His field of vision shifted rapidly, and when he came to his senses, Han Xiao found himself suspended in the outer space of a giant planet, looking down at the planet beneath his feet.
Viewed from above, this planet is vast and lush green, with brightly lit city areas scattered across its surface, suggesting the presence of a thriving civilization.
Based on the technology of planetary orbiting satellites, Han Xiao could roughly determine that this civilization was at the surface stage, possessed both scientific and magical systems, and was attempting to develop into an interstellar civilization.
The lights on the ground flickered, as if on fast forward, and everything before his eyes seemed to flash by, condensing countless days and nights. In Han Xiao's perception, it seemed that only three seconds had passed. But at that moment, as if some kind of point had been reached, time suddenly returned to normal.
The next moment, the planet beneath his feet underwent a strange change. He saw the ground tremble violently in a city area, and then a huge seven-fingered hand burst out of the ground.
A Titan- like giant, with its broad back, broke free of the ground covering its head, rising like a pillar supporting the sky, lifting up vast swathes of land, just as a person lifted a tablecloth from the middle, while the buildings on the ground, like the dishes on the tablecloth, collapsed and shattered.
Emerging from the ground, this grayish-white giant revealed its size to be thousands of meters tall; the mere aftershocks of its emergence destroyed most of the city.
He strode into the deep mountains, each step causing a chain reaction of earthquakes. Countless rocks seemed to be drawn by some force, climbing up his legs to his body, compressing and solidifying into layer upon layer of dark brown protective shells, as if he were wearing a suit of armor.
Soon, the civilization's fighter squadron arrived at the scene and opened fire on the giant. Countless sparks exploded on his body, but the damage was minimal. With a casual wave of his hand, the giant compressed the air and unleashed a powerful shockwave that swept across the area. The aircraft were crushed into pieces of scrap metal in mid-air and exploded into fireworks.
At the same time, Han Xiao saw similar situations in more than a dozen locations, with one huge life form after another emerging from the ground. Each individual had a different appearance, including giants, behemoths, and some indescribable life forms. Some were in deep mountains and forests, some in loess deserts, and some in deep ocean trenches, as if they were collectively awakening.
"A disaster involving the awakening of ancient gods?"
Han Xiao's heart skipped a beat.
This is a rare type of disaster. The so-called "Ancient Gods" is a general term referring to powerful individuals, which are not necessarily living beings; even mechanical entities can be included. Simply put, it refers to certain powerful individuals who have been dormant on a planet for countless years, and who awaken again for some reason, causing devastating damage to the civilization that later developed on the planet.
The causes are mainly divided into two types. One is that in ancient times, "ancient gods" descended from outer space and fell into a deep sleep, and were visitors from outer space. The other is that "ancient gods" are life forms native to the planet, and the latter will basically have some connection with the religious system that is prevalent on the planet.
If he were to bury Apostle Weapon the size of Giant King Kong on a planet, setting it to awaken hundreds of thousands of years later, and if a civilization were to emerge on that planet, this situation could also be considered an "awakening of an ancient god."
While Han Xiao was pondering, the images continued to flash. Time accelerated slightly again, showing the civilization employing various modern weapons, but with little success. Even planting mushrooms couldn't kill these "ancient gods."
They seem to possess different powers; aside from retaliating, they don't deliberately attack civilized forces. Instead, they constantly use their power to influence changes in the planet's environment, causing Volcano eruptions, massive tsunamis, tectonic plate drift, magnetic field changes, global warming, and other disasters, seemingly trying to reshape a planet suitable for their own survival. These drastic environmental changes are fatal to the civilization's race, making coexistence impossible. They can only repeatedly use weapons of war to attack, attempting to stop the "Ancient Gods'" actions.
During this period, more "Ancient Gods" awakened. They seemed to be the ancient masters of this planet, and the civilization's population plummeted. They abandoned city after city, retreating to the last continent where the "Ancient Gods" were most scarce, which they called the "Last Land."
But just then, a turning point appeared.
