Bang bang bang bang!
The light of Psionic Energy explosions flashed frequently in space, and an endless stream of mechanical legions poured out of the barracks and onto the battlefield.
Five figures, enveloped in different colored energies, were submerged in a sea of machines, weaving back and forth among the dense formations of machines like shooting stars. The light from their various abilities occasionally shone through the gaps in the ranks of soldiers.
Four of the five are professionals, with only the mechanic missing. Having lost their family fortune, the mechanic's combat strength has severely declined, and they were not chosen as the representative by the First Ones survivors.
Dark Emperor led dozens of Apostle Weapon to fight the five people. With the amplification of Mechanical Force, the well-coordinated Apostle Weapon made the people busy and in Danger at Every Turn.
The Mechanical Deity stood out on the battlefield, its Star Slaying Blade chasing after several people with a series of slashes, dancing into a ball of blade light. The weapon was huge but as fast as lightning, slashing out a series of fierce Psionic Energy blade waves. The heavy basic attacks were mixed with the explosive moves of Getter Wave Fist, unleashing an off-the-charts destructive power.
Pangon, in particular, received special attention, and Han Xiao loved to persecute... ugh, educate the arrogant, headstrong brat.
However, this time his opponent wasn't the well-known Old Manison, and he needed to maintain his composure, so Han Xiao was a bit reserved and didn't bombard the opponent with chat.
The group fought fiercely for a while, tumbling and rolling around. Han Xiao, fighting against five opponents, did not show any signs of weakness and was not at a disadvantage. In fact, he even had a slight advantage. The mechanical legion, like a flock of crows, charged back and forth, like a black rag trying to wipe away five stubborn stains.
Pangon, Baigel, and their group of five were far from their peak fighting strength, but they weren't pushovers either. Although they were in a rather passive position, they were able to hold on for the time being through their coordinated efforts.
All five of them found it incredibly difficult to deal with; it was their first time dealing with a mechanic of this style, and they felt completely at a loss.
In their minds, the best way to deal with a mechanic is to rush in. When they first saw Black Star arrive, they were quite surprised, thinking that the other party was too careless. But now they realized that they were wrong. Black Star was completely the opposite of the mechanics they had in mind. One was as fragile as paper, while the other's spirit, which should have been a weakness, was rock hard. He was practically indestructible!
The rush-in tactic has become largely ineffective. If we turn to attack the enemy's legion, their resources are too abundant, and their Secondary Dimension Army Box are still continuously producing troops, with no end in sight.
After much thought, it seems the only option is to use a protracted war to wear down the enemy's strength. However, the combined destructive power of the enemy's Apostle Weapon, mechanical legions, and Mechanical Deity is too terrifying, making their margin for error very low, and their strength consumption is also very high.
If this continued, the five were unsure whether they would be seriously injured first, or whether Black Star would run out of energy first.
"Does this person have any weaknesses?" Baigel was alarmed.
"I never imagined that such a terrifying figure would emerge in this era!" Mysterious Lady exclaimed in amazement.
"If only I still had my weapon..." Pangon gritted his teeth, having dozens more bones shattered by another blow.
"Give me a break. A martial artist got brutally beaten up in close combat by a mechanic, and you still have the nerve to talk?" another person couldn't help but say.
"Alright, stop arguing. Think about how to deal with them. If we're outnumbered five to one and still get killed, that would be incredibly embarrassing," Baigel said in a deep voice.
The five of them walked a tightrope, dodging and resisting the concentrated fire of the mechanical legion, trying to find Han Xiao's weakness. However, they could not find a way out and instead became more and more passive.
With the added bonuses of [Fearless Heart] and [Legendary Combat Technique], the Legion's concentrated fire is incredibly powerful. Of the five, only Pangon has true damage reduction; the other four can't withstand many rounds of bombardment.
If it weren't for a telekinetic master and Baigel constantly casting shields on them, some of them might already be seriously injured.
Most importantly, the group was astonished to find that Han Xiao was becoming increasingly powerful in battle, and his strength was constantly growing with each fight.
While maintaining his Phase Illusion spell, Baigel evaded the encirclement of several Apostle Weapon and decisively said:
"The battle has already been drawn into the opponent's rhythm, and the situation will only get worse if this continues. Let's try one more time. Let's all five of us work together to attack his main body. I don't believe his physique has no limits. Besides, there's no other effective way."
"What do you plan to do? His true form is currently hidden within Mechanical Deity, and is under protection."
"Have you forgotten the forbidden spatial magic I possess? I can briefly pull the target out of the Mechanical Deity, creating an opportunity."
The group quickly reached a consensus, and Baigel did not delay, making a handprint.
