The internal guesthouses of the Tyrant Hamill Palace consist of individual villas.
Han Xiao and his group followed the reception staff into one of the buildings, which would be their temporary accommodations.
After settling in, Han Xiao locked himself in his room to think about tomorrow.
"Tomorrow I'll be meeting separately with the Imperial Leader and those Beyond Grade A. What will the Imperial Leader talk to me about... well, besides welcoming me as a formality, he might also ask me to use Evolution Cube on a large scale here, and invite me to participate in certain events, putting me in the spotlight, making me appear in the Central Galaxy, and announcing that the Empire has new leverage..."
"As for those Beyond Grade A, they accepted me into their circle. We're all allies, share the same stance, and support each other..."
He knew the list of the Empire's Beyond Grade A members, and he was familiar with the personalities and preferences of some of them, but he still didn't know who the seven people who had come this time were.
"Many of the Beyond Grade A combatants of a cosmic civilization are veterans who have survived for many years, possessing a large number of expertise and skills, with abundant energy and formidable strength..." Han Xiao pondered to himself.
He felt that tomorrow's meeting with the Beyond Grade A candidate would likely not be easy, and wouldn't be a simple meeting and exchange.
Beyond Grade A individuals are all individuals who wield immense power. Strength is the foundation upon which they stand. If a newcomer squeezes into their circle, someone might want to test their mettle. Even if a weak person is accepted into the circle, they will still be marginalized. Only the strong can have more say.
The Empire's Beyond Grade A allies are also led by three of the strongest individuals; it's unknown how many have arrived this time.
"While my combat strength isn't bad, it's barely crossed the threshold of Beyond Grade A. Some of my attributes are still not high enough. I've already completed half of the Heber's Stellar Furnace Training Method, which has added nearly 10,000 points to my strength... My mechanical abilities, on the other hand, have improved considerably..."
During this period, in addition to handling the affairs of the legion, Han Xiao also devoted a lot of his spare time to building machinery and stockpiling a lot of goods.
With cutting-edge knowledge already in place, Han Xiao integrated many new mechanical blueprints using these technologies. In addition to establishing a mechanical legion, he also created a number of advanced machines with different functions, steadily improving his strength through the methods of a mechanic.
Han Xiao's eyes suddenly flashed.
"Now that I have some information on these Beyond Grade A... perhaps I can strike first tomorrow?"
After a night's sleep, an imperial envoy arrived at the door early the next morning.
Hila opened the door and saw the messenger standing outside, looking extremely respectful.
"Hello, the Imperial Head of State invites Lord Black Star to a meeting."
"Let's go." Han Xiao walked out of the room and nodded.
Hila and the others wanted to follow, but Han Xiao waved his hand, telling the guards to stay. Seeing this, the envoy, who had intended to dissuade them, swallowed his words.
The airspace above Tyrant Hamill Palace is a no-fly zone. The two boarded a land-based hovercraft that had been waiting at the entrance and drove towards the city center.
At the heart of the city lies the highest-ranking officials' office area, a magnificent palace that is also the main body of the Tyrant Hamill Palace.
The closer to the center, the tighter the security became. There were guards every five steps and sentries every ten steps. Various mechanical detection instruments covered the area, and squads of elite imperial superhumans patrolled at all times. With just a fleeting glance, Han Xiao sensed the aura of no less than ten Calamity Grade superhumans, and this was only in one direction. This glimpse revealed the astonishing defensive strength of the imperial capital.
Cosmic civilizations not only control the Central Galaxy but also have some control over other star regions. They possess abundant human resources, a vast talent pool, and various advanced Super Academy that cultivate talent. The proportion of Calamity Grade beings is unparalleled in the Galaxy. With these two factors, cosmic civilizations have a multitude of powerful individuals under their command.
The vehicle stopped outside the palace, and Han Xiao followed the envoy inside. After passing through several checkpoints, they took the internal floating elevator all the way to the top floor, which was the office area of the imperial leader.
After passing through the area of guards and secretaries, the messenger pushed open a door and gestured for them to enter.
Han Xiao nodded to him and strode straight in, where the room's layout came into view.
This is a spacious office with a rectangular layout, reddish-brown walls, and floor-to-ceiling windows on every side.
The floor was covered with a red carpet, and green potted plants stood in the corner, seemingly carefully tended and exuding a calming fragrance. Two rows of full bookshelves lined the walls, while on the other side were a small white stone round table and a red sofa for receiving guests. The center of the room was empty of furniture, with a huge chandelier hanging above it. A little further back was a desk with a figure sitting behind it, and a second person standing beside him with his hands behind his back.
Han Xiao immediately recognized the seated imperial leader.
With her long white hair piled up, a pair of solemn eyes, and an dignified demeanor, she could make people overlook whether she was beautiful or not.
