The Arcane Church has a diplomatic embassy on the Crimson Dynasty's homeworld. The ambassador visited the Tyrant Hamill Palace, the political heart of the Empire, to discuss and negotiate with relevant Imperial officials regarding the ransom for Dilun and Motes.
The negotiations had been going on for several months, and the imperial officials, who were initially unyielding, were now gradually accepting some of the conditions. The Arcane Church's diplomatic ambassador knew that he was making progress.
"Regarding Number Three of the ransom clause, we have further comments..."
The diplomatic ambassador spoke eloquently, while the imperial officials listened with nods, occasionally asking a question or two. In this matter, they had no power to make their own decisions; in reality, they were merely mouthpieces for the higher-ups on both sides, and their attitudes reflected the attitudes of the higher-ups.
After listening for a while, the imperial official's communicator suddenly rang. Having received the message, the diplomatic ambassador tactfully stopped speaking, indicating that he could continue after the official finished dealing with the matter.
The imperial official turned on the communicator, glanced at it a few times, and then put it away.
Seeing this, the diplomatic ambassador was about to continue when the imperial official raised his hand, signaling him to stop.
"That's enough for today. All previous conditions are overturned. Go back and draft a new ransom agreement."
The ambassador was taken aback. "Wasn't the previous agreement already concluded? Why the sudden..."
The imperial official waved his hand, interrupting the other party. He stood up, looking down at the diplomatic ambassador with a smile that carried a hint of smugness and superiority that made the ambassador feel uneasy.
"Go back and wait for news from your superiors, or you can check today's news, and you'll understand why."
Three months later, the situation between the Crimson Dynasty and the Arcane Church has seen new developments.
On this day, the Empire issued a new statement to the entire universe, announcing that they had successfully captured two Beyond Grade A members of the Arcane Church, bringing the Empire's total number of prisoners to four.
The Empire's counterattack was as swift as Thunder, striking fear into the hearts of many forces throughout the universe. Seeing the Arcane Church suffer such a heavy loss, some gloated, some secretly rejoiced, and some shared a common hatred for the enemy.
This news caused a sensation among the interstellar citizens of countless civilizations in more than ten star systems. In the eyes of ordinary people, Beyond Grade A beings were almost like gods, as distant as legends. But this time, a total of four high- Tu Shu Beyond Grade A beings were brought down to earth and became prisoners.
Since the beginning of the Galaxy Era, there has not been an incident of a group of Beyond Grade A beings being captured. Countless interstellar citizens feel as if they have witnessed history. This sensational event will surely go down in history.
On the forums, players' opinions on this incident focused on a different perspective.
The area search mission has been completed, and the players who provided clues shared the generous rewards. In the Legion program, Phillip issued a unified message to them, praising their contributions. This proved that the Empire had captured two Beyond Grade A, and they deserved significant credit.
Several players who initially noticed the unusual behavior of Sagman and his companion posted their rewards on the forum, making many players aware that they had inadvertently altered the course of this major event, thus participating in the storyline and causing considerable impact.
From version 1.0 to the current version 3.0, players have gradually discovered that they have an increasing influence on the plot and a deeper level of involvement in the Galaxy. Usually, players can only feel their influence on the plot when performing side quests on weak planets. But this time, they are changing the plot of a major event related to the struggle between cosmic civilizations, which is several levels higher.
Realizing the importance of one's own actions brings a greater sense of accomplishment and enjoyment than simple task rewards.
This event was also recorded by players in the chronicles of the Shattered Star Ring.
Every player can write a chronicle, which results in a lot of complexity. The official team, on the other hand, selects and organizes events, putting minor details in the appendix and only major events worth mentioning in the main post. Players who write these chronicles can be credited and receive rewards, which many people take pride in.
In another star cluster of the Shattered Star Ring, a long, serpentine fleet was lined up in front of a public stargate station, among which was an inconspicuous, ordinary spaceship.
Inside the ship, a news report was displayed on a virtual screen: the Imperial News Channel announced the success of the manhunt, with two Beyond Grade A Arcane Church captured alive.
drop.
The virtual screen has been turned off.
Ninja put down the remote control, rested his hand on his forehead, and had a very complicated expression.
"Sagman and his men have been captured by the Empire..."
