At the heart of the Floating Dragon Island, lies Ames's palace.
At this moment, two people were standing outside the palace gate, one in front of the other. One of them was Iso, and behind him was a tall, purple-haired human beauty with blue skin, delicate features, and bewitching eyeshadow. She was blinking her big, watery eyes and looking up at the palace with trepidation.
"Verna, don't be too nervous, it's just to see Ames."
Iso glanced at the purple-haired beauty, then spoke with a helpless, aged voice.
"This is the first time I've ever seen a live Beyond Grade A powerhouse. What kind of person is Her Majesty the Dragon Emperor Throne? The rumors here say she's very controlling, is that true?"
Verna bit her lip gently, her hands pressed together, fingers intertwined, tense and uneasy.
"Of course it's fake! This is a rumor that has only started circulating in recent years, specifically to slander Ames, and its root cause is Black Star... Sigh, let's not talk about that now."
Iso seemed to be thinking about something troubling him, shook his head, and sighed.
"In short, Ames is very easygoing. This is the first time you've met her since you joined Dragon Calm, so make a good impression on her."
"I... I'll try my best."
Verna still lacked confidence, so she took a deep breath to calm herself.
Upon entering the palace, Iso asked the guards for directions to Ames and led Verna to an open space where they could hear the sounds of clashing energy from afar.
As she got closer, Verna noticed that two people were fighting in the open space, with a third person watching from the edge.
She looked towards the arena, her gaze immediately drawn to the two sides clashing.
In the arena, Ames was personally instructing Hila, her fingertips manipulating the pale green force field barrier, which spun and danced in the air. Her black dress bloomed like a lotus flower, revealing glimpses of her long, fair legs.
Hila, her face cold, was enveloped in a dense, dark red aura, which repeatedly bombarded Ames's force field with loud bangs.
Ames maintained the strength of the force field at a Grade B, and even so, her control was still extremely precise, putting Hila in Danger at Every Turn.
"Wait a minute, someone's coming."
Ames suddenly stopped and landed gracefully.
Hila glanced at Iso and Verna, her sharp brows furrowing slightly. Dissatisfied that their sparring had been interrupted, she withdrew her powers, her dark red energy merging into her body. Then, together with Aurora was watching from the sidelines, she followed behind Ames, scrutinizing Verna.
"Your Majesty the Dragon Emperor (https://www. hetushu. com. com), I am..." Verna hurriedly tried to introduce herself.
Ames raised her hand to interrupt her and spoke first.
"I know your name. Since you're Iso's friend, stay here and see if there's anything you can do. I don't have any requests."
"Okay... okay."
Verna looked flattered and overwhelmed.
"You seem a little nervous." Ames raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Uh, you're the first Beyond Grade A powerhouse I've ever met. I'm your idol... oops, I mean, you're my admirer..." Verna's face flushed red, and she stammered.
"Don't be nervous, Beyond Grade A is nothing special, I don't eat people."
Ames smiled faintly, her tone gentle, and raised her hand to touch Verna's cheek. Her sleeve slid down her forearm, revealing her fair, frost-like wrist.
Verna stiffened as she felt Ames's hand on her cheek, unsure of what to do with her own.
Aurora tugged at Hila's sleeve and whispered, "Sister, is this woman a new cadre in Dragon Calm?"
"Um."
Hila was a woman of few words.
Iso coughed and interjected, "Then we won't disturb her any longer. I'll take her to familiarize herself with the work."
With that, he pulled the dazed Verna away, disappearing from the three of them's sight.
Ames' smile faded as she gazed in the direction Verna had left, remaining silent with a complex expression.
"I heard that this new cadre was specially recruited by Iso from another star system. He seems to be highly valued. I wonder what he's here for," Aurora curiously.
Hila brushed aside her fallen red hair and said calmly, "Iso is training new cadres for the Book, to facilitate their future succession to Han Xiao's position."
"Han Xiao won't leave, will he? Sister Ames is so good to him," Aurora couldn't help but say.
"Hmph, rumors have been rampant these past few years. Countless people have been secretly spreading lies, trying to break Han Xiao and Dragon Calm."
Hila pursed her lips. "Besides, don't I know him? If he really becomes Beyond Grade A, he'll definitely expand his power further, and then he can't continue to bear the label of Dragon Calm. He'll inevitably start his own faction..."
Ames turned around, glanced at the two of them indifferently, and said calmly, "There's nothing to talk about. At least he's still one of my men. Hila, keep attacking."
Three years have passed, Ames is no longer conflicted; she awaits Han Xiao's choice.
The three stopped chatting and continued their practical training.
On the other side, Iso led Verna out of the palace.
