The Star Pupil Protoss fleet nearby hastily assembled on this planet, standing ready for battle, while the border not far away has also increased its defensive forces, on guard against the Imperial fleet beyond the border.
After waiting for two days, the group finally received a report of sightings of Sisko arriving at the border.
"Your Excellencies, the Sisko leader has arrived at the border and will be here soon."
Jade breathed a sigh of relief and forced himself to speak.
He looked somewhat listless. For the past two days, Han Xiao and Heber had been staying in the room. He suggested that everyone go to stay overnight, but Han Xiao and Heber ignored him and wouldn't allow him to leave. Jade could only stay in the room for two days, feeling like he was sitting on pins and needles, afraid to sleep. His highly tense nerves aggravated his mental fatigue, making him look unwell.
For Beyond Grade A being, two days is not a need for rest. Higher-level life forms have a different sense of time, capable of making microsecond-level reactions, or having several days pass in the blink of an eye, simply by adjusting the activity level of their own cells. The elites they brought along and the Star Pupil Protoss guards around them were mostly at the Calamity Grade, so there was no impact. Only government envoys like Jade were a bit fatigued.
If they stayed overnight, the pressure that had been building up would have dissipated. So the two of them sat there for two days, which in turn increased the pressure on the Star Pupil Protoss members present.
After waiting a while, a commotion arose outside the door. In their senses, a massive energy source was slowly approaching.
Heber suddenly opened his eyes and slowly nodded. "They've arrived."
The next moment, the door opened, and Sisko slowly walked in, drawing everyone's attention.
The guards present all breathed a sigh of relief, straightened their backs, as if they had found their pillar of support.
"Hey, isn't this Little Xixi? The hero makes a dazzling appearance." Han Xiao changed his posture and joked.
Sisko glanced at him, then walked to the seat opposite the two of them. Jade, who was sitting there, looked excited and quickly got up to make room for Sisko.
"You wanted to see me, didn't you? I'm back. What do you want? Just say it."
Sisko's tone was solemn.
However, the next second, Han Xiao suddenly raised his hand, and the mechanical structure covered his arm. Mechanical Force and lightning flashed by, and the machine continued to expand, transforming into a huge palm, which pushed forward with a bang.
The table and sofa in front of him were all pushed aside, and the mechanical hand slammed into Sisko, smashing him into the wall!
Bang!!
The entire room shook violently!
"What you do?!"
The incident happened so suddenly that the guards present changed their expressions and immediately tried to help their leader.
However, at that moment, Hila and the other guards simultaneously unleashed their auras, releasing them towards the surrounding guards. The oppressive aura, seemingly solidified, was full of warnings, and the Vanguard Officers of the War Realm was also watching them intently.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and just then, Sisko's serious voice came from below the mechanical hand.
"Don't do it."
The mechanical hand compressed segment by segment, leaving the wall. At this moment, Sisko was embedded in the alloy wall, looking somewhat disheveled. He used his telekinesis to pry himself out of the dented and twisted metal wall, staring at Han Xiao without any intention of fighting back.
"You almost killed me, so you have a problem with me hitting you?" Han Xiao narrowed his eyes.
"... No."
Sisko took a deep breath, knowing this was a show of force to undermine his prestige, and he had no choice but to endure it. He told his angry subordinates not to act rashly, and had new tables and chairs brought over, so he sat down again in front of the two men.
The Star Pupil Protoss around them clenched their fists, looking utterly aggrieved.
They could understand Sisko's posture of bearing humiliation, but they still couldn't help feeling disappointed. On the one hand, they were angry at their own powerlessness, and on the other hand, they felt ashamed of the damage to their ethnic dignity.
Many of the Star Pupil Protoss present knew that the Empire had come to hold them accountable, but while waiting, they still fantasized that Sisko could handle the situation. However, the scene at that moment shattered their illusions, forcing them to accept reality—their leader Sisko had come to suffer humiliation.
After sitting down again, the Crimson Dynasty envoy, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke, saying calmly, "You participated in the attack on the Lighthouse Star outpost. Of the six Beyond Grade A individuals who were on the run, four have been captured. The Empire demands an explanation from you and the Star Pupil Protoss."
"What explanation do you want?" Sisko asked in a deep voice.
The imperial envoy tapped the smooth, pure white bracelet, summoning a virtual screen displaying a series of agreement terms.
"You must issue a formal public apology and sign this reparations agreement to demonstrate your sincerity. The details are all there. If you disagree, you will have to come with us to the Empire for trial, or wait for the Arcane Church to ransom you."
"Compensation and an apology...?"
Sisko muttered to himself. He hadn't been idle these past two days, constantly pondering the Empire's intentions, which wasn't unexpected.
