting their full strength, which is why Black Star defeated them one by one. Don't underestimate a Peak Beyond Grade A mechanic."
Bader squinted at him. "I heard you were involved too, and even went to fight Gorutan."
"That's right." Manison nodded, not denying it.
Bader gave him a deep look, then changed the subject, not pressing the matter further, and said coldly:
"The most urgent task is to negotiate with the Empire and redeem our three Beyond Grade A allies. We must not provoke Black Star again in the meantime."
After saying that, he logged off to take some nitroglycerin pills, as he didn't want to see these troublesome allies again today.
Conference Room, Tyrant Hamill Palace, homeworld of the Crimson Dynasty.
"The matter is over, and everyone knows the details. Let's share our thoughts."
In the main seat, Urranrell rested his chin on his hands, scanning the high-ranking officials present.
After a moment of silence, one of the higher-ups spoke:
"Black Star handled this matter brilliantly, completely beyond our expectations."
Now that we hold Beyond Grade A prisoner as leverage, we have the upper hand in negotiations. And with Black Star revealing his unleashed power, we need to reassess his strength... In my opinion, although this incident wasn't caused by us, we can provide Black Star with some financial assistance as compensation for his unleashing of his potential, thus demonstrating our respect for him."
"Yes, that's right."
As Urranrell responded, he glanced at the hardliner Bekorodi out of the corner of his eye, only to find that Bekorodi's eyes were slightly closed, as if he did not intend to speak.
Bekorodi originally thought that Black Star would need the Empire's support to overcome this crisis, so he insisted that Hila join the Empire. However, now that Black Star has basically solved the problem on her own, with the Empire offering almost no help, this suggestion is somewhat untenable.
Moreover, Han Xiao's achievements this time also secretly surprised Bekorodi, and the entire empire's high-ranking officials attached even more importance to him. Under such circumstances, Bekorodi had nothing to say and simply remained silent.
Seeing that no one objected, Urranrell continued, "Regarding compensation to Black Star, I plan to implement a scheme... temporarily opening up the sale rights of Evolution Totem."
Upon hearing this, many of the high-ranking officials present widened their eyes in surprise.
Only a few people had expected this and gave an "I knew it" look.
The Empire and Black Star actually had a falling out over the issue of the Evolution Cube, which created a rift between them.
After witnessing Black Star's abilities, the Empire finally decided to back down and take the initiative to mend the relationship between the two sides.