At this very moment, on the home planet of the Crimson Dynasty, in the head of state's office.
Inside the room, a remote monitor projected an image of the Sorokin prison. Mabrus rested his hands on his nose, his sharp eyes fixed on the Black Star on the screen, watching the events unfold.
"Why did this guy take the risk to do that back then...?"
Mabrus muttered to himself.
When the incident occurred, he listened to Bekorodi's opinion and vaguely suspected that Black Star was behind Gaud's disappearance. However, at that time, Urranrell was still in charge, so it was inconvenient for him to intervene.
Later, when he succeeded as head of state, it was not appropriate to thoroughly investigate Black Star, so the matter was kept quiet.
The only motive Mabrus could think of was that Gaud had tried to simulate the Evolution Cube's abilities, which led Black Star to attack him. As for Black Star's idea of killing the rookie, considering the series of events at World Tree, he felt that the possibility of Black Star doing so was relatively low.
"The issue with the Evolution Cube shouldn't warrant him taking such a risk. Black Star rarely does unnecessary things; his secret capture of Gaud must have some other hidden reason..."
Mabrus pondered silently, preparing his words.
He glanced at him and saw Gaud's dejected and abused appearance, which made him even angrier. To treat a direct descendant like this was an insult to the face of their empire.
He would not accept this argument if Black Star used Evolution Cube as a pretext.
'But... even if I don't accept what he says, what can I do...?'
Mabrus sighed inwardly, feeling quite depressed.
The situation is dire. Black Star has grown Wings, and the Three Universal Civilizations need the Association's strength to fight against external enemies. Even if Black Star cannot provide a satisfactory explanation, he helplessly finds that he still has no way to deal with the other party and dares not retaliate.
From a purely profit-driven perspective, the importance of a still-developing imperial faction is naturally less than that of a partner like Black Star. Although the empire has suffered a loss of face this time, which has angered Mabrus, venting his anger is not something someone in his position should do. Even if the empire is going to be tough, it has to consider the timing and occasion.
Mabrus even felt a little resentful that Black Star had to reveal this secret in front of Glory and Arcane. Why didn't he just tell him in private? At most, he would feel embarrassed, but the other two would not have laughed at him. It would have been much better to handle it privately.
Before the World Tree issue was resolved, the Empire was helpless against Black Star. Not only did they have to continue cooperating as usual, but after Gaud was sent back, they also had to persuade him to prioritize the overall situation, suppress his resentment, and refrain from retaliation for the time being... The more Mabrus thought about it, the more frustrated and annoyed he felt.
"I just want a satisfactory explanation..."
Mabu and Tushurus let out a heavy sigh, secretly lowering their standards.
On the other side, the amber that imprisoned the Sorokin had been suspended in everyone's sight.
Han Xiao glanced at him and saw that Gaud was suppressing his inner turmoil and still maintaining a puzzled expression, so he couldn't help but smile.
Before the Split Personality, the true Sorokin wouldn't have acted this way. However, [Superpower: Rebirth] has turned the two into independent individuals, causing personality changes. Gaud is Gaud, and the original body is the original body. In fact, the "new Sorokin" currently imprisoned might actually resemble the former "true Sorokin" in personality.
"Tenny, I'm about to make my move. Activate the spatial stabilization anchor."
Han Xiao nodded.
Upon hearing this, Tenny turned and gave the order. The surrounding fleets quickly surrounded the area and activated their spatial stabilization anchors, fixing the space and bringing the spacetime stability rate to a constant level.
The Sorokin possess a wide range of abilities and are extremely slippery; they can teleport away in an instant if one is not careful, making fixed spaces an essential environmental modification.
At this moment, Han Xiao emerged from the cabin alone, slowly flew to the Sorokin Amber, and, in full view of everyone, broke the seal.
Buzz!
The Sorokin's eyes flashed instantly as he quickly assessed the situation and hastily retreated to create distance.
Decades had passed since the last unsealing, and the Sorokin's soul had become even more withered. However, the wormhole data of the World Tree that Black Star had tricked him into believing had been researched. In order to wait for this day of release, he endured the loneliness and struggled to keep his mind running. Now that he was free again, he immediately realized what had happened.
However, the Sorokin was in a very low state; the wounds from the last battle were still throbbing with pain. Nevertheless, he adopted a defensive posture, his gaze sweeping across the entire area before quickly locking onto Han Xiao, his tone enigmatic:
"Black Star, I didn't expect you to actually release me again. Looks like my gamble paid off."
Last time, in order to find out Gaud's origins, Han Xiao released him once. The Sorokin resisted stubbornly and almost died. After being fooled by Black Star, he decided to surrender and died without resisting. Now it seems that he won the gamble.
Han Xiao said calmly, "We meet again."
"Has the World Tree arrived?" The Sorokin narrowed his eyes, making no attempt at pleasantries and getting straight to the point.
