Those watching at the scene and in front of their screens were deeply moved as they watched the Black Star Army fleet depart.
At that moment, in their hearts, the Black Star Army's status instantly rose to the same level as that of the War Realm, and they firmly remembered it.
On the fleet's return journey, Han Xiao made a detour and passed by a star. In order to test the effects of the [Heber's Stellar Furnace Training Method], he ordered the fleet to stop and flew towards the star's surface himself.
Without wearing the mecha, intense radiation and high temperatures shone directly on their bodies, with the heat intensifying the closer they were.
When you get close enough, the [Heber's Stellar Furnace Training Method] on the panel will light up from gray, indicating that it is now usable.
Investing millions of experience points, Han Xiao immediately began his first cultivation session.
The energy within his body instantly surged, frantically absorbing the energy from the star's radiation, turning his skin a fiery red, and its brightness continued to increase.
"Perfect, I can trigger [Radiant Energy Absorption] at the same time."
At that moment, a solar prominence erupted from the surface of a star, heading straight for him like a blazing red tsunami. Han Xiao neither dodged nor avoided it, letting the stellar energy engulf him and spray onto his body, causing him to lose a small amount of health.
In a high-temperature environment, blood volume is constantly decreasing, but it can be quickly Health and Mana Conversion. The effect of the Stellar Furnace Training Method depends on the length of time spent on a star. The reason it is a high-level secret technique is that few superhumans below Grade A can survive on stars, but with Master Han's toughness, he can stay on a star forever.
"This really feels like taking a bath inside a star." Han Xiao toyed with a ball of stellar energy, patting it onto his chest muscles like foam, shaking his head and chuckling.
After holding out for half an hour, the panel indicated that the training effect had reached its limit. Only then did Han Xiao move away from the star. The number of training sessions for the Stellar Furnace Training Method became 1, and he gained an additional 25 Qi.
"Each session lasts half an hour, adding 25 stamina points each time, allowing for 650 training sessions. Completing all sessions will increase my stamina by over 16,000, which translates to over 80,000 more health points in recovery rate."
Han Xiao was in a good mood. Reaching the Beyond Grade A made it more difficult to improve his strength than before. Opportunities to increase his strength by so much were extremely rare, giving him a feeling of unparalleled divine skill.
After testing the effects of the Stellar Furnace Training Method, Han Xiao allowed the fleet to set sail. After handling the affairs of the legion, he would have free time to complete this set of Qi cultivation secret techniques.
"The Black Star Army allied with the Crimson Dynasty Crimson Dynasty, which declared ownership of the Evolution Cube, forcing the Arcane Church to retreat."
"Black Star rose to fame in one battle, forcing the Tyrant to retreat!"
"Several of our reporters on the scene have tragically lost their lives. According to incomplete statistics, the number of casualties among spectators has reached tens of millions..."
The grand event of the duel has come to an end, but its impact has swept through the Shattered Star Ring like a hurricane, dominating the headlines of major news channels.
This grand event attracted the attention of many. All five Beyond Grade A Shattered Star Ring gathered together. Although the event was short, the situation was full of twists and turns. For everyone, Black Star was the biggest protagonist of this event, fighting back and forth with the Tyrant. The most surprising thing was that the Crimson Dynasty turned against them and announced Black Star's joining the party in a high-profile manner. No one had expected this situation beforehand.
Everyone knew that this meant another Beyond Grade A had gained a foothold in the Galaxy, and a new, powerful force was about to be born. Today's events were enough to be recorded in the history of the Shattered Star Ring, a signal that would change the landscape of the star field.
The day after the duel ended, the Black Star Army issued a high-profile recruitment order to the entire star system.
In an instant, countless people who had been observing were suddenly captivated.
With the Crimson Dynasty as its backer, the Black Star Army has no shortage of resources. Moreover, its Big Black Star, is a proven Beyond Grade A expert. This emerging force has a bright future, and joining it would bring numerous benefits.
The Black Star Army's recruitment order was like a depth charge, creating a massive upheaval in the Shattered Star Ring. The day after the recruitment order was issued, ships set off from various star clusters, heading straight for the Black Star Army's headquarters in the Colton Star Cluster.
