This was the first time Hadavy had heard of the Black Star Army having officers called Royal Guards, but he was no stranger to Hila.
For a period of time, Han Xiao took Hila to various front-line battlefields of the Secret War. Before Hadavy left the War Realm, he had browsed Hila's intelligence, and this was their first meeting.
He glanced around; countless legionary warriors blocked all escape routes, and warships hovered overhead.
"Where is Black Star? I want to see him!" Hadavy shouted.
Hila acted as if she hadn't heard, coldly saying, "Our legion commander isn't someone you can just see whenever you want, Hadavy. You raided our legion headquarters; surrender now!"
Upon hearing this, Hadavy's gaze returned to Hila, his eyes narrowing. "Or what? You come and arrest me?"
call--
Hila, already impatient, attacked without hesitation upon hearing this. Crimson energy surged forth, slamming into Hadavy's chest and sending him flying into the air, where it exploded into a crimson shockwave.
As the light faded, Hadavy hovered in mid-air, his frivolous demeanor replaced by a slightly serious expression.
As a well-known Beyond Grade A Seed in the Shattered Star Ring, ordinary Calamity Grade could not harm him in the slightest. However, Hila's casual strike caused some of his body cells to lose their activity and dissipate due to the impact of death energy, as if his life force had been sucked away.
Although the damage wasn't significant, it demonstrated that the destructive power of this red-haired woman was far beyond what a typical Calamity Grade could achieve.
After Hila received the benefits of the Evolution Cube, her combat power increased significantly, and her destructive power became increasingly astonishing. Her death energy could plunder the target's vitality, causing special damage. Even Hadavy could not completely resist it and had to take it seriously.
Bang!
Hila unleashed a sonic boom, shooting skyward with a surge of dense death energy like a tsunami, which swept towards Hadavy.
The two collided in mid-air, engaging in a fierce battle. Visible shockwaves exploded one after another. The surrounding legion soldiers did not intervene, leaving a battlefield open for them to watch the fight.
Some of the Calamity Grade officers who remained on the ground looked up at the two figures chasing each other in the sky, but had no intention of helping.
"Sylvia, are we really not going to get involved?" a Calamity Grade officer asked.
Sylvia shook her head and squinted, saying, "Lord Black Star's intention in forming Guard Officer Unit is not for his own protection, but to let the major powers know that he has an elite armed force under his command. Hadavy is a formidable fellow. If Hila, as the captain of the Royal Guard, fights him and doesn't lose, she will gain fame and establish the Guard Officer Unit's first impression on the major powers."
"But what if we lose...?"
"Someone personally selected by the teacher..." Sylvia pursed her lips, "Isn't so easily defeated."
The scene of Hila and Hadavy's fight was recorded by the surrounding interstellar news ships. The reporters watched the two fight intently, while their hands were already writing articles, recording the process of Hadavy's forced entry into the Black Star Army headquarters and the intervention of Black Star's Guard Officer Unit.
Bang bang bang--
Both were at the Cataclysmic level, and their battle was quite intense. Hila kept Hadavy within her encirclement, unleashing all her death energy upon him.
Although Hadavy had developed his Physical Hardening ability to an abnormal degree, he still suffered considerable injuries from such a relentless bombardment. It wasn't that he had no way to escape, but since he was here to find Han Xiao, he naturally wouldn't run away.
A red waterfall of condensed death energy blasted Hadavy down from the sky, crashing him to the ground and creating a crater in the alloy surface.
BOOM!!
Hadavy quickly sprang to his feet, leaping and rolling to avoid Hila's follow-up attacks. He turned back and stared at Hila in surprise. Although Hila's destructive power was not enough to endanger his life, it had certainly left him in a rather disheveled state. Hila's strength surprised him.
The Black Star Army now has many Calamity Grade officers. Previously, only Lagi could put pressure on Hadavy, but Hila is the second.
"Black Star has more and more powerful men under his command," Hadavy thought to himself.
"What a powerful physique." Hila frowned, crossed her hands, and unleashed her ultimate attack.
Death energy condensed on her body, making her appear as if she were engulfed in a crimson flame, so intense it was almost tangible.
The energy fluctuations rapidly increased, and Hadavy's expression turned serious. He assumed a defensive stance, his muscles beneath his skin moving like a python before tensing up like steel bars.
The legion members watching from all sides retreated. The intense energy fluctuations indicated that the aftershocks of this attack would be significant, and getting too close could result in injury.
Just when things were at their most critical, a deep voice rang out from behind the crowd.