"You've arrived." Han Xiao nodded, saying calmly, "Releasing you out this time is to fulfill my promise from back then, to let you witness everything, and incidentally, to borrow your power."
Upon hearing this, the Sorokin seemed somewhat relieved and smiled knowingly:
"I've said it before, this day would come sooner or later, and you will need my help one day."
At this moment, the Sorokin felt a sense of excitement, as if the clouds had parted and the moon had finally appeared.
After being imprisoned for so many years, I've finally made it out!
"I won't argue with you on that point. Although you're notorious, you're still a formidable fighter. Locking you up here is a waste." Han Xiao suddenly raised an eyebrow. "However, the form of assistance might be different from what you imagine."
"Um?"
The Sorokin was somewhat puzzled.
"I don't intend to let you live to be of any use. I need to borrow your life. A dead Sorokin is a good Sorokin."
"... What do you mean? You're going to kill me? Now?"
The Sorokin was quite taken aback.
You sealed me away for so long, and now you're finally releasing me to kill me? What's your motive?
This was completely different from what the Sorokin had anticipated. In his imagination, when the World Tree descended, the Three Universal Civilizations would most likely politely ask him to come out of seclusion and help them because of the information he possessed, thus giving him room to maneuver.
But he never expected that although he had finally achieved his wish and waited for the World Tree to descend, his life would also come to an end... He didn't think that in his current weakened state, he could escape Black Star's grasp. The Sorokin had already clearly realized this during their last encounter.
He was unaware of the existence of the Netherland and did not understand what tangible benefit his death would bring to Han Xiao, but this did not prevent him from understanding the other party's killing intent and reacting immediately.
The Sorokin suddenly retreated, squeezing every last drop of energy from his cells, unleashing bursts of power that caused his aura to surge, triggering a radar alarm – he was clearly preparing for a desperate fight.
At the same time, a resolute mental wave emanated from the Sorokin and spread into the minds of everyone present.
"Black Star! I won't sit here and wait to die. If you want my life, come and take it yourself!"
At the same time, Tenny, who was watching the battle, felt a chill and secretly signaled to his crew to turn on the full-view recording equipment.
"A fight is about to break out. Make sure to record the entire process, and don't miss a single ability that Black Star displays!"
Meanwhile, Gaud watched the Sorokin prepare his attack, his feelings a complex and unreadable mix.
This was the first time he had seen his original body since the split. Nearly a hundred years had passed. Looking at the body he had once used to conquer the universe, now being controlled by a new personality, the feeling was indescribable.
After all, he had always lived in that body, knew every inch of it well, and had spent a lot of effort cultivating the powerful abilities of his original body. He had no choice but to leave it to the "newcomer," so he felt both nostalgia and resentment.
"If I hadn't been captured back then, I wouldn't have abandoned my original form so quickly..."
Gaud gritted his teeth inwardly.
Now that the abilities of this new body have been stripped away, his original body, which he once possessed, has become his only hope.
Gazing at the scene outside the window where the Black Star confronted its true form, Gaud's thoughts raced.
"With my abilities, as long as I can hold out for a while, I can break through the spatial stability of this area and escape using dimensional teleportation... There's still a chance!"
Although he had been imprisoned for decades and was unaware of Black Star's progress, Gaud was very clear about the power of the main body. Given Black Star's strength when he defeated him, he felt that he wouldn't be able to subdue his main body anytime soon...
This is hope!
Gaud was greatly encouraged.
However, just as he was concentrating on watching this fierce battle, a sudden change occurred in the arena, which shocked him to his core!
A ring of golden Thunder rippled out from Han Xiao's body, and countless mechanical soldiers surged out, as if Han Xiao himself had become the gate to the Secondary Dimension Army Box, completely ignoring the role of the spatial stabilizing anchor!
[Divine Body Fortress]!
In the blink of an eye, a mechanized force far exceeding the size of the existing fleet was deployed across the field.
The next moment, a large amount of machinery converged on Han Xiao's body, rapidly synthesizing into a strangely shaped Mechanical Deity with an extremely complex structure. It was as if it was wearing a suit of dark gold precision armor, a crown on its head, and its facial features were very similar to Han Xiao's. Intricate silver-blue matrix patterns covered its body, shimmering like breathing.
Compared to ordinary Mechanical Deity, the energy fluctuations emitted by these machines were far more astonishing, possessing a unique aura. They appeared as a unified whole, no longer resembling synthesized entities, but rather as an independent being that had been summoned.
[Mechanical Deity - Supreme Heavenly Venerate]!
An intense, Higher Lifeform Pressure suddenly swept out, and every living being present felt an immense sense of oppression, as if a true god had descended.
Tenny and the others weren't Beyond Grade A, so they thought it was normal, but the expressions of the Sorokin and Gaud changed drastically!
"Could it be that you have already...?"
The Sorokin was startled, then suddenly became extremely horrified.
