With the information blockade lifted, two days later, images of the battle on Earth Ring Planet spread rapidly across the internet, causing astonishment and shock among the vast interstellar population.
The Black Star Army's missing person notices have been quite well-known recently. The interstellar community generally thought that the Black Star was just looking for people, and many people actively participated. However, unexpectedly, this shocking news broke out without warning.
Weren't they looking for someone? Why is Black Star fighting with the Mechanic Emperor again?!
Not only did they fight, but this time they actually won!
In the last Intelligence Plague incident, the Mechanic Emperor's reputation plummeted due to the exposure of its stance, but the impact on its strength and status was limited. Although the Three Universal Civilizations have been promoting the nominal draw, the propaganda effect was somewhat lacking due to insufficient evidence.
However, Black Star's strength is undeniable. While many wouldn't scoff at him, they know in their hearts that there's some exaggeration involved. It's just that Black Star has made contributions, so everyone is supportive and won't voice any dissent.
This time, however, the leaked video footage recorded the entire event without any omissions. Black Star basically won one-on-one, proving the authenticity of the record, which caused an uproar among the public.
The powerful image that the Mechanic Emperor had cultivated in the minds of countless interstellar citizens was gradually fading, while the image of Black Star was becoming more and more profound, gradually robbing the Mechanic Emperor of its prestige.
For the past few decades or even centuries, the Mechanic Emperor has given the impression that it has never suffered a loss. However, in less than a year recently, the Mechanic Emperor has suffered two setbacks, both of which were at the hands of Black Star!
The sudden emergence of Black Star has created one legendary event after another in just a few decades, making it the most remarkable Beyond Grade A in the last half-century. This time, the impact of the event is even greater than the last. Most of the interstellar society feels that the times are changing, and it seems that a new round of generational change is taking place right under everyone's noses.
Of course, as shocked as they were, most interstellar citizens were more puzzled by the cause of the incident, wondering what had gotten into the Black Star and the Mechanic Emperor this time.
Everyone in the interstellar community knows that these two are the president and vice president of the Beyond Grade A Association. The association's stated purpose is to mediate armed conflicts among Beyond Grade A. However, now that the president and vice president are leading the way in violating the rules, some members of the public believe that this means the Development Federation is merely a name without substance. They know that these individuals with great power are hard to change, like a dog that can't stop eating excrement. They are brave and aggressive and will never settle down.
A considerable number of interstellar citizens harbor deep-seated prejudices against Beyond Grade A, both respecting and fearing them, both yearning for and loathing them. However, Black Star is one of the few exceptions.
Regarding this matter, another conspiracy theory has become more widespread, suggesting that the Mechanic Emperor was secretly plotting something again, and Black Star stopped him once more. With the Intelligence Plague incident as a backdrop, the Mechanic Emperor's good reputation has been completely ruined. Any slightly outrageous behavior will trigger the public's sensitive nerves, making people subconsciously think that it is plotting something detrimental to the peace of the universe.
Moreover, this claim is not unfounded. The video footage from Earth Ring Planet clearly shows that the reason given by the Mechanic Emperor for sealing off the planet was to track down a fugitive, and the identity of the fugitive is hard not to associate with Iso, who was recently wanted by the Black Star Army.
As a result, many people suddenly realized the truth and felt that the truth had come to light.
So that's how it is! The Mechanic Emperor must have discovered that Iso was missing, so they wanted to interfere and secretly kidnap Iso to blackmail the Dragon Emperor and Black Star!
This person is too wicked. It was clearly a matter between the Black Star Army, but he took advantage of the situation and kidnapped their family members. He is despicable!
This version of the conspiracy theory seems reasonable and well-founded, gaining increasing acceptance. On the internet, the condemnation and contempt for the Mechanic Emperor intensifies, and seemingly overnight, the Mechanic Emperor has become an object of universal condemnation and infamous.
Such rapid dissemination of public opinion naturally requires the involvement of several forces, and more than one at that. Those who have a grudge against or dislike the Mechanic Emperor Mechanic Emperor all using this as an opportunity to stir up trouble. Given the Mechanic Emperor's reputation among its peers, it's not hard to guess who sent these uninvited online trolls.
After several days of public outcry, the Black Star Army finally released a brief announcement, escalating the situation to a new level.
The Black Star Army claims that they have found Iso and discovered that Iso departure was not voluntary but rather a kidnapping. They have confirmed that the Mechanic Emperor was one of the accomplices, and the real mastermind behind this is the Modo Civilization. The Legion stated that it does not rule out the possibility of taking further action.
