The next moment, the Sorokin's figure flashed and instantly teleported into the battlefield of ten Beyond Grade A warriors. As soon as he appeared, the expressions of both sides changed.
Milizaus and his companions felt immense pressure; the Sorokin had arrived so quickly, and it hadn't even been five minutes yet.
The Beyond Grade A members of the Arcane Church were also on high alert, except for one person: Sisko, who was bombarding the Palace of Hidden Spells with his psychic power, suddenly widened his seven eyes in astonishment.
"How did you get here?!"
Because of Avidan's enmity, the Arcane Church concealed the fact that the Sorokin were involved in the war from him. Now that he saw his enemy appear, Sisko's expression changed drastically.
The Sorokin turned to look at him, revealing a faint smile, which Sisko saw as nothing short of a provocation.
"Don't be impulsive," Sagman said in a telepathic exchange, his voice deep and serious. "The Sorokin are our temporary allies."
Sisko was startled, and his tone turned cold. "So you all knew beforehand?"
The other five remained silent. This was an order from the Arcane Church to conceal information from their allies, which was indeed rather unethical.
"Dilun, you're aware of this too?" Sisko scoffed.
"Sorry, I only found out right before I left..."
Dilun, unwilling to face his best friend's questioning, vented his frustration on his attack. He clasped his hands together, aiming at the Palace of Hidden Spells. Water swirled around his arms, transforming into a high-energy, aquamarine laser under the influence of his supernatural power. The laser shot out along his arms, bombarding the Palace of Hidden Spells ' seven-colored protective array and splashing up water-like fragments of light.
Sagman interjected, "Sisko, the mission is more important; we can talk about other things later."
Sisko's eyes darkened, and he decided to stop looking at the Sorokin and focus on attacking.
The battle was raging and a swift resolution was necessary. Now was not the time for revenge; he had to consider his clan and could not disrupt the Arcane Church's plans at this critical juncture. So he reluctantly endured it.
Seeing this, the Sorokin also withdrew his gaze. To be honest, although Sisko was Number One figure in the entire universe, he was nothing special in his eyes. Those Beyond Grade A that he had killed in the past were not much weaker than Sisko.
Of the ten Beyond Grade A in the arena, only Milizaus and Sagman caught his eye. As for Austin, he had only heard of him but had never dealt with him.
Especially Milizaus, the only one in the entire arena with the same record of killing Beyond Grade A Old Dragon as himself. The Sorokin had fought him several times and knew how powerful the Old Dragon was. So when he saw Milizaus's injuries, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"This wound was inflicted by a single attack. The Arcane Church must have used a special weapon to severely injure him, otherwise he wouldn't have suffered such an injury so quickly." The Sorokin narrowed his eyes, his wariness of the Arcane Church deepening. He was dealing with a tiger for its skin, worried about being double-crossed later.
However, at this moment, he and the Arcane Church were still on the same side. After observing the battlefield, the Sorokin could not see Black Star and his mechanical legion. He looked confused and used his psychic abilities to connect with Sagman's consciousness and asked.
"Black Star isn't here. You let him get away?"
Just as Sagman unleashed a beam of platinum-gold energy that pierced Milizaus's magical defenses and blasted across his dragon back, tearing away a large chunk of flesh and scales, he said in a deep voice, "Black Star has withdrawn from the battle and is hiding in the Palace of Hidden Spells. I wonder what trick he's up to."
"Hidden?" The Sorokin paused, then asked, "Is the Evolution Cube confirmed to be on him?"
"It's confirmed, he just took it out and used it."
"Good."
The Sorokin nodded, and the next moment he appeared above the Palace of Hidden Spells, his feet stepping on the surface of the protective magic array. The magic power surged as the array operated, but it had no effect on him at all.
As Austin sat cross-legged atop the Palace of Hidden Spells, he looked up and saw the Sorokin's enormous feet, with a thick defensive magic circle separating them.
Austin's eyes narrowed, and he spread his arms, causing the dozens of magic books surrounding him to turn on their own.
Shua Lala--
As the pages turned, colorful magical runes emerged and quickly landed on the Palace of Hidden Spells. They were then instantly transmitted to the control core of the Palace of Hidden Spells via the omnipresent magical circuits—this was how the Palace of Hidden Spells operated.