Of the four who escaped the Shattered World together, two have already been captured. Sisko's situation is also dire; it seems he is the only one who can escape the Shattered Star Ring unscathed. Ninja can't help but feel a sense of shared sorrow.
I still remember when we set off, the six of us were full of confidence and felt that we were sure of success. But in the blink of an eye, we were all wiped out, we fled in disarray, many of us were captured, and we were left with only a mess.
He had heard that the Arcane Church's higher-ups were negotiating with the Crimson Dynasty about the ransom issue. Now, the Empire had two more bargaining chips, and the Arcane Church would have to pay an even greater price. Moreover, he didn't think the Crimson Dynasty would allow the Arcane Church to ransom everyone. Among the four who were captured, some would probably face a long period of imprisonment.
"At least... I brought the Scepter of All Gods back with me..."
Ninja shook his head slightly. Now that things had come to this, this was the only excuse he could use to comfort himself and the Arcane Church.
"Fortunately, Ninja was carrying the Scepter of All Gods, preventing the Empire from taking it..."
At the meeting of the Bishops' Conference of the Arcane Church, many bishops looked worried. Someone said this in a relieved tone, but it only earned him a helpless glance from others.
A bishop sighed, "We activated the spies' network of the Shattered Star Ring, but failed to bring back all the Beyond Grade A combatants. The price we paid far outweighed the gains. The capture of Sagman and Taylor has increased their bargaining power, and we need to pay more ransom. The Empire won't be lenient with us."
The ransom between two cosmic-level civilizations would not be a simple monetary sum, but rather a combination of political, military, and economic conditions.
A somber mood hung over the round table at the meeting; the bishops' conference looked dejected, with no time for anger.
Dilun, Motes, Taylor, Sagman represent more than just themselves; each of them possesses their own Beyond Grade A power, which is vast and filled with powerful individuals. Now that their leader has been arrested, these Beyond Grade A powers are in turmoil, and people are filled with anxiety. The Arcane Church is under immense pressure to stabilize these allied forces.
With the attention of other Beyond Grade A combatants, the Arcane Church not only needs to redeem its members, but also needs to do so quickly to avoid alienating its allies, otherwise it will be difficult to attract new Beyond Grade A members to fight for it in the future.
There will always be old Beyond Grade A dying and new Beyond Grade A being born. Civilizations have a long timescale, and their Beyond Grade A are constantly being updated and iterated. In the long run, a civilization's reputation and credibility in this regard are more important than the four people who were captured themselves.
In terms of updates and iterations, the Crimson Dynasty currently holds an absolute advantage...
As the record holder for the fastest attainment of Beyond Grade A, Black Star is undoubtedly a rising star. After this battle, Black Star, who has only recently reached Beyond Grade A, has already begun to show his talent, much faster than many forces had anticipated.
In the foreseeable future, given the abilities Black Star has demonstrated, he will undoubtedly become a powerful figure that the Crimson Dynasty relies on. What is most terrifying is Black Star's age; he is the youngest among all Beyond Grade A, enough to serve the Empire for hundreds or even thousands of years.
In other words, they will likely have to deal with this guy continuously for the next few hundred years.
The thought that the Crimson Dynasty possessed such a promising talent filled the high-ranking Arcane Church with unbearable jealousy.
They also wanted to destroy Black Star, but this attempt resulted in heavy losses for them, and the Arcane Church was forced to temporarily abandon the Evolution Cube.
Before the effects of this incident are quelled, the Arcane Church has no intention of causing Black Star any further trouble, and doesn't even want to look at him.
The Arcane Church admits they've been defeated this time.
Let's make a note of this.
We'll settle that later.
There's still a long way to go!
"Sagman and his team have failed this time."
In the dimly lit room, the Beyond Grade A members of the Arcane Church gathered here via remote projection, leaving six seats empty at the round table.
Because of this incident, all the Beyond Grade A members of the Arcane Church gathered together to discuss the turmoil.
"When the Arcane Church was planning this operation, they came to me. They only saw the disparity in combat strength and thought it was impossible to fail. But I felt there was a risk, so I refused the call. That brute Motes took my place. Now it seems I'm glad I didn't agree back then," someone couldn't help but say in hindsight.
"It's a pity I'm being watched by many forces and can't be secretly mobilized. Otherwise, with my participation in this operation, the outcome would have been different," someone else said calmly.
