Han Xiao and his group waited for a while before the energy storm in front of them gradually subsided.
Evans ' talent was too outstanding, and his advancement process was smooth sailing. He successfully advanced to Beyond Grade A, and the abundant energy in his body overflowed from his eyes, making his pupils look like two small suns, which slowly extinguished under his deliberate control.
He exhaled a long breath, and the surge of power made his exhaled air like a shockwave, creating a hurricane on the flat ground. The ground, which had already been eroded into a ring-shaped sinkhole by the energy, was shattered into large pieces of dust.
After all, it was only an advancement to Beyond Grade A. The power released when Evans advanced was not enough to blow up the planet. Only the surrounding area suffered damage, and the ground looked like it had been scratched by a dog seventeen or eighteen times.
Before he could even familiarize himself with his own power, Evans sensed Han Xiao and the others in the outer space and was slightly taken aback.
Before he could go to greet him, Han Xiao landed in front of him with Hila and the others, a look of satisfaction on his face.
"Well done. I knew you could easily reach this level, and you advanced earlier than I expected."
"This is all thanks to your guidance. I originally planned to inform you after my advancement, to give you a surprise, but I didn't expect you to come in person. Well, it makes sense, nothing in the legion can be kept from you."
Evans nodded, maintaining his humble attitude and showing no sign of being affected by the sudden surge in power.
Han Xiao patted his shoulder in appreciation, then turned his head and saw Fording and the others curiously looking at Evans. He couldn't help but smile and said:
"Come, let me introduce you. This is Evans, a promising talent I've been secretly cultivating for decades... As for the others, I don't need to introduce them to Tu Shu, you should all know them, Evans. They're all veterans in the Legion and good friends of mine."
"Hello." Upon hearing this, Evans nodded to everyone, bowed slightly, and spoke very politely.
Ames smiled and nodded, Hila nodded aloofly, and Fording and Aurora both responded politely.
"Don't underestimate this guy." Han Xiao patted Evans ' shoulder and laughed, "Decades ago, he was just an ordinary person. The time it took him to advance from zero to Beyond Grade A is almost matching my record. His talent should rank second among the Legion's Calamity Grade officers."
"That's amazing?" Aurora was slightly surprised and asked curiously, "Then who's number one?"
"I won't tell you. You'll find out when he advances to Beyond Grade A."
Han Xiao gently flicked Aurora's nose and smiled slightly.
He was naturally referring to Carrot. If he had received proper guidance from the beginning, Carrot's advancement to Beyond Grade A might have been even faster than Evans'. However, before receiving his own instruction, he wasted a long time in the Empire, so he had no chance to break his own record.
Aurora pouted, clearly dissatisfied with Han Xiao's secrecy, but there was nothing she could do about it. She rolled her eyes, looked at Evans, blinked, and asked casually, "Brother, what kind of ability user are you?"
Upon hearing this, Hila and the others also stared at Evans. They were all very curious about what kind of ability Black Star valued so much and had even secretly cultivated for decades without telling them.
Facing the gazes of a group of high-ranking legion officers, Evans remained completely calm and slowly stated, "My ability is to absorb the supernatural powers of others and use them for my own purposes."
"Oh, so it's absorption... Hmm?"
Aurora uttered half a sentence subconsciously, then suddenly froze, a look of surprise and uncertainty appearing in her eyes.
Hila and the others were suddenly startled, their faces filled with surprise, and their eyes suddenly turned strange as they looked Evans up and down.
After a few seconds of silence, Ames finally spoke in an uncertain tone:
"Black Star... if I understand correctly, his abilities are similar to those of the Sorokin?"
"Not just similar," Han Xiao chuckled, "But exactly the same."
Upon hearing this, the group's expressions changed slightly. They quietly moved a few steps away, making no attempt to conceal their apprehension. At the same time, they cast even more eerie glances at Evans and Black Star, finally understanding what was going on.
