Shattered Star Ring, Crimson Dynasty Military Stargate Station.
Black Star Army transport ships emerged one after another from the blue vortex-like stargate, the blue spatial energy swirling around their shields dissipating rapidly like mist.
"I'm back." In the main ship's command room, Han Xiao let out a sigh of relief.
Although the Central Galaxy was prosperous and stable, the shadow of a cosmic-level civilization loomed over the star field like a mountain, bringing him invisible pressure. Although the Shattered Star Ring was remote and chaotic, he had been there for more than 20 years. It was the legion's headquarters, which gave him a sense of security and allowed him to relax.
Ames strode over to him, gazing at the cosmos outside the porthole, and said, "I've had a great time traveling with you guys these past two months. Now that we're home, I'll be going now."
"So urgent? Come with us."
"Dragon Calm has recently drifted to another star cluster; our paths diverge."
Hearing this, Han Xiao had no choice but to nod. "Alright, I'll have someone give you a spaceship. By the way, preparations on the Empire's side are almost complete. I'll be setting off soon, leading a large army to explore the Shattered World. Would you like to come along? You should encounter many novel and interesting things."
Ames waved her hand, "That's a mission from the Crimson Dynasty, I won't be going."
Iso was standing nearby, stroked his beard and interjected, "Yesterday I had a new prophecy that happened to be related to the Shattered World."
Another prophecy? Han Xiao's eyes lit up, and he asked curiously, "Old man, did you foresee something for me again?"
"Well, let me clarify first, I'm not specifically helping you. Anyone who is close to me will have some kind of entanglement with me in terms of fate. My ability allows me to randomly sense certain things that these people might encounter in the future, like a dream, very vague, basically just a premonition."
Yesterday, I sensed something, an intuition, about your exploration of the Shattered World...
At this point, Iso paused, his tone becoming serious, and warned, "You'd better be careful of the Arcane Church."
The Arcane Church? Are they still determined to reclaim the Evolution Cube? It seems like that's the only possibility.
Han Xiao blinked, and seeing that Iso didn't continue, he asked in confusion, "Just this one reminder? No useful information like time or location?"
Iso shrugged. "The future is so far away; things can change at any moment. There's no way to predict it accurately. I just have this intuition, nothing else."
"Understood. I'll keep an eye on things and have someone keep an eye on the Star Pupil Protoss's movements. If the Arcane Church wants to deal with me, Sisko certainly won't stand idly by."
Han Xiao nodded and patted Iso's arm.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing." Iso stroked his beard and said, "I've heard that some Ancient Ones are secretly gathering information about you, and several Ancient Ones members seem quite interested in you."
Han Xiao's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at Iso from top to bottom and asked suspiciously, "Where did you hear that from?"
"I was once one of them, so is it strange that I have a few friends?"
Iso clicked his tongue and shrugged, saying:
"I went with you to the Imperial capital and made an appearance before those Imperial allies. Ravenlaude shared my intelligence with the other Ancient Ones, and now those guys know that I, a former member, am with you and Ames. Some friends have contacted me."
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao couldn't help but sigh. Iso, that old codger, had unfathomable experience and connections, and always managed to obtain information that ordinary people couldn't get.
It's true that having an elder in the family is like having a treasure...
"Who is mainly asking about me?"
"The Mechanic Emperor, the Sun Hunter, the Void Venerable..." Iso's tone suddenly turned serious, and he whispered, "And the Manison."
Aside from the Mechanic Emperor, Han Xiao hadn't interacted with any of the previous Ancient Ones. The Sun Hunter was a gunner, Void Venerable was a void creature; he didn't know why they were inquiring about him, but Han Xiao's eyes narrowed immediately when Iso mentioned Manison.
The "shadow warrior" who interrogated Manison was helped by Iso. Iso also knew that Manison had once plotted against him, so he brought it up as a reminder.
"He might still want to target me. He's in the Starfield of the Federation of Light, and there's nothing I can do about him for now. I'll settle the score with him later." Han Xiao remained calm, keeping this matter in mind.
The [Prey] mission had been stalled for a while. He didn't know before if Manison had given up on dealing with him, but now it seemed that the guy was still up to no good. However, his strength was not what it used to be, and Manison could not deal with him easily.