Of course, the official explanation was rather euphemistic, but everyone in the interstellar community could see through Black Star's subtext.
--You little punk, trying to stab me in the back? You'd better get your neck clean and wait!
"It can be confirmed that the Soul-Switching Device has fallen into Black Star's hands..."
In the high-level conference room of the Modo Civilization, the air seemed to have solidified into a colloid, and every breath taken by everyone present was heavy and stagnant.
Having inside information, they naturally knew that the real reason for Black Star's struggle with the Mechanic Emperor was to seize the Soul-Switching Device, and the Mechanic Emperor had personally confirmed that the Soul-Switching Device had already fallen into Black Star's hands.
Modo initially didn't know that Manison was after the Soul-Switching Device, thinking that the information had been well concealed, but now it was too late.
Even if the Mechanic Emperor's motives for cooperation were not pure, Black Star ultimately succeeded. It's pointless to dwell on the Mechanic Emperor's actions anymore; on the contrary, it might lead to the termination of cooperation and the loss of an ally.
In contrast, Modo would rather the Mechanic Emperor had seized the Soul-Switching Device, but instead it fell into Black Star's hands; for them, that would be the worst possible outcome.
"The Soul-Switching Device is perfect for planting spies. If Black Star infiltrates the high command of the Expeditionary Army, it will become a Black Hole, swallowing up all the troops and resources we've invested." The military high command looked grim.
"He will definitely do it. The Black Star Army's statement is his declaration of war. We will face an even larger-scale attack, and Black Star himself may even take action."
"We can only try our best to salvage the situation and find a way to eliminate the Soul-Switching Twins and the Book, so that Black Star can't use the Soul-Switching Device," the Three Kings of Modo said in a deep voice.
Because there was no source of intelligence, no one knew that the Soul-Switching Twins had died. At this time, according to the speculation of the higher-ups of Modo, Black Star also controlled the Soul-Switching Device through the Soul-Switching Twins, so the plan to eliminate the twins was brought up again.
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, feeling that this was one of the few feasible plans available at the moment.
The failure of the operation naturally came at a price. The Modo Civilization knew the risks and could only blame their bad luck for losing the gamble. Now, the important issue was how to deal with Black Star's counterattack. The pressure from Black Star was too great, and everyone was worried, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Had they known it would cause such a chain reaction, they wouldn't have been so foolish as to incite the Kunde Race to attack the Crimson Dynasty. They had lost more than they gained by being greedy, and many of the high-ranking officials present felt deep regret.
The Superstar Cluster's allies are unreliable; they're too lazy to deal with the mess that Modo has created. They just hope that Modo will stand firm against Black Star and stop causing trouble that could affect the overall strategy... But that's obviously impossible. Nobody wants to make sacrifices without corresponding gains. Modo is unwilling to be trapped in this predicament and will inevitably plan for its own future.
Due to differing stances, the actions of the Modo Civilization were seen as tantamount to sabotage by other Supercluster civilizations. Instead of obediently holding off the Black Star, they risked provoking direct intervention from other civilizations. Therefore, the dissatisfaction of the Supercluster allies was understandable.
One of the higher-ups hesitated for a moment, then cautiously said, "Things have come to this point, and further discussion is pointless. Given our current situation, if things don't go well, we may have no choice but to withdraw from the competition for the Shattered World..."
"Impossible!" the Three Kings of Modo said with unwavering resolve. "As long as there's even the slightest chance, we must spare no effort and never withdraw from the competition for the Shattered World!"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone quickly echoed him, trying to demonstrate their political correctness.
However, not every high-ranking official shared this view. Securing a future for civilization was certainly important, and they were willing to work towards it. But if the cost was affecting their existing status, thereby indirectly damaging their power and identity in the universe, then many high-ranking officials had a more ambiguous attitude.
From its early days of exploration to the present, leadership has changed time and again. Even though the spirit of enterprise remains, the overall philosophy has continued to become more conservative, which is an unavoidable natural law.
Compared to the leaders who grew up in blood and fire, not everyone in the current leadership possesses a lofty sense of mission, and no system can curb the spread of selfishness... What the future of civilization will become is, after all, a matter for the future. People living in the present are still thinking most about the present, or rather, about the power and status they can enjoy while they are alive.