A beautifully enchanted circuit lit up on his neck, and a spatial repulsion force erupted from him, pushing the surrounding mechanical soldiers far away and crowding them together.
Immediately afterwards, he raised his hand and cast a group teleportation spell, instantly bringing the other four people to his side and gathering them together.
He kept chanting incantations, instantly constructing a new magic circuit. Ripples suddenly appeared in the space not far away, and Han Xiao, who should have been inside the Mechanical Deity's body, appeared out of thin air at the casting position designated by Baigel.
Han Xiao felt his vision blur and his location changed. When he looked up, he saw the five people's well-prepared concentrated fire coming towards him, the light blinding and the momentum fierce.
"Wow, that's quite a combo."
Han Xiao even had the leisure to make a joke, and then opened a new barracks gate beside him. With a yank of his hand, rows of Space-Time Amber spheres were pulled out and stacked into a transparent wall in front of him.
Whoosh!!
The next moment, the five people's surging ranged attacks crashed into the Space-Time Amber barrier, like water jets falling on lotus leaves, and immediately slid off in all directions, while Han Xiao behind the barrier was completely unharmed.
"What is that?!"
Upon seeing this, the five people's pupils contracted.
Just then, Han Xiao's laughter rang out on the wide area channel.
"That spatial displacement magic is quite impressive. I have a similar ability; would you like to take a look?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Han Xiao's figure flashed, and he used Void Leap to return to the Mechanical Deity's body. Before the others could take any further action, he immediately used Void Displacement to switch places with a target.
Wow!
Pangon's vision blurred, and he was shocked to find himself inside the Mechanical Deity's body. Before he could react, the surrounding space suddenly disintegrated, transforming into a mechanical legion that surrounded him and immediately launched a concentrated attack on him.
Iron-Headed Kid was getting beaten up in the distance, while Han Xiao's figure shifted to the side of the other four.
Meeting the shocked gazes of the four, he smiled, his whole body trembled, and he suddenly unfolded the Void Domain Prison.
The next moment, the four people's movements became completely frozen, all trapped in this field, only Han Xiao could move freely.
He activated his Apostolization to its fullest extent, with countless mechanical units feeding back massive amounts of attributes to himself. His right arm bent as if drawing a bow, and energy circuits lit up on the surface of his mech, with Psionic Energy rippling out like waves.
Getter Wave Fist Hammer!
Han Xiao delivered a forward straight punch, the fist wreathed in dazzling Psionic Energy striking Baigel's cheek. In the Void Domain Prison, Baigel's face could be clearly seen trembling, deforming, and splitting open, spraying out a trail of blood.
Thump!!
A dark blue shockwave erupted, and Baigel tumbled and shot out.
Han Xiao didn't stop moving, his mecha unleashing full firepower, relentlessly beating the remaining three, as if afterimages were flying back and forth between them.
Click!
After being brutally beaten, the group finally broke free from the Void Domain Prison and hurriedly retreated. Their entire bodies ached, as if they had been ravaged from head to toe dozens of times.
At the same time, Pangon, who was far away, was not locked up by the strongman. He struggled to break through the blockade of the mechanical legion and broke out of the encirclement. However, he was attacked by multiple concentrated fires in a short period of time. He was covered in blood, seriously injured, and in a very bad state.
Han Xiao Stay Where You Are and did not pursue, but the five people kept their distance from him, their faces showing fear and solemnity.
"Hiss..."
Baigel covered his bleeding face, shocked. Not only had their tactics failed, but Han Xiao had also countered them. The opponent had managed to injure five of them in succession, with Pangon being the most seriously injured.
This series of victories shocked the group. They had no idea what other special abilities Han Xiao possessed, and dared not approach him again, fearing they might fall victim to his attacks once more.
Seeing Han Xiao observing them from the same spot, the five of them became extremely vigilant, completely abandoning any remaining underestimation. They focused all their attention and nervously prepared to face Han Xiao's next offensive.
However, at that moment, Han Xiao halted all the legion's movements, glanced at everyone, and chuckled softly:
"I think we should stop here. I'm sure you all have a good understanding of my abilities. If we continue sparring, things might get a little ugly. I agree with Mysterious Lady's suggestion. Let's stop here and call it a draw. Let's not hurt our feelings."
Upon hearing this, the five people were stunned for a moment. Seeing that Han Xiao's performance did not seem to be fake, they relaxed their tense bodies.
They exchanged glances, their faces showing varying degrees of bitter smiles, shame, and embarrassment.
Several of them knew perfectly well that Black Star was trying to give them a way out, to make them feel a little better, but this only hurt them more.
This is hardly a draw! It was clearly a five-on-one fight, and we still got crushed!
We feel no comfort at all, only shame!
