Karakara--
The sounds of mechanical assembly echoed in the private workshop, and the crackling Mechanical Force, like flexible blue tentacles, controlled the robotic arms to create a new Sovereign Mecha.
Han Xiao Quan, watching as the details of the mecha were perfected step by step in his hands.
The last piece of outer armor plate was fitted into the Sovereign's chest, and the panel suddenly dinged, displaying a notification.
[You have crafted a gold-quality equipment (Universal Treasure)]
"Call..."
Han Xiao's tense expression relaxed, and he slowly exhaled.
This is the second gold-quality Sovereign Mecha. Even with the experience of his previous success, as well as the bonuses from [Divine Equipment] and [Universal Treasure Creator], he still tried five times before finally succeeding, though it was fewer times than the first time.
Han Xiao planned to give this new Sovereign Mecha to Hila. Although it was equipment exclusive to mechanics and Hila wouldn't benefit from its bonuses, Han Xiao only needed its directional teleportation function to provide Hila with security.
Moreover, two sets weren't enough. Han Xiao also needed to create several spare sets of the Sovereign for himself, and perhaps even prepare one set for Ames. The workload was secondary; the main problem was the huge expense.
One Sovereign weapon costs about the same as a fleet. If it doesn't reach the gold quality, it's undoubtedly a loss. He can't guarantee that he can create a Universal Treasure- level Sovereign- level weapon every time, which would inevitably waste several times the amount of Enas. Even if the Black Star Army is rich and powerful enough to afford it, this expense still hurts him.
"Sigh, as a mechanic, I should be good at making money," Han Xiao sighed.
He glanced at the attribute panel. Since this was the second time he had crafted Sovereign, the [Divine Equipment] did not provide any new Divine Transformation Points or unlock any new tier of bonuses; it only offered a stat reset effect.
Because it was the same blueprint, the efficiency of resetting points decreased this time, from 200 points the first time to 160 points. It's a pity that I didn't get Luck this time, so my hopes for a free ticket were dashed. However, I did get Charisma, which is not bad. Anyway, I've always been shameless... cough, I don't care about luck.
Han Xiao saved up the 160 free attribute points, put the second set of Sovereign into the mecha's maintenance box, and found a mechanical guard to send it to Hila along with the box.
It's worth mentioning that this specially made mecha maintenance box is also an orange-tier item. It can nurture the mecha, and over time it will improve a certain basic attribute of the mecha. As Peak Beyond Grade A mechanic, Han Xiao is now wearing and using only the best equipment.
Having finished everything, Han Xiao rubbed his eyes and stretched. He wasn't idle while staying at the base camp. These past few days, besides handling daily affairs, he had been spending his time in the workshop repairing Apostle Weapon and forging Universal Treasure, working tirelessly for many days.
"Relax a bit, go watch people play cards."
Han Xiao rubbed his back and was about to open the door and walk out when his communicator suddenly rang, showing a call from a high-ranking official of the Crimson Dynasty.
"The Empire finally called. Does this mean they've finally finalized their plan for dealing with me?"
Han Xiao's eyes flashed, and he connected the communication. A remote projection of a high-ranking official appeared in front of him. This was the person in charge who had been in contact with the Beyond Grade A for many years, and Han Xiao was quite familiar with him.
"Lord Black Star," the high-ranking imperial official nodded in greeting, saying, "It's been a long time."
"Hello." Han Xiao nodded, feigning ignorance, and asked, "What can I do for you?"
"Well, I know you prefer to be direct, so I won't waste your time. The Imperial high command is preparing to release a plan related to you and wants to ask for your opinion and discuss it."
What plan?
"The Empire intends to temporarily open up the right to purchase the Evolution Totem, no longer limiting it to allies, but allowing it to be freely sold throughout the universe, because the Evolution Cube is an energy source, and it's in your hands, so the Empire wants to know your attitude." An imperial official smiled.
Han Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and a surge of joy welled up inside him.
Although he had suspected this possibility, he was still very excited when he confirmed it.
The Crimson Dynasty has always controlled the sales channels for the Evolution Totem, prohibiting its release into the free market and allowing it to be sold only to allied civilizations—this was an agreement between Han Xiao and the Empire. However, if the sales restrictions were lifted, every civilization in the universe would become a customer, bringing immeasurable profits.
Moreover, this is not a one-off deal. The Evolution Totem can only operate for a maximum of twenty years. After its energy is depleted, it needs to be recharged with Evolution Cube, just like refueling a gas station. Therefore, the subsequent maintenance costs generate a continuous and enormous stream of revenue, making it a super-profitable business opportunity that is a veritable treasure trove.