Knowing that the "Ancient Gods" had awakened from the earth, the civilization spared no effort in digging around the world in an attempt to capture the dormant individuals. In the end, they actually found one individual tens of thousands of meters underground in the Last Land. However, this individual was already dead, but its body had not decayed or shriveled.
The civilization was overjoyed and organized a research force to find the weaknesses of the "Ancient Gods." However, the more they studied, the more desperate they became, as all the evidence indicated that with their current level of weaponry, they had no way to kill the "Ancient Gods."
In Han Xiao's eyes, these "ancient gods" were at the Calamity Grade, seemingly a rare cosmic life race. Due to their extraordinary racial talents and massive bodies with immense vitality, they were stronger than ordinary Calamity Grade, mainly because they were incredibly durable. A Calamity Grade expert could easily sweep through a surface civilization, and for this civilization, so many special Calamity Grade beings were far beyond their ability to handle.
In despair, someone had a sudden inspiration and suggested that since the existing weapons were ineffective, they could try to modify the corpse of this "ancient god" that was dead but not decayed, and use it as a weapon to fight against other "ancient gods".
With no other options, the civilization naturally had few objections and could only try anything, but disagreements arose over the control methods. Normal remote control was unsuitable for high-intensity combat, while Neural Link would require pilots who could not handle the neural load of such large bodies, necessitating at least several thousand or even tens of thousands of people, which would inevitably hinder flexibility. Furthermore, artificial intelligence technology had not yet developed to a level suitable for practical combat.
Ultimately, this civilization decided to jointly advance several plans, one of which was to develop a device for transferring souls, allowing their souls to escape their frail bodies and reside in the remains of this "Ancient God," under their control. In this way, they could maximize the "Ancient God's" combat power in life and also have a chance to retain its coveted "powers."
"This feeling of déjà vu... Ultraman?!"
Han Xiao's lips twitched.
Just then, his gaze suddenly narrowed, landing him in a huge laboratory. There, the remains of the "Ancient God" were erected high, with layers of scaffolding suspended over various parts for modification, implanting all sorts of mechanical weapons.
On the ground, there were squads of assassins dressed in white, each with a mechanical port implanted in the back of their head, from which cables extended, all connected to a large device in mid-air.
This large device was suspended in front of the head of the "Ancient God" corpse, and the launch port was a black crystal mirror, directly facing the center of the corpse's forehead.
Click!
Han Xiao saw the experimenter in the control panel push the lever, and the next moment, there were thuds as everyone fell to the ground. All the white-clad assassins fell to the ground, and beams of dark light entered the device along the cables. Then, a strange black light shot out from the crystal mirror and entered the brow of the "Ancient God's" remains.
Time ticked by, but the remains of the "ancient god" showed no reaction, and the faces of the many researchers were filled with frustration.
But then, the entire underground laboratory suddenly shook violently, cracks spread across the walls, and a dozen huge tentacles shattered the walls. Amidst the swirling mud, a gigantic figure emerged from the ground—one of the "Ancient Gods," with a half-plant body, resembling an enlarged carnivorous plant and an octopus, using the earth as its swimming ground.
However, in that instant, the remains of the "ancient god" suddenly opened their eyes.
At that moment, Han Xiao's vision blurred, and he returned to the spaceship's office. The illusion brought about by [The Bold Explorer] came to an abrupt end.
He pondered for a moment, then thought to himself:
"This time there seems to be a lot of information..."
If I'm not mistaken, the large device in the illusion is the prototype of the Soul-Switching Device, and the crystal mirror that serves as the launch port is the Soul-Switching Device in my hand. I don't know what mutations it underwent over the long years, but it eventually became a Cosmic Wonder.
Recalling the appearance of that civilization in the illusion, Han Xiao searched the database, but there were no matching records. Even the Space-Time Research Society's database, which focuses on collecting information on lost civilizations, had no record of it.
"It seems this is an undiscovered civilization, possibly located in Unexplored Universe, or perhaps an even more ancient lost civilization. Could it be from the same era as the civilization that created the Domino Virus...? I wonder what happened to this civilization later."