The imperial envoy didn't keep it a secret and read out all the terms of the agreement. Many of the terms were extremely unreasonable, practically exorbitant. The Star Pupil Protoss around him grew increasingly furious.
Sisko was faced with only two choices: accept reparations or become a prisoner... Of course, there was also a third option: to rebel. However, if he chose the third path, the Empire would not give him any face at all.
The empire may not necessarily need the reparations, but it does need the enemy to back down.
After listening, Sisko nodded.
"... I accept this agreement, and I will publicly apologize for this action at that time."
He didn't care much about the astronomical compensation. He was working for the Arcane Church, and although he failed, the Arcane Church wouldn't let its underlings take the blame. Otherwise, who would work for them in the future? So the compensation would be covered by the Arcane Church, and the Star Pupil Protoss wouldn't need to spend any money.
As for a public apology, it signifies submission, which is exactly what the Arcane Church wanted to see. The Arcane Church would never apologize to the Empire, but they still wanted to redeem the people, so they needed to express their attitude indirectly. The Star Pupil Protoss's submission was a step further, subtly representing the Arcane Church's attitude. It could ease the recent conflict to some extent without embarrassing the Arcane, and could be considered a form of compromise.
Even though the Arcane Church is protecting the Star Pupil Protoss, the Crimson Dynasty is still a cosmic-level civilization. Given the apparent conflict and private negotiations between the two sides, the Star Pupil Protoss must provide an explanation.
Sisko himself knew this, but the others present might not.
To those around them, the fact that their leader had agreed to such a humiliating clause without a word made the faces of every Star Pupil Protoss grow increasingly grim, and their gazes toward Sisko shifted from resolute to complex.
It looks as if Sisko would betray the interests of his tribe without hesitation in order to protect himself... Of course, they know that this idea is completely wrong, but they just can't help but have this thought.
Although they knew that Sisko's choice was correct, Jade and the many guards around them still felt angry and humiliated.
At this moment, Heber spoke up, "Sisko, take your people and leave the Shattered Star Ring. You know we and the Empire won't stand idly by and watch you grow stronger. The best option for you is to leave."
Losing one Beyond Grade A in the Shattered Star Ring is beneficial to the rest, and Heber shares the same view as the Empire in this regard.
Sisko shook his head. "No matter what difficulties we encounter, as long as we can overcome them, we will not easily leave our home."
"Hmph." Seeing this, Heber stopped talking.
At this moment, Han Xiao tapped the table and calmly said, "The rest is our business. You pay compensation to the Empire, and you also need to show some appreciation to me, the victim."
Sisko turned to look at him. "What do you want?"
Han Xiao smiled.
"I want to Evolution Cube."
Everyone was taken aback.
Sisko asked, puzzled, "Didn't you already take it?"
"No, you misunderstood me." Han Xiao crossed his arms and said calmly, "I want you to release your telekinetic connection to the Evolution Cube, and also to announce to the entire universe that you have given the Evolution Cube to me."
Sisko's expression changed abruptly.
He realized that Black Star, that wicked thing, was trying to kill him by destroying his spirit!
The Star Pupil Protoss originally believed that Black Star had stolen their "treasured treasure." If they were to publicly declare that they were giving up the Evolution Cube and offering it to Black Star, what right would they have to condemn him? At that time, all the clan members would fall silent, which would become a disgrace to the clan. The people's anger would be directed at them, and their reputation as leaders would plummet.
"You bastard..." Sisko gritted his teeth.
Han Xiao said in a deep voice, "Because of the Evolution Cube, you have repeatedly targeted me. This attack was also caused by the Evolution Cube. I'm not letting you give up on this thing, and similar things will happen again in the future. Also, I haven't settled accounts with you for the Avitan Wraiths almost bombing Planet Aquamarine yet... Let's watch this video first."
As he spoke, Han Xiao summoned a virtual screen, which played a recording of the guard named Lalaime reprimanding him two days ago, Phillip had already recorded.
The video finished playing quickly, Sisko looked grim.
Han Xiao put away the virtual screen, raised an eyebrow, and said, "I didn't hold it against a Beyond Grade A, but I don't want to hear similar nonsense again. So, to prevent your people from continuing to think this way, I've decided to use this method to solve this problem once and for all. What do you say?"
"What if I don't agree?" Sisko said, suppressing his anger.
"You can refuse if you don't want to." Han Xiao narrowed his eyes, his aura gradually rising, and slowly said, "But... are you still my opponent now? Have you ever thought about what would happen to the Star Pupil Protoss without you as their leader?"
In that instant, Sisko realized that the Black Star before him was no longer the guy who had fought him to a draw. He immediately thought of Dilun, who had been captured alive by Han Xiao in the blink of an eye, and felt a chill run down his spine.
