A barrage of attacks with Beyond Grade A power, including light energy shockwaves, magic energy disintegration rays, martial arts fluctuations, psychic bombs, and compressed water lines, shattered Han Xiao's Psionic Energy shield, destroyed his mecha, and sent him flying uncontrollably.
My vision blurred, the universe and galaxies seemed to transform into streaks of shooting stars. I barely managed to steady myself, floating in outer space, my whole body aching with pain, my cells constantly being destroyed and regenerated.
Not far behind them was a vast interstellar battlefield where fleets clashed, and beneath their feet lay the curved outline of an iron-gray planet. The six members of the Sagman retrieved the Scepter of All Gods, discovered Han Xiao's tampering, and their expressions changed drastically.
Seeing Sagman's shocked and furious expression, Han Xiao, despite the excruciating pain all over his body, couldn't help but reveal a triumphant smile, secretly thrilled.
This was totally worth it!
The Scepter of All Gods is too threatening. Even if each person can only use it once in a short time, it can still be activated six times in total. If the enemy is allowed to use this highly effective weapon with a stellar track record without restraint, they will have no chance to maneuver. Their only hope is to freeze the enemy's Scepter of All Gods.
The core of the plan is the Space-Time Amber, which can seal the Scepter of All Gods!
Having just been in dire straits, this combo was quite risky. First, feign surrender, then, under the enemy's watchful eye, take out the Evolution Cube. Immediately afterward, launch an attack, using Evolution Energy to force the enemy to reposition, while two teammates and the mechanical legion help to hold them back. Then, based on past experience, use the Scepter of All Gods, creating an opening by momentarily catching the enemy off guard. Next, use the amber to block the ranged energy attack from the six members of the Arcane Church who wanted to retrieve the Scepter of All Gods.
The Space-Time Amber made its first appearance in the universe, catching its enemies off guard as they were unaware of its purpose. This gave the enemy a brief opportunity to come into contact with the Scepter of All Gods.
Thanks to the Soul Connection Level, the production efficiency of the Space-Time Amber increased. The scepter was not large, and by delaying it for about a minute, it was enough to seal it!
' The Scepter of All Gods is frozen inside amber, isolating it from all energy. They can't open the amber, so this powerful weapon is useless in this battle!'
Han Xiao clenched his fist excitedly, having temporarily neutralized the enemy's trump card—this battle was far from over!
Sagman gripped the amber sphere that sealed the Scepter of All Gods, his arms gleaming with intense light as he pressed them against the sphere. He unleashed bursts of light energy particles from the left and right, but the amber sphere remained indestructible. Instead, the smooth, translucent surface of the sphere was washed away and covered by the light energy particles, transforming it into a dazzling golden egg.
The five teammates around him couldn't sit still any longer. They tried everything they could, but they still couldn't break the amber ball. They could only look at the Scepter of All Gods inside, which they could see but couldn't touch, and they longed for it.
"What kind of material is this? I can't break it no matter what I do!" Sagman thought to himself in frustration. Then, he glared coldly at Han Xiao and, using Sisko's telepathic communication, shouted, "Damn it, what have you done?!"
Black Star's files didn't record any mention of this ability; they were completely unprepared. Could this be a new ability for Black Star? Or had he been hiding this trump card all along?!
Han Xiao chuckled inwardly.
He kept the secret of obtaining the Space-Time Amber in the Shattered World a secret, only revealing it now for the first time. Naturally, information from the universe is lagging behind.
"What did I do? The Scepter of All Gods is such a precious item, I just added an extra lock for you, it's absolutely safe, no need to thank me, it's free!"
Han Xiao chuckled, his tone playful, "I wonder if you're satisfied with my screen protector application skills?"
This mocking tone immediately enraged Sagman, and his anger surged.
They thought Black Star and his group were powerless to resist and that victory was assured, but they were unexpectedly outmaneuvered and their efforts were in vain!
Unable to break the amber seal despite trying every means, Sagman gritted his teeth and threw the Scepter of All Gods to Ninja.