This guy has the exact same abilities as the Sorokin; could he be the Sorokin's illegitimate son?!
Where exactly did Black Star dig this guy up from?
No wonder they're training him in secret. If others knew the Black Star Army was nurturing a new "Sorokin," who knows how much backlash it would cause... The Legion Commander's audacity is as boundless as ever!
Everyone quickly filled in the blanks with their own minds.
Seeing the expressions on Hila's and the others' faces, Han Xiao knew what they were thinking and shook his head, saying:
"Don't worry, Evans is different from the Sorokin. He's a good guy and won't just absorb other people's powers."
"Hehe."
Aurora a stiff laugh, her lips twitching slightly.
Hila remained unmoved, her expression still serious. In a sense, Evans was the nemesis of all superhumans. Despite the sisters' powerful abilities, they could still have things taken away from them. This guy's existence was more significant than his combat strength; he was a true trump card!
Evans didn't mind the others' wariness. He had long accepted the fate brought by this ability and pretended not to see their guard. He turned to Han Xiao, forcing an unnatural smile, and said, "Lord Black Star, I haven't congratulated you on reaching a new level yet. This news has spurred me on and helped me take the final step, which is why I recently completed my final transformation."
"Really? Looks like you owe me another favor." Han Xiao chuckled.
After advancing to the Beyond God Grade, he had Phillip privately tell Carrot and Evans, these two golden leeks, firstly to encourage them to strive harder, and secondly because although the two were loyal enough, they still needed to consolidate their loyalty, and demonstrating his new power was a good way to do so.
Only these two received such treatment, since they couldn't attend the Beyond Grade A regular meetings, and they wouldn't know unless I specifically notified them.
"You're already Beyond Grade A, do you have any plans?" Han Xiao asked as usual.
"You don't need to ask me anymore. I already stated my position back then: to stay and serve the Legion, to repay your kindness. This is my only choice," Evans said without hesitation.
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao revealed a mysterious smile and nodded:
"Not bad... Speaking of which, the timing of your advancement is quite coincidental. I just said I'd give you a gift once you became Beyond Grade A, so here it is now."
"I'm looking forward to it," Evans said calmly.
Han Xiao snapped his fingers, and a large group of mechanical soldiers surged out, placing a Space-Time Amber in the field.
Everyone stared intently, and saw that the piece of Space-Time Amber contained a coffin-like mechanical sealed device, but no one knew who was imprisoned inside.
His gaze swept over the curious faces of the crowd, and Han Xiao's lips curled slightly. He quickly untied the amber, and the mechanical locking device slammed to the ground with a bang. It then rapidly disintegrated, transforming into small, snake-like mechanical particles that swam back to Han Xiao's body.
The people imprisoned inside revealed their true forms, collapsing to the ground with a thud, still in the state of severe injury they were in when they were sealed away.
With just one glance, Hila, Ames, Fording, Aurora's expressions changed drastically.
"This is... Gaud?!"
How did he end up in your hands?!
For a moment, everyone was a little dumbfounded.
When Gaud disappeared, it enraged the Empire and caused a great uproar in the universe. Black Star was even invited to solve the case and acted as a detective. The group always thought that this matter had nothing to do with Han Xiao.
Now it seems, could it be that Black Star was the thief crying "stop thief!" back then?!
Everyone's minds raced, and their gazes toward Han Xiao grew increasingly astonished.
Just how many things has this guy been up to behind the scenes? He's a real mastermind!
"Don't look at me like that. I have my reasons for doing this. This kid has a lot of secrets." Han Xiao clicked his tongue, pointed at the dying Gaud, and said, "He wasn't a pure imperial heir. He was actually a main consciousness separated from Sorokin, who always wanted to communicate with the World Tree. So I killed him. Don't think I'm deliberately suppressing a potential imperial heir."
"Ha, keep making this up." Aurora her eyes, not believing a single word.