"Hila, stop."
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Han Xiao slowly floating over. An invisible pressure of life force descended, and the scene fell silent for a moment, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
All eyes were on Han Xiao.
Upon hearing this, Hila snorted coldly, withdrew her death energy, and landed behind Hadavy.
The crowd parted to make way for Han Xiao, who walked through them to stand before Hadavy, raising an eyebrow. "You want to see me?"
He had actually arrived long ago, and after letting Hila and Hadavy fight for a while, he appeared and stopped them.
Just as Sylvia guessed, since he had formed the Guard Officer Unit, he wanted to help Hila establish her prestige across the star system. Hadavy was a typical tank with relatively weak offensive capabilities. With Hila's current strength, she wouldn't be at a disadvantage against him for the time being, which was a perfect opportunity for her to make a name for herself.
The interstellar reporters around him perked up. After so many rumors, this was the first time Black Star had appeared in public, and all the reporters' attention was focused on him.
"You've finally come out!" Hadavy's eyes flashed when he saw Han Xiao appear; this was exactly the effect he had hoped to achieve by forcibly breaking through the barrier. He said in a deep voice, "Do you remember me?"
"How could I forget you?" Han Xiao nodded, intrigued. "Aren't you from the War Realm? Are you coming to my headquarters alone to provoke me?"
"I have withdrawn from the War Realm; I am here in a private capacity this time," Hadavy explained.
"Oh... so what's your purpose?"
"I want to challenge you in my personal capacity!" Hadavy suddenly shouted, "And I'm willing to wager myself for it!"
Han Xiao was taken aback, his eyes filled with suspicion.
What do you want?
"If I lose, I'm willing to join the Black Star Army and serve you, just as I once served the War Realm. If I win..." Hadavy's eyes darted around, "I want you to be my subordinate."
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao couldn't help but smile inwardly; he had already seen through Hadavy's true intentions.
'This guy probably came because he heard the rumors that I've become Beyond Grade A. Knowing I'm already Beyond Grade A, he still insisted on challenging me. He probably has two purposes: first, he wants to spar with Beyond Grade A, and since we're old rivals, he thinks I won't go all out; second, he wants to join my ranks after he loses.'
Han Xiao roughly understood Hadavy's intentions. This man had always aimed for the Beyond Grade A, and now that he had reached that level first, he was itching to learn from him. If Hadavy was tempted, he was too proud to directly join the Black Star Army, which he had once been an enemy, nor did he want to bow down to his old rival. So, he put on a show, hoping to be recruited into the legion by failing to challenge Beyond Grade A, thus saving face.
For Hadavy, defeat was not shameful, but bowing his head in submission was humiliating.
After pondering for a moment, Han Xiao nodded, not exposing Hadavy, and agreed.
As an opponent, Hadavy was extremely annoying and a complete troublemaker. But now that this super tank wanted to join him, he had become a rare talent in his eyes, since Beyond Grade A Seed are few and far between.
Putting on a show and gaining a powerful henchman—this deal is definitely worthwhile.
Moreover, Han Xiao felt that he could take this opportunity to announce his Beyond Grade A strength to the star field by subduing Hadavy. With Hardaway's personal confirmation, his influence as Beyond Grade A would be even greater.
He had already created the prototype of his new mechanical legion, which was capable of handling battles at the Beyond Grade A. Moreover, the Tyrant would not allow him to continue delaying indefinitely.
Han Xiao was fully aware of the enemy's thoughts. If this delay continued, Krent would spread rumors that he dared not reveal his identity because he was afraid of the Tyrant, thereby undermining Han Xiao's influence in advancing to the Beyond Grade A and indirectly enhancing the Tyrant's deterrent power.
He remained silent for more than half a month, but Krent was already showing signs of making a move. He decided to avoid this situation before Krent's methods took effect.
"Bring it on."
Han Xiao put aside his thoughts and stared at Hadavy, tiny electric wires coursing through his body.
Boom!
Hadavy didn't hold back either, stomping on a large section of the alloy floor and crashing into Han Xiao's chest like a cannonball.
His arm muscles bulged, and explosive power coursed through them. His fist slammed out, aimed straight at Han Xiao's face.
However, Hadavy's fist suddenly stopped ten centimeters in front of Han Xiao. The swirling wind from the punch was like a sharp knife, making a whooshing sound, but Han Xiao didn't even blink.
At that moment, an arm covered by the War Tiger mech gripped Hadavy's throat. The powerful impact didn't even shake Han Xiao's arm in the slightest. Grabbed by this arm, Hadavy couldn't even move an inch.