The Arcane Church also has something similar to the three Pillar of the Nation the Crimson Dynasty. However, the strongest Beyond Grade A members did not participate in this operation. Because of their strength, they are under more surveillance, and any slight movement will attract attention. The Arcane Church believes that with the Scepter of All Gods the Pantheon and their numerical advantage, they can crush the Empire. So they found six Beyond Grade A from Sagman. The strongest members, Sagman and Ninja, are still not as strong as the strongest Beyond Grade A members.
"However, no matter what, despite their numerical advantage, Sagman and his team still failed to seize the Evolution Cube. Black Star's performance this time was an unexpected factor. It seems we have gained another formidable opponent."
"Hmm... in a few decades, the Three Pillars of the Empire will probably become the Four Pillars of the Empire..."
Seeing their allies from the same camp suffer a setback at Black Star's hands, the impression of Han Xiao among the Beyond Grade A present became even more profound.
"So, what are your thoughts, everyone? Should we wait for the Arcane Church to ransom them, or should we intercept the Empire's fleet transporting prisoners and rescue them en route?"
"Let's wait and see. If the Arcane Church can resolve the issue, we shouldn't complicate things further... Besides, intelligence from the Arcane Church indicates that Black Star can seal Beyond Grade A beings. Although we don't know what kind of Universal Treasure it is, it's clearly not so easy to break."
Everyone nodded, all feeling wary of the second mysterious Universal Treasure in Han Xiao's possession.
As is customary, when the Empire escorts four Beyond Grade A prisoners back, a crucial condition for their rescue en route is cooperation from within and without.
Now, the Arcane Church is saying that Black Star can seal Beyond Grade A. Given the intelligence capabilities of a cosmic-level civilization, this is definitely not unfounded.
Without coordination between internal and external forces, the difficulty of rescuing people midway increases dramatically. What may seem like a small, insignificant change can have far-reaching consequences.
The Beyond Grade A members present all had connections with Sagman and others, but these connections were not enough to make them take the risk.
A vortex of azure spatial energy rippled outwards like the ebb and flow of Tide. A vast imperial fleet, spewing orange-red propulsion flames, slowly emerged from the stargate, leaving trails of fading flames behind it. Among them was a colossal dragon, its size comparable to a warship.
The stargate's dim light shone on the hulls of every warship, leaving dappled shadows on the angular mechanical structures and illuminating the cracks and dents in the armor. The outer armor, damaged to varying degrees, was covered in the marks of battle.
Several Black Star Army ships hovered not far from the stargate, slowly approaching the fleet's heavily armed flagship—the flagship was particularly badly damaged, with large sections of its armor plating torn apart and dozens of holes patched with Nano Repair, all indicating the intensity of the battle.
The spacecraft docked with the main ship, and the mechanical structures around the hatch interlocked and locked together, completing the connection.
laugh--
The hatch slid open, Han Xiao followed the passage into the main ship. Led by Imperial soldiers, he arrived at the heavily guarded imprisonment area, where two restraint cells were placed.
The inner walls of the restraint chambers were made of an extremely tough alloy material, making it difficult to escape from the inside. The internal structure automatically adjusted to the prisoner's body shape to secure him. The interlayer was equipped with various devices that provided high voltage and electromagnetic fields for restraint and reduced the transmission of energy. At this time, the two restraint chambers were holding Sagman and another person respectively.
The restraint pods couldn't completely confine the Beyond Grade A, but the two had already been severely injured and were unable to break free, while Heber, Beoni, and other Imperial Beyond Grade A were guarding them from the side.
Han Xiao's true form came to join them in order to use the Space-Time Amber to completely seal the two of them.
"Dominion!" The apostles, including Dark Emperor, stepped forward with their Apostle Weapon.
"Thank you for your hard work." Han Xiao nodded and retrieved the mechanical body.
His mechanical body, which carried his [Dominator's Descent], couldn't possibly have survived the battle with Sagman unscathed and required some repairs.
With nowhere to escape, Sagman and his companion fought with all their might, unleashing formidable combat power. Sagman, in particular, displayed astonishing destructive power when his superpowers were fully activated, inflicting some casualties on the fleet. However, they were ultimately overwhelmed and suppressed by the Empire's Beyond Grade A forces.