The Crimson Dynasty's insistence on holding onto the right to publicly purchase the item stemmed from its desire to control the proceeds, specifically to obtain the Energy Source Evolution Cube from Han Xiao. They were unwilling to allow a non-direct ally to control such a crucial strategic treasure, leading to ongoing disputes and strained relations between the two sides.
The Empire's willingness to open up channels for purchasing Evolution Totem at this time is a concession, an initiative to ease tensions between the two sides. The reason for this is undoubtedly the impact of the Black Star's God-Sealing Battle, which led them to temporarily hand over huge profits to Han Xiao.
Although he was very excited, Han Xiao still caught a key phrase. "Temporarily open? How long exactly?"
The high-ranking imperial official shook his head. "I don't know about that. There shouldn't be a set end date yet."
In other words, if you do something wrong, it could end at any time, right...?
Han Xiao understood. The Empire's move was both a means of winning him over and an indirect means of control. Once he became accustomed to the enormous profits, or once his expanded legions could no longer do without the cash flow from this business, the Empire would have a new channel to manipulate him. He understood this, after all, they were a cosmic-level civilization. You can never expect them to bow down and worship you; that's completely impossible. The fact that they were willing to make concessions and show respect and importance was already good enough.
"Okay, I have no objection. When will it open?" Han Xiao agreed.
"The timing hasn't been set yet. If it's officially implemented, it's estimated that it will take six months to a year to prepare. However, within three to two days, a preliminary announcement of this decree will be released to the entire universe. Therefore, we need to quickly come up with a profit distribution plan," the imperial official replied.
The previous plan was mainly aimed at the Empire and its allies, so it offered many discounts. However, if the plan were to be sold to the entire universe, both Han Xiao and the Empire would want to significantly increase prices to make money off outsiders. Therefore, a new distribution plan needs to be formulated.
"I see... Then I'll have my business team contact you and try to reach a suitable agreement with Book Japan as soon as possible," Han Xiao said after thinking for a moment.
The Legion's affiliated Germinal Financial Group employs a group of business negotiation experts, who can be put to good use in this matter, and Enterprise, as a senior executive of the consortium, is an expert in this field.
Since they control the Evolution Cube, the lion's share of the profits will definitely be theirs. However, the Empire also needs a share, since they've shouldered so much pressure for so long, and it can't be ignored. Besides, they'll need the Crimson Dynasty's assistance with logistics, transportation, and raw materials in the future, because the entire universe market is too vast, and the current Black Star Army can't cover the entire universe with its current operations.
After discussing the matter for a while, Han Xiao hung up the call. He was in high spirits at the thought that the legion was about to gain a source of endless profits.
Suddenly, a long-held thought surfaced in Han Xiao's mind. His eyes flashed, and a mocking, cold smile curled at the corner of his lips:
"Once the Crimson Dynasty announces this decree, I can finally make a trip to the Infinite Financial Group... Hmph, they think they can just pretend nothing happened by withdrawing their commercial suppression now? They're not that lucky."
Emerald Star Cluster, Beast Ancestor's Stronghold, Combat Training Ground.
Bang!
A fist, curved like a leopard's claw and wreathed in a pale black aura, slammed into the abdomen of a body. The force of the blow sent ripples through the skin and muscles, sending shockwaves through the air. A burly figure was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing heavily against the wall of the training ground with a loud bang, sending dust billowing into the air.
Snake withdrew his fist, and the pale black aura carrying potent poison dissipated. He said calmly, "That's enough for today."
Having said that, he didn't even glance at the loyal party cadre who had challenged him to a sparring match but had been easily defeated by him. He put on the trench coat he had tossed aside and walked out of the training ground.
Normally, Snake wouldn't bother responding to other people's challenges, but he'd been in a bad mood lately and wanted to vent his frustrations through fighting.
Snake lamented at the thought that everyone was confined by the Secret Master and forbidden from leaving the stronghold.
"Beep beep."
Just then, his communicator rang. Snake glanced at it and saw it was a call from his respected older sister, Jotina.
As soon as the call connected, Jotina started yelling, her voice laced with dissatisfaction. "I invited you to leave the Beast Ancestor Organization with me, and you said you'd wait and see. I agreed, but so much time has passed, and you still haven't left with your brothers and sisters? What's wrong with you, little brother?"
Snake looked helpless and whispered, "Big Sister, it's not that I don't want to leave, it's just that something unexpected happened."
"What unexpected event?" Jotina frowned.
"It's Secret Master..." Snake paused, thinking of the magical brand used for surveillance on his body. After a moment of internal struggle, he gritted his teeth and decided to tell the truth, "He said he wants to take over the Beast Ancestor's forces and make us all serve him. Now no one can leave the Beast Ancestor's stronghold, and I'm trapped here too."
Jotina was furious, exasperated. "I told you to leave sooner, you coward, but you wouldn't listen! Now look what happened! You're a complete waste! Trash! You've disgraced me!"