Han Xiao was quite curious, but unfortunately, the cooldown time for [Bold Explorer] was fourteen days, and he wouldn't be able to use it again for another two weeks.
According to the vision, the plan to manipulate the remains of the "Ancient God" using the Soul-Switching Device seems to have succeeded. The souls of those assassins should have merged into one, and although the remains are not decaying, their souls have long since dissipated, so there was little resistance, and the body smoothly accommodated the new souls...
"Um?!"
In that instant, a flash of inspiration, like a lightning bolt piercing the darkness, exploded in Han Xiao's mind.
Hila's interrogation of the Soul-Switching Twins Souls, coupled with Fording's tests over this period, gave him a preliminary understanding of the Soul-Switching Device's effects. He knew that this device could transfer souls to a large extent, ignoring the body's rejection. Therefore, as long as the target was a still-living but soulless body, it could easily "bring them back to life."
If that's the case...
Han Xiao flipped his hand and took out the Space-Time Amber, his eyes gradually brightening.
He suddenly realized that the functions of these two things seemed to be a perfect match!
The Soul-Switching Device seems to have a special use in his hands!
"Black Star, what are you laughing at? Why are you laughing so much..."
Fording, sitting across the table, hesitated, too embarrassed to utter the word "sleazy" for fear of being questioned.
"Ahem!" Han Xiao quickly snapped out of his reverie, coughed lightly, and said, "I thought of something happy."
"What's making you happy?"
"My wife is giving birth... Ugh, what's it to you?" Han Xiao almost blurted out, but then he came to his senses, waved the Soul-Switching Device in his hand, and said irritably, "I'll take it to experiment with first, I'll give it back to you when I'm done."
"I'm fine with that." Fording hesitated for a moment, then said, "Actually, there's something I'd like to ask you for help with. As you know, while telekinetic practitioners can transfer souls, the risks are extremely high, so Morning Star has remained inside me. But now that I have this Universal Treasure, there's no danger anymore, and I plan to get her out."
"What's the point of bringing it out? Isn't spiritual communion more enjoyable?"
"You talk like you've actually tried it." Fording looked speechless.
Han Xiao scratched his nose and changed the subject. "So you want me to find a body for Morning Star, is that right?"
"It's not just that..." Fording somewhat awkwardly, "She said she didn't want to use someone else's secondhand goods, so she wanted a custom-made body, with the figure and appearance sculpted by her."
"I'm helpless too." Han Xiao waved his hand in refusal. "I'm just an ordinary mechanic. I can handle mechanics, but creating humans? Forget it. Do you think I'm the creator?"
"Couldn't we use bio-engineered muscles, nano-nerves, or something similar to create a cyborg?"
"That's certainly possible, but it would require a chip, and the consciousness implanted would be in a virtual intelligence format, which is incompatible with the souls of you telekinetic practitioners."
"Can't we simulate the brain's structure without using chips?"
"It's possible, but I can't guarantee there won't be any side effects."
"What should we do then?" Fording, somewhat troubled. "We can't just kill a young and beautiful female creature just to find her a body."
"In my opinion, you could find a pet and temporarily move your wife in there. Wouldn't that be wonderful...?"
"She said you're getting more and more perverted." Fording squinted. "I think so too."
"... What's going on in your heads?"
Han Xiao rolled his eyes. "You're the only one in the entire legion who has no right to talk to me like that."
Fording shook his head, his expression turning serious. "Let's get down to business. I used the Soul-Switching Device to separate the parasitic soul from Iso's body; he's recovered."
"Oh dear, then let him come see me. I want to see how he's doing now."
He's already outside the door.
Fording greeted him, the door was pushed open, Iso walked in. Upon seeing Han Xiao, he couldn't help but let out a wry smile.
Han Xiao looked Iso up and down. "Old man, are there any aftereffects?"
No, I'm perfectly normal now.
Iso plopped down, his expression complicated, and finally sighed, "Black Star, thank you this time. If it weren't for you, Ames would definitely have been implicated because of me."
"Don't say that. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been ambushed." Han Xiao shook his head.
