A trail of eerie blue flames, streaked with stardust, sliced through the dark curtain of space, stretching from the depths of the starry sky and stopping at the port of Floating Dragon Island in the outer space of Planet Aquamarine, leaving behind a long rainbow that could be seen across the sky by the residents of Dragon Calm.
Despite having a lazy and incompetent leader, Dragon Calm has expanded to five islands and is home to hundreds of millions of residents, mostly Planet Aquamarine people who migrated there. Those who remain on the surface are subject to the Aquamarine Federation's jurisdiction, while Dragon Calm, as a neutral island without a political regime, enjoys a freer atmosphere and allows people to experience the charm of interstellar society without leaving home, making it a great vacation destination and indirectly boosting the local tourism industry.
The Black Star Fleet docked at the main pier, immediately attracting the attention of countless people on the platform. When Han Xiao led a group of subordinates dressed in the Black Star Army uniforms out of the cabin, the group immediately surrounded them excitedly.
"That's really Black Star!"
"Compatriots, you are our pride!"
"Could you please sign your autograph? My grandpa loves you the most!"
Han Xiao and his group were completely surrounded and unable to move an inch, being thronged by the crowd.
Hearing the shouts and feeling the enthusiasm of the crowd, Han Xiao used the skill "Cloud Smile," and the effect was extraordinary, making the crowd's emotions even more excited.
The majority of people here are from Planet Aquamarine. They have been influenced by the local culture since childhood and are basically worshippers of Black Star. Recently, due to the propaganda of the Three Universal Civilizations, their reputation has become extremely high, and they are almost worshipped by the people of Planet Aquamarine as omnipotent gods.
At this moment, the Dragon Calm soldiers who had been waiting for a long time came up, parted the crowd, and left a passage.
Jenny walked up expressionlessly and spoke in a completely insincere tone:
"Welcome to Dragon Calm, Lord Black Star."
"You don't sound that welcoming," Han Xiao joked.
"No, I'm happy." Jenny stared with dead fish eyes, slightly turned her body to the side, and gestured for him to come with her. "Come with me."
The two men left with a group of followers, leaving a large crowd on the dock watching the Sight of Father's Back disappear from sight. Many exchanged knowing glances.
The rumors about Black Star and Dragon Emperor have been circulating for decades in the Shattered Star Ring, and are known to everyone on Planet Aquamarine.
There's no smoke without fire. Black Star frequently visits Dragon Calm, and Dragon Emperor moved its base to Black Star's hometown. Even if you beat Bennett to death, no one from Planet Aquamarine would believe that the two of them weren't having an affair.
Han Xiao and Jenny walked at the front, leading their group through the streets, attracting the surprised and excited gazes of countless passersby who chatted idly with them.
"You seem to be in a good mood today?" Han Xiao glanced at her.
"Why do you say that?" Jenny asked, puzzled.
"Your attitude towards me today isn't as bad as it used to be."
"Hmph." Jenny snorted through her nose. "If you like, I can restore it."
She had never really liked Black Star, partly because she disliked the guy who increased her workload, and partly because of Ames. But after seeing the recent news, Jenny, though she didn't say it, actually admired him a little. If she were to speak ill of Black Star now, she wouldn't be able to get past her own conscience.
"Tsk tsk, you're soulless like that," Han Xiao shook his head and joked. "I still prefer your rebellious side."
Jenny rolled her eyes inwardly, too lazy to pay any attention to Han Xiao.
Just then, the group reached the intersection and heard a series of rapid, clattering footsteps, along with the crisp sound of metal scraping against metal.
The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of Dragon Calm warriors dressed in dark gold heavy armor pushing and shoving creatures of different races whose heads were covered with black cloths, hurrying past on the street not far away.
Pedestrians around hurriedly dodged and retreated, as if they were terrified of a tiger.
The heavily armored warriors were completely covered by armor, obscuring their faces. Their movements exuded a strange, cold-blooded, and murderous aura. There were two insignia on the chest of their armor: one was the mark of the Dragon Calm, and the other was an unfamiliar insignia that Han Xiao had never seen before, which probably represented the identity of this group of people.
"What kind of unit is this? I don't think it was here last time," Han Xiao asked curiously.
"That's the Hunter Squad, which recently separated from Wilsander's security forces and became an independent unit," Jenny explained succinctly.
Harrison, noticing the bloodstains on the clothes of the being escorted, couldn't help but ask, "What are they going to do to those people?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Han Xiao and Jenny both turned around and glanced at him, their eyes filled with strange expressions.
"W-what's wrong?" Harrison felt uneasy and a little nervous under their gazes.
Jenny ignored him and looked at Han Xiao, "Black Star, where did you find this newcomer? He doesn't seem to understand when it's his turn to speak."
"Don't say that. Harrison's a great guy; he helped me a lot." Han Xiao chuckled, unconcerned. "I like your sarcastic side; this is more like it."
