The spectators in every spaceship stopped chatting and stared intently at the blue portal that had suddenly appeared in the center of the battlefield.
The wormhole-like portal continued to expand, seemingly without limit. Currently, the largest ship in the field was the Black Star Army's armed satellite base, and the portal's size far exceeded that of the satellite base. All the ships' radars went off, detecting a rapidly increasing energy fluctuation.
The next moment, a magnificent and imposing castle slowly emerged from the portal, enveloped in a misty, iridescent magical shield. The surface of the spherical, semi-transparent shield was covered with countless rune circuits composed of radiant patterns. Each complex array looked like a magnificent decoration, flashing at a breathing frequency, constantly absorbing dark energy from the universe to refine energy for the castle.
The Secret Church of the Red Robe' most precious treasure— the Palace of Hidden Spells!
"Austin is here!"
"They actually teleported their headquarters directly here; that's way too high-profile."
"Is he here to watch the game, or to help one side?"
Although the first to arrive was the only Beyond Grade A member of the Shattered Star Ring who had no connection to this battle, the spectators were still excited—even Austin had come, proving that this was the first time all five Beyond Grade A would gather together, an unprecedented spectacle!
"This guy's here to join the fun too?" Laifer was startled, his expression shifting between light and dark, fearing that Austin might interfere.
The commander of the troops on the front War Realm, Jorde, was equally on edge.
"I wonder if Austin is friend or foe..."
Jorde swallowed hard. He had contacted Austin privately through Sisko, so he didn't know Austin's purpose.
The Palace of Hidden Spells quickly descended completely, the portal rapidly shrinking until it vanished as a point of light. Austin's headquarters was Beyond Grade A mage tower, Universal Treasure, inscribed with numerous spatial teleportation arrays, enabling long-distance travel through dimensions—a powerful feature.
Countless mages living in the Palace of Hidden Spells emerged from the castle and gathered on open-air platforms, becoming spectators. Austin, leading the Forbidden Sorcerer forces, appeared above the Palace of Hidden Spells, hovering in the air. While maneuvering the Palace of Hidden Spells to the edge of the battlefield to secure a good position, he observed with great interest the endless array of spectator ships before him.
"Tsk, how come I'm the first one here? These young people these days have no sense of time at all." Austin said with a sigh, resting his chubby little hand on his chin.
He rejected the alliance request from both sides and came here specifically to watch the game live. To enjoy the show comfortably, he even moved his hometown here, which can be described as staying in a high-end, sophisticated, and classy way.
Just as countless people were whispering and speculating about Austin's intentions, a growing commotion arose at the edge of the fleet in the far distance.
A massive fleet warped in and advanced toward the battlefield. The surrounding spectators, upon seeing the fleet's insignia, were all greatly alarmed and hurriedly piloted their ships to make way for it.
The outer armor of this fleet's ships is engraved with an emblem known throughout the universe—the national emblem of the cosmic-level civilization Arcane Church!
The Arcane Church has also arrived!
This is part of the Arcane Church's garrison in the Shattered Star Ring. The small escort ships are all standard Arcane Church vessels, with a disc-shaped exterior, resembling smooth, upright discs. They are very thin, and their bodies are predominantly black and dark purple, engraved with matrix-like patterns. The hull has three huge hollowed-out holes, arranged in right-angled triangles. Each hole contains a dense ball of red and black dark energy, which serves as both an energy reactor and an annihilation weapon.
The large flagship is butterfly-shaped, with a sphere at the center and hundreds of pairs of wings connected to both sides. These wings are currently in a folded state, stacked together, appearing as a single pair. Although the material is metal, it is a kind of alloy with extremely high ductility, and the texture is as smooth and light as fabric. If it enters combat mode, these wings will fully open and slide along the surface of the central sphere, transforming into a shape resembling a sun pattern.
The Arcane Church fleet entered the battlefield unimpeded. A spaceship stepped out from the crowd, its hatch opening to reveal Sisko, the second Beyond Grade A to arrive.
He floated in front of the Arcane Church's fleet, calmly staring at the Amethyst Fleet and Section Zero confronting each other in the distance. Although he was as small as a grain of sand compared to the massive fleet, all eyes were drawn to him.
The countless spectators gasped in shock.