The recruitment drive was overwhelming, marking the largest recruitment drive in the Legion's history. Phillip received tens of millions, even hundreds of millions, of resumes and applications every day.
Meanwhile, many factions within the Shattered Star Ring extended olive branches to the Black Star Army.
"You want to merge with me and make me the chief director of the Mercenary Alliance? That's not a problem, but you can continue to handle the day-to-day affairs... Yes, that's what I mean. Then it's settled. In a while, we'll jointly declare to the star system that the Mercenary Alliance is affiliated with me."
After hanging up the call with Gurega, Han Xiao rubbed the bridge of his nose. In the past few days, countless forces had contacted him, making all sorts of demands.
There are Mercenary Alliance who want to use his name. Generally, these are forces that have had good relations in the past. For example, King Serre V of Goddora called yesterday, saying that he wanted to make another political visit and subtly expressed his hope that the Black Star Army would not relocate its headquarters and would remain near Planet Golden Gate.
Because of the existence of the Black Star Army, Planet Golden Gate has experienced explosive growth in recent years. As a transportation hub, it is extremely prosperous.
Serre V also intended to invite Han Xiao to become an honorary officer of Goddora, but this plan was a bit too ambitious and was politely declined by Han Xiao. One Gaol Golden Statue Medal was enough; if he were to posthumously confer another honor, it would signify the Black Star Army's stance, which would be detrimental to the surrounding regions.
One galaxy-level civilization is not enough for Han Xiao's appetite right now. With a powerful tool like the Evolution Cube in hand, it would be a waste not to use it to unify more civilizations. Therefore, it is not appropriate for him to stand so clearly on Goddora's side.
Many star system civilizations in the Colton Star Cluster have also contacted him, many of them as partners sharing the mining rights of resource planets. Now that he has established his position through the Battle of the Tyrant, these civilizations all want to deepen their ties. In addition to exchanging for a Beyond Grade A position, more importantly, they are coveting the Evolution Cube and want to borrow it from all of them.
The terms of the deepened alliance included expanding the mining areas of resource planets and establishing more branches. In essence, it meant that civilization was giving up its share of the pie to Han Xiao and accepting the Black Star Army as a new member of the Galaxy's high-level power structure.
However, Han Xiao had been keeping the other civilizations hanging on to the agreement regarding the Evolution Cube, and hadn't finalized it yet. With such a valuable item as the Evolution Cube in hand, he didn't plan to rush to exchange it for profit. After all, he was in a seller's market, so taking it slow was more stable.
Another group consists of small armed forces requesting to join the Black Star Army. These include forces led by Calamity Grade leaders, and even several organizations within the Section Zero want to become members of the Legion, as the allure of the Crimson Dynasty is simply too great.
The final part consists of interstellar conglomerates, all major investors who eagerly inject capital to solve the cost problem of the legion's expansion. Money has extraordinary power, and the scale of the Black Star Army's expansion will depend to a certain extent on the investment of these conglomerates.
Before I could rest for more than a few minutes, the communicator rang again. This time it was Suy calling.
"Black Star... no, I should call you Lord Black Star," Suy said with a smile.
Han Xiao made a few jokes, then asked, "Special Envoy, what brings you here today?"
Getting down to business, Suy stopped rambling and said, "Now that we've announced our alliance, further cooperation will gradually unfold. Because of your joining, the Empire has decided to prioritize dealing with the Shattered Star Ring issue, which is the Secret War you mentioned."
"Oh?" Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.
"Krent is preparing to submit a proposal to the Galaxy Civilization General Assembly to re-plan the Colton Star Cluster and Seoul Star Cluster regions, with mediation and adjudication by our Three Universal Civilizations."
The Galaxy Civilization General Assembly is the most official civilization alliance established by the Three Universal Civilizations. Basically, all supercluster-level, star cluster-level, and galaxy-level civilizations in all star fields, and even some special races, have seats in it. It unites the vast majority of civilizations in the universe to discuss various matters and is very formal.
"Krent is also your ally, what are you planning to do?" Han Xiao asked.