What has he been striving for all these years in the universe? Isn't it all to reach a higher realm?
But now, without any preparation, he saw what seemed to be what he had been dreaming of on Black Star. How could he not be moved?
Before the Sorokin could recover from his shock, Han Xiao made a fierce move. The Supreme Heavenly Venerate's hand rapidly formed a phantom of the Emperor's Space-Rending Blade. The next moment, the phantom solidified and became a physical entity, slashing out horizontally.
A breathtakingly powerful surge of Psionic Energy erupted, seemingly dyeing the entire visible area a psionic blue, with translucent energy covering all directions!
The Sorokin snapped back to his senses and hastily reacted, deploying layers upon layers of energy shields. However, these shields shattered under the Supreme Heavenly Venerate's attack, exploding into countless fragments of light, like fragile pieces of glass.
He tried to dodge, but felt himself locked in place, with no way to escape, and couldn't even use teleportation due to the interference of the spatial stability anchor.
The Sorokin gritted his teeth, gathered his last remaining strength, and unleashed his offensive power, clashing head-on with the opponent!
A black and red beam of light shot out and struck the Blades of the Emperor's Space-Rending Blade, splitting it in two. The Blades was only delayed for a moment before slashing down at an even faster speed. The light from Getter Wave Fist traveled, compressed, and condensed on the blade, forming a huge blade of light.
BOOM!!
The large mass of flesh and blood, mixed with vital energy, exploded with a bang, turning to ashes halfway through its journey.
The Sorokin's figure tumbled and flew out, half of its body cleaved in two by a single strike!
When the Sorokin was sealed last time, it had just been beaten up by Han Xiao, and its health was already low. The power of this strike instantly injured it severely. If it hadn't activated its recovery ability in time, the Sorokin would have been instantly killed!
Before he could adjust, Han Xiao slammed his fist, which was gripping the knife, into the air, unleashing a ring-shaped blue shockwave that quickly caught up with the Sorokin's figure and swept over it in an instant.
Bang bang bang!
A series of explosions suddenly occurred on the Sorokin's body, as if he had been hit by tens of thousands of Heavy Strike at the same time. Dense dents appeared on his body, and he was almost beaten into a lump of flesh, no longer human-shaped, and unable to move on the spot.
The Sorokin was barely clinging to life, frantically trying to restore its powers, with buds of flesh constantly sprouting as it attempted to recover.
However, at this moment, the Supreme Heavenly Venerate's back thrusters spewed out intense tail flames, the explosion accelerated, and the Blades turned, leaving a dazzling slash that burned the retina. The huge machine was incredibly agile, and in a flash, it brushed past the Sorokin!
Call out!
The streak of light swept across the Sorokin's body, halting the recovery in an instant, and the life force extinguished at a visible speed.
He struggled to control his newly grown head, turning to look at the Supreme Heavenly Venerate behind him, a complex mix of emotions flashing in his eyes—a mixture of realization, envy, relief, and satisfaction...
"You didn't disappoint me... You really reached... the level I dreamed of, at least before I die... to witness a higher power... It was worth it..."
The intermittent mental fluctuations drained his last bit of strength, and the next moment, the Sorokin's body disintegrated before everyone's eyes, turning into countless starlight points and vanishing without a trace.
Three basic attacks, and the Sorokin is defeated!
Tenny froze, her eyes widening in disbelief.
Black Star has a history of instantly killing Beyond Grade A enemies, but those were all tactical maneuvers. Most of the time, it was Heaven and Earth Share the Same Lifespan and die together" style of fighting. But this is the first time he has ever directly crushed and instantly killed Peak Beyond Grade A enemy with a normal attack!
It's like Beyond Grade A monster easily defeating Calamity Grade —is this what Beyond God Grade is?!
In just a few moves, they couldn't gather much information about Black Star's abilities, but the tip of the iceberg they revealed was already terrifying enough.
Tenny couldn't help but swallow hard, deeply doubting whether an individual's power at this level was something a fleet of troops could handle...
"What..."
On the other side, Gaud was equally stunned.
He thought Black Star and his original body would have a fierce battle, but to his surprise, Black Star easily killed his original body in the blink of an eye, completely shattering his hopes.
What shocked him most was the fact that Black Star had already reached a higher level of power!
A deep sense of powerlessness permeated Gaud's entire being.
He had wasted so many years, committed countless evils, sacrificed one precious thing after another, and even changed his body, yet he still hadn't achieved this dream. However, Black Star easily fulfilled his lifelong wish...
I hate it so much!
Under normal circumstances, Gaud would still have the mentality to catch up, but now that his abilities have been stripped away and his physical body has been killed, he has no chance at all. In an instant, he felt utterly dejected, as if all his energy and spirit had been drained away, leaving him with only an empty shell without a soul.
Gaud would rather be trapped in the Space-Time Amber forever than experience this series of devastating blows.
At that moment, he became withdrawn and isolated.