"I didn't expect your trump card to be the Netherland. I thought it perished along with the two sisters."
The Oathkeeper looked around, his tone surprised.
When the production team was discussing the plan, Han Xiao said he had a trump card that could isolate Sorokin's abilities, and all that was needed was to create opportunities for him. He didn't explain what the trump card was, but because their interests aligned and Black Star had always been trustworthy, the Oathkeeper expressed his trust in him.
Only now did the few members of the Sanctum present realize that Han Xiao's so-called trump card was the Netherland, which they were familiar with.
"Could it be that the two sisters have also recovered?" Baigel asked in surprise and uncertainty.
"No, the Netherland has a new master now."
Han Xiao shook his head, let Hila land beside him, patted her shoulder, and did not explain in detail the information about the two sisters' inherited supernatural abilities.
Just then, the seven Heroic Spirit King suddenly appeared around Sorokin, looking at the Sanctum members present with shock and disbelief.
"You're still alive?!"
"Huh, you guys too?!"
Several members of the Sanctum and the seven Heroic Spirit King stared at each other blankly. As Han Xiao watched this scene, the image of "fellow countrymen meeting each other, tears welling up in their eyes" suddenly popped into his mind.
Both were the First Ones who chose different paths to recovery. Now, having achieved their goals, they meet again in the modern world, countless years later. Their hearts are filled with mixed emotions, but mostly with the joy of seeing an old friend.
However, compared to them, the seven Heroic Spirit King felt somewhat uneasy.
--I initially thought the Sanctum was unreliable and that I had chosen the right path, but I never expected the Sanctum to actually succeed... If only I had joined the Sanctum back then!
Sorokin was completely dumbfounded by what he saw.
The existence of the Sanctum was already incredible enough, but he never imagined that even the Netherland still existed, with a large wave of the First Ones surviving to reach the modern era. He was not the only one.
Sorokin suddenly realized that all his complacency over the years had been a joke.
At this moment, Han Xiao squatted down, looked directly into Sorokin's eyes, and said slowly and deliberately:
"I've always liked to give people choices. Now you have two paths before you: one is to be destroyed by us, your soul becoming nourishment for Hila; the other is to become a spirit of the Netherland, controlled by Netherland. Which path will you choose?"
Sorokin was, after all, a top-tier combatant. With the external enemies Explored Universe still unresolved, Han Xiao naturally couldn't bear to reduce him to ashes.
In fact, if Sorokin hadn't stumbled upon the secret of the Sanctum, Han Xiao wouldn't have wanted to take the initiative. He just disliked Sorokin for scheming against him in the past and thought the guy was too good at hiding, so he didn't consider him an opponent he absolutely had to eliminate.
Now that Little Sorokin was completely under his control, Han Xiao almost blurted out the classic villain's line... "Go ahead and scream, no one will come to save you even if you scream your lungs out!"
Sorokin glanced around at everyone present, his expression shifting between light and shadow, and asked in surprise:
"What exactly are you two planning, *and*books?!"
Black Star's connections to the Sanctum and the Netherland are unfathomable. He felt that Han Xiao must be secretly plotting something big, and he could vaguely smell a conspiracy.
Are these people trying to overthrow the universe?!
Also, Black Star is with this group of people; could he also be the First Ones managed to stay until now?!
Having come across this series of secrets, and recalling Black Star's consistent behavior, Sorokin couldn't help but indulge in fantasies in this direction.
Do you think I'd tell you now?
Han Xiao chuckled.
Revealing the entire plan to the enemy when the operation is about to succeed is a major taboo for villains; we won't fall for that trap.
At this moment, the seven Heroic Spirit King had already learned Sorokin's true identity from the Oathkeeper. The leader of the Heroic Spirit King Rega, approached, patted Sorokin on the shoulder, and comforted him, "Don't hesitate. Once you join the Netherland, you'll know how joyful it is to be a Heroic Spirit."
"Rega, I didn't expect you to be tamed too?" Sorokin said sarcastically. They were all acquaintances from the same era, so he naturally recognized the Seven Heroic Spirits of Netherland.