"Put it away. We can't crack Black Star's methods right now, but at least we still have the Scepter of All Gods. Once we get back, we'll have the Arcane Church figure out how to get it out."
Ninja had no choice but to comply.
The Arcane Church entrusted this Universal Treasure to them, hoping they would quickly eliminate Milizaus. Now, however, he and Sagman have exhausted a great deal of energy using the Scepter of All Gods, and their condition has declined. Yet, they failed to kill one of the three pillars of the Empire—what a loss!
Not only that, the Scepter of All Gods was also sealed by Black Star using bizarre methods, making it temporarily unusable as their trump card. Not only could they not quickly resolve the battle, but their goal of intimidating the Sorokin was also completely thwarted. It was a classic case of trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead!
Seeing that the six members of the Sagman Cult had put away the Scepter of All Gods, Han Xiao's eyes revealed a playful smile. He knew that these people thought that the Scepter of All Gods was only temporarily unusable, and that they could use it to remove the effects of the Space-Time Amber from the Arcane Church once they returned.
'Hey, they don't realize how serious the problem is...'
Han Xiao's lips curled into a smile. The Space-Time Amber was the remains of Space-Time Freezer, its effect derived from the ability to Space-Time Freeze. However, during its journey through the universe, it absorbed various strange and unusual cosmic radiations, causing it to mutate and transform into a Cosmic Wonder- level treasure.
Most of the phenomena that can be called Cosmic Wonder are those that are difficult to explain with existing theories. If it were so easy to use technology to break the effects of Space-Time Amber, so many Beyond Grade A beings wouldn't have fallen for this thing in my past life.
Such a thought flashed through his mind, and Han Xiao quickly suppressed his smile, focusing intently on the six people.
Although their trump card was sealed, the overwhelming combat power exerted by the six Beyond Grade A fighters still remained.
This is only a phase of counterattack; the battle is far from over.
The group faced off in outer space, which took more than a minute. Austin, Milizaus, and Beoni caught up with them.
Seeing that the impromptu plan had succeeded and that Han Xiao had indeed restricted the enemy's Scepter of All Gods, Milizaus was overjoyed and couldn't help but give Han Xiao an approving look.
You're very reliable, little bro!
--Although you were the source of this crisis and caused me serious injury, I won't be angry with you now, since you saved my life!
With ten Beyond Grade A combatants gathered, the energy fluctuations emanating from them intertwined, appearing as a dazzling high-energy reaction zone on the radars of countless warships. The energy fluctuation values soared continuously, as if countless stars had exploded.
"Do it!"
Sagman and his men, not wanting to delay, launched a fierce attack. Han Xiao, who had originally intended to stall for time with some verbal sparring, had no choice but to retaliate when he saw this.
Ten Beyond Grade A warriors clashed, moving swiftly across the interstellar battlefield, crushing all the warships that blocked their path and leaving behind a trail of explosive orbs.
Meanwhile, in the Constellation Corridor, on the home planet of the Crimson Dynasty.
Führer Urranrell received urgent intelligence from Tarrokov about the Arcane Church's surprise attack on Lighthouse Star, and was furious.
"The Arcane Church, the Federation of Light..." Urranrell's face turned ashen.
She wasn't unaware that these two old rivals would sabotage the Empire's exploration of the Shattered World. She thought they would at most resort to underhanded tricks and schemes, but she never expected them to be so arrogant as to directly attack the Empire's outpost in the New Starfield, attempting to eliminate three of the Empire's Beyond Grade A combatants!
Does the empire think it's weak and easily bullied?!
If it's a conspiracy, fine, but when it comes to a head-on confrontation, the Empire has never backed down!
Urranrell immediately issued dozens of orders to mobilize the Imperial Legion. She did not believe there was much chance of survival on Lighthouse Star and had already begun preparations for a counterattack and retaliation.
The empire's style has always been one of blood for blood, tooth for tooth, exploring the traditions passed down through history: if you're not ruthless, you can't stand firm.
