Back then, in order to synthesize an extremely dangerous superpower, he recklessly captured superpowered individuals, fusing countless abilities, and ultimately succeeded in synthesizing the [Energy Manipulation] superpower gene chain. Because his original body could not turn back and his lifespan was coming to an end, at that time, he had the idea of leaving himself a way out to start a new life.
So he hid this ability and never showed it. He secretly chose "Gaud" as the vessel for reincarnation, implanting this superpower gene chain into Gaud's body, intending to inherit this achievement after reincarnation. He also eliminated all his subordinates who knew about it to ensure that this persona had a clean background.
The core of the plan is [Superpower: Rebirth], a one-time ability that can only be used once in a lifetime. It grants the owner a second life and is not simply a superpower in the soul realm, but involves High-Dimensional Information State, making it more advanced.
The effect is not as simple as splitting the soul, but rather the complete fusion of consciousness and the vessel, forming a complete new soul that has nothing to do with the original body. Although memories are retained, thoughts and personality will undergo certain changes, meaning that Gaud is Gaud, no longer the Sorokin he once was, completely abandoning the past and truly achieving rebirth.
When he was captured by Han Xiao and his group, in the short time before the Space-Time Amber was formed, only the effect of [Superpower: Rebirth] could save his life in the desperate situation. So he made up his mind to tear his soul apart and cut off his tail to escape. Through this ability, he upgraded his main consciousness and transformed it into High-Dimensional Information State. In this way, he broke through the soul blockade of Swordsman Fu and others and located and transmitted it to "Gaud".
No one knew any of this, and nothing happened after so many years. Gaud had long since put his mind at ease, believing that no one had seen through his methods. But unexpectedly, at this moment, Han Xiao revealed the deepest secret in his heart.
Gaud was in turmoil; he had no idea where he had slipped up.
Even his defenses faltered due to a loss of composure, allowing him to be blasted away by the mechanical troops and sustain several injuries.
At that moment, Gaud's mind raced. Suppressing his inner shock, he feigned surprise and asked:
"Sorokin? What are you talking about?"
"You still won't admit it now? It seems you still have unrealistic hopes. You've run into my trap. Do you think you can still escape?"
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and immediately understood what the other person was thinking.
Even in dire straits, Gaud would never admit to being Sorokin. He believed that if he disappeared, the empire would search extensively and eventually find his way back to Black Star, giving him hope of escape.
However, if Black Star were to admit his identity, his actions would be legitimate. Only by avoiding leaving any evidence could he wait for the Empire's rescue.
So no matter how horrified he was, no matter how Black Star probed him, Gaud could only stubbornly deny it, pretend to be deaf and dumb, and even turn the tables on him!
"Black Star! Your words are utterly absurd! If you're going to take action, at least come up with a better excuse. What connection do I have with the Sorokin? You're probably worried that I'll grow stronger and threaten your position, so you want to kill me beforehand. Anyway, there's no one here, so why bother fabricating a crime that doesn't exist?!"
Gaud gritted his teeth, speaking righteously as if he had suffered a great injustice, his words implying that he was being framed.
"How come I didn't know before that your acting skills were comparable to Kekezi's?" Han Xiao curled his lip.
Gaud ignored him, seemingly engulfed in rage, and roared, "I understand! You're the one who leaked information about my abilities on the black market! You must have gotten intelligence from within the Empire, trying to muddy the waters, clear yourself of suspicion, and frame someone else! Don't think you can fool everyone; the Empire won't let you get away with this!"
Since you're afraid to admit it, there's no point in saying more.
Han Xiao shook his head.
He had originally wanted to have an open and honest talk with Gaud, since they were acquaintances of several decades, and he hoped to get some last words from him. But Gao De refused to admit anything, so there was nothing left to talk about.
As soon as he finished speaking, Han Xiao released his Mechanical Force without hesitation, unleashing the troops of his main body's barracks. He then merged with a portion of the soldiers, transforming them into a Mechanical Deity.
With this secluded, deep Secondary Dimension undisturbed, Han Xiao could finally act freely and without restraint.
Brush!