Rega wasn't angry. He laughed and said, "Don't put it so harshly. As long as the Netherland exists, heroic spirits will live forever. You've been clinging to life in the main universe for so long, you must be reluctant to die. Wouldn't it be better to be happy with us? You'll never have to worry about being killed. How carefree!"
The other Heroic Spirit King also chimed in with their enthusiastic advice, giving off a strangely familiar vibe, like a company touting its own merits during a recruitment drive.
It wasn't that they cared about the Spirit Emperor's life or death; rather, life in the Netherland was rather monotonous without them being able to go out. The seven heroic spirits knew each other inside and out, and had long lost their sense of novelty. Now that they had finally caught a newcomer, they didn't want to let him go.
Upon hearing this, even the members of the Sanctum standing nearby nodded in deep agreement.
The experience of exploring the underworld has proven that as long as there are no problems in the Netherland, heroic spirits can do whatever they want without consequence. To be honest, they are quite envious.
Because the Oathkeeper concealed some information about the Sanctuary Revival for certain purposes, the Sanctum members now believe that the Sanctuary Revival is a one-time event. Upon seeing the Netherland, their thoughts began to stir.
They thought they only had one chance to be reborn, but with the Netherland, doesn't that mean they can live forever?
Even if it means becoming someone else's subordinate... as long as I can live, what's wrong with being a dog!
"Black Star has close ties with the Netherland; we need to cultivate a good relationship with him..."
Baigel muttered softly, expressing what everyone was thinking.
Han Xiao's ears twitched, and he chuckled inwardly.
He brought everyone to the Netherland, perhaps with this intention in mind: to take advantage of the fact that the Sanctum members were unaware of the true situation of the Sanctuary Revival, and to use the existence of the Netherland to enhance his own standing in the eyes of the First Ones resurrectors, thus facilitating his future actions.
Even those Sanctum members with other goals cannot ignore his existence in order to leave themselves a way out. He can exert influence on this group and prevent them from taking any overly radical actions.
'So cunning, I love it.'
Han Xiao's lips curled into a smile. Seeing that Sorokin was wavering, he couldn't help but say:
"Since you enjoy hiding so much, you're just hiding in a different place now, and you're no longer in mortal danger. What are you hesitating for?"
Sorokin was silent for a moment, then sighed, his face filled with frustration and helplessness, and said in a low voice:
"... I admit defeat. I'm willing to join the Netherland."
He always believed that it was better to live a miserable life than to die a good death, so he had no choice but to bid farewell to freedom and choose to live a life of ignominy and resentment.
Han Xiao looked as if he had expected this, and gave Onicelu a wink.
Onicelu raised her hand and a swarm of Netherland energy seeped from the ground, hovering around Sorokin. She smiled and said:
"Relax your guard and accept the transformation. It might hurt a little, but please don't resist."
call out--
Before Sorokin reply, the power of the Netherland surged into his soul.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Sorokin's soul was imbued with the power of the Netherland, gradually transforming into a heroic spirit.
Sorokin felt as if his soul was being pierced by hot irons, becoming unbearably hot from the inside out, as if it would burn to Ashes at any moment.
Seeing this, the seven Heroic Spirit King were overjoyed, practically ready to bang drums and gongs to welcome yet another unlucky soul into their ranks.
The transformation process of the heroic spirits finally ended after a long time.
The chains formed by the power of the Netherland disappeared, and Sorokin, freed from his shackles, slowly stood up. He looked down at his soul, which had been transformed into a spirit of the Netherland, feeling the superior-subordinate connection between the Netherland and himself. His expression was extremely complex, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions.
I never imagined fate could be so strange. After hiding for so many years, I've ended up becoming one of those Netherland spirits I once scorned...
Just then, the seven Heroic Spirit King surrounded them, beaming with warm smiles.
"From now on, you will be the Eighth Heroic Spirit King. The Netherland welcomes you!"
"Hehe..."
Sorokin couldn't laugh at all; his lips twitched.
Onicelu suddenly exclaimed in surprise and turned to look at Han Xiao, "He's different from the other Heroic Spirit King. Although he was transformed, he still retains his original combat power."
Han Xiao thought to himself, "Just as I suspected," and asked, "He's rather special. Can you suppress him?"
"That's no problem. It has been transformed into a heroic spirit and has established a connection with the Netherland, and is now under my control." Onicelu.