However, he was still unwilling to give up the Evolution Cube. The soul connection between him and the Evolution Cube had given him a certain boost to his psychic power. Losing this Universal Treasure would reduce his combat strength and lower his status in the Arcane Church.
At this moment, the imperial envoy spoke calmly:
"Black Star represents the Empire. If you disagree... this can be written into the reparations agreement."
Han Xiao's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't discussed this matter with the Empire yet, but it was all beneficial and harmless. It was normal for the Empire's special envoy to support it, and there might even be Political Asset involved.
Upon hearing this, Sisko clenched his fists tightly, then released them weakly, his voice low and somber.
"... I agree."
Bang!
A Star Pupil Protoss Calamity Grade guard nearby couldn't hold back any longer. In his anger, he slammed his fist into the wall, creating a dent and making a loud bang.
However, the other Star Pupil Protoss were trembling with rage, and no one paid any attention to him. Han Xiao and the others simply ignored the noise he was making as he vented his anger.
Han Xiao nodded, took out the Evolution Cube, and let it float in front of everyone. The small silver cube spun around, attracting everyone's attention.
Heber's Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly, but his underlings didn't notice.
"Then let's first show our sincerity and dispel your telepathic connection from above."
Sisko closed his eyes, calming the turmoil within him. Then, he slowly released his telekinetic energy to contact the Evolution Cube, steeling his resolve to sever the sensory link.
The next moment, his body jolted, and his brain clearly sensed that the bridge through which the Evolution Cube was continuously feeding him power had broken.
The long-standing ability to locate information has vanished without a trace.
"Okay." Sisko said in a low voice, trying his best to hide his disappointment.
Han Xiao retrieved the Evolution Cube. As Beyond Grade A cultivator, his perception of energy was very keen, and the certain aura attached to the Evolution Cube had indeed disappeared.
"Finally, the hidden danger has been eliminated..." Han Xiao felt relieved. Although the Space-Time Amber had the same effect, he would eventually need to use the Evolution Cube, so this was a more permanent solution.
However, he was cautious and casually tossed the block to Fording for inspection. Although Fording was only Calamity Grade, he was still incredibly lucky.
"Don't worry, your empire also has Beyond Grade A telekinetic masters, it'll be easy to find out, you don't need to worry about me doing anything underhanded."
Sisko said sullenly, "I've already agreed to your conditions. Is there anything else? If not, please leave the Star Pupil Protoss's territory immediately."
The imperial envoy stood up. "Very well, we won't disturb you any longer. Remember, the Empire will always be watching you, and we eagerly await your announcement."
Sisko clenched his teeth and remained silent.
"Don't blame me." Han Xiao also stood up. "Failure has its price, that's only fair. At least you're still alive."
As soon as he finished speaking, Han Xiao suddenly felt that his words had a villainous vibe.
However, in the eyes of the Star Pupil Protoss, they are nothing short of villains.
"I won't keep failing," Sisko said in a deep voice.
"You won't live forever either," Heber interjected, leading the way out of the room, followed closely by the imperial envoy.
With one foot out of the door, Han Xiao glanced back at Sisko, who remained seated, and smiled. "Instead of sulking here, you should deal with the public opinion issue first."
Sisko ignored that question and instead asked, "How's Dilun?"
"You still have the leisure to care about others? It seems you two are really close."
Han Xiao's lips curled into a smile.
"Don't worry, he's safe now... very safe."
After saying that, Han Xiao waved his hand, still in the mood to say goodbye, before turning and leaving.
After watching the group disappear from sight, Sisko received a report a while later that Han Xiao and the others had boarded the spaceship and taken off.
After sitting there for a while, Sisko looked up and saw all the tribesmen in the room staring at him expectantly. He couldn't help but sigh and stand up.
"Give the order to prepare for a government press conference... I will attend in person."
Jade hesitated for a moment, then reminded him, "Black Star has used virtual technology to infiltrate many media websites, stirring up public opinion and spreading rumors unfavorable to you. Should we deal with it first...?"
"No need. Black Star will stop once he leaves. He may be ruthless, but he won't resort to these petty tricks forever," Sisko sighed. "Besides, once I release the statement, you'll see... this current public opinion is nothing."
Sisko felt a deep sadness at the thought of the backlash this statement would provoke.
However, circumstances forced him to act against his will, leaving him with no other choice. Even if he sought help from his own backers, the Arcane, considering the importance of redeeming the people, would not risk a new conflict with the Empire over such a trivial matter as damage to Sisko's reputation.
Amidst the complex interplay of various parties, his personal reputation was simply not something the Arcane cared about.