Han Xiao glared at her, too lazy to pay her any attention. He released a burst of Mechanical Force from his palm, which transformed into lightning chains that bound Gaud's hands and feet, leaving him suspended in mid-air in a spread-eagle position. He chuckled lightly and teased, "..."
"Sorokin, how does it feel to see the light of day again?"
"Hmm... hmm... I don't know what you're talking about!"
Gaud was panting heavily, still in a state of exhaustion. After being sealed for decades, he stubbornly guarded his mind and forced himself to remember the conversation between Han Xiao and him before he was sealed. Although he did not know why he had been released at this moment, he remained cautious and did not want to give himself away.
Moreover, with a slight sense of his surroundings, he discovered that everyone around him was Beyond Grade A, except for Evans, who was a stranger. He had also seen the information on Hila, Ames, and the others before, so he couldn't afford to take any risks.
Han Xiao didn't take it seriously and shook his head, saying:
"Heh, I know you're still hoping the Empire will rescue you, but decades have passed since you were captured, and times have changed. Now the World Tree is launching a massive invasion, and the Three Universal Civilizations have reached an agreement with us to fight against the enemy. Even if you were a treacherous individual, or even if you were a pure-blooded loyalist, the Empire wouldn't turn against us."
Gaud's pupils immediately contracted.
In just a few decades, the World Tree has already attacked?!
What happened during the years I was sealed away?!
Gaud's mind raced, and he gritted his teeth.
Only the Empire can save him now. He won't give up his pretense just because of a few words. Even though he's shocked inside, he has to force himself to pretend he knows nothing about the World Tree.
However, in light of this situation, Gaud suddenly realized that he had misunderstood Black Star's intention to unseal his target.
... Yes, Black Star knows I possess some information about the World Tree, and now that war has broken out, perhaps he wants to seek my help? And his attempt to force me to acknowledge my identity as an "Sorokin" is simply a way to find a reason to convince the Empire of his past actions?
It's a pity we don't know if the main body has been released. Logically, the first thing Black Star should have tried to unseal was the "Sorokin's" main body...
Gaud's eyes flickered.
The effect of [Superpower: Rebirth] is a complete split. Gaud inherited the main consciousness, while the current Sorokin's original body is a new personality formed by the fusion of the remaining soul and memories. They are already two independent individuals, and the connection between their souls was severed long ago. Therefore, Gaud has no idea about the situation on the Sorokin's original body.
"... I still don't understand! What World Tree? I have no idea what that is. Don't try to get anything out of me!"
Gaud felt he had guessed Han Xiao's intentions, and his safety as an "insider of the World Tree" was at least guaranteed. He immediately felt more confident and did not intend to admit his identity in a few words. He was still prepared to continue to pretend.
Han Xiao glanced at him, vaguely guessing that the guy had misunderstood, and couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle:
"I think you've misunderstood something. I don't need the information about the World Tree that you possess. The main reason I'm unsealing you this time is that I don't want to waste your abilities."
Oh? Are you trying to recruit me?!
Gaud's heart skipped a beat.
It seems quite possible. The "Energy Manipulation" I painstakingly synthesized is an extremely high-risk ability with Infinite potential, no matter where it is placed. The chances that Black Star has taken a liking to my ability are quite high.
Gaud couldn't help but feel conflicted.
If Black Star really wants to recruit me, should I accept or refuse...?
While he was hesitating and pondering, Han Xiao had already gestured for Evans to step forward, and smiled:
"He is my gift to you."
"I see, I understand now."
Evans exhaled and reached out to press his hand against Gaud's chest.
Gaud was taken aback, looking at the person in front of him with suspicion, wondering what Han Xiao was up to, and asked in surprise:
What do you want to do?
"... I'm sorry to offend you."
Before Gaud could ask any further questions, a strange suction force suddenly came from Evans's hand. He could clearly feel that his superpower genes were being rapidly stripped away!
"What?!"
Gaud's expression suddenly changed drastically.
He was all too familiar with this situation; it was exactly the state when [Superpower: Replication] was activated!