The next moment, the protective array covering several thousand meters beneath the Sorokin's feet suddenly changed color, and magical energy surged, erupting from beneath his feet like a fountain of seven-colored magical energy that engulfed the Sorokin.
Austin was looking up intently at the outcome of the attack when a strange voice suddenly rang in his ears, like a thunderclap in his mind.
"The Sorcerer Austin, huh? Your strength is not bad."
The Sorokin appeared behind him without his noticing. He simultaneously used several supernatural abilities, including energy refraction, plasmaization, Dimensional Crevice, and teleportation, directly passing through the protective array of the Palace of Hidden Spells the six members of the Arcane Church had been unable to breach! His strength was not only in terms of raw power, but even more terrifying was his rich array of supernatural abilities.
"Oh no!" Austin exclaimed in alarm. Although the Palace of Hidden Spells had many restrictions inside, their defensive power was no match for the outer protective array. If the Sorokin had slipped in, the Palace of Hidden Spells would be breached from the inside by the enemy, and he couldn't stop it!
Bang!
The protective spell was activated. [Power Ability - Star Throwing] The Sorokin kicked it and shattered it, sending Austin's small body flying like a cannonball.
The red-robed mages surrounding Austin, assisting in controlling the Palace of Hidden Spells, hurriedly cast spells to try and stop the Sorokin. However, in the next moment, their bodies collapsed, turning into ashes one after another.
Seeing their companion's bizarre death, the mages further away were all terrified. Seeing that they too were showing signs of turning to ash, they hurriedly retreated, not daring to approach the Sorokin.
The Sorokin lowered his hand, a look of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. He had used the power from the Ashes to deal with targets weaker than himself; it was practically a god-level area-of-effect power.
Immediately afterwards, the Sorokin activated its sensory abilities, instantly scanning the entire Palace of Hidden Spells, but was taken aback.
He couldn't sense Han Xiao's energy fluctuations; his perception was blocked by the Space-Time Amber.
This situation made him frown.
Where did they go...?
Austin, who was in the distance, steadied himself. He wouldn't be so easily injured by the Sorokin. Remembering his mission to buy time, he decisively counterattacked and interfered with the Sorokin.
Thump thump thump--
The two immediately engaged in battle inside the Palace of Hidden Spells, the aftershocks shattering sections of the building.
Although Austin was no match for the Sorokin, he could still hold him off for a while if he went all out. However, his wounds were multiplying rapidly, and he could no longer control the Palace of Hidden Spells.
Without Austin's control, the Palace of Hidden Spells sluggished and became the target of even more intense attacks. Although the surviving red-robed mages and Forbidden Sorcerer tried their best to control the Palace of Hidden Spells, they simply couldn't hold out against the siege of so many Beyond Grade A beings outside.
Click, click, click—
The protective array shattered layer by layer, finally reaching its critical point and exploding with a deafening roar. A large hole appeared in the protective barrier of the Palace of Hidden Spells, emanating a powerful suction force. Inside the Palace of Hidden Spells was a closed, cyclical life-sustaining space, and the internal gases were sucked out.
"Finally, it's broken!"
Sagman rushed in, fearing that the Sorokin would get there first and steal the Evolution Cube.
Just then, before anyone could observe the situation, a familiar energy surge erupted from inside the Palace of Hidden Spells!
A tower in the Palace of Hidden Spells shattered with a deafening roar, and a figure shot out, his fist rapidly enlarging in the Sorokin's vision!
Whoosh--Bang!!
The fist slammed into the Sorokin's raised arm, and the enormous impact passed through his body, forming a rapidly shooting air cannon that exploded into the inner circle of the Palace of Hidden Spells ' protective array, turning into a raging hurricane.
The figure was Han Xiao, his fist pressed against the Sorokin's arm, their strength clashing repeatedly.
Feeling the astonishing force coming from his hand, the Sorokin raised an eyebrow, his expression one of surprise.
"You've improved a lot since our last encounter."
Last time he fought in the Central Galaxy, he had an overwhelming advantage over Black Star, but now the energy level Black Star is unleashing has made him look at him with new eyes; his progress is too obvious.
What he didn't know was that during their last encounter, Han Xiao was only level 240, hovering on the threshold of Beyond Grade A. Now, at level 260, his strength had increased significantly—but at this moment, Han Xiao had not advanced.