They've been trampled on like this. If they don't react with the extreme reaction of a mad dog, people will be convinced that the empire has become weak inside and out because of its exploration of the Shattered World.
Meanwhile, in the player forum, the Shattered Star Ring section...
Most players were exploring outside, but because Han Xiao was on Lighthouse Star, a small number of players would occasionally return. When the battle broke out, some players would linger on Lighthouse Star, Meat Bun was one of them. He hurriedly posted on the forum.
"Something terrible has happened! Lighthouse Star has been attacked by an unknown force, and it's now in complete chaos! There are probably ten Beyond Grade A NPCs involved in this battle!"
When the news spread, all the Legion players who were exploring outside were stunned.
Ten Beyond Grade A! My goodness, what a spectacle!
How did you manage to create such a big news story in such a short time?!
On the Lighthouse Star cosmic battlefield, ten Beyond Grade A warriors fought back and forth. Due to Austin's arrival and the sealing of the Scepter of All Gods, the Arcane Church's combat advantage had been greatly reduced. Although Han Xiao and his group were fighting on the defensive, they would not be defeated in the short term.
Do you have any other plans?
Milizaus was quite convinced of Han Xiao's ideas at this point, and while fighting, they communicated through their mental network.
"There are still six enemies left. We are still at a disadvantage. Our objective remains unchanged: we can only hold out until reinforcements arrive."
Han Xiao dodged a burst of energy, controlled his mechanical legion to unleash a concentrated barrage, and repelled Sagman. He continued, "The enemy knows this too; they want a quick victory... Milizaus, although you're injured, you're still very resilient. Austin, with the protection of the Palace of Hidden Spells, won't be easily defeated either. As for me, needless to say, the nickname ' Undying Body' isn't for nothing. The most likely target for the enemy is Beoni; he's so fragile, he'll definitely be the first to die."
Beoni: "..."
Damn it, I can't even refute it!
Unlike you guys who are freakish meat shields, I'm truly unworthy of being Beyond Grade A!
Milizaus sighed, "Let him stay on my back. I'll shield him from some of the attacks. Do you have any other plans?"
"... Why don't you stay behind to cover our retreat, and I'll run away?"
The three looked at each other with utter confusion. "What's wrong with you, bro?"
"Ahem, a slip of the tongue." Han Xiao coughed and sighed, "There's really no good way now. This is a head-on battle; there's no room for tricks. The Sorokin is still on his way, and once he arrives, the situation will be even more unfavorable for us..."
Everyone fell silent, their hearts heavy with the thought of the yet-to-appear Sorokin.
At this moment, Han Xiao made up his mind and said solemnly, "Everyone, I have a request. Please help me hold out for five minutes. During this time, I will not participate in the battle. Protect me."
"What are you going to do?" Milizaus was taken aback.
"I have a burst ability that can temporarily boost my combat power, but I cannot be disturbed by external factors during this time. You only need to hold out for five minutes." Han Xiao naturally wouldn't reveal the existence of the advancement mission, so he had to make up a reason.
Milizaus sighed helplessly. He had just said the situation was dire, yet Milizaus and the Tu Shu were choosing to slack off? Besides, what kind of explosive power would require a Beyond Grade A to hold back for five minutes?
"How much will this increase our combat strength?" Austin suddenly asked.
"There should be quite a few," Han Xiao said, unsure.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Milizaus said in a deep voice, "Even if you unleash your full power, you can't suddenly become extremely strong. You're still quite a distance from me. This slight increase in combat strength won't have much impact on the situation. And without you for five minutes, we'll be in even greater danger. You need to understand that the Sorokin haven't arrived yet; we can't afford to suffer too many losses right now..."
"It's precisely because the Sorokin hasn't arrived that I've decided to give it a try! If we wait for the Sorokin to arrive, it will be even more dangerous for you to hold out for five minutes. Before he arrives, try to increase our combat strength as much as possible; perhaps that will bring a turning point." Han Xiao gritted his teeth.