Some people believe that if things are beyond saving, maintaining the status quo of the Supercluster civilization isn't so bad. Those willing to go down a dead-end path will never be the majority.
Ancient Star Desert, a temporary base of the Mechanic Faith.
Zacks changed into his best suit, looked in the mirror, rolled up the oil-stained cuffs, stuffed a few pieces of cardboard into his collar to smooth out the wrinkles, and spent a full five minutes tidying himself up before pushing open the door and walking towards the Holy Mountain Temple in the center of the city. Along the way, he could see groups of neatly dressed followers of the Mechanic Faith heading in the same direction, smiling and nodding to each other.
The Mechanic Faith has some characteristics of a nomadic tribe, constantly migrating throughout the universe. Each High Priests leads a migrating group, and every so often, the High Priests hold a unified festival, in which all believers in their respective places of residence dress in their best clothes to participate. This is one of the traditions of the Mechanic Faith.
Zacks is an ordinary believer and a heavy mining armor operator. He originally worshipped Manison, but after the Intelligence Plague incident, he changed his faith and began to worship Black Star.
Therefore, he has received a lot of cold looks from his neighbors over the past few months, because most believers with the same faith choose to live in the same area.
Although the Mechanic Faith advocates freedom of religion, ordinary believers who are completely unaffected are a minority. Therefore, Zacks's open switch of allegiance is very conspicuous in the neighborhood. Although the neighbors can't do anything about it, they certainly won't be happy about it.
In particular, there was a good friend named Modir, a staunch believer of the Mechanic Emperor. After Zacks converted to Black Star, Modir came to persuade him more than once, but each time it would turn into a heated debate. The topic of the debate was the credibility of the original tie record. Zacks thought it was reliable, while Modir insisted that the tie record was just a means to smear the Mechanic Emperor.
Neither of them could convince the other, and they gradually stopped contacting each other. He hadn't contacted the other for many days.
While pondering, Zacks maintained a devout attitude and followed the crowd to the Temple square. He received the ritual supplies from the priest, determined the direction, and headed towards the Black Star Temple, where each Mechanical Deity had its own separate temple.
As Zacks walked along the road, he noticed something different. There were practically no followers of Black Star before. Although there were a few more after the Intelligence Plague incident, the number was still small, at most only about one-tenth of that of the Mechanic Emperor. The other branch temples were always deserted, far from the bustling crowds of the Mechanic Emperor's temple.
This time, he found that there were several times more believers going to the Black Star Temple than before, which made him very happy.
"More and more people share the same ideals. My choice was indeed right. Black Star is more worthy of faith than the Mechanic Emperor."
He was secretly pleased as he entered the Black Star Palace. It was bustling with activity, with several times more believers than before. If one didn't know better, they might mistake it for the Temple of the Mechanic Emperor.
Soon, Zacks finished the entire ritual process and was about to make way for the people behind him when his gaze suddenly turned and he caught sight of a familiar figure not far away.
"Hey, Modir? What are you doing here?"
Hearing someone call out to him, Modir turned around and saw that it was Zacks. His expression immediately turned unnatural, and he hurriedly covered his face with his hands and walked away.
Seeing this, Zacks quickly chased after him and grabbed Modir's arm to prevent him from escaping.
"What a coincidence, I didn't expect to see you here." Zacks said with a mocking smile.
"Hehe, what a coincidence! I was originally going to the Mechanic Emperor Palace, but I got lost." Modir's smile froze.
"The Mechanic Emperor Palace is in the opposite direction. How could you get lost? Did you follow the crowd and mistake it for something else because there are so many people here?" Zacks teased.
"That's right, that's exactly it," Modir quickly echoed.
"What... what is this?!" Zacks suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out a mechanical item—a Black Star figurine, the kind meant for home display. He looked at the embarrassed Modir and chuckled, "Don't tell me you bought the wrong thing. Only a blind person could mistake a deity for a statue. Tell me honestly, have you also betrayed the Mechanic Emperor and converted to Black Star?"
"Nonsense! Betrayal what...?" Modir's voice rose red as he forced a defense, "How can something concerning a believer be considered betrayal?"
Zacks looked at him with disdain, said nothing, and just chuckled twice.
Under the watchful eyes of his old friend, Modir's momentum quickly subsided, and he muttered under his breath, "Stop laughing, I admit it, I've started to believe in Black Star, okay?"
"Oh, so you admit it now? Why were you trying to deny it earlier?"