The Star Slaying Blade slashed down fiercely, shattering layer upon layer of barriers. Like swatting a fly, it slammed Gaud, who had no way to avoid it, from the sky to the ground. Like a falling meteor, it crashed into a huge crater, creating a crater-like effect.
The shockwave erupted, and centered on Gaud, the pale earth cracked open with fissures that stretched to the horizon.
Puff!
Blood seeped from every pore of Gaud's body, instantly staining his clothes red.
A sharp pain coursed through every nerve. Before he could even catch his breath, his vision was filled with a dense mass of dark shadows. The muzzles of the cannons of the mechanical troops in the air were gleaming.
Gaud quickly sprang to his feet and retreated. The next moment, countless Psionic Energy cannons merged into a thick beam of light, which crashed into the pale earth.
The ground instantly cracked and bulged, as if a mountain range had risen from the flat ground, before exploding with a deafening roar!
Boom!!
The powerful aftershocks spread rapidly, and even though Gaud generated layers of shields, the shockwave still blew him away.
He had barely flown into the air when the catching-up Mechanical Deity punched him back to the ground, breaking countless bones.
Although Gaud's superpower has extraordinary potential, potential is not the same as strength. His current rank is still too low. In front of Han Xiao, who is going all out, he is as weak as a child and has no power to fight back. The situation is a complete crushing defeat. Gaud can only barely survive while being beaten to a pulp!
While pressing the button for Gaud damage, Han Xiao glanced at the battle information on the panel.
Because his own level far exceeded Gaud's, all of Gaud's abilities were on full display, unlike the Sorokin whose true strength was unknown. Han Xiao was certain that Gaud had no means to escape his predicament.
Although he had checked the Gaud Maps dashboard before, Han Xiao checked it again just to be on the safe side.
Han Xiao was surprised to find that Gaud Maps had added a new skill.
[[Energy Manipulation - Evolution Energy (Not Activated)]: You are analyzing the energy principle of the Evolution Cube. Once completed, you will master this energy. Current analysis progress is 50.2%.]
"That bastard's still eyeing the Evolution Cube?"
Han Xiao frowned.
This guy is really persistent; he hasn't given up on Evolution Cube yet!
Gaud's abilities were too well hidden; he only began analyzing them after leaving the palace, and I didn't realize it at the time.
Fortunately, due to other reasons, they were intercepted in time, indirectly interrupting the opponent's scheme; otherwise, Gaud would have stolen their knowledge.
Han Xiao suddenly realized a sensitive issue.
"I wonder if Gaud did this on his own initiative, or if it was at the behest of the Empire and the Book..."
Han Xiao's eyes flashed, and his expression turned grim.
Although the Empire has stopped mentioning the Evolution Cube recently, Han Xiao knows that some people within the Empire still want to control it. Gaud is now a loyal follower of the Empire, and the Empire's higher-ups know his abilities. It's highly possible that they sent him over to secretly analyze the Evolution Cube, then claimed to have made a breakthrough, thus preventing Han Xiao from taking action.
Han Xiao had nothing to say about the Empire's actions; everyone got what they wanted, and there was no right or wrong. What he cared more about right now was how this intelligence would affect his actions.
If it's at the behest of the Empire, the risk increases. From the Empire's perspective, they now have a motive and are no longer completely innocent; they will become suspects.
However, this also gave him a new excuse. The other party was in the wrong first. As long as Gaud wasn't killed, even if things were exposed and the Empire came knocking, he would have a reason to argue his case and it wouldn't turn into the worst outcome.
"It seems there are both advantages and disadvantages... There's no turning back now, let's take him down first!"
Han Xiao shook his head, suppressing the thought, and focused on controlling the mechanical troops to gang up on... no, to fight Gaud one-on-one.
The mechanical legion surged like a black tide, and as time went on, Gaud's condition deteriorated. Although his ability granted him Infinite mana, it lacked rapid health regeneration. His injuries accumulated, and his normal recovery speed could no longer keep up.
Gaud, dragging his wounded and exhausted body, struggled to break through the encirclement time and time again, trying to Escape with Your Life. However, he was always pulled back by the mechanical troops. Like a pitiful person who had been cruelly tortured, he tried to crawl out of the room again and again, but could never reach the door. He was always grabbed by the heels and dragged back.