"You're right. We're prepared to meet with Krent privately and persuade them to abandon their proposal." Suy nodded. Krent was an ally, and the Empire wouldn't go too far; they wouldn't stand idly by and watch Krent submit their proposal without offering any assistance.
In fact, Krent's ambition to seize the territory of Amethyst was not authorized by the Crimson Dynasty. He was merely using the empire's banner to satisfy his own ambitions. This kind of thing is too common. As long as it doesn't cross the line, the Crimson Dynasty turns a blind eye. Now that there is a need, they also have the right to stop Krent's plan.
Of course, the Empire will provide compensation and give Krent additional benefits in the territorial division of the Shattered World.
"Krent is sensible; they'll agree. Besides, it's no use if they don't. The Arcane Church has been tricked by us, and they'll definitely block Krent's proposal on this matter. If we don't speak up, the proposal won't pass." Suy shrugged.
"That's true." Han Xiao nodded. He didn't think the Arcane Church would be willing to swallow their anger and would definitely seek revenge elsewhere, with the political arena being one such example.
"Now your Black Star Army and the War Realm are our allies, and we will work together to develop the Shattered World. After resolving the issue of the Secret War, you need to have a good talk and turn enemies into friends," Suy said.
The Crimson Dynasty values the development of the Shattered World, and the two allies of the Shattered Star Ring are the pioneers of exploration. The Empire does not want to see the two allies' mutual animosity affect the progress of the exploration of the new star system, even if it is just a superficial reconciliation.
"Fine, I don't care. I just wonder what Little Tyrant's thought process is like." Han Xiao shrugged.
Upon hearing this, Suy smiled helplessly. The one who suffered the most this time was the Tyrant, who would probably have a lot of complaints.
After a pause, Suy continued, "There's one last thing. The Tu Shu Empire will be sending their first batch of personnel to undergo the Evolution Cube modification in a while. We'll let you know then."
Han Xiao nodded. This was the content of the deal: granting the Crimson Dynasty the right to use the Evolution Cube.
Han Xiao wondered who the first group of people selected by the Crimson Dynasty would be. They were probably the empire's elite. He thought there might be some famous figures he "knew" among them.
After exchanging a few more words, Han Xiao ended the call. Just as he hung up, the communicator rang again; it was an unknown number.
Han Xiao paused, answered the call, and suddenly his expression changed.
The screen prominently displayed the ugly face of the Sorokin.
"Black Star." The Sorokin nodded in acknowledgment, a strange smile playing on his lips.
Han Xiao stared at the screen without speaking. He hadn't expected the Sorokin to contact him. He was quite wary of this infamous Beyond Grade A thug.
"I have a deal I'd like to discuss with you."
"... you say."
The Sorokin smiled faintly, "Don't worry, I won't steal your Evolution Cube. You're different from Sisko; you're not as stubborn as him."
What are you trying to say?
"Now that you have the Evolution Cube..." the Sorokin said slowly, "Let's make a deal. You let me use the Evolution Cube once, and I'll do something for you."
Han Xiao immediately narrowed his eyes. He absolutely did not believe the Sorokin's claim that he would not steal the Evolution Cube; to trade with the Sorokin was tantamount to asking a tiger for its skin.
Before he could answer, the Sorokin continued, "I understand that your alliance with the Crimson Dynasty has only just begun and you still have concerns. But someone like you, bound by order, might sometimes need a lawless thug to do things for you... You don't need to answer me right away. Wait until you've thought it through before you give me your reply."
With a smile, the Sorokin proactively ended the communication.
Han Xiao frowned, his finger hovering over the option to delete the Sorokin's encrypted number.
There was a long silence.
My finger slipped slightly.
The Sorokin's number has been blacklisted.
It was not deleted.
Spaceships landed on Planet Aquamarine, each bearing the logo of a different conglomerate. These were supply ships, carrying massive amounts of resources.
Bennett, leading the delegation from the Aquamarine Federation, stood at the hangar dock, watching with a sense of awe as the mechanics unload the supply crates from the ship one by one.
As the homeland of Beyond Grade A beings, they received more investment from interstellar conglomerates.
Bennett couldn't help but turn his head and look through the hangar door at the huge Black Star statue in the city center, a hint of relief and gratitude flashing in his eyes.