However, he had just finished disengaging from combat, and the advanced quest finally showed as [Completed], ready to be completed at any time!
"That was close, just a hair's breadth away."
As Han Xiao wrestled with the Sorokin, he breathed a sigh of relief. The Sorokin's early entry into the arena caused the situation to deteriorate rapidly, but fortunately, the guy took some time to observe the situation and was then desperately entangled by Austin, which allowed him to complete the five-minute disengagement judgment.
Seeing the two were in close contact, Han Xiao hesitated for a moment and suppressed the urge to use [Sorokin Character Card - Superpower Silence].
Although I have leveled up and can advance at any time, the level gap between me and the Sorokin still exists. The effect of Superpower Silence depends on the level, strength, and luck of both parties. If the control time is too short, the damage to the Sorokin will be limited.
The six Beyond Grade A Arcane Church are not wooden figures. Although the Sorokin and the Arcane Church are wary of each other, Sagman and the others will not be short-sighted and sit idly by while their external support is severely damaged. Even if they are unwilling, they will protect the Sorokin. Under these circumstances, rashly using this character card would only be a waste.
With this in mind, Han Xiao stopped fighting the Sorokin and reopened the Secondary Dimension Army Box, releasing the mechanical legion he had previously put away.
A surge of Mechanical Force, accompanied by lightning and thunder, erupted, empowering his mechanical forces. Then, disregarding the Sorokin close by, Han Xiao directly opened the control panel.
Advanced!
[Level 260 advancement quest completed!]
[Stamina bonus +45, 1 stamina = 355 health points = 365 stamina points]
In an instant, the cells underwent a dramatic change, the body was turned upside down, and intense pain exploded, assaulting every nerve.
Each advancement requires time for transformation and cannot be completed instantly. Fortunately, Han Xiao has become accustomed to this kind of pain by now. As a mechanic, he relies on mechanical troops to fight most of the time, and he can still fight even if he has to grit his teeth.
The Sorokin keenly sensed Han Xiao's change, and his eyes immediately narrowed.
This guy's energy fluctuations kept increasing during the battle?!
The other Beyond Grade A also noticed Han Xiao's unusual behavior, and they all showed surprise. This situation was not unfamiliar to them; wasn't this a sublimation of their life level?!
"Is this what you mean by 'outburst'?"
Austin was stunned; he hadn't expected that the explosive method Han Xiao mentioned was a breakthrough at the life level.
Every Beyond Grade A has undergone such life sublimation many times, but their sublimation is a gradual process, some even taking decades. To sublimate on the spot during battle, compressing years of evolution into such a short time, is something they've never seen before in their lives!
"Could this be the reason why Black Star broke the record for becoming Beyond Grade A? Is this his special talent?!" Everyone was filled with doubt and speculation.
A prompt popped up on the panel, Han Xiao quickly selected the option for racial ascension, which would merge his talent into the Black Star Race.
He could only glance at the new talents and skills during the battle; he was already distracted by the pain of transformation and couldn't afford to be distracted any longer. He barely managed to stay focused and continue fighting.
With the mechanical legion's combat power significantly improved, Han Xiao felt the pressure from the enemy had lessened considerably, which put him at ease.
With seven against four, the addition of the Sorokin made the situation even worse, and Han Xiao did not expect to turn the tide with just one advancement.
The purpose of advancing is to improve our own combat strength and delay the enemy as much as possible. The Arcane Church has six Beyond Grade A- level experts plus one Sorokin. Our side is at a huge disadvantage. With such a huge difference in combat strength, if the enemy does not reveal a weakness, we will have no chance to counterattack head-on.
Han Xiao was fully aware of his own limitations and wouldn't lose his composure due to the sudden surge in power; arrogance was not an option for him.
The situation is so perilous that there is no room for recklessness.
In short, play it safe!
Austin's Palace of Hidden Spells suffered heavy damage, Milizaus also in poor condition. Han Xiao returned to the battlefield and could only take on the role of a tank, actively shielding his teammates from attacks.
The advancement significantly increased his survivability, and coupled with the Aurora character card he had been saving for years, Han Xiao single-handedly withstood about half of the enemy's attacks.
Although the situation is passive, we can hold on for the time being and will not be defeated.