That's one reason. Another unspoken reason is that this advancement is no small matter!
It's not just a change of main class, but also a new racial ascension that brings entirely new abilities. Moreover, once this limit is broken, he can continue to level up.
The improvement is definitely significant!
Just then, Austin suddenly said, "Alright, you go into the Palace of Hidden Spells, I'll protect you for five minutes."
"... Can you do it?"
Han Xiao's tone was cryptic. Just a short while ago, Austin had considered retreating. Now that the Scepter of All Gods had been sealed by Han Xiao and was no longer a deadly threat, Austin hesitated but did not choose to retreat. He never expected that Han Xiao would take on such a difficult task. This was completely different from the lazy old man he remembered.
Have our friendship deepened without us even realizing it? Or is this old man really that trustworthy?
As if reading Han Xiao's thoughts, Austin's tender face broke into a smile.
"Just as you sealed away the Scepter of All Gods, I suddenly felt that letting you live might be a good thing."
Han Xiao was taken aback, then thought for a moment, "If you survive this, I'll give you some Space-Time Amber Spheres... those are what I used to block the Scepter of All Gods."
"That's exactly what I've been waiting to hear!"
Austin suddenly burst into laughter. Although he tried to appear bold and imposing, his laughter sounded childish and incredibly tender.
He was indeed intrigued by the Space-Time Amber and wanted to study what it was all about, but that wasn't the whole reason.
The Arcane Church's Scepter of All Gods suffered a setback, much to his surprise. The situation was now clear: if he stayed, they could still put up a fight; if he fled, the Empire's fighting strength would be further weakened, and the chances of Black Star and his two companions surviving would be extremely slim. It could be said that his fate would determine the life or death of the Lighthouse Star forces.
He was already mired in this mess. If he ran away halfway, both the Arcane Church and the Empire would be dissatisfied with him. But if he stayed to continue helping Black Star, he would only offend one side... More importantly, Austin wanted Han Xiao to live. He was growing to like this guy who always surprised people more and more.
"It's just five minutes..." Austin's eyes narrowed. "I'm not so badly incapable of lasting that long!"
Han Xiao opened the Secondary Dimension Army Box, put away the mechanical legion, and then, under the cover of his teammates, flew to the side of the Palace of Hidden Spells while the enemy was entangled. The defensive array of the Palace of Hidden Spells revealed a gap, allowing him to enter.
Without saying a word, he rushed into the main hall of the Palace of Hidden Spells, first deploying a mechanical force, then taking out the Space-Time Amber and sealing himself in—having obtained the Space-Time Amber for so long, he had already conducted various experiments, including sealing himself, and knew what it was like to be frozen by the Space-Time Amber.
The character's status is displayed as [Frozen]. The mind can move and can perceive the outside world, but cannot act or release energy, and cannot connect to the Quantum Network Vision.
Following the instructions left by Han Xiao, Phillip manipulated the mechanical troops to form a fortress around Han Xiao, ready to use his Space-Time Amber body to break his seal at any time.
--Seal yourself off as a safety measure to prevent the disengagement process from being unexpectedly interrupted.
With only three people remaining to fight against the six members of the Arcane Church, the pressure increased dramatically.
Seeing that Han Xiao wasn't making a move, Sagman and the others didn't know what he was up to. But given the example of the Scepter of All Gods, they dared not ignore Han Xiao's unusual actions and instead turned their attention to the Palace of Hidden Spells.
The Palace of Hidden Spells withstood a fierce attack. In just three minutes, the clockwork-like defensive arrays protecting the Palace of Hidden Spells collapsed one after another, exploding into a sky full of colorful magical shards.
The entire palace trembled violently, cracks appeared everywhere, more and more magical circuits were destroyed, and many functions malfunctioned one after another.
Austin and the Forbidden Sorcerer Corps frantically cast spells, shooting colorful magical runes into the magic array of the Palace of Hidden Spells. Seven-colored magical Glory danced within it, repairing the damaged parts of the defensive array. However, repair was not as fast as destruction, as the enemy outnumbered them by two. Meanwhile, Milizaus's injuries were also becoming increasingly severe.