The boost from advancing to Beyond Grade A and the Evolution Cube allowed Han Xiao's attributes to completely overwhelm those of the Calamity Grade. Even Hadavy, whose strength was primarily physical, was no match for him. Hadavy's strength lay in his endurance, not his power, and he was thoroughly humiliated by Han Xiao's more than three thousand points of power.
"This..." Hadavy's pupils contracted.
Before he could react, the mecha structure on Han Xiao's arm suddenly began to rotate, providing a powerful output. The spiraling force traveled along Han Xiao's palm and slammed into Hadavy's body.
Special vibrational sound waves echoed wildly through Hadavy's skin, flesh, and bones, adjusting their frequency to a resonant state on their own. A grand roar resounded in Hadavy's ears, as if the sounds of the entire world were flooding into his ears at the same time, all of which were sound waves emitted by the vibration of his internal organs and tissues.
Tiger's Roar!
By confining special vibrational sound waves within the target's body and using the target's body as a medium, a special frequency sound wave vibration attack is formed. It has extremely strong armor-piercing and vibrational effects and can be used in both melee and ranged combat. However, in a vacuum environment, it can only be used in melee combat. This is an attack device that Han Xiao imitated Stefan's superpower.
"Pfft!" Hadavy coughed up a mouthful of blood. Since it wasn't real damage, he wasn't immune.
Immediately afterwards, Han Xiao grabbed his throat with one hand and threw him to the ground.
Bang!
Hadavy smashed a dent in it and got stuck inside.
Before he could get up, Han Xiao clasped his hands together, his body overflowing with dazzling electric light, and the scattered Mechanical Force merged into the alloy ground.
Rumble!!
The next moment, the alloy surface suddenly came to life. A large section of the surface was transformed by Mechanical Force, deforming into a vortex-like shape that firmly held Hadavy in the center. The layers of metal caused the "vortex" to rise, transforming into a metal spiral mountain.
The immense pressure rendered Hadavy almost immobile.
"Snap!" Han Xiao snapped his fingers, and two planetary strike cannons deployed behind him, their muzzles raised to lock onto Hadavy, who was being held high in the air by the metal spiral mountain—if they fired from here, the energy cannons would penetrate into outer space and not damage the headquarters.
The cannon muzzle lit up, gathering an energy that sent chills down the spines of everyone present.
"My destructive power is completely different now," Han Xiao said slowly. "If these two shots hit you, you might be crippled. Admit defeat."
Hadavy swallowed hard, deeply shocked.
He came to challenge Han Xiao to verify the difference between the Beyond Grade A Black Star and the former Black Star, but he found that the gap between the two had suddenly become a chasm, and he seemed to have lost even the right to make Han Xiao take him seriously.
Is this the transformation of Beyond Grade A...? Hadavy's heart burned even hotter.
"I... I surrender." Hadavy took a deep breath and decisively began to back down.
Han Xiao had anticipated this, and without changing his expression, he turned his head and said, "Hila, take him away first."
Kerala...
The metal spiral mountain collapsed, Hadavy landed on the ground. Hila immediately came up to him and put a pair of electromagnetic shackles on him—they were mostly for show, not very effective—then escorted him into the legion's interior and left the scene.
Han Xiao then turned to look at the hundreds of news ships surrounding them, tilted his head, and directly connected his brain to the quantum network.
The numerous reporters on the ship were recording and writing about Han Xiao's effortless subjugation of Hadavy when suddenly, every screen on every ship flashed, displaying Han Xiao's face, startling everyone.
Immediately afterwards, Han Xiao's voice rang out from every screen.
"I know you've been loitering around here, wanting me to confirm the recent rumors with you... Yes, I'm already a Beyond Grade A. Please help me officially announce it to the entire star system!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Han Xiao disappeared from all the screens, and the original interface was restored.
The reporters' mouths gaped slightly. Coming to their senses, they rushed to the porthole to look at the Black Star Army's satellite, only to see Han Xiao turn and enter the headquarters, leaving behind only a towering the Sight of Father's Back.
"It's confirmed! Black Star confirmed it himself!"
All the reporters were overjoyed. After staking out the location for so long, they had finally gotten their hands on some juicy, firsthand scoop!
Rumors have their limitations, but official announcements are different. Rumors ignite curiosity across the entire star system, while Han Xiao personally announcing his status to the entire star system is like adding fuel to the fire!
By personally promoting the product, the influence of a newly promoted Beyond Grade A student will soar to its peak!