"Sisko has arrived!"
"The Arcane Church's fleet is actually following him; is this the attitude of a cosmic-level civilization...?"
It's no secret that the Star Pupil Protoss is backed by the Arcane Church, but this cosmic-level civilization has remained silent on the matter for some time, yet it suddenly appears, clearly intending to intervene in this challenge. No one was prepared for this.
Both those watching the game live and those watching the broadcast were taken aback.
They originally thought this challenge was mainly a conflict between Beyond Grade A, but now a cosmic-level civilization has intervened, instantly complicating the situation.
"This is bad! The Arcane Church is here to help Sisko!" Laifer immediately became alarmed.
This Arcane Church fleet is extremely powerful, enough to rival the Amethyst and Section Zero. Moreover, this is a cosmic-level civilization; how could they dare to make a move?
On the other side, Jorde couldn't help but feel wary.
Originally, the Star Pupil Protoss was too far away to send troops to help, and almost everyone thought that Sisko had come alone. However, the appearance of the Arcane Church made Sisko the most powerful person present. Due to the special status of a cosmic civilization, all the forces present were terrified.
However, before everyone could accept the change in the situation, another wave of trouble arose as yet another fleet arrived.
Upon seeing who it was, every spectator was stunned.
Crimson Dynasty!
Another cosmic-level civilization?!
The Crimson Dynasty's spaceship technology differs significantly from that of the Arcane Church. The Arcane Church's spaceships have a magical style, while the Crimson Dynasty's spaceships have a heavy industrial style. The hulls exude a sinister beauty of machinery and steel, and the formation is as majestic and imposing as an order. Just looking at them from afar can make people feel a sense of oppression.
The Crimson Dynasty fleet squeezed its way into the central battlefield, hovering beside Krent, and together with the Arcane Church fleet, confronted the Amethyst Civilization from afar, seemingly there to support the Tyrant.
More than ten days ago, Suy agreed to the Krent high command's request to send troops to support the Tyrant. Now that he had a powerful backer, Jorde felt relieved and looked at the Black Star Army's position in the distance with a cold smile.
See your younger brother? Do you have anyone to rely on?
We have two here!
In the other Star Diamond-Class Flagship, Laifer slammed his hands on the table, his face pale, cold sweat pouring down his face, and his knees trembling.
He hadn't expected things to turn out this way; the situation was no longer just bad, it was downright hopeless.
If a conflict really breaks out later, how can they, with their small arms and legs, possibly contend with two cosmic-level civilizations?!
At this moment, the countless spectators who had been stunned finally came to their senses, their hearts filled with shock.
"The Crimson Dynasty and the Arcane Church have both arrived!"
"Two cosmic-level civilizations are standing against Black Star?!"
"Black Star's only backer is the Amethyst Civilization; it seems rather pathetic..."
"A freshman with Beyond Grade A is facing this situation; he's probably in for a rough time."
To everyone else, the current situation is clearly that two major cosmic civilizations are targeting Black Star together. The alliance between Tyrant and Star Pupil is too powerful, and Black Star's situation has deteriorated rapidly.
Countless people couldn't help but feel worried for Black Star, their pessimism growing. This indirectly affected major betting platforms, with the amount of bets on the Tyrant experiencing a Berserk. Originally, betting groups planned to stop betting only after Black Star and the Tyrant appeared, but now they were so frightened that they immediately closed the betting platforms.
Millions of players in the Black Star Army's fleet were on tenterhooks. For the first time, they had witnessed a cosmic civilization at the pinnacle of the Galaxy, yet their adversary was an enemy of their own faction.
"It looks like the legion commander is going to lose this round..." Maple Moon twisted her hands together nervously.
Frenzied Saber couldn't help but feel worried, his fists clenched tightly.
Although the Black Star Army is the main faction in the players' minds, after being exposed to it for three versions, players have long established the impression that a cosmic civilization is the overlord of the Galaxy. Originally, many players were quite optimistic about this challenge, but the current development has made many players unable to smile, and the situation is quite bad.
Many people are starting to waver. The future version will most likely revolve around a cosmic-level civilization, but now the Black Star Army has become the opponent of a cosmic-level civilization... This is not a good sign.
Conversely, the Summer Night Blossoms on the other War Realm were filled with delight.