"Sigh, I've lived this long, whether I live or die doesn't matter to me. I just don't want my death to involve Ames. I know her temper; in a fit of rage, she'll definitely do something she'll regret for the rest of her life."
You were absolutely right...
Han Xiao thought to himself.
"What do you plan to do now? Although this was someone else's scheme, Ames will be on guard now, and even if you want to leave, you won't be able to leave easily."
"What else can we do but stay here?"
Iso gave a wry smile. He had originally agreed with Black Star that after the matter was settled, he would go out and continue to travel around and cause trouble everywhere, but plans can't keep up with changes.
If Black Star hadn't informed Ames, he wouldn't be in such a predicament. But since Ames saved him, he naturally had no reason to blame Black Star.
Han Xiao stroked his chin and suddenly said, "Actually, I have a way that satisfies both sides."
"Oh?" Iso's eyes lit up, and he said eagerly, "Tell me quickly."
"It's actually very simple. Now that I have the Soul-Switching Device, I can transfer your soul into the body of a powerful being. You can then travel around adventuring with them. Although you won't be able to control your body, it's better than staying at home and getting moldy, and your safety will be guaranteed."
Iso's eyes lit up; he was somewhat tempted.
"That's one way... but what about my health?"
"Simple, I can seal it with Space-Time Amber... but I suggest you contribute it and let someone else use it temporarily. I happen to have someone suitable here."
Who is the candidate?
Han Xiao pointed at Fording and chuckled, "You enter Fording's body, and Morning Star borrows your body—isn't that a perfect solution?"
Upon hearing this, both of them shuddered simultaneously.
Fording wanted to gouge his eyes out at the thought of his lovely wife turning into a wretched old man.
The thought of Fording's habit of spiritual communion made Iso instinctively and fearfully squeeze his legs together.
"I'd rather die!"
The two spoke in unison.
Planet Fein, headquarters of the Beyond Grade A Association.
Today was another regular meeting day, and numerous Beyond Grade A remote projectors arrived at the venue. People waited outside the meeting room for the meeting to begin, gathering in small groups to chat.
"Have you heard? Black Star fought another battle with the Mechanic Emperor not long ago, and this time he actually won head-on," said the Sun Hunter, floating in mid-air.
"We're not out of the loop, of course we know." Kant stood with his arms crossed, clicking his tongue in amazement. "Remember the battle we watched a few months ago? Back then, Black Star was at best fighting the Mechanic Emperor to a standstill. And now, in such a short time, they've managed to repel Manison head-on. It's terrifying."
"Hehe, this time Manison really suffered a big loss. I'm so happy." A neutral mechanic laughed heartily.
Kasuyi shook his head. "I know the strength of the Mechanic Emperor very well. It's unbelievable that they lost after using so many trump cards. I watched the recording, and Black Star seems to have learned some new technique that perfectly counters the Mechanic Emperor."
Seraon scoffed, "Just lucky."
"I strongly object to your assessment of his luck; you are questioning my professionalism," the Secret Master said expressionlessly.
Seraon was speechless for a moment, his face turning ugly. "I'm just being stubborn for a bit, don't ruin my chances!"
"Speaking of which, I don't know if I'm wrong, but were those three Beyond Grade A weapons that the Mechanic Emperor later took out in the video the same three guys we know?" Milizaus asked hesitantly.
Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent for a moment, and everyone's expressions became somewhat strange.
These veteran Beyond Grade A naturally knew who the defeated opponents of the Mechanic Emperor were, and some of them even had connections with them.
Seeing that their former acquaintances had seemingly been subjected to live human modification by the Mechanic Emperor, many people present felt uneasy.
Although live body modification is not taboo, it seems somewhat inappropriate in the Beyond Grade A circle, because everyone possesses great power. Once someone appears who has undergone live body modification, all Beyond Grade A individuals will be more or less wary of this person, fearing that they will become prey.
"I saw in the video that Black Star captured two people. When he gets here, we can ask him about it," Kant said, shrugging.
Just then, another projection appeared not far away, and everyone turned to look.
"Hey, they said Black Star Black Star was here, and here he is."