She hurled insults, while Snake cowered and could not refute her, daring not to speak back.
The hatred of the rebels towards Gorutan stems primarily from the tragic fate of their birth mother, making them more humane than the other two factions. Some even share genuine sibling bonds. Snake and Jotina grew up together, and Snake has always been afraid of this leader, a fear that still lingers from their childhood.
After scolding Jotina for a while, seeing Snake's dejected look, she couldn't bear it and asked, "If you're not willing to serve the Secret Master forever, find a chance to escape later."
Snake shook his head and sighed, "The Secret Master said that running away without permission is considered betrayal. He left a magical mark on us. Even if we dare to run away on our own, how can we escape the pursuit of Beyond Grade A Pursuit?"
Jotina, with a kind heart towards her brothers and sisters whom she acknowledged, couldn't bear to see Snake forced to pledge allegiance to the Secret and the Book Master. After hesitating for a moment, she suddenly spoke:
"I'm asking you, are you willing to join the Black Star Army?"
"Of course I would, but there's no chance now," Snake sighed.
Upon hearing this, Jotina gritted her teeth and resolutely said, "Don't worry, I'll go and find a way to ask the legion commander for help!"
Without waiting for Snake's reply, she abruptly hung up the phone.
Snake held up the communicator, which was emitting a busy signal, looking helpless.
"Ask Black Star for help? How is that possible...?"
He sighed, having given up all hope.
It's easy to understand if you think about it. These people are subordinates of the Beast Ancestor, but they have verbally expressed their intention to join him. They are not Black Star Army's own people. Why would Black Star offend another Peak Beyond Grade A for the sake of a few Calamity Grade beings?
The former palace of the Beast Ancestor has become the residence of the Secret Master.
Gorutan's enormous Throne had been stored in an alchemical storage bottle by the Secret Master as a trophy, and his own Throne had replaced Gorutan's seat.
At this moment, the Secret Master sat on his Throne, reviewing the files of the Beast Ancestor's officers, with Marquis Beyram beside him, ready to answer any questions.
Just then, the Secret Master's communicator rang. He glanced at it, and his expression suddenly turned serious.
This expression of alarm immediately startled Beyram, who secretly wondered whose call had caused the Secret Master's expression to change so drastically.
At this moment, the Secret Master waved his hand and said coldly, "You can leave now."
Upon hearing this, Beyram, though curious, could only take his leave. Although he considered himself the new confidant of the Secret Master, he dared not overstep his bounds.
Only when he was alone in the room did the Secret Master answer the call, his face solemn.
"Black Star, what do you want with me?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Han Xiao's hearty laughter came through the communicator.
"Haha, Secret Master, you seem a little nervous."
You're overthinking it.
The Secret Master's mind raced. Although he wanted to befriend Black Star, receiving his initiative to communicate at this moment made him feel guilty.
Han Xiao smiled. "Although we had a conflict over the issue of Chaos Mysterious Energy, the matter has been resolved, and we have no grudges between us, right? In fact, I did you a big favor."
"What kind of help?"
"Do you even need to ask? It's definitely the Beast Ancestor! You reminded me back then just to make things difficult for Gorutan, right? You and he are both protectors of the black market, so there must be some conflict of interest. I helped you get rid of him, allowing you to seize his market share. Wasn't that a huge favor to you?"
"Indeed, you indirectly helped me." The Secret Master did not deny it.
"Since I've helped you with something, I need your help in return." Han Xiao blinked, his smile meaningful. "I heard you're taking over the Beast Ancestor's forces. Don't worry, I have no interest in those scoundrels who see me as an enemy. You want to recruit them... but there seem to be some promising talents among them who want to abandon their evil ways and join me. You shouldn't stop them."
The Secret Master's eyes flickered slightly, a hint of reluctance creeping into his heart as he looked at these Calamity Grade cadres.
Moreover, if this door is opened, some cadres will inevitably use defecting to Black Star as an excuse. Should he release them or not? In this way, the gains from taking over the Beast Ancestor's army will be greatly reduced, and many Calamity Grade talents will inevitably be lost.
However, since Black Star called, it meant he knew about my detention. If I didn't agree, I might offend Black Star Black Star, who was likely to be very tough lately, which could escalate the conflict. I wanted to make friends with him, and I didn't want to lose more than I gained.
Although the Secret Master felt regretful, he did not hesitate. He was unwilling to offend the rising Black Star for the sake of some Calamity Grade cadres. He said in a deep voice, "Alright, as long as someone wants to join you, I will let them go."
"That's wonderful!" Han Xiao finally smiled genuinely.
The two suppressed their emotions and chatted casually for a while, pretending to be good buddies, before hanging up the phone.