The reason he was optimistic about the War Realm was that this power had an upward path and could serve as a springboard to join the Crimson Dynasty. The Black Star Army only had the Amethyst Civilization above it, which was incomparable. Now, the appearance of the Crimson Dynasty's fleet was like a shot in the arm for him, restoring Summer Night Blossoms Hua's confidence in his conjecture.
"See? This is what I meant by the limitations of faction development. I emphasized it a long time ago: don't be blinded by immediate gains like the Black Star Army players. You need to have a long-term vision like me to make the right choices." Summer Night Blossoms was being cheeky again, smiling broadly as she chatted eloquently with the players around her.
Meanwhile, aboard the Black Star Army's flagship, many of the legion's officers wore grim expressions, and no one spoke.
Lagi sighed, breaking the silence, "Alas, it seems I'm going to die here today..."
In the past, people would often joke about Lagi's dejected appearance, but now all the cadres kept their lips tightly pressed together, and no one responded.
Even these cadres couldn't help but feel pessimistic.
They hadn't forgotten that the legion commander was facing two challenges!
Even if they survived the Tyrant's attack, Sisko would still come up and force Black Star to hand over the Evolution Cube through Evolution Cube. No matter how they thought about it, they felt that Han Xiao's best option was to back down and hand over the Evolution Cube voluntarily—the other side had two cosmic-level civilizations eyeing them covetously, and their backing power far exceeded their own.
They simply couldn't fathom what gave the Legion the confidence to forcibly retain the Evolution Cube.
"What if he insists on going his own way..." a Calamity Grade official couldn't help but ask.
"Shut up." Sylvia glared at him resentfully. "All we have to do is obey the Legion Commander's decisions. What are you trying to say?!"
The group exchanged bewildered glances. Apart from the most senior members like Melos, most of the officers who had joined the legion later silently prayed in their hearts:
"I hope Black Star doesn't lose his mind..."
Just then, a War Realm sailed in from afar and arrived at the central battlefield, where Heber finally arrived.
His massive, mountain-like body, clad in heavy armor, hovered in the center of the battlefield. All the spaceships' radars detected the terrifying, boiling energy emanating from his body, making him appear like a walking supernova.
Heber glanced at Sisko, his eyes warning him not to disrupt his plans.
Sisko remained expressionless and stepped back a short distance.
"The Tyrant has arrived; only Black Star and the Dragon Emperor are missing."
"Oh, they're here."
Many spectators hurriedly turned to look, only to see a Black Star fleet escorting the Floating Dragon Island as it sailed in the distance. Because the Dragon Calm wasn't moving that fast, Han Xiao and Ames were the last to arrive.
The surrounding spaceships made way for the massive Dragon Calm to pass through and smoothly enter the battlefield area.
"Everyone's finally here!" Everyone perked up.
Ames slowly ascended into the air and flew above Dragon Calm. At this moment, Han Xiao also flew out of the main ship. The two of them confronted Heber and Sisko from a distance. Not far away, Austin was watching the show.
Black Star filled the void in the Mechanic Class, and the five Beyond Grade A beings in the Shattered Star Ring were five different superhumans from different systems. Countless viewers suddenly felt a sense of ritual, as if they were witnesses.
Han Xiao turned and exchanged a glance with Ames, they nodded to each other, then he glanced at the spectacular crowd of onlookers, and his lips twitched involuntarily.
"Why are there so many people, and so close together? Aren't you afraid we'll randomly kill a few lucky audience members...?"
Han Xiao glanced up at the Palace of Hidden Spells again, speechless at the old man, and shook his head helplessly before turning his gaze to Heber.
He glanced at it, then connected his brain to the Tyrant's communication device, and his voice rang out from inside Heber's armor.
"I'm here, Little Tyrant. How do you want to fight?"
"... What did you call me?" Heber didn't react.
"Hey, I can call you whatever I want." Han Xiao raised an eyebrow and chuckled.
Heber, too lazy to respond, looked down at him and said, "Black Star, I had my eye on you more than ten years ago, and it proved that my judgment was correct. Unfortunately... you rejected my invitation and made a wrong decision. I gave you a chance, but you didn't know how to cherish it."