The battle between the Beyond Grade A combatants was actually quite small compared to the main battlefield. While everyone was fighting, the situation on the main battlefield also changed. First, the outer fleets of Lighthouse Star returned to provide support one after another, relieving the immediate crisis and gradually stabilizing the situation.
However, with the arrival of the Fallen Ark fleet, Tarrokov's fleet was besieged, his forces were stretched thin again, and he was once again on the defensive.
As the Lighthouse Star garrison was steadily eroded, Tarrokov's face was grave. His gaze never left the 3D map of the battlefield, his mind racing as he issued orders one after another, striving to minimize the rate of casualties among his troops.
He took a moment from his busy schedule to glance at the battle situation between the two sides' Beyond Grade A combatants, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Black Star's side held off the opponent's Beyond Grade A, otherwise it would have been troublesome.
The Beyond Grade A side, which was clearly the weakest link most likely to collapse due to being targeted by the enemy, has actually managed to hold on. Although Tarrokov is not Beyond Grade A- class superhuman, one can imagine how terrifying the pressure on Black Star's side must be.
Gritting his teeth, Tarrokov demanded, "Any news of reinforcements? How long until the fastest can reach the stargate entrance?"
The adjutant, who was busy and flustered, rushed to check the message upon hearing it. He was sweating profusely with anxiety, but suddenly his expression brightened with joy, and he excitedly shouted:
"Commander-in-Chief, the reinforcements from the two nearest military outposts have arrived at the stargate entrance. Reinforcements from the outposts at the edges of the Gaolu, Renault, and Crown Ring Star Cluster have also assembled, bringing the total fleet size to over three million. Furthermore, His Maxiler Maxirol, His Excellency Heber, and His Ravenlaude will soon be in position!"
The reinforcements are finally coming!
Tarrokov's eyes lit up, and he shouted, "Engineering Department, immediately assemble the stargate, reactivate the passage, and let the reinforcements in!"
The Imperial fleet immediately changed formation, using the fleet as a defensive line and assembling a portable stargate in the center of the formation.
The commander of the Arcane Church looked grim upon seeing this. The Imperial fleet's resistance was stronger than he had anticipated. Under the command of the veteran general Tarrokov, the Lighthouse Star Guardians fought with remarkable resilience, proving unbreakable and resilient, bouncing back time and again. Several times, the Arcane Church commander thought the Imperial fleet was about to collapse, but the enemy held on.
The same situation occurred on the Beyond Grade A battlefield; the four from the Empire were too tenacious.
He immediately contacted Sagman, "We can't let the Imperial fleet assemble the stargate. You guys hold back the enemy's Beyond Grade A, and send one or two people to break into the Imperial formation and destroy their stargate!"
Upon hearing this, Sagman was unwilling. Looking at Black Star, who had repeatedly taken huge amounts of damage but was still alive and kicking, he gritted his teeth and made a decisive decision.
"Motes, you and Dilun go and destroy the Empire's stargate. We'll hold those four off here!"
The two mages must restrict the Palace of Hidden Spells and cannot separate; Sisko must sense the Evolution Cube and cannot leave; and Sisco must stay here to restrain Milizaus and the Sorokin. Therefore, the only ones who can be sent out are Motes and Dilun.
Sagman originally wanted to finish off Han Xiao and his two companions quickly, but the enemy had added Austin, Scepter of All Gods had been sealed by the opponent. By now, he had lost confidence in quickly defeating the enemy. The tenacity of Han Xiao and the others had exceeded his expectations.
Since a quick victory was not possible, destroying the Imperial Stargate became a more important task. The roles of the two sides were reversed, with Sagman and his group shifting from a direct assault to a containment strategy, preventing Black Star and his allies from stopping them from destroying the Stargate.
Motes and Dilun nodded, immediately leaving the battlefield and charging toward the Imperial fleet.
With two fewer opponents, the pressure on Han Xiao and his group was greatly reduced. However, instead of being happy, they were worried – only reinforcements could turn the tide, and they absolutely could not allow their opponents to sabotage the star gate assembly project.
"Now is the crucial moment that will determine the outcome..."
The same thought arose in everyone's mind at the same time.
Han Xiao clashed with the Sorokin in an energy exchange, shattering his mecha. He then switched to his seventh spare mecha and turned to look at Motes and Dilun as they walked away, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
"Finally, someone's separated!"