At this moment, Ames suddenly spoke up, saying softly, "Black Star, I've been thinking about something lately and would like to discuss it with you."
Han Xiao turned to look at Ames and caught a glimpse of hesitation on her face, something rarely seen on Ames. Curious, he asked:
"What do you want to discuss with me? Do you want to borrow money? Is fifty million Enas enough?"
"Who borrowed money from you? Do you think I'm poor?" Ames's delicate eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly. "Actually... I've been thinking about Dragon Calm's development plan lately..."
Han Xiao and Iso both stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with astonishment.
"You've changed your personality? Is that something you should be thinking about?"
"Am I really that unreliable in your eyes?" Ames helplessly. "I'm the leader of Dragon Calm. What's so strange about me worrying about power occasionally?"
"It wouldn't be a problem for others, but for you... it's really strange! Everyone knows how lazy you are... cough, how naturally indifferent you are."
Han Xiao quickly changed his words, concealing his smile. Ames had been a hands-off manager for so many years, living her reclusive life in Dragon Calm, never thinking of developing a faction. Her image as a lazy bum was deeply ingrained in people's minds. Who knows why she suddenly had this sudden whim?
"Stop joking, I'm serious this time." Ames glanced at Han Xiao with her beautiful eyes and glared at him.
She had never been enthusiastic about developing her power, but after a while, this routine started to make her restless. In the last ten years or so, she had witnessed Han Xiao lead the Black Star Army to rise step by step. With such a role model, she developed a little interest in developing her power and wanted to follow Han Xiao's example and manage Dragon Calm better. This had nothing to do with ambition; Ames mainly treated it as a pleasure.
After being a couch potato for too long, you always need to find something to do.
However, Ames would not admit to Han Xiao that her interest was piqued by Han Xiao's deeds.
"Alright, I'll take it as true..." Seeing the unfriendly look in Ames's eyes, Han Xiao suppressed a laugh and waved his hand. "Stop laughing, let's get down to business. What do you want to discuss with me about developing Dragon Calm?"
Ames was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Dragon Calm has been wandering in the universe for a long time, and I want to find a place to settle down."
Han Xiao thought for a moment and nodded.
"Hey, that's a pretty good idea. Having a fixed base makes it easier for people to have confidence in Dragon Calm. As Beyond Grade A, you have extraordinary influence. As long as you change the preconceived notions of the Shattered Star Ring superhumans about you and show a serious expansionist attitude, there will definitely be dozens or even hundreds of times more people willing to serve you than there are now."
Han Xiao stroked his chin, looked Ames up and down, and joked, "Besides, you're so beautiful, your influence is probably stronger than mine."
Upon hearing this, Ames's expression turned strange as she stared at Han Xiao, her tone filled with surprise and doubt:
So you actually think I'm pretty?!
"What's so strange about that..."
Han Xiao was completely bewildered, not understanding why Ames was reacting so strongly.
Shaking his head, Han Xiao returned to the main topic and asked, "Have you chosen a location for Dragon Calm to stay?"
"This is what I need to discuss with you..."
Ames composed herself, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly said, "I'm planning to have Dragon Calm stay on Planet Aquamarine long-term. What do you think?"
Han Xiao was taken aback.
"Is that not allowed?"
Ames raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on her lips. "More than a decade ago, your home planet suffered a catastrophe. You announced through interstellar media that Planet Aquamarine was a planet coveted by Dragon Calm. Thanks to Dragon Calm's name, Planet Aquamarine has received substantial investment from conglomerates over the years and has developed quite well. Even the Goddora Civilization has tacitly approved of Dragon Calm's control over Planet Aquamarine... You're not going to go back on your word, are you?"
Han Xiao shook his head helplessly. Back then, the Black Star Mercenary Group was just a junior force. It hadn't separated from Dragon Calm and relied on Dragon Calm's banner to give Planet Aquamarine the opportunity to develop rapidly and enter interstellar space.
After the split, the Black Star Army took over the management of Planet Aquamarine. Dragon Calm didn't ask about it, assuming that Ames didn't care. He didn't expect it to be brought up now.