Although the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable, Milizaus and his two companions were giving it their all and were not going to be killed by the enemy within five minutes.
Austin's Palace of Hidden Spells is worth every penny; it's incredibly sturdy. Although its durability has plummeted, it has indeed blocked all of the enemy's attacks.
At the same time, the Imperial fleet and the Arcane Church fleet were still engaged in fierce combat, with high-energy beams shooting back and forth, piercing into the enemy's formation, and one after another, the ship's shields burst out with blinding arcs of electricity.
Tarrokov had already boarded the warship and joined the battle, directing operations, forming a defensive line, and resisting wave after wave of frenzied attacks from the Arcane Church.
The Arcane Church's fleet outnumbered the defenders several times over. The enemy's vertical-disc-shaped assault ships' dark energy furnaces expanded and contracted like breathing, spewing out beams of red dark energy arcs that bombarded the massive, azure-blue combined Psionic Energy barrier constructed by the Lighthouse Star's defense line. Each salvo of such massive ship cannon fire was enough to destroy the surface of dozens of planets. At this moment, clusters of expanding dark energy explosions burst open on the Psionic Energy barrier.
The Arcane Church's butterfly-shaped "Radiant Sun Class armed flagship has completed its transformation. Hundreds of pairs of highly ductile soft alloy wings have fully unfurled, transforming the flagship's exterior into a sun-like pattern. The edges of each pair of wings glow with a pale red light, continuously firing beams of light, like slashing attacks. Upon closer inspection, the edges of the wings are densely packed with cannons; when fired simultaneously, the concentrated barrage of fire forms similar "light blades."
The Crimson Dynasty's heavily armed flagships were arrayed in perfect formation, their cannons roaring as if they could tear the universe apart with beams of light. The three major cosmic-level civilizations had a wide variety of warships, each with its own technological focus, while the Crimson Dynasty's warships were known for their powerful firepower, tough armor, and formidable shipborne weapons.
"How long until the reinforcements from the outer perimeter arrive?" Tarrokov asked without turning his head, staring at the battlefield star map.
"The first rapid reaction force will arrive in about four minutes," the adjutant hurriedly replied.
Tarrokov nodded. He had already ordered all the outer forces to return to the attack on Lighthouse Star, totaling more than three million warships. As long as they could hold out until the attack, the fleet size would be comparable to that of the Arcane Church, which would greatly alleviate the pressure.
If he hadn't led the fleet to withstand the attacks of the Arcane Church and the Book Fleet, they wouldn't have even had a chance to wait for reinforcements. He didn't have the extra energy to pay attention to the battle on the Beyond Grade A side, and could only pray that Black Star and the others wouldn't be defeated so quickly.
"Where are the Fallen Ark's troops now?"
"Commander-in-Chief, our fleet is still engaged with the Fallen Ark; they are expected to arrive at the battlefield in twenty-two minutes."
Tarrokov nodded, about to speak, when suddenly, a piercing alarm sounded from the radar.
"Alert! Unknown high-energy reaction source detected! Database comparison in progress... Comparison complete, target identity: Sorokin!"
Tarrokov was startled and quickly looked up, only to see a figure suddenly appear on the outskirts of the battlefield, hovering in space.
Sorokin!
"Didn't you say it would be more than twenty minutes? How come he..." Tarrokov was startled, and suddenly realized that there were no troops around the Sorokin, and immediately understood.
This guy abandoned the fleet and arrived ahead of schedule!
The Sorokin turned his head, his gaze fixed on the fierce battlefield where Beyond Grade A warriors were fighting.
Dissatisfied with the fleet's speed, he abandoned it and repeatedly used his teleportation ability to leap across distances, rapidly arriving at the battlefield on Lighthouse Star.
Observing the situation on the battlefield, the Sorokin narrowed his eyes.
"Where did Black Star go?"