Urranrell Xin Reibet, the leader of the Crimson Dynasty!
That's right, the current leader of the empire is a woman!
The Crimson Dynasty prides itself on iron and blood, and reveres the strong, regardless of gender.
The succession of the imperial leader is a training system, unrelated to bloodline. During the term of the previous leader, the training of the next generation of leaders begins. There is more than one candidate for training; the candidates are absolute elites selected through consultation between the high-level officials and various factions.
Bang.
The messenger closed the gate from the outside.
"Black Star, I am Urranrell, the leader of the Crimson Dynasty. Please have a seat." Urranrell stood up, his tone calm, and extended his hand to greet him.
The man behind her followed closely, his sharp eyes fixed on Han Xiao, as if no movement could escape his notice.
"Hello." Han Xiao shook hands with her, and the two then sat facing each other on the guest sofa, while the man behind Urranrell remained standing behind her.
"This is Clottey, the captain of the Imperial Head of State's personal guard," Urranrell briefly introduced the man behind him.
Clottey nodded expressionlessly.
Han Xiao's face remained expressionless, but his mind was racing.
In previous versions, the leaders of cosmic civilizations changed many times during version updates. Urranrell was the head of the Crimson Dynasty in one of those phases. During her tenure, the achievement that players are most familiar with was the struggle for and development of the Shattered World, which helped the empire expand its territory and acquire a new star field.
Players from the previous generation knew very little about this imperial leader, because in her version, the players' active stage was mainly the Shattered World and their respective star systems, and they had not yet developed much contact with the high-ranking officials of cosmic civilizations. To them, the leaders of cosmic civilizations were just a few lines of text in the background introduction.
And now, Urranrell is standing right in front of him. This woman is one of the three most powerful beings in the universe, one of the three Tu Shu, and one could even say she rules the universe. The meaning she symbolizes has completely overshadowed her own beauty, ugliness, and gender.
Clottey, standing behind her, is her bodyguard, a veteran Beyond Grade A trained by the Empire. He is Esper Class the ability to manipulate dark energy and dark matter, and is nicknamed "Dark Emperor," "Dark Matter Ruler," "Lightless Light," "Celestial Body Warper," and so on.
This person is one of the three strongest individuals in the Empire's Beyond Grade A group!
"First of all, on behalf of the Crimson Dynasty, I welcome you to join us." Urranrell got straight to the point, staring into Han Xiao's eyes.
"It's my honor," Han Xiao said politely.
Urranrell slowly said, "Regarding the initial exploration of the Shattered World, the Empire needs your and Heber's strength. According to our cooperation agreement, in addition to the Empire's resource support, after the mission is accomplished, you will receive a territory under your jurisdiction in the Shattered World, with the right to develop autonomously..."
Han Xiao nodded. "I understand that."
"You are an ally of the Empire. As long as you contribute to the Empire, the Empire will not be stingy with resources. The more responsibilities you are willing to take on, the more resources the Empire will provide. At times, the Empire may issue a conscription order, deploying Beyond Grade A combatants, including yourself, to carry out certain missions. Of course, if you encounter any difficulties, you can also request support from the Empire's Beyond Grade A combatants. Remember, you are the Pillar of the Nation of the Empire, and at the same time, the Empire is also your backing."
Urranrell spoke earnestly.
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao narrowed his eyes, feeling quite satisfied. Obligations and rights go hand in hand. By joining the Crimson Dynasty and becoming their super combat force, he also gained a powerful backing. The numerous Beyond Grade A allies were not only resources of the empire, but he was also qualified to borrow them. As the saying goes, "One arrow pierces the clouds, and a thousand armies come to meet you."
"As for the Evolution Cube in your possession, you can rest assured that we welcome you to hand it over voluntarily. However, even if you are unwilling, the Empire will not seize your treasure. But I have one condition: the Empire does not object to you using the Evolution Cube to contact other forces, but the Empire's modification quota is Infinite, and we can send people to the Black Star Army for modification at any time."
"Of course, that's no problem." Han Xiao nodded. He limited the number of slots for other civilizations, but naturally he wouldn't set any limits for his biggest ally, the Crimson Dynasty.
Moreover, the Crimson Dynasty has too large a population to make such an excessive demand as the evolution of the entire race, even if they themselves possess the Evolution Cube.
"Now that you've come to the Empire's homeworld, it's perfect. Stay here for a few days and take the opportunity to reorganize our homeworld's forces," Urranrell said.
As expected, this is one of the main reasons you called me here... Han Xiao's heart stirred.
It would be much more convenient to send him to the Crimson Dynasty than to select elites for modification in the Shattered Star Ring.
Moreover, the homeworld forces cannot be acted upon arbitrarily, as they are all confidants of the Imperial Head of State. Sending them over to reform them is the best solution, eliminating the need to negotiate quotas with various factions.