The gap in strength is too large, and Han Xiao is fully prepared; Gaud can't make any waves.
As several beams pierced his chest, Gaud could no longer hold on and, like a falling bird, crashed onto the devastated, pale earth. Blood gushed out and quickly pooled into a pool of blood.
Han Xiao deactivated the Mechanical Deity, and his real body slowly landed beside Gaud. Gaud had not given up his will to live, dragging his riddled body as he crawled along, leaving a glaring trail of blood.
"Don't bother."
Han Xiao glanced at the panel and confirmed that Gaud was seriously injured and on the verge of death. He shook his head, sighed, bent down, grabbed Gaud's neck, and lifted him up.
Gaud's feet were off the ground, and he was too weak to struggle. He stared intently at Han Xiao, his eyes filled with intense resentment.
Having finally returned to the Beyond Grade A realm, with a bright future ahead, he was full of expectations for the future.
But he never expected that after developing his skills in a low-key manner for so long, when he finally emerged full of ambition, he would run into Black Star, who had seen through his identity and wanted to nip him in the bud.
He was unwilling to accept it!
He still has a bright future!
He has ambitious goals!
Years of planning, a lifetime of ambition...
All of this seems to be turning into nothingness, vanishing into nothingness...
He can't accept it!
We can't fail here!
Han Xiao glanced at Gaud's distorted expression and shook his head:
"Whether you admit you are Sorokin or not, it doesn't change the fact. I'm not targeting you because of personal grudges. If that incident hadn't happened, and you had cleared your name and joined the Empire, I wouldn't have cared at all. After all, I'm not a good person either, and I have no right to judge your crimes."
However, I know how obsessed you are with the existence of the other side of the wormhole. I cannot allow you to infiltrate the Empire and move freely. That would threaten not only me, but the entire Explored Universe.
Although that day will come sooner or later, your existence will not only bring it forward, but also bring unpredictable consequences... because you are too pure. As long as there is an opportunity for advancement, you don't care who you fight for, while I... don't like to wait until the hidden dangers erupt before taking action."
Gaud's pupils contracted.
He instinctively wanted to ask Han Xiao what he knew, but after opening his mouth, he ultimately remained silent, not wanting to leave any grounds for suspicion.
"Black Star... the Empire will not let you get away with this!"
Gaud repeated the same statement.
Seeing that the other party still didn't reveal anything, Han Xiao knew he couldn't get anything out of them. With a flick of his Mechanical Force, nanoparticles spread along his arm to Gaud's Gaud, quickly covering his entire body and transforming into a spherical mechanical confinement device, like a coffin, enveloping Gaud inside.
Immediately afterwards, Han Xiao activated the Space-Time Amber, which slowly enveloped the entire imprisonment device. After thinking for a moment, he spoke:
"Including this time, this is the third time you've fallen into my trap."
Before Gaud respond, Han Xiao completed the manufacturing.
Buzz!
The next moment, the space trembled, and the amber took shape!
The entire device was sealed inside. From the outside, all that could be seen was a spherical mechanical prison inside the amber; nothing could be seen inside the prison.
Only now could Han Xiao finally breathe a sigh of relief and relax his tense nerves.
"Finally resolved, no unexpected problems..."
He didn't kill Gaud on the spot for three reasons: first, to leave himself room to maneuver; second, to prevent Gaud from having a chance to Sanctuary Revival in a short period of time; and third, to avoid wasting the extremely dangerous ability [Energy Manipulation] that the Sorokin had spent countless years synthesizing!
Once the Space-Time Amber obliterates Gaud's soul, Fording can use the Soul-Switching Device to allow his trusted aide to possess Gaud's body—the synergy between these two Universal Treasure has always been a plan Han Xiao wanted to test.
Alternatively, waiting for "Little Sorokin" Evans to grow up and absorb Gaud's powers is also an option.
He could even wait until he had thoroughly researched the Convict technique and secretly turn Gaud into Convict, but that was Old Manison's approach, which had significant side effects, and Han Xiao didn't want to imitate it.