"Hmph." Jenny turned and glanced at Harrison, then waved her hand. "Since you're so curious, let's go take a look. It's not far anyway."
"Uh... is that okay?" Harrison looked at Han Xiao.
"Then let's go take a look."
Han Xiao nodded. Although he was now Harrison's domineering CEO, he would still try his best to meet the small requests of someone with such High-Level Lucky Halo.
The group followed the Hunter Squad to the edge of Floating Dragon Island. A translucent, pale golden barrier isolated them from the vacuum, while outside lay outer space.
A large crowd had gathered in the distance, but the Hunter Squad paid no attention to them. They did not drive away the onlookers and focused on their own business. They lined up the people covered with black cloths and made them kneel down, then opened a small section of the protective shield.
The golden barrier opened a small hole, and the group of unarmored people were immediately sucked out, exposed to outer space, writhing in pain like fish jumping on a chopping board.
Soon, the group's struggles diminished rapidly, and a layer of white frost appeared on each person's body. Their bodily functions were disrupted by the vacuum, but their heads were hidden under black hoods, otherwise their painful and distorted facial expressions would have been visible.
The next moment, the Hunter Squad all raised their weapons and opened fire simultaneously.
The blaster fired emerald lasers with a series of bangs, shattering the group of people who were about to turn into ice sculptures into fragments, which then drifted into the depths of space.
"Is this an execution?" Harrison's eyes widened. "What did they do? Isn't this a bit too cruel?"
Although he had never been to the Shattered Star Ring, after hearing about the change in itinerary, he did some research on Dragon Calm.
Because the Black Star Army's Pirate Happy Hut was too famous, the pirates of the Shattered Star Ring carried out a large-scale industrial relocation and moved to other areas. Dragon Calm no longer accepted pirates to stop there, and it became a free city with good public security.
He had thought that Dragon Calm had a good atmosphere, but he never expected that Dragon Calm troops would carry out executions on the spot in front of countless onlookers. This was not a sign of good public order, and executions on the spot were mostly a characteristic of a reign of terror. He found it hard to imagine that he would see such barbaric acts here.
Jenny retorted, "Cruel? Look around at everyone, who thinks it's cruel?"
Harrison turned his head and was astonished to find that every onlooker looked pleased, without the slightest bit of remorse, and some even clapped and cheered.
Jenny glanced at Han Xiao and snorted, "The greater the fame, the more enemies you have. In recent years, many infiltration incidents have occurred on Planet Aquamarine. These criminals are spies and rebels from different organizations. They have advanced equipment, and their goal is to infiltrate Planet Aquamarine and cause harm by subverting your home planet... Meanwhile, some people have their eyes on Dragon Calm, attempting to establish secret bases here, or use Dragon Calm's geographical location to launch lethal weapons at Planet Aquamarine. That's why we established Hunter Squad specifically to eliminate these spies... Black Star, we've shielded you from a lot of pressure."
Upon hearing this, Harrison suddenly realized that most of the onlookers were from Planet Aquamarine. No wonder they looked so pleased—these prisoners had no environmental awareness and were attempting to damage their home planet by throwing objects from high places. Executing them on the spot was not only not cruel, but it would also put the crowd at ease.
"Thanks." Han Xiao smiled. Ames moved Dragon Calm here to shield him from the malice directed at his hometown.
"Is 'thank you' all you need to do?"
Han Xiao thought for a moment, "Then next time I'll bring you some special hair-growth potions as a gift."
"... Go find Ames yourself!"
Jenny's face turned ashen. She suppressed the urge to unleash a torrent of curses and turned to leave.
Seeing this, Harrison muttered under his breath, puzzled, "Lord Black Star, you are a top figure in the universe, why does this woman dare to be so disrespectful to you?"
"I've known her for decades, and we've always been bickering like this. It's pointless to talk about status between friends." Han Xiao waved his hand.
"I see, you're so generous..." Harrison offered a subtle compliment, then asked, "What's her name?"
"You didn't know? Jenny is the chief steward of Dragon Calm, a sister and best friend of the Dragon Emperor. It should be easy to find her online."
"I didn't check that thoroughly... Oh, her name is Jenny. I think she's quite pretty..."
"... When did you go blind?"
Han Xiao suddenly stopped, looked down at his expression, and said in a surprised tone:
"You wouldn't happen to have fallen for her, would you?"
Harrison blushed slightly and said hesitantly, "I wouldn't say I like her, after all, this is the first time I've met her..."
"Oh, I see, you're lusting after her body."
Harrison was speechless and had no reply.
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes. He didn't know about Jenny's love life in his previous life, but Harrison was a bachelor until he sacrificed himself in the World Tree Civilization. He had never heard of him having any partners or children.
Although Jenny may be over a hundred years older Harrison, she takes good care of herself and looks about thirty.