As soon as he put down the communicator, the Secret Master's face fell, looking rather grim. He summoned Beyram and gave the order:
"Bring Snake and his gang over here."
Beyram was somewhat puzzled, but he did as instructed anyway.
Soon, Snake and a group of rebel leaders gathered in the palace, staring at the Secret Master on the Throne with complicated, helpless, and displeased eyes.
The Secret Master, expressionless, slowly asked, "Who among you wishes to join the Black Star Army?"
A slight commotion arose among the crowd, who exchanged bewildered glances, wondering what the Secret Master was doing.
Could this be a test, an attempt to make an example of us and completely discourage us from seeking refuge with someone else?
Everyone immediately became alert, thinking they had guessed the truth, and began to clamor for their loyalty.
"How could that be? We all voluntarily accepted His Secret Master's protection."
"Everyone here is like a brother, and they all speak so kindly. I love it here, how could I possibly go to someone else?"
Seeing this, the Secret Master felt a headache coming on.
He could have used this excuse to deal with other people, saying that no one wanted to join him, but the Secret Master had no intention of using tricks to appease Black Star, which frustrated him greatly.
The current situation can be simply summarized as follows...
Everyone: Secret Master, we really don't want to join Black Star.
Secret Master: No, you want to? Go and acknowledge your father.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, the Secret Master suddenly released his aura and said in a deep voice, "Enough nonsense. Those who want to join Black Star, I won't stop you. I'm not joking with you. Those who want to leave, get out of here."
The people who were pledging their loyalty felt intense pressure and realized that the Secret Master was not testing them, so they were all stunned.
What's going on? Weren't we under lockdown a while ago? Why are we being released all of a sudden?
Is the Secret Master really that fickle?
Beyram's expression changed as he thought of the phone call from earlier. Now that he thought about it, it must have been Black Star who called.
A few words were all it took to get the Secret Master to back down; the Secret Master is actually quite wary of Black Star...
Beyram was secretly alarmed.
In the crowd, Snake suddenly remembered his phone call with Jotina two hours earlier and gasped sharply.
"There's no mistake, it must be Black Star's doing, otherwise there's no other way to explain it..."
He noticed that the Secret Master's expression was unpleasant, indicating that he was definitely unwilling to make this decision.
Snake swallowed hard, his mind reeling.
In his view, Jotina had only just joined the legion and couldn't possibly have any say, so Black Star was probably willing to offend the Secret Master because he valued them.
Although he didn't know if he was right, Snake felt a surge of emotion, almost like someone willing to die for a friend.
"... It seems Jotina was right; Black Star is indeed someone worth following."
Because it was a private transaction, Snake and the others' departure didn't cause much of a stir.
Seven or eight days later, a decree issued by the Crimson Dynasty without any warning suddenly ignited the passion of the entire universe, stunning countless people.
The decree was simple: the empire decided that, one year from now, it would open up the right to purchase Evolution Totem to the entire universe!
The Three Universal Civilizations have been vying for the Evolution Totem for quite some time now. This announcement, once released, caused a huge stir, sending countless civilizations into a frenzy of excitement.
Good heavens! The empire has finally figured it out!
The entire universe knows that the Crimson Dynasty wouldn't make a decision without a reason; such a sudden decision must be related to recent events.
As we all know, the only major cosmic event that has occurred recently is the Black Star's Battle of Deification!
The Cause and Effect relationship between the two events is something even an ordinary person can understand.
--The Empire suddenly opened up the right to purchase Evolution Totem because it was amazed by Black Star's achievements. As a result, it compromised with Black Star, took the initiative to make concessions, and allowed Black Star, who owned the Evolution Cube, to control the Evolution Totem business!
A cosmic-level civilization, especially a powerful one like the Crimson Dynasty with its stubborn approach, actually yielded to a Beyond Grade A!
This is a scene I haven't seen in years!
Upon realizing this, countless interstellar citizens and civilizations were utterly shocked.
On the other side, Glory and the Arcane were not surprised but rather delighted.
Black Star established its authority, thereby persuading the Crimson Dynasty to open up the Evolution Totem. It seems worth it even if we lost several Beyond Grade A for this.
We've taken the wrong path!
If I had known better, I shouldn't have pressured the Empire and Black Star. If I had just sent a bunch of people to Black Star early on, allowing him to put on a godlike performance, his plan to seize the Evolution Totem would probably have succeeded long ago!
The empire's decree sparked a media frenzy across the universe. Han Xiao's achievements, already generating considerable buzz, surged even further, and his personal prestige soared to an astonishing level. Before the hype died down, he alone overshadowed all other Beyond Grade A figures.
Amidst the swirling rumors, an uninvited guest quietly arrived at the Infinite Financial Group's branch in the Shattered World.