Han Xiao curled his lip. "Stop talking nonsense. Aren't you just trying to establish your authority over me today?"
"That's right." Heber didn't hide it. "You've survived until now because you weren't worth my time before, but you haven't disappointed me. I've kept your life until today so that your blood can stain my throne."
Once you reach the Beyond Grade A, only by killing opponents of the same level can you gain greater fame in the Galaxy and is the best way to improve your status. This has always been the Tyrant's goal—in his eyes, as long as his prestige increases, a steady stream of talented people will join his ranks.
However, the other three Beyond Grade A A-level enemies in the Shattered Star Ring are not easy to deal with, and there is no reason for them to make a move. Even Ames, whose abilities are countered by him, has first-class survival skills. Therefore, he implements a "pig-raising" strategy, preparing to cultivate a Beyond Grade A enemy, and then kill this person before he becomes Wings powerful, thus building his own "Tyrant" reputation by stepping on the enemy's corpse.
Han Xiao was the target he had chosen.
"You like raising pigs so much, be careful you don't get gored to death by them..." Han Xiao shook his head upon hearing this.
Just then, the panel suddenly reacted and a new message popped up.
[You have triggered the Grade S quest ["The Tyrant" Heber]!]
[Mission Introduction: Beyond Grade A beings are top-tier powerhouses standing at the pinnacle of the Galaxy, possessing unparalleled strength. Tyrant Heber is one of them. Are you sure you want to fight him?]
[Mission Requirements: Survive Heber for as long as possible (combat mode is not limited; each time you leave combat, you can only stay out for a maximum of 30 minutes. If you exceed this time, the mission will enter the settlement phase. Infinite to the number of times you can leave combat)]
[Rewards: The rewards for this mission are phased. You will receive the corresponding reward for each requirement you meet (only 1% of the out-of-combat time is counted in the judgment time)]
[Persist for 10 seconds: 100 million experience points]
[Persist for 30 seconds: 230 million experience points]
[Persist for 1 minute: 450 million experience points]
[Persist for 2 minutes: 70,000 experience points]
[Persist for 3 minutes: 90,000 experience points, Legend Points +1]
[Persist for 7.5 minutes: [Character Summon Card - "Tyrant" Heber], 300,000 experience points]
[Persist for 20 minutes: Randomly select one of the Tyrant's specialties or skills, gain 850,000 experience points, and Legend Points by 1]
"It's this kind of mission." Han Xiao's eyes lit up.
Beyond Grade A powerhouses are true bosses, insurmountable mountains. Even if a player has their current level, they still can't defeat Beyond Grade A with all the template specializations. The difference lies only in how long they can last. In later versions of the previous game, some players challenged Beyond Grade A, and some had a chance to trigger special Grade S missions, which were based on this format—rewards were given according to how long the player lasted against the boss.
In the past, most players found it extremely difficult to even last a minute in a direct confrontation with Beyond Grade A opponent. The only way was to constantly disengage and kite them. Since disengagement time only counts as 1%, each disengagement only grants a maximum of 18 seconds of judgment time. For a player to meet the requirement of "lasting 20 minutes," they would need to disengage at least sixty times and not be caught by the Beyond Grade A opponent within thirty minutes, which means holding off the Beyond Grade A for a total of about thirty hours—an almost impossible task.
Han Xiao had also attempted the Beyond Grade A before, but his best result was only a few minutes.
However, the evaluation criteria for panel tasks have always been based on the player's strength, and Han Xiao is the only exception.
He doesn't need to disengage from the battle at all; he can just confront them head-on!
Even with my stamina, it took me twenty minutes to just finish warming up!
Han Xiao exhaled, and his blue-gold Mechanical Force suddenly exploded. He spread his arms wide, clenched his fists, and punched towards his sides as if he were holding Thunder.
A Secondary Dimension, which had been fully explored over the past ten days, suddenly opened up behind him!
Looking around, all you could see was a vast, dark army of machines, stretching as far as the eye could see, seemingly endless!
Mechanic Emperor: Secondary Dimension March!
The emperor personally led the expedition, and a massive army pressed in!
Seeing this, Heber twisted his neck, and a burst of energy, like a supernova explosion, rose from his body, shining as brightly as a star.
The next moment, the mechanical legion surged out, meeting a figure as large as a star!