Moreover, as the old saying goes, "A woman three years older than you brings you a gold brick, a woman thirty years older brings you an empire, and a woman three hundred years older brings you an elixir of immortality." Age is no barrier, true love conquers all, and this is a win-win situation.
There's hope!
Thinking of this, Han Xiao patted Harrison on the shoulder and chuckled:
"If you like her, go for it. I'll back you up. Quickly win her over and teach her a lesson. I'm only saying I won't argue with her, otherwise, given her personality, she'd definitely get a beating every three days and a full-blown beating every five."
Harrison's face turned even redder. "What should I do? I have no experience..."
"Huh? You, the son of a wealthy family from a major conglomerate, have never even had a girlfriend?"
"I used to enjoy reading more..."
"What a disgrace!" Han Xiao exclaimed in anguish, "What a waste of your family's wealth!"
The two chatted casually as they led their men to Ames's palace. Han Xiao told Harrison and his men to wait at the base, while he straightened his clothes and stepped into Ames's palace.
Arriving at the garden filled with rare and exotic plants, Ames lay on her side on the long bed in the center of the garden. Her black dress resembled a blooming black flower. She was using a force field to manipulate the Revival Coin given to her by Hila, weaving through the flowers. The table next to her was laden with sumptuous wines and food.
Hearing footsteps, Ames grabbed the coin back, turned to look at Han Xiao, smiled slightly, and patted the bed beside her.
"You've arrived! Please have a seat; we've been waiting for you."
Han Xiao stepped forward, picked up a full blue crystal wine glass from the table, sat down beside the bed, took a sip of the wine, and smacked his lips. "Another one brewed by old man Iso?"
As soon as he finished speaking, his shoulders slumped as he felt a pair of fair arms encircle him.
Ames rested her chin on his shoulder from behind and asked curiously, "What did you do in the Ancient Star Desert? There are too few details in the news; I want to hear about it."
Han Xiao was used to her intimate behavior. During their trip to the Secondary Dimension, the two spent several months together, and their relationship grew closer. Although Ames was a germaphobe and disliked touching other people's bodies, he was not one of them.
"Let's not talk about that now. I brought you a gift."
Han Xiao snapped his fingers, and a virtual screen popped up, listing the Ultimate Knowledge of Esper Class.
"The Three Universal Civilizations have granted me permission to exchange Ultimate Knowledge for others, but there's a limit to the number. Pick one you want, and I'll get it for you."
"That's so good?" Ames blinked. "Let me guess, you didn't just give this to me, but you're going to pass this knowledge on to other ability users, like Hila and the others, right?"
"Yes." Han Xiao nodded.
"This is the real you." A slight smile played on Ames's lips as she looked at the screen and tapped one of the options with her long, slender finger.
Han Xiao glanced at it, "This doesn't seem to be the most suitable for you."
"Didn't you say there was a limit to the amount of knowledge that could be exchanged? I don't care, as long as it's suitable for Hila and Aurora." Ames smiled gently.
"You're being too considerate of her." Han Xiao said helplessly.
"They are my only students, like my own children. If I don't do this for them, who else can I do it for?" Ames casually punched Han Xiao's chest, making a loud thud like a drumbeat. "Tell me a story, I want to hear it."
Han Xiao tilted his head back and drank the wine to moisten his throat. He then picked up a crystal-clear blue fruit from the table and tossed it into his mouth to chew. As he ate, he recounted his experiences in the Ancient Star Desert in great detail.
After telling stories for most of the day, Ames was finally satisfied and let Han Xiao go, agreeing to continue the next day.
Han Xiao left the palace, intending to find old man Iso, but unexpectedly, old man Iso went to the legion's stronghold and took the initiative to come to him.
Back at the base, Han Xiao immediately saw Iso, Harrison, and others sitting in the lobby, keeping him company.
"Old man, I was just about to go find you, did you foresee this again, so you came looking for me first?"
Han Xiao sat down opposite Iso and started joking.
"Stop fooling around, I'm here to talk to you about serious business." Iso put down his cup, his tone somewhat serious.
"That's rare." Han Xiao said with some curiosity, "What do you want to tell me?"
"My passive premonitions have been triggered very frequently lately, and I think it would be better to inform you of some things."
Iso raised a finger and said in a deep voice:
"First, I saw a special being descend upon Planet Aquamarine, and I clearly foresaw its appearance."
"Now that you know what he looks like, why don't you talk to Bennett and have him send someone to compare him against global surveillance footage and find him?"
"That's the problem..."
Iso frowned.
"I searched the entire Planet Aquamarine, but there's no record of this person on any of the surveillance cameras, and no eyewitness reports... It's as if this person never existed."
"Is your prediction wrong?"
"No, I've never felt such a strong sense of foresight in a prophecy before. I can't explain why, but I'm certain this prophecy is reliable."
"So, what's so special about this person you foresaw?"
Upon hearing this, Iso glanced at Han Xiao.
"In my prophecy... it seems you've already crossed paths with him."