"It's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding..." Modir blushed.
The two had debated more than ten times before. He insisted that Black Star was inferior to the Mechanic Emperor. However, the video of Black Star directly defeating the Mechanic Emperor's clone a few days ago slapped him so hard that his face was swollen. So he secretly cursed the Mechanic Emperor, secretly changed his faith, and hid it from everyone, afraid of being laughed at. When he met his old friends again, he wanted to avoid them.
Seeing his expression, Zacks shook his head in dissatisfaction. "You've obviously only recently become a follower of Black Star; you're a complete newbie and haven't grasped the essence at all."
"The essence?" Modir was interested, but too embarrassed to ask further.
"Hmph, look at you, you feel embarrassed and ashamed over such a small thing. It's outrageous! What kind of Black Star believer are you? As a Black Star believer, you can lack many things, but you must have a thick skin!"
Zacks stood with his hands on his hips, speaking with righteous indignation.
"There's such a saying?" Modir's eyes widened.
"Of course! This is the attitude towards life that Black Star taught us. Many times, you feel ashamed and embarrassed, but... who cares about your feelings! Don't flatter yourself!"
"Huh?" Modir opened his mouth wide, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
"Shut up, stop asking so many questions, and listen to me spread my teachings." Zacks glared.
"... I haven't even asked yet?!"
"Well, anyway, as believers, we must learn from our idol's strengths. Black Star's shamelessness is known throughout the universe. Look at me, I haven't even changed my neighborhood. I don't care what they say. If they dare to come and debate with me, I'll consider it missionary work. And look at you, you've already become a believer in Black Star, yet you're afraid of others finding out. You're unqualified!"
"That sounds reasonable... Is there anything else I should be aware of?"
Modir was shaken and felt somewhat ashamed, so he quickly and humbly asked for advice.
"Of course, Black Star told us that a qualified mechanic should exercise every day and develop a strong physique!" Zacks rolled up his sleeves, revealing his bulging arm muscles, which were knotted and bulging.
Most people have never believed in Black Star. Its doctrines and rules are man-made, and believers extract characteristics from the idol's actions and take them as the sect's tenets. However, Black Star's characteristics have opened up a new world for many believers and broken down old ideas.
It turns out that a true mechanic should hold himself to the standards of a martial artist. As long as he is physically strong, he can make up for his weaknesses and use himself as a trap to lure the enemy into ambush!
Black Star has already proven with his actual combat record that this is a more advanced tactic!
News of Manison's first defeat at the hands of Black Star caused the Mechanic Emperor to lose a large number of followers, with many switching allegiance to Black Star. Suddenly, a fitness craze swept through the Mechanic Faith, and fitness equipment repeatedly sold out. The same scene was playing out simultaneously in many of the Mechanic Faith's residences.
"Black Star is getting better and better at fighting..."
At the Infinite Financial Group's branch, Sorokin looked at the news report, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.
Even by his harsh standards, the Mechanic Emperor is a rare power in history. Black Star was badly humiliated more than ten years ago, but now it can actually make Manison suffer a defeat in a head-on confrontation, and twice at that.
For Sorokin, it's not good news that someone who seems to have figured out his background possesses such formidable combat power.
"Given Black Star's current combat strength, if I wanted to take action against him and eliminate the threat, I would have to retrieve all my soul seeds and restore my full strength. But that would be too much for this body; it would be practically destroyed, and I would have to change my identity again..."
Sorokin paced back and forth, feeling troubled.
Among the many Beyond Grade A, some seek fame, some seek power, some pursue strength, and some are indifferent to desires... but he only wants to make money.
Over the years, Sorokin has changed his identity again and again in order to achieve various plans, but this time, he is reluctant to give up his identity as the head of the Infinite Financial Group, which is a huge fortune that he has amassed with too much effort.
Meanwhile, on the Black Star Army's returning fleet, Han Xiao finished dealing with many miscellaneous matters and finally had some free time. He remembered to test the Soul-Switching Device's characteristics, so he summoned Fording and temporarily retrieved the Soul-Switching Device.
He rubbed his fingertips against the mirror surface, trying to press it in, but it wouldn't go in at all. No matter how much force he used, the Soul-Switching Device refused to comply, which was the complete opposite of its situation of actively absorbing Fording.
"There's even such a thing as a 'suitable candidate'? Let me see what kind of trash you really are..."
Han Xiao's eyes flickered, and he activated [Bold Explorer].