For several days in a row, Han Xiao and his group waited in the castle.
Everything was calm and peaceful. No new conflicts broke out among those War Realm, and the eight flute-playing attendants under the Tyrant's command... cough, the eight Vanguard Officers, did not reappear.
Except for restricted areas, guests are free to move around in the War Realm and can be guided by soldiers.
Han Xiao occasionally goes out to visit War Realm.
The ordinary soldiers at the Planet Heber headquarters are all low-level superhumans, with virtually no ordinary people. The Tyrant's forces are mainly composed of Pugilist Class practitioners, and muscular burly men are a common sight.
The soldiers wore specially made, heavy, iron-gray armor. The style was simple, and they looked like big iron lumps. The armor was designed to enhance physical fitness and strengthen martial arts strength.
Han Xiao noticed that in addition to ordinary soldiers, there were also some elite troops in the War Realm. They had stronger individual qualities, wore more special armor, and had many exoplanets, such as specially made long tails, wings, giant claws, etc. These exoplanets were multi-functional accessories. According to the soldier who led the way, these troops were called the Myriad Beast Soldiers, and were one of the elite forces in the War Realm.
Han Xiao paid even more attention to the weapons and vehicles in the War Realm. They were all very unique and exclusive, clearly indicating that the Tyrant had a mechanized division that specialized in researching special equipment.
In the War Realm, those who readily display their strength to guests are only revealing the tip of the iceberg; there are certainly far more formidable forces hidden beneath the surface.
Han Xiao couldn't help but feel the pressure. He was also developing his own power, and although he was rising rapidly, there was still a big gap between him and large forces that had accumulated resources over many years.
The development of the Black Star Army still has a long way to go.
In the past few days, new guests have been arriving and checking into the castle.
Although Ames attended the party, she was clearly uninterested in such matters, spending most of her time in her room teaching Hila and Aurora, while Han Xiao represented her in social interactions.
When not visiting the War Realm, Han Xiao spent his time engaging in conversations with the guests, who all represented well-known and influential forces within the Shattered Star Ring. This was a good opportunity to expand his network and get to know other people.
Among them were leaders of super conglomerates, representatives of star cluster-level civilizations, and outstanding figures from various industries, such as intelligence organizations and arms organizations. Han Xiao also met with the person in charge of the Mercenary Alliance in the Shattered Star Ring. The other party was very friendly, and they had a pleasant conversation.
The guests invited to the party belong to the very top of the Shattered Star Ring in terms of status, position, and influence.
Most factions have heard of Black Star, though they don't take him too seriously. After all, he represents Dragon Calm, and the Black Star Army has been making quite a splash lately.
Han Xiao's current fame and Legend Points have reached a certain level, and most guests still approve of Han Xiao entering their circles.
For a long time, Han Xiao had mostly mingled in different star systems, which was just the tip of the iceberg of the Shattered Star Ring, with limited influence. But now, he has finally reached a higher level and come into contact with a "larger" and "core" Shattered Star Ring.
The guests were also divided into several tiers. The lowest tier consisted of super conglomerates, the middle tier consisted of large, independent organizations, and Dragon Calm was somewhere between the low and middle tiers.
The highest level consists of behemoths like those in the War Realm, as well as representatives from the seven star cluster-level civilizations of the Shattered Star Ring. Their level of recognition of Han Xiao decreases from low to high.
Most representatives of star cluster-level civilizations adopted a rather official attitude and showed little interest in Han Xiao, except for two civilizations that were somewhat enthusiastic.
The Amethyst Civilization and the Krent Empire.
Colton is the territory of the Amethyst, and the Dragon Emperor often roams around the Colton Star Cluster. In the eyes of the representatives of the Amethyst Civilization, Han Xiao is considered a half-ally. The Amethyst Civilization has a relatively mild style and a friendly attitude.
The high-ranking officials of the Krent Empire were even more enthusiastic, taking the initiative to approach him for conversation, clearly intending to make his acquaintance. Han Xiao naturally accepted all of them.
However, he was also a little puzzled. He had never met Krent before, so why was this guy being as enthusiastic as an animal in heat...?
Over the course of a few days, Han Xiao's communicator had accumulated the contact information of hundreds of people, all of whom were leaders in their respective fields. He had made a great harvest of connections, making the trip worthwhile.
When we return to Dragon Calm, I'll share the contact information of these important figures with Jenny; she'll be very touched.