That's good.
Han Xiao nodded slightly.
Normal heroic spirits have no combat power; only by receiving the blessing of life energy can they temporarily regain their physical form and restore their combat power from their previous life. However, Sorokin possesses [Soul Immortality] and [Soul Energy Foundation], so even in his heroic spirit state, he maintains Beyond Grade A combat power, which is what makes him extraordinary.
However, after being perfected by the two sisters, the Netherland has long been a treasure approaching the level of Cosmic Wonder, with a perfect operating mechanism, and suppressing Sorokin in its prime is no problem.
Seeing Sorokin's unwilling expression, Han Xiao smiled and said meaningfully, "Don't be discouraged. Every cloud has a silver lining. Maybe one day you'll realize that joining the Netherland was a blessing."
"I don't think that day will ever come," Sorokin, full of resentment.
"Heh, just don't actually like it."
Han Xiao didn't take it seriously, chuckled, and shook his head.
As his strength, status, and connections continued to improve, enemies he used to find troublesome were no longer so difficult to deal with. With another potential threat eliminated, he felt quite satisfied.
Sorokin's value lies not only in his combat prowess, but also in the vast resources and intelligence he controls, which represent a huge asset.
With this in mind, Han Xiao turned to Hela and instructed Hila, "Talk to Sorokin and get him to reveal the information he has."
Hila nodded and took Sorokin aside for interrogation. As the current ruler of the Netherland, she was the most suitable person to do this job.
Seeing that Sorokin's problem had been resolved, the Sanctum members present breathed a sigh of relief and turned to chat and catch up with the seven Heroic Spirit King.
Han Xiao then went to the side with the Oathkeeper and talked about another issue.
"How's the search for the Third Sanctuary Key going?"
"We're still working on it. With the experience from last time, plus the channels you provided, this time it should be much faster," the Oathkeeper replied.
"Let's hurry. I have a feeling that peaceful days won't last long," Han Xiao whispered.
He still had a mission regarding the Sanctuary to complete. Even disregarding the mission, the Sanctuary was still a way out for those at the Beyond Grade A, so he had to go in and check out the situation no matter what.
The Oathkeeper nodded, then suddenly changed the subject, asking, "Although I'm not in the Beyond Grade A Association, Sorokin's sudden disappearance must have a significant impact, right?"
Han Xiao glanced at him and said in a deep voice, "That's right. Gaud disappeared a few years ago, and now Sorokin is gone. It's easy to make connections... But the difference is that no one will stand up for Sorokin, so the impact won't be too intense. It's mainly internal suspicion and self-investigation within the association."
"Won't this affect you?"
"If handled properly, there shouldn't be any major problems. The Empire is currently investigating Sorokin in secret. We can find Gaud way to pin the blame on Sorokin, then fabricate his disappearance, claiming he fled to escape punishment, thus creating a motive for him and completing a closed loop... As for the future, there's no need to worry about others discovering that Sorokin is with me. His ability can alter the frequency of his soul, and plastic surgery can solve most problems."
Han Xiao had already anticipated this situation.
Sorokin's fate is now tied to that of the Netherland. Although he has lost his freedom, it's not without its benefits. Han Xiao understands Little Sorokin's personality quite well. The guy's biggest characteristic is that he knows what's good for him and will basically not do anything that would lead to mutual destruction. There's no need to worry about him not cooperating.
The Oathkeeper expressed their support. "It's good that you have a contingency plan; you're quite adept at this kind of insidious tactic."
"Don't mimic my tone, you're being sarcastic." Han Xiao gave him a disgruntled look.
The two didn't talk for long. The other Sanctum members were still waiting for news in the main universe. Han Xiao used another set of Sovereign to send the Oathkeeper back and relay the situation here to reassure the others.
After seeing the outsiders off, Han Xiao turned and went to the interrogation room where Hila and Sorokin. He saw the two sitting opposite each other, asking and answering questions in a harmonious atmosphere.
Although Sorokin was unwilling, the die was cast, and he had no choice but to comply.
Han Xiao walked over to Hila and asked, "How is she?"
Hila looked up at him, a rare look of amusement on her face.
"You've come at the right time. He seemed to have just revealed something very important..."