The only difference is that he used to steal other people's superpowers, but now he is the one being stolen from!
"This is... how do you possess this ability?!"
Gaud could no longer remain calm; he was utterly horrified.
Seeing this, Han Xiao chuckled lightly, his tone playful. "Sorokin, you don't actually think you're the only one in the entire universe who possesses this ability, do you? The world is vast... To prevent him from repeating your mistakes, I've meticulously nurtured him for decades. Now that he's become Beyond Grade A, he's qualified to take away the ability you created through countless evil deeds. How about that, surprised? Unexpected, right?"
"No... this is impossible!!"
Gaud felt his superpowers rapidly disappear, his eyes turned bloodshot, and his mentality instantly exploded!
He could be sealed away, he could be killed, but he couldn't accept his dream ability, which he had painstakingly developed over countless years, becoming someone else's property!
Gaud didn't want to give up and struggled desperately, but he couldn't move at all under Han Xiao's restraints. Moreover, he was already seriously injured and couldn't stop his superpower from being absorbed by Evans, who was of the same level.
As his cells died one by one, Gaud's struggles grew weaker and weaker until he no longer had the strength to speak. He could only watch helplessly as he weakened step by step, gradually losing his sense of his superpowers. All that remained was a look of extreme resentment as he stared intently at Evans in front of him, as if trying to etch his image into his mind.
Evans remained unmoved. After absorbing the energy for a while, he suddenly raised his hand and finally made the "Energy Manipulation" his own, which also meant that Gaud had completely lost this ability.
Gaud's body jolted violently, his breath rapidly weakening. He opened his mouth, looking weakly at the two of them, his eyes empty and lifeless.
His plans, his ambitions—everything was destroyed by Black Star...
At this moment, Gaud had lost all will to live, as if he had become a walking corpse who had lost all his dreams.
Han Xiao glanced at him indifferently, released his restraints, and let him fall backward to the ground. He casually said, "Don't blame me. This is your retribution. You brought it on yourself. You stole the abilities of so many people before. Today, I'll let you taste what it's like to have your abilities taken away."
Gaud lay motionless on the ground, staring blankly at the sky, muttering:
"Black Star, just kill me."
"That's too easy for you. You're still useful; the Empire needs you as leverage to get things done."
Han Xiao waved his hand, and mechanical particles shot out, transforming back into a confinement device that enveloped Gao De. Gaud was completely powerless to resist and was immediately imprisoned.
After doing all this, he turned to look at Evans, who had his eyes slightly closed and was familiarizing himself with his new ability.
Seeing this, Han Xiao smiled and said:
"How do you feel? Are you satisfied with this gift?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Evans slowly opened his eyes, then suddenly clenched his fist. A ball of flame appeared out of thin air, constantly changing its energy form. Lightning, storms, nuclear energy, dark energy, and so on flashed by, finally transforming into a dazzling Psionic Energy ball, which he then flung out.
The pale blue beam of light penetrated deep into the earth, and the group felt the ground rapidly rise and crack open, with the light of lava shining from the fissures, growing increasingly dazzling.
Boom!
The Psionic Energy deep within the Planet Core suddenly erupted, beams of light piercing through the crust from the inside out, turning the entire planet into a sieve. The next moment, the planet expanded and suddenly exploded into countless fragments!
Han Xiao and the others had already fled into space long before the planet exploded, watching as a new asteroid belt took shape.
Evans withdrew his hand, turned around, his eyes filled with gratitude, and gave Han Xiao a deep bow.
"Lord Black Star, this gift is far too precious. I will certainly not disappoint you!"
He understood the value of this gift better than anyone else. With this superpower, as long as he could grow stronger, he would be virtually invincible among Beyond Grade A opponents!
This was a gift from Black Star, and also a sign of his high hopes for him. Evans was deeply moved and wished he could give his life for Han Xiao on the spot.
You treat me as a national hero, and I will repay you as a national hero!