At this moment, Verna came to her senses and exclaimed, "The Dragon Emperor is so approachable! He's nothing like the rumors say."
Upon hearing this, Iso shook his head helplessly.
For the past three years, many people with ulterior motives have been manipulating public opinion to discredit Dragon Emperor and try to portray Ames as a strong and controlling figure in order to sow discord and break up Black Star and Dragon Emperor.
Over the past three years, Black Star's reputation has become increasingly solidified, and the Black Star Army has also absorbed its expanded power and gradually stabilized. Its business scope has expanded to most star systems in the Colton Star Cluster, transforming it into a large cluster-level power.
Meanwhile, the Black Star Army became the official long-term partner of the Amethyst Civilization a year ago, receiving massive resource support and having a promising future.
The Black Star Army is nominally expanding for the sake of Dragon Calm, but Ames has remained indifferent, clearly adopting a laissez-faire attitude. If conflict is stirred up between the two sides, Black Star will inevitably lead the Black Star Army away. If Black Star and Dragon Emperor become enemies as a result, that would be the best outcome.
Other star cluster-level civilizations and major powers in the Shattered Star Ring do not want to see two Beyond Grade A beings unite or form an alliance. They believe that the two being enemies and adversaries is the only way to check and balance each other, and it is in the interests of these powers. Therefore, they spare no effort to spread rumors, believing that as long as they say enough, they will eventually influence the thoughts of both sides.
Iso had great faith in Han Xiao's potential, so he believed that Han Xiao's departure from Dragon Calm was almost inevitable, and he decided to take precautions.
So Iso sought out Verna, a friend he had met while traveling through other star systems. Although Verna was a bit soft-hearted, she was very reliable. He introduced Verna to the Shattered Star Ring and her allegiance to the Dragon Emperor, with the goal of grooming Verna to become Black Star's successor.
"You don't need to work in Dragon Calm. You're in charge of forming the new Field Operations Department. Pack your things and get going," Iso said.
Verna nodded, then asked curiously, "How exactly do I begin?"
"Go find someone, explain your background, and he will provide assistance. Just follow his instructions."
Who am I looking for?
"Black Star."
Verna's eyes widened. After arriving at the Shattered Star Ring, Black Star's name was renowned, and he was also her senior, the current First Cavalry of Dragon Calm.
"But I heard that Black Star's connection with us seems to have become merely nominal. Are you sure he will still help me...?" Verna was worried, fearing that Iso would lead her into a wolf's den.
"Stop spreading rumors. Those are all just rumors. Black Star is still a core member of our Dragon Calm. He will only offer help, not harm you," Iso emphasized.
He deliberately sent Verna to Black Star's side so that Han Xiao could personally groom his successor. This was a signal of goodwill and an expression of an attitude of parting amicably.
He instructed Verna to form a new Field Operations Department, implying that he had no intention of targeting the Black Star Army. In this way, he believed that the Black Star was willing to support Verna and use the Black Star Army to help Verna develop, thus leaving Dragon Calm with a new Field Operations Department.
If Black Star doesn't actually intend to leave, then there's even less of a problem; let's just consider it as expanding the size of Dragon Calm's Field Operations Department.
"I see."
Verna nodded, unable to suppress her curiosity about Han Xiao, wondering what kind of person this legendary senior was.
Meanwhile, in the Desolate Universe Belt adjacent to the Seoul Star Cluster and the Colton Star Cluster, a fierce battle is underway.
The Krent Empire has established multiple teleportation portals in the Desolate Universe Belt as logistical channels, which have always been key facilities that Amethyst has wanted to eliminate.
Over the past three years, the situation in the Secret War has been constantly evolving. Finally, the war in the three border star systems Chaida West Wind, Kaya, and Tu Shu has reached a stalemate. The expansion of the War Realm to a certain extent has finally been contained.
Han Xiao's strength is enough to sweep away most Calamity Grade. After suffering several major losses of high-level combat power in the War Realm, he has also learned his lesson and occasionally takes measures to avoid battle.
Once the core members of the War Realm learned of the Tyrant's intentions, they began to treat Black Star as a dangerous challenge to hone their skills, and proceeded with caution, no longer engaging in head-on confrontations. This resulted in fewer and fewer battles requiring Han Xiao's intervention.
The tug-of-war rarely required Han Xiao's assistance, and keeping him in Colton would be a waste of talent. Therefore, Amethyst assigned him to lead a surprise attack force to Desolate Universe Belt, searching for and eliminating logistical transit stations in the War Realm.
This operation has lasted for half a year, and Han Xiao has achieved considerable success, continuously weakening his advantage in the War Realm and essentially destroying all the transit stations.
At this moment, he was leading his fleet to attack the last logistics relay station...