"... A powerhouse like you is unique even in the entire exploration era. I admire you; we underestimated you."
Baigel sighed, his expression complex.
Having experienced it firsthand, Black Star's combat power far exceeded their expectations, completely stunning them.
Even without those fancy combos, just from the sheer strength of the mechanical legion, everyone could see that Black Star's raw power far surpassed theirs.
Thinking of this, a hint of melancholy appeared on their faces, and their arrogance vanished.
If you put yourself in their shoes, you can understand how devastating this blow is. The feeling of a new generation replacing the old is unpleasant, and it can almost make you doubt whether you've really been eliminated.
Pangon was in the most humiliation, his expression shifting between light and dark. His wounds were still burning, but compared to the trauma in his heart, the physical pain was nothing. This unacceptable outcome made him unable to help but doubt himself.
Han Xiao glanced at it and smiled, "I might not have controlled my strength; I hit a little too hard. I hope you won't take it to heart."
"Ahem, it's nothing, we don't mind."
Baigel blushed slightly; he remembered saying something similar to Black Star not long ago.
"Can we continue our discussion now?" Han Xiao asked, shrugging.
"Okay, okay, let's go downstairs and continue talking."
The attitude of the group underwent a complete 180-degree change, and their words were now tinged with respect and awe.
Although they were psychologically unaccustomed to this change, the Beyond Grade A experts were respected, and their strength was the foundation of their existence. Naturally, they could no longer treat someone who could defeat any one of them in a one-on-one fight with the same arrogant attitude they had not long ago.
Seeing this, Han Xiao smiled and returned to the planet's surface, where he immediately saw the Oathkeeper staring intently at him.
Why are you looking at me like that?
"... nothing."
The Oathkeeper suppressed his inner astonishment and tried his best to make his tone sound natural and calm.
Han Xiao's display of strength had also startled him!
Unlike the other the First Ones, the Oathkeeper knew Han Xiao was powerful, but he didn't expect him to be this powerful!
Before today, the Oathkeeper thought he was evenly matched with Black Star, but after witnessing Black Star's battle firsthand, he strongly doubted his judgment— Black Star's true combat strength was much stronger than the rumors suggested!
Fake news is deadly!
The Oathkeeper couldn't help but feel fortunate that they hadn't chosen to kill him to silence him; otherwise, they might have been the ones silenced.
At the same time, the remote monitoring room of the Sanctum Organization's spaceship was deathly silent; the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The many the First Ones were stunned, their eyes wide open, speechless with shock, their faces filled with utter astonishment.
A good ten seconds passed before someone finally spoke, their voice filled with disbelief.
"Five against one, and they still lost?!"
These words immediately caused an uproar among the crowd, filling the room with commotion.
"Is this the power of a modern-day Beyond Grade A?!"
"Judging from his appearance, he seems to be handling it with ease, without any strain at all. Pangon and the other four couldn't even push him to his limit!"
"What's his energy level? Eighty thousand? Ninety thousand? Could it be that he's broken through the one hundred thousand mark?!"
"Perhaps they're right, we've fallen behind, times have really changed..."
Those the First Ones felt their worldviews had been shattered. At first, they thought Black Star was just showing off, but in the end, they realized he was genuinely amazing, and they felt like they had been slapped in the face.
Fortunately, they were just watching from behind the scenes, so they didn't have to worry about saving face. In their eyes, a loss was a loss, and a defeat was a defeat, so they naturally didn't take the draw result seriously.
Recalling Black Star's words before the battle, everyone was instantly deflated, their confidence severely damaged, and their sense of superiority as the First Ones inhabitants was completely shattered.
It seems they weren't exaggerating; this has taught us a lesson and helped us face reality...
Those present had to accept this reality. The arrogance, pride, and inflated ego that had emerged during the initial recovery quickly faded, replaced by caution, humility, and prudence.
The only problem is that the results were so good that many people's attitudes veered to the other extreme...
"Black Star is just the vice president of the Beyond Grade A Association. The internet says there are quite a few other Beyond Grade A in the same tier as him, so they should have similar strength... Wow, the modern world is terrifying!"
Among the crowd, some of the First Ones who had planned to start their own ventures were now having second thoughts, deeply doubting whether they had the resources to establish their own independent businesses.
Originally, some people's goal in reviving was to avoid the Exploration Era War, come to a peaceful era, develop new power through their own efforts, and gain immense influence.
Han Xiao's performance today gave them the illusion that there are experts like him everywhere.
This clash with Tu Shu not only shattered their confidence but also temporarily frightened some into burying their ambitions.
--With our limited strength, rushing into trouble would be suicidal. Let's go into seclusion and train for a few decades first. We will never come out of seclusion if we don't keep up with the times; we can't afford to lose face like that!