Tarrokov's remote projection approached, nodding and saying, "You've arrived. We've been waiting for you."
"Release them." Han Xiao ordered the Imperial soldiers to open the restraint pods, take out the Space-Time Amber, and seal Sagman and Taylor in succession.
"That's much safer; there's no risk of getting stuck." Tarrokov tapped the amber ball with satisfaction.
Ravenlaude couldn't help but look at Han Xiao. He found the Space-Time Amber increasingly useful, feeling a sense of loss and envy.
Tarrokov had the soldiers move the two amber balls away, and then led Han Xiao and the others to the conference room.
After everyone was seated, he looked at Han Xiao and said, "Her Majesty the President is satisfied with our progress. She has learned of Black Star's contributions and has specially commended him."
Han Xiao nodded. He had contributed significantly to the pursuit, providing a great deal of intelligence. After the two were captured, his panel displayed a notification that he had received 4,500 Imperial Contribution Points.
Moreover, Tarrokov had previously privately revealed to him that this achievement would make the Empire favor him in the allocation of Shattered World territory, giving him the opportunity to receive a larger and better fiefdom.
This unexpected incident not only turned a crisis into an opportunity but also turned the tables on Han Xiao, and the imperial high command now has a very good impression of him.
"The Empire's manhunt is over. Next, we'll be conducting a large-scale hunt for spies from the Arcane Church, but that task will be handled by the Intelligence Bureau. The Empire has another mission for you."
Tarrokov then changed the subject, "Next, the Empire needs you to escort four prisoners to the Constellation Corridor to prevent them from being intercepted by the Arcane Church along the way."
Everyone nodded in agreement; it was the right thing to do to be cautious and not lose these chips due to carelessness.
"However, Black Star and Tyrant are not among the escorts."
Everyone looked over, and Han Xiao and Heber were both somewhat surprised.
"What do you want us to do?" Heber asked in a deep voice.
Tarrokov opened the star map, zoomed in, and pointed his finger at the territory of the Star Pupil Protoss.
"I need two of you to lead some Imperial fleets to the territory of the Star Pupil Protoss."
"Go and capture Sisko?" Heber frowned.
"No, you were just there to exert pressure." Tarrokov shook his head. "Sisko's situation is different from others. He is the leader of a civilization, and his headquarters are in the Shattered Star Ring. The Empire did intend to deal with him, but after you captured Sagman and Taylor, His Majesty the Führer cancelled the plan. You can consider it a concession as a form of checks and balances."
"Hmm, that's good," Maxiler interjected. "We have four prisoners, Sisko has nowhere to escape. Continuing to pursue him might not be a good thing for the Empire."
The others had no foothold in the Shattered Star Ring, so they could only blame themselves for not escaping once they were captured. Sisko, on the other hand, could run away but couldn't hide. However, if the Empire went to the territory of a quasi-star cluster-level civilization and forcibly took away their civilization leader, it would cause a considerable backlash. The Arcane Church could not stand by and watch the forces it protected be bullied like this, otherwise it would lose the trust of its allies.
The Empire was not afraid of these consequences, but now that it had captured new prisoners, it no longer needed Sisko as a backup option. Unless absolutely necessary, the Empire did not want to provoke an excessive backlash, so it changed its original plan, decided to act according to circumstances, and know when to stop.
Of course, not arresting Sisko doesn't mean ignoring his actions. Restraining the development of the Star Pupil Protoss is essential, and it would be even better if a force close to the Arcane Church could be driven out of this star system.
The Crimson Dynasty has mobilized hundreds of millions of warships to develop the Shattered World, and now it has deployed a portion of its fleet to the Shattered Star Ring. The armed forces available in this star system even exceed the combined forces of the other two powers, so it is useless even if the Federation of Light is the nominal ruler here.
In short, it's about doing whatever you want.
"What a pity." Han Xiao raised an eyebrow. He couldn't help but feel a little regretful that he couldn't grab the other party. He had always been very interested in Sisko's physical structure, and every time he saw Sisko, he wanted to poke the guy's eyes.
However, having taken what the Star Pupil Protoss considered their "treasured treasure," and with the two sides now at odds, it seems a bit too arrogant for him to go to their territory and exert pressure so aggressively.
'Looks like I need to bring more men, lest we get beaten up...' Han Xiao thought to himself.