"Since Planet Aquamarine is nominally a planet under my Dragon Calm's control..." Ames smiled, Han Xiao's pained expression amused her, and chuckled, "Then it's perfectly legitimate for Dragon Calm to choose Planet Aquamarine as its base."
"Are you going to drive my people off my home planet?" Han Xiao asked in surprise. Planet Aquamarine was the foundation upon which he had secured his seat in the Shattered Star Ring Civilization Council, and he couldn't just hand it over to someone else.
"Do you really think I'm that unreasonable?" Ames said irritably. "Don't worry, I'm like your legion headquarters, staying in outer space. I won't interfere in the politics of Planet Aquamarine. Isn't this a discussion with you?"
Han Xiao's eyes flickered. If that were the case, it wouldn't be a bad thing at all; it would be a great thing.
The Legion Headquarters has been stationed on Planet Golden Gate for so many years, bringing unparalleled development opportunities to Planet Golden Gate. Its economy and public security have improved significantly, making it a top-tier prosperous colony in Goddora.
If Ames does this, Planet Aquamarine's development speed will surge again, indirectly gaining more resources. Moreover, with Ames, a Beyond Grade A, as a neighbor, Planet Aquamarine's security will increase dramatically, reducing worries about the future.
The thought flashed through Han Xiao Ming Ames's idea. Choosing Planet Aquamarine as the base of Dragon Calm was not just for legitimate reasons. He sighed, "Looks like I'll owe you another favor."
"Good to know, you got off easy." Ames' eyes crinkled into a smile.
"I agree. I'll have the legion branch on Planet Aquamarine cooperate with you. As for the specific details, I'll have Sylvia and the others handle them..."
"Okay, then I'll have Jenny handle it for me..."
Speaking of Jenny, Han Xiao suddenly remembered something, "By the way, did you inform Jenny about this beforehand?"
"No."
Upon hearing this, the two stared at each other in silence for a long while.
"So this is just a rash idea you had on a whim..." Han Xiao thought to himself. He thought Ames had really thought it through carefully. Sure enough, this was her usual way of doing things.
"Ahem, that's all for now, I'll be going." Ames covered her mouth with her fist, coughed twice to hide her embarrassment, and then turned and left.
Han Xiao watched as Ames and Iso boarded their small spaceship, left the fleet, and disappeared into the distance as streaks of light. Only then did he order the fleet to continue its journey and return to the legion headquarters.
The inter-star system crossing was complete. Han Xiao opened the forum and looked at the players' reactions.
Having just passed through the stargate, the more than 700,000 players in the fleet didn't have any particular reaction. On the contrary, the players in the Shattered Star Ring reacted much more strongly, precisely because players from other star systems had come to their territory, and they couldn't wait to make contact.
This first instance of players crossing star systems was of extraordinary significance, and players from various star systems recorded this moment in their own chronicle posts:
"Galaxy Calendar, March 18, 705".
Guided by the Black Star Army, 700,000 players left the Constellation Corridor and arrived at the Shattered Star Ring, marking the first successful cross-star system operation by players across the entire Galaxy.
The player recruitment in the Constellation Corridor went smoothly this time. Han Xiao knew the reason why: because players in version 3.0 didn't have enough factions to choose from. He understood the players' needs, so the Black Star Army was the best faction at this stage and was more attractive. Even if players used it as a transitional faction, it was still the first choice.
As players level up, they'll have access to more and more powerful factions, such as the three major cosmic-level civilizations and supercluster-level civilizations. At that point, legions won't be as easy to attract and recruit players. This is inevitable; for the sake of novelty, some people will always try out new factions.
Han Xiao's tireless expansion of his legion and efforts to enhance the competitiveness of his faction are also a form of foresight. In a sense, using the remote and chaotic Shattered Star Ring as a base is actually a good thing, as it reduces direct competitors.
After more than ten days at sea, the fleet finally returned to the legion headquarters.
The Legion headquarters was now filled with millions of Shattered Star Ring players, eager to make contact with the newcomers from the Constellation Corridor, while many more were simply there to watch the spectacle.
Meanwhile, the more than 700,000 players in the Constellation Corridor in the fleet looked out the portholes at the gradually enlarging satellite base of the legion headquarters, their excitement like feathers constantly stirring their hearts.
After spending so many days on the ship with great anticipation, we've finally arrived at our destination.