As for whether Gaud can be revived after these shady moves, Han Xiao doesn't know. He hasn't tried it, so how would he know?
If Gaud could be resurrected, there is a possibility of leaking secrets. In the future, when the Empire discovers the Sanctuary, they will definitely try to resurrect this "direct descendant".
However, who knows what the situation will be like then? And I can completely delay this day Infinite. The method is simple: before I am confident in dealing with the Empire's accountability, I will not take any action against Gaud. I will just keep him imprisoned. Every now and then, I will pull Gaud out of the amber and beat him up, and let him out for a while, so as to ensure that his soul cannot be erased!
In this way, Gaud is in a state of being unable to live or die, and will never be reincarnated... uh, resurrected!
"Heartless, ruthless, cruel, and vicious—why is my art style becoming more and more villainous...?"
Han Xiao touched his cheek helplessly.
After silently criticizing himself for a moment, Han Xiao put away his joking mood and his expression became slightly serious.
Capturing Gaud is just the beginning; the more important thing is to prepare for the storm that will soon be unleashed by the Empire's wrath, which will sweep through one high-level power after another!
"I've done everything I could, now all I have to do is wait for things to unfold... Sigh, I never imagined I'd be the one to start this whole thing."
Thinking about the various possibilities he had analyzed not long ago, Han Xiao let out a soft breath, turned his head to open the panel, and glanced at the mission.
The hidden quest [Gaud's Secret] is actually complete! The quest required cracking Gaud's Secret, but Han Xiao didn't know how it was determined. There was no physical evidence, and Gaud hadn't admitted anything. Did he just have to call out Gaode's identity to his face and guess correctly? It couldn't be that simple, could it?
Well, the main reason is probably that we beat them up...
The mechanism for determining the hidden mission was quite mysterious, but Han Xiao didn't dwell on it and turned to tidy up his work.
He controlled the mechanical legion, blasting this Secondary Dimension into countless holes, causing it to collapse and perish, erasing all traces, leaving not even a battlefield behind.
Having completed this step, Han Xiao didn't linger. He recalled the mechanical troops to the barracks, then donned the Sovereign and teleported directly back to the Black Star Palace. Without a word, he went to the Tu Shu to find Fording.
Fording merely glanced at Han Xiao before focusing on his book, letting Han Xiao touch it as he pleased, displaying a nonchalant attitude of "you touch yours, I'll read mine."
Han Xiao, his hands smeared with good fortune, returned to his private training room, rubbed them excitedly, and selected to complete the task.
[[The Gaud's Secret] is complete!]
[You have obtained the [Character Summon Card - Gaud]!]
[Character Summon Card - Gaud: [Energy Analysis] - You can efficiently analyze the principles and composition of an energy form, thereby mastering this energy. Maximum number of uses: 0/4]
[You have received a reward: One of Gaud's abilities (skills/features) will be randomly selected.]
[Note: Gaud is a superhuman; some of the abilities you can extract have been automatically adjusted based on your class.]
[Randomly selecting... Selection complete!]
[Please choose one of the following five abilities as a reward]
[1. [Plasma Impact] - Skill: Releases plasma arc rays to damage enemies. Power depends on Intelligence, Mystic attribute, and energy output efficiency. Minimum cost: 5 Qi. Cooldown: 4 seconds.]
[2. [Kinetic Energy Enhancement] - Skill: Uses Qi to enhance cells, continuously increasing melee power. The effect depends on Strength, Agility, Stamina, Mystic attributes, and energy output efficiency. It consumes a minimum of 10 Qi per minute. There is a 12-second cooldown after the effect is turned off.]
[3. [Spirituality Convergence] - Feat: Increases Arcane attribute by 15% and Charisma attribute by 10%]
[4. [Energy Gathering Ring] - Skill: Absorbs free energy, quickly restores stamina, consumes 2 stamina points per second, no cooldown, can be continuously activated]
[5. [Perfect Energy Affinity Physique] - Specialty: You have an amazing affinity for all kinds of energy. Your basic energy perception +120%, your basic energy resistance +90%, your basic energy absorption efficiency +60%, your basic energy attack power +30%, and your maximum energy strength +20%]