The day before the party arrived quickly.
On this day, the Tyrant actually sent someone to inform Han Xiao and his group, inviting them to a private meeting at the nearby Heber Palace.
"Heber wants to meet in private? What's his purpose?" Han Xiao asked curiously.
"I don't know," Ames shook her head. "You'll find out when you get there."
She also wanted to know Heber's attitude, so she accepted the meeting invitation.
The group entered the Heber Palace and arrived at a huge conference room where three Throne floated three meters off the ground, forming a tripod.
On one of the Throne sat a giant seven or eight meters tall, exuding an intense aura. As soon as they entered the room, everyone instinctively looked over. Heber's presence was extremely strong, instantly attracting everyone's attention and making him impossible to ignore.
This was the first time Han Xiao had seen Heber in person, and his first thought was of a crouching lion.
"Wow, it's huge." That was Heber's first impression of Han Xiao.
"Sit."
Heber looked over, his eyes calm and his tone even, yet he possessed a natural sense of oppression, as if his domineering aura was etched into his very bones, unconsciously emanating from whatever he did.
Ames snorted coldly, her body floating into the air as she sat on a throne, while Han Xiao and the two sisters remained beside it.
"What do you want with me?" Ames asked in a deep voice.
Heber looked at the third empty seat. "One person is missing. We'll talk once everyone's here."
Having said that, the Tyrant closed his eyes and rested on his own, leaving Ames standing there.
That's really oozing arrogance... Han Xiao couldn't help but twitch his lips.
Ames snorted, quite used to it; that was just how Heber was—unconventional, bold, and straightforward, disliking idle chatter.
After a while, the door opened again.
A child wearing a large mage's robe floated in, several tiny magical dragons swirling around him obediently.
The child had a round, chubby face and pointed ears. He looked to be only six or seven years old and had a petite build. A red and white mage's robe was draped over him like an exquisite and luxurious quilt. Rather than saying he was wearing a mage's robe, it would be more accurate to say that the robe wrapped him up, with the hem almost touching the ground.
Below the child followed several masked figures wearing black hooded robes, walking with their heads down, appearing very mysterious.
"You're here too?" Ames asked, her tone rising.
"I heard something big is going on, so I came to join the fun."
The child sat on the empty throne, his voice sweet and childlike, almost too soft to speak, and nodded to the two women, "Ames, Heber, it's been a while."
Han Xiao's heart skipped a beat. This child was Austin, another Beyond Grade A [Sorcerer] from the Shattered Star Ring, an unfathomable magician.
Austin may appear very young, but he is actually a member of a long-lived race and possesses an unparalleled Magic Affinity. He also holds a string of titles, including "Rule Twister," "Master of Forbidden Spell Creation," "Half-Magic Entity," and "Arcane Dominion."
Han Xiao looked at the hooded, black-robed, masked mages sitting beneath Austin. Each mage had their hands clasped in front of them, hidden in their wide sleeves, and stared down at the floor like silent sculptures.
"That must be Forbidden Sorcerer," Han Xiao said, narrowing his eyes.
[Sorcerer] Austin's faction, known as the Secret Church of the Red Robe, is one of the mage sanctuaries of the Shattered Star Ring. It primarily focuses on researching and exploring magic, occasionally handling magical investigations of civilized societies. Most mages in the Shattered Star Ring are willing to join the Secret Church of the Red Robe, making it a faction with some guild-like characteristics.
The Secret Church of the Red Robe is divided into outer members and inner members. Outer members are freelancers and are not subject to much coercion. However, those who wish to learn more advanced magic must pass an examination and sign a magical contract to become inner members of the Secret Church of the Red Robe and be at their beck and call.
The internal personnel are the troops that Austin commands. The Forbidden Sorcerer are the elite of the Secret Church of the Red Robe. Due to the different nature of their forces, their armed forces are not as large as those in the War Realm, but if you include the peripheral members, their numbers probably far exceed those in the War Realm.
Besides Ames, Heber also invited four other Super Beyond Grade A -Beyond Grade A experts, including the four from the Shattered Star Ring, so three of them gathered here.
Heber then opened his eyes. "Everyone's here. Let's get down to business."
"Wait, where's the last guy?" Ames asked, referring to the last Beyond Grade A who wasn't present.
He said it was too far away and he was too lazy to come.
"That's definitely his style," Austin chuckled.
Not wanting to waste time on small talk, Heber got straight to the point, saying slowly, "The reason I've met with you today is to introduce you to someone."
The other door opened, and a person stepped in. Everyone turned to look, their eyes filled with curiosity, wanting to see who this person, whom Heber had specially introduced to the other two Beyond Grade A powerhouses, was.
This person is a humanoid species, tall, about 2.5 meters, with light red skin, short hair, and distinctive features, but generally conforming to the aesthetic standards of extraterrestrial humans. He wears a smooth robe with a rather special style, which looks very complicated and luxurious. It is unknown what material it is made of, but the robe has exquisite patterns and a crimson base.
Facing three Beyond Grade A individuals, this person remained calm and composed, displaying extraordinary demeanor. Standing between the three thrones, he unhurriedly nodded to each of them.
"Let me introduce you," Heber said calmly, "Special envoy of the Crimson Dynasty, Suy."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's pupils suddenly contracted.
Han Xiao remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was experiencing a storm of emotions.
The Crimson Dynasty, one of the three great cosmic civilizations!
The most advanced civilization actually sent a special envoy to the gathering of the Tyrant?!
Has Heber already made contact with three major cosmic civilizations?
"Wait a minute..." Han Xiao suddenly realized the problem.
The Shattered Star Ring is nominally part of the Federation of Light's territory, yet the Crimson Dynasty secretly dispatched an envoy to the Tyrant's Gathering, a gathering of important figures, which is of extraordinary significance.
Han Xiao's thoughts raced, and suddenly something occurred to him, causing his expression to change slightly.
He still remembered that version 3.0 [Crimson Tide] was set against the backdrop of the Crimson Dynasty's expansion and the turmoil in various star systems.
So the signs were already appearing at this time...?
Han Xiao took a deep breath to calm himself. This gathering of Tyrant was probably a trap!
Ames frowned slightly, recalling Iso's prophecy before her departure.
This gathering was indeed extraordinary...
A moment of silence fell over the room.
Suy nodded slightly, breaking the silence, and said, "It's an honor to meet the three Beyond Grade A powerhouses from the Shattered Star Ring."
We are honored as well.
Austin responded with a single sentence, then looked at Heber with an inquiring gaze.
--What does it mean to introduce them to the special envoy of the Crimson Dynasty?
"What we're going to talk about next is the theme of this gathering, and I'm telling you in advance."
Heber spoke in a deep voice:
"Not long ago, the outer space explorer deployed by the Federation of Light outside the Shattered Star Ring sent back a report. It has traversed a large stretch of Desolate Universe Belt and is currently demarcating a new star cluster region in the Unexplored Universe beyond the boundary. It is an unclaimed star cluster that needs to be reclaimed and incorporated into the territory of the Shattered Star Ring."
The expressions on everyone's faces varied.
"No wonder all seven star cluster-level civilizations sent representatives to this gathering," Han Xiao suddenly realized.
Since the signing of the Peace Treaty, the three major cosmic civilizations have been striving to explore the Unexplored Universe and continuously expand the known universe.
Every new territory that emerges foreshadows a new struggle.
With all the star clusters in the Shattered Star Ring divided among seven star cluster civilizations, the new star clusters are like a new cake, and each star cluster civilization wants to grab a piece, or have it all to themselves.
"The Federation of Light wants the new star cluster to be incorporated into the Shattered Star Ring, while we want to define it as the starting point of a new star system."
Suy's words were full of profound meaning.
Although he didn't elaborate, everyone understood what he meant.
The Shattered Star Ring is the territory of the Federation of Light, but the new star system is unclaimed. The Crimson Dynasty has grand ambitions and wants more than just a star cluster.
In the Explored Universe, the central star systems are very prosperous, while the peripheral star systems are relatively chaotic and backward. However, the peripheral star systems, such as the Shattered Star Ring, are where the most fierce competition takes place—because only the periphery can continue to be explored and expanded outward.
"Therefore, on behalf of the Crimson Dynasty, I hope to receive your assistance," Suy stated his purpose.
Heber remained silent as he introduced the Crimson Dynasty's special envoy to the two men; clearly, the War Realm had already made its choice.
So, the Federation of Light, or the Crimson Dynasty?
Austin and Ames exchanged a glance, then remained silent in thought.
Han Xiao's eyes